Inelastic electron transport in polymer nanofibers

In this paper we present theoretical analysis of the electron transport in conducting polymers. We concentrate on the study of the effects of temperature on characteristics of the transport. We treat a conducting polymers in a metal state as a network of metallic-like grains connected by electron quantum tunneling via intermediate state localized on a polymer chain between the grains. To analyze the effects of temperature on this kind of electron intergrain transport we represent the thermal environment as a phonon bath coupled to the intermediate state. The electron transmission is computed using the Buttiker model within the scattering matrix formalism. This approach is further developed, and the dephasing parameter is expessed in terms of relevant energies including the thermal energy. It is shown that temperature dependencies of both current and conductance associated with the above transport mechanism differ from those typical for other conduction mechanisms in conducting polymers. This could be useful to separate out the contribution from the intergrain electron tunneling to the net electric current in transport experiments on various polymer nanofibers. The proposed model could be used to analyze inelastic electron transport through molecular junctions.Comment: 8 pages, 5 pictures; text added, figures adde

Low temperature terahertz spectroscopy of n-InSb through a magnetic field driven metal-insulator transition

We use fiber-coupled photoconductive emitters and detectors to perform terahertz (THz) spectroscopy of lightly-doped n-InSb directly in the cryogenic (1.5 K) bore of a high-field superconducting magnet. We measure transmission spectra from 0.1-1.1 THz as the sample is driven through a metal-insulator transition (MIT) by applied magnetic field. In the low-field metallic state, the data directly reveal the plasma edge and magneto-plasmon modes. With increasing field, a surprisingly broad band (0.3-0.8 THz) of low transmission appears at the onset of the MIT. This band subsequently collapses and evolves into the sharp 1s -> 2p- transition of electrons `frozen' onto isolated donors in the insulating state.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Metal-Insulator transitions in the periodic Anderson model

We solve the Periodic Anderson model in the Mott-Hubbard regime, using Dynamical Mean Field Theory. Upon electron doping of the Mott insulator, a metal-insulator transition occurs which is qualitatively similar to that of the single band Hubbard model, namely with a divergent effective mass and a first order character at finite temperatures. Surprisingly, upon hole doping, the metal-insulator transition is not first order and does not show a divergent mass. Thus, the transition scenario of the single band Hubbard model is not generic for the Periodic Anderson model, even in the Mott-Hubbard regime.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Abundance gradients in spiral disks: is the gradient inversion at high redshift real?

We compute the abundance gradients along the disk of the Milky Way by means of the two-infall model: in particular, the gradients of oxygen and iron and their temporal evolution. First, we explore the effects of several physical processes which influence the formation and evolution of abundance gradients. They are: i) the inside-out formation of the disk, ii) a threshold in the gas density for star formation, iii) a variable star formation efficiency along the disk, iv) radial flows and their speed, and v) different total surface mass density (gas plus stars) distributions for the halo. We are able to reproduce at best the present day gradients of oxygen and iron if we assume an inside-out formation, no threshold gas density, a constant efficiency of star formation along the disk and radial gas flows. It is particularly important the choice of the velocity pattern for radial flows and the combination of this velocity pattern with the surface mass density distribution in the halo. Having selected the best model, we then explore the evolution of abundance gradients in time and find that the gradients in general steepen in time and that at redshift z~3 there is a gradient inversion in the inner regions of the disk, in the sense that at early epochs the oxygen abundance decreases toward the Galactic center. This effect, which has been observed, is naturally produced by our models if an inside-out formation of the disk and and a constant star formation efficiency are assumed. The inversion is due to the fact that in the inside-out formation a strong infall of primordial gas, contrasting chemical enrichment, is present in the innermost disk regions at early times. The gradient inversion remains also in the presence of radial flows, either with constant or variable speed in time, and this is a new result.Comment: 15 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Comment on: Weak Anisotropy and Disorder Dependence of the In-Plane Magnetoresistance in High-Mobility (100) Si Inversion Layers

Comment on: Weak Anisotropy and Disorder Dependence of the In-Plane Magnetoresistance in High-Mobility (100) Si Inversion LayersComment: 1 page, submitted to PR

Theory of Anisotropic Hopping Transport due to Spiral Correlations in the Spin-Glass Phase of Underdoped Cuprates

We study the in-plane resistivity anisotropy in the spin-glass phase of the high-$T_{c}$ cuprates, on the basis of holes moving in a spiral spin background. This picture follows from analysis of the extended $t-J$ model with Coulomb impurities. In the variable-range hopping regime the resistivity anisotropy is found to have a maximum value of around 90%, and it decreases with temperature, in excellent agreement with experiments in La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$. In our approach the transport anisotropy is due to the non-collinearity of the spiral spin state, rather than an intrinsic tendency of the charges to self-organize.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; expanded versio

Insulator-metal-insulator transition and selective spectral weight transfer in a disordered strongly correlated system

We investigate the metal insulator transitions at finite temperature for the Hubbard model with diagonal alloy disorder. We solve the dynamical mean field theory equations with the non crossing approximation and we use the coherent potential approximation to handle disorder. The excitation spectrum is given for various correlation strength $U$ and disorder. Two successive metal insulator transitions are observed at integer filling values as $U$ is increased. An important selective transfer of spectral weight arises upon doping. The strong influence of the temperature on the low energy dynamics is studied in details.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Metals get an awkward cousin

A newly predicted state of matter is a simple theoretical example of a phase that conducts electricity but is not smoothly connected to our conventional model of metals. A viewpoint on arXiv:1201.5998.Comment: Physics 5, 82 (2012

Transport properties in correlated systems: An analytical model

Several studies have so far investigated transport properties of strongly correlated systems. Interesting features of these materials are the lack of resistivity saturation well beyond the Mott-Ioffe-Regel limit and the scaling of the resistivity with the hole density in underdoped cuprates. Due to the strongly correlated nature of these materials, mainly numerical techniques have been employed. A key role in this regards is thought to be played by the continuous transfer of spectral weight from coherent to incoherent states. In this paper we employ a simple analytical expression for the electronic Green's function to evaluate both quasi-particle and transport properties in correlated systems. Our analytical approach permits to enlighten the specific role of the spectral transfer due to the correlation on different features. In particular we investigate the dependence of both quasi-particle and transport scattering rate on the correlation degree and the criterion for resistivity saturation. systems.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures. New version correcting a mistake of the previous version and added figure

Photon deflection by a Coulomb field in noncommutative QED

In noncommutative QED photons present self-interactions in the form of triple and quartic interactions. The triple interaction implies that, even though the photon is electrically neutral, it will deflect when in the presence of an electromagnetic field. If detected, such deflection would be an undoubted signal of noncommutative space-time. In this work we derive the general expression for the deflection of a photon by any electromagnetic field. As an application we consider the case of the deflection of a photon by an external static Coulomb field.Comment: 07 pages, some typos corrected, accepted for publication in JP