Superconducting spintronics

The interaction between superconducting and spin-polarized orders has recently emerged as a major research field following a series of fundamental breakthroughs in charge transport in superconductor-ferromagnet heterodevices which promise new device functionality. Traditional studies which combine spintronics and superconductivity have mainly focused on the injection of spin-polarized quasiparticles into superconducting materials. However, a complete synergy between superconducting and magnetic orders turns out to be possible through the creation of spin-triplet Cooper pairs which are generated at carefully engineered superconductor interfaces with ferromagnetic materials. Currently, there is intense activity focused on identifying materials combinations which merge superconductivity and spintronics in order to enhance device functionality and performance. The results look promising: it has been shown, for example, that superconducting order can greatly enhance central effects in spintronics such as spin injection and magnetoresistance. Here, we review the experimental and theoretical advances in this field and provide an outlook for upcoming challenges related to the new concept of superconducting spintronics.J.L. was supported by the Research Council of Norway, Grants No. 205591 and 216700. J.W.A.R. was supported by the UK Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust through an International Network Grant (IN-2013-033).This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/v11/n4/full/nphys3242.html

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Magnetic Field Enhanced Superconductivity in Epitaxial Thin Film WTe2

Abstract In conventional superconductors an external magnetic field generally suppresses superconductivity. This results from a simple thermodynamic competition of the superconducting and magnetic free energies. In this study, we report the unconventional features in the superconducting epitaxial thin film tungsten telluride (WTe2). Measuring the electrical transport properties of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) grown WTe2 thin films with a high precision rotation stage, we map the upper critical field H c2 at different temperatures T. We observe the superconducting transition temperature T c is enhanced by in-plane magnetic fields. The upper critical field H c2 is observed to establish an unconventional non-monotonic dependence on temperature. We suggest that this unconventional feature is due to the lifting of inversion symmetry, which leads to the enhancement of H c2 in Ising superconductors

Diesel Oil Degradation Potential of a Bacterium Inhabiting Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contaminated Surface Waters and Characterization of Its Emulsification Ability

Degradation of poorly water soluble hydrocarbons, like n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are challenged by some bacteria through emulsification of hydrocarbons by producing biosurfactants. In diesel oil bioremediation, diesel oil degrading and surfactant producing bacteria are used to eliminate these pollutants from contaminated waters. Therefore, identifying and characterizing bacteria capable of producing surfactant and degrading diesel oil are pivotal. In this study, bacteria isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated river water were screened for their potential to degrade diesel oil. Primary selection was carried out by using conventional enrichment culture technique, emulsification index measurement, gravimetric and gas chromatographic analyses of diesel oil degradation. A bacterium with 60 % emulsification index and 92 % diesel oil degradation ability in 14 days was identified as Acinetobacter haemolyticus Zn01 by 16S rRNA sequencing. A. haemolyticus Zn01 was shown to harbor both catabolic genes alkB and C23O effective in diesel oil degradation. The biosurfactant of the bacterium was also characterized in terms of surface tension, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Being able to emulsify and degrade diesel oil, A. haemolyticus Zn01 seems to have high potential for the elimination of diesel oil from polluted waters