Scattering by PT-symmetric non-local potentials

A general formalism is worked out for the description of one-dimensional scattering by non-local separable potentials and constraints on transmission and reflection coefficients are derived in the cases of P, T, or PT invariance of the Hamiltonian. The case of a solvable Yamaguchi potential is discussed in detail.Comment: 11 page

Nanoscopic processes of Current Induced Switching in thin tunnel junctions

In magnetic nanostructures one usually uses a magnetic field to commute between two resistance (R) states. A less common but technologically more interesting alternative to achieve R-switching is to use an electrical current, preferably of low intensity. Such Current Induced Switching (CIS) was recently observed in thin magnetic tunnel junctions, and attributed to electromigration of atoms into/out of the insulator. Here we study the Current Induced Switching, electrical resistance, and magnetoresistance of thin MnIr/CoFe/AlO$_x$/CoFe tunnel junctions. The CIS effect at room temperature amounts to 6.9% R-change between the high and low states and is attributed to nanostructural rearrangements of metallic ions in the electrode/barrier interfaces. After switching to the low R-state some electro-migrated ions return to their initial sites through two different energy channels. A low (high) energy barrier of $\sim$0.13 eV ($\sim$0.85 eV) was estimated. Ionic electromigration then occurs through two microscopic processes associated with different types of ions sites/defects. Measurements under an external magnetic field showed an additional intermediate R-state due to the simultaneous conjugation of the MR (magnetic) and CIS (structural) effects.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

El estado inicial durante el acondicionamiento del acero para la electrodeposición de Zinc en medio ácido

En el presente trabajo se estudia el acondicionamiento de electrodos de acero para la electrodeposición de zinc a partir de soluciones de ZnCl2 + NH4Cl. El control del “estado inicial”, determinado por el potencial de acondicionamiento, Ei, y la densidad de corriente inicial anódica, ja,i, son de fundamental importancia para el proceso de electrodeposición. Los valores del potencial a circuito abierto, ECA, son afectados por los iones presentes tanto para soluciones de base de NH4Cl y de (NH4)2SO4, como para soluciones de electrodeposición. La comparación de las cronoamperometrías en el potencial inicial, Ei, muestra que este debe ser levemente más positivo que el ECA. Se encuentra que si se parte siempre de un valor de ja,i ≤ 100 (μAcm-2) estacionario y con el electrodo pulido siempre en iguales condiciones, se aseguran las condiciones de reproducibilidad experimental en las diferentes técnicas de electrodeposición.Fil:Mahmud, Z. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI). Procesos SuperficialesFil:Gordillo, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química FísicaFil:Ventura D'Alkaine, C. Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar

Topological mass mechanism and exact fields mapping

We present a class of mappings between models with topological mass mechanism and purely topological models in arbitrary dimensions. These mappings are established by directly mapping the fields of one model in terms of the fields of the other model in closed expressions. These expressions provide the mappings of their actions as well as the mappings of their propagators. For a general class of models in which the topological model becomes the BF model the mappings present arbitrary functions which otherwise are absent for Chern-Simons like actions. This work generalizes the results of [1] for arbitrary dimensions.Comment: 11 page

Electromigration in thin tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic: nanoconstrictions, local heating, and direct and wind forces

Current Induced Resistance Switching (CIS) was recently observed in thin tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes \emph{i.e} FM/I/FM. This effect was attributed to electromigration of metallic atoms in nanoconstrictions in the insulating barrier (I). Here we study how the CIS effect is influenced by a thin non-magnetic (NM) Ta layer, deposited just below the AlO$_x$ insulating barrier in tunnel junctions of the type FM/NM/I/FM (FM=CoFe). Enhanced resistance switching occurs with increasing maximum applied current (\Imax), until a plateau of constant CIS is reached for \Imax\sim65 mA (CIS$\sim$60%) and above. However, such high electrical currents also lead to a large ($\sim$9%) irreversible resistance decrease, indicating barrier degradation. Anomalous voltage-current characteristics with negative derivative were also observed near \pm\Imax and this effect is here attributed to heating in the tunnel junction. One observes that the current direction for which resistance switches in FM/NM/I/FM (clockwise) is opposite to that of FM/I/FM tunnel junctions (anti-clockwise). This effect will be discussed in terms of a competition between the electromigration contributions due to the so called direct and wind forces. It will be shown that the direct force is likely to dominate electromigration in the Ta (NM) layers, while the wind contribution likely dominates in the CoFe (FM) layers

Electrodeposición de cinc en medio ácido: Influencia de aniones y aditivos

Fil:Mahmud, Z. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI). Procesos SuperficialesFil:Gordillo, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química FísicaFil:Ventura D'Alkaine, C. Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar

Control de aditivo tiourea en la solución de electrodeposición de cinc por EIS

En este trabajo se analiza la influencia de la concentración de tiourea en el proceso de deposición de cinc por medio de técnicas electroquímicas. Se ha encontrado una concentración óptima del aditivo en cuanto a que los depósitos son de más calidad y resultan ser más refinados y nivelados. Como se sabe, una forma de protección contra la corrosión de los metales utilizados como sustratos, es mediante recubrimientos metálicos que le dan al sustrato o metal de base protección o más valor (en el caso de metales preciosos como el oro o la plata o el cromado decorativo) o le mejoran notoriamente sus propiedades de resistencia mecánica y / o la resistencia contra la corrosión en servicio (cincados, cromados ingenieriles). Una de las técnicas de obtención de recubrimientos es mediante la electrodeposición. Los aditivos, en general son sustancias orgánicas que se agregan a la solución de electrodeposición para modificar la calidad de los acabados metálicos. Son fórmulas bajo patente y se desconoce cual es la función del aditivo para cada proceso. El uso correcto del aditivo puede resultar en la producción de un recubrimiento nivelado, brillante y con buena resistencia contra la corrosión. En los estudios voltamétricos hemos encontrado que la reducción del Zn 2+ se acelera en presencia de tiourea. Mediante la Espectroscopia de Impedancia Electroquímica, EIS, hemos hallado la cantidad óptima de aditivo para un acabado más decorativo. Se ha encontrado que la resistencia a la corrosión disminuye en presencia detiourea. Mientras que la resistencia a la corrosión se incrementa, cuando las concentraciones de tiourea son próximas al valor óptimo.Fil:Mahmud, Z. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI). Procesos SuperficialesFil:Gordillo, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química FísicaFil:Gassa, L. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFil:Ventura D'Alkaine, C. Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar

Control of zinc plating solutions, determining the optimum concentration of thiourea additive by electrochemical techniques

In this work we have analyzed the effect of thiourea concentration in the acid zinc deposition process. For these purpose, we have used the electrochemical techniques (cathodic voltammetry and Electrochemistry Impedance Spectroscopy, EIS). It allows determining the optimal concentration thiourea additive. In this range, we have obtained better finishes, more refined and decoratives layers. We have found in voltammetric studies that the electroreduction of Zn 2+ in the presence of thiourea is accelerated. The EIS studies has shown the “electrodeposition resistance” decrease in the presence of thiourea. The addition of more thiourea in the solution, in the optimum concentration, the electrodeposition resistance to the electrodeposition process is increased. The main contribution of this research and its scientific contribution is the use of electrochemical techniques for determining the optimal concentration of thiourea additive in the zinc electroplating solution in chloride acid mediaFil:Mahmud, Z. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI). Procesos SuperficialesFil:Gordillo, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química FísicaFil:Gassa, L. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFil:Ventura D'Alkaine, C. Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar

Electrical current-driven pinhole formation and insulator-metal transition in tunnel junctions

Current Induced Resistance Switching (CIS) was recently observed in thin tunnel junctions (TJs) with ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes and attributed to electromigration of metallic atoms in nanoconstrictions in the insulating barrier. The CIS effect is here studied in TJs with two thin (20 \AA) non-magnetic (NM) Ta electrodes inserted above and below the insulating barrier. We observe resistance (R) switching for positive applied electrical current (flowing from the bottom to the top lead), characterized by a continuous resistance decrease and associated with current-driven displacement of metallic ions from the bottom electrode into the barrier (thin barrier state). For negative currents, displaced ions return into their initial positions in the electrode and the electrical resistance gradually increases (thick barrier state). We measured the temperature (T) dependence of the electrical resistance of both thin- and thick-barrier states ($R_b$ and R$_B$ respectively). Experiments showed a weaker R(T) variation when the tunnel junction is in the $R_b$ state, associated with a smaller tunnel contribution. By applying large enough electrical currents we induced large irreversible R-decreases in the studied TJs, associated with barrier degradation. We then monitored the evolution of the R(T) dependence for different stages of barrier degradation. In particular, we observed a smooth transition from tunnel- to metallic-dominated transport. The initial degradation-stages are related to irreversible barrier thickness decreases (without the formation of pinholes). Only for later barrier degradation stages do we have the appearance of metallic paths between the two electrodes that, however, do not lead to metallic dominated transport for small enough pinhole radius.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Charge Fluctuations in Soliton Anti-Soliton Systems Without Conjugation Symmetry

We construct the charge operator and discuss the limits of their eigenvalues as the separation between background soliton and anti-solitons goes to infinity and analyze the fluctuations of the charge. This is performed in a (1+1)D model with charge conjugation breaking