End-group evidence of zwitterionic species in the anionic polymerization of cyanoacrylates by Lewis bases

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectra of poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) initiated, in tetrahydrofuran, by triphenylphospine and terminated by SO₃, show the persistent presence of phosphorus and sulfur in the polymer, in near-equivalent proportions, with the sulfur content partially removable by anion-exchange. It is concluded that all chains have initial phosphonium groups, and, in abesence of any hydrolysis-formed H₂SO₄, are macrozwitterions with terminal  SO₃⁻. Acid-terminated chains should have proton-capped ends and initial phosphonium⁺ · HSO₄⁻ ion-pairs.     

Zero-bias anomaly and kondo-assisted quasiballistic 2D transport

Nonequilibrium transport measurements in mesoscopic quasiballistic 2D electron systems show an enhancement in the differential conductance around the Fermi energy. At very low temperatures, such a zero-bias anomaly splits, leading to a suppression of linear transport at low energies. We also observed a scaling of the nonequilibrium characteristics at low energies which resembles electron scattering by two-state systems, addressed in the framework of two-channel Kondo model. Detailed sample-to-sample reproducibility indicates an intrinsic phenomenon in unconfined 2D systems in the low electron-density regime.     

Semiconductor physics

A Review of Physics of Semiconductors. Proceedings of the 13th International Conference (Rome 1976). Edited by F. G. Fumi. (North-Holland), 1976. [Pp. xiii + 1327.1 Price $95.00.     

Transport by single and few electrons in GaAs mesoscopic structures

A brief review is presented on some of the consequences of single electron transport in GaAs structures. Particular topics considered include noise and fluctuations in the ballistic regime where the quantised conductance imposes a limit on the magnitude of the random telegraphic signals and the consequences of single traps changing occupancy can be clearly observed. Results are also presented on the non-invasive detection of the Coulomb blockade and factors determining transport in the conductance minima are discussed. Thermo-electric effects in the blockade regime are discussed as these are complementary to studies of electrical transport and show that the thermopower oscillates about zero with a period corresponding to the removal of a single electron.     

Single-photon detection mechanism in a quantum dot transistor

We study the transport mechanisms in a quantum dot MODFET by tuning the localization induced by charge stored on the quantum dots with light. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of a macroscopic sample reveals a hopping transport when the dots contain an excess of electrons. The resistance of a mesoscopic sample however, which is capable of detecting single photons, exhibits a much weaker dependence upon temperature. This points towards source-drain tunnelling as a transport mechanism and is confirmed by a statistical analysis of the single-photon-induced conductance steps. The complexity of the conducting paths increases as the average hopping length reduces.