Thermodynamical Properties of Hall Systems

We study quantum Hall effect within the framework of a newly proposed approach, which captures the principal results of some proposals. This can be established by considering a system of particles living on the non-commutative plane in the presence of an electromagnetic field and quantum statistical mechanically investigate its basic features. Solving the eigenvalue equation, we analytically derive the energy levels and the corresponding wavefunctions. These will be used, at low temperature and weak electric field, to determine the thermodynamical potential \Omega^{nc} and related physical quantities. Varying \Omega^{nc} with respect to the non-commutativity parameter \theta, we define a new function that can be interpreted as a \Omega^{nc} density. Evaluating the particle number, we show that the Hall conductivity of the system is \theta-dependent. This allows us to make contact with quantum Hall effect by offering different interpretations. We study the high temperature regime and discuss the magnetism of the system. We finally show that at \theta=2l_B^2, the system is sharing some common features with the Laughlin theory.Comment: 20 pages, misprints correcte

On the dephasing time of the chiral metal

In the low-dimensional disordered systems the dephasing time and the inelastic scattering (out-scattering) time are in general different. We show that in the case of the two-dimensional chiral metal which is formed at the surface of a layered three dimensional system, which is exhibiting the integer quantum Hall effect these two quantities are essentially the same and their temperature-dependence is T^(-3/2). In particular we show that the results obtained using the diagramatic technique and the phase uncertainty approach introduced by A. Stern et al. (Phys. Rev. A 41, 3436 (1990)) for the out-scattering and the dephasing time respectively, coincide. We furthermore consider these quantities in the case of the three-dimensional chiral metal, where similar conclusions are reached.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, europhys.st

Possible Market Implications of Unisex Insurance Pricing

The main reason for different insurance premiums and benefits is the use of different statistically proven risk factors in actuarial calculations for individuals. Basing its ruling on European Union Directive 2004/113/EC (the Gender Directive), the European Court of Justice on 1 March 2011 concluded that any gender-based discrimination is prohibited, so gender equality in the European Union (EU) must be ensured from 21 December 2012. The ruling definitively banning the use of the gender criterion in actuarial calculations for individual prices may have important consequences for the insurance industry and customers in the EU. In this short text, a number of implications are discussed. Possible consumer behaviour and potential responses from market players are outlined as well as possible further regulatory interventions. The implications of the definitive ban on gender based discrimination are extensive for the insurance industry and may have a strong economic and legal impact on the individual product offering and pricing. https://www.genevaassociation.org/media/887422/ga2014-ie70-schmeiser.pd

Growth of nano dots on the grazing incidence mirror surface under FEL irradiation Analytic approach to modeling

Simple analytic equation is deduced to explain new physical phenomenon detected experimentally growth of nano dots 40 55 nm diameter, 8 13 nm height, 9.4 dots amp; 956;m2 surface density on the grazing incidence mirror surface under the three years irradiation by the free electron laser FLASH 5 45 nm wavelength, 3 degrees grazing incidence angle . The growth model is based on the assumption that the growth of nano dots is caused by polymerization of incoming hydrocarbon molecules under the action of incident photons directly or photoelectrons knocked out from a mirror surface. The key feature of our approach consists in that we take into account the radiation intensity variation nearby a mirror surface in an explicit form, because the polymerization probability is proportional to it. We demonstrate that the simple analytic approach allows to explain all phenomena observed in experiment and to predict new effects. In particular, we show that the nano dots growth depends crucially on the grazing angle of incoming beam and its intensity growth of nano dots is observed in the limited from above and below intervals of the grazing angle and the radiation intensity. Decrease in the grazing angle by 1 degree only from 3 to 2 degree may result in a strong suppression of nanodots growth and their total disappearing. Similarly, decrease in the radiation intensity by several times replacement of free electron laser by synchrotron results also in disappearing of nano dots growt

Optimization of Material Contrast for Efficient FIB‐SEM Tomography of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Focused ion beam (FIB) – scanning electron microscopy (SEM) serial sectioning tomography has become an important tool for three‐dimensional microstructure reconstruction of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) to obtain an understanding of fabrication‐related effects and SOFC performance. By sequential FIB milling and SEM imaging a stack of cross‐section images across all functional SOFC layers was generated covering a large volume of 3.5·10$^{4}$ μm$^{3}$. One crucial step is image segmentation where regions with different image intensities are assigned to different material phases within the SOFC. To analyze all relevant SOFC materials, it was up to now mandatory to acquire several images by scanning the same region with different imaging parameters because sufficient material contrast could otherwise not be achieved. In this work we obtained high‐contast SEM images from a single scan to reconstract all functional SOFC layers consisting of a Ni/Y$_{2}$O$_{3}$‐doped ZrO$_{2}$ (YDZ) cermet anode, YDZ electrolyte and (La,Sr)MnO$_{3}$/YDZ cathode. This was possible by using different, simultaneous read‐out detectors installed in a state‐of‐the‐art scanning electron microscope. In addition, we used a deterministic approach for the optimization of imaging parameters by employing Monte Carlo simulations rather than trial‐and‐error tests. We also studied the effect of detection geometry, detecting angle range and detector type

Nature and Functionality of La0.58_{0.58}Sr0.4_{0.4}Co0.2_{0.2}Fe0.8_{0.8}O3−δ_{3-δ} / Gd0.2_{0.2}Ce0.8_{0.8}O2−δ_{2-δ} / Y0.16_{0.16}Zr0.84_{0.84}O2−δ_{2-δ} Interfaces in SOFCs

Interdiffusion phenomena and secondary phase formation at the interface La0.58Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) / Gd0.2Ce0.8O2-δ (GDC) / Y0.16Zr0.84O2-δ (YSZ) are correlated to linear and non-linear losses in symmetrical and full SOFC cells. FIB/SEM (focussed ion beam / scanning electron microscopy) tomography is applied for determining the local distribution of the primary phases LSCF, GDC, and YSZ and elemental analysis via STEM/EDXS (scanning transmission electron microscopy / energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) provides information on the secondary phase SrZrO3 (SZO) and the interdiffusion between GDC and YSZ (ID). This reveals the effect of GDC co-sintering temperature (varied from 1100°C to 1400°C), alongside the sintering of LSCF at 1080°C, on these multi-layered microstructures. Electrochemical impedance spectra on symmetrical cells show that the polarization resistance (ASRcat) of the cathode/electrolyte interface is pronouncedly affected by three orders of magnitude, changing the overall power density of anode supported SOFC single cells at 0.8V by as much as a factor of 20. In conclusion, the chemical composition of the ID has a tremendous impact on the electrochemical efficiency of the investigated LSCF/GDC/YSZ interface, and processing parameters of anode supported cells with LSCF cathode have to be carefully chosen for individual SOFC cell concepts

The transverse magnetoresistance of the two-dimensional chiral metal

We consider the two-dimensional chiral metal, which exists at the surface of a layered, three-dimensional sample exhibiting the integer quantum Hall effect. We calculate its magnetoresistance in response to a component of magnetic field perpendicular to the sample surface, in the low temperature, but macroscopic, regime where inelastic scattering may be neglected. The magnetoresistance is positive, following a Drude form with a field scale, $B_0=\Phi_0/al_{\text{el}}$, given by the transverse field strength at which one quantum of flux, $\Phi_0$, passes through a rectangle with sides set by the layer-spacing, $a$, and the elastic mean free path, $l_{\text{el}}$. Experimental measurement of this magnetoresistance may therefore provide a direct determination of the elastic mean free path in the chiral metal.Comment: submitted to Phys Rev

Barycentric decomposition of quantum measurements in finite dimensions

We analyze the convex structure of the set of positive operator valued measures (POVMs) representing quantum measurements on a given finite dimensional quantum system, with outcomes in a given locally compact Hausdorff space. The extreme points of the convex set are operator valued measures concentrated on a finite set of k \le d^2 points of the outcome space, d< \infty being the dimension of the Hilbert space. We prove that for second countable outcome spaces any POVM admits a Choquet representation as the barycenter of the set of extreme points with respect to a suitable probability measure. In the general case, Krein-Milman theorem is invoked to represent POVMs as barycenters of a certain set of POVMs concentrated on k \le d^2 points of the outcome space.Comment: !5 pages, no figure

Theory of Incompressible States in a Narrow Channel

We report on the properties of a system of interacting electrons in a narrow channel in the quantum Hall effect regime. It is shown that an increase in the strength of the Coulomb interaction causes abrupt changes in the width of the charge-density profile of translationally invariant states. We derive a phase diagram which includes many of the stable odd-denominator states as well as a novel fractional quantum Hall state at lowest half-filled Landau level. The collective mode evaluated at the half-filled case is strikingly similar to that for an odd-denominator fractional quantum Hall state.Comment: 4 pages, REVTEX, and 4 .ps file