995 research outputs found
Rashba spin-orbit coupling and spin relaxation in silicon quantum wells
Silicon is a leading candidate material for spin-based devices, and
two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) formed in silicon heterostructures have
been proposed for both spin transport and quantum dot quantum computing
applications. The key parameter for these applications is the spin relaxation
time. Here we apply the theory of D'yakonov and Perel' (DP) to calculate the
electron spin resonance linewidth of a silicon 2DEG due to structural inversion
asymmetry for arbitrary static magnetic field direction at low temperatures. We
estimate the Rashba spin-orbit coupling coefficient in silicon quantum wells
and find the and times of the spins from this mechanism as a
function of momentum scattering time, magnetic field, and device-specific
parameters. We obtain agreement with existing data for the angular dependence
of the relaxation times and show that the magnitudes are consistent with the DP
mechanism. We suggest how to increase the relaxation times by appropriate
device design.Comment: Extended derivations and info, fixed typos and refs, updated figs and
data. Worth a re-downloa
Screening Breakdown on the Route toward the Metal-Insulator Transition in Modulation Doped Si/SiGe Quantum Wells
Exploiting the spin resonance of two-dimensional (2D) electrons in SiGe/Si
quantum wells we determine the carrier-density-dependence of the magnetic
susceptibility. Assuming weak interaction we evaluate the density of states at
the Fermi level D(E_F), and the screening wave vector, q_TF. Both are constant
at higher carrier densities n, as for an ideal 2D carrier gas. For n < 3e11
cm-2, they decrease and extrapolate to zero at n = 7e10 cm-2. Calculating the
mobility from q_TF yields good agreement with experimental values justifying
the approach. The decrease in D(E_F) is explained by potential fluctuations
which lead to tail states that make screening less efficient and - in a
positive feedback - cause an increase of the potential fluctuations. Even in
our high mobility samples the fluctuations exceed the electron-electron
interaction leading to the formation of puddles of mobile carriers with at
least 1 micrometer diameter.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Sodium and its manifold impact on our immune system
The Western diet is rich in salt, and a high salt diet (HSD) is suspected to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. It is now widely accepted that an experimental HSD can stimulate components of the immune system, potentially exacerbating certain autoimmune diseases, or alternatively, improving defenses against certain infections, such as cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, recent findings show that an experimental HSD may also aggravate other infections (e.g., pyelonephritis or systemic listeriosis). Here, we discuss the modulatory effects of a HSD on the microbiota, metabolic signaling, hormonal responses, local sodium concentrations, and their effects on various immune cell types in different tissues. We describe how these factors are integrated, resulting either in immune stimulation or suppression in various tissues and disease settings
Orbital mechanisms of electron spin manipulation by an electric field
A theory of spin manipulation of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) electrons by a
time-dependent gate voltage applied to a quantum well is developed. The
Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling mechanisms are shown to be rather
efficient for this purpose. The spin response to a perpendicular-to-plane
electric field is due to a deviation from the strict 2D limit and is controlled
by the ratios of the spin, cyclotron and confinement frequencies. The
dependence of this response on the magnetic field direction is indicative of
the strenghts of the competing spin-orbit coupling mechanisms
Tin telluride: a weakly co-elastic metal
We report resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS),
dilatometry/magnetostriction, magnetotransport, magnetization, specific heat,
and Sn M\"ossbauer spectroscopy measurements on SnTe and
SnCrTe. Hall measurements at K indicate that our
Bridgman-grown single crystals have a -type carrier concentration of cm and that our Cr-doped crystals have an -type
concentration of cm. Although our SnTe crystals are
diamagnetic over the temperature range , the Cr-doped crystals are room temperature ferromagnets with a Curie
temperature of 294 K. For each sample type, three-terminal capacitive
dilatometry measurements detect a subtle 0.5 micron distortion at K. Whereas our RUS measurements on SnTe show elastic hardening near the
structural transition, pointing to co-elastic behavior, similar measurements on
SnCrTe show a pronounced softening, pointing to
ferroelastic behavior. Effective Debye temperature, , values of SnTe
obtained from Sn M\"ossbauer studies show a hardening of phonons in the
range 60--115K ( = 162K) as compared with the 100--300K range
( = 150K). In addition, a precursor softening extending over
approximately 100 K anticipates this collapse at the critical temperature, and
quantitative analysis over three decades of its reduced modulus finds with , a value
indicating a three-dimensional softening of phonon branches at a temperature
K, considerably below . We suggest that the differences in
these two types of elastic behaviors lie in the absence of elastic domain wall
motion in the one case and their nucleation in the other
Paramagnetic GaN:Fe and ferromagnetic (Ga,Fe)N - relation between structural, electronic, and magnetic properties
We report on the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of GaN:Fe and
(Ga,Fe)N layers on c-sapphire substrates and their thorough characterization
via high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), transmission electron microscopy
(TEM), spatially-resolved energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS),
secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), photoluminescence (PL), Hall-effect,
electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and magnetometry employing a
superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). A combination of TEM and
EDS reveals the presence of coherent nanocrystals presumably FexN with the
composition and lattice parameter imposed by the host. From both TEM and SIMS
studies, it is stated that the density of nanocrystals and, thus the Fe
concentration increases towards the surface. In layers with iron content x<0.4%
the presence of ferromagnetic signatures, such as magnetization hysteresis and
spontaneous magnetization, have been detected. We link the presence of
ferromagnetic signatures to the formation of Fe-rich nanocrystals, as evidenced
by TEM and EDS studies. This interpretation is supported by magnetization
measurements after cooling in- and without an external magnetic field, pointing
to superparamagnetic properties of the system. It is argued that the high
temperature ferromagnetic response due to spinodal decomposition into regions
with small and large concentration of the magnetic component is a generic
property of diluted magnetic semiconductors and diluted magnetic oxides showing
high apparent Curie temperature.Comment: 21 pages, 30 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Giant Anharmonic Phonon Scattering in PbTe
Understanding the microscopic processes affecting the bulk thermal
conductivity is crucial to develop more efficient thermoelectric materials.
PbTe is currently one of the leading thermoelectric materials, largely thanks
to its low thermal conductivity. However, the origin of this low thermal
conductivity in a simple rocksalt structure has so far been elusive. Using a
combination of inelastic neutron scattering measurements and first-principles
computations of the phonons, we identify a strong anharmonic coupling between
the ferroelectric transverse optic (TO) mode and the longitudinal acoustic (LA)
modes in PbTe. This interaction extends over a large portion of reciprocal
space, and directly affects the heat-carrying LA phonons. The LA-TO anharmonic
coupling is likely to play a central role in explaining the low thermal
conductivity of PbTe. The present results provide a microscopic picture of why
many good thermoelectric materials are found near a lattice instability of the
ferroelectric type
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