Pump-Probe Experiments on the Single-Molecule Magnet Fe8 : Measurement of Excited Level Lifetimes

We present magnetization measurements on the single molecule magnet Fe8 in the presence of pulsed microwave radiation. A pump-probe technique is used with two microwave pulses with frequencies of 107 GHz and 118 GHz and pulse lengths of several nanoseconds to study the spin dynamics via time-resolved magnetization measurements using a Hall probe magnetometer. We find evidence for short spin-phonon relaxation times of the order of one microsecond. The temperature dependence of the spin-phonon relaxation time in our experiments is in good agreement with previously published theoretical results. We also established the presence of very short energy diffusion times, that act on a timescale of about 70 ns.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (01 March 2007

New Record of \u3ci\u3eBrachycercus Maculatus\u3c/i\u3e Berner (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) From New York and a Key to Larvae of Northeastern Species

Brachycercus maculatus, a member of a rare group of mayflies, is now recorded for the first time from New York State in the upper Hudson River. An illustrated key to the Brachycercus larvae of northeastern North America is provided to spur further study of the genus in the region

Disproportionation Transition at Critical Interaction Strength: Na1/2_{1/2}CoO2_2

Charge disproportionation (CD) and spin differentiation in Na$_{1/2}$CoO$_2$ are studied using the correlated band theory approach. The simultaneous CD and gap opening seen previously is followed through a first order charge disproportionation transition 2Co$^{3.5+} \to$ Co$^{3+}$+Co$^{4+}$, whose ionic identities are connected more closely to spin (S=0, S=1/2 respectively) than to real charge. Disproportionation in the Co $a_g$ orbital is compensated by opposing charge rearrangement in other 3d orbitals. At the transition large and opposing discontinuities in the (all-electron) kinetic and potential energies are slightly more than balanced by a gain in correlation energy. The CD state is compared to characteristics of the observed charge-ordered insulating phase in Na$_{1/2}$CoO$_2$, suggesting the Coulomb repulsion value $U$ is concentration-dependent, with $U(x=1/2)\simeq$3.5 eV.Comment: 4 pages and 4 embedded figure

Spin-dependent phenomena and device concepts explored in (Ga,Mn)As

Over the past two decades, the research of (Ga,Mn)As has led to a deeper understanding of relativistic spin-dependent phenomena in magnetic systems. It has also led to discoveries of new effects and demonstrations of unprecedented functionalities of experimental spintronic devices with general applicability to a wide range of materials. In this article we review the basic material properties that make (Ga,Mn)As a favorable test-bed system for spintronics research and discuss contributions of (Ga,Mn)As studies in the general context of the spin-dependent phenomena and device concepts. Special focus is on the spin-orbit coupling induced effects and the reviewed topics include the interaction of spin with electrical current, light, and heat.Comment: 47 pages, 41 figure

Influence of antisymmetric exchange interaction on quantum tunneling of magnetization in a dimeric molecular magnet Mn6

We present magnetization measurements on the single molecule magnet Mn6, revealing various tunnel transitions inconsistent with a giant-spin description. We propose a dimeric model of the molecule with two coupled spins S=6, which involves crystal-field anisotropy, symmetric Heisenberg exchange interaction, and antisymmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya exchange interaction. We show that this simplified model of the molecule explains the experimentally observed tunnel transitions and that the antisymmetric exchange interaction between the spins gives rise to tunneling processes between spin states belonging to different spin multiplets.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Magnetization dynamics in the single-molecule magnet Fe8 under pulsed microwave irradiation

We present measurements on the single molecule magnet Fe8 in the presence of pulsed microwave radiation at 118 GHz. The spin dynamics is studied via time resolved magnetization experiments using a Hall probe magnetometer. We investigate the relaxation behavior of magnetization after the microwave pulse. The analysis of the experimental data is performed in terms of different contributions to the magnetization after-pulse relaxation. We find that the phonon bottleneck with a characteristic relaxation time of 10 to 100 ms strongly affects the magnetization dynamics. In addition, the spatial effect of spin diffusion is evidenced by using samples of different sizes and different ways of the sample's irradiation with microwaves.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figure

Anisotropy in the Cosmic Microwave Background at Degree Angular Scales: Python V Results

Observations of the microwave sky using the Python telescope in its fifth season of operation at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica are presented. The system consists of a 0.75 m off-axis telescope instrumented with a HEMT amplifier-based radiometer having continuum sensitivity from 37-45 GHz in two frequency bands. With a 0.91 deg x 1.02 deg beam the instrument fully sampled 598 deg^2 of sky, including fields measured during the previous four seasons of Python observations. Interpreting the observed fluctuations as anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background, we place constraints on the angular power spectrum of fluctuations in eight multipole bands up to l ~ 260. The observed spectrum is consistent with both the COBE experiment and previous Python results. There is no significant contamination from known foregrounds. The results show a discernible rise in the angular power spectrum from large (l ~ 40) to small (l ~ 200) angular scales. The shape of the observed power spectrum is not a simple linear rise but has a sharply increasing slope starting at l ~ 150.Comment: 5 page

On spontaneous scalarization

We study in the physical frame the phenomenon of spontaneous scalarization that occurs in scalar-tensor theories of gravity for compact objects. We discuss the fact that the phenomenon occurs exactly in the regime where the Newtonian analysis indicates it should not. Finally we discuss the way the phenomenon depends on the equation of state used to describe the nuclear matter.Comment: 41 pages, RevTex, 10 ps figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.