13,834 research outputs found
Thermoelectric efficiency at maximum power in a quantum dot
We identify the operational conditions for maximum power of a
nanothermoelectric engine consisting of a single quantum level embedded between
two leads at different temperatures and chemical potentials. The corresponding
thermodynamic efficiency agrees with the Curzon-Ahlborn expression up to
quadratic terms in the gradients, supporting the thesis of universality beyond
linear response.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Ultra narrow AuPd and Al wires
In this letter we discuss a novel and versatile template technique aimed to
the fabrication of sub-10 nm wide wires. Using this technique, we have
successfully measured AuPd wires, 12 nm wide and as long as 20 m. Even
materials that form a strong superficial oxide, and thus not suited to be used
in combination with other techniques, can be successfully employed. In
particular we have measured Al wires, with lateral width smaller or comparable
to 10 nm, and length exceeding 10 m.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Pubblished in APL 86, 172501 (2005). Added
erratum and revised Fig.
Structure and energetics of the Si-SiO_2 interface
Silicon has long been synonymous with semiconductor technology. This unique
role is due largely to the remarkable properties of the Si-SiO_2 interface,
especially the (001)-oriented interface used in most devices. Although Si is
crystalline and the oxide is amorphous, the interface is essentially perfect,
with an extremely low density of dangling bonds or other electrically active
defects. With the continual decrease of device size, the nanoscale structure of
the silicon/oxide interface becomes more and more important. Yet despite its
essential role, the atomic structure of this interface is still unclear. Using
a novel Monte Carlo approach, we identify low-energy structures for the
interface. The optimal structure found consists of Si-O-Si "bridges" ordered in
a stripe pattern, with very low energy. This structure explains several
puzzling experimental observations.Comment: LaTex file with 4 figures in GIF forma
Finite Size Scaling of Domain Chaos
Numerical studies of the domain chaos state in a model of rotating
Rayleigh-Benard convection suggest that finite size effects may account for the
discrepancy between experimentally measured values of the correlation length
and the predicted divergence near onset
The interaction between stray electrostatic fields and a charged free-falling test mass
We present an experimental analysis of force noise caused by stray
electrostatic fields acting on a charged test mass inside a conducting
enclosure, a key problem for precise gravitational experiments. Measurement of
the average field that couples to test mass charge, and its fluctuations, is
performed with two independent torsion pendulum techniques, including direct
measurement of the forces caused by a change in electrostatic charge. We
analyze the problem with an improved electrostatic model that, coupled with the
experimental data, also indicates how to correctly measure and null the stray
field that interacts with test mass charge. Our measurements allow a
conservative upper limit on acceleration noise, of 2 fm/s\rthz\ for
frequencies above 0.1 mHz, for the interaction between stray fields and charge
in the LISA gravitational wave mission.Comment: Minor edits in PRL publication proces
A Novel Hierarchy of Integrable Lattices
In the framework of the reduction technique for Poisson-Nijenhuis structures,
we derive a new hierarchy of integrable lattice, whose continuum limit is the
AKNS hierarchy. In contrast with other differential-difference versions of the
AKNS system, our hierarchy is endowed with a canonical Poisson structure and,
moreover, it admits a vector generalisation. We also solve the associated
spectral problem and explicity contruct action-angle variables through the
r-matrix approach.Comment: Latex fil
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