Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Shuichi Murakami

Publications and source records attributed to Shuichi Murakami.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Dynamical diffraction theory for wave packet propagation in deformed crystals.

We develop a theory for the trajectory of an x ray in the presence of a crystal deformation. A set of equations of motion for an x-ray wave packet including the dynamical diffraction is derived, taking into account the Berry phase as a correction to geometrical optics. The trajectory of the wave packet has a shift of the center position due to a crystal deformation. Remarkably, in the vicinity of the Bragg condition, the shift is enhanced by a factor omega/deltaomega (omega: frequency of an x ray, deltaomega: gap frequency induced by the Bragg reflection). Comparison with the conventional dynamical diffraction theory is also made.

Journal Article↗

Topological nature of polarization and charge pumping in ferroelectrics.

Electric polarization in insulators is represented by the transferred charge through a shift of the Bloch wave functions induced by an adiabatic change of external parameters Q-->. It is found that this covalent/quantum contribution is determined nonlocally by the topological structure in the Q--> space. The condition for the charge pumping for a cyclic change of Q--> is also obtained. Applications of this picture to various organic ferroelectrics and BaTiO3 are discussed.

Journal Article↗

Spin-Hall insulator.

Recent theories predict dissipationless spin current induced by an electric field in doped semiconductors. Nevertheless, the charge current is still dissipative in these systems. In this work, we theoretically predict the dissipationless spin-Hall effect, without any accompanying charge current, in some classes of band insulators, including zero-gap semiconductors such as HgTe and narrow-gap semiconductors such as PbTe. This effect is similar to the quantum-Hall effect in that all the states below the gap contribute and there occurs no dissipation. However, the spin-Hall conductance is not quantized even in two dimensions. This is the first example of a nontrivial topological structure in a band insulator without any magnetic field.

Journal Article↗

Hall effect of light.

We derive the semiclassical equation of motion for the wave packet of light taking into account the Berry curvature in momentum-space. This equation naturally describes the interplay between orbital and spin angular momenta, i.e., the conservation of the total angular momentum of light. This leads to the shift of wave-packet motion perpendicular to the gradient of the dielectric constant, i.e., the polarization-dependent Hall effect of light. An enhancement of this effect in photonic crystals is also proposed.

Journal Article↗

Dissipationless quantum spin current at room temperature.

Although microscopic laws of physics are invariant under the reversal of the arrow of time, the transport of energy and information in most devices is an irreversible process. It is this irreversibility that leads to intrinsic dissipations in electronic devices and limits the possibility of quantum computation. We theoretically predict that the electric field can induce a substantial amount of dissipationless quantum spin current at room temperature, in hole-doped semiconductors such as Si, Ge, and GaAs. On the basis of a generalization of the quantum Hall effect, the predicted effect leads to efficient spin injection without the need for metallic ferromagnets. Principles found here could enable quantum spintronic devices with integrated information processing and storage units, operating with low power consumption and performing reversible quantum computation.

Journal Article↗

Colossal magnetoresistance in manganites as a multicritical phenomenon.

The colossal magnetoresistance in manganites AMnO3 is studied from the viewpoint of multicritical phenomena. To understand the complicated interplay of various phases, we study the Ginzburg-Landau theory in terms of both the mean-field approximation and the renormalization-group analysis for comparison with the observed phase diagram. Several novel features, such as the first-order ferromagnetic transition and the dip in the transition temperature near the multicritical point, can be understood as being driven by enhanced fluctuations near the multicritical point. Furthermore, we obtain a universal scaling relation for the H/M versus M2 plot (Arrott plot), which fits rather well with the experimental data, providing further evidence for the enhanced fluctuation.

Journal Article↗

Berry phase in magnetic superconductors.

In magnetic systems, electronic bands often acquire nontrivial topological structure characterized by gauge flux distribution in momentum k space. It sometimes follows that the phase of the wave functions cannot be defined uniquely over the whole Brillouin zone. In this Letter, we develop a theory of superconductivity in the presence of this gauge flux both in two- and three-dimensional systems. It is found that the superconducting gap has "nodes" as a function of k where the Fermi surface is penetrated by a gauge string.

Journal Article↗

Plasma concentration of coupling factor 6 and cardiovascular events in patients with end-stage renal disease.

BACKGROUND: Plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), is an independent predictor of overall mortality and cardiovascular outcome in hemodialysis patients. However, not only ADMA but also traditional risk factors account for only part of the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these patients. We investigated cross-sectionally the association between coupling factor 6 (CF6), an endogenous inhibitor of prostacyclin synthesis, and cardiovascular events in 95 hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Plasma CF6 level was measured by radioimmunoassay, whereas plasma ADMA level by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: Plasma levels of CF6 and ADMA were threefold higher in hemodialysis patients than in control individuals, and there was a positive correlation between these two compounds (r=0.25, P < 0.05). Plasma CF6 level was positively correlated with serum creatinine level (r=0.36, P < 0.01) and was reduced after dialysis (P < 0.05). Plasma CF6 and ADMA levels were both higher in hemodialysis patients complicating ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarction and/or angina) than in those free of cardiovascular events. In a multiple regression model, plasma CF6 level (r=0.24, P=0.023) and ADMA level (r=0.26, P=0.023) were independently related to the occurrence of ischemic heart disease in hemodialysis patients. CONCLUSION: CF6 is a novel risk factor for ischemic heart disease in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Synergism of this peptide and ADMA might contribute to its occurrence presumably by inhibition of prostacyclin and nitric oxide production. A prospective study is needed to evaluate this issue more precisely.

Aged↗

Theory of ferromagnetism in Ca(1-x)La(x)B(6).

Novel ferromagnetism in Ca(1-x)La(x)B(6) is studied in terms of the Ginzburg-Landau theory for excitonic-order parameters, taking into account symmetry of the wave functions. We found that the minima of the free energy break both inversion and time-reversal symmetries, while the product of these two remains preserved. This explains various novelties of the ferromagnetism and predicts a number of magnetic properties, including the magnetoelectric effect, which can be tested experimentally.

Journal Article↗