Memristive switching of MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions

Here we demonstrate that both, tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) and resistive switching (RS), can be observed simultaneously in nano-scale magnetic tunnel junctions. The devices show bipolar RS of 6 % and TMR ratios of about 100 %. For each magnetic state, multiple resistive sates are created depending on the bias history which provides a method for multi-bit data storage and logic. The electronic transport measurements are discussed in the framework of a memristive system. Differently prepared MgO barriers are compared to gain insight into the switching mechanism

Phase transition from hadronic matter to quark matter

We study the phase transition from nuclear matter to quark matter within the SU(3) quark mean field model and NJL model. The SU(3) quark mean field model is used to give the equation of state for nuclear matter, while the equation of state for color superconducting quark matter is calculated within the NJL model. It is found that at low temperature, the phase transition from nuclear to color superconducting quark matter will take place when the density is of order 2.5$\rho_0$ - 5$\rho_0$. At zero density, the quark phase will appear when the temperature is larger than about 148 MeV. The phase transition from nuclear matter to quark matter is always first order, whereas the transition between color superconducting quark matter and normal quark matter is second order.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure

Virtual Compton Scattering from the Proton and the Properties of Nucleon Excited States

We calculate the $N^*$ contributions to the generalized polarizabilities of the proton in virtual Compton scattering. The following nucleon excitations are included: $N^*(1535)$, $N^*(1650)$, $N^*(1520)$, $N^*(1700)$, $\Delta(1232)$, $\Delta^*(1620)$ and $\Delta^*(1700)$. The relationship between nucleon structure parameters, $N^*$ properties and the generalized polarizabilities of the proton is illustrated.Comment: 13 pages of text (Latex) plus 4 figures (as uuencoded Z-compressed .tar file created by csh script uufiles

Liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear matter including strangeness

We apply the chiral SU(3) quark mean field model to study the properties of strange hadronic matter at finite temperature. The liquid-gas phase transition is studied as a function of the strangeness fraction. The pressure of the system cannot remain constant during the phase transition, since there are two independent conserved charges (baryon and strangeness number). In a range of temperatures around 15 MeV (precise values depending on the model used) the equation of state exhibits multiple bifurcates. The difference in the strangeness fraction $f_s$ between the liquid and gas phases is small when they coexist. The critical temperature of strange matter turns out to be a non-trivial function of the strangeness fraction.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Anomalous Hall effect in the Co-based Heusler compounds Co2_{2}FeSi and Co2_{2}FeAl

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in the Heusler compounds Co$_{2}$FeSi and Co$_{2}$FeAl is studied in dependence of the annealing temperature to achieve a general comprehension of its origin. We have demonstrated that the crystal quality affected by annealing processes is a significant control parameter to tune the electrical resistivity $\rho_{xx}$ as well as the anomalous Hall resistivity $\rho_{ahe}$. Analyzing the scaling behavior of $\rho_{ahe}$ in terms of $\rho_{xx}$ points to a temperature-dependent skew scattering as the dominant mechanism in both Heusler compounds

Finite Nuclei in the Quark-Meson Coupling (QMC) Model

We report the first use of the effective QMC energy density functional (EDF), derived from a quark model of hadron structure, to study a broad range of ground state properties of even-even nuclei across the periodic table in the non-relativistic Hartree-Fock+BCS framework. The novelty of the QMC model is that the nuclear medium effects are treated through modification of the internal structure of the nucleon. The density dependence is microscopically derived and the spin-orbit term arises naturally. The QMC EDF depends on a single set of four adjustable parameters having clear physical basis. When applied to diverse ground state data the QMC EDF already produces, in its present simple form, overall agreement with experiment of a quality comparable to a representative Skyrme EDF. There exist however multiple Skyrme paramater sets, frequently tailored to describe selected nuclear phenomena. The QMC EDF set of fewer parameters, as derived in this work, is not open to such variation, chosen set being applied, without adjustment, to both the properties of finite nuclei and nuclear matter.Comment: 9 pages, 1 table, 4 figures; in print in Phys. Rev. Letters. A minor change in the abstract, a few typos corrected and some small technical adjustments made to comply with the journal regulation

The effect of non-linear quantum electrodynamics on relativistic transparency and laser absorption in ultra-relativistic plasmas

With the aid of large-scale three-dimensional QED-PIC simulations, we describe a realistic experimental configuration to measure collective effects that couple strong field quantum electrodynamics to plasma kinetics. For two counter propagating lasers interacting with a foil at intensities exceeding $10^{22}$ Wcm$^{-2}$, a binary result occurs; when quantum effects are included, a foil that classically would effectively transmit the laser pulse becomes opaque. This is a dramatic change in plasma behavior, directly as a consequence of the coupling of radiation reaction and pair production to plasma dynamics

Human fur gene encodes a yeast KEX2-like endoprotease that cleaves pro-beta-NGF in vivo.

Extracts from BSC-40 cells infected with vaccinia recombinants expressing either the yeast KEX2 prohormone endoprotease or a human structural homologue (fur gene product) contained an elevated level of a membrane-associated endoproteolytic activity that could cleave at pairs of basic amino acids (-LysArg- and -ArgArg-). The fur-directed activity (furin) shared many properties with Kex2p including activity at pH 7.3 and a requirement for calcium. By using antifurin antibodies, immunoblot analysis detected two furin translation products (90 and 96 kD), while immunofluorescence indicated localization to the Golgi apparatus. Coexpression of either Kex2p or furin with the mouse beta-nerve growth factor precursor (pro-beta-NGF) resulted in greatly enhanced conversion of the precursor to mature nerve growth factor. Thus, the sequence homology shared by furin and the yeast KEX2 prohormone processing enzyme is reflected by significant functional homology both in vitro and in vivo