Pairing and density-wave phases in Boson-Fermion mixtures at fixed filling

We study a mixture of fermionic and bosonic cold atoms on a two-dimensional optical lattice, where the fermions are prepared in two hyperfine (isospin) states and the bosons have Bose-Einstein condensed (BEC). The coupling between the fermionic atoms and the bosonic fluctuations of the BEC has similarities with the electron-phonon coupling in crystals. We study the phase diagram for this system at fixed fermion density of one per site (half-filling). We find that tuning of the lattice parameters and interaction strengths (for fermion-fermion, fermion-boson and boson-boson interactions) drives the system to undergo antiferromagnetic ordering, s-wave and d-wave pairing superconductivity or a charge density wave phase. We use functional renormalization group analysis where retardation effects are fully taken into account by keeping the frequency dependence of the interaction vertices and self-energies. We calculate response functions and also provide estimates of the energy gap associated with the dominant order, and how it depends on different parameters of the problem.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

On Analytic Properties of the Photon Polarization Function in a Background Magnetic Field

We examine the analytic properties of the photon polarization function in a background magnetic field, using the technique of inverse Mellin transform. The photon polarization function is first expressed as a power series of the photon energy $\omega$ with $\omega< 2m_e$. Based upon this energy expansion and the branch cut of the photon polarization function in the complex $\omega$ plane, we compute the absorptive part of the polarization function with the inverse Mellin transform. Our results are valid for arbitrary photon energies and magnetic-field strengths. The applications of our approach are briefly discussed.Comment: Revtex, 8 pages; Eq. (33) corrected, results of the paper not affecte

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the DNA gyrase B protein from B-stearothermophilus

DNA gyrase B (GyrB) from B. stearothermophilus has been crystallized in the presence of the non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, 5'-adenylpl-beta-gamma-imidodiphosphate (ADPNP), by the dialysis method. A complete native data set to 3.7 Angstrom has been collected from crystals which belonged to the cubic space group I23 with unit-cell dimension a = 250.6 Angstrom. Self-rotation function analysis indicates the position of a molecular twofold axis. Low-resolution data sets of a thimerosal and a selenomethionine derivative have also been analysed. The heavy-atom positions are consistent with one dimer in the asymmetric unit

Analyses of composite structures

Stiffness and strength analyses on composite cross-ply and helical wound cylinders and flat laminate structure

The electrochemical generation of useful chemical species from lunar materials

Electrochemical cells have been fabricated for the simultaneous generation of oxygen and lithium from a Li2O containing molten salt (Li2O-LiCl-LiF). The cell utilizes an oxygen vacancy conducting solid electrolyte, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), to effect separation between oxygen evolving and lithium reduction half-cell reactions. The cell, which operates at 700 to 850 C, possesses rapid electrode kinetics at the lithium-alloy electrode with exchange current density (i sub o) values being greater than 60mA sq cm. When used in the electrolytic mode, lithium produced at the negative electrode would be continuously removed from the cell for later use (under lunar conditions) as an easily storable reducing agent (compared to H2) for the chemical refining of lunar ores. Because of the high reversibility of this electrochemical system, it has also formed tha basis for the lithium oxygen secondary battery system which possesses the highest theoretical energy density yet investigated

Decoherence of flux qubits due to 1/f flux noise

We have investigated decoherence in Josephson-junction flux qubits. Based on the measurements of decoherence at various bias conditions, we discriminate contributions of different noise sources. In particular, we present a Gaussian decay function of the echo signal as evidence of dephasing due to $1/f$ flux noise whose spectral density is evaluated to be about $(10^{-6} \Phi_0)^2$/Hz at 1 Hz. We also demonstrate that at an optimal bias condition where the noise sources are well decoupled the coherence observed in the echo measurement is mainly limited by energy relaxation of the qubit.Comment: 4 pages, error in Fig.4 corrected, to appear in PR

Application of selective epitaxy to fabrication of nanometer scale wire and dot structures

The selective growth of nanometer scale GaAs wire and dot structures using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy is demonstrated. Spectrally resolved cathodoluminescence images as well as spectra from single dots and wires are presented. A blue shifting of the GaAs peak is observed as the size scale of the wires and dots decreases

Semimetalic graphene in a modulated electric potential

The $\pi$-electronic structure of graphene in the presence of a modulated electric potential is investigated by the tight-binding model. The low-energy electronic properties are strongly affected by the period and field strength. Such a field could modify the energy dispersions, destroy state degeneracy, and induce band-edge states. It should be noted that a modulated electric potential could make semiconducting graphene semimetallic, and that the onset period of such a transition relies on the field strength. There exist infinite Fermi-momentum states in sharply contrast with two crossing points (Dirac points) for graphene without external fields. The finite density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level means that there are free carriers, and, at the same time, the low DOS spectrum exhibits many prominent peaks, mainly owing to the band-edge states.Comment: 12pages, 5 figure

The electrochemical generation of useful chemical species from lunar materials

The current status of work on an electrochemical technology for the simultaneous generation of oxygen and lithium from a Li2O containing molten salt (Li2O-LiCl-LiF) is discussed. The electrochemical cell utilizes an oxygen vacancy conducting solid electrolyte, yttria-stabilized zirconia, to effect separation between the oxygen evolving and lithium reduction half-cell reactions. The cell, which operates at 700 to 800 C, possesses rapid electrode kinetics at the lithium-alloy electrode with exchange current density values being greater than 60 mA/sq cm, showing high reversibility for this reaction. When used in the electrolytic mode, lithium produced at the negative electrode would be continuously removed from the cell for later use (under lunar conditions) as an easily storable reducting agent (compared to H2) for the chemical refining of lunar ores via the general reaction: 2Li + MO yields Li2O + M where MO represents a lunar ore. Emphasis to this time has been on the simulated lunar ore ilmenite (FeTiO3), which we have found becomes chemically reduced by Li at 432 C. Furthermore, both Fe2O3 and TiO2 have been reduced by Li to give the corresponding metal. This electrochemical approach provides a convenient route for producing metals under lunar conditions and oxygen for the continuous maintenance of human habitats on the Moon's surface. Because of the high reversibility of this electrochemical system, it has also formed the basis for the lithium-oxygen secondary battery. This secondary lithium-oxygen battery system posses the highest theoretical energy density yet investigated

Phonon-mediated tuning of instabilities in the Hubbard model at half-filling

We obtain the phase diagram of the half-filled two-dimensional Hubbard model on a square lattice in the presence of Einstein phonons. We find that the interplay between the instantaneous electron-electron repulsion and electron-phonon interaction leads to new phases. In particular, a d$_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconducting phase emerges when both anisotropic phonons and repulsive Hubbard interaction are present. For large electron-phonon couplings, charge-density-wave and s-wave superconducting regions also appear in the phase diagram, and the widths of these regions are strongly dependent on the phonon frequency, indicating that retardation effects play an important role. Since at half-filling the Fermi surface is nested, spin-density-wave is recovered when the repulsive interaction dominates. We employ a functional multiscale renormalization-group method that includes both electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions, and take retardation effects fully into account.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure