1,218 research outputs found
Josephson current in unconventional superconductors through an Anderson impurity
Josephson current for a system consisting of an Anderson impurity weakly
coupled to two unconventional superconductors is studied and shown to be driven
by a surface zero energy (mid-gap) bound-state. The repulsive Coulomb
interaction in the dot can turn a junction into a 0-junction. This effect
is more pronounced in p-wave superconductors while in high-temperature
superconductors with symmetry it can exit for rather large
artificial centers at which tunneling occurs within a finite region.Comment: 4 pages 3.eps figure
Self-consistent Overhauser model for the pair distribution function of an electron gas at finite temperature
We present calculations of the spin-averaged pair distribution function
in a homogeneous gas of electrons moving in dimensionality D=3 or D=2 at
finite temperature. The model involves the solution of a two-electron
scattering problem via an effective potential which embodies many-body effects
through a self-consistent Hartree approximation, leading to two-body wave
functions to be averaged over a temperature-dependent distribution of relative
momentum for electron pairs. We report illustrative numerical results for
in an intermediate-coupling regime and interpret them in terms of
changes of short-range order with increasing temperature.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Solid State Communication
Disappearance of Ensemble-Averaged Josephson Current in Dirty SNS Junctions of d-wave Superconductors
We discuss the Josephson current in superconductor / dirty normal conductor /
superconductor junctions, where the superconductors have pairing
symmetry. The low-temperature behavior of the Josephson current depends on the
orientation angle between the crystalline axis and the normal of the junction
interface. We show that the ensemble-averaged Josephson current vanishes when
the orientation angle is and the normal conductor is in the diffusive
transport regime. The -wave pairing symmetry is responsible for
this fact.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Interface effects on the shot noise in normal metal- d-wave superconductor Junctions
The current fluctuation in normal metal / d-wave superconductor junctions are
studied for various orientation of the crystal by taking account of the spatial
variation of the pair potentials. Not only the zero-energy Andreev bound states
(ZES) but also the non-zero energy Andreev bound states influence on the
properties of differential shot noise. At the tunneling limit, the noise power
to current ratio at zero voltage becomes 0, once the ZES are formed at the
interface. Under the presence of a subdominant s-wave component at the
interface which breaks time-reversal symmetry, the ratio becomes 4eComment: 13 pages, 3 figure
DC Josephson Effect in SNS Junctions of Anisotropic Superconductors
A formula for the Josephson current between two superconductors with
anisotropic pairing symmetries is derived based on the mean-field theory of
superconductivity. Zero-energy states formed at the junction interfaces is one
of basic phenomena in anisotropic superconductor junctions. In the obtained
formula, effects of the zero-energy states on the Josephson current are taken
into account through the Andreev reflection coefficients of a quasiparticle. In
low temperature regimes, the formula can describe an anomaly in the Josephson
current which is a direct consequence of the exsitence of zero-energy states.
It is possible to apply the formula to junctions consist of superconductors
with spin-singlet Cooper pairs and those with spin-triplet Cooper pairs
Shot noise in normal metal-d-wave superconducting junctions
We present theoretical calculations and predictions for the shot noise in
voltage biased junctions of superconductors and normal metal
counter-electrodes. In the clean limit for the d-wave superconductor the shot
noise vanishes at zero voltage because of resonant Andreev reflection by
zero-energy surface bound states. We examine the sensitivity of this resonance
to impurity scattering. We report theoretical results for the magnetic field
dependence of the shot noise, as well the fingerprints of subdominant - and
pairing channels.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures and 3 tables embedde
A Simple Model of Liquid-liquid Phase Transitions
In recent years, a second fluid-fluid phase transition has been reported in
several materials at pressures far above the usual liquid-gas phase transition.
In this paper, we introduce a new model of this behavior based on the
Lennard-Jones interaction with a modification to mimic the different kinds of
short-range orientational order in complex materials. We have done Monte Carlo
studies of this model that clearly demonstrate the existence of a second
first-order fluid-fluid phase transition between high- and low-density liquid
phases
Neuromuscular synaptic transmission in aged ganglioside-deficient mice
Gangliosides are sialylated glycosphingolipids that are present in high density on neuronal membranes, especially at synapses, where they are assumed to play functional or modulating roles. Mice lacking GM2/GD2-synthase express only the simple gangliosides GD3 and GM3 and develop progressive motor behaviour deficits upon ageing, apparently due to failing complex ganglioside-dependent maintenance and/or repair processes or, alternatively, toxic GM3/GD3 accumulation. We investigated the function of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of aged (>9 month-old) GM2/GD2-synthase null-mutant mice, because synaptic dysfunction might develop with age and could potentially contribute to the late-onset motor phenotype. In addition, we studied NMJs of old mice lacking GD3-synthase (expressing only O- and a-series gangliosides), which do not show an overt neurological phenotype but may develop subclinical synaptic deficits. Detailed electrophysiological analyses showed subtle changes in presynaptic neurotransmitter release. Acetylcholine release at 40 Hz nerve stimulation at aged GM2/GD2-synthase null-mutant NMJs ran down slightly more pronounced than at wild-type NMJs, and spontaneous acetylcholine release rate at GD3-synthase null-mutant NMJs was somewhat higher than at wild-type, selectively at 25 degrees C bath temperature. Interestingly, we observed faster kinetics of postsynaptic electrophysiological responses at aged GD3-synthase null-mutant NMJs, not previously seen by us at NMJs of young GD3-synthase null-mutants or other types of (aged or young) ganglioside-deficient mice. These kinetic changes might reflect a change in postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor behaviour. Our data indicate that it is highly unlikely that transmission failure at NMJs contributes to the progressive motor defects of aged GM2/GD2-synthase null-mutants and that, despite some kinetic changes of synaptic signals, neuromuscular transmission remains successful in aged GD3-synthase null-mutant mice. Apparently, mutual redundancy of the different gangliosides in supporting presynaptic function, as observed previously by us in young mice, remains adequate upon ageing or, alternatively, gangliosides have only relatively little direct impact on neuromuscular synaptic function, even in aged mice. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserve
Expression of interferon-γ, interferon-α and related genes in individuals with Down syndrome and periodontitis
AbstractBackgroundRecently, attenuation of anti-inflammatory and increase of pro-inflammatory mediators was demonstrated in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) in comparison with euploid patients during periodontal disease (PD), suggesting a shift to a more aggressive inflammation in DS.AimTo determine the influence of DS in the modulation of interferons (IFNs) signaling pathway in PD.Materials and methodsClinical periodontal assessment was performed and gingival tissue samples obtained from a total of 51 subjects, including 19 DS individuals with PD, 20 euploid individuals with PD and 12 euploid individuals without PD. Expression levels of interferon-gamma (IFNG) and interferon-alpha (IFNA), and their receptors IFNGR1, IFNGR2, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2, the signaling intermediates Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) were determined using real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).ResultsClinical signs of periodontal disease were markedly more severe in DS and euploid patients with PD in comparison to euploid and periodontally healthy patients. There was no difference on mRNA levels of IFNA, IFNG, INFGR2, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2 between DS and euploid individuals, even though some of these genes are located on chromosome 21. STAT1 and IRF1 mRNA levels were significantly lower in DS patients in comparison with euploid individuals with PD. In euploid individuals, PD was associated with an increased expression of IFNGR1, IFNGR2, IFNAR1, STAT1 and IRF1.ConclusionsReduced expression of STAT1 and IRF1 genes indicate an impaired activation of IFNs signaling in individuals with DS and PD. Expression of IFNA, IFNG and IFN receptors was not altered in DS patients, indicating that indirect mechanisms are involved in the reduced activation of IFN signaling
Random Exchange Quantum Heisenberg Chains
The one-dimensional quantum Heisenberg model with random bonds is
studied for and . The specific heat and the zero-field
susceptibility are calculated by using high-temperature series expansions and
quantum transfer matrix method. The susceptibility shows a Curie-like
temperature dependence at low temperatures as well as at high temperatures. The
numerical results for the specific heat suggest that there are anomalously many
low-lying excitations. The qualitative nature of these excitations is discussed
based on the exact diagonalization of finite size systems.Comment: 13 pages, RevTex, 12 figures available on request ([email protected]
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