arXiv subjects

Ernesto Medina

Publications and source records attributed to Ernesto Medina.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Molecular dynamics modeling of the effects of cementation on the acoustical properties of granular sedimentary rocks

The incidence of cementation processes on the acoustical properties of sands is studied via molecular dynamics simulation techniques. In our simulations, we consider samples with different degrees of compaction and cementing materials with distinct elastic properties. The microstructure of cemented sands is taken into account while adding cement at specific locations within the pores, such as grain-to-grain contacts. Results show that acoustical properties of cemented sands are strongly dependent on the amount of cement, its relative stiffness with respect to the hosting medium, and its location within pores. Simulation results are in good correspondence available experimental data and compare favourably with some theoretical predictions for the sound velocity within a range of cement saturation, porosity and confining pressure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2004

Entangled electronic state via an interacting quantum dot

We study a device for entangling electrons as cotunneling occurs through a quantum dot where on-site electron-electron interactions $U$ are in place. The main advantage of this device is that single particle processes are forbidden by energy conservation as proposed by Oliver et al\cite{oli02}. Within this model we calculated two electron transition amplitude, in terms of the T-matrix, to all orders in the coupling to the dot, and consider a finite lead bandwidth. The model filters singlet entangled pairs with the sole requirement of Pauli principle. Feynman paths involving consecutive and doubly occupied dot interfere destructively and produce a transition amplitude minimum at a critical value of the onsite repulsion $U$. Singlet filtering is demonstrated as a function of a gate voltage applied to the dot with a special resonance condition when the dot levels are symmetrically placed about the input lead energy.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Electron-Phonon interaction and electronic decoherence in molecular conductors

We perform a brief but critical review of the Landauer picture of transport that clarifies how decoherence appears in this approach. On this basis, we present different models that allow the study of the coherent and decoherent effects of the interaction with the environment in the electronic transport. These models are particularly well suited for the analysis of transport in molecular wires. The effects of decoherence are described through the D'Amato-Pastawski model that is explained in detail. We also consider the formation of polarons in some models for the electron-vibrational interaction. Our quantum coherent framework allows us to study many-body interference effects. Particular emphasis is given to the occurrence of anti-resonances as a result of these interferences. By studying the phase fluctuations in these soluble models we are able to identify inelastic and decoherence effects. A brief description of a general formulation for the consideration of time-dependent transport is also presented.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Persistent Non-ergodic Fluctuations in Mesoscopic Insulators

We give a detailed and rigorous picture of the mesoscopic conductance fluctuations in the deep insulating regime (DIR) within the Nguyen, Spivak and Shklovskii model including spin-orbit coupling (SO). Without SO, we find that fluctuations of the log-conductance are persistent above a saturation field $% B_s$, where one has that the log-conductance is approximately a stationary random process. In contrast, in the SO case the saturation field $B_s$ is negligible and the stationarity is well realized. We find non-vanishing disorder fluctuations of the field average of the log-conductance as a quantitative measure of the lack of ergodicity in the mean square sense. As a consequence the commonly used criterion to test the ergodicity based on the equivalence of the variance in disorder and the variance in the field is not fulfilled. Using the replica approach, we derive the weak localization analogs of the `cooperon and diffuson.

cond-mat↗

arXiv2001

`Tight Binding' methods in quantum transport through molecules and small devices: From the coherent to the decoherent description

We discuss the steady-state electronic transport in solid-state and molecular devices in the quantum regime. The decimation technique allows a comprehensive description of the electronic structure. Such a method is used, in conjunction with the generalizations of Landauer's tunneling formalism, to describe a wide range of transport regimes. We analize mesoscopic and semiclassical metallic transport, the metal-insulator transition, and the resonant tunneling regime. The effects of decoherence on transport is discussed in terms of the D'Amato-Pastawski model. A brief presentation of the time dependent phenomena is also included.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Directed paths on hierarchical lattices with random sign weights

We study sums of directed paths on a hierarchical lattice where each bond has either a positive or negative sign with a probability $p$. Such path sums $J$ have been used to model interference effects by hopping electrons in the strongly localized regime. The advantage of hierarchical lattices is that they include path crossings, ignored by mean field approaches, while still permitting analytical treatment. Here, we perform a scaling analysis of the controversial ``sign transition'' using Monte Carlo sampling, and conclude that the transition exists and is second order. Furthermore, we make use of exact moment recursion relations to find that the moments $ $ always determine, uniquely, the probability distribution $P(J)$. We also derive, exactly, the moment behavior as a function of $p$ in the thermodynamic limit. Extrapolations ($n\to 0$) to obtain $<\ln J>$ for odd and even moments yield a new signal for the transition that coincides with Monte Carlo simulations. Analysis of high moments yield interesting ``solitonic'' structures that propagate as a function of $p$. Finally, we derive the exact probability distribution for path sums $J$ up to length L=64 for all sign probabilities.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1995

Magneto-Conductance Anisotropy and Interference Effects in Variable Range Hopping

We investigate the magneto-conductance (MC) anisotropy in the variable range hopping regime, caused by quantum interference effects in three dimensions. When no spin-orbit scattering is included, there is an increase in the localization length (as in two dimensions), producing a large positive MC. By contrast, with spin-orbit scattering present, there is no change in the localization length, and only a small increase in the overall tunneling amplitude. The numerical data for small magnetic fields $B$, and hopping lengths $t$, can be collapsed by using scaling variables $B_\perp t^{3/2}$, and $B_\parallel t$ in the perpendicular and parallel field orientations respectively. This is in agreement with the flux through a `cigar'--shaped region with a diffusive transverse dimension proportional to $\sqrt{t}$. If a single hop dominates the conductivity of the sample, this leads to a characteristic orientational `finger print' for the MC anisotropy. However, we estimate that many hops contribute to conductivity of typical samples, and thus averaging over critical hop orientations renders the bulk sample isotropic, as seen experimentally. Anisotropy appears for thin films, when the length of the hop is comparable to the thickness. The hops are then restricted to align with the sample plane, leading to different MC behaviors parallel and perpendicular to it, even after averaging over many hops. We predict the variations of such anisotropy with both the hop size and the magnetic field strength. An orientational bias produced by strong electric fields will also lead to MC anisotropy.

cond-mat↗