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We study dc and ac transport along armchair graphene nanoribbons using the ${\bf k\cdot p}$ spectrum and eigenfunctions and general linear-response expressions for the conductivities. Then we contrast the results with those for transport along ordinary waveguides. In all cases we assess the influence of elastic scattering by impurities, describe it quantitatively with a Drude-type contribution to the current previously not reported, and evaluate the corresponding relaxation time for long- and short-range impurity potentials. We show that this contribution dominates the response at very low frequencies. In both cases the conductivities increase with the electron density and show cusps when new subbands start being occupied. As functions of the frequency the conductivities in armchair graphene nanoribbons exhibit a much richer peak structure than in ordinary waveguides: in the former intraband and interband transitions are allowed whereas in the latter only the intraband ones occur. This difference can be traced to that between the corresponding spectra and eigenfunctions.

Within linear-response theory we derive a response function that thoroughly takes into account the influence of elastic scattering and is valid beyond the long-wavelength limit. We apply the theo-ry to plasmons in graphene and the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), in the random-phase ap-proximation, and for the former take into account intraband and interband excitations. The scatte-ring-modified dispersion relation shows that below a critical scattering strength $\gamma_c$, simply related to the plasmon frequency $\omega$, no plasmons are allowed. The critical strengths $\gamma_c$ and the allowed $(\omega, q)$ plasmon spectra for intraband and interband transitions in graphene are different. In both graphene and the 2DEG the strength $\gamma_c$ falls rapidly for small $\omega$ but much more slowly for large $\omega$.

Transfer of energy and information through molecule aggregates requires as one important building block anisotropic, cable-like structures. Knowledge on the spatial correlation of luminescence and morphology represents a prerequisite in the understanding of internal processes and will be important for architecting suitable landscapes. In this context we study the morphology, fluorescence and phosphorescence of molecule aggregate structures on surfaces in a spatially correlative way. We consider as two morphologies, lengthy strands and isotropic islands. It turns out that phosphorescence is quite strong compared to fluorescence and the spatial variation of the observed intensities is largely in line with the amount of dye. However in proportion, the strands exhibit more fluorescence than the isotropic islands suggesting weaker non-radiative channels. The ratio fluorescence to phosphorescence appears to be correlated with the degree of aggregation or internal order. The heights at which luminescence saturates is explained in the context of attenuation and emission multireflection, inside the dye. This is supported by correlative photoemission electron microscopy which is more sensitive to the surface region. The lengthy structures exhibit a pronounced polarization dependence of the luminescence with a relative dichroism up to about 60%, revealing substantial perpendicular orientation preference of the molecules with respect to the substrate and parallel with respect to the strands.

Collapse models predict a tiny violation of energy conservation, as a consequence of the spontaneous collapse of the wave function. This property allows to set experimental bounds on their parameters. We consider an ultrasoft magnetically tipped nanocantilever cooled to millikelvin temperature. The thermal noise of the cantilever fundamental mode has been accurately estimated in the range $0.03-1$ K, and any other excess noise is found to be negligible within the experimental uncertainty. From the measured data and the cantilever geometry, we estimate the upper bound on the Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) collapse rate in a wide range of the correlation length $r_C$. Our upper bound improves significantly previous constraints for $r_C>10^{-6}$ m, and partially excludes the enhanced collapse rate suggested by Adler. We discuss future improvements., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures

What gravitational field is generated by a massive quantum system in a spatial superposition? This is one of the most important questions in modern physics, and after decades of intensive theoretical and experimental research, we still do not know the answer. On the experimental side, the difficulty lies in the fact that gravity is weak and requires large masses to be detectable. But for large masses, it becomes increasingly difficult to generate spatial quantum superpositions, which live sufficiently long to be detected. A delicate balance between opposite quantum and gravitational demands is needed. Here we show that this can be achieved in an optomechanics scenario. We propose an experimental setup, which allows to decide whether the gravitational field generated by a quantum system in a spatial superposition is the superposition of the two alternatives, or not. We estimate the magnitude of the effect and show that it offers good perspectives for observability. Performing the experiment will mark a breakthrough in our understanding of the relationship between gravity and quantum theory., Comment: 5 pages; 4 figures; RevTeX4

The test of modifications to quantum mechanics aimed at identifying the fundamental reasons behind the un-observability of quantum mechanical superpositions at the macro-scale is a crucial goal of modern quantum mechanics. Within the context of collapse models, current proposals based on interferometric techniques for their falsification are far from the experimental state-of-the-art. Here we discuss an alternative approach to the testing of quantum collapse models that, by bypassing the need for the preparation of quantum superposition states might help us addressing non-linear stochastic mechanisms such as the one at the basis of the continuous spontaneous localisation model., Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett.!

Collapse models provide a theoretical framework for understanding how classical world emerges from quantum mechanics. Their dynamics preserves (practically) quantum linearity for microscopic systems, while it becomes strongly nonlinear when moving towards macroscopic scale. The conventional approach to test collapse models is to create spatial superpositions of mesoscopic systems and then examine the loss of interference, while environmental noises are engineered carefully. Here we investigate a different approach: We study systems that naturally oscillate --creating quantum superpositions-- and thus represent a natural case-study for testing quantum linearity: neutrinos, neutral mesons, and chiral molecules. We will show how spontaneous collapses affect their oscillatory behavior, and will compare them with environmental decoherence effects. We will show that, contrary to what previously predicted, collapse models cannot be tested with neutrinos. The effect is stronger for neutral mesons, but still beyond experimental reach. Instead, chiral molecules can offer promising candidates for testing collapse models., Comment: accepted by NATURE Scientific Reports, 12 pages, 1 figures, 2 tables

The suspended electrothermal polysilicon micro beams generate displacements and forces by thermal buckling effects. In the previous electro-thermal and thermo-elastic models of suspended polysilicon micro beams, the thermo-mechanical properties of polysilicon have been considered constant over a wide rang of temperature (20- 900 degrees C). In reality, the thermo-mechanical properties of polysilicon depend on temperature and change significantly at high temperatures. This paper describes the development and validation of theoretical and Finite Element Model (FEM) including the temperature dependencies of polysilicon properties such as thermal expansion coefficient and Young's modulus. In the theoretical models, two parts of elastic deflection model and thermal elastic model of micro beams buckling have been established and simulated. Also, temperature dependent buckling of polysilicon micro beam under high temperature has been modeled by Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Analytical results and numerical results using FEA are compared with experimental data available in literature. Their reasonable agreement validates analytical model and FEM. This validation indicates the importance of including temperature dependencies of polysilicon thermo-mechanical properties such as Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) in the previous models., Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association (http://irevues.inist.fr/EDA-Publishing)