Screening Length Research Articles

Non-steady-state photo-EMF in a PbNi1/3Nb2/3O3 crystal at λ=660 nm

Experiments on non-steady-state photoelectromotive force (photo-EMF) excitation are implemented with a P b N i 1 / 3 N b 2 / 3 O 3 crystal at wavelength λ = 660 n m . We study the paraelectric phase of the crystal, which belongs to a very peculiar class of materials—relaxor ferroelectrics. The dependencies of the signal amplitude on the frequency of phase modulation, light intensity, and spatial frequency are measured, and photoelectric parameters such as photoconductivity, diffusion, and Debye screening lengths are estimated from them. The signal characteristics demonstrate nonlinear dependencies on light intensity, which is explained by the laser heating of the medium. An unusual difference in the behavior of the photoconductivity response and non-steady-state photo-EMF is revealed.

Bound states of the Yukawa potential from hidden supersymmetry

Abstract In this work, we present a phenomenological study of the complete analytical solution to the bound eigenstates and eigenvalues of the Yukawa potential obtained previously using the hidden supersymmetry of the system and a systematic expansion of the Yukawa potential in terms of δ = a 0 ∕D, where a 0 is the Bohr radius and D is the screening length. The eigenvalues, ϵnl(δ), are given in the form of Taylor series in δ which can be systematically calculated to the desired order δk. Coulomb l-degeneracy is broken by the screening effects and, for a given n, ϵnl(δ) is larger for higher values of l which causes the crossing of levels for n ≥ 4. The convergence radius of the Taylor series can be enlarged up to the critical values using the Padé approximants technique which allows us to calculate the eigenvalues with high precision in the whole rage of values of δ where bound states exist, and to reach a precise determination of the critical screening lengths, δnl. Eigenstates have a form similar to the solutions of the Coulomb potential, with the associated Laguerre polynomials replaced by new polynomials of order δk with r-dependent coefficients which, in turn, are polynomials in r. In general we find sizable deviations from the Coulomb radial probabilities only for screening lengths close to their critical values. We use these solutions to find the squared absolute value at the origin of the wave function for l = 0, and their derivatives for l = 1, for the lowest states, as functions of δ, which enter the phenomenology of dark matter bound states in dark gauge theories with a light dark mediator.

Bounds on edge shear layer persistence while approaching the density limit

This paper details the theory of edge shear layer collapse as the density approaches the Greenwald density limit. It significantly extends earlier work, which was restricted in applicability. The zonal shear flow screening length is calculated for banana, plateau and Pfirsch–Schluter regimes. Poloidal field scaling persists in the plateau regime. Neoclassical screening and drift wave–zonal flow dynamics are combined in a theory, which is then reduced to a predator–prey model. Zonal noise, due to incoherent mode coupling, is retained. The threshold condition for edge shear layer collapse is computed, and linked to a critical value of the dimensionless parameter . Here is the ion sound radius, is the zonal flow screening length and is the equilibrium density scale length. The limiting initial edge density for shear layer collapse is derived and shown to scale favorably with the plasma current. The results are discussed in light of the density limit and Ohmic phenomenology.

Rheological Scaling of Ionic Liquid-Based Polyelectrolytes in the Semidilute Unentangled Regime from Low to High Salt Concentrations

Polymerized ionic liquids (PILs) are a special class of ion-containing polymers with ionic liquid structures. The viscoelastic properties of PILs in IL solutions are expected to be influenced by both polymer–polymer interaction and charge screening by IL ions, which becomes complex at high IL concentrations due to strong ionic correlations. In this work, we aim to understand the effect of the ionic correlations on the shear rheology of PIL in IL solutions in the semidilute unentangled (SU) polymer regime, with moderate polymer–polymer interactions. We conducted systematic rheological characterization of a PIL, poly(1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide), in a mixture of an IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, and a non-ionic solvent, dimethylformamide, to evaluate the specific viscosity ηsp and the longest relaxation time λ with varying IL concentrations cIL, at a fixed polymer concentration. We found that both ηsp and λ initially decreased with the increasing cIL, following the scaling theory of polyelectrolyte solutions in the low salt concentration regime. However, these values exhibited an upturn at high cIL. We explained the observed non-monotonic viscoelastic behavior by proposing a charge screening model for SU solutions, accounting for both modified screening length in concentrated IL solutions and complete charge screening. Our results demonstrate how the strong ionic correlation in concentrated IL solutions modifies the electrostatics of PILs and their corresponding viscoelastic properties in the presence of moderate polymer–polymer interactions.

Bremsstrahlung from fully stripped tungsten (W74+) in a Debye-Hückel potential

Based on the exact relativistic multipole calculations using pure Coulomb and Debye-H\"uckel potentials, discussions of bremsstrahlung cross sections and corresponding emitted photon angular distributions from fully stripped tungsten (${\mathrm{W}}^{74+}$) are given for electron scattering at energies of 10--150 keV. Nonrelativistic dipole calculations are also presented, showing that for the above energy region, the nonrelativistic results are completely invalid and the relativistic and multipole effects must be taken into account. The reduction of bremsstrahlung cross sections due to screening of the nuclear charge is studied using the relativistic multipole method at different values of the screening length and photon energy. With an increase of electron scattering energy, the effect of the screening potential on both the dynamics of fast free electrons and the cross sections is reduced. The peak of the angular distribution of bremsstrahlung would shift towards smaller emission angles when the screening strength is reduced.

Modeling the voltage distribution in a non-locally but globally electroneutral confined electrolyte medium: applications for nanophysiology.

The distribution of voltage in sub-micron cellular domains remains poorly understood. In neurons, the voltage results from the difference in ionic concentrations which are continuously maintained by pumps and exchangers. However, it not clear how electro-neutrality could be maintained by an excess of fast moving positive ions that should be counter balanced by slow diffusing negatively charged proteins. Using the theory of electro-diffusion, we study here the voltage distribution in a generic domain, which consists of two concentric disks (resp. ball) in two (resp. three) dimensions, where a negative charge is fixed in the inner domain. When global but not local electro-neutrality is maintained, we solve the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equation both analytically and numerically in dimension 1 (flat) and 2 (cylindrical) and found that the voltage changes considerably on a spatial scale which is much larger than the Debye screening length, which assumes electro-neutrality. The present result suggests that long-range voltage drop changes are expected in neuronal microcompartments, probably relevant to explain the activation of far away voltage-gated channels located on the surface membrane.

Ionic gating in metallic superconductors: A brief review

Ionic gating is a very popular tool to investigate and control the electric charge transport and electronic ground state in a wide variety of different materials. This is due to its capability to induce large modulations of the surface charge density by means of the electric-double-layer field-effect transistor (EDL-FET) architecture, and has been proven to be capable of tuning even the properties of metallic systems. In this short review, I summarize the main results which have been achieved so far in controlling the superconducting (SC) properties of thin films of conventional metallic superconductors by means of the ionic gating technique. I discuss how the gate-induced charge doping, despite being confined to a thin surface layer by electrostatic screening, results in a long-range ‘bulk’ modulation of the SC properties by the coherent nature of the SC condensate, as evidenced by the observation of suppressions in the critical temperature of films much thicker than the electrostatic screening length, and by the pronounced thickness-dependence of their magnitude. I review how this behavior can be modelled in terms of proximity effect between the charge-doped surface layer and the unperturbed bulk with different degrees of approximation, and how first-principles calculations have been employed to determine the origin of an anomalous increase in the electrostatic screening length at ultrahigh electric fields, thus fully confirming the validity of the proximity effect model. Finally, I discuss a general framework—based on the combination of ab-initio Density Functional Theory and the Migdal-Eliashberg theory of superconductivity—by which the properties of any gated thin film of a conventional metallic superconductor can be determined purely from first principles.

The Debye length and the running coupling of QCD: A potential and phenomenological approach

In this paper, one uses a damped potential to present a description of the running coupling constant of QCD in the confinement phase. Based on a phenomenological perspective for the Debye screening length, one compares the running coupling obtained here with both the Brodsky–de Téramond–Deur and the Richardson approaches. The results seem to indicate the model introduced here corroborate the Richardson approach. Moreover, the Debye screening mass in the confinement phase depends on a small parameter, which tends to vanish in the nonconfinement phase of QCD.

Structure and Dynamics of Electric-Field-Driven Convective Flows at the Interface between Liquid Electrolytes and Ion-Selective Membranes.

At voltages above a certain critical value, Vc ≈ 20 kT/e, a space charge layer forms near ion-selective interfaces in liquid electrolytes. Interactions between the space charge and an imposed electric field drives a hydrodynamic instability known as electroconvection. Through particle tracking velocimetry we experimentally study the structure and dynamics of the resultant electroconvective flow. Consistent with previous numerical simulations, we report that, following imposition of a sufficiently large voltage, electroconvection develops gradually as pairs of counter-rotating vortices, which nucleate at the interface between an ion-selective substrate and a liquid electrolyte. Depending on the imposed voltage and cell geometry, the vorticies grow to length scales of hundreds of micrometers. Electroconvective flows are also reported to be structured and multiscale, with the size ratio of the largest to the smallest observable vortices inversely proportional to the Debye screening length.

A semiconductor physics based model for thermal characteristics in electronic electrolytic energy storage devices

A model for ultracapacitor capacitance and ion screening length based on semiconductor physics is presented in this paper. Screening length is related to capacitance as the plate-plate separation in a double-layer, and thus both are related to dissolved ion density in the electrolyte. Furthermore, this dissolved ion density can be expressed in terms of an effective bandgap assigned to the electrolyte/solvent pair. Therefore, by knowing the effective bandgap, we can explain the published experimental measurements of the dependence of capacitance and screening length on temperature. For electrolytes commonly used in ultracapacitor applications, the effective bandgap is estimated to be on the order of a few 100 meV.

Role of Surface Termination in the Metal–Insulator Transition of V2O3(0001) Ultrathin Films

Surface termination is known to play an important role in determining the physical properties of materials. It is crucial to know how surface termination affects the metal-insulator transition (MIT) of V2O3 films for both fundamental understanding and its applications. By changing growth parameters, we achieved a variety of surface terminations in V2O3 films that are characterized by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and photoemission spectroscopy techniques. Depending upon the terminations, our results show that MIT can be partially or fully suppressed near the surface region due to the different fillings of the electrons at the surface and subsurface layers and the change of screening length compared to the bulk. Across MIT, a strong redistribution of spectral weight and its transfer from a high-to-low-binding energy regime is observed in a wide energy scale. Our results show that the total spectral weight in the low-energy regime is not conserved across MIT, indicating a breakdown of the "sum rules of spectral weight", signature of a strongly correlated system. Such a change in spectral weight is possibly linked to the change in hybridization, lattice volume (i.e., effective carrier density), and the spin degree of freedom in the system that occurs across MIT. We find that MIT in this system is strongly correlation-driven, where the electron-electron interactions play a pivotal role. Moreover, our results provide better insight into the understanding of the electronic structure of strongly correlated systems and highlight the importance of accounting for surface effects during interpretation of the physical property data mainly using surface-sensitive probes, such as surface resistivity.

Introducing a Surface-Enhanced-Raman-Scattering Enhancer for Experimental Estimation of the Debye Screening Length in Organic Field-Effect Transistors

The Debye screening length LD is one of the key parameters for the field-effect channel geometry. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are little reports on the experimental estimation of L...

Ionization of many-electron atoms by the action of two plasma models

The Hartree-Fock equations for many-electron atoms embedded in a plasma medium are solved using two different plasma models: (a) Debye-Hückel screening (DHS) potential and (b) exponential cosine screened Coulomb (ECSC) potential. Roothaan's approach is implemented for these models after solving the inherent difficulties to evaluate integrals where screening appears explicitly. A corresponding computer code was developed using the method of global basis sets (GBS). The reliability of this approach was verified by solving the Hartree-Fock equations through implementation of the finite-differences and finite-element grid methods and applied to two-electron atoms, yielding excellent agreement with the Roothaan-GBS (RGBS) method. The RGBS method was used to study the energy evolution and ionization threshold of several closed- and open-shell many-electron atoms embedded either in weak or strong DHS or ECSC plasma conditions. In all cases, a critical value of the screening length is obtained for which ionization is achieved, being systematically larger for DHS conditions, indicating the effect of a more repulsive ECSC potential. For He-like atoms in the ground state, we report a comprehensive set of accurate total energy data as a function of the screening constant using the Lagrange mesh method, which includes the electron correlation effects. The electron correlation energy is estimated using this data with reference to the RGBS estimates of energy as the Hartree-Fock energy. The variation of correlation energy as a function of screening constant under the different plasma potentials is rationalized in terms of a conjectured comparison theorem. Finally, a discussion on the effect of plasma strength on localization or delocalization of the electronic density derived from the RGBS method is presented in terms of changes in the Shannon entropy, yielding consistent results for delocalization close to the ionization threshold.

Dipole and generalized oscillator strengths-dependent electronic properties of helium atoms immersed in a plasma

Atoms subjected to extreme environmental conditions are of fundamental importance due to the modification of their electronic properties. In this work, we study the helium atom when immersed in a plasma environment. In order to describe the plasma medium, we use two models when solving the Schrodinger equation in a restricted Hartree–Fock approach: the Debye–Huckel screened (DHS) potential and a more general exponential-cosine screened Coulomb (ECSC) potential. The plasma length parameter, $$\lambda $$ , in both model potentials characterizes the plasma screening effects which cause an increase or decrease in the electronic properties of the helium atom. We report results for the total electronic ground state energy, orbital energy, dipole oscillator strengths, generalized oscillator strengths (GOS), mean excitation energy, electrostatic dipole polarizability, and electronic stopping cross section. We find that the ECSC plasma model produces a less bound system than the DHS plasma model at the same value of the screening length, $$\lambda $$ . However, the ECSC model potential has a stronger dipole transition from the 1s to the 2p and 3p states than the DHS model potential. Also, the ECSC potential predicts a higher static dipole polarizability than the DHS model potential, with a consequent lower mean excitation energy. We also find a larger GOS for the ECSC than for the DHS for the same momentum transfer at the same value of the screening length, $$\lambda $$ . Consequently, the ECSC mode potential produces a larger electronic stopping cross section than the DHS for the same $$\lambda $$ and projectile velocity. In the limit of $$\lambda \rightarrow \infty $$ , we have excellent agreement with the free helium properties. These quantitative values for the electronic properties would be useful for the investigations of the atomic structure and collisions of helium atoms immersed in plasmas.

Debye screening for the stationary Vlasov-Poisson equation in interaction with a point charge

We prove that the Debye screening length emerges in an infinitely extended plasma with uniform background described by the nonlinear Vlasov-Poisson equation, interacting with a point charge. While screened stationary states as well as the time-dependent problem are well-studied for the linearized equation, there are few rigorous results on screening in the nonlinear setting. As such, the results presented here cover the stationary case under the assumptions predicted by the linearized theory.

Dissipative ion-acoustic solitons in electron-positron-ion plasma with non-thermal electrons and iso-thermal positrons

Abstract Dispersive properties and damping rates of low-frequency ion-acoustic waves are studied in a three-component collisional plasma consisting of non-thermal electrons and iso-thermal positrons and inertial ions. We have shown that the positron to electron ratio p, non-thermality parameter β e and collision rate ν have a significant effect on the dispersion and nonlinear structures. The effective charge screening length and effective ion-acoustic speed in the plasma are analyzed. Dissipative Korteweg de-Vries (KdV) equation derived via the Reductive Perturbation Technique (RPT) expressed exact solutions in the form of dissipative solitary waves. The dynamics are analyzed analytically and numerically. Our observations would be useful in understanding the behavior of astrophysical objects, magnetosphere, the lower ionosphere of the earth surface, and laboratory studies in which ion-neutral collisions are of concern.

Modulation instability of ion-acoustic waves and exchange interaction in magnetized quantum plasma with relative density effects of spin-up and spin-down electrons

The separate-spin evolution quantum hydrodynamic (SSE-QHD) model is used to study Ion-Acoustic Waves (IAWs) in a magnetized quantum plasma having electrons with different spin populations in the presence of the spin particle exchange interactions (Coulomb type) in spin-down electrons only. The plasma consists of inertia-less separated spin-up and spin-down electrons states, while ions are inertial and classical. Besides, a uniform magnetic field is assumed to be directed in the Z-direction i.e. . An interesting interplay between exchange interaction and density polarization ratio κ has been observed on dispersive properties, effective Debye screening length and effective ion-acoustic speed. The non-linear Schrödinger equation is derived through a reductive perturbation approach. Moreover, the modulation instability condition and resulting envelope waves are analyzed. The parametric effects of density polarization ratio κ and Coulomb exchange interaction on dispersion, effective screening length, effective ion-acoustic speed, instability growth rate, and on the solitons profile have been discussed in detail. This model can be helpful to study properties of the dilute magnetic semiconductors and degenerate 2D & 3D Fermi electron gas, where exchange interactions are significant.

Understanding Loss of Soluble High Molecular Weight Species during Filtration of Low Concentration Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies.

Sterile filtration is an integral step in the manufacturing process of biological therapeutics. Protein adsorption to the surface of the filter is an unfortunate, common occurrence that can result in manufacturing difficulties, such as filter fouling or product loss. Although many filters have surface modifications to minimize adsorption, under certain conditions binding can still occur. We observed the loss of high molecular weight species (HMWS) during sterile filtration of eight different therapeutic monoclonal antibodies formulated at low protein concentrations across a commonly used hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride or polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) filter membrane. The protein absorption was specific to HMWS, and each antibody exhibited different degrees of filter adsorption. Debye screening length parameters of the solution (e.g. ionic strength) were adjusted, and influenced the amount of HMWS lost during filtration. Additionally, HMWS of a representative antibody (mAb1) were observed to be more positively charged than other size variants by ion-exchange chromatography. From these results, it is concluded that this HMWS loss is due to electrostatic interactions between HMWS and the filter surface. This adsorption can be reduced by increasing the ionic strength of the buffer matrix, demonstrating the influence of the Debye screening length in the filtration of low concentration proteins.

Equilibrium phase diagram and thermal responses of charged DNA-virus rod-suspensions at low ionic strengths

The collective behavior of DNA is important for exploring new types of bacteria in the means of detection, which is greatly interested in the understanding of interactions between DNAs in living systems. How they self-organize themselves is a physical common phenomenon for broad ranges of thermodynamic systems. In this work, the equilibrium phase diagrams of charged chiral rods (fd viruses) at low ionic strengths (below a few mM) are provided to demonstrate both replicas of (or self-organized) twist orders and replica symmetry breaking near high concentration glass-states. By varying the ionic strengths, it appears that a critical ionic strength is obtained below 1–2 mM salt, where the twist and freezing of nematic domains diverge. Also, the microscopic relaxation is revealed by the ionic strength-dependent effective Debye screening length. At a fixed low ionic strength, the local orientations of twist are shown by two different length scales of optical pitch, in the chiral-nematic N* phase and the helical domains H_{D}, for low and high concentration, respectively. RSB occurs in several cases of crossing phase boundary lines in the equilibrium phase diagram of DNA-rod concentration and ionic strength, including long-time kinetic arrests in the presence of twist orders. The different pathways of PATH I, II and III are due to many-body effects of randomized orientations for charged fd rods undergoing long-range electrostatic interactions in bulk elastic medium. In addition, the thermal stability are shown for chiral pitches of the N* phase and the abnormal cooling process of a specific heat in a structural glass. Here, the concentration-driven twist-effects of charged DNA rods are explored using various experimental methods involving image-time correlation, microscopic dynamics in small angle dynamic light scattering, optical activity in second harmonic generation, and differential scanning calorimetry for the glass state.

Multipole interaction in spectral line broadening by plasmas

A long-standing ambiguity in spectral line broadening theory related to the electric field divergence in the quadrupole term of the screened Coulomb radiator-plasma interaction is examined. This is accomplished with multipole expansions from a Taylor series as well as a partial wave analysis of the screened Coulomb interaction. It is explicitly shown that the two approaches agree up to the octupole term for an effective radiator size small compared to the plasma screening length. Furthermore, the ambigous corrections are confirmed appearing naturally in both methods. For higher multipoles the agreement is demonstrated numerically with a computer program using exact arithmetic.