Two-Band-Type Superconducting Instability in MgB2

Using the tight-binding method for the $\pi$-bands in MgB$_2$, the Hubbard on-site Coulomb interaction on two inequivalent boron $p_z$-orbitals is transformed into expressions in terms of $\pi$-band operators. For scattering processes relevant to the problemin which a wave vector {\bf q} is parallel to $\hat{z}$, it is found to take a relatively simple form consisting of intra-band Coulomb scattering, interband pair scattering etc. with large constant coupling constants. This allows to get a simple expression for the amplitude of interband pair scattering between two $\pi$-bands, which diverges if the interband polarization function in it becomes large enough.The latter was approximately evaluated and found to be largely enhanced in the band structure in MgB$_2$. These results lead to a divergent interband pair scattering, meaning two-band-type superconducting instability with enhanced $T_c$. Adding a subsidiary BCS attractive interaction in each band into consideration, a semi-quantitative gap equation is given, and $T_c$ and isotope exponent $\alpha$ are derived. The present instability is asserted to be the origin of high $T_c$ in MgB$_2$.Comment: 4 pages, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. vol. 70, No.

t'- and t"-dependence of the bulk-limit superconducting condensation energy of the 2D Hubbard model

The 2D Hubbard model having the 2nd- and 3rd-neighbor transfer energies t' and t" is investigated by use of the variational Monte Carlo method. At the nearly optimal doping with on-site Coulomb energy U=6 (energy unit is t) the condensation energy Econd for the d-wave superconductivity (SC) is computed for lattices of sizes from 10x10 to 28x28 with the aim to get its bulk-limit value. t" is fixed at -t'/2. Outside and in the neighborhood of the SDW region of -0.16=<t'=<-0.08 the SC Econd dominates over the SDW Econd. At t'=-0.05 and -0.10 we obtained a definitely finite bulk-limit SC Econd of the order of the experimental value for YBCO. At t'=0 Econd nearly vanishes. For t'=<-0.18, the SC Econd strongly oscillates as a function of the lattice size, when periodic boundary conditions (b.c.'s) are imposed to both axes. In the case of periodic and antiperiodic b.c.'s, a finite bulk-limit value is obtained at t'=-0.22. Econd tends to vanish with further decrease of t'. With our results the SC of LSCO is understandable with t'~ -0.10. The t' values of Hg1201, Tl2201 and Na-CCOC seem close to -0.20 so that they locate in the boundary zone of SC indicated in the present work. Slightly larger U improves the situation by increasing Econd.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, ISS2007 Proc. (Physica C

Possible high TcT_c superconductivity mediated by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in systems with Fermi surface pockets

We propose that if there are two small pocket-like Fermi surfaces, and the spin susceptibility is pronounced around a wave vector {\bf Q} that bridges the two pockets, the spin-singlet superconductivity mediated by spin fluctuations may have a high transition temperature. Using the fluctuation exchange approximation, this idea is confirmed for the Hubbard on a lattice with alternating hopping integrals, for which $T_c$ is estimated to be almost an order of magnitude larger than those for systems with a large connected Fermi surface.Comment: 5 pages, uses RevTe

A Population-Based Surveillance Study of Shared Genotypes of Escherichia coli Isolates from Retail Meat and Suspected Cases of Urinary Tract Infections.

There is increasing evidence that retail food may serve as a source of Escherichia coli that causes community-acquired urinary tract infections, but the impact of this source in a community is not known. We conducted a prospective, population-based study in one community to examine the frequency of recovery of uropathogenic E.&nbsp;coli genotypes from retail meat samples. We analyzed E.&nbsp;coli isolates from consecutively collected urine samples of patients suspected to have urinary tract infections (UTIs) at a university-affiliated health service and retail meat samples from the same geographic region. We genotyped all E.&nbsp;coli isolates by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and tested them for antimicrobial susceptibility. From 2016 to 2017, we cultured 233 E.&nbsp;coli isolates from 230 (21%) of 1,087 urine samples and 177 E.&nbsp;coli isolates from 120 (28%) of 427 retail meat samples. Urine samples contained 61 sequence types (STs), and meat samples had 95 STs; 12 STs (ST10, ST38, ST69, ST80, ST88, ST101, ST117, ST131, ST569, ST906, ST1844, and ST2562) were common to both. Thirty-five (81%) of 43 meat isolates among the 12 STs were from poultry. Among 94 isolates in the 12 STs, 26 (60%) of 43 retail meat isolates and 15 (29%) of 51 human isolates were pan-susceptible (P &lt; 0.005). We found that 21% of E.&nbsp;coli isolates from suspected cases of UTIs belonged to STs found in poultry. Poultry may serve as a possible reservoir of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). Additional studies are needed to demonstrate transmission pathways of these UPEC genotypes and their food sources.IMPORTANCE Community-acquired urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coli is one of the most common infectious diseases in the United States, affecting approximately seven million women and costing approximately 11.6 billion dollars annually. In addition, antibiotic resistance among E. coli bacteria causing urinary tract infection continues to increase, which greatly complicates treatment. Identifying sources of uropathogenic E. coli and implementing prevention measures are essential. However, the reservoirs of uropathogenic E. coli have not been well defined. This study demonstrated that poultry sold in retail stores may serve as one possible source of uropathogenic E. coli This finding adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that urinary tract infection may be a food-borne disease. More research in this area can lead to the development of preventive strategies to control this common and costly infectious disease

Sign reversals of the Quantum Hall Effect in quasi-1D conductors

The sign reversals of the Quantum Hall Effect observed in quasi-one-dimensional conductors of the Bechgaard salts family are explained within the framework of the quantized nesting model. The sequence of reversals is driven by slight modifications of the geometry of the Fermi surface. It is explained why only even phases can have signign reversals and why negative phases are less stable than positive ones.Comment: 4 LaTex pages, 3 Postscript figure

Quantum Monte Carlo study of the pairing correlation in the Hubbard ladder

An extensive Quantum Monte Carlo calculation is performed for the two-leg Hubbard ladder model to clarify whether the singlet pairing correlation decays slowly, which is predicted from the weak-coupling theory but controversial from numerical studies. Our result suggests that the discreteness of energy levels in finite systems affects the correlation enormously, where the enhanced pairing correlation is indeed detected if we make the energy levels of the bonding and anti-bonding bands lie close to each other at the Fermi level to mimic the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 10 pages, RevTeX, 5 figures in PostScript file

Superconductivity in the three-leg Hubbard ladder: a Quantum Monte Carlo study

Quantum Monte Carlo method is used to look into the superconductivity in the three-leg Hubbard ladder. The enhanced correlation for the pairing across the central and edge chains, which has been predicted in the weak-coupling renormalization as an effect of coexistence of gapful and gapless spin modes, is here shown to persist for intermediate interaction strengths.Comment: 10 pages, RevTeX, 3 figures in PostScript file

Persistent current of two-chain Hubbard model with impurities

The interplay between impurities and interactions is studied in the gapless phase of two-chain Hubbard model in order to see how the screening of impurity potentials due to repulsive interactions in single-chain model will be changed by increasing the number of channels. Renormalization group calculations show that charge stiffness, and hence persistent current, of the two-chain model are less enhanced by interactions than single chain case.Comment: 4 Pages, RevTeX, No figures, Submitted to PR

Localizations in coupled electronic chains

We studied effects of random potentials and roles of electron-electron interactions in the gapless phase of coupled Hubbard chains, using a renormalization group technique. For non-interacting electrons, we obtained the localization length proportional to the number of chains, as already shown in the other approaches. For interacting electrons, the localization length is longer for stronger interactions, that is, the interactions counteract the random potentials. Accordingly, the localization length is not a simple linear function of the number of chains. This interaction effect is strongest when there is only a single chain. We also calculate the effects of interactions and random potentials on charge stiffness.Comment: no figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Assessment of Technologies for Reducing CO2 Emission

There are a wide variety of technologies for reducing CO2 emissions, of which a greater part are those of energy technologies. The paper aims at assessing these technologies with regional differences of technology characteristics taken into account. The first part examines merits and demerits of individual technology, and thus envisages its possible future. The second part describes a global energy model, which generates comprehensive long term future scenarios of energy and CO2 emission in various regions of the world