Spintronic properties of one-dimensional electron gas in graphene armchair ribbons

We have investigated, using effective mass approach (EMA), magnetic properties of a one-dimensional electron gas in graphene armchair ribbons when the electrons of occupy only the lowest conduction subband. We find that magnetic properties of the one-dimensional electron gas may depend sensitively on the width of the ribbon. For ribbon widths $L_x=3Ma_0$, a critical point separates ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states while for $L_x=(3M+1)a_0$ paramagnetic state is stable ($M$ is an integer and $a_{0}$ is the length of the unit cell). These width-dependent properties are a consequence of eigenstates that have a subtle width-dependent mixture of $\mathbf{K}$ and $\mathbf{K'}$ states, and can be understood by examining the wavefunction overlap that appears in the expression for the many-body exchange self-energy. Ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states may be used for spintronic purposes.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Electron-Phonon Dynamics in an Ensemble of Nearly Isolated Nanoparticles

We investigate the electron population dynamics in an ensemble of nearly isolated insulating nanoparticles, each nanoparticle modeled as an electronic two-level system coupled to a single vibrational mode. We find that at short times the ensemble-averaged excited-state population oscillates but has a decaying envelope. At long times, the oscillations become purely sinusoidal about a ``plateau'' population, with a frequency determined by the electron-phonon interaction strength, and with an envelope that decays algebraically as t^-{1/2} We use this theory to predict electron-phonon dynamics in an ensemble of Y_2 O_3 nanoparticles.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Pumping in quantum dots and non-Abelian matrix Berry phases

We have investigated pumping in quantum dots from the perspective of non-Abelian (matrix) Berry phases by solving the time dependent Schr{\"o}dinger equation exactly for adiabatic changes. Our results demonstrate that a pumped charge is related to the presence of a finite matrix Berry phase. When consecutive adiabatic cycles are performed the pumped charge of each cycle is different from the previous ones

Effect of Ordering on Spinodal Decomposition of Liquid-Crystal/Polymer Mixtures

Partially phase-separated liquid-crystal/polymer dispersions display highly fibrillar domain morphologies that are dramatically different from the typical structures found in isotropic mixtures. To explain this, we numerically explore the coupling between phase ordering and phase separation kinetics in model two-dimensional fluid mixtures phase separating into a nematic phase, rich in liquid crystal, coexisting with an isotropic phase, rich in polymer. We find that phase ordering can lead to fibrillar networks of the minority polymer-rich phase

Neutron beam test of CsI crystal for dark matter search

We have studied the response of Tl-doped and Na-doped CsI crystals to nuclear recoils and $\gamma$'s below 10 keV. The response of CsI crystals to nuclear recoil was studied with mono-energetic neutrons produced by the $^3$H(p,n)$^3$He reaction. This was compared to the response to Compton electrons scattered by 662 keV $\gamma$-ray. Pulse shape discrimination between the response to these $\gamma$'s and nuclear recoils was studied, and quality factors were estimated. The quenching factors for nuclear recoils were derived for both CsI(Na) and CsI(Tl) crystals.Comment: 21pages, 14figures, submitted to NIM

Integration of molecular biology tools for identifying promoters and genes abundantly expressed in flowers of Oncidium Gower Ramsey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Orchids comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants and generate commercially important flowers. However, model plants, such as <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>do not contain all plant genes, and agronomic and horticulturally important genera and species must be individually studied.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Several molecular biology tools were used to isolate flower-specific gene promoters from <it>Oncidium </it>'Gower Ramsey' (<it>Onc</it>. GR). A cDNA library of reproductive tissues was used to construct a microarray in order to compare gene expression in flowers and leaves. Five genes were highly expressed in flower tissues, and the subcellular locations of the corresponding proteins were identified using lip transient transformation with fluorescent protein-fusion constructs. BAC clones of the 5 genes, together with 7 previously published flower- and reproductive growth-specific genes in <it>Onc</it>. GR, were identified for cloning of their promoter regions. Interestingly, 3 of the 5 novel flower-abundant genes were putative trypsin inhibitor (<it>TI</it>) genes (<it>OnTI1</it>, <it>OnTI2 </it>and <it>OnTI3</it>), which were tandemly duplicated in the same BAC clone. Their promoters were identified using transient GUS reporter gene transformation and stable <it>A. thaliana </it>transformation analyses.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>By combining cDNA microarray, BAC library, and bombardment assay techniques, we successfully identified flower-directed orchid genes and promoters.</p

Electromagnetic characteristics of bilayer quantum Hall systems in the presence of interlayer coherence and tunneling

The electromagnetic characteristics of bilayer quantum Hall systems in the presence of interlayer coherence and tunneling are studied by means of a pseudospin-texture effective theory and an algebraic framework of the single-mode approximation, with emphasis on clarifying the nature of the low-lying neutral collective mode responsible for interlayer tunneling phenomena. A long-wavelength effective theory, consisting of the collective mode as well as the cyclotron modes, is constructed. It is seen explicitly from the electromagnetic response that gauge invariance is kept exact, this implying, in particular, the absence of the Meissner effect in bilayer systems. Special emphasis is placed on exploring the advantage of looking into quantum Hall systems through their response; in particular, subtleties inherent to the standard Chern-Simons theories are critically examined.Comment: 9 pages, Revtex, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Levitation of quantum Hall critical states in a lattice model with spatially correlated disorder

The fate of the current carrying states of a quantum Hall system is considered in the situation when the disorder strength is increased and the transition from the quantum Hall liquid to the Hall insulator takes place. We investigate a two-dimensional lattice model with spatially correlated disorder potentials and calculate the density of states and the localization length either by using a recursive Green function method or by direct diagonalization in connection with the procedure of level statistics. From the knowledge of the energy and disorder dependence of the localization length and the density of states (DOS) of the corresponding Landau bands, the movement of the current carrying states in the disorder--energy and disorder--filling-factor plane can be traced by tuning the disorder strength. We show results for all sub-bands, particularly the traces of the Chern and anti-Chern states as well as the peak positions of the DOS. For small disorder strength $W$ we recover the well known weak levitation of the critical states, but we also reveal, for larger $W$, the strong levitation of these states across the Landau gaps without merging. We find the behavior to be similar for exponentially, Gaussian, and Lorentzian correlated disorder potentials. Our study resolves the discrepancies of previously published work in demonstrating the conflicting results to be only special cases of a general lattice model with spatially correlated disorder potentials. To test whether the mixing between consecutive Landau bands is the origin of the observed floating, we truncate the Hilbert space of our model Hamiltonian and calculate the behavior of the current carrying states under these restricted conditions.Comment: 10 pages, incl. 13 figures, accepted for publication in PR