2,012 research outputs found
Effect of dephasing on the current statistics of mesoscopic devices
We investigate the effects of dephasing on the current statistics of
mesoscopic conductors with a recently developed statistical model, focusing in
particular on mesoscopic cavities and Aharonov-Bohm rings. For such devices, we
analyze the influence of an arbitrary degree of decoherence on the cumulants of
the current. We recover known results for the limiting cases of fully coherent
and totally incoherent transport and are able to obtain detailed information on
the intermediate regime of partial coherence for a varying number of open
channels. We show that dephasing affects the average current, shot noise, and
higher order cumulants in a quantitatively and qualitatively similar way, and
that consequently shot noise or higher order cumulants of the current do not
provide information on decoherence additional or complementary to what can be
already obtained from the average current.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Catching VY Sculptoris in a low state
Context. In the context of a large campaign to determine the system
parameters of high mass transfer cataclysmic variables, we found VY Scl in a
low state in 2008. Aims. Making use of this low state, we study the stellar
components of the binary with little influence of the normally dominating
accretion disc. Methods. Time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry of VY Scl
taken during the low state are presented. We analysed the light-curve and
radial velocity curve and use time-resolved spectroscopy to calculate Doppler
maps of the dominant emission lines. Results. The spectra show narrow emission
lines of Halpha, Hbeta, HeI, NaID, and FeII, as well as faint TiO absorption
bands that trace the motion of the irradiated secondary star, and Halpha and
HeI emission line wings that trace the motion of the white dwarf. From these
radial velocities, we find an orbital period of 3.84 h, and put constraints on
binary parameters such as the mass ratio M2/M1 of 0.43 and the inclination of
15 deg. With a secondary's mass between 0.3 and 0.35 Msol, we derive the mass
for the white dwarf as M1 = 0.6-0.1 Msol.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Critical epinucleation on reconstructured surfaces and first-principle calculation of homonucleation on Si(100)
Journal ArticleWe introduce the concept of ‘‘critical epinucleation'' to distinguish nucleation on surfaces with and without reconstruction. On a reconstructed surface, the critical classical nucleus is stable against dissociation, but may not yet break the underlying surface reconstruction. Consequently, there must exist a ‘‘critical epinucleus'' that is not only stable but also has established the epiconfiguration by unreconstructing the underlying substrate. We illustrate this concept by first-principle calculation of homonucleation on reconstructed Si(001) surface where the critical epinucleus consists of six adatoms
Determining the adsorptive and catalytic properties of strained metal surfaces using adsorption-induced stress
Journal ArticleWe demonstrate a model for determining the adsorptive and catalytic properties of strained metal surfaces based on linear elastic theory, using first-principles calculations of CO adsorption on Au and K surfaces and CO dissociation on Ru surface. The model involves a single calculation of the adsorption-induced surface stress on the unstrained metal surface, which determines quantitatively how adsorption energy changes with external strain. The model is generally applicable to both transition- and non-transition-metal surfaces, as well as to different adsorption sites on the same surface. Extending the model to both the reactant and transition state of surface reactions should allow determination of the effect of strain on surface reactivity
Nature of reactive O2 and slow CO2 evolution kinetics in CO oxidation by TiO2 supported Au cluster
Journal ArticleRecent experiments on CO oxidation reaction using seven-atom Au clusters deposited on TiO2 surface correlate CO2 formation with oxygen associated with Au clusters. We perform first principles calculations using a seven-atom Au cluster supported on a reduced TiO2 surface to explore potential candidates for the form of reactive oxygen. These calculations suggest a thermodynamically favorable path for O2 diffusion along the surface Ti row, resulting in its dissociated state bound to Au cluster and TiO2 surface. CO can approach along the same path and react with the O2 so dissociated to form CO2. The origin of the slow kinetic evolution of products observed in experiments is also investigated and is attributed to the strong binding of CO2 simultaneously to the Au cluster and the surface
Scanning Gate Spectroscopy of transport across a Quantum Hall Nano-Island
We explore transport across an ultra-small Quantum Hall Island (QHI) formed
by closed quan- tum Hall edge states and connected to propagating edge channels
through tunnel barriers. Scanning gate microscopy and scanning gate
spectroscopy are used to first localize and then study a single QHI near a
quantum point contact. The presence of Coulomb diamonds in the spectroscopy
con- firms that Coulomb blockade governs transport across the QHI. Varying the
microscope tip bias as well as current bias across the device, we uncover the
QHI discrete energy spectrum arising from electronic confinement and we extract
estimates of the gradient of the confining potential and of the edge state
velocity.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
Spin-orbit coupling and phase-coherence in InAs nanowires
We investigated the magnetotransport of InAs nanowires grown by selective
area metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. In the temperature range between 0.5
and 30 K reproducible fluctuations in the conductance upon variation of the
magnetic field or the back-gate voltage are observed, which are attributed to
electron interference effects in small disordered conductors. From the
correlation field of the magnetoconductance fluctuations the phase-coherence
length l_phi is determined. At the lowest temperatures l_phi is found to be at
least 300 nm, while for temperatures exceeding 2 K a monotonous decrease of
l_phi with temperature is observed. A direct observation of the weak
antilocalization effect indicating the presence of spin-orbit coupling is
masked by the strong magnetoconductance fluctuations. However, by averaging the
magnetoconductance over a range of gate voltages a clear peak in the
magnetoconductance due to the weak antilocalization effect was resolved. By
comparison of the experimental data to simulations based on a recursive
two-dimensional Green's function approach a spin-orbit scattering length of
approximately 70 nm was extracted, indicating the presence of strong spin-orbit
coupling.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Studio idrogeologico del bacino del rio di Santa Caterina di Pittinuri(Cuglieri, Sardegna Centro-Occidentale)
The catchment area of the river Santa Caterina is located in western part of Montiferru, one of most important volcanic complex of Sardinia. In order to determine
the water balance of the basin, the base flow rates of streams and springs were measured for the purpose of assessing groundwater reservoirs and dynamic storage by means of depletion law of hydrogeologic system. Because of the prevalence of volcanics rocks a study of lava flow and fracture systems was required to determine the main directions of growndwater flow. It was found that hydrogeologic and hydrographic watershed do not coincide. In fact a fair amount of water out flow through bedding planes various lava flows
Imaging Electron Wave Functions Inside Open Quantum Rings
Combining Scanning Gate Microscopy (SGM) experiments and simulations, we
demonstrate low temperature imaging of electron probability density
in embedded mesoscopic quantum rings (QRs). The tip-induced
conductance modulations share the same temperature dependence as the
Aharonov-Bohm effect, indicating that they originate from electron wavefunction
interferences. Simulations of both and SGM conductance maps
reproduce the main experimental observations and link fringes in SGM images to
.Comment: new titl
Formation of quantum dots in the potential fluctuations of InGaAs heterostructures probed by scanning gate microscopy
The disordered potential landscape in an InGaAs/InAlAs two-dimensional
electron gas patterned into narrow wires is investigated by means of scanning
gate microscopy. It is found that scanning a negatively charged tip above
particular sites of the wires produces conductance oscillations that are
periodic in the tip voltage. These oscillations take the shape of concentric
circles whose number and diameter increase for more negative tip voltages until
full depletion occurs in the probed region. These observations cannot be
explained by charging events in material traps, but are consistent with Coulomb
blockade in quantum dots forming when the potential fluctuations are raised
locally at the Fermi level by the gating action of the tip. This interpretation
is supported by simple electrostatic simulations in the case of a disorder
potential induced by ionized dopants. This work represents a local
investigation of the mechanisms responsible for the disorder-induced
metal-to-insulator transition observed in macroscopic two-dimensional electron
systems at low enough density
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