819 research outputs found
Quantum Effects in Small-Capacitance Single Josephson Junctions
We have measured the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of
small-capacitance single Josephson junctions at low temperatures (T=0.02-0.6
K), where the strength of the coupling between the single junction and the
electromagnetic environment was controlled with one-dimensional arrays of dc
SQUIDs. The single-junction I-V curve is sensitive to the impedance of the
environment, which can be tuned IN SITU. We have observed Coulomb blockade of
Cooper-pair tunneling and even a region of negative differential resistance,
when the zero-bias resistance R_0' of the SQUID arrays is much higher than the
quantum resistance R_K = h/e^2 = 26 kohm. The negative differential resistance
is evidence of coherent single-Cooper-pair tunneling within the theory of
current-biased single Josephson junctions. Based on the theory, we have
calculated the I-V curves numerically in order to compare with the experimental
ones at R_0' >> R_K. The numerical calculation agrees with the experiments
qualitatively. We also discuss the R_0' dependence of the
single-Josephson-junction I-V curve in terms of the superconductor-insulator
transition driven by changing the coupling to the environment.Comment: 11 pages with 14 embedded figures, RevTeX4, final versio
Examination of certain biochemical factors in idiopathic epilepsy: with special reference to the blood sugar level, and suggestions on the possibility of treatment by surgical intervention
1. Epilepsy is associated with a low fasting blood
sugar.
2. The glucose tolerance curve in Epilepsy shows the
Islets of Langerhans to be over-active.
3. Those drugs which are beneficial in Epilepsy raise the blood sugar.
4. In the post-convulsive phase of Epilepsy the
immunity from fits is due to a raised blood
sugar.
5. Variations in the balance of the Autonomic
Nervous System have little influence on the
incidence of fits.
6. Natural recovery from Epilepsy is associated
with the onset of hypo-insulinism
Escape from a zero current state in a one dimensional array of Josephson junctions
A long one dimensional array of small Josephson junctions exhibits Coulomb
blockade of Cooper pair tunneling. This zero current state exists up to a
switching voltage, Vsw, where there is a sudden onset of current. In this paper
we present histograms showing how Vsw changes with temperature for a long array
and calculations of the corresponding escape rates. Our analysis of the problem
is based on the existence of a voltage dependent energy barrier and we do not
make any assumptions about its shape. The data divides up into two temperature
regimes, the higher of which can be explained with Kramers thermal escape
model. At low temperatures the escape becomes independent of temperature.Comment: 4 pages 5 figure
Prolongation of overall treatment time as a cause of treatment failure in early breast cancer: an analysis of the UK START (Standardisation of Breast Radiotherapy) trials of radiotherapy fractionation
AbstractBackgroundTests of tumour treatment time effect in patients prescribed post-operative radiotherapy for early breast cancer have focussed on time to start of radiotherapy rather than overall treatment time. The START randomised trials of radiotherapy fractionation provide an opportunity to directly estimate the effect of treatment acceleration.MethodsBetween 1986 and 2002, a total of 5861 women with early breast cancer were recruited into the UK START pilot (START-P), START-A and START-B randomised trials. START-P and START-A tested 13 fractions of 3.0–3.3Gy against 25 fractions of 2.0Gy with a fixed treatment duration of 5weeks for all schedules; START-B tested 15 fractions of 2.67Gy in 3weeks against 25 fractions of 2.0Gy over 5weeks. Estimates of the effect of length of treatment for local–regional relapse and for a measure of late normal tissue effects (change in photographic breast appearance, for patients following breast conserving surgery) were obtained from Cox proportional hazards regression analyses stratified according to trial.ResultsAt a median follow-up of 10years, 444/5831 (7.6%) patients with data available had a local–regional relapse, and 1135/3185 (35.6%) had mild or marked change in photographic breast appearance by 5years. Adjusting for prognostic factors, the estimate of the overall treatment time effect for local–regional relapse was 0.60Gy/day (95%CI 0.10 to 1.18Gy/day, p=0.02), and 0.14Gy/day (95%CI −0.09 to 0.34Gy/day, p=0.29) for change in photographic breast appearance.ConclusionsCombined analysis of the START trials generates the hypothesis that overall treatment time is a significant determinant of local cancer control after adjuvant whole breast radiotherapy, with approximately 0.6Gy per day ‘wasted’ in compensating for tumour cell proliferation
Observation of shot-noise-induced asymmetry in the Coulomb blockaded Josephson junction
We have investigated the influence of shot noise on the IV-curves of a single
mesoscopic Josephson junction. We observe a linear enhancement of zero-bias
conductance of the Josephson junction with increasing shot noise power.
Moreover, the IV-curves become increasingly asymmetric. Our analysis on the
asymmetry shows that the Coulomb blockade of Cooper pairs is strongly
influenced by the non-Gaussian character of the shot noise.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, RevTE
The Importance of Nightside Magnetometer Observations for Electromagnetic Sounding of the Moon
Understanding the structure and composition of the lunar interior is a fundamental goal in furthering our knowledge of the formation and subsequent evolution of the Earth-Moon system. Among various methods, electromagnetic sounding is a valuable approach to constraining lunar interior structure. Recent analyses of plasma and field observations provide a wealth of understanding about the dynamics of the lunar plasma environment. To perform Time Domain EM (TDEM) Sounding at the Moon, the first step is to characterize the dynamic plasma environment, and to be able to isolate geophysically induced currents from concurrently present plasma currents. The TDEM Sounding transfer function method focuses on analysis of the nightside observations when the Moon is immersed in the solar wind. This method requires two simultaneous observations: an upstream reference measuring the pristine solar wind, and one downstream at or near the lunar surface. This method was last performed during Apollo and assumed the induced fields on the nightside of the Moon expand as in an undisturbed vacuum within the wake cavity. Our results indicate that EM sounding of airless bodies in the solar wind must be interpreted via self-consistent plasma models in order to untangle plasma and induced field contributions, with implications not only at the Moon but at all airless bodies exposed to the solar wind. Nightside TDEM sounding has the capability to advance the state of knowledge of the field of lunar science. This requires magnetometer operations to withstand the harsh conditions of the lunar night
The Role of Nonlinear Dynamics in Quantitative Atomic Force Microscopy
Various methods of force measurement with the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
are compared for their ability to accurately determine the tip-surface force
from analysis of the nonlinear cantilever motion. It is explained how
intermodulation, or the frequency mixing of multiple drive tones by the
nonlinear tip-surface force, can be used to concentrate the nonlinear motion in
a narrow band of frequency near the cantilevers fundamental resonance, where
accuracy and sensitivity of force measurement are greatest. Two different
methods for reconstructing tip-surface forces from intermodulation spectra are
explained. The reconstruction of both conservative and dissipative tip-surface
interactions from intermodulation spectra are demonstrated on simulated data.Comment: 25 pages (preprint, double space) 7 figure
NASA-UVA Light Aerospace Alloy and Structures Technology Program: LA(2)ST
The NASA-UVA Light Aerospace Alloy and Structures Technology (LA(2)ST) Program continues a high level of activity, with projects being conducted by graduate students and faculty advisors in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia. This work is funded by the NASA-Langley Research Center under Grant NAG-1-745. We report on progress achieved between July 1 and December 31, 1992. The objective of the LA(2)ST Program is to conduct interdisciplinary graduate student research on the performance of next generation, light weight aerospace alloys, composites and thermal gradient structures in collaboration with NASA-Langley researchers. Specific technical objectives are presented for each research project. We generally aim to produce relevant data and basic understanding of material mechanical response, corrosion behavior, and microstructure; new monolithic and composite alloys; advanced processing methods; new solid and fluid mechanics analyses; measurement advances; and critically, a pool of educated graduate students for aerospace technologies
Retention of Electronic Conductivity in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Nanostructures Using a SrCuO2 Capping Layer
The interface between two wide band-gap insulators, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) offers a unique playground to study the interplay and competitions between different ordering phenomena in a strongly correlated two- dimensional electron gas. Recent studies of the LAO/STO interface reveal the inhomogeneous nature of the 2DEG that strongly influences electrical-transport properties. Nanowires needed in future applications may be adversely affected, and our aim is, thus, to produce a more homogeneous electron gas. In this work, we demonstrate that nanostructures fabricated in the quasi-2DEG at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, capped with a SrCuO2 layer, retain their electrical resistivity and mobility independent of the structure size, ranging from 100 nm to 30 mu m. This is in contrast to noncapped LAO/STO structures, where the room-temperature electrical resistivity significantly increases when the structure size becomes smaller than 1 mu m. High-resolution intermodulation electrostatic force microscopy reveals an inhomogeneous surface potential with "puddles" of a characteristic size of 130 nm in the noncapped samples and a more uniform surface potential with a larger characteristic size of the puddles in the capped samples. In addition, capped structures show superconductivity below 200 mK and nonlinear currentvoltage characteristics with a clear critical current observed up to 700 mK. Our findings shed light on the complicated nature of the 2DEG at the LAO/STO interface and may also be used for the design of electronic devices
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