Momentum-Resolved Electronic Structure of the High-TcT_{c} Superconductor Parent Compound BaBiO3_{3}

We investigate the band structure of BaBiO$_{3}$, an insulating parent compound of doped high-$T_{c}$ superconductors, using \emph{in situ} angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on thin films. The data compare favorably overall with density functional theory calculations within the local density approximation, demonstrating that electron correlations are weak. The bands exhibit Brillouin zone folding consistent with known BiO$_{6}$ breathing distortions. Though the distortions are often thought to coincide with Bi$^{3+}$/Bi$^{5+}$ charge ordering, core level spectra show that bismuth is monovalent. We further demonstrate that the bands closest to the Fermi level are primarily oxygen derived, while the bismuth $6s$ states mostly contribute to dispersive bands at deeper binding energy. The results support a model of Bi-O charge transfer in which hole pairs are localized on combinations of the O $2p$ orbitals.Comment: minor changes to text and other figures; includes link to online Supplemental Material; accepted to Phys. Rev. Let

Aberrant Motility in Unaffected Small Bowel is Linked to Inflammatory Burden and Patient Symptoms in Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation-related enteric dysmotility has been postulated as a cause for abdominal symptoms in Crohn's disease (CD). We investigated the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging-quantified small bowel (SB) motility, inflammatory activity, and patient symptom burden. METHODS: The Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI) and fecal calprotectin were prospectively measured in 53 patients with CD (median age, 35; range, 18-78 years) the day before magnetic resonance enterography, which included a dynamic (cine), breath-hold motility sequence, repeated to encompass the whole SB volume. A validated registration-based motility quantitation technique produced motility maps, and regions of interest were drawn to include all morphologically normal SB (i.e., excluding diseased bowel). Global SB motility was correlated with calprotectin, HBI, and symptom components (well-being, pain, and diarrhea). Adjustment for age, sex, smoking, and surgical history was made using multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: Median calprotectin was 336 (range, 0-1280). Median HBI, motility mean, and motility variance were 3 (range, 0-16), 0.33 (0.18-0.51), and 0.01 (0.0014-0.034), respectively. Motility variance was significantly negatively correlated with calprotectin (rho = -0.33, P = 0.015), total HBI (rho = -0.45, P 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Reduced motility variance in morphologically normal SB is associated with patient symptoms and fecal calprotectin levels, supporting the hypothesis that inflammation-related enteric dysmotility may explain refractory abdominal symptoms in CD

Experimental setup for low-energy laser-based angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy

A laser-based angle resolved photoemission (APRES) system utilizing 6 eV photons from the fourth harmonic of a mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillator is described. This light source greatly increases the momentum resolution and photoelectron count rate, while reducing extrinsic background and surface sensitivity relative to higher energy light sources. In this review, the optical system is described, and special experimental considerations for low-energy ARPES are discussed. The calibration of the hemispherical electron analyzer for good low-energy angle-mode performance is also described. Finally, data from the heavily studied high T_c superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+\delta (Bi2212) is compared to the results from higher photon energies.Comment: Please download final version from Journal-Re

Accurate theoretical fits to laser ARPES EDCs in the normal phase of cuprate superconductors

Anderson has recently proposed a theory of the strange metal state above Tc in the high Tc superconductors. [arXiv:cond-mat/0512471] It is based on the idea that the unusual transport properties and spectral functions are caused by the strong Mott- Hubbard interactions and can be computed by using the formal apparatus of Gutzwiller projection. In ref. 1 Anderson computed only the tunneling spectrum and the power-law exponent of the infrared conductivity. He had calculated the energy distribution curves (EDCs) in angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) but was discouraged when these differed radically from the best ARPES measurements available at the time, and did not include them. In this letter we compare the spectral functions computed within this model to the novel laser-ARPES data of the Dessau group.These are found to capture the shape of the experimental EDCs with unprecedented accuracy and in principle have only one free parameter