A Dual Gate Spin Field Effect Transistor With Very Low Switching Voltage and Large ON-to-OFF Conductance Ratio

We propose and analyze a novel dual-gate Spin Field Effect Transistor (SpinFET) with half-metallic ferromagnetic source and drain contacts. The transistor has two gate pads that can be biased independently. It can be switched ON or OFF with a few mV change in the differential bias between the two pads, resulting in extremely low dynamic power dissipation during switching. The ratio of ON to OFF conductance remains fairly large (~ 60) up to a temperature of 10 K. This device also has excellent inverter characteristics, making it attractive for applications in low power and high density Boolean logic circuits

A comparison between e-government practices in Taiwan and New Zealand.

Few studies have focused on comparing the state of e-government in Western- and Non-Western settings, where the political, social, economic, and cultural environments can be markedly different. This paper compares the views of local authority policymakers in Taiwan and New Zealand, in order to judge the sophistication of their e-government initiatives via the formal and informal policies underpinning website development. Good level of agreement were observed between the Taiwanese and New Zealander respondents for the high levels of significance they attached to 3 key issues, which the authors argue are critical for successful e-government: Accessibility, Security and Privacy. Similarly, the policymakers agreed on a medium level of significance for the 7 key issues: E-procurement, Digital Divide, Private Sector, Taxation, Cultural Obstacles, IT Workforce, and Social Effects (and on a low level of significance for E-Tailing). It was concluded that government policymakers in both countries, in an era of commercial online social networking, are continuing to favour pushing(what they deem to be important) information to citizens, rather than creating collaborative service channels with citizens, contractors and suppliers or integrating separate service processes to satisfy all stakeholders. An attendant lack of commitment to promoting heightened (e-)democracy was also noted, especially in New Zealand

Fatigue Risks in the Connections of Sign Support Structures

This research effort develops a reliability-based approach for prescribing inspection intervals for mast-arm sign support structures corresponding to user-specified levels of fatigue-induced fracture risk. The resulting level of risk for a particular structure is dependent upon its geographical location, the type of connection it contains, the orientation of its mast-arm relative to north and the number of years it has been in service. The results of this research effort indicate that implementation of state-of-the-art reliability-based assessment procedures can contribute very valuable procedures for assigning inspection protocols (i.e. inspection intervals) that are based upon probabilities of finding fatigue-induced cracking in these structures. The engineering community can use the results of this research effort to design inspection intervals based upon risk and thereby better align inspection needs with limited fiscal and human resources

Model B4 : multi-decade creep and shrinkage prediction of traditional and modern concretes

To improve the sustainability of concrete infrastructure, engineers face the challenge of incorporating new concrete materials while pushing the expected design life beyond 100 years. The time-dependent creep and shrinkage response of concrete governs the serviceability and durability in this multi-decade time frame. It has been shown that current prediction equations for creep and shrinkage underestimate material deformations observed in structures outside of a laboratory environment. A new prediction model for creep and shrinkage is presented that can overcome some of the shortcomings of the current equations. The model represents an extension and systematic recalibration of model B3, a 1995 RILEM Recommendation, which derives its functional form from the phenomena of diffusion, chemical hydration, moisture sorption, and the evolution of micro-stresses in the cement structure. The model is calibrated through a joint optimization of a new enlarged laboratory test database and a new database of bridge deflection records to overcome the bias towards short-term behavior. A framework for considering effects of aggregates, admixtures, additives, and higher temperatures is also incorporated

Structure and dielectric properties of electroactive tetraaniline grafted non-polar elastomers

Intrinsic modification of polybutadiene and block copolymer styrene–butadiene–styrene with the electrically conducting emeraldine salt of tetraaniline (TANI) via a three-step grafting method, is reported in this work. Whilst the TANI oligomer grafted at a similar rate to both polybutadiene and styrene–butadiene–styrene under the same conditions, the resulting elastomers exhibited vastly different properties. 1 mol% TANI-PB exhibited an increased relative permittivity of 5.9, and a high strain at break of 156%, whilst 25 mol% TANI-SBS demonstrated a relative permittivity of 6.2 and a strain at break of 186%. The difference in the behaviour of the two polymers was due to the compatibilisation of TANI by styrene in SBS through π-π stacking, which prevented the formation of a conducting TANI network in SBS at. Without the styrene group, TANI-PB formed a phase separated structure with high levels of TANI grafting. Overall, it was concluded that the polymer chain structure, the morphology of the modified elastomers, and the degree of grafting of TANI, had the greatest effect on the mechanical and dielectric properties of the resultant elastomers. This work paves the way for an alternative approach to the extrinsic incorporation of conducting groups into unsaturated elastomers, and demonstrates dielectric elastomers with enhanced electrical properties for use in actuation devices and energy harvesting applications

Constructing Functional Braids for Low-Leakage Topological Quantum Computing

We discuss how to significantly reduce leakage errors in topological quantum computation by introducing an irrelevant error in phase, using the construction of a CNOT gate in the Fibonacci anyon model as a concrete example. To be specific, we construct a functional braid in a six-anyon Hilbert space that exchanges two neighboring anyons while conserving the encoded quantum information. The leakage error is $\sim$$10^{-10}$ for a braid of $\sim$100 interchanges of anyons. Applying the braid greatly reduces the leakage error in the construction of generic controlled-rotation gates.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, updated, accepeted by Phys. Rev.