106 research outputs found
Structural and electrical characterization of hybrid metal-polypyrrole nanowires
We present here the synthesis and structural characterization of hybrid
Au-polypyrrole-Au and Pt- polypyrrole-Au nanowires together with a study of
their electrical properties from room-temperature down to very low temperature.
A careful characterization of the metal-polymer interfaces by trans- mission
electron microscopy revealed that the structure and mechanical strength of
bottom and upper interfaces are very different. Variable temperature electrical
transport measurements were performed on both multiple nanowires - contained
within the polycarbonate template - and single nanowires. Our data show that
the three-dimensional Mott variable-range-hopping model provides a complete
framework for the understanding of transport in PPy nanowires, including
non-linear current-voltage characteristics and magnetotransport at low
temperatures.Comment: Phys. Rev. B Vol. 76 Issue 11 (2007
2D Rutherford-Like Scattering in Ballistic Nanodevices
Ballistic injection in a nanodevice is a complex process where electrons can
either be transmitted or reflected, thereby introducing deviations from the
otherwise quantized conductance. In this context, quantum rings (QRs) appear as
model geometries: in a semiclassical view, most electrons bounce against the
central QR antidot, which strongly reduces injection efficiency. Thanks to an
analogy with Rutherford scattering, we show that a local partial depletion of
the QR close to the edge of the antidot can counter-intuitively ease ballistic
electron injection. On the contrary, local charge accumulation can focus the
semi-classical trajectories on the hard-wall potential and strongly enhance
reflection back to the lead. Scanning gate experiments on a ballistic QR, and
simulations of the conductance of the same device are consistent, and agree to
show that the effect is directly proportional to the ratio between the strength
of the perturbation and the Fermi energy. Our observation surprisingly fits the
simple Rutherford formalism in two-dimensions in the classical limit
Scanning Gate Spectroscopy of transport across a Quantum Hall Nano-Island
We explore transport across an ultra-small Quantum Hall Island (QHI) formed
by closed quan- tum Hall edge states and connected to propagating edge channels
through tunnel barriers. Scanning gate microscopy and scanning gate
spectroscopy are used to first localize and then study a single QHI near a
quantum point contact. The presence of Coulomb diamonds in the spectroscopy
con- firms that Coulomb blockade governs transport across the QHI. Varying the
microscope tip bias as well as current bias across the device, we uncover the
QHI discrete energy spectrum arising from electronic confinement and we extract
estimates of the gradient of the confining potential and of the edge state
velocity.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
Wigner and Kondo physics in quantum point contacts revealed by scanning gate microscopy
Quantum point contacts exhibit mysterious conductance anomalies in addition
to well known conductance plateaus at multiples of 2e^2/h. These 0.7 and
zero-bias anomalies have been intensively studied, but their microscopic origin
in terms of many-body effects is still highly debated. Here we use the charged
tip of a scanning gate microscope to tune in situ the electrostatic potential
of the point contact. While sweeping the tip distance, we observe repetitive
splittings of the zero-bias anomaly, correlated with simultaneous appearances
of the 0.7 anomaly. We interpret this behaviour in terms of alternating
equilibrium and non-equilibrium Kondo screenings of different spin states
localized in the channel. These alternating Kondo effects point towards the
presence of a Wigner crystal containing several charges with different
parities. Indeed, simulations show that the electron density in the channel is
low enough to reach one-dimensional Wigner crystallization over a size
controlled by the tip position
Thermopower of Interacting GaAs Bilayer Hole Systems in the Reentrant Insulating Phase near
We report thermopower measurements of interacting GaAs bilayer hole systems.
When the carrier densities in the two layers are equal, these systems exhibit a
reentrant insulating phase near the quantum Hall state at total filling factor
. Our data show that as the temperature is decreased, the thermopower
diverges in the insulating phase. This behavior indicates the opening of an
energy gap at low temperature, consistent with the formation of a pinned Wigner
solid. We extract an energy gap and a Wigner solid melting phase diagram.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Long dephasing time and high temperature ballistic transport in an InGaAs open quantum dot
We report on measurements of the magnetoconductance of an open circular
InGaAs quantum dot between 1.3K and 204K. We observe two types of
magnetoconductance fluctuations: universal conductance fluctuations (UCFs), and
'focusing' fluctuations related to ballistic trajectories between openings. The
electron phase coherence time extracted from UCFs amplitude is larger than in
GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots and follows a similar temperature dependence (between
T^-1 and T^-2). Below 150K, the characteristic length associated with
'focusing' fluctuations shows a slightly different temperature dependence from
that of the conductivity.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, proceedings of ICSNN2002, to appear in Physica
Patterns of labour solidarity towards precarious workers and the unemployed in critical times in Greece, Poland and the UK
The purpose of this article is to examine whether and by what means traditional unions and other labour-oriented organisations engage in solidarity activities in favour of precarious workers and the unemployed. Our findings derive from qualitative data analysed from 10 in-depth interviews per country conducted as part of a large collaborative project with participants sampled from trade unions and other labour-oriented solidarity organisations based in three European national contexts: Greece, Poland, and the UK. Our aim here is to discern common features and differences in the strategies and answers given, within the three national contexts. To this end, we examine the actors engaged in labour solidarity; the value frames upon which these actions draw; the beneficiaries of their solidarity actions; the type of activities adopted mainly in favour of precarious workers and the unemployed; and their engagement in transnational labour solidarity activities
Toward an experimental proof of superhydrophobicity enhanced by quantum fluctuations freezing on a broadband-absorber metamaterial
Previous theoretical works suggested that superhydrophobicity could be
enhanced through partial inhibition of the quantum vacuum modes at the surface
of a broadband-absorber metamaterial which acts in the extreme ultraviolet
frequency domain. This effect would then compete with the classical
Cassie-Baxter interpretation of superhydrophobicity. In this article, we first
theoretically establish the expected phenomenological features related to such
a kind of "quantum" superhydrophobicity. Then, relying on this theoretical
framework, we experimentally study patterned silicon surfaces on which
organosilane molecules were grafted, all the coated surfaces having similar
characteristic pattern sizes but different profiles. Some of these surfaces can
indeed freeze quantum photon modes while others cannot. While the latter ones
allow hydrophobicity, only the former ones allow for superhydrophobicity. We
believe these results lay the groundwork for further complete assessment of
superhydrophobicity induced by quantum fluctuations freezing.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, final version, accepted for publication in
Journal of Applied Physic
Spatially Explicit Data: Stewardship and Ethical Challenges in Science
Scholarly communication is at an unprecedented turning point created in part by the increasing saliency of data stewardship and data sharing. Formal data management plans represent a new emphasis in research, enabling access to data at higher volumes and more quickly, and the potential for replication and augmentation of existing research. Data sharing has recently transformed the practice, scope, content, and applicability of research in several disciplines, in particular in relation to spatially specific data. This lends exciting potentiality, but the most effective ways in which to implement such changes, particularly for disciplines involving human subjects and other sensitive information, demand consideration. Data management plans, stewardship, and sharing, impart distinctive technical, sociological, and ethical challenges that remain to be adequately identified and remedied. Here, we consider these and propose potential solutions for their amelioration
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