Entanglement, quantum phase transition and scaling in XXZ chain

Motivated by recent development in quantum entanglement, we study relations among concurrence $C$, SU$_q$(2) algebra, quantum phase transition and correlation length at the zero temperature for the XXZ chain. We find that at the SU(2) point, the ground state possess the maximum concurrence. When the anisotropic parameter $\Delta$ is deformed, however, its value decreases. Its dependence on $\Delta$ scales as $C=C_0-C_1(\Delta-1)^2$ in the XY metallic phase and near the critical point (i.e. $1<\Delta<1.3$) of the Ising-like insulating phase. We also study the dependence of $C$ on the correlation length $\xi$, and show that it satisfies $C=C_0-1/2\xi$ near the critical point. For different size of the system, we show that there exists a universal scaling function of $C$ with respect to the correlation length $\xi$.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. to appear in Phys. Rev.

Site-Selective Passivation of Defects in NiO Solar Photocathodes by Targeted Atomic Deposition

For nanomaterials, surface chemistry can dictate fundamental material properties, including charge-carrier lifetimes, doping levels, and electrical mobilities. In devices, surface defects are usually the key limiting factor for performance, particularly in solar-energy applications. Here, we develop a strategy to uniformly and selectively passivate defect sites in semiconductor nanomaterials using a vapor-phase process termed targeted atomic deposition (TAD). Because defects often consist of atomic vacancies and dangling bonds with heightened reactivity, we observe-for the widely used p-type cathode nickel oxide-that a volatile precursor such as trimethylaluminum can undergo a kinetically limited selective reaction with these sites. The TAD process eliminates all measurable defects in NiO, leading to a nearly 3-fold improvement in the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells. Our results suggest that TAD could be implemented with a range of vapor-phase precursors and be developed into a general strategy to passivate defects in zero-, one-, and two-dimensional nanomaterials

Multifunctional Magnetic-fluorescent Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications

Nanotechnology is a fast-growing area, involving the fabrication and use of nano-sized materials and devices. Various nanocomposite materials play a number of important roles in modern science and technology. Magnetic and fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles are of particular importance due to their broad range of potential applications. It is expected that the combination of magnetic and fluorescent properties in one nanocomposite would enable the engineering of unique multifunctional nanoscale devices, which could be manipulated using external magnetic fields. The aim of this review is to present an overview of bimodal “two-in-one” magnetic-fluorescent nanocomposite materials which combine both magnetic and fluorescent properties in one entity, in particular those with potential applications in biotechnology and nanomedicine. There is a great necessity for the development of these multifunctional nanocomposites, but there are some difficulties and challenges to overcome in their fabrication such as quenching of the fluorescent entity by the magnetic core. Fluorescent-magnetic nanocomposites include a variety of materials including silica-based, dye-functionalised magnetic nanoparticles and quantum dots-magnetic nanoparticle composites. The classification and main synthesis strategies, along with approaches for the fabrication of fluorescent-magnetic nanocomposites, are considered. The current and potential biomedical uses, including biological imaging, cell tracking, magnetic bioseparation, nanomedicine and bio- and chemo-sensoring, of magnetic-fluorescent nanocomposites are also discussed

Tissue specific mutagenic and carcinogenic responses in NER defective mouse models.

Several mouse models with defects in genes encoding components of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway have been developed. In NER two different sub-pathways are known, i.e. transcription-coupled repair (TC-NER) and global-genome repair (GG-NER). A defect in one particular NER protein can lead to a (partial) defect in GG-NER, TC-NER or both. GG-NER defects in mice predispose to cancer, both spontaneous as well as UV-induced. As such these models (Xpa, Xpc and Xpe) recapitulate the human xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) syndrome. Defects in TC-NER in humans are associated with Cockayne syndrome (CS), a disease not linked to tumor development. Mice with TC-NER defects (Csa and Csb) are - except for the skin - not susceptible to develop (carcinogen-induced) tumors. Some NER factors, i.e. XPB, XPD, XPF, XPG and ERCC1 have functions outside NER, like transcription initiation and inter-strand crosslink repair. Deficiencies in these processes in mice lead to very severe phenotypes, like trichothiodystrophy (TTD) or a combination of XP and CS. In most cases these animals have a (very) short life span, display segmental progeria, but do not develop tumors. Here we will overview the available NER-related mouse models and will discuss their phenotypes in terms of (chemical-induced) tissue-specific tumor development, mutagenesis and premature aging features

Galaxy Clusters Associated with Short GRBs. II. Predictions for the Rate of Short GRBs in Field and Cluster Early-Type Galaxies

We determine the relative rates of short GRBs in cluster and field early-type galaxies as a function of the age probability distribution of their progenitors, P(\tau) \propto \tau^n. This analysis takes advantage of the difference in the growth of stellar mass in clusters and in the field, which arises from the combined effects of the galaxy stellar mass function, the early-type fraction, and the dependence of star formation history on mass and environment. This approach complements the use of the early- to late-type host galaxy ratio, with the added benefit that the star formation histories of early-type galaxies are simpler than those of late-type galaxies, and any systematic differences between progenitors in early- and late-type galaxies are removed. We find that the ratio varies from R(cluster)/R(field) ~ 0.5 for n = -2 to ~ 3 for n = 2. Current observations indicate a ratio of about 2, corresponding to n ~ 0 - 1. This is similar to the value inferred from the ratio of short GRBs in early- and late-type hosts, but it differs from the value of n ~ -1 for NS binaries in the Milky Way. We stress that this general approach can be easily modified with improved knowledge of the effects of environment and mass on the build-up of stellar mass, as well as the effect of globular clusters on the short GRB rate. It can also be used to assess the age distribution of Type Ia supernova progenitors.Comment: ApJ accepted versio

Search for leptophobic Z ' bosons decaying into four-lepton final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for black holes and other new phenomena in high-multiplicity final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Measurements of differential production cross sections for a Z boson in association with jets in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for high-mass diphoton resonances in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV and combination with 8 TeV search

Peer reviewe