246,235 research outputs found
Correlations among superconductivity, structural instability, and band filling in Nb1-xB2 at the critical point x=0.2
We performed an extensive investigation on the correlations among
superconductivity, structural instability and band filling in Nb1-xB2
materials. Structural measurements reveal that a notable phase transformation
occurs at x=0.2, corresponding to the Fermi level (EF) in the pseudogap with
the minimum total density of states (DOS) as demonstrated by the
first-principles calculations. Superconductivity in Nb1-xB2 generally becomes
visible in the Nb-deficient materials with x=0.2. Electron energy-loss
spectroscopy (EELS) measurements on B K-edge directly demonstrated the presence
of a chemical shift arising from the structural transformation. Our
systematical experimental results in combination with theoretical analysis
suggest that the emergence of hole states in the sigma-bands plays an important
role for understanding the superconductivity and structural transition in
Nb1-xB2.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure
Highly frustrated spin-lattice models of magnetism and their quantum phase transitions: A microscopic treatment via the coupled cluster method
We outline how the coupled cluster method of microscopic quantum many-body
theory can be utilized in practice to give highly accurate results for the
ground-state properties of a wide variety of highly frustrated and strongly
correlated spin-lattice models of interest in quantum magnetism, including
their quantum phase transitions. The method itself is described, and it is
shown how it may be implemented in practice to high orders in a systematically
improvable hierarchy of (so-called LSUB) approximations, by the use of
computer-algebraic techniques. The method works from the outset in the
thermodynamic limit of an infinite lattice at all levels of approximation, and
it is shown both how the "raw" LSUB results are themselves generally
excellent in the sense that they converge rapidly, and how they may accurately
be extrapolated to the exact limit, , of the truncation
index , which denotes the {\it only} approximation made. All of this is
illustrated via a specific application to a two-dimensional, frustrated,
spin-half -- model on a honeycomb lattice with
nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor interactions with exchange couplings
and , respectively, where both
interactions are of the same anisotropic type. We show how the method can
be used to determine the entire zero-temperature ground-state phase diagram of
the model in the range of the frustration parameter and
of the spin-space anisotropy parameter. In particular,
we identify a candidate quantum spin-liquid region in the phase space
Spin-1/2 - Heisenberg model on a cross-striped square lattice
Using the coupled cluster method (CCM) we study the full (zero-temperature)
ground-state (GS) phase diagram of a spin-half () -
Heisenberg model on a cross-striped square lattice. Each site of the square
lattice has 4 nearest-neighbour exchange bonds of strength and 2
next-nearest-neighbour (diagonal) bonds of strength . The bonds
are arranged so that the basic square plaquettes in alternating columns have
either both or no bonds included. The classical () version of the model has 4 collinear phases when and
can take either sign. Three phases are antiferromagnetic (AFM), showing
so-called N\'{e}el, double N\'{e}el and double columnar striped order
respectively, while the fourth is ferromagnetic. For the quantum model
we use the 3 classical AFM phases as CCM reference states, on top of which the
multispin-flip configurations arising from quantum fluctuations are
incorporated in a systematic truncation hierarchy. Calculations of the
corresponding GS energy, magnetic order parameter and the susceptibilities of
the states to various forms of valence-bond crystalline (VBC) order are thus
carried out numerically to high orders of approximation and then extrapolated
to the (exact) physical limit. We find that the model has 5 phases,
which correspond to the four classical phases plus a new quantum phase with
plaquette VBC order. The positions of the 5 quantum critical points are
determined with high accuracy. While all 4 phase transitions in the classical
model are first order, we find strong evidence that 3 of the 5 quantum phase
transitions in the model are of continuous deconfined type
A frustrated spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a chevron-square lattice
The coupled cluster method (CCM) is used to study the zero-temperature
properties of a frustrated spin-half () -- Heisenberg
antiferromagnet (HAF) on a 2D chevron-square lattice. Each site on an
underlying square lattice has 4 nearest-neighbor exchange bonds of strength
and 2 next-nearest-neighbor (diagonal) bonds of strength , with each square plaquette having only one diagonal bond.
The diagonal bonds form a chevron pattern, and the model thus interpolates
smoothly between 2D HAFs on the square () and triangular () lattices,
and also extrapolates to disconnected 1D HAF chains (). The
classical () version of the model has N\'{e}el order for and a form of spiral order for , where
. For the model we use both these classical
states, as well as other collinear states not realized as classical
ground-state (GS) phases, as CCM reference states, on top of which the
multispin-flip configurations resulting from quantum fluctuations are
incorporated in a systematic truncation scheme, which we carry out to high
orders and extrapolate to the physical limit. We calculate the GS energy, GS
magnetic order parameter, and the susceptibilities of the states to various
forms of valence-bond crystalline (VBC) order, including plaquette and two
different dimer forms. We find that the model has two quantum
critical points, at and ,
with N\'{e}el order for , a form of spiral order for
that includes the correct three-sublattice
spin ordering for the triangular-lattice HAF at , and
parallel-dimer VBC order for
Crystal structure of Schmallenberg orthobunyavirus nucleoprotein-RNA complex reveals a novel RNA sequestration mechanism
Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a newly emerged orthobunyavirus (family Bunyaviridae) that has caused severe disease in the offspring of farm animals across Europe. Like all orthobunyaviruses, SBV contains a tripartite negative-sense RNA genome that is encapsidated by the viral nucleocapsid (N) protein in the form of a ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP). We recently reported the three-dimensional structure of SBV N that revealed a novel fold. Here we report the crystal structure of the SBV N protein in complex with a 42-nt-long RNA to 2.16 Å resolution. The complex comprises a tetramer of N that encapsidates the RNA as a cross-shape inside the protein ring structure, with each protomer bound to 11 ribonucleotides. Eight bases are bound in the positively charged cleft between the N- and C-terminal domains of N, and three bases are shielded by the extended N-terminal arm. SBV N appears to sequester RNA using a different mechanism compared with the nucleoproteins of other negative-sense RNA viruses. Furthermore, the structure suggests that RNA binding results in conformational changes of some residues in the RNA-binding cleft and the N- and C-terminal arms. Our results provide new insights into the novel mechanism of RNA encapsidation by orthobunyaviruses
Localization of Relative-Position of Two Atoms Induced by Spontaneous Emission
We revisit the back-action of emitted photons on the motion of the relative
position of two cold atoms. We show that photon recoil resulting from the
spontaneous emission can induce the localization of the relative position of
the two atoms through the entanglement between the spatial motion of individual
atoms and their emitted photons. The result provides a more realistic model for
the analysis of the environment-induced localization of a macroscopic object.Comment: 8 pages and 4 figure
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