56 research outputs found
Experimental Observation of Strong Exciton Effects in Graphene Nanoribbons
Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with atomically precise width and edge structures
are a promising class of nanomaterials for optoelectronics, thanks to their
semiconducting nature and high mobility of charge carriers. Understanding the
fundamental static optical properties and ultrafast dynamics of charge carrier
generation in GNRs is essential for optoelectronic applications. Combining THz
spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, we report a strong exciton effect
with binding energy up to 700 meV in liquid-phase-dispersed GNRs with a width
of 1.7 nm and an optical bandgap of 1.6 eV, illustrating the intrinsically
strong Coulomb interactions between photogenerated electrons and holes. By
tracking the exciton dynamics, we reveal an ultrafast formation of excitons in
GNRs with a long lifetime over 100 ps. Our results not only reveal fundamental
aspects of excitons in GNRs (gigantic binding energy and ultrafast exciton
formation etc.), but also highlight promising properties of GNRs for
optoelectronic devices.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figures, 5 pages Supplementary Informatio
Small-Angle Excess Scattering: Glassy Freezing or Local Orientational Ordering?
We present Monte Carlo simulations of a dense polymer melt which shows
glass-transition-like slowing-down upon cooling, as well as a build up of
nematic order. At small wave vectors q this model system shows excess
scattering similar to that recently reported for light-scattering experiments
on some polymeric and molecular glass-forming liquids. For our model system we
can provide clear evidence that this excess scattering is due to the onset of
short-range nematic order and not directly related to the glass transition.Comment: 3 Pages of Latex + 4 Figure
Interface localisation-delocalisation transition in a symmetric polymer blend: a finite-size scaling Monte Carlo study
Using extensive Monte Carlo simulations we study the phase diagram of a
symmetric binary (AB) polymer blend confined into a thin film as a function of
the film thickness D. The monomer-wall interactions are short ranged and
antisymmetric, i.e, the left wall attracts the A-component of the mixture with
the same strength as the right wall the B-component, and give rise to a first
order wetting transition in a semi-infinite geometry. The phase diagram and the
crossover between different critical behaviors is explored. For large film
thicknesses we find a first order interface localisation/delocalisation
transition and the phase diagram comprises two critical points, which are the
finite film width analogies of the prewetting critical point. Using finite size
scaling techniques we locate these critical points and present evidence of 2D
Ising critical behavior. When we reduce the film width the two critical points
approach the symmetry axis of the phase diagram and for we encounter a tricritical point. For even smaller film thickness the
interface localisation/delocalisation transition is second order and we find a
single critical point at .
Measuring the probability distribution of the interface position we determine
the effective interaction between the wall and the interface. This effective
interface potential depends on the lateral system size even away from the
critical points. Its system size dependence stems from the large but finite
correlation length of capillary waves. This finding gives direct evidence for a
renormalization of the interface potential by capillary waves in the framework
of a microscopic model.Comment: Phys.Rev.
Path integral for half-binding potentials as quantum mechanical analog for black hole partition functions
The semi-classical approximation to black hole partition functions is not
well-defined, because the classical action is unbounded and the first variation
of the uncorrected action does not vanish for all variations preserving the
boundary conditions. Both problems can be solved by adding a Hamilton-Jacobi
counterterm. I show that the same problem and solution arises in quantum
mechanics for half-binding potentials.Comment: 6 pages, proceedings contribution to "Path integrals - New Trends and
Perspectives", Dresden, September 200
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