Abstract: We study the flux flow state in superconducting materials characterized by rather strong intrinsic pinning, such as Nb, NbN, and nanostructured Al thin films, in which we drag the superconducting dissipative state into the normal state by current biasing. We modify the vortex pinning strength either by ion irradiation, by tuning the measuring temperature or by including artificial pinning centers. We measure critical flux flow voltages for all materials and the same effect is observed: switching to low flux flow dissipations at low fields for an intermediate pinning regime. This mechanism offers a way to additionally promote the stability of the superconducting state. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4718309]

Abstract: Quasiperiodic pinning arrays, as recently demonstrated theoretically and experimentally using a fivefold Penrose tiling, can lead to a significant enhancement of the critical current Ic as compared to traditional regular pinning arrays. However, while regular arrays showed only a sharp peak in Ic(Φ) at the matching flux Φ1 and quasiperiodic arrays provided a much broader maximum at Φ<Φ1, both types of pinning arrays turned out to be inefficient for fluxes larger than Φ1. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the enhancement of Ic(Φ) for Φ>Φ1 by using non-Penrose quasiperiodic pinning arrays. This result is based on a qualitatively different mechanism of flux pinning by quasiperiodic pinning arrays and could be potentially useful for applications in superconducting microelectronic devices operating in a broad range of magnetic fields.

Abstract: Patients with sleep related breathing disorders (SRBD) can be treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) or with several upper airway (UA) interventions. While nCPAP is almost always effective when clinically well tolerated, the therapeutic outcome of UA surgery and UA devices is difficult to predict. The improvement of our capability to perform the latter predictions more accurately is of great clinical importance since it will prevent patients to be treated with ineffective, sometimes irreversible, techniques. In this review we describe the importance of new imaging methods in this respect. We first refer to the most important pathophysiological mechanisms known so far to play a role in SRBD, indicating that functional imaging could elucidate these mechanisms in a patient specific manner. Then we describe the new technologies that make UA imaging more functional referring to the data as they are presently available. Finally we summarise the studies that do indicate that the use of functional imaging of the UA in SRBD patients may significantly help to predict the clinical outcome after UA interventions.

Abstract: We investigate theoretically the transport properties of Dirac fermions on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator. Dirac electrons can be totally reflected in front of a magnetic/electric p-n junction. For a p-n-p structure, multiple total internal reflections at the interfaces result in the bound states in the channel, which behaves like an electronic waveguide. This p-n-p like structure exhibits spin and momentum filtering features and could be used as a spin and/or charge diode.

Abstract: Nitrogenated holey graphene (NHG) is a recently synthesized two-dimensional material. In this paper the structural and electronic properties of heterostructures of graphene and NHG are investigated using first-principles and tight-binding calculations. Due to the lattice mismatch between NHG and graphene, the formation of a moire pattern is preferred in the graphene/NHG heterostructure, instead of a lattice-coherent structure. In moire-patterned graphene/NHG, the band gap opening at the K point is negligible, and the linear band dispersion of graphene survives. Applying an electric field modifies the coupling strength between the two atomic layers. The Fermi velocity upsilon(F) is reduced as compared to the one of pristine graphene, and its magnitude depends on the twist angle theta between graphene and NHG: For theta = 0 degrees, upsilon(F) is 30% of that of graphene, and it increases rapidly to a value of 80% with increasing theta. The heterostructure exhibits electron-hole asymmetry in upsilon(F), which is large for small theta. In NHG encapsulated between two graphene layers, a “Dirac ring” appears around the K point. Its presence is robust with respect to the relative stacking of the two graphene layers. These findings can be useful for future applications of graphene/NHG heterostructures.

Abstract: A periodic spatial modulation, as created by a moire pattern, has been extensively studied with the view to engineer and tune the properties of graphene. Graphene encapsulated by hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) when slightly misaligned with the top and bottom hBN layers experiences two interfering moire patterns, resulting in a so-called supermoire (SM). This leads to a lattice and electronic spectrum reconstruction. A geometrical construction of the nonrelaxed SM patterns allows us to indicate qualitatively the induced changes in the electronic properties and to locate the SM features in the density of states and in the conductivity. To emphasize the effect of lattice relaxation, we report band gaps at all Dirac-like points in the hole doped part of the reconstructed spectrum, which are expected to be enhanced when including interaction effects. Our result is able to distinguish effects due to lattice relaxation and due to the interfering SM and provides a clear picture on the origin of recently experimentally observed effects in such trilayer heterostuctures.

Abstract: Promising predictions are made for III-V tunnel-field-effect transistor (FET), but there is still uncertainty on the parameters used in the band-to-band tunneling models. Therefore, two simulators are calibrated in this paper; the first one uses a semi-classical tunneling model based on Kane's formalism, and the second one is a quantum mechanical simulator implemented with an envelope function formalism. The calibration is done for In0.53Ga0.47As using several p+/intrinsic/n+ diodes with different intrinsic region thicknesses. The dopant profile is determined by SIMS and capacitance-voltage measurements. Error bars are used based on statistical and systematic uncertainties in the measurement techniques. The obtained parameters are in close agreement with theoretically predicted values and validate the semi-classical and quantum mechanical models. Finally, the models are applied to predict the input characteristics of In0.53Ga0.47As n- and p-lineTFET, with the n-lineTFET showing competitive performance compared to MOSFET.

Abstract: Differential cross sections for neutron and x-ray scattering have been derived for the orientationally disordered phase of solid C60. Interaction centres are placed at nuclei and at the centres of interatomic bonds. Bragg and diffuse scattering cross sections, for single crystals and for powders, are formulated using symmetry-adapted rotator functions. Thermal averages are calculated taking account of crystal field effects. Thermally averaged orientational distribution functions have also been calculated.

Abstract: By considering a cylindrically symmetric generalization of a plane wave, the first-order Born approximation of screened Coulomb scattering unfolds two new dimensions in the scattering problem: transverse momentum and orbital angular momentum of the incoming beam. In this paper, the elastic Coulomb scattering amplitude is calculated analytically for incoming Bessel beams. This reveals novel features occurring for wide-angle scattering and quantitative insights for small-angle vortex scattering. The result successfully generalizes the well-known Rutherford formula, incorporating transverse and orbital angular momentum into the formalism.

Abstract: Chalcopyrite semiconductors are of considerable interest for application as absorber layers in thin-film photovoltaic cells. When growing films of these compounds, however, they are often found to contain CuAu-like domains, a metastable phase of chalcopyrite. It has been reported that for CuInS2, the presence of the CuAu-like phase improves the short circuit current of the chalcopyrite-based photovoltaic cell. We investigate the thermodynamic stability of both phases for a selected list of I-III-VI2 materials using a first-principles density functional theory approach. For the CuIn-VI2 compounds, the difference in formation energy between the chalcopyrite and CuAu-like phase is found to be close to 2 meV per atom, indicating a high likelihood of the presence of CuAu-like domains. Next, we calculate the spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency (SLME) of the CuAu-like phase and compare the results with those of the corresponding chalcopyrite phase. We identify several candidates with a high efficiency, such as CuAu-like CuInS2, for which we obtain an SLME of 29% at a thickness of 500 nm. We observe that the SLME can have values above the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit, and show that this can occur because the SQ limit assumes the absorptivity to be a step function, thus overestimating the radiative recombination in the detailed balance approach. This means that it is possible to find higher theoretical efficiencies within this framework simply by calculating the J-V characteristic with an absorption spectrum. Finally, we expand our SLME analysis to indirect band gap absorbers by studying silicon, and find that the SLME quickly overestimates the reverse saturation current of indirect band gap materials, drastically lowering their calculated efficiency.

Abstract: Using the four-band continuum model we derive a general expression for the infinite-mass boundary condition in bilayer graphene. Applying this new boundary condition we analytically calculate the confined states and the corresponding wave functions in a bilayer graphene quantum dot in the absence and presence of a perpendicular magnetic field. Our results for the energy spectrum show an energy gap between the electron and hole states at small magnetic fields. Furthermore the electron (e) and hole (h) energy levels corresponding to the K and K' valleys exhibit the E-K(e(h)) (m) = E-K'(e(h)) (m) symmetry, where m is the angular momentum quantum number. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract: We studied theoretically the effect of time symmetric and asymmetric electromagnetic (e.m.) radiation on the phase-slip process in superconducting wires in the regime where there is no stimulation of superconductivity. We found that for large amplitudes j(ac) of the symmetric ac signal the value of the lower critical current j(c1)(j(ac)) at which the voltage vanishes in the sample oscillates as a function of j(ac). The amplitude of these oscillations decays with increasing power of the ac signal, and we explain it either by the existence of a maximal current j(c3) beyond which no phase slips can be created or by a weak heat removal from the sample. Applying an asymmetric in time signal (with zero dc current) we show that it may lead to a finite voltage in the system (i.e., ratchet effect). At high enough frequencies the rectified voltage is directly proportional to the frequency of the applied e.m. radiation. These properties resemble in many aspects the behavior of a Josephson junction under e.m. radiation. The differences are mainly connected to the effect of the transport current on the magnitude of the order parameter.