Electronic excitations and the tunneling spectra of metallic nanograins

Tunneling-induced electronic excitations in a metallic nanograin are classified in terms of {\em generations}: subspaces of excitations containing a specific number of electron-hole pairs. This yields a hierarchy of populated excited states of the nanograin that strongly depends on (a) the available electronic energy levels; and (b) the ratio between the electronic relaxation rate within the nano-grain and the bottleneck rate for tunneling transitions. To study the response of the electronic energy level structure of the nanograin to the excitations, and its signature in the tunneling spectrum, we propose a microscopic mean-field theory. Two main features emerge when considering an Al nanograin coated with Al oxide: (i) The electronic energy response fluctuates strongly in the presence of disorder, from level to level and excitation to excitation. Such fluctuations produce a dramatic sample dependence of the tunneling spectra. On the other hand, for excitations that are energetically accessible at low applied bias voltages, the magnitude of the response, reflected in the renormalization of the single-electron energy levels, is smaller than the average spacing between energy levels. (ii) If the tunneling and electronic relaxation time scales are such as to admit a significant non-equilibrium population of the excited nanoparticle states, it should be possible to realize much higher spectral densities of resonances than have been observed to date in such devices. These resonances arise from tunneling into ground-state and excited electronic energy levels, as well as from charge fluctuations present during tunneling.Comment: Submitted to the Physical Review

ac Josephson effect in the resonant tunneling through mesoscopic superconducting junctions

We investigate ac Josephson effect in the resonant tunneling through mesoscopic superconducting junctions. In the presence of microwave irradiation, we show that the trajectory of multiple Andreev reflections can be closed by emitting or absorbing photons. Consequently, photon-assisted Andreev states are formed and play the role of carrying supercurrent. On the Shapiro steps, dc component appears when the resonant level is near a series of positions with spacing of half of the microwave frequency. Analytical result is derived in the limit of infinite superconducting gap, based on which new features of ac Josephson effect are revealed.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

General transport properties of superconducting quantum point contacts: a Green functions approach

We discuss the general transport properties of superconducting quantum point contacts. We show how these properties can be obtained from a microscopic model using nonequilibrium Green function techniques. For the case of a one-channel contact we analyze the response under different biasing conditions: constant applied voltage, current bias and microwave-induced transport. Current fluctuations are also analyzed with particular emphasis on thermal and shot-noise. Finally, the case of superconducting transport through a resonant level is discussed. The calculated properties show a remarkable agreement with the available experimental data from atomic-size contacts measurements. We suggest the possibility of extending this comparison to several other predictions of the theory.Comment: 10 pages, revtex, 8 figures, submitted to a special issue of Superlattices and Microstructure

Generalized measurements by linear elements

I give a first characterization of the class of generalized measurements that can be exactly realized on a pair of qudits encoded in indistinguishable particles, by using only linear elements and particle detectors. Two immediate results follow from this characterization. (i) The Schmidt number of each POVM element cannot exceed the number of initial particles. This rules out any possibility of performing perfect Bell-measurements for qudits. (ii) The maximum probability of performing a generalized incomplete Bell-measurement is 1/2.Comment: 4 pages. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Resonant multiple Andreev reflections in mesoscopic superconducting junctions

We investigate the properties of subharmonic gap structure (SGS) in superconducting quantum contacts with normal-electron resonances. We find two distinct new features of the SGS in resonant junctions which distinguish them from non-resonant point contacts: (i) The odd-order structures on the current-voltage characteristics of resonant junctions are strongly enhanced and have pronounced peaks, while the even-order structures are suppressed, in the case of a normal electron resonance being close to the Fermi level. (ii) Tremendous current peaks develop at $eV=\pm 2E_0$ where $E_0$ indicates a distance of the resonance to the Fermi level. These properties are determined by the effect of narrowing of the resonance during multiple Andreev reflections and by overlap of electron and hole resonances.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure

The microscopic spin-phonon coupling constants in CuGeO_3

Using RPA results, mean field theory, and refined data for the polarization vectors we determine the coupling constants of the four Peierls-active phonon modes to the spin chains of CuGeO_3. We then derive the values of the coupling of the spin system to the linear ionic displacements, the bond lengths and the angles between bonds. Our values are consistent with microscopic theories and various experimental results. We discuss the applicability of static approaches to the spin-phonon coupling. The c-axis anomaly of the thermal expansion is explained. We give the values of the coupling constants in an effective one-dimensional Hamiltonian.Comment: 11 pages, two figures, 13 tables, PRB 59 (in press

Multiorder coherent Raman scattering of a quantum probe field

We study the multiorder coherent Raman scattering of a quantum probe field in a far-off-resonance medium with a prepared coherence. Under the conditions of negligible dispersion and limited bandwidth, we derive a Bessel-function solution for the sideband field operators. We analytically and numerically calculate various quantum statistical characteristics of the sideband fields. We show that the multiorder coherent Raman process can replicate the statistical properties of a single-mode quantum probe field into a broad comb of generated Raman sidebands. We also study the mixing and modulation of photon statistical properties in the case of two-mode input. We show that the prepared Raman coherence and the medium length can be used as control parameters to switch a sideband field from one type of photon statistics to another type, or from a non-squeezed state to a squeezed state and vice versa.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Field Measurements of Terrestrial and Martian Dust Devils

Surface-based measurements of terrestrial and martian dust devils/convective vortices provided from mobile and stationary platforms are discussed. Imaging of terrestrial dust devils has quantified their rotational and vertical wind speeds, translation speeds, dimensions, dust load, and frequency of occurrence. Imaging of martian dust devils has provided translation speeds and constraints on dimensions, but only limited constraints on vertical motion within a vortex. The longer mission durations on Mars afforded by long operating robotic landers and rovers have provided statistical quantification of vortex occurrence (time-of-sol, and recently seasonal) that has until recently not been a primary outcome of more temporally limited terrestrial dust devil measurement campaigns. Terrestrial measurement campaigns have included a more extensive range of measured vortex parameters (pressure, wind, morphology, etc.) than have martian opportunities, with electric field and direct measure of dust abundance not yet obtained on Mars. No martian robotic mission has yet provided contemporaneous high frequency wind and pressure measurements. Comparison of measured terrestrial and martian dust devil characteristics suggests that martian dust devils are larger and possess faster maximum rotational wind speeds, that the absolute magnitude of the pressure deficit within a terrestrial dust devil is an order of magnitude greater than a martian dust devil, and that the time-of-day variation in vortex frequency is similar. Recent terrestrial investigations have demonstrated the presence of diagnostic dust devil signals within seismic and infrasound measurements; an upcoming Mars robotic mission will obtain similar measurement types

Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV. The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b, leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W' boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters