#### Sample records for superconducting pairing interaction

1. Enhanced superconducting pairing interaction in indium-doped tin telluride

SciTech Connect

Erickson, A.S.

2010-05-03

The ferroelectric degenerate semiconductor Sn{sub 1-{delta}}Te exhibits superconductivity with critical temperatures, T{sub c}, of up to 0.3 K for hole densities of order 10{sup 21} cm{sup -3}. When doped on the tin site with greater than x{sub c} = 1.7(3)% indium atoms, however, superconductivity is observed up to 2 K, though the carrier density does not change significantly. We present specific heat data showing that a stronger pairing interaction is present for x > x{sub c} than for x < x{sub c}. By examining the effect of In dopant atoms on both T{sub c} and the temperature of the ferroelectric structural phase transition, T{sub SPT}, we show that phonon modes related to this transition are not responsible for this T{sub c} enhancement, and discuss a plausible candidate based on the unique properties of the indium impurities.

2. Enhanced superconducting pairing interaction in indium-doped tin telluride

SciTech Connect

Erickson, A.S.; Chu, J.-H.; Toney, M.F.; Geballe, T.H.; Fisher, I.R.; /SLAC, SSRL /Stanford U., Appl. Phys. Dept. /Stanford U., Geballe Lab.

2010-02-15

The ferroelectric degenerate semiconductor Sn{sub 1-{delta}}Te exhibits superconductivity with critical temperatures, T{sub c}, of up to 0.3 K for hole densities of order 10{sup 21} cm{sup -3}. When doped on the tin site with greater than x{sub c} = 1.7(3)% indium atoms, however, superconductivity is observed up to 2 K, though the carrier density does not change significantly. We present specific heat data showing that a stronger pairing interaction is present for x > x{sub c} than for x < x{sub c}. By examining the effect of In dopant atoms on both T{sub c} and the temperature of the ferroelectric structural phase transition, T{sub SPT}, we show that phonon modes related to this transition are not responsible for this T{sub c} enhancement, and discuss a plausible candidate based on the unique properties of the indium impurities.

3. Electron-phonon interaction and pairing mechanism in superconducting Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene

PubMed Central

Margine, E. R.; Lambert, Henry; Giustino, Feliciano

2016-01-01

Using the ab initio anisotropic Eliashberg theory including Coulomb interactions, we investigate the electron-phonon interaction and the pairing mechanism in the recently-reported superconducting Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene. We find that C6CaC6 can support phonon-mediated superconductivity with a critical temperature Tc = 6.8–8.1 K, in good agreement with experimental data. Our calculations indicate that the low-energy Caxy vibrations are critical to the pairing, and that it should be possible to resolve two distinct superconducting gaps on the electron and hole Fermi surface pockets. PMID:26892805

4. Superconducting pairing of interacting electrons: implications from the two-impurity Anderson model

Zhu, Lijun; Zhu, Jian-Xin

2011-03-01

We study the non-local superconducting pairing of two interacting Anderson impurities, which has an instability near the quantum critical point from the competition between the Kondo effect and an antiferromagnetic inter-impurity spin exchange interaction. As revealed by the dynamics over the whole energy range, the superconducting pairing fluctuations acquire considerable strength from an energy scale much higher than the characteristic spin fluctuation scale while the low energy behaviors follow those of the staggered spin susceptibility. We argue that the superconducting pairing might not need the spin fluctuations as the glue, but rather originated from the effective Coulomb interaction. On the other hand, critical spin fluctuations in the vicinity of quantum criticality are also crucial to a superconducting pairing instability, by preventing a Fermi liquid fixed point being reached to keep the superconducting pairing fluctuations finite at low energies. A superconducting order, to reduce the accumulated entropy carried by the critical degrees of freedom, may arise favorably from this instability. This work is supported by the U.S. DOE through the LANL/LDRD program.

5. Superconductivity in repulsively interacting fermions on a diamond chain: Flat-band-induced pairing

Kobayashi, Keita; Okumura, Masahiko; Yamada, Susumu; Machida, Masahiko; Aoki, Hideo

2016-12-01

To explore whether a flat-band system can accommodate superconductivity, we consider repulsively interacting fermions on the diamond chain, a simplest possible quasi-one-dimensional system that contains a flat band. Exact diagonalization and the density-matrix renormalization group are used to show that we have a significant binding energy of a Cooper pair with a long-tailed pair-pair correlation in real space when the total band filling is slightly below 1/3, where a filled dispersive band interacts with the flat band that is empty but close to EF. Pairs selectively formed across the outer sites of the diamond chain are responsible for the pairing correlation. At exactly 1/3-filling an insulating phase emerges, where the entanglement spectrum indicates the particles on the outer sites are highly entangled and topological. These come from a peculiarity of the flat band in which "Wannier orbits" are not orthogonalizable.

6. Superconductivity: The persistence of pairs

SciTech Connect

Edelman, Alex; Littlewood, Peter

2015-05-20

Superconductivity stems from a weak attraction between electrons that causes them to form bound pairs and behave much like bosons. These so-called Cooper pairs are phase coherent, which leads to the astonishing properties of zero electrical resistance and magnetic flux expulsion typical of superconducting materials. This coherent state may be qualitatively understood within the Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) model, which predicts that a gas of interacting bosons will become unstable below a critical temperature and condense into a phase of matter with a macroscopic, coherent population in the lowest energy state, as happens in 4He or cold atomic gases. The successful theory proposed by Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer (BCS) predicts that at the superconducting transition temperature Tc, electrons simultaneously form pairs and condense, with no sign of pairing above Tc. Theorists have long surmised that the BCS and BEC models are opposite limits of a single theory and that strong interactions or low density can, in principle, drive the system to a paired state at a temperature Tpair higher than Tc, making the transition to the superconducting state BEC-like (Fig. 1). Yet most superconductors to date are reasonably well described by BCS theory or its extensions, and there has been scant evidence in electronic materials for the existence of pairing independent of the full superconducting state (though an active debate rages over the cuprate superconductors). Writing in Nature, Jeremy Levy and colleagues have now used ingenious nanostructured devices to provide evidence for electron pairing1. Perhaps surprisingly, the material they have studied is a venerable, yet enigmatic, low-temperature superconductor, SrTiO3.

7. Quantitative determination of pairing interactions for high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates.

PubMed

Bok, Jin Mo; Bae, Jong Ju; Choi, Han-Yong; Varma, Chandra M; Zhang, Wentao; He, Junfeng; Zhang, Yuxiao; Yu, Li; Zhou, X J

2016-03-01

A profound problem in modern condensed matter physics is discovering and understanding the nature of fluctuations and their coupling to fermions in cuprates, which lead to high-temperature superconductivity and the invariably associated strange metal state. We report the quantitative determination of normal and pairing self-energies, made possible by laser-based angle-resolved photoemission measurements of unprecedented accuracy and stability. Through a precise inversion procedure, both the effective interactions in the attractive d-wave symmetry and the repulsive part in the full symmetry are determined. The latter is nearly angle-independent. Near T c, both interactions are nearly independent of frequency and have almost the same magnitude over the complete energy range of up to about 0.4 eV, except for a low-energy feature at around 50 meV that is present only in the repulsive part, which has less than 10% of the total spectral weight. Well below T c, they both change similarly, with superconductivity-induced features at low energies. Besides finding the pairing self-energy and the attractive interactions for the first time, these results expose the central paradox of the problem of high T c: how the same frequency-independent fluctuations can dominantly scatter at angles ±π/2 in the attractive channel to give d-wave pairing and lead to angle-independent repulsive scattering. The experimental results are compared with available theoretical calculations based on antiferromagnetic fluctuations, the Hubbard model, and quantum-critical fluctuations of the loop-current order.

8. Quantitative determination of pairing interactions for high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates

PubMed Central

Bok, Jin Mo; Bae, Jong Ju; Choi, Han-Yong; Varma, Chandra M.; Zhang, Wentao; He, Junfeng; Zhang, Yuxiao; Yu, Li; Zhou, X. J.

2016-01-01

A profound problem in modern condensed matter physics is discovering and understanding the nature of fluctuations and their coupling to fermions in cuprates, which lead to high-temperature superconductivity and the invariably associated strange metal state. We report the quantitative determination of normal and pairing self-energies, made possible by laser-based angle-resolved photoemission measurements of unprecedented accuracy and stability. Through a precise inversion procedure, both the effective interactions in the attractive d-wave symmetry and the repulsive part in the full symmetry are determined. The latter is nearly angle-independent. Near Tc, both interactions are nearly independent of frequency and have almost the same magnitude over the complete energy range of up to about 0.4 eV, except for a low-energy feature at around 50 meV that is present only in the repulsive part, which has less than 10% of the total spectral weight. Well below Tc, they both change similarly, with superconductivity-induced features at low energies. Besides finding the pairing self-energy and the attractive interactions for the first time, these results expose the central paradox of the problem of high Tc: how the same frequency-independent fluctuations can dominantly scatter at angles ±π/2 in the attractive channel to give d-wave pairing and lead to angle-independent repulsive scattering. The experimental results are compared with available theoretical calculations based on antiferromagnetic fluctuations, the Hubbard model, and quantum-critical fluctuations of the loop-current order. PMID:26973872

9. Superconducting transition temperatures and coherence length in non-s-wave pairing materials correlated with spin-fluctuation mediated interaction

Angilella, G. G.; March, N. H.; Pucci, R.

2002-03-01

Following earlier work on electron or hole liquids flowing through assemblies with magnetic fluctuations, we have recently exposed a marked correlation of the superconducting temperature Tc, for non-s-wave pairing materials, with coherence length ξ and effective mass m*. The very recent study of Abanov et al. [Europhys. Lett. 54, 488 (2001)] and the prior investigation of Monthoux and Lonzarich [Phys. Rev. B 59, 14 598 (1999)] have each focused on the concept of a spin-fluctuation temperature Tsf, which again is intimately related to Tc. For the d-wave pairing via antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in the cuprates, these studies are brought into close contact with our own work, and the result is that kBTsf~ħ2/m*ξ2. This demonstrates that ξ is also determined by such antiferromagnetic spin-fluctuation mediated pair interaction. The coherence length in units of the lattice spacing is then essentially given in the cuprates as the square root of the ratio of two characteristic energies, namely, the kinetic energy of localization of a charge carrier of mass m* in a specified magnetic correlation length to the hopping energy. The quasi-two-dimensional ruthenate Sr2RuO4, with Tc~1.3 K, has p-wave spin-triplet pairing and so is also briefly discussed here.

10. Superconductivity: A celebration of pairs

Norman, Michael R.

2007-12-01

It is fifty years since John Bardeen, Leon Cooper and Bob Schrieffer presented the microscopic theory of superconductivity. At a wonderful conference in Urbana the 'good old days' were remembered, and the challenges ahead surveyed.

11. Anisotropic superconductivity driven by kinematic interaction

Ivanov, V. A.

2000-11-01

We have analysed the effect of kinematic pairing on the symmetry of superconducting order parameter for a square lattice in the frame of the strongly correlated Hubbard model. It is argued that in the first perturbation order the kinematic interaction renormalizes the Hubbard-I dispersions and provides at low doping the mixed singlet (s + s*)-wave superconductivity, giving way at higher doping to the triplet p-wave superconductivity. The obtained phase diagram depends only on the hopping integral parameter. The influence of the Coulomb repulsion on the kinematic superconducting pairing has been estimated. The (s + s*)-wave gap and the thermodynamic critical magnetic field have been derived.

12. Induced spectral gap and pairing correlations from superconducting proximity effect

Chiu, Ching-Kai; Cole, William S.; Das Sarma, S.

2016-09-01

We theoretically consider superconducting proximity effect, using the Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) theory, in heterostructure sandwich-type geometries involving a normal s -wave superconductor and a nonsuperconducting material with the proximity effect being driven by Cooper pairs tunneling from the superconducting slab to the nonsuperconducting slab. Applications of the superconducting proximity effect may rely on an induced spectral gap or induced pairing correlations without any spectral gap. We clarify that in a nonsuperconducting material the induced spectral gap and pairing correlations are independent physical quantities arising from the proximity effect. This is a crucial issue in proposals to create topological superconductivity through the proximity effect. Heterostructures of three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) slabs on conventional s -wave superconductor (SC) substrates provide a platform, with proximity-induced topological superconductivity expected to be observed on the "naked" top surface of a thin TI slab. We theoretically study the induced superconducting gap on this naked surface. In addition, we compare against the induced spectral gap in heterostructures of SC with a normal metal or a semiconductor with strong spin-orbit coupling and a Zeeman splitting potential (another promising platform for topological superconductivity). We find that for any model for the non-SC metal (including metallic TI) the induced spectral gap on the naked surface decays as L-3 as the thickness (L ) of the non-SC slab is increased in contrast to the slower 1 /L decay of the pairing correlations. Our distinction between proximity-induced spectral gap (with its faster spatial decay) and pairing correlation (with its slower spatial decay) has important implications for the currently active search for topological superconductivity and Majorana fermions in various superconducting heterostructures.

13. Ising pairing in superconducting NbSe2 atomic layers

Xi, Xiaoxiang; Wang, Zefang; Zhao, Weiwei; Park, Ju-Hyun; Law, Kam Tuen; Berger, Helmuth; Forró, László; Shan, Jie; Mak, Kin Fai

2016-02-01

The properties of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides arising from strong spin-orbit interactions and valley-dependent Berry curvature effects have recently attracted considerable interest. Although single-particle and excitonic phenomena related to spin-valley coupling have been extensively studied, the effects of spin-valley coupling on collective quantum phenomena remain less well understood. Here we report the observation of superconducting monolayer NbSe2 with an in-plane upper critical field of more than six times the Pauli paramagnetic limit, by means of magnetotransport measurements. The effect can be interpreted in terms of the competing Zeeman effect and large intrinsic spin-orbit interactions in non-centrosymmetric NbSe2 monolayers, where the electron spin is locked to the out-of-plane direction. Our results provide strong evidence of unconventional Ising pairing protected by spin-momentum locking, and suggest further studies of non-centrosymmetric superconductivity with unique spin and valley degrees of freedom in the two-dimensional limit.

14. Pair density wave superconducting states and statistical mechanics of dimers

Soto Garrido, Rodrigo Andres

3 we show that the pair-density-wave superconducting state emergent in extended Heisenberg-Hubbard models in two-leg ladders is topological in the presence of an Ising spin symmetry and supports a Majorana zero mode (MZM) at an open boundary and at a junction with a uniform d-wave one-dimensional superconductor. Similarly to a conventional finite-momentum paired state, the order parameter of the PDW state is a charge-2e field with finite momentum. However, the order parameter here is a quartic electron operator and conventional mean-field theory cannot be applied to study this state. We use bosonization to show that the 1D PDW state has a MZM at a boundary. This superconducting state is an exotic topological phase supporting Majorana fermions with finite-momentum pairing fields and charge-4e superconductivity. In chapter 4 we provide a quasi-one-dimensional model which can support a PDW state. The model consists of an array of strongly-interacting one-dimensional systems, where the one-dimensional systems are coupled to each other by local interactions.Within the interchain mean-field theory (MFT), we find several SC states from the model, including a conventional uniform SC state, PDW SC state, and a coexisting phase of the uniform SC and PDW states. In this quasi-1D regime we can treat the strong correlation physics essentially exactly using bosonization methods and the crossover to the 2D system by means of interchain MFT. The resulting critical temperatures of the SC phases generically exhibit a power-law scaling with the coupling constants of the array, instead of the essential singularity found in weak-coupling BCS-type theories. Electronic excitations with an open Fermi surface, which emerge from the electronic Luttinger liquid systems below their crossover temperature to the Fermi liquid, are then coupled to the SC order parameters via the proximity effect. From the Fermi surface thus coupled to the SC order parameters, we calculate the quasiparticle

15. Broadband illumination of superconducting pair breaking photon detectors

Guruswamy, T.; Goldie, D. J.; Withington, S.

2016-04-01

Understanding the detailed behaviour of superconducting pair breaking photon detectors such as Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) requires knowledge of the nonequilibrium quasiparticle energy distributions. We have previously calculated the steady state distributions resulting from uniform absorption of monochromatic sub gap and above gap frequency radiation by thin films. In this work, we use the same methods to calculate the effect of illumination by broadband sources, such as thermal radiation from astrophysical phenomena or from the readout system. Absorption of photons at multiple above gap frequencies is shown to leave unchanged the structure of the quasiparticle energy distribution close to the superconducting gap. Hence for typical absorbed powers, we find the effects of absorption of broadband pair breaking radiation can simply be considered as the sum of the effects of absorption of many monochromatic sources. Distribution averaged quantities, like quasiparticle generation efficiency η, match exactly a weighted average over the bandwidth of the source of calculations assuming a monochromatic source. For sub gap frequencies, however, distributing the absorbed power across multiple frequencies does change the low energy quasiparticle distribution. For moderate and high absorbed powers, this results in a significantly larger η-a higher number of excess quasiparticles for a broadband source compared to a monochromatic source of equal total absorbed power. Typically in KIDs the microwave power absorbed has a very narrow bandwidth, but in devices with broad resonance characteristics (low quality factors), this increase in η may be measurable.

16. PREFACE: Anisotropic and multiband pairing: from borides to multicomponent superconductivity Anisotropic and multiband pairing: from borides to multicomponent superconductivity

Annett, James; Kusmartsev, Feodor; Bianconi, Antonio

2009-01-01

In 2001, the discovery of superconductivity in MgB2 rapidly led to the understanding that its complex multi-sheeted Fermi surface had two distinct values of the gap parameter Δ, each with its own characteristic temperature dependence. While the theory of multigap superconductivity had been developed long ago, this was the first well studied example where multigap behaviour was observed clearly, and indeed is essential to understand the full superconducting properties of the material. Following this discovery, evidence for multigap behaviour has appeared in a number of materials, including cuprates, ruthenates, and most recently the iron pnictides. As well as multigap pairing on different Fermi-surface sheets, strong gap anisotropy in k-space and strong modulations of the gap in real space (e.g. stripes and phase separation models) are also important in cuprates. The aim of this special section is to present a selection of high-quality papers from experts in these diverse systems, showing the links and common physical issues arising from the existence of multi-component Cooper pairing. The papers collected together for the special section provide a snapshot of the current state of the understanding of multi-component superconductivity in a wide range of materials. In a model motivated by MgB2, Tanaka and Eschrig describe Abrikosov vortex lattice in a two-gap superconductor, examining how the vortex structure is modified by three-dimensionality or quasi two-dimensionality of the Fermi surface. The multi-sheeted Fermi surfaces of the nickel borocarbides are probed using angle-resolved positron annihilation spectroscopy, described by Dugdale et al, leading to a full three-dimensional picture of the complex Fermi surface in this superconducting material. Possible evidence for multigap superconductivity in the iron pnictides, obtained using Andreev point contact spectroscopy, is described by Samuely et al. The iron pnictides are also the subject of the article by

17. Superconducting pairing and density-wave instabilities in quasi-one-dimensional conductors

Nickel, J. C.; Duprat, R.; Bourbonnais, C.; Dupuis, N.

2006-04-01

Using a renormalization group approach, we determine the phase diagram of an extended quasi-one-dimensional electron gas model that includes interchain hopping, nesting deviations, and both intrachain and interchain repulsive interactions. d -wave superconductivity, which dominates over the spin-density-wave (SDW) phase at large nesting deviations, becomes unstable to the benefit of a triplet f -wave phase for a weak repulsive interchain backscattering term g1⊥>0 , despite the persistence of dominant SDW correlations in the normal state. Antiferromagnetism becomes unstable against the formation of a charge-density-wave state when g1⊥ exceeds some critical value. While these features persist when both Umklapp processes and interchain forward scattering (g2⊥) are taken into account, the effect of g2⊥ alone is found to frustrate nearest-neighbor interchain d - and f -wave pairing and instead favor next-nearest-neighbor interchain singlet or triplet pairing. We argue that the close proximity of SDW and charge-density-wave phases, singlet d -wave, and triplet f -wave superconducting phases in the theoretical phase diagram provides a possible explanation for recent puzzling experimental findings in the Bechgaard salts, including the coexistence of SDW and charge-density-wave phases and the possibility of a triplet pairing in the superconducting phase.

18. Emergent loop current order from pair density wave superconductivity

Kashyap, Manoj; Melchert, Drew; Agterberg, Daniel

2015-03-01

In addition to charge density wave (CDW) order, there is evidence that the pseudogap phase in the cuprates breaks time reversal symmetry. Here we show that pair density wave (PDW) states give rise to a translational invariant non-superconducting order parameter that breaks time reversal and parity symmetries, but preserves their product. This secondary order parameter has a different origin, but shares the same symmetry properties as a magnetoelectric loop current order that has been proposed earlier in the context of the cuprates to explain the appearance of intra-cell magnetic order. We further show that, due to fluctuations, this secondary loop current order, which represents the breaking of discrete symmetries, can preempt PDW order, which breaks both continuous and discrete symmetries. In such a phase, the emergent loop current order coexists with spatial short range CDW and short range superconducting order. Finally, we propose a PDW phase that accounts for intra-cell magnetic order and the Kerr effect, has CDW order consistent with x-ray scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance observations, and quasi-particle properties consistent with angle resolved photoemission scattering. We acknowledge support from NSF Grant No. DMR-1335215

19. Superconductivity on a quasiperiodic lattice: Extended-to-localized crossover of Cooper pairs

Sakai, Shiro; Takemori, Nayuta; Koga, Akihisa; Arita, Ryotaro

2017-01-01

We study a possible superconductivity in quasiperiodic systems by portraying the issue within the attractive Hubbard model on a Penrose lattice. Applying a real-space dynamical mean-field theory to the model consisting of 4181 sites, we find a superconducting phase at low temperatures. Reflecting the nonperiodicity of the Penrose lattice, the superconducting state exhibits an inhomogeneity. According to the type of the inhomogeneity, the superconducting phase is categorized into three different regions which cross over each other. Among them, the weak-coupling region exhibits spatially extended Cooper pairs, which are nevertheless distinct from the conventional pairing of two electrons with opposite momenta.

20. Emergent loop current order from pair density wave superconductivity

Agterberg, D. F.; Melchert, Drew S.; Kashyap, M. K.

2015-02-01

There is evidence that the pseudogap phase in the cuprates breaks time-reversal symmetry. Here we show that pair density wave (PDW) states give rise to a translational invariant nonsuperconducting order parameter that breaks time-reversal and parity symmetries, but preserves their product. This secondary order parameter has a different origin, but shares the same symmetry properties as a magnetoelectric loop current order that has been proposed earlier in the context of the cuprates to explain the appearance of intracell magnetic order. We further show that, due to fluctuations, this secondary loop current order, which breaks only discrete symmetries, can preempt PDW order, which breaks both continuous and discrete symmetries. In such a phase, the emergent loop current order coexists with spatial short-range superconducting order and possibly short-range charge density wave (CDW) order. Finally, we propose a PDW phase that accounts for intracell magnetic order and the Kerr effect, has CDW order consistent with x-ray scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance observations, and quasiparticle properties consistent with angle-resolved photoemission scattering.

1. The interplay between topological p-wave superconductivity and odd-frequency pairing in superconducting proximity systems

Stanev, Valentin; Galitski, Victor

2014-03-01

We study the proximity-induced superconductivity in semiconductor nanowires. The interplay between superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling plays a crucial role in proposals for creating Majorana fermions in semiconducting heterostructures. To further elucidate the physics of such devices we employ the quasiclassical Green's functions methods. We show that the spatial variations of the superconducting order parameter leads to non-trivial effects in the nanowire. We demonstrate the appearance of odd-frequency pairing correlations close to the boundaries, and discuss their effect on the density of states. Work supported by DOE-BES (DESC0001911) and Simons Foundation.

2. Charge transfer polarisation wave in high Tc oxides and superconductive pairing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakraverty, B. K.

1991-01-01

A general formalism of quantized charge transfer polarization waves was developed. The nature of possible superconductive pairing between oxygen holes is discussed. Unlike optical phonons, these polarization fields will give rise to dielectric bipolarons or bipolaron bubbles. In the weak coupling limit, a new class of superconductivity is to be expected.

3. The η-Pairing Superconductivity in Spin-Density Wave Background

X, M. Qiu; Z, J. Wang

1993-10-01

In this letter, we propose a modified attractive Hubbard model at half filling that can exhibit superconductivity through η-pairing mechanism in spin-density wave representation and derive a concise relationship between the energy disparity and the single-particle energy spectrum. This relationship, in the two limits of U, clearly shows that the system does not display superconductivity for very low doping concentration. but demonstrates superconductivity when the doping concentration exceeds a certain critical value. This conclusion is in qualitative agreement with the familiar experiments on high-Tc superconductivity.

4. Experimental investigation of the role of the triplet pairing in the superconducting spin-valve effect

Leksin, P. V.; Kamashev, A. A.; Garif'yanov, N. N.; Validov, A. A.; Fominov, Ya. V.; Schumann, J.; Kataev, V. E.; Büchner, B.; Garifullin, I. A.

2016-11-01

An important role of the morphology of a superconducting layer in the superconducting spin-valve effect has been established. The triplet pairing induced by the superconductor/ferromagnet proximity effect has been experimentally investigated for samples CoO x /Py1/Cu/Py2/Cu/Pb (where Py = Ni0.81Fe0.19) with a smooth superconducting layer. The optimization of the parameters of this structure has demonstrated a complete switching between the normal and superconducting states with a change in the relative orientation of magnetizations of the ferromagnetic layers from the antiparallel to orthogonal orientation. A pure triplet contribution has been observed for the sample with a permalloy layer thickness at which the superconducting spin-valve effect vanishes. A direct comparison of the experimental data with the theoretical calculation of the temperature of the transition to the superconducting state has been performed for the first time.

5. Current correlations in an interacting Cooper-pair beam splitter

Rech, J.; Chevallier, D.; Jonckheere, T.; Martin, T.

2012-01-01

We propose an approach allowing the computation of currents and their correlations in interacting multiterminal mesoscopic systems involving quantum dots coupled to normal and/or superconducting leads. The formalism relies on the expression of branching currents and noise crossed correlations in terms of one- and two-particle Green's functions for the dots electrons, which are then evaluated self-consistently within a conserving approximation. We then apply this to the Cooper-pair beam-splitter setup recently proposed [L. Hofstetter , Nature (London)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature08432 461, 960 (2009); Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.107.136801 107, 136801 (2011); L. G. Herrmann , Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.104.026801 104, 026801 (2010)], which we model as a double quantum dot with weak interactions, connected to a superconducting lead and two normal ones. Our method not only enables us to take into account a local repulsive interaction on the dots, but also to study its competition with the direct tunneling between dots. Our results suggest that even a weak Coulomb repulsion tends to favor positive current cross correlations in the antisymmetric regime (where the dots have opposite energies with respect to the superconducting chemical potential).

6. Origin of dz2 orbital suppression of d-wave superconductive pairs in cuprate

Tang, Huai Bao; Li, Guang; Zhang, Hai Jun; Zuo, Xue Qin; Meng, Fan Ming; Liu, Da Yong

2015-07-01

Compared to Hg-cuprate, the origin that the dz2 orbital suppresses the d-wave superconductive (SC) pairs in La-cuprate is studied based on an effective two-orbital t-J-U model by using the Kotliar-Ruckenstein (KR) slave-boson technique. By analyzing the orbital-dependent electron distribution, it is elaborated that the double occupancy of dx2-y2 orbital, caused by the dz2 orbital mixture, should be responsible for the suppression of the d-wave SC pairs in La-cuprate. When the Coulomb interaction U increases, the ground state hosting the large double occupancy of dx2-y2 orbital in La-cuprate is stabilized by the localization of the carriers due to the Coulomb-blocking instead of reducing the double occupancy by the way of lowering of Coulomb potential energy. Therefore, it could be concluded that the mechanism that the double occupancy destructs against d-wave SC pairs is robust even if the strong Coulomb interaction exists in the La-based compounds.

7. On local pairs vs. BCS: Quo vadis high-Tc superconductivity

DOE PAGES

Pavuna, D.; Dubuis, G.; Bollinger, A. T.; ...

2016-07-28

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates, proposals have been made that pairing may be local, in particular in underdoped samples. Furthermore, we briefly review evidence for local pairs from our experiments on thin films of La 2–xSrxCuO4, synthesized by atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE).

8. Separating pairing from quantum phase coherence dynamics above the superconducting transition by femtosecond spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Madan, I.; Kurosawa, T.; Toda, Y.; Oda, M.; Mertelj, T.; Kusar, P.; Mihailovic, D.

2014-01-01

In classical superconductors an energy gap and phase coherence appear simultaneously with pairing at the transition to the superconducting state. In high-temperature superconductors, the possibility that pairing and phase coherence are distinct and independent processes has led to intense experimental search of their separate manifestations. Using femtosecond spectroscopy methods we now show that it is possible to clearly separate fluctuation dynamics of the superconducting pairing amplitude from the phase relaxation above the critical transition temperature. Empirically establishing a close correspondence between the superfluid density measured by THz spectroscopy and superconducting optical pump-probe response over a wide region of temperature, we find that in differently doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ crystals the pairing gap amplitude monotonically extends well beyond Tc, while the phase coherence shows a pronounced power-law divergence as T → Tc, thus showing that phase coherence and gap formation are distinct processes which occur on different timescales. PMID:25014162

9. Anyon pairing via phonon-mediated interaction

Kandemir, B. S.

2006-08-01

In this paper, we study the pairing of anyons subjected to an external uniform magnetic field and confined in a two-dimensional parabolic quantum dot within the framework of Fröhlich large bipolaron theory, motivated by the Wilczek’s prescription that treats anyons as composites having both charges and fictitious flux tubes. In this model, electrons bound to Aharanov-Bohm type flux tubes and surrounded by a cloud of virtual LO phonons interact with each other through the long range Coulomb and statistical potentials. In order to discuss the effects of both spatial confinement potential and external uniform magnetic field on the boundaries of the stability region of such a pairing in real space, we perform a self-consistent treatment of the ground-state energies of both an interacting anyon pair and two noninteracting anyons. Our results suggest that two interacting anyons can be bound into a condensate anyon pair through a phonon-mediated interaction.

10. Superconductivity in just four pairs of (BETS)2GaCl4 molecules.

PubMed

Clark, K; Hassanien, A; Khan, S; Braun, K-F; Tanaka, H; Hla, S-W

2010-04-01

How small can a sample of superconducting material be and still display superconductivity? This question is relevant to our fundamental understanding of superconductivity, and also to applications in nanoscale electronics, because Joule heating of interconnecting wires is a major problem in nanoscale devices. It has been shown that ultrathin layers of metal can display superconductivity, but any limits on the size of superconducting systems remain a mystery. (BETS)2GaCl4, where BETS is bis(ethylenedithio)tetraselenafulvalene, is an organic superconductor, and in bulk it has a superconducting transition temperature Tc of approximately 8 K and a two-dimensional layered structure that is reminiscent of the high-Tc cuprate superconductors. Here, we use scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to show that a single layer of (BETS)2GaCl4 molecules on an Ag(111) surface displays a superconducting gap that increases exponentially with the length of the molecular chain. Moreover, we show that a superconducting gap can still be detected for just four pairs of (BETS)2GaCl4 molecules. Real-space spectroscopic images directly visualize the chains of BETS molecules as the origin of the superconductivity.

11. Direct evidence for a magnetic f-electron-mediated pairing mechanism of heavy-fermion superconductivity in CeCoIn5.

PubMed

Van Dyke, John S; Massee, Freek; Allan, Milan P; Davis, J C Séamus; Petrovic, Cedomir; Morr, Dirk K

2014-08-12

To identify the microscopic mechanism of heavy-fermion Cooper pairing is an unresolved challenge in quantum matter studies; it may also relate closely to finding the pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. Magnetically mediated Cooper pairing has long been the conjectured basis of heavy-fermion superconductivity but no direct verification of this hypothesis was achievable. Here, we use a novel approach based on precision measurements of the heavy-fermion band structure using quasiparticle interference imaging to reveal quantitatively the momentum space (k-space) structure of the f-electron magnetic interactions of CeCoIn5. Then, by solving the superconducting gap equations on the two heavy-fermion bands Ek(α,β) with these magnetic interactions as mediators of the Cooper pairing, we derive a series of quantitative predictions about the superconductive state. The agreement found between these diverse predictions and the measured characteristics of superconducting CeCoIn5 then provides direct evidence that the heavy-fermion Cooper pairing is indeed mediated by f-electron magnetism.

12. Probing the tides in interacting galaxy pairs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borne, Kirk D.

1990-01-01

Detailed spectroscopic and imaging observations of colliding elliptical galaxies revealed unmistakable diagnostic signatures of the tidal interactions. It is possible to compare both the distorted luminosity distributions and the disturbed internal rotation profiles with numerical simulations in order to model the strength of the tidal gravitational field acting within a given pair of galaxies. Using the best-fit numerical model, one can then measure directly the mass of a specific interacting binary system. This technique applies to individual pairs and therefore complements the classical methods of measuring the masses of galaxy pairs in well-defined statistical samples. The 'personalized' modeling of galaxy pairs also permits the derivation of each binary's orbit, spatial orientation, and interaction timescale. Similarly, one can probe the tides in less-detailed observations of disturbed galaxies in order to estimate some of the physical parameters for larger samples of interacting galaxy pairs. These parameters are useful inputs to the more universal problems of (1) the galaxy merger rate, (2) the strength and duration of the driving forces behind tidally stimulated phenomena (e.g., starbursts and maybe quasi steller objects), and (3) the identification of long-lived signatures of interaction/merger events.

13. Pair-breaking effects by parallel magnetic field in electric-field-induced surface superconductivity

Nabeta, Masahiro; Tanaka, Kenta K.; Onari, Seiichiro; Ichioka, Masanori

2016-11-01

We study paramagnetic pair-breaking in electric-field-induced surface superconductivity, when magnetic field is applied parallel to the surface. The calculation is performed by Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory with s-wave pairing, including the screening effect of electric fields by the induced carriers near the surface. Due to the Zeeman shift by applied fields, electronic states at higher-level sub-bands become normal-state-like. Therefore, the magnetic field dependence of Fermi-energy density of states reflects the multi-gap structure in the surface superconductivity.

14. Robustness of s-wave pairing symmetry in iron-based superconductors and its implications for fundamentals of magnetically driven high-temperature superconductivity

Hu, Jiangping; Yuan, Jing

2016-10-01

Based on the assumption that the superconducting state belongs to a single irreducible representation of lattice symmetry, we propose that the pairing symmetry in all measured iron-based superconductors is generally consistent with the A 1 g s-wave. Robust s-wave pairing throughout the different families of iron-based superconductors at different doping regions signals two fundamental principles behind high- T c superconducting mechanisms: (i) the correspondence principle: the short-range magnetic-exchange interactions and the Fermi surfaces act collaboratively to achieve high- T c superconductivity and determine pairing symmetries; (ii) the magnetic-selection pairing rule: superconductivity is only induced by the magnetic-exchange couplings from the super-exchange mechanism through cation-anion-cation chemical bonding. These principles explain why unconventional high- T c superconductivity appears to be such a rare but robust phenomena, with its strict requirements regarding the electronic environment. The results will help us to identify new electronic structures that can support high- T c superconductivity.

15. Superconductivity: from Electron Interaction to Nuclear Superfluidity

Pines, David

I present an expanded version of a talk given at the Urbana symposium that celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the microscopic theory of superconductivity by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer — BCS. I recall at some length, the work with my Ph.D. mentor, David Bohm, and my postdoctoral mentor, John Bardeen, on electron interaction in metals during the period 1948-55 that helped pave the way for BCS, describe the immediate impact of BCS on a small segment of the Princeton physics community in the early spring of 1957, and discuss the extent to which the Bardeen-Pines-Frohlich effective electron-electron interaction provided a criterion for superconductivity in the periodic system. I describe my lectures on BCS at Niels Bohr's Institute of Theoretical Physics in June 1957 that led to the proposal of nuclear superfluidity, discuss nuclear and cosmic superfluids briefly, and close with a tribute to John Bardeen, whose birth centennial we celebrated in 2008, and who was my mentor, close colleague, and dear friend.

16. Skyrmionic configuration and half-quantum vortex-antivortex pair in mesoscopic p -wave superconducting noncircular systems

Zha, Guo-Qiao

2017-01-01

In the framework of the microscopic Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory, we study the topological properties of skyrmionic states under applied magnetic flux in mesoscopic symmetric and asymmetric p -wave superconducting noncircular systems. For a perfect square (rectangular) sample, an enclosed square-loop-like (parallelogram-loop-like) chain comprising four spatially separated one-component vortices emerges for a single-skyrmion state with the topological charge Q =2 . A multiskyrmion state containing two concentric skyrmions can be found in the square case, and more complex skyrmionic structures with Q >2 take place when the superconducting pairing interaction becomes stronger. By contrast, the mesoscopic rectangular geometry favors different arrangements of skyrmions. A novel type of multiskyrmion states with two or three separated skyrmions aligning along the long side of the rectangle becomes stable, accompanied with the half-quantum vortex-antivortex (V-Av) pair in one component of the order parameter. Moreover, for the square loops with a small square hole, the singly quantized vortex always traps in the centered or off-centered hole, while the coreless skyrmion located in the superconducting region tries to restore the centrally symmetric character. For some critical displacement of the off-centered hole, the half-quantum V-Av pair can occur in such asymmetric system.

17. Macroscopic Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pairs in superconducting circuits

SciTech Connect

Wei, L. F.; Liu Yuxi; Storcz, Markus J.; Nori, Franco

2006-05-15

We propose an efficient approach to prepare Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs in currently existing Josephson nanocircuits with capacitive couplings. In these fixed coupling circuits, two-qubit logic gates could be easily implemented while, strictly speaking, single-qubit gates cannot be easily realized. For a known two-qubit state, conditional single-qubit operation could still be designed to evolve only the selected qubit and keep the other qubit unchanged; the rotation of the selected qubit depends on the state of the other one. These conditional single-qubit operations allow us to deterministically generate the well-known Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pairs, represented by EPR-Bell (or Bell) states. Quantum-state tomography is further proposed to experimentally confirm the generation of these states. The decays of the prepared EPR pairs are analyzed using numerical simulations. Possible application of the generated EPR pairs to test Bell's Inequality is also discussed.

18. Competing superconducting channels in iron pnictides from the strong coupling theory with biquadratic spin interactions

Yu, Rong; Nevidomskyy, Andriy H.

2016-12-01

We study the symmetry and strength of the superconducting pairing in a two-orbital t-{{J}1}-{{J}2}-K model for iron pnictides using the slave boson strong coupling approach. We show that the nearest-neighbor biquadratic interaction -K{{({{S}i}\\cdot {{S}j})}2} strongly affects the superconducting pairing phase diagram by promoting the {{d}{{x2}-{{y}2}}} B 1g and the {{s}{{x2}+{{y}2}}} A 1g channels. The resulting phase diagram consists of several competing pairing channels, including the isotropic {{s}+/-} A 1g channel, an anisotropic {{d}{{x2}-{{y}2}}} B 1g channel, and two s+\\text{i}d pairing channels. We have investigated the evolution of superconducting states with electron doping, and find that the biquadratic interaction plays a crucial role in stabilizing the s+\\text{i}d and even pure d-wave pairing in the heavily electron- and hole-doped regimes. In addition, we identify a novel orbital-B 1g pairing channel, which has a s-wave form factor but a B 1g symmetry. This channel has a comparable pairing amplitude to the d-wave pairing, and may strongly influence the superconducting gap anisotropy of the system in the overdoped regime. These findings are crucial in understanding the doping evolution of the superconducting gap anisotropy observed by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy in the iron pnictides and iron chalcogenides, including the heavily K-doped BaFe2As2 and K-doped FeSe films.

19. On local pairs vs. BCS: Quo vadis high-Tc superconductivity

SciTech Connect

Pavuna, D.; Dubuis, G.; Bollinger, A. T.; Wu, J.; He, X.; Bozovic, I.

2016-07-28

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates, proposals have been made that pairing may be local, in particular in underdoped samples. Furthermore, we briefly review evidence for local pairs from our experiments on thin films of La 2–xSrxCuO4, synthesized by atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE).

20. Odd-Parity Pairing and Topological Superconductivity in a Strongly Spin-Orbit Coupled Semiconductor

Sasaki, Satoshi; Ren, Zhi; Taskin, A. A.; Segawa, Kouji; Fu, Liang; Ando, Yoichi

2012-11-01

The existence of topological superconductors preserving time-reversal symmetry was recently predicted, and they are expected to provide a solid-state realization of itinerant massless Majorana fermions and a route to topological quantum computation. Their first likely example, CuxBi2Se3, was discovered last year, but the search for new materials has so far been hindered by the lack of a guiding principle. Here, we report point-contact spectroscopy experiments suggesting that the low-carrier-density superconductor Sn1-xInxTe is accompanied by surface Andreev bound states which, with the help of theoretical analysis, would give evidence for odd-parity pairing and topological superconductivity. The present and previous finding of possible topological superconductivity in Sn1-xInxTe and CuxBi2Se3 suggests that odd-parity pairing favored by strong spin-orbit coupling is likely to be a common underlying mechanism for materializing topological superconductivity.

1. Assessing Paired Orals: Raters' Orientation to Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ducasse, Ana Maria; Brown, Annie

2009-01-01

Speaking tasks involving peer-to-peer candidate interaction are increasingly being incorporated into language proficiency assessments, in both large-scale international testing contexts, and in smaller-scale, for example course-related, ones. This growth in the popularity and use of paired and group orals has stimulated research, particularly into…

2. Microscopic resolution of the interplay of Kondo screening and superconducting pairing: Mn-phthalocyanine molecules adsorbed on superconducting Pb(111)

Bauer, Johannes; Pascual, Jose I.; Franke, Katharina J.

2013-02-01

Magnetic molecules adsorbed on a superconductor give rise to a local competition of Cooper pair and Kondo singlet formation inducing subgap bound states. For manganese-phthalocyanine molecules on a Pb(111) substrate, scanning tunneling spectroscopy resolves pairs of subgap bound states and two Kondo screening channels. We show in a combined approach of scaling and numerical renormalization group calculations that the intriguing relation between Kondo screening and superconducting pairing is solely determined by the hybridization strength with the substrate. We demonstrate that an effective one-channel Anderson impurity model with a sizable particle-hole asymmetry captures universal and nonuniversal observations in the system quantitatively. The model parameters and disentanglement of the two screening channels are elucidated by scaling arguments.

3. Pairing symmetry and vortex zero mode for superconducting Dirac fermions

SciTech Connect

Lu, C.-K.; Herbut, Igor F.

2010-10-01

We study vortex zero-energy bound states in presence of pairing between low-energy Dirac fermions on the surface of a topological insulator. The pairing symmetries considered include the s-wave, p-wave, and, in particular, the mixed-parity symmetry, which arises in absence of the inversion symmetry on the surface. The zero mode is analyzed within the generalized Jackiw-Rossi-Dirac Hamiltonian that contains a momentum-dependent mass term, and includes the effects of the electromagnetic gauge field and the Zeeman coupling as well. At a finite chemical potential, as long as the spectrum without the vortex is fully gapped, the presence of a single Fermi surface with a definite helicity always leads to one Majorana zero mode, in which both electron's spin projections participate. In particular, the critical effects of the Zeeman coupling on the zero mode are discussed.

4. The Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov phase in the presence of pair hopping interaction.

PubMed

Ptok, Andrzej; Maśka, Maciej M; Mierzejewski, Marcin

2009-07-22

The recent experimental support for the presence of the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase in CeCoIn(5) directed attention towards the mechanisms responsible for this type of superconductivity. We investigate the FFLO state in a model where on-site/inter-site pairing coexists with the repulsive pair hopping interaction. The latter interaction is interesting in that it leads to pairing with non-zero momentum of the Cooper pairs even in the absence of the external magnetic field (the so-called η pairing). It turns out that, depending on the strength of the pair hopping interaction, the magnetic field can induce one of two types of the FFLO phase with different spatial modulations of the order parameter. It is argued that the properties of the FFLO phase may give information about the magnitude of the pair hopping interaction. We also show that η pairing and d-wave superconductivity may coexist in the FFLO state. It holds true also for superconductors which, in the absence of magnetic field, are of pure d-wave type.

5. Triplet pairing and possible weak topological superconductivity in BiS2-based superconductors

Yang, Yang; Wang, Wan-Sheng; Xiang, Yuan-Yuan; Li, Zheng-Zao; Wang, Qiang-Hua

2013-09-01

We show that the newly discovered BiS2-based superconductors may have a dominant triplet pairing component in addition to a subdominant singlet component arising from the spin-orbital coupling. The pairing respects time-reversal symmetry. The dominant triplet gap causes gap sign changes between the spin-split Fermi pockets. Within a pocket, the gap function respects dx2-y2*-wave symmetry where the asterisk indicates joint spin-lattice rotations. Below the Lifshitz filling level, the gap is nodeless, and the superconducting state is weak topological. Above the Lifshitz points, the gap becomes nodal. The superconducting pairing and the time-reversal symmetry result from the strong spin-orbital coupling and the ferromagneticlike spin fluctuations. The dx2-y2*-wave gap structure follows from the coexisting antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations. The relevance to experiments is discussed.

6. Paired and interacting galaxies: Conference summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Colin A.

1990-01-01

The author gives a summary of the conference proceedings. The conference began with the presentation of the basic data sets on pairs, groups, and interacting galaxies with the latter being further discussed with respect to both global properties and properties of the galactic nuclei. Then followed the theory, modelling and interpretation using analytic techniques, simulations and general modelling for spirals and ellipticals, starbursts and active galactic nuclei. Before the conference the author wrote down the three questions concerning pairs, groups and interacting galaxies that he hoped would be answered at the meeting: (1) How do they form, including the role of initial conditions, the importance of subclustering, the evolution of groups to compact groups, and the fate of compact groups; (2) How do they evolve, including issues such as relevant timescales, the role of halos and the problem of overmerging, the triggering and enhancement of star formation and activity in the galactic nuclei, and the relative importance of dwarf versus giant encounters; and (3) Are they important, including the frequency of pairs and interactions, whether merging and interactions are very important aspects of the life of a normal galaxy at formation, during its evolution, in forming bars, shells, rings, bulges, etc., and in the formation and evolution of active galaxies? Where possible he focuses on these three central issues in the summary.

7. Inductive measurement of the critical pair momentum in thin superconducting films

This dissertation documents the conception, development, validation, and application of an inductive experimental measurement of the critical Cooper pair momentum in thin superconducting films. A current-carrying (drive) coil of radius much smaller than the film radius induces a highly inhomogeneous screening supercurrent density in the film. The magnitude of the supercurrent is greatest at a radial position corresponding to the coil radius. It is shown that subject to magnetic fields greater than a few mG, the film is in a metastable superconducting state with respect to the formation of flux-bearing vortex-antivortex excitations. Consequently, magnetic coupling to a second (pickup) coil located co-axially on the opposite side of the film is independent of the drive coil current (linear response). As the drive coil current is increased and the highest-momentum Cooper pairs approach a momentum sufficient to break the pairs, the free-energy barrier to vortex-antivortex pair creation is diminished and such pairs appear en masse, detected as a crossover to nonlinear coupling between the coils. A scheme for calculating this critical momentum from the corresponding drive coil field is presented with the empirical assumption that the peak out-of-phase coil coupling corresponds to the upper limit of Meissner state metastability. This assumption is validated by independent measurements of the critical pair momentum and upper critical magnetic field performed on film samples of niobium and molybdenum-germanium alloy. These measurements are connected through the phenomenological superconducting coherence length, and the data show quantitative agreement in these well-studied superconductors. A second experimental study is presented for a collection of cuprate films of varied doping. It is seen that the critical momentum scales roughly with the measured transition temperature, as predicted by a universal model of cuprate superconductivity'.

8. Pairing Mechanism for the High-TC Superconductivity: Symmetries and Thermodynamic Properties

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The pairing mechanism for the high- superconductors based on the electron-phonon (EPH) and electron-electron-phonon (EEPH) interactions has been presented. On the fold mean-field level, it has been proven, that the obtained s-wave model supplements the predictions based on the BCS van Hove scenario. In particular: (i) For strong EEPH coupling and the energy gap () is very weak temperature dependent; up to the critical temperature extends into the anomalous normal state to the Nernst temperature. (ii) The model explains well the experimental dependence of the ratio on doping for the reported superconductors in the terms of the few fundamental parameters. In the presented paper, the properties of the d-wave superconducting state in the two-dimensional system have been also studied. The obtained results, like for s-wave, have shown the energy gap amplitude crossover from the BCS to non-BCS behavior, as the value of the EEPH potential increases. However, for the energy gap amplitude extends into the anomalous normal state to the pseudogap temperature. Finally, it has been presented that the anisotropic model explains the dependence of the ratio on doping for the considered superconductors. PMID:22529891

9. Shrinking of the Cooper Pair Insulator Phase in Thin Films with Ultrasmall Superconducting Islands

Joy, J. C.; Zhang, X.; Zhao, C.; Valles, J. M., Jr.; Fernandes, G.; Xu, J. M.

The ubiquity of the bosonic Cooper Pair Insulator (CPI) phase near the two-dimensional superconductor to insulator transition (SIT) is a long standing question. While a number of two dimensional materials exhibit bosonic insulating phases similar to the Mott Insulator in arrays of ultrasmall, Josephson coupled superconducting islands, others show behaviors consistent with a fermionic insulating phase. Utilizing specially prepared anodized aluminum oxide substrates, we are able to fabricate films reminiscent of arrays of superconducting islands whose properties are tunable by varying the substrate morphology. Our recent work has focused on arrays of islands which possess an energy level spacing comparable to the mean field superconducting gap, where one expects pair breaking followed by fermionic Anderson Localization as the dominant mechanism by which superconductivity is destroyed. Early results show that the paradigmatic bosonic insulator exists only very near the disorder tuned SIT, while films only marginally deeper in the insulating phase exhibit transport distinct from the CPI's reentrant, activated transport. We are grateful for the support of NSF Grant No. DMR-1307290, the AFOSR, and the AOARD. Currently at Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xian, China.

10. Breakdown of electron-pairs in the presence of an electric field of a superconducting ring.

PubMed

Pandey, Bradraj; Dutta, Sudipta; Pati, Swapan K

2016-05-18

The quantum dynamics of quasi-one-dimensional ring with varying electron filling factors is investigated in the presence of an external electric field. The system is modeled within a Hubbard Hamiltonian with attractive Coulomb correlation, which results in a superconducting ground state when away from half-filling. The electric field is induced by applying time-dependent Aharonov-Bohm flux in the perpendicular direction. To explore the non-equilibrium phenomena arising from the field, we adopt exact diagonalization and the Crank-Nicolson numerical method. With an increase in electric field strength, the electron pairs, a signature of the superconducting phase, start breaking and the system enters into a metallic phase. However, the strength of the electric field for this quantum phase transition depends on the electronic correlation. This phenomenon has been confirmed by flux-quantization of time-dependent current and pair correlation functions.

11. Molecular pairing and fully gapped superconductivity in Yb-doped CeCoIn(5).

PubMed

Erten, Onur; Flint, Rebecca; Coleman, Piers

2015-01-16

The recent observation of fully gapped superconductivity in Yb doped CeCoIn_{5} poses a paradox, for the disappearance of nodes suggests that they are accidental, yet d-wave symmetry with protected nodes is well established by experiment. Here, we show that composite pairing provides a natural resolution: in this scenario, Yb doping drives a Lifshitz transition of the nodal Fermi surface, forming a fully gapped d-wave molecular superfluid of composite pairs. The T^{4} dependence of the penetration depth associated with the sound mode of this condensate is in accordance with observation.

12. Molecular Pairing and Fully Gapped Superconductivity in Yb-doped CeCoIn5

Erten, Onur; Flint, Rebecca; Coleman, Piers

2015-01-01

The recent observation of fully gapped superconductivity in Yb doped CeCoIn5 poses a paradox, for the disappearance of nodes suggests that they are accidental, yet d -wave symmetry with protected nodes is well established by experiment. Here, we show that composite pairing provides a natural resolution: in this scenario, Yb doping drives a Lifshitz transition of the nodal Fermi surface, forming a fully gapped d -wave molecular superfluid of composite pairs. The T4 dependence of the penetration depth associated with the sound mode of this condensate is in accordance with observation.

13. Pairing Symmetry of Heavy Fermion Superconductivity in the Two-Dimensional Kondo—Heisenberg Lattice Model

Liu, Yu; Zhang, Guang-Ming; Yu, Lu

2014-08-01

In the two-dimensional Kondo—Heisenberg lattice model away from half-filled, the local antiferromagnetic exchange coupling can provide the pairing mechanism of quasiparticles via the Kondo screening effect, leading to the heavy fermion superconductivity. We find that the pairing symmetry strongly depends on the Fermi surface (FS) structure in the normal metallic state. When JH/JK is very small, the FS is a small hole-like circle around the corner of the Brillouin zone, and the s-wave pairing symmetry has a lower ground state energy. For the intermediate coupling values of JH/JK, the extended s-wave pairing symmetry gives the favored ground state. However, when JH/JK is larger than a critical value, the FS transforms into four small hole pockets crossing the boundary of the magnetic Brillouin zone, and the d-wave pairing symmetry becomes more favorable. In that regime, the resulting superconducting state is characterized by either a nodal d-wave or nodeless d-wave state, depending on the conduction electron filling factor as well. A continuous phase transition exists between these two states. This result may be related to the phase transition of the nodal d-wave state to a fully gapped state, which has recently been observed in Yb-doped CeCoIn5.

14. Odd frequency pairing of interacting Majorana fermions

Huang, Zhoushen; Woelfle, Peter; Balatsky, Alexandar

Majorana fermions are rising as a promising key component in quantum computation. While the prevalent approach is to use a quadratic (i.e. non-interacting) Majorana Hamiltonian, when expressed in terms of Dirac fermions, generically the Hamiltonian involves interaction terms. Here we focus on the possible pair correlations in a simple model system. We study a model of Majorana fermions coupled to a boson mode and show that the anomalous correlator between different Majorana fermions, located at opposite ends of a topological wire, exhibits odd frequency behavior. It is stabilized when the coupling strength g is above a critical value gc. We use both, conventional diagrammatic theory and a functional integral approach, to derive the gap equation, the critical temperature, the gap function, the critical coupling, and a Ginzburg-Landau theory allowing to discuss a possible subleading admixture of even-frequency pairing. Work supported by USDOE DE-AC52-06NA25396 E304, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and ERC DM-321031.

15. Cooperative interactions between paired domain and homeodomain.

PubMed

Jun, S; Desplan, C

1996-09-01

The Pax proteins are a family of transcriptional regulators involved in many developmental processes in all higher eukaryotes. They are characterized by the presence of a paired domain (PD), a bipartite DNA binding domain composed of two helix-turn-helix (HTH) motifs,the PAI and RED domains. The PD is also often associated with a homeodomain (HD) which is itself able to form homo- and hetero-dimers on DNA. Many of these proteins therefore contain three HTH motifs each able to recognize DNA. However, all PDs recognize highly related DNA sequences, and most HDs also recognize almost identical sites. We show here that different Pax proteins use multiple combinations of their HTHs to recognize several types of target sites. For instance, the Drosophila Paired protein can bind, in vitro, exclusively through its PAI domain, or through a dimer of its HD, or through cooperative interaction between PAI domain and HD. However, prd function in vivo requires the synergistic action of both the PAI domain and the HD. Pax proteins with only a PD appear to require both PAI and RED domains, while a Pax-6 isoform and a new Pax protein, Lune, may rely on the RED domain and HD. We propose a model by which Pax proteins recognize different target genes in vivo through various combinations of their DNA binding domains, thus expanding their recognition repertoire.

16. Electrical Conductivity through a Single Atomic Step Measured with the Proximity-Induced Superconducting Pair Correlation

Kim, Howon; Lin, Shi-Zeng; Graf, Matthias J.; Miyata, Yoshinori; Nagai, Yuki; Kato, Takeo; Hasegawa, Yukio

2016-09-01

Local disordered nanostructures in an atomically thick metallic layer on a semiconducting substrate play significant and decisive roles in transport properties of two-dimensional (2D) conductive systems. We measured the electrical conductivity through a step of monoatomic height in a truly microscopic manner by using as a signal the superconducting pair correlation induced by the proximity effect. The transport property across a step of a one-monolayer Pb surface metallic phase, formed on a Si(111) substrate, was evaluated by inducing the pair correlation around the local defect and measuring its response, i.e., the reduced density of states at the Fermi energy using scanning tunneling microscopy. We found that the step resistance has a significant contribution to the total resistance on a nominally flat surface. Our study also revealed that steps in the 2D metallic layer terminate the propagation of the pair correlation. Superconductivity is enhanced between the first surface step and the superconductor-normal-metal interface by reflectionless tunneling when the step is located within a coherence length.

17. Pairing interaction near a nematic quantum critical point of a three-band CuO2 model

DOE PAGES

Maier, Thomas A.; Scalapino, Douglas J.

2014-11-21

In this paper, we calculate the pairing interaction and the k dependence of the gap function associated with the nematic charge fluctuations of a CuO2 model.We find that the nematic pairing interaction is attractive for small momentum transfer and that it gives rise to d-wave pairing. Finally, as the doping p approaches a quantum critical point, the strength of this pairing increases and higher d-wave harmonics contribute to the k dependence of the superconducting gap function, reflecting the longer range nature of the nematic fluctuations.

18. Pairing interaction near a nematic quantum critical point of a three-band CuO2 model

SciTech Connect

Maier, Thomas A.; Scalapino, Douglas J.

2014-11-21

In this paper, we calculate the pairing interaction and the k dependence of the gap function associated with the nematic charge fluctuations of a CuO2 model.We find that the nematic pairing interaction is attractive for small momentum transfer and that it gives rise to d-wave pairing. Finally, as the doping p approaches a quantum critical point, the strength of this pairing increases and higher d-wave harmonics contribute to the k dependence of the superconducting gap function, reflecting the longer range nature of the nematic fluctuations.

19. Cooper-pair insulator phase in superconducting amorphous Bi films induced by nanometer-scale thickness variations

Hollen, S. M.; Nguyen, H. Q.; Rudisaile, E.; Stewart, M. D., Jr.; Shainline, J.; Xu, J. M.; Valles, J. M., Jr.

2011-08-01

Ultrathin films near the quantum insulator-superconductor transition (IST) can exhibit Cooper-pair transport in their insulating state. This Cooper-pair insulator (CPI) state is achieved in amorphous Bi films evaporated onto substrates with a topography varying on lengths slightly greater than the superconducting coherence length. We present evidence that this topography induces film thickness and corresponding superconducting coupling constant variations that promote Cooper-pair island formation. Analyses of many thickness-tuned ISTs show that weak links between superconducting islands dominate the transport. In particular, the IST occurs when the link resistance approaches the resistance quantum for pairs. These results support conjectures that the CPI is an inhomogeneous state of matter.

20. Concepts relating magnetic interactions, intertwined electronic orders, and strongly correlated superconductivity.

PubMed

Davis, J C Séamus; Lee, Dung-Hai

2013-10-29

Unconventional superconductivity (SC) is said to occur when Cooper pair formation is dominated by repulsive electron-electron interactions, so that the symmetry of the pair wave function is other than an isotropic s-wave. The strong, on-site, repulsive electron-electron interactions that are the proximate cause of such SC are more typically drivers of commensurate magnetism. Indeed, it is the suppression of commensurate antiferromagnetism (AF) that usually allows this type of unconventional superconductivity to emerge. Importantly, however, intervening between these AF and SC phases, intertwined electronic ordered phases (IP) of an unexpected nature are frequently discovered. For this reason, it has been extremely difficult to distinguish the microscopic essence of the correlated superconductivity from the often spectacular phenomenology of the IPs. Here we introduce a model conceptual framework within which to understand the relationship between AF electron-electron interactions, IPs, and correlated SC. We demonstrate its effectiveness in simultaneously explaining the consequences of AF interactions for the copper-based, iron-based, and heavy-fermion superconductors, as well as for their quite distinct IPs.

1. Concepts relating magnetic interactions, intertwined electronic orders, and strongly correlated superconductivity

PubMed Central

Davis, J. C. Séamus; Lee, Dung-Hai

2013-01-01

Unconventional superconductivity (SC) is said to occur when Cooper pair formation is dominated by repulsive electron–electron interactions, so that the symmetry of the pair wave function is other than an isotropic s-wave. The strong, on-site, repulsive electron–electron interactions that are the proximate cause of such SC are more typically drivers of commensurate magnetism. Indeed, it is the suppression of commensurate antiferromagnetism (AF) that usually allows this type of unconventional superconductivity to emerge. Importantly, however, intervening between these AF and SC phases, intertwined electronic ordered phases (IP) of an unexpected nature are frequently discovered. For this reason, it has been extremely difficult to distinguish the microscopic essence of the correlated superconductivity from the often spectacular phenomenology of the IPs. Here we introduce a model conceptual framework within which to understand the relationship between AF electron–electron interactions, IPs, and correlated SC. We demonstrate its effectiveness in simultaneously explaining the consequences of AF interactions for the copper-based, iron-based, and heavy-fermion superconductors, as well as for their quite distinct IPs. PMID:24114268

2. Orbital-Parity Selective Superconducting Pairing Structures of Fe-based Superconductors under Glide Symmetry

Lin, Chiahui; Chou, Chung-Pin; Yin, Wei-Guo; Ku, Wei

2014-03-01

We show that the superconductivity in Fe-based superconductors consists of zero and finite momentum (π , π , 0) Cooper pairs with the same and different parities of the Fe 3 d orbitals respectively. The former develops the distinct gap structures for each orbital parity, and the latter is characteristic of spin singlet, spacial oddness and time reversal symmetry breaking. This originates from the unit cell containing two Fe atoms and two anions of staggered positioning with respect to the Fe square lattice. The in-plane translation is turned into glide translation, which dictates orbital-parity selective quasiparticles. Such novel pairing structures explain the unusual gap angular modulation on the hole pockets in recent ARPES and STS experiments. Work supported by DOE DE-AC02-98CH10886 and Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics and Ministry of Science and Technology.

3. The interacting pair MKN 305/306

Dietrich, Matthias

1990-11-01

Direct images and spectra at different slit positions of the interacting system Mkn 305/306 are discussed. Both galaxies show starburst properties due to tidal interaction. The morphology and velocity structure of Mkn 306 reveals the strongest warp of a stellar disk so far known. The galaxies Mkn 305 and Mkn 306 form a double system with 30 arcsec separation and having a common envelope at mB greater than or equal to 24.5. Furthermore a small tidal tail west of Mkn 305A, an isophote twist of Mkn 305 and the near identical redshifts of the two galaxies prove that this is a physical pair. Mkn 306 itself was classified as a double nucleus galaxy (Petrosyan et al., 1978). The optical morphology of Mkn 306 has the form of an integral sign which is similar to the radio morphology of strongly warped galaxies (Bottema et al., 1987). But in the optical the warp of the stellar component is normally far weaker than in the radio for the HI-gas. Therefore the authors investigate whether the double nucleus structure of Mkn 306 is real or an artifact due to an extreme warp in the optical. The origin for the warp phenomenon is not clear yet. Direct images of the galaxy system were taken with the Calar Alto 2.2m telescope in the B-band and at La Silla in the r-band using the 2.2m telescope; low dispersion spectra (240 A/mm) as well as high dispersion spectra (56 A/mm) for studying the velocity field were taken with the Calar Alto 3.5m telescope at different position angles. Also a spectrum of Mkn 305 was taken at Calar Alto with the 3.5m telescope covering the whole spectral range (240 A/mm).

4. The p-wave superconductivity in the presence of Rashba interaction in 2DEG.

PubMed

Weng, Ke-Chuan; Hu, C D

2016-07-26

We investigate the effect of the Rashba interaction on two dimensional superconductivity. The presence of the Rashba interaction lifts the spin degeneracy and gives rise to the spectrum of two bands. There are intraband and interband pairs scattering which result in the coupled gap equations. We find that there are isotropic and anisotropic components in the gap function. The latter has the form of cos φk where . The former is suppressed because the intraband and the interband scatterings nearly cancel each other. Hence, -the system should exhibit the p-wave superconductivity. We perform a detailed study of electron-phonon interaction for 2DEG and find that, if only normal processes are considered, the effective coupling strength constant of this new superconductivity is about one-half of the s-wave case in the ordinary 2DEG because of the angular average of the additional in the anisotropic gap function. By taking into account of Umklapp processes, we find they are the major contribution in the electron-phonon coupling in superconductivity and enhance the transition temperature Tc.

5. The p-wave superconductivity in the presence of Rashba interaction in 2DEG

PubMed Central

Weng, Ke-Chuan; Hu, C. D.

2016-01-01

We investigate the effect of the Rashba interaction on two dimensional superconductivity. The presence of the Rashba interaction lifts the spin degeneracy and gives rise to the spectrum of two bands. There are intraband and interband pairs scattering which result in the coupled gap equations. We find that there are isotropic and anisotropic components in the gap function. The latter has the form of cos φk where . The former is suppressed because the intraband and the interband scatterings nearly cancel each other. Hence, −the system should exhibit the p-wave superconductivity. We perform a detailed study of electron-phonon interaction for 2DEG and find that, if only normal processes are considered, the effective coupling strength constant of this new superconductivity is about one-half of the s-wave case in the ordinary 2DEG because of the angular average of the additional in the anisotropic gap function. By taking into account of Umklapp processes, we find they are the major contribution in the electron-phonon coupling in superconductivity and enhance the transition temperature Tc. PMID:27459677

6. Generalized Aubry-André-Harper model with p -wave superconducting pairing

Zeng, Qi-Bo; Chen, Shu; Lü, Rong

2016-09-01

We investigate a generalized Aubry-André-Harper (AAH) model with p -wave superconducting pairing. Both the hopping amplitudes between the nearest-neighboring lattice sites and the on-site potentials in this system are modulated by a cosine function with a periodicity of 1 /α . In the incommensurate case [α =(√{5 }-1 )/2 ] , due to the modulations on the hopping amplitudes, the critical region of this quasiperiodic system is significantly reduced and the system becomes easier to be turned from extended states to localized states. In the commensurate case (α =1 /2 ), we find that this model shows three different phases when we tune the system parameters: Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH)-like trivial, SSH-like topological, and Kitaev-like topological phases. The phase diagrams and the topological quantum numbers for these phases are presented in this work. This generalized AAH model combined with superconducting pairing provides us with a useful test field for studying the phase transitions from extended states to Anderson localized states and the transitions between different topological phases.

7. Isospin Dependent Pairing Interactions and BCS-BEC crossover

SciTech Connect

Sagawa, H.; Margueron, J.; Hagino, K.

2008-11-11

We propose new types of density dependent contact pairing interaction which reproduce the pairing gaps in symmetric and neutron matters obtained by a microscopic treatment based on the realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction. The BCS-BEC crossover of neutrons pairs in symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matters is studied by using these contact interactions. It is shown that the bare and screened pairing interactions lead to different features of the BCS-BEC crossover in symmetric nuclear matter. We perform Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations for semi-magic Calcium, Nickel, Tin and Lead isotopes and N = 20, 28, 50 and 82 isotones using these density-dependent pairing interactions. Our calculations well account for the experimental data for the neutron number dependence of binding energy, two neutrons separation energy, and odd-even mass staggering of these isotopes. Especially the interaction IS+IV Bare without the medium polarization effect gives satisfactory results for all the isotopes.

8. Antagonistic effects of nearest-neighbor repulsion on the superconducting pairing dynamics in the doped Mott insulator regime

Reymbaut, A.; Charlebois, M.; Asiani, M. Fellous; Fratino, L.; Sémon, P.; Sordi, G.; Tremblay, A.-M. S.

2016-10-01

The nearest-neighbor superexchange-mediated mechanism for dx2-y2 superconductivity in the one-band Hubbard model faces the challenge that nearest-neighbor Coulomb repulsion can be larger than superexchange. To answer this question, we use cellular dynamical mean-field theory (CDMFT) with a continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo solver to determine the superconducting phase diagram as a function of temperature and doping for on-site repulsion U =9 t and nearest-neighbor repulsion V =0 ,2 t ,4 t . In the underdoped regime, V increases the CDMFT superconducting transition temperature Tcd even though it decreases the superconducting order parameter at low temperature for all dopings. However, in the overdoped regime V decreases Tcd. We gain insight into these paradoxical results through a detailed study of the frequency dependence of the anomalous spectral function, extracted at finite temperature via the MaxEntAux method for analytic continuation. A systematic study of dynamical positive and negative contributions to pairing reveals that even though V has a high-frequency depairing contribution, it also has a low frequency pairing contribution since it can reinforce superexchange through J =4 t2/(U -V ) . Retardation is thus crucial to understanding pairing in doped Mott insulators, as suggested by previous zero-temperature studies. We also comment on the tendency to charge order for large V and on the persistence of d -wave superconductivity over extended-s or s +d wave.

9. Interacting preformed Cooper pairs in resonant Fermi gases

SciTech Connect

Gubbels, K. B.; Stoof, H. T. C.

2011-07-15

We consider the normal phase of a strongly interacting Fermi gas, which can have either an equal or an unequal number of atoms in its two accessible spin states. Due to the unitarity-limited attractive interaction between particles with different spin, noncondensed Cooper pairs are formed. The starting point in treating preformed pairs is the Nozieres-Schmitt-Rink (NSR) theory, which approximates the pairs as being noninteracting. Here, we consider the effects of the interactions between the Cooper pairs in a Wilsonian renormalization-group scheme. Starting from the exact bosonic action for the pairs, we calculate the Cooper-pair self-energy by combining the NSR formalism with the Wilsonian approach. We compare our findings with the recent experiments by Harikoshi et al. [Science 327, 442 (2010)] and Nascimbene et al. [Nature (London) 463, 1057 (2010)], and find very good agreement. We also make predictions for the population-imbalanced case, which can be tested in experiments.

10. Phase Competition and Superconductivity in κ-(BEDT-TTF)2X: Importance of Intermolecular Coulomb Interactions

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Seo, Hitoshi; Yunoki, Seiji

2017-03-01

We theoretically study the competition among different electronic phases in molecular conductors κ-(BEDT-TTF)2X. The ground-state properties of a 3/4-filled extended Hubbard model with the κ-type geometry are investigated by a variational Monte Carlo method. We find various competing phases: dimer-Mott insulator, polar charge-ordered insulator, 3-fold charge-ordered metal, and superconductivity, whose pairing symmetry is an "extended-s + dx2 - y2"-wave type. Our results show that the superconducting phase is stabilized not on the verge of the Mott metal-insulator transition but near charge order instabilities, clearly indicating the importance of the intradimer charge degree of freedom and the intermolecular Coulomb interactions, beyond the simple description of the half-filled Hubbard model.

11. Familiar Interacting Object Pairs Are Perceptually Grouped

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Collin; Hummel, John E.

2006-01-01

Identification of objects in a scene may be influenced by functional relations among those objects. In this study, observers indicated whether a target object matched a label. Each target was presented with a distractor object, and these were sometimes arranged to interact (as if being used together) and sometimes not to interact. When the…

12. Nodeless pairing in superconducting copper-oxide monolayer films on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

DOE PAGES

Zhong, Yong; Wang, Yang; Han, Sha; ...

2016-07-12

We report that the pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates remains the biggest unresolved mystery in condensed matter physics. To solve the problem, one of the most effective approaches is to investigate directly the superconducting CuO2 layers. Here, by growing CuO2 monolayer films on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ substrates, we identify two distinct and spatially separated energy gaps centered at the Fermi energy, a smaller U-like gap and a larger V-like gap on the films, and study their interactions with alien atoms by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. The newly discovered U-like gap exhibits strong phase coherence and is immune to scattering bymore » K, Cs and Ag atoms, suggesting its nature as a nodeless superconducting gap in the CuO2 layers, whereas the V-like gap agrees with the well-known pseudogap state in the underdoped regime. In conclusion, our results support an s-wave superconductivity in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, which, we propose, originates from the modulation-doping resultant two-dimensional hole liquid confined in the CuO2 layers.« less

13. Antiferromagnetic Ising spin glass competing with BCS pairing interaction in a transverse field

Magalhães, S. G.; Zimmer, F. M.; Kipper, C. J.; Calegari, E. J.

2006-07-01

The competition among spin glass (SG), antiferromagnetism (AF) and local pairing superconductivity (PAIR) is studied in a two-sublattice fermionic Ising spin glass model with a local BCS pairing interaction in the presence of an applied magnetic transverse field Γ. In the present approach, spins in different sublattices interact with a Gaussian random coupling with an antiferromagnetic mean J0 and standard deviation J. The problem is formulated in the path integral formalism in which spin operators are represented by bilinear combinations of Grassmann variables. The saddle-point Grand Canonical potential is obtained within the static approximation and the replica symmetric ansatz. The results are analysed in phase diagrams in which the AF and the SG phases can occur for small g (g is the strength of the local superconductor coupling written in units of J), while the PAIR phase appears as unique solution for large g. However, there is a complex line transition separating the PAIR phase from the others. It is second order at high temperature that ends in a tricritical point. The quantum fluctuations affect deeply the transition lines and the tricritical point due to the presence of Γ.

14. Nematic versus ferromagnetic spin filtering of triplet Cooper pairs in superconducting spintronics

Moor, Andreas; Volkov, Anatoly F.; Efetov, Konstantin B.

2015-11-01

We consider two types of magnetic Josephson junctions (JJ). They are formed by two singlet superconductors S and magnetic layers between them so that the JJ is a heterostructure of the Sm/n /Sm type, where Sm includes two magnetic layers with noncollinear magnetization vectors. One layer is represented by a weak ferromagnet and another one—the spin filter—is either conducting strong ferromagnet (nematic or N -type JJ) or magnetic tunnel barrier with spin-dependent transparency (magnetic or M -type JJ). Due to spin filtering only a fully polarized triplet component penetrates the normal n wire and provides the Josephson coupling between the superconductors S. Although both filters let to pass triplet Cooper pairs with total spin S parallel to the filter axes, the behavior of nematic and magnetic JJs is completely different. Whereas in the nematic case the charge and spin currents, IQ and Isp, do not depend on mutual orientation of the filter axes, both currents vanish in magnetic JJ in the case of antiparallel filter axes, and change sign with reversal of the filter direction. The obtained expressions for IQ and Isp clearly show a duality between the superconducting phase φ and the angle α between the exchange fields in the weak magnetic layers.

15. Localization and pair breaking parameter in superconducting molybdenum nitride thin films.

PubMed

Tsuneoka, Takuya; Makise, Kazumasa; Maeda, Sho; Shinozaki, Bunju; Ichikawa, Fusao

2017-01-11

We have investigated the superconductor-insulator transition in molybdenum nitride films prepared by deposition onto MgO substrates. It is indicated that the T c depression from [Formula: see text] for thick films with increase of the normal state sheet resistance [Formula: see text] was well explained by the Finkel'stein formula from the localization theory. Present analysis suggests that the superconducting-insulator transition occurs at a critical sheet resistance [Formula: see text]. It is found that the [Formula: see text] above [Formula: see text] shows different characteristics of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the regions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively, where [Formula: see text] is the classical residual resistance and A is a constant. The excess conductance [Formula: see text] due to thermal fluctuation has been analyzed by the sum of the Aslamazov-Larkin and Maki-Thompson correction terms with use of the pair breaking parameter [Formula: see text] in the latter term. The sum agrees well with the data, although the experimental results of the [Formula: see text] dependence of [Formula: see text], that is, [Formula: see text] shows the disagreement with a linear relation [Formula: see text] derived from the localization theory.

16. Superconductivity

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-07-01

SUPERCONDUCTIVITY HIGH-POWER APPLICATIONS Electric power generation/transmission Energy storage Acoustic projectors Weapon launchers Catapult Ship propulsion • • • Stabilized...temperature superconductive shields could be substantially enhanced by use of high-Tc materials. 27 28 NRAC SUPERCONDUCTIVITY SHIP PROPULSION APPLICATIONS...motor shown in the photograph. As a next step in the evolution of electric-drive ship propulsion technology, DTRC has proposed to scale up the design

17. Strongly interacting Fermi systems in 1/N expansion: From cold atoms to color superconductivity

SciTech Connect

Abuki, Hiroaki; Brauner, Tomas

2008-12-15

We investigate the 1/N expansion proposed recently as a strategy to include quantum fluctuation effects in the nonrelativistic, attractive Fermi gas at and near unitarity. We extend the previous results by calculating the next-to-leading order corrections to the critical temperature along the whole crossover from Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superconductivity to Bose-Einstein condensation. We demonstrate explicitly that the extrapolation from the mean-field approximation, based on the 1/N expansion, provides a useful approximation scheme only on the BCS side of the crossover. We then apply the technique to the study of strongly interacting relativistic many-fermion systems. Having in mind the application to color superconductivity in cold dense quark matter, we develop, within a simple model, a formalism suitable to compare the effects of order parameter fluctuations in phases with different pairing patterns. Our main conclusion is that the relative correction to the critical temperature is to a good accuracy proportional to the mean-field ratio of the critical temperature and the chemical potential. As a consequence, it is significant even rather deep in the BCS regime, where phenomenologically interesting values of the quark-quark coupling are expected. Possible impact on the phase diagram of color-superconducting quark matter is discussed.

18. High-fidelity frequency down-conversion of visible entangled photon pairs with superconducting single-photon detectors

SciTech Connect

Ikuta, Rikizo; Kato, Hiroshi; Kusaka, Yoshiaki; Yamamoto, Takashi; Imoto, Nobuyuki; Miki, Shigehito; Yamashita, Taro; Terai, Hirotaka; Wang, Zhen; Fujiwara, Mikio; Sasaki, Masahide; Koashi, Masato

2014-12-04

We experimentally demonstrate a high-fidelity visible-to-telecommunicationwavelength conversion of a photon by using a solid-state-based difference frequency generation. In the experiment, one half of a pico-second visible entangled photon pair at 780 nm is converted to a 1522-nm photon. Using superconducting single-photon detectors with low dark count rates and small timing jitters, we observed a fidelity of 0.93±0.04 after the wavelength conversion.

19. Engineering interactions between superconducting qubits and phononic nanostructures

Arrangoiz-Arriola, Patricio; Safavi-Naeini, Amir H.

2016-12-01

Nanomechanical systems can support highly coherent microwave-frequency excitations at cryogenic temperatures. However, generating sufficient coupling between these devices and superconducting quantum circuits is challenging due to the vastly different length scales of acoustic and electromagnetic excitations. Here we demonstrate a general method for calculating piezoelectric interactions between quantum circuits and arbitrary phononic nanostructures. We illustrate our technique by studying the coupling between a transmon qubit and bulk acoustic-wave, Lamb-wave, and phononic crystal resonators, and show that very large coupling rates are possible in all three cases. Our results suggest a route to phononic circuits and systems that are nonlinear at the single-phonon level.

20. Implications of the pairing symmetry and the van Hove singularity for the normal and superconducting properties of cuprates

2000-11-01

The situation concerning the pairing symmetry of cuprates is still controversial. While earlier tunneling measurements pointed out to a dominant d wave symmetry, recent experiments seem to be consistent with a mixing like d+exp⁡(iθ)α, where α = s and s instead. In this communication we address the calculation of the electronic specific heat in the normal and superconducting states for the following pairing channels: s,s,d,d+is,d+is as well as the differential conductance ( dI/dV) for the N - I - N and N - I - S junctions.

1. Unlike-pair interactions at high pressure and high temperature

SciTech Connect

Ree, F.H.; van Thiel, M.

1993-07-01

Although there are more unlike-pairs than like-pairs in detonation products, information on unlike-pair interactions is scarce at present. We describe how unlike pair-interactions involving dissociation products of CO and CO{sub 2} can be derived by means of an accurate statistical mechanical theory of mixtures and recent shock wave data of CO and CO{sub 2}. We then extend this complex study further by interpreting shock data of liquid NO and N{sub 2} + O{sub 2} mixture. It was done by constraining the resulting potentials to agree with all available Hugoniot data of chemical species occurring in detonation products in a self-consistent manner.

2. Unconventional superconductivity and interaction induced Fermi surface reconstruction in the two-dimensional Edwards model

Cho, Dai-Ning; Sykora, Steffen

We study the possibility of unconventional superconducting pairing in the framework of a novel two-dimensional quantum transport model, where the charge carriers are strongly affected by the correlations and fluctuations of a background medium, described by bosonic degrees of freedom. Using the projective renormalization method (PRM) we find in the half-filled band case an interplay between stable superconducting solutions and a charge-density wave order parameter which determines the ground state in the limit of large bosonic energies. The superconducting pairing mainly appears on a new hole-like Fermi surface, which is formed nearby the center of the Brillouin zone due to strong renormalization of the original fermionic band. In the superconducting state, the Fermi surface splits into two disconnected parts, which are characterized by different sign of the superconducting order parameter.

3. Localization and pair breaking parameter in superconducting molybdenum nitride thin films

Tsuneoka, Takuya; Makise, Kazumasa; Maeda, Sho; Shinozaki, Bunju; Ichikawa, Fusao

2017-01-01

We have investigated the superconductor-insulator transition in molybdenum nitride films prepared by deposition onto MgO substrates. It is indicated that the T c depression from ≈ 6.6 \\text{K} for thick films with increase of the normal state sheet resistance R\\text{sq}\\text{N} was well explained by the Finkel’stein formula from the localization theory. Present analysis suggests that the superconducting-insulator transition occurs at a critical sheet resistance {{R}\\text{c}}≈ 2 \\text{k} Ω . It is found that the {{R}\\text{sq}}(T) above {{R}\\text{c}} shows different characteristics of {{R}\\text{sq}}(T)={{R}\\text{sq,0}}-A\\ln T and {{R}\\text{sq}}(T)\\propto \\exp ≤ft[{≤ft({{T}0}/T\\right)}1/2}\\right] in the regions {{R}\\text{c}}\\text{sq}\\text{N}<{{R}\\text{Q}}=h/4{{e}2}≈ 6.45 \\text{k} Ω and R\\text{sq}\\text{N}>{{R}\\text{Q}} , respectively, where {{R}\\text{sq,0}} is the classical residual resistance and A is a constant. The excess conductance {{σ\\prime}{}(T) due to thermal fluctuation has been analyzed by the sum of the Aslamazov-Larkin and Maki-Thompson correction terms with use of the pair breaking parameter δ in the latter term. The sum agrees well with the data, although the experimental results of the R\\text{sq}\\text{N} dependence of δ , that is, δ \\propto {{≤ft(R\\text{sq}\\text{N}\\right)}≈ 1.7} shows the disagreement with a linear relation δ \\propto ≤ft(R\\text{sq}\\text{N}\\right) derived from the localization theory.

4. Superconductivity

Yeo, Yung K.

Many potential high-temperature superconductivity (HTS) military applications have been demonstrated by low-temperature superconductivity systems; they encompass high efficiency electric drives for naval vessels, airborne electric generators, energy storage systems for directed-energy weapons, electromechanical launchers, magnetic and electromagnetic shields, and cavity resonators for microwave and mm-wave generation. Further HST applications in militarily relevant fields include EM sensors, IR focal plane arrays, SQUIDs, magnetic gradiometers, high-power sonar sources, and superconducting antennas and inertial navigation systems. The development of SQUID sensors will furnish novel magnetic anomaly detection methods for ASW.

5. Reducing interaction in simultaneous paired stimulation with CI

PubMed Central

Vellinga, Dirk; Briaire, Jeroen J.; Kalkman, Randy K.; Frijns, Johan H. M.

2017-01-01

In this study simultaneous paired stimulation of electrodes in cochlear implants is investigated by psychophysical experiments in 8 post-lingually deaf subjects (and one extra subject who only participated in part of the experiments). Simultaneous and sequential monopolar stimulation modes are used as references and are compared to channel interaction compensation, partial tripolar stimulation and a novel sequential stimulation strategy named phased array compensation. Psychophysical experiments are performed to investigate both the loudness integration during paired stimulation at the main electrodes as well as the interaction with the electrode contact located halfway between the stimulating pair. The study shows that simultaneous monopolar stimulation has more loudness integration on the main electrodes and more interaction in between the electrodes than sequential stimulation. Channel interaction compensation works to reduce the loudness integration at the main electrodes, but does not reduce the interaction in between the electrodes caused by paired stimulation. Partial tripolar stimulation uses much more current to reach the needed loudness, but shows the same interaction in between the electrodes as sequential monopolar stimulation. In phased array compensation we have used the individual impedance matrix of each subject to calculate the current needed on each electrode to exactly match the stimulation voltage along the array to that of sequential stimulation. The results show that the interaction in between the electrodes is the same as monopolar stimulation. The strategy uses less current than partial tripolar stimulation, but more than monopolar stimulation. In conclusion, the paper shows that paired stimulation is possible if the interaction is compensated. PMID:28182685

6. Metacognitive decision making and social interactions during paired problem solving

Goos, Merrilyn

1994-12-01

The study described in this paper investigated the metacognitive strategies used by a pair of senior secondary school students while working together on mechanics problems. Verbal protocols from think-aloud paired problem-solving sessions were analysed in order to examine the monitoring contributions of each individual student, and the significance of student-student interactions. Although the students were generally successful in coordinating their different, yet complementary, problem-solving roles, their metacognitive decision making was sometimes adversely affected by the social interaction between them. The findings suggest some potential benefits and pitfalls of using small group work for problem solving.

7. Non-additivity of pair interactions in charged colloids

Finlayson, Samuel D.; Bartlett, Paul

2016-07-01

It is general wisdom that the pair potential of charged colloids in a liquid may be closely approximated by a Yukawa interaction, as predicted by the classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. We experimentally determine the effective forces in a binary mixture of like-charged particles, of species 1 and 2, with blinking optical tweezers. The measured forces are consistent with a Yukawa pair potential but the (12) cross-interaction is not equal to the geometric mean of the (11) and (22) like-interactions, as expected from DLVO. The deviation is a function of the electrostatic screening length and the size ratio, with the cross-interaction measured being consistently weaker than DLVO predictions. The corresponding non-additivity parameter is negative and grows in magnitude with increased size asymmetry.

8. Triplet superconductivity in 3D Dirac semi-metal due to exchange interaction.

PubMed

Rosenstein, Baruch; Shapiro, B Ya; Li, Dingping; Shapiro, I

2015-01-21

Conventional phonon-electron interaction induces either triplet or one of two (degenerate) singlet pairing states in time reversal and inversion invariant 3D Dirac semi-metal. Investigation of the order parameters and energies of these states at zero temperature in a wide range of values of chemical potential μ, the effective electron-electron coupling constant λ and Debye energy TD demonstrates that when the exchange interaction is neglected the singlet always prevails, however, in significant portions of the (μ, λ, TD) parameter space the energy difference is very small. This means that interactions that are small, but discriminate between the spin singlet and the spin triplet, are important in order to determine the nature of the superconducting order there. The best candidate for such an interaction in the materials under consideration is the exchange (the Stoner term) characterized by constant λex. We show that at values of λex, much smaller than ones creating Stoner instability to ferromagnetism λex ∼ 1, the triplet pairing becomes energetically favored over the singlet ones. The 3D quantum critical point at μ = 0 is considered in detail. This can be realized experimentally in optically trapped cold atom systems.

9. Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states and topological superconductivity in Ising paired superconductors

Sharma, Girish; Tewari, Sumanta

2016-09-01

An unusual form of superconductivity, called Ising superconductivity, has recently been uncovered in mono- and few-layered transition metal dichalcogenides. This 2D superconducting state is characterized by the so-called Ising spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which produces strong oppositely oriented effective Zeeman fields perpendicular to the 2D layer in opposite momentum space valleys. We examine the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states localized at magnetic impurities in Ising superconductors and show that the unusual SOC manifests itself in unusually strong anisotropy in magnetic field response observable in STM experiments. For a chain of magnetic impurities with moments parallel to the plane of Ising superconductors we show that the low energy YSR band hosts topological superconductivity and Majorana excitations as a direct manifestation of topological effects induced by Ising spin-orbit coupling.

10. Paired and Interacting Galaxies: International Astronomical Union Colloquium No. 124

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sulentic, Jack W. (Editor); Keel, William C. (Editor); Telesco, C. M. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The proceedings of the International Astronomical Union Colloquium No. 124, held at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, on December 4 to 7, are given. The purpose of the conference was to describe the current state of theoretical and observational knowledge of interacting galaxies, with particular emphasis on galaxies in pairs.

11. Superconductivity:

Sacchetti, N.

In this paper a short historical account of the discovery of superconductivity and of its gradual development is given. The physical interpretation of its various aspects took about forty years (from 1911 to 1957) to reach a successful description of this phenomenon in terms of a microscopic theory At the very end it seemed that more or less everything could be reasonably interpreted even if modifications and refinements of the original theory were necessary. In 1986 the situation changed abruptly when a cautious but revolutionary paper appeared showing that superconductivity was found in certain ceramic oxides at temperatures above those up to then known. A rush of frantic experimental activity started world-wide and in less than one year it was shown that superconductivity is a much more widespread phenomenon than deemed before and can be found at temperatures well above the liquid air boiling point. The complexity and the number of the substances (mainly ceramic oxides) involved call for a sort of modern alchemy if compounds with the best superconducting properties are to be manufactured. We don't use the word alchemy in a deprecatory sense but just to emphasise that till now nobody can say why these compounds are what they are: superconductors.

12. Atom-Pair Kinetics with Strong Electric-Dipole Interactions.

PubMed

Thaicharoen, N; Gonçalves, L F; Raithel, G

2016-05-27

Rydberg-atom ensembles are switched from a weakly to a strongly interacting regime via adiabatic transformation of the atoms from an approximately nonpolar into a highly dipolar quantum state. The resultant electric dipole-dipole forces are probed using a device akin to a field ion microscope. Ion imaging and pair-correlation analysis reveal the kinetics of the interacting atoms. Dumbbell-shaped pair-correlation images demonstrate the anisotropy of the binary dipolar force. The dipolar C_{3} coefficient, derived from the time dependence of the images, agrees with the value calculated from the permanent electric-dipole moment of the atoms. The results indicate many-body dynamics akin to disorder-induced heating in strongly coupled particle systems.

13. THE INTERACTING GALAXY PAIR KPG 390: H{alpha} KINEMATICS

SciTech Connect

Repetto, P.; Rosado, M.; Gabbasov, R.; Fuentes-Carrera, I.

2010-04-15

In this work, we present scanning Fabry-Perot (FP) H{alpha} observations of the isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5278/79 obtained with the PUMA FP interferometer. We derived velocity fields and rotation curves for both galaxies. For NGC 5278 we also obtained the residual velocity map to investigate the non-circular motions, and estimated its mass by fitting the rotation curve with disk+halo components. We test three different types of halos (pseudo-isothermal, Hernquist, and Navarro-Frenk-White) and obtain satisfactory fits to the rotation curve for all profiles. The amount of dark matter required by the pseudo-isothermal profile is about 10 times smaller than that for the other two halo distributions. Finally, our kinematical results together with the analysis of dust lane distribution and of surface brightness profiles along the minor axis allowed us to determine univocally that both components of the interacting pair are trailing spirals.

14. The Interacting Galaxy Pair KPG 390: Hα Kinematics

Repetto, P.; Rosado, M.; Gabbasov, R.; Fuentes-Carrera, I.

2010-04-01

In this work, we present scanning Fabry-Perot (FP) Hα observations of the isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5278/79 obtained with the PUMA FP interferometer. We derived velocity fields and rotation curves for both galaxies. For NGC 5278 we also obtained the residual velocity map to investigate the non-circular motions, and estimated its mass by fitting the rotation curve with disk+halo components. We test three different types of halos (pseudo-isothermal, Hernquist, and Navarro-Frenk-White) and obtain satisfactory fits to the rotation curve for all profiles. The amount of dark matter required by the pseudo-isothermal profile is about 10 times smaller than that for the other two halo distributions. Finally, our kinematical results together with the analysis of dust lane distribution and of surface brightness profiles along the minor axis allowed us to determine univocally that both components of the interacting pair are trailing spirals.

15. Superconducting and ferromagnetic phases in SrTiO3/LaAlO3 oxide interface structures: possibility of finite momentum pairing.

PubMed

Michaeli, Karen; Potter, Andrew C; Lee, Patrick A

2012-03-16

We introduce a model to explain the observed ferromagnetism and superconductivity in LAO/STO oxide interface structures. Because of the polar catastrophe mechanism, 1/2 charge per unit cell is transferred to the interface layer. We argue that this charge localizes and orders ferromagnetically via exchange with the conduction electrons. Ordinarily, this ferromagnetism would destroy superconductivity, but, due to strong spin-orbit coupling near the interface, the magnetism and superconductivity can coexist by forming a Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinikov-type condensate of Cooper pairs at finite momentum, which is surprisingly robust in the presence of strong disorder.

16. High-T C superconductivity in Cs3C60 compounds governed by local Cs–C60 Coulomb interactions

Harshman, Dale R.; Fiory, Anthony T.

2017-04-01

Unique among alkali-doped A 3C60 fullerene compounds, the A15 and fcc forms of Cs3C60 exhibit superconducting states varying under hydrostatic pressure with highest transition temperatures at T\\text{C}\\text{meas}   =  38.3 and 35.2 K, respectively. Herein it is argued that these two compounds under pressure represent the optimal materials of the A 3C60 family, and that the C60-associated superconductivity is mediated through Coulombic interactions with charges on the alkalis. A derivation of the interlayer Coulombic pairing model of high-T C superconductivity employing non-planar geometry is introduced, generalizing the picture of two interacting layers to an interaction between charge reservoirs located on the C60 and alkali ions. The optimal transition temperature follows the algebraic expression, T C0  =  (12.474 nm2 K)/ℓζ, where ℓ relates to the mean spacing between interacting surface charges on the C60 and ζ is the average radial distance between the C60 surface and the neighboring Cs ions. Values of T C0 for the measured cation stoichiometries of Cs3‑x C60 with x  ≈  0 are found to be 38.19 and 36.88 K for the A15 and fcc forms, respectively, with the dichotomy in transition temperature reflecting the larger ζ and structural disorder in the fcc form. In the A15 form, modeled interacting charges and Coulomb potential e2/ζ are shown to agree quantitatively with findings from nuclear-spin relaxation and mid-infrared optical conductivity. In the fcc form, suppression of T\\text{C}\\text{meas} below T C0 is ascribed to native structural disorder. Phononic effects in conjunction with Coulombic pairing are discussed.

17. High-T C superconductivity in Cs3C60 compounds governed by local Cs-C60 Coulomb interactions.

PubMed

Harshman, Dale R; Fiory, Anthony T

2017-02-02

Unique among alkali-doped A 3C60 fullerene compounds, the A15 and fcc forms of Cs3C60 exhibit superconducting states varying under hydrostatic pressure with highest transition temperatures at [Formula: see text]  =  38.3 and 35.2 K, respectively. Herein it is argued that these two compounds under pressure represent the optimal materials of the A 3C60 family, and that the C60-associated superconductivity is mediated through Coulombic interactions with charges on the alkalis. A derivation of the interlayer Coulombic pairing model of high-T C superconductivity employing non-planar geometry is introduced, generalizing the picture of two interacting layers to an interaction between charge reservoirs located on the C60 and alkali ions. The optimal transition temperature follows the algebraic expression, T C0  =  (12.474 nm(2) K)/ℓζ, where ℓ relates to the mean spacing between interacting surface charges on the C60 and ζ is the average radial distance between the C60 surface and the neighboring Cs ions. Values of T C0 for the measured cation stoichiometries of Cs3-x C60 with x  ≈  0 are found to be 38.19 and 36.88 K for the A15 and fcc forms, respectively, with the dichotomy in transition temperature reflecting the larger ζ and structural disorder in the fcc form. In the A15 form, modeled interacting charges and Coulomb potential e(2)/ζ are shown to agree quantitatively with findings from nuclear-spin relaxation and mid-infrared optical conductivity. In the fcc form, suppression of [Formula: see text] below T C0 is ascribed to native structural disorder. Phononic effects in conjunction with Coulombic pairing are discussed.

18. Odd-frequency pairing of interacting Majorana fermions

DOE PAGES

Huang, Zhoushen; Wolfle, P.; Balatsky, Alexander V.

2015-09-14

In this study, Majorana fermions are rising as a promising key component in quantum computation. Although the prevalent approach is to use a quadratic (i.e., noninteracting) Majorana Hamiltonian, when expressed in terms of Dirac fermions, generically the Hamiltonian involves interaction terms. Here we focus on the possible pair correlations in a simple model system. We study a model of Majorana fermions coupled to a boson mode and show that the anomalous correlator between different Majorana fermions, located at opposite ends of a topological wire, exhibits odd-frequency behavior. It is stabilized when the coupling strength g is above a critical valuemore » gc. We use both, conventional diagrammatic theory and a functional integral approach, to derive the gap equation, the critical temperature, the gap function, the critical coupling, and a Ginzburg-Landau theory that allows discussing a possible subleading admixture of even-frequency pairing.« less

19. Odd-frequency pairing of interacting Majorana fermions

Huang, Zhoushen; Wölfle, P.; Balatsky, A. V.

2015-09-01

Majorana fermions are rising as a promising key component in quantum computation. Although the prevalent approach is to use a quadratic (i.e., noninteracting) Majorana Hamiltonian, when expressed in terms of Dirac fermions, generically the Hamiltonian involves interaction terms. Here we focus on the possible pair correlations in a simple model system. We study a model of Majorana fermions coupled to a boson mode and show that the anomalous correlator between different Majorana fermions, located at opposite ends of a topological wire, exhibits odd-frequency behavior. It is stabilized when the coupling strength g is above a critical value gc. We use both, conventional diagrammatic theory and a functional integral approach, to derive the gap equation, the critical temperature, the gap function, the critical coupling, and a Ginzburg-Landau theory that allows discussing a possible subleading admixture of even-frequency pairing.

20. Odd-frequency pairing of interacting Majorana fermions

SciTech Connect

Huang, Zhoushen; Wolfle, P.; Balatsky, Alexander V.

2015-09-14

In this study, Majorana fermions are rising as a promising key component in quantum computation. Although the prevalent approach is to use a quadratic (i.e., noninteracting) Majorana Hamiltonian, when expressed in terms of Dirac fermions, generically the Hamiltonian involves interaction terms. Here we focus on the possible pair correlations in a simple model system. We study a model of Majorana fermions coupled to a boson mode and show that the anomalous correlator between different Majorana fermions, located at opposite ends of a topological wire, exhibits odd-frequency behavior. It is stabilized when the coupling strength g is above a critical value gc. We use both, conventional diagrammatic theory and a functional integral approach, to derive the gap equation, the critical temperature, the gap function, the critical coupling, and a Ginzburg-Landau theory that allows discussing a possible subleading admixture of even-frequency pairing.

1. Transport spectroscopy on trapped superconducting nano-islands of Pb: signature of unconventional pairing

Sirohi, Anshu; Saha, Preetha; Gayen, Sirshendu; Singh, Avtar; Sheet, Goutam

2016-07-01

Elemental bulk lead (Pb) is a conventional type I, spin-singlet (s-wave) superconductor with a critical temperature T c = 7.2 K and a critical magnetic field H c = 800 Oe. However, it is known that at mesoscopic length scales, like in point-contact geometries, Pb shows significantly higher critical field, sometimes up to several Tesla. We have used this property to trap a small superconducting nano-droplet of Pb by forming a metallic point contact on Pb and then applying a magnetic field larger than 800 Oe that drives the bulk of the material non-superconducting. From systematic magnetic field dependent behaviour of the point-contact spectra measured across such a trapped island of Pb we show that the superconducting order parameter of mesoscopic Pb mixes non-trivially with magnetic field possibly due to the emergence of a local spin-triplet component at such length scales. From comparative studies with Nb-based point contacts we surmise that the strong spin-orbit coupling in Pb leads to the emergence of the unconventional component in the order parameter of mesoscopic Pb.

2. Interaction between graphene and metamaterials: split rings vs. wire pairs.

PubMed

Zou, Yanhong; Tassin, Philippe; Koschny, Thomas; Soukoulis, Costas M

2012-05-21

We have recently shown that graphene is unsuitable to replace metals in the current-carrying elements of metamaterials. At the other hand, experiments have demonstrated that a layer of graphene can modify the optical response of a metal-based metamaterial. Here we study this electromagnetic interaction between metamaterials and graphene. We show that the weak optical response of graphene can be modified dramatically by coupling to the strong resonant fields in metallic structures. A crucial element determining the interaction strength is the orientation of the resonant fields. If the resonant electric field is predominantly parallel to the graphene sheet (e.g., in a complementary split-ring metamaterial), the metamaterial's resonance can be strongly damped. If the resonant field is predominantly perpendicular to the graphene sheet (e.g., in a wire-pair metamaterial), no significant interaction exists.

3. Interaction between graphene and metamaterials: split rings vs. wire pairs

SciTech Connect

Zou, Yanhong; Tassin, Philippe; Koschny, Thomas; Soukoulis, Costas

2012-05-14

We have recently shown that graphene is unsuitable to replace metals in the current-carrying elements of metamaterials. At the other hand, experiments have demonstrated that a layer of graphene can modify the optical response of a metal-based metamaterial. Here we study this electromagnetic interaction between metamaterials and graphene. We show that the weak optical response of graphene can be modified dramatically by coupling to the strong resonant fields in metallic structures. A crucial element determining the interaction strength is the orientation of the resonant fields. If the resonant electric field is predominantly parallel to the graphene sheet (e.g., in a complementary split-ring metamaterial), the metamaterial’s resonance can be strongly damped. If the resonant field is predominantly perpendicular to the graphene sheet (e.g., in a wire-pair metamaterial), no significant interaction exists.

4. Spatial Patterns in Rydberg Excitations from Logarithmic Pair Interactions

Lechner, Wolfgang; Zoller, Peter

2015-09-01

The collective excitations in ensembles of dissipative, laser driven ultracold atoms exhibit crystal-like patterns, a many-body effect of the Rydberg blockade mechanism. These crystalline structures are revealed in an experiment from a postselection of configurations with fixed numbers of excitations. Here, we show that these subensembles can be well represented by ensembles of effective particles that interact via logarithmic pair potentials. This allows one to study the emergent patterns with a small number of effective particles to determine the phases of Rydberg crystals and to systematically study contributions from N -body terms.

5. Equilibrium cluster fluids: pair interactions via inverse design.

PubMed

Jadrich, R B; Bollinger, J A; Lindquist, B A; Truskett, T M

2015-12-28

Inverse methods of statistical mechanics are becoming productive tools in the design of materials with specific microstructures or properties. While initial studies have focused on solid-state design targets (e.g., assembly of colloidal superlattices), one can alternatively design fluid states with desired morphologies. This work addresses the latter and demonstrates how a simple iterative Boltzmann inversion strategy can be used to determine the isotropic pair potential that reproduces the radial distribution function of a fluid of amorphous clusters with prescribed size. The inverse designed pair potential of this "ideal" cluster fluid, with its broad attractive well and narrow repulsive barrier at larger separations, is qualitatively different from the so-called SALR form most commonly associated with equilibrium cluster formation in colloids, which features short-range attractive (SA) and long-range repulsive (LR) contributions. These differences reflect alternative mechanisms for promoting cluster formation with an isotropic pair potential, and they in turn produce structured fluids with qualitatively different static and dynamic properties. Specifically, equilibrium simulations show that the amorphous clusters resulting from the inverse designed potentials display more uniformity in size and shape, and they also show greater spatial and temporal resolution than those resulting from SALR interactions.

6. Cooper pair of superconductivity in the coordinate representation and q-deformed harmonic oscillator

Van Ngu, Man; Gia Vinh, Ngo; Lan, Nguyen Tri; Thanh, Luu Thi Kim; Viet, Nguyen Ai

2016-06-01

In this work we study the similarity between the wave functions of q -deformed harmonic oscillator and wave functions of Cooper pair. The wave functions of Cooper pairs in coordinate-space have an “onion-like” layered structure with exponent decay (Boltzmann) envelope modulation. The ground state wave function of q -deform harmonic oscillator has the form of oscillate functions with Gaussian decay envelope modulation. The corresponding between Boltzmann and Gaussian forms of envelope functions and their quantum similarity are discussed.

7. Strong Interactions of Photon Pairs in Cavity QED

Kimble, H. J.

2008-05-01

The charge and spin degrees of freedom of massive particles have relatively large long-range interactions, which enable nonlinear coupling between pairs of atoms, ions, electrons, and diverse quasi-particles. By contrast, photons have vanishingly small cross-sections for direct coupling. Instead, photon interactions must be mediated by a material system. Even then,typical materials produce photon-photon couplings that are orders of magnitude too small for nontrivial dynamics with individual photon pairs. The leading exception to this state of affairs is cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED), where strong interactions between light and matter at the single-photon level have enabled a wide set of scientific advances [1]. My presentation will describe two experiments in the Caltech Quantum Optics Group where strong interactions of photon pairs have been observed. The work in Ref. [2] provided the initial realization of photon blockade for an atomic system by using a Fabry-Perot cavity containing one atom strongly coupled to the cavity field. The underlying blockade mechanism was the quantum anharmonicity of the ladder of energy levels for the composite atom-cavity system. Beyond this structural effect, a new % dynamical mechanism was identified in Ref. [3] for which photon transport is regulated by the conditional state of one intracavity atom, leading to an efficient mechanism that is insensitive to many experimental imperfections and which achieves high efficiency for single-photon transport. The experiment utilized the interaction of an atom with the fields of a microtoroidal resonator [4]. Regulation was achieved by way of an interference effect involving the directly transmitted optical field, the intracavity field in the absence of the atom, and the polarization field radiated by the atom, with the requisite nonlinearity provided by the quantum character of the emission from one atom.[1] R. Miller, T. E. Northup, K. M. Birnbaum, A. Boca, A. D. Boozer, and H. J

8. Scrutinizing the double superconducting gaps and strong coupling pairing in (Li1−xFex)OHFeSe

PubMed Central

Du, Zengyi; Yang, Xiong; Lin, Hai; Fang, Delong; Du, Guan; Xing, Jie; Yang, Huan; Zhu, Xiyu; Wen, Hai-Hu

2016-01-01

In the field of iron-based superconductors, one of the frontier studies is about the pairing mechanism. The recently discovered (Li1−xFex)OHFeSe superconductor with the transition temperature of about 40 K provides a good platform to check the origin of double superconducting gaps and high transition temperature in the monolayer FeSe thin film. Here we report a scanning tunnelling spectroscopy study on the (Li1−xFex)OHFeSe single crystals. The tunnelling spectrum mimics that of the monolayer FeSe thin film and shows double gaps at about 14.3 and 8.6 meV. Further analysis based on the quasiparticle interference allows us to rule out the d-wave gap, and for the first time assign the larger (smaller) gap to the outer (inner) Fermi pockets (after folding) associating with the dxy (dxz/dyz) orbitals, respectively. The gap ratio amounts to 8.7, which demonstrates the strong coupling mechanism in the present superconducting system. PMID:26822281

9. Microscopic analysis of the superconducting quantum critical point: Finite-temperature crossovers in transport near a pair-breaking quantum phase transition

Shah, Nayana; Lopatin, Andrei

2007-09-01

A microscopic analysis of the superconducting quantum critical point realized via a pair-breaking quantum phase transition is presented. Finite-temperature crossovers are derived for the electrical conductivity, which is a key probe of superconducting fluctuations. By using the diagrammatic formalism for disordered systems, we are able to incorporate the interplay between fluctuating Cooper pairs and electrons, that is outside the scope of a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau or effective bosonic action formalism. It is essential to go beyond the standard approximation in order to capture the zero-temperature correction which results purely from the (dynamic) quantum fluctuations and dictates the behavior of the conductivity in an entire low-temperature quantum regime. All dynamic contributions are of the same order and conspire to add up to a negative total, thereby inhibiting the conductivity as a result of superconducting fluctuations. On the contrary, the classical and the intermediate regimes are dominated by the positive bosonic channel. Our theory is applicable in one, two, and three dimensions and is relevant for experiments on superconducting nanowires, doubly connected cylinders, thin films, and bulk in the presence of magnetic impurities, magnetic field, or other pair breakers. A window of nonmonotonic behavior is predicted to exist as either the temperature or the pair-breaking parameter is swept.

10. Distinguishing S-plus-minus and S-plus-plus electron pairing symmetries by neutron spin resonances in superconducting Sodium-Iron-Cobalt-Arsenic (transitional temperature = 18 Kelvin)

SciTech Connect

Das, Tanmoy; Balatsky, Alexander V.; Zhang, Chenglin; Li, Haifeng; Su, Yiki; Nethertom, Tucker; Redding, Caleb; Carr, Scott; Schneidewind, Astrid; Faulhaber, Enrico; Li, Shiliang; Yao, Daoxin; Bruckel, Thomas; Dai, Pengchen; Sobolev, Oleg

2012-06-05

A determination of the superconducting (SC) electron pairing symmetry forms the basis for establishing a microscopic mechansim for superconductivity. For iron pnictide superconductors, the s{sup {+-}}-pairing symmetry theory predicts the presence of a sharp neutron spin resonance at an energy below the sum of hole and electron SC gap energies (E {le} 2{Delta}). Although the resonances have been observed for various iron pnictide superconductors, they are broad in energy and can also be interpreted as arising from the s{sup ++}-pairing symmetry with E {ge} 2{Delta}. Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to reveal a sharp resonance at E = 7 meV in the SC NaFe{sub 0.935}Co{sub 0.045}As (T{sub c} = 18 K). By comparing our experiments with calculated spin-excitations spectra within the s{sup {+-}} and s{sup ++}-pairing symmetries, we conclude that the resonance in NaFe{sub 0.935}Co{sub 0.045}As is consistent with the s{sup {+-}}-pairing symmetry, thus eliminating s{sup ++}-pairing symmetry as a candidate for superconductivity.

11. Lone-pair interactions and photodissociation of compressed nitrogen trifluoride.

PubMed

Kurzydłowski, D; Wang, H B; Troyan, I A; Eremets, M I

2014-08-14

High-pressure behavior of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) was investigated by Raman and IR spectroscopy at pressures up to 55 GPa and room temperature, as well as by periodic calculations up to 100 GPa. Experimentally, we find three solid-solid phase transitions at 9, 18, and 39.5 GPa. Vibrational spectroscopy indicates that in all observed phases NF3 remains in the molecular form, in contrast to the behavior of compressed ammonia. This finding is confirmed by density functional theory calculations, which also indicate that the phase transitions of compressed NF3 are governed by the interplay between lone‑pair interactions and efficient molecule packing. Although nitrogen trifluoride is molecular in the whole pressure range studied, we show that it can be photodissociated by mid-IR laser radiation. This finding paves the way for the use of NF3 as an oxidizing and fluorinating agent in high-pressure reactions.

12. Lone-pair interactions and photodissociation of compressed nitrogen trifluoride

Kurzydłowski, D.; Wang, H. B.; Troyan, I. A.; Eremets, M. I.

2014-08-01

High-pressure behavior of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) was investigated by Raman and IR spectroscopy at pressures up to 55 GPa and room temperature, as well as by periodic calculations up to 100 GPa. Experimentally, we find three solid-solid phase transitions at 9, 18, and 39.5 GPa. Vibrational spectroscopy indicates that in all observed phases NF3 remains in the molecular form, in contrast to the behavior of compressed ammonia. This finding is confirmed by density functional theory calculations, which also indicate that the phase transitions of compressed NF3 are governed by the interplay between lone-pair interactions and efficient molecule packing. Although nitrogen trifluoride is molecular in the whole pressure range studied, we show that it can be photodissociated by mid-IR laser radiation. This finding paves the way for the use of NF3 as an oxidizing and fluorinating agent in high-pressure reactions.

13. Lone-pair interactions and photodissociation of compressed nitrogen trifluoride

SciTech Connect

Kurzydłowski, D.; Wang, H. B.; Eremets, M. I.; Troyan, I. A.

2014-08-14

High-pressure behavior of nitrogen trifluoride (NF{sub 3}) was investigated by Raman and IR spectroscopy at pressures up to 55 GPa and room temperature, as well as by periodic calculations up to 100 GPa. Experimentally, we find three solid-solid phase transitions at 9, 18, and 39.5 GPa. Vibrational spectroscopy indicates that in all observed phases NF{sub 3} remains in the molecular form, in contrast to the behavior of compressed ammonia. This finding is confirmed by density functional theory calculations, which also indicate that the phase transitions of compressed NF{sub 3} are governed by the interplay between lone‑pair interactions and efficient molecule packing. Although nitrogen trifluoride is molecular in the whole pressure range studied, we show that it can be photodissociated by mid-IR laser radiation. This finding paves the way for the use of NF{sub 3} as an oxidizing and fluorinating agent in high-pressure reactions.

14. Superconductivity of the Sr2Ca12Cu24O41 spin-ladder system: are the superconducting pairing and the spin-gap formation of the same origin?

PubMed

Fujiwara, Naoki; Môri, Nobuo; Uwatoko, Yoshiya; Matsumoto, Takehiko; Motoyama, Naoki; Uchida, Shinichi

2003-04-04

Pressure-induced superconductivity in a spin-ladder cuprate Sr2Ca12Cu24O41 has not been studied on a microscopic level thus far although the superconductivity was already discovered in 1996. We have improved the high-pressure technique using a large high-quality crystal, and succeeded in studying the superconductivity using 63Cu nuclear magnetic resonance. We found that the anomalous metallic state reflecting the spin-ladder structure is realized and the superconductivity possesses an s-wave-like character in the meaning that a finite gap exists in the quasiparticle excitation: At a pressure of 3.5 GPa, we observed two excitation modes in the normal state from the relaxation rate T-11. One gives rise to an activation-type component in T-11, and the other T-linear component linking directly with the superconductivity. This gapless mode likely arises from free motion of holon-spinon bound states appearing by hole doping, and the pairing of them likely causes the superconductivity.

15. Superconducting graphene sheets in CaC6 enabled by phonon-mediated interband interactions

Yang, S.-L.; Sobota, J. A.; Howard, C. A.; Pickard, C. J.; Hashimoto, M.; Lu, D. H.; Mo, S.-K.; Kirchmann, P. S.; Shen, Z.-X.

2014-03-01

There is a great deal of fundamental and practical interest in the possibility of inducing superconductivity in a monolayer of graphene. But while bulk graphite can be made to superconduct when certain metal atoms are intercalated between its graphene sheets, the same has not been achieved in a single layer. Moreover, there is a considerable debate about the precise mechanism of superconductivity in intercalated graphite. Here we report angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of the superconducting graphite intercalation compound CaC6 that distinctly resolve both its intercalant-derived interlayer band and its graphene-derived π* band. Our results indicate the opening of a superconducting gap in the π* band and reveal a substantial contribution to the total electron-phonon-coupling strength from the π*-interlayer interband interaction. Combined with theoretical predictions, these results provide a complete account for the superconducting mechanism in graphite intercalation compounds and lend support to the idea of realizing superconducting graphene by creating an adatom superlattice.

16. Nodeless pairing in superconducting copper-oxide monolayer films on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

SciTech Connect

Zhong, Yong; Wang, Yang; Han, Sha; Lv, Yan-Feng; Wang, Wen-Lin; Zhang, Ding; Ding, Hao; Zhang, Yi-Min; Wang, Lili; He, Ke; Zhong, Ruidan; Schneeloch, John A.; Gu, Gen-Da; Song, Can-Li; Ma, Xu-Cun; Xue, Qi-Kun

2016-07-12

We report that the pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates remains the biggest unresolved mystery in condensed matter physics. To solve the problem, one of the most effective approaches is to investigate directly the superconducting CuO2 layers. Here, by growing CuO2 monolayer films on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ substrates, we identify two distinct and spatially separated energy gaps centered at the Fermi energy, a smaller U-like gap and a larger V-like gap on the films, and study their interactions with alien atoms by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. The newly discovered U-like gap exhibits strong phase coherence and is immune to scattering by K, Cs and Ag atoms, suggesting its nature as a nodeless superconducting gap in the CuO2 layers, whereas the V-like gap agrees with the well-known pseudogap state in the underdoped regime. In conclusion, our results support an s-wave superconductivity in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, which, we propose, originates from the modulation-doping resultant two-dimensional hole liquid confined in the CuO2 layers.

17. Stretching single-stranded DNA: interplay of electrostatic, base-pairing, and base-pair stacking interactions.

PubMed Central

Zhang, Y; Zhou, H; Ou-Yang, Z C

2001-01-01

Recent single-macromolecule observations revealed that the force/extension characteristics of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) are closely related to solution ionic concentration and DNA sequence composition. To understand this, we studied the elastic property of ssDNA through the Monte Carlo implementation of a modified freely jointed chain (FJC), with electrostatic, base-pairing, and base-pair stacking interactions all incorporated. The simulated force-extension profiles for both random and designed sequences have attained quantitative agreements with the experimental data. In low-salt solution, electrostatic interaction dominates, and at low forces, the molecule can be more easily aligned than an unmodified FJC. In high-salt solution, secondary hairpin structure appears in ssDNA by the formation of base pairs between complementary bases, and external stretching causes a hairpin-coil structural transition, which is continuous for ssDNA made of random sequences. In designed sequences such as poly(dA-dT) and poly(dG-dC), the stacking potential between base pairs encourages the aggregation of base pairs into bulk hairpins and makes the hairpin-coil transition a discontinuous (first-order) process. The sensitivity of elongation to the base-pairing rule is also investigated. The comparison of modeling calculations and the experimental data suggests that the base pairing of single-stranded polynucleotide molecules tends to form a nested and independent planar hairpin structure rather than a random intersecting pattern. PMID:11463654

18. Shock interaction behind a pair of cylindrical obstacles

Liu, Heng; Mazumdar, Raoul; Eliasson, Veronica

2014-11-01

The body of work focuses on two-dimensional numerical simulations of shock interaction with a pair of cylindrical obstacles, varying the obstacle separation and incident shock strength. With the shock waves propagating parallel to the center-line between the two cylindrical obstacles, the shock strengths simulated vary from a Mach of 1.4 to a Mach of 2.4, against a wide range of obstacle separation distance to their diameters. These cases are simulated via a software package called Overture, which is used to solve the inviscid Euler equations of gas dynamics on overlapping grids with adaptive mesh refinement. The goal of these cases is to find a so-called safe'' region for obstacle spacing and varying shock Mach numbers, such that the pressure in the safe'' region is reduced downstream of the obstacles. The benefits apply to both building and armor design for the purpose of shock wave mitigation to keep humans and equipment safe. The results obtained from the simulations confirm that the length of the safe'' region and the degree of shock wave attenuation depend on the ratio of obstacle separation distance to obstacle diameter. The influence of various Mach number is also discussed.

19. Electron-Phonon Interaction in Oxide Superconductors - Proceedings of the First Cinvestav Superconductivity Symposium

Matsumoto, Koichi; Hashimoto, Takasu

1991-12-01

The Table of Contents for the book is as follows: * List of Invited Speakers * Preface * PHONONS * Lattice Vibrations of the Cuprate Superconductors * INFRARED * Evidence of Strong Electron-Phonon Interaction from the Infrared Spectra of YBa2Cu3O7 * Electron-Phonon Interaction and Infrared Spectra of High Temperature Superconductors * TUNNELING * Tunneling Studies of Bismuthate and Cuprate Superconductors * Phonon Mechanism of the High Tc Superconductivity Based on the Tunneling Structure * LATTICE INSTABILITIES * Lattice Instabilities in High Temperature Superconductors: The X Point Tilt Energy Surface for La2-xBaxCuO4 * Structural Instability and Strong Coupling in Oxide Superconductors * ISOTOPE EFFECT * On the Isotope Effect * Electron-Phonon Coupling, Oxygen Isotope Effect and Superconductivity in Ba1-xKxBio3 * BCJ AND ELIASHBERG THEORY * Weak Coupling Theory of the High Tc Superconductors Based on the Electron-Phonon Interaction * Phonon Self-Energy Effects in Migdal-Eliashberg Theory * OTHER TOPICS * Electron-Phonon Interaction and Superconductivity in BaxK1-xBio3 * The Effect of Strong Coulomb Correlations on Electron-Phonon Interactions in the Copper Oxides: Implications for Transport * EXPERIMENT (OTHER TOPICS) * Zinc Substitution Effects on the Superconducting Properties of Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4-δ * SUMMARY * Manifestations of the e-ph Interaction: A Summary * Author Index

20. Comparing Pair and Small Group Interactions on Oral Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lasito,; Storch, Neomy

2013-01-01

Although pair and small group activities are commonly used in second language (L2) classrooms, there are very few studies which can inform teachers about whether it is best to have students work in pairs or in small groups. In this study, conducted in a junior high school in Indonesia with learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), we…

1. Interacting in Pairs in a Test of Oral Proficiency: Co-Constructing a Better Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Lindsay

2009-01-01

This study, framed within sociocultural theory, examines the interaction of adult ESL test-takers in two tests of oral proficiency: one in which they interacted with an examiner (the individual format) and one in which they interacted with another student (the paired format). The data for the eight pairs in this study were drawn from a larger…

2. Spin-Triplet Pairing Induced by Spin-Singlet Interactions in Noncentrosymmetric Superconductors

Matsuzaki, Tomoaki; Shimahara, Hiroshi

2017-02-01

In noncentrosymmetric superconductors, we examine the effect of the difference between the intraband and interband interactions, which becomes more important when the band splitting increases. We define the difference ΔVμ between their coupling constants, i.e., that between the intraband and interband hopping energies of intraband Cooper pairs. Here, the subscript μ of ΔVμ indicates that the interactions scatter the spin-singlet and spin-triplet pairs when μ = 0 and μ = 1,2,3, respectively. It is shown that the strong antisymmetric spin-orbit interaction reverses the target spin parity of the interaction: it converts the spin-singlet and spin-triplet interactions represented by ΔV0 and ΔVμ>0 into effective spin-triplet and spin-singlet pairing interactions, respectively. Hence, for example, triplet pairing can be induced solely by the singlet interaction ΔV0. We name the pairing symmetry of the system after that of the intraband Cooper pair wave function, but with an odd-parity phase factor excluded. The pairing symmetry must then be even, even for the triplet component, and the following results are obtained. When ΔVμ is small, the spin-triplet p-wave interactions induce spin-triplet s-wave and spin-triplet d-wave pairings in the regions where the repulsive singlet s-wave interaction is weak and strong, respectively. When ΔV0 is large, a repulsive interband spin-singlet interaction can stabilize spin-triplet pairing. When the Rashba interaction is adopted for the spin-orbit interaction, the spin-triplet pairing interactions mediated by transverse magnetic fluctuations do not contribute to triplet pairing.

3. Engineering entangled microwave photon states through multiphoton interactions between two cavity fields and a superconducting qubit

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yan-Jun; Wang, Changqing; Zhu, Xiaobo; Liu, Yu-xi

2016-01-01

It has been shown that there are not only transverse but also longitudinal couplings between microwave fields and a superconducting qubit with broken inversion symmetry of the potential energy. Using multiphoton processes induced by longitudinal coupling fields and frequency matching conditions, we design a universal algorithm to produce arbitrary superpositions of two-mode photon states of microwave fields in two separated transmission line resonators, which are coupled to a superconducting qubit. Based on our algorithm, we analyze the generation of evenly-populated states and NOON states. Compared to other proposals with only single-photon process, we provide an efficient way to produce entangled microwave photon states when the interactions between superconducting qubits and microwave fields are in the strong and ultrastrong regime. PMID:27033558

4. The Importance of Discourse Style in Pairing Students for Interactive Communicative Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spelman, Mary

A study analyzed the discourse of four pairs of students participating in dyadic interactive communicative tasks (ICTs) to discover if and how their discourse styles influenced the dynamics of interaction. Students were paired according to their teacher's evaluation of their discourse style as active or non-active, and were designated sender or…

5. Determination of the fermion pair size in a resonantly interacting superfluid.

PubMed

Schunck, Christian H; Shin, Yong-Il; Schirotzek, André; Ketterle, Wolfgang

2008-08-07

Fermionic superfluidity requires the formation of particle pairs, the size of which varies from the femtometre scale in neutron stars and nuclei to the micrometre scale in conventional superconductors. Many properties of the superfluid depend on the pair size relative to the interparticle spacing. This is expressed in 'BCS-BEC crossover' theories, describing the crossover from a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-type superfluid of loosely bound, large Cooper pairs to Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) of tightly bound molecules. Such a crossover superfluid has been realized in ultracold atomic gases where high-temperature superfluidity has been observed. The microscopic properties of the fermion pairs can be probed using radio-frequency spectroscopy. However, previous work was difficult to interpret owing to strong final-state interactions that were not well understood. Here we realize a superfluid spin mixture in which such interactions have negligible influence and present fermion pair dissociation spectra that reveal the underlying pairing correlations. This allows us to determine that the spectroscopic pair size in the resonantly interacting gas is 20 per cent smaller than the interparticle spacing. These are the smallest pairs so far observed in fermionic superfluids, highlighting the importance of small fermion pairs for superfluidity at high critical temperatures. We have also identified transitions from fermion pairs to bound molecular states and to many-body bound states in the case of strong final-state interactions.

6. A number-projected model with generalized pairing interaction in application to rotating nuclei

SciTech Connect

Satula, W. |||; Wyss, R.

1996-12-31

A cranked mean-field model that takes into account both T=1 and T=0 pairing interactions is presented. The like-particle pairing interaction is described by means of a standard seniority force. The neutron-proton channel includes simultaneously correlations among particles moving in time reversed orbits (T=1) and identical orbits (T=0). The coupling between different pairing channels and nuclear rotation is taken into account selfconsistently. Approximate number-projection is included by means of the Lipkin-Nogami method. The transitions between different pairing phases are discussed as a function of neutron/proton excess, T{sub z}, and rotational frequency, {Dirac_h}{omega}.

7. Non-additive interactions involving two distinct elements mediate sloppy-paired regulation by pair-rule transcription factors

PubMed Central

Prazak, Lisa; Fujioka, Miki; Gergen, J. Peter

2010-01-01

The relatively simple combinatorial rules responsible for establishing the initial metameric expression of sloppy-paired-1 (slp1) in the Drosophila blastoderm embryo make this system an attractive model for investigating the mechanism of regulation by pair rule transcription factors. This investigation of slp1 cis-regulatory architecture identifies two distinct elements, a proximal early stripe element (PESE) and a distal early stripe element (DESE) located from −3.1 kb to −2.5 kb and from −8.1 kb to −7.1 kb upstream of the slp1 promoter, respectively, that mediate this early regulation. The proximal element expresses only even-numbered stripes and mediates repression by Even-skipped (Eve) as well as by the combination of Runt and Fushi-tarazu (Ftz). A 272 basepair sub-element of PESE retains Eve-dependent repression, but is expressed throughout the even-numbered parasegments due to the loss of repression by Runt and Ftz. In contrast, the distal element expresses both odd and even-numbered stripes and also drives inappropriate expression in the anterior half of the odd-numbered parasegments due to an inability to respond to repression by Eve. Importantly, a composite reporter gene containing both early stripe elements recapitulates pair-rule gene-dependent regulation in a manner beyond what is expected from combining their individual patterns. These results indicate interactions involving distinct cis-elements contribute to the proper integration of pair-rule regulatory information. A model fully accounting for these results proposes that metameric slp1 expression is achieved through the Runt-dependent regulation of interactions between these two pair-rule response elements and the slp1 promoter. PMID:20435028

8. Breaking time-reversal symmetry in interacting photon lattices using a superconducting on-chip circulator

Koch, Jens; Houck, A. A.; Girvin, S. M.; Le Hur, Karyn

2010-03-01

Recently, theoretical studies have advertised EM resonator arrays, coherently coupled to artificial atoms (e.g., superconducting qubits) as a new venue for constructing quantum simulators for strongly correlated states of matter [1]. Here, we explore the possibilities of breaking time-reversal symmetry in such interacting photon systems by coupling transmission line resonators via a superconducting circuit. We demonstrate that, given an external magnetic field and a mechanism for breaking particle-hole symmetry, such a circuit can produce complex phases in the hopping amplitudes for photons. Finally, we address the prospects of this scheme for studying new quantum phase transitions in interacting photon systems, and the realization of novel 2D lattices for photons, such as the Kagome lattice. [4pt] [1] M. J. Hartmann, F. G. S. L. Brandão, and M. B. Plenio, Laser & Photonics Review 2, 527 (2008), and references therein.

9. Unusual Base-Pairing Interactions in Monomer–Template Complexes

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Many high-resolution crystal structures have contributed to our understanding of the reaction pathway for catalysis by DNA and RNA polymerases, but the structural basis of nonenzymatic template-directed RNA replication has not been studied in comparable detail. Here we present crystallographic studies of the binding of ribonucleotide monomers to RNA primer–template complexes, with the goal of improving our understanding of the mechanism of nonenzymatic RNA copying, and of catalysis by polymerases. To explore how activated ribonucleotides recognize and bind to RNA templates, we synthesized an unreactive phosphonate-linked pyrazole analogue of guanosine 5′-phosphoro-2-methylimidazolide (2-MeImpG), a highly activated nucleotide that has been used extensively to study nonenzymatic primer extension. We cocrystallized this analogue with structurally rigidified RNA primer–template complexes carrying single or multiple monomer binding sites, and obtained high-resolution X-ray structures of these complexes. In addition to Watson–Crick base pairing, we repeatedly observed noncanonical guanine:cytidine base pairs in our crystal structures. In most structures, the phosphate and leaving group moieties of the monomers were highly disordered, while in others the distance from O3′ of the primer to the phosphorus of the incoming monomer was too great to allow for reaction. We suggest that these effects significantly influence the rate and fidelity of nonenzymatic RNA replication, and that even primitive ribozyme polymerases could enhance RNA replication by enforcing Watson–Crick base pairing between monomers and primer–template complexes, and by bringing the reactive functional groups into closer proximity. PMID:28058281

10. Interaction Effects on Combustion of Alcohol Droplet Pairs

Okai, Keiichi; Ono, Yutaka; Moriue, Osamu; Shiba, Seiji; Araki, Mikiya; Nomura, Hiroshi; Shiga, Seiichi; Tsue, Mitsuhiro; Kono, Michikata

Experimental investigation was conducted on two droplet-array combustion of methanol and methanol/dodecanol mixture fuels in microgravity. For methanol, effects of ambient pressure and droplet spacing were examined. Results show that the droplet lifetime decreases with increasing spacing at relatively low pressure and the droplet lifetime becomes independent of spacing at higher-subcritical and supercritical pressures. For methanol/dodecanol mixture, effects of pressure, fuel composition were investigated in terms of occurrence of disruption. Disruption of droplet during combustion was demonstrated both for single droplet and droplet pairs.

11. Superconductivity by means of the subquantum medium coherence

SciTech Connect

Agop, M.; Ioannou, P.D.; Nica, P.

2005-06-01

In the hydrodynamic formulation of the scale relativity theory one shows that a stable vortices distribution of bipolaron type induces superconducting pairs by means of the quantum potential. Then, usual mechanisms (as, for example, the exchange interaction used in the bipolaron theory) are reduced to the coherence on the subquantum medium, the superconducting pairs resulting as a one-dimensional projection of a fractal. The temperature dependences of the superconducting parameters (coherence length, critical speed, pair breaking time, carriers concentration, penetration depth, critical field, critical current) and the concordance with the experimental data and other theories are analyzed.

12. Pair Interactions and Mode of Communication: Comparing Face-to-Face and Computer Mediated Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Lan Liana; Wigglesworth, Gillian; Storch, Neomy

2010-01-01

In today's second language classrooms, students are often asked to work in pairs or small groups. Such collaboration can take place face-to-face, but now more often via computer mediated communication. This paper reports on a study which investigated the effect of the medium of communication on the nature of pair interaction. The study involved…

13. A dynamical proximity analysis of interacting galaxy pairs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chatterjee, Tapan K.

1990-01-01

Using the impulsive approximation to study the velocity changes of stars during disk-sphere collisions and a method due to Bottlinger to study the post collision orbits of stars, the formation of various types of interacting galaxies is studied as a function of the distance of closest approach between the two galaxies.

14. Pair Creation in QED-Strong Pulsed Laser Fields Interacting with Electron Beams

SciTech Connect

Sokolov, Igor V.; Naumova, Natalia M.; Nees, John A.; Mourou, Gerard A.

2010-11-05

QED effects are known to occur in a strong laser pulse interaction with a counterpropagating electron beam, among these effects being electron-positron pair creation. We discuss the range of laser pulse intensities of J{>=}5x10{sup 22} W/cm{sup 2} combined with electron beam energies of tens of GeV. In this regime multiple pairs may be generated from a single beam electron, some of the newborn particles being capable of further pair production. Radiation backreaction prevents avalanche development and limits pair creation. The system of integro-differential kinetic equations for electrons, positrons and {gamma} photons is derived and solved numerically.

15. Pair creation in QED-strong pulsed laser fields interacting with electron beams.

PubMed

Sokolov, Igor V; Naumova, Natalia M; Nees, John A; Mourou, Gérard A

2010-11-05

QED effects are known to occur in a strong laser pulse interaction with a counterpropagating electron beam, among these effects being electron-positron pair creation. We discuss the range of laser pulse intensities of J≥5×10(22) W/cm2 combined with electron beam energies of tens of GeV. In this regime multiple pairs may be generated from a single beam electron, some of the newborn particles being capable of further pair production. Radiation backreaction prevents avalanche development and limits pair creation. The system of integro-differential kinetic equations for electrons, positrons and γ photons is derived and solved numerically.

16. Supramolecular architectures based on As(lone pair)···π(aryl) interactions.

PubMed

Zukerman-Schpector, Julio; Otero-de-la-Roza, Alberto; Luaña, Víctor; Tiekink, Edward R T

2011-07-21

As(lone pair)···π interactions provide stability to their crystal structures often leading to supramolecular chains and prevailing over As···X secondary contacts. The interaction (ca 8 kJ mol(-1)) arises from polarisation induced in the aryl ring by the As-lone pair plus the weak sharing of these electrons with the ring-C atoms.

17. Non-covalent interactions in ionic liquid ion pairs and ion pair dimers: a quantum chemical calculation analysis.

PubMed

Marekha, Bogdan A; Kalugin, Oleg N; Idrissi, Abdenacer

2015-07-14

Ionic liquids (ILs) being composed of bulky multiatomic ions reveal a plethora of non-covalent interactions which determine their microscopic structure. In order to establish the main peculiarities of these interactions in an IL-environment, we have performed quantum chemical calculations for a set of representative model molecular clusters. These calculations were coupled with advanced methods of analysis of the electron density distribution, namely, the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and the non-covalent interaction (NCI; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132, 6499) approaches. The former allows for profound quantitative characterization of non-covalent interactions between atoms while the latter gives an overview of spatial extent, delocalization, and relative strength of such interactions. The studied systems consist of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (Bmim(+)) cations and different perfluorinated anions: tetrafluoroborate (BF4(-)), hexafluorophosphate (PF6(-)), trifluoromethanesulfonate (TfO(-)), and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI(-)). IL ion pairs and ion pair dimers were considered as model structures for the neat ILs and large aggregates. Weak electrostatic hydrogen bonding was found between the anions and the imidazolium ring hydrogen atoms of cations. Weaker but still appreciable hydrogen bonding was also noted for hydrogen atoms adjacent to the imidazolium ring alkyl groups of Bmim(+). The relative strength of the hydrogen bonding is higher in BmimTfO and BmimBF4 ILs than in BmimPF6 and BmimTFSI, whereas BmimTfO and BmimTFSI reveal higher sensitivity of hydrogen bonding at the different hydrogen atoms of the imidazolium ring.

18. Interplay between the pairing and quadrupole interactions in the algebraic realization of the microscopic shell model

Drumev, Kalin; Georgieva, Ana

2015-04-01

We explore the algebraic realization of the Pairing-Plus-Quadrupole Model/PQM/ in the framework of the Elliott‘s SU(3) Model with the aim to obtain the complementary and competing features of the two interactions through the relation between the pairing and the SU(3) bases. First, we establish a correspondence between the SO(8) pairing basis and the Elliott's SU(3) basis. It is derived from their complementarity to the same LST coupling chain of the shell-model number-conserving algebra. The probability distribution of the SU(3) basis states within the SO(8) pairing states is also obtained and allows the investigation of the interplay between the pairing and quadrupole interactions in the Hamiltonian of the PQM, containing both of them as limiting cases. The description of some realistic N∼Z nuclear systems is investigated in a SU(3)-symmetry-adapted basis within a model space of one and two oscillator shells.

19. Investigation of the Gravitational Interaction between the Components of the Galaxy Pairs CPG 165

Tawfeek, Amira A.; Ali, Gamal B.; Amin, Magdy Y.

2014-04-01

In this paper the effect of interaction between the components of the galaxy pair CPG 165 on the symmetry of their morphologies and structures is studied by applying the technique of surface photometry. For each component of the pair we present the isophotal contours, profiles of surface brightness (SB), major-axis position angle (PA), and isophotal center-shift. The present analysis is done using the r- and i-band images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) observation. It is found that the position angle and the isophotal center shift are strongly affected by the state of interaction between the components of the pair CPG 165.

20. Extremely strong bipolar optical interactions in paired graphene nanoribbons.

PubMed

Lu, Wanli; Chen, Huajin; Liu, Shiyang; Zi, Jian; Lin, Zhifang

2016-03-28

Graphene is an excellent multi-functional platform for electrons, photons, and phonons due to exceptional electronic, photonic, and thermal properties. When combining its extraordinary mechanical characteristics with optical properties, graphene-based nanostructures can serve as an appealing platform for optomechanical applications at the nanoscale. Here, we demonstrate, using full-wave simulations, the emergence of extremely strong bipolar optical forces, or, optical binding and anti-binding, between a pair of coupled graphene nanoribbons, due to the remarkable confinement and enhancement of optical fields arising from the large effective mode indices. In particular, the binding and anti-binding forces, which are about two orders of magnitude stronger than that in metamaterials and high-Q resonators, can be tailored by selective excitation of either the even or the odd optical modes, achievable by tuning the relative phase of the lightwaves propagating along the two ribbons. Based on the coupled mode theory, we derive analytical formulae for the bipolar optical forces, which agree well with the numerical results. The attractive optical binding force F(y)(b) and the repulsive anti-binding force F(y)(a) exhibit a remarkably different dependence on the gap distance g between the nanoribbons and the Fermi energy E(F), in the forms of F(y)(b) ∝ 1/√(g³E(F)) and F(y)(a) ∝ 1/E(F)(2). With E(F) dynamically tunable by bias voltage, the bipolar forces may provide a flexible handle for active control of the nanoscale optomechanical effects, and also, might be significant for optoelectronic and optothermal applications as well.

1. A mathematical model of stress generation in microtubule pair interactions

Fang, Fang; Betterton, Meredith; Shelley, Michael

2014-11-01

Microtubules and motor proteins are basic ingredients in many cellular structures and of new biosynthetic active'' suspensions. The interaction of microtubules with their surrounding fluid medium depends fundamentally upon the force generation afforded them through cross-linking motile motor proteins. Here we develop a simple mathematical model, based on the statistical mechanics, motor proteins binding and unbinding, to study the generation of active fluid stresses. We study the role and contributions of polarity sorting'' and tether'' relaxation on the generation of intrinsic, destabilizing stresses.

2. Fractal superconductivity near localization threshold

SciTech Connect

Feigel'man, M.V.; Ioffe, L.B.; Kravtsov, V.E.; Cuevas, E.

2010-07-15

We develop a semi-quantitative theory of electron pairing and resulting superconductivity in bulk 'poor conductors' in which Fermi energy E{sub F} is located in the region of localized states not so far from the Anderson mobility edge E{sub c}. We assume attractive interaction between electrons near the Fermi surface. We review the existing theories and experimental data and argue that a large class of disordered films is described by this model. Our theoretical analysis is based on analytical treatment of pairing correlations, described in the basis of the exact single-particle eigenstates of the 3D Anderson model, which we combine with numerical data on eigenfunction correlations. Fractal nature of critical wavefunction's correlations is shown to be crucial for the physics of these systems. We identify three distinct phases: 'critical' superconductive state formed at E{sub F} = E{sub c}, superconducting state with a strong pseudo-gap, realized due to pairing of weakly localized electrons and insulating state realized at E{sub F} still deeper inside a localized band. The 'critical' superconducting phase is characterized by the enhancement of the transition temperature with respect to BCS result, by the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of superconductive order parameter and local density of states. The major new feature of the pseudo-gapped state is the presence of two independent energy scales: superconducting gap {Delta}, that is due to many-body correlations and a new 'pseudo-gap' energy scale {Delta}{sub P} which characterizes typical binding energy of localized electron pairs and leads to the insulating behavior of the resistivity as a function of temperature above superconductive T{sub c}. Two gap nature of the pseudo-gapped superconductor is shown to lead to specific features seen in scanning tunneling spectroscopy and point-contact Andreev spectroscopy. We predict that pseudo-gapped superconducting state demonstrates anomalous behavior of the optical

3. Conceptual quantum chemical analysis of bonding and noncovalent interactions in the formation of frustrated Lewis pairs.

PubMed

Skara, Gabriella; Pinter, Balazs; Top, Jens; Geerlings, Paul; De Proft, Frank; De Vleeschouwer, Freija

2015-03-27

The contributions of covalent and noncovalent interactions to the formation of classical adducts of bulky Lewis acids and bases and frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) were scrutinized by using various conceptual quantum chemical techniques. Significantly negative complexation energies were calculated for fourteen investigated Lewis pairs containing bases and acids with substituents of various sizes. A Ziegler-Rauk-type energy decomposition analysis confirmed that two types of Lewis pairs can be distinguished on the basis of the nature of the primary interactions between reactants; dative-bond formation and concomitant charge transfer from the Lewis base to the acid is the dominant and most stabilizing factor in the formation of Lewis acid-base adducts, whereas weak interactions are the main thermodynamic driving force (>50 %) for FLPs. Moreover, the ease and extent of structural deformation of the monomers appears to be a key component in the formation of the former type of Lewis pairs. A Natural Orbital for Chemical Valence (NOCV) analysis, which was used to visualize and quantify the charge transfer between the base and the acid, clearly showed the importance and lack of this type of interaction for adducts and FLPs, respectively. The Noncovalent Interaction (NCI) method revealed several kinds of weak interactions between the acid and base components, such as dispersion, π-π stacking, C-H⋅⋅⋅π interaction, weak hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, and weak acid-base interactions, whereas the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) provided further conceptual insight into strong acid-base interactions.

4. Sitewise manipulations and Mott insulator-superfluid transition of interacting photons using superconducting circuit simulators

DOE PAGES

Deng, Xiuhao; Jia, Chunjing; Chien, Chih-Chun

2015-02-23

We report that the Bose Hubbard model (BHM) of interacting bosons in a lattice has been a paradigm in many-body physics, and it exhibits a Mott insulator (MI)-superfluid (SF) transition at integer filling. Here a quantum simulator of the BHM using a superconducting circuit is proposed. Specifically, a superconducting transmission line resonator supporting microwave photons is coupled to a charge qubit to form one site of the BHM, and adjacent sites are connected by a tunable coupler. To obtain a mapping from the superconducting circuit to the BHM, we focus on the dispersive regime where the excitations remain photonlike. Standardmore » perturbation theory is implemented to locate the parameter range where the MI-SF transition may be simulated. This simulator allows single-site manipulations and we illustrate this feature by considering two scenarios where a single-site manipulation can drive a MI-SF transition. The transition can be analyzed by mean-field analyses, and the exact diagonalization was implemented to provide accurate results. The variance of the photon density and the fidelity metric clearly show signatures of the transition. Lastly, experimental realizations and other possible applications of this simulator are also discussed.« less

5. Sitewise manipulations and Mott insulator-superfluid transition of interacting photons using superconducting circuit simulators

SciTech Connect

Deng, Xiuhao; Jia, Chunjing; Chien, Chih-Chun

2015-02-23

We report that the Bose Hubbard model (BHM) of interacting bosons in a lattice has been a paradigm in many-body physics, and it exhibits a Mott insulator (MI)-superfluid (SF) transition at integer filling. Here a quantum simulator of the BHM using a superconducting circuit is proposed. Specifically, a superconducting transmission line resonator supporting microwave photons is coupled to a charge qubit to form one site of the BHM, and adjacent sites are connected by a tunable coupler. To obtain a mapping from the superconducting circuit to the BHM, we focus on the dispersive regime where the excitations remain photonlike. Standard perturbation theory is implemented to locate the parameter range where the MI-SF transition may be simulated. This simulator allows single-site manipulations and we illustrate this feature by considering two scenarios where a single-site manipulation can drive a MI-SF transition. The transition can be analyzed by mean-field analyses, and the exact diagonalization was implemented to provide accurate results. The variance of the photon density and the fidelity metric clearly show signatures of the transition. Lastly, experimental realizations and other possible applications of this simulator are also discussed.

6. Interactions in 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetracyanoborate ion pair: Spectroscopic and density functional study

SciTech Connect

Mao, James X.; Lee, Anita S.; Kitchin, John R.; Nulwala, Hunaid B.; Luebke, David R.; Damodaran, Krishnan

2013-01-25

Density Functional Theory is used to investigate a weakly coordinating room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetracyanoborate ([Emim]{sup +}[TCB]{sup -}). Four locally stable conformers of the ion pair were located. Atoms-in-molecules (AIM) and electron density analysis indicated the existence of several hydrogen bonds. Further investigation through the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) and Natural Energy Decomposition Analysis (NEDA) calculations provided insight into the origin of interactions in the [Emim]{sup +}[TCB]{sup -} ion pair. Strength of molecular interactions in the ionic liquid was correlated with frequency shifts of the characteristic vibrations of the ion pair. Harmonic vibrations of the ion pair were also compared with the experimental Raman and Infrared spectra. Vibrational frequencies were assigned by visualizing displacements of atoms around their equilibrium positions and through Potential Energy Distribution (PED) analysis.

7. Interrelations between the pairing and quadrupole interactions in the microscopic Shell Model

Drumev, K. P.; Georgieva, A. I.

2016-01-01

We explore the dynamical symmetries of the shell model number conserving algebra, which define three types of pairing and quadrupole phases, with the aim to obtain the prevailing phase or phase transition for the real nuclear systems in a single shell. This is achieved by establishing a correspondence between each of the pairing bases with the Elliott's SU(3) basis that describes collective rotation of nuclear systems. This allows for a complete classification of the basis states of different number of particles in all the limiting cases. The probability distribution of the SU(3) basis states within theirs corresponding pairing states is also obtained. The relative strengths of dynamically symmetric quadrupole-quadrupole interaction in respect to the isoscalar, isovector and total pairing interactions define a control parameter, which estimates the importance of each term of the Hamiltonian in the correct reproduction of the experimental data for the considered nuclei.

8. Effects of the protein denaturant guanidinium chloride on aqueous hydrophobic contact-pair interactions.

PubMed

Macdonald, Ryan D; Khajehpour, Mazdak

2015-01-01

Guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) is one of the most common protein denaturants. Although GdmCl is well known in the field of protein folding, the mechanism by which it denatures proteins is not well understood. In fact, there are few studies looking at its effects on hydrophobic interactions. In this work the effect of GdmCl on hydrophobic interactions has been studied by observing how the denaturant influences model systems of phenyl and alkyl hydrophobic contact pairs. Contact pair formation is monitored through the use of fluorescence spectroscopy, i.e., measuring the intrinsic phenol fluorescence being quenched by carboxylate ions. Hydrophobic interactions are isolated from other interactions through a previously developed methodology. The results show that GdmCl does not significantly affect hydrophobic interactions between small moieties such as methyl groups and phenol; while on the other hand, the interaction of larger hydrophobes such as hexyl and heptyl groups with phenol is significantly destabilized.

9. Theoretical Studies on the Intermolecular Interactions of Potentially Primordial Base-Pair Analogues

SciTech Connect

Leszczynski, Jerzy; Sponer, Judit; Sponer, Jiri; Sumpter, Bobby G; Fuentes-Cabrera, Miguel A; Vazquez-Mayagoitia, Alvaro

2010-01-01

Recent experimental studies on the Watson Crick type base pairing of triazine and aminopyrimidine derivatives suggest that acid/base properties of the constituent bases might be related to the duplex stabilities measured in solution. Herein we use high-level quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the base pairing and stacking interactions of seven selected base pairs, which are common in that they are stabilized by two NH O hydrogen bonds separated by one NH N hydrogen bond. We show that neither the base pairing nor the base stacking interaction energies correlate with the reported pKa data of the bases and the melting points of the duplexes. This suggests that the experimentally observed correlation between the melting point data of the duplexes and the pKa values of the constituent bases is not rooted in the intrinsic base pairing and stacking properties. The physical chemistry origin of the observed experimental correlation thus remains unexplained and requires further investigations. In addition, since our calculations are carried out with extrapolation to the complete basis set of atomic orbitals and with inclusion of higher electron correlation effects, they provide reference data for stacking and base pairing energies of non-natural bases.

10. Hydrodynamic interaction of a pair of bubbles rising in a quiescent liquid.

2005-11-01

Interaction effects on the motions of a pair of bubbles, which either rose in vertical line or side by side, in silicon oil pool were experimentally studied. A pair of bubbles rising in vertical line was generated by releasing bubbles successively from a single nozzle, while one rising side by side was generated, by releasing bubble simultaneously from a pair of horizontally placed orifices. Bubble diameter and liquid kinematic viscosity were taken as the experimental parameters. The motions of bubbles were recorded by a high-speed camera with 2000 fps. We observed that Reynolds number significantly affected the motions of a pair of bubbles rising both in vertical line and side by side. When a pair of bubbles rose in vertical line, the trailing bubble was attracted by the leading bubble wake, and then it collided with leading bubble, in the case of low Re, while a pair of bubbles kept a mutual equilibrium distance due to the balance between the leading bubble wake attractive force and potential repulsive force, in the case of intermediate Re. As Re further increased, the trailing bubble oscillated and then escaped from the vertical line. When a pair of bubbles rose side by side, they separated from each other as they rose in the case of low Re, while they attracted each other and then collided if the initial bubble horizontal distance was smaller than a critical value, in the case of large Re.

11. Nucleon-pair states of even-even Sn isotopes based on realistic effective interactions

Cheng, Y. Y.; Qi, C.; Zhao, Y. M.; Arima, A.

2016-08-01

In this paper we study yrast states of 128,126,124Sn and 104,106,108Sn by using the monopole-optimized realistic interactions in terms of both the shell model (SM) and the nucleon-pair approximation (NPA). For yrast states of 128,126Sn and 104,106Sn, we calculate the overlaps between the wave functions obtained in the full SM space and those obtained in the truncated NPA space, and find that most of these overlaps are very close to 1. Very interestingly, for most of these states with positive parity and even spin or with negative parity and odd spin, the SM wave function is found to be well represented by one nucleon-pair basis state, viz., a simple picture of "nucleon-pair states" (nucleon-pair configuration without mixings) emerges. In 128,126Sn, the positive-parity (or negative-parity) yrast states with spin J >10 (or J >7 ) are found to be well described by breaking one or two S pairs in the 101+ (or 71-) state, i.e., the yrast state of seniority-two, spin-maximum, and positive-parity (or negative-parity), into non-S pair(s). Similar regularity is also pointed out for 104,106Sn. The evolution of E 2 transition rates between low-lying states in 128,126,124Sn is discussed in terms of the seniority scheme.

12. Realization of negative-U superconductivity in a class of purely repulsive systems - Interacting carrier and insulating bands

Kuroki, Kazuhiko; Aoki, Hideo

1992-12-01

The occurrence of superconductivity due to nonretarded attraction is demonstrated in a class of repulsively interacting electron systems that consists of a carrier band interacting with an insulating band. The superconductivity, which can be mapped to that in the attractive Hubbard model, has been confirmed from both the canonical transformation of the Hamiltonian and quantum Monte Carlo results. We indicate essential differences of the present models from existing models, including the d-p sub sigma model, and also discuss the relevance of our models to high TC materials.

13. Probing the Pairing Interaction and Multiple Bardasis-Schrieffer Modes Using Raman Spectroscopy

Maiti, S.; Maier, T. A.; Böhm, T.; Hackl, R.; Hirschfeld, P. J.

2016-12-01

In unconventional superconductors, understanding the form of the pairing interaction is the primary goal. In this regard, Raman spectroscopy is a very useful tool, as it identifies the ground state and also the subleading pairing channels by probing collective modes. Here, we propose a general theory for a multiband Raman response and identify new features in the spectrum that can provide a robust test for a pairing theory. We identify multiple Bardasis-Schrieffer type collective modes and connect the weights of these modes to the subleading gap structures within a microscopic pairing theory. While our conclusions are completely general, we apply our approach to interpret the specific case of B1 g Raman scattering in hole-doped BaFe2 As2 .

14. Verbal play as a discourse resource in the social interactions of older and younger communication pairs

PubMed Central

Shune, Samantha; Duff, Melissa Collins

2014-01-01

Verbal play, or the playful manipulation of elements of language, is a pervasive component of social interaction, serving important interpersonal functions. We analyzed verbal play in the interactional discourse of ten healthy younger pairs and ten healthy older pairs as they completed a collaborative referencing task. A total of 1,893 verbal play episodes were coded. While there were no group differences in verbal play frequency, age-related differences in the quality and function of these episodes emerged. While older participants engaged in more complex, extended, and reciprocal episodes that supported the social nature of communicative interactions (e.g., teasing), younger participants were more likely to engage in verbal play episodes for the purpose of successful task completion. Despite these age-related variations in the deployment of verbal play, verbal play is a robust interactional discourse resource in healthy aging, highlighting an element of human cognition that does not appear to decline with age. PMID:25485072

15. Effects of the osmolyte TMAO (Trimethylamine-N-oxide) on aqueous hydrophobic contact-pair interactions.

PubMed

Macdonald, Ryan D; Khajehpour, Mazdak

2013-12-31

Osmolytes are small, soluble organic molecules produced by living organisms for maintaining cell volume. These molecules have also been shown to have significant effects on the stability of proteins. Perhaps one of the most studied osmolytes is Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). Thermodynamic studies of the effects of TMAO on proteins have shown that this molecule is a strong stabilizer of the protein folded state, thus being able to counteract the effects of protein denaturants such as urea and guanidine hydrochloride. Most studies of TMAO effects on bio-molecular stability have until now been focused on how the osmolyte reduces the solubility of polypeptide backbones, while the effects of TMAO on hydrophobic interactions are still not well understood. In fact, there are few experimental data measuring the effect of TMAO on hydrophobic interactions. This work studies phenyl and alkyl contact pairs as model hydrophobic contact pairs. The formation of these contact pairs is monitored using fluorescence, i.e., through the quenching of phenol fluorescence by carboxylate ions; and a methodology is developed to isolate hydrophobic contributions from other interactions. The data demonstrate that the addition of TMAO to the aqueous solvent destabilizes hydrophobic contact pairs formed between alkyl and phenyl moieties. In other words, TMAO acts as a "denaturant" for hydrophobic interactions.

16. Cooperative Interactions in Peer Tutoring: Patterns and Sequences in Paired Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duran, David

2010-01-01

The research analyzes the interaction of 24 students (12 pairs) of secondary students when using peer tutoring techniques to learn Catalan. Students worked together in a program to produce an authentic writing experience. Significant increases were observed in pre- and posttest Catalan attainment scores of students. An analysis of the…

17. Microcomputer Interactive vs. Traditional Associative Learning in a Paired-Associative Recall Task.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newhouse, Barbara S.

Differences between interactive microcomputer and traditional verbal learning groups in a paired-associate learning task were examined in this study. The 88 subjects, who were undergraduate education students, were randomly assigned to four groups. Each group was given one of two lists of ten high frequency words matched with either high or low…

18. Dopamine and opioid systems interact within the nucleus accumbens to maintain monogamous pair bonds

PubMed Central

Resendez, Shanna L; Keyes, Piper C; Day, Jeremy J; Hambro, Caely; Austin, Curtis J; Maina, Francis K; Eidson, Lori N; Porter-Stransky, Kirsten A; Nevárez, Natalie; McLean, J William; Kuhnmuench, Morgan A; Murphy, Anne Z; Mathews, Tiffany A; Aragona, Brandon J

2016-01-01

Prairie vole breeder pairs form monogamous pair bonds, which are maintained through the expression of selective aggression toward novel conspecifics. Here, we utilize behavioral and anatomical techniques to extend the current understanding of neural mechanisms that mediate pair bond maintenance. For both sexes, we show that pair bonding up-regulates mRNA expression for genes encoding D1-like dopamine (DA) receptors and dynorphin as well as enhances stimulated DA release within the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We next show that D1-like receptor regulation of selective aggression is mediated through downstream activation of kappa-opioid receptors (KORs) and that activation of these receptors mediates social avoidance. Finally, we also identified sex-specific alterations in KOR binding density within the NAc shell of paired males and demonstrate that this alteration contributes to the neuroprotective effect of pair bonding against drug reward. Together, these findings suggest motivational and valence processing systems interact to mediate the maintenance of social bonds. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15325.001 PMID:27371827

19. Effects of the plasma profiles on photon and pair production in ultrahigh intensity laser solid interaction

SciTech Connect

Tian, Y. X.; Jin, X. L. Yan, W. Z.; Li, J. Q.; Li, B.; Yu, J. Q.

2015-12-15

The model of photon and pair production in strong field quantum electrodynamics is implemented into our 1D3V particle-in-cell code with Monte Carlo algorithm. Using this code, the evolution of the particles in ultrahigh intensity laser (∼10{sup 23} W/cm{sup 2}) interaction with aluminum foil target is observed. Four different initial plasma profiles are considered in the simulations. The effects of initial plasma profiles on photon and pair production, energy spectra, and energy evolution are analyzed. The results imply that one can set an optimal initial plasma profile to obtain the desired photon distributions.

20. Non-invasive determination of external forces in vortex-pair-cylinder interactions

Hartmann, D.; Schröder, W.; Shashikanth, B. N.

2012-06-01

Expressions for the conserved linear and angular momenta of a dynamically coupled fluid + solid system are derived. Based on the knowledge of the flow velocity field, these expressions allow the determination of the external forces exerted on a body moving in the fluid such as, e.g., swimming fish. The verification of the derived conserved quantities is done numerically. The interaction of a vortex pair with a circular cylinder in various configurations of motions representing a generic test case for a dynamically coupled fluid + solid system is investigated in a weakly compressible Navier-Stokes setting using a Cartesian cut-cell method, i.e., the moving circular cylinder is represented by cut cells on a moving mesh. The objectives of this study are twofold. The first objective is to show the robustness of the derived expressions for the conserved linear and angular momenta with respect to bounded and discrete data sets. The second objective is to study the coupled dynamics of the vortex pair and a neutrally buoyant cylinder free to move in response to the fluid stresses exerted on its surface. A comparison of the vortex-body interaction with the case of a fixed circular cylinder evidences significant differences in the vortex dynamics. When the cylinder is fixed strong secondary vorticity is generated resulting in a repeating process between the primary vortex pair and the cylinder. In the neutrally buoyant cylinder case, a stable structure consisting of the primary vortex pair and secondary vorticity shear layers stays attached to the moving cylinder. In addition to these fundamental cases, the vortex-pair-cylinder interaction is studied for locomotion at constant speed and locomotion at constant thrust. It is shown that a similar vortex structure like in the neutrally buoyant cylinder case is obtained when the cylinder moves away from the approaching vortex pair at a constant speed smaller than the vortex pair translational velocity. Finally, the idealized

1. Role of ion-pair interactions on asphaltene stabilization by alkylbenzenesulfonic acids.

PubMed

2015-02-15

The dispersion of asphaltenes by dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) has been the subject of several studies in the past. However, it is unclear how these interactions affect the structure of asphaltenes and why asphaltene aggregates are larger in the presence of ionic DBSA. The main goal of this study was to address these points using a combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Another objective was to compare ionic DBSA (i.e., dodecylbenzenesulfonate or DBS(-)) to nonionic amphiphiles such as alkylphenols. A striking similarity between dodecylbenzenesulfonate and alkylphenols was that both favored the formation of filamentary rather than globular asphaltene flocculates. However the mechanism by which those filaments formed was very different. Two strong electrostatic interactions between DBSA and asphaltenes were found: (i) those between protonated asphaltenes (i.e., AH(+)) and DBS(-) molecules, which were fifteen times stronger than asphaltene-alkylphenol interactions, and (ii) those between two asphaltene-dispersant pairs (i.e., AH(+)-DBS(-) ion pairs), which did not exist with alkylphenols. These interactions promoted the formation of large and compact asphaltene flocculates, as compared to small and loose ones formed without DBSA. Flocculates with DBSA could further bind to each other through ion-pair interactions. The binding occurred in series (generating long filaments) or in parallel (generating lateral ramifications). However the series configuration was energetically favored due to less steric effects generated by the side aliphatic chains of asphaltenes and DBSA.

2. Finite-Range Separable Pairing Interaction Within New N3LO DFT Approach

Veselý, P.; Dobaczewski, J.; Michel, N.; Toivanen, J.

2011-10-01

For over four decades, the Skyrme functional within various parametrizations has been used to calculate nuclear properties. In the last few years there was a number of attempts to improve its performance and introduce generalized forms. In particular, the most general phenomenologi-cal quasi-local energy density functional, which contains all combinations of density, spin-density, and their derivatives up to the sixth order (N3LO), was proposed in reference [1]. Since in the phe-nomenological functional approaches the particle-particle (pp) interaction channel is treated independently from the particle-hole (ph) channel, there remains a question of what pairing interaction is suitable to use within the N3LO energy functional. In our study, we use the separable, finite-range, translationally invariant form given in [2], which we generalize to the arbitrary angular momentum channel. We discuss the application of this pairing interaction within the N3LO energy functional.

3. Magnetic properties and pairing tendencies of the iron-based superconducting ladder BaFe2S3 : Combined ab initio and density matrix renormalization group study

Patel, Niravkumar D.; Nocera, Alberto; Alvarez, Gonzalo; Arita, Ryotaro; Moreo, Adriana; Dagotto, Elbio

2016-08-01

The recent discovery of superconductivity under high pressure in the two-leg ladder compound BaFe2S3 [H. Takahashi et al., Nat. Mater. 14, 1008 (2015), 10.1038/nmat4351] opens a broad avenue of research, because it represents the first report of pairing tendencies in a quasi-one-dimensional iron-based high-critical-temperature superconductor. Similarly, as in the case of the cuprates, ladders and chains can be far more accurately studied using many-body techniques and model Hamiltonians than their layered counterparts, particularly if several orbitals are active. In this publication, we derive a two-orbital Hubbard model from first principles that describes individual ladders of BaFe2S3 . The model is studied with the density matrix renormalization group. These first reported results are exciting for two reasons: (i) at half-filling, ferromagnetic order emerges as the dominant magnetic pattern along the rungs of the ladder, and antiferromagnetic order along the legs, in excellent agreement with neutron experiments; and (ii) with hole doping, pairs form in the strong coupling regime, as found by studying the binding energy of two holes doped on the half-filled system. In addition, orbital selective Mott phase characteristics develop with doping, with only one Wannier orbital receiving the hole carriers while the other remains half-filled. These results suggest that the analysis of models for iron-based two-leg ladders could clarify the origin of pairing tendencies and other exotic properties of iron-based high-critical-temperature superconductors in general.

4. Magnetic properties and pairing tendencies of the iron-based superconducting ladder BaFe2S3: Combined ab initio and density matrix renormalization group study

DOE PAGES

Patel, Niravkumar D.; Nocera, Alberto; Alvarez, Gonzalo; ...

2016-08-10

The recent discovery of superconductivity under high pressure in the two-leg ladder compound BaFe2S3 [H. Takahashi et al., Nat. Mater. 14, 1008 (2015)] opens a broad avenue of research, because it represents the first report of pairing tendencies in a quasi-one-dimensional iron-based high-critical-temperature superconductor. Similarly, as in the case of the cuprates, ladders and chains can be far more accurately studied using many-body techniques and model Hamiltonians than their layered counterparts, particularly if several orbitals are active. In this publication, we derive a two-orbital Hubbard model from first principles that describes individual ladders of BaFe2S3. The model is studied withmore » the density matrix renormalization group. These first reported results are exciting for two reasons: (i) at half-filling, ferromagnetic order emerges as the dominant magnetic pattern along the rungs of the ladder, and antiferromagnetic order along the legs, in excellent agreement with neutron experiments; and (ii) with hole doping, pairs form in the strong coupling regime, as found by studying the binding energy of two holes doped on the half-filled system. In addition, orbital selective Mott phase characteristics develop with doping, with only oneWannier orbital receiving the hole carriers while the other remains half-filled. Lastly, these results suggest that the analysis of models for iron-based two-leg ladders could clarify the origin of pairing tendencies and other exotic properties of iron-based high-critical-temperature superconductors in general.« less

5. From Electrons Paired to Electric Power Delivered- A Personal Journey in Research and Applications of Superconductivity at IBM, EPRI, and Beyond

Grant, Paul

2014-03-01

This talk will reprise a personal journey by the speaker in industrial and applied physics, commencing with his employment by IBM at age 17 in the early 1950s, and continuing through his corporate sponsored undergraduate and graduate years at Clarkson and Harvard Universities, resulting in 1965 in a doctorate in applied physics from the latter. He was subsequently assigned by IBM to its research division in San Jose (now Almaden), where he initially carried out both pure and applied theoretical and experimental investigations encompassing a broad range of company-related product technologies...storage, display, printer and data acquisition hardware and software. In 1973, he undertook performing DFT and quantum Monte Carlo calculations in support of group research in the then emerging field of organic and polymer superconductors, a very esoteric pursuit at the time. Following upon several corporate staff assignments involving various product development and sales strategies, in 1982 he was appointed manager of the cooperative phenomena group in the Almaden Research Center, which beginning in early 1987, made significant contributions to both the basic science and applications of high temperature superconductivity (HTSC). In 1993, after a 40-year career, he retired from IBM to accept a Science Fellow position at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where he funded power application development of superconductivity. In 2004, he retired from his EPRI career to undertake due diligence'' consulting services in support of the venture capital community in Silicon Valley. As a hobby,'' he currently pursues and publishes DFT studies in hope of discovering the pairing mechanism of HTSC. In summary, the speaker's career in industrial and applied physics demonstrates one can combine publishing a record three PRLs in one month with crawling around underground in substations with utility lineman helping install superconducting cables, along the way publishing 10

6. Interactions between impurities and breather-pairs in a nonlinear lattice

Lin, Han; Chen, Weizhong; Lu, Lei; Wei, Rongjue

2003-09-01

Based on the Frenkel-Kontorova (FK) model with a δ-impurity, this Letter investigates the interactions between impurities and breather-pairs in a nonlinear pendulum chain driven by a vertical vibration. The numerical results show that a long impurity in pendulum length can absorb more energy into the chain and upgrade the energy level of the breather-pair, when the driving frequency is slight lower than that of parametric resonance of the perfect pendulums, while a short one plays a counteractive role. As the chain is driven at a higher frequency, the effect of impurities turns reverse, which shows a clear symmetry and equivalency between long and short impurities. The main results including the effect and the symmetry of impurities generalize the conclusion on the single breather to the breather-pair.

7. Fluid-dynamical scheme for equilibrium properties of two trapped fermion species with pairing interactions

Capuzzi, P.; Hernández, E. S.; Szybisz, L.

2008-10-01

We present a generalization of the fluid-dynamical scheme developed for nuclear physics to the case of two trapped fermion species with pairing interactions. To establish a macroscopic description of the mass and momentum conservation laws, we adopt a generalization of the usual Thomas-Fermi approach that includes the pairing energy. We analyze the equilibrium density and gap profiles for an equal population mixture of harmonically trapped Li6 atoms for different choices of the local equation of state. We examine slight departures from equilibrium within our formulation, finding that density oscillations can propagate as first sound coupled to pairing vibrations, that in a homogeneous fermion system exhibit a Bogoliubov-like quasiparticle spectrum. In this case, the dispersion relation for the coupled modes displays a rich scenario of stable, unstable, and damped regimes.

8. Ground State Properties and Localized Excited States around a Magnetic Impurity Described by the Anisotropic s- d Interaction in Superconductivity

Yoshioka, Tomoki; Ohashi, Yoji

1998-04-01

We investigate the electronic state around a magnetic impurity in thesuperconductivity in order to clarify how the anisotropy of thes-d interaction works in the presence of the superconductingenergy gap. Using the numerical renormalization group method, weobtain regions induced by the anisotropy where two localizedexcited states with different energies appear at the same time; theycannot obtain as far as the isotropic interaction is considered. Thismeans that the anisotropy of the s-d interaction works relevantlyin some cases in the superconducting state. We also examine whether ornot the bound state energy for the anisotropic and antiferromagnetics-d interaction is scaled by T K/Δ (T K: Kondotemperature, Δ: superconducting order parameter), and find thatit does not hold in the regions with two bound states.

9. Study on the impact of pair production interaction on D-T controllable neutron density logging.

PubMed

Yu, Huawei; Zhang, Li; Hou, Boran

2016-05-01

This paper considers the effect of pair production on the precision of D-T controllable neutron source density logging. Firstly, the principle of the traditional density logging and pulsed neutron density logging are analyzed and then gamma ray cross sections as a function of energy for various minerals are compared. In addition, the advantageous areas of Compton scattering and pair production interactions on high-energy gamma ray pulse height spectrum and the errors of a controllable source density measurement are studied using a Monte Carlo simulation method. The results indicate that density logging mainly utilizes the Compton scattering of gamma rays, while the attenuation of neutron induced gamma rays and the precision of neutron gamma density measurements are affected by pair production interactions, particularly in the gamma rays with energy higher than 2MeV. By selecting 0.2-2MeV energy range and performing proper lithology correction, the effect of pair production can be eliminated effectively and the density measurement error can be rendered close to the precision of chemical source density logging.

10. Embodied social interaction constitutes social cognition in pairs of humans: a minimalist virtual reality experiment.

PubMed

Froese, Tom; Iizuka, Hiroyuki; Ikegami, Takashi

2014-01-14

Scientists have traditionally limited the mechanisms of social cognition to one brain, but recent approaches claim that interaction also realizes cognitive work. Experiments under constrained virtual settings revealed that interaction dynamics implicitly guide social cognition. Here we show that embodied social interaction can be constitutive of agency detection and of experiencing another's presence. Pairs of participants moved their "avatars" along an invisible virtual line and could make haptic contact with three identical objects, two of which embodied the other's motions, but only one, the other's avatar, also embodied the other's contact sensor and thereby enabled responsive interaction. Co-regulated interactions were significantly correlated with identifications of the other's avatar and reports of the clearest awareness of the other's presence. These results challenge folk psychological notions about the boundaries of mind, but make sense from evolutionary and developmental perspectives: an extendible mind can offload cognitive work into its environment.

11. Embodied social interaction constitutes social cognition in pairs of humans: A minimalist virtual reality experiment

PubMed Central

Froese, Tom; Iizuka, Hiroyuki; Ikegami, Takashi

2014-01-01

Scientists have traditionally limited the mechanisms of social cognition to one brain, but recent approaches claim that interaction also realizes cognitive work. Experiments under constrained virtual settings revealed that interaction dynamics implicitly guide social cognition. Here we show that embodied social interaction can be constitutive of agency detection and of experiencing another's presence. Pairs of participants moved their “avatars” along an invisible virtual line and could make haptic contact with three identical objects, two of which embodied the other's motions, but only one, the other's avatar, also embodied the other's contact sensor and thereby enabled responsive interaction. Co-regulated interactions were significantly correlated with identifications of the other's avatar and reports of the clearest awareness of the other's presence. These results challenge folk psychological notions about the boundaries of mind, but make sense from evolutionary and developmental perspectives: an extendible mind can offload cognitive work into its environment. PMID:24419102

12. Interactions in ion pairs of protic ionic liquids: comparison with aprotic ionic liquids.

PubMed

Tsuzuki, Seiji; Shinoda, Wataru; Miran, Md Shah; Kinoshita, Hiroshi; Yasuda, Tomohiro; Watanabe, Masayoshi

2013-11-07

The stabilization energies for the formation (E(form)) of 11 ion pairs of protic and aprotic ionic liquids were studied by MP2/6-311G** level ab initio calculations to elucidate the difference between the interactions of ions in protic ionic liquids and those in aprotic ionic liquids. The interactions in the ion pairs of protic ionic liquids (diethylmethylammonium [dema] and dimethylpropylammonium [dmpa] based ionic liquids) are stronger than those of aprotic ionic liquids (ethyltrimethylammonium [etma] based ionic liquids). The E(form) for the [dema][CF3SO3] and [dmpa][CF3SO3] complexes (-95.6 and -96.4 kcal/mol, respectively) are significantly larger (more negative) than that for the [etma][CF3SO3] complex (-81.0 kcal/mol). The same trend was observed for the calculations of ion pairs of the three cations with the Cl(-), BF4(-), TFSA(-) anions. The anion has contact with the N-H bond of the dema(+) or dmpa(+) cations in the most stable geometries of the dema(+) and dmpa(+) complexes. The optimized geometries, in which the anions locate on the counter side of the cations, are 11.0-18.0 kcal/mol less stable, which shows that the interactions in the ions pairs of protic ionic liquids have strong directionality. The E(form) for the less stable geometries for the dema(+) and dmpa(+) complexes are close to those for the most stable etma(+) complexes. The electrostatic interaction, which is the major source of the attraction in the ion pairs, is responsible for the directionality of the interactions and determining the magnitude of the interaction energy. Molecular dynamic simulations of the [dema][TFSA] and [dmpa][TFSA] ionic liquids show that the N-H bonds of the cations have contact with the negatively charged (oxygen and nitrogen) atoms of TFSA(-) anion, while the strong directionality of the interactions was not suggested from the simulation of the [etma][CF3SO3] ionic liquid.

13. Interactions in ion pairs of protic ionic liquids: Comparison with aprotic ionic liquids

SciTech Connect

Tsuzuki, Seiji; Shinoda, Wataru; Miran, Md. Shah; Kinoshita, Hiroshi; Yasuda, Tomohiro; Watanabe, Masayoshi

2013-11-07

The stabilization energies for the formation (E{sub form}) of 11 ion pairs of protic and aprotic ionic liquids were studied by MP2/6-311G{sup **} level ab initio calculations to elucidate the difference between the interactions of ions in protic ionic liquids and those in aprotic ionic liquids. The interactions in the ion pairs of protic ionic liquids (diethylmethylammonium [dema] and dimethylpropylammonium [dmpa] based ionic liquids) are stronger than those of aprotic ionic liquids (ethyltrimethylammonium [etma] based ionic liquids). The E{sub form} for the [dema][CF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}] and [dmpa][CF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}] complexes (−95.6 and −96.4 kcal/mol, respectively) are significantly larger (more negative) than that for the [etma][CF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}] complex (−81.0 kcal/mol). The same trend was observed for the calculations of ion pairs of the three cations with the Cl{sup −}, BF{sub 4}{sup −}, TFSA{sup −} anions. The anion has contact with the N–H bond of the dema{sup +} or dmpa{sup +} cations in the most stable geometries of the dema{sup +} and dmpa{sup +} complexes. The optimized geometries, in which the anions locate on the counter side of the cations, are 11.0–18.0 kcal/mol less stable, which shows that the interactions in the ions pairs of protic ionic liquids have strong directionality. The E{sub form} for the less stable geometries for the dema{sup +} and dmpa{sup +} complexes are close to those for the most stable etma{sup +} complexes. The electrostatic interaction, which is the major source of the attraction in the ion pairs, is responsible for the directionality of the interactions and determining the magnitude of the interaction energy. Molecular dynamic simulations of the [dema][TFSA] and [dmpa][TFSA] ionic liquids show that the N–H bonds of the cations have contact with the negatively charged (oxygen and nitrogen) atoms of TFSA{sup −} anion, while the strong directionality of the interactions was not suggested from the simulation

14. The Interparticle Interaction Between a Vertically Aligned Dust Particle Pair in a Complex Plasma

Qiao, Ke; Ding, Zhiyue; Kong, Jie; Matthews, Lorin; Hyde, Truell

2016-10-01

The interaction between dust particles is a fundamental topic in complex plasma. In experiments on earth, the interparticle interaction in the horizontal direction (i.e., perpendicular to the gravitational force) is generally recognized to be a Yukawa potential. However, the interaction in the vertical direction is much more complicated, primarily due to the ion flow in the plasma sheath. In this research, we introduce a non-intrusive method to study the interaction between a vertically aligned dust particle pair confined in a glass box placed on the lower powered electrode within a GEC reference cell. This system is investigated for varying rf powers to obtain the trend of the interparticle interaction strength, which is contrasted with theoretical results. Using spontaneous thermal fluctuations of the neutral gas as the only driving force, we obtain the normal mode spectra of the dust pair, revealing not only the oscillation frequencies, but also the vibration amplitudes of the normal modes. The interaction strength between the upper and lower particle is obtained quantitatively from these mode spectra, showing strong nonreciprocity in both the vertical and horizontal directions. It will also be shown that the resulting horizontal attractive force of the upper particle on the lower particle can be larger than the horizontal confinement produced by the glass box alone. NSF / DOE funding is gratefully acknowledged - PHY1414523 & PHY1262031.

15. Molecular Balances Based on Aliphatic CH-π and Lone-PairInteractions.

PubMed

Nijamudheen, A; Jose, Deepthi; Shine, A; Datta, Ayan

2012-06-07

CH···π and lone-pair···π interactions are estimated for a series of conformationally dynamic bicyclic N-aryliimides. On the basis of their strengths and mutual synergy/competition, the molecules prefer a folded/unfolded conformation. Calculations suggest strategies to selectively isolate the folded form by increasing the strength of the attractive CH···π interaction or removing the lone-pair···π repulsion. While the barrier for the folded ⇄ unfolded transformation is too large to conformationally lock the molecules in either of the conformers, the dynamics for hopping of the alkyl group across rings and tumbling over the rings are found to be facile in the folded conformation.

16. Excessive production of electron pairs by soft photons in low multiplicity ion interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnett, T. H.; Dake, S.; Fuki, M.; Gregory, J. C.; Hayashi, T.; Holynski, R.; Iwai, J.; Jones, W. V.; Jurak, A.; Lord, J. J.

1985-01-01

Three multiply charged primary cosmic ray interactions with carbon nuclei are reported, in which the number of materialized electron pairs within a distance of about 0.3 conversion length is larger than predicted from isospin considerations. These are the most energetic (sigma E gamma 4 TeV) of the low multiplicity ( 15 tracks) events observed in the Japanese-American Cooperative Experiment (JACEE-2) emulsion chamber.

17. The Isolated Interacting Galaxy Pair NGC 5426/27 (Arp 271)

Fuentes-Carrera, I.; Rosado, M.; Amram, P.; Dultzin-Hacyan, D.; Bernal, A.; Salo, H.; Laurikainen, E.; Cruz-González, I.; Le Coarer, E.

2001-03-01

The isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5426/27 (Arp 271) was observed using the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer PUMA. The velocity field, various kinematical parameters and rotation curve for each galaxy were derived. We found a small bar-like structure in NGC 5426 and a severely distorted velocity field for NGC 5427. A range of possible masses was computed for each galaxy.

18. Nonnatural protein–protein interaction-pair design by key residues grafting

PubMed Central

Liu, Sen; Liu, Shiyong; Zhu, Xiaolei; Liang, Huanhuan; Cao, Aoneng; Chang, Zhijie; Lai, Luhua

2007-01-01

Protein–protein interface design is one of the most exciting fields in protein science; however, designing nonnatural protein–protein interaction pairs remains difficult. In this article we report a de novo design of a nonnatural protein–protein interaction pair by scanning the Protein Data Bank for suitable scaffold proteins that can be used for grafting key interaction residues and can form stable complexes with the target protein after additional mutations. Using our design algorithm, an unrelated protein, rat PLCδ1-PH (pleckstrin homology domain of phospholipase C-δ1), was successfully designed to bind the human erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) after grafting the key interaction residues of human erythropoietin binding to EPOR. The designed mutants of rat PLCδ1-PH were expressed and purified to test their binding affinities with EPOR. A designed triple mutation of PLCδ1-PH (ERPH1) was found to bind EPOR with high affinity (KD of 24 nM and an IC50 of 5.7 μM) both in vitro and in a cell-based assay, respectively, although the WT PLCδ1-PH did not show any detectable binding under the assay conditions. The in vitro binding affinities of the PLCδ1-PH mutants correlate qualitatively to the computational binding affinities, validating the design and the protein–protein interaction model. The successful practice of finding a proper protein scaffold and making it bind with EPOR demonstrates a prospective application in protein engineering targeting protein–protein interfaces. PMID:17372228

19. Longitudinal multiparameter assay of lymphocyte interactions from onset by microfluidic cell pairing and culture

PubMed Central

Dura, Burak; Servos, Mariah M.; Barry, Rachel M.; Ploegh, Hidde L.; Dougan, Stephanie K.; Voldman, Joel

2016-01-01

Resolving how the early signaling events initiated by cell–cell interactions are transduced into diverse functional outcomes necessitates correlated measurements at various stages. Typical approaches that rely on bulk cocultures and population-wide correlations, however, only reveal these relationships broadly at the population level, not within each individual cell. Here, we present a microfluidics-based cell–cell interaction assay that enables longitudinal investigation of lymphocyte interactions at the single-cell level through microfluidic cell pairing, on-chip culture, and multiparameter assays, and allows recovery of desired cell pairs by micromanipulation for off-chip culture and analyses. Well-defined initiation of interactions enables probing cellular responses from the very onset, permitting single-cell correlation analyses between early signaling dynamics and later-stage functional outcomes within same cells. We demonstrate the utility of this microfluidic assay with natural killer cells interacting with tumor cells, and our findings suggest a possible role for the strength of early calcium signaling in selective coordination of subsequent cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma production. Collectively, our experiments demonstrate that this new approach is well-suited for resolving the relationships between complex immune responses within each individual cell. PMID:27303033

20. An interaction scenario of the galaxy pair NGC 3893/96 (KPG 302): A single passage?

SciTech Connect

Gabbasov, R. F.; Rosado, M.; Klapp, J.

2014-05-20

Using the data obtained previously from Fabry-Perot interferometry, we study the orbital characteristics of the interacting pair of galaxies KPG 302 with the aim to estimate a possible interaction history, the conditions necessary for the spiral arm formation, and initial satellite mass. We found by performing N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of the interaction that a single passage can produce a grand design spiral pattern in less than 1 Gyr. Although we reproduce most of the features with the single passage, the required satellite to host mass ratio should be ∼1:5, which is not confirmed by the dynamical mass estimate made from the measured rotation curve. We conclude that a more realistic interaction scenario would require several passages in order to explain the mass ratio discrepancy.

1. A Survey of Aspartate Phenylalanine and Glutamate Phenylalanine Interactions in the Protein Data Bank: Searching for Anion Pairs

SciTech Connect

Philip, Vivek M; Harris, Jason B; Adams, Rachel M; Nguyen, Don; Spires, Jeremy; Howell, Elizabeth E.; Hinde, Robert J

2011-01-01

Protein structures are stabilized using noncovalent interactions. In addition to the traditional noncovalent interactions, newer types of interactions are thought to be present in proteins. One such interaction, an anion pair, in which the positively charged edge of an aromatic ring interacts with an anion, forming a favorable anion quadrupole interaction, has been previously proposed [Jackson, M. R., et al. (2007) J. Phys. Chem. B111, 8242 8249]. To study the role of anion interactions in stabilizing protein structure, we analyzed pairwise interactions between phenylalanine (Phe) and the anionic amino acids, aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu). Particular emphasis was focused on identification of Phe Asp or Glu pairs separated by less than 7 in the high-resolution, nonredundant Protein Data Bank. Simplifying Phe to benzene and Asp or Glu to formate molecules facilitated in silico analysis of the pairs. Kitaura Morokuma energy calculations were performed on roughly 19000 benzene formate pairs and the resulting energies analyzed as a function of distance and angle. Edgewise interactions typically produced strongly stabilizing interaction energies (2 to 7.3 kcal/mol), while interactions involving the ring face resulted in weakly stabilizing to repulsive interaction energies. The strongest, most stabilizing interactions were identified as preferentially occurring in buried residues. Anion pairs are found throughout protein structures, in helices as well as strands. Numerous pairs also had nearby cation interactions as well as potential stacking. While more than 1000 structures did not contain an anion pair, the 3134 remaining structures contained approximately 2.6 anion pairs per protein, suggesting it is a reasonably common motif that could contribute to the overall structural stability of a protein.

2. Microscopic theory of vortex interaction in two-band superconductors and type-1.5 superconductivity

Silaev, Mihail; Babaev, Egor

2011-03-01

In the framework of self-consistent microscopic theory we study the structure and interaction of vortices in two-gap superconductor taking into account the interband Josephson coupling. The asymptotical behavior of order parameter densities and magnetic field is studied analytically within the microscopic theory at low temperature. At higher temperatures, results consistent with Ginzburg-Landau theory are obtained. It is shown that under quite general conditions and in a wide temperature ranges (in particular outside the validity of the Ginzburg-Landau theory) there can exist an additional characteristic length scale of the order parameter density variation which exceeds the London penetration length of magnetic field due to the multi-component nature of superconducting state. Such behavior of order parameter density variation leads to the attractive long-range and repulsive short-range interaction between vortices. Supported by NSF CAREER Award DMR-0955902, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation through the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Swedish Research Council, ''Dynasty'' foundation and Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

3. Exact solutions for a type of electron pairing model with spin-orbit interactions and Zeeman coupling.

PubMed

Liu, Jia; Han, Qiang; Shao, L B; Wang, Z D

2011-07-08

A type of electron pairing model with spin-orbit interactions or Zeeman coupling is solved exactly in the framework of the Richardson ansatz. Based on the exact solutions for the case with spin-orbit interactions, it is shown rigorously that the pairing symmetry is of the p + ip wave and the ground state possesses time-reversal symmetry, regardless of the strength of the pairing interaction. Intriguingly, how Majorana fermions can emerge in the system is also elaborated. Exact results are illustrated for two systems, respectively, with spin-orbit interactions and Zeeman coupling.

4. Pairing correlations near a Kondo-destruction quantum critical point

Pixley, J. H.; Deng, Lili; Ingersent, Kevin; Si, Qimiao

2015-05-01

Motivated by the unconventional superconductivity observed in heavy-fermion metals, we investigate pairing susceptibilities near a continuous quantum phase transition of the Kondo-destruction type. We solve two-impurity Bose-Fermi Anderson models with Ising and Heisenberg forms of the interimpurity exchange interaction using continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo and numerical renormalization-group methods. Each model exhibits a Kondo-destruction quantum critical point separating Kondo-screened and local-moment phases. For antiferromagnetic interimpurity exchange interactions, singlet pairing is found to be enhanced in the vicinity of the transition. Implications of this result for heavy-fermion superconductivity are discussed.

5. Interactions of the Watson-Crick nucleic acid base pairs with carbon nanotubes and graphene: DFT and MP2 study

Stepanian, S. G.; Karachevtsev, M. V.; Karachevtsev, V. A.; Adamowicz, L.

2014-08-01

Structures and interaction energies of complexes formed by Watson-Crick base pairs and carbon surfaces (nanotubes and graphene) are investigated using the DFT M05-2X and MP2 quantum chemical computational methods. High structural flexibility of the complexes is demonstrated. Structures with approximately parallel and perpendicular orientations of the base pairs and the nanotube main axis are revealed. The complexes formed by the GC base pair and large-diameter zigzag nanotubes with the perpendicular orientation of the two systems are found to be the lowest energy configurations. Decomposition of the interaction energies into two-body contributions is applied to explain the nature of the interaction. The question of how the interaction between a base pair and a carbon surface affects the H-bonding between the nucleobases in the pair is elucidated.

6. Ecology of dark matter haloes -II. Effects of interactions on the alignment of halo pairs

L'Huillier, Benjamin; Park, Changbom; Kim, Juhan

2017-01-01

We use the Horizon Run 4 cosmological N-body simulation to study the effects of distant and close interactions on the alignments of the shapes, spins, and orbits of targets haloes with their neighbours, and their dependence on the local density environment and neighbour separation. Interacting targets have a significantly lower spin and higher sphericity and oblateness than all targets. Interacting pairs initially have anti-parallel spins, but the spins develop parallel alignment as time goes on. Neighbours tend to evolve in the plane of rotation of the target, and in the direction of the major axis of prolate haloes. Moreover, interactions are preferentially radial, while pairs with non-radial orbits are preferentially prograde. The alignment signals are stronger at high-mass and for close separations, and independent on the large-scale density. Positive alignment signals are found at redshifts up to 4, and increase with decreasing redshifts. Moreover, the orbits tend to become prograde at low redshift, while no alignment is found at high redshift (z = 4).

7. End of Frustration: Catalytic Precision Polymerization with Highly Interacting Lewis Pairs.

PubMed

Knaus, Maximilian G M; Giuman, Marco M; Pöthig, Alexander; Rieger, Bernhard

2016-06-22

Herein we report on the catalytic polymerization of diverse Michael-type monomers with high precision by using simple but highly active combinations of phosphorus-containing Lewis bases and organoaluminum compounds. The interacting Lewis pair catalysts enable the control of molecular weight and microstructure of the produced polymers. The reactions show a linear Mn vs consumption plot thus proving a living type polymerization. The initiation has been investigated by end-group analysis with ESI mass spectrometric analysis. With these main-group element Lewis acid base pairs, it is not only possible to polymerize sterically demanding, functionalized as well as heteroatom containing monomers but also, for the first time, to catalytically polymerize extended Michael systems, like 4-vinylpyridine.

8. Lone-pairinteractions: analysis of the physical origin and biological implications.

PubMed

Novotný, Jan; Bazzi, Sophia; Marek, Radek; Kozelka, Jiří

2016-07-28

Lone-pair-π (lp-π) interactions have been suggested to stabilize DNA and protein structures, and to participate in the formation of DNA-protein complexes. To elucidate their physical origin, we have carried out a theoretical multi-approach analysis of two biologically relevant model systems, water-indole and water-uracil complexes, which we compared with the structurally similar chloride-tetracyanobenzene (TCB) complex previously shown to contain a strong charge-transfer (CT) binding component. We demonstrate that the CT component in lp-π interactions between water and indole/uracil is significantly smaller than that stabilizing the Cl(-)-TCB reference system. The strong lp(Cl(-))-π(TCB) orbital interaction is characterized by a small energy gap and an efficient lp-π* overlap. In contrast, in lp-π interactions between water and indole or uracil, the corresponding energy gap is larger and the overlap less efficient. As a result, water-uracil and water-indole interactions are weak forces composed by smaller contributions from all energy components: electrostatics, polarization, dispersion, and charge transfer. In addition, indole exhibits a negative electrostatic potential at its π-face, making lp-π interactions less favorable than O-Hπ hydrogen bonding. Consequently, some of the water-tryptophan contacts observed in X-ray structures of proteins and previously interpreted as lp-π interactions [Luisi, et al., Proteins, 2004, 57, 1-8], might in fact arise from O-Hπ hydrogen bonding.

SciTech Connect

Lepers, M.; Dulieu, O.; Kokoouline, V.

2010-10-15

The general formalism of the multipolar expansion of electrostatic interactions is applied to the calculation of the potential energy between an excited atom (without fine structure) and a ground-state diatomic molecule at large mutual separations. Both partners exhibit a permanent quadrupole moment so that their mutual long-range interaction is dominated by a quadrupole-quadrupole term, which is attractive enough to bind trimers. Numerical results are given for an excited Cs(6{sup 2}P) atom and a ground-state Cs{sub 2} molecule. The prospects for achieving photoassociation of a cold-atom-dimer pair are thus discussed and found promising. The formalism can be generalized to the long-range interaction between molecules to investigate the formation of cold tetramers.

10. Kinetics and fracture resistance of lithiated silicon nanostructure pairs controlled by their mechanical interaction

Lee, Seok Woo; Lee, Hyun-Wook; Ryu, Ill; Nix, William D.; Gao, Huajian; Cui, Yi

2015-06-01

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Here, we demonstrate physical and mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics so that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. This study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high-performance Li-ion batteries.

11. The influence of arene-ring size on stacking interaction with canonical base pairs

Formánek, Martin; Burda, Jaroslav V.

2014-04-01

Stacking interactions between aromatic molecules (benzene, p-cymene, biphenyl, and di- and tetra-hydrogen anthracene) and G.C and A.T canonical Watson-Crick (WC) base pairs are explored. Two functionals with dispersion corrections: ω-B97XD and B3LYP-D3 are used. For a comparison also the MP2 and B3LYP-D3/PCM methods were used for the most stable p-cymene…WC geometries. It was found that the stacking interaction increases with the size of π-conjugation system. Its extent is in agreement with experimental finding on anticancer activity of Ru(II) piano-stool complexes where intercalation of these aromatic molecules should play an important role. The explored structures are considered as ternary system so that decomposition of the interaction energy to pairwise and non-additivity contributions is also examined.

Wang, Mei; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Laibin; Su, Xiyu; Su, Hanlei; Bu, Yuxiang

2015-01-01

We present a theoretical investigation of the structural and electronic properties of double-electron oxidized adenine-thymine base pair as well as its deprotonated Watson-Crick derivatives. Double-electron oxidation can destabilize the AT unit, leading to a barrier-hindered metastable A+T+ state with a dissociation channel featuring negative dissociation energy. This unusual energetic phenomenon originates from the competition of electrostatic repulsion and attractively hydrogen-bonding interaction co-existing between Arad + and Trad +. The associated double-proton-transfer process is also explored, suggesting a possible two-step mechanism. Magnetic coupling interactions of various diradical structures are controlled by both intra- and inter-molecular interactions.

13. Kinetics and fracture resistance of lithiated silicon nanostructure pairs controlled by their mechanical interaction

SciTech Connect

Lee, Seok Woo; Lee, Hyun -Wook; Ryu, Ill; Nix, William D.; Gao, Huajian; Cui, Yi

2015-06-26

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Here, we demonstrate physical and mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics so that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. Lastly, this study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high-performance Li-ion batteries.

14. Hund Interaction, Spin-Orbit Coupling, and the Mechanism of Superconductivity in Strongly Hole-Doped Iron Pnictides

Vafek, Oskar; Chubukov, Andrey V.

2017-02-01

We present a novel mechanism of s -wave pairing in Fe-based superconductors. The mechanism involves holes near dx z/dy z pockets only and is applicable primarily to strongly hole doped materials. We argue that as long as the renormalized Hund's coupling J exceeds the renormalized interorbital Hubbard repulsion U', any finite spin-orbit coupling gives rise to s -wave superconductivity. This holds even at weak coupling and regardless of the strength of the intraorbital Hubbard repulsion U . The transition temperature grows as the hole density decreases. The pairing gaps are fourfold symmetric, but anisotropic, with the possibility of eight accidental nodes along the larger pocket. The resulting state is consistent with the experiments on KFe2 As2 .

15. Radiation and Thermal Analysis of Superconducting Quadrupoles in the Interaction Region of Linear Collider

SciTech Connect

Drozhdin, A.I.; Kashikhin, V.V.; Kashikhin, V.S.; Lopes, M.L.; Mokhov, N.V.; Zlobin, A.V.; Seryi, Andrei; /SLAC

2011-10-14

16. The impact of lone pairinteractions on photochromic properties in 1-D naphthalene diimide coordination networks.

PubMed

Liu, Jian-Jun; Guan, Ying-Fang; Chen, Yong; Lin, Mei-Jin; Huang, Chang-Cang; Dai, Wen-Xin

2015-10-21

Lone pairinteraction is an important but less studied binding force. Generally, it is too weak to influence the physical properties of supramolecular systems. Herein we reported the first example exhibiting the impact of lone pairinteractions on photochromic properties of naphthalene diimide based coordination networks. In three isostructural 1-D networks, [(DPNDI)ZnX2] (DPNDI = N,N-di(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide, X = Cl for 1, X = Br for 2 and X = I for 3), they exhibit different electron-transfer photochromic behaviors due to different lone pairinteractions between the capped halogen atoms and electron-deficient DPNDI moieties. Specifically, 1 and 2 but not 3 are photochromic, which is attributed to a stronger lone pairinteraction in 3 than those in 1 and 2. This study anticipates breaking a new path for designing novel photochromic materials through such unnoticeable supramolecular interactions.

17. The0ry 0f Dipolon-Phonom Interaction and Isotope Shift in Superconducting Cuprates

Sharma, Ram

2011-03-01

Quite recently we have deduced five principles of photoemission and not only we have explained the observed low energy kink but we have also predicted two more high energy kinks [1,2] in quasiparticle energydistribution which have now been observed experimentally, all by means of the dipolon theory [3,4]. Here, the Hamiltonian for the interaction of dipolons with phonons will be presented.The Hamiltonian requires the evaluation of phonon-generated dynamic polarization fields at the oxygen sites in the Cu -O2 -planes. The quasi-dipolons (phonon-dressed dipolons) now play role as mediators of electron-electron pairing. Expression for the change in the transition temprature TC due to change in oxygen isotopic mass has been derived. We have found a small decrease of about 1 per cent in TC due to 16 O -->18 O , in agree ment with experiments. The change in dipolon frequencies owing to the interaction with phonons has been calculated.

18. Degenerated ground-states in a spin chain with pair interactions: a characterization by symbolic dynamics

2016-12-01

In this paper we study a class of one-dimensional spin chain having a highly degenerated set of ground-state configurations. The model consists of spin chain having infinite-range pair interactions with a given structure. We show that the set of ground-state configurations of such a model can be fully characterized by means of symbolic dynamics. Particularly we found that the set ground-state configurations define what in symbolic dynamics is called sofic shift space. Finally we prove that this system has a non-vanishing residual entropy (the topological entropy of the shift space), which can be exactly calculated.

19. An integrable case of the p + ip pairing Hamiltonian interacting with its environment

Lukyanenko, Inna; Isaac, Phillip S.; Links, Jon

2016-02-01

We consider a generalization of the p + ip pairing Hamiltonian, with external interaction terms of a particular form. These terms allow for the exchange of particles between the system and its environment. As a result the {u}(1) symmetry associated with conservation of particle number, present in the p + ip Hamiltonian, is broken. Nonetheless the generalized model is integrable. We establish integrability using the boundary quantum inverse scattering method, with one of the reflection matrices chosen to be non-diagonal. We also derive the corresponding Bethe ansatz equations, the roots of which parametrize the exact solution for the energy spectrum.

20. Luminosities of H alpha emitting regions in a pair of interacting galaxies in the Bootes void

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weistrop, D.; Hintzen, P.; Kennicutt, R.; Liu, C.; Lowenthal, J.; Cheng, K.-P.; Oliversen, R.; Woodgate, B.

1993-01-01

Luminosities of H alpha emission from a pair of interacting galaxies in the low density environment of the Bootes void are presented. CG 692 (IRAS 1519+5050) has an H alpha luminosity of 2 x 10(exp 42) ergs s(exp -1), indicating a star formation rate of 18.4 solar mass yr(exp -1). Individual extranuclear H alpha regions have luminosities of approximately 10(exp 40) ergs s(exp -1). These luminosities are similar to those found for H II regions in bright, late-type galaxies in more densely populated parts of the Universe.

1. Superconducting properties and pseudogap from preformed Cooper pairs in the triclinic (CaFe1-xPtxAs ) 10Pt3As8

Surmach, M. A.; Brückner, F.; Kamusella, S.; Sarkar, R.; Portnichenko, P. Y.; Park, J. T.; Ghambashidze, G.; Luetkens, H.; Biswas, P. K.; Choi, W. J.; Seo, Y. I.; Kwon, Y. S.; Klauss, H.-H.; Inosov, D. S.

2015-03-01

Using a combination of muon-spin relaxation (μ SR ) , inelastic neutron scattering (INS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we investigated the novel iron-based superconductor with a triclinic crystal structure (CaFe1-xPtxAs ) 10Pt3As8 (Tc=13 K), containing platinum-arsenide intermediary layers. The temperature dependence of the superfluid density obtained from the μ SR relaxation-rate measurements indicates the presence of two superconducting gaps, Δ1≫Δ2 . According to our INS measurements, commensurate spin fluctuations are centered at the (π ,0 ) wave vector, like in most other iron arsenides. Their intensity remains unchanged across Tc, indicating the absence of a spin resonance typical for many Fe-based superconductors. Instead, we observed a peak in the spin-excitation spectrum around ℏ ω0=7 meV at the same wave vector, which persists above Tc and is characterized by the ratio ℏ ω0/kBTc≈6.2 , which is significantly higher than typical values for the magnetic resonant modes in iron pnictides (˜4.3 ) . The temperature dependence of magnetic intensity at 7 meV revealed an anomaly around T*=45 K related to the disappearance of this new mode. A suppression of the spin-lattice relaxation rate, 1 /T1T , observed by NMR immediately below T* without any notable subsequent anomaly at Tc, indicates that T* could mark the onset of a pseudogap in (CaFe1-xPtxAs ) 10Pt3As8 , which is likely associated with the emergence of preformed Cooper pairs.

2. Dependence of the rate of LiF ion pairing on the description of molecular interaction

SciTech Connect

Pluharova, Eva; Baer, Marcel D.; Schenter, Gregory K.; Jungwirth, Pavel; Mundy, Christopher J.

2016-03-03

We present an analysis of the dynamics of ion-pairing of Lithium Fluoride (LiF) in aqueous solvent using both detailed molecular simulation as well as reduced models within a Gener- alized Langevin Equation (GLE) framework. We explored the sensitivity of the ion-pairing phenomena to the details of descriptions of molecular interaction, comparing two empirical potentials to explicit quantum based density functional theory. We find quantitative differences in the potentials of mean force for ion-pairing as well as time dependent frictions that lead to variations in the rate constant and reactive flux correlation functions. These details reflect differences in solvent response to ion-pairing between different representations of molecular interaction and influence anharmonicity of the dynamic response. We find that the short time anharmonic response is recovered with a GLE parameterization. Recovery of the details of long time response may require extensions to the reduced model. We show that the utility of using a reduced model leads to a straight forward application of variational transition state the- ory concepts to the condensed phase system. The significance of this is reflected in the analysis of committor distributions and the variation of planar hypersurfaces, leading to an improved understanding of factors that determine the rate of LiF ion-pairing. CJM and GKS are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy‘s (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences. Pacific Northwest Na- tional Laboratory (PNNL) is operated for the Department of Energy by Battelle. MDB is grateful for the support of Laboratory Directed Research and Development funding under the auspices of PNNL’s Laboratory Initiative Materials Synthesis and Simulation across Scales (MS3). Additional computing resources were generously allocated by PNNL’s Institutional Computing program. EP acknowledges support from PNNL’s Alternate Sponsored

3. Theoretical study of pair density wave superconductors

Zheng, Zhichao

In conventional superconductors, the Cooper pairs are formed from quasiparticles. We explore another type of superconducting state, a pair density wave (PDW) order, which spontaneously breaks some of the translational and point group symmetries. In a PDW superconductor, the order parameter is a periodic function of the center-of-mass coordinate, and the spatial average value of the superconducting order parameter vanishes. In the early 1960s, following the success of the BCS theory of superconductivity, Fulde and Ferrell and Larkin and Ovchinnikov (FFLO) developed theories of inhomogeneous superconducting states. Because of this Zeeman splitting in a magnetic field, the Cooper pairs having a nonzero center-of-mass momentum are more stable than the normal pairing, leading to the FFLO state. Experiments suggest possible occurrence of the FFLO state in the heavy-fermion compound CeCoIn5, and in quasi-low-dimensional organic superconductors. FFLO phases have also been argued to be of importance in understanding ultracold atomic Fermi gases and in the formation of color superconductivity in high density quark matter. In all Fermi superfluids known at the present time, Cooper pairs are composed of particles with spin 1/2. The spin component of a pair wave function can be characterized by its total spin S = 0 (singlet) and S = 1 (triplet). In the discovered broken inversion superconductors CePt3Si, Li2Pt3B, and Li2Pd3B, the magnetic field leads to novel inhomogeneous superconducting states, namely the helical phase and the multiple-q phase. Its order parameter exhibits periodicity similar to FFLO phase, and the consequences of both phases are same: the enhancement of transition temperature as a function of magnetic field. We have studied the PDW phases in broken parity superconductors with vortices included. By studying PDW vortex states, we find the usual Abrikosov vortex solution is unstable against a new solution with fractional vortex pairs. We have also studied the

4. Cooper pairing in the insulating valence band in iron-based superconductors

Hu, Lun-Hui; Chen, Wei-Qiang; Zhang, Fu-Chun

2015-04-01

Conventional Cooper pairing arises from attractive interaction of electrons in the metallic bands. A recent experiment on Co-doped LiFeAs shows superconductivity in the insulating valence band, which is evolved from a metallic hole band upon doping. Here we examine this phenomenon by studying superconductivity in a three-orbital Hamiltonian relevant to the doped LiFeAs. We show explicitly that Cooper pairing of the insulating hole band requires a finite pairing interaction strength. For strong coupling, the superconductivity in the hole band is robust against the sink of the hole band below the Fermi level. Our theory predicts a substantial upward shift of the chemical potential in the superconducting transition for Co-doped LiFeAs.

5. Experimental Evidence of Lone Pairs - π System Interaction: the Rotational Spectrum of Chlorotrifluoroethylene - Water Complex

Evangelisti, L.; Gou, Q.; Feng, G.; Caminati, W.

2013-06-01

Chemists have always been interested in labeling the interactions between the molecules, i.e. from covalent to ionic bond or van der Waals force. Certainly the most important non-covalent bond is the hydrogen bond, also of fundamental importance in biology. More recently also weak Hbond, sometimes in competion with halogen bonding, have been investigated because they have assumed a fundamental importance. Here, we show the lone pairs - π interaction prevails on the latter ones. We measured the molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectra of five isotopologues of the 1:1 adduct of chlorotrifluoroethylene with water. Besides the rotational constants, the quadrupole coupling constants of the chlorine atom have been determined. Quantum chemistry calculations, at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level, have been carried out in order to obtain information about the structure and relative stability of the conformers under study.

6. Mapping IR Enhancements in Closely Interacting Spiral-Spiral Pairs: I. ISO CAM and ISO SWS Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, C.; Gao, Y.; Mazzarella, J.; Lu, N.; Sulentic, J.; Domingue, D.

2000-01-01

Mid-infrared (MIR) imaging and spectroscopic observations are presented for a well defined sample of eight closely interacting (CLO) pairs of spiral galaxies that have overlapping disks and show enhanced far-infrared (FIR) emission.

7. Spectroscopic and computational analysis of the molecular interactions in the ionic liquid ion pair [BMP]+[TFSI]-

SciTech Connect

Mao, James X.; Nulwala, Hunaid B.; Luebke, David R.; Damodaran, Krishnan

2012-11-01

1-Butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([BMP]{sup +}[TFSI]{sup -}) ion pairs were studied using DFT at the B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) level. Nine locally stable conformations of the ion pair were located. In the most stable conformation, [TFSI]{sup -} takes a cis conformation and lies below the pyrrolidinium ring. Atoms-in-molecules (AIM) and electron density analysis indicated the existence of nine hydrogen bonds. Interaction energies were recalculated at the Second-order Møller–Plesset (MP2) level to show the importance of dispersion interaction. Further investigation through natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis provided insight into the importance of charge transfer interactions in the ion pair. Harmonic vibrations of the ion pair were calculated and compared with vibrations of the free ions as well as the experimental infrared spectrum. Assignments and frequency shifts are discussed in light of the inter-ionic interactions.

8. Interaction and dynamics of homologous pairing protein 2 (HOP2) and DNA studied by MD simulation

Moktan, Hem; Pezza, Roberto; Zhou, Donghua

2015-03-01

The homologous pairing protein 2 (Hop2) plays an important role in meiosis and DNA repair. Together with protein Mnd1, Hop2 enhances the strand invasion activity of recombinase Dmc1 by over 30 times, facilitating proper synapsis of homologous chromosomes. We recently determined the NMR structure of the N-terminal domain of Hop2 and proposed a model of Protein-DNA complex based on NMR chemical shift perturbations and mutagenesis studies (Moktan, J Biol Chem 2014 10.1074/jbc.M114.548180). However structure and dynamics of the complex have not been studied at the atomic level yet. Here, we used classical MD simulations to study the interactions between the N-terminal HOP2 and DNA. The simulated results indicate that helix3 (H3) interacts with DNA in major groove and wing1 (W1) interacts mostly in minor groove mainly via direct hydrogen bonds. Also it is found that binding leads to reduced fluctuations in both protein and DNA. Several water bridge interactions have been identified. The residue-wise contributions to the interaction energy were evaluated. Also the functional motion of the protein is analyzed using principal component analysis. The results confirmed the importance of H3 and W1 for the stability of the complex, which is consistent with our previous experimental studies.

9. Pulsational Pair-instability Model for Superluminous Supernova PTF12dam: Interaction and Radioactive Decay

Tolstov, Alexey; Nomoto, Ken’ichi; Blinnikov, Sergei; Sorokina, Elena; Quimby, Robert; Baklanov, Petr

2017-02-01

Being a superluminous supernova, PTF12dam can be explained by a 56Ni-powered model, a magnetar-powered model, or an interaction model. We propose that PTF12dam is a pulsational pair-instability supernova, where the outer envelope of a progenitor is ejected during the pulsations. Thus, it is powered by a double energy source: radioactive decay of 56Ni and a radiative shock in a dense circumstellar medium. To describe multicolor light curves and spectra, we use radiation-hydrodynamics calculations of the STELLA code. We found that light curves are well described in the model with 40 M⊙ ejecta and 20–40 M⊙ circumstellar medium. The ejected 56Ni mass is about 6 M⊙, which results from explosive nucleosynthesis with large explosion energy (2–3) × 1052 erg. In comparison with alternative scenarios of pair-instability supernova and magnetar-powered supernova, in the interaction model, all the observed main photometric characteristics are well reproduced: multicolor light curves, color temperatures, and photospheric velocities.

10. Fluctuation-driven anisotropy in effective pair interactions between nanoparticles: Thiolated gold nanoparticles in ethane

Jabes, B. Shadrack; Yadav, Hari O. S.; Kumar, Sanat K.; Chakravarty, Charusita

2014-10-01

Fluctuations within the ligand shell of a nanoparticle give rise to a significant degree of anisotropy in effective pair interactions for low grafting densities [B. Bozorgui, D. Meng, S. K. Kumar, C. Chakravarty, and A. Cacciuto, Nano Lett. 13, 2732 (2013)]. Here, we examine the corresponding fluctuation-driven anisotropy for gold nanocrystals densely passivated with short ligands. In particular, we consider gold nanocrystals capped by alkylthiols, both in vacuum and in ethane solvent at high density. As in the preceding study, we show that the anisotropy in the nanoparticle pair potential can be quantified by an angle-dependent correction term to the isotropic potential of mean force (PMF). We find that the anisotropy of the ligand shells is distance dependent, and strongly influenced by ligand interdigitation effects as well as expulsion of ligand chains from the interparticle region at short distances. Such fluctuation-driven anisotropy can be significant for alkylthiol-coated gold nanoparticles, specially for longer chain lengths, under good solvent conditions. The consequences of such anisotropy for self-assembly, specially as a function of grafting density, solvent quality and at interfaces, should provide some interesting insights in future work. Our results clearly show that an isotropic two-body PMF cannot adequately describe the thermodynamics and assembly behavior of nanoparticles in this dense grafting regime and inclusion of anisotropic effects, as well as possibly many-body interactions, is necessary. Extensions of this approach to other passivated nanoparticle systems and implications for self-assembly are considered.

11. The isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5426/27 (Arp 271)

Fuentes-Carrera, I.; Rosado, M.; Amram, P.; Dultzin-Hacyan, D.; Cruz-González, I.; Salo, H.; Laurikainen, E.; Bernal, A.; Ambrocio-Cruz, P.; Le Coarer, E.

2004-02-01

We present Hα observations of the isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5426/27 using the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer PUMA. The velocity field, various kinematical parameters and rotation curve for each galaxy were derived. The FWHM map and the residual velocities map were also computed to study the role of non-circular motions of the gas. Most of these motions can be associated with the presence of spiral arms and structure such as central bars. We found a small bar-like structure in NGC 5426, a distorted velocity field for NGC 5427 and a bridge-like feature between both galaxies which seems to be associated with NGC 5426. Using the observed rotation curves, a range of possible masses was computed for each galaxy. These were compared with the orbital mass of the pair derived from the relative motion of the participants. The rotation curve of each galaxy was also used to fit different mass distribution models considering the most common theoretical dark halo models. An analysis of the interaction process is presented and a possible 3D scenario for this encounter is also suggested. Table 1 is only available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org

12. Fluctuation-driven anisotropy in effective pair interactions between nanoparticles: Thiolated gold nanoparticles in ethane

SciTech Connect

Jabes, B. Shadrack; Yadav, Hari O. S.; Chakravarty, Charusita; Kumar, Sanat K.

2014-10-21

Fluctuations within the ligand shell of a nanoparticle give rise to a significant degree of anisotropy in effective pair interactions for low grafting densities [B. Bozorgui, D. Meng, S. K. Kumar, C. Chakravarty, and A. Cacciuto, Nano Lett. 13, 2732 (2013)]. Here, we examine the corresponding fluctuation-driven anisotropy for gold nanocrystals densely passivated with short ligands. In particular, we consider gold nanocrystals capped by alkylthiols, both in vacuum and in ethane solvent at high density. As in the preceding study, we show that the anisotropy in the nanoparticle pair potential can be quantified by an angle-dependent correction term to the isotropic potential of mean force (PMF). We find that the anisotropy of the ligand shells is distance dependent, and strongly influenced by ligand interdigitation effects as well as expulsion of ligand chains from the interparticle region at short distances. Such fluctuation-driven anisotropy can be significant for alkylthiol-coated gold nanoparticles, specially for longer chain lengths, under good solvent conditions. The consequences of such anisotropy for self-assembly, specially as a function of grafting density, solvent quality and at interfaces, should provide some interesting insights in future work. Our results clearly show that an isotropic two-body PMF cannot adequately describe the thermodynamics and assembly behavior of nanoparticles in this dense grafting regime and inclusion of anisotropic effects, as well as possibly many-body interactions, is necessary. Extensions of this approach to other passivated nanoparticle systems and implications for self-assembly are considered.

13. Pairing in a dry Fermi sea

Maier, T. A.; Staar, P.; Mishra, V.; Chatterjee, U.; Campuzano, J. C.; Scalapino, D. J.

2016-06-01

In the traditional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and -k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. Here we report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. In contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin-fluctuation pairing interaction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability.

14. Search for Pair Production of Strongly Interacting Particles Decaying to Pairs of Jets in pp̄ Collisions at √s=1.96 TeV

SciTech Connect

Aaltonen, T.; Albin, E.; Amerio, S.; Amidei, D.; Anastassov, A.; Annovi, A.; Antos, J.; Apollinari, G.; Appel, J. A.; Arisawa, T.; Artikov, A.; Asaadi, J.; Ashmanskas, W.; Auerbach, B.; Aurisano, A.; Azfar, F.; Badgett, W.; Bae, T.; Barbaro-Galtieri, A.; Barnes, V. E.; Barnett, B. A.; Barria, P.; Bartos, P.; Bauce, M.; Bedeschi, F.; Behari, S.; Bellettini, G.; Bellinger, J.; Benjamin, D.; Beretvas, A.; Bhatti, A.; Bland, K. R.; Blumenfeld, B.; Bocci, A.; Bodek, A.; Bortoletto, D.; Boudreau, J.; Boveia, A.; Brigliadori, L.; Bromberg, C.; Brucken, E.; Budagov, J.; Budd, H. S.; Burkett, K.; Busetto, G.; Bussey, P.; Butti, P.; Buzatu, A.; Calamba, A.; Camarda, S.; Campanelli, M.; Canelli, F.; Carls, B.; Carlsmith, D.; Carosi, R.; Carrillo, S.; Casal, B.; Casarsa, M.; Castro, A.; Catastini, P.; Cauz, D.; Cavaliere, V.; Cavalli-Sforza, M.; Cerri, A.; Cerrito, L.; Chen, Y. C.; Chertok, M.; Chiarelli, G.; Chlachidze, G.; Cho, K.; Chokheli, D.; Ciocci, M. A.; Clark, A.; Clarke, C.; Convery, M. E.; Conway, J.; Corbo, M.; Cordelli, M.; Cox, C. A.; Cox, D. J.; Cremonesi, M.; Cruz, D.; Cuevas, J.; Culbertson, R.; d’Ascenzo, N.; Datta, M.; De Barbaro, P.; Demortier, L.; Deninno, M.; Devoto, F.; d’Errico, M.; Di Canto, A.; Di Ruzza, B.; Dittmann, J. R.; D’Onofrio, M.; Donati, S.; Dorigo, M.; Driutti, A.; Ebina, K.; Edgar, R.; Elagin, A.; Erbacher, R.; Errede, S.; Esham, B.; Eusebi, R.; Farrington, S.; Fernández Ramos, J. P.; Field, R.; Flanagan, G.; Forrest, R.; Franklin, M.; Freeman, J. C.; Frisch, H.; Funakoshi, Y.; Garfinkel, A. F.; Garosi, P.; Gerberich, H.; Gerchtein, E.; Giagu, S.; Giakoumopoulou, V.; Gibson, K.; Ginsburg, C. M.; Giokaris, N.; Giromini, P.; Giurgiu, G.; Glagolev, V.; Glenzinski, D.; Gold, M.; Goldin, D.; Golossanov, A.; Gomez, G.; Gomez-Ceballos, G.; Goncharov, M.; González López, O.; Gorelov, I.; Goshaw, A. T.; Goulianos, K.; Gramellini, E.; Grinstein, S.; Grosso-Pilcher, C.; Group, R. C.; Guimaraes da Costa, J.; Hahn, S. R.; Han, J. Y.; Happacher, F.; Hara, K.; Hare, M.; Harr, R. F.; Harrington-Taber, T.; Hatakeyama, K.; Hays, C.; Heinrich, J.; Herndon, M.; Hocker, A.; Hong, Z.; Hopkins, W.; Hou, S.; Hughes, R. E.; Husemann, U.; Hussein, M.; Huston, J.; Introzzi, G.; Iori, M.; Ivanov, A.; James, E.; Jang, D.; Jayatilaka, B.; Jeon, E. J.; Jindariani, S.; Jones, M.; Joo, K. K.; Jun, S. Y.; Junk, T. R.; Kambeitz, M.; Kamon, T.; Karchin, P. E.; Kasmi, A.; Kato, Y.; Ketchum, W.; Keung, J.; Kilminster, B.; Kim, D. H.; Kim, H. S.; Kim, J. E.; Kim, M. J.; Kim, S. B.; Kim, S. H.; Kim, Y. K.; Kim, Y. J.; Kimura, N.; Kirby, M.; Knoepfel, K.; Kondo, K.; Kong, D. J.; Konigsberg, J.; Kotwal, A. V.; Kreps, M.; Kroll, J.; Kruse, M.; Kuhr, T.; Kurata, M.; Laasanen, A. T.; Lammel, S.; Lancaster, M.; Lannon, K.; Latino, G.; Lee, H. S.; Lee, J. S.; Leo, S.; Leone, S.; Lewis, J. D.; Limosani, A.; Lipeles, E.; Liu, H.; Liu, Q.; Liu, T.; Lockwitz, S.; Loginov, A.; Lucchesi, D.; Lueck, J.; Lujan, P.; Lukens, P.; Lungu, G.; Lys, J.; Lysak, R.; Madrak, R.; Maestro, P.; Malik, S.; Manca, G.; Manousakis-Katsikakis, A.; Margaroli, F.; Marino, P.; Martínez, M.; Matera, K.; Mattson, M. E.; Mazzacane, A.; Mazzanti, P.; McNulty, R.; Mehta, A.; Mehtala, P.; Mesropian, C.; Miao, T.; Mietlicki, D.; Mitra, A.; Miyake, H.; Moed, S.; Moggi, N.; Moon, C. S.; Moore, R.; Morello, M. J.; Mukherjee, A.; Muller, Th.; Murat, P.; Mussini, M.; Nachtman, J.; Nagai, Y.; Naganoma, J.; Nakano, I.; Napier, A.; Nett, J.; Neu, C.; Nigmanov, T.; Nodulman, L.; Noh, S. Y.; Norniella, O.; Oakes, L.; Oh, S. H.; Oh, Y. D.; Oksuzian, I.; Okusawa, T.; Orava, R.; Ortolan, L.; Pagliarone, C.; Palencia, E.; Palni, P.; Papadimitriou, V.; Parker, W.; Pauletta, G.; Paulini, M.; Paus, C.; Phillips, T. J.; Piacentino, G.; Pianori, E.; Pilot, J.; Pitts, K.; Plager, C.; Pondrom, L.; Poprocki, S.; Potamianos, K.; Prokoshin, F.; Pranko, A.; Ptohos, F.; Punzi, G.; Ranjan, N.; Redondo Fernández, I.; Renton, P.; Rescigno, M.; Riddick, T.; Rimondi, F.; Ristori, L.; Robson, A.; Rodriguez, T.; Rolli, S.; Ronzani, M.; Roser, R.; Rosner, J. L.; Ruffini, F.; Ruiz, A.; Russ, J.; Rusu, V.; Safonov, A.; Sakumoto, W. K.; Sakurai, Y.; Santi, L.; Sato, K.; Saveliev, V.; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Schlabach, P.; Schmidt, E. E.; Schwarz, T.; Scodellaro, L.; Scuri, F.; Seidel, S.; Seiya, Y.; Semenov, A.; Sforza, F.; Shalhout, S. Z.; Shears, T.; Shepard, P. F.; Shimojima, M.; Shochet, M.; Shreyber-Tecker, I.; Simonenko, A.; Sinervo, P.; Sliwa, K.; Smith, J. R.; Snider, F. D.; Sorin, V.; Song, H.; Stancari, M.; Denis, R. St.; Stelzer, B.; Stelzer-Chilton, O.; Stentz, D.; Strologas, J.; Sudo, Y.; Sukhanov, A.; Suslov, I.; Takemasa, K.; Takeuchi, Y.; Tang, J.; Tecchio, M.; Teng, P. K.; Thom, J.; Thomson, E.; Thukral, V.; Toback, D.; Tokar, S.; Tollefson, K.; Tomura, T.; Tonelli, D.; Torre, S.; Torretta, D.; Totaro, P.; Trovato, M.; Ukegawa, F.; Uozumi, S.; Vázquez, F.; Velev, G.; Vellidis, C.; Vernieri, C.; Vidal, M.; Vilar, R.; Vizán, J.; Vogel, M.; Volpi, G.; Wagner, P.; Wallny, R.; Wang, S. M.; Warburton, A.; Waters, D.; Wester, W. C.; Whiteson, D.; Wicklund, A. B.; Wilbur, S.; Williams, H. H.; Wilson, J. S.; Wilson, P.; Winer, B. L.; Wittich, P.; Wolbers, S.; Wolfe, H.; Wright, T.; Wu, X.; Wu, Z.; Yamamoto, K.; Yamato, D.; Yang, T.; Yang, U. K.; Yang, Y. C.; Yao, W.-M.; Yeh, G. P.; Yi, K.; Yoh, J.; Yorita, K.; Yoshida, T.; Yu, G. B.; Yu, I.; Zanetti, A. M.; Zeng, Y.; Zhou, C.; Zucchelli, S.

2013-07-18

We present a search for the pair production of a narrow nonstandard-model strongly interacting particle that decays to a pair of quarks or gluons, leading to a final state with four hadronic jets. We consider both nonresonant production via an intermediate gluon as well as resonant production via a distinct nonstandard-model intermediate strongly interacting particle. We use data collected by the CDF experiment in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb⁻¹. We find the data to be consistent with nonresonant production. We report limits on σ(pp̄→jjjj) as a function of the masses of the hypothetical intermediate particles. Upper limits on the production cross sections for nonstandard-model particles in several resonant and nonresonant processes are also derived.

15. Search for Pair Production of Strongly Interacting Particles Decaying to Pairs of Jets in pp̄ Collisions at √s=1.96 TeV

DOE PAGES

Aaltonen, T.; Albin, E.; Amerio, S.; ...

2013-07-18

We present a search for the pair production of a narrow nonstandard-model strongly interacting particle that decays to a pair of quarks or gluons, leading to a final state with four hadronic jets. We consider both nonresonant production via an intermediate gluon as well as resonant production via a distinct nonstandard-model intermediate strongly interacting particle. We use data collected by the CDF experiment in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb⁻¹. We find the data to be consistent with nonresonant production. We report limits on σ(pp̄→jjjj) as a function of the masses of themore » hypothetical intermediate particles. Upper limits on the production cross sections for nonstandard-model particles in several resonant and nonresonant processes are also derived.« less

16. Investigation of the gravitational interaction between the components of the galaxy pairs Arp 242, CPG 165, and CPG 410

Ali, Gamal B.; Tawfeek, Amira A.; Amin, Magdy Y.

2015-12-01

In this paper the effect of interaction between the components of the galaxy pairs Arp 242, CPG 165, and CPG 410 on the symmetry of their morphologies and structures is studied by applying the technique of surface photometry. For each component of each pair we present the isophotal contours, profiles of surface brightness (SB), major-axis position angle (PA), and isophotal center-shift. The present analysis is done using the r- and i-band images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) observation. It is found that the position angle and the isophotal center shift are strongly affected by the state of interaction between the components of the pairs.

17. Enhancing superconductivity in A3C60 fullerides

Kim, Minjae; Nomura, Yusuke; Ferrero, Michel; Seth, Priyanka; Parcollet, Olivier; Georges, Antoine

2016-10-01

Motivated by the recent experimental report of a possible light-induced superconductivity in K3C60 at high temperature [Mitrano et al., Nature 530, 451 (2016), 10.1038/nature16522], we investigate theoretical mechanisms for enhanced superconductivity in A3C60 fullerenes. We find that an "interaction imbalance" corresponding to a smaller value of the Coulomb matrix element for two of the molecular orbitals in comparison to the third one, efficiently enhances superconductivity. Furthermore, we perform first-principle calculations of the changes in the electronic structure and in the screened Coulomb matrix elements of K3C60 , brought in by the deformation associated with the pumped T1 u intramolecular mode. We find that an interaction imbalance is indeed induced, with a favorable sign and magnitude for superconductivity enhancement. The physical mechanism responsible for this enhancement consists of a stabilization of the intramolecular states containing a singlet pair, while preserving the orbital fluctuations allowing for a coherent interorbital delocalization of the pair. Other perturbations have also been considered and found to be detrimental to superconductivity. The light-induced deformation and ensuing interaction imbalance is shown to bring superconductivity further into the strong-coupling regime.

18. Modeling the Dynamics of Interacting Galaxy Pairs - Testing Identikit Using GADGET SPH Simulations

Mortazavi, S. Alireza; Lotz, Jennifer; Barnes, Joshua E.

2015-01-01

We develop and test an automated technique to model the dynamics of interacting galaxy pairs. We use Identikit (Barnes & Hibbard 2009; Barnes 2011) as a tool for modeling and matching the morphology and kinematics of the interacting pairs of similar-size galaxies. In order to reduce the effect of subjective human interference, we automate the selection of phase-space regions used to match simulations to data, and we explore how selection of these regions affects the random uncertainties of parameters in the best-fit model. In this work, we used an independent set of GADGET SPH simulations as input data, so we determined the systematic bias in the measured encounter parameters based on the known initial conditions of these simulations. We tested both cold gas and young stellar components in the GADGET simulations to explore the effect of choosing HI vs. Hα as the line of sight velocity tracer. We found that we can group the results into tests with good, fair, and poor convergence based on the distribution of parameters of models close enough to the best-fit model. For tests with good and fair convergence, we ruled out large fractions of parameter space and recovered merger stage, eccentricity, viewing angle, and pericentric distance within 2σ of the correct value. All of tests on gaseous component of prograde systems had either good or fair convergence. Retrograde systems and most of tests on young stars had poor convergence and may require constraints from regions other than the tidal tails. In this work we also present WIYN SparsePak IFU data for a few interacting galaxies, and we show the result of applying our method on this data set.

19. DNA base dimers are stabilized by hydrogen-bonding interactions including non-Watson-Crick pairing near graphite surfaces.

PubMed

Shankar, Akshaya; Jagota, Anand; Mittal, Jeetain

2012-10-11

20. Enthalpy of interaction between coaggregating and non-coaggregating oral bacterial pairs--a microcalorimetric study.

PubMed

Postollec, Florence; Norde, Willem; van der Mei, Henny C; Busscher, Henk J

2003-10-01

Bacterial adhesion and coaggregation are involved in the development of oral biofilms, called dental plaque. Although various techniques have already been used to study different aspects of these bacterial interactions, microcalorimetry has not yet been applied. This paper describes how isothermal reaction calorimetry can be employed to determine the enthalpy of coaggregation between two oral bacterial pairs. For most biological processes, the enthalpy tends to reach a minimum value, reflecting the most stable state, which is directly related to the heat content of the system. The calorimeter consists of four measuring units where reaction ampoules are filled with 1.5 ml of an Actinomyces naeslundii 147 suspension, while reference ampoules are filled with buffer only. After equilibration at 25 degrees C, 80 microl of a streptococcal suspension was titrated into the reaction ampoules. To study possible saturation of the binding sites on the actinomyces surface, three consecutive injections with streptococcal suspensions were done. Following each injection, a 20-microl aliquot was taken from the ampoule kept outside the calorimeter and the number of free (S(f)) and bound (S(b)) streptococci was determined microscopically. Experiments were carried out with a coaggregating streptococcal strain (Streptococcus oralis J22) and a non-coaggregating strain (Streptococcus sanguis PK1889), serving as a control. The coaggregation enthalpy was exothermic, that is, heat was released in the reaction ampoule upon coaggregation and the heat released by the coaggregating pair minus the heat released by the non-coaggregating pair yielded a coaggregation enthalpy of -0.015 x 10(-6) mJ/bound streptococcus for the first injection. Upon consecutive injections, the coaggregation enthalpy decreased to -0.0004 x 10(-6) mJ/bound streptococcus. Comparison with enthalpy changes reported for lectin-carbohydrate binding suggests that a huge number of binding sites are involved in the formation of

1. Electron-phonon interaction and superconductivity in BaIr2P2

Billington, D.

2016-10-01

Detailed calculations of the electronic structure, phonons and electron-phonon coupling of the superconducting compound BaIr2P2 were performed from first-principles. The electronic structure showed excellent agreement with the available experimental data. The total electron-phonon coupling constant was {λ\\text{ep}}=0.52 and the logarithmically averaged phonon frequency was \\hbar {ω\\text{log}}/{{k}\\text{B}}=168 K. From the Allen-Dynes formula, with {μ\\ast}=0.11 , the superconducting critical temperature was estimated to be {{T}\\text{c}}=2.05 K, which is in excellent agreement with the experiment. These results indicate that the electron-phonon coupling is of moderate strength and is easily capable of supporting the observed superconductivity.

2. Combinatorial transcriptional interaction within the Cardiac Neural Crest: a pair of HANDs in heart formation

PubMed Central

Firulli, Anthony B.; Conway, Simon J.

2008-01-01

The cardiac neural crest migrate from rostral dorsal neural folds and populate the branchial arches, which directly contribute to cardiac-outflow structures. Although neural crest cell specification is associated with a number of morphogenic factors, little is understood about the mechanisms by which transcription factors actually implement the transcriptional programs that dictate cell migration and later the differentiation into the proper cell types within the heart. It is clear from genetic evidence that members of the paired box family and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors from the twist family of proteins are expressed in and play an important function in cardiac neural crest specification and differentiation. Interestingly, both paired box and bHLH factors can function as dimers and in the case of twist family bHLH factors partner choice can clearly dictate a change in transcriptional program. The focus of this review is to consider the role that the protein-protein interactions of these transcription factors may play determining cardiac neural crest specification and differentiation and how genetic alteration of transcription factor stoichiometry within the cell may reflect more than a simple null event. PMID:15269889

3. Kinetics and fracture resistance of lithiated silicon nanostructure pairs controlled by their mechanical interaction

DOE PAGES

Lee, Seok Woo; Lee, Hyun -Wook; Ryu, Ill; ...

2015-06-26

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Here, we demonstrate physical and mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics somore » that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. Lastly, this study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high-performance Li-ion batteries.« less

4. Kinetics and fracture resistance of lithiated silicon nanostructure pairs controlled by their mechanical interaction

SciTech Connect

Lee, Seok Woo; Lee, Hyun-Wook; Ryu, Ill; Nix, William D.; Gao, Huajian; Cui, Yi; /Stanford U., Materials Sci. Dept. /SLAC

2015-06-01

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Herein, we demonstrate physical/mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics so that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515. SLAC-PUB-16300 2 lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. This study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high performance Li-ion batteries.

5. Delayed response of a fermion pair condensate to a modulation of the interaction strength

Plata, J.

2009-09-01

The effect of a sinusoidal modulation of the interaction strength on a fermion pair condensate is analytically studied. The system is described by a generalization of the coupled fermion-boson model that incorporates a time-dependent intermode coupling induced via a magnetic Feshbach resonance. Nontrivial effects are shown to emerge depending on the relative magnitude of the modulation period and the relaxation time of the condensate. Specifically, a nonadiabatic modulation drives the system out of thermal equilibrium: the external field induces a variation of the quasiparticle energies, and, in turn, a disequilibrium of the associated populations. The subsequent relaxation process is studied and an analytical description of the gap dynamics is obtained. Recent experimental findings are explained: the delay observed in the response to the applied field is understood as a temperature effect linked to the condensate relaxation time.

6. The influence of intramolecular sulfur-lone pair interactions on small-molecule drug design and receptor binding.

PubMed

Hudson, B M; Nguyen, E; Tantillo, D J

2016-04-28

Sulfur-lone pair interactions are important conformational control elements in sulfur-containing heterocycles that abound in pharmaceuticals, natural products, agrochemicals, polymers and other important classes of organic molecules. Nonetheless, the role of intramolecular sulfur-lone pair interactions in the binding of small molecules to receptors is often overlooked. Here we analyze the magnitudes and origins of these interactions for a variety of biologically relevant small molecules using quantum chemical and automated docking calculations. In most cases examined in this study, the lowest energy conformation of the small molecule displays a sulfur-lone pair close contact. However, docking studies, both published and new, often predict that conformations without sulfur-lone pair contacts have the best binding affinity for their respective receptors. This is a serious problem. Since many of these predicted bound conformations are not actually energetically accessible, pursuing design (e.g., drug design) around these binding modes necessarily will lead, serendipity aside, to dead end designs. Our results constitute a caution that one best not neglect these interactions when predicting the binding affinities of potential ligands (drugs or not) for hosts (enzymes, receptors, DNA, RNA, synthetic hosts). Moreover, a better understanding and awareness of sulfur-lone pair interactions should facilitate the rational modulation of host-guest interactions involving sulfur-containing molecules.

7. The UCLA Phi Factory detector, the integration of superconducting compensation solenoids and the final focus interaction region quadrupoles

SciTech Connect

Green, M.A. ); Cline, D.B. . Dept. of Physics)

1992-06-01

The proposed Phi Factory for the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is a small 510 MeV electron-positron colliding beam storage ring with high luminosity (greater than 10{sup 32} CM{sup {minus}2} S{sup {minus}1}). In order to do high quality Phi physics, a particle detector system with a large solid angle (preferably greater than 98 percent ) is required. Particle detection and analysis will be done within a 0.5 tesla solenoidal magnetic field. The solenoidal field within the detector causes coupling between beam oscillations in the horizontal and vertical directions. Therefore, compensation solenoids are required to keep the circulating particle beams from seeing the effects of the field from the main detector solenoid. Since high luminosity and a large solid angle are required, the detectors and a pair of compensation solenoids must be integrated with the final focus quadrupoles within the detector straight section. This report describes the design of two tapered, 0.5 tesla, superconducting compensation solenoids which must go around six rare earth permanent final focus quadrupoles or six superconducting quadrupoles on either side of the beam collision point. A cryogenic cooling system for these two solenoids, which will be coupled with the cooling system for the primary detector solenoid, is also described.

8. Pair-correlation properties and momentum distribution of finite number of interacting trapped bosons in three dimensions

SciTech Connect

Biswas, Anindya; Das, Tapan Kumar; Chakrabarti, Barnali

2010-09-14

We study the ground state pair-correlation properties of a weakly interacting trapped Bose gas in three dimensions by using a correlated many-body method. The use of the van der Waals interaction potential and an external trapping potential shows realistic features. We also test the validity of shape-independent approximation in the calculation of correlation properties.

9. Photofragmentation, state interaction, and energetics of Rydberg and ion-pair states: Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization of HI

SciTech Connect

Hróðmarsson, Helgi Rafn; Wang, Huasheng; Kvaran, Ágúst

2014-06-28

Mass resolved resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization data for hydrogen iodide (HI), for two-photon resonance excitation to Rydberg and ion-pair states in the 69 600–72 400 cm{sup −1} region were recorded and analyzed. Spectral perturbations due to homogeneous and heterogeneous interactions between Rydberg and ion-pair states, showing as deformations in line-positions, line-intensities, and line-widths, were focused on. Parameters relevant to photodissociation processes, state interaction strengths and spectroscopic parameters for deperturbed states were derived. Overall interaction and dynamical schemes to describe the observations are proposed.

10. Cooperon condensation and intravalley pairing states in honeycomb Dirac systems

Tsuchiya, Shunji; Goryo, Jun; Arahata, Emiko; Sigrist, Manfred

2016-09-01

Motivated by recent developments in the experimental study of superconducting graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, we investigate superconductivity of the Kane-Mele (KM) model with short-range attractive interactions on the two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. We show that intravalley spin-triplet pairing arises from nearest-neighbor (NN) attractive interaction and the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling. We demonstrate this in two independent approaches: We study superconducting instability driven by condensation of Cooperons, which are in-gap bound states of two conduction electrons, within the T -matrix approximation and also study the superconducting ground state within the mean-field theory. We find that Cooperons with antiparallel spins condense at the K and K' points. This leads to the emergence of an intravalley spin-triplet pairing state belonging to the irreducible representation A1 of the point group C6 v. The fact that this pairing state has opposite chirality for K and K' identifies this state as a "helical" valley-triplet state, the valley analog to the 3He -B phase in two dimensions. Because of the finite center of mass momentum of Cooper pairs, the pair amplitude in NN bonds exhibits spatial modulation on the length scale of lattice constant, such that this pairing state may be viewed as a pair-density wave state. We find that the pair amplitude spontaneously breaks the translational symmetry and exhibits a p -Kekulé pattern. We also discuss the selection rule for pairing states focusing the characteristic band structure of the KM model and the Berry phase effects to the emergence of the intravalley pairing state.

11. Interface high-temperature superconductivity

Wang, Lili; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qi-Kun

2016-12-01

Cuprate high-temperature superconductors consist of two quasi-two-dimensional (2D) substructures: CuO2 superconducting layers and charge reservoir layers. The superconductivity is realized by charge transfer from the charge reservoir layers into the superconducting layers without chemical dopants and defects being introduced into the latter, similar to modulation-doping in the semiconductor superlattices of AlGaAs/GaAs. Inspired by this scheme, we have been searching for high-temperature superconductivity in ultra-thin films of superconductors epitaxially grown on semiconductor/oxide substrates since 2008. We have observed interface-enhanced superconductivity in both conventional and unconventional superconducting films, including single atomic layer films of Pb and In on Si substrates and single unit cell (UC) films of FeSe on SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity with a superconducting gap of ∼20 meV in 1UC-FeSe/STO has stimulated tremendous interest in the superconductivity community, for it opens a new avenue for both raising superconducting transition temperature and understanding the pairing mechanism of unconventional high-temperature superconductivity. Here, we review mainly the experimental progress on interface-enhanced superconductivity in the three systems mentioned above with emphasis on 1UC-FeSe/STO, studied by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and transport experiments. We discuss the roles of interfaces and a possible pairing mechanism inferred from these studies.

12. Exotic s-wave superconductivity in alkali-doped fullerides.

PubMed

Nomura, Yusuke; Sakai, Shiro; Capone, Massimo; Arita, Ryotaro

2016-04-20

Alkali-doped fullerides (A3C60 with A = K, Rb, Cs) show a surprising phase diagram, in which a high transition-temperature (Tc) s-wave superconducting state emerges next to a Mott insulating phase as a function of the lattice spacing. This is in contrast with the common belief that Mott physics and phonon-driven s-wave superconductivity are incompatible, raising a fundamental question on the mechanism of the high-Tc superconductivity. This article reviews recent ab initio calculations, which have succeeded in reproducing comprehensively the experimental phase diagram with high accuracy and elucidated an unusual cooperation between the electron-phonon coupling and the electron-electron interactions leading to Mott localization to realize an unconventional s-wave superconductivity in the alkali-doped fullerides. A driving force behind the exotic physics is unusual intramolecular interactions, characterized by the coexistence of a strongly repulsive Coulomb interaction and a small effectively negative exchange interaction. This is realized by a subtle energy balance between the coupling with the Jahn-Teller phonons and Hund's coupling within the C60 molecule. The unusual form of the interaction leads to a formation of pairs of up- and down-spin electrons on the molecules, which enables the s-wave pairing. The emergent superconductivity crucially relies on the presence of the Jahn-Teller phonons, but surprisingly benefits from the strong correlations because the correlations suppress the kinetic energy of the electrons and help the formation of the electron pairs, in agreement with previous model calculations. This confirms that the alkali-doped fullerides are a new type of unconventional superconductors, where the unusual synergy between the phonons and Coulomb interactions drives the high-Tc superconductivity.

13. Exotic s-wave superconductivity in alkali-doped fullerides

Nomura, Yusuke; Sakai, Shiro; Capone, Massimo; Arita, Ryotaro

2016-04-01

Alkali-doped fullerides ({{A}3}{{\\text{C}}60} with A  =  K, Rb, Cs) show a surprising phase diagram, in which a high transition-temperature ({{T}\\text{c}} ) s-wave superconducting state emerges next to a Mott insulating phase as a function of the lattice spacing. This is in contrast with the common belief that Mott physics and phonon-driven s-wave superconductivity are incompatible, raising a fundamental question on the mechanism of the high-{{T}\\text{c}} superconductivity. This article reviews recent ab initio calculations, which have succeeded in reproducing comprehensively the experimental phase diagram with high accuracy and elucidated an unusual cooperation between the electron-phonon coupling and the electron-electron interactions leading to Mott localization to realize an unconventional s-wave superconductivity in the alkali-doped fullerides. A driving force behind the exotic physics is unusual intramolecular interactions, characterized by the coexistence of a strongly repulsive Coulomb interaction and a small effectively negative exchange interaction. This is realized by a subtle energy balance between the coupling with the Jahn-Teller phonons and Hund’s coupling within the {{\\text{C}}60} molecule. The unusual form of the interaction leads to a formation of pairs of up- and down-spin electrons on the molecules, which enables the s-wave pairing. The emergent superconductivity crucially relies on the presence of the Jahn-Teller phonons, but surprisingly benefits from the strong correlations because the correlations suppress the kinetic energy of the electrons and help the formation of the electron pairs, in agreement with previous model calculations. This confirms that the alkali-doped fullerides are a new type of unconventional superconductors, where the unusual synergy between the phonons and Coulomb interactions drives the high-{{T}\\text{c}} superconductivity.

14. Analyses of interactions among pair-rule genes and the gap gene Krüppel in Bombyx segmentation.

PubMed

Nakao, Hajime

2015-09-01

In the short-germ insect Tribolium, a pair-rule gene circuit consisting of the Tribolium homologs of even-skipped, runt, and odd-skipped (Tc-eve, Tc-run and Tc-odd, respectively) has been implicated in segment formation. To examine the application of the model to other taxa, I studied the expression and function of pair-rule genes in Bombyx mori, together with a Bombyx homolog of Krüppel (Bm-Kr), a known gap gene. Knockdown embryos of Bombyx homologs of eve, run and odd (Bm-eve, Bm-run and Bm-odd) exhibited asegmental phenotypes similar to those of Tribolium knockdowns. However, pair-rule gene interactions were similar to those of both Tribolium and Drosophila, which, different from Tribolium, shows a hierarchical segmentation mode. Additionally, the Bm-odd expression pattern shares characteristics with those of Drosophila pair-rule genes that receive upstream regulatory input. On the other hand, Bm-Kr knockdowns exhibited a large posterior segment deletion as observed in short-germ insects. However, a detailed analysis of these embryos indicated that Bm-Kr modulates expression of pair-rule genes like in Drosophila, although the mechanisms appear to be different. This suggested hierarchical interactions between Bm-Kr and pair-rule genes. Based on these results, I concluded that the pair-rule gene circuit model that describes Tribolium development is not applicable to Bombyx.

15. Superconducting quark matter in the Chromodielectric Model

SciTech Connect

Linares, L.; Malheiro, M.; Fiolhais, M.; Taurines, A.R.

2004-12-02

In this work we study the strange quark matter in an extended version of the Chromodielectric Model (CDM) with a BCS quark pairing implemented, and analyze the superconducting color flavor locked (CFL) phase. We compare the equation of state and the stability of the strange quark matter from QCD in the CFL phase with the superconducting version of the CDM. In the CDM there is a confining potential which originates a dynamical bag constant in the sense that its value depends on the density. Our results indicate that the inclusion in the energy density of the pairing quark interaction allows for an absolutely stable quark matter state even for large potential energies, preventing the metastability of quark matter found in the CDM at high densities.

16. Circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. II. Interactions between bilaterally paired circadian pacemakers.

PubMed

Ushirogawa, H; Abe, Y; Tomioka, K

1997-10-01

The optic lobe is essential for circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. We examined potential interactions between the bilaterally paired optic lobes in circadian rhythm generation. When one optic lobe was removed, the free-running period of the locomotor rhythm slightly but significantly lengthened. When exposed to light-dark cycles (LD) with 26 hr period, intact and sham operated animals were clearly entrained to the light cycle, but a large number of animals receiving unilateral optic nerve severance showed rhythm dissociation. In the dissociation, two rhythmic components appeared; one was readily entrained to the given LD and the other free-ran with a period shorter than 24 hr, and activity was expressed only when they were inphase. The period of the free-running component was significantly longer than that of the animals with a single blinded pacemaker kept in LD13:13, suggesting that the pacemaker on the intact side had some influence on the blinded pacemaker even in the dissociated state. The ratio of animals with rhythm dissociation was greater with the lower light intensity of the LD. The results suggest that the bilaterally distributed pacemakers are only weakly coupled to one another but strongly suppress the activity driven by the partner pacemaker during their subjective day. The strong suppression of activity would be advantageous to keep a stable nocturnality for this cricket living indoors.

17. Phase transitions of boron carbide: Pair interaction model of high carbon limit

Yao, Sanxi; Huhn, W. P.; Widom, M.

2015-09-01

Boron Carbide exhibits a broad composition range, implying a degree of intrinsic substitutional disorder. While the observed phase has rhombohedral symmetry (space group R 3 bar m), the enthalpy minimizing structure has lower, monoclinic, symmetry (space group Cm). The crystallographic primitive cell consists of a 12-atom icosahedron placed at the vertex of a rhombohedral lattice, together with a 3-atom chain along the 3-fold axis. In the limit of high carbon content, approaching 20% carbon, the icosahedra are usually of type B11 Cp, where the p indicates the carbon resides on a polar site, while the chains are of type C-B-C. We establish an atomic interaction model for this composition limit, fit to density functional theory total energies, that allows us to investigate the substitutional disorder using Monte Carlo simulations augmented by multiple histogram analysis. We find that the low temperature monoclinic Cm structure disorders through a pair of phase transitions, first via a 3-state Potts-like transition to space group R3m, then via an Ising-like transition to the experimentally observed R 3 bar m symmetry. The R3m and Cm phases are electrically polarized, while the high temperature R 3 bar m phase is nonpolar.

18. Spin Correlations of Strongly Interacting Massive Fermion Pairs as a Test of Bell's Inequality

SciTech Connect

Sakai, H.; Saito, T.; Kuboki, H.; Sasano, M.; Yako, K.; Ikeda, T.; Itoh, K.; Kawabata, T.; Maeda, Y.; Suda, K.; Uesaka, T.; Matsui, N.; Satou, Y.; Rangacharyulu, C.; Sekiguchi, K.; Tamii, A.

2006-10-13

We report the results of the first-time test of the local hidden variable theories (Bell-Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt) involving strongly interacting pairs of massive spin 1/2 hadrons from the decay of short-lived ({tau}<10{sup -21}sec) {sup 2}He spin-singlet state, populated in the nuclear reaction {sup 2}H+{sup 1}H{yields}{sup 2}He+n. The novel features of this experiment are (a) the use of an 'event body' detector of nearly 100% efficiency to prepare an unbiased sample and (b) a focal-plane polarimeter of full 2{pi} sr acceptance with a random 'post selection' of the reference axes. The spin-correlation function is deduced to be S{sub exp}({pi}/4)=2.83{+-}0.24{sub stat}{+-}0.07{sub sys}. This result is in agreement with nonlocal quantum mechanical prediction and it violates the Bell-CHSH inequality of vertical bar S vertical bar{<=}2 at a confidence level of 99.3%.

19. Interaction Energies and Dynamics of Acid–Base Pairs Isolated in Cavitands

PubMed Central

Purse, Byron W.; Butterfield, Sara M.; Ballester, Pablo; Shivanyuk, Alexander; Rebek, Julius

2009-01-01

The use of capsules and cavitands in physical organic chemistry is briefly reviewed, and their application to the study of salt bridges is introduced. Carboxylate/ammonium ion pairs are generated within an environment that more or less surrounds the functional groups within a synthetic fixed introverted solvent sphere. This is provided by cavitands that fold around amines and present them with a carboxylic acid function. Both organic and water-soluble versions were prepared, and their equilibrium affinities with quinuclidine bases were determined by NMR methods. The association constants range from approximately 103 M−1 in water to more than 105 M−1 in organic solvents. Studies of nitrogen inversion and tumbling of [2.2.2]-diazabicyclooctane within the introverted acids also illustrate the strength of the acid–base interactions. The barriers to in–out exchange of several amine guests were determined to be in the range from 15 to 24 kcal mol−1. Some parallels with enzymes are drawn: the receptor folds around the guest species; presents them with inwardly directed functionality; and provides a generally hydrophobic environment and a periphery of secondary amide bonds. PMID:18672933

20. Pair interaction lattice gas simulations: Flow past obstacles in two and three dimensions

SciTech Connect

1993-04-01

Apart from the FCHC (face-centered hypercube), Nasilowski's pair interaction lattice gas (PI) is the only known lattice gas automaton for three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Unfortunately, the viscosity of PI is not isotropic. In order to determine the degree anisotropy, the authors derive fluid dynamic equations for the regime of compressible viscid flow. From relaxation measurements of waves propagating in various directions they compute the physically relevant dissipation coefficients and compare their results with theoretical predictions. Although PI shows a high degree of anisotropy, they define the mean value of the dissipation tensor as effective shear viscosity. Using this value of v[sub eff][sup 2D] = 0.35, two-dimensional simulations of flow past a cylinder yield drag coefficients in quantitative agreement with wind tunnel measurements over a range of Reynolds numbers of 5-50. Three-dimensional simulations of flow past a sphere yield qualitative agreement with various references. A fit of the results to a semi-empirical curve provides an effective value of v[sub eff][sup 2D] = 0.21 for a range of Reynolds numbers from 0.19 to 40. In order to check for finite-size effects, the authors measured the mean free path [lambda] and computed the Knudsen numbers. They obtained [lambda] [approx]1 lattice unit, corresponding to Kn = 0.01 (2D) and Kn = 0.1 (3D). They found no significant finite-size effects. 44 refs., 10 figs.

1. Robust Concurrent Remote Entanglement Between Two Superconducting Qubits

Narla, A.; Shankar, S.; Hatridge, M.; Leghtas, Z.; Sliwa, K. M.; Zalys-Geller, E.; Mundhada, S. O.; Pfaff, W.; Frunzio, L.; Schoelkopf, R. J.; Devoret, M. H.

2016-07-01

Entangling two remote quantum systems that never interact directly is an essential primitive in quantum information science and forms the basis for the modular architecture of quantum computing. When protocols to generate these remote entangled pairs rely on using traveling single-photon states as carriers of quantum information, they can be made robust to photon losses, unlike schemes that rely on continuous variable states. However, efficiently detecting single photons is challenging in the domain of superconducting quantum circuits because of the low energy of microwave quanta. Here, we report the realization of a robust form of concurrent remote entanglement based on a novel microwave photon detector implemented in the superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics platform of quantum information. Remote entangled pairs with a fidelity of 0.57 ±0.01 are generated at 200 Hz. Our experiment opens the way for the implementation of the modular architecture of quantum computation with superconducting qubits.

2. Interplay between superconductivity and magnetism in iron-based superconductors

SciTech Connect

Chubukov, Andrey V

2015-06-10

fermions, understand what sets the upper scale for attractive interaction, compute T_c, and then obtain and solve matrix non-linear gap equation for spin-mediated pairing and study various feedbacks from the pairing on fermions on ARPES spectra, optical and thermal conductivity, and other observables, The problems I have chosen are quite generic, and the understanding of magnetically-mediated superconductivity in the strong-coupling regime will not only advance the theory of superconductivity in FeSCs, but will contribute to a generic understanding of the pairing of fermions near quantum-critical points -- the problems ranging from s-wave pairing by soft optical phonons to to color superconductivity of quarks mediated by a gluon exchange.

3. Cooper-pair splitter: towards an efficient source of spin-entangled EPR pairs

Schonenberger, Christian

2011-03-01

In quantum mechanics the properties of two and more particles can be entangled. In basic science pairs of entangled particles, so called Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs, play a special role as toy objects for fundamental studies. They provide such things as spooky interaction at distance,'' but they also enable secure encoding and teleportation and are thus important for applications in quantum information technology. Whereas EPR pairs of photons can be generated by parametric down conversion (PDC) in a crystal, a similar source for EPR pairs of electrons does not exists yet. In several theory papers, it has been suggested to use a superconductor for this purpose. The superconducting ground state is formed by a condensate of Cooper-pairs which are electron pairs in a spin-singlet state. Since there are many Cooper pairs in a metallic superconductor like Al, the main tasks are to extract Cooper pairs one by one and to split them into different arms. A controlled and efficient splitting is possible if one makes use of Coulomb interaction. This has recently be demonstrated by two groups [2-4] using hybrid quantum-dot devices with both superconducting and normal metal contacts. In the present talk, I will discuss the Cooper-pair splitter results from the Basel-Budapest-Copenhagen team and compare with the other experiments. As an outlook we discuss approaches that aim at entanglement detection. The Cooper pair splitter holds great promises because very large splitting efficiencies approaching 100% and large pair current rates appear feasible. This work has been done by L. Hofstetter, S. Csonka, A. Geresdi, M. Aagesen, J. Nygard and C. Schönenberger

4. The Effects of Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving on High School Students' Chemistry Problem-Solving Performance and Verbal Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeon, Kyungmoon; Huffman, Douglas; Noh, Taehee

2005-01-01

A problem solving strategy, Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving (TAPPS), developed by Arthur Whimbey to help students monitor and understand their own thought process is presented. The TAPPS strategy encouraged the students interact verbally with each other to solve chemistry problems and improve the achievements in chemistry.

5. Revisiting orbital-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity in LiFeAs: Nontrivial spin-orbit interaction effects on the band structure and superconducting gap function

Saito, Tetsuro; Yamakawa, Youichi; Onari, Seiichiro; Kontani, Hiroshi

2015-10-01

The precise gap structure in LiFeAs (Tc=18 K) given by ARPES studies offers significant information that helps us understand the pairing mechanism in iron-based superconductors. The most remarkable characteristic in the LiFeAs gap structure would be that "the largest gap emerges on the tiny hole-pockets around the Z point." This result has been naturally explained in terms of the orbital-fluctuation scenario [T. Saito et al., Phys. Rev. B 90, 035104 (2014)], 10.1103/PhysRevB.90.035104, whereas the opposite result is obtained by the spin-fluctuation scenario. In this paper, we study the gap structure in LiFeAs by taking the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) into account, motivated by the recent ARPES studies that revealed a significant SOI-induced modification of the Fermi surface topology. For this purpose, we construct two possible tight-binding models with finite SOI by referring the band structures given by different ARPES groups. In addition, we extend the gap equation for multiorbital systems with finite SOI, and calculate the gap functions by applying the orbital-spin fluctuation theory. On the basis of both SOI-induced band structures, the main characteristics of the gap structure in LiFeAs are naturally reproduced only in the presence of strong interorbital interactions between (dx z /y z-dx y) orbitals. Thus the experimental gap structure in LiFeAs is a strong evidence for the orbital-fluctuation pairing mechanism.

6. Canonical Watson-Crick base pair interactions in π* type triplet states

Noguera, M.; Blancafort, L.; Sodupe, M.; Bertran, J.

2006-03-01

Ground state and triplet π → π* states of canonical Watson-Crick base pairs have been studied at the B3LYP level of theory. Excited states were found to be localized at either of the monomers forming the base pair (guanine, cytosine, adenine and thymine), geometry relaxation of the excited base pair being similar to that occurring in the isolated nucleobase. For thymine and cytosine, triplet π → π* excitation produces a significant elongation of the C5-C6 bond whereas for guanine and adenine there is a significant increase of the N3-C2 bond and pyramidalization of the NH2 group. Adenine-thymine energy pairing remains almost unaffected by triplet excitation. However, for guanine-cytosine, with excitation localized at the guanine moiety, base pairing energy decreases about 5 kcal/mol due to pyramidalization of the amino group of guanine.

7. Superconductivity in two-dimensional disordered Dirac semimetals

Wang, Jing; Zhao, Peng-Lu; Wang, Jing-Rong; Liu, Guo-Zhu

2017-02-01

In two-dimensional Dirac semimetals, Cooper pairing instability occurs only when the attractive interaction strength |u | is larger than some critical value | uc| because the density of states vanishes at Dirac points. Disorders enhance the low-energy density of states but meanwhile shorten the lifetime of fermions, which tend to promote and suppress superconductivity, respectively. To determine which of the two competing effects wins, we study the interplay of Cooper pairing interaction and disorder scattering by means of renormalization group method. We consider three types of disorders, including random mass, random gauge potential, and random chemical potential, and show that the first two suppress superconductivity. In particular, the critical BCS coupling | uc| is increased to certain larger value if the system contains only random mass or random gauge potential, which makes the onset of superconductivity more difficult. In the case of random chemical potential, the effective disorder parameter flows to the strong coupling regime, where the perturbation expansion breaks down and cannot provide a clear answer concerning the fate of superconductivity. When different types of disorder coexist in one system, their strength parameters all flow to strong couplings. In the strong coupling regime, the perturbative renormalization group method becomes invalid, and one needs to employ other methods to treat the disorder effects. We perform a simple gap equation analysis of the impact of random chemical potential on superconductivity by using the Abrikosov-Gorkov diagrammatic approach, and also briefly discuss the possible generalization of this approach.

8. Character of the pair interaction in solid and gaseous H2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, W.; Etters, R.; Raich, J.; Danilowicz, R.

1974-01-01

Existing theoretical H2 pair potentials are investigated. We develop a spherically symmetric potential applicable to solid H2. It yields a ground-state energy of -98.7 K (experimental values range from -93.5 to -101 K). Pressure-volume data are also in excellent agreement with experiment between 0 and 25 kbar. Second virial coefficients using this potential are consistently too low. When an anisotropic pair potential is used, agreement becomes very good.

9. Superconductivity on the border of itinerant-electron ferromagnetism in UGe2

PubMed

Saxena; Agarwal; Ahilan; Grosche; Haselwimmer; Steiner; Pugh; Walker; Julian; Monthoux; Lonzarich; Huxley; Sheikin; Braithwaite; Flouquet

2000-08-10

The absence of simple examples of superconductivity adjoining itinerant-electron ferromagnetism in the phase diagram has for many years cast doubt on the validity of conventional models of magnetically mediated superconductivity. On closer examination, however, very few systems have been studied in the extreme conditions of purity, proximity to the ferromagnetic state and very low temperatures required to test the theory definitively. Here we report the observation of superconductivity on the border of ferromagnetism in a pure system, UGe2, which is known to be qualitatively similar to the classic d-electron ferromagnets. The superconductivity that we observe below 1 K, in a limited pressure range on the border of ferromagnetism, seems to arise from the same electrons that produce band magnetism. In this case, superconductivity is most naturally understood in terms of magnetic as opposed to lattice interactions, and by a spin-triplet rather than the spin-singlet pairing normally associated with nearly antiferromagnetic metals.

10. Strong-Coupling Superconductivity. I

Scalapino, D. J.; Schrieffer, J. R.; Wilkins, J. W.

The pairing theory of superconductivity is extended to treat systems having strong electron-phonon coupling. In this regime the Landau quasiparticle approximation is invalid. In the theory we treat phonon and Coulomb interactions on the same basis and carry out the analysis using the nonzero-temperature Green's functions of the Nambu formalism. The generalized energy-gap equation thus obtained is solved (at T = 0°K) for a model which closely represents lead and the complex energy-gap parameter Δ(ω)) is plotted as a function of energy for several choices of phonon and Coulomb interaction strengths. An expression for the single-particle tunneling density of states is derived, which, when combined with Δ(ω), gives excellent agreement with experiment, if the phonon interaction strength is chosen to give the observed energy gap Δ0 at zero temperature. The tunneling experiments therefore give a detailed justification of the phonon mechanism of superconductivity and of the validity of the strong-coupling theory. In addition, by combining theory and the tunneling experiments, much can be learned about the electron-phon interaction and the phonon density of states. The theory is accurate to terms of order the square root of the electron-ion mass ratio, 10-2-10-3.

11. An Investigation into the Electromagnetic Interactions between a Superconducting Torus and Solenoid for the Jefferson Lab 12 GeV Upgrade

SciTech Connect

Rajput-Ghoshal, Renuka; Ghoshal, Probir K.; Fair, Ruben J.; Hogan, John P.; Kashy, David H.

2015-06-01

The Jefferson Lab 12 GeV Upgrade in Hall B will need CLAS12 detector that requires two superconducting magnets. One is a magnet system consisting of six superconducting trapezoidal racetrack-type coils assembled in a Toroidal configuration (Torus) and the second is an actively shielded solenoidal magnet (Solenoid). Both the torus and solenoid are located in close proximity to one another and are surrounded by sensitive detectors. This paper investigates the electromagnetic interactions between the two systems during normal operation as well as during various fault scenarios as part of a Risk Assessment and Mitigation (RAM).

12. Pair plasma formation in the interaction of a thin plasma with ultra-intense counter-propagating lasers

2016-10-01

Next-generation lasers (e.g. ELI) expect to reach peak intensities of 1023 Wcm-2. At such intensities, the electromagnetic field strength is sufficient for non-linear Quantum Electrodynamics effects to become important. The processes of non-linear Compton scattering and Breit-Wheeler Pair production become likely at intensities >=1023 Wcm-2, and have been predicted to lead to prolific pair and γ-ray production via electromagnetic cascades. We present results for the case of two counter-propagating circularly- polarized lasers of intensity I ∈ [1023 ,1025 ] Wcm24 interacting with a plasma of initial density n0 ∈ [1025 ,1035 ] via the Monte-Carlo- particle-in-cell code EPOCH. We show the maximum pair plasma density in I vs n0 space. We further discuss the variation within this space on the plasma characteristics, including laser absorption and field-particle energy distribution.

13. Superconductivity in carbon nanomaterials

Dlugon, Katarzyna

The purpose of this thesis is to explain the phenomenon of superconductivity in carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. In the introductory chapter, there is a description of superconductivity and how it occurs at critical temperature (Tc) that is characteristic and different to every superconducting material. The discovery of superconductivity in mercury in 1911 by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes is also mentioned. Different types of superconductors, type I and type II, low and high temperatures superconductors, as well as the BCS theory that was developed in 1957 by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer, are also described in detail. The BCS theory explains how Cooper's pairs are formed and how they are responsible for the superconducting properties of many materials. The following chapters explain superconductivity in doped fullerenes, graphene and carbon nanotubes, respectively. There is a thorough explanation followed by many examples of different types of carbon nanomaterials in which small changes in chemical structure cause significant changes in superconducting properties. The goal of this research was not only to take into consideration well known carbon based superconductors but also to search for the newest available materials such as the fullerene nanowhiskers discovered quite recently. There is also a presentation of fairly new ideas about inducing superconductivity in a monolayer of graphene which is more challenging than inducing superconductivity in graphite by simply intercalating metal atoms between its graphene sheets. An effort has been taken to look for any available information about carbon nanomaterials that have the potential to superconduct at room temperature, mainly because discovery of such materials would be a real revolution in the modern world, although no such materials have been discovered yet.

14. Interaction of Josephson Junction and Distant Vortex in Narrow Thin-Film Superconducting Strips

SciTech Connect

Kogan, V. G.; Mints, R. G.

2014-01-31

The phase difference between the banks of an edge-type planar Josephson junction crossing the narrow thin-film strip depends on wether or not vortices are present in the junction banks. For a vortex close to the junction this effect has been seen by Golod, Rydh, and Krasnov [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 227003 (2010)], who showed that the vortex may turn the junction into π type. It is shown here that even if the vortex is far away from the junction, it still changes the 0 junction to a π junction when situated close to the strip edges. Within the approximation used, the effect is independent of the vortex-junction separation, a manifestation of the topology of the vortex phase which extends to macroscopic distances of superconducting coherence.

15. Spin-bag mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schrieffer, J. R.; Wen, X.-G.; Zhang, S.-C.

1988-01-01

A new approach to the theory of high-temperature superconductivity is proposed, based on the two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin correlations observed in these materials over distances large compared to the lattice spacing. The spin ordering produces an electronic pseudogap which is locally suppressed by the addition of a hole. This suppression forms a bag inside which the hole is self-consistently trapped. Two holes are attracted by sharing a common bag. The resulting pairing interaction leads to a superconducting energy gap which is nodeless over the Femri surface.

16. The Superconducting Magnets of the ILC Beam Delivery System

SciTech Connect

Parker, B.; Anerella, M.; Escallier, J.; He, P.; Jain, A.; Marone, A.; Nosochkov, Y.; Seryi, Andrei; /SLAC

2007-09-28

The ILC Beam Delivery System (BDS) uses a variety of superconducting magnets to maximize luminosity and minimize background. Compact final focus quadrupoles with multifunction correction coils focus incoming beams to few nanometer spot sizes while focusing outgoing disrupted beams into a separate extraction beam line. Anti-solenoids mitigate effects from overlapping focusing and the detector solenoid field. Far from the interaction point (IP) strong octupoles help minimize IP backgrounds. A low-field but very large aperture dipole is integrated with the detector solenoid to reduce backgrounds from beamstrahlung pairs generated at the IP. Physics requirements and magnetic design solutions for the BDS superconducting magnets are reviewed in this paper.

17. Using Superconducting Qubit Circuits to Engineer Exotic Lattice Systems

Tsomokos, Dimitris; Ashhab, Sahel; Nori, Franco

2011-03-01

We propose an architecture based on superconducting qubits and resonators for the implementation of a variety of exotic lattice systems, such as spin and Hubbard models in higher or fractal dimensions and higher-genus topologies. Spin systems are realized naturally using qubits, while superconducting resonators can be used for the realization of Bose-Hubbard models. Fundamental requirements for these designs, such as controllable interactions between arbitrary qubit pairs, have recently been implemented in the laboratory, rendering our proposals feasible with current technology.

18. Using superconducting qubit circuits to engineer exotic lattice systems

Tsomokos, Dimitris I.; Ashhab, Sahel; Nori, Franco

2010-11-01

We propose an architecture based on superconducting qubits and resonators for the implementation of a variety of exotic lattice systems, such as spin and Hubbard models in higher or fractal dimensions and higher-genus topologies. Spin systems are realized naturally using qubits, while superconducting resonators can be used for the realization of Bose-Hubbard models. Fundamental requirements for these designs, such as controllable interactions between arbitrary qubit pairs, have recently been implemented in the laboratory, rendering our proposals feasible with current technology.

19. Extended s-wave pairing symmetry on the triangular lattice heavy fermion system

Zhang, Lan; Wang, Yu-Feng; Zhong, Yin; Luo, Hong-Gang

2015-10-01

We investigate the pairing symmetry of the Kondo-Heisenberg model on triangular lattice, which is believed to capture the core competition of Kondo screening and local magnetic exchange interaction in heavy electron compounds. On the dominant background of the heavy fermion state, the introduction of the Heisenberg antiferromagnetic interaction ( J H ) leads to superconducting pairing instability. Depending on the strength of the interactions, it is found that the pairing symmetry favours an extended s-wave for small J H and high conduction electron density but a chiral d_{x^2 - y^2 } + id_{xy}-wave for large J H and low conduction electron density, which provides a phase diagram of pairing symmetry from the calculations of the ground-state energy. The transition between these two pairing symmetries is found to be first-order. Furthermore, we also analyze the phase diagram from the pairing strengths and find that the phase diagram obtained is qualitatively consistent with that based on the ground-state energy. In addition, we propose an effective single-band BCS Hamiltonian, which is able to describe the low-energy thermodynamic behaviors of the heavy fermion superconducting states. These results further deepen the understanding of the antiferromagnetic interaction which results in a geometric frustration for the model studied. Our work may provide a possible scenario to understand the pairing symmetry of the heavy fermion superconductivity, which is one of active issues in very recent years.

20. Ship and satellite observations of chlorophyll stocks in interacting cyclone-anticyclone eddy pairs in the western Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biggs, Douglas, C.; Mueller-Karger, Frank E.

1994-01-01

When anticyclonic eddies shed by the Loop Current of the Gulf of Mexico reach the western margin of the gulf, they influence the surface circulation over the continental slope and rise. Of particular interest is the generation of cyclone (cold-core)-anticyclone (warm-core) pairs when aging Loop Current eddies interact with the continental margin. In this paper we describe the physical and biological characteristics of these cyclone-anticyclone pairs. Our objective was to determine how eddy pairs affect the distribution of phytoplankton in the region and how satellite ocean color measurements are applicable to tracing of the eddies. We present shipboard data collected between 1980 and 1982 on the hydrography, chlorophyll stocks, and nutrient concentrations of eddy pairs in the western Gulf of Mexico and compare these data with coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) images collected during the time frame of the cruises. Surface pigment concentrations followed a seasonal cycle, with low concentrations (0.05-0.1 mg m(exp -3)) found within cyclones and anticyclones from April through early November and higher concentrations (greater than 0.1 mg(exp -3)) found in the winter. CZCS pigment concentrations were locally high in the flow confluence of cyclone-anticyclone pairs. The CZCS imagery shows that some cyclone-anticyclone geometries transport high-chlorophyll shelf water seaward at least 100-200 km off-shelf.

1. Mathematical analysis of endothelial sibling pair cell-cell interactions using time-lapse cinematography data.

PubMed

Brown, L M; Ryan, U S; Absher, M; Olazabal, B M

1982-01-01

The sibling pairs from two different endothelial cell cultures were analysed by time-lapse cinematography. It was shown that wounded and regular (low density seeded) cultures differed in the behaviour patterns of their siblings. The cultures differed most significantly in the minimum interdivision time (IDT) which was 27% lower for the wounded culture. In the wounded culture there was a greater correlation of IDT values between sibling pairs. IDT values recorded both for paired and for unpaired cells were shorter for the wounded than for the regular culture. The mean IDT for unpaired cells was longer than the mean IDT for paired cells in the regular culture. Thus paired cells in the regular culture, had shorter IDTs, but not as short as in the wounded culture. It was significant that in the wounded culture the first generation of siblings were very close (less than 150 microns apart) at division. Overall the behaviour differences between the two cultures resulted in a higher rate of increase in cell numbers, and thus faster repair, of the wounded monolayer.

2. Pairing and unpairing electron densities in organic systems: two-electron three center through space and through bonds interactions.

PubMed

Lobayan, Rosana M; Bochicchio, Roberto C

2014-05-07

Two-electron three-center bonding interactions in organic ions like methonium (CH5(+)), ethonium (C2H7(+)), and protonated alkanes n - C4H11(+) isomers (butonium cations) are described and characterized within the theoretical framework of the topological analysis of the electron density decomposition into its effectively paired and unpaired contributions. These interactions manifest in some of this type of systems as a concentration of unpaired electron cloud around the bond paths, in contrast to the well known paradigmatic boron hydrids in which it is not only concentrated close to the atomic nucleus and the bond paths but out of them and over the region defined by the involved atoms as a whole. This result permits to propose an attempt of classification for these interactions based in such manifestations. In the first type, it is called as interactions through bonds and in the second type as interactions through space type.

3. A general test for gene-environment interaction in sib pair-based association analysis of quantitative traits.

PubMed

van der Sluis, Sophie; Dolan, Conor V; Neale, Michael C; Posthuma, Danielle

2008-07-01

Several association studies support the hypothesis that genetic variants can modify the influence of environmental factors on behavioral outcomes, i.e., G x E interaction. The case-control design used in these studies is powerful, but population stratification with respect to allele frequencies can give rise to false positive or false negative associations. Stratification with respect to the environmental factors can lead to false positives or false negatives with respect to environmental main effects and G x E interaction effects as well. Here we present a model based on Fulker et al. (1999) and Purcell (2002) for the study of G x E interaction in family-based association designs, in which the effects of stratification can be controlled. Simulations illustrate the power to detect genetic and environmental main effects, and G x E interaction effects for the sib pair design. The power to detect interaction was studied in eight different situations, both with and without the presence of population stratification, and for categorical and continuous environmental factors. Results show that the power to detect genetic and environmental main effects, and G x E interaction effects, depends on the allele frequencies and the distribution of the environmental moderator. Admixture effects of realistic effect size lead only to very small stratification effects in the G x E component, so impractically large numbers of sib pairs are required to detect such stratification.

4. Effect of Fibonacci modulation on superconductivity.

PubMed

Gupta, Sanjay; Sil, Shreekantha; Bhattacharyya, Bibhas

2006-02-15

We have studied finite-sized single band models with short-range pairing interactions between electrons in the presence of diagonal Fibonacci modulation in one dimension. Two models, namely the attractive Hubbard model and the Penson-Kolb model, have been investigated at half-filling at zero temperature by solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations in real space within a mean-field approximation. The competition between 'disorder' and the pairing interaction leads to a suppression of superconductivity (of usual pairs with zero centre-of-mass momenta) in the strong-coupling limit while an enhancement of the pairing correlation is observed in the weak-coupling regime for both models. However, the dissimilarity of the pairing mechanisms in these two models brings about notable differences in the results. The extent to which the bond-ordered wave and the η-paired (of pairs with centre-of-mass momenta = π) phases of the Penson-Kolb model are affected by the disorder has also been studied in the present calculation. Some finite size effects are also identified.

5. Importance of the ion-pair interactions in the OPEP coarse-grained force field: parametrization and validation.

PubMed

Sterpone, Fabio; Nguyen, Phuong H; Kalimeri, Maria; Derreumaux, Philippe

2013-10-08

We have derived new effective interactions that improve the description of ion-pairs in the OPEP coarse-grained force field without introducing explicit electrostatic terms. The iterative Boltzmann inversion method was used to extract these potentials from all atom simulations by targeting the radial distribution function of the distance between the center of mass of the side-chains. The new potentials have been tested on several systems that differ in structural properties, thermodynamic stabilities and number of ion-pairs. Our modeling, by refining the packing of the charged amino-acids, impacts the stability of secondary structure motifs and the population of intermediate states during temperature folding/unfolding; it also improves the aggregation propensity of peptides. The new version of the OPEP force field has the potentiality to describe more realistically a large spectrum of situations where salt-bridges are key interactions.

6. Importance of the ion-pair interactions in the OPEP coarse-grained force field: parametrization and validation

PubMed Central

Sterpone, Fabio; Nguyen, Phuong H.; Kalimeri, Maria; Derreumaux, Philippe

2014-01-01

We have derived new effective interactions that improve the description of ion-pairs in the OPEP coarse-grained force field without introducing explicit electrostatic terms. The iterative Boltzmann inversion method was used to extract these potentials from all atom simulations by targeting the radial distribution function of the distance between the center of mass of the side-chains. The new potentials have been tested on several systems that differ in structural properties, thermodynamic stabilities and number of ion-pairs. Our modeling, by refining the packing of the charged amino-acids, impacts the stability of secondary structure motifs and the population of intermediate states during temperature folding/unfolding; it also improves the aggregation propensity of peptides. The new version of the OPEP force field has the potentiality to describe more realistically a large spectrum of situations where salt-bridges are key interactions. PMID:25419192

7. Effects of interlayer Sn-Sn lone pair interaction on the band gap of bulk and nanosheet SnO

Umezawa, Naoto; Zhou, Wei

2015-03-01

Effects of interlayer lone-pair interactions on the electronic structure of SnO are firstly explored by the density-functional theory. Our comprehensive study reveals that the band gap of SnO opens as increase in the interlayer Sn-Sn distance. The effect is rationalized by the character of band edges which consists of bonding and anti-bonding states from interlayer lone pair interactions. The band edges for several nanosheets and strained double-layer SnO are estimated. We conclude that the double-layer SnO is a promising material for visible-light driven photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution. This work is supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO) program.

8. Tracing the Optical Imprints of AN Intermediate-Mass Black Hole Candidate in AN Interacting Galaxy Pair

Fuentes-Carrera, I.; Rosado, M.; Flores, H.; Borissova, J.

We present observations of the extended optical counterpart of the bright, elongated ULX in the interacting galaxy pair NGC 5953/54 using the FLAMES-ARGUS integral field spectrograph on the VLT. We describe spectroscopic and spatial information of the ionized surroundings of this ULX in order to distinguish between two possible scenarios: a stellar-mass black hole binary or an intermediate-mass ( 50 solar masses) black hole.

9. Controlling the transmitted information of a multi-photon interacting with a single-Cooper pair box

SciTech Connect

Kadry, Heba Abdel-Aty, Abdel-Haleem Zakaria, Nordin; Cheong, Lee Yen

2014-10-24

We study a model of a multi-photon interaction of a single Cooper pair box with a cavity field. The exchange of the information using this system is studied. We quantify the fidelity of the transmitted information. The effect of the system parameters (detuning parameter, field photons, state density and mean photon number) in the fidelity of the transmitted information is investigated. We found that the fidelity of the transmitted information can be controlled using the system parameters.

10. Simulation of FREE→FREE Absorption Spectra and the Calculation of Interaction Potentials for Alkali-Rare Gas Atom Pairs

Hewitt, J. Darby; Spinka, Thomas M.; Readle, Jason. D.; Eden, J. Gary

2013-06-01

We have simulated free→free (X^2Σ^+_{1/2}→B^2Σ^+_{1/2}) absorption spectra for alkali-rare gas pairs. By comparing simulation results with experimental data, we have been able to iteratively determine the form for the B^2Σ^+_{1/2} interaction potential for the system for a range in internuclear separation of 1.5-20 Å. Simulation methods will be presented, as will our results pertaining to Cs-Ar.

11. A computational analysis of protein interactions in metabolic networks reveals novel enzyme pairs potentially involved in metabolic channeling.

PubMed

Huthmacher, Carola; Gille, Christoph; Holzhütter, Hermann-Georg

2008-06-07

Protein-protein interactions are operative at almost every level of cell structure and function as, for example, formation of sub-cellular organelles, packaging of chromatin, muscle contraction, signal transduction, and regulation of gene expression. Public databases of reported protein-protein interactions comprise hundreds of thousands interactions, and this number is steadily growing. Elucidating the implications of protein-protein interactions for the regulation of the underlying cellular or extra-cellular reaction network remains a great challenge for computational biochemistry. In this work, we have undertaken a systematic and comprehensive computational analysis of reported enzyme-enzyme interactions in the metabolic networks of the model organisms Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We grouped all enzyme pairs according to the topological distance that the catalyzed reactions have in the metabolic network and performed a statistical analysis of reported enzyme-enzyme interactions within these groups. We found a higher frequency of reported enzyme-enzyme interactions within the group of enzymes catalyzing reactions that are adjacent in the network, i.e. sharing at least one metabolite. As some of these interacting enzymes have already been implicated in metabolic channeling our analysis may provide a useful screening for candidates of this phenomenon. To check for a possible regulatory role of interactions between enzymes catalyzing non-neighboring reactions, we determined potentially regulatory enzymes using connectivity in the network and absolute change of Gibbs free energy. Indeed a higher portion of reported interactions pertain to such potentially regulatory enzymes.

12. Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in Solids: Optical spectroscopy and mechanisms of superconductivity

van der Marel, Dirk

By its very nature the phenomenon of superconductivity is intimately connected to the electrodynamics properties of a material, both in the normal and in the superconducting state. Optical spectroscopy and electrical transport -corresponding to the zero-frequency limit of the optical response- provide for this reason sensitive tools probing the collective response of a superconducting material. Optical spectroscopy can provide the real and imaginary parts of the optical conductivity of an electron liquid for all frequencies from radiowaves through infrared and visible up to the ultraviolet and even X-ray frequencies. Theory of the optical response is particularly well developed, leading among others to a number of sumrules, providing powerful tools for confronting experiment and theoretical models of superconducting pairing. In this talk examples of sumrules will be discussed relating to the kinetic energy and the Coulomb energy of the paired electrons, and experimental data of addressing these two energies will be presented. The basic understanding of pair formation in the conventional (i.e. BCS) model of superconductivity is, that electrons form pairs as a result of an attractive interaction. On general grounds one than expects the interaction energy to become reduced when the electrons form pairs, while at the same their kinetic energy increases. Superconductivity is a stable state of matter provided that all contributions together result in a lowering of the total (interaction, kinetic plus other terms if relevant) lowering of energy. In this talk I will demonstrate that these two effects can be observed in the cuprate superconductors, that behave according to aforementioned trends for strongly overdoped cuprates, but that the observed effects have the opposite sign for underdoped and optimally doped cuprates. These observations compare favorably with published numerical calculations based on models of strong electron-electron correlation, not involving the

13. Attention to Form in Collaborative Writing Tasks: Comparing Pair and Small Group Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobao, Ana Fernández

2014-01-01

This study examines the opportunities that a collaborative writing task completed in pairs and in small groups offers for attention to form. Previous research suggests that collaborative writing activities encourage learners to focus their attention on language and to collaborate in the resolution of their language-related problems in ways that…

14. Interaction of formaldehyde with a water-tolerant frustrated Lewis pair.

PubMed

Ghattas, Ghazi; Bizzarri, Claudia; Hölscher, Markus; Langanke, Jens; Gürtler, Christoph; Leitner, Walter; Subhani, Muhammad Afzal

2017-03-02

A facile complexation of formaldehyde with the water-tolerant frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) B(C6F5)3/PtBu3 and its Al-analog under ambient conditions is reported. Unprecedented formaldehyde adducts 1, 2 and 4 have been identified and crystallographically characterized.

15. Odd-parity superconductivity by competing spin-orbit coupling and orbital effect in artificial heterostructures

Watanabe, Tatsuya; Yoshida, Tomohiro; Yanase, Youichi

2015-11-01

We show that odd-parity superconductivity occurs in multilayer Rashba systems without requiring spin-triplet Cooper pairs. A pairing interaction in the spin-singlet channel stabilizes the odd-parity pair-density-wave (PDW) state in the magnetic field parallel to the two-dimensional conducting plane. It is shown that the layer-dependent Rashba spin-orbit coupling and the orbital effect play essential roles for the PDW state in binary and tricolor heterostructures. We demonstrate that the odd-parity PDW state is a symmetry-protected topological superconducting state characterized by the one-dimensional winding number in the symmetry class BDI. The superconductivity in the artificial heavy-fermion superlattice CeCoIn5/YbCoIn5 and bilayer interface SrTiO3/LaAlO3 is discussed.

16. Local Quasiparticle Density of States of Superconducting SmFeAsO1-xFx Single Crystals: Evidence for Spin-Mediated Pairing

Fasano, Y.; Maggio-Aprile, I.; Zhigadlo, N. D.; Katrych, S.; Karpinski, J.; Fischer, Ø.

2010-10-01

We probe the local quasiparticles density of states in micron-sized SmFeAsO1-xFx single crystals by means of scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. Spectral features resemble those of cuprates, particularly a dip-hump-like structure developed at energies larger than the gap that can be ascribed to the coupling of quasiparticles to a collective mode, quite likely a resonant spin mode. The energy of the collective mode revealed in our study decreases when the pairing strength increases. Our findings support spin-fluctuation-mediated pairing in pnictides.

17. Resonance energy transfer (RET)-Induced intermolecular pairing force: a tunable weak interaction and its application in SWNT separation.

PubMed

Pan, Xiaoyong; Chen, Hui; Wang, Wei Zhi; Ng, Siu Choon; Chan-Park, Mary B

2011-07-21

This paper explores evidence of an optically mediated interaction that is active in the separation mechanism of certain selective agents through consideration of the contrasting selective behaviors of two conjugated polymers with distinct optical properties. The involvement of a RET-induced intermolecular pairing force is implied by the different illumination response behaviors. The magnitude of this interaction scales with the external stimulus parameter, the illumination irradiance (I), and thus is tunable. This suggests a facile technique to modify the selectivity of polymers toward specific SWNT species by altering the polymer structure to adjust the corresponding intermolecular interaction. This is the first experimental verification and application of a RET-induced intermolecular pairing force to SWNT separation. With this kind of interaction taken into account, reasonable interpretation of some conflicting data, especially PLE maps, can be easily made. The above conclusion can be applied to other substances as long as they are electrically neutral and there is photon-induced RET between them. The significant magnitude of this interaction makes direct manipulation of molecules/particles possible and is expected to have applications in molecular engineering.

18. A Survey of Aspartate-Phenylalanine and Glutamate-Phenylalanine Interactions in the Protein Data Bank: Searching for Anion-pi Pairs

SciTech Connect

Philip, Vivek M; Harris, Jason B; Adams, Rachel M; Nguyen, Don; Spiers, Jeremy D; Baudry, Jerome Y; Howell, Elizabeth E; Hinde, Robert J

2011-01-01

Protein structures are stabilized using noncovalent interactions. In addition to the traditional noncovalent interactions, newer types of interactions are thought to be present in proteins. One such interaction, an anion-{pi} pair, in which the positively charged edge of an aromatic ring interacts with an anion, forming a favorable anion-quadrupole interaction, has been previously proposed [Jackson, M. R., et al. (2007) J. Phys. Chem. B111, 8242-8249]. To study the role of anion-{pi} interactions in stabilizing protein structure, we analyzed pairwise interactions between phenylalanine (Phe) and the anionic amino acids, aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu). Particular emphasis was focused on identification of Phe-Asp or -Glu pairs separated by less than 7 {angstrom} in the high-resolution, nonredundant Protein Data Bank. Simplifying Phe to benzene and Asp or Glu to formate molecules facilitated in silico analysis of the pairs. Kitaura-Morokuma energy calculations were performed on roughly 19000 benzene-formate pairs and the resulting energies analyzed as a function of distance and angle. Edgewise interactions typically produced strongly stabilizing interaction energies (-2 to -7.3 kcal/mol), while interactions involving the ring face resulted in weakly stabilizing to repulsive interaction energies. The strongest, most stabilizing interactions were identified as preferentially occurring in buried residues. Anion-{pi} pairs are found throughout protein structures, in helices as well as {beta} strands. Numerous pairs also had nearby cation-{pi} interactions as well as potential {pi}-{pi} stacking. While more than 1000 structures did not contain an anion-{pi} pair, the 3134 remaining structures contained approximately 2.6 anion-{pi} pairs per protein, suggesting it is a reasonably common motif that could contribute to the overall structural stability of a protein.

19. Pairing in the presence of a pseudogap

Scalapino, Douglas; Maier, Thomas; Staar, Peter; Mishra, Vivek

After 30 years, the quest to experimentally identify the mechanism responsible for pairing in the high Tc superconductors continues. Here we discuss an approach in which angle resolved photoemission (ARPES)data for BSCCO 2212(Tc=89K) is used to extract the single particle spectral weight A(k,w). This spectral weight is then used to calculate the BCS kernel and estimate the RPA spin-fluctuation d-wave pairing strength. Previously A(k,w) results at T=140K, extrapolated to lower temperatures, found that the BSCCO pseudo gap suppressed the logarithmic singularity of the BCS kernel and the spin-fluctuation interaction was too weak to produce superconductivity [V.Mishra et al.,Nat.Phys.10,357]. Here using results for A(k,w) at T=40K for this same system, we find that while the BCS kernel is suppressed, there is a significant increase in the d-wave pairing strength for the spin-fluctuation interaction when the temperature drops from T=140K and 40K. These results are shown to be consistent with DCA calculations for a 2D Hubbard model of a BSCCO like system which has a pseudo gap. We conclude that in spite of the suppression of the usual BCS logarithmic instability by the pseudo gap, the increase in strength of the spin-fluctuation interaction is sufficient to lead to superconductivity. Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

20. Extended Fluid-Dynamics and Collective Motion of Two Trapped Fermion Species with Pairing Interactions

Hernández, E. S.; Capuzzi, P.; Szybisz, L.

2011-02-01

We extend our earlier fluid-dynamical description of fermion superfluids incorporating the particle energy flow together with the equation of motion for the internal kinetic energy of the pairs. The formal scheme combines a set of equations similar to those of classical hydrodynamics with the equations of motion for the anomalous density and for its related momentum density and kinetic energy density. This dynamical frame represents a second order truncation of an infinite hierarchy of equations of motion isomorphic to the full time dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations in coordinate representation. We analyze the equilibrium solutions and fluctuations for a homogeneous, unpolarized fermion system of two species, and show that the collective spectrum presents the well-known Anderson-Bogoliubov low energy mode of homogeneous superfluids and a pairing vibration near the gap energy.

1. Discovering Pair-Wise Genetic Interactions: An Information Theory-Based Approach

PubMed Central

Ignac, Tomasz M.; Skupin, Alexander; Sakhanenko, Nikita A.; Galas, David J.

2014-01-01

Phenotypic variation, including that which underlies health and disease in humans, results in part from multiple interactions among both genetic variation and environmental factors. While diseases or phenotypes caused by single gene variants can be identified by established association methods and family-based approaches, complex phenotypic traits resulting from multi-gene interactions remain very difficult to characterize. Here we describe a new method based on information theory, and demonstrate how it improves on previous approaches to identifying genetic interactions, including both synthetic and modifier kinds of interactions. We apply our measure, called interaction distance, to previously analyzed data sets of yeast sporulation efficiency, lipid related mouse data and several human disease models to characterize the method. We show how the interaction distance can reveal novel gene interaction candidates in experimental and simulated data sets, and outperforms other measures in several circumstances. The method also allows us to optimize case/control sample composition for clinical studies. PMID:24670935

2. Symmetry of the pairing state and transition temperature in the p-d model

SciTech Connect

Citro, R.; Marinaro, M.

1999-04-20

The effective pairing interaction and the superconducting transition temperature {Tc}, mediated by both spin and charge fluctuations, are investigated on the basis of the simplest p-d model by considering a Bethe-Salpeter equation for the vertex functions within a generalized cumulant expansion. The comparison with experimental results of hole-doped cuprates is discussed.

3. Triplet p-wave pairing correlation in low-doped zigzag graphene nanoribbons

Ma, Tianxing; Yang, Fan; Huang, Zhongbing; Lin, Hai-Qing

2017-02-01

We reveal an edge spin triplet p–wave superconducting pairing correlation in slightly doped zigzag graphene nanoribbons. By employing a method that combines random-phase approximation, the finite-temperature determinant quantum Monte Carlo approach, and the ground-state constrained-path quantum Monte Carlo method, it is shown that such a spin-triplet pairing is mediated by the ferromagnetic fluctuations caused by the flat band at the edge. The spin susceptibility and effective pairing interactions at the edge strongly increase as the on-site Coulomb interaction increases, indicating the importance of electron-electron correlations. It is also found that the doping-dependent ground-state p-wave pairing correlation bears some similarity to the famous superconducting dome in the phase diagram of a high-temperature superconductor, while the spin correlation at the edge is weakened as the system is doped away from half filling.

4. Triplet p-wave pairing correlation in low-doped zigzag graphene nanoribbons

PubMed Central

Ma, Tianxing; Yang, Fan; Huang, Zhongbing; Lin, Hai-Qing

2017-01-01

We reveal an edge spin triplet p–wave superconducting pairing correlation in slightly doped zigzag graphene nanoribbons. By employing a method that combines random-phase approximation, the finite-temperature determinant quantum Monte Carlo approach, and the ground-state constrained-path quantum Monte Carlo method, it is shown that such a spin-triplet pairing is mediated by the ferromagnetic fluctuations caused by the flat band at the edge. The spin susceptibility and effective pairing interactions at the edge strongly increase as the on-site Coulomb interaction increases, indicating the importance of electron-electron correlations. It is also found that the doping-dependent ground-state p-wave pairing correlation bears some similarity to the famous superconducting dome in the phase diagram of a high-temperature superconductor, while the spin correlation at the edge is weakened as the system is doped away from half filling. PMID:28186185

5. Molecular-Level Thermodynamic Switch Controls Chemical Equilibrium in Sequence-Specific Hydrophobic Interaction of 35 Dipeptide Pairs

PubMed Central

Chun, Paul W.

2003-01-01

Applying the Planck-Benzinger methodology, the sequence-specific hydrophobic interactions of 35 dipeptide pairs were examined over a temperature range of 273–333 K, based on data reported by Nemethy and Scheraga in 1962. The hydrophobic interaction in these sequence-specific dipeptide pairs is highly similar in its thermodynamic behavior to that of other biological systems. The results imply that the negative Gibbs free energy change minimum at a well-defined stable temperature, 〈Ts〉, where the bound unavailable energy, TΔSo = 0, has its origin in the sequence-specific hydrophobic interactions, are highly dependent on details of molecular structure. Each case confirms the existence of a thermodynamic molecular switch wherein a change of sign in ΔCpo(T)reaction (change in specific heat capacity of reaction at constant pressure) leads to true negative minimum in the Gibbs free energy change of reaction, ΔGo(T)reaction, and hence a maximum in the related equilibrium constant, Keq. Indeed, all interacting biological systems examined to date by Chun using the Planck-Benzinger methodology have shown such a thermodynamic switch at the molecular level, suggesting its existence may be universal. PMID:12547816

6. Structural variability and the nature of intermolecular interactions in Watson-Crick B-DNA base pairs.

PubMed

Czyznikowska, Z; Góra, R W; Zaleśny, R; Lipkowski, P; Jarzembska, K N; Dominiak, P M; Leszczynski, J

2010-07-29

A set of nearly 100 crystallographic structures was analyzed using ab initio methods in order to verify the effect of the conformational variability of Watson-Crick guanine-cytosine and adenine-thymine base pairs on the intermolecular interaction energy and its components. Furthermore, for the representative structures, a potential energy scan of the structural parameters describing mutual orientation of the base pairs was carried out. The results were obtained using the hybrid variational-perturbational interaction energy decomposition scheme. The electron correlation effects were estimated by means of the second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory and coupled clusters with singles and doubles method adopting AUG-cc-pVDZ basis set. Moreover, the characteristics of hydrogen bonds in complexes, mimicking those appearing in B-DNA, were evaluated using topological analysis of the electron density. Although the first-order electrostatic energy is usually the largest stabilizing component, it is canceled out by the associated exchange repulsion in majority of the studied crystallographic structures. Therefore, the analyzed complexes of the nucleic acid bases appeared to be stabilized mainly by the delocalization component of the intermolecular interaction energy which, in terms of symmetry adapted perturbation theory, encompasses the second- and higher-order induction and exchange-induction terms. Furthermore, it was found that the dispersion contribution, albeit much smaller in terms of magnitude, is also a vital stabilizing factor. It was also revealed that the intermolecular interaction energy and its components are strongly influenced by four (out of six) structural parameters describing mutual orientation of bases in Watson-Crick pairs, namely shear, stagger, stretch, and opening. Finally, as a part of a model study, much of the effort was devoted to an extensive testing of the UBDB databank. It was shown that the databank quite successfully reproduces the

7. Evidence for Coexistence of Bulk Superconductivity and Itinerant Antiferromagnetism in the Heavy Fermion System CeCo(In1−xCdx)5

PubMed Central

Howald, Ludovic; Stilp, Evelyn; de Réotier, Pierre Dalmas; Yaouanc, Alain; Raymond, Stéphane; Piamonteze, Cinthia; Lapertot, Gérard; Baines, Christopher; Keller, Hugo

2015-01-01

In the generic phase diagram of heavy fermion systems, tuning an external parameter such as hydrostatic or chemical pressure modifies the superconducting transition temperature. The superconducting phase forms a dome in the temperature—tuning parameter phase diagram, which is associated with a maximum of the superconducting pairing interaction. Proximity to antiferromagnetism suggests a relation between the disappearance of antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity. We combine muon spin rotation, neutron scattering, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques to gain access to the magnetic and electronic structure of CeCo(In1−xCdx)5 at different time scales. Different magnetic structures are obtained that indicate a magnetic order of itinerant character, coexisting with bulk superconductivity. The suppression of the antiferromagnetic order appears to be driven by a modification of the bandwidth/carrier concentration, implying that the electronic structure and consequently the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism is strongly affected by hydrostatic and chemical pressure. PMID:26224422

8. Evidence for Coexistence of Bulk Superconductivity and Itinerant Antiferromagnetism in the Heavy Fermion System CeCo(In(1-x)Cdx)5.

PubMed

Howald, Ludovic; Stilp, Evelyn; de Réotier, Pierre Dalmas; Yaouanc, Alain; Raymond, Stéphane; Piamonteze, Cinthia; Lapertot, Gérard; Baines, Christopher; Keller, Hugo

2015-07-30

In the generic phase diagram of heavy fermion systems, tuning an external parameter such as hydrostatic or chemical pressure modifies the superconducting transition temperature. The superconducting phase forms a dome in the temperature-tuning parameter phase diagram, which is associated with a maximum of the superconducting pairing interaction. Proximity to antiferromagnetism suggests a relation between the disappearance of antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity. We combine muon spin rotation, neutron scattering, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques to gain access to the magnetic and electronic structure of CeCo(In(1-x)Cdx)5 at different time scales. Different magnetic structures are obtained that indicate a magnetic order of itinerant character, coexisting with bulk superconductivity. The suppression of the antiferromagnetic order appears to be driven by a modification of the bandwidth/carrier concentration, implying that the electronic structure and consequently the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism is strongly affected by hydrostatic and chemical pressure.

9. Superconductive wire

DOEpatents

Korzekwa, David A.; Bingert, John F.; Peterson, Dean E.; Sheinberg, Haskell

1995-01-01

A superconductive article is made by inserting a rigid mandrel into an internal cavity of a first metallic tube, said tube having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said interior surface defining the interior cavity, forming a layer of a superconductive material or superconductive precursor upon the exterior surface of said first metallic tube, machining the layer of superconductive material or superconductive precursor to a predetermined diameter to form an intermediate article configured for insertion into a second metallic tube having an interior diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter, inserting the machined intermediate article into a second metallic tube having an internal diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter of the intermediate article to form a composite intermediate article, reducing or ironing the composite intermediate article to a predetermined cross-sectional diameter, and sintering the reduced or ironed composite intermediate article at temperatures and for time sufficient for the superconductive material or superconductive precursor to exhibit superconductivity.

10. Superconductive wire

DOEpatents

Korzekwa, D.A.; Bingert, J.F.; Peterson, D.E.; Sheinberg, H.

1995-07-18

A superconductive article is made by inserting a rigid mandrel into an internal cavity of a first metallic tube, said tube having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said interior surface defining the interior cavity, forming a layer of a superconductive material or superconductive precursor upon the exterior surface of said first metallic tube, machining the layer of superconductive material or superconductive precursor to a predetermined diameter to form an intermediate article configured for insertion into a second metallic tube having an interior diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter, inserting the machined intermediate article into a second metallic tube having an internal diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter of the intermediate article to form a composite intermediate article, reducing or ironing the composite intermediate article to a predetermined cross-sectional diameter, and sintering the reduced or ironed composite intermediate article at temperatures and for time sufficient for the superconductive material or superconductive precursor to exhibit superconductivity. 2 figs.

11. Aromatic N versus aromatic F: bioisosterism discovered in RNA base pairing interactions leads to a novel class of universal base analogs.

PubMed

Koller, Alrun N; Bozilovic, Jelena; Engels, Joachim W; Gohlke, Holger

2010-05-01

The thermodynamics of base pairing is of fundamental importance. Fluorinated base analogs are valuable tools for investigating pairing interactions. To understand the influence of direct base-base interactions in relation to the role of water, pairing free energies between natural nucleobases and fluorinated analogs are estimated by potential of mean force calculations. Compared to pairing of AU and GC, pairing involving fluorinated analogs is unfavorable by 0.5-1.0 kcal mol(-1). Decomposing the pairing free energies into enthalpic and entropic contributions reveals fundamental differences for Watson-Crick pairs compared to pairs involving fluorinated analogs. These differences originate from direct base-base interactions and contributions of water. Pairing free energies of fluorinated base analogs with natural bases are less unfavorable by 0.5-1.0 kcal mol(-1) compared to non-fluorinated analogs. This is attributed to stabilizing C-F(...)H-N dipolar interactions and stronger N(...)H-C hydrogen bonds, demonstrating direct and indirect influences of fluorine. 7-methyl-7H-purine and its 9-deaza analog (Z) have been suggested as members of a new class of non-fluorinated base analogs. Z is found to be the least destabilizing universal base in the context of RNA known to date. This is the first experimental evidence for nitrogen-containing heterocylces as bioisosteres of aromatic rings bearing fluorine atoms.

12. Transition from Sign-Reversed to Sign-Preserved Cooper-Pairing Symmetry in Sulfur-Doped Iron Selenide Superconductors.

PubMed

Wang, Qisi; Park, J T; Feng, Yu; Shen, Yao; Hao, Yiqing; Pan, Bingying; Lynn, J W; Ivanov, A; Chi, Songxue; Matsuda, M; Cao, Huibo; Birgeneau, R J; Efremov, D V; Zhao, Jun

2016-05-13

An essential step toward elucidating the mechanism of superconductivity is to determine the sign or phase of the superconducting order parameter, as it is closely related to the pairing interaction. In conventional superconductors, the electron-phonon interaction induces attraction between electrons near the Fermi energy and results in a sign-preserved s-wave pairing. For high-temperature superconductors, including cuprates and iron-based superconductors, prevalent weak coupling theories suggest that the electron pairing is mediated by spin fluctuations which lead to repulsive interactions, and therefore that a sign-reversed pairing with an s_{±} or d-wave symmetry is favored. Here, by using magnetic neutron scattering, a phase sensitive probe of the superconducting gap, we report the observation of a transition from the sign-reversed to sign-preserved Cooper-pairing symmetry with insignificant changes in T_{c} in the S-doped iron selenide superconductors K_{x}Fe_{2-y}(Se_{1-z}S_{z})_{2}. We show that a rather sharp magnetic resonant mode well below the superconducting gap (2Δ) in the undoped sample (z=0) is replaced by a broad hump structure above 2Δ under 50% S doping. These results cannot be readily explained by simple spin fluctuation-exchange pairing theories and, therefore, multiple pairing channels are required to describe superconductivity in this system. Our findings may also yield a simple explanation for the sometimes contradictory data on the sign of the superconducting order parameter in iron-based materials.

13. Superconducting transistor

DOEpatents

Gray, Kenneth E.

1979-01-01

A superconducting transistor is formed by disposing three thin films of superconducting material in a planar parallel arrangement and insulating the films from each other by layers of insulating oxides to form two tunnel junctions. One junction is biased above twice the superconducting energy gap and the other is biased at less than twice the superconducting energy gap. Injection of quasiparticles into the center film by one junction provides a current gain in the second junction.

14. Chromatin Interaction Analysis with Paired-End Tag Sequencing (ChIA-PET) for Mapping Chromatin Interactions and Understanding Transcription Regulation

PubMed Central

Poh, Huay Mei; Peh, Su Qin; Ong, Chin Thing; Zhang, Jingyao; Ruan, Xiaoan; Ruan, Yijun

2012-01-01

Genomes are organized into three-dimensional structures, adopting higher-order conformations inside the micron-sized nuclear spaces 7, 2, 12. Such architectures are not random and involve interactions between gene promoters and regulatory elements 13. The binding of transcription factors to specific regulatory sequences brings about a network of transcription regulation and coordination 1, 14. Chromatin Interaction Analysis by Paired-End Tag Sequencing (ChIA-PET) was developed to identify these higher-order chromatin structures 5,6. Cells are fixed and interacting loci are captured by covalent DNA-protein cross-links. To minimize non-specific noise and reduce complexity, as well as to increase the specificity of the chromatin interaction analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is used against specific protein factors to enrich chromatin fragments of interest before proximity ligation. Ligation involving half-linkers subsequently forms covalent links between pairs of DNA fragments tethered together within individual chromatin complexes. The flanking MmeI restriction enzyme sites in the half-linkers allow extraction of paired end tag-linker-tag constructs (PETs) upon MmeI digestion. As the half-linkers are biotinylated, these PET constructs are purified using streptavidin-magnetic beads. The purified PETs are ligated with next-generation sequencing adaptors and a catalog of interacting fragments is generated via next-generation sequencers such as the Illumina Genome Analyzer. Mapping and bioinformatics analysis is then performed to identify ChIP-enriched binding sites and ChIP-enriched chromatin interactions 8. We have produced a video to demonstrate critical aspects of the ChIA-PET protocol, especially the preparation of ChIP as the quality of ChIP plays a major role in the outcome of a ChIA-PET library. As the protocols are very long, only the critical steps are shown in the video. PMID:22564980

15. Systematic Mapping of WNT-FZD Protein Interactions Reveals Functional Selectivity by Distinct WNT-FZD Pairs*

PubMed Central

Dijksterhuis, Jacomijn P.; Baljinnyam, Bolormaa; Stanger, Karen; Sercan, Hakki O.; Ji, Yun; Andres, Osler; Rubin, Jeffrey S.; Hannoush, Rami N.; Schulte, Gunnar

2015-01-01

The seven-transmembrane-spanning receptors of the FZD1–10 class are bound and activated by the WNT family of lipoglycoproteins, thereby inducing a complex network of signaling pathways. However, the specificity of the interaction between mammalian WNT and FZD proteins and the subsequent signaling cascade downstream of the different WNT-FZD pairs have not been systematically addressed to date. In this study, we determined the binding affinities of various WNTs for different members of the FZD family by using bio-layer interferometry and characterized their functional selectivity in a cell system. Using purified WNTs, we show that different FZD cysteine-rich domains prefer to bind to distinct WNTs with fast on-rates and slow off-rates. In a 32D cell-based system engineered to overexpress FZD2, FZD4, or FZD5, we found that WNT-3A (but not WNT-4, -5A, or -9B) activated the WNT-β-catenin pathway through FZD2/4/5 as measured by phosphorylation of LRP6 and β-catenin stabilization. Surprisingly, different WNT-FZD pairs showed differential effects on phosphorylation of DVL2 and DVL3, revealing a previously unappreciated DVL isoform selectivity by different WNT-FZD pairs in 32D cells. In summary, we present extensive mapping of WNT-FZD cysteine-rich domain interactions complemented by analysis of WNT-FZD pair functionality in a unique cell system expressing individual FZD isoforms. Differential WNT-FZD binding and selective functional readouts suggest that endogenous WNT ligands evolved with an intrinsic natural bias toward different downstream signaling pathways, a phenomenon that could be of great importance in the design of FZD-targeting drugs. PMID:25605717

16. Enthalpy pair coefficients of interaction for DL-valine in aqueous solutions of polyatomic alcohols at 298 K

Mezhevoi, I. N.; Badelin, V. G.

2013-12-01

Integral enthalpies of dissolution Δsol H m of DL-valine are measured via calorimetry of dissolution in aqueous solutions of glycerol, ethylene glycol, and 1,2-propylene glycol. Standard values of the enthalpies of dissolution (Δsol H ○) and transfer (Δtr H ○) of amino acid from water to mixed solvent are calculated from the resulting experimental data. The enthalpy coefficients for pair interactions hxy of amino acid with polyatomic alcohol molecules are calculated using the McMillan-Meyer theory and have positive values. The obtained results are discussed in light of the theory of the predomination of various types of interactions in mixed solutions and the effect of structural features of interacting biomolecules on the thermochemical parameters of the dissolution of amino acids.

17. Cold Fermions with Pairing Interactions: New Results Based on Fluiddynamical Descriptions

Capuzzi, P.; Hernández, E. S.; Szybisz, L.

2012-03-01

We present a rigorous derivation of the moment hierarchy of the density and pair density matrices of a two species fermion superfluid in coordinate representation. We discuss the tools to truncate at any desired level and present the derivation of the Extended Superfluid Thomas-Fermi (ESTF) fluiddynamical scheme. In order to establish the equation of state in equilibrium to be incorporated in the truncation, we extend the method of Papenbrock and Bertsch. We examine the dynamics of fluctuations in homogeneous fermion matter and show that it is consistent with the ordinary Random-Phase-approximation. We discuss some numerical results for equilibrium profiles and collective fluctuations of trapped cold gases.

18. Triplet p + ip pairing correlations in the doped Kane-Mele-Hubbard model: A quantum Monte Carlo study

DOE PAGES

Ma, Tianxing; Lin, Hai-Qing; Gubernatis, James E.

2015-09-01

By using the constrained-phase quantum Monte Carlo method, we performed a systematic study of the pairing correlations in the ground state of the doped Kane-Mele-Hubbard model on a honeycomb lattice. We find that pairing correlations with d + id symmetry dominate close to half filling, but pairing correlations with p+ip symmetry dominate as hole doping moves the system below three-quarters filling. We correlate these behaviors of the pairing correlations with the topology of the Fermi surfaces of the non-interacting problem. We also find that the effective pairing correlation is enhanced greatly as the interaction increases, and these superconducting correlations aremore » robust against varying the spin-orbit coupling strength. Finally, our numerical results suggest a possible way to realize spin triplet superconductivity in doped honeycomb-like materials or ultracold atoms in optical traps.« less

19. Universal increase in the superconducting critical temperature of two-dimensional semiconductors at low doping by the electron-electron interaction.

PubMed

Calandra, Matteo; Zoccante, Paolo; Mauri, Francesco

2015-02-20

In two-dimensional multivalley semiconductors, at low doping, even a moderate electron-electron interaction enhances the response to any perturbation inducing a valley polarization. If the valley polarization is due to the electron-phonon coupling, the electron-electron interaction results in an enhancement of the superconducting critical temperature. By performing first-principles calculations beyond density functional theory, we prove that this effect accounts for the unconventional doping dependence of the superconducting transition temperature (T(c)) and of the magnetic susceptibility measured in Li(x)ZrNCI. Finally, we discuss what are the conditions for a maximal T(c) enhancement in weakly doped two-dimensional semiconductors.

20. Unconventional superconductivity in PuCoGa5.

PubMed

Curro, N J; Caldwell, T; Bauer, E D; Morales, L A; Graf, M J; Bang, Y; Balatsky, A V; Thompson, J D; Sarrao, J L

2005-03-31

In the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, electrons form (Cooper) pairs through an interaction mediated by vibrations in the underlying crystal structure. Like lattice vibrations, antiferromagnetic fluctuations can also produce an attractive interaction creating Cooper pairs, though with spin and angular momentum properties different from those of conventional superconductors. Such interactions have been implicated for two disparate classes of materials--the copper oxides and a set of Ce- and U-based compounds. But because their transition temperatures differ by nearly two orders of magnitude, this raises the question of whether a common pairing mechanism applies. PuCoGa5 has a transition temperature intermediate between those classes and therefore may bridge these extremes. Here we report measurements of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate and Knight shift in PuCoGa5, which demonstrate that it is an unconventional superconductor with properties as expected for antiferromagnetically mediated superconductivity. Scaling of the relaxation rates among all of these materials (a feature not exhibited by their Knight shifts) establishes antiferromagnetic fluctuations as a likely mechanism for their unconventional superconductivity and suggests that related classes of exotic superconductors may yet be discovered.

1. Magnetic Excitations and the Exchange Energy Available for Superconductivity

Dahm, Thomas

2007-03-01

We have made detailed comparisons of theoretical calculations and experimental neutron scattering results in absolute units in order to determine the temperature change of the nearest neighbor spin correlations in optimally doped YBCO as one goes from the normal to the superconducting state [1]. This allows us to estimate the magnetic exchange energy change that becomes available for superconducting condensation. Our results show that the available magnetic energy change is about 10-15 times larger than the energy necessary for superconducting condensation [1]. We discuss the issue of the spin sum rule and implications for a spin fluctuation driven pairing interaction as well as implications for low energy excitations in angular photoemission spectroscopy [2]. [1] H. Woo et al, Nature Physics 2, 600 (2006). [2] T. Dahm et al, Phys. Rev. B 72, 214512 (2005).

2. Coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in two dimensions.

PubMed

Dikin, D A; Mehta, M; Bark, C W; Folkman, C M; Eom, C B; Chandrasekhar, V

2011-07-29

Ferromagnetism is usually considered to be incompatible with conventional superconductivity, as it destroys the singlet correlations responsible for the pairing interaction. Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are known to coexist in only a few bulk rare-earth materials. Here we report evidence for their coexistence in a two-dimensional system: the interface between two bulk insulators, LaAlO(3) (LAO) and SrTiO(3) (STO), a system that has been studied intensively recently. Magnetoresistance, Hall, and electric-field dependence measurements suggest that there are two distinct bands of charge carriers that contribute to the interface conductivity. The sensitivity of properties of the interface to an electric field makes this a fascinating system for the study of the interplay between superconductivity and magnetism.

3. Spin Orbit Effects and Superconductivity in Oxide Materials

SciTech Connect

Chapline, G F

2005-09-29

In a variety of materials superconductivity is associated with the existence of a quantum critical point (QCP). In the case of the hole doped cuprates there is evidence which suggests that the important quantum degrees of freedom near the superconducting critical point are localized charge and spin density fluctuations. We argue that if these degrees of freedom are strongly coupled by spin-orbit interactions, a new type of quantum criticality arises with monopole-like quasi-particles as the important quantum degrees of freedom,. In layered material this type of quantum criticality can be modeled using a 2-dimensional non-linear Schrodinger equation with an SU(N) gauge field. We exhibit a pairing wave function for quasi-particles that has topological order and anisotropic properties. The superconducting transition would in some respects resemble a KT transition.

4. Density functional theory investigation of interaction of zigzag (7,0) single-walled carbon nanotube with Watson-Crick DNA base pairs

Shukla, Manoj K.; Dubey, Madan; Zakar, Eugene; Namburu, Raju; Leszczynski, Jerzy

2010-08-01

A first-principles investigation of interaction of DNA base pairs on the outer surface of zigzag (7,0) single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) was carried out at the M05-2X/6-31G(d) level of geometry optimization and BSSE corrected interaction energy calculation using the same theoretical level and the 6-311G(d,p), cc-pVDZ and cc-pVTZ basis sets. Study revealed that CNT forms complexes of similar strength with both base pairs. Electron density maps suggest that complexes are characterized by stacking interaction through coupling of π-charge clouds of base pairs and CNT. BSSE corrected interaction energies and density of states calculations indicated the weak nature of interaction between base pairs and CNT.

5. Emergence of superconductivity in heavy-electron materials.

PubMed

Yang, Yi-feng; Pines, David

2014-12-23

Although the pairing glue for the attractive quasiparticle interaction responsible for unconventional superconductivity in heavy-electron materials has been identified as the spin fluctuations that arise from their proximity to a magnetic quantum critical point, there has been no model to describe their superconducting transition at temperature Tc that is comparable to that found by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer (BCS) for conventional superconductors, where phonons provide the pairing glue. Here we propose such a model: a phenomenological BCS-like expression for Tc in heavy-electron materials that is based on a simple model for the effective range and strength of the spin-fluctuation-induced quasiparticle interaction and reflects the unusual properties of the heavy-electron normal state from which superconductivity emerges. We show that it provides a quantitative understanding of the pressure-induced variation of Tc in the "hydrogen atoms" of unconventional superconductivity, CeCoIn5 and CeRhIn5, predicts scaling behavior and a dome-like structure for Tc in all heavy-electron quantum critical superconductors, provides unexpected connections between members of this family, and quantifies their variations in Tc with a single parameter.

6. Emergence of superconductivity in heavy-electron materials

PubMed Central

Yang, Yi-feng; Pines, David

2014-01-01

Although the pairing glue for the attractive quasiparticle interaction responsible for unconventional superconductivity in heavy-electron materials has been identified as the spin fluctuations that arise from their proximity to a magnetic quantum critical point, there has been no model to describe their superconducting transition at temperature Tc that is comparable to that found by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer (BCS) for conventional superconductors, where phonons provide the pairing glue. Here we propose such a model: a phenomenological BCS-like expression for Tc in heavy-electron materials that is based on a simple model for the effective range and strength of the spin-fluctuation-induced quasiparticle interaction and reflects the unusual properties of the heavy-electron normal state from which superconductivity emerges. We show that it provides a quantitative understanding of the pressure-induced variation of Tc in the “hydrogen atoms” of unconventional superconductivity, CeCoIn5 and CeRhIn5, predicts scaling behavior and a dome-like structure for Tc in all heavy-electron quantum critical superconductors, provides unexpected connections between members of this family, and quantifies their variations in Tc with a single parameter. PMID:25489102

7. Development of a Model Protein Interaction Pair as a Benchmarking Tool for the Quantitative Analysis of 2-Site Protein-Protein Interactions.

PubMed

Yamniuk, Aaron P; Newitt, John A; Doyle, Michael L; Arisaka, Fumio; Giannetti, Anthony M; Hensley, Preston; Myszka, David G; Schwarz, Fred P; Thomson, James A; Eisenstein, Edward

2015-12-01

A significant challenge in the molecular interaction field is to accurately determine the stoichiometry and stepwise binding affinity constants for macromolecules having >1 binding site. The mission of the Molecular Interactions Research Group (MIRG) of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) is to show how biophysical technologies are used to quantitatively characterize molecular interactions, and to educate the ABRF members and scientific community on the utility and limitations of core technologies [such as biosensor, microcalorimetry, or analytic ultracentrifugation (AUC)]. In the present work, the MIRG has developed a robust model protein interaction pair consisting of a bivalent variant of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens extracellular RNase barnase and a variant of its natural monovalent intracellular inhibitor protein barstar. It is demonstrated that this system can serve as a benchmarking tool for the quantitative analysis of 2-site protein-protein interactions. The protein interaction pair enables determination of precise binding constants for the barstar protein binding to 2 distinct sites on the bivalent barnase binding partner (termed binase), where the 2 binding sites were engineered to possess affinities that differed by 2 orders of magnitude. Multiple MIRG laboratories characterized the interaction using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), AUC, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) methods to evaluate the feasibility of the system as a benchmarking model. Although general agreement was seen for the binding constants measured using solution-based ITC and AUC approaches, weaker affinity was seen for surface-based method SPR, with protein immobilization likely affecting affinity. An analysis of the results from multiple MIRG laboratories suggests that the bivalent barnase-barstar system is a suitable model for benchmarking new approaches for the quantitative characterization of complex biomolecular interactions.

8. Spin fluctuations and superconductivity in UPt3

Fay, D.; Appel, J.

1985-11-01

We attempt to assess the importance of spin fluctuations in the heavy-fermion system UPt3, the most unambiguous evidence for which is the T3 lnT term in the specific heat. We investigate whether other contributions, such as that from a peak in the electronic density of states or from the electron-phonon interaction, could account for the experimental data. We conclude that they cannot although the data are consistent with the presence of both a T3 lnT term and a density-of-states peak of width greater than about 60 K. We determine the input parameters for the paramagnon theory with a self-consistent method developed by Boring, Albers, Stewart, and Koelling for UAl2 and we calculate the s- and p-wave pairing interactions. A one-band model favors p-wave pairing, while a two-band model leads to conventional s-wave superconductivity.

9. Pair interactions in polyelectrolyte-nanoparticle systems: Influence of dielectric inhomogeneities and the partial dissociation of polymers and nanoparticles

SciTech Connect

Pryamitsyn, Victor; Ganesan, Venkat

2015-10-28

We study the effective pair interactions between two charged spherical particles in polyelectrolyte solutions using polymer self-consistent field theory. In a recent study [V. Pryamitsyn and V. Ganesan, Macromolecules 47, 6095 (2015)], we considered a model in which the particles possess fixed charge density, the polymers contain a prespecified amount of dissociated charges and, the dielectric constant of the solution was assumed to be homogeneous in space and independent of the polymer concentration. In this article, we present results extending our earlier model to study situations in which either or both the particle and the polymers possess partially dissociable groups. Additionally, we also consider the case when the dielectric constant of the solution depends on the local concentration of the polymers and when the particle’s dielectric constant is lower than that of the solvent. For each case, we quantify the polymer-mediated interactions between the particles as a function of the polymer concentrations and the degree of dissociation of the polymer and particles. Consistent with the results of our previous study, we observe that the polymer-mediated interparticle interactions consist of a short-range attraction and a long-range repulsion. The partial dissociablity of the polymer and particles was seen to have a strong influence on the strength of the repulsive portion of the interactions. Rendering the dielectric permittivity to be inhomogeneous has an even stronger effect on the repulsive interactions and results in changes to the qualitative nature of interactions in some parametric ranges.

10. Communication: Fine discretization of pair interactions and an approximate analytical strategy for predicting equilibrium behavior of complex fluids

Hollingshead, Kyle B.; Jain, Avni; Truskett, Thomas M.

2013-10-01

We study whether fine discretization (i.e., terracing) of continuous pair interactions, when used in combination with first-order mean-spherical approximation theory, can lead to a simple and general analytical strategy for predicting the equilibrium structure and thermodynamics of complex fluids. Specifically, we implement a version of this approach to predict how screened electrostatic repulsions, solute-mediated depletion attractions, or ramp-shaped repulsions modify the radial distribution function and the potential energy of reference hard-sphere fluids, and we compare the predictions to exact results from molecular simulations.

11. Particle-hole symmetry in generalized seniority, microscopic interacting boson (fermion) model, nucleon-pair approximation, and other models

Jia, L. Y.

2016-06-01

The particle-hole symmetry (equivalence) of the full shell-model Hilbert space is straightforward and routinely used in practical calculations. In this work I show that this symmetry is preserved in the subspace truncated up to a certain generalized seniority and give the explicit transformation between the states in the two types (particle and hole) of representations. Based on the results, I study particle-hole symmetry in popular theories that could be regarded as further truncations on top of the generalized seniority, including the microscopic interacting boson (fermion) model, the nucleon-pair approximation, and other models.

12. Classification of "multipole" superconductivity in multiorbital systems and its implications

Nomoto, T.; Hattori, K.; Ikeda, H.

2016-11-01

Motivated by a growing interest in multiorbital superconductors with spin-orbit interactions, we perform the group-theoretical classification of various unconventional superconductivity emerging in symmorphic O , D4, and D6 space groups. The generalized Cooper pairs, which we here call "multipole" superconductivity, possess spin-orbital coupled (multipole) degrees of freedom, instead of the conventional spin singlet/triplet in single-orbital systems. From the classification, we obtain the following key consequences, which have never been focused in the long history of research in this field: (1) A superconducting gap function with Γ9⊗Γ9 in D6 possesses nontrivial momentum dependence different from the usual spin-1/2 classification. (2) Unconventional gap structure can be realized in the BCS approximation of purely local (onsite) interactions irrespective of attraction/repulsion. It implies the emergence of an electron-phonon (e-ph) driven unconventional superconductivity. (3) Reflecting symmetry of orbital basis functions there appear not symmetry protected but inevitable line nodes/gap minima, and thus, anisotropic s -wave superconductivity can be naturally explained even in the absence of competing fluctuations.

13. Electronic pairing in exotic superconductors

SciTech Connect

Cox, D.L. ); Maple, M.B. )

1995-02-01

Superconductivity in heavy-fermion materials and high T[sub c] cuprates may involve electronic pairing with unconventional symmetries and mechanisms. Although there has been no smoking-gun proof, numerous pieces of circumstantial evidence combined with heuristic theoretical arguments make a compelling case that these materials have pairs with exotic symmetry bound by nonphonon glue. 20 refs., 5 figs.

14. Reduced atomic pair-interaction design (RAPID) model for simulations of proteins.

PubMed

Ni, Boris; Baumketner, Andrij

2013-02-14

Increasingly, theoretical studies of proteins focus on large systems. This trend demands the development of computational models that are fast, to overcome the growing complexity, and accurate, to capture the physically relevant features. To address this demand, we introduce a protein model that uses all-atom architecture to ensure the highest level of chemical detail while employing effective pair potentials to represent the effect of solvent to achieve the maximum speed. The effective potentials are derived for amino acid residues based on the condition that the solvent-free model matches the relevant pair-distribution functions observed in explicit solvent simulations. As a test, the model is applied to alanine polypeptides. For the chain with 10 amino acid residues, the model is found to reproduce properly the native state and its population. Small discrepancies are observed for other folding properties and can be attributed to the approximations inherent in the model. The transferability of the generated effective potentials is investigated in simulations of a longer peptide with 25 residues. A minimal set of potentials is identified that leads to qualitatively correct results in comparison with the explicit solvent simulations. Further tests, conducted for multiple peptide chains, show that the transferable model correctly reproduces the experimentally observed tendency of polyalanines to aggregate into β-sheets more strongly with the growing length of the peptide chain. Taken together, the reported results suggest that the proposed model could be used to succesfully simulate folding and aggregation of small peptides in atomic detail. Further tests are needed to assess the strengths and limitations of the model more thoroughly.

15. VLA observations of radio sources in interacting galaxy pairs in poor clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batuski, David J.; Hanisch, Robert J.; Burns, Jack O.

1992-01-01

Observations of 16 radio sources in interacting galaxies in 14 poor clusters were made using the Very Large Array in the B configuration at lambda of 6 and 2 cm. These sources had been unresolved in earlier observations at lambda of 21 cm, and were chosen as a sample to determine which of three models for radio source formation actually pertains in interacting galaxies. From the analysis of this sample, the starburst model appears most successful, but the 'central monster' model could pertain in some cases.

16. Pairing and unpairing electron densities in organic systems: Two-electron three center through space and through bonds interactions

SciTech Connect

Lobayan, Rosana M.; Bochicchio, Roberto C.

2014-05-07

Two-electron three-center bonding interactions in organic ions like methonium (CH{sub 5}{sup +}), ethonium (C{sub 2}H{sub 7}{sup +}), and protonated alkanes n−C{sub 4}H{sub 11}{sup +} isomers (butonium cations) are described and characterized within the theoretical framework of the topological analysis of the electron density decomposition into its effectively paired and unpaired contributions. These interactions manifest in some of this type of systems as a concentration of unpaired electron cloud around the bond paths, in contrast to the well known paradigmatic boron hydrids in which it is not only concentrated close to the atomic nucleus and the bond paths but out of them and over the region defined by the involved atoms as a whole. This result permits to propose an attempt of classification for these interactions based in such manifestations. In the first type, it is called as interactions through bonds and in the second type as interactions through space type.

17. Superconductivity from Emerging Magnetic Moments.

PubMed

Hoshino, Shintaro; Werner, Philipp

2015-12-11

Multiorbital Hubbard models are shown to exhibit a spatially isotropic spin-triplet superconducting phase, where equal-spin electrons in different local orbitals are paired. This superconducting state is stabilized in the spin-freezing crossover regime, where local moments emerge in the metal phase, and the pairing is substantially assisted by spin anisotropy. The phase diagram features a superconducting dome below a non-Fermi-liquid metallic region and next to a magnetically ordered phase. We suggest that this type of fluctuating-moment-induced superconductivity, which is not originating from fluctuations near a quantum critical point, may be realized in spin-triplet superconductors such as strontium ruthenates and uranium compounds.

18. Effective like- and unlike-pair interactions at high pressure and high temperature

SciTech Connect

Ree, F.H.; van Thiel, M.

1991-05-01

We describe how information on effective interactions of chemical species involving C, O, and N atoms at high pressure and high temperature may be inferred from available shock wave data of NO and CO. Our approach uses a modern statistical mechanical theory and a detailed equation of state (EOS) model for the condensed phases of carbon.

19. A transmon quantum annealer: decomposing many-body Ising constraints into pair interactions

Leib, Martin; Zoller, Peter; Lechner, Wolfgang

2016-12-01

Adiabatic quantum computing is an analogue quantum computing scheme with various applications in solving optimisation problems. In the parity picture of quantum optimization, the problem is encoded in local fields that act on qubits that are connected via local four-body terms We present an implementation of a parity annealer with Transmon qubits with a specifically tailored Ising interaction from Josephson ring modulators.

20. Young Foreign Language Learners' Interactions during Task-Based Paired Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Yuko Goto; Zeng, Wei

2014-01-01

Despite the popularity of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in foreign language (FL) education at elementary school, it remains unclear how young learners' FL abilities can best be evaluated with tasks. The present study seeks to understand developmental differences in interactions among elementary-school students during task-based language…

1. Using full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo in a seniority zero space to investigate the correlation energy equivalence of pair coupled cluster doubles and doubly occupied configuration interaction

Shepherd, James J.; Henderson, Thomas M.; Scuseria, Gustavo E.

2016-03-01

Over the past few years, pair coupled cluster doubles (pCCD) has shown promise for the description of strong correlation. This promise is related to its apparent ability to match results from doubly occupied configuration interaction (DOCI), even though the latter method has exponential computational cost. Here, by modifying the full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo algorithm to sample only the seniority zero sector of Hilbert space, we show that the DOCI and pCCD energies are in agreement for a variety of 2D Hubbard models, including for systems well out of reach for conventional configuration interaction algorithms. Our calculations are aided by the sign problem being much reduced in the seniority zero space compared with the full space. We present evidence for this and then discuss the sign problem in terms of the wave function of the system which appears to have a simplified sign structure.

2. Hybrid superconducting magnetic suspensions

SciTech Connect

Tixador, P.; Hiebel, P.; Brunet, Y.

1996-07-01

Superconductors, especially high T{sub c} ones, are the most attractive materials to design stable and fully passive magnetic suspensions which have to control five degrees of freedom. The hybrid superconducting magnetic suspensions present high performances and a simple cooling mode. They consist of a permanent magnet bearing, stabilized by a suitable magnet-superconductor structure. Several designs are given and compared in terms of forces and stiffnesses. The design of the magnet bearing plays an important part. The superconducting magnetic bearing participates less in levitation but must provide a high stabilizing stiffness. This is achieved by the magnet configuration, a good material in term of critical current density and field cooling. A hybrid superconducting suspension for a flywheel is presented. This system consists of a magnet thrust bearing stabilized by superconductors interacting with an alternating polarity magnet structure. First tests and results are reported. Superconducting materials are magnetically melt-textured YBaCuO.

3. Tertiary base pair interactions in slipped loop-DNA: an NMR and model building study.

PubMed Central

Ulyanov, N B; Bishop, K D; Ivanov, V I; James, T L

1994-01-01

Short direct repeat sequences are often found in regulatory regions of various genes; in some cases they display hypersensitivity to S1 nuclease cleavage in supercoiled plasmids. A non-standard DNA structure (Slipped Loop Structure, or SLS) has been proposed for these regions in order to explain the S1 cleavage data; the formation of this structure may be involved in the regulation of transcription. The structure can be generally classified as a particular type of pseudoknot. To date, no detailed stereochemical model has been developed. We have applied one-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy to study a synthetic DNA, 55 nucleotides in length, which cannot fold as a standard hairpin but which may favor the SLS formation. AT base pairs were identified, consistent only with the formation of an additional, tertiary miniduplex in the SLS. An all-atom stereochemically sound model has been developed for the SLS with the use of conformational calculations. The model building studies have demonstrated that the tertiary miniduplex can be formed for one of the plausible SLS isomers, but not for the other. Images PMID:7937152

4. Tertiary base pair interactions in slipped loop-DNA: an NMR and model building study.

PubMed

Ulyanov, N B; Bishop, K D; Ivanov, V I; James, T L

1994-10-11

Short direct repeat sequences are often found in regulatory regions of various genes; in some cases they display hypersensitivity to S1 nuclease cleavage in supercoiled plasmids. A non-standard DNA structure (Slipped Loop Structure, or SLS) has been proposed for these regions in order to explain the S1 cleavage data; the formation of this structure may be involved in the regulation of transcription. The structure can be generally classified as a particular type of pseudoknot. To date, no detailed stereochemical model has been developed. We have applied one-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy to study a synthetic DNA, 55 nucleotides in length, which cannot fold as a standard hairpin but which may favor the SLS formation. AT base pairs were identified, consistent only with the formation of an additional, tertiary miniduplex in the SLS. An all-atom stereochemically sound model has been developed for the SLS with the use of conformational calculations. The model building studies have demonstrated that the tertiary miniduplex can be formed for one of the plausible SLS isomers, but not for the other.

5. Interactive fluorophore and quencher pairs for labeling fluorescent nucleic acid hybridization probes.

PubMed

Marras, Salvatore A E

2008-03-01

The use of fluorescent nucleic acid hybridization probes that generate a fluorescence signal only when they bind to their target enables real-time monitoring of nucleic acid amplification assays. Real-time nucleic acid amplification assays markedly improves the ability to obtain qualitative and quantitative results. Furthermore, these assays can be carried out in sealed tubes, eliminating carryover contamination. Fluorescent nucleic acid hybridization probes are available in a wide range of different fluorophore and quencher pairs. Multiple hybridization probes, each designed for the detection of a different nucleic acid sequence and each labeled with a differently colored fluorophore, can be added to the same nucleic acid amplification reaction, enabling the development of high-throughput multiplex assays. In order to develop robust, highly sensitive and specific real-time nucleic acid amplification assays it is important to carefully select the fluorophore and quencher labels of hybridization probes. Selection criteria are based on the type of hybridization probe used in the assay, the number of targets to be detected, and the type of apparatus available to perform the assay. This article provides an overview of different aspects of choosing appropriate labels for the different types of fluorescent hybridization probes used with different types of spectrofluorometric thermal cyclers currently available.

6. Transition-Metal Oxide Superconductivity

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-20

pyramidally coordinated complexes of the 02"- deficient compounds, and (iii) that ordering of the sources that produce the mixed-valence Cu2+ɛ+) ions in...With the strong antiferromagnetic exchange coupling of the Fe2+(3+) pairs in ferrites , no superconducting cells should be anticipated and only normal...I couplings dictate significant antiferromagnetic ordering and little chance of superconductivity. This group includes the common ferrite conduction

7. Time-reversal symmetry breaking superconductivity in the coexistence phase with magnetism in Fe pnictides.

PubMed

Hinojosa, Alberto; Fernandes, Rafael M; Chubukov, Andrey V

2014-10-17

We argue that superconductivity in the coexistence region with spin-density-wave (SDW) order in weakly doped Fe pnictides erdiffers qualitatively from the ordinary s(+-) state outside the coexistence region as it develops an additional gap component which is a mixture of intrapocket singlet (s(++)) and interpocket spin-triplet pairings (the t state). The coupling constant for the t channel is proportional to the SDW order and involves interactions that do not contribute to superconductivity outside of the SDW region. We argue that the s(+-)- and t-type superconducting orders coexist at low temperatures, and the relative phase between the two is, in general, different from 0 or π, manifesting explicitly the breaking of the time-reversal symmetry promoted by long-range SDW order. We argue that time reversal may get broken even before true superconductivity develops.

8. Towards Temperature-Dependent Coarse-Grained Potentials of Side-Chain Interactions for Protein Folding Simulations. II. Molecular Dynamics Study of Pairs of Different Types of Interactions in Water at Various Temperatures

PubMed Central

Sobolewski, Emil; Ołdziej, Stanisław; Wiśniewska, Marta; Liwo, Adam; Makowski, Mariusz

2012-01-01

By means of molecular dynamics simulations of 15 pairs of molecules selected to model the interactions of nonpolar, nonpolar and polar, nonpolar and charged, polar, and polar and charged side chains in water, we determined the potentials of mean force (PMFs) of pairs of interacting molecules in water as functions of distance between the interacting particles or their distance and orientations at three temperatures: 283 K, 323 K and 373 K, respectively. The systems were found to fall into the following four categories as far as the temperature dependence of the potential of mean force is concerned: (i) pairs, for which association is entropy-driven (ii) pairs, for which association is energy-driven, (iii), pairs of positively-charged solute molecules, for which association is energy-driven with unfavorable entropy change, and (iv) the remaining systems for which temperature dependence is weak. For each pair of PMFs entropic and energetic contributions have been discussed. PMID:22475198

9. Suspensions of polymer-grafted nanoparticles with added polymers-Structure and effective pair-interactions.

PubMed

Chandran, Sivasurender; Saw, Shibu; Kandar, A K; Dasgupta, C; Sprung, M; Basu, J K

2015-08-28

We present the results of combined experimental and theoretical (molecular dynamics simulations and integral equation theory) studies of the structure and effective interactions of suspensions of polymer grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) in the presence of linear polymers. Due to the absence of systematic experimental and theoretical studies of PGNPs, it is widely believed that the structure and effective interactions in such binary mixtures would be very similar to those of an analogous soft colloidal material-star polymers. In our study, polystyrene-grafted gold nanoparticles with functionality f = 70 were mixed with linear polystyrene (PS) of two different molecular weights for obtaining two PGNP:PS size ratios, ξ = 0.14 and 2.76 (where, ξ = Mg/Mm, Mg and Mm being the molecular weights of grafting and matrix polymers, respectively). The experimental structure factor of PGNPs could be modeled with an effective potential (Model-X), which has been found to be widely applicable for star polymers. Similarly, the structure factor of the blends with ξ = 0.14 could be modeled reasonably well, while the structure of blends with ξ = 2.76 could not be captured, especially for high density of added polymers. A model (Model-Y) for effective interactions between PGNPs in a melt of matrix polymers also failed to provide good agreement with the experimental data for samples with ξ = 2.76 and high density of added polymers. We tentatively attribute this anomaly in modeling the structure factor of blends with ξ = 2.76 to the questionable assumption of Model-X in describing the added polymers as star polymers with functionality 2, which gets manifested in both polymer-polymer and polymer-PGNP interactions especially at higher fractions of added polymers. The failure of Model-Y may be due to the neglect of possible many-body interactions among PGNPs mediated by matrix polymers when the fraction of added polymers is high. These observations point to the need for a new framework to

10. Multigap superconductivity and barrier-driven resonances in superconducting nanofilms with an inner potential barrier

Doria, Mauro M.; Cariglia, Marco; Perali, Andrea

2016-12-01

We study the crossover in a zero-temperature superconducting nanofilm from a single to a double superconducting slab induced by a barrier in the middle. We use the Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) equations in the Anderson approximation to show that the single-phase superconducting ground state of this heterostructure is intrinsically multigapped and has a new type of resonance caused by the strength of the barrier, thus distinct from the Thompson-Blatt shape resonance which is caused by tuning the thickness of the film. The simplest theoretical framework able to describe a finite height and very thin tunable insulating potential barrier in the middle is provided by a δ -function potential. In this framework, the even single-particle states are affected by the insulating barrier, whereas the odd ones are not. The new type of resonance, hereafter called barrier-driven resonance, is caused by the crossing of the even single-particle states through the Fermi surface. The lift of the even-odd degeneracy at the barrier reconfigures the pairing interaction and leads to a multigapped superconducting state with barrier-driven resonances.

11. Pairing of j=3/2 Fermions in Half-Heusler Superconductors.

PubMed

Brydon, P M R; Wang, Limin; Weinert, M; Agterberg, D F

2016-04-29

We theoretically consider the superconductivity of the topological half-Heusler semimetals YPtBi and LuPtBi. We show that pairing occurs between j=3/2 fermion states, which leads to qualitative differences from the conventional theory of pairing between j=1/2 states. In particular, this permits Cooper pairs with quintet or septet total angular momentum, in addition to the usual singlet and triplet states. Purely on-site interactions can generate s-wave quintet time-reversal symmetry-breaking states with topologically nontrivial point or line nodes. These local s-wave quintet pairs reveal themselves as d-wave states in momentum space. Furthermore, due to the broken inversion symmetry in these materials, the s-wave singlet state can mix with a p-wave septet state, again with topologically stable line nodes. Our analysis lays the foundation for understanding the unconventional superconductivity of the half-Heuslers.

12. Open-shell pair interaction energy decomposition analysis (PIEDA): formulation and application to the hydrogen abstraction in tripeptides.

PubMed

Green, Mandy C; Fedorov, Dmitri G; Kitaura, Kazuo; Francisco, Joseph S; Slipchenko, Lyudmila V

2013-02-21

An open-shell extension of the pair interaction energy decomposition analysis (PIEDA) within the framework of the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method is developed. The open-shell PIEDA method allows the analysis of inter- and intramolecular interactions in terms of electrostatic, exchange-repulsion, charge-transfer, dispersion, and optional polarization energies for molecular systems with a radical or high-spin fragment. Taking into account the low computational cost and scalability of the FMO and PIEDA methods, the new scheme provides a means to characterize the stabilization of radical and open-shell sites in biologically relevant species. The open-shell PIEDA is applied to the characterization of intramolecular interactions in capped trialanine upon hydrogen abstraction (HA) at various sites on the peptide. Hydrogen abstraction reaction is the first step in the oxidative pathway initiated by reactive oxygen or nitrogen species, associated with oxidative stress. It is found that HA results in significant geometrical reorganization of the trialanine peptide. Depending on the HA site, terminal interactions in the radical fold conformers may become weaker or stronger compared to the parent molecule, and often change the character of the non-covalent bonding from amide stacking to hydrogen bonding.

13. Cooper Pairs in Insulators?!

ScienceCinema

James Valles

2016-07-12

Nearly 50 years elapsed between the discovery of superconductivity and the emergence of the microscopic theory describing this zero resistance state. The explanation required a novel phase of matter in which conduction electrons joined in weakly bound pairs and condensed with other pairs into a single quantum state. Surprisingly, this Cooper pair formation has also been invoked to account for recently uncovered high-resistance or insulating phases of matter. To address this possibility, we have used nanotechnology to create an insulating system that we can probe directly for Cooper pairs. I will present the evidence that Cooper pairs exist and dominate the electrical transport in these insulators and I will discuss how these findings provide new insight into superconductor to insulator quantum phase transitions.Â

14. Specific Heat and Effects of Uniaxial Anisotropy of a p-Wave Pairing Interaction in a Strongly Interacting Ultracold Fermi Gas

Inotani, Daisuke; van Wyk, Pieter; Ohashi, Yoji

2017-04-01

We investigate the specific heat CV at constant volume and effects of uniaxial anisotropy of a p-wave attractive interaction in the normal state of an ultracold Fermi gas. Within the framework of the strong-coupling theory developed by Nozières and Schmitt-Rink, we evaluate this thermodynamic quantity as a function of temperature, in the whole interaction regime. While the uniaxial anisotropy is not crucial for CV in the weak-coupling regime, CV is found to be sensitive to the uniaxial anisotropy in the strong-coupling regime. This originates from the population imbalance among pi-wave molecules (i = x,y,z), indicating that the specific heat is a useful observable to see which kinds of p-wave molecules dominantly exist in the strong-coupling regime when the p-wave interaction has uniaxial anisotropy. Using this strong point, we classify the strong-coupling regime into some characteristic regions. Since a p-wave pairing interaction with uniaxial anisotropy has been discovered in a 40K Fermi gas, our results would be useful in considering strong-coupling properties of a p-wave interacting Fermi gas, when the interaction is uniaxially anisotropic.

15. Hartree-Fock Solutions of 2d Interacting Tight-Binding Electrons: Mott Properties and Room Temperature Superconductivity Indications

Cabo Montes de Oca, A.; March, N. H.; Cabo-Bizet, A.

2014-12-01

Former results for a tight-binding (TB) model of CuO planes in La2CuO4 are reinterpreted here to underline their wider implications. It is noted that physical systems being appropriately described by the TB model can exhibit the main strongly correlated electron system (SCES) properties, when they are solved in the HF approximation, by also allowing crystal symmetry breaking effects and noncollinear spin orientations of the HF orbitals. It is argued how a simple 2D square lattice system of Coulomb interacting electrons can exhibit insulator gaps and pseudogap states, and quantum phase transitions as illustrated by the mentioned former works. A discussion is also presented here indicating the possibility of attaining room temperature superconductivity, by means of a surface coating with water molecules of cleaved planes of graphite, being orthogonal to its c-axis. The possibility that 2D arrays of quantum dots can give rise to the same effect is also proposed to consideration. The analysis also furnishes theoretical insight to solve the Mott-Slater debate, at least for the La2CuO4 and TMO band structures. The idea is to apply a properly noncollinear GW scheme to the electronic structure calculation of these materials. The fact is that the GW approach can be viewed as a HF procedure in which the screening polarization is also determined. This directly indicates the possibility of predicting the assumed dielectric constant in the previous works. Thus, the results seem to identify that the main correlation properties in these materials are determined by screening. Finally, the conclusions also seem to be of help for the description of the experimental observations of metal-insulator transitions and Mott properties in atoms trapped in planar photonic lattices.

16. Evidence for phononic pairing in extremely overdoped pure'' d-wave superconductor Bi2212

He, Yu; Hishimoto, Makoto; Song, Dongjoon; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Shen, Zhi-Xun

2015-03-01

Recent advancement in High Tc cuprate superconductor research has elucidated strong interaction between superconductivity and competing orders. Therefore, the mechanism behind the 'pure' d-wave superconducting behavior becomes the next stepping stone to further the understanding. We have performed photoemission study on extremely overdoped Bi2212 single crystal synthesized via high pressure method. In this regime, we demonstrate the much reduced superconducting gap and the absence of pseudogap. Clear gap shifted bosonic mode coupling is observed throughout the entire Brillouin zone. Via full Eliashberg treatment, we find the electron-phonon coupling strength capable of producing a transition temperature very close to Tc. This strongly implies bosonic contribution to cuprate superconductivity's pairing glue.

17. Non-Equilibrium Superconductivity and Magnetic Pair Breaking in Perovskite Half-Metallic Ferromagnet-Insulator-Superconductor (F-I-S) Heterostructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, C.-C.; Yeh, N.-C.; Samoilov, A. V.; Vakili, K.; Li, Y.; Vasquez, R. P.

1999-01-01

The effect of spin-polarized quasiparticle currents on the critical current density (J-c) of cuprate superconductors is studied in perovskite F-I-S heterostructures as a function of insulator thickness and of underlying magnetic materials. A pulsed current technique is employed to minimize extraneous Joule heating on the superconductor. At temperatures near T-c, F-I-S samples with insulator thicknesses\\1e2nm show precipitous decrease in J_c as current injection (I_m) is increased. In contrast, J_c in a controlled sample with a substituted non-magnetic material (N-I-S) exhibit no dependence on I_m. Similarly, a F-I-S sample with a 10 mn insulating barrier also show little J_c effect versus I_m. At low temperatures with I_m = 0, significant suppression of J-c is observed only in the thin barrier F-I-S samples, although T_c and the normal-state resistivity of all samples are comparable. These phenomena can be attributed to the Cooper pair breaking induced by externally-injected and internally-reflected spin-polarized quasiparticle currents. We estimate an order of magnitude range for the spin diffusion length of 100 nm to 100\\ mum.

18. Monitoring Flower Visitation Networks and Interactions between Pairs of Bumble Bees in a Large Outdoor Flight Cage.

PubMed

Lihoreau, Mathieu; Chittka, Lars; Raine, Nigel E

2016-01-01

Pollinators, such as bees, often develop multi-location routes (traplines) to exploit subsets of flower patches within larger plant populations. How individuals establish such foraging areas in the presence of other foragers is poorly explored. Here we investigated the foraging patterns of pairs of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) released sequentially into an 880m2 outdoor flight cage containing 10 feeding stations (artificial flowers). Using motion-sensitive video cameras mounted on flowers, we mapped the flower visitation networks of both foragers, quantified their interactions and compared their foraging success over an entire day. Overall, bees that were released first (residents) travelled 37% faster and collected 77% more nectar, thereby reaching a net energy intake rate 64% higher than bees released second (newcomers). However, this prior-experience advantage decreased as newcomers became familiar with the spatial configuration of the flower array. When both bees visited the same flower simultaneously, the most frequent outcome was for the resident to evict the newcomer. On the rare occasions when newcomers evicted residents, the two bees increased their frequency of return visits to that flower. These competitive interactions led to a significant (if only partial) spatial overlap between the foraging patterns of pairs of bees. While newcomers may initially use social cues (such as olfactory footprints) to exploit flowers used by residents, either because such cues indicate higher rewards and/or safety from predation, residents may attempt to preserve their monopoly over familiar resources through exploitation and interference. We discuss how these interactions may favour spatial partitioning, thereby maximising the foraging efficiency of individuals and colonies.

19. Monitoring Flower Visitation Networks and Interactions between Pairs of Bumble Bees in a Large Outdoor Flight Cage

PubMed Central

Lihoreau, Mathieu; Chittka, Lars; Raine, Nigel E.

2016-01-01

Pollinators, such as bees, often develop multi-location routes (traplines) to exploit subsets of flower patches within larger plant populations. How individuals establish such foraging areas in the presence of other foragers is poorly explored. Here we investigated the foraging patterns of pairs of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) released sequentially into an 880m2 outdoor flight cage containing 10 feeding stations (artificial flowers). Using motion-sensitive video cameras mounted on flowers, we mapped the flower visitation networks of both foragers, quantified their interactions and compared their foraging success over an entire day. Overall, bees that were released first (residents) travelled 37% faster and collected 77% more nectar, thereby reaching a net energy intake rate 64% higher than bees released second (newcomers). However, this prior-experience advantage decreased as newcomers became familiar with the spatial configuration of the flower array. When both bees visited the same flower simultaneously, the most frequent outcome was for the resident to evict the newcomer. On the rare occasions when newcomers evicted residents, the two bees increased their frequency of return visits to that flower. These competitive interactions led to a significant (if only partial) spatial overlap between the foraging patterns of pairs of bees. While newcomers may initially use social cues (such as olfactory footprints) to exploit flowers used by residents, either because such cues indicate higher rewards and/or safety from predation, residents may attempt to preserve their monopoly over familiar resources through exploitation and interference. We discuss how these interactions may favour spatial partitioning, thereby maximising the foraging efficiency of individuals and colonies. PMID:26982030

20. Unlike pair interactions in N{sub 2}-H{sub 2}O mixtures

SciTech Connect

van Thiel, M.; Ree, F.H.

1993-07-01

Statisical-mechanical chemical equilibrium calculations have been performed to determined the deviation of the unlike species potential from that predicted by the Lorentz-Berthelot rule. The potentials of the water-water and nitrogen-nitrogen interactions have been reexamined in the light of remaining deviations from experiment. The resulting deviation of the constant from one (1), in the extended Lorentz-Berthelot rule, is determined from the best exp-6 potentials for nitrogen and water with consideration of possible deviations of the measured detonation velocity of RX-23-AB from its ideal equilibrium value.

1. Superconducting Cable

DOEpatents

Hughey, Raburn L.; Sinha, Uday K.; Reece, David S.; Muller, Albert C.

2005-07-22

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

2. Superconducting Cable

DOEpatents

Hughey, Raburn L.; Sinha, Uday K.; Reece, David S.; Muller, Albert C.

2005-03-08

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

3. Topological superconductivity and the fractional Josephson effect in quasi-one dimensional wires on a plane

Nakhmedov, E.; Mammadova, S.; Alekperov, O.

2016-01-01

A time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity is suggested to be realized in a quasi-one-dimensional structure on a plane, which is fabricated by filling the superconducting materials into the periodic channel of dielectric matrices like zeolite and asbestos under high pressure. The topological superconducting phase sets up in the presence of large spin-orbit interactions when intra-wire s-wave and inter-wire d-wave pairings take place. Kramers pairs of Majorana bound states emerge at the edges of each wire. We analyze effects of the Zeeman magnetic field on Majorana zero-energy states. In-plane magnetic field was shown to make asymmetric the energy dispersion, nevertheless Majorana fermions survive due to protection of a particle-hole symmetry. Tunneling of Majorana quasiparticle from the end of one wire to the nearest-neighboring one yields edge fractional Josephson current with 4π-periodicity.

4. Underdoped superconducting cuprates as topological superconductors

Lu, Yuan-Ming; Xiang, Tao; Lee, Dung-Hai

2014-09-01

Superconductivity in copper oxide (cuprate) high-transition-temperature superconductors follows from the chemical doping of an antiferromagnetic insulating state. The consensus that the wavefunction of the superconducting carrier, the Cooper pair, has dx2-y2 symmetry has long been reached. This pairing symmetry implies the existence of nodes in the superconducting energy gap. Recently, a series of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments have revealed that deeply underdoped cuprates exhibit a particle-hole symmetric superconducting-like energy gap at the momentum-space locations where the dx2-y2 gap nodes are expected. Here we discuss the possibility that this phenomenon is caused by a fully gapped topological superconducting state that coexists with the antiferromagnetic order. If experimentally confirmed, this result will completely change our view of how exactly the high-temperature superconductivity state evolves from the insulating antiferromagnet.

5. Multiband superconductivity in iron pnictides and chalcogenides

Stanev, Valentin G.

The main subject of this thesis is the recently discovered family of high-temperature superconducting iron pnictides and chalcogenides. One of the unique features of these materials is that they are multiband superconductors, in which interband interactions dominate. This leads to a very rich and interesting phase diagram, and the possibility that they have a distinct physical mechanism behind their superconducting properties. Study of these materials can provide invaluable information in the quest for room-temperature superconductivity. In the beginning of the thesis I outline some of the basic experimental facts and theoretical concepts relevant for these materials. This outline is structured as a short review and is intended to give the reader brief introduction to the physics of pnictides and chalcogenides. After that some important results valid for multiband superconductors are presented (Chapter 3). I start with a two-band system and discuss some basic features of this model. The presence of general repulsive interband pair-scattering term can drive the system superconducting, with an unconventional order parameter---there is a relative minus sign between the gaps on the two (disconnected) parts of the Fermi surface (so-called s' state). After that I apply a modified version of this model to study the isotope effect---such effect was observed in pnictides---in a system with both electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions. I find that strong isotope effect is not restricted to the phonon-dominated regime of superconductivity. More complicated forms of the order parameter, relevant for pnictides and chalcogenides, are introduced and studied in Chapter 4. I start with a three-band model with repulsive pair-scattering interactions only (in Section 1). I construct the phase diagram of this model and discuss its overall features. Generally, I find three possible superconducting order parameters, one of which breaks the time-reversal symmetry in order to

6. Electronic structure of an anticancer drug DC81 and its interaction with DNA base pairs

Tiwari, Gargi; Sharma, Dipendra; Dwivedi, K. K.; Dwivedi, M. K.

2016-05-01

The drug, 8-Hydroxy-7-methoxy-pyrrolo-[2,1-c][1,4] benzodiazepine-5-one, commonly christened as DC81 belongs to the pyrrolo-[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBDs) family. It is a member of the group of naturally occurring antitumour antibiotics produced by various Streptomyces species. The antitumour activity of DC81 is attributed to its sequence specific interaction with G-C rich DNA region in particular, for Pu-G-Pu motifs. In the present paper, physico-chemical properties DC81 have been carried out using an ab-initio method, HF/6-31G(d,p) with GAMESS program. MEP, HOMO and LUMO surfaces have been scanned. Ionization potential, electron affinity, electronegativity, global hardness and softness of the drug have been calculated. Further, drug-DNA interactions have been examined using modified second order perturbation theory along with multicentred-multipole expansion technique. Results have been discussed in the light of other theoretical and experimental observations. Efforts have been made to elucidate the binding patterns and thereby biological properties of the drug.

7. Species-specific long range interactions between receptor/ligand pairs.

PubMed Central

Liebert, R B; Prieve, D C

1995-01-01

Total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM) monitors Brownian fluctuations in elevation as small as 1 nm by measuring the scattering of a single sphere illuminated by an evanescent wave when the sphere is levitated by colloidal forces such as electrostatic double-layer repulsion. From the Boltzmann distribution of elevations sampled by the sphere over time, the potential energy profile can be determined with a resolution of approximately 0.1 of the thermal energy kT. Thus, the interaction between a receptor-coated (goat, horse, or rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG)) latex sphere and a protein A (SpA)-coated glass microscope slide was studied. A typical TIRM potential energy profile measured between a bare sphere and a bare glass plate, where the sphere fluctuates around the secondary potential energy minimum formed between double-layer repulsion and gravitational attraction, agrees well with DLVO theory. The interactions measured between IgG-coated spheres and SpA-coated slides, on the other hand, displayed a weaker repulsion compared with that observed between bare surfaces under the same conditions. Analysis of the results obtained between the coated surfaces suggests an additional attractive force. The decay length of this attraction correlates with the known dissociation constants for the binding of IgG with SpA in free solution. Images FIGURE 1 PMID:7669911

8. Pairing in a dry Fermi sea

SciTech Connect

Maier, Thomas A.; Staar, Peter; Mishra, V.; Chatterjee, Utpal; Campuzano, J. C.; Scalapino, Douglas J.

2016-06-17

In the traditional Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and -k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. In this paper, we report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. Finally, in contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin–fluctuation pairing interaction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability.

9. Pairing in a dry Fermi sea

PubMed Central

Maier, T. A; Staar, P.; Mishra, V.; Chatterjee, U.; Campuzano, J. C.; Scalapino, D. J.

2016-01-01

In the traditional Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and −k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. Here we report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. In contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin–fluctuation pairing interaction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability. PMID:27312569

10. Pairing in a dry Fermi sea

DOE PAGES

Maier, Thomas A.; Staar, Peter; Mishra, V.; ...

2016-06-17

In the traditional Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and -k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. In this paper, wemore » report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. Finally, in contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin–fluctuation pairing interaction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability.« less

11. Constructive influence of the induced electron pairing on the Kondo state

PubMed Central

Domański, T.; Weymann, I.; Barańska, M.; Górski, G.

2016-01-01

Superconducting order and magnetic impurities are usually detrimental to each other. We show, however, that in nanoscopic objects the induced electron pairing can have constructive influence on the Kondo effect originating from the effective screening interactions. Such situation is possible at low temperatures in the quantum dots placed between the conducting and superconducting reservoirs, where the proximity induced electron pairing cooperates with the correlations amplifying the spin-exchange potential. The emerging Abrikosov-Suhl resonance, which is observable in the Andreev conductance, can be significantly enhanced by increasing the coupling to superconducting lead. We explain this intriguing tendency within the Anderson impurity model using: the generalized Schrieffer-Wolff canonical transformation, the second order perturbative treatment of the Coulomb repulsion, and the nonperturbative numerical renormalization group calculations. We also provide hints for experimental observability of this phenomenon. PMID:27009681

12. Interaction between magnetic vortex cores in a pair of nonidentical nanodisks

SciTech Connect

Sinnecker, J. P.; Vigo-Cotrina, H.; Garcia, F.; Novais, E. R. P.; Guimarães, A. P.

2014-05-28

The coupling of two nonidentical magnetic nanodisks, i.e., with different vortex gyrotropic frequencies, is studied. From the analytical approach, the interactions between the nanodisks along x and y directions (the coupling integrals) were obtained as a function of distance. From the numerical solution of Thiele's equation, we derived the eigenfrequencies of the vortex cores as a function of distance. The motion of the two vortex cores and, consequently, the time dependence of the total magnetization M(t) were derived both using Thiele's equation and by micromagnetic simulation. From M(t), a recently developed method, the magnetic vortex echoes, analogous to the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spin echoes, was used to compute the distance dependence of the magnetic coupling strength. The results of the two approaches differ by approximately 10%; using one single term, a dependence with distance found is broadly in agreement with studies employing other techniques.

13. Coexistence of superconductivity and charge-density waves in a two-dimensional Holstein model at half-filling

Sykora, S.; Hübsch, A.; Becker, K. W.

2009-03-01

On the one hand, in one dimension the coupling of electrons to phonons leads to a transition from a metallic to a Peierls distorted insulated state if the coupling exceeds a critical value. On the other hand, in two dimensions the electron-phonon interaction may also lead to the formation of Cooper pairs. In this letter, we study for two dimensions the competing influence of superconductivity and charge order (in conjunction with a lattice distortion) by means of the projector-based renormalization method (PRM). In this way, we can not only approach correlation functions of superconductivity and charge density wave but also have direct access to the order parameters. Increasing the electron-phonon interaction, we find a crossover behavior between a purely superconducting state and a charge-density wave where a well-defined parameter range of coexistence of superconductivity and lattice distortion exists.

14. Understanding Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions Using a Paired Tracer Approach in Alberta's Rocky Mountains

Spencer, S. A.; Silins, U.; Anderson, A.; Collins, A.; Williams, C.

2015-12-01

The eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains produce the majority of Alberta's surface water supply. While land disturbance affects hydrologic processes governing runoff and water quality, groundwater-surface water interactions may be an important component of catchment resistance to hydrological change. The objectives of this study were to describe reach and sub-catchment coupling of groundwater and surface water processes and to characterize the role of groundwater contribution to surface discharge across spatial and temporal scales. This research is part of Phase II of the Southern Rockies Watershed Project investigating the hydrological effects of three forest harvest treatments (clear-cutting with retention, strip cutting, and partial-cutting) in the front-range Rocky Mountains in the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Six nested hydrometric stations in Star Creek (10.4 km2) were used to collect pre-disturbance stream discharge and water quality data (2009-2014). Instantaneous differential streamflow gauging was conducted on reaches ~700 m in length to define stream reaches that were gaining or losing water. Constant rate tracer injection was conducted on gaining reaches to further refine regions of groundwater inputs during high flows, the recession limb of the annual hydrograph, and summer baseflows. Despite being a snow-dominated catchment, groundwater is a major contributor to annual streamflow (60 - 70 %). In general, locations of gaining and losing reaches were consistent across spatial and temporal scales of investigation. A strong losing reach in one sub-basin was observed where underflow may be responsible for the loss of streamflow along this section of the stream. However, strong groundwater upwelling was also observed in a reach lower in the catchment likely due to a "pinch-point" in topographic relief. Spatial and temporal variations in groundwater-surface water interactions are likely important factors in hydrologic resistance to land disturbance.

15. Quantum fluctuations of the superconducting cosmic string

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Shoucheng

1987-01-01

Quantum fluctuations of the proposed superconducting string with Bose charge carriers are studied in terms of the vortices on the string world sheet. In the thermodynamical limit, it is found that they appear in the form of free vortices rather than as bound pairs. This fluctuation mode violates the topological conservation law on which superconductivity is based. However, this limit may not be reached. The critical size of the superconducting string is estimated as a function of the coupling constants involved.

16. Light-emitting self-assembled peptide nucleic acids exhibit both stacking interactions and Watson-Crick base pairing.

PubMed

Berger, Or; Adler-Abramovich, Lihi; Levy-Sakin, Michal; Grunwald, Assaf; Liebes-Peer, Yael; Bachar, Mor; Buzhansky, Ludmila; Mossou, Estelle; Forsyth, V Trevor; Schwartz, Tal; Ebenstein, Yuval; Frolow, Felix; Shimon, Linda J W; Patolsky, Fernando; Gazit, Ehud

2015-04-01

The two main branches of bionanotechnology involve the self-assembly of either peptides or DNA. Peptide scaffolds offer chemical versatility, architectural flexibility and structural complexity, but they lack the precise base pairing and molecular recognition available with nucleic acid assemblies. Here, inspired by the ability of aromatic dipeptides to form ordered nanostructures with unique physical properties, we explore the assembly of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), which are short DNA mimics that have an amide backbone. All 16 combinations of the very short di-PNA building blocks were synthesized and assayed for their ability to self-associate. Only three guanine-containing di-PNAs-CG, GC and GG-could form ordered assemblies, as observed by electron microscopy, and these di-PNAs efficiently assembled into discrete architectures within a few minutes. The X-ray crystal structure of the GC di-PNA showed the occurrence of both stacking interactions and Watson-Crick base pairing. The assemblies were also found to exhibit optical properties including voltage-dependent electroluminescence and wide-range excitation-dependent fluorescence in the visible region.

17. Light-emitting self-assembled peptide nucleic acids exhibit both stacking interactions and Watson-Crick base pairing

Berger, Or; Adler-Abramovich, Lihi; Levy-Sakin, Michal; Grunwald, Assaf; Liebes-Peer, Yael; Bachar, Mor; Buzhansky, Ludmila; Mossou, Estelle; Forsyth, V. Trevor; Schwartz, Tal; Ebenstein, Yuval; Frolow, Felix; Shimon, Linda J. W.; Patolsky, Fernando; Gazit, Ehud

2015-05-01

The two main branches of bionanotechnology involve the self-assembly of either peptides or DNA. Peptide scaffolds offer chemical versatility, architectural flexibility and structural complexity, but they lack the precise base pairing and molecular recognition available with nucleic acid assemblies. Here, inspired by the ability of aromatic dipeptides to form ordered nanostructures with unique physical properties, we explore the assembly of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), which are short DNA mimics that have an amide backbone. All 16 combinations of the very short di-PNA building blocks were synthesized and assayed for their ability to self-associate. Only three guanine-containing di-PNAs—CG, GC and GG—could form ordered assemblies, as observed by electron microscopy, and these di-PNAs efficiently assembled into discrete architectures within a few minutes. The X-ray crystal structure of the GC di-PNA showed the occurrence of both stacking interactions and Watson-Crick base pairing. The assemblies were also found to exhibit optical properties including voltage-dependent electroluminescence and wide-range excitation-dependent fluorescence in the visible region.

18. Comprehensive hydrophilic interaction and ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography for analysis of di- to deca-oligonucleotides.

PubMed

Li, Qin; Lynen, Frédéric; Wang, Jian; Li, Hanlin; Xu, Guowang; Sandra, Pat

2012-09-14

A comprehensive two-dimensional HPLC approach with a high degree of orthogonality was developed for analysis of di- to deca-oligonucleotides (ONs). Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) was used in the first dimension, and ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography (IP-RPLC) was employed in the second dimension. The two dimensions were connected via a ten-port valve interface equipped with octadecyl silica (ODS) traps to immobilize and focus the ONs eluting from the first dimension prior to IP-RPLC separation. An aqueous make-up flow was used for effective trapping. The comprehensive two-dimensional HPLC system was optimized with a mixture consisting of 27 oligonucleotide standards. An overall chromatographic peak capacity of 500 was obtained. The use of the volatile buffer triethylamine acetate in the second dimension allowed straightforward coupling to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and detection of each ON in the negative ionization mode.

19. An experimental investigation of the interaction between a pair of precessing vortices in a tangential vortex chamber

Dremov, S. V.; Shtork, S. I.; Skripkin, S. G.; Kabardin, I. K.

2016-10-01

This paper is devoted to experimental investigation of the interaction between the pair of precessing vortices in a tangential vortex chamber. The test section was the tangential vortex chamber with a cylindrical working area. The liquid was tangentially fed into the chamber through 12 rectangular nozzles. The swirl parameter varied in the range 0 ÷ 6.6, and the Reynolds number varied within 6000 ÷ 52000. On the basis of visualization materials the dependence of the precession frequency of the system of two vortices was obtained. For the quantitative investigation the optical methods of laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) and the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) were used. Information about vortices and recirculation zones was obtained from the optical measurements.

20. Nonlinear interaction of instability waves and vortex-pairing noise in axisymmetric subsonic jets

Yang, Hai-Hua; Zhou, Lin; Zhang, Xing-Chen; Wan, Zhen-Hua; Sun, De-Jun

2016-10-01

A direct simulation with selected inflow forcing is performed for an accurate description of the jet flow field and far-field noise. The effects of the Mach number and heating on the acoustic field are studied in detail. The beam patterns and acoustic intensities are both varied as the change of the Mach number and temperature. The decomposition of the source terms of the Lilley-Goldstein (L-G) equation shows that the momentum and thermodynamic components lead to distinctly different beam patterns. Significant cancellation is found between the momentum and thermodynamic components at low polar angles for the isothermal jet and large polar angles for the hot jet. The cancellation leads to the minimum values of the far-field sound. Based on linear parabolized stability equation solutions, the nonlinear interaction model for sound prediction is built in combination with the L-G equation. The dominant beam patterns and their original locations predicted by the nonlinear model are in good agreement with the direct simulation results, and the predictions of sound pressure level (SPL) by the nonlinear model are relatively reasonable.

1. Junctionless Cooper pair transistor

Arutyunov, K. Yu.; Lehtinen, J. S.

2017-02-01

Quantum phase slip (QPS) is the topological singularity of the complex order parameter of a quasi-one-dimensional superconductor: momentary zeroing of the modulus and simultaneous 'slip' of the phase by ±2π. The QPS event(s) are the dynamic equivalent of tunneling through a conventional Josephson junction containing static in space and time weak link(s). Here we demonstrate the operation of a superconducting single electron transistor (Cooper pair transistor) without any tunnel junctions. Instead a pair of thin superconducting titanium wires in QPS regime was used. The current-voltage characteristics demonstrate the clear Coulomb blockade with magnitude of the Coulomb gap modulated by the gate potential. The Coulomb blockade disappears above the critical temperature, and at low temperatures can be suppressed by strong magnetic field.

2. Unconventional superconductivity in half-Heusler semimetals

Brydon, Philip; Wang, Limin; Weinert, Michael; Agterberg, Daniel

We consider the superconductivity of the topological half-Heusler semimetals YPtBi and LuPtBi, where pairing occurs between j = 3 / 2 quasiparticles. This permits Cooper pairs with quintet or septet total angular momentum, in addition to singlet and triplet states. Purely on-site interactions can generate unconventional (quintet) time-reversal symmetry-breaking states with topologically nontrivial point or line nodes. Furthermore, due to the broken inversion symmetry in these materials, the usual s-wave singlet state can mix with a p-wave septet state, also with topologically stable line-nodes. We acknowledge support from Microsoft Station Q, LPS-CMTC, and JQI-NSF-PFC (P.M.R.B), J. Paglione and the U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award DE-SC-0010605 (L.W.), and the NSF via DMREF-1335215 (D.F.A. and M.W.).

3. Visualization of cofilin-actin and Ras-Raf interactions by bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays using a new pair of split Venus fragments.

PubMed

Ohashi, Kazumasa; Kiuchi, Tai; Shoji, Kazuyasu; Sampei, Kaori; Mizuno, Kensaku

2012-01-01

The bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay is a method for visualizing protein-protein interactions in living cells. To visualize the cofilin-actin interaction in living cells, a series of combinations of the N- and C-terminal fragments of Venus fused upstream or downstream of cofilin and actin were screened systematically. A new pair of split Venus fragments, Venus (1-210) fused upstream of cofilin and Venus (210-238) fused downstream of actin, was the most effective combination for visualizing the specific interaction between cofilin and actin in living cells. This pair of Venus fragments was also effective for detecting the active Ras-dependent interaction between H-Ras and Raf1 and the Ca(2+)-dependent interaction between calmodulin and its target M13 peptide. In vitro BiFC assays using the pair of purified BiFC probes provided the means to detect the specific interactions between cofilin and actin and between H-Ras and Raf1. In vivo and in vitro BiFC assays using the newly identified pair of Venus fragments will serve as a useful tool for measuring protein-protein interactions with high specificity and low background fluorescence and could be applied to the screening of inhibitors that block protein-protein interactions.

4. Global and local superconductivity in boron-doped granular diamond.

PubMed

Zhang, Gufei; Turner, Stuart; Ekimov, Evgeny A; Vanacken, Johan; Timmermans, Matias; Samuely, Tomás; Sidorov, Vladimir A; Stishov, Sergei M; Lu, Yinggang; Deloof, Bart; Goderis, Bart; Van Tendeloo, Gustaaf; Van de Vondel, Joris; Moshchalkov, Victor V

2014-04-02

Strong granularity-correlated and intragrain modulations of the superconducting order parameter are demonstrated in heavily boron-doped diamond situated not yet in the vicinity of the metal-insulator transition. These modulations at the superconducting state (SC) and at the global normal state (NS) above the resistive superconducting transition, reveal that local Cooper pairing sets in prior to the global phase coherence.

5. Superconducting Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

After working with Lewis Research Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Superconducting Technologies, Inc. (STI) adapted NASA requirements and refined its own standard production recipe. STI uses high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials in its basic products: high quality thin films, circuits and components. Applications include microwave circuits for radar to reduce interference.

6. Triplet p + ip pairing correlations in the doped Kane-Mele-Hubbard model: A quantum Monte Carlo study

SciTech Connect

Ma, Tianxing; Lin, Hai-Qing; Gubernatis, James E.

2015-09-01

By using the constrained-phase quantum Monte Carlo method, we performed a systematic study of the pairing correlations in the ground state of the doped Kane-Mele-Hubbard model on a honeycomb lattice. We find that pairing correlations with d + id symmetry dominate close to half filling, but pairing correlations with p+ip symmetry dominate as hole doping moves the system below three-quarters filling. We correlate these behaviors of the pairing correlations with the topology of the Fermi surfaces of the non-interacting problem. We also find that the effective pairing correlation is enhanced greatly as the interaction increases, and these superconducting correlations are robust against varying the spin-orbit coupling strength. Finally, our numerical results suggest a possible way to realize spin triplet superconductivity in doped honeycomb-like materials or ultracold atoms in optical traps.

7. 2D superconductivity by ionic gating

Iwasa, Yoshi

2D superconductivity is attracting a renewed interest due to the discoveries of new highly crystalline 2D superconductors in the past decade. Superconductivity at the oxide interfaces triggered by LaAlO3/SrTiO3 has become one of the promising routes for creation of new 2D superconductors. Also, the MBE grown metallic monolayers including FeSe are also offering a new platform of 2D superconductors. In the last two years, there appear a variety of monolayer/bilayer superconductors fabricated by CVD or mechanical exfoliation. Among these, electric field induced superconductivity by electric double layer transistor (EDLT) is a unique platform of 2D superconductivity, because of its ability of high density charge accumulation, and also because of the versatility in terms of materials, stemming from oxides to organics and layered chalcogenides. In this presentation, the following issues of electric filed induced superconductivity will be addressed; (1) Tunable carrier density, (2) Weak pinning, (3) Absence of inversion symmetry. (1) Since the sheet carrier density is quasi-continuously tunable from 0 to the order of 1014 cm-2, one is able to establish an electronic phase diagram of superconductivity, which will be compared with that of bulk superconductors. (2) The thickness of superconductivity can be estimated as 2 - 10 nm, dependent on materials, and is much smaller than the in-plane coherence length. Such a thin but low resistance at normal state results in extremely weak pinning beyond the dirty Boson model in the amorphous metallic films. (3) Due to the electric filed, the inversion symmetry is inherently broken in EDLT. This feature appears in the enhancement of Pauli limit of the upper critical field for the in-plane magnetic fields. In transition metal dichalcogenide with a substantial spin-orbit interactions, we were able to confirm the stabilization of Cooper pair due to its spin-valley locking. This work has been supported by Grant-in-Aid for Specially

8. Combining symmetry breaking and restoration with configuration interaction: A highly accurate many-body scheme applied to the pairing Hamiltonian

Ripoche, J.; Lacroix, D.; Gambacurta, D.; Ebran, J.-P.; Duguet, T.

2017-01-01

Background: Ab initio many-body methods have been developed over the past ten years to address mid-mass nuclei. In their best current level of implementation, their accuracy is of the order of a few percent error on the ground-state correlation energy. Recently implemented variants of these methods are operating a breakthrough in the description of medium-mass open-shell nuclei at a polynomial computational cost while putting state-of-the-art models of internucleon interactions to the test. Purpose: As progress in the design of internucleon interactions is made, and as questions one wishes to answer are refined in connection with increasingly available experimental data, further efforts must be made to tailor many-body methods that can reach an even higher precision for an even larger number of observable quantum states or nuclei. The objective of the present work is to contribute to such a quest by designing and testing a new many-body scheme. Methods: We formulate a truncated configuration-interaction method that consists of diagonalizing the Hamiltonian in a highly truncated subspace of the total N -body Hilbert space. The reduced Hilbert space is generated via the particle-number projected BCS state along with projected seniority-zero two- and four-quasiparticle excitations. Furthermore, the extent by which the underlying BCS state breaks U(1 ) symmetry is optimized in the presence of the projected two- and four-quasiparticle excitations. This constitutes an extension of the so-called restricted variation after projection method in use within the frame of multireference energy density functional calculations. The quality of the newly designed method is tested against exact solutions of the so-called attractive pairing Hamiltonian problem. Results: By construction, the method reproduces exact results for N =2 and N =4 . For N =(8 ,16 ,20 ) , the error in the ground-state correlation energy is less than (0.006%, 0.1%, 0.15%) across the entire range of

9. Introduction to unconventional superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric metals

Sigrist, Manfred

2009-08-01

These lecture notes are an extension of my previous notes [1] presented in this lecture series and are concerned with the recently emerging research field of unconventional superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric metals. Inversion symmetry together with time reversal symmetry represent key symmetries for the formation of Cooper pairs in superconductors and allows to distinguish between even-parity spin-singlet and odd-parity spin-triplet pairing. The absence of at least one of two symmetries leads to the spin-splitting of the electronic states, through Zeeman fields (loss of time reversal symmetry) and through antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling (loss of inversion symmetry), which has a strong influence on the Cooper pairing states possible. Anderson's theorems show the basic symmetry requirements for the Cooper pair formation. The meaning of these theorems can be demonstrated in a perturbative analysis of the superconducting instability. The structure of the pairing states are derived for systems without inversion and time reversal symmetry, and are shown to be non-unitary. In the case of non-centrosymmetric materials the pairing interaction displays interesting spin-orbit coupling-induced features which are analyzed within a toy model for the superconductivity in CePt3Si, one of the non-centrosymmetric heavy Fermion superconductors, in order to give a catalogue of possible pairing states in this material. A further important point is the essentially universal behavior of the spin susceptibility in the superconducting phase of a non-centrosymmetric materials. This behavior is spectacularly manifested in the upper critical field of CeRhSi3 and CeIrSi3. Magneto-electric effects represent one of the most extraordinary parts in the phenomenology of non-centrosymmetric superconductors. Two examples of magneto-electric behaviors are discussed: (1) the helical phase in the mixed superconducting state and (2) relation between supercurrent and the spin magnetization

10. Superconducting structure

DOEpatents

Kwon, Chuhee; Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.

2003-04-01

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

11. Superconducting Structure

DOEpatents

Kwon, Chuhee; Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.

2005-09-13

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

12. Optimal undulatory swimming for a single fish-like body and for a pair of interacting swimmers

Maertens, Audrey P.; Gao, Amy; Triantafyllou, Michael S.

2017-02-01

We establish through numerical simulation conditions for optimal undulatory propulsion for a single fish, and for a pair of hydrodynamically interacting fish, accounting for linear and angular recoil. We first employ systematic 2D simulations to identify conditions for minimal propulsive power of a self-propelled fish, and continue with targeted 3D simulations for a danio-like fish. We find that the Strouhal number, phase angle between heave and pitch at the trailing edge, and angle of attack are principal parameters. Angular recoil has significant impact on efficiency, while optimized body bending requires maximum bending amplitude upstream of the trailing edge. For 2D simulations, imposing a deformation based on measured displacement for carangiform swimming provides efficiency of 40%, which increases for an optimized profile to 57%; for a 3D fish, the corresponding increase is from 22% to 35%; all at Reynolds number 5000. Next, we turn to 2D simulation of two hydrodynamically interacting fish. We find that the upstream fish benefits energetically only for small distances. In contrast, the downstream fish can benefit at any position that allows interaction with the upstream wake, provided its body motion is timed appropriately with respect to the oncoming vortices. For an in-line configuration, one body length apart, the optimal efficiency of the downstream fish can increase to 66%; for an offset arrangement it can reach 81%. This proves that in groups of fish, energy savings can be achieved for downstream fish through interaction with oncoming vortices, even when the downstream fish lies directly inside the jet-like flow of an upstream fish.

13. Base pairing interaction between 5'- and 3'-UTRs controls icaR mRNA translation in Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Ruiz de los Mozos, Igor; Vergara-Irigaray, Marta; Segura, Victor; Villanueva, Maite; Bitarte, Nerea; Saramago, Margarida; Domingues, Susana; Arraiano, Cecilia M; Fechter, Pierre; Romby, Pascale; Valle, Jaione; Solano, Cristina; Lasa, Iñigo; Toledo-Arana, Alejandro

2013-01-01

The presence of regulatory sequences in the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of eukaryotic mRNAs controlling RNA stability and translation efficiency is widely recognized. In contrast, the relevance of 3'-UTRs in bacterial mRNA functionality has been disregarded. Here, we report evidences showing that around one-third of the mapped mRNAs of the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus carry 3'-UTRs longer than 100-nt and thus, potential regulatory functions. We selected the long 3'-UTR of icaR, which codes for the repressor of the main exopolysaccharidic compound of the S. aureus biofilm matrix, to evaluate the role that 3'-UTRs may play in controlling mRNA expression. We showed that base pairing between the 3'-UTR and the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) region of icaR mRNA interferes with the translation initiation complex and generates a double-stranded substrate for RNase III. Deletion or substitution of the motif (UCCCCUG) within icaR 3'-UTR was sufficient to abolish this interaction and resulted in the accumulation of IcaR repressor and inhibition of biofilm development. Our findings provide a singular example of a new potential post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism to modulate bacterial gene expression through the interaction of a 3'-UTR with the 5'-UTR of the same mRNA.

14. Nonlinear interaction between a pair of oblique modes in a supersonic mixing layer: Long-wave limit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balsa, Thomas F.; Gartside, James

1995-01-01

The nonlinear interaction between a pair of symmetric, oblique, and spatial instability modes is studied in the long-wave limit using asymptotic methods. The base flow is taken to be a supersonic mixing layer whose Mach number is such that the corresponding vortex sheet is marginally stable according to Miles' criterion. It is shown that the amplitude of the mode obeys a nonlinear integro-differential equation. Numerical solutions of this equation show that, when the obliqueness angle is less than pi/4, the effect of the nonlinearity is to enhance the growth rate of the instability. The solution terminates in a singularity at a finite streamwise location. This result is reminiscent of that obtained in the vicinity of the neutral point by other authors in several different types of flows. On the other hand, when the obliqueness angle is more than pi/4, the streamwise development of the amplitude is characterized by a series of modulations. This arises from the fact that the nonlinear term in the amplitude equation may be either stabilizing or destabilizing, depending on the value of the streamwise coordinate. However, even in this case the amplitude of the disturbance increases, though not as rapidly as in the case for which the angle is less than pi/4. Quite generally then, the nonlinear interaction between two oblique modes in a supersonic mixing layer enhances the growth of the disturbance.

15. Long-range interactions from the many-pair expansion: A different avenue to dispersion in DFT

de Silva, Piotr; Zhu, Tianyu; Van Voorhis, Troy

2017-01-01

One of the several problems that plague majority of density functional theory calculations is their inability to properly account for long-range correlations giving rise to dispersion forces. The recently proposed many-pair expansion (MPE) [T. Zhu et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 201108(R) (2016)] is a hierarchy of approximations that systematically corrects any deficiencies of an approximate functional to finally converge to the exact energy. This is achieved by decomposing the total density into a sum of two-electron densities and accounting for successive two-, four-, six-,… electron interactions. Here, we show that already low orders of MPE expansion recover the dispersion energy accurately. To this end, we employ the Pariser-Parr-Pople Hamiltonian and study the behavior of long-range interactions in trans-polyacetylene as well as stacks of ethylene and benzene molecules. We also show how convergence of the expansion is affected by electron conjugation and the choice of the density partitioning.

16. Renormalization group study of excitonic and superconducting order in doped honeycomb bilayer

Murray, James; Vafek, Oskar

2014-03-01

We explore the competition between spin-charge order and unconventional superconductivity in the context of the AB stacked bilayer honeycomb lattice, realized experimentally as bilayer graphene, which features approximately parabolically touching electron bands. Using a weak-coupling renormalization group theory, we show that unconventional superconductivity arises generically for repulsively interacting fermions as excitonic order is suppressed by adding charge carriers to the system. We investigate the effects of finite temperature and further-neighbor hopping, the latter of which leads to so-called trigonal warping'' and destroys the perfect circular symmetry of the Fermi surfaces. We show that superconductivity survives for a finite range of trigonal warping, and that the nature of the superconducting phase may change as a function of further neighbor hopping. Depending on the range of interactions and the degree of trigonal warping, we find that the most likely superconducting instabilities are to f-wave, chiral d-wave, and pair density wave phases. It is shown that unconventional superconductivity is significantly enhanced by fluctuations in particle-hole channels, with the critical temperature reaching a maximum near the excitonic phase. Supported by the NSF CAREER award under Grant No. DMR-0955561, NSF Cooperative Agreement No. DMR-0654118, and the State of Florida, as well as by ICAM-I2CAM (NSF grant DMR-0844115) and by DoE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Award DE-FG02-08ER46544).

17. Theory of normal and superconducting properties of fullerene-based solids

SciTech Connect

Cohen, M.L.

1992-10-01

Recent experiments on the normal-state and superconducting properties of fullerene-based solids are used to constrain the proposal theories of the electronic nature of these materials. In general, models of superconductivity based on electron pairing induced by phonons are consistent with electronic band theory. The latter experiments also yield estimates of the parameters characterizing these type H superconductors. It is argued that, at this point, a standard model'' of phonons interacting with itinerant electrons may be a good first approximation for explaining the properties of the metallic fullerenes.

18. Theory of normal and superconducting properties of fullerene-based solids

SciTech Connect

Cohen, M.L.

1992-10-01

Recent experiments on the normal-state and superconducting properties of fullerene-based solids are used to constrain the proposal theories of the electronic nature of these materials. In general, models of superconductivity based on electron pairing induced by phonons are consistent with electronic band theory. The latter experiments also yield estimates of the parameters characterizing these type H superconductors. It is argued that, at this point, a standard model of phonons interacting with itinerant electrons may be a good first approximation for explaining the properties of the metallic fullerenes.

19. Microwave control of the superconducting proximity effect and minigap in magnetic and normal metals

PubMed Central

Linder, Jacob; Amundsen, Morten; Ouassou, Jabir Ali

2016-01-01

We demonstrate theoretically that microwave radiation applied to superconducting proximity structures controls the minigap and other spectral features in the density of states of normal and magnetic metals, respectively. Considering both a bilayer and Josephson junction geometry, we show that microwaves with frequency ω qualitatively alters the spectral properties of the system: inducing a series of resonances, controlling the minigap size Emg, and even replacing the minigap with a strong peak of quasiparticle accumulation at zero energy when ω = Emg. The interaction between light and Cooper pairs may thus open a route to active control of quantum coherent phenomena in superconducting proximity structures. PMID:27982128

20. Microwave control of the superconducting proximity effect and minigap in magnetic and normal metals

Linder, Jacob; Amundsen, Morten; Ouassou, Jabir Ali

2016-12-01

We demonstrate theoretically that microwave radiation applied to superconducting proximity structures controls the minigap and other spectral features in the density of states of normal and magnetic metals, respectively. Considering both a bilayer and Josephson junction geometry, we show that microwaves with frequency ω qualitatively alters the spectral properties of the system: inducing a series of resonances, controlling the minigap size Emg, and even replacing the minigap with a strong peak of quasiparticle accumulation at zero energy when ω = Emg. The interaction between light and Cooper pairs may thus open a route to active control of quantum coherent phenomena in superconducting proximity structures.

1. TOPICAL REVIEW: W = 0 pairing in Hubbard and related models of low-dimensional superconductors

Balzarotti, Adalberto; Cini, Michele; Perfetto, Enrico; Stefanucci, Gianluca

2004-12-01

Lattice Hamiltonians with on-site interaction W have W = 0 solutions, that is, many-body singlet eigenstates without double occupation. In particular, W = 0 pairs give a clue to understand the pairing force in repulsive Hubbard models. These eigenstates are found in systems with high enough symmetry, like the square, hexagonal or triangular lattices. By a general theorem, we propose a systematic way to construct all the W = 0 pairs of a given Hamiltonian. We also introduce a canonical transformation to calculate the effective interaction between the particles of such pairs. In geometries appropriate for the CuO2 planes of cuprate superconductors, armchair carbon nanotubes, or cobalt oxide planes, the dressed pair becomes a bound state in a physically relevant range of parameters. We also show that W = 0 pairs quantize the magnetic flux as superconducting pairs do. The pairing mechanism breaks down in the presence of strong distortions. The W = 0 pairs are also the building blocks for the antiferromagnetic ground state of the half-filled Hubbard model at weak coupling. Our analytical results for the 4 × 4 Hubbard square lattice, compared to available numerical data, demonstrate that the method, besides providing an intuitive grasp on pairing, also has quantitative predictive power. We also consider including phonon effects in this scenario. Preliminary calculations with small clusters indicate that vector phonons hinder pairing while half-breathing modes are synergic with the W = 0 pairing mechanism both at weak coupling and in the polaronic regime.

2. Optimal High-TC Superconductivity in Cs3C60

Harshman, Dale; Fiory, Anthony

The highest superconducting transition temperatures in the (A1-xBx)3C60 superconducting family are seen in the A15 and FCC structural phases of Cs3C60 (optimized under hydrostatic pressure), exhibiting measured values for near-stoichiometric samples of TC0 meas . = 37.8 K and 35.7 K, respectively. It is argued these two Cs-intercalated C60 compounds represent the optimal materials of their respective structures, with superconductivity originating from Coulombic e- h interactions between the C60 molecules, which host the n-type superconductivity, and mediating holes associated with the Cs cations. A variation of the interlayer Coulombic pairing model [Harshman and Fiory, J. Supercond. Nov. Magn. 28 ̲, 2967 (2015), and references therein] is introduced in which TC0 calc . ~ 1 / lζ , where l relates to the mean spacing between interacting charges on surfaces of the C60 molecules, and ζ is the average radial distance between the surface of the C60 molecules and the neighboring Cs cations. For stoichiometric Cs3C60, TC0 calc . = 38.08 K and 35.67 K for the A15 and FCC macrostructures, respectively; the dichotomy is attributable to differences in ζ.

3. Superconducting nanostructured materials.

SciTech Connect

Metlushko, V.

1998-07-13

Within the last year it has been realized that the remarkable properties of superconducting thin films containing a periodic array of defects (such as sub-micron sized holes) offer a new route for developing a novel superconducting materials based on precise control of microstructure by modern photolithography. A superconductor is a material which, when cooled below a certain temperature, loses all resistance to electricity. This means that superconducting materials can carry large electrical currents without any energy loss--but there are limits to how much current can flow before superconductivity is destroyed. The current at which superconductivity breaks down is called the critical current. The value of the critical current is determined by the balance of Lorentz forces and pinning forces acting on the flux lines in the superconductor. Lorentz forces proportional to the current flow tend to drive the flux lines into motion, which dissipates energy and destroys zero resistance. Pinning forces created by isolated defects in the microstructure oppose flux line motion and increase the critical current. Many kinds of artificial pinning centers have been proposed and developed to increase critical current performance, ranging from dispersal of small non-superconducting second phases to creation of defects by proton, neutron or heavy ion irradiation. In all of these methods, the pinning centers are randomly distributed over the superconducting material, causing them to operate well below their maximum efficiency. We are overcome this drawback by creating pinning centers in aperiodic lattice (see Fig 1) so that each pin site interacts strongly with only one or a few flux lines.

4. Derivation of Pitzer Interaction Parameters for an Aqueous Species Pair of Sodium and Iron(II)-Citrate Complex

Jang, J. H.; Nemer, M.

2015-12-01

The U.S. DOE Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep underground repository for the permanent disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste. The WIPP is located in the Permian Delaware Basin near Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.A. The TRU waste includes, but is not limited to, iron-based alloys and the complexing agent, citric acid. Iron is also present from the steel used in the waste containers. The objective of this analysis is to derive the Pitzer activity coefficients for the pair of Na+ and FeCit- complex to expand current WIPP thermodynamic database. An aqueous model for the dissolution of Fe(OH)2(s) in a Na3Cit solution was fitted to the experimentally measured solubility data. The aqueous model consists of several chemical reactions and related Pitzer interaction parameters. Specifically, Pitzer interaction parameters for the Na+ and FeCit- pair (β(0), β(1), and Cφ) plus the stability constant for species of FeCit- were fitted to the experimental data. Anoxic gloveboxes were used to keep the oxygen level low (<1 ppm) throughout the experiments due to redox sensitivity. EQ3NR, a computer program for geochemical aqueous speciation-solubility calculations, packaged in EQ3/6 v.8.0a, calculates the aqueous speciation and saturation index using an aqueous model addressed in EQ3/6's database. The saturation index indicates how far the system is from equilibrium with respect to the solid of interest. Thus, the smaller the sum of squared saturation indices that the aqueous model calculates for the given number of experiments, the more closely the model attributes equilibrium to each individual experiment with respect to the solid of interest. The calculation of aqueous speciation and saturation indices was repeated by adjusting stability constant of FeCit-, β(0), β(1), and Cφ in the database until the values are found that make the sum of squared saturation indices the smallest for the given number of experiments. Results will be presented at the time of

5. Isovector spin-singlet (T = 1, S = 0) and isoscalar spin-triplet (T = 0, S = 1) pairing interactions and spin-isospin response

Sagawa, H.; Bai, C. L.; Colò, G.

2016-08-01

We review several experimental and theoretical advances that emphasize common aspects of the study of spin-singlet, T = 1, and spin-triplet, T = 0, pairing correlations in nuclei. We first discuss various empirical evidence of the special role played by the T = 1 pairing interaction. In particular, we show the peculiar features of the nuclear pairing interaction in the low-density regime, and possible outcomes such as the BCS-BEC crossover in nuclear matter and, in an analogous way, in loosely bound nuclei. We then move to the competition between T = 1 and T = 0 pairing correlations. The effect of such competition on the low-lying spectra is studied in N = Z odd-odd nuclei by using a three-body model; in this case, it is shown that the inversion of the {J}π ={0}+ and {J}π ={1}+ states near the ground state, and the strong magnetic dipole transitions between them, can be considered as a clear manifestation of strong T = 0 pairing correlations in these nuclei. The effect of T = 0 pairing correlations is also quite evident if one studies charge-changing transitions. The Gamow-Teller (GT) states in N=Z+2 nuclei are studied here by using self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) plus quasiparticle random-phase approximation calculations in which the T = 0 pairing interaction is taken into account. Strong GT states are found, near the ground state of daughter nuclei; these are compared with available experimental data from charge-exchange reactions, and such comparison can pinpoint the value of the strength of the T = 0 interaction. Pair transfer reactions are eventually discussed. While two-neutron transfer has long been proposed as a tool to measure the T = 1 superfluidity in the nuclear ground states, the study of deuteron transfer is still in its infancy, despite its potential interest for revealing effects coming from both T = 1 and T = 0 interactions. We also point out that the reaction mechanism may mask the strong pair transfer amplitudes predicted by the

6. The road to superconducting spintronics

Eschrig, Matthias

Energy efficient computing has become a major challenge, with the increasing importance of large data centres across the world, which already today have a power consumption comparable to that of Spain, with steeply increasing trend. Superconducting computing is progressively becoming an alternative for large-scale applications, with the costs for cooling being largely outweighed by the gain in energy efficiency. The combination of superconductivity and spintronics - superspintronics'' - has the potential and flexibility to develop into such a green technology. This young field is based on the observation that new phenomena emerge at interfaces between superconducting and other, competing, phases. The past 15 years have seen a series of pivotal predictions and experimental discoveries relating to the interplay between superconductivity and ferromagnetism. The building blocks of superspintronics are equal-spin Cooper pairs, which are generated at the interface between superconducting and a ferromagnetic materials in the presence of non-collinear magnetism. Such novel, spin-polarised Cooper pairs carry spin-supercurrents in ferromagnets and thus contribute to spin-transport and spin-control. Geometric Berry phases appear during the singlet-triplet conversion process in structures with non-coplanar magnetisation, enhancing functionality of devices, and non-locality introduced by superconducting order leads to long-range effects. With the successful generation and control of equal-spin Cooper pairs the hitherto notorious incompatibility of superconductivity and ferromagnetism has been not only overcome, but turned synergistic. I will discuss these developments and their extraordinary potential. I also will present open questions posed by recent experiments and point out implications for theory. This work is supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC Grant No. EP/J010618/1).

7. Evolution of normal and superconducting properties of single crystals of Na1-δFeAs upon interaction with environment

Tanatar, M. A.; Spyrison, N.; Cho, Kyuil; Blomberg, E. C.; Tan, Guotai; Dai, Pengcheng; Zhang, Chenglin; Prozorov, R.

2012-01-01

Iron-arsenide superconductor Na1-δFeAs is highly reactive with the environment. Due to the high mobility of Na ions, this reaction affects the entire bulk of the crystals and leads to an effective stoichiometry change. Here we use this effect to study the doping evolution of normal and superconducting properties of the same single crystals. Controlled reaction with air increases the superconducting transition temperature Tc from the initial value of 12 to 27 K as probed by transport and magnetic measurements. Similar effects are observed in samples reacted with Apiezon N grease, which slows down the reaction rate and results in more homogeneous samples. In both cases, the temperature-dependent resistivity ρa(T) shows a dramatic change with exposure time. In freshly prepared samples, ρa(T) reveals clear features at the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic (Ts≈60 K) and antiferromagnetic (Tm=45 K) transitions and superconductivity with onset Tc,ons=16 K and offset Tc,off=12 K. The exposed samples show T-linear variation of ρa(T) above Tc,ons=30 K (Tc,off=26 K), suggesting bulk character of the observed doping evolution and implying the existence of a quantum critical point at the optimal doping. The resistivity for different doping levels is affected below ˜200 K suggesting the existence of a characteristic energy scale that terminates the T-linear regime, which could be identified with a pseudogap.

8. Unconventional pairing in doped band insulators on a honeycomb lattice: the role of the disconnected Fermi surface and a possible application to superconducting β-MNCl (M=Hf, Zr).

PubMed

Kuroki, Kazuhiko

2008-12-01

We investigate the possibility of realizing unconventional superconductivity in doped band insulators on the square and honeycomb lattices. The latter lattice is found to be a good candidate due to the disconnectivity of the Fermi surface. We propose applying the theory to the superconductivity in doped layered nitride β-MNCl (M= Hf, Zr). Finally, we compare two groups of superconductors with disconnected Fermi surface, β-MNCl and the iron pnictides, which have high critical temperature Tc, despite some faults against superconductivity are present.

9. Dynamic Cluster Quantum Monte Carlo Simulations of a Two-Dimensional Hubbard Model with Stripelike Charge-Density-Wave Modulations: Interplay between Inhomogeneities and the Superconducting State

SciTech Connect

Maier, Thomas A; Alvarez, Gonzalo; Summers, Michael Stuart; Schulthess, Thomas C

2010-01-01

Using dynamic cluster quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we study the superconducting behavior of a 1=8 doped two-dimensional Hubbard model with imposed unidirectional stripelike charge-density-wave modulation. We find a significant increase of the pairing correlations and critical temperature relative to the homogeneous system when the modulation length scale is sufficiently large. With a separable form of the irreducible particle-particle vertex, we show that optimized superconductivity is obtained for a moderate modulation strength due to a delicate balance between the modulation enhanced pairing interaction, and a concomitant suppression of the bare particle-particle excitations by a modulation reduction of the quasiparticle weight.

10. Local Correlation Effects on thes±- ands++-Wave Superconductivities Mediated by Magnetic and Orbital Fluctuations in the Five-Orbital Hubbard Model for Iron Pnictides

Ishizuka, Jun; Yamada, Takemi; Yanagi, Yuki; Ōno, Yoshiaki

2013-12-01

We investigate the electronic state and the superconductivity in the 5-orbital Hubbard model for iron pnictides by using the dynamical mean-field theory in conjunction with the Eliashberg equation. The renormalization factor exhibits significant orbital dependence resulting in the large change in the band dispersion as observed in recent ARPES experiments. The critical interactions towards the magnetic, orbital and superconducting instabilities are suppressed as compared with those from the random phase approximation (RPA) due to local correlation effects. Remarkably, the s++-pairing phase due to the orbital fluctuation is largely expanded relative to the RPA result, while the s+--pairing phase due to the magnetic fluctuation is reduced.

11. A semi-analytical calculation of the electrostatic pair interaction between nonuniformly charged colloidal spheres at an air-water interface.

PubMed

Lian, Zengju

2016-07-07

We study the electrostatic pair interaction between two nonuniformly like-charged colloidal spheres trapped in an air-water interface. Under the linear Poisson-Boltzmann approximation, a general form of the electrostatic potential for the system is shown in terms of multipole expansions. After combining the translation-rotation transform of the coordinates with the numerical multipoint collection, we give a semi-analytical result of the electrostatic pair interaction between the colloids. The pair interaction changes quantitatively or even qualitatively with different distributions of the surface charges on the particles. Because of the anisotropic distribution of the surface charge and the asymmetric dielectric medium, the dipole moment of the ion cloud associating with the particle orients diagonally to the air-water interface with an angle α. When the angle is large, the colloids interact repulsively, while they attract each other when the angle is small. The attractive colloids may be "Janus-like" charged and be arranged with some specific configurations. Whatever the repulsions or the attractions, they all decay asymptotically ∝1/d(3) (d is the center-center distance of the particles) which is consistent with our general acknowledge. The calculation results also provide an insight of the effect of the ion concentration, particle size, and the total charge of the particle on the pair interaction between the particles.

12. The Effects of Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving on High School Students' Chemistry Problem-Solving Performance and Verbal Interactions

Jeon, Kyungmoon; Huffman, Douglas; Noh, Taehee

2005-10-01

This study investigated the effects of a thinking aloud pair problem solving (TAPPS) approach on students' chemistry problem-solving performance and verbal interactions. A total of 85 eleventh grade students from three classes in a Korean high school were randomly assigned to one of three groups; either individually using a problem-solving strategy, using a problem-solving strategy with TAPPS, or the control group. After instruction, students' problem-solving performance was examined. The results showed that students in both the individual and TAPPS groups performed better than those in the control group on recalling the related law and mathematical execution, while students in the TAPPS group performed better than those in the other groups on conceptual knowledge. To investigate the verbal behaviors using TAPPS, verbal behaviors of solvers and listeners were classified into 8 categories. Listeners' verbal behavior of "agreeing" and "pointing out", and solvers' verbal behavior of "modifying" were positively related with listeners' problem-solving performance. There was, however, a negative correlation between listeners' use of "point out" and solvers' problem-solving performance. The educational implications of this study are discussed.

13. Rashba Splitting of Cooper Pairs

Shekhter, R. I.; Entin-Wohlman, O.; Jonson, M.; Aharony, A.

2016-05-01

We investigate theoretically the properties of a weak link between two superconducting leads, which has the form of a nonsuperconducting nanowire with a strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling caused by an electric field. In the Coulomb-blockade regime of single-electron tunneling, we find that such a weak link acts as a "spin splitter" of the spin states of Cooper pairs tunneling through the link, to an extent that depends on the direction of the electric field. We show that the Josephson current is sensitive to interference between the resulting two transmission channels, one where the spins of both members of a Cooper pair are preserved and one where they are both flipped. As a result, the current is a periodic function of the strength of the spin-orbit interaction and of the bending angle of the nanowire (when mechanically bent); an identical effect appears due to strain-induced spin-orbit coupling. In contrast, no spin-orbit induced interference effect can influence the current through a single weak link connecting two normal metals.

14. Existence and consequences of Coulomb pairing of electrons in a solid

SciTech Connect

Mahajan, S.M.; Thyagaraja, A.

1996-11-01

It is shown from first principles that, in the periodic potential of a crystalline solid, short-range (i.e., screened) binary Coulomb interactions can lead to a two-electron bound state. It is further suggested that these composite bosonic states (charge -2e, and typically spin zero) could mediate an effectively attractive interaction between pairs of conduction electrons close to the Fermi level. This necessarily short range attractive interaction, which is crucially dependent on the band structure of the solid, and is complementary to the phonon-mediated one, may provide a source for the existence and properties of short correlation-length electron pairs (analogous to but distinct from Cooper pairs) needed to understand high temperature superconductivity. Several distinctive and observable characteristics of the proposed pairing scheme are discussed.

15. Detecting a preformed pair phase: Response to a pairing forcing field

Tagliavini, A.; Capone, M.; Toschi, A.

2016-10-01

The normal state of strongly coupled superconductors is characterized by the presence of "preformed" Cooper pairs well above the superconducting critical temperature. In this regime, the electrons are paired, but they lack the phase coherence necessary for superconductivity. The existence of preformed pairs implies the existence of a characteristic energy scale associated with a pseudogap. Preformed pairs are often invoked to interpret systems where some signatures of pairing are present without actual superconductivity, but an unambiguous theoretical characterization of a preformed-pair system is still lacking. To fill this gap, we consider the response to an external pairing field of an attractive Hubbard model, which hosts one of the cleanest realizations of a preformed pair phase, and a repulsive model where s -wave superconductivity cannot be realized. Using dynamical mean-field theory to study this response, we identify the characteristic features which distinguish the reaction of a preformed pair state from a normal metal without any precursor of pairing. The theoretical detection of preformed pairs is associated with the behavior of the second derivative of the order parameter with respect to the external field, as confirmed by analytic calculations in limiting cases. Our findings provide a solid test bed for the interpretation of state-of-the-art calculations for the normal state of the doped Hubbard model in terms of d -wave preformed pairs and, in perspective, of nonequilibrium experiments in high-temperature superconductors.

16. Implementation of Pair Work and Group Work for Creation of Interaction Opportunities for Learners in Large Classes: The Viability of the Two Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otienoh, Ruth O.

2015-01-01

This paper is based on an action research carried out in two Kenyan Primary schools in Nairobi. The purpose was to implement group work and pair work to improve teaching and learning in large classes by creating interaction opportunities for learners. This was a mixed method study of dominant/less dominant design where interviews and structured…

17. Young Learners' Interactional Development in Task-Based Paired-Assessment in Their First and Foreign Languages: A Case of English Learners in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Yuko Goto; Zeng, Wei

2015-01-01

In response to the growing interest in evaluating young learners' foreign language (FL) performance, this study aims to deepen our understanding of young learners' developmental differences in interaction during task-based paired-language assessments. To examine age effects separately from the effect of general language proficiency, we analysed…

18. Topological Crystalline Superconductivity in Locally Noncentrosymmetric Multilayer Superconductors.

PubMed

Yoshida, Tomohiro; Sigrist, Manfred; Yanase, Youichi

2015-07-10

Topological crystalline superconductivity in locally noncentrosymmetric multilayer superconductors (SCs) is proposed. We study the odd-parity pair-density wave (PDW) state induced by the spin-singlet pairing interaction through the spin-orbit coupling. It is shown that the PDW state is a topological crystalline SC protected by a mirror symmetry, although it is topologically trivial according to the classification based on the standard topological periodic table. The topological property of the mirror subsectors is intuitively explained by adiabatically changing the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian. A subsector of the bilayer PDW state reduces to the two-dimensional noncentrosymmetric SC, while a subsector of the trilayer PDW state is topologically equivalent to the spinless p-wave SC. Chiral Majorana edge modes in trilayers can be realized without Cooper pairs in the spin-triplet channel and chemical potential tuning.

19. Topological Crystalline Superconductivity in Locally Noncentrosymmetric Multilayer Superconductors

Yoshida, Tomohiro; Sigrist, Manfred; Yanase, Youichi

2015-07-01

Topological crystalline superconductivity in locally noncentrosymmetric multilayer superconductors (SCs) is proposed. We study the odd-parity pair-density wave (PDW) state induced by the spin-singlet pairing interaction through the spin-orbit coupling. It is shown that the PDW state is a topological crystalline SC protected by a mirror symmetry, although it is topologically trivial according to the classification based on the standard topological periodic table. The topological property of the mirror subsectors is intuitively explained by adiabatically changing the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian. A subsector of the bilayer PDW state reduces to the two-dimensional noncentrosymmetric SC, while a subsector of the trilayer PDW state is topologically equivalent to the spinless p -wave SC. Chiral Majorana edge modes in trilayers can be realized without Cooper pairs in the spin-triplet channel and chemical potential tuning.

20. Spin-orbit-coupled superconductivity.

PubMed

Lo, Shun-Tsung; Lin, Shih-Wei; Wang, Yi-Ting; Lin, Sheng-Di; Liang, C-T

2014-06-25

Superconductivity and spin-orbit (SO) interaction have been two separate emerging fields until very recently that the correlation between them seemed to be observed. However, previous experiments concerning SO coupling are performed far beyond the superconducting state and thus a direct demonstration of how SO coupling affects superconductivity remains elusive. Here we investigate the SO coupling in the critical region of superconducting transition on Al nanofilms, in which the strength of disorder and spin relaxation by SO coupling are changed by varying the film thickness. At temperatures T sufficiently above the superconducting critical temperature T(c), clear signature of SO coupling reveals itself in showing a magneto-resistivity peak. When T < T(c), the resistivity peak can still be observed; however, its line-shape is now affected by the onset of the quasi two-dimensional superconductivity. By studying such magneto-resistivity peaks under different strength of spin relaxation, we highlight the important effects of SO interaction on superconductivity.

1. Spin-charge separation and electron pairing instabilities in Hubbard nanoclusters

SciTech Connect

Kocharian, A.; Davenport, J.; Fernando, G.W.; Palandage, K.

2009-07-01

Electron charge and spin pairing instabilities in various cluster geometries for attractive and repulsive electrons are studied exactly under variation of interaction strength, electron doping and temperature. The exact diagonalization, level crossing degeneracies, spin-charge separation and separate condensation of paired electron charge and opposite spins yield intriguing insights into the origin of magnetism, ferroelectricity and superconductivity seen in inhomogeneous bulk nanomaterials and various phenomena in cold fermionic atoms in optical lattices. Phase diagrams resemble a number of inhomogeneous, coherent and incoherent nanoscale phases found recently in high-T{sub c} cuprates, manganites and multiferroic nanomaterials probed by scanning tunneling microscopy. Separate condensation of electron charge and spin degrees at various crossover temperatures offers a new route for superconductivity, different from the BCS scenario. The calculated phase diagrams resemble a number of inhomogeneous paired phases, superconductivity, ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity found in Nb and Co nanoparticles. The phase separation and electron pairing, monitored by electron doping and magnetic field surprisingly resemble incoherent electron pairing in the family of doped high-T{sub c} cuprates, ruthenocuprates, iron pnictides and spontaneous ferroelectricity in multiferroic materials.

2. Spin-charge separation and electron pairing instabilities in Hubbard nanoclusters.

PubMed

Kocharian, A N; Fernando, G W; Palandage, K; Davenport, J W

2009-07-01

Electron charge and spin pairing instabilities in various cluster geometries for attractive and repulsive electrons are studied exactly under variation of interaction strength, electron doping and temperature. The exact diagonalization, level crossing degeneracies, spin-charge separation and separate condensation of paired electron charge and opposite spins yield intriguing insights into the origin of magnetism, ferroelectricity and superconductivity seen in inhomogeneous bulk nanomaterials and various phenomena in cold fermionic atoms in optical lattices. Phase diagrams resemble a number of inhomogeneous, coherent and incoherent nanoscale phases found recently in high-T(c) cuprates, manganites and multiferroic nanomaterials probed by scanning tunneling microscopy. Separate condensation of electron charge and spin degrees at various crossover temperatures offers a new route for superconductivity, different from the BCS scenario. The calculated phase diagrams resemble a number of inhomogeneous paired phases, superconductivity, ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity found in Nb and Co nanoparticles. The phase separation and electron pairing, monitored by electron doping and magnetic field surprisingly resemble incoherent electron pairing in the family of doped high-T(c) cuprates, ruthenocuprates, iron pnictides and spontaneous ferroelectricity in multiferroic materials.

3. Interplay Between Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity

Linder, Jacob; Sudbø, Asle

This chapter presents results on transport properties of hybrid structures where the interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity plays a central role. In particular, the appearance of so-called odd-frequency pairing in such structures is investigated in detail. The basic physics of superconductivity in such structures is presented, and the quasiclassical theory of Greens functions with appropriate boundary conditions is given. Results for superconductor∣ferromagnet bilayers as well as magnetic Josephson junctions and spin valves are presented. Further phenomena that are studied include transport in the presence of inhomogenous magnetic textures, spin-Josephon effect, and crossed Andreev reflection. We also investigate the possibility of intrinsic coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity, as reported in a series of uranium-based heavy-fermion compounds. The nature of such a coexistence and the resulting superconducting order parameter is discussed along with relevant experimental results. We present a thermodynamic treatment for a model of a ferromagnetic supercondcutor and moreover suggest ways to experimentally determine the pairing symmetry of the superconducting gap, in particular by means of conductance spectroscopy.

4. Phase transitions of dense neutron matter with generalized Skyrme interaction to superfluid states with triplet pairing in strong magnetic field

Tarasov, A. N.

2012-12-01

A generalized non-relativistic Fermi-liquid approach was used to find analytical formulas for temperatures Tc1(n, H) and Tc2(n, H) (which are functions nonlinear of density n and linear of magnetic field H) of phase transitions in spatially uniform dense pure neutron matter from normal to superfluid states with spin-triplet p-wave pairing (similar to anisotropic superfluid phases 3He-A1 and 3He-A2) in steady and homogeneous strong magnetic field (but |μn| H ll Ec < ɛF(n), where μn is the magnetic dipole moment of a neutron, Ec is the cutoff energy and ɛF(n) is the Fermi energy in neutron matter). General formulas for Tc1, 2 (n, H) (valid for arbitrary parameterization of the effective Skyrme interaction in neutron matter) are specified here for generalized BSk18 parameterization of the Skyrme forces (with additional terms dependent on density n) on the interval 0.3 n0 < n < nc (BSk18) ≍ 2.7952 · n0, where n0 = 0.17 fm-3 is nuclear density and at critical density nc(BSk18) triplet superfluidity disappears, Tc0(n, cH = 0) = 0. Expressions for phase transition temperatures Tc0(n)<0.09MeV (at Ec = 10MeV) and Tc1, 2(n, H) are realistic non-monotone functions of density n for BSk18 parameterization of the Skyrme forces (contrary to their monotone increase for all previous BSk parameterizations). Phase transitions to superfluid states of such type might occur in liquid outer core of magnetars (strongly magnetized neutron stars).

5. Superconducting Memristors

Peotta, Sebastiano; Di Ventra, Massimiliano

2014-09-01

In his original work, Josephson predicted that a phase-dependent conductance should be present in superconducting tunnel junctions, an effect difficult to detect, mainly because it is hard to single it out from the usual nondissipative Josephson current. We propose a solution for this problem that consists of using different superconducting materials to realize the two junctions of a superconducting interferometer. According to the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation the two junctions have different conductances if the critical currents are equal, thus the Josephson current can be suppressed by fixing the magnetic flux in the loop at half of a flux quantum without canceling the phase-dependent conductance. Our proposal can be used to study the phase-dependent conductance, an effect present in principle in all superconducting weak links. From the standpoint of nonlinear circuit theory, such a device is in fact an ideal memristor with possible applications to memories and neuromorphic computing in the framework of ultrafast and low-energy-consumption superconducting digital circuits.

6. Superconductivity at very low density: The case of strontium titanate

Ruhman, Jonathan; Lee, Patrick A.

2016-12-01

Doped strontium titanate becomes superconducting at a density as low as n =5 ×1017cm-3 , where the Fermi energy is orders of magnitude smaller than the longitudinal-optical-phonon frequencies. In this limit, the only optical mode with a frequency which is smaller than the Fermi energy is the plasmon. In contrast to metals, the interaction strength is weak due to screening by the crystal, which allows the construction of a controllable theory of plasmon superconductivity. We show that plasma mediated pairing alone can account for the observed transition temperatures only if the dielectric screening by the crystal is reduced in the slightly doped samples compared with the insulating ones. We also discuss unique features of the plasmon mechanism, which appear in the tunneling density of states above the gap.

7. Effects of adiabatic, relativistic, and quantum electrodynamics interactions on the pair potential and thermophysical properties of helium.

PubMed

Cencek, Wojciech; Przybytek, Michał; Komasa, Jacek; Mehl, James B; Jeziorski, Bogumił; Szalewicz, Krzysztof

2012-06-14

The adiabatic, relativistic, and quantum electrodynamics (QED) contributions to the pair potential of helium were computed, fitted separately, and applied, together with the nonrelativistic Born-Oppenheimer (BO) potential, in calculations of thermophysical properties of helium and of the properties of the helium dimer. An analysis of the convergence patterns of the calculations with increasing basis set sizes allowed us to estimate the uncertainties of the total interaction energy to be below 50 ppm for interatomic separations R smaller than 4 bohrs and for the distance R = 5.6 bohrs. For other separations, the relative uncertainties are up to an order of magnitude larger (and obviously still larger near R = 4.8 bohrs where the potential crosses zero) and are dominated by the uncertainties of the nonrelativistic BO component. These estimates also include the contributions from the neglected relativistic and QED terms proportional to the fourth and higher powers of the fine-structure constant α. To obtain such high accuracy, it was necessary to employ explicitly correlated Gaussian expansions containing up to 2400 terms for smaller R (all R in the case of a QED component) and optimized orbital bases up to the cardinal number X = 7 for larger R. Near-exact asymptotic constants were used to describe the large-R behavior of all components. The fitted potential, exhibiting the minimum of -10.996 ± 0.004 K at R = 5.608 0 ± 0.000 1 bohr, was used to determine properties of the very weakly bound (4)He(2) dimer and thermophysical properties of gaseous helium. It is shown that the Casimir-Polder retardation effect, increasing the dimer size by about 2 Å relative to the nonrelativistic BO value, is almost completely accounted for by the inclusion of the Breit-interaction and the Araki-Sucher contributions to the potential, of the order α(2) and α(3), respectively. The remaining retardation effect, of the order of α(4) and higher, is practically negligible for the bound

8. Investigation of the production of electron-positron pairs in nucleon-nucleon interactions with the HADES detector

SciTech Connect

Lapidus, K. O.

2010-06-15

The inclusive production of electron-positron pairs in proton-proton and deuteron-proton collisions at a beam kinetic energy of 1.25 GeV per nucleon was studied with the HADES (High Acceptance Dielectron Spectrometer) detector. The main objective of the deuteron-proton experiment was to investigate pair production in quasifree neutron-proton collisions. In the invariant-mass region M > 140 MeV/c{sup 2}, the invariant-mass spectrum determined in this channel shows a significant enhancement of the pair yield in relation to that in the case of proton-proton collisions.

9. Ion pair receptors†

PubMed Central

Kim, Sung Kuk

2010-01-01

Compared with simple ion receptors, which are able to bind either a cation or an anion, ion pair receptors bearing both a cation and an anion recognition site offer the promise of binding ion pairs or pairs of ions strongly as the result of direct or indirect cooperative interactions between co-bound ions. This critical review focuses on the recent progress in the design of ion pair receptors and summarizes the various binding modes that have been used to accommodate ion pairs (110 references). PMID:20737073

10. Superconducting magnets

SciTech Connect

Willen, E.; Dahl, P.; Herrera, J.

1985-01-01

This report provides a self-consistent description of a magnetic field in the aperture of a superconducting magnet and details how this field can be calculated in a magnet with cos theta current distribution in the coils. A description of an apparatus that can be used to measure the field uniformity in the aperture has been given. Finally, a detailed description of the magnet being developed for use in the Superconducting Super Collider is given. When this machine is built, it will be by far the largest application of superconductivity to date and promises to make possible the experimental discoveries needed to understand the basic laws of nature governing the world in which we live.

11. Towards inducing superconductivity into graphene

Efetov, Dmitri K.

Graphenes transport properties have been extensively studied in the 10 years since its discovery in 2004, with ground-breaking experimental observations such as Klein tunneling, fractional quantum Hall effect and Hofstadters butterfly. Though, so far, it turned out to be rather poor on complex correlated electronic ground states and phase transitions, despite various theoretical predictions. The purpose of this thesis is to help understanding the underlying theoretical and experimental reasons for the lack of strong electronic interactions in graphene, and, employing graphenes high tunability and versatility, to identify and alter experimental parameters that could help to induce stronger correlations. In particular graphene holds one last, not yet experimentally discovered prediction, namely exhibiting intrinsic superconductivity. With its vanishingly small Fermi surface at the Dirac point, graphene is a semi-metal with very weak electronic interactions. Though, if it is doped into the metallic regime, where the size of the Fermi surface becomes comparable to the size of the Brillouin zone, the density of states becomes sizeable and electronic interactions are predicted to be dramatically enhanced, resulting in competing correlated ground states such as superconductivity, magnetism and charge density wave formation. Following these predictions, this thesis first describes the creation of metallic graphene at high carrier doping via electrostatic doping techniques based on electrolytic gates. Due to graphenes surface only properties, we are able to induce carrier densities above n>1014 cm-2 (epsilonF>1eV) into the chemically inert graphene. While at these record high carrier densities we yet do not observe superconductivity, we do observe fundamentally altered transport properties as compared to semi-metallic graphene. Here, detailed measurements of the low temperature resistivity reveal that the electron-phonon interactions are governed by a reduced, density

12. Stripes and superconductivity in cuprates

2012-06-01

Holes doped into the CuO2 planes of cuprate parent compounds frustrate the antiferromagnetic order. The development of spin and charge stripes provides a compromise between the competing magnetic and kinetic energies. Static stripe order has been observed only in certain particular compounds, but there are signatures which suggest that dynamic stripe correlations are common in the cuprates. Though stripe order is bad for superconducting phase coherence, stripes are compatible with strong pairing. Ironically, magnetic-field-induced stripe order appears to enhance the stability of superconducting order within the planes.

13. PREFACE: Superconducting materials Superconducting materials

2011-11-01

The discovery of superconductivity in 1911 was a great milestone in condensed matter physics. This discovery has resulted in an enormous amount of research activity. Collaboration among chemists and physicists, as well as experimentalists and theoreticians has given rise to very rich physics with significant potential applications ranging from electric power transmission to quantum information. Several superconducting materials have been synthesized. Crucial progress was made in 1987 with the discovery of high temperature superconductivity in copper-based compounds (cuprates) which have revealed new fascinating properties. Innovative theoretical tools have been developed to understand the striking features of cuprates which have remained for three decades the 'blue-eyed boy' for researchers in superconductor physics. The history of superconducting materials has been notably marked by the discovery of other compounds, particularly organic superconductors which despite their low critical temperature continue to attract great interest regarding their exotic properties. Last but not least, the recent observation of superconductivity in iron-based materials (pnictides) has renewed hope in reaching room temperature superconductivity. However, despite intense worldwide studies, several features related to this phenomenon remain unveiled. One of the fundamental key questions is the mechanism by which superconductivity takes place. Superconductors continue to hide their 'secret garden'. The new trends in the physics of superconductivity have been one of the two basic topics of the International Conference on Conducting Materials (ICoCoM2010) held in Sousse,Tunisia on 3-7 November 2010 and organized by the Tunisian Physical Society. The conference was a nice opportunity to bring together participants from multidisciplinary domains in the physics of superconductivity. This special section contains papers submitted by participants who gave an oral contribution at ICoCoM2010

14. Anisotropy of the superconducting transition temperature under uniaxial pressure

Chen, X. J.; Lin, H. Q.; Yin, W. G.; Gong, C. D.; Habermeier, H.-U.

2001-12-01

The superconducting transition temperature Tc is calculated as a function of uniaxial pressure along the a, b, c directions for optimally doped YBa2Cu3O7-δ on the basis of a hole dispersion of the anisotropic t-J model. There is a good qualitative agreement with experiments. We show that the uniaxial pressure effect on Tc in the ab plane is due to the anisotropies of the hole dispersion and the in-plane pairing interaction, whereas the reduction of Tc under uniaxial compression along the c axis mainly results from the pressure-induced increase of hole concentration of the CuO2 plane.

15. 4. MESOSCOPIC SUPERCONDUCTIVITY: Proximity Action theory of superconductive nanostructures

Skvortsov, M. A.; Larkin, A. I.; Feigel'man, M. V.

2001-10-01

We review a novel approach to the superconductive proximity effect in disordered normal-superconducting (N-S) structures. The method is based on the multicharge Keldysh action and is suitable for the treatment of interaction and fluctuation effects. As an application of the formalism, we study the subgap conductance and noise in two-dimensional N-S systems in the presence of the electron-electron interaction in the Cooper channel. It is shown that singular nature of the interaction correction at large scales leads to a nonmonotonuos temperature, voltage and magnetic field dependence of the Andreev conductance.

16. Chiral magnetic superconductivity

Kharzeev, Dmitri E.

2017-03-01

Materials with charged chiral quasiparticles in external parallel electric and magnetic fields can support an electric current that grows linearly in time, corresponding to diverging DC conductivity. From experimental viewpoint, this "Chiral Magnetic Superconductivity" (CMS) is thus analogous to conventional superconductivity. However the underlying physics is entirely different - the CMS does not require a condensate of Cooper pairs breaking the gauge degeneracy, and is thus not accompanied by Meissner effect. Instead, it owes its existence to the (temperature-independent) quantum chiral anomaly and the conservation of chirality. As a result, this phenomenon can be expected to survive to much higher temperatures. Even though the chirality of quasiparticles is not strictly conserved in real materials, the chiral magnetic superconductivity should still exhibit itself in AC measurements at frequencies larger than the chirality-flipping rate, and in microstructures of Dirac and Weyl semimetals with thickness below the mean chirality-flipping length that is about 1 - 100 μm. In nuclear physics, the CMS should contribute to the charge-dependent elliptic flow in heavy ion collisions.

17. Effect of spin-orbit scattering on the magnetic and superconducting properties of nearly ferromagnetic metals: application to granular Pt.

PubMed

Fay, D; Appel, J

2002-09-16

We calculate the effect of scattering on the static, exchange enhanced, spin susceptibility and show that, in particular, spin-orbit scattering leads to a reduction of the giant moments and spin glass freezing temperature due to dilute magnetic impurities. The harmful spin fluctuation contribution to the intragrain pairing interaction is strongly reduced opening the way for BCS superconductivity. We are thus able to explain the superconducting and magnetic properties recently observed in granular Pt as being due to scattering effects in single small grains.

18. Effect of Spin-Orbit Scattering on the Magnetic and Superconducting Properties of Nearly Ferromagnetic Metals: Application to Granular Pt

Fay, D.; Appel, J.

2002-08-01

We calculate the effect of scattering on the static, exchange enhanced, spin susceptibility and show that, in particular, spin-orbit scattering leads to a reduction of the giant moments and spin glass freezing temperature due to dilute magnetic impurities. The harmful spin fluctuation contribution to the intragrain pairing interaction is strongly reduced opening the way for BCS superconductivity. We are thus able to explain the superconducting and magnetic properties recently observed in granular Pt as being due to scattering effects in single small grains.

19. Coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in the d-band metal ZrZn2.

PubMed

Pfleiderer, C; Uhlarz, M; Hayden, S M; Vollmer, R; v Löhneysen, H; Bernhoeft, N R; Lonzarich, G G

2001-07-05

It has generally been believed that, within the context of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory of superconductivity, the conduction electrons in a metal cannot be both ferromagnetically ordered and superconducting. Even when the superconductivity has been interpreted as arising from magnetic mediation of the paired electrons, it was thought that the superconducting state occurs in the paramagnetic phase. Here we report the observation of superconductivity in the ferromagnetically ordered phase of the d-electron compound ZrZn2. The specific heat anomaly associated with the superconducting transition in this material appears to be absent, and the superconducting state is very sensitive to defects, occurring only in very pure samples. Under hydrostatic pressure superconductivity and ferromagnetism disappear at the same pressure, so the ferromagnetic state appears to be a prerequisite for superconductivity. When combined with the recent observation of superconductivity in UGe2 (ref. 4), our results suggest that metallic ferromagnets may universally become superconducting when the magnetization is small.

20. Superconducting Microelectronics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Richard W.

1984-01-01

Discusses superconducting microelectronics based on the Josephson effect and its advantages over conventional integrated circuits in speed and sensitivity. Considers present uses in standards laboratories (voltage) and in measuring weak magnetic fields. Also considers future applications in superfast computer circuitry using Superconducting…

1. Superconductivity in Russia: Update and prospects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ozhogin, V.

1995-01-01

The research projects and new technological developments that have occured in Russia are highlighted in this document. Some of the research discussed includes: x-ray structure analysis of YBCO superconducting single crystals and accompanying phase transformations; the role of electron-electron interaction in High Temperature Superconductors (HTSC); the formation of Cooper pairs in crystals; the synthesis and research on a new family of superconductors based on complex copper and mercury oxides (HgBa2CuO4 + alpha and HgBa2CaCu2O6 + alpha); methods for the extraction of higher (up to C200) fullerenes and metalfullerenides has been developed; and process of production of Josephson junctions and development of SQUID's.

2. Lone pair⋯π interactions involving carbonyl π-systems: Experimental and theoretical study of the complexes of COF2 and COFCl with dimethyl ether

Geboes, Yannick; De Proft, Frank; Herrebout, Wouter A.

2016-09-01

In this theoretical and experimental study, the ability of carbonyl fluoride (COF2) and carbonyl chloride fluoride (COFCl) to form noncovalent interactions with the Lewis base dimethyl ether (DME) is assessed. From ab initio calculations, two stable complexes are found for COF2·DME, both formed through a lone pair⋯π interaction. FTIR measurements on liquefied noble gas solutions, supported by ab initio calculations, statistical thermodynamical calculations and Monte Carle Free Energy Perturbation calculations, show that a 1:1 lone pair⋯π bonded complex is found in solution, with an experimental complexation enthalpy of -14.5(3) kJ mol-1. For COFCl·DME three lone pair⋯π complexes, as well as a Cl⋯O halogen bonded complex, are found from ab initio calculations. Experimentally, clear complex bands for 1:1 lone pair⋯π complexes are observed, with an experimental complexation enthalpy of -11.4(2) kJ mol-1. Furthermore, indications of the presence of a small amount of the halogen bonded complex are also observed.

3. Theoretical Study on the Dual Behavior of XeO3 and XeF4 toward Aromatic Rings: Lone Pair-π versus Aerogen-π Interactions.

PubMed

Bauzá, Antonio; Frontera, Antonio

2015-12-01

In this study, several lone pair-π and aerogen-π complexes between XeO3 and XeF4 and aromatic rings with different electronic natures (benzene, trifluorobenzene, and hexafluorobenzene) are optimized at the RI-MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. All complexes are characterized as true minima by frequency analysis calculations. The donor/acceptor role of the ring in the complexes is analyzed using the natural bond orbital computational tool, showing a remarkable contribution of orbital interactions to the global stabilization of the aerogen-π complexes. Finally, Bader's AIM analysis of several complexes is performed to further characterize the lone pair-π and aerogen-π interactions.

4. New Theoretical Insight into the Interactions and Properties of Formic Acid: Development of a Quantum-Based Pair Potential for Formic Acid.

SciTech Connect

Roszak, S; Gee, R; Balasubramanian, K; Fried, L

2005-08-08

We performed ab initio quantum chemical studies for the development of intra and intermolecular interaction potentials for formic acid for use in molecular dynamics simulations of formic acid molecular crystal. The formic acid structures considered in the ab initio studies include both the cis and trans monomers which are the conformers that have been postulated as part of chains constituting liquid and crystal phases under extreme conditions. Although the cis to trans transformation is not energetically favored, the trans isomer was found as a component of stable gas-phase species. Our decomposition scheme for the interaction energy indicates that the hydrogen bonded complexes are dominated by the Hartree-Fock forces while parallel clusters are stabilized by the electron correlation energy. The calculated three-body and higher interactions are found to be negligible, thus rationalizing the development of an atom-atom pair potential for formic acid based on high-level ab initio calculations of small formic acid clusters. Here we present an atom-atom pair potential that includes both intra- and inter-molecular degrees of freedom for formic acid. The newly developed pair potential is used to examine formic acid in the condensed phase via molecular dynamics simulations. The isothermal compression under hydrostatic pressure obtained from molecular dynamics simulations is in good agreement with experiment. Further, the calculated equilibrium melting temperature is found to be in good agreement with experiment.

5. Nanoelectromechanics of superconducting weak links (Review Article)

Parafilo, A. V.; Krive, I. V.; Shekhter, R. I.; Jonson, M.

2012-04-01

Nanoelectromechanical effects in superconducting weak links are considered. Three different superconducting devices are studied: (i) a single-Cooper-pair transistor, (ii) a transparent SNS junction, and (iii) a single-level quantum dot coupled to superconducting electrodes. The electromechanical coupling is due to electrostatic or magnetomotive forces acting on a movable part of the device. It is demonstrated that depending on the frequency of mechanical vibrations the electromechanical coupling could either suppress or enhance the Josephson current. Nonequilibrium effects associated with cooling of the vibrational subsystem or pumping energy into it at low bias voltages are discussed.

6. Nb-Pb Superconducting RF Gun

SciTech Connect

Sekutowicz, J.; Iversen, J.; Kreps, G.; Moller, W.D.; Singer, W.; Singer, X.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Burrill, A.; Smedley, J.; Rao, T.; Ferrario, M.; Kneisel, P.; Langner, J.; Strzyzewski, P.; Lefferts, R.; Lipski, A.; Szalowski, K.; Ko, K.; Xiao, L.; /SLAC

2006-03-29

We report on the status of an electron RF-gun made of two superconductors: niobium and lead. The presented design combines the advantages of the RF performance of bulk niobium superconducting cavities and the reasonably high quantum efficiency of lead, as compared to other superconducting metals. The concept, mentioned in a previous paper, follows the attractive approach of all niobium superconducting RF-gun as it has been proposed by the BNL group. Measured values of quantum efficiency for lead at various photon energies, analysis of recombination time of photon-broken Cooper pairs for lead and niobium, and preliminary cold test results are discussed in this paper.

7. Nb-Pb superconducting RF gun

SciTech Connect

J. Sekutowicz; J. Iversen; G. Kreps; W.D. Moller; W. Singer; X. Singer; I. Ben-Zvi; A. Burrill; J. Smedley; T. Rao; M. Ferrario; P. Kneisel; J. Langner; P. Strzyzewski; R. Lefferts; A. Lipski; K. Szalowski; K. Ko; L. Xiao

2006-04-14

We report on the status of an electron RF-gun made of two superconductors: niobium and lead. The presented design combines the advantages of the RF performance of bulk niobium superconducting cavities and the reasonably high quantum efficiency of lead, as compared to other superconducting metals. The concept, mentioned in a previous paper, follows the attractive approach of all niobium superconducting RF-gun as it has been proposed by the BNL group. Measured values of quantum efficiency for lead at various photon energies, analysis of recombination time of photon-broken Cooper pairs for lead and niobium, and preliminary cold test results are discussed in this paper.

8. Superconductivity near a Quantum-Critical Point: The Special Role of the First Matsubara Frequency

Wang, Yuxuan; Abanov, Artem; Altshuler, Boris L.; Yuzbashyan, Emil A.; Chubukov, Andrey V.

2016-10-01

Near a quantum-critical point in a metal strong fermion-fermion interaction mediated by a soft collective boson gives rise to incoherent, non-Fermi liquid behavior. It also often gives rise to superconductivity which masks the non-Fermi liquid behavior. We analyze the interplay between the tendency to pairing and fermionic incoherence for a set of quantum-critical models with effective dynamical interaction between low-energy fermions. We argue that superconducting Tc is nonzero even for strong incoherence and/or weak interaction due to the fact that the self-energy from dynamic critical fluctuations vanishes for the two lowest fermionic Matsubara frequencies ωm=±π T . We obtain the analytic formula for Tc, which reproduces well earlier numerical results for the electron-phonon model at vanishing Debye frequency.

9. Superconductivity near a Quantum-Critical Point: The Special Role of the First Matsubara Frequency.

PubMed

Wang, Yuxuan; Abanov, Artem; Altshuler, Boris L; Yuzbashyan, Emil A; Chubukov, Andrey V

2016-10-07

Near a quantum-critical point in a metal strong fermion-fermion interaction mediated by a soft collective boson gives rise to incoherent, non-Fermi liquid behavior. It also often gives rise to superconductivity which masks the non-Fermi liquid behavior. We analyze the interplay between the tendency to pairing and fermionic incoherence for a set of quantum-critical models with effective dynamical interaction between low-energy fermions. We argue that superconducting T_{c} is nonzero even for strong incoherence and/or weak interaction due to the fact that the self-energy from dynamic critical fluctuations vanishes for the two lowest fermionic Matsubara frequencies ω_{m}=±πT. We obtain the analytic formula for T_{c}, which reproduces well earlier numerical results for the electron-phonon model at vanishing Debye frequency.

10. Surface effects in color superconducting strange-quark matter

SciTech Connect

Oertel, Micaela; Urban, Michael

2008-04-01

Surface effects in strange-quark matter play an important role for certain observables which have been proposed in order to identify strange stars, and color superconductivity can strongly modify these effects. We study the surface of color superconducting strange-quark matter by solving the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations for finite systems ('strangelets') within the MIT bag model, supplemented with a pairing interaction. Because of the bag-model boundary condition, the strange-quark density is suppressed at the surface. This leads to a positive surface charge, concentrated in a layer of {approx}1 fm below the surface, even in the color-flavor locked (CFL) phase. However, since in the CFL phase all quarks are paired, this positive charge is compensated by a negative charge, which turns out to be situated in a layer of a few tens of fm below the surface, and the total charge of CFL strangelets is zero. We also study the surface and curvature contributions to the total energy. Because of the strong pairing, the energy as a function of the mass number is very well reproduced by a liquid-drop type formula with curvature term.

11. Evidence That Base-pairing Interaction between Intron and mRNA Leader Sequences Inhibits Initiation of HAC1 mRNA Translation in Yeast*

PubMed Central

Sathe, Leena; Bolinger, Cheryl; Mannan, M. Amin-ul; Dever, Thomas E.; Dey, Madhusudan

2015-01-01

The Hac1 transcription factor in yeast up-regulates a collection of genes that control protein homeostasis. Base-pairing interactions between sequences in the intron and the 5′-untranslated region (5′ UTR) of the HAC1 mRNA represses Hac1 protein production under basal conditions, whereas cytoplasmic splicing of the intron by the Ire1 kinase-endonuclease, activated under endoplasmic reticulum stress conditions, relieves the inhibition and enables Hac1 synthesis. Using a random mutational screen as well as site-directed mutagenesis, we identify point mutations within the 5′ UTR-intron interaction site that derepress translation of the unspliced HAC1 mRNA. We also show that insertion of an in-frame AUG start codon upstream of the interaction site releases the translational block, demonstrating that an elongating ribosome can disrupt the interaction. Moreover, overexpression of translation initiation factor eIF4A, a helicase, enhances production of Hac1 from an mRNA containing an upstream AUG start codon at the beginning of the base-paired region. These results suggest that the major block of translation occurs at the initiation stage. Supporting this interpretation, the point mutations that enhanced Hac1 production resulted in an increased percentage of the HAC1 mRNA associating with polysomes versus free ribosomal subunits. Thus, our results provide evidence that the 5′ UTR-intron interaction represses translation initiation on the unspliced HAC1 mRNA. PMID:26175153

12. Observation of a pairing pseudogap in a two-dimensional Fermi gas.

PubMed

Feld, Michael; Fröhlich, Bernd; Vogt, Enrico; Koschorreck, Marco; Köhl, Michael

2011-11-30

Pairing of fermions is ubiquitous in nature, underlying many phenomena. Examples include superconductivity, superfluidity of (3)He, the anomalous rotation of neutron stars, and the crossover between Bose-Einstein condensation of dimers and the BCS (Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer) regime in strongly interacting Fermi gases. When confined to two dimensions, interacting many-body systems show even more subtle effects, many of which are not understood at a fundamental level. Most striking is the (as yet unexplained) phenomenon of high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides, which is intimately related to the two-dimensional geometry of the crystal structure. In particular, it is not understood how the many-body pairing is established at high temperature, and whether it precedes superconductivity. Here we report the observation of a many-body pairing gap above the superfluid transition temperature in a harmonically trapped, two-dimensional atomic Fermi gas in the regime of strong coupling. Our measurements of the spectral function of the gas are performed using momentum-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, analogous to angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in the solid state. Our observations mark a significant step in the emulation of layered two-dimensional strongly correlated superconductors using ultracold atomic gases.

13. SUPERCONDUCTING PHOTOINJECTOR

SciTech Connect

BEN-ZVI,I.; BURRILL, A.; CALAGA, R.; CHANG, X.; GROVER, R.; GUPTA, R.; HAHN, H.; HAMMONS, L.; KAYRAN, D.; KEWISCH, J.; LAMBIASE, R.; LITVINENKO, V.; MCINTYRE, G.; NAIK, D.; PATE, D.; PHILLIPS, D.; POZDEYEV, E.; RAO, T.; SMEDLEY, J.; THAN, R.; TODD, R.; WEISS, D.; WU, Q.; ZALTSMAN, A.; ET AL.

2007-08-26

One of the frontiers in FEL science is that of high power. In order to reach power in the megawatt range, one requires a current of the order of one ampere with a reasonably good emittance. The superconducting laser-photocathode RF gun with a high quantum efficiency photocathode is the most natural candidate to provide this performance. The development of a 1/2 cell superconducting photoinjector designed to operate at up to a current of 0.5 amperes and beam energy of 2 MeV and its photocathode system are the subjects covered in this paper. The main issues are the photocathode and its insertion mechanism, the power coupling and High Order Mode damping. This technology is being developed at BNL for DOE nuclear physics applications such as electron cooling at high energy and electron ion colliders..

14. Color superconductivity

SciTech Connect

Wilczek, F.

1997-09-22

The asymptotic freedom of QCD suggests that at high density - where one forms a Fermi surface at very high momenta - weak coupling methods apply. These methods suggest that chiral symmetry is restored and that an instability toward color triplet condensation (color superconductivity) sets in. Here I attempt, using variational methods, to estimate these effects more precisely. Highlights include demonstration of a negative pressure in the uniform density chiral broken phase for any non-zero condensation, which we take as evidence for the philosophy of the MIT bag model; and demonstration that the color gap is substantial - several tens of MeV - even at modest densities. Since the superconductivity is in a pseudoscalar channel, parity is spontaneously broken.

15. Magnetically leviated superconducting bearing

DOEpatents

Weinberger, Bernard R.; Lynds, Jr., Lahmer

1993-01-01

A magnetically levitated superconducting bearing includes a magnet (2) mounted on a shaft (12) that is rotatable around an axis of rotation and a Type II superconductor (6) supported on a stator (14) in proximity to the magnet (2). The superconductor (6) is positioned so that when it is cooled to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field, it interacts with the magnet (2) to produce an attractive force that levitates the magnet (2) and supports a load on the shaft (12). The interaction between the superconductor (6) and magnet(2) also produces surface screening currents (8) that generate a repulsive force perpendicular to the load. The bearing also has means for maintaining the superconductor at a temperature below its critical temperature (16, 18). The bearing could also be constructed so the magnet (2) is supported on the stator (14) and the superconductor (6) is mounted on the shaft (12). The bearing can be operated by cooling the superconductor (6) to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field.

16. Superconducting magnet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Extensive computer based engineering design effort resulted in optimization of a superconducting magnet design with an average bulk current density of approximately 12KA/cm(2). Twisted, stranded 0.0045 inch diameter NbTi superconductor in a copper matrix was selected. Winding the coil from this bundle facilitated uniform winding of the small diameter wire. Test coils were wound using a first lot of the wire. The actual packing density was measured from these. Interwinding voltage break down tests on the test coils indicated the need for adjustment of the wire insulation on the lot of wire subsequently ordered for construction of the delivered superconducting magnet. Using the actual packing densities from the test coils, a final magnet design, with the required enhancement and field profile, was generated. All mechanical and thermal design parameters were then also fixed. The superconducting magnet was then fabricated and tested. The first test was made with the magnet immersed in liquid helium at 4.2K. The second test was conducted at 2K in vacuum. In the latter test, the magnet was conduction cooled from the mounting flange end.

17. Sr2IrO4: Gateway to cuprate superconductivity?

DOE PAGES

Mitchell, J. F.

2015-06-05

High temperature superconductivity in cuprates remains a defining challenge in condensed matter physics. Recently, a new set of related compounds based on Ir rather than Cu has been discovered that may be on the verge of superconductivity themselves or be able to shed new light on the underlying interactions responsible for superconductivity in the cuprates.

18. Communication: Oscillating charge migration between lone pairs persists without significant interaction with nuclear motion in the glycine and Gly-Gly-NH-CH{sub 3} radical cations

SciTech Connect

Vacher, Morgane; Bearpark, Michael J.; Robb, Michael A.

2014-05-28

Coupled electron-nuclear dynamics has been studied, using the Ehrenfest method, for four conformations of the glycine molecule and a single conformation of Gly-Gly-NH-CH{sub 3}. The initial electronic wavepacket was a superposition of eigenstates corresponding to ionization from the σ lone pairs associated with the carbonyl oxygens and the amine nitrogen. For glycine, oscillating charge migration (when the nuclei were frozen) was observed for the 4 conformers studied with periods ranging from 2 to 5 fs, depending on the energy gap between the lone pair cationic states. When coupled nuclear motion was allowed (which was mainly NH{sub 2} partial inversion), the oscillations hardly changed. For Gly-Gly-NH-CH{sub 3}, charge migration between the carbonyl oxygens and the NH{sub 2} lone pair can be observed with a period similar to glycine itself, also without interaction with nuclear motion. These simulations suggest that charge migration between lone pairs can occur independently of the nuclear motion.

19. Enantiomeric pair of copper(II) polypyridyl-alanine complexes: Effect of chirality on their interaction with biomolecules.

PubMed

Ng, Chew Hee; Chan, Cheang Wei; Lai, Jing Wei; Ooi, Ing Hong; Chong, Kok Vei; Maah, Mohd Jamil; Seng, Hoi Ling

2016-07-01

Like chiral organic drugs, the chemical and biological properties of metal complexes can be dependent on chirality. Two pairs of [Cu(phen)(ala)(H2O)]X·xH2O (phen=1.10-phenanthroline: X=NO3(-); ala: l-alanine (l-ala), 1 and d-alanine (d-ala) 2; and (X=Cl(-); ala: l-ala, 3 and d-ala, 4) complex salts (x=number of lattice water molecules) have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure of 3 has been determined. The same pair of enantiomeric species, viz. [Cu(phen)(l-ala)(H2O)](+) and [Cu(phen)(d-ala)(H2O)](+), have been identified to be present in the aqueous solutions of both 1 and 3, and in those of both 2 and 4 respectively. Both 3 and 4 bind more strongly to ds(AT)6 than ds(CG)6. There is no or insignificant effect of the chirality of 3 and 4 on the production of hydroxyl radicals, binding to deoxyribonucleic acid from calf thymus (CT-DNA), ds(CG)6, G-quadruplex and 17-base pair duplex, and inhibition of both topoisomerase I and proteasome. Among the three proteasome proteolytic sites, the trypsin-like site is inhibited most strongly by these complexes. However, the chirality of 3 and 4 does affect the number of restriction enzymes inhibited, and their binding constants towards ds(AT)6 and serum albumin.

20. Halogen bonding interactions between brominated ion pairs and CO2 molecules: implications for design of new and efficient ionic liquids for CO2 absorption.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiang; Lu, Yunxiang; Peng, Changjun; Hu, Jun; Liu, Honglai; Hu, Ying

2011-04-14

In recent years, several novel halogenated liquids with characteristics of ionic liquids (ILs) were reported. To explore their performance in the absorption of CO(2), in this work, quantum chemical calculations at DFT level have been carried out to investigate halogen bonding interactions between experimentally available brominated ion pairs and CO(2) molecules. It is shown that, as compared to B3LYP, the functional PBE yields geometrical and energetic data more close to those of MP2 for cation-CO(2) systems. The cation of brominated ILs under study can interact with CO(2) molecules through Br···O interactions, possibly making an important impact on the physical solubility of CO(2) in brominated ILs. The optimized geometries of the complexes of the ion pair with CO(2) molecules are quite similar to those of the corresponding complexes of the cation, especially for the essentially linear C-Br···O contacts. However, much weaker halogen bonds are predicted in the former systems, as indicated by the longer intermolecular distances and the smaller interaction energies. Charges derived from NBO analysis reveal the origin of the different optimized conformations and halogen bonding interactions for the CO(2) molecule. Based on the electrostatic potential results, the substitution of hydrogen atoms with fluorine atoms constituting the cation is then applied to enhance halogen bond strength. The QTAIM analysis further validates the existence of halogen bonding interaction in all complexes. The topological properties at the halogen bond critical points indicate that the Br···O interactions in the complexes are basically electrostatic in nature and belong to conventional weak halogen bonds. This study would be helpful for designing new and effective ILs for CO(2) physical absorption.

1. σ-Hole Opposite to a Lone Pair: Unconventional Pnicogen Bonding Interactions between ZF3 (Z=N, P, As, and Sb) Compounds and Several Donors.

PubMed

Bauzá, Antonio; Mooibroek, Tiddo J; Frontera, Antonio

2016-06-03

The ability of several pnicogen sp(3) derivatives ZF3 (Z=N, P, As, Sb) to interact with electron-rich entities by means of the opposite face to the lone pair (lp) is investigated at the RI-MP2/aug-cc-pVQZ level of theory. The strength of the interaction ranges from -1 to -87 kJ mol(-1) , proving its favorable nature, especially when the lp is coordinated to a metal center, whereby the strength of the interaction is significantly enhanced. NBO analysis showed that orbital effects are modest contributors to the global stabilization of the pnicogen σ-hole bonded complexes studied. Finally, a selection of Cambridge Structural Database examples are shown that demonstrate the impact of this counterintuitive binding mode in the solid state.

2. Spin-1/2 Ising-Heisenberg model with the pair XYZ Heisenberg interaction and quartic Ising interactions as the exactly soluble zero-field eight-vertex model.

PubMed

Strecka, Jozef; Canová, Lucia; Minami, Kazuhiko

2009-05-01

The spin-1/2 Ising-Heisenberg model with the pair XYZ Heisenberg interaction and quartic Ising interactions is exactly solved by establishing a precise mapping relationship with the corresponding zero-field (symmetric) eight-vertex model. It is shown that the Ising-Heisenberg model with the ferromagnetic Heisenberg interaction exhibits a striking critical behavior, which manifests itself through re-entrant phase transitions as well as continuously varying critical exponents. The changes in critical exponents are in accordance with the weak universality hypothesis in spite of a peculiar singular behavior that emerges at a quantum critical point of the infinite order, which occurs at the isotropic limit of the Heisenberg interaction. On the other hand, the Ising-Heisenberg model with the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg interaction surprisingly exhibits less significant changes in both critical temperatures and critical exponents upon varying the strength of the exchange anisotropy in the Heisenberg interaction.

3. Kohn-Luttinger superconductivity in monolayer and bilayer semimetals with the Dirac spectrum

SciTech Connect

Kagan, M. Yu.; Mitskan, V. A.; Korovushkin, M. M.

2014-12-15

The effect of Coulomb interaction in an ensemble of Dirac fermions on the formation of superconducting pairing in monolayer and bilayer doped graphene is studied using the Kohn-Luttinger mechanism disregarding the Van der Waals potential of the substrate and impurities. The electronic structure of graphene is described using the Shubin-Vonsovsky model taking into account the intratomic, interatomic, and interlayer (in the case of bilayer graphene) Coulomb interactions between electrons. The Cooper instability is determined by solving the Bethe-Saltpeter integral equation. The renormalized scattering amplitude is obtained with allowance for the Kohn-Luttinger polarization contributions up to the second order of perturbation theory in the Coulomb interaction. It plays the role of effective interaction in the Bethe-Salpeter integral equation. It is shown that the allowance for the Kohn-Luttinger renormalizations as well as intersite Coulomb interaction noticeably affects the competition between the superconducting phases with the f-wave and d + id-wave symmetries of the order parameter. It is demonstrated that the superconducting transition temperature for an idealized graphene bilayer with significant interlayer Coulomb interaction between electrons is noticeably higher than in the monolayer case.

4. The Fluctuating Bond Model, a Glue for Cuprate Superconductivity?

Newns, Dennis

2008-03-01

Twenty years of research have yet to produce a consensus on the origin of high temperature superconductivity (HTS). The mechanism of HTS - which originates in the CuO2 plane, common to all HTS families - can be constrained by some key experimental facts regarding superconducting and pseudogap behaviors. Superconductivity, involving a Tc of order 100 K, exhibits an unusual d-wave superconducting gap, with Fermi liquid nodal excitations, and an anomalous doping- dependent oxygen isotope shift. A pseudogap,'' also with d-symmetry, leads to a dip in the density of states below a characteristic temperature scale T^*, which has a negative isotope shift; we associate the pseudogap with the recently observed spatially inhomogeneous (nanometer- scale) C4 symmetry breaking. The isotope shifts and other evidence imply a key role for oxygen vibrations, but conventional BCS single-phonon coupling is essentially forbidden by symmetry and by the on-site Coulomb interaction U. In a novel approach, we introduce a model based on a strong, local, nonlinear interaction between electrons within the Cu-O-Cu bond in the CuO2 plane, and the oxygen vibrational degrees of freedom, termed the Fluctuating Bond Model (FBM) [D.M. Newns and C.C. Tsuei, Nature Physics 3, 184 (2007)]. In mean field the model predicts a phase manifesting broken C4 symmetry, with a d-type pseudogap, and an upper phase boundary in temperature, with a negative isotope shift, which we identify with T^*. An intrinsic d-wave pairing tendency is found, leading to a transition temperature dome and an anomalous isotope shift similar to that found experimentally. The softening in the oxygen vibrational frequency below Tc, seen in Raman and neutron spectra, has a natural explanation in the FBM. Recent ab initio calculations have been implemented which provide microscopic support for the model.

5. A structural model for K2P potassium channels based on 23 pairs of interacting sites and continuum electrostatics

PubMed Central

Kollewe, Astrid; Lau, Albert Y.; Sullivan, Ashley; Benoît Roux

2009-01-01

K2PØ, the two-pore domain potassium background channel that determines cardiac rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster, and its homologues that establish excitable membrane activity in mammals are of unknown structure. K2P subunits have two pore domains flanked by transmembrane (TM) spans: TM1-P1-TM2-TM3-P2-TM4. To establish spatial relationships in K2PØ, we identified pairs of sites that display electrostatic compensation. Channels silenced by the addition of a charge in pore loop 1 (P1) or P2 were restored to function by countercharges at specific second sites. A three-dimensional homology model was determined using the crystal structure of KV1.2, effects of K2PØ mutations to establish alignment, and compensatory charge–charge pairs. The model was refined and validated by continuum electrostatic free energy calculations and covalent linkage of introduced cysteines. K2P channels use two subunits arranged so that the P1 and P2 loops contribute to one pore, identical P loops face each other diagonally across the pore, and the channel complex has bilateral symmetry with a fourfold symmetric selectivity filter. PMID:19564427

6. Application of hydrophilic interaction chromatography retention coefficients for predicting peptide elution with TFA and methanesulfonic acid ion-pairing reagents.

PubMed

2010-03-01

Hydrophilic retention coefficients for 17 peptides were calculated based on retention coefficients previously published for TSKgel silica-60 and were compared with the experimental elution profile on a Waters Atlantis HILIC silica column using TFA and methanesulfonic acid (MSA) as ion-pairing reagents. Relative peptide retention could be accurately determined with both counter-ions. Peptide retention and chromatographic behavior were influenced by the percent acid modifier used with increases in both retention and peak symmetry observed at increasing modifier concentrations. The enhancement of net peptide polarity through MSA pairing shifted retention out by nearly five-fold for the earliest eluting peptide, compared with TFA. Despite improvements in retention and efficiency (N(eff)) for MSA over TFA, a consistent reduction in calculated selectivity (alpha) was observed. This result is believed to be attributed to the stronger polar contribution of MSA masking and diminishing the underlying influence of the amino acid residues of each associated peptide. Finally, post-column infusion of propionic acid and acetic acid was evaluated for their potential to recover signal intensity for TFA and MSA counter-ions for LC-ESI-MS applications. Acetic acid generally yielded more substantial signal improvements over propionic acid on the TFA system while minimal benefits and some further reductions were noted with MSA.

7. Ultrasensitive Charge Detection Using a Cavity Embedded Single Cooper Pair Transistor

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

sensitive and less invasive than standard approaches, and allow higher device density. By embedding a superconducting SET known as a Cooper pair...transistor (CPT) in a superconducting microwave cavity, it is possible to use the charge sensitivity of the CPT’s quantum inductance to dispersively tune the... superconducting microwave cavities....................................................................... 5 4.2 Installation of cryogenic microwave

8. Exploring Interacting Quantum Many-Body Systems by Experimentally Creating Continuous Matrix Product States in Superconducting Circuits

Eichler, C.; Mlynek, J.; Butscher, J.; Kurpiers, P.; Hammerer, K.; Osborne, T. J.; Wallraff, A.

2015-10-01

Improving the understanding of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems such as gases of interacting atoms or electrons is one of the most important challenges in modern condensed matter physics, materials research, and chemistry. Enormous progress has been made in the past decades in developing both classical and quantum approaches to calculate, simulate, and experimentally probe the properties of such systems. In this work, we use a combination of classical and quantum methods to experimentally explore the properties of an interacting quantum gas by creating experimental realizations of continuous matrix product states—a class of states that has proven extremely powerful as a variational ansatz for numerical simulations. By systematically preparing and probing these states using a circuit quantum electrodynamics system, we experimentally determine a good approximation to the ground-state wave function of the Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian, which describes an interacting Bose gas in one dimension. Since the simulated Hamiltonian is encoded in the measurement observable rather than the controlled quantum system, this approach has the potential to apply to a variety of models including those involving multicomponent interacting fields. Our findings also hint at the possibility of experimentally exploring general properties of matrix product states and entanglement theory. The scheme presented here is applicable to a broad range of systems exploiting strong and tunable light-matter interactions.

9. Optimized Unlike-Pair Interactions for Water-Carbon Dioxide Mixtures described by the SPC/E and EPM2 Models

SciTech Connect

Vlcek, Lukas; Chialvo, Ariel A; Cole, David; Cole, David R

2011-01-01

The unlike- pair interaction parameters for the SPC/E- EPM2 models have been optimized to reproduce the mutual solubility of water and carbon dioxide at the conditions of liquid- supercritical fluid phase equilibria. An efficient global optimization of the parameters is achieved through an implementation of the coupling parameter approach, adapted to phase equilibria calculations in the Gibbs ensemble, that explicitly corrects for the over- polarization of the SPC/E water molecule in the non- polar CO2 environments. The resulting H2O- CO2 force field reproduces accurately the available experimental solubilities at the two fluid phases in equilibria as well as the corresponding species tracer diffusion coefficients.

10. Optical conductivity from pair density waves

Dai, Zhehao; Lee, Patrick A.

2017-01-01

We present a theory of optical conductivity in systems with finite-momentum Cooper pairs. In contrast to the BCS pairing where ac conductivity is purely imaginary in the clean limit, there is nonzero ac absorption across the superconducting gap for finite-momentum pairing if we break the Galilean symmetry explicitly in the electronic Hamiltonian. Vertex correction is crucial for maintaining the gauge invariance in the mean-field formalism and dramatically changes the optical conductivity in the direction of the pairing momentum. We carried out a self-consistent calculation and gave an explicit formula for optical conductivity in a simple case. This result applies to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state and candidates with pair density waves proposed for high-Tc cuprates. It may help detect pair density waves and determine the pairing gap as well as the direction of the pairing momentum in experiments.

11. Importance of C-H-donor and C-H-anion contact interactions for the crystal packing, the lattice softness and the superconducting transition temperatures of organic conducting salts

SciTech Connect

Whangbo, M.-H.; Novoa, J.J.; Jung, D. . Dept. of Chemistry); Williams, J.M.; Kinj, A.M.; Wang, H.H.; Geiser, U.; Beno, M.A.; Carlson, K.D. )

1990-01-01

The organic donor molecule BEDT-TTF and its analogs 2--4 have yielded a number of ambient-pressure superconducting salts. What structural and electronic factors govern the magnitudes of their superconducting transition temperature {Tc} has been a topic of intense studies. Examination of the band electronic structures of closely related superconducting salts shows, that the magnitudes of their {Tc}'s are primarily determined by the softness of their crystal lattices. The crystal packing and the lattice softness of organic donor salts are strongly influenced by the donor{hor ellipsis}donor and donor{hor ellipsis}anion contact interactions involving the donor-molecule C-H bonds. In the present work, we briefly review the electronic structures of some representative organic salt superconductors and discuss the softness of their crytsal lattices on the basis of the interaction energies calculated for the C-H{hor ellipsis}donor and C-H{hor ellipsis}anion contact interactions. 34 refs., 14 figs., 8 tabs.

12. On the importance of unprecedented lone pair-salt bridge interactions in Cu(II)-malonate-2-amino-5-chloropyridine-perchlorate ternary system.

PubMed

Mitra, Monojit; Manna, Prankrishna; Das, Amrita; Seth, Saikat Kumar; Helliwell, Madeleine; Bauzá, Antonio; Choudhury, Somnath Ray; Frontera, Antonio; Mukhopadhyay, Subrata

2013-07-18

A Cu(II)-malonate complex with formula {(C5H6N2Cl)12[Cu(1)(C3H2O4)2][Cu(2)(C3H2O4)2(H2O)2][Cu(4)(C3H2O4)2][Cu(3)(C3H2O4)2(H2O)2](ClO4)4}n (1) [C5H6N2Cl = protonated 2-amino-5-chloropyridine, C3H4O4 = malonic acid, ClO4(-) = perchlorate] has been synthesized from purely aqueous media simple by mixing the reactants in their stoichiometric ratio, and its crystal structure has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In 1, copper(II) malonate units form infinite 1D polymeric chains, which are interlinked by hydrogen bonds to generate 2D sheets. These 2D sheets are joined side by side primarily by various hydrogen bonds to form a 3D structure. A multitude of salt bridges are formed in this structure, connecting the protonated 2-amino-5-chloropyridines and the malonate ligands of the polymeric polyanion. Examining this characteristic of the solid-state architecture, we noticed several salt-bridge (sb)···π interactions and an unexplored interaction between the lone pair (lp) of one malonate oxygen atom and a planar salt bridge. The combination of this interaction with various other weak intermolecular forces results in a remarkably extended supramolecular network combining a wide variety of interactions involving π-systems (Cl···π, π···π) and salt bridges (sb···π and lp···sb). We describe the energetic and geometric features of this lone pair-salt-bridge interaction and explore its impact on the resultant supramolecular organization using theoretical DFT-D3 calculations.

13. Six distinct nuclear factors interact with the 75-base-pair repeat of the Moloney murine leukemia virus enhancer.

PubMed Central

Speck, N A; Baltimore, D

1987-01-01

Binding sites for six distinct nuclear factors on the 75-base-pair repeat of the Moloney murine leukemia virus enhancer have been identified by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay combined with methylation interference. Three of these factors, found in WEHI 231 nuclear extracts, which we have named LVa, LVb, and LVc (for leukemia virus factors a, b, and c) have not been previously identified. Nuclear factors that bind to the conserved simian virus 40 corelike motif, the NF-1 motif, and the glucocorticoid response element were also detected. Testing of multiple cell lines showed that most factors appeared ubiquitous, except that the NF-1 binding factor was found neither in nuclear extracts from MEL cells nor in the embryonal carcinoma cell lines PCC4 and F9, and core-binding factor was relatively depleted from MEL and F9 nuclear extracts. Images PMID:3561410

14. Pick a Pair. Pancake Pairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Pat

2005-01-01

Cold February weather and pancakes are a traditional pairing. Pancake Day began as a way to eat up the foods that were abstained from in Lent--traditionally meat, fat, eggs and dairy products. The best-known pancake event is The Pancake Day Race in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been run since 1445. This column describes pairs of books that…

15. Competition between superconductivity and magnetic/nematic order as a source of anisotropic superconducting gap in underdoped Ba1-xKxFe2As2

SciTech Connect

Kim, H; Tanatar, M A; Straszheim, W E; Cho, K; Murphy, J; Spyrison, N; Reid, J -Ph; Shen, Bing; Wen, Hai-Hu; Fernandes, R M; Prozorov, R

2014-07-01

The in-plane London penetration depth Δλ(T) was measured using a tunnel diode resonator technique in single crystals of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 with doping levels x ranging from heavily underdoped, x=0.16 (Tc=7K), to nearly optimally doped, x=0.34 (Tc=39K). Exponential saturation of Δλ(T) in the T→0 limit is found in optimally doped samples, with the superfluid density ρs(T)≡[λ(0)/λ(T)]2 quantitatively described by a self-consistent γ model with two nodeless isotropic superconducting gaps. As the doping level is decreased towards the extreme end of the superconducting dome at x=0.16, the low-temperature behavior of Δλ(T) becomes nonexponential and is best described by the power law Δλ(T)∝T2, characteristic of strongly anisotropic gaps. The change between the two regimes happens within the range of coexisting magnetic/nematic order and superconductivity, x<0.25, and is accompanied by a rapid rise in the absolute value of Δλ(T) with underdoping. This effect, characteristic of the competition between superconductivity and other ordered states, is very similar to but of significantly smaller magnitude than what is observed in the electron-doped Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 compounds. Our study suggests that the competition between superconductivity and magnetic/nematic order in hole-doped compounds is weaker than in electron-doped compounds, and that the anisotropy of the superconducting state in the underdoped iron pnictides is a consequence of the anisotropic changes in the pairing interaction and in the gap function promoted by both magnetic and nematic long-range orders.

16. Space applications of superconductivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, D. B.; Vorreiter, J. W.

1979-01-01

Some potential applications of superconductivity in space are summarized, e.g., the use of high field magnets for cosmic ray analysis or energy storage and generation, space applications of digital superconducting devices, such as the Josephson switch and, in the future, a superconducting computer. Other superconducting instrumentation which could be used in space includes: low frequency superconducting sensors, microwave and infrared detectors, instruments for gravitational studies, and high-Q cavities for use as stabilizing elements in clocks and oscillators.

17. Manipulation of domain propagation dynamics with the magnetostatic interaction in a pair of Fe-rich amorphous microwires

Gawroński, P.; Zhukova, V.; Zhukov, A.; Gonzalez, J.

2013-07-01

We studied the domain wall dynamics in a system of two magnetostatically interacting Fe-rich glass coated amorphous microwires paying attention on the influence of the interaction and the external tensile stress on the velocity of the domain wall propagation. We measured and analyzed numerically the dependence of the shape of the hysteresis loops on the frequency of the applied field considering its origin related with the finite domain wall velocity. The critical condition for the disappearance of the plateau on the hysteresis loops separating two remagnetization events in a system of two microwires was investigated.

18. Superconductivity in the ferromagnetic semiconductor samarium nitride

Anton, E.-M.; Granville, S.; Engel, A.; Chong, S. V.; Governale, M.; Zülicke, U.; Moghaddam, A. G.; Trodahl, H. J.; Natali, F.; Vézian, S.; Ruck, B. J.

2016-07-01

Conventional wisdom expects that making semiconductors ferromagnetic requires doping with magnetic ions and that superconductivity cannot coexist with magnetism. However, recent concerted efforts exploring new classes of materials have established that intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductors exist and that certain types of strongly correlated metals can be ferromagnetic and superconducting at the same time. Here we show that the trifecta of semiconducting behavior, ferromagnetism, and superconductivity can be achieved in a single material. Samarium nitride (SmN) is a well-characterized intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductor, hosting strongly spin-ordered 4 f electrons below a Curie temperature of 27 K. We have now observed that it also hosts a superconducting phase below 4 K when doped to electron concentrations above 1021cm-3 . The large exchange splitting of the conduction band in SmN favors equal-spin triplet pairing with p -wave symmetry. Significantly, superconductivity is enhanced in superlattices of gadolinium nitride (GdN) and SmN. An analysis of the robustness of such a superconducting phase against disorder leads to the conclusion that the 4 f bands are crucial for superconductivity, making SmN a heavy-fermion-type superconductor.

19. Biophysical investigations of complement receptor 2 (CD21 and CR2)-ligand interactions reveal amino acid contacts unique to each receptor-ligand pair.

PubMed

Kovacs, James M; Hannan, Jonathan P; Eisenmesser, Elan Z; Holers, V Michael

2010-08-27

Human complement receptor type 2 (CR2 and CD21) is a cell membrane receptor, with 15 or 16 extracellular short consensus repeats (SCRs), that promotes B lymphocyte responses and bridges innate and acquired immunity. The most distally located SCRs, SCR1-2, mediate the interaction of CR2 with its four known ligands (C3d, EBV gp350, IFNalpha, and CD23). To ascertain specific interacting residues on CR2, we utilized NMR studies wherein gp350 and IFNalpha were titrated into (15)N-labeled SCR1-2, and chemical shift changes indicative of specific inter-molecular interactions were identified. With backbone assignments made, the chemical shift changes were mapped onto the crystal structure of SCR1-2. With regard to gp350, the binding region of CR2 is primarily focused on SCR1 and the inter-SCR linker, specifically residues Asn(11), Arg(13), Ala(22), Arg(28), Ser(32), Arg(36), Lys(41), Lys(57), Tyr(64), Lys(67), Tyr(68), Arg(83), Gly(84), and Arg(89). With regard to IFNalpha, the binding is similar to the CR2-C3d interaction with specific residues being Arg(13), Tyr(16), Arg(28), Ser(42), Lys(48), Lys(50), Tyr(68), Arg(83), Gly(84), and Arg(89). We also report thermodynamic properties of each ligand-receptor pair determined using isothermal titration calorimetry. The CR2-C3d interaction was characterized as a two-mode binding interaction with K(d) values of 0.13 and 160 microm, whereas the CR2-gp350 and CR2-IFNalpha interactions were characterized as single site binding events with affinities of 0.014 and 0.035 microm, respectively. The compilation of chemical binding maps suggests specific residues on CR2 that are uniquely important in each of these three binding interactions.

20. Lone pair ... pi interactions between water oxygens and aromatic residues: quantum chemical studies based on high-resolution protein structures and model compounds.

PubMed

Jain, Alok; Ramanathan, Venkatnarayan; Sankararamakrishnan, Ramasubbu

2009-03-01

The pi electron cloud of aromatic centers is known to be involved in several noncovalent interactions such as C--H...pi, O--H...pi, and pi...pi interactions in biomolecules. Lone-pair (lp) ... pi interactions have gained attention recently and their role in biomolecular structures is being recognized. In this article, we have carried out systematic analysis of high-resolution protein structures and identified more than 400 examples in which water oxygen atoms are in close contact (distance < 3.5 A) with the aromatic centers of aromatic residues. Three different methods were used to build hydrogen atoms and we used a consensus approach to find out potential candidates for lp...pi interactions between water oxygen and aromatic residues. Quantum mechanical calculations at MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level on model systems based on protein structures indicate that majority of the identified examples have energetically favorable interactions. The influence of water hydrogen atoms was investigated by sampling water orientations as a function of two parameters: distance from the aromatic center and the angle between the aromatic plane and the plane formed by the three water atoms. Intermolecular potential surfaces were constructed using six model compounds representing the four aromatic amino acids and 510 different water orientations for each model compound. Ab initio molecular orbital calculations at MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level show that the interaction energy is favorable even when hydrogen atoms are farthest from the aromatic plane while water oxygen is pointing toward the aromatic center. The strength of such interaction depends upon the distance of water hydrogen atoms from the aromatic substituents. Our calculations clearly show that the lp...pi interactions due to the close approach of water oxygen and aromatic center are influenced by the positions of water hydrogen atoms and the aromatic substituents.

1. Applications of the conformal transformation method in studies of composed superconducting systems

Krzyzosiak, Mateusz; Gonczarek, Ryszard; Gonczarek, Adam; Jacak, Lucjan

2016-12-01

A framework for analytical studies of superconducting systems is presented and illustrated. The formalism, based on the conformal transformation of momentum space, allows one to study the effects of both the dispersion relation and the structure of the pairing interaction in two-dimensional anisotropic high- T c superconductors. In this method, the number of employed degrees of freedom coincides with the dimension of the momentum space, which is different compared to that in the standard Van Hove scenario with a single degree of freedom. A new function, the kernel of the density of states, is defined and its relation to the standard density of states is explained. The versatility of the method is illustrated by analyzing coexistence and competition between spin-singlet and spin-triplet order parameters in superconducting systems with a tight-binding-type dispersion relation and an anisotropic pairing potential. Phase diagrams of stable superconducting states in the coordinates Î· (the ratio of hopping parameters) and n (the carrier concentration) are presented and discussed. Moreover, the role of attractive and repulsive on-site interactions for the stability of the s-wave order parameter is explained.

2. Mechanism, time-reversal symmetry, and topology of superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric systems

Scheurer, M. S.

2016-05-01

We analyze the possible interaction-induced superconducting instabilities in noncentrosymmetric systems based on symmetries of the normal state. It is proven that pure electron-phonon coupling will always lead to a fully gapped superconductor that does not break time-reversal symmetry and is topologically trivial. We show that topologically nontrivial behavior can be induced by magnetic doping without gapping out the resulting Kramers pair of Majorana edge modes. In the case of superconductivity arising from the particle-hole fluctuations associated with a competing instability, the properties of the condensate crucially depend on the time-reversal behavior of the order parameter of the competing instability. When the order parameter preserves time-reversal symmetry, we obtain exactly the same properties as in the case of phonons. If it is odd under time reversal, the Cooper channel of the interaction will be fully repulsive leading to sign changes of the gap and making spontaneous time-reversal-symmetry breaking possible. To discuss topological properties, we focus on fully gapped time-reversal-symmetric superconductors and derive constraints on possible pairing states that yield necessary conditions for the emergence of topologically nontrivial superconductivity. These conditions might serve as a tool in the search for topological superconductors. We also discuss implications for oxide heterostructures and single-layer FeSe.

3. The effect of temperature, interaction range, and pair potential on the formation of dodecagonal quasicrystals in core-corona systems

Pattabhiraman, Harini; Dijkstra, Marjolein

2017-03-01

A two-dimensional dodecagonal quasicrystal was previously reported by Dotera et al (2014 Nature 506 208) in a system of particles interacting with a hard core of diameter σ and a repulsive square shoulder of diameter δ =1.40σ . In the current work, we examine the formation of this quasicrystal using bond orientational order parameters, correlation functions and tiling distributions. We find that this dodecagonal quasicrystal forms from a fluid phase. We further study the effect of the width of the repulsive shoulder by simulating the system over a range of values of δ. For the range of densities and temperatures considered, we observe the formation of the dodecagonal quasicrystal between δ =1.30σ and 1.44σ . We also study the effect of shape of the interaction potential by simulating the system using three other interaction potentials with two length scales, namely hard-core plus a linear ramp, modified exponential, or Buckingham (exp-6) potential. We observe the presence of the quasicrystal in all three systems. However, depending on the shape of the potential, the formation of the quasicrystal takes place at lower temperatures (or higher interaction strengths). Using free-energy calculations, we demonstrate that the quasicrystal is thermodynamically stable in the square-shoulder and linear-ramp system.

4. The Nature of Negotiations in Face-to-Face versus Computer-Mediated Communication in Pair Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rouhshad, Amir; Wigglesworth, Gillian; Storch, Neomy

2016-01-01

The Interaction Approach argues that negotiation for meaning and form is conducive to second language development. To date, most of the research on negotiations has been either in face-to-face (FTF) or text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modes. Very few studies have compared the nature of negotiations across the modes.…

5. The effect of temperature, interaction range, and pair potential on the formation of dodecagonal quasicrystals in core-corona systems.

PubMed

Pattabhiraman, Harini; Dijkstra, Marjolein

2017-03-08

A two-dimensional dodecagonal quasicrystal was previously reported by Dotera et al (2014 Nature 506 208) in a system of particles interacting with a hard core of diameter σ and a repulsive square shoulder of diameter [Formula: see text]. In the current work, we examine the formation of this quasicrystal using bond orientational order parameters, correlation functions and tiling distributions. We find that this dodecagonal quasicrystal forms from a fluid phase. We further study the effect of the width of the repulsive shoulder by simulating the system over a range of values of δ. For the range of densities and temperatures considered, we observe the formation of the dodecagonal quasicrystal between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We also study the effect of shape of the interaction potential by simulating the system using three other interaction potentials with two length scales, namely hard-core plus a linear ramp, modified exponential, or Buckingham (exp-6) potential. We observe the presence of the quasicrystal in all three systems. However, depending on the shape of the potential, the formation of the quasicrystal takes place at lower temperatures (or higher interaction strengths). Using free-energy calculations, we demonstrate that the quasicrystal is thermodynamically stable in the square-shoulder and linear-ramp system.

6. Examining the Role of Communication on Sibling Relationship Quality and Interaction for Sibling Pairs with and without a Developmental Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ashlyn L.; Romski, MaryAnn; Sevcik, Rose A.

2013-01-01

This study examined communication interaction patterns when one sibling had a developmental disability as well as the role of communication skills in sibling relationship quality. Thirty sibling dyads were categorized into one of three communication status groups: emerging, context-dependent, and independent communicators. Independent…

7. Equation of state of a dense plasma: Analytical results on the basis of quantum pair interaction potentials in the random phase approximation

Moldabekov, Zh A.; Ramazanov, T. S.; Gabdullin, M. T.

2016-11-01

In this work, using recently obtained expansion of the dielectric function in the long wave length limit by Moldabekov et al (2015 Phys. Plasmas 22 102104), we extended previously obtained formulas for the equation of state of the semiclassical dense plasma from Ramazanov et al (2015 Phys. Rev. E 92 023104) to the quantum case. Inner energy and contribution to the pressure due to plasma non-ideality derived for both Coulomb pair interaction and quantum pair interaction potentials. Obtained analytical result for the equation of state reproduces the Montroll-Ward contribution, which corresponds to the quantum ring sum. It was shown that the obtained results are consistent with the Thomas-Fermi approximation with the first order gradient correction. Additionally, the generalization of the quantum Deutsch potential to the case of the degenerate electrons is discussed. Obtained results will be useful for understanding of the physics of dense plasmas as well as for further development of the dense plasma simulation on the basis of the quantum potentials.

8. Binding of echinomycin to d(GCGC)2 and d(CCGG)2: distinct stacking interactions dictate the sequence-dependent formation of Hoogsteen base pairs.

PubMed

Gallego, J; Luque, F J; Orozco, M; Gago, F

1994-08-01

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to explore the behavior of the complexes of echinomycin with the DNA tetramers d(GCGC)2 and d(CCGG)2 in which the terminal bases have been paired according to either a Hoogsteen or a Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding scheme. The energy of the four resulting complexes has been monitored along the dynamics trajectories and the interaction energy between echinomycin and DNA has been decomposed into contributions arising from the planar aromatic systems and the depsipeptide part of the antibiotic. Our calculations predict a large increase in overall stabilization upon protonation of the terminal cytosines and subsequent Hoogsteen pair formation in the complex of echinomycin with d(GCGC)2 but not with d(CCGG)2, in agreement with the experimental evidence [Gao and Patel, Quart. Rev. Biophys. 22, 93-138 (1989)]. The conformational preferences appear to arise mainly from differential stacking interactions in which the electrostatic component is shown to play a dominant role. Differences in hydrogen bonding patterns are also found among the complexes and these are compared in relation to available crystal structures. The binding of echinomycin to DNA appears as a complex process involving many interrelated variables.

9. Negative U-centers and defect superconductivity

Dzhumanov, S.; Yavidov, B.; Makhmudov, N. A.

1997-04-01

A connection between the formation of defect bipolarons (i.e. U-centers or U-bipolarons) and superconductivity in high-Tcsuperconductors (HTSC) is considered in two pairing limits of carriers in realr- andk-spaces. The irrelevance ofr-space U-bipolarons to superconductivity is motivated. It is shown that the formation ofk-space U-bipolarons and their subsequent attractive single particle and pair condensation lead to depressed (in comparison with lattice bipolarons) superconductivity due to a large mass of such U-bipolarons. It is argued that the coexistence ofk-space lattice bipolarons andr-space U-bipolarons leads to the shift of the maximum of the concentration dependenceTc(n)to higher carrier concentrations, in accordance with the observations in HTSC.

10. Generalized BEC in superconductivity

Grether, M.; de Llano, M.

2007-09-01

A generalized Bose-Einstein condensation (GBEC) statistical theory of superconductors accounts not for BB interactions but rather for boson-fermion (BF) interactions. It extends the 1989 Friedberg-Lee BEC theory by including as bosons two-hole (2h) singlet Cooper pairs (CPs) in addition to the usual two-electron (2e) ones. It contains BCS theory when both kinds of pairs are equal in the BE condensate and in excited states-at least as far as identically reproducing the BCS gap equation for all temperatures T as well as the T = 0 BCS condensation energy for all couplings. As a ternary BF model with BF interactions, it yields Tcs one-to-three orders-of-magnitude higher than BCS theory with the same Cooper/BCS model electron-phonon interaction. These Tcs appear to be surprisingly insensitive to the BF interaction.

11. Novel base-pairing interactions at the tRNA wobble position crucial for accurate reading of the genetic code

PubMed Central

Rozov, Alexey; Demeshkina, Natalia; Khusainov, Iskander; Westhof, Eric; Yusupov, Marat; Yusupova, Gulnara

2016-01-01

Posttranscriptional modifications at the wobble position of transfer RNAs play a substantial role in deciphering the degenerate genetic code on the ribosome. The number and variety of modifications suggest different mechanisms of action during messenger RNA decoding, of which only a few were described so far. Here, on the basis of several 70S ribosome complex X-ray structures, we demonstrate how Escherichia coli tRNALysUUU with hypermodified 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine (mnm5s2U) at the wobble position discriminates between cognate codons AAA and AAG, and near-cognate stop codon UAA or isoleucine codon AUA, with which it forms pyrimidine–pyrimidine mismatches. We show that mnm5s2U forms an unusual pair with guanosine at the wobble position that expands general knowledge on the degeneracy of the genetic code and specifies a powerful role of tRNA modifications in translation. Our models consolidate the translational fidelity mechanism proposed previously where the steric complementarity and shape acceptance dominate the decoding mechanism. PMID:26791911

12. Dynamical Cooper pairing in nonequilibrium electron-phonon systems

Knap, Michael; Babadi, Mehrtash; Refael, Gil; Martin, Ivar; Demler, Eugene

2016-12-01

We analyze Cooper pairing instabilities in strongly driven electron-phonon systems. The light-induced nonequilibrium state of phonons results in a simultaneous increase of the superconducting coupling constant and the electron scattering. We demonstrate that the competition between these effects leads to an enhanced superconducting transition temperature in a broad range of parameters. Our results may explain the observed transient enhancement of superconductivity in several classes of materials upon irradiation with high intensity pulses of terahertz light, and may pave new ways for engineering high-temperature light-induced superconducting states.

13. Nonequilibrium transport in superconducting tunneling structures.

SciTech Connect

Chtchelkatchev, N. M.; Vinokur, V. M.; Baturina, T. I.

2010-12-01

We derive the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of far from equilibrium superconducting tunneling arrays and find that the energy relaxation ensuring the charge transfer occurs in two stages: (i) the energy exchange between charge carriers and the intermediate bosonic agent, environment, and (ii) relaxing the energy further to the (phonon) thermostat, the bath, provided the rate of the environmental modes-phonon interactions is slower than their energy exchange rate with the tunneling junction. For a single junction we find I {proportional_to} (V/R)ln({Lambda}/V), where R is the bare tunnel resistance of the junction and {Lambda} is the high energy cut-off of the electron-environment interaction. In large tunneling arrays comprised of macroscopic number of junctions, low-temperature transport is governed by the cotunneling processes losing energy to the electron-hole environment. Below some critical temperature, T*, the Coulomb interactions open a finite gap in the environment excitations spectrum blocking simultaneously Cooper pair and normal excitations currents through the array; this is the microscopic mechanism of the insulator-to-superinsulator transition.

14. Dynamical Bayesian inference of time-evolving interactions: From a pair of coupled oscillators to networks of oscillators

Duggento, Andrea; Stankovski, Tomislav; McClintock, Peter V. E.; Stefanovska, Aneta

2012-12-01

Living systems have time-evolving interactions that, until recently, could not be identified accurately from recorded time series in the presence of noise. Stankovski [Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.109.024101 109, 024101 (2012)] introduced a method based on dynamical Bayesian inference that facilitates the simultaneous detection of time-varying synchronization, directionality of influence, and coupling functions. It can distinguish unsynchronized dynamics from noise-induced phase slips. The method is based on phase dynamics, with Bayesian inference of the time-evolving parameters being achieved by shaping the prior densities to incorporate knowledge of previous samples. We now present the method in detail using numerically generated data, data from an analog electronic circuit, and cardiorespiratory data. We also generalize the method to encompass networks of interacting oscillators and thus demonstrate its applicability to small-scale networks.

15. Plasmon and exciton superconductivity mechanisms in layered structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabovich, A. M.; Pashitskiy, E. A.; Uvarova, S. K.

1977-01-01

Plasmon and exciton superconductivity mechanisms are discussed. Superconductivity in a three layer metal semiconductor metal and insulator semimetal insulator sandwich structure was described in terms of the temperature dependent Green function of the longitudinal (Coulomb) field. The dependences of the superconducting transition temperature on structure parameters were obtained. In a semiconducting film, as a result of interactions of degenerate free carriers with excitons, superconductivity exists only in a certain range of parameter values, and the corresponding critical temperature is much lower than in the plasmon mechanism of superconductivity.

16. Resonance tunneling of cooper pairs in a superconductor-polymer-superconductor josephson junction

SciTech Connect

Ionov, A. I.

2013-05-15

It is shown that the superconducting current flowing though a polymer in a superconductor-polymer-superconductor Josephson structure is due to resonant tunneling of Cooper pairs. The critical current and the thickness of the polymer in which the superconducting current is observed depend on the coherence length of a Cooper pair in the superconductor contacting the polymer.

17. The cavity-embedded-cooper pair transistor

Chen, Fei

Nearly eight decades after Erwin Schrodinger proposed his famous cat paradox, the boundary between classical and quantum physics is becoming accessible to experimental study in condensed matter systems, in which macroscopic and microscopic degrees of freedom interact with each other. The cavity-embedded-Cooper pair transistor (cCPT) is an ideal candidate for such a study in that it is not only strongly and intrinsically nonlinear but also fully quantum mechanical. A novel technique, based on the circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture, is first introduced for applying a dc bias to a high-Q superconducting microwave cavity. The development and investigation of the cCPT system, in which a Cooper pair transistor acting as a single artificial atom is directly coupled to an on-chip dc-biased high-Q resonator, is then presented. Self-oscillations in the cCPT, internally driven by the ac Josephson effect, demonstrate the strong and phase coherent coupling between matter and light in the cCPT. Meanwhile, photons continually produced by the system are collected and characterized by quantum state tomography, which indicates the non-classical nature of the emitted light and the nonlinear quantum dynamics of the cCPT system.

18. High field superconducting magnets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hait, Thomas P. (Inventor); Shirron, Peter J. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A superconducting magnet includes an insulating layer disposed about the surface of a mandrel; a superconducting wire wound in adjacent turns about the mandrel to form the superconducting magnet, wherein the superconducting wire is in thermal communication with the mandrel, and the superconducting magnet has a field-to-current ratio equal to or greater than 1.1 Tesla per Ampere; a thermally conductive potting material configured to fill interstices between the adjacent turns, wherein the thermally conductive potting material and the superconducting wire provide a path for dissipation of heat; and a voltage limiting device disposed across each end of the superconducting wire, wherein the voltage limiting device is configured to prevent a voltage excursion across the superconducting wire during quench of the superconducting magnet.

19. Resonant tunneling of fluctuation Cooper pairs

SciTech Connect

Galda, Alexey; Mel'nikov, A. S.; Vinokur, V. M.

2015-02-09

Superconducting fluctuations have proved to be an irreplaceable source of information about microscopic and macroscopic material parameters that could be inferred from the experiment. According to common wisdom, the effect of thermodynamic fluctuations in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, is to round off all of the sharp corners and discontinuities, which otherwise would have been expected to occur at Tc. Here we report the current spikes due to radiation-induced resonant tunneling of fluctuation Cooper pairs between two superconductors which grow even sharper and more pronounced upon approach to Tc. This striking effect offers an unprecedented tool for direct measurements of fluctuation Cooper pair lifetime, which is key to our understanding of the fluctuation regime, most notably to nature of the pseudogap state in high-temperature superconductors. Our finding marks a radical departure from the conventional view of superconducting fluctuations as a blurring and rounding phenomenon.

20. Resonant tunneling of fluctuation Cooper pairs

DOE PAGES

Galda, Alexey; Mel'nikov, A. S.; Vinokur, V. M.

2015-02-09

Superconducting fluctuations have proved to be an irreplaceable source of information about microscopic and macroscopic material parameters that could be inferred from the experiment. According to common wisdom, the effect of thermodynamic fluctuations in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, is to round off all of the sharp corners and discontinuities, which otherwise would have been expected to occur at Tc. Here we report the current spikes due to radiation-induced resonant tunneling of fluctuation Cooper pairs between two superconductors which grow even sharper and more pronounced upon approach to Tc. This striking effect offers an unprecedented tool formore » direct measurements of fluctuation Cooper pair lifetime, which is key to our understanding of the fluctuation regime, most notably to nature of the pseudogap state in high-temperature superconductors. Our finding marks a radical departure from the conventional view of superconducting fluctuations as a blurring and rounding phenomenon.« less

1. Photofragmentations, state interactions, and energetics of Rydberg and ion-pair states: resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization via E and V (B) states of HCl and HBr.

PubMed

Long, Jingming; Wang, Huasheng; Kvaran, Ágúst

2013-01-28

(2 + n) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization mass spectra for resonance excitations to diabatic E(1)Σ(+) (v') Rydberg and V (1)Σ(+) (v') ion-pair states (adiabatic B(1)Σ(+)(v') states) of H(i)Cl (i = 35,37) and H(i)Br (i = 79,81) were recorded as a function of excitation wavenumber (two-dimensional REMPI). Simulation analyses of ion signal intensities, deperturbation analysis of line shifts and interpretations of line-widths are used to derive qualitative and quantitative information concerning the energetics of the states, off-resonance interactions between the E states and V states, closest in energy as well as on predissociation channels. Spectroscopic parameters for the E(1)Σ(+) (v')(v' = 1) for H(35)Cl and v' = 0 for H(79)Br states, interaction strengths for E - V state interactions and parameters relevant to dissociation of the E states are derived. An overall interaction and dynamical scheme, to describe the observations for HBr, is proposed.

2. Temperature-dependent transformation of the magnetic excitation spectrum on approaching superconductivity in Fe(1+y-x)(Ni/Cu)(x)Te(0.5)Se(0.5).

PubMed

Xu, Zhijun; Wen, Jinsheng; Zhao, Yang; Matsuda, Masaaki; Ku, Wei; Liu, Xuerong; Gu, Genda; Lee, D-H; Birgeneau, R J; Tranquada, J M; Xu, Guangyong

2012-11-30

Spin excitations are one of the top candidates for mediating electron pairing in unconventional superconductors. Their coupling to superconductivity is evident in a large number of systems, by the observation of an abrupt redistribution of magnetic spectral weight at the superconducting transition temperature, T(c), for energies comparable to the superconducting gap. Here we report inelastic neutron scattering measurements on Fe-based superconductors, Fe(1+y-x)(Ni/Cu)(x)Te(0.5)Se(0.5) that emphasize an additional signature. The overall shape of the low energy magnetic dispersion changes from two incommensurate vertical columns at T≫T(c) to a distinctly different U-shaped dispersion at low temperature. Importantly, this spectral reconstruction is apparent for temperatures up to ~3T(c). If the magnetic excitations are involved in the pairing mechanism, their surprising modification on the approach to T(c) demonstrates that strong interactions are involved.

3. Temperature-Dependent Transformation of the Magnetic Excitation Spectrum on Approaching Superconductivity in Fe1+y-x(Ni/Cu)xTe0.5Se0.5

Xu, Zhijun; Wen, Jinsheng; Zhao, Yang; Matsuda, Masaaki; Ku, Wei; Liu, Xuerong; Gu, Genda; Lee, D.-H.; Birgeneau, R. J.; Tranquada, J. M.; Xu, Guangyong

2012-11-01

Spin excitations are one of the top candidates for mediating electron pairing in unconventional superconductors. Their coupling to superconductivity is evident in a large number of systems, by the observation of an abrupt redistribution of magnetic spectral weight at the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, for energies comparable to the superconducting gap. Here we report inelastic neutron scattering measurements on Fe-based superconductors, Fe1-x(Ni/Cu)xTe0.5Se0.5, that emphasize an additional signature. The overall shape of the low energy magnetic dispersion changes from two incommensurate vertical columns at T≫Tc to a distinctly different U-shaped dispersion at low temperature. Importantly, this spectral reconstruction is apparent for temperatures up to ˜3Tc. If the magnetic excitations are involved in the pairing mechanism, their surprising modification on the approach to Tc demonstrates that strong interactions are involved.

4. Subdomain interactions foster the design of two protein pairs with ∼80% sequence identity but different folds.

PubMed

Porter, Lauren L; He, Yanan; Chen, Yihong; Orban, John; Bryan, Philip N

2015-01-06

Metamorphic proteins, including proteins with high levels of sequence identity but different folds, are exceptions to the long-standing rule-of-thumb that proteins with as little as 30% sequence identity adopt the same fold. Which topologies can be bridged by these highly identical sequences remains an open question. Here we bridge two 3-α-helix bundle proteins with two radically different folds. Using a straightforward approach, we engineered the sequences of one subdomain within maltose binding protein (MBP, α/β/α-sandwich) and another within outer surface protein A (OspA, β-sheet) to have high sequence identity (80 and 77%, respectively) with engineered variants of protein G (GA, 3-α-helix bundle). Circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of all engineered variants demonstrate that they maintain their native conformations despite substantial sequence modification. Furthermore, the MBP variant (80% identical to GA) remained active. Thermodynamic analysis of numerous GA and MBP variants suggests that the key to our approach involved stabilizing the modified MBP and OspA subdomains via external interactions with neighboring substructures, indicating that subdomain interactions can stabilize alternative folds over a broad range of sequence variation. These findings suggest that it is possible to bridge one fold with many other topologies, which has implications for protein folding, evolution, and misfolding diseases.

5. Double quantum dot Cooper-pair splitter at finite couplings

Hussein, Robert; Jaurigue, Lina; Governale, Michele; Braggio, Alessandro

2016-12-01

We consider the subgap physics of a hybrid double-quantum dot Cooper-pair splitter with large single-level spacings, in the presence of tunneling between the dots and finite Coulomb intra- and interdot Coulomb repulsion. In the limit of a large superconducting gap, we treat the coupling of the dots to the superconductor exactly. We employ a generalized master-equation method, which easily yields currents, noise, and cross-correlators. In particular, for finite inter- and intradot Coulomb interaction, we investigate how the transport properties are determined by the interplay between local and nonlocal tunneling processes between the superconductor and the dots. We examine the effect of interdot tunneling on the particle-hole symmetry of the currents with and without spin-orbit interaction. We show that spin-orbit interaction in combination with finite Coulomb energy opens the possibility to control the nonlocal entanglement and its symmetry (singlet/triplet). We demonstrate that the generation of nonlocal entanglement can be achieved even without any direct nonlocal coupling to the superconducting lead.

6. Computational studies of ion pairing. 8. Ion pairing of tetraalkylammonium ions to nitrosobenzene and benzaldehyde redox species. A general binding motif for the interaction of tetraalkylammonium ions with benzenoid species.

PubMed

Fry, Albert J

2013-06-07

Very little data is available on the detailed structures of ion pairs in solution, since few general experimental methods are available for obtaining such information. For this reason, computational methods have emerged as the method of choice for determining the structures of organic ion pairs in solution. The present study examines the ion pairs between a series of tetraalkylammonium ions and several redox forms of nitrosobenzene and a series of substituted benzaldehydes. The structures, though previously unexpected, are chemically reasonable and fit into a previous pattern of ion pairing described in previous publications in this series. To date in these studies, a total of 73 ion pairs and related species have in fact been identified having exactly the same unusual orientation of the tetraalkylammonium component with respect to the donor species. The results are pertinent to topics of general current interest, including self-assembly, molecular recognition, and supramolecular assembly.

7. Superconductivity enhanced by d-density wave: A weak-coupling theory

Ha, Kim; Subok, Ri; Ilmyong, Ri; Cheongsong, Kim; Yuling, Feng

2011-04-01

Making a revision of mistakes in Ref. [19], we present a detailed study of the competition and interplay between the d-density wave (DDW) and d-wave superconductivity (DSC) within the fluctuation-exchange (FLEX) approximation for the two-dimensional (2D) Hubbard model. In order to stabilize the DDW state with respect to phase separation at lower dopings a small nearest-neighbor Coulomb repulsion is included within the Hartree-Fock approximation. We solve the coupled gap equations for the DDW, DSC, and π-pairing as the possible order parameters, which are caused by exchange of spin fluctuations, together with calculating the spin fluctuation pairing interaction self-consistently within the FLEX approximation. We show that even when nesting of the Fermi surface is perfect, as in a square lattice with only nearest-neighbor hopping, there is coexistence of DSC and DDW in a large region of dopings close to the quantum critical point (QCP) at which the DDW state vanishes. In particular, we find that in the presence of DDW order the superconducting transition temperature Tc can be much higher compared to pure superconductivity, since the pairing interaction is strongly enhanced due to the feedback effect on spin fluctuations of the DDW gap. π-pairing appears generically in the coexistence region, but its feedback on the other order parameters is very small. In the present work, we have developed a weak-coupling theory of the competition between DDW and DSC in 2D Hubbard model, using the static spin fluctuation obtained within FLEX approximation and ignoring the self-energy effect of spin fluctuations. For our model calculations in the weak-coupling limit we have taken U/ t=3.4, since the antiferromagnetic instability occurs for higher values of U/ t.

8. The happy marriage between electron-phonon superconductivity and Mott physics in Cs3C60: A first-principle phase diagram

Capone, Massimo; Nomura, Yusuke; Sakai, Shiro; Giovannetti, Gianluca; Arita, Ryotaro

The phase diagram of doped fullerides like Cs3C60 as a function of the spacing between fullerene molecules is characterized by a first-order transition between a Mott insulator and an s-wave superconductor with a dome-shaped behavior of the critical temperature. By means of an ab-initio modeling of the bandstructure, the electron-phonon interaction and the interaction parameter and a Dynamical Mean-Field Theory solution, we reproduce the phase diagram and demonstrate that phonon superconductivity benefits from strong correlations confirming earlier model predictions. The role of correlations is manifest also in infrared measurements carried out by L. Baldassarre. The superconducting phase shares many similarities with ''exotic'' superconductors with electronic pairing, suggesting that the anomalies in the ''normal'' state, rather than the pairing glue, can be the real common element unifying a wide family of strongly correlated superconductors including cuprates and iron superconductors

9. Interplay between d -wave superconductivity and a bond-density wave in the one-band Hubbard model

Faye, J. P. L.; Sénéchal, D.

2017-03-01

It is now well established that superconducting cuprates support a charge-density-wave state in the so-called underdoped region of their phase diagram. We investigate the possibility of charge order in the square-lattice Hubbard model, both alone and in coexistence with d -wave superconductivity. The charge order has a period of 4 in one direction, is centered on bonds, and has a d form factor. We use the variational cluster approximation, an approach based on a rigorous variational principle that treats short-range correlations exactly, with two clusters of size 2 ×6 that together tile the infinite lattice and provide a nonbiased unit for a period-4 bond-density wave (BDW). We find that the BDW exists in a finite range of hole doping and increases in strength from U =5 to U =8 . Its location and intensity depend strongly on the band dispersion. When probed simultaneously with d -wave superconductivity, the energy is sometimes lowered by the presence of both phases, depending on the interaction strength. Whenever they coexist, a pair-density wave (a modulation of superconducting pairing with the same period and form factor as the BDW) also exists.

10. Low-temperature emission spectra of 9-alkylanthracene esters: Dimer photodecomposition and monomer pair interactions in polymer hosts

SciTech Connect

Salt, K.; Scott, G.W. )

1994-10-06

Effects due to variation in the alkyl chain length of photodimers of 9-alkylanthracene esters on their photodecomposition efficiencies at 12 K and, by implication, the photoproduct migration as a function of temperature within polymer hosts are investigated. It is shown that dimers with longer alkyl chains have a lower photodecomposition efficiency. The extent of photoproduct migration within the polymer following photodecomposition was also studied as a function of alkyl chain length. This migration and its modulation of the interaction between the separating monomers is shown to affect the emission spectrum. Thus, monomer migration was studied in temperature cycling experiments. It was also found, for the polymer hosts investigated - poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl chloride), and polystyrene - that these properties are host dependent. This result is probably due to the void space differences that exist among these polymers. 17 refs., 10 figs.

11. Superconducting electromagnetic thruster

SciTech Connect

Meng, J.

1993-02-11

An electromagnetic thruster for marine vehicles using a jet of water driven by the interaction of a mutually perpendicular intensified magnetic field and an intensified electric field is disclosed. The intensified magnetic field is produced by superconducting coils cooled by a coolant such as liquid helium. An intensified electric field is produced by passing high amperage current across the seawater jet. These interacting fields produce a Lorentz force perpendicular to mutually perpendicular electric and magnetic field vectors which is used to drive the seawater jet. In some embodiments, the force may also be used to draw water into the jet from the boundary layer flow around the vehicle thereby reducing boundary layer turbulence and associated radiated noise.

12. Probing the Lone Pair···π-Hole Interaction in Perfluorinated Heteroaromatic Rings: The Rotational Spectrum of Pentafluoropyridine·Water.

PubMed

Calabrese, Camilla; Gou, Qian; Maris, Assimo; Caminati, Walther; Melandri, Sonia

2016-04-21

The rotational spectrum of the weakly bound complex pentafluoropyridine·water has been investigated with pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. From the analysis of the rotational parameters of the parent species and of three water isotopologues, the structural arrangement of the adduct has been unambiguously established. The results show that the full ring fluorination of pyridine has a dramatic effect on its binding properties: It inverts the electron density distribution above the ring, creating a π-hole, with respect to the typical π-cloud of benzene and pyridine. In the complex the water moiety lies above the aromatic ring with the oxygen lone pairs pointing toward its center. This lone pair···π-hole interaction stabilizes the adduct, and it is more stable than the in-plane O-H···N hydrogen bond normally found in the complexes involving nitrogen heterocyclic aromatic rings. Evidence of a large amplitude motion involving the weakly bound water molecule has also been observed and discussed.

13. LC-MS/MS determination and interaction of the main components from the traditional Chinese drug pair Danshen-Sanqi based on rat intestinal absorption.

PubMed

Huang, Juan; Zhang, Jing; Bai, Junqi; Xu, Wen; Wu, Dinghong; Qiu, Xiaohui

2016-12-01

The Chinese drug pair Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza)-Sanqi (Panax ginseng) has been widely used for centuries treating various cardiovascular disorders, among which salvianlic acid B (SAB), ginsenoside Rg1 (GRg1 ), ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1 ) and notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1 ) were identified as the major components. The present study focused on the interaction between these components based on investigating their intestinal absorption using the Ussing chamber technique. The concentrations of SAB, GRg1 , GRb1 and NGR1 in the intestinal perfusate were determined by LC-MS/MS method, followed by Q (accumulative quantity) and Papp (apparent permeability). The results showed that all these four main components displayed very low permeabilities, which implied their poor absorption in the rat intestine. The intestinal absorption level of SAB displayed regioselectivity: duodenum < jejunum < ileum. However, there was no significant difference in the absorption of GRg1 and GRb1 in the different segments. The Q and Papp values of the four main components were obviously increased in jejunum when co-administrating Danshen extract with Sanqi extract. In conclusion, compatibility of Danshen and Sanqi could remarkably improve the intestinal absorption level of the main components in the pair. To some extent, this might explain the nature of the compatibility mechanisms of composite formulae in TCMs.

14. Complexes of DNA Bases and Watson-Crick Base Pairs Interaction with Neutral Silver Agn (n = 8, 10, 12) Clusters: A DFT and TDDFT Study.

PubMed

Srivastava, Ruby

2017-03-21

We study the binding of the neutral Agn (n = 8, 10, 12) to the DNA base- adenine (A), guanine (G) and Watson-Crick -adenine-thymine (AT), guanine-cytosine (GC) pairs. Geometries of complexes were optimized at the DFT level using the hybrid B3LYP functional. LANL2DZ effective core potential (ECP) was used for silver and 6-31+G(**) was used for all other atoms. NBO charges were analyzed using the Natural population analysis. The absorption properties of Agn-A,G/WC complexes were also studied using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The absorption spectra for these complexes show wavelength in the visible region. It was revealed that silver clusters interact more strongly with WC pairs than with isolated DNA complexes. Furthermore, it was found that the electronic charge transferred from silver to isolated DNA clusters are less than the electronic charge transferred from silver to the Agn-WC complexes. The vertical ionization potential, vertical electron affinity, hardness and electrophilicity index of Agn-DNA/WC complexes have also been discussed.

15. Superconducting magnet

DOEpatents

Satti, John A.

1980-01-01

A superconducting magnet designed to produce magnetic flux densities of the order of 4 to 5 Webers per square meter is constructed by first forming a cable of a plurality of matrixed superconductor wires with each wire of the plurality insulated from each other one. The cable is shaped into a rectangular cross-section and is wound with tape in an open spiral to create cooling channels. Coils are wound in a calculated pattern in saddle shapes to produce desired fields, such as dipoles, quadrupoles, and the like. Wedges are inserted between adjacent cables as needed to maintain substantially radial placement of the long dimensions of cross sections of the cables. After winding, individual strands in each of the cables are brought out to terminals and are interconnected to place all of the strands in series and to maximize the propagation of a quench by alternating conduction from an inner layer to an outer layer and from top half to bottom half as often as possible. Individual layers are separated from others by spiraled aluminum spacers to facilitate cooling. The wound coil is wrapped with an epoxy tape that is cured by heat and then machined to an interference fit with an outer aluminum pipe which is then affixed securely to the assembled coil by heating it to make a shrink fit. In an alternate embodiment, one wire of the cable is made of copper or the like to be heated externally to propagate a quench.

16. Superconducting parity effect across the Anderson limit

PubMed Central

Vlaic, Sergio; Pons, Stéphane; Zhang, Tianzhen; Assouline, Alexandre; Zimmers, Alexandre; David, Christophe; Rodary, Guillemin; Girard, Jean-Christophe; Roditchev, Dimitri; Aubin, Hervé

2017-01-01

How small can superconductors be? For isolated nanoparticles subject to quantum size effects, P.W. Anderson in 1959 conjectured that superconductivity could only exist when the electronic level spacing δ is smaller than the superconducting gap energy Δ. Here we report a scanning tunnelling spectroscopy study of superconducting lead (Pb) nanocrystals grown on the (110) surface of InAs. We find that for nanocrystals of lateral size smaller than the Fermi wavelength of the 2D electron gas at the surface of InAs, the electronic transmission of the interface is weak; this leads to Coulomb blockade and enables the extraction of electron addition energy of the nanocrystals. For large nanocrystals, the addition energy displays superconducting parity effect, a direct consequence of Cooper pairing. Studying this parity effect as a function of nanocrystal volume, we find the suppression of Cooper pairing when the mean electronic level spacing overcomes the superconducting gap energy, thus demonstrating unambiguously the validity of the Anderson criterion. PMID:28240294

17. Evidence for a base-pairing interaction between U6 small nuclear RNA and 5' splice site during the splicing reaction in yeast.

PubMed Central

Sawa, H; Abelson, J

1992-01-01

U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) is an essential factor in mRNA splicing. On the basis of the high conservation of its sequence, it has been proposed that U6 snRNA may function catalytically during the splicing reaction. If this is the case, it is likely that U6 snRNA interacts with the splice sites in the spliceosome to catalyze the reaction. We have used UV crosslinking to analyze the interactions of U6 snRNA with the splicing substrates during the yeast splicing reaction. Crosslinked products in which the central region of U6 snRNA was joined to the 5' splice site region of mRNA precursor and lariat intermediate were identified. The crosslinking sites were precisely located in one of these products. The results suggest a possible base-pairing interaction between U6 snRNA and the 5' splice site of the mRNA precursor. Images PMID:1333604

18. Study of Pair and many-body interactions in rare-gas halide atom clusters using negative ion zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) and threshold photodetachment spectroscopy

SciTech Connect

Yourshaw, Ivan

1998-07-09

The diatomic halogen atom-rare gas diatomic complexes KrBr-, XeBr-, and KrCl- are studied in this work by zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) spectroscopy in order to characterize the weak intermolecular diatomic potentials of these species. Also, the ZEKE and threshold photodetachment spectra of the polyatomic clusters ArnBr- (n = 2-9) and ArnI- (n = 2-19) are studied to obtain information about the non-additive effects on the interactions among the atoms. This work is part of an ongoing effort to characterize the pair and many-body potentials of the complete series of rare gas halide clusters. In these studies we obtain information about both the anionic and neutral clusters.

19. Transformative Evolution of Organolead Triiodide Perovskite Thin Films from Strong Room-Temperature Solid-Gas Interaction between HPbI3-CH3NH2 Precursor Pair.

PubMed

Pang, Shuping; Zhou, Yuanyuan; Wang, Zaiwei; Yang, Mengjin; Krause, Amanda R; Zhou, Zhongmin; Zhu, Kai; Padture, Nitin P; Cui, Guanglei

2016-01-27

We demonstrate the feasibility of a nonsalt-based precursor pair--inorganic HPbI3 solid and organic CH3NH2 gas--for the deposition of uniform CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite thin films. The strong room-temperature solid-gas interaction between HPbI3 and CH3NH2 induces transformative evolution of ultrasmooth, full-coverage perovskite thin films at a rapid rate (in seconds) from nominally processed rough, partial-coverage HPbI3 thin films. The chemical origin of this behavior is elucidated via in situ experiments. Perovskite solar cells, fabricated using MAPbI3 thin films thus deposited, deliver power conversion efficiencies up to 18.2%, attesting to the high quality of the perovskite thin films deposited using this transformative process.

20. Determination of nucleosides and nucleotides in baby foods by hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in the presence of hydrophilic ion-pairing reagents.

PubMed

Mateos-Vivas, María; Rodríguez-Gonzalo, Encarnación; Domínguez-Álvarez, Javier; García-Gómez, Diego; Carabias-Martínez, Rita

2016-11-15

In this work we propose a rapid and efficient method for the joint determination of nucleosides and nucleotides in dairy and non-dairy baby foods based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in the presence of diethylammonium (DEA) as a hydrophilic ion-pairing reagent (IP-HILIC-MS/MS). Sample treatment of the baby food included dilution with water and centrifugal ultrafiltration (CUF) with an additional washing step that notably improved the global performance of the process. Later dilution of the extract with acetonitrile allowed adequate separation in the HILIC system. With the proposed treatment, we obtained extraction recoveries higher than 80% and, additionally, no matrix effects were observed. The CUF-IP-HILIC-MS/MS method was validated according to the 2002/657/EC decision and was used for the quantification of nucleotides and nucleosides in sixteen samples of commercial baby foods.
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