Conductance anomaly near the Lifshitz transition in strained bilayer graphene

Strain qualitatively changes the low-energy band structure of bilayer graphene, leading to the appearance of a pair of low-energy Dirac cones near each corner of the Brillouin zone, and a Lifshitz transition, (a saddle point in the dispersion relation) at an energy proportional to the strain [M. Mucha-Kruczynski, I.L. Aleiner, and V.I. Fal'ko, Phys. Rev. B 84, 041404 (2011)]. Here, we show that in the vicinity of the Lifshitz transition the conductance of a ballistic n-p and n-p-n junction exhibits an anomaly: a non-monotonic temperature and chemical potential dependence, with the size depending on the crystallographic orientation of the principal axis of the strain tensor. This effect is characteristic for junctions between regions of different polarity (n-p and n-p-n junctions), while there is no anomaly in junctions between regions of the same polarity (n-n' and n-n'-n junctions).Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures; http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.16542

Game design in an Internet of Things

Whilst no consensus yet exists on how the Internet of Things will be realised, a global infrastructure of networked physical objects that are readable, recognizable, locatable, addressable and controllable is undoubtedly a compelling vision. Although many implementations of the Internet of Things have presented these objects in a largely ambient sensing role, or providing some form of remote access/control, in this paper we consider the emerging convergence between games and the Internet of Things. This can be seen in a growing number of games that use objects as physical game pieces to enhance the players’ interaction with virtual games. These hybrid physical/digital objects present game designers with number of interesting challenges as they i) blur the boundaries between toys and games; ii) provide opportunities for freeform physical play outside the virtual game; and iii) create new requirements for interaction design, in that they utilise design techniques from both product design and computer interface design. Whilst in the past the manufacturing costs of such game objects would preclude their use within games from small independent games developers, the advent of low cost 3D printing and open software and hardware platforms, which are the enablers of the Internet of Things, means this is no longer the case. However, in order to maximise this opportunity game designers will need to develop new approaches to the design of their games and in this paper we highlight the design sensibilities required if they are to combine the digital and physical affordances within the design of such objects to produce good player experiences

StarBorn : Towards making in-situ land cover data generation fun with a location-based game

University Research Priority Program: Language and Space, University of ZurichPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Transport signatures of pseudomagnetic Landau levels in strained graphene ribbons

In inhomogeneously strained graphene, low-energy electrons experience a valley-antisymmetric pseudomagnetic field which leads to the formation of localized states at the edge between the valence and conduction bands, understood in terms of peculiar n=0 pseudomagnetic Landau levels. Here we show that such states can manifest themselves as an isolated quadruplet of low-energy conductance resonances in a suspended stretched graphene ribbon, where clamping by the metallic contacts results in a strong inhomogeneity of strain near the ribbon ends

Engaging People With Dementia in Designing Playful and Creative Practices: Co-design or Co-creation?

Stimulating active, social interactions for people with dementia is an important and timely challenge that merits continuing attention in design research. The idea of using participatory co-design to engage people with dementia is attracting increased interest. In this paper, we draw on our qualitative study that used a playful, participatory arts approach to explore the ways co-design could be implemented in a group of 12 people with dementia and their carers, and developed practical recommendations, in the form of a set of playing cards, for other researchers and caregivers to work in similar ways. The emphasis is on the value of play and playfulness, providing a ‘magic circle’ (Huizinga, 1955) that fosters the required conditions for a co-creative, co-design space. This aims to encourage social interaction between people with dementia, to stimulate imagination and creativity; and engage even the most the reticent, less confident members. Our observations, however, suggest that the exact notion and nature of co-design within the context of working with people with dementia is unclear. We critically explore whether such participatory creative practices that engage people with dementia can be considered as purely co-design. In conclusion, we argue that such interaction is better described as co-creation and that this definition can still embrace considerable contribution and involvement by people with dementia in a co-design process

Co-designing a physical to digital experience for an onboarding and blended learning platform

'Children should learn to code', is a simple message that in recent years, has dominated the scene around the development of the computing and technology curriculum. A range of government, public, and privately funded initiatives have highlighted the value of introducing children to coding and computer science. Its role is the broader agenda of encouraging better engagement with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). As a result of this increased focus, a number of products blending hardware, software, creative thinking and play have emerged onto the market. This paper introduces a codesign process of transforming a playful learning technology product, 'littleBits', into an online digital onboarding experience, to assist creative minds in understanding the technology