Saffron: Chemical Composition and Neuroprotective Activity

Crocus sativus L. belongs to the Iridaceae family and it is commonly known as saffron. The different cultures together with the geoclimatic characteristics of the territory determine a different chemical composition that characterizes the final product. This is why a complete knowledge of this product is fundamental, from which more than 150 chemical compounds have been extracted from, but only about one third of them have been identified. The chemical composition of saffron has been studied in relation to its efficacy in coping with neurodegenerative retinal diseases. Accordingly, experimental results provide evidence of a strict correlation between chemical composition and neuroprotective capacity. We found that saffron’s ability to cope with retinal neurodegeneration is related to: (1) the presence of specific crocins and (2) the contribution of other saffron components. We summarize previous evidence and provide original data showing that results obtained both “in vivo” and “in vitro” lead to the same conclusion.     

Influence of magnetic field on exciton luminescence

The magnetic field dependence of the exciton emission intensity I_ex(H) has been investigated in Ge crystals stressed along the direction near 〈100〉. In the low field limit the magnetic field correction has been evaluated to the wave functions of the ground and some excited states of an isotropic exciton. The calculated dependence I_ex(H) in the case of Ge is in a good agreement with the experimental one at H ? 0.5 T.     

Cyclotron spin-flip mode in the extreme quantum limit

In a two-dimensional electron system, the combined excitation (the cyclotron spin-flip mode) associated with changes in both orbital and spin quantum numbers is investigated. The energy of the cyclotron spin-flip mode is studied as a function of the electron filling factor. Comparative dependences of the decay times of the cyclotron spin-flip mode and the magnetoplasmon are measured. It is shown that, as the filling factor increases from v = 0 or decreases from v = 1, the damping of the cyclotron spin-flip mode increases significantly, while the magnetoplasma mode remains undamped.     

Fingerprints of the hydrogen bond in the photoemission spectra of croconic acid condensed phase: an x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ab-initio study

The electronic structure of Croconic Acid in the condensed phase has been studied by comparing core level and valence band x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments and first principles density functional theory calculations using the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof screened hybrid functional and the GW approximation. By exploring the photoemission spectra for different deposition thicknesses, we show how the formation of the hydrogen bond network modifies the O 1s core level lineshape. Moreover, the valence band can be explained only if the intermolecular interactions are taken into account in the theoretical approach.     

Measurement of cyclotron masses of spin-orbit-split quasi-two-dimensional holes in GaAs(100) narrow quantum wells

The magnetic field dependence of the cyclotron mass of heavy holes in asymmetric GaAs(100) quantum wells is measured by optical detection of resonant microwave absorption for various concentrations of quasi-two-dimensional holes. The effect of spin-orbit splitting on the cyclotron masses of heavy holes is discovered and investigated. The energy spectrum of holes is calculated on the basis of experimental data. The energy range in which spin-plasmon oscillations are observed in hole systems with various concentrations is predicted.     

Charge density excitations in bilayer graphene in high magnetic field

The charge-density excitations in bilayer graphene at the filling-factor ν 1 at small momenta are considered in the frame of the Hartree-Fock approximation. The presence of small asymmetry of graphene layers is included. The dependence of the magnetoplasmon energy on the bilayer ground state is shown. The energy splitting proportional to $ \sqrt H $ for the symmetric case with half-filled zero-energy levels is found both for bilayer and monolayer graphene.     

Rayleigh scattering of light by two-dimensional electrons in a high magnetic field

Resonance Rayleigh scattering of light by a two-dimensional electron system in the ultraquantum limit is investigated. The scattering process under study involves electronic states belonging to the two spin sublevels of the zero Landau level. It is shown that the main contribution to resonance Rayleigh scattering originates from the fluctuations of the random potential in the quantum well hosting the two-dimensional system.     

Effect of deformation on spin splitting in quasi-2D hole systems

The effective Hamiltonian for holes in a 2D channel with in-plane uniaxial deformation is obtained. Two-dimensional channels on a Si surface are studied in the approximation of a spherically symmetric valence band and on the (100) and (110) surfaces taking account of the cubic symmetry. It is shown that the shift of the positions of the beats of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations that is linear in the deformation is due to the nonequivalence of the compression-tension axis and the direction perpendicular to it in the plane on the (110) surface. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 546–549 (March 1998)     

Magnetooptic measurements of the cyclotron mass and g-factor of light holes in GaAs

An emission line appearing in the hot-luminescence spectrum of GaAs at a frequency shifted from the laser line by the cyclotron energy of light holes is observed and investigated. Analysis of the magnetooscillations of the intensity of this line shows that the line is due to the recombination of a photoexcited electron and a light hole after the hole undergoes energy relaxation between Landau levels. The dependence of the cyclotron mass and g factor of light holes on the hole energy was measured directly and a very strong nonparabolicity of the valence band of GaAs, several times greater than the theoretical estimates, was observed. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 64, No. 11, 766–771 (10 December 1996)     

Landau levels of holes in a two-dimensional channel

A method for calculating the Landau levels in a two-dimensional channel is proposed. This method is aimed at construction of an effective two-dimensional Hamiltonian of holes H(k_x, k_y, B). The Hamiltonian is expanded in powers of the magnetic field B and noncommuting momenta k_x and k_y. The results indicate an interconnection between effective masses and g-factors of the two-dimensional holes. It is possible to account for the effects of band warping in a nonperturbative manner. The shift of phase in the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations is explained.