1,231 research outputs found
Exciton condensates in semiconductor quantum wells emit coherent light
We show that a quasi-two dimensional condensate of optically active excitons
emits coherent light even in the absence of population inversion. This allows
an unambiguous and clear experimental detection of the condensed phase. We
prove that, due to the exciton-photon coupling, quantum and thermal
fluctuations do not destroy condensation at finite temperature. Suitable
conditions to achieve condensation are temperatures of a few K for typical
exciton densities, and the use of a pulsed, and preferably circularly
polarized, laser.Comment: 5 pages, no figure
Exciton Beats in GaAs Quantum Wells: Bosonic Representation and Collective Effects
We discuss light-heavy hole beats observed in transient optical experiments
in GaAs quantum wells in terms of a free-boson coherent state model. This
approach is compared with descriptions based on few-level representations.
Results lead to an interpretation of the beats as due to classical
electromagnetic interference. The boson picture correctly describes photon
excitation of extended states and accounts for experiments involving coherent
control of the exciton density and Rayleigh scattering beating.Comment: 4 pages, no figures. Accepted for publication in Solid State
Communication
Space station integrated propulsion and fluid systems study
The program study was performed in two tasks: Task 1 addressed propulsion systems and Task 2 addressed all fluid systems associated with the Space Station elements, which also included propulsion and pressurant systems. Program results indicated a substantial reduction in life cycle costs through integrating the oxygen/hydrogen propulsion system with the environmental control and life support system, and through supplying nitrogen in a cryogenic gaseous supercritical or subcritical liquid state. A water sensitivity analysis showed that increasing the food water content would substantially increase the amount of water available for propulsion use and in all cases, the implementation of the BOSCH CO2 reduction process would reduce overall life cycle costs to the station and minimize risk. An investigation of fluid systems and associated requirements revealed a delicate balance between the individual propulsion and fluid systems across work packages and a strong interdependence between all other fluid systems
Majorana Zero Modes in Graphene
A clear demonstration of topological superconductivity (TS) and Majorana zero
modes remains one of the major pending goal in the field of topological
materials. One common strategy to generate TS is through the coupling of an
s-wave superconductor to a helical half-metallic system. Numerous proposals for
the latter have been put forward in the literature, most of them based on
semiconductors or topological insulators with strong spin-orbit coupling. Here
we demonstrate an alternative approach for the creation of TS in
graphene/superconductor junctions without the need of spin-orbit coupling. Our
prediction stems from the helicity of graphene's zero Landau level edge states
in the presence of interactions, and on the possibility, experimentally
demonstrated, to tune their magnetic properties with in-plane magnetic fields.
We show how canted antiferromagnetic ordering in the graphene bulk close to
neutrality induces TS along the junction, and gives rise to isolated,
topologically protected Majorana bound states at either end. We also discuss
possible strategies to detect their presence in graphene Josephson junctions
through Fraunhofer pattern anomalies and Andreev spectroscopy. The latter in
particular exhibits strong unambiguous signatures of the presence of the
Majorana states in the form of universal zero bias anomalies. Remarkable
progress has recently been reported in the fabrication of the proposed type of
junctions, which offers a promising outlook for Majorana physics in graphene
systems.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures. Included simulations of Andreev spectroscopy and
mor
Coherent transport in graphene nanoconstrictions
We study the effect of a structural nanoconstriction on the coherent
transport properties of otherwise ideal zig-zag-edged infinitely long graphene
ribbons. The electronic structure is calculated with the standard one-orbital
tight-binding model and the linear conductance is obtained using the Landauer
formula. We find that, since the zero-bias current is carried in the bulk of
the ribbon, this is very robust with respect to a variety of constriction
geometries and edge defects. In contrast, the curve of zero-bias conductance
versus gate voltage departs from the staircase of the ideal case
as soon as a single atom is removed from the sample. We also find that
wedge-shaped constrictions can present non-conducting states fully localized in
the constriction close to the Fermi energy. The interest of these localized
states in regards the formation of quantum dots in graphene is discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
Spin depolarization in the transport of holes across GaMnAs/GaAlAs/p-GaAs
We study the spin polarization of tunneling holes injected from ferromagnetic
GaMnAs into a p-doped semiconductor through a tunneling barrier. We obtain an
upper limit to the spin injection rate. We find that spin-orbit interaction
interaction in the barrier and in the drain limits severely spin injection.
Spin depolarization is stronger when the magnetization is parallel to the
current than when is perpendicular to it.Comment: Accepted in Phys. Rev. B. 4 pages, 4 figure
Controlled complete suppression of single-atom inelastic spin and orbital cotunnelling
The inelastic portion of the tunnel current through an individual magnetic
atom grants unique access to read out and change the atom's spin state, but it
also provides a path for spontaneous relaxation and decoherence. Controlled
closure of the inelastic channel would allow for the latter to be switched off
at will, paving the way to coherent spin manipulation in single atoms. Here we
demonstrate complete closure of the inelastic channels for both spin and
orbital transitions due to a controlled geometric modification of the atom's
environment, using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The observed
suppression of the excitation signal, which occurs for Co atoms assembled into
chain on a CuN substrate, indicates a structural transition affecting the
d orbital, effectively cutting off the STM tip from the spin-flip
cotunnelling path.Comment: 4 figures plus 4 supplementary figure
Emergent quantum matter in graphene nanoribbons
In this book chapter, we introduce different schemes to create quantum states
of matter in engineered graphene nanoribbons. We will focus on the emergence of
controllable magnetic interactions, topological quantum magnets, and the
interplay of magnetism and superconductivity. We comment on the experimental
signatures of those states stemming from their electronic and spin excitations,
that can be observed with atomic resolution using scanning probe techniques.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. Submitted book chapter for "Graphene
Nanoribbons", Edited by A. Tejeda, P. Seneor, L. Bre
Magneto-optical Kerr effect in spin split two-dimensional massive Dirac materials
Two-dimensional (2D) massive Dirac electrons possess a finite Berry curvature, with Chern number 1/2, that entails both a quantized dc Hall response and a subgap full-quarter Kerr rotation. The observation of these effects in 2D massive Dirac materials such as gapped graphene, hexagonal boron nitride or transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is obscured by the fact that Dirac cones come in pairs with opposite sign Berry curvatures, leading to a vanishing Chern number. Here, we show that the presence of spin-orbit interactions, combined with an exchange spin splitting induced either by diluted magnetic impurities or by proximity to a ferromagnetic insulator, gives origin to a net magneto-optical Kerr effect in such systems. We focus on the case of TMD monolayers and study the dependence of Kerr rotation on frequency and exchange spin splitting. The role of the substrate is included in the theory and found to critically affect the results. Our calculations indicate that state-of-the-art magneto-optical Kerr spectroscopy can detect a single magnetic impurity in diluted magnetic TMDs.We thank Allan H MacDonald, Elaine Li, Alejandro Molina-Sanchez and Joao C G Henriques for fruitful discussions. GC acknowledges Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) for Grant No. SFRH/BD/138806/2018. GC and JF-R acknowledge financial support from FCT through Grant No. P2020-PTDC/FIS-NAN/4662/2014. NMRP acknowledges financial support from European Commission through project 'Graphene-Driven Revolutions in ICT and Beyond' (Ref. No. 785219), FCT in the framework of Strategic Financing (Ref. No. UID/FIS/04650/2019), and COMPETE2020, PORTUGAL2020, FEDER and FCT for Grants No. PTDC/FIS-NAN/3668/2013, No. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028114, No. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029265 and No. PTDC/NANOPT/29265/2017. JF-R acknowledges FCT for Grant No. UTAP-EXPL/NTec/0046/2017, as well as Generalitat Valenciana funding Prometeo2017/139 and MINECO-Spain (Grant No. MAT201678625-C2)
Coherently photo-induced ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductors
Ferromagnetism is predicted in undoped diluted magnetic semiconductors
illuminated by intense sub-bandgap laser radiation . The mechanism for
photo-induced ferromagnetism is coherence between conduction and valence bands
induced by the light which leads to an optical exchange interaction. The
ferromagnetic critical temperature T_C depends both on the properties of the
material and on the frequency and intensity of the laser and could be above 1
K.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, preprint styl
- …