Generalized quantization condition in topological insulator

The topological magnetoelectric effect (TME) is the fundamental quantization effect for topological insulators in units of the fine structure constant $\alpha$. In [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 166803(2010)], a topological quantization condition of the TME is given under orthogonal incidence of the optical beam, in which the wave length of the light or the thickness of the TI film must be tuned to some commensurate values. This fine tuning is difficult to realize experimentally. In this article, we give manifestly $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ covariant expressions for Kerr and Faraday angles at oblique incidence at a topological insulator thick film. We obtain a generalized quantization condition independent of material details, and propose a more easily realizable optical experiment, in which only the incidence angle is tuned, to directly measure the topological quantization associated with the TME.Comment: 3 figure

Orbitronics: the Intrinsic Orbital Hall Effect in p-Doped Silicon

The spin Hall effect depends crucially on the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling of the energy band. Because of the smaller spin-orbit coupling in silicon, the spin Hall effect is expected to be much reduced. We show that the electric field in p-doped silicon can induce a dissipationless orbital current in a fashion reminiscent of the spin Hall effect. The vertex correction due to impurity scattering vanishes and the effect is therefore robust against disorder. The orbital Hall effect can lead to the accumulation of local orbital momentum at the edge of the sample, and can be detected by the Kerr effect.Comment: 4 page

Secure Quantum Secret Sharing Based on Reusable GHZ States as Secure Carriers

We show a potential eavesdropper can eavesdrop whole secret information when the legitimate users use secure carrier to encode and decode classical information repeatedly in the protocol [proposed in Bagherinezhad S and Karimipour V 2003 Phys. Rev. A \textbf{67} 044302]. Then we present a revised quantum secret sharing protocol by using Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state as secure carrier. Our protocol can resist Eve's attack

Interacting topological phases and modular invariance

We discuss a (2+1) dimensional topological superconductor with $N_f$ left- and right-moving Majorana edge modes and a $\mathbb{Z}_2\times \mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry. In the absence of interactions, these phases are distinguished by an integral topological invariant $N_f$. With interactions, the edge state in the case $N_f=8$ is unstable against interactions, and a $\mathbb{Z}_2\times \mathbb{Z}_2$ invariant mass gap can be generated dynamically. We show that this phenomenon is closely related to the modular invariance of type II superstring theory. More generally, we show that the global gravitational anomaly of the non-chiral Majorana edge states is the physical manifestation of the bulk topological superconductors classified by $\mathbb{Z}_8$.Comment: 11 page

Mass Spectrometry-based Methods for Phosphorylation Site Mapping of Hyperphosphorylated Proteins Applied to Net1, a Regulator of Exit from Mitosis in Yeast

Prior to anaphase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cdc14 protein phosphatase is sequestered within the nucleolus and inhibited by Net1, a component of the RENT complex in budding yeast. During anaphase the RENT complex disassembles, allowing Cdc14 to migrate to the nucleus and cytoplasm where it catalyzes exit from mitosis. The mechanism of Cdc14 release appears to involve the polo-like kinase Cdc5, which is capable of promoting the dissociation of a recombinant Net1·Cdc14 complex in vitro by phosphorylation of Net1. We report here the phosphorylation site mapping of recombinant Net1 (Net1N) and a mutant Net1N allele (Net1N-19m) with 19 serines or threonines mutated to alanine. A variety of chromatographic and mass spectrometric-based strategies were used, including immobilized metal-affinity chromatography, alkaline phosphatase treatment, matrix-assisted laser-desorption post-source decay, and a multidimensional electrospray mass spectrometry-based approach. No one approach was able to identify all phosphopeptides in the tryptic digests of these proteins. Most notably, the presence of a basic residue near the phosphorylated residue significantly hampered the ability of alkaline phosphatase to hydrolyze the phosphate moiety. A major goal of research in proteomics is to identify all proteins and their interactions and post-translational modification states. The failure of any single method to identify all sites in highly phosphorylated Net1N, however, raises significant concerns about how feasible it is to map phosphorylation sites throughout the proteome using existing technologies