Raman spectroscopy insights into the a- and d-phases of formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3)

Solar perovskites have received phenomenal attention and success over the past decade, due to their high power conversion efficiencies (PCE), ease of fabrication and low cost which has enabled the prospect of them being a real commercial contender to the traditional silicon technology. In one of the several developments on the archetypal MAPbI3perovskite absorber layer, FAPbI3was found to obtain a higher PCE, likely due to its more optimum band gap, with doping strategies focusing on the inclusion of MA+/Cs+cations to avoid the unfavourable phase transformation to a photoinactive phase. To better understand the phase change from the photoactive cubic (Pm3¯m) black (a) phase to the unwanted photoinactive (P63/mmc) yellow (d) phase, we make use of variable temperature Raman spectroscopy to probe the molecular species and its relationship to the inorganic framework. We show for the first time there to be no Raman active modes for the a phase up to 4000 cm-1, which can be correlated to thePm3¯mcubic symmetry of that phase. Our detailed studies suggest that previous reports of the observation of Raman peaks for this phase are likely associated with degradation reactions from the localised laser exposure and the formation of Raman active lead oxide. In addition, we have identified water as a contributing factor to the transformation, and observed a corresponding signal in the Raman spectra, although confirmation of its exact role still remains inconclusive

Probing the energy bands of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical lattice

We simulate three experimental methods which could be realized in the laboratory to probe the band excitation energies and the momentum distribution of a Bose-Einstein condensate inside an optical lattice. The values of the excitation energies obtained in these different methods agree within the accuracy of the simulation. The meaning of the results in terms of density and phase deformations is tested by studying the relaxation of a phase-modulated condensate towards the ground state.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

The interaction of a gap with a free boundary in a two dimensional dimer system

Let $\ell$ be a fixed vertical lattice line of the unit triangular lattice in the plane, and let \Cal H be the half plane to the left of $\ell$. We consider lozenge tilings of \Cal H that have a triangular gap of side-length two and in which $\ell$ is a free boundary - i.e., tiles are allowed to protrude out half-way across $\ell$. We prove that the correlation function of this gap near the free boundary has asymptotics $\frac{1}{4\pi r}$, $r\to\infty$, where $r$ is the distance from the gap to the free boundary. This parallels the electrostatic phenomenon by which the field of an electric charge near a conductor can be obtained by the method of images.Comment: 34 pages, AmS-Te

Wannier functions analysis of the nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation with a periodic potential

In the present Letter we use the Wannier function basis to construct lattice approximations of the nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation with a periodic potential. We show that the nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation with a periodic potential is equivalent to a vector lattice with long-range interactions. For the case-example of the cosine potential we study the validity of the so-called tight-binding approximation i.e., the approximation when nearest neighbor interactions are dominant. The results are relevant to Bose-Einstein condensate theory as well as to other physical systems like, for example, electromagnetic wave propagation in nonlinear photonic crystals.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Meissner effect, Spin Meissner effect and charge expulsion in superconductors

The Meissner effect and the Spin Meissner effect are the spontaneous generation of charge and spin current respectively near the surface of a metal making a transition to the superconducting state. The Meissner effect is well known but, I argue, not explained by the conventional theory, the Spin Meissner effect has yet to be detected. I propose that both effects take place in all superconductors, the first one in the presence of an applied magnetostatic field, the second one even in the absence of applied external fields. Both effects can be understood under the assumption that electrons expand their orbits and thereby lower their quantum kinetic energy in the transition to superconductivity. Associated with this process, the metal expels negative charge from the interior to the surface and an electric field is generated in the interior. The resulting charge current can be understood as arising from the magnetic Lorentz force on radially outgoing electrons, and the resulting spin current can be understood as arising from a spin Hall effect originating in the Rashba-like coupling of the electron magnetic moment to the internal electric field. The associated electrodynamics is qualitatively different from London electrodynamics, yet can be described by a small modification of the conventional London equations. The stability of the superconducting state and its macroscopic phase coherence hinge on the fact that the orbital angular momentum of the carriers of the spin current is found to be exactly $\hbar/2$, indicating a topological origin. The simplicity and universality of our theory argue for its validity, and the occurrence of superconductivity in many classes of materials can be understood within our theory.Comment: Submitted to SLAFES XX Proceeding

Measurements of Direct CP Violation, CPT Symmetry, and Other Parameters in the Neutral Kaon System

We present a series of measurements based on K -> pi+pi- and K -> pi0pi0 decays collected in 1996-1997 by the KTeV experiment (E832) at Fermilab. We compare these four K -> pipi decay rates to measure the direct CP violation parameter Re(e'/e) = (20.7 +- 2.8) x 10^-4. We also test CPT symmetry by measuring the relative phase between the CP violating and CP conserving decay amplitudes for K->pi+pi- (phi+-) and for K -> pi0pi0 (phi00). We find the difference between the relative phases to be Delta-phi = phi00 - phi+- = (+0.39 +- 0.50) degrees and the deviation of phi+- from the superweak phase to be phi+- - phi_SW =(+0.61 +- 1.19) degrees; both results are consistent with CPT symmetry. In addition, we present new measurements of the KL-KS mass difference and KS lifetime: Delta-m = (5261 +- 15) x 10^6 hbar/s and tauS = (89.65 +- 0.07) x 10^-12 s.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. D, August 6, 2002; 37 pages, 32 figure

The ascent of cat breeds : genetic evaluations of breeds and worldwide random-bred populations

The diaspora of the modern cat was traced with microsatellite markers from the presumed site of domestication to distant regions of the world. Genetic data were derived from over 1100 individuals, representing 17 random-bred populations from five continents and 22 breeds. The Mediterranean was reconfirmed to be the probable site of domestication. Genetic diversity has remained broad throughout the world, with distinct genetic clustering in the Mediterranean basin, Europe/America, Asia and Africa. However, Asian cats appeared to have separated early and expanded in relative isolation. Most breeds were derived from indigenous cats of their purported regions of origin. However, the Persian and Japanese bobtail were more aligned with European/American than with Mediterranean basin or Asian clusters. Three recently derived breeds were not distinct from their parental breeds of origin. Pure breeding was associated with a loss of genetic diversity; however, this loss did not correlate with breed popularity or age

Toward an internally consistent astronomical distance scale

Accurate astronomical distance determination is crucial for all fields in astrophysics, from Galactic to cosmological scales. Despite, or perhaps because of, significant efforts to determine accurate distances, using a wide range of methods, tracers, and techniques, an internally consistent astronomical distance framework has not yet been established. We review current efforts to homogenize the Local Group's distance framework, with particular emphasis on the potential of RR Lyrae stars as distance indicators, and attempt to extend this in an internally consistent manner to cosmological distances. Calibration based on Type Ia supernovae and distance determinations based on gravitational lensing represent particularly promising approaches. We provide a positive outlook to improvements to the status quo expected from future surveys, missions, and facilities. Astronomical distance determination has clearly reached maturity and near-consistency.Comment: Review article, 59 pages (4 figures); Space Science Reviews, in press (chapter 8 of a special collection resulting from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter