91 research outputs found
Nonlinear elastic and electronic properties of Mo_6S_3I_6 nanowires
The properties of Mo_6S_3I_6 nanowires were investigated with ab initio
calculations based on the density-functional theory. The molecules build weakly
coupled one-dimensional chains with three sulfur atoms in the bridging planes
between the Mo octahedra, each dressed with six iodines. Upon uniaxial strain
along the wires, each bridging plane shows two energy minima, one in the ground
state with the calculated Young modulus Y=82 GPa, and one in the stretched
state with Y=94 GPa. Both values are at least four times smaller than the
experimental values and the origin of the discrepancy remains a puzzle. The
ideal tensile strength is about 8.4 GPa, the chains break in the Mo-Mo bonds
within the octahedra and not in the S bridges. The charge-carrier conductivity
is strongly anisotropic and the Mo_6S_3I_6 nanowires behave as
quasi-one-dimensional conductors in the whole range of investigated strains.
The conductivity is extremely sensitive to strain, making this material very
suitable for stain gauges. Very clean nanowires with good contacts may be
expected to behave as ballistic quantum wires over lengths of several m.
On the other hand, with high-impedance contacts they are good candidates for
the observation of Luttinger liquid behaviour. The pronounced 1D nature of the
Mo_6S_3I_6 nanowires makes them a uniquely versatile and user-friendly system
for the investigation of 1D physics.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures include
Magnetic versus nonmagnetic doping effects on the magnetic ordering in the Haldane chain compound PbNi2V2O8
A study of an impurity driven phase-transition into a magnetically ordered
state in the spin-liquid Haldane chain compound PbNi2V2O8 is presented. Both,
macroscopic magnetization as well as 51V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
measurements reveal that the spin nature of dopants has a crucial role in
determining the stability of the induced long-range magnetic order. In the case
of nonmagnetic (Mg2+) doping on Ni2+ spin sites (S=1) a metamagnetic transition
is observed in relatively low magnetic fields. On the other hand, the magnetic
order in magnetically (Co2+) doped compounds survives at much higher magnetic
fields and temperatures, which is attributed to a significant anisotropic
impurity-host magnetic interaction. The NMR measurements confirm the predicted
staggered nature of impurity-liberated spin degrees of freedom, which are
responsible for the magnetic ordering. In addition, differences in the
broadening of the NMR spectra and the increase of nuclear spin-lattice
relaxation in doped samples, indicate a diverse nature of electron spin
correlations in magnetically and nonmagnetically doped samples, which begin
developing at rather high temperatures with respect to the antiferromagnetic
phase transition.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
Reconstructed Rough Growing Interfaces; Ridgeline Trapping of Domain Walls
We investigate whether surface reconstruction order exists in stationary
growing states, at all length scales or only below a crossover length, . The later would be similar to surface roughness in growing crystal
surfaces; below the equilibrium roughening temperature they evolve in a
layer-by-layer mode within a crossover length scale , but are always
rough at large length scales. We investigate this issue in the context of KPZ
type dynamics and a checker board type reconstruction, using the restricted
solid-on-solid model with negative mono-atomic step energies. This is a
topology where surface reconstruction order is compatible with surface
roughness and where a so-called reconstructed rough phase exists in
equilibrium. We find that during growth, reconstruction order is absent in the
thermodynamic limit, but exists below a crossover length , and that this local order fluctuates critically. Domain walls become
trapped at the ridge lines of the rough surface, and thus the reconstruction
order fluctuations are slaved to the KPZ dynamics
Anomalous thickness dependence of the Hall effect in ultrathin Pb layers on Si(111)
The magnetoconductive properties of ultrathin Pb films deposited on Si(111)
are measured and compared with density-functional electronic band-structure
calculations on two-dimensional, free-standing, 1 to 8 monolayers thick Pb(111)
slabs. A description with free-standing slabs is possible because it turned out
that the Hall coefficient is independent of the substrate and of the
crystalline order in the film. We show that the oscillations in sign of the
Hall coefficient observed as a function of film thickness can be explained
directly from the thickness dependent variations of the electronic
bandstructure at the Fermi energy.Comment: 4 pages incl. 3 figures, RevTeX, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Disordered Flat Phase and Phase Diagram for Restricted Solid on Solid Models of Fcc(110) Surfaces
We discuss the results of a study of restricted solid-on-solid models for fcc
(110) surfaces. These models are simple modifications of the exactly solvable
BCSOS model, and are able to describe a missing-row reconstructed
surface as well as an unreconstructed surface. They are studied in two
different ways. The first is by mapping the problem onto a quantum spin-1/2
one-dimensional hamiltonian of the Heisenberg type, with competing
couplings. The second is by standard Monte Carlo simulations. We find phase
diagrams with the following features, which we believe to be quite generic: (i)
two flat, ordered phases (unreconstructed and missing-row reconstructed); a
rough, disordered phase; an intermediate disordered flat (DF) phase,
characterized by monoatomic steps, whose physics is shown to be akin to that of
a dimer spin state. (ii) a transition line from the reconstructed
phase to the DF phase showing exponents which appear to be close, within our
numerical accuracy, to the 2D-Ising universality class. (iii) a critical
(preroughening) line with variable exponents, separating the unreconstructed
phase from the DF phase. Possible signatures and order parameters of the DF
phase are investigated.Comment: Revtex (22 pages) + 15 figures (uuencoded file
Structure Factors and Their Distributions in Driven Two-Species Models
We study spatial correlations and structure factors in a three-state
stochastic lattice gas, consisting of holes and two oppositely ``charged''
species of particles, subject to an ``electric'' field at zero total charge.
The dynamics consists of two nearest-neighbor exchange processes, occuring on
different times scales, namely, particle-hole and particle-particle exchanges.
Using both, Langevin equations and Monte Carlo simulations, we study the
steady-state structure factors and correlation functions in the disordered
phase, where density profiles are homogeneous. In contrast to equilibrium
systems, the average structure factors here show a discontinuity singularity at
the origin. The associated spatial correlation functions exhibit intricate
crossovers between exponential decays and power laws of different kinds. The
full probability distributions of the structure factors are universal
asymmetric exponential distributions.Comment: RevTex, 18 pages, 4 postscript figures included, mistaken half-empty
page correcte
Fluctuation - induced forces in critical fluids
The current knowledge about fluctuation - induced long - ranged forces is
summarized. Reference is made in particular to fluids near critical points, for
which some new insight has been obtained recently. Where appropiate, results of
analytic theory are compared with computer simulations and experiments.Comment: Topical review, 24 pages RevTeX, 6 figure
Self-tuning to the Hopf bifurcation in fluctuating systems
The problem of self-tuning a system to the Hopf bifurcation in the presence
of noise and periodic external forcing is discussed. We find that the response
of the system has a non-monotonic dependence on the noise-strength, and
displays an amplified response which is more pronounced for weaker signals. The
observed effect is to be distinguished from stochastic resonance. For the
feedback we have studied, the unforced self-tuned Hopf oscillator in the
presence of fluctuations exhibits sharp peaks in its spectrum. The implications
of our general results are briefly discussed in the context of sound detection
by the inner ear.Comment: 37 pages, 7 figures (8 figure files
Possible origins of macroscopic left-right asymmetry in organisms
I consider the microscopic mechanisms by which a particular left-right (L/R)
asymmetry is generated at the organism level from the microscopic handedness of
cytoskeletal molecules. In light of a fundamental symmetry principle, the
typical pattern-formation mechanisms of diffusion plus regulation cannot
implement the "right-hand rule"; at the microscopic level, the cell's
cytoskeleton of chiral filaments seems always to be involved, usually in
collective states driven by polymerization forces or molecular motors. It seems
particularly easy for handedness to emerge in a shear or rotation in the
background of an effectively two-dimensional system, such as the cell membrane
or a layer of cells, as this requires no pre-existing axis apart from the layer
normal. I detail a scenario involving actin/myosin layers in snails and in C.
elegans, and also one about the microtubule layer in plant cells. I also survey
the other examples that I am aware of, such as the emergence of handedness such
as the emergence of handedness in neurons, in eukaryote cell motility, and in
non-flagellated bacteria.Comment: 42 pages, 6 figures, resubmitted to J. Stat. Phys. special issue.
Major rewrite, rearranged sections/subsections, new Fig 3 + 6, new physics in
Sec 2.4 and 3.4.1, added Sec 5 and subsections of Sec
Direct Observation of the Myosin Va Recovery Stroke That Contributes to Unidirectional Stepping along Actin
Myosins are ATP-driven linear molecular motors that work as cellular force
generators, transporters, and force sensors. These functions are driven by
large-scale nucleotide-dependent conformational changes, termed
âstrokesâ; the âpower strokeâ is the force-generating
swinging of the myosin light chainâbinding âneckâ domain
relative to the motor domain âheadâ while bound to actin; the
ârecovery strokeâ is the necessary initial motion that primes, or
âcocks,â myosin while detached from actin. Myosin Va is a processive
dimer that steps unidirectionally along actin following a âhand over
handâ mechanism in which the trailing head detaches and steps forward
âŒ72 nm. Despite large rotational Brownian motion of the detached head about
a free joint adjoining the two necks, unidirectional stepping is achieved, in
part by the power stroke of the attached head that moves the joint forward.
However, the power stroke alone cannot fully account for preferential forward
site binding since the orientation and angle stability of the detached head,
which is determined by the properties of the recovery stroke, dictate actin
binding site accessibility. Here, we directly observe the recovery stroke
dynamics and fluctuations of myosin Va using a novel, transient caged
ATP-controlling system that maintains constant ATP levels through stepwise
UV-pulse sequences of varying intensity. We immobilized the neck of monomeric
myosin Va on a surface and observed real time motions of bead(s) attached
site-specifically to the head. ATP induces a transient swing of the neck to the
post-recovery stroke conformation, where it remains for âŒ40 s, until ATP
hydrolysis products are released. Angle distributions indicate that the
post-recovery stroke conformation is stabilized by â„5
kBT of energy. The high kinetic
and energetic stability of the post-recovery stroke conformation favors
preferential binding of the detached head to a forward site 72 nm away. Thus,
the recovery stroke contributes to unidirectional stepping of myosin Va
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