| 1. |
- Benfenati, Andrea, et al.
(author)
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Vortex nucleation barrier in superconductors beyond the Bean-Livingston approximation : A numerical approach for the sphaleron problem in a gauge theory
- 2020
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In: Physical Review B. - : AMER PHYSICAL SOC. - 2469-9950 .- 2469-9969. ; 101:22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The knowledge of vortex nucleation barriers is crucial for applications of superconductors, such as single-photon detectors and superconductor-based qubits. Contrarily to the problem of finding energy minima and critical fields, there are no controllable methods to explore the energy landscape, identify saddle points, and compute associated barriers. Similar problems exist in high-energy physics where the saddle-point configurations are called sphalerons. Here, we present a generalization of the string method to gauge field theories, which allows the calculation of energy barriers in superconductors. We solve the problem of vortex nucleation, assessing the effects of the nonlinearity of the model, complicated geometry, surface roughness, and pinning.
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| 2. |
- Maiani, Andrea, et al.
(author)
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Vortex nucleation barriers and stable fractional vortices near boundaries in multicomponent superconductors
- 2021
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The magnetization process of a superconductor is determined by the potential barrier for vortex nucleation and escape. In multicomponent superconductors, fractional vortices with a winding in the phase of only one of the components can be stable topological solitons that carry a fraction of the flux quantum. While the formation of such objects in the bulk costs logarithmically or linearly divergent energy, these objects were shown to be stable near samples' boundaries in the two-component London model. Therefore, the conventional Bean-Livingston picture of magnetic flux entry does not apply to these superconductors, since the entry process can involve fractionalization of a vortex. In this paper, we address the nonlinear problem of determining the potential barrier for fluxoid penetration in a multicomponent superconductor, including the effects of various intercomponent couplings, by using the recently developed gauged string method. The method allows numerically exact (i.e., convergent) calculation of a sphaleron configuration in a gauge theory and thus the height of the nucleation barrier. We show how the fractionalized nucleation processes result in multiple sphalerons and intermediate states due to the complex shape of the energy landscape of multicomponent superconductors.
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| 3. |
- Maiani, Andrea, et al.
(author)
-
Vortex nucleation barriers and stable fractional vortices near boundaries in multicomponent superconductors
- 2022
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In: Physical Review B. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9950 .- 2469-9969. ; 105:22
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The magnetization process of a superconductor is determined by the potential barrier for vortex nucleation and escape. In multicomponent superconductors, fractional vortices with a winding in the phase of only one of the components can be stable topological solitons that carry a fraction of the flux quantum. While the formation of such objects in the bulk costs logarithmically or linearly divergent energy, these objects were shown to be stable near the samples' boundaries in the two-component London model. Therefore the conventional Bean-Livingston picture of magnetic flux entry does not apply to these superconductors, since the entry process can involve fractionalization of a vortex. In this paper, we address the nonlinear problem of determining the potential barrier for fluxoid penetration in a multicomponent superconductor, including the effects of various intercomponent couplings, by using the recently developed gauged string method. The method allows numerically exact (i.e., convergent) calculation of a sphaleron configuration in a gauge theory and thus the height of the nucleation barrier. We show how the fractionalized nucleation processes result in multiple sphalerons and intermediate states due to the complex shape of the energy landscape of multicomponent superconductors.
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| 4. |
- De Luca, Chiara, et al.
(author)
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Biological definition of multiple chemical sensitivity from redox state and cytokine profiling and not from polymorphisms of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes
- 2010
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In: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0041-008X .- 1096-0333. ; 248:3, s. 285-292
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a poorly clinically and biologically defined environment-associated syndrome. Although dysfunctions of phase I/phase II metabolizing enzymes and redox imbalance have been hypothesized, corresponding genetic and metabolic parameters in MCS have not been systematically examined. Objectives: We sought for genetic, immunological, and metabolic markers in MCS. Methods: We genotyped patients with diagnosis of MCS. suspected MCS and Italian healthy controls for allelic variants of cytochrome P450 isoforms (CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A5), UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT1A1), and glutathione S-transferases (GSTP1. GSTM1, and GSTT1). Erythrocyte membrane fatty acids, antioxidant (catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD)) and glutathione metabolizing (GST, glutathione peroxidase (Gpx)) enzymes, whole blood chemiluminescence, total antioxidant capacity, levels of nitrites/nitrates, glutathione, HNE-protein adducts, and a wide spectrum of cytokines in the plasma were determined. Results: Allele and genotype frequencies of CYPs, UGT, GSTM, GSTT, and GSTP were similar in the Italian MCS patients and in the control populations. The activities of erythrocyte catalase and GST were lower, whereas Gpx was higher than normal. Both reduced and oxidised glutathione were decreased, whereas nitrites/nitrates were increased in the MCS groups. The MCS fatty acid profile was shifted to saturated compartment and IFNgamma, IL-8, IL-10, MCP-1. PDGFbb, and VEGF were increased. Conclusions: Altered redox and cytokine patterns suggest inhibition of expression/activity of metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in MCS. Metabolic parameters indicating accelerated lipid oxidation, increased nitric oxide production and glutathione depletion in combination with increased plasma inflammatory cytokines should be considered in biological definition and diagnosis of MCS. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Escribano, Samuel D., et al.
(author)
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Semiconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor planar heterostructures for 1D topological superconductivity
- 2022
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In: npj Quantum Materials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-4648. ; 7:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hybrid structures of semiconducting (SM) nanowires, epitaxially grown superconductors (SC), and ferromagnetic-insulator (FI) layers have been explored experimentally and theoretically as alternative platforms for topological superconductivity at zero magnetic field. Here, we analyze a tripartite SM/FI/SC heterostructure but realized in a planar stacking geometry, where the thin FI layer acts as a spin-polarized barrier between the SM and the SC. We optimize the system’s geometrical parameters using microscopic simulations, finding the range of FI thicknesses for which the hybrid system can be tuned into the topological regime. Within this range, and thanks to the vertical confinement provided by the stacking geometry, trivial and topological phases alternate regularly as the external gate is varied, displaying a hard topological gap that can reach half of the SC one. This is a significant improvement compared to setups using hexagonal nanowires, which show erratic topological regions with typically smaller and softer gaps. Our proposal provides a magnetic field-free planar design for quasi-one-dimensional topological superconductivity with attractive properties for experimental control and scalability.
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| 6. |
- Maiani, Andrea, et al.
(author)
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Nonsinusoidal current-phase relations in semiconductor-superconductor- ferromagnetic insulator devices
- 2023
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In: Physical Review B. - 2469-9950. ; 107:24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coherent tunneling processes of multiple Cooper pairs across a Josephson junction give rise to high harmonics in the current phase relation. In this work, we propose and study Josephson junctions based on semiconductor-superconductor-ferromagnetic insulator heterostructures to engineer nonsinusoidal current-phase relations. The gate-tunability of the charge carriers' density in the semiconductor, together with the adjustable magnetization of the ferromagnetic insulator, provides control over the content of the supercurrent harmonics. At finite exchange field, hybrid junctions can undergo a 0 - π phase transition, resulting in a supercurrent reversal. Close to the transition, single-pair tunneling is suppressed and the current-phase relation is dominated by the second-harmonic, indicating transport primarily by pairs of Cooper pairs. Finally, we demonstrate that noncollinear magnetization or spin-orbit coupling in the leads and the junction can lead to a gate-tunable Josephson diode effect with efficiencies of up to ∼30%.
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| 7. |
- Aad, G, et al.
(author)
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- 2015
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swepub:Mat__t
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