Optical Hall Effect in the Integer Quantum Hall Regime

Optical Hall conductivity $\sigma_{xy}(\omega)$ is measured from the Faraday rotation for a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction quantum Hall system in the terahertz frequency regime. The Faraday rotation angle ($\sim$ fine structure constant $\sim$ mrad) is found to significantly deviate from the Drude-like behavior to exhibit a plateau-like structure around the Landau-level filling $\nu=2$. The result, which fits with the behavior expected from the carrier localization effect in the ac regime, indicates that the plateau structure, although not quantized, still exists in the terahertz regime.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Response of Solid He-4 to External Stress: Interdigital Capacitor Solid Level Detector and Optical Interferometer

Two experiments are being conducted to observe the liquid/solid interface of He-4 near 1 K. Interesting instabilities are expected to occur when the solid is non-hydrostatically stressed. (1)A compact interdigital capacitor is used as a level detector to observe solid He-4 to which stresses are applied externally. The capacitor consists of 38 interlaced 50 m wide and 3.8 mm long gold films separated by 50 m and deposited onto a 5 mm by 5 mm sapphire substrate. The capacitor is placed on one flat end wall of a cylindrical chamber (xx mm diameter and xx mm long). The solid is grown to a known height and a stress is applied by a tubular PZT along the cylindrical axis. The observed small change in height of the solid at the wall is linearly proportional to the applied stress. The solid height decreases under compressive stress but does not change under tensile stress. The response of the solid on compressive stress is consistent with the expected quadratic dependence on strain. (2)Interferometric techniques are being developed for observing the solid He-4 surface profile. A laser light source is brought into the low temperature region via single mode optical fiber. The interference pattern is transmitted back out of the low temperature apparatus via optical fiber bundle. The solid He-4 growth chamber will be equipped with two PZT's such that stress can be applied from orthogonal directions. Orthogonally applied stress is expected to induce surface instability with island-like deformation on a grid pattern. Apparatus design and progress of its construction are described

Evidence for a Self-Bound Liquid State and the Commensurate-Incommensurate Coexistence in 2D 3^3He on Graphite

We made heat-capacity measurements of two dimensional (2D) $^3$He adsorbed on graphite preplated with monolayer $^4$He in a wide temperature range (0.1 $\leq T \leq$ 80 mK) at densities higher than that for the 4/7 phase (= 6.8 nm$^{-2}$). In the density range of 6.8 $\leq \rho \leq$ 8.1 nm$^{-2}$, the 4/7 phase is stable against additional $^3$He atoms up to 20% and they are promoted into the third layer. We found evidence that such promoted atoms form a self-bound 2D Fermi liquid with an approximate density of 1 nm$^{-2}$ from the measured density dependence of the $\gamma$-coefficient of heat capacity. We also show evidence for the first-order transition between the commensurate 4/7 phase and the ferromagnetic incommensurate phase in the second layer in the density range of 8.1 $\leq \rho \leq$ 9.5 nm$^{-2}$.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Spin-Wave Theory of the Multiple-Spin Exchange Model on a Triangular Lattice in a Magnetic Field : 3-Sublattice Structures

We study the spin wave in the S=1/2 multiple-spin exchange model on a triangular lattice in a magnetic field within the linear spin-wave theory. We take only two-, three- and four-spin exchange interactions into account and restrict ourselves to the region where a coplanar three-sublattice state is the mean-field ground state. We found that the Y-shape ground state survives quantum fluctuations and the phase transition to a phase with a 6-sublattice structure occurs with softening of the spin wave. We estimated the quantum corrections to the ground state sublattice magnetizations due to zero-point spin-wave fluctuations.Comment: 8 pages, 20 figure

What is Minimal Model of 3He Adsorbed on Graphite? -Importance of Density Fluctuations in 4/7 Registered Solid -

We show theoretically that the second layer of 3He adsorbed on graphite and solidified at 4/7 of the first-layer density is close to the fluid-solid boundary with substantial density fluctuations on the third layer. The solid shows a translational symmetry breaking as in charge-ordered insulators of electronic systems. We construct a minimal model beyond the multiple-exchange Heisenberg model. An unexpectedly large magnetic field required for the measured saturation of magnetization is well explained by the density fluctuations. The emergence of quantum spin liquid is understood from the same mechanism as in the Hubbard model and in \kappa-(ET)_2Cu_2(CN)_3 near the Mott transitions.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Spinons and triplons in spatially anisotropic frustrated antiferromagnets

The search for elementary excitations with fractional quantum numbers is a central challenge in modern condensed matter physics. We explore the possibility in a realistic model for several materials, the spin-1/2 spatially anisotropic frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnet in two dimensions. By restricting the Hilbert space to that expressed by exact eigenstates of the Heisenberg chain, we derive an effective Schr\"odinger equation valid in the weak interchain-coupling regime. The dynamical spin correlations from this approach agree quantitatively with inelastic neutron measurements on the triangular antiferromagnet Cs_2CuCl_4. The spectral features in such antiferromagnets can be attributed to two types of excitations: descendents of one-dimensional spinons of individual chains, and coherently propagating "triplon" bound states of spinon pairs. We argue that triplons are generic features of spatially anisotropic frustrated antiferromagnets, and arise because the bound spinon pair lowers its kinetic energy by propagating between chains.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Variational Monte Carlo Study of Electron Differentiation around Mott Transition

We study ground-state properties of the two-dimensional Hubbard model at half filling by improving variational Monte Carlo method and by implementing quantum-number projection and multi-variable optimization. The improved variational wave function enables a highly accurate description of the Mott transition and strong fluctuations in metals. We clarify how anomalous metals appear near the first-order Mott transition. The double occupancy stays nearly constant as a function of the on-site Coulomb interaction in the metallic phase near the Mott transition in agreement with the previous unbiased results. This unconventional metal at half filling is stabilized by a formation of ``electron-like pockets'' coexisting with an arc structure, which leads to a prominent differentiation of electrons in momentum space. An abrupt collapse of the ``pocket'' and ``arc'' drives the first-order Mott transition.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Allyl Isothiocyanate that Induces GST and UGT Expression Confers Oxidative Stress Resistance on C. elegans, as Demonstrated by Nematode Biosensor

Electrophilic xenobiotics and endogenous products from oxidative stresses induce the glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), which form a large family within the phase II enzymes over both animal and plant kingdoms. The GSTs thus induced in turn detoxify these external as well as internal stresses. Because these stresses are often linked to ageing and damage to health, the induction of phase II enzymes without causing adverse effects would be beneficial in slowing down ageing and keeping healthy conditions. for use as a nematode biosensor. With the nematode biosensor, we found that AITC induced GST expression and conferred tolerance on the nematode against various oxidative stresses. We also present evidence that the transcription factor SKN-1 is involved in regulating the GST expression induced by AITC.We show the applicability of the nematode biosensor for discovering and evaluating functional food substances and chemicals that would provide anti-ageing or healthful benefits

DNA Specificity Determinants Associate with Distinct Transcription Factor Functions

To elucidate how genomic sequences build transcriptional control networks, we need to understand the connection between DNA sequence and transcription factor binding and function. Binding predictions based solely on consensus predictions are limited, because a single factor can use degenerate sequence motifs and because related transcription factors often prefer identical sequences. The ETS family transcription factor, ETS1, exemplifies these challenges. Unexpected, redundant occupancy of ETS1 and other ETS proteins is observed at promoters of housekeeping genes in T cells due to common sequence preferences and the presence of strong consensus motifs. However, ETS1 exhibits a specific function in T cell activation; thus, unique transcriptional targets are predicted. To uncover the sequence motifs that mediate specific functions of ETS1, a genome-wide approach, chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), identified both promoter and enhancer binding events in Jurkat T cells. A comparison with DNase I sensitivity both validated the dataset and also improved accuracy. Redundant occupancy of ETS1 with the ETS protein GABPA occurred primarily in promoters of housekeeping genes, whereas ETS1 specific occupancy occurred in the enhancers of T cell–specific genes. Two routes to ETS1 specificity were identified: an intrinsic preference of ETS1 for a variant of the ETS family consensus sequence and the presence of a composite sequence that can support cooperative binding with a RUNX transcription factor. Genome-wide occupancy of RUNX factors corroborated the importance of this partnership. Furthermore, genome-wide occupancy of co-activator CBP indicated tight co-localization with ETS1 at specific enhancers, but not redundant promoters. The distinct sequences associated with redundant versus specific ETS1 occupancy were predictive of promoter or enhancer location and the ontology of nearby genes. These findings demonstrate that diversity of DNA binding motifs may enable variable transcription factor function at different genomic sites