Shot noise in a quantum dot with the coulomb interaction

We study the noise in a quantum dot which is coupled to metallic leads by using the non-equation of motion technique at the Kondo temperature T_K. We compute the out of equilibrium density of states, the current and the shot noise. We find that the shot noise exhibits a nonmonotonic dependence on the voltage when variation of ε_d values of the QD energy in the absence of the external magnetic field occurs. We also find that the amplitude of current exhibits a saturation behavior when driving field is increased.     

Thermal lens investigation in amorphous SiN

In this work we report the use of thermal lens (TLs) technique to determine the thermo-optical parameters, such as thermal conductivity (K), thermal diffusivity (D) and the optical path dependence with temperature (ds/dT) of amorphous SiN. Our results indicate that ds/dT is positive at room temperature. Moreover, the obtained values of thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity are in good agreement with that found in the literature.     

High pressure behaviour of KHSO4 studied by electrical impedance spectroscopy

Measurements of the electrical conductivity were performed in KHSO₄ at pressures between 0.5 and 2.5 GPa and in the temperature range 120-350 °C by the use of the impedance spectroscopy. The temperatures of the α-β phase transition (T_Tr) and of the melting (T_m), determined from the Arrhenius plots ln(σT) vs. 1/T, increase with pressure up to 1.5 GPa having dT/dP∼+45 K/GPa. Above the pressure 1.5 GPa, the pressure dependencies of T_Tr and T_m are negative dT/dP∼−45 K/GPa. At pressures above 0.5 GPa, the reversible decomposition of KHSO₄ into K₃H(SO₄)₂+H₂SO₄ (and probably into K₅H₃(SO₄)₄+H₂SO₄) affects the electrical conductivity of KHSO₄, with the typical values of the protonic electrical conductivity, c. 10⁻¹ S/cm at 2.5 GPa.     

Pressure dependence of elastic constants of orthorhombic Li2Ge7O15 above and below the ferroelectric transition

The pressure derivatives of the elastic constants c_ij of orthorhombic Li₂Ge₇O₁₅ have been determined at 293 K by the method of pressure-induced shifts of resonance frequencies of thick plates at ca. 15 MHz in the range between 0 and 1500 bar. Approaching the transition at ca. 630 bar, all P_ij = dc_ij/dp (i, j = 1, 2, 3; p pressure) develop strongly negative values. At higher pressures a similar behaviour with reversed sign is observed. The pressure derivatives of the pure “shear resistances” c₄₄, c₅₅, and c₆₆ depend only slightly on pressure even in the vicinity of the transition. The main interactions driving the transition are of the totally symmetric type. The values dK^?1/dp (K volume compressibility) deviate strongly from the quasi-invariant value of ca. 5 observed in almost all stable crystals (dK^?1/dp = ? 1750 at 620 bar and 1380 at 700 bar). The anomalous piezoelastic behaviour reflects the anomalous thermoelastic behaviour: negative P_ij in the low pressure (high temperature) phase correspond to positive T_ij = d log c_ij/dT (T temperature) and vice versa.     

Electromagnetic-field amplification in finite one-dimensional photonic crystals

The electromagnetic-field distribution in a finite one-dimensional photonic crystal is studied using the numerical solution of Maxwell’s equations by the transfer-matrix method. The dependence of the transmission coefficient T on the period d (or the wavelength λ) has the characteristic form with M–1 (M is the number of periods in the structure) maxima with T = 1 in the allowed band of an infinite crystal and zero values in the forbidden band. The field-modulus distribution E(x) in the structure for parameters that correspond to the transmission maxima closest to the boundaries of forbidden bands has maxima at the center of the structure; the value at the maximum considerably exceeds the incident-field strength. For the number of periods M ~ 50, more than an order of magnitude increase in the field amplification is observed. The numerical results are interpreted with an analytic theory constructed by representing the solution in the form of a linear combination of counterpropagating Floquet modes in a periodic structure.     

Pressure derivatives of bulk and shear modulus of rare gas solids

Expressions for the isothermal bulk and shear modulus and also their first and second order pressure derivatives for rare gas solids are derived by a simple method considering the different interactions i.e. modified variable induce dipoles, short range overlap repulsion and the vibrational contribution. The derived relations for dK_T/dP, dC_S/dP, dC′₄₄/dP, d²K_T/dP², d²C_S/dP² and d²C′₄₄/dP² are used to compute the numerical values of these constants at P=0 for Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe.     

Insulator-conductor transition in liquid aluminium trichloride

We report molecular-dynamics simulations of ionic structure and diffusion in a pseudoclassical model of AlCl₃ over a wide region of the pressure-temperature (p,T) plane. The model melts from a layer crystal into a molecular liquid at low (p,T) and into a dissociated ionic liquid at high (p,T), in accord with x-ray diffraction studies of the AlCl₃ material. We show that pressure drives a broad liquid-liquid transition from a molecular insulator to an ionic conductor and trace the transition line in the (p,T) plane. This line has a negative dp/dT slope and appears to branch out from an anomaly in the melting curve.     

Thermo-optic coefficients of potassium alumino-metaphosphate glasses

Metaphosphate compositions of the K₂O-Al₂O₃-P₂O₅ system have been melted and their properties measured to assess their potential for athermalisation. The results show that the addition of alumina (Al₂O₃) increases the refractive index and glass transition temperature (T_g), decreases the thermal expansion coefficient (α) and leads to a more positive thermo-optic coefficient (dn/dT). Glasses must exhibit negative dn/dT as a requirement for athermalisation purposes.     

Enhanced depolarization temperature in 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramics induced by BT nanowires

The depolarization temperature (T_d) of piezoelectric materials is an important figure of merit for their application at elevated temperatures. This study focuses on the effect of BaTiO₃ (BT) nanowires on T_d and piezoelectric properties of morphotropic-phase-boundary 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramics. The results reveal that BaTiO₃ nanowires can pin the domain wall, leading to the increase of coercive field (E_c) from 21.06 kV/cm to 34.99 kV/cm. The T_d value of 0.90NBT–0.05KBT–0.05BT ceramics can be enhanced approximately 20 °C when using BT nanowires instead of BT solution as the raw material. Meanwhile, at the same polarization conditions, the piezoelectric constant of the ceramic added BT nanowires (172 pC/N) is decreased but still remains a larger value compared with those of other lead-free ceramics. The results imply that the addition of BT nanowires into NBT–KBT is a very effective route to improve T_d.     

Ultrasonic attenuation anomalies at the two transitions in antiferromagnetic FeGe2

The attenuation of longitudinal and shear sound waves is measured through the Néel temperature, T_N≈286 K, and the lower transition temperature, T_K≈265 K, of FeGe₂. Longitudinal sound with wavevector q along the [100] axis of this tetragonal antiferromagnetic metal shows an attenuation peak at T_N, which is reversibly suppressed by compressive uniaxial stress σ along [010]. The estimated pressure dependence of T_N is dT_N/dp=(?2.8±0.3) mK bar^?1. The peak at T_N shows thermal and stress hysteresis, which suggests that it is associated with domain wall motion and that this transition is first order.     

Thermal fluctuations in pinned elastic systems: field theory of rare events and droplets

Using the functional renormalization group (FRG) we study the thermal fluctuations of elastic objects (displacement field u, internal dimension d) pinned by a random potential at low temperature T, as prototypes for glasses. A challenge is how the field theory can describe both typical (minimum energy T = 0) configurations, as well as thermal averages which, at any non-zero T as in the phenomenological droplet picture, are dominated by rare degeneracies between low lying minima. We show that this occurs through an essentially non-perturbative thermal boundary layer (TBL) in the (running) effective action Γ [u] at T > 0 for which we find a consistent scaling ansatz to all orders. The TBL describes how temperature smoothes the singularities of the T = 0 theory and contains the physics of rare thermal excitations (droplets). The formal structure of this TBL, which involves all cumulants of the coarse grained disorder, is first explored around d = 4 using a one-loop Wilson RG. Next, a more systematic exact RG (ERG) method is employed, and first tested on d = 0 models where it can be pushed quite far. There we obtain precise relations between TBL quantities and droplet probabilities (those are constrained by exact identities which are then checked against recent exact results). Our analysis is then extended to higher d, where we illustrate how the TBL scaling remains consistent to all orders in the ERG and how droplet picture results can be retrieved. Since correlations are determined deep in the TBL (by derivatives of Γ [u] at u = 0), it remains to be understood (in any d) how they can be retrieved (as u = 0⁺ limits in the non-analytic T = 0 effective action), i.e., how to recover a T = 0 critical theory. This formidable “matching problem” is solved in detail for d = 0, N = 1 by studying the (partial) TBL structure of higher cumulants when points are brought together. We thereby obtain the β-function at T = 0, all ambiguities removed, displayed here up to four loops. A discussion of the d > 4 case and an exact solution at large d are also provided.     

Temperature dependence of the fundamental absorption edge in CuGaSe2

The temperature dependence of the fundamental absorption edge in CuGaSe₂ single crystals was determined in the temperature range from 15 to 300 K. Above about 120 K the gap energy changes linearly with temperature with dE_g/dT = ? (2.1 ± 0.1) eV K^?1. The downshift in dE_g/dT of the I–III–VI₂ compounds compared to their II–VI analogs is discussed accounting for the p-d hybridization of the uppermost valence band.     

Kinetics of a mixed spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 Ising ferrimagnetic model

We present a study, within a mean-field approach, of the kinetics of a mixed ferrimagnetic model on a square lattice in which two interpenetrating square sublattices have spins that can take two values, , alternated with spins that can take the four values, . We use the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics to describe the time evolution of the system with a crystal-field interaction in the presence of a time-dependent oscillating external magnetic field. The nature (continuous and discontinuous) of transition is characterized by studying the thermal behaviors of average order parameters in a period. The dynamic phase transition points are obtained and the phase diagrams are presented in the reduced magnetic field amplitude (h) and reduced temperature (T) plane, and in the reduced temperature and interaction parameter planes, namely in the (h, T) and (d, T) planes, d is the reduced crystal-field interaction. The phase diagrams always exhibit a tricritical point in (h, T) plane, but do not exhibit in the (d, T) plane for low values of h. The dynamic multicritical point or dynamic critical end point exist in the (d, T) plane for low values of h. Moreover, phase diagrams contain paramagnetic (p), ferromagnetic (f), ferrimagnetic (i) phases, two coexistence or mixed phase regions, (f+p) and (i+p), that strongly depend on interaction parameters.     

Hydrostatic pressure derivatives of the single crystal elastic moduli of Gd,Dy and Er

The hydrostatic pressure derivatives of the single crystal elastic moduli of Gd, Dy and Er have been measured at 298°K, to pressures near 5 Kbar. The very small pressure derivatives of the adiabatic bulk moduli indicate that a small ion core model should be appropriate for interpreting the data. The long-range electrostatic contributions to the shear moduli have a dominant influence on the pressure derivatives of the shear moduli of Er, whereas the Gd and Dy data evidently reflect band structure contributions. The values of the longitudinal stiffnesses correspond remarkably well with the Bohm-Staver model for velocity of waves in an ion plasma dispersed in a sea of electrons, where the ionic interaction is perely Coulombic. This model is extended to provide an interpretation of the volume derivatives of the longitudinal moduli in terms of the volume derivative of the density of electron states at the Fermi energy.The Grüneisen parameters calculated from averages of the acoustic model gammas are in relatively poor agreement with those determined from thermal expansion data. An explanation based on the changes in c/a ratio with volume change is tested quantitatively and found to be reasonably successful. The values of dK_T/dP, where K_T is the isothermal bulk modulus, are applied to the Murnaghan equation of state and give excelent agreement with Bridgman's direct compression data for Dy and Er to 40 Kbar. For Gd, Bridgman's data indicate either that (dK_T/dP)_p=0 should be considerably larger than deduced from the adiabatic dK_s/dP measurements or that a phase change occurs near 20 Kbar. The occurrence of a phase change in Er at ～90 Kbar is definitely indicated when comparing the Murnaghan equation with X-ray diffraction data.     

Vehicular traffic through a self-similar sequence of traffic lights

We study the dynamical behavior of vehicular traffic through a sequence of traffic lights positioned self-similarly on a highway, where all traffic lights turn on and off simultaneously with cycle time T_s. The signals are positioned self-similarly by Cantor set. The nonlinear-map model of vehicular traffic controlled by self-similar signals is presented. The vehicle exhibits the complex behavior with varying cycle time. The tour time is much lower such that signals are positioned periodically with the same interval. The arrival time T(x) at position x scales as (T(x)-x)∝x^d_f, where d_f is the fractal dimension of Cantor set. The landscape in the plot of T(x)−x against cycle time T_s shows a self-affine fractal with roughness exponent α=1−d_f.     

Elastic properties, thermal expansion coefficients and electronic structures of Ti0.75X0.25C carbides

Elastic properties, thermal expansion coefficients and electronic structures of Ti_0.75X_0.25C carbides (X=W, Mo, Ta, Nb, V, Hf, Zr, Cr and Al) were systematically investigated using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The calculated elastic moduli, electronic structures and thermal expansion coefficients α(T) of pure TiC are in good agreement with experimental data and other DFT calculations. Based on a phenomenological formula, the trends of elastic properties and ductile/brittle behavior of Ti_0.75X_0.25C were analyzed. It was found that alloying elements W, Mo, Ta, Nb, V and Hf can increase elastic moduli, while Zr, Cr and Al reduce moduli. The nearly free electron model and Debye approximation were applied in the evaluation of α(T). The anharmonic effect was taken into account by including volume-dependent elastic moduli and Debye temperature. Results show that alloying additions of 3d V, 4d Zr and Mo slightly reduce α(T), while 3d Cr increases α(T), Al, 4d Nb, 5d Hf and W almost keep α(T) unchanged in Ti_0.75X_0.25C at high temperatures. The electronic structures of Ti_0.75X_0.25C were calculated and analyzed, and the electronic density of states was used to interpret variations of elastic properties and ductile/brittle behavior induced by alloying additions.     

Atomic orbitals and photoelectron intensity angular distribution patterns of MoS2 valence band

The ratio of atomic orbitals contributing to the valence band can be determined from the photoelectron intensity angular distribution (PIAD) by using linearly polarized light and display-type spherical mirror analyzer. The experiment was done for MoS₂ using a linearly polarized light at the photon energy of 45 eV perpendicularly incident to the sample surface. Atomic orbitals contributing to the bands near the Fermi level were investigated. The PIAD patterns around the Γ point showed splitting of intensity. The intensity at the top and bottom K points was strong, while the intensity was weak at the left and right side K points. The PIAD patterns from various kinds of atomic orbitals were calculated. By comparing the experimental PIAD patterns to the simulated ones, we concluded that at the Γ point Mo 4d_z2 and S 3p_z atomic orbitals are the main components and at the K points the Mo 4d_xy atomic orbital is dominant. The atomic orbital Mo 4d_x2−y2 also gives contribution to the PIAD pattern. These results were in good agreement with the coefficients of the atomic orbitals derived using ab initio band calculation.     

Isothermal adsorption kinetics on heterogeneous surfaces

Adsorption kinetics on energetically heterogeneous surfaces under isothermal conditions is analyzed using the uniform energy distribution model. Considering the quasi-equilibrium of surface diffusion between the adsorption sites with different energy, the kinetic equations dΘ/dt=(k_ap−A_dK_diff)(1−Θ) for first-order adsorption and dΘ/dt=k_ap(1−Θ)²−A_dK_diffΘ(1−Θ) for dissociative adsorption are obtained, where K_diff is a coefficient describing the surface diffusion equilibrium, which depends on the coverage and the energy distribution. Under isochoric conditions with p decreasing due to adsorption, surface diffusion accelerates the rate towards equilibrium significantly, as observed in static calorimetric adsorption experiments. An approximate solution in Lagergren form is derived for this condition.     

Pressure dependence of phase transitions in K2SnCl6 from NQR frequency measurements

The influence of hydrostatic pressure 0 ? p ? 4 kbar on the ³⁵Cl NQR in K₂SnCl₆ was studied in the temperature range 238 K ? T ? 300 K. The phase transition temperatures T_C1 and T_C2 were determined from changes in the NQR line pattern.The phase boundaries in the p-T diagram are straight lines in the region studied. The pressure coefficients are given by dT_C1/dP = 1.35 (10) K kbar^?1 and dT_C2/dP=?1.25 (20) K kbar^?1.     

Electrical and electromechanical properties of lead-potassium-yttrium-niobate ceramics—piezoelectric applications

Tungsten bronze (TB)-type oxide ceramic Pb_0.74K_0.13Y_0.13Nb₂O₆ (PKYN) has been synthesized by the standard solid state reaction method. Single phase formation, orthorhombic crystal structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The substitution of Y³⁺ in Pb_0.74K_0.52Nb₂O₆ (PKN) decreased the unit cell volume and T_C=260 °C. PKYN exhibited the remnant polarization, P_r=8.5 μC/cm², and coercive field, E_c=28.71 kV/cm. Electrical spectroscopy studies were carried out over the temperature (35-595 °C) and frequency (45 Hz-5 MHz) ranges, and the charge carrier phenomenon, grain-grain boundary contribution and non-Debye-type relaxation were analyzed. The relaxation species are immobile charges in low temperature and oxygen vacancies at higher temperature. The theoretical values computed using the relations, ε′=ε_∞+sin(n(T)π/2)(a(T)/ε₀)(ω^n(T)−1); σ(ω)=σ_dc+Aωⁿ are fitted with the experimental one. The n and A parameters suggested that the charge carrier's couple with the soft mode and become mobile at T_C. The activation enthalpy, H_m=0.38 eV, has been estimated from the hopping frequency relation ω_p=ω_e exp(−H_m/k_BT). The piezoelectric constants K_t=35.4%, d₃₃=69×10⁻¹² C/N, d₃₁=−32×10⁻³ mV/N, S₁₁^E=17.8 pm²/N, etc., achieved in PKYN indicate the material is interesting for transducer applications. The activation energies from different formalisms confirmed the ionic-type conduction.