135 research outputs found
The chiral ring of AdS3/CFT2 and the attractor mechanism
We study the moduli dependence of the chiral ring in N = (4,4) superconformal
field theories, with special emphasis on those CFTs that are dual to type IIB
string theory on AdS3xS3xX4. The chiral primary operators are sections of
vector bundles, whose connection describes the operator mixing under motion on
the moduli space. This connection can be exactly computed using the constraints
from N = (4,4) supersymmetry. Its curvature can be determined using the tt*
equations, for which we give a derivation in the physical theory which does not
rely on the topological twisting. We show that for N = (4,4) theories the
chiral ring is covariantly constant over the moduli space, a fact which can be
seen as a non-renormalization theorem for the three-point functions of chiral
primaries in AdS3/CFT2. From the spacetime point of view our analysis has the
following applications. First, in the case of a D1/D5 black string, we can see
the matching of the attractor flow in supergravity to RG-flow in the boundary
field theory perturbed by irrelevant operators, to first order away from the
fixed point. Second, under spectral flow the chiral primaries become the Ramond
ground states of the CFT. These ground states represent the microstates of a
small black hole in five dimensions consisting of a D1/D5 bound state. The
connection that we compute can be considered as an example of Berry's phase for
the internal microstates of a supersymmetric black hole.Comment: 72 pages (60 + appendices
Holographic Josephson Junctions and Berry holonomy from D-branes
We construct a holographic model for Josephson junctions with a defect system
of a Dp brane intersecting a D(p+2) brane. In addition to providing a
geometrical picture for the holographic dual, this leads us very naturally to
suggest the possibility of non-Abelian Josephson junctions characterized in
terms of the topological properties of the branes. The difference between the
locations of the endpoints of the Dp brane on either side of the defect
translates into the phase difference of the condensate in the Josephson
junction. We also add a magnetic flux on the D(p+2) brane and allow it evolve
adiabatically along a closed curve in the space of the magnetic flux, while
generating a non-trivial Berry holonomy.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure
Quantum Tricritical Points in NbFe
Quantum critical points (QCPs) emerge when a 2nd order phase transition is
suppressed to zero temperature. In metals the quantum fluctuations at such a
QCP can give rise to new phases including unconventional superconductivity.
Whereas antiferromagnetic QCPs have been studied in considerable detail
ferromagnetic (FM) QCPs are much harder to access. In almost all metals FM QCPs
are avoided through either a change to 1st order transitions or through an
intervening spin-density-wave (SDW) phase. Here, we study the prototype of the
second case, NbFe. We demonstrate that the phase diagram can be modelled
using a two-order-parameter theory in which the putative FM QCP is buried
within a SDW phase. We establish the presence of quantum tricritical points
(QTCPs) at which both the uniform and finite susceptibility diverge. The
universal nature of our model suggests that such QTCPs arise naturally from the
interplay between SDW and FM order and exist generally near a buried FM QCP of
this type. Our results promote NbFe as the first example of a QTCP, which
has been proposed as a key concept in a range of narrow-band metals, including
the prominent heavy-fermion compound YbRhSi.Comment: 21 pages including S
Quantum tricritical points in NbFe2
Quantum critical points (QCPs) emerge when a 2nd order phase transition is
suppressed to zero temperature. In metals the quantum fluctuations at such a
QCP can give rise to new phases including unconventional superconductivity.
Whereas antiferromagnetic QCPs have been studied in considerable detail
ferromagnetic (FM) QCPs are much harder to access. In almost all metals FM QCPs
are avoided through either a change to 1st order transitions or through an
intervening spin-density-wave (SDW) phase. Here, we study the prototype of the
second case, NbFe. We demonstrate that the phase diagram can be modelled
using a two-order-parameter theory in which the putative FM QCP is buried
within a SDW phase. We establish the presence of quantum tricritical points
(QTCPs) at which both the uniform and finite susceptibility diverge. The
universal nature of our model suggests that such QTCPs arise naturally from the
interplay between SDW and FM order and exist generally near a buried FM QCP of
this type. Our results promote NbFe as the first example of a QTCP, which
has been proposed as a key concept in a range of narrow-band metals, including
the prominent heavy-fermion compound YbRhSi
Microwave studies of the fractional Josephson effect in HgTe-based Josephson junctions
The rise of topological phases of matter is strongly connected to their
potential to host Majorana bound states, a powerful ingredient in the search
for a robust, topologically protected, quantum information processing. In order
to produce such states, a method of choice is to induce superconductivity in
topological insulators. The engineering of the interplay between
superconductivity and the electronic properties of a topological insulator is a
challenging task and it is consequently very important to understand the
physics of simple superconducting devices such as Josephson junctions, in which
new topological properties are expected to emerge. In this article, we review
recent experiments investigating topological superconductivity in topological
insulators, using microwave excitation and detection techniques. More
precisely, we have fabricated and studied topological Josephson junctions made
of HgTe weak links in contact with two Al or Nb contacts. In such devices, we
have observed two signatures of the fractional Josephson effect, which is
expected to emerge from topologically-protected gapless Andreev bound states.
We first recall the theoretical background on topological Josephson junctions,
then move to the experimental observations. Then, we assess the topological
origin of the observed features and conclude with an outlook towards more
advanced microwave spectroscopy experiments, currently under development.Comment: Lectures given at the San Sebastian Topological Matter School 2017,
published in "Topological Matter. Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences,
vol 190. Springer
GABA-A Channel Subunit Expression in Human Glioma Correlates with Tumor Histology and Clinical Outcome
GABA (Îł-aminobutyric acid) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS and is present in high concentrations in presynaptic terminals of neuronal cells. More recently, GABA has been ascribed a more widespread role in the control of cell proliferation during development where low concentrations of extrasynaptic GABA induce a tonic activation of GABA receptors. The GABA-A receptor consists of a ligand-gated chloride channel, formed by five subunits that are selected from 19 different subunit isoforms. The functional and pharmacological properties of the GABA-A channels are dictated by their subunit composition. Here we used qRT-PCR to compare mRNA levels of all 19 GABA-A channel subunits in samples of human glioma (nâ=â29) and peri-tumoral tissue (nâ=â5). All subunits except the Ï1 and Ï3 subunit were consistently detected. Lowest mRNA levels were found in glioblastoma compared to gliomas of lower malignancy, except for the Ξ subunit. The expression and cellular distribution of the α1, Îł1, Ï2 and Ξ subunit proteins was investigated by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays containing 87 gliomas grade II. We found a strong co-expression of Ï2 and Ξ subunits in both astrocytomas (râ=â0.86, p<0.0001) and oligodendroglial tumors (râ=â0.66, p<0.0001). Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling to estimate the impact of GABA-A channel subunit expression on survival identified the Ï2 subunit (pâ=â0.043) but not the Ξ subunit (pâ=â0.64) as an independent predictor of improved survival in astrocytomas, together with established prognostic factors. Our data give support for the presence of distinct GABA-A channel subtypes in gliomas and provide the first link between specific composition of the A-channel and patient survival
The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning
This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies
The James Webb Space Telescope Mission
Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies,
expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling
for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least .
With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000
people realized that vision as the James Webb Space Telescope. A
generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of
the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the
scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000
team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image
quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief
history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing
program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite
detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space
Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure
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