Zurek-Kibble domain structures: the dynamics of spontaneous vortex formation in annular Josephson tunnel junctions

Phase transitions create a domain structure with defects, which has been argued by Zurek and Kibble (ZK) to depend in a characteristic way on the quench rate. We present an experiment to measure the ZK scaling exponent sigma. Using long symmetric Josephson tunnel junctions, for which the predicted index is sigma=0.25, we find sigma=0.27+/-0.05. Further, we agree with the ZK prediction for the overall normalization.     

Multifunctional switching of a photo- and electro-chemiluminescent iridium-dithienylethene complex

Optical or electrochemical excitation of an Ir(iii) cyclometalated complex bearing photochromic and acid-sensitive dithienylethene ligands generates phosphorescence emission that can be switched on/off by light and chemical stimulation.     

The Industrial Research Program at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility: The Past,the Present,and Challenges for the Future

The challenge of harnessing the power of third-generation synchrotron sources for industrial R&D has been taken up by the ESRF ever since the first users arrived in 1994. However, working with industry has its own special requirements, and often mismatches and clashes between a traditional scientific “ivory tower” culture and the needs of the market-driven commercial world. After more than 15 years of industrial research at the ESRF, during which strong industrial programs in protein crystallography and microtomography have been established, we continue to build bridges between the two worlds.     

Gauge-theoretic invariants for topological insulators: a bridge between Berry,Wess–Zumino,and Fu–Kane–Mele

We establish a connection between two recently proposed approaches to the understanding of the geometric origin of the Fu–Kane–Mele invariant \(\mathrm {FKM}\in \mathbb {Z}_2\), arising in the context of two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric topological insulators. On the one hand, the \(\mathbb {Z}_2\) invariant can be formulated in terms of the Berry connection and the Berry curvature of the Bloch bundle of occupied states over the Brillouin torus. On the other, using techniques from the theory of bundle gerbes, it is possible to provide an expression for \(\mathrm {FKM}\) containing the square root of the Wess–Zumino amplitude for a certain U(N)-valued field over the Brillouin torus. We link the two formulas by showing directly the equality between the above-mentioned Wess–Zumino amplitude and the Berry phase, as well as between their square roots. An essential tool of independent interest is an equivariant version of the adjoint Polyakov–Wiegmann formula for fields \(\mathbb {T}^2 \rightarrow U(N)\), of which we provide a proof employing only basic homotopy theory and circumventing the language of bundle gerbes.     

Electronic structure of single crystal UPd3, UGe2, and USb2 from hard X-ray and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

Electronic structure of single crystal UPd₃, UGe₂, and USb₂ has been measured from hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) with 7.6 keV photons at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). Lower photon energy angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) was also performed at the Synchrotron Radiation Center (SRC). Herein the following results are presented: (i) ARPES results demonstrate hybridization between the U 5f and Pd 4d electrons within UPd₃. (ii) The greatly reduced surface sensitivity of HAXPES enabled observation of the bulk core levels in spite of surface oxidation. Photoelectron mean-free-path versus oxide layer thickness considerations were used to model the effectiveness of HAXPES for probing bulk features of in-air cleaved samples. (iii) Two distinct features separated by 800 meV were observed for the Sb 3d core level. These two features are attributed to manifestations of two distinct Sb sites within the USb₂ single crystal as supported by consideration of interatomic distances and enthalpy-of-formation. (iv) Doniach–Sunjic line shape analysis of core level spectral features revealed correlations between asymmetry coefficients and 5f localization.     

The Terminal-Oriented Ship Stowage Planning Problem

The Ship Stowage Planning Problem is the problem of determining the optimal position of containers to be stowed in a containership. In this paper we address the problem considering the objectives of the terminal management that are mainly related to the yard and transport operations. We propose a Binary Integer Program and a two-step heuristic algorithm. An extensive computational experience shows the efficiency and effectiveness of our approach. A classification scheme for stowage planning problems is also provided.     

Acoustic dissipation and density of states in liquid, supercooled, and glassy glycerol

Combined Brillouin spectra collected at visible, ultraviolet, and x-ray frequencies are used to reconstruct the imaginary part of the acoustic compliance J' over a wide frequency range between 0.5 GHz and 5 THz. For liquid, supercooled, and glassy glycerol, J' is found to be linearly dependent on the tagged-particle susceptibility measured by incoherent neutron scattering up to ?1 THz, giving evidence of a clear relation between acoustic power dissipation and density of states. A simple but general formalism is presented to quantitatively explain this relation, thus clarifying the connection between the quasielastic component observed in neutron scattering experiments and the fast relaxation dynamics probed by Brillouin scattering.     

Plasmons in sodium under pressure: increasing departure from nearly free-electron behavior

We have measured plasmon energies in Na under high pressure up to 43 GPa using inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS). The momentum-resolved results show clear deviations, growing with increasing pressure, from the predictions for a nearly free-electron metal. Plasmon energy calculations based on first-principles electronic band structures and a quasiclassical plasmon model allow us to identify a pressure-induced increase in the electron-ion interaction and associated changes in the electronic band structure as the origin of these deviations, rather than effects of exchange and correlation. Additional IXS results obtained for K and Rb are addressed briefly.