Amplification phenomena of Casimir force fluctuations on close scatterers coupled via a coherent fermionic fluid

We study the mechanical actions affecting close scatterers immersed in a coherent fermionic fluid. Using a scattering field theory, we theoretically analyse the single-scatterer and the two-scatterer case. Concerning the single-scatterer case, we find that a net force affects the scatterer dynamics only in non-equilibrium condition, i.e. imposing the presence of a non-vanishing particle current flowing through the system. The force fluctuation (variance) is instead not negligible both in equilibrium and in non-equilibrium conditions. Concerning the two-scatterer case, an attractive fluid-mediated Casimir force is experienced by the scatterers at small spatial separation, while a decaying attractive/repulsive behavior as a function of the scatterer separation is found. Furthermore, the Casimir force fluctuations acting on a given scatterer in close vicinity of the other present an oscillating behavior reaching a long distance limit comparable to the value of the single-scatterer case. The relevance of these findings is discussed in connection with fluctuation phenomena in low-dimensional nanostructures and cold atoms systems.Comment: 10 pages; 6 figure

Minimal model of point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy of multiband superconductors

We formulate a minimal model of point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy of a normal- metal/multiband superconductor interface. The theory generalizes the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) formulation to a multiband superconductor and it is based on the quantum waveguides theory. The proposed approach allows an analytic evaluation of the Andreev and normal reflection coefficients and thus is suitable for a data fitting of point contact experiments. The obtained differential conductance curves present distinctive features similar to the ones measured in the experiments on multiband systems, like the iron-based pnictides and the MgB2.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Interaction effects in non-equilibrium transport properties of a four-terminal topological corner junction

We study the transport properties of a four-terminal corner junction made by etching a two- dimensional topological insulator to form a quantum point contact (QPC). The QPC geometry enables inter-boundary tunneling processes allowing for the coupling among states with different helicity, while the tight confinement in the QPC region activates charging effects leading to the Coulomb blockade physics. Peculiar signatures of these effects are theoretically investigated using a scattering field theory modified to take into account the electron-electron interaction within a self- consistent mean-field approach. The current-voltage characteristics and the current fluctuations (noise) are derived beyond the linear response regime. Universal aspects of the thermal noise of the corner junction made of helical matter are also discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure

Pumping in a mesoscopic ring with Ahronov-Casher effect

We investigate parametric pumping of spin and charge currents in a mesoscopic ring interrupted by a tunnel barrier in presence of Aharonov-Casher (AC) effect and Aharonov-Bohm (AB) flux along the axis of the same ring. Generation of a dc current is achieved by tuning the tunnel barrier strength and modulating in time either a radial(transverse) electric field or the magnetic flux. A pure spin current is generated by the interplay of breaking spin reversal symmetry, due to AC effect, and time-reversal symmetry breaking, intrinsic in parametric pumping procedure. We analyze the conditions for operating the AB-AC ring as a pure spin pump useful in spintronics and discuss generalization of our results to Rashba-gate-controlled rings.Comment: PRB, to appea

Electrically Controlled Pumping of Spin Currents in Topological Insulators

Pure spin currents are shown to be generated by an electrically controlled quantum pump applied at the edges of a topological insulator. The electric rather than the more conventional magnetic control offers several advantages and avoids, in particular, the necessity of delicate control of magnetization dynamics over tiny regions. The pump is implemented by pinching the sample at two quantum point contacts and phase modulating two external gate voltages between them. The spin current is generated for the full range of parameters. On the other hand, pumping via amplitude modulation of the inter-boundary couplings generates both charge and spin currents, with a pure charge current appearing only for special values of the parameters for which the Bohm-Aharonov flux takes integer values. Our setup can therefore serve to fingerprint the helical nature of the edges states with the zeros of the pumped spin and charge currents occurring at distinct universal locations where the Fabry-Perot or the Aharonov-Bohm phases take integer values.Comment: 5 pages, 5figure

Broad distribution effects in sums of lognormal random variables

The lognormal distribution describing, e.g., exponentials of Gaussian random variables is one of the most common statistical distributions in physics. It can exhibit features of broad distributions that imply qualitative departure from the usual statistical scaling associated to narrow distributions. Approximate formulae are derived for the typical sums of lognormal random variables. The validity of these formulae is numerically checked and the physical consequences, e.g., for the current flowing through small tunnel junctions, are pointed out.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. Minor changes + Gini coefficient and 4 refs. adde

Time Evolution of Non-Lethal Infectious Diseases: A Semi-Continuous Approach

A model describing the dynamics related to the spreading of non-lethal infectious diseases in a fixed-size population is proposed. The model consists of a non-linear delay-differential equation describing the time evolution of the increment in the number of infectious individuals and depends upon a limited number of parameters. Predictions are in good qualitative agreement with data on influenza.Comment: 21 page

Impurity effects on Fabry-Perot physics of ballistic carbon nanotubes

We present a theoretical model accounting for the anomalous Fabry-Perot pattern observed in the ballistic conductance of a single-wall carbon nanotubes. Using the scattering field theory, it is shown that the presence of a limited number of impurities along the nanotube can be identified by a measurement of the conductance and their position determined. Impurities can be made active or silent depending on the interaction with the substrate via the back-gate. The conceptual steps for designing a bio-molecules detector are briefly discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Spin-torque generation by dc or ac voltages in magnetic layered structures

A general expression of the current induced spin torque in a magnetic layered structure in the presence of external dc or ac voltages is derived in the framework of the scattering matrix approach. A detailed analysis is performed for a magnetic-nonmagnetic-magnetic trilayer connected to external leads in the presence of dc voltage bias in the ballistic regime. Alternatively, the possibility of producing spin torque by means of the adiabatic ac modulation of external gate voltages (quantum pumping) is proposed and discussed

Electrical switching and interferometry of massive Dirac particles in topological insulators constrictions

We investigate the electrical switching of charge and spin transport in a topological insulator nanoconstriction in a four terminal device. The switch of the edge channels is caused by the coupling between edge states which overlap in the constriction and by the tunneling effects at the contacts and therefore can be manipulated by tuning the applied voltages on the split-gate or by geometrical etching. The switching mechanism can be conveniently studied by electron interferometry involving the measurements of the current in different configurations of the side gates, while the applied bias from the external leads can be tuned to obtain pure charge or pure spin currents (charge- and spin- bias configurations). Relevant signatures of quantum confinement effects, quantum size effects and energy gap are evident in the Fabry-Perot physics of the device allowing for a full characterization of the charge and spin currents. The proposed electrical switching behavior offers an efficient tool to manipulate topological edge state transport in a controllable way.Comment: 10 pages; 14 figure