985 research outputs found
No anomalous scaling in electrostatic calibrations for Casimir force measurements
In a recent paper (Phys.Rev.A78, 020101(R) (2008)), Kim at al. have reported
a large anomaly in the scaling law of the electrostatic interaction between a
sphere and a plate, which was observed during the calibration of their Casimir
force set-up. Here we experimentally demonstrate that in proper electrostatic
calibrations the scaling law follows the behavior expected from elementary
electrostatic arguments, even when the electrostatic voltage that one must
apply to minimize the force (typically ascribed to contact potentials) depends
on the separation between the surfaces.Comment: Final versio
Melting temperature of screened Wigner crystal on helium films by molecular dynamics
Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we have calculated the melting
temperature of two-dimensional electron systems on \AA-\AA helium
films supported by substrates of dielectric constants
at areal densities varying from cm to cm. Our results are in good agreement with the available
theoretical and experimental results.Comment: 4 pages and 4 figure
Fiber-diffraction Interferometer using Coherent Fiber Optic Taper
We present a fiber-diffraction interferometer using a coherent fiber optic
taper for optical testing in an uncontrolled environment. We use a coherent
fiber optic taper and a single-mode fiber having thermally-expanded core. Part
of the measurement wave coming from a test target is condensed through a fiber
optic taper and spatially filtered from a single-mode fiber to be reference
wave. Vibration of the cavity between the target and the interferometer probe
is common to both reference and measurement waves, thus the interference fringe
is stabilized in an optical way. Generation of the reference wave is stable
even with the target movement. Focus shift of the input measurement wave is
desensitized by a coherent fiber optic taper
Recursive solutions for Laplacian spectra and eigenvectors of a class of growing treelike networks
The complete knowledge of Laplacian eigenvalues and eigenvectors of complex
networks plays an outstanding role in understanding various dynamical processes
running on them; however, determining analytically Laplacian eigenvalues and
eigenvectors is a theoretical challenge. In this paper, we study the Laplacian
spectra and their corresponding eigenvectors of a class of deterministically
growing treelike networks. The two interesting quantities are determined
through the recurrence relations derived from the structure of the networks.
Beginning from the rigorous relations one can obtain the complete eigenvalues
and eigenvectors for the networks of arbitrary size. The analytical method
opens the way to analytically compute the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of some
other deterministic networks, making it possible to accurately calculate their
spectral characteristics.Comment: Definitive version accepted for publication in Physical Reivew
Interaction of vortices in thin superconducting films and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition
The precondition for the BKT transition in thin superconducting films, the
logarithmic intervortex interaction, is satisfied at distances short relative
to , is the London penetration depth of the
bulk material and is the film thickness. For this reason, the search for
the transition has been conducted in samples of the size . It is
argued below that film edges turn the interaction into near exponential
(short-range) thus making the BKT transition impossible. If however the
substrate is superconducting and separated from the film by an insulated layer,
the logarithmic intervortex interaction is recovered and the BKT transition
should be observable.Comment: 4 pages, no figure
Force on a neutral atom near conducting microstructures
We derive the non-retarded energy shift of a neutral atom for two different
geometries. For an atom close to a cylindrical wire we find an integral
representation for the energy shift, give asymptotic expressions, and
interpolate numerically. For an atom close to a semi-infinite halfplane we
determine the exact Green's function of the Laplace equation and use it derive
the exact energy shift for an arbitrary position of the atom. These results can
be used to estimate the energy shift of an atom close to etched microstructures
that protrude from substrates.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Modelling background charge rearrangements near single-electron transistors as a Poisson process
Background charge rearrangements in metallic single-electron transistors are
modelled in two-level tunnelling systems as a Poisson process with a scale
parameter as only variable. The model explains the recent observation of
asymmetric Coulomb blockade peak spacing distributions in metallic
single-electron transistors. From the scale parameter we estimate the average
size of the tunnelling systems, their density of states, and the height of
their energy barrier. We conclude that the observed background charge
rearrangements predominantly take place in the substrate of the single-electron
transistor.Comment: 7 pages, 2 eps figures, used epl.cls macro include
Electrostatics of ions inside the nanopores and trans-membrane channels
A model of a finite cylindrical ion channel through a phospholipid membrane
of width separating two electrolyte reservoirs is studied. Analytical
solution of the Poisson equation is obtained for an arbitrary distribution of
ions inside the trans-membrane pore. The solution is asymptotically exact in
the limit of large ionic strength of electrolyte on the two sides of membrane.
However, even for physiological concentrations of electrolyte, the
electrostatic barrier sizes found using the theory are in excellent agreement
with the numerical solution of the Poisson equation. The analytical solution is
used to calculate the electrostatic potential energy profiles for pores
containing charged protein residues. Availability of a semi-exact interionic
potential should greatly facilitate the study of ionic transport through
nanopores and ion channels
Electrostatics of Edge States of Quantum Hall Systems with Constrictions: Metal--Insulator Transition Tuned by External Gates
The nature of a metal--insulator transition tuned by external gates in
quantum Hall (QH) systems with point constrictions at integer bulk filling, as
reported in recent experiments of Roddaro et al. [1], is addressed. We are
particularly concerned here with the insulating behavior--the phenomena of
backscattering enhancement induced at high gate voltages. Electrostatics
calculations for QH systems with split gates performed here show that
observations are not a consequence of interedge interactions near the point
contact. We attribute the phenomena of backscattering enhancement to a
splitting of the integer edge into conducting and insulating stripes, which
enable the occurrence of the more relevant backscattering processes of
fractionally charged quasiparticles at the point contact. For the values of the
parameters used in the experiments we find that the conducting channels are
widely separated by the insulating stripes and that their presence alters
significantly the low-energy dynamics of the edges. Interchannel impurity
scattering does not influence strongly the tunneling exponents as they are
found to be irrelevant processes at low energies. Exponents of backscattering
at the point contact are unaffected by interchannel Coulomb interactions since
all channels have same chirality of propagation.Comment: 19 pages; To appear in Phys. Rev.
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