Aharonov-Bohm Research Articles

Inhibitory Effects of LRP1-Based Immunotherapy on Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Biophysical Alterations Induced by Hypercholesterolemia.

The accumulation of lipids in cardiomyocytes contributes to cardiac dysfunction. The specific blockage of cardiomyocyte cholesteryl ester (CE) loading by antibodies (Abs) against the P3 sequence (Gly1127-Cys1140) of the LRP1 receptor improves cardiac insulin sensitivity. The impact of anti-P3 Abs on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) biophysical alterations was analyzed. Both IrP (without Abs) and P3-immunized rabbits (with Abs) were randomized into groups fed either HFD or a standard chow diet. Cardiac lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflectance mode. The hydric organization and physical structure were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. HFD increased the levels of esterified lipids, collagen, and α-helical structures and upregulated fibrosis, bound water, and ECM plasticization in the heart. The inhibitory effect of anti-P3 Abs on cardiac CE accumulation was sufficient to reduce the collagen-filled extracellular space, the level of fibrosis, and the amount of bound water but did not counteract ECM plasticization in the heart of hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

Energy-level shift of quantum systems via the scalar electric Aharonov-Bohm effect

A novel version of the electric Aharonov-Bohm effect is proposed where the quantum system which picks up the Aharonov-Bohm phase is confined to a Faraday cage with a time varying, spatially uniform scalar potential. The electric and magnetic fields in this region are effectively zero for the entire period of the experiment. The observable consequence of this version of the electric Aharonov-Bohmn effect is to shift the energy levels of the quantum system rather than shift the fringes of the 2-slit interference pattern. We show a strong mathematical connection between this version of the scalar electric AB effect and the AC Stark effect.

Inhibitory effect of fucoidan on TNF-α-induced inflammation in human retinal pigment epithelium cells.

Sargassum horneri (S. horneri) is a brown seaweed that contains a fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharide called fucoidan and is known to possess beneficial bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidative, and antitumoral effects. This study aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of AB_SH (hydrothermal extracts from S. horneri) and its bioactive compound (fucoidan) against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced inflammation in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. AB_SH did not exhibit any cytotoxicity, and it decreased the mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 and the production of the cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. It also suppressed the expression levels of phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNK), p38 protein kinases (p38), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) proteins, suggesting that AB_SH inhibits activation of the NF-kB/MAPK signaling pathway. Since fucoidan was identified in the composition analysis of AB_SH, it was additionally shown to be required for its anti-inflammatory effects in TNF-α-stimulated human RPE cells. In line with the AB_SH results, fucoidan reduced the mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, and IL-8 and production of the cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8 through the downregulation of the NF-kB/MAPK signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, the ability of AB_SH from S. horneri hydrothermal extracts to reduce inflammation indicates that it may be a good functional ingredient for managing ocular disorders.

One-dimensional flat bands and Dirac cones in narrow zigzag dice lattice ribbons

We show that four narrow zigzag dice lattice ribbons, which have the minimal widths among their separate categories, constitute a unique collection of systems to study physics related to one-dimensional Dirac cones and flat bands. In zero magnetic field, all three combinations, including only Dirac cones, only flat bands, coexisting Dirac cones and flat bands, are realized in the low-energy band structures of one or two of the four ribbons. In particular, we identify flat bands and Dirac cones corresponding to the edge states of wide ribbons. In a perpendicular magnetic field that gives half a flux quantum per elementary rhombus, two of the four minimal ribbons have fully pinched spectrum, and dynamical evolutions from initially localized wave packets always lead to compact Aharonov-Bohm (AB) cages. The experimental realizations of these narrow zigzag dice lattice ribbons, and the opportunities of exploring novel single-body and many-body physics therein are discussed.

Integrating omics reveals insights into tomato abaxial/adaxial leafy supplemental lighting.

Research revealed that the abaxial leafy supplemental lighting (AB) can significantly improve the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in the leaves of tomato plants compare to the adaxial leafy supplemental lighting (AD) method. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we conducted AB and AD on tomato and assessed transcriptomic, and proteomic changes in leaves. The result showed that under the two supplemental lighting methods, a total of 7352 genes and 152 proteins were differentially expressed. Significant differences were observed in genes expression levels and proteins abundances across multiple pathways, mainly including cell process, metabolism process, biological regulation, environment information processing, genetic information processing, metabolism, and organismal systems. Additionally, we also found that some key genes that plant hormone signaling, light perception, photosynthesis, plant fitness, and promoting fruit ripening, have increased significantly, which can explain the effect of AB on plant growth and development. Finally, through the qPCR, we determined that AB mainly up-regulate a series of auxin-responsive genes or factors, auxin polarity transport genes, gibberellin synthesis genes, cell cycle regulator genes, sugar transporters, and fleshy fruit ripening genes. These results help us to understand plant light response mechanism and discover genes which contribute to efficient light energy utilization.

Infliximab Inhibits Colitis Associated Cancer in Model Mice by Downregulating Genes Associated with Mast Cells and Decreasing Their Accumulation

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, can be treated with anti TNF-alpha (TNF-α) antibodies (Abs), but they also put patients with IBDs at risk of cancer. We aimed to determine whether the anti TNF-α Ab induces colon cancer development in vitro and in vivo, and to identify the genes involved in colitis-associated cancer. We found that TNF-α (50 ng/mL) inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCT8 and COLO205 colon cancer cell lines and that anti TNF-α Ab neutralized TNF-α inhibition in vitro. The effects of anti TNF-α Ab, infliximab (10 mg/kg) were investigated in mouse models of colitis-associated cancer induced by intraperitoneally injected azoxymethane (AOM: 10 mg/kg)/orally administered dextran sodium sulfate (DSS: 2.5%) (AOM/DSS) in vivo. Infliximab significantly attenuated the development of colon cancer in these mice. Microarray analyses and RT-qPCR revealed that mast cell protease 1, mast cell protease 2, and chymase 1 were up-regulated in cancer tissue of AOM/DSS mice; however, those mast cell related genes were downregulated in cancer tissue of AOM/DSS mice with infliximab. These results suggested that mast cells play a pivotal role in the development of cancer associated with colitis in AOM/DSS mice.

Effects of nontrivial topology with Coulomb-types scalar and vector potential on relativistic quantum motions of scalar charged bosons

In this paper, we study the relativistic quantum motions of spin-zero scalar bosons confined by the quantum flux field in the presence of Coulomb-type scalar potential in the background of a topologically nontrivial 4D space–time. Afterwards, we introduce a Coulomb-like vector potential through a minimal substitution in the wave equation and determine the eigenvalue solutions of the quantum system analytically. In fact, it is shown there that the nontrivial topology of the geometry, Coulomb-types scalar and vector potential, and the quantum flux field influence the energy profile and wave function of the scalar bosons and get them modified. Also, the gravitational analogue of the Aharonov–Bohm effect is observed because the energy eigenvalue depends on the geometric quantum phase.

Quantum description of magnetocaloric effect, thermo-magnetic properties and energy spectra of LiH, TiH, and ScH diatomic molecules under the influence of magnetic and Aharonov-Bohm (AB) flux fields with Deng-Fan-Screened Coulomb potential model

Quantum description of the isothermal and adiabatic magnetocaloric effect (MCE), thermomagnetic properties, and energy spectra of three diatomic molecules, namely: lithium hydride (LiH), titanium hydride (TiH), and scandium hydride (ScH), was examined with Deng-Fan-Screened Coulomb Potential using the Greene-Aldrich approximation to the centrifugal term. The numerical solutions of the proposed potential with and without the magnetic and AB flux fields obtained reveal that the combined impacts of the magnetic and AB flux fields completely remove the degeneracy of the energy spectra and control the behaviour of the MCE by acting as a regulating factor to cool or heat the MCE. Also, the proposed potential reduces to three exceptional cases, and the thermomagnetic plots obtained for the analysed dimer molecules agreed perfectly with previous work. This research has the potential to be applied in molecular physics and MCE studies for a variety of molecules.

Single-photon switches, beam splitters, and circulators based on the photonic Aharonov-Bohm effect.

Single-photon devices such as switches, beam splitters, and circulators are fundamental components to construct photonic integrated quantum networks. In this paper, two V-type three-level atoms coupled to a waveguide are proposed to simultaneously realize these functions as a multifunctional and reconfigurable single-photon device. When both the two atoms are driven by the external coherent fields, the difference in the phases of the coherent driving induces the photonic Aharonov-Bohm effect. Based on the photonic Aharonov-Bohm effect and setting the two-atom distance to match the constructive or destructive interference conditions among photons travelling along different paths, a single-photon switch is achieved since the incident single photon can be controlled from complete transmission to complete reflection by adjusting the amplitudes and phases of the driving fields. When properly changing the amplitudes and phases of the driving fields, the incident photons are split equally into multiple components as a beam splitter operated with different frequencies. Meanwhile, the single-photon circulator with reconfigurable circulation directions can also be obtained.

Coherence and realism in the Aharonov-Bohm effect

The Aharonov-Bohm effect is a fundamental topological phenomenon with a wide range of applications. It consists of a charge encircling a region with a magnetic flux in a superposition of wave packets having their relative phase affected by the flux. In this work we analyze this effect using an entropic measure known as realism, originally introduced as a quantifier of a system's degree of reality and mathematically related to notions of global and local quantum coherence. More precisely, we look for observables that lead to gauge-invariant realism associated with the charge before it completes its loop. We find that the realism of these operators has a sudden change when the line connecting the center of both wave packets crosses the solenoid. Moreover, we consider the case of a quantized magnetic-field source, pointing out similarities and differences between the two cases. Finally, we discuss some consequences of these results.

Generation and manipulation of pure spin current in a conducting loop coupled to an Aharonov–Bohm ring

In this work we put forward a new prescription for the generation and manipulation of non-decaying pure spin current (SC) in a Rashba spin–orbit (SO) coupled conducting loop which is attached to an Aharonov–Bohm (AB) ring. In presence of a single link between the rings, a SC is established in the flux-free ring, without accompanying any charge current (CC). The magnitude and direction of this SC are controlled by means of the AB flux, without tuning the SO coupling, which is the central aspect of our study. Employing a tight-binding framework we describe the two-ring quantum system, where the effect of magnetic flux is incorporated through Peierls phase factor. The specific roles of AB flux, SO coupling and the connectivity among the rings are critically investigated which yield several non-trivial signatures in energy band spectrum and pure SC. Along with SC, the phenomenon of flux-driven CC is also discussed, and at the end, different other effects like electron filling, system size and disorder are analyzed to make the present communication a self contained one. Our detailed investigation may provide some key aspects of designing efficient spintronic devices where SC can be guided in an other way.

Thermodynamic Properties and Persistent Currents of Harmonic Oscillator Under AB-Flux Field in a Point-Like Defect with Inverse Square Potential

In this analysis, we study the eigenvalue solution of the non-relativistic particles confined by the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) flux field in the presence of potential the superposition of a harmonic oscillator plus inverse square potential with constant term in the background of a point-like global monopole. Afterwards, we study the thermodynamic properties of the quantum system at finite temperatures $$T\ne 0$$ and calculate the vibrational free energy, mean energy, specific heat capacity, and the entropy by using the partition function $$Z(\beta )$$ . These quantities are then analyzed and show the influences of the topological defect with flux field and potential. We also see that the energy eigenvalue depends on the geometric quantum phase, and thus an electromagnetic analogue of the Aharonov-Bohm effect is observed. This dependence of the eigenvalue gives rise to a persistent current and we analyze the effects of the topological defect with potential on it.

Equivalence between finite state stochastic machine, non-dissipative and dissipative tight-binding and Schrödinger model

The mathematical equivalence between finite state stochastic machine and non-dissipative and dissipative quantum tight-binding and Schrödinger model is derived. Stochastic Finite state machine is also expressed by classical epidemic model and can reproduce the quantum entanglement emerging in the case of electrostatically coupled qubits described by von-Neumann entropy both in non-dissipative and dissipative case. The obtained results show that quantum mechanical phenomena might be simulated by classical statistical model as represented by finite state stochastic machine. It includes the quantum like entanglement and superposition of states. Therefore coupled epidemic models expressed by classical systems in terms of classical physics can be the base for possible incorporation of quantum technologies and in particular for quantum like computation and quantum like communication. The classical density matrix is derived and described by the equation of motion in terms of anticommutator. Existence of Rabi like oscillations is pointed in classical epidemic model. Furthermore, the existence of Aharonov–Bohm effect in quantum systems (Becker et al., 2019) can also be reproduced by the classical epidemic model or in broader sense by finite state stochastic machine. Every quantum system made from quantum dots and described by simplistic tight-binding model by use of position-based qubits can be effectively described by classical statistical model encoded in finite stochastic state machine with very specific structure of S matrix that has twice bigger size as it is the case of quantum matrix Hamiltonian. Furthermore, the description of linear and non-linear stochastic finite state machine is mapped to tight-binding and Schrödinger model. The concept of N dimensional complex time is incorporated into tight-binding model, so the description of dissipation in most general case is possible. Obtained results help in approximation of non-dissipative or dissipative quantum mechanical phenomena by classical statistical physics expressed by finite state stochastic machine. Furthermore, the equivalence of Wannier tight-binding dissipative or non-dissipative formalism to dissipative or non-dissipative Schrödinger formalism and to finite state stochastic machine was shown.

Quantum anomalous Hall interferometer

Electronic interferometries in integer and fractional quantum Hall regimes have unfolded the coherence, correlation, and statistical properties of interfering constituents. This is addressed by investigating the roles played by the Aharonov–Bohm effect and Coulomb interactions on the oscillations of transmission/reflection. Here, we construct magnetic interferometers using Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 films and demonstrate the electronic interferometry using chiral edge states in the quantum anomalous Hall regime. By controlling the extent of edge coupling and the amount of threading magnetic flux, distinct interfering patterns were observed, which highlight the interplay between the Coulomb interactions and Aharonov–Bohm interference by edge states. The observed interference is likely to exhibit a long-range coherence and robustness against thermal smearing probably owing to the long-range magnetic order. Our interferometer establishes a platform for (quasi)particle interference and topological qubits.

Two-photon magneto-optical transitions in quantum rings

We study the effect of the magnetic and Aharonov–Bohm (AB) flux fields on the two-photon absorption (2PA) in a quantum ring (QR) system. The expression of 2PA coefficient is expressed through the two-photon transition probability including both intraband and interband transitions. The effect of the polarization orientation of the incident light breaks the symmetry from the contribution between the AB flux field and the azimuthal quantum number. Magnetic and AB flux fields have a significant effect on the electronic properties of the QR. The 2PA spectra for intraband transitions are in the THz range and have a much higher magnitude compared to those for interband transitions, which are located in the near-infrared range. The increase in the magnetic field results in a blue-shift of the 2PA spectra for both intraband and interband transitions, whereas changes in the azimuthal quantum number only affect the spectra for interband transitions.

Curved domain-wall fermion and its anomaly inflow

AbstractWe investigate the effect of a U(1) gauge field on lattice fermion systems with a curved domain-wall mass term. In the same way as the conventional flat domain-wall fermion, the chiral edge modes appear localized at the wall, whose Dirac operator contains the induced gravitational potential as well as the U(1) vector potential. In the case of anS1 domain-wall fermion on a two-dimensional flat lattice, we find a competition between the Aharonov–Bohm(AB) effect and a gravitational gap in the Dirac eigenvalue spectrum, which leads to an anomaly inthe time-reversal (T) symmetry. Our numerical result shows a good consistency with the Atiyah–Patodi–Singer index theorem on a disk inside the S1 domain wall, which describes the cancellation of the T anomaly between the bulk and edge. When the U(1) flux is squeezed inside one plaquette, and the AB phase takes a quantized value π mod $2\pi \mathbb {Z}$, the anomaly inflow drastically changes: the strong flux creates another domain wall around the flux to make the two zero modes coexist. This phenomenon is also observed in the S2 domain-wall fermion in the presence of a magnetic monopole. We find that the domain-wall creation around the monopole microscopically explains the Witten effect.

Probing Majorana bound states through an inhomogeneous Andreev double dot interferometer

In modern experiments with hybrid superconducting (SC)/semiconducting nanowires the presence of zero-energy Andreev bound states (ABSs), characterized by a partial overlap of the Majorana wave functions, is a common problem that significantly complicates the detection of a genuine Majorana bound state (MBS). In this article, taking into account spatial inhomogeneity of experimentally investigated nanowire samples, we study interference transport features of a curved heterostructure in which two normal wires (or arms) are separated by a superconducting wire. Since Andreev reflection on the two N/S interfaces with smoothly changing electrostatic and SC pairing potentials results in the emergence of bound states, the low-energy interference transport is described in the framework of the model of two noninteracting Andreev levels or the Andreev double quantum dot. A set of limiting cases is analyzed allowing us to highlight the interference properties that are unique for the different types of ABSs, such as bulk ABS, inhomogeneous ABS and MBS. In particular, considerable attention is paid to the features of the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect. It is shown that the response of each state can be recognized analyzing both AB period and extrema positions of the conductance oscillations which take place without any fine tuning of the system parameters.

Comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic study reveal that exogenous 24‐epiandrosterone mitigate alkaline stress in broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) via regulating photosynthesis and antioxidant capacity

AbstractGlobally, land alkalinization affecting agricultural development. Considering the increasingly serious effects of alkaline stress on agriculture and environment, phytoremediation may be an efficient way to addressed land alkalinization. Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a saline‐alkaline‐tolerant crop and bioenergy crop. However, the molecular mechanism of alkaline response on broomcorn millet remains large gap. To explore the alkaline stress on broomcorn millet and the mitigation of 24‐epicastasterone (BR), the effects of CK (nutrient solution only), CB (nutrient solution + 0.5 mg L−1 BR), AS (alkaline stress), and AB (alkaline stress + 0.5 mg L−1 BR) on TA289 (alkaline‐tolerant) and SA223 (alkaline‐sensitive) were investigated. Alkaline stress enhanced reactive oxygen species and membrane lipid peroxidation. BR boosted antioxidant enzyme activities to reduce oxidative stress. Simultaneously, BR attenuated Na+ toxicity and maintained ion homeostasis. Additionally, BR significantly maintained the physiological structure and photosynthetic properties. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were applied to further evaluate the effect of BR on photosynthetic and antioxidant defense. The results showed that BR significantly reduced the transcriptional responses of photosynthesis and antioxidant defense and promoted the accumulation of effective metabolites such as biliverdin, l‐glutamate, and phosphoric acid. Taken together, BR application can significantly alleviate the damage of alkaline stress to broomcorn millet by altering transcriptional expression and metabolite accumulation and is a simple and effective strategy to alleviate alkaline stress. This study reveals the molecular mechanism of BR to enhance photosynthetic capacity and antioxidant defense of broomcorn millet under alkaline stress, which provides theoretical support for the cultivation of bioenergy crops on alkaline lands and the breeding of alkaline‐tolerant bioenergy varieties.

Effects of rotation and Coulomb-type potential on the spin-1/2 Aharonov–Bohm problem

In this work, we investigate how both rotation and a Coulomb potential affect the quantum mechanical description of a spin-$1/2$ particle in the presence of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. We employ the method of the self-adjoint extensions in the framework of the Pauli-Schr\"odinger equation. We discuss the role of the spin degree of freedom on this problem, find the energy spectrum, and investigate the results in detail.

Klein–Gordon oscillator with magnetic and quantum flux fields in non-trivial topological space-time

The relativistic quantum motions of the oscillator field (via the Klein–Gordon oscillator equation) under a uniform magnetic field in a topologically non-trivial space-time geometry are analyzed. We solve the Klein–Gordon oscillator equation using the Nikiforov-Uvarov method and obtain the energy profile and the wave function. We discuss the effects of the non-trivial topology and the magnetic field on the energy eigenvalues. We find that the energy eigenvalues depend on the quantum flux field that shows an analogue of the Aharonov–Bohm effect. Furthermore, we obtain the persistent currents, the magnetization, and the magnetic susceptibility at zero temperature in the quantum system defined in a state and show that these magnetic parameters are modified by various factors.