Numerical study of bound states for point charges shielded by the response of a homogeneous two-dimensional electron gas

We study numerically the existence and character of bound states for positive and negative point charges shielded by the response of a two-dimensional homogeneous electron gas. The problem is related to many physical situations and has recently arisen in experiments on impurities on metal surfaces with Shockley surface states. Mathematical theorems ascertain a bound state for two-dimensional circularly symmetric potentials V(r) with ∫∞0drrV(r)⩽0. We find that a shielded potential with ∫∞0drrV(r)>0 may also sustain a bound state. Moreover, on the same footing we study the electron-electron interactions in the two-dimensional electron gas, finding a bound state with an energy minimum for a certain electron gas density.Peer reviewe

Shell and supershell structures of nanowires: A quantum-mechanical analysis

The stability of sodium nanowires is studied by modeling them as infinite uniform jellium cylinders and solving self-consistently for the electronic structure. The total energy per unit length oscillates as a function of the wire radius giving a shell structure. The amplitude of the energy oscillations attenuates regularly, reflecting a supershell structure. We compare our theoretical results with recent experiments [A. I. Yanson et al., Nature 400, 144 (1999); Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5832 (2000)] performed by the mechanically controllable break junctions (MCB) technique. The comparison clarifies the origin of the observed shell structure and especially the formation of the quantum beats of the supershell structure and supports the conclusions based on an earlier semiclassical model. The comparison is also a quantitative test for the reliability of the simple stabilized-jellium model as well as for the accuracy of the equation used to relate the conductivity and the area of the narrowest point of the constriction.Peer reviewe

Spontaneous Magnetization of Simple Metal Nanowires

On the basis of self-consistent density-functional calculations, it is predicted that three-dimensional nanowires of simple (nonmagnetic) metals undergo a transition to a spin-polarized magnetic state at critical radii. The magnetic transition also contributes to the elongation force on the nanowire. The force exhibits oscillations due to quantum confinement, in tune with the conductance steps as the wire is pulled.Peer reviewe

Electronic structure of cylindrical simple-metal nanowires in the stabilized jellium model

The ground-state electronic structures of cylindrical quantum wires are studied within the stabilized jellium model and using the spin-dependent density-functional theory. The subband structure is shown to affect the cohesive properties, causing an oscillating structure in the force needed to elongate the wire. Because the steps in the quantized conductance reflect also the subband structure a correlation between the force oscillations and conductance steps is established. The model also predicts magnetic solutions commensurate with the subband structure and consequently additional steps in the conductance.Peer reviewe

Relation between the neutrino and quark mixing angles and grand unification

We argue that there exists simple relation between the quark and lepton mixings which supports the idea of grand unification and probes the underlying robust bi-maximal fermion mixing structure of still unknown flavor physics. In this framework the quark mixing matrix is a parameter matrix describing the deviation of neutrino mixing from exactly bi-maximal, predicting theta_{sol}+theta_C=pi/4, where theta_C is the Cabibbo angle, theta_{atm}+theta_{23}^{CKM}=pi/4 and theta_{13}^{MNS} ~ theta_{13}^{CKM} ~ O(lambda^3), in a perfect agreement with experimental data. Both non-Abelian and Abelian flavor symmetries are needed for such a prediction to be realistic. An example flavor model capable to explain this flavor mixing pattern, and to induce the measured quark and lepton masses, is outlined.Comment: references added, title changed in journa

Atomic relaxations around vacancy clusters in molybdenum and their effects on trapped-positron lifetime

The relaxations of first- and second-nearest-neighbor shells of atoms around a monovacancy and around voids corresponding to the removal of 9, 15, 27, and 51 atoms in molybdenum have been calculated by minimizing the total energies with respect to atomic displacements. The energies are obtained by using the tight-binding scheme within the moments and continued-fraction formulation. The sign of the atomic displacements (inward or outward) of both the nearest and next-nearest neighbors varies with the size of the void. In addition, the displacements exhibit oscillations as a function of void size and do not appear to converge to atomic relaxations characteristic on surfaces even for the largest void studied. The relaxation of the first-nearest neighbor has a significant effect on the lifetime of positrons trapped in monovacancies, bringing theory to much better agreement with experiment. This effect, however, diminishes and becomes insignificant as voids grow in size.Peer reviewe

Verifiable Model of Neutrino Masses from Large Extra Dimensions

We propose a new scenario of neutrino masses with a Higgs triplet $(\xi^{++},\xi^+,\xi^0)$ in a theory of large extra dimensions. Lepton number violation in a distant brane acts as the source of a very small trilinear coupling of $\xi$ to the standard Higgs doublet in our brane. Small realistic Majorana neutrino masses are \underline{naturally} obtained with the fundamental scale $M_* \sim {\cal O}(1)$ TeV, foretelling the possible discovery of $\xi$ (m_\xi\lsim M_*) at future colliders. Decays of $\xi^{++}$ into same-sign dileptons are fixed by the neutrino mass matrix. Observation of $\mu-e$ conversion in nuclei is predicted.Comment: A comment on Tevatron reach and two references added. Discussion and conclusions unchange

Excited states of Na nanoislands on the Cu(111) surface

Electronic states of one monolayer high Na nanoislands on the Cu(111) surface are studied as a function of the nanoisland size. Properties of nanoislands such as one-electron states, the electron density, and the associated potential are obtained self-consistently within the density-functional formalism using a one-dimensional pseudopotential for the Cu(111) substrate and the jellium model for Na. A wave packet propagation method is used to study the energies and lifetimes of quasistationary states localized at Na islands. For very large islands, island-localized states merge into the two-dimensional continuum of the Na quantum well state. Thus, we assign the quasistationary states studied as arising from the quantization of the two-dimensional quantum well continuum due to the finite island size. The scattering at the island boundaries results in the energy-conserving resonant electron transfer into the continuum of the substrate states broadening the island-localized states into resonances.Peer reviewe

Defining Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis : Results From an International Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Study Group Consensus Process COMMENT

Peer reviewe