Local Energy Gap in Deformed Carbon Nanotubes

The effects of graphite surface geometrical deformation on the dynamics of conducting electrons are investigated theoretically. The analysis is performed within the framework of a deformation-induced gauge field and corresponding deformation-induced magnetic field. It is shown that the latter gives a local energy gap along the axis of a deformed nanotube. We compare our energy gap results with experimental data on energy gaps in nanotubes and peapods. We also discuss the mixing of two Fermi points and construct a general model of low energy dynamics, including a short-range deformation of the graphite sheet. This model is equivalent to the Weyl equation in {\it U}(1) Abelian and {\it SU}(2) non-Abelian deformation-induced gauge fields.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, corrected typos, added references, improved presentation (v4, published version

Magnetism as a mass term of the edge states in graphene

The magnetism by the edge states in graphene is investigated theoretically. An instability of the pseudo-spin order of the edge states induces ferrimagnetic order in the presence of the Coulomb interaction. Although the next nearest-neighbor hopping can stabilize the pseudo-spin order, a strong Coulomb interaction makes the pseudo-spin unpolarized and real spin polarized. The magnetism of the edge states makes two peaks of the density of states in the conduction and valence energy bands near the Fermi point. Using a continuous model of the Weyl equation, we show that the edge-induced gauge field and the spin dependent mass terms are keys to make the magnetism of the edge states. A relationship between the magnetism of the edge states and the parity anomaly is discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Electrical pump-and-probe study of spin singlet-triplet relaxation in a quantum dot

Spin relaxation from a triplet excited state to a singlet ground state in a semiconductor quantum dot is studied by employing an electrical pump-and-probe method. Spin relaxation occurs via cotunneling when the tunneling rate is relatively large, confirmed by a characteristic square dependence of the relaxation rate on the tunneling rate. When cotunneling is suppressed by reducing the tunneling rate, the intrinsic spin relaxation is dominated by spin-orbit interaction. We discuss a selection rule of the spin-orbit interaction based on the observed double-exponential decay of the triplet state.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Phase separation in the vicinity of the surface of κ\kappa-(BEDT-TTF)2_2Cu[N(CN)2_2]Br by fast cooling

Partial suppression of superconductivity by fast cooling has been observed in the organic superconductor $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu[N(CN)$_2$]Br by two means: a marked sample size effect on the magnetic susceptibility and direct imaging of insulating regions by scanning microregion infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Macroscopic insulating regions are found in the vicinity of the crystalline surface after fast cooling, with diameters of 50--100 $\mu$m and depths of a few $\mu$m. The very large in-plane penetration depth reported to date ($\sim$ 24--100 $\mu$m) can be explained by the existence of the insulating regions.Comment: Several rhetoric alternations to avoid misleadings. 6 pages, 3 figures. to be publihsed in Phys. Rev.