3,787 research outputs found
Quantum Size Effects in the Atomistic Structure of Armchair-Nanoribbons
Quantum size effects in armchair graphene nano-ribbons (AGNR) with hydrogen
termination are investigated via density functional theory (DFT) in Kohn-Sham
formulation. "Selection rules" will be formulated, that allow to extract
(approximately) the electronic structure of the AGNR bands starting from the
four graphene dispersion sheets. In analogy with the case of carbon nanotubes,
a threefold periodicity of the excitation gap with the ribbon width (N, number
of carbon atoms per carbon slice) is predicted that is confirmed by ab initio
results. While traditionally such a periodicity would be observed in electronic
response experiments, the DFT analysis presented here shows that it can also be
seen in the ribbon geometry: the length of a ribbon with L slices approaches
the limiting value for a very large width 1 << N (keeping the aspect ratio
small N << L) with 1/N-oscillations that display the electronic selection
rules. The oscillation amplitude is so strong, that the asymptotic behavior is
non-monotonous, i.e., wider ribbons exhibit a stronger elongation than more
narrow ones.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
Biogas from manure – a new technology to close the nutrient and energy circuit on-farm
The Biodynamic Research Institute in Järna developed a two-phase on-farm biogas plant. The plant digests manure of dairy cattle and organic residues originating from the farm and the surrounding food processing units containing 17.7-19.6 % total solids. A new technology for continuously filling and discharging the hydrolysis reactor was developed and implemented. The output of the hydrolysis reactor is separated into a solid and liquid fraction. The solid fraction is composted. The liquid fraction is further digested in a methane reactor and the effluent used as liquid fertiliser. Initial results show that anaerobic digestion followed by aerobic composting of the solid fraction improves the nutrient balance of the farm compared to mere aerobic composting. Composted solid fraction and effluent together contain about 70.8 % of total input nitrogen and 93.3 % of input NH4. The manure that was merely aerobic digested contained about 51.3 % of total input nitrogen and 3.9 % of input NH4. Additionally anaerobic digestion improves the energy balance of the farm producing up to 269 l biogas kg-1 volatile solids or 1.7 kWh heat kg-1 volatile solids
Superconductivity in Pseudo-Binary Silicide SrNixSi2-x with AlB2-Type Structure
We demonstrate the emergence of superconductivity in pseudo-binary silicide
SrNixSi2-x. The compound exhibits a structural phase transition from the cubic
SrSi2-type structure (P4132) to the hexagonal AlB2-type structure (P6/mmm) upon
substituting Ni for Si at approximately x = 0.1. The hexagonal structure is
stabilized in the range of 0.1 < x < 0.7. The superconducting phase appears in
the vicinity of the structural phase boundary. Ni acts as a nonmagnetic dopant,
as confirmed by the Pauli paramagnetic behavior.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Coherent control in a decoherence-free subspace of a collective multi-level system
Decoherence-free subspaces (DFS) in systems of dipole-dipole interacting
multi-level atoms are investigated theoretically. It is shown that the
collective state space of two dipole-dipole interacting four-level atoms
contains a four-dimensional DFS. We describe a method that allows to populate
the antisymmetric states of the DFS by means of a laser field, without the need
of a field gradient between the two atoms. We identify these antisymmetric
states as long-lived entangled states. Further, we show that any single-qubit
operation between two states of the DFS can be induced by means of a microwave
field. Typical operation times of these qubit rotations can be significantly
shorter than for a nuclear spin system.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure
Nuclear quantum optics with x-ray laser pulses
The direct interaction of nuclei with super-intense laser fields is studied.
We show that present and upcoming high-frequency laser facilities, especially
together with a moderate acceleration of the target nuclei, do allow for
resonant laser-nucleus interaction. These direct interactions may be utilized
for the optical measurement of nuclear properties such as the transition
frequency and the dipole moment, thus opening the field of nuclear quantum
optics. As ultimate goal, one may hope that direct laser-nucleus interactions
could become a versatile tool to enhance preparation, control and detection in
nuclear physics.Comment: 5 pages, 3 eps figures, revised versio
Enhancement of urban pluvial flood risk management and resilience through collaborative modelling: a UK case study
This paper presents the main findings and lessons learned from the development and implementation of a new methodology for collaborative modelling, social learning and social acceptance of flood risk management technologies. The proposed methodology entails three main phases: (1) stakeholder analysis and engagement; (2) improvement of urban pluvial flood modelling and forecasting tools; and (3) development and implementation of web-based tools for collaborative modelling in flood risk management and knowledge sharing. The developed methodology and tools were tested in the Cranbrook catchment (London Borough of Redbridge, UK), an area that has experienced severe pluvial (surface) flooding in the past. The developed methodologies proved to be useful for promoting interaction between stakeholders, developing collaborative modelling and achieving social acceptance of new technologies for flood risk management. Some limitations for stakeholder engagement were identified and are discussed in the present paper
Two-mode single-atom laser as a source of entangled light
A two-mode single-atom laser is considered, with the aim of generating
entanglement in macroscopic light. Two transitions in the four-level gain
medium atom independently interact with the two cavity modes, while two other
transitions are driven by control laser fields. Atomic relaxation as well as
cavity losses are taken into account. We show that this system is a source of
macroscopic entangled light over a wide range of control parameters and initial
states of the cavity field
Anderson Transitions: Criticality, Symmetries, and Topologies
The physics of Anderson transitions between localized and metallic phases in
disordered systems is reviewed. We focus on the character of criticality as
well as on underlying symmetries and topologies that are crucial for
understanding phase diagrams and the critical behavior.Comment: 36 pages. Published in "50 Years of Anderson Localization", ed. by E.
Abrahams (World Scientific, 2010); reprinted in IJMP
Full counting statistics of laser excited Rydberg aggregates in a one-dimensional geometry
We experimentally study the full counting statistics of few-body Rydberg
aggregates excited from a quasi-one-dimensional Rydberg gas. We measure
asymmetric excitation spectra and increased second and third order statistical
moments of the Rydberg number distribution, from which we determine the average
aggregate size. Direct comparisons with numerical simulations reveal the
presence of liquid-like spatial correlations, and indicate sequential growth of
the aggregates around an initial grain. These findings demonstrate the
importance of dissipative effects in strongly correlated Rydberg gases and
introduce a way to study spatio-temporal correlations in strongly-interacting
many-body quantum systems without imaging.Comment: 6 pages plus supplemen
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