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A method for inducing nonuniform strain in graphene films is developed. Pillars made of a dielectric material (electron beam resist) are placed between graphene and the substrate, and graphene sections between pillars are attached to the substrate. The strength and spatial pattern of the strain can be controlled by the size and separation of the pillars. Application of strain is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy as well as from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. From SEM images, the maximum stretch of the graphene film reaches about 20%. This technique can be applied to the formation of band gaps in graphene., Comment: Appl. Phys. Express, in press

We perform strategic current injection in a small mesoscopic superconductor and control the (non)equilibrium quantum states in an applied homogeneous magnetic field. In doing so, we realize a current-driven splitting of multi-quanta vortices, current-induced transitions between states with different angular momenta, and current-controlled switching between otherwise degenerate quantum states. These fundamental phenomena form the basis for discussed electronic and logic applications, and are confirmed in both theoretical simulations and multiple-small-tunnel-junction transport measurements., Comment: To appear in Physical Review Letters

Electric conduction in thin graphite film was tuned by two gate electrodes to clarify how the gate electric field induces electric carriers in thin graphite. The graphite was sandwiched between two gate electrodes arranged in a top and bottom gate configuration. A scan of the top gate voltage generates a resistance peak in ambiploar response. The ambipolar peak is shifted by the bottom gate voltage, where the shift rate depends on the graphite thickness. The thickness-dependent peak shift was clarified in terms of the inter-layer screening length to the electric field in the double-gated graphite film. The screening length of 1.2 nm was experimentally obtained., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. To be published in Applied Physics Express

Response of a mesoscopic superconducting disk to perpendicular magnetic fields is studied by using the multiple-small-tunnel-junction method, in which transport properties of several small tunnel junctions attached to the disk are measured simultaneously. This allows us for the first experimental distinction between the giant vortex states and multivortex states. Moreover, we experimentally find magnetic field induced rearrangement and combination of vortices. The experimental results are well reproduced in numerical results based on the nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau theory., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

We have performed the underground dark matter search experiment with a sodium fl uoride (NaF) bolometer array from 2002 through 2003 at Kamioka Observatory (2700 m.w.e.). The bolometer array consists of eight NaF absorbers with a total mass of 176 g, and sensitive NTD germanium thermistors glued to each of them. This experiment aims for the direct detection of weakly interacting massive part icles (WIMPs) via spin-dependent interaction. With an exposure of 3.38 kg days, we derived the limits on the WIMP-n ucleon coupling coefficients, a_p and a_n. These limits confirmed and tightened those derived from our previous results wit h the lithium fluoride (LiF) bolometer. Our results excluded the parameter space complementary to the results obtained b y NaI detectors of UKDMC experiment., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures

We have measured the electrical conductivity of nominally uncompensated ^{70}Ge:Ga samples in magnetic fields up to B=8 T at low temperatures (T=0.05-0.5 K) in order to investigate the metal-insulator transition in magnetic fields. The values of the critical exponents in magnetic fields are consistent with the scaling theories., Comment: 2 pages, 3 figures, in "Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors," edited by N. Miura and T. Ando (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2001, ISBN 3-540-41778-8) pp. 152--153

Tokyo group has performed first underground dark matter search experiment in 2001 through 2002 at Kamioka Observatory(2700m.w.e). The detector is eight LiF bolometers with total mass 168g aiming for the direct detection of WIMPs via spin-dependent interaction. With a total exposure of 4.1 kg days, we derived the limits in the a_p-a_n (WIMP-nucleon couplings) plane and excluded a large part of the parameter space allowed by the UKDMC experiment., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures

We present the first systematic study on polycrystalline Sr2MoO4 as an electronic analogue to the spin-triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4. The Pauli paramagnetic susceptibility and metallic behaviors of specific heat and electrical resistivity have been observed. The density of states at the Fermi level D(EF) deduced from the results is about three times smaller than that of Sr2RuO4. Any indication of superconductivity intrinsic to Sr2MoO4 has not been observed down to 25 mK, which may correspond to the smaller D(EF). We discuss the origin of the difference in electronic states between Sr2MoO4 and Sr2RuO4., Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 69, No.10 (2000)

We have determined the magnetoresistance of RuO_2-based resistors (Scientific Instruments RO-600) between 0.05 K and 0.3 K in magnetic fields up to 8 T. The magnetoresistance is negative around 0.5 T and then becomes positive at larger fields. The magnitude of the negative magnetoresistance increases rapidly as the temperature is lowered, while that of the positive magnetoresistance has smaller temperature dependence. We have also examined the temperature dependence of the resistance below 50 mK in zero magnetic field. It is described in the context of variable-range-hopping conduction down to 15 mK. Hence, the resistors can be used as thermometers down to at least 15 mK., Comment: 6 pages with 7 embedded figures. Published version (very minor changes)

We have determined the localization length \xi and the impurity dielectric susceptibility \chi_{\rm imp} as a function of Ga acceptor concentrations (N) in nominally uncompensated ^{70}Ge:Ga just below the critical concentration (N_c) for the metal-insulator transition. Both \xi and \chi_{\rm imp} diverge at N_c according to the functions \xi\propto(1-N/N_c)^{-\nu} and \chi_{\rm imp}\propto(N_c/N-1)^{-\zeta}, respectively, with \nu=1.2\pm0.3 and \zeta=2.3\pm0.6 for 0.99N_c< N< N_c. Outside of this region (N<0.99N_c), the values of the exponents drop to \nu=0.33\pm0.03 and \zeta=0.62\pm0.05. The effect of the small amount of compensating dopants that are present in our nominally uncompensated samples, may be responsible for the change of the critical exponents at N\approx0.99N_c., Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages with 5 embedded figures, final version (minor changes)

We have investigated the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity sigma(N,B,T) of nominally uncompensated, neutron-transmutation-doped ^{70}Ge:Ga samples in magnetic fields up to B=8 T at low temperatures (T=0.05-0.5 K). In our earlier studies at B=0, the critical exponent mu=0.5 defined by sigma(N,0,0) \propto (N-N_c)^{mu} has been determined for the same series of ^{70}Ge:Ga samples with the doping concentration N ranging from 1.861 \times 10^{17} cm^{-3} to 2.434 \times 10^{17} cm^{-3}. In magnetic fields, the motion of carriers loses time-reversal symmetry, the universality class may change and with it the value of mu. In this work, we show that magnetic fields indeed affect the value of mu (mu changes from 0.5 at B=0 to 1.1 at B \geq 4 T). The same exponent mu'=1.1 is also found in the magnetic-field-induced MIT for three different ^{70}Ge:Ga samples, i.e., sigma(N,B,0) \propto [B_c(N)-B]^{mu'} where B_c(N) is the concentration-dependent critical magnetic induction. We show that sigma(N,B,0) obeys a simple scaling rule on the (N,B) plane. Based on this finding, we derive from a simple mathematical argument that mu=mu' as has been observed in our experiment., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, published version

An experiment to search for hypothetical particle dark matter using cryogenic thermal detector, or bolometer is ongoing. The bolometer consists of eight pieces of 21 g LiF absorbers and sensitive NTD germanium thermistors attached to them and is installed in the Nokogiriyama underground cell which is a shallow depth site ($\sim 15$ m w.e.). We report on the results from the first running for about ten days using this arrayed bolometer system together with appropriate shieldings and muon veto counters. From the obtained energy spectra the exclusion limits for the cross section of the elastic neutralino-proton scattering are derived under commonly accepted astrophysical assumptions. The sensitivity for the light neutralino with a mass below 5 GeV is improved by this work., Comment: 8 pages, Revtex, 4 figures

We report the low temperature carrier transport properties of a series of nominally uncompensated neutron-transmutation doped (NTD) ^{70} Ge:Ga samples very close to the critical concentration N_c for the metal-insulator transition. The concentration of the sample closest to N_c is 1.0004N_c and it is unambiguously shown that the critical conductivity exponent is 0.5. Properties of insulating samples are discussed in the context of Efros and Shklovskii's variable range hopping conduction., Comment: 8 pages using REVTeX, 8 figures, published version

The magneto-Coulomb oscillation, the single electron repopulation induced by external magnetic field, observed in a ferromagnetic single electron transistor is further examined in various ferromagnetic single electron devices. In case of double- and triple-junction devices made of Ni and Co electrodes, the single electron repopulation always occurs from Ni to Co electrodes with increasing a magnetic field, irrespective of the configurations of the electrodes. The period of the magneto-Coulomb oscillation is proportional to the single electron charging energy. All these features are consistently explained by the mechanism that the Zeeman effect induces changes of the Fermi energy of the ferromagnetic metal having a non-zero spin polarizations. Experimentally determined spin polarizations are negative for both Ni and Co and the magnitude is larger for Ni than Co as expected from band calculations., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, uses jpsj.sty, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jpn

The mechanism of the magneto-Coulomb oscillation in ferromagnetic single electron transistors (SET's) is theoretically considered. Variations in the chemical potentials of the conduction electrons in the ferromagnetic island electrode and the ferromagnetic lead electrodes in magnetic fields cause changes in the free energy of the island electrode of the SET. Experimental results of the magneto-Coulomb oscillation in a Ni/Co/Ni ferromagnetic SET are presented and discussed. Possible applications of this phenomenon are also discussed., Comment: 24 pages Latex, 5 figures in GIF files, style files included. Revised version: some errors are corrected and further discussions are added. To be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.67 (1998) No.4

The First results of the Tokyo dark matter search programme using a 21-g lithium fluoride bolometer are presented. The background spectrum was measured in the surface laboratory. We derive an exclusion plot for the spin-dependently coupled Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) cross section., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX (elsart.sty)

Sensitive n-type and p-type germanium thermistors were fabricated by the melt doping technique and by the neutron transmutation doping (NTD) technique, respectively, aiming at a use for the cryogenic thermal detector, or bolometer of Tokyo dark matter search programme. We report on the measurements of the sensitivities of these thermistors. In particular, the p-type thermistors are sensitive enough to scale up our existing prototype LiF bolometer and realize a multiple array of the bolometers with the total absorber mass of about 1\,kg., Comment: 14 pages, revtex, with 4 postscript figures appended (uuencoded)