1,024 research outputs found
Linear and planar molecules formed by coupled P donors in silicon
Using the effective mass theory and the multi-valley envelope function
representation, we have developed a theoretical framework for computing the
single-electron electronic structure of several phosphorus donors interacting
in an arbitrary geometrical configuration in silicon taking into account the
valley-orbit coupling. The methodology is applied to three coupled phosphorus
donors, arranged in a linear chain and in a triangle, and to six donors
arranged in a regular hexagon. The results of the simulations evidence that the
valley composition of the single-electron states strongly depends on the
geometry of the dopant molecule and its orientation relative to the
crystallographic axes of silicon. The electron binding energy of the triatomic
linear molecules is larger than that of the diatomic molecule oriented along
the same crystallographic axis, but the energy gap between the ground state and
the first excited state is not significantly different for internuclear
distances from 1.5 to 6.6 nm. Three donor atoms arranged in a triangle geometry
have larger binding energies than a triatomic linear chain of dopants with the
same internuclear distances. The planar donor molecules are characterized by a
strong polarization in favor of the valleys oriented perpendicular to the plane
of the molecule. The polarization increases with number of atoms forming the
planar molecule
Balanced ternary addition using a gated silicon nanowire
We demonstrate the proof of principle for a ternary adder using silicon
metal-on-insulator single electron transistors (SET). Gate dependent rectifying
behavior of a single electron transistor results in a robust three-valued
output as a function of the potential of the SET island. Mapping logical,
ternary inputs to the three gates controlling the potential of the SET island
allows us to perform complex, inherently ternary operations, on a single
transistor
Information hiding and retrieval in Rydberg wave packets using half-cycle pulses
We demonstrate an information hiding and retrieval scheme with the relative
phases between states in a Rydberg wave packet acting as the bits of a data
register. We use a terahertz half-cycle pulse (HCP) to transfer phase-encoded
information from an optically accessible angular momentum manifold to another
manifold which is not directly accessed by our laser pulses, effectively hiding
the information from our optical interferometric measurement techniques. A
subsequent HCP acting on these wave packets reintroduces the information back
into the optically accessible data register manifold which can then be `read'
out.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Observation of resonance trapping in an open microwave cavity
The coupling of a quantum mechanical system to open decay channels has been
theoretically studied in numerous works, mainly in the context of nuclear
physics but also in atomic, molecular and mesoscopic physics. Theory predicts
that with increasing coupling strength to the channels the resonance widths of
all states should first increase but finally decrease again for most of the
states. In this letter, the first direct experimental verification of this
effect, known as resonance trapping, is presented. In the experiment a
microwave Sinai cavity with an attached waveguide with variable slit width was
used.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Phase transitions in open quantum systems
We consider the behaviour of open quantum systems in dependence on the
coupling to one decay channel by introducing the coupling parameter
being proportional to the average degree of overlapping. Under critical
conditions, a reorganization of the spectrum takes place which creates a
bifurcation of the time scales with respect to the lifetimes of the resonance
states. We derive analytically the conditions under which the reorganization
process can be understood as a second-order phase transition and illustrate our
results by numerical investigations. The conditions are fulfilled e.g. for a
picket fence with equal coupling of the states to the continuum. Energy
dependencies within the system are included. We consider also the generic case
of an unfolded Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble. In all these cases, the
reorganization of the spectrum occurs at the critical value of
the control parameter globally over the whole energy range of the spectrum. All
states act cooperatively.Comment: 28 pages, 22 Postscript figure
Bistable states of quantum dot array junctions for high-density memory
We demonstrate that two-dimensional (2D) arrays of coupled quantum dots (QDs)
with six-fold degenerate p orbitals can display bistable states, suitable for
application in high-density memory device with low power consumption. Due to
the inter-dot coupling of and orbitals in these QD arrays, two
dimensional conduction bands can be formed in the x-y plane, while the
orbitals remain localized in the x-y plane such that the inter-dot coupling
between them can be neglected. We model such systems by taking into account the
on-site repulsive interactions between electrons in orbitals and the
coupling of the localized orbitals with the 2D conduction bands formed by
and orbitals. The Green's function method within an extended
Anderson model is used to calculate the tunneling current through the QDs. We
find that bistable tunneling current can exist for such systems due to the
interplay of the on-site Coulomb interactions (U) between the orbitals
and the delocalized nature of conduction band states derived from the
hybridization of / orbitals. This bistable current is not sensitive
to the detailed band structure of the two dimensional band, but depends
critically on the strength of and the ratio of the left and right tunneling
rates. The behavior of the electrical bistability can be sustained when the 2D
QD array reduces to a one-dimensional QD array, indicating the feasibility for
high-density packing of these bistable nanoscale structures
A new device for measurement of fibrin clot lysis: application to the Euglobulin Clot Lysis Time
BACKGROUND: Determination of clot lysis times on whole blood, diluted whole blood, plasma or plasma fraction has been used for many years to assess the overall activity of the fibrinolytic system. We designed a completely computerised semi-automatic 8-channel device for measurement and determination of fibrin clot lysis. The lysis time is evaluated by a mathematical analysis of the lysis curve and the results are expressed in minute (range: 5 to 9999). We have used this new device for Euglobulin Clot Lysis Time (ECLT) determination, which is the most common test used in laboratories to estimate plasma fibrinolytic capacity. RESULTS: The correlation between ECLT and manual method is very tight : R = 0,99; p < 10(-6). The efficiency scores of the method are <4% in intra-assay and <7% in inter-assay. It allows to achieve the tests on hyperlipaemic samples. This new device has been easily integrated in laboratory routine and allows to achieve several ECLT every day without disturbance of laboratory workflow. CONCLUSIONS: The routine use of this new device could be useful in various situations such as assessment in atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis associated diseases, coagulation survey of liver transplantations, cardiovascular surgery or pharmacological research. It has already provided highly promising results in preliminary studies on the relation between fibrinolysis and cardiovascular risk factors
Resonance trapping and saturation of decay widths
Resonance trapping appears in open many-particle quantum systems at high
level density when the coupling to the continuum of decay channels reaches a
critical strength. Here a reorganization of the system takes place and a
separation of different time scales appears. We investigate it under the
influence of additional weakly coupled channels as well as by taking into
account the real part of the coupling term between system and continuum. We
observe a saturation of the mean width of the trapped states. Also the decay
rates saturate as a function of the coupling strength. The mechanism of the
saturation is studied in detail. In any case, the critical region of
reorganization is enlarged. When the transmission coefficients for the
different channels are different, the width distribution is broadened as
compared to a chi_K^2 distribution where K is the number of channels. Resonance
trapping takes place before the broad state overlaps regions beyond the
extension of the spectrum of the closed system.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.
Operation of a quantum dot in the finite-state machine mode: single-electron dynamic memory
A single electron dynamic memory is designed based on the non-equilibrium
dynamics of charge states in electrostatically-defined metallic quantum dots.
Using the orthodox theory for computing the transfer rates and a master
equation, we model the dynamical response of devices consisting of a charge
sensor coupled to either a single and or a double quantum dot subjected to a
pulsed gate voltage. We show that transition rates between charge states in
metallic quantum dots are characterized by an asymmetry that can be controlled
by the gate voltage. This effect is more pronounced when the switching between
charge states corresponds to a Markovian process involving electron transport
through a chain of several quantum dots. By simulating the dynamics of electron
transport we demonstrate that the quantum box operates as a finite-state
machine that can be addressed by choosing suitable shapes and switching rates
of the gate pulses. We further show that writing times in the ns range and
retention memory times six orders of magnitude longer, in the ms range, can be
achieved on the double quantum dot system using experimentally feasible
parameters thereby demonstrating that the device can operate as a dynamic
single electron memory.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure
Assay of matrix metalloproteinases types 1, 2, 3 and 9 in breast cancer.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc dependent endopeptidases implicated in cancer invasion and metastasis. Gelatin zymography was performed on 84 human breast carcinomas and seven normal breast tissues. The precursor form of MMP-2 (72 kDa) was found in 11 (12%) samples, while its two activated forms, i.e. 62 kDa and 59 kDa, were found in three (6%) and 34 (40%) samples respectively. In contrast to MMP-2, most of the samples (52%) contained MMP-9 in its precursor form. Using ELISA, MMP-1 levels were found in 12% of the samples while MMP-3 levels were found in only 2% of the samples. Levels of MMP-2, -3 and -9 correlated inversely with numbers of nodal metastases. Neither MMP-2 nor -9 levels were significantly related to patient outcome. However, patients with high levels of a 50-kDa gelatinase band after zymography had a significantly better survival than patients with low levels. This species was never observed in normal breast tissue
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