Ferroelectric Dynamics in the Perovskite Relaxor PMN

We review results obtained from recent neutron scattering studies of the lead-oxide class of perovskite relaxors PMN and PZN. A ferroelectric soft mode has been identified in PMN at 1100 K that becomes overdamped near 620 K. This is the same temperature at which polar nanoregions (PNR) begin to form, denoted by Td, and suggests that a direct connection exists between the soft mode and the PNR. The appearance of diffuse scattering intensity at Td reported by Naberezhnov et al. lends further support to this picture. At lower temperature the soft mode in PMN reappears close to Tc = 213 K (defined only for E > Ec). These results are provocative because the dynamics below Tc are characteristic of an ordered ferroelectric state, yet they occur in a system that remains cubic on average at all temperatures. We discuss a coupled-mode model that successfully describes these data as well as those from earlier lattice dynamical studies of other perovskites such as BaTiO3.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, Conference - Fundamental Physics of Ferroelectrics 200

Fractional exclusion and braid statistics in one dimension: a study via dimensional reduction of Chern-Simons theory

The relation between braid and exclusion statistics is examined in one-dimensional systems, within the framework of Chern-Simons statistical transmutation in gauge invariant form with an appropriate dimensional reduction. If the matter action is anomalous, as for chiral fermions, a relation between braid and exclusion statistics can be established explicitly for both mutual and nonmutual cases. However, if it is not anomalous, the exclusion statistics of emergent low energy excitations is not necessarily connected to the braid statistics of the physical charged fields of the system. Finally, we also discuss the bosonization of one-dimensional anyonic systems through T-duality.Comment: 19 pages, fix typo

Acoustic Attenuation by Two-dimensional Arrays of Rigid Cylinders

In this Letter, we present a theoretical analysis of the acoustic transmission through two-dimensional arrays of straight rigid cylinders placed parallelly in the air. Both periodic and completely random arrangements of the cylinders are considered. The results for the sound attenuation through the periodic arrays are shown to be in a remarkable agreement with the reported experimental data. As the arrangement of the cylinders is randomized, the transmission is significantly reduced for a wider range of frequencies. For the periodic arrays, the acoustic band structures are computed by the plane-wave expansion method and are also shown to agree with previous results.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Hydrostatic pressure effects on the static magnetism in Eu(Fe0.925_{0.925}Co0.075_{0.075})2_{2}As2_{2}

The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the static magnetism in Eu(Fe$_{0.925}$Co$_{0.075}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ are investigated by complementary electrical resistivity, ac magnetic susceptibility and single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements. A specific pressure-temperature phase diagram of Eu(Fe$_{0.925}$Co$_{0.075}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ is established. The structural phase transition, as well as the spin-density-wave order of Fe sublattice, is suppressed gradually with increasing pressure and disappears completely above 2.0 GPa. In contrast, the magnetic order of Eu sublattice persists over the whole investigated pressure range up to 14 GPa, yet displaying a non-monotonic variation with pressure. With the increase of the hydrostatic pressure, the magnetic state of Eu evolves from the canted antiferromagnetic structure in the ground state, via a pure ferromagnetic structure under the intermediate pressure, finally to a possible "novel" antiferromagnetic structure under the high pressure. The strong ferromagnetism of Eu coexists with the pressure-induced superconductivity around 2 GPa. The change of the magnetic state of Eu in Eu(Fe$_{0.925}$Co$_{0.075}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ upon the application of hydrostatic pressure probably arises from the modification of the indirect Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction between the Eu$^{2+}$ moments tuned by external pressure.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Interaction of HIV protease inhibitors with OATP1B1, 1B3, and 2B1

The effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors (PI) on the accumulation of the fluorescent bile salt analogue cholyl-glycylamido-fluorescein (CGamF) were determined in organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)-1B1 and -1B3-expressing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. In addition, interaction studies in Caco-2 monolayers, known only to express the OATP2B1 isoform, were conducted using the established OATP substrate estrone 3-sulfate (E3S), since no CGamF accumulation was observed in Caco-2 monolayers. CGamF appeared an excellent substrate for the OATP1B subfamily, with net accumulation clearance values of 7.8 and 142 microl min(-1) mg(-1) protein in OATP1B1 and OATP1B3-transfected cells, respectively. K(i)-values reflecting inhibition of CGamF accumulation by HIV PI correlated well between OATP1B1 and OATP1B3-expressing cells. Lopinavir was the most potent inhibitor (K(i) = 0.5-1.4 microM) of OATP1B-mediated CGamF accumulation compared with atazanavir, darunavir, ritonavir, and saquinavir (K(i) between 1.4 and 3.3 microM). Inhibitory profiles towards OATP2B1-mediated E3S accumulation were different with only indinavir, saquinavir, and ritonavir showing substantial effects. In conclusion, OATP1B3 appears to be a major transport mechanism mediating sodium-independent CGamF accumulation in human liver, and CGamF could be used as a probe substrate for in vitro drug interaction studies. The remarkably potent inhibition of OATP1B1 by lopinavir may explain some clinically relevant drug interactions between lopinavir and OATP1B substrates such as fexofenadine

Soft Mode Dynamics Above and Below the Burns Temperature in the Relaxor Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O_3

We report neutron inelastic scattering measurements of the lowest-energy transverse optic (TO) phonon branch in the relaxor Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O_3 from 400 to 1100 K. Far above the Burns temperature T_d ~ 620 K we observe well-defined propagating TO modes at all wave vectors q, and a zone center TO mode that softens in a manner consistent with that of a ferroelectric soft mode. Below T_d the zone center TO mode is overdamped. This damping extends up to, but not above, the waterfall wave vector q_wf, which is a measure of the average size of the PNR.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; modified discussion of Fig. 3, shortened captions, added reference, corrected typos, accepted by Phys. Rev. Let