Lagrangian for the t–J Model Constructed from the Generators of the Supersymmetric Hubbard Algebra

In order to describe the dynamics of the t–J model, two different families of first-order Lagrangians in terms of the generators of the Hubbard algebra are found. Such families correspond to different dynamical second-class constrained systems. The quantization is carried out by using the path-integral formalism. In this context the introduction of proper ghost fields is needed to render the model renormalizable. In each case the standard Feynman diagrammatics is obtained and the renormalized physical quantities are computed and analyzed. In the first case a nonperturbative large-N expansion is considered with the purpose of studying the generalized Hubbard model describing N-fold-degenerate correlated bands. In this case the 1/N correction to the renormalized boson propagator is computed. In the second case the perturbative Lagrangian formalism is developed and it is shown how propagators and vertices can be renormalized to each order. In particular, the renormalized ferromagnetic magnon propagator coming from our formalism is studied in details. As an example the thermal softening of the magnon frequency is computed. The antiferromagnetic case is also analyzed, and the results are confronted with previous one obtained by means of the spin-polaron theories.     

Coupled perpendicular magnetization in Fe/Cu/Fe trilayers

Ultrathin epitaxial Fe films on Cu(1 0 0) with perpendicular magnetization have been used as templates for the preparation of FCC Fe/Cu/Fe trilayers. The magnetic anisotropy and the coupling of these films have been studied by in-situ magneto optical Kerr effect measurements and Kerr microscopy. The magnetic coupling of both Fe layers is found to be dominated by magnetostatic interaction. Adsorbate-induced spin reorientation in the top layer also causes spin reorientation in the bottom layer. The governing role of the Fe-vacuum interface for the magnetism of the whole trilayer is demonstrated.     

Electrical biosensing with synthetic nanopores and nanochannels

The integration of constriction structures such as nanopores and nanochannels into fluidic devices discloses powerful biosensing capabilities that can be tuned to a wide range of analytes through conceptually simple size calibrations. The practical implementation of this tuning requires a nontrivial manipulation of matter at nanoscale with further requirements for low complexity and low-cost procedures that may be adapted to industrial production. Here, we review the recent progress on the fabrication techniques of nanopores and nanochannels, together with the efforts to realize their full biosensing potential by understanding and amending the problems still afflicting the measurement performed during operation.     

A stochastic approach for the apodization of very short arrays

The problem addressed in this paper is the synthesis of the weight coefficients to be assigned to the elements of a linear array that has a spatial aperture shorter than one wavelength. The aim is to obtain a data-independent beam pattern that fulfills some a priori fixed constraints. The analytical approach, expressed in terms of a linear least-squares problem, has been attempted, resulting in very large noise sensitivity and beam pattern instability. To overcome this problem a mixed methodology, based on a combination of a stochastic technique and a local descent method that provides very robust weight coefficients with reduced noise sensitivity, is proposed. Here, robust means that, even if unavoidable fluctuations occur in the transducer gains, the beam pattern obtained maintains the desired features.     

Faddeev-Jackiw quantization method in conformal three-dimensional supergravity

The conformal supergravity in three space-time dimensions is described by a pure Lorentz-Chern-Simons term. This system has constraints on curvatures and so it is a higher-derivative gauge model. The dynamical properties of this model are analyzed by means of the supersymmetric extension of the Faddeev-Jackiw symplectic quantization method. Using this algorithm in the first-order formalism, we study the gauge supersymmetric transformations and we find the constraints of the model.     

A Connectedness Theorem for Products of Weighted Projective Spaces

We prove a connectedness result for products of weighted projective spaces.     

Light-emitting diodes with semiconductor nanocrystals

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are promising luminophores for creating a new generation of electroluminescence devices. Research on semiconductor nanocrystal based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has made remarkable advances in just one decade: the external quantum efficiency has improved by over two orders of magnitude and highly saturated color emission is now the norm. Although the device efficiencies are still more than an order of magnitude lower than those of the purely organic LEDs there are potential advantages associated with nanocrystal-based devices, such as a spectrally pure emission color, which will certainly merit future research. Further developments of nanocrystal-based LEDs will be improving material stability, understanding and controlling chemical and physical phenomena at the interfaces, and optimizing charge injection and charge transport.     

A supramolecularly-caged ionic iridium(III) complex yielding bright and very stable solid-state light-emitting electrochemical cells

A new iridium(III) complex showing intramolecular interligand pi-stacking has been synthesized and used to improve the stability of single-component, solid-state light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) devices. The pi-stacking results in the formation of a very stable supramolecularly caged complex. LECs using this complex show extraordinary stabilities (estimated lifetime of 600 h) and luminance values (average luminance of 230 cd m-2) indicating the path toward stable ionic complexes for use in LECs reaching stabilities required for practical applications.     

Surface-activated chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometry for the analysis of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in hair after extraction and sample dilution

Surface-activated chemical ionization (SACI) was employed for the analysis of cocaine and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine, extracted from hair. Following decontamination and acid hydrolysis procedures on the hair sample, the sample solution was diluted (1:10) and directly analyzed by liquid chromatography/surface-activated chemical ionization multiple collisional stage single reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (LC/SACI-MS(3)-SRM) without solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-purification and concentration procedures. To increase the selectivity of the method, MS(3) was chosen instead of the less selective MS/MS. This data was compared with that achieved using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), the reference method used by the Italian Government Institute of Health protocol. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.003 ng/(mg hair) for cocaine and 0.02 ng/(mg hair) for benzoylecgonine and the limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 0.01 ng/(mg hair) for cocaine and 0.04 ng/(mg hair) for benzoylecgonine. The squared correlation coefficient (R(2)) of the calibration curve was 0.9887-0.9980 for cocaine and 0.9987-0.9997 for benzoylecgonine. The percent accuracy error was 2-5% for both cocaine and benzoylecgonine using the LC/SACI-MS(3)-SRM approach, whereas it was higher for benzoylecgonine (20-25%) using the LC/SACI-MS/MS-SRM approach compared with the GC/MS data due to hair matrix contamination. In both cases, high precision was achieved (1-3% precision error), which confirmed the stability of the developed methods.     

Surface-activated chemical ionization and high-flow gradient chromatography to reduce matrix effect

The new atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source, named surface-activated chemical ionization (SACI), has been used in conjunction with high-flow gradient chromatography to reduce the matrix effect. This high-flow gradient chromatography approach avoids the co-elution of analyte and biological matrix compounds that leads to a reduction in quantitation errors due to matrix effect. However, this approach cannot be employed with the classical electrospray ionization (ESI) source that usually works at low eluent flow (< 300 microL/min). SACI can work at high eluent flow (100-2000 microL/min) and can be employed in conjunction with high-flow gradient chromatography. The reduction in matrix effect in tacrolimus analysis in protein-precipitated blood samples, an important immunosuppressive agent for renal transplantation, is presented and discussed.