A stable Algebraic Spin Liquid in a Hubbard model

We show the existence of a stable Algebraic Spin Liquid (ASL) phase in a Hubbard model defined on a honeycomb lattice with spin-dependent hopping that breaks time-reversal symmetry. The effective spin model is the Kitaev model for large on-site repulsion. The gaplessness of the emergent Majorana fermions is protected by the time reversal (TR) invariance of this model. We prove that the effective spin model is TR invariant in the entire Mott phase thus ensuring the stability of the ASL. The model can be physically realized in cold atom systems and we propose experimental signals of the ASL.Comment: Published in PR

Local electronic nematicity in the one-band Hubbard model

Nematicity is a well known property of liquid crystals and has been recently discussed in the context of strongly interacting electrons. An electronic nematic phase has been seen by many experiments in certain strongly correlated materials, in particular, in the pseudogap phase generic to many hole-doped cuprate superconductors. Recent measurements in high $T_c$ superconductors has shown even if the lattice is perfectly rotationally symmetric, the ground state can still have strongly nematic local properties. Our study of the two-dimensional Hubbard model provides strong support of the recent experimental results on local rotational $C_4$ symmetry breaking. The variational cluster approach is used here to show the possibility of an electronic nematic state and the proximity of the underlying symmetry-breaking ground state within the Hubbard model. We identify this nematic phase in the overdoped region and show that the local nematicity decreases with increasing electron filling. Our results also indicate that strong Coulomb interaction may drive the nematic phase into a phase similar to the stripe structure. The calculated spin (magnetic) correlation function in momentum space shows the effects resulting from real-space nematicity

Enhanced Two-Channel Kondo Physics in a Quantum Box Device

We propose a design for a one-dimensional quantum box device where the charge fluctuations are described by an anisotropic two-channel Kondo model. The device consists of a quantum box in the Coulomb blockade regime, weakly coupled to a quantum wire by a single-mode point contact. The electron correlations in the wire produce strong back scattering at the contact, significantly increasing the Kondo temperature as compared to the case of non-interacting electrons. By employing boundary conformal field theory techniques we show that the differential capacitance of the box exhibits manifest two-channel Kondo scaling with temperature and gate voltage, uncontaminated by the one-dimensional electron correlations. We discuss the prospect to experimentally access the Kondo regime with this type of device.Comment: EPL style, 5 pages, 1 figure, final published versio

Étude longitudinale à propos de l’espace occupé par les pseudosciences dans les librairies du Québec

Dans cet article, nous présentons les résultats d’une étude longitudinale concernant la proportion d’espace consacrée d’une part aux ouvrages de pseudosciences (paranormal, ésotérisme, nouvel âge, arts divinatoires, etc.) et de sciences pour adultes et, d’autre part, aux ouvrages de spiritualité et de sciences pour enfants dans les librairies du Québec. Deux mesures ont été prises, l’une en 2001 dans 55 librairies et l’autre, en 2011 dans 72 librairies. Des analyses statistiques ont été réalisées à partir des mesures prises uniquement dans les librairies visitées aux deux temps de mesure. Les résultats des analyses corrélationnelles montrent que les librairies qui consacrent davantage d’espaces aux ouvrages de pseudosciences destinés aux adultes (n = 40) et aux ouvrages de spiritualité destinés aux enfants (n = 38) sont les mêmes en 2001 et en 2011. Par ailleurs, une ANOVA à mesures répétées montre que la proportion d’espace dévolue aux ouvrages de pseudosciences destinés aux adultes a diminué au deuxième temps de mesure, ce qui n’est pas le cas des livres de spiritualité offerts aux enfants. Après un bref retour sur la méthode utilisée et les résultats, nous invoquons quatre raisons susceptibles d’expliquer la popularité des pseudosciences ainsi que quelques conséquences éthiques et sociales de leur vogue. En conclusion, nous proposons deux solutions pour valoriser la démarche scientifique aux yeux des adolescents et des enfants.In this article, we present the results of a longitudinal study on the proportion of space devoted, on the one hand, to books of pseudosciences (paranormal, the occult, new age, methods of divination, etc.) and of sciences for adults; and on the other hand, on the proportion of space devoted to books of spirituality and sciences for children in the bookstores of Quebec. Two measures were taken, one in 2001 in 55 bookstores, and the other one in 2011 in 72 bookstores. Statistical analyses were conducted only on the measures taken in the bookstores that were visited at the two measurement times. Results from correlational analyses show that those bookstores that devote more space to books of pseudosciences for adults (n = 40) and to books of spirituality for children (n = 38) are the same in 2001 and 2011. Moreover, a repeated measures ANOVA indicate that the proportion of space devoted to books of pseudosciences for adults had decreased at the second measurement time, which is not the case for books of spirituality for children. After briefly revisiting the methodology and results, we put forward four reasons that may explain the popularity of pseudosciences, as well as a few ethical and social consequences from their fashion. In our concluding remarks, we suggest two solutions to promote scientific reasoning among adolescents and children

Characteristics of oxygen isotope substitutions in the quasiparticle spectrum of Bi2_2Sr2_2CaCu2_2O8+δ_{8+\delta}

There is an ongoing debate about the nature of the bosonic excitations responsible for the quasiparticle self energy in high temperature superconductors -- are they phonons or spin fluctuations? We present a careful analysis of the bosonic excitations as revealed by the `kink' feature at 70 meV in angle resolved photoemission data using Eliashberg theory for a d-wave superconductor. Starting from the assumption that nodal quasiparticles are not coupled to the $(\pi,\pi)$ magnetic resonance, the sharp structure at $70$meV can be assigned to phonons. We find that not only can we account for the shifts of the kink energy seen on oxygen isotope substitution but also get a quantitative estimate of the fraction of the area under the electron-boson spectral density which is due to phonons. We conclude that for optimally doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ phonons contribute $\sim 10$% and non-phononic excitations $\sim 90$%.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Semiclassical description of spin ladders

The Heisenberg spin ladder is studied in the semiclassical limit, via a mapping to the nonlinear $\sigma$ model. Different treatments are needed if the inter-chain coupling $K$ is small, intermediate or large. For intermediate coupling a single nonlinear $\sigma$ model is used for the ladder. Its predicts a spin gap for all nonzero values of $K$ if the sum $s+\tilde s$ of the spins of the two chains is an integer, and no gap otherwise. For small $K$, a better treatment proceeds by coupling two nonlinear sigma models, one for each chain. For integer $s=\tilde s$, the saddle-point approximation predicts a sharp drop in the gap as $K$ increases from zero. A Monte-Carlo simulation of a spin 1 ladder is presented which supports the analytical results.Comment: 8 pages, RevTeX 3.0, 4 PostScript figure

First order Mott transition at zero temperature in two dimensions: Variational plaquette study

The nature of the metal-insulator Mott transition at zero temperature has been discussed for a number of years. Whether it occurs through a quantum critical point or through a first order transition is expected to profoundly influence the nature of the finite temperature phase diagram. In this paper, we study the zero temperature Mott transition in the two-dimensional Hubbard model on the square lattice with the variational cluster approximation. This takes into account the influence of antiferromagnetic short-range correlations. By contrast to single-site dynamical mean-field theory, the transition turns out to be first order even at zero temperature.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, version 2 with additional results for 8 bath site

Synthetic use of the primary kinetic isotope effect in hydrogen atom transfer: generation of α-aminoalkyl radicals.

addresses: School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, UKEX4 4QD. [email protected]: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tCopyright © 2010 Royal Society of ChemistryThe extent to which deuterium can act as a protecting group to prevent unwanted 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer to aryl and vinyl radical intermediates was examined in the context of the generation of α-aminoalkyl radicals in a pyrrolidine ring. Intra- and intermolecular radical trapping following hydrogen atom transfer provides an illustration of the use of the primary kinetic isotope effect in directing the outcome of synthetic C-C bond-forming processes

Spectroscopic signatures of spin-charge separation in the quasi-one-dimensional organic conductor TTF-TCNQ

The electronic structure of the quasi-one-dimensional organic conductor TTF-TCNQ is studied by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). The experimental spectra reveal significant discrepancies to band theory. We demonstrate that the measured dispersions can be consistently mapped onto the one-dimensional Hubbard model at finite doping. This interpretation is further supported by a remarkable transfer of spectral weight as function of temperature. The ARPES data thus show spectroscopic signatures of spin-charge separation on an energy scale of the conduction band width.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; to appear in PR