126 research outputs found
Valley Polarization in Si(100) at Zero Magnetic Field
The valley splitting, which lifts the degeneracy of the lowest two valley
states in a SiO/(100)Si/SiO quantum well is examined through transport
measurements. We demonstrate that the valley splitting can be observed directly
as a step in the conductance defining a boundary between valley-unpolarized and
polarized regions. This persists to well above liquid helium temperature and
shows no dependence on magnetic field, indicating that single-particle valley
splitting and valley-polarization exist in (100) silicon even at zero magnetic
field.Comment: Accpeted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Global optical potential for nucleus-nucleus systems from 50 MeV/u to 400 MeV/u
We present a new global optical potential (GOP) for nucleus-nucleus systems,
including neutron-rich and proton-rich isotopes, in the energy range of MeV/u. The GOP is derived from the microscopic folding model with the
complex -matrix interaction CEG07 and the global density presented by S{\~
a}o Paulo group. The folding model well accounts for realistic complex optical
potentials of nucleus-nucleus systems and reproduces the existing elastic
scattering data for stable heavy-ion projectiles at incident energies above 50
MeV/u. We then calculate the folding-model potentials (FMPs) for projectiles of
even-even isotopes, C, O, Ne, Mg,
Si, S, Ar, and Ca, scattered by stable
target nuclei of C, O, Si, Ca Ni, Zr,
Sn, and Pb at the incident energy of 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 120,
140, 160, 180, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 MeV/u. The calculated FMP is
represented, with a sufficient accuracy, by a linear combination of 10-range
Gaussian functions. The expansion coefficients depend on the incident energy,
the projectile and target mass numbers and the projectile atomic number, while
the range parameters are taken to depend only on the projectile and target mass
numbers. The adequate mass region of the present GOP by the global density is
inspected in comparison with FMP by realistic density. The full set of the
range parameters and the coefficients for all the projectile-target
combinations at each incident energy are provided on a permanent open-access
website together with a Fortran program for calculating the microscopic-basis
GOP (MGOP) for a desired projectile nucleus by the spline interpolation over
the incident energy and the target mass number.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figure
Pauli-Spin-Blockade Transport through a Silicon Double Quantum Dot
We present measurements of resonant tunneling through discrete energy levels
of a silicon double quantum dot formed in a thin silicon-on-insulator layer. In
the absence of piezoelectric phonon coupling, spontaneous phonon emission with
deformation-potential coupling accounts for inelastic tunneling through the
ground states of the two dots. Such transport measurements enable us to observe
a Pauli spin blockade due to effective two-electron spin-triplet correlations,
evident in a distinct bias-polarity dependence of resonant tunneling through
the ground states. The blockade is lifted by the excited-state resonance by
virtue of efficient phonon emission between the ground states. Our experiment
demonstrates considerable potential for investigating silicon-based spin
dynamics and spin-based quantum information processing.Comment: 10 pages,3 figure
Spin splitting of upper electron subbands in a SiO2/Si(100)/SiO2 quantum well with in-plane magnetic field
Valley polarization assisted spin polarization in two dimensions
International audienceValleytronics is rapidly emerging as an exciting area of basic and applied research. In two dimensional systems, valley polarisation can dramatically modify physical properties through electron-electron interactions as demonstrated by such phenomena as the fractional quantum Hall effect and the metal-insulator transition. Here, we address the electrons' spin alignment in a magnetic field in silicon-on-insulator quantum wells under valley polarisation. In stark contrast to expectations from a non-interacting model, we show experimentally that less magnetic field can be required to fully spin polarise a valley-polarised system than a valley-degenerate one. Furthermore, we show that these observations are quantitatively described by parameter free ab initio quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We interpret the results as a manifestation of the greater stability of the spin and valley degenerate system against ferromagnetic instability and Wigner crystalisation which in turn suggests the existence of a new strongly correlated electron liquid at low electron densities
Enhanced collectivity in 74Ni
The neutron-rich nucleus 74Ni was studied with inverse-kinematics inelastic
proton scattering using a 74Ni radioactive beam incident on a liquid hydrogen
targetat a center-of-mass energy of 80 MeV. From the measured de-excitation
gamma-rays, the population of the first 2+ state was quantified. The
angle-integrated excitation cross section was determined to be 14(4) mb. A
deformation length of delta = 1.04(16) fm was extracted in comparison with
distorted wave theory, which suggests that the enhancement of collectivity
established for 70Ni continues up to 74Ni. A comparison with results of shell
model and quasi-particle random phase approximation calculations indicates that
the magic character of Z = 28 or N = 50 is weakened in 74Ni
Metal-Insulator oscillations in a Two-dimensional Electron-Hole system
The electrical transport properties of a bipolar InAs/GaSb system have been
studied in magnetic field. The resistivity oscillates between insulating and
metallic behaviour while the quantum Hall effect shows a digital character
oscillating from 0 to 1 conducatance quantum e^2/h. The insulating behaviour is
attributed to the formation of a total energy gap in the system. A novel looped
edge state picture is proposed associated with the appearance of a voltage
between Hall probes which is symmetric on magnetic field reversal.Comment: 4 pages, 5 Postscript figures: revised versio
Field-induced polarisation of Dirac valleys in bismuth
Electrons are offered a valley degree of freedom in presence of particular
lattice structures. Manipulating valley degeneracy is the subject matter of an
emerging field of investigation, mostly focused on charge transport in
graphene. In bulk bismuth, electrons are known to present a threefold valley
degeneracy and a Dirac dispersion in each valley. Here we show that because of
their huge in-plane mass anisotropy, a flow of Dirac electrons along the
trigonal axis is extremely sensitive to the orientation of in-plane magnetic
field. Thus, a rotatable magnetic field can be used as a valley valve to tune
the contribution of each valley to the total conductivity. According to our
measurements, charge conductivity by carriers of a single valley can exceed
four-fifth of the total conductivity in a wide range of temperature and
magnetic field. At high temperature and low magnetic field, the three valleys
are interchangeable and the three-fold symmetry of the underlying lattice is
respected. As the temperature lowers and/or the magnetic field increases, this
symmetry is spontaneously lost. The latter may be an experimental manifestation
of the recently proposed valley-nematic Fermi liquid state.Comment: 14 pages + 5 pages of supplementary information; a slightly modified
version will appear as an article in Nature physic
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