Coulombic Phase Transitions in Dense Plasmas

We give a survey on the predictions of Coulombic phase transitions in dense plasmas (PPT) and derive several new results on the properties of these transitions. In particular we discuss several types of the critical point and the spinodal curves of quantum Coulombic systems. We construct a simple theoretical model which shows (in dependence on the parameter values) either one alkali-type transition (Coulombic and van der Waals forces determine the critical point) or one Coulombic transition and another van der Waals transition. We investigate the conditions to find separate Van der Waals and Coulomb transitions in one system (typical for hydrogen and noble gas-type plasmas). The separated Coulombic transitions which are strongly influenced by quantum effects are the hypothetical PPT, they are in full analogy to the known Coulombic transitions in classical ionic systems. Finally we give a discussion of several numerical and experimental results referring to the PPT in high pressure plasmas.     

Magnetic properties of a Tb3Ni single crystal

Magnetization measurements, performed on a single crystal of the orthorhombic compound Tb₃Ni, are presented. In this compound, nickel is not magnetic. Below the ordering temperature (62K) the magnetization vs. applied field variations along the three symmetry axes exhibit one or two transitions. These transitions correspond to metamagnetic processes associated with a complex antiferromagnetic structure which is confirmed from neutron diffraction experiments. The analysis of the bulk magnetization results leads to moment directions of terbium atoms which differ from one site to the other. These directions are due to the effect of the strong crystalline electric field which has a very low symmetry. The huge resulting magnetocrystalline anisotropy is also responsible for the large hysteresis loops associated with the metamagnetic transitions at low temperature.     

Multiple phase transitions in the generalized Curie-Weiss model

The generalized Curie-Weiss model is an extension of the classical Curie-Weiss model in which the quadratic interaction function of the mean spin value is replaced by a more general interaction function. It is shown that the generalized Curie-Weiss model can have a sequence of phase transitions at different critical temperatures. Both first-order and second-order phase transitions can occur, and explicit criteria for the two types are given. Three examples of generalized Curie-Weiss models are worked out in detail, including one example with infinitely many phase transitions. A number of results are derived using large-deviation techniques.     

Study of two‐electron jumps in relaxation of Coulomb glasses

A long‐standing debate in the theory of hopping insulators concerns the role of multi‐electron transitions in the dynamics of the system. The natural assumption is that as temperature is lowered, two‐electron transitions will play an increasingly important role since they provide a way of tunneling through additional energy barriers which would be energetically unfavorable as successive one‐electron transitions. This was disputed in [1], but later it was seen in [2]. The reason for this discrepancy is not clear and deserves further attention. One point where the two approaches diverged was in the selection and weighting of the two‐electron transitions relative to one‐electron transitions. We present calculations of the transition rates to second order in the tunneling matrix element, which will be used in improved numerical studies. We compare results for only one‐electron jumps with results including also two‐electron jumps.     

Uniform uniaxial anisotropic systems with coupled vector order parameters

Phase transitions in magnets, described by two coupled, m-component vector order parameters, having uniform uniaxial anisotropies are studied. Using a phenomenological model, it is shown that when both order parameters are anisotropic, phase transitions are always second order, in either the uniaxial or the (m???1)-isotropic phase. This is contrary to the isotropic case of two coupled order parameters, for which phase transitions are fluctuation-induced first order. The transitions are still continuous into the m-isotropic phase even when the only anisotropic order parameter is the one with the lowest mean-field critical temperature. New discontinuous transitions still occur in either the uniaxial or the (m???1)-isotropic phase, when the only anisotropic order parameter has the highest mean-field critical temperature.     

Zur Deutung der Struktur der Bremsstrahl-Isochromate des Wolframs an der kurzwelligen Grenze

Ohlin's maximum of the tungsten isochromat may well be explained on the basis of the energy bands of tungsten calculated byManning andChodorow. The photons near the threshold voltage are then assumed to arise from transitions of the primary electrons to the unoccupied levels of the 5d and 6s bands. Using this explanation one has to drop, however, a selection rule formulated byNijboer, admitting only transitions to final s states. The validity of this ?s selection rule“ is critically examined. For a strict treatment one has to calculate the matrix elements connected with the transitions, using the exact wave functions of the tungsten crystal. These, however, are not known sufficiently. ThereforeNijboer appliedNedelsky's results for free-free transitions at the isolated atom to the transitions to bound states of the solid. Yet according to calculations made recently byGuggenberer the s selection rule is put into question even for free-free transitions. — A better approximation is obtained considering electron transitions from the continuum to the 5d and 6s states of the isolated atom. A calculation of the corresponding matrix elements is carried out. It shows that both kinds of transitions are of about the same probability at energies around 1 keV which are of special concern to us. Therefore it is allowed to use the 5d band for explaining the tungsten isochromat.     

Phenomenological and microscopic models of sublattice disorder in ionic crystals—I: phenomenological models

The nature of phase transitions which arise from two classes of phenomenological models for the free energy of ionic crystals containing Prenkel disorder of one constitutent is examined. In one class of models, defect-produced energy and excess entropy vary quadratically with defect concentration, while in the second class the energy per added defect is damped by disorder more rapidly than in the first class. The order of phase transitions and their effect on the effective carrier concentration for electrical conductivity are discussed.     

On the relation between white shot noise,Gaussian white noise,and the dichotomic Markov process

It is shown that the dichotomic Markov process converges to a white shot noise (interpreted according to the Stratonovich integration rule) in the joint limit in which the average duration of one of the states goes to zero and the value at this state goes to infinity. A further limit procedure allows us to obtain Gaussian white noise from white shot noise. These results are applied to the problem of noise-induced transitions. It is shown that white shot noise can give rise to transitions which do not occur for Gaussian white noise. The above results are finally generalized in introducing compound dichotomic Markov processes.     

Ground-state properties of the Falicov-Kimball model in one and two dimensions

A new numerical method is used to study the ground-state properties of the spinless Falicov-Kimball model in one and two dimensions. The resultant solutions are used to examine the phase diagram of the model as well as possibilities for valence and metal-insulator transitions. In one dimension a comprehensive phase diagram of the model is presented. On the base of this phase diagram, the complete picture of valence and metal-insulator transitions is discussed. In two dimensions the structure of ground-state configurations is described for intermediate interactions between f and d electrons. In this region the phase separation and metal-insulator transitions are found at low f-electron concentrations. It is shown that valence transitions exhibit a staircase structure. Received 20 October 2000     

Multimode-Eigenschaften verschiedener Halbleiterlasermodelle. I

An equation for the intensities and frequencies of laser modes is given for general optical transitions between bands. The models of transitions with and without anyK-selection rule are treated as special cases. With the assumption that the emission band for transitions withK-selection is inhomogeneously broadened a mutual influence of two laser modes is found which is similar to that of a conventional laser with an inhomogeneous line. For the model of no selection rule the intensity of one laser mode is calculated for a given inversion. The lack of a selection rule produces a homogenisation. It is shown that this effect highly favours the single mode operation for running modes.     

Semi-flexible polymers with attractive interactions

The delocalization and unbinding transitions of two semi-flexible polymers which experience attractive interactions are studied by a variety of theoretical methods. In two-dimensional systems, one has to distinguish four different universality classes for the interaction potentials. In particular, the delocalization transitions from a potential well and the unbinding transitions from such a well in the presence of a hard wall exhibit distinct critical behavior governed by different critical exponents. In three-dimensional systems, we predict first-order transitions with a jump in the energy density but with critical or self-similar fluctuations leading to distribution functions with power law tails. The predicted critical behavior is confirmed numerically by transfer matrix calculations in two dimensions and by Monte Carlo simulations in three dimensions. This behavior should be accessible to experiments on biopolymers such as actin filaments or microtubuli. Received 15 December 1999 and Received in final form 19 May 2000     

Stochastic resonance for adhesion of membranes with active stickers

The behavior of two membranes that interact by active adhesion molecules or stickers is studied theoretically using mean-field theory and Monte Carlo simulations. The stickers are anchored in one of the membranes and undergo conformational transitions between on and off states. In their on states, the stickers can bind to ligands that are anchored in the other membrane. The transitions between the on and off states arise from the coupling of the stickers to some active, energy-releasing process, which keeps the system out of equilibrium. As one varies the transition rates of this active process, the membrane separation undergoes a stochastic resonance: this separation is maximal at intermediate rates of the sticker transitions and considerably smaller both at high and at low transition rates. This implies that the effective, fluctuation-induced repulsion between the membranes contains a rate-dependent contribution that arises from the switching of the active stickers.     

Studying the regime of complete decoupling of the bond between the electron and nuclear moments at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis><Subscript>1</Subscript>-line of the <Superscript>39</Superscript>K potassium isotope using a spectroscopic microcell

Atomic transitions of the ³⁹K potassium isotope in strong (up to 1 kG) longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields have been studied with a high spectral resolution. It has been shown that crossover resonances are almost absent in the saturated absorption spectrum of potassium vapors in a 30-μm-thick microcell. This, together with the small spectral width of atomic transitions (~30 MHz), allows one to use the saturated absorption spectrum for determining frequencies and probabilities of individual transitions. Among the alkali metals, potassium atoms have the smallest magnitude of the hyperfine splitting of the lower level. This allows one to observe the break of the coupling between the electronic and nuclear angular momentums at comparatively low magnetic fields B > 500 G, i.e., to implement the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime (HPB). In the HPB regime, four equidistantly positioned transitions with the same amplitude are detected in circularly polarized light (σ⁺). In linearly polarized light (π) at the transverse orientation of the magnetic field, the spectrum consists of eight lines which are grouped in two groups each of which consists of four lines. Each group has a special distinguished G-transition and the transition that is forbidden in the zero magnetic field. In the HPB regime, the probabilities of transitions in a group and derivatives of their frequency shifts with respect to the magnetic field asymptotically tend to magnitudes that are typical for the aforesaid distinguished G-transition. Some practical applications for the used microcell are mentioned.     

Ising model with a new class of four-spin interactions

The Ising model on a Union-Jack lattice, described by a Hamiltonian with second-neighbor pair-pair, four-spin, infinite-range interactions is considered. The model is solved exactly and the results are compared with MFA predictions. Within the exact treatment two new classes of phase transitions are obtained. The first one includes transitions from a disordered to a metastable, ordered and then to a stable and ordered phase with decreasing temperature. The metastable phase does not appear if the temperature is increased. The second one contains transitions between ordered and partialy ordered, partialy frustrated phases.     

Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy

We describe atomic transitions where two or more photons are simultaneously absorbed by an atom or a molecule (without any intermediate resonant level). We show theoretically and experimentally the possibilities of these transitions for numerous high-resolution spectroscopic studies. The principle of the method is discussed: the Doppler broadening is suppressed in two-photon transitions if the atoms are irradiated by two laser beams travelling in opposite directions, because the Doppler shift in one wave cancels that in the other. A generalization is made for multiphotonic transitions. Calculations of the multiphotonic transition probability are summarized and their hypotheses specified: one deals with line shape and orders of magnitude in practical conditions. The problem of light shifts is also discussed. A typical experimental set-up with a cw dye laser is described in detail. Typical recordings of two-photon transitions are given; they show line widths smaller than 4 MHz (on a Doppler width of 2000 MHz). Other experiments show the possibility of increasing the transition probability by using two lasers with slightly different wave lengths. One experiment with a three-photon Doppler-free transition is also described. In conclusion, we make a brief comparison with the saturated absorption technique.     

The influence of magnetoelastic interaction on structural phase transitions in cubic ferromagnetics

In the framework of the Landau theory of phase transitions, the influence of the magnetoelastic interaction on structural transitions in cubic ferromagnetics with a positive first magnetic anisotropy constant is analyzed. It is shown that structural transitions are not accompanied by a reorientation of magnetization in this case. The phase diagrams of such ferromagnetics either contain a termination point of the structural transition or a critical point in which the first-order transition is replaced by a second-order one. Magnetoelastic interaction also leads to the appearance of an interval of the ferromagnetic parameters in which a coupled first-order structural-magnetic transition exists. The phase T?x diagram for Heusler Ni_2+x Mn_1?x Ga alloys is calculated, which is in good agreement with the experimental phase diagram of these alloys.     

On the nondirect optical transition characteristics in the photon-enhanced field emission spectra

An analysis of the photon-enhanced field emission characteristics due to nondirect optical transitions is given. It is shown that the minima and maxima appearing in energy distributions which belong to levels from which and to which optical transitions occur, give information enabling one to discern nondirect transitions from direct ones.     

Feedback-controlled nonresonant laser cooling

We present a new approach to nonresonant laser deceleration and cooling of atoms based on their interaction with a bistable optical cavity. The cooling mechanism presents a photonic version of Sisyphus cooling, in which the conservative motion of atoms is interrupted by sudden transitions between two stable states of the cavity mode. The mechanical energy is extracted due to the hysteretic nature of those transitions. The bistable character of the cavity may be achieved by an external feedback loop, or by means of nonlinear intracavity optical elements. In contrast to the conventional cavity cooling, in which atoms experience a viscoustype force, bistable cavity cooling imitates “dry friction” and stops atoms much faster. Based on this novel approach, we explore the prospects of using optical bistability for efficient radiation pressure cooling of micromechanical devices that are modeled as a Fabry-Perot resonator with one fixed and one oscillating mirror. In all cases, analytical results are presented, supported by realistic numerical examples.     

Two-electron band to band transitions in silicon

Radiative two-electron band to band transitions are investigated experimentally in silicon. The question of phonon-participation is investigated. It turns out that at low temperature the phononless transitions dominate, whereas above room-temperature the phonon-assisted transitions become more important. A theoretical discussion leads to the conclusion that at least one participating phonon is an acoustical one.