314 research outputs found
Quantum wire networks with local Z2 symmetry
For a large class of networks made of connected loops, in the presence of an
external magnetic field of half flux quantum per loop, we show the existence of
a large local symmetry group, generated by simultaneous flips of the electronic
current in all the loops adjacent to a given node. Using an ultra-localized
single particle basis adapted to this local Z_2 symmetry, we show that it is
preserved by a large class of interaction potentials. As a main physical
consequence, the only allowed tunneling processes in such networks are induced
by electron-electron interactions and involve a simultaneous hop of two
electrons. Using a mean-field picture and then a more systematic
renormalization-group treatment, we show that these pair hopping processes do
not generate a superconducting instability, but they destroy the Luttinger
liquid behavior in the links, giving rise at low energy to a strongly
correlated spin-density-wave state.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, v.2 section IV D added,accepted for publication
in PR
Study of disposable microdevices for DNA electrophoresis
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, September 2005.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. [77]-[79]).A study was undertaken to determine if a microfluidic chip, made of economical plastic materials, is feasible. The chip was designed to perform gel electrophoresis, specifically of DNA fragments for either sequencing or identification purposes. With a disposable version of such a chip, constraints on the gel type are relaxed and lifetime issues become nonexistent. Such a chip was created using polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) as the plastic material, with a cast molding process. The chip was subsequently sealed against a piece of PDMS, mounted on a glass slide for structural support. Fluidic and electrical interconnects were added to the chip. A polyacrylarnide solution was injected into the chip for use in DNA separations. The chip was then placed into an apparatus designed for laser induced fluorescence(LIF) detection. Several different samples were run on the chip, including polystyrene beads, organic dye molecules, and single tandem repeat (STR) allelic ladders. The chip demonstrated its electrophoretic efficiency, evincing a low, almost negligible amount of electroosmotic flow. The separation of the dye and DNA was accomplished with good fidelity, allowing for identification of the various substitutents of the loaded sample.(cont.) The PDMS chip, though demonstrably efficient at DNA separation, needs work before it can move out of the prototype phase. Substantial work on the fluidic interconnection, as well as the basic plastic formulation is needed to move this idea forward. However, the chip is sufficient for a clear proof of the principle of disposable chips use in electrophoretic separations.by Winston Timp.S.M
Study of cell-cell communication using 3D living cell microarrays
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2007.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-152).Cellular behavior is not dictated solely from within; it is also guided by a myriad of external cues. If cells are removed from their natural environment, apart from the microenvironment and social context they are accustomed to, it is difficult to study their behavior in any meaningful way. To that end, I describe a method for using optical trapping for positioning cells with submicron accuracy in three dimensions, then encapsulating them in hydrogel, in order to mimic the in vivo microenvironment. This process has been carefully optimized for cell viability, checking both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells for membrane integrity and metabolic activity. To demonstrate the utility of this system, I have looked at a model "quorum sensing" system in Vibrio Fischeri, which operates by the emission and detection of a small chemical signal, an acyl-homoserine lactone. Through synthetic biology, I have engineered plasmids which express "sending" and "receiving" genes. Bacteria containing these plasmids were formed into complex 3D patterns, designed to assay signaling response. The gene expression of the bacteria was tracked over time using fluorescent proteins as reporters. A model for this system was composed using a finite element method to simulate signal transport through the hydrogel, and simple mass-action kinetic equations to simulate the resulting protein expression over time.by Winston Timp.Ph.D
Regular networks of Luttinger liquids
We consider arrays of Luttinger liquids, where each node is described by a
unitary scattering matrix. In the limit of small electron-electron interaction,
we study the evolution of these scattering matrices as the high-energy single
particle states are gradually integrated out. Interestingly, we obtain the same
renormalization group equations as those derived by Lal, Rao, and Sen, for a
system composed of a single node coupled to several semi-infinite 1D wires. The
main difference between the single node geometry and a regular lattice is that
in the latter case, the single particle spectrum is organized into periodic
energy bands, so that the renormalization procedure has to stop when the last
totally occupied band has been eliminated. We therefore predict a strongly
renormalized Luttinger liquid behavior for generic filling factors, which
should exhibit power-law suppression of the conductivity at low temperatures
E_{F}/(k_{F}a) >
1. Some fully insulating ground-states are expected only for a discrete set of
integer filling factors for the electronic system. A detailed discussion of the
scattering matrix flow and its implication for the low energy band structure is
given on the example of a square lattice.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure
Theory of Incompressible States in a Narrow Channel
We report on the properties of a system of interacting electrons in a narrow
channel in the quantum Hall effect regime. It is shown that an increase in the
strength of the Coulomb interaction causes abrupt changes in the width of the
charge-density profile of translationally invariant states. We derive a phase
diagram which includes many of the stable odd-denominator states as well as a
novel fractional quantum Hall state at lowest half-filled Landau level. The
collective mode evaluated at the half-filled case is strikingly similar to that
for an odd-denominator fractional quantum Hall state.Comment: 4 pages, REVTEX, and 4 .ps file
Observation of Resonant Tunneling in Silicon Inversion Layers
Measurements of the temperature and carrier-density dependence of the strongly localized conductance of short silicon inversion layers are reported. At the lowest temperatures we observe well-isolated, large conductance peaks whose width and temperature dependence are only consistent with resonant tunneling and are inconsistent with Mott hopping. Several new features are observed which we believe may be the result of Coulomb interactions
Finite Size Analysis of Luttinger Liquids with a source of 2k_f Scattering
Numerical analysis of the spectrum of large finite size Luttinger liquids
(g<1) in the presence of a single source of 2k_f scattering has been made
possible thanks to an effective integration of high degrees of freedom.
Presence of irrelevant operators and their manifestation in transport are
issues treated independently. We confirm the existence of two irrelevant
operators: particle hopping and charge oscillations, with regions of dominance
separated by g=1/2. Temperature dependence of conductance is shown to be
dominated by hopping alone. Frequency dependence is affected by both irrelevant
operators.Comment: 4 pages, LaTex (RevTex), 3 PostScript figures appende
Disorder suppression and precise conductance quantization in constrictions of PbTe quantum wells
Conductance quantization was measured in submicron constrictions of PbTe,
patterned into narrow,12 nm wide quantum wells deposited between
PbEuTe barriers. Because the quantum confinement imposed by
the barriers is much stronger than the lateral one, the one-dimensional
electron energy level structure is very similar to that usually met in
constrictions of AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures. However, in contrast to any
other system studied so far, we observe precise conductance quantization in
units, {\it despite of significant amount of charged defects in the
vicinity of the constriction}. We show that such extraordinary results is a
consequence of the paraelectric properties of PbTe, namely, the suppression of
long-range tails of the Coulomb potentials due to the huge dielectric constant.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Stretching and unzipping nucleic acid hairpins using a synthetic nanopore
We have explored the electromechanical properties of DNA by using an electric field to force single hairpin molecules to translocate through a synthetic pore in a silicon nitride membrane. We observe a threshold voltage for translocation of the hairpin through the pore that depends sensitively on the diameter and the secondary structure of the DNA. The threshold for a diameter 1.5 < d < 2.3 nm is V > 1.5 V, which corresponds to the force required to stretch the stem of the hairpin, according to molecular dynamics simulations. On the other hand, for 1.0 < d < 1.5 nm, the threshold voltage collapses to V < 0.5 V because the stem unzips with a lower force than required for stretching. The data indicate that a synthetic nanopore can be used like a molecular gate to discriminate between the secondary structures in DNA
Observation of Quantum Asymmetry in an Aharonov-Bohm Ring
We have investigated the Aharonov-Bohm effect in a one-dimensional
GaAs/GaAlAs ring at low magnetic fields. The oscillatory magnetoconductance of
these systems are for the first time systematically studied as a function of
density. We observe phase-shifts of in the magnetoconductance
oscillations, and halving of the fundamental period, as the density is
varied. Theoretically we find agreement with the experiment, by introducing an
asymmetry between the two arms of the ring.Comment: 4 pages RevTex including 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
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