Gap solitons in superfluid boson-fermion mixtures

Using coupled equations for the bosonic and fermionic order parameters, we construct families of gap solitons (GSs) in a nearly one-dimensional Bose-Fermi mixture trapped in a periodic optical-lattice (OL) potential, the boson and fermion components being in the states of the BEC and BCS superfluid, respectively. Fundamental GSs are compact states trapped, essentially, in a single cell of the lattice. Full families of such solutions are constructed in the first two bandgaps of the OL-induced spectrum, by means of variational and numerical methods, which are found to be in good agreement. The families include both intra-gap and inter-gap solitons, with the chemical potentials of the boson and fermion components falling in the same or different bandgaps, respectively.Nonfundamental states, extended over several lattice cells, are constructed too. The GSs are stable against strong perturbations.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figure

Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions on a ring

Considering an effectively attractive quasi-one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms confined in a toroidal trap, we find that the system undergoes a phase transition from a uniform to a localized state, as the magnitude of the coupling constant increases. Both the mean-field approximation, as well as a diagonalization scheme are used to attack the problem.Comment: 4 pages, 4 ps figures, RevTex, typographic errors correcte

Conversion of an Atomic Fermi Gas to a Long-Lived Molecular Bose Gas

We have converted an ultracold Fermi gas of $^6$Li atoms into an ultracold gas of $^6$Li$_2$ molecules by adiabatic passage through a Feshbach resonance. Approximately $1.5 \times 10^5$ molecules in the least-bound, $v = 38$, vibrational level of the X$^1 \Sigma ^+_g$ singlet state are produced with an efficiency of 50%. The molecules remain confined in an optical trap for times of up to 1 s before we dissociate them by a reverse adiabatic sweep.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Letter

Effectively attractive Bose-Einstein condensates in a rotating toroidal trap

We examine an effectively attractive quasi-one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms confined in a rotating toroidal trap, as the magnitude of the coupling constant and the rotational frequency are varied. Using both a variational mean-field approach, as well as a diagonalization technique, we identify the phase diagram between a uniform and a localized state and we describe the system in the two phases.Comment: 4 pages, 4 ps figures, RevTe

Non-yrast nuclear spectra in a model of coherent quadrupole-octupole motion

A model assuming coherent quadrupole-octupole vibrations and rotations is applied to describe non-yrast energy sequences with alternating parity in several even-even nuclei from different regions, namely $^{152,154}$Sm, $^{154,156,158}$Gd, $^{236}$U and $^{100}$Mo. Within the model scheme the yrast alternating-parity band is composed by the members of the ground-state band and the lowest negative-parity levels with odd angular momenta. The non-yrast alternating-parity sequences unite levels of $\beta$-bands with higher negative-parity levels. The model description reproduces the structure of the considered alternating-parity spectra together with the observed B(E1), B(E2) and B(E3) transition probabilities within and between the different level-sequences. B(E1) and B(E3) reduced probabilities for transitions connecting states with opposite parity in the non-yrast alternating-parity bands are predicted. The implemented study outlines the limits of the considered band-coupling scheme and provides estimations about the collective energy potential which governs the quadrupole-octupole properties of the considered nuclei.Comment: 38 pages, 9 figure

Suppression of the ferromagnetic state in LaCoO3 films by rhombohedral distortion

Epitaxially strained LaCoO3 (LCO) thin films were grown with different film thickness, t, on (001) oriented (LaAlO3)0.3(SrAl0.5Ta0.5O3)0.7 (LSAT) substrates. After initial pseudomorphic growth the films start to relieve their strain partly by the formation of periodic nano-twins with twin planes predominantly along the direction. Nano-twinning occurs already at the initial stage of growth, albeit in a more moderate way. Pseudomorphic grains, on the other hand, still grow up to a thickness of at least several tenths of nanometers. The twinning is attributed to the symmetry lowering of the epitaxially strained pseudo-tetragonal structure towards the relaxed rhombohedral structure of bulk LCO. However, the unit-cell volume of the pseudo-tetragonal structure is found to be nearly constant over a very large range of t. Only films with t > 130 nm show a significant relaxation of the lattice parameters towards values comparable to those of bulk LCO.Comment: 31 pages, 10 figure

GENIUS-TF: a test facility for the GENIUS project

GENIUS is a proposal for a large scale detector of rare events. As a first step of the experiment, a small test version, the GENIUS test facility, will be build up at the Laboratorio Nazionale del Gran Sasso (LNGS). With about 40 kg of natural Ge detectors operated in liquid nitrogen, GENIUS-TF could exclude (or directly confirm) the DAMA annual modulation signature within about two years of measurement.Comment: 14 pages, latex, 5 figures, 3 tables; submitted to Astroparticle Physic

Effects of Plant Diversity, Functional Group Composition, and Fertilization on Soil Microbial Properties in Experimental Grassland

Background: Loss of biodiversity and increased nutrient inputs are two of the most crucial anthropogenic factors driving ecosystem change. Although both received considerable attention in previous studies, information on their interactive effects on ecosystem functioning is scarce. In particular, little is known on how soil biota and their functions are affected by combined changes in plant diversity and fertilization. Methodology/principal findings: We investigated the effects of plant diversity, functional community composition, and fertilization on the biomass and respiration of soil microbial communities in a long-term biodiversity experiment in semi-natural grassland (Jena Experiment). Plant species richness enhanced microbial basal respiration and microbial biomass, but did not significantly affect microbial specific respiration. In contrast, the presence of legumes and fertilization significantly decreased microbial specific respiration, without altering microbial biomass. The effect of legumes was superimposed by fertilization as indicated by a significant interaction between the presence of legumes and fertilization. Further, changes in microbial stoichiometry (C-to-N ratio) and specific respiration suggest the presence of legumes to reduce N limitation of soil microorganisms and to modify microbial C use efficiency. Conclusions/significance: Our study highlights the role of plant species and functional group diversity as well as interactions between plant community composition and fertilizer application for soil microbial functions. Our results suggest soil microbial stoichiometry to be a powerful indicator of microbial functioning under N limited conditions. Although our results support the notion that plant diversity and fertilizer application independently affect microbial functioning, legume effects on microbial N limitation were superimposed by fertilization, indicating significant interactions between the functional composition of plant communities and nutrient inputs for soil processes

Dynamical formation and interaction of bright solitary waves and solitons in the collapse of Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions

We model the dynamics of formation of multiple, long-lived, bright solitary waves in the collapse of Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions as studied in the experiment of Cornish et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 170401]. Using both mean-field and quantum field simulation techniques, we find that while a number of separated wave packets form as observed in the experiment, they do not have a repulsive \pi phase difference that has been previously inferred. We observe that the inclusion of quantum fluctuations causes soliton dynamics to be predominantly repulsive in one dimensional simulations independent of their initial relative phase. However, indicative three-dimensional simulations do not support this conclusion and in fact show that quantum noise has a negative impact on bright solitary wave lifetimes. Finally, we show that condensate oscillations, after the collapse, may serve to deduce three-body recombination rates, and that the remnant atom number may still exceed the critical number for collapse for as long as three seconds independent of the relative phases of the bright solitary waves.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure