Quantum Rings in Electromagnetic Fields

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via the DOI in this recordThis chapter is devoted to optical properties of so-called Aharonov-Bohm quantum rings (quantum rings pierced by a magnetic flux resulting in AharonovBohm oscillations of their electronic spectra) in external electromagnetic fields. It studies two problems. The first problem deals with a single-electron AharonovBohm quantum ring pierced by a magnetic flux and subjected to an in-plane (lateral) electric field. We predict magneto-oscillations of the ring electric dipole moment. These oscillations are accompanied by periodic changes in the selection rules for inter-level optical transitions in the ring allowing control of polarization properties of the associated terahertz radiation. The second problem treats a single-mode microcavity with an embedded Aharonov-Bohm quantum ring which is pierced by a magnetic flux and subjected to a lateral electric field. We show that external electric and magnetic fields provide additional means of control of the emission spectrum of the system. In particular, when the magnetic flux through the quantum ring is equal to a half-integer number of the magnetic flux quanta, a small change in the lateral electric field allows for tuning of the energy levels of the quantum ring into resonance with the microcavity mode, thus providing an efficient way to control the quantum ring-microcavity coupling strength. Emission spectra of the system are discussed for several combinations of the applied magnetic and electric fields

Genome of Diuraphis noxia, a global aphid pest of small grains

Background: The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia Kurdjumov, is one of the most important pests of small grains throughout the temperate regions of the world. This phytotoxic aphid causes severe systemic damage symptoms in wheat, barley, and other small grains as a direct result of the salivary proteins it injects into the plant while feeding.Results: We sequenced and de novo assembled the genome of D. noxia Biotype 2, the strain most virulent to resistance genes in wheat. The assembled genomic scaffolds span 393 MB, equivalent to 93% of its 421 MB genome, and contains 19,097 genes. D. noxia has the most AT-rich insect genome sequenced to date (70.9%), with a bimodal CpG(O/E) distribution and a complete set of methylation related genes. The D. noxia genome displays a widespread, extensive reduction in the number of genes per ortholog group, including defensive, detoxification, chemosensory, and sugar transporter groups in comparison to the Acyrthosiphon pisum genome, including a 65% reduction in chemoreceptor genes. Thirty of 34 known D. noxia salivary genes were found in this assembly. These genes exhibited less homology with those salivary genes commonly expressed in insect saliva, such as glucose dehydrogenase and trehalase, yet greater conservation among genes that are expressed in D. noxia saliva but not detected in the saliva of other insects. Genes involved in insecticide activity and endosymbiont-derived genes were also found, as well as genes involved in virus transmission, although D. noxia is not a viral vector.Conclusions: This genome is the second sequenced aphid genome, and the first of a phytotoxic insect. D. noxia's reduced gene content of may reflect the influence of phytotoxic feeding in shaping the D. noxia genome, and in turn in broadening its host range. The presence of methylation-related genes, including cytosine methylation, is consistent with other parthenogenetic and polyphenic insects. The D. noxia genome will provide an important contrast to the A. pisum genome and advance functional and comparative genomics of insects and other organisms.Peer reviewedBiochemistry and Molecular Biolog