5,162 research outputs found
Correlated charge polarization in a chain of coupled quantum dots
Coherent charge transfer in a linear array of tunnel-coupled quantum dots,
electrostatically coupled to external gates, is investigated using the Bethe
ansatz for a symmetrically biased Hubbard chain. Charge polarization in this
correlated system is shown to proceed via two distinct processes: formation of
bound states in the metallic phase, and charge transfer processes corresponding
to a superposition of antibound states at opposite ends of the chain in the
Mott-insulating phase. The polarizability in the insulating phase of the chain
exhibits a universal scaling behavior, while the polarization charge in the
metallic phase of the model is shown to be quantized in units of .Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Simple model for decay of superdeformed nuclei
Recent theoretical investigations of the decay mechanism out of a
superdeformed nuclear band have yielded qualitatively different results,
depending on the relative values of the relevant decay widths. We present a
simple two-level model for the dynamics of the tunneling between the
superdeformed and normal-deformed bands, which treats decay and tunneling
processes on an equal footing. The previous theoretical results are shown to
correspond to coherent and incoherent limits of the full tunneling dynamics.
Our model accounts for experimental data in both the A~150 mass region, where
the tunneling dynamics is coherent, and in the A~190 mass region, where the
tunneling dynamics is incoherent.Comment: 4 page
Stability of Metal Nanowires at Ultrahigh Current Densities
We develop a generalized grand canonical potential for the ballistic
nonequilibrium electron distribution in a metal nanowire with a finite applied
bias voltage. Coulomb interactions are treated in the self-consistent Hartree
approximation, in order to ensure gauge invariance. Using this formalism, we
investigate the stability and cohesive properties of metallic nanocylinders at
ultrahigh current densities. A linear stability analysis shows that metal
nanowires with certain {\em magic conductance values} can support current
densities up to 10^11 A/cm^2, which would vaporize a macroscopic piece of
metal. This finding is consistent with experimental studies of gold nanowires.
Interestingly, our analysis also reveals the existence of reentrant stability
zones--geometries that are stable only under an applied bias.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, version published in PR
Variability and uncertainty in empirical ground-motion prediction for probabilistic hazard and risk analyses
© The Author(s) 2015.The terms aleatory variability and epistemic uncertainty mean different things to people who routinely use them within the fields of seismic hazard and risk analysis. This state is not helped by the repetition of loosely framed generic definitions that actually inaccurate. The present paper takes a closer look at the components of total uncertainty that contribute to ground-motion modelling in hazard and risk applications. The sources and nature of uncertainty are discussed and it is shown that the common approach to deciding what should be included within hazard and risk integrals and what should be pushed into logic tree formulations warrants reconsideration. In addition, it is shown that current approaches to the generation of random fields of ground motions for spatial risk analyses are incorrect and a more appropriate framework is presented
Many-body theory of electronic transport in single-molecule heterojunctions
A many-body theory of molecular junction transport based on nonequilibrium
Green's functions is developed, which treats coherent quantum effects and
Coulomb interactions on an equal footing. The central quantity of the many-body
theory is the Coulomb self-energy matrix of the junction.
is evaluated exactly in the sequential tunneling limit, and
the correction due to finite tunneling width is evaluated self-consistently
using a conserving approximation based on diagrammatic perturbation theory on
the Keldysh contour. Our approach reproduces the key features of both the
Coulomb blockade and coherent transport regimes simultaneously in a single
unified transport theory. As a first application of our theory, we have
calculated the thermoelectric power and differential conductance spectrum of a
benzenedithiol-gold junction using a semi-empirical -electron Hamiltonian
that accurately describes the full spectrum of electronic excitations of the
molecule up to 8--10eV.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure
Kondo Resonance in a Mesoscopic Ring Coupled to a Quantum Dot: Exact Results for the Aharonov-Bohm/Casher Effects
We study the persistent currents induced by both the Aharonov-Bohm and
Aharonov-Casher effects in a one-dimensional mesoscopic ring coupled to a
side-branch quantum dot at Kondo resonance. For privileged values of the
Aharonov-Bohm-Casher fluxes, the problem can be mapped onto an integrable
model, exactly solvable by a Bethe ansatz. In the case of a pure magnetic
Aharonov-Bohm flux, we find that the presence of the quantum dot has no effect
on the persistent current. In contrast, the Kondo resonance interferes with the
spin-dependent Aharonov-Casher effect to induce a current which, in the
strong-coupling limit, is independent of the number of electrons in the ring.Comment: Replaced with published version; 5 page
Jahn-Teller Distortions and the Supershell Effect in Metal Nanowires
A stability analysis of metal nanowires shows that a Jahn-Teller deformation
breaking cylindrical symmetry can be energetically favorable, leading to stable
nanowires with elliptic cross sections. The sequence of stable cylindrical and
elliptical nanowires allows for a consistent interpretation of experimental
conductance histograms for alkali metals, including both the shell and
supershell structures. It is predicted that for gold, elliptical nanowires are
even more likely to form since their eccentricity is smaller than for alkali
metals. The existence of certain metastable ``superdeformed'' nanowires is also
predicted
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