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Within the effective-mass approximation, we theoretically investigated the electronic and transport properties of 2D semiconductor quantum wires (QWs) with anisotropic effective masses and different orientations with respect to the anisotropic axis. The energy levels in the absence and presence of an external magnetic field are analytically calculated, showing: (i) a strong dependence on the spacing of energy levels related to the alignment QW angle and the anisotropy axis; and (ii) for non-null magnetic field, the quantum Hall edge states are significantly affected by the edge orientation. Moreover, by means of the split-operator technique, we analyzed the time evolution of wavepackets in straight and V-shaped anisotropic QWs and compared the transmission probabilities with those of isotropic systems. In the anisotropic case we found damped oscillations in the average values of velocity in both x and y directions for a symmetric Gaussian wavepacket propagating along a straight wide QW, with the oscillation being more evident as the non-collinearity between the group velocity and momentum vectors increases., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures

We investigate the plasmons in bilayer black phosphorus (BP) with bias-driven formation of Dirac cones, by developing an effective two-band Hamiltonian that captures this electronic transition with great accuracy. We show that the appearance of the Dirac cones lead to additional linearly dispersing acoustic plasmon mode, in conjunction to the conventional plasmon. In addition, the change in the Fermi surface topology from a disc to ring or dual pockets also modifies the dielectric loss., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures

We investigate the effects of a perpendicular electric field applied to multilayer phosphorene nanoribbons with zigzag and armchair edges. Within the context of the tight-binding model, we explore the electronic properties of these systems giving emphasis to the appearance of Dirac-like spectra, a transition that occurs when the gate density associated with the applied displacement field is greater than the critical value $n_c$. We show that the confinement properties and the screening effects in such systems play an important role on the determination of $n_c$, suggesting a scheme to determine the thickness, width and edge orientation of multilayered phosphorene nanoribbons. We also explore how this transition affects the electronic transport properties of such systems., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

We investigate the electronic properties of $N$-layer black phosphorus by means of an analytical method based on a recently proposed tight-binding Hamiltonian involving $14$ hopping parameters. The method provides simple and accurate general expressions for the Hamiltonian of $N$-layer phosphorene, which are suitable for the study of electronic transport and optical properties of such systems, and the results show the features that emerge as the number of layers increases. In addition, we show that the $N$-layer problem can be translated into $N$ effective monolayer problems in the long wavelength approximation and, within this analytical picture, we obtain expressions for the energy gap and the effective masses for electrons and holes along the $N$-layer black phosphorus plane directions as function of the number of layers, as well as for the Landau levels as function of perpendicular magnetic field., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures

We investigate the energy spectrum of single layer black phosphorene nanoribbons (BPN) by means of a low-energy expansion of a recently proposed tight-binding model that describes electron and hole bands close to the Fermi energy level. Using the continuum approach, we propose boundary conditions based on sublattice symmetries for BPN with zigzag and armchair edges and show that our results for the energy spectra exhibit good agreement with those obtained by using the five-parameter tight-binding model. We also explore the behaviour of the energy gap versus the nanoribbon width $W$. Our findings demonstrate that band gap of armchair BPNs scale as $1/W^2$, while zigzag BPNs exhibit a $1/W$ tendency. We analyse the different possible combinations of the zigzag edges that result two-fold degenerate and non-degenerate edge states. Furthermore, we obtain expressions for the wave functions and discuss the limit of validity of such analytical model., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures

We evaluate the electronic transmission and conductance in bilayer graphene through a finite number of potential barriers. Further, we evaluate the dispersion relation in a bilayer graphene superlattice with a periodic potential applied to both layers. As a model we use the tight-binding Hamiltonian in the continuum approxi- mation. For zero bias the dispersion relation shows a finite gap for carriers with zero momentum in the direction parallel to the barriers. This is in contrast to single-layer graphene where no such gap was found. A gap also appears for a finite bias. Numerical results for the energy spectrum, conductance, and the density of states are presented and contrasted with those pertaining to single-layer graphene., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures

We evaluate the dispersion relation for massless fermions, described by the Dirac equation, and for zero-spin bosons, described by the Klein-Gordon equation, moving in two dimensions and in the presence of a one-dimensional periodic potential. For massless fermions the dispersion relation shows a zero gap for carriers with zero momentum in the direction parallel to the barriers in agreement with the well-known "Klein paradox". Numerical results for the energy spectrum and the density of states are presented. Those for fermions are appropriate to graphene in which carriers behave relativistically with the "light speed" replaced by the Fermi velocity. In addition, we evaluate the transmission through a finite number of barriers for fermions and zero-spin bosons and relate it with that through a superlattice., Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures

Within a minimal model, we present analytical expressions for the eigenstates and eigenvalues of carriers confined in quantum rings in monolayer and bilayer graphene. The calculations were performed in the context of the continuum model, by solving the Dirac equation for a zero width ring geometry, i.e. by freezing out the carrier radial motion. We include the effect of an external magnetic field and show the appearance of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations and of a non-zero gap in the spectrum. Our minimal model gives insight in the energy spectrum of graphene-based quantum rings and models different aspects of finite width rings., Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B

We obtain analytical expressions for the eigenstates and the Landau level spectrum of biased graphene bilayers in a magnetic field. The calculations are performed in the context of a four-band continuum model and generalize previous approximate results. Solutions are presented for the spectrum as a function of interlayer coupling, the potential difference between the layers and the magnetic field. The explicit expressions allow us to calculate the oscillator strength and the selection rules for electric dipole transitions between the Landau states. Some transitions are significantly shifted in energy relative to those in an unbiased bialyer and exhibit a very different magnetic field dependence., Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B

We demonstrate theoretically that quantum dots in bilayers of graphene can be realized. A position-dependent doping breaks the equivalence between the upper and lower layer and lifts the degeneracy of the positive and negative momentum states of the dot. Numerical results show the simultaneous presence of electron and hole confined states for certain doping profiles and a remarkable angular momentum dependence of the quantum dot spectrum which is in sharp contrast with that for conventional semiconductor quantum dots. We predict that the optical spectrum will consist of a series of non-equidistant peaks., Comment: 5 pages, to appear in Nano Letters

Resonant electronic transmission through graphene-based double barriers (wells) is studied as a function of the incident wave vector, the widths and heights (depths) of the barriers (wells), and the separation between them. Resonant features in the transmission result from resonant electron states in the wells or hole states in the barriers and strongly influence the ballistic conductance of the structures.

The electronic states of a finite-width graphene sheet in the presence of an electrostatic confining potential and a perpendicular magnetic field are investigated. The confining potential shifts the Landau levels inside the well and creates current-carrying states at or close to the interface with the barriers in addition to the edge states caused by the finite width of the sheet. Detailed energy spectra are given as a function of the quantum wire parameters. The dependence of the density of states on the confinement potential is evaluated for finite and zero magnetic field., Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. B

We report the existence of confined massless fermion states in a graphene quantum well (QW) by means of analytical and numerical calculations. These states show an unusual quasi-linear dependence on the momentum parallel to the QW: their number depends on the wavevector and is constrained by electron-hole conversion in the barrier regions. An essential difference with non-relativistic electron states is a mixing between free and confined states at the edges of the free-particle continua, demonstrated by the direction-dependent resonant transmission across a potential well., Comment: Submitted to PRB

A microscopic model is employed to calculate the spectrum of spin waves in quasiperiodic magnetic multilayers in the dipole-exchange regime. Results are presented for structures in which thin ferromagnetic films are separated by non-magnetic spacers following a Fibonacci sequence and extend previous magnetostatic calculations. The results show the splitting of the frequency bands and the mode mixing caused by the dipolar interaction between the films as a function of spacer thickness, as well as the fractal aspect of the spectrum induced by the non-periodic aspect of the structure., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

A Green's function formalism is used to calculate the spectrum of excitations of two neighboring impurities implanted in a semi-infinite ferromagnetic. The equations of motion for the Green's functions are determined in the framework of the Ising model in a transverse field and results are given for the effect of the exchange coupling, position and orientation of the impurities on the spectra of localized spin wave modes., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

A Green's function formalism is used to calculate the spectrum of localized modes of an impurity layer implanted within a ferromagnetic thin film. The equations of motion for the Green's functions are determined in the framework of the Ising model in a transverse field. We show that depending on the thickness, exchange and effective field parameters, there is a ``crossover'' effect between the surface modes and impurity localized modes. For thicker films the results show that the degeneracy of the surface modes can be lifted by the presence of an impurity layer., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures

A method is presented for calculating the frequencies of non-retarded surface plasmons propagating on a semi-inifinite medium with a surface profile described by a one-dimension quasiperiodic function. The profiles are generated, in analogy with previous work on quasiperiodic superlattices, by repeating unitary cells constructed according to an inflation rule. Dispersion relations are obtained for a semi-infinite free-electron metal as the active medium, with surface profiles obeying the Fibonacci and Thue-Morse sequences., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

Murray State University (Kentucky) has approached the internationalization of the business curriculum by creating a bachelor of arts degree program requiring 2 years of foreign language study. To assess the program's overall success, three student surveys were undertaken. The first polled entering freshman business students in fall 1990 about their high school foreign language study and plans for such study in college. The second polled business students in foreign language classes about their degree plans and reasons for pursuing language study. The third surveyed seniors graduating in the 1991 calendar year about their foreign language study and international education activities. Results are presented. It is concluded that: (1) a growing majority of business students enter the university with some high school foreign language background; (2) introduction and active promotion of the new bachelor's degree program option increased foreign language study among business students; (3) almost a third of the language students who are also studying business are pursuing majors or minors in a foreign language, suggesting some cross-fertilization of disciplines; and (4) business students studying foreign languages appear much more likely to participate in a range of international education activities. Far-ranging student and institutional benefits are seen. (Author/MSE)