Abstract: Ballistic electron transport through a finite chain of quantum circular rings is studied in the presence of the Rashba coupling, of strength a, and of a perpendicular magnetic field B. The transmission and reflection coefficients for a single ring, obtained analytically, help obtain the conductance through a chain of rings as a function of the strength a, the field B, and of the wave vector k of the incident electron. Due to destructive spin interferences caused by the Rashba coupling the chain can be totally opaque for certain ranges of k the width of which depends on values of a and B. Outside these ranges the conductance oscillates with high values between e(2)/h and 2e(2)/h. The effect of a periodic modulation of a or B on the conductance gaps is investigated. A periodic, square-wave conductance pattern, pertinent to the development of the spin transistor, results within wide stripes in the parameter space spanned by k, a, and B. Finite temperatures smoothen the square-wave profile of the conductance but do not alter its periodic character.

Abstract: A microscopic Hamiltonian for interacting manganese impurities in dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS) is derived. It is shown that in p-type III-V DMS, the indirect exchange between Mn impurities has similarities with the Zener mechanism in transition metal oxides. Here the mobile and localized holes near the top of the valence band play the role of unoccupied p-orbitals which induce ferromagnetism. T-C estimated from the proposed kinematic exchange agrees with experiments on (Ga,Mn)As. The model is also applicable to the p-doped (Ga,Mn)P system. The magnetic ordering in n-type (Ga,Mn)N is due to exchange between the electrons localized on the levels lying deep in the forbidden energy gap. This mechanism is even closer to the original Zener mechanism. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: We present an exact diagonalization study of negatively charged excitonic trions in two vertically coupled parabolic quantum dots. The electrons and the hole are confined to different dots. We obtain the energy spectra as a function of inter-dot separation and external magnetic field strength and identify different ground-state angular momentum transitions which are accompanied by abrupt charge redistributions in the dots. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Polymerized KC60 undergoes a structural phase transition accompanied by a metal-insulator transition around 50 K. To explain the structural aspect, a mechanism involving small orientational deviations of the valence electron density on every C-60 monomer orientational charge density waves (OCDWs) – has already been proposed earlier. In the present work, we address the metal-insulator transition using the OCDW concept. We are inspired by the analogy between a polymer chain exhibiting an OCDW and a linear atomic chain undergoing a static lattice deformation doubling the unit cell: such a deformation implies a band gap at the zone boundary, yielding an insulating state (Peierls instability). Within our view, a similar mechanism occurs in polymerized KC60; the OCDW plays the role of the lattice deformation. We present tight-binding band structure calculations and conclude that the metal-insulator transition can indeed be explained using OCDWs, but that the threedimensionality of the crystal plays an unexpected key role.

Abstract: We study ballistic electron transport through a finite chain of quantum circular rings in the presence of spin-orbit interaction of strength alpha. For a single ring, the transmission and reflection coefficients are obtained analytically and from them the conductance for a chain of rings as a function of alpha and of the wave vector k of the incident electron. We show that due to destructive spin interferences, the chain can be totally opaque for certain ranges of k, the width of which depends on the value of alpha. A periodic modulation of the strength alpha or of the ring radius widens the gaps considerably and produces a nearly binary conductance output. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract: Strong terahertz (1THz=1012Hz) radiation can be generated by the electron oscillation in fs-laser-induced wake fields. The interaction of a fs-laser pulse with a low-density plasma layer is studied in detail using numerical simulations. The spatial distribution and temporal evolution of terahertz electron current developed in a low-density plasma layer are presented, which enables us to calculate the intensity distribution of THz radiation. It is shown that laser and plasma parameters, such as laser intensity, pulse width, and background plasma density, are of key importance to the process. The optimum condition for wake-field excitation and terahertz emission is discussed upon the simulation results. Radiation peaked at 6.4 THz, with 900 fs duration and 9% bandwidth, can be generated in a plasma of density 5×1017cm−3. It turns out that the maximum radiation intensity scales as n03a04 when wake field is resonantly excited, where n0 and a0 are, respectively, the plasma density and the normalized field amplitude of the laser pulse.

Abstract: The recently discovered structural phase transition in Polymerized KC60 at about 50K leads to a doubling of the unit cell volume and is accompanied by a metal-insulator transition. Here, we show that the ((a) over right arrow + (c) over right arrow, (b) over right arrow, (a) over right arrow – (c) over right arrow) superstructure results from orientational charge density waves along the polymer chains and correlated displacements of the K+ ions. The presented model can also account for the metal-insulator transition. The effect is specific for the space group Pmnn of KC60 and is absent in both Rb- and CsC60 (space group 12/m), in agreement with the present experimental knowledge of these compounds.