Pressure effects on the superconducting thin film Ba1−x_{1-x}Kx_{x}Fe2_{2}As2_{2}

We report electrical resistivity measurements on a high-quality Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ thin film ($x=0.4$) under pressure. The superconducting transition temperature (=39.95 K) of the optimally-doped thin film shows a dome shape with pressure, reaching a maximal value 40.8 K at 11.8 kbar. The unusually high superconducting transition temperature and its anomalous pressure dependence are ascribed to a lattice mismatch between the LaAlO$_3$ substrate and the thin film. The local temperature exponent of the resistivity ($n=d\text{ln}\Delta\rho/d\text{ln}T$) shows a funnel shape around the optimal pressure, suggesting that fluctuations associated with the anomalous normal state are responsible for high-temperature superconductivity.Comment: To appear in Appl. Phys. Let

Probing Smearing Effect by Point-Like Graviton in Plane-Wave Matrix Model

We investigate the interaction between flat membrane and point-like graviton in the plane-wave matrix model. The one-loop effective potential in the large distance limit is computed and is shown to be of r^{-3} type where r is the distance between two objects. This type of interaction has been interpreted as the one incorporating the smearing effect due to the configuration of flat membrane in plane-wave background. Our result supports this interpretation and provides one more evidence about it.Comment: 22 pages, LaTeX2

Dynamics of false vacuum bubbles with nonminimal coupling

We study the dynamics of false vacuum bubbles. A nonminimally coupled scalar field gives rise to the effect of negative tension. The mass of a false vacuum bubble from outside observer's point of view can be positive, zero, or negative. The interior false vacuum has de Sitter geometry, while the exterior true vacuum background can have geometry depending on the vacuum energy. We show that there exist expanding false vacuum bubbles without the initial singularity in the past.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figure