3,526 research outputs found
Realization of a Tunable Artificial Atom at a Supercritically Charged Vacancy in Graphene
The remarkable electronic properties of graphene have fueled the vision of a
graphene-based platform for lighter, faster and smarter electronics and
computing applications. One of the challenges is to devise ways to tailor its
electronic properties and to control its charge carriers. Here we show that a
single atom vacancy in graphene can stably host a local charge and that this
charge can be gradually built up by applying voltage pulses with the tip of a
scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The response of the conduction electrons
in graphene to the local charge is monitored with scanning tunneling and Landau
level spectroscopy, and compared to numerical simulations. As the charge is
increased, its interaction with the conduction electrons undergoes a transition
into a supercritical regime 6-11 where itinerant electrons are trapped in a
sequence of quasi-bound states which resemble an artificial atom. The
quasi-bound electron states are detected by a strong enhancement of the density
of states (DOS) within a disc centered on the vacancy site which is surrounded
by halo of hole states. We further show that the quasi-bound states at the
vacancy site are gate tunable and that the trapping mechanism can be turned on
and off, providing a new mechanism to control and guide electrons in grapheneComment: 18 pages and 5 figures plus 14 pages and 15 figures of supplementary
information. Nature Physics advance online publication, Feb 22 (2016
The timing of mandibular tooth formation in two African groups
Background: Ethnic differences in the timing of human tooth development are unclear. Aim: To describe similarities and differences in the timing of tooth formation in two groups of Sudanese children and young adults. Subjects and methods: The sample consisted of healthy individuals from Khartoum, Sudan, aged 2–23 years. The Northern group was of Arab origin (848 males, 802 females) and the Western group was of African origin (846 males, 402 females). Each mandibular left permanent tooth from first incisor to third molar was assessed from dental radiographs into one of 15 development stages. Mean ages at entry for 306 tooth stages were calculated using probit regression in males/females in each group and compared using a t-test. Results: Mean ages were not significantly different in most tooth stage comparisons between ethnic groups for both males (61/75) and females (56/76), despite a tendency of earlier mean ages in the Western group. Mean ages for most tooth stage comparisons between males and females (137/155) were not significantly different within ethnic groups suggesting low sexual dimorphism. Conclusion: The mean ages of most mandibular tooth formation stages were generally not significantly different between ethnic groups or between males and females in this study
Creating, moving and merging Dirac points with a Fermi gas in a tunable honeycomb lattice
Dirac points lie at the heart of many fascinating phenomena in condensed
matter physics, from massless electrons in graphene to the emergence of
conducting edge states in topological insulators [1, 2]. At a Dirac point, two
energy bands intersect linearly and the particles behave as relativistic Dirac
fermions. In solids, the rigid structure of the material sets the mass and
velocity of the particles, as well as their interactions. A different, highly
flexible approach is to create model systems using fermionic atoms trapped in
the periodic potential of interfering laser beams, a method which so far has
only been applied to explore simple lattice structures [3, 4]. Here we report
on the creation of Dirac points with adjustable properties in a tunable
honeycomb optical lattice. Using momentum-resolved interband transitions, we
observe a minimum band gap inside the Brillouin zone at the position of the
Dirac points. We exploit the unique tunability of our lattice potential to
adjust the effective mass of the Dirac fermions by breaking inversion symmetry.
Moreover, changing the lattice anisotropy allows us to move the position of the
Dirac points inside the Brillouin zone. When increasing the anisotropy beyond a
critical limit, the two Dirac points merge and annihilate each other - a
situation which has recently attracted considerable theoretical interest [5-9],
but seems extremely challenging to observe in solids [10]. We map out this
topological transition in lattice parameter space and find excellent agreement
with ab initio calculations. Our results not only pave the way to model
materials where the topology of the band structure plays a crucial role, but
also provide an avenue to explore many-body phases resulting from the interplay
of complex lattice geometries with interactions [11, 12]
An essential function for the ATR-Activation-Domain (AAD) of TopBP1 in mouse development and cellular senescence
ATR activation is dependent on temporal and spatial interactions with partner proteins. In the budding yeast model, three proteins – Dpb11TopBP1, Ddc1Rad9 and Dna2 - all interact with and activate Mec1ATR. Each contains an ATR activation domain (ADD) that interacts directly with the Mec1ATR:Ddc2ATRIP complex. Any of the Dpb11TopBP1, Ddc1Rad9 or Dna2 ADDs is sufficient to activate Mec1ATR in vitro. All three can also independently activate Mec1ATR in vivo: the checkpoint is lost only when all three AADs are absent. In metazoans, only TopBP1 has been identified as a direct ATR activator. Depletion-replacement approaches suggest the TopBP1-AAD is both sufficient and necessary for ATR activation. The physiological function of the TopBP1 AAD is, however, unknown. We created a knock-in point mutation (W1147R) that ablates mouse TopBP1-AAD function. TopBP1-W1147R is early embryonic lethal. To analyse TopBP1-W1147R cellular function in vivo, we silenced the wild type TopBP1 allele in heterozygous MEFs. AAD inactivation impaired cell proliferation, promoted premature senescence and compromised Chk1 signalling following UV irradiation. We also show enforced TopBP1 dimerization promotes ATR-dependent Chk1 phosphorylation. Our data suggest that, unlike the yeast models, the TopBP1-AAD is the major activator of ATR, sustaining cell proliferation and embryonic development
Past Achievements and Future Challenges in 3D Photonic Metamaterials
Photonic metamaterials are man-made structures composed of tailored micro- or
nanostructured metallo-dielectric sub-wavelength building blocks that are
densely packed into an effective material. This deceptively simple, yet
powerful, truly revolutionary concept allows for achieving novel, unusual, and
sometimes even unheard-of optical properties, such as magnetism at optical
frequencies, negative refractive indices, large positive refractive indices,
zero reflection via impedance matching, perfect absorption, giant circular
dichroism, or enhanced nonlinear optical properties. Possible applications of
metamaterials comprise ultrahigh-resolution imaging systems, compact
polarization optics, and cloaking devices. This review describes the
experimental progress recently made fabricating three-dimensional metamaterial
structures and discusses some remaining future challenges
Consistent model of magnetism in ferropnictides
The discovery of superconductivity in LaFeAsO introduced the ferropnictides
as a major new class of superconducting compounds with critical temperatures
second only to cuprates. The presence of magnetic iron makes ferropnictides
radically different from cuprates. Antiferromagnetism of the parent compounds
strongly suggests that superconductivity and magnetism are closely related.
However, the character of magnetic interactions and spin fluctuations in
ferropnictides, in spite of vigorous efforts, has until now resisted
understanding within any conventional model of magnetism. Here we show that the
most puzzling features can be naturally reconciled within a rather simple
effective spin model with biquadratic interactions, which is consistent with
electronic structure calculations. By going beyond the Heisenberg model, this
description explains numerous experimentally observed properties, including the
peculiarities of the spin wave spectrum, thin domain walls, crossover from
first to second order phase transition under doping in some compounds, and
offers new insight in the occurrence of the nematic phase above the
antiferromagnetic phase transition.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, revtex
Characterisation of a Novel White Laccase from the Deuteromycete Fungus Myrothecium verrucaria NF-05 and Its Decolourisation of Dyes
A novel ‘white’ laccase was purified from the deuteromycete fungus, Myrothecium verrucaria NF-05, which was a high laccase-producing strain (40.2 U·ml−1 on the thirteenth day during fermentation). SDS-PAGE and native-PAGE revealed a single band with laccase activity corresponding to a molecular weight of approximately 66 kDa. The enzyme had three copper and one iron atoms per protein molecule determined by ICP-AES. Furthermore, both UV/visible and EPR spectroscopy remained silence, indicating the enzyme a novel laccase with new metal compositions of active centre and spectral properties. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified protein was APQISPQYPM. Together with MALDI-TOF analysis, the protein revealed a high homology of the protein with that from reported M. verrucaria. The highest activity was detected at pH 4.0 and at 30°C. The enzyme activity was significantly enhanced by Na+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ while inhibited by DTT, NaN3 and halogen anions. The kinetic constant (Km) showed the enzyme was more affinitive to ABTS than other tested aromatic substrates. Twelve structurally different dyes could be effectively decolourised by the laccase within 10 min. The high production of the strain and novel properties of the laccase suggested its potential for biotechnological applications
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