Superconductivity from a long-range interaction: a crossover between the electron gas and the lattice model

We explore how the superconductivity arising from the on-site electron-electron repulsion will change when the repulsion is changed to a long-ranged, 1/r-like one by introducing an extended Hubbard model with the repulsion extending to distant (12th) neighbors. With a simplified fluctuation-exchange approximation, we have found for the square lattice that (i) as the band filling becomes dilute enough, the charge susceptibility becomes comparable with the spin susceptibility, where p and then s pairings become dominant, in agreement with the result for the electron gas by Takada, while (ii) the d-wave, which reflects the lattice structure, dominates well away from the half filling. All these can be understood in terms of the spin and charge structures along with the shape and size of the Fermi surface.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Mechanisms of enhanced orbital dia- and paramagnetism: Application to the Rashba semiconductor BiTeI

We study the magnetic susceptibility of a layered semiconductor BiTeI with giant Rashba spin splitting both theoretically and experimentally to explore its orbital magnetism. Apart from the core contributions, a large temperature-dependent diamagnetic susceptibility is observed when the Fermi energy E_F is near the crossing point of the conduction bands, while the susceptibility turns to be paramagnetic when E_F is away from it. These features are consistent with first-principles calculations, which also predict an enhanced orbital magnetic susceptibility with both positive and negative signs as a function of E_F due to band (anti)crossings. Based on these observations, we propose two mechanisms for an enhanced paramagnetic orbital susceptibility.Comment: 4 figures; added reference

Multipole expansion for magnetic structures: A generation scheme for symmetry-adapted orthonormal basis set in crystallographic point group

We propose a systematic method to generate a complete orthonormal basis set of multipole expansion for magnetic structures in arbitrary crystal structure. The key idea is the introduction of a virtual atomic cluster of a target crystal, on which we can clearly define the magnetic configurations corresponding to symmetry-adapted multipole moments. The magnetic configurations are then mapped onto the crystal so as to preserve the magnetic point group of the multipole moments, leading to the magnetic structures classified according to the irreducible representations of crystallographic point group. We apply the present scheme to pyrhochlore and hexagonal ABO3 crystal structures, and demonstrate that the multipole expansion is useful to investigate the macroscopic responses of antiferromagnets

Density-matrix renormalization group study of pairing when electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions coexist: effect of the electronic band structure

Density-matrix renormalization group is used to study the pairing when both of electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions are strong in the Holstein-Hubbard model at half-filling in a region intermediate between the adiabatic (Migdal's) and antiadiabatic limits. We have found: (i) the pairing correlation obtained for a one-dimensional system is nearly degenerate with the CDW correlation in a region where the phonon-induced attraction is comparable with the electron-electron repulsion, but (ii) pairing becomes dominant when we destroy the electron-hole symmetry in a trestle lattice. This provides an instance in which pairing can arise, in a lattice-structure dependent manner, from coexisting electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Enhanced entrainability of genetic oscillators by period mismatch

Biological oscillators coordinate individual cellular components so that they function coherently and collectively. They are typically composed of multiple feedback loops, and period mismatch is unavoidable in biological implementations. We investigated the advantageous effect of this period mismatch in terms of a synchronization response to external stimuli. Specifically, we considered two fundamental models of genetic circuits: smooth- and relaxation oscillators. Using phase reduction and Floquet multipliers, we numerically analyzed their entrainability under different coupling strengths and period ratios. We found that a period mismatch induces better entrainment in both types of oscillator; the enhancement occurs in the vicinity of the bifurcation on their limit cycles. In the smooth oscillator, the optimal period ratio for the enhancement coincides with the experimentally observed ratio, which suggests biological exploitation of the period mismatch. Although the origin of multiple feedback loops is often explained as a passive mechanism to ensure robustness against perturbation, we study the active benefits of the period mismatch, which include increasing the efficiency of the genetic oscillators. Our findings show a qualitatively different perspective for both the inherent advantages of multiple loops and their essentiality.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figure

Application of the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24) Among Hong Kong University Students

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24). Two hundred thirteen undergraduate students in Hong Kong completed the Chinese SISRI-24, the Meaning of Life Questionnaire, the Metapersonal Self-Construal Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale to allow examination of internal reliability and construct validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was also performed to examine whether the model of King and DeCicco (2009) fit our data. Our results indicated that the full scale of the Chinese SISRI-24 and its four subscales had acceptable internal reliability. The results also showed a positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and metapersonal self-construal. However, no significant relationship was reported between spiritual intelligence and life satisfaction. As such, construct validity was low to moderate. This study can be considered a foundation for understanding and measuring spiritual intelligence among undergraduate students in Hong Kong. Future research directions are suggested