866 research outputs found
Epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001): More than just honeycombs
The potential of graphene to impact the development of the next generation of
electronics has renewed interest in its growth and structure. The
graphitization of hexagonal SiC surfaces provides a viable alternative for the
synthesis of graphene, with wafer-size epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) now
possible. Despite this recent progress, the exact nature of the graphene-SiC
interface and whether the graphene even has a semiconducting gap remain
controversial. Using scanning tunneling microscopy with functionalized tips and
density functional theory calculations, here we show that the interface is a
warped carbon sheet consisting of three-fold hexagon-pentagon-heptagon
complexes periodically inserted into the honeycomb lattice. These defects
relieve the strain between the graphene layer and the SiC substrate, while
still retaining the three-fold coordination for each carbon atom. Moreover,
these defects break the six-fold symmetry of the honeycomb, thereby naturally
inducing a gap: the calculated band structure of the interface is
semiconducting and there are two localized states near K below the Fermi level,
explaining the photoemission and carbon core-level data. Nonlinear dispersion
and a 33 meV gap are found at the Dirac point for the next layer of graphene,
providing insights into the debate over the origin of the gap in epitaxial
graphene on SiC(0001). These results indicate that the interface of the
epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) is more than a dead buffer layer, but actively
impacts the physical and electronic properties of the subsequent graphene
layers
Distinguishing n Hamiltonians on C^n by a single measurement
If an experimentalist wants to decide which one of n possible Hamiltonians
acting on an n dimensional Hilbert space is present, he can conjugate the time
evolution by an appropriate sequence of known unitary transformations in such a
way that the different Hamiltonians result in mutual orthogonal final states.
We present a general scheme providing such a sequence.Comment: 4 pages, Revte
Thermophysical and elastic properties of Cu50Zr50 and (Cu50Zr50)95Al5 bulk-metallic-glass-forming alloys
By employing a containerless high-temperature high-vacuum electrostatic levitation technique, the thermophysical properties, including the ratio between the specific heat capacity and the hemispherical total emissivity, the specific volume, and the viscosity, of Cu50Zr50 and (Cu50Zr50)95Al5 bulk-metallic-glass (BMG)-forming liquids have been measured. Compared with Cu50Zr50, the improved glass-forming ability of (Cu50Zr50)95Al5 can be attributed to its dense liquid structure and its high value of viscosity. Additionally, the relationship between the viscosity of various BMG forming liquids at the melting temperature and the elastic properties of the corresponding glasses at room temperature will be compared
Quantum Dynamical Echoes in the Spin 'Diffusion' in Mesoscopic Systems
The evolution of local spin polarization in finite systems involves
interference phenomena that give rise to {\bf quantum dynamical echoes }and
non-ergodic behavior. We predict the conditions to observe these echoes by
exploiting the NMR sequences devised by Zhang et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf %
69}, 2149 (1992)], which uses a rare C as {\bf local probe }for a
dipolar coupled H spin system. The non-ideality of this probe when testing
mesoscopic systems is carefully analyzed revealing the origin of various
striking experimental features.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, 3 Figures available upon reques
Simulating Hamiltonians in Quantum Networks: Efficient Schemes and Complexity Bounds
We address the problem of simulating pair-interaction Hamiltonians in n node
quantum networks where the subsystems have arbitrary, possibly different,
dimensions. We show that any pair-interaction can be used to simulate any other
by applying sequences of appropriate local control sequences. Efficient schemes
for decoupling and time reversal can be constructed from orthogonal arrays.
Conditions on time optimal simulation are formulated in terms of spectral
majorization of matrices characterizing the coupling parameters. Moreover, we
consider a specific system of n harmonic oscillators with bilinear interaction.
In this case, decoupling can efficiently be achieved using the combinatorial
concept of difference schemes. For this type of interactions we present optimal
schemes for inversion.Comment: 19 pages, LaTeX2
Method and system for aligning fibers during electrospinning
A method and system are provided for aligning fibers in an electrospinning process. A jet of a fiberizable material is directed towards an uncharged collector from a dispensing location that is spaced apart from the collector. While the fiberizable material is directed towards the collector, an elliptical electric field is generated via the electrically charged dispenser and an oppositely-charged control location. The field spans between the dispensing location and the control location that is within line-of-sight of the dispensing location, and impinges upon at least a portion of the collector. Various combinations of numbers and geometries of dispensers, collectors, and electrodes can be used
Physical properties and biocompatibility of Chitosan/soy blended membranes
Blends of polysaccharides and proteins are a source for the development of novel materials with interesting and tailorable properties, with potential to be used in a range of biomedical applications. in this work a series of blended membranes composed by chitosan and soy protein isolate was prepared by solvent casting methodology. in addition, cross-linking was performed in situ with glutaraldehyde solutions in the range 5 × 10–3 – 0.1 M. Furthermore, the influence of the composition and cross-linking on the degradation behaviour, water uptake and cell adhesion was investigated. The obtained results showed that the incorporation of chitosan, associated to network formation by cross linking, promoted a slight decrease of water absorption and a slower degradability of the membranes. Moreover, direct contact biocompatibility studies, with L929 cells, indicate that the cross-linking enhances the capability of the material to support cell growth.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT
Dynamical suppression of decoherence in two-state quantum systems
The dynamics of a decohering two-level system driven by a suitable control
Hamiltonian is studied. The control procedure is implemented as a sequence of
radiofrequency pulses that repetitively flip the state of the system, a
technique that can be termed quantum "bang-bang" control after its classical
analog. Decoherence introduced by the system's interaction with a quantum
environment is shown to be washed out completely in the limit of continuous
flipping and greatly suppressed provided the interval between the pulses is
made comparable to the correlation time of the environment. The model suggests
a strategy to fight against decoherence that complements existing quantum
error-correction techniques.Comment: 15 pages, RevTeX style, 3 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Environment-independent decoherence rate in classically chaotic systems
We study the decoherence of a one-particle system, whose classical
correpondent is chaotic, when it evolves coupled to a weak quenched
environment. This is done by analytical evaluation of the Loschmidt Echo, (i.e.
the revival of a localized density excitation upon reversal of its time
evolution), in presence of the perturbation. We predict an exponential decay
for the Loschmidt Echo with a (decoherence) rate which is asymptotically given
by the mean Lyapunov exponent of the classical system, and therefore
independent of the perturbation strength, within a given range of strengths.
Our results are consistent with recent experiments of Polarization Echoes in
nuclear magnetic resonance and preliminary numerical simulations.Comment: No figures. Typos corrected and minor modifications to the text and
references. Published versio
SerpinB2 regulates stromal remodelling and local invasion in pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer has a devastating prognosis, with an overall 5-year survival rate of ~8%, restricted treatment options and characteristic molecular heterogeneity. SerpinB2 expression, particularly in the stromal compartment, is associated with reduced metastasis and prolonged survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and our genomic analysis revealed that SERPINB2 is frequently deleted in PDAC. We show that SerpinB2 is required by stromal cells for normal collagen remodelling in vitro, regulating fibroblast interaction and engagement with collagen in the contracting matrix. In a pancreatic cancer allograft model, co-injection of PDAC cancer cells and SerpinB2(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in increased tumour growth, aberrant remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and increased local invasion from the primary tumour. These tumours also displayed elevated proteolytic activity of the primary biochemical target of SerpinB2-urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). In a large cohort of patients with resected PDAC, we show that increasing uPA mRNA expression was significantly associated with poorer survival following pancreatectomy. This study establishes a novel role for SerpinB2 in the stromal compartment in PDAC invasion through regulation of stromal remodelling and highlights the SerpinB2/uPA axis for further investigation as a potential therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer
- …