Publications
Strongly interacting phases of metallic wires in strong magnetic field
We investigate theoretically an interacting metallic wire with a strong magnetic field directed along its length and show that it is a highly tunable one-dimensional system. By considering a suitable change in spatial geometry, we build an analogy between the problem in the zeroth Landau level with Landau level degeneracy N to one-dimensional fermions with an N-component pseudospin degree of freedom and SU(2)-symmetric interactions.
Low-Power Photothermal Self-Oscillation of Bimetallic Nanowires
We investigate the nonlinear mechanics of a bimetallic, optically absorbing SiN-Nb nanowire in the presence of incident laser light and a reflecting Si mirror. Situated in a standing wave of optical intensity and subject to photothermal forces, the nanowire undergoes self-induced oscillations at low incident light thresholds of <1 μW due to engineered strong temperature-position (T-z) coupling. Along with inducing self-oscillation, laser light causes large changes to the mechanical resonant frequency ω0 and equilibrium position z0 that cannot be neglected.
Walking like an ant: A quantitative and experimental approach to understanding locomotor mimicry in the jumping spider Myrmarachne formicaria
Protective mimicry, in which a palatable species avoids predation by being mistaken for an unpalatable model, is a remarkable example of adaptive evolution. These complex interactions between mimics, models and predators can explain similarities between organisms beyond the often-mechanistic constraints typically invoked in studies of convergent evolution. However, quantitative studies of protective mimicry typically focus on static traits (e.g. colour and shape) rather than on dynamic traits like locomotion.
Discovery of orbital-selective Cooper pairing in FeSe
The superconductor iron selenide (FeSe) is of intense interest owing to its unusual nonmagnetic nematic state and potential for high-temperature superconductivity. But its Cooper pairing mechanism has not been determined. We used Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference imaging to determine the Fermi surface geometry of the electronic bands surrounding the Γ = (0, 0) and X = (π/aFe, 0) points of FeSe and to measure the corresponding superconducting energy gaps.
Dirac spin-orbit torques and charge pumping at the surface of topological insulators
We address the nature of spin-orbit torques at the magnetic surfaces of topological insulators using the linear-response theory. We find that the so-called Dirac torques in such systems possess a different symmetry compared to their Rashba counterpart, as well as a high anisotropy as a function of the magnetization direction. In particular, the damping torque vanishes when the magnetization lies in the plane of the topological-insulator surface. We also show that the Onsager reciprocal of the spin-orbit torque, the charge pumping, induces an enhanced anisotropic damping.
Deformation of Crystals: Connections with Statistical Physics
We give a bird's-eye view of the plastic deformation of crystals aimed at the statistical physics community, as well as a broad introduction to the statistical theories of forced rigid systems aimed at the plasticity community. Memory effects in magnets, spin glasses, charge density waves, and dilute colloidal suspensions are discussed in relation to the onset of plastic yielding in crystals. Dislocation avalanches and complex dislocation tangles are discussed via a brief introduction to the renormalization group and scaling.
The A-B transition in superfluid helium-3 under confinement in a thin slab geometry
The influence of confinement on the phases of superfluid helium-3 is studied using the torsional pendulum method. We focus on the transition between the A and B phases, where the A phase is stabilized by confinement and a spatially modulated stripe phase is predicted at the A-B phase boundary. Here we discuss results from superfluid helium-3 contained in a single 1.08-μm-thick nanofluidic cavity incorporated into a high-precision torsion pendulum, and map the phase diagram between 0.1 and 5.6 bar.
Active-site protein dynamics and solvent accessibility in native Achromobacter cycloclastes copper nitrite reductase
Microbial nitrite reductases are denitrifying enzymes that are a major component of the global nitrogen cycle. Multiple structures measured from one crystal (MSOX data) of copper nitrite reductase at 240K, together with molecular-dynamics simulations, have revealed protein dynamics at the type 2 copper site that are significant for its catalytic properties and for the entry and exit of solvent or ligands to and from the active site.
CBETA - Cornell university brookhaven national laboratory electron energy recovery test accelerator
Cornell's Lab of Accelerator-based Sciences and Education (CLASSE) and the Collider Accelerator Department (BNL-CAD) are developing the first Superconducting RF multi-turn energy recovery linac with Non-Scaling Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (NS-FFAG) racetrack. The existing injector and superconducting linac at Cornell University are installed together with a single NS-FFAG arcs and straight section at the opposite side of the linac to form an Electron Energy Recovery (ERL) system.
Impact of trapped magnetic flux and thermal gradients on the performance of Nb3Sn cavities
Trapped magnetic flux is known to degrade the quality factor of superconducting cavities by increasing the surface losses ascribed to the residual resistance. In Nb3Sn cavities, which consist of a thin layer of Nb3Sn coated on a bulk niobium substrate, the bimetallic interface results in a thermal current being generated in the presence of a thermal gradient, which will in turn generate flux that can be trapped. In this paper we quantify the impact of trapped flux, from either ambient fields or thermal gradients, on the performance of the cavity.