Abstract: Electron transport through a spin-orbit-coupled quantum ring is investigated within linear response theory. We show that the finite width of the ring results in the appearance of Fano resonances in the conductance. This turns out to be a consequence of the spin-orbit interaction that leads to a breaking of the parity of the states localized in the ring. The resonances appear when the system is close to maxima of Aharonov-Casher conductance oscillations where spin transfer is heavily modified. When the spin-orbit coupling strength is detuned from the Aharonov-Casher maxima the resonances are broadened resulting in a dependence of the spin transport on the electron Fermi energy in contrast to predictions from one-dimensional models.

Abstract: Because of strong flux confinement in mesoscopic superconductors, a giant vortex may appear in the ground state of the system in an applied magnetic field. This multiquanta vortex can then split into individual vortices (and vice versa) as a function of, e.g., applied current, magnetic field, or temperature. Here we show that such transitions can be identified by calorimetry, as the formation or splitting of a giant vortex results in a clear jump in measured heat capacity versus external drive. We attribute this phenomenon to an abrupt change in the density of states of the quasiparticle excitations in the vortex core(s), and further link it to a sharp change of the magnetic susceptibility at the transitionproving that the formation of a giant vortex can also be detected by magnetometry.

Abstract: Background: Salbutamol and ipratropium bromide improve lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, their bronchodilating effect has not yet been compared in the central and distal airways. Functional imaging using computational fluid dynamics offers the possibility of making such a comparison. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of salbutamol and ipratropium bromide on the geometry and computational fluid dynamics-based resistance of the central and distal airways.Methods: Five patients with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Stage III COPD were randomized to a single dose of salbutamol or ipratropium bromide in a crossover manner with a 1-week interval between treatments. Patients underwent lung function testing and a multislice computed tomography scan of the thorax that was used for functional imaging. Two hours after dosing, the patients again underwent lung function tests and repeat computed tomography.Results: Lung function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second, vital capacity, overall airway resistance, and specific airway resistance, changed significantly after administration of each product. On functional imaging, the bronchodilating effect was greater in the distal airways, with a corresponding drop in airway resistance, compared with the central airways. Salbutamol and ipratropium bromide were equally effective at first glance when looking at lung function tests, but when viewed in more detail with functional imaging, hyporesponsiveness could be shown for salbutamol in one patient. Salbutamol was more effective in the other patients.Conclusion: This pilot study gives an innovative insight into the modes of action of salbutamol and ipratropium bromide in patients with COPD, using the new techniques of functional imaging and computational fluid dynamics.

Abstract: Hall probe magnetometry has been used to investigate the magnetization of individual cylindrically shaped Pb nanowires grown by electrocrystallization on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite electrode. These measurements have been interpreted by comparison with three-dimensional Ginzburg-Landau (GL) calculations for nanowires with our sample parameters. We find that the measured superheating field and the critical field for surface superconductivity are strongly influenced by the temperature-dependent coherence length, ξ(T) and penetration depth λ(T) and their relationship to the nanowire diameter. As the temperature is increased toward Tc this drives a change in the superconductor-normal transition from first order irreversible to first order reversible and finally second order reversible. We find that the geometrical flux confinement in our type-I nanowires leads to the formation of a one-dimensional row of single-quantum vortices. While GL calculations show a quite uniform distribution of vortices in thin nanowires, clear vortex bunching is found as the diameter increases, suggesting a transition to a more classical type-I behavior. Subtle changes in minor magnetization loops also indicate that slightly different flux configurations can form with the same vorticity, which depend on the sample history.

Abstract: The electron states in graphene-based magnetic dot and magnetic ring structures and combinations of both are investigated. The corresponding spectra are studied as a function of the radii, the strengths of the inhomogeneous magnetic field and of a uniform background field, the strength of an electrostatic barrier and the angular momentum quantum number. In the absence of an external magnetic field we have only long-lived quasi-bound and scattering states and we assess their influence on the density of states. In addition, we consider elastic electron scattering by a magnetic dot, whose average B vanishes, and show that the Hall and longitudinal resistivities, as a function of the Fermi energy, exhibit a pronounced oscillatory structure due to the presence of quasi-bound states. Depending on the dot parameters this oscillatory structure differs substantially for energies below and above the first Landau level.

Abstract: We predict heating of quasiparticles driven by order parameter oscillations in the resistive state of short superconducting microbridges. The finite relaxation time of the magnitude of the order parameter |Δ| and the dependence of the spectral functions both on |Δ| and the supervelocity Q are the origin of this effect. Our results are opposite to those of Aslamazov and Larkin [ Zh. Eks. Teor. Fiz. 70 1340 (1976)] and Schmid et al. [ Phys. Rev. B 21 5076 (1980)] where cooling of quasiparticles was found.

Abstract: Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction (SOI) controlled band structure of a two-dimensional superlattice allows for the modulation of the conductance of finite size devices by changing the strength of the SOI. We consider rectangular arrays and find that the temperature dependence of the conductance disappears for high temperatures, but the strength of the SOI still affects the conductance at these temperatures. The modulation effect can be seen even in the presence of strong dephasing, which can be important for practical applications.

Abstract: Using first-principles calculations we have studied the electronic and structural properties of cation vacancies and their complexes with hydrogen impurities in SnO2, In2O3 and β-Ga2O3. We find that cation vacancies have high formation energies in SnO2 and In2O3 even in the most favorable conditions. Their formation energies are significantly lower in β-Ga2O3. Cation vacancies, which are compensating acceptors, strongly interact with H impurities resulting in complexes with low formation energies and large binding energies, stable up to temperatures over 730 °C. Our results indicate that hydrogen has beneficial effects on the conductivity of transparent conducting oxides: it increases the carrier concentration by acting as a donor in the form of isolated interstitials, and by passivating compensating acceptors such as cation vacancies; in addition, it potentially enhances carrier mobility by reducing the charge of negatively charged scattering centers. We have also computed vibrational frequencies associated with the isolated and complexed hydrogen, to aid in the microscopic identification of centers observed by vibrational spectroscopy.

Abstract: We utilize an exact variational numerical procedure to calculate the ground state properties of a polaron in the presence of a Rashba-like spin-orbit interaction. Our results corroborate previous work performed with the momentum average approximation and with weak-coupling perturbation theory. We find that spin-orbit coupling increases the effective mass in the regime with weak electron-phonon coupling, and decreases the effective mass in the regimes of intermediate and strong electron-phonon coupling. Analytical strong-coupling perturbation theory results confirm our numerical results in the small-polaron regime. A large amount of spin-orbit coupling can lead to a significant lowering of the polaron effective mass.

Abstract: The configuration interaction method is used to obtain the magneto-optical absorption spectrum of a few-electron (Ne=1,2,,5) quantum dot containing a single magnetic ion. We find that the IR spectrum (the position, the number, and the oscillator strength of the cyclotron resonance peaks) depends on the strength of the Coulomb interaction, the number of electrons, and the position of the magnetic ion. We find that the Kohn theorem is no longer valid as a consequence of the electron-spin-magnetic-ion-spin-exchange interaction.

Abstract: Using atomistic simulations, we determine the roughness and the thermal properties of a suspended graphane sheet. As compared to graphene, we found that (i) hydrogenated graphene has a larger thermal contraction, (ii) the roughness exponent at room temperature is smaller, i.e., ≃ 1.0 versus ≃ 1.2 for graphene, (iii) the wavelengths of the induced ripples in graphane cover a wide range corresponding to length scales in the range 30125 Å at room temperature, and (iv) the heat capacity of graphane is estimated to be 29.32±0.23 J/mol K, which is 14.8% larger than that for graphene, i.e., 24.98±0.14 J/mol K. Above 1500 K, we found that graphane buckles when its edges are supported in the x-y plane.

Abstract: We theoretically investigate the phonon, surface roughness and ionized impurity limited low-field mobility of ultrathin silicon n-type nanowire junctionless transistors in the long channel approximation with wire radii ranging from 2 to 5 nm, as function of gate voltage. We show that surface roughness scattering is negligible as long as the wire radius is not too small and ionized impurity scattering is the dominant scattering mechanism. We also show that there exists an optimal radius where the ionized impurity limited mobility exhibits a maximum.

Abstract: The angular and radial melting properties of two-dimensional classical systems consisting of different types of particles confined in a parabolic trap are studied through modified Monte Carlo simulations. A universal behavior of the angular melting process is found, which occurs in multiple steps due to shell depended melting temperatures. The melting sequence of the different shells is determined by two major factors: (1) the confinement strength which each shell is subjected to, and (2) the specific structure of each shell. Further, a continuous radial disordering of the particle types forming a single circular shell is found and analyzed. This phenomenon has never been observed before in two-dimensional mono-dispersive systems. This continuous radial disordering results from the high energy barrier between different particle types in multi-species systems.

Abstract: We present Monte Carlo simulations of chains of C70 molecules encapsulated in a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). For various tube radii R (6.5 Å less-than-or-equals, slant R less-than-or-equals, slant 7.5 Å), we analyze rotational and translational motion of the C70 molecules, as a function of temperature. Apart from reproducing the experimentally well-established lying and standing molecular orientations for small and large tube radii, respectively, we observe, depending on the tube diameter, a variety of molecular motions, orientational flipping of lying molecules, and the migration of molecules resulting in a continual rearrangement of the C70 molecules in clusters of varying lengths. With increasing temperature, the evolution of the pair correlation functions reveals a transition from linear harmonic chain behavior to a hard-sphere liquid, making C70@SWCNT peapods tunable physical realizations of two well-known one-dimensional model systems.