Dynamical coulomb blockade of multiple Andreev reflections

We analyze the dynamical Coulomb blockade of multiple Andreev reflections (MAR) in a superconducting quantum point contact coupled to a macroscopic impedance. We find that at very low transmission the blockade scales as n2 with n = Int(2delta/eV), where V is the bias voltage and delta is the superconducting gap, as it would correspond to the occurrence of shots of charge ne. For higher transmission the blockade is reduced because of both the Pauli principle and the elastic renormalization of the MAR probability, and for certain voltage regions it may even become an anti-blockade; i.e., the current is enhanced due to the coupling with the electromagnetic environment.     

Identification of transverse spin currents in noncollinear magnetic structures

In this Letter we construct a spinor transport theory and derive the equations of motion for the distribution functions for currents in noncollinear magnetic multilayers. We find the length scale which characterizes the transverse spin current is of the order of 3 nm for a ferromagnetic 3d transition metal such as Co; this alters one's prediction of the spin torque generated for free magnetic layers less than 3 nm. In the limit of large exchange splitting we reproduce the results previously found for spin currents across noncollinear multilayers inasmuch as there are no transverse spin currents in the layers themselves in this limit.     

Dynamics and bistability in a reduced model of the lac operon

It is known that the lac operon regulatory pathway is capable of showing bistable behavior. This is an important complex feature, arising from the nonlinearity of the involved mechanisms, which is essential to understand the dynamic behavior of this molecular regulatory system. To find which of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the lac operon is the origin of bistability, we take a previously published model which accounts for the dynamics of mRNA, lactose, allolactose, permease and beta-galactosidase involvement and simplify it by ignoring permease dynamics (assuming a constant permease concentration). To test the behavior of the reduced model, three existing sets of data on beta-galactosidase levels as a function of time are simulated and we obtain a reasonable agreement between the data and the model predictions. The steady states of the reduced model were numerically and analytically analyzed and it was shown that it may indeed display bistability, depending on the extracellular lactose concentration and growth rate.     

Versatile and facile synthesis of diverse semisynthetic tetracycline derivatives via Pd-catalyzed reactions

A diverse collection of tetracycline derivatives has been synthesized utilizing Heck, Suzuki, and other palladium-coupling reactions via tetracycline arenediazonium and iodoarene salts. Large numbers of tetracyclines are now possible via these reactions, including numerous upper periphery derivatives of doxycycline, minocycline, sancycline, and methacycline modified at positions C7, C9, and C6-C13 on the tetracycline naphthacene ring. Application of palladium-coupling reactions to the tetracyclines has yielded new tetracycline classes with differing structural attributes, greatly increasing the structural diversity of this family of antibiotics, one of the last of the early antibiotic families to be expanded by organic and medicinal chemistry.     

Simultaneous multicolor image formation with a single diffractive optical element

A design for a novel diffractive optical element (DOE) that can reconstruct three different intensity patterns when it is illuminated by three different wavelengths is presented. If the chosen wavelengths are red, green, and blue, full-color reconstruction capability is obtained. Reconstruction is achieved in the near field (Fresnel domain). Computer simulation results as well as experimental evidence are presented, proving the capabilities of this novel DOE design procedure.     

Dynamic behavior in mathematical models of the tryptophan operon

This paper surveys the general theory of operon regulation as first formulated by Goodwin and Griffith, and then goes on to consider in detail models of regulation of tryptophan production by Bliss, Sinha, and Santillan and Mackey, and the interrelationships between them. We further give a linear stability analysis of the Santillan and Mackey model for wild type E. coli as well as three different mutant strains that have been previously studied in the literature. This stability analysis indicates that the tryptophan production systems should be stable, which is in accord with our numerical results. (c) 2001 American Institute of Physics.     

Optimal synthesis of three-dimensional complex amplitude distributions

The synthesis of three-dimensional (3-D) light distributions is important for many applications. For example, in scanning applications it is preferable that the scanning beam preserve its characteristics over a large distance to yield elongated scanning range. It is evident that any 3-D light distribution must satisfy the wave equation or, in second-order approximation, the Fresnel diffraction formula. Thus many desirable 3-D light distributions may not be realizable. We propose a single optical element (OE) that synthesizes a physical beam within a certain 3-D region. The OE provides the optimal physical beam in comparison with a desired one in the sense of minimal mean-square error.     

Graphene growth on h-BN by molecular beam epitaxy

The growth of single layer graphene nanometer size domains by solid carbon source molecular beam epitaxy on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) flakes is demonstrated. Formation of single-layer graphene is clearly apparent in Raman spectra which display sharp optical phonon bands. Atomic-force microscope images and Raman maps reveal that the graphene grown depends on the surface morphology of the h-BN substrates. The growth is governed by the high mobility of the carbon atoms on the h-BN surface, in a manner that is consistent with van der Waals epitaxy. The successful growth of graphene layers depends on the substrate temperature, but is independent of the incident flux of carbon atoms.     

Search for neutrino oscillations

A search for ν_μ→ν_e and oscillations has been conducted with the AGS wide-band neutrino beam at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. We find more ν_e ( _e) interactions than were expected on the basis of the number of incident ν_e ( _e) calculated as part of the neutrino beam. The excess is about a factor two over the expectation, the statistical significance being about two and a half standard deviations for ν_e and weaker for _e.