arXiv subjects

S. Pedersen

Publications and source records attributed to S. Pedersen.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2014

The design of the wide field monitor for LOFT

LOFT (Large Observatory For x-ray Timing) is one of the ESA M3 missions selected within the Cosmic Vision program in 2011 to carry out an assessment phase study and compete for a launch opportunity in 2022-2024. The phase-A studies of all M3 missions were completed at the end of 2013. LOFT is designed to carry on-board two instruments with sensitivity in the 2-50 keV range: a 10 m 2 class Large Area Detector (LAD) with a <1° collimated FoV and a wide field monitor (WFM) making use of coded masks and providing an instantaneous coverage of more than 1/3 of the sky. The prime goal of the WFM will be to detect transient sources to be observed by the LAD. However, thanks to its unique combination of a wide field of view (FoV) and energy resolution (better than 500 eV), the WFM will be also an excellent monitoring instrument to study the long term variability of many classes of X-ray sources. The WFM consists of 10 independent and identical coded mask cameras arranged in 5 pairs to provide the desired sky coverage. We provide here an overview of the instrument design, configuration, and capabilities of the LOFT WFM. The compact and modular design of the WFM could easily make the instrument concept adaptable for other missions.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2002

Spin-orbit interaction and the 'metal-insulator' transition observed in two-dimensional hole systems

We present calculations of the spin and phase relaxation rates in GaAs/AlGaAs $p$-type quantum wells. These rates are used to derive the temperature dependence of the weak-localization correction to the conductivity. In $p$-type quantum wells both weak localization and weak anti-localization are present due to the strong spin-orbit interaction. When determining the total conductivity correction one also have to include the term due to hole-hole interaction. The magnitude of the latter depends on the ratio between the thermal energy and the Fermi energy, $k_{\rm B}T/E_{\rm F}$ and whether the system can be considered as ballistic $(k_{\rm B}T τ_{\rm tr} / \hbar>1)$ or diffusive ($k_{\rm B}T τ_{\rm tr}/\hbar<1$). We argue that due to the relatively low Fermi energy and the moderate mobilities, in the $p$-type systems in question, the conductivity correction arising from hole-hole interactions is negligible at the highest temperatures accessible in the experiments. Hence the 'metal-insulator' transition observed at these relatively high temperatures could be caused by interference effects. We compare our calculations of the weak anti-localization correction with the experimental results from different independent groups with special emphasis on the experiments by Simmons et al. We find good agreement between predicted and observed transistion density $p_{c}$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Dilation of the Giant Vortex State in a Mesoscopic Superconducting Loop

We have experimentally investigated the magnetisation of a mesoscopic aluminum loop at temperatures well below the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}$. The flux quantisation of the superconducting loop was investigated with a $μ$-Hall magnetometer in magnetic field intensities between $\pm 100 {Gauss}$. The magnetic field intensity periodicity observed in the magnetization measurements is expected to take integer values of the superconducting flux quanta $Φ_{0}=h/2e$. A closer inspection of the periodicity, however, reveal a sub flux quantum shift. This fine structure we interpret as a consequence of a so called giant vortex state nucleating towards either the inner or the outer side of the loop. These findings are in agreement with recent theoretical reports.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Mesoscopic decoherence in Aharonov-Bohm rings

We study electron decoherence by measuring the temperature dependence of Aharonov-Bohm (AB) oscillations in quasi-1D rings, etched in a high-mobility GaAs/GaAlAs heterostructure. The oscillation amplitude is influenced both by phase-breaking and by thermal averaging. Thermal averaging is important when the temperature approaches the energy scale, on which the AB oscillations shift their phase. For the phase-breaking, it is demonstrated that the damping of the oscillation amplitude is proportional to the length of the interfering paths. For temperatures $T$ from 0.3 to 4 $\rm K$ we find the phase coherence length $\it L_ϕ$ $\propto$ $T^{-1}$, close to what has been reported for open quantum dots. This might indicate that the $T^{-1}$ decoherence rate is a general property of open and ballistic mesoscopic systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Investigation of the Mesoscopic Aharonov-Bohm effect in Low Magnetic Fields

We have investigated the Aharonov-Bohm effect in mesoscopic semiconductor GaAs/GaAlAs rings in low magnetic fields. The oscillatory magnetoconductance of these systems is systematically studied as a function of electron density. We observe phase-shifts of $π$ in the magnetoconductance oscillations, and halving of the fundamental $h/e$ period, as the density is varied. Theoretically we find agreement with the experiment, by introducing an asymmetry between the two arms of the ring.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Weak localisation in AlGaAs/GaAs p-type quantum wells

We have for the first time experimentally investigated the weak localisation magnetoresistance in a AlGaAs/GaAs p-type quantum well. The peculiarity of such systems is that spin-orbit interaction is strong. On the theoretical side it is not possible to treat the spin-orbit interaction as a perturbation. This is in contrast to all prior investigations of weak localisation. In this letter we compare the experimental results with a newly developed diffusion theory, which explicitly describes the weak localisation regime when the spin-orbit coupling is strong. The spin relaxation rates calculated from the fitting parameters was found to agree with theoretical expectations. Furthermore the fitting parameters indicate an enhanced phase breaking rate compared to theoretical predictions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Observation of Quantum Asymmetry in an Aharonov-Bohm Ring

We have investigated the Aharonov-Bohm effect in a one-dimensional GaAs/GaAlAs ring at low magnetic fields. The oscillatory magnetoconductance of these systems are for the first time systematically studied as a function of density. We observe phase-shifts of $π$ in the magnetoconductance oscillations, and halving of the fundamental $h/e$ period, as the density is varied. Theoretically we find agreement with the experiment, by introducing an asymmetry between the two arms of the ring.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1996

Spin Splitting and Weak Localization in (110) GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Wells

We investigate experimentally and theoretically the spin-orbit effects on the weak localization in a (110) GaAs 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). We analyze the role of two different terms in the spin splitting of the conduction band: the Dresselhaus terms, which arise due to the lack of inversion center in the bulk GaAs, and the Rashba terms, which are caused by the asymmetry of the quantum well. It is shown that in A3B5 quantum wells the magnetoresistance due to the weak localization depends qualitatively on the orientation of the well. In particular, it is demonstrated that the (110) geometry has a distinctive feature that in the absence of the Rashba terms the ``antilocalization'' effect, i.e. the positive magnetoresistance, does not exist. Calculation of the weak anti-localization magnetoresistance is found to be in excellent agreement with experiments.

cond-mat↗