Entanglement and factorized ground states in two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets

Making use of exact results and quantum Monte Carlo data for the entanglement of formation, we show that the ground state of anisotropic two-dimensional S=1/2 antiferromagnets in a uniform field takes the classical-like form of a product state for a particular value and orientation of the field, at which the purely quantum correlations due to entanglement disappear. Analytical expressions for the energy and the form of such states are given, and a novel type of exactly solvable two-dimensional quantum models is therefore singled out. Moreover, we show that the field-induced quantum phase transition present in the models is unambiguously characterized by a cusp minimum in the pairwise-to-global entanglement ratio R, marking the quantum-critical enhancement of multipartite entanglement.     

Ising transition in the two-dimensional quantum J1-J2 Heisenberg model

We study the thermodynamics of the spin-S two-dimensional quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the square lattice with nearest (J1) and next-nearest (J2) neighbor couplings in its collinear phase (J(2)/J(1)>0.5), using the pure-quantum self-consistent harmonic approximation. Our results show the persistence of a finite-temperature Ising phase transition for every value of the spin, provided that the ratio J(2)/J(1) is greater than a critical value corresponding to the onset of collinear long-range order at zero temperature. We also calculate the spin and temperature dependence of the collinear susceptibility and correlation length, and we discuss our results in light of the experiments on Li2VOSiO4 and related compounds.     

A Crucial Ingredient of Inflation

Nonminimal coupling of the inflaton field to the Ricci curvature of spacetime is generally unavoidable, and the paradigm of inflation should be generalized by including the corresponding term R²/2 in the Lagrangian of the inflationary theory. This paper reports on the status of the programme of generalizing inflation. First, the problem of finding the correct value (or set of values) of the coupling constant is analyzed; the result has important consequences for the success or failure of inflationary scenarios. Then, the slow-roll approximation to generalized inflation is studied. Both the unperturbed inflating universe models and scalar/tensor perturbations are discussed, and open problems are pointed out.     

Force dependence of the Michaelis constant in a two-state ratchet model for molecular motors

We present a quantitative analysis of recent data on the kinetics of ATP hydrolysis, which has presented a puzzle regarding the load dependence of the Michaelis constant. Within the framework of coarse grained two-state ratchet models, our analysis not only explains the puzzling data, but provides a modified Michaelis law, which could be useful as a guide for future experiments.     

Substrates for flexible electronics: A practical investigation on the electrical,film flexibility,optical, temperature,and solvent resistance properties

Designing and developing flexible electronics requires a thorough investigation of the substrates available for the fabrication of devices. Here, we present a practical study on a variety of significant substrates: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), its heat‐stabilized (HS) derivative, HS‐PET, and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) plastic insulating films; indium tin oxide (ITO)‐coated ITO/PEN and ITO/PET transparent conducting films; rigid ITO/glass and FTO/glass substrates; stainless steel and titanium foils. We put the substrates through a range of tests these actually undergo during device fabrication to determine their optical, mechanical flexibility (under different types of tensile and compressive stress bending with and without a PEDOT:PSS conducting polymer layer), solvent resistance, stability to temperature treatment (conductivity and deformation), and to UV irradiation. We highlight issues and propose solutions to improve substrate response. The results and thresholds extracted reveal limitations and windows of opportunity useful for the designer of flexible optoelectronics in determining manufacturing processes and the final applications under everyday operation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

A new well‐balanced Hermite weighted essentially non‐oscillatory scheme for shallow water equations

Hermite weighted essentially non‐oscillatory (HWENO) methods were introduced in the literature, in the context of Euler equations for gas dynamics, to obtain high‐order accuracy schemes characterized by high compactness (e.g. Qiu and Shu, J. Comput. Phys. 2003; 193 :115). For example, classical fifth‐order weighted essentially non‐oscillatory (WENO) reconstructions are based on a five‐cell stencil whereas the corresponding HWENO reconstructions are based on a narrower three‐cell stencil. The compactness of the schemes allows easier treatment of the boundary conditions and of the internal interfaces. To obtain this compactness in HWENO schemes both the conservative variables and their first derivatives are evolved in time, whereas in the original WENO schemes only the conservative variables are evolved. In this work, an HWENO method is applied for the first time to the shallow water equations (SWEs), including the source term due to the bottom slope, to obtain a fourth‐order accurate well‐balanced compact scheme. Time integration is performed by a strong stability preserving the Runge–Kutta method, which is a five‐step and fourth‐order accurate method. Besides the classical SWE, the non‐homogeneous equations describing the time and space evolution of the conservative variable derivatives are considered here. An original, well‐balanced treatment of the source term involved in such equations is developed and tested. Several standard one‐dimensional test cases are used to verify the high‐order accuracy, the C‐property and the good resolution properties of the model. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Close-loop three-laser scheme for chaos-encrypted message transmission

In this paper, we numerically evaluate private data transmission using a three-laser scheme, consisting of a pair of twin semiconductor lasers, driven to chaos by delayed optical feedback in a short cavity, and optically injected by a third chaotic laser which forces them to synchronize. This laser is selected with different internal parameters with respect to the twin pair, so that the emissions of the synchronized, matched lasers, are highly correlated, whereas their correlation with the driver is low. The digital message modulates the emission of the transmitter, as in a standard Chaos Modulation scheme. Message recovery is then obtained by subtracting, from the transmitted chaos-masked message, the chaos, locally generated by the synchronized receiver laser. Simulations have been performed with the Lang-Kobayashi model, and, in view of application to private transmission, we have investigated the effect of the parameter mismatch, between transmitter and receiver, on message recovery. A preliminary experimental evaluation has been also performed using specially designed InP integrated modules.     

Double-CO3(2-) centered [Co(II)5] wheel and modeling of its magnetic properties

A high-spin Co(II) cluster with a rare pentagonal molecular structure and formula [Co(5)(CO(3))(2)(bpp)(5)]ClO(4) (1; Hbpp is 2,6-bis(phenyliminomethyl)-4-methylphenolate) has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This topology arises from fusing five [Co(2)(bpp)] moieties in a cyclic manner around two CO(3)(2-) central ligands, resulting in propeller-like configuration. The irregular coordination of the carbonate ions to the metal centers results in a combination of coordination numbers (CNs) of the Co(II) ions of five and six. The bulk magnetization of this complicated magnetically exchanged system has been modeled successfully by employing a matrix diagonalization technique. For this, the combination of S=3/2 ions (CN=5) with ions exhibiting strong spin-orbit coupling (CN=6) has been considered and a perturbative approach to handle the data in the whole studied range of temperatures (2-300 K) yielding parameters of g and D (for the five-coordinate Co(II) ions), of A, κ, λ, and Δ (for the metals with spin-orbit coupling) and of the exchange constants J. The agreement with results from DFT calculations, also presented here, is remarkable.     

What is the fate of a black hole embedded in an expanding universe?

Within a large class of exact solutions of the Einstein equations describing a black hole embedded in a Friedmann universe it is shown that, under certain assumptions, only those with comoving Hawking–Hayward quasi-local mass are generic, in the sense that they are late-time attractors.