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Time-resolved ultrafast EUV magnetic scattering was used to test a recent prediction of >10 km/s domain wall speeds by optically exciting a magnetic sample with a nanoscale labyrinthine domain pattern. Ultrafast distortion of the diffraction pattern was observed at markedly different timescales compared to the magnetization quenching. The diffraction pattern distortion shows a threshold-dependence with laser fluence, not seen for magnetization quenching, consistent with a picture of domain wall motion with pinning sites. Supported by simulations, we show that a speed of $\approx$ 66 km/s for highly curved domain walls can explain the experimental data. While our data agree with the prediction of extreme, non-equilibrium wall speeds locally, it differs from the details of the theory, suggesting that additional mechanisms are required to fully understand these effects., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; Supplemental Material: 9 pages, 9 figures

Symmetry is a powerful concept in physics, but its applicability to far-from-equilibrium states is still being understood. Recent attention has focused on how far-from-equilibrium states lead to spontaneous symmetry breaking. Conversely, ultrafast optical pumping can be used to drastically change the energy landscape and quench the magnetic order parameter in magnetic systems. Here, we find a distinct symmetry-dependent ultrafast behaviour by use of ultrafast x-ray scattering from magnetic patterns with varying degrees of isotropic and anisotropic symmetry. After pumping with an optical laser, the scattered intensity reveals a radial shift exclusive to the isotropic component and exhibits a faster recovery time from quenching for the anisotropic component. These features arise even when both symmetry components are concurrently measured, suggesting a correspondence between the excitation and the magnetic order symmetry. Our results underline the importance of symmetry as a critical variable to manipulate the magnetic order in the ultrafast regime.

We report a large spin Hall effect in the 3$d$ transition metal alloy Ni$_x$Cu$_{1-x}$ for $x\in\left\{ 0.3,0.75\right\} $, detected via the ferromagnetic resonance of a Permalloy (Py = Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$) film deposited in a bilayer with the alloy. A thickness series at $x$ = 0.6, for which the alloy is paramagnetic at room temperature, allows us to determine the spin Hall ratio $\theta_{\rm{SH}}\approx1$, spin diffusion length $\lambda_{\rm{s}}$, spin mixing conductance $G_{\uparrow\downarrow}$, and damping $\alpha_{\rm{SML}}$ due to spin memory loss . We compare our results with similar experiments on Py/Pt bilayers measured using the same method. Ab initio band structure calculations with disorder and spin-orbit coupling suggest an intrinsic spin Hall effect in Ni$_x$Cu$_{1-x}$ alloys, although the experiments here cannot distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms., Comment: New ab initio calculations of Ni-Cu alloy band structure added; new author; new fig in main text and new appendix describing calculations

By correlating time- and angle-resolved photoemission and time-resolved transverse- magneto- optical Kerr effect measurements, both at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, we uncover the universal nature of the ultrafast photoinduced magnetic phase transition in Ni. This allows us to explain the ultrafast magnetic response of Ni at all laser fluences - from a small reduction of the magnetization at low laser fluences, to complete quenching at high laser fluences. Both probe methods exhibit the same demagnetization and recovery timescales. We further show that the ultrafast demagnetization in Ni is indeed a magnetic phase transition that is launched within 20 fs, followed by demagnetization of the material within ~200 fs, and subsequent recovery of the magnetization on timescales ranging from 500 fs to >70 ps. We also provide evidence of two competing channels with two distinct timescales in the recovery process, that suggest the presence of coexisting phases in the material., Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures

Studies of the genetic loci that contribute to variation in gene expression frequently identify loci with broad effect on gene expression: expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) hotspots. We describe a set of exploratory graphical methods as well as a formal likelihood-based test for assessing whether a given hotspot is due to one or multiple polymorphisms. We first look at the pattern of effects of the locus on the expression traits that map to the locus: the direction of the effects, as well as the degree of dominance. A second technique is to focus on the individuals that exhibit no recombination event in the region, apply dimensionality reduction (such as with linear discriminant analysis) and compare the phenotype distribution in the non-recombinants to that in the recombinant individuals: If the recombinant individuals display a different expression pattern than the non-recombinants, this indicates the presence of multiple causal polymorphisms. In the formal likelihood-based test, we compare a two-locus model, with each expression trait affected by one or the other locus, to a single-locus model. We apply our methods to a large mouse intercross with gene expression microarray data on six tissues., Comment: 40 pages, 6 figures, 3 supplemental figures, and a separate PDF file (FileS1.pdf) with an additional 35 pages of figures; made small changes to text on pages 26-31 in response to reviewers' comments; corrected a number of typographical errors and added acknowledgment of an additional grant

We compare ferromagnetic resonance measurements of Permalloy Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ (Py) films sputtered onto Cu(111) films with and without a graphene (Gr) interlayer grown by chemical vapor deposition before Py deposition. A two-angle sputtering method ensured that neither Gr nor Py was degraded by the sample preparation process. We find the expected damping enhancement from spin pumping for the Py/Cu case and no detectable enhancement for the Py/Gr/Cu case. Since damping is sensitive to effects other than spin pumping, we used magnetometry to verify that differences in Py magnetostatic properties are not responsible for the difference in damping. We attribute the suppression of spin pumping in Py/Gr/Cu to the large contact resistance of the Gr/Cu interface.

In a mouse intercross with more than 500 animals and genome-wide gene expression data on six tissues, we identified a high proportion (18%) of sample mix-ups in the genotype data. Local expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL; genetic loci influencing gene expression) with extremely large effect were used to form a classifier to predict an individual's eQTL genotype based on expression data alone. By considering multiple eQTL and their related transcripts, we identified numerous individuals whose predicted eQTL genotypes (based on their expression data) did not match their observed genotypes, and then went on to identify other individuals whose genotypes did match the predicted eQTL genotypes. The concordance of predictions across six tissues indicated that the problem was due to mix-ups in the genotypes (though we further identified a small number of sample mix-ups in each of the six panels of gene expression microarrays). Consideration of the plate positions of the DNA samples indicated a number of off-by-one and off-by-two errors, likely the result of pipetting errors. Such sample mix-ups can be a problem in any genetic study, but eQTL data allow us to identify, and even correct, such problems. Our methods have been implemented in an R package, R/lineup., Comment: 63 pages, 9 figures, 20 supplemental figures, and 5 supplemental tables. In version 2: added two supplemental figures in response to reviewers' comments, and corrected a problem in Figure S13 (points at the boundary between genotype groups were inadvertently omitted, which gave the false impression of clear separation between the groups). In version 3: fixed a few typos

We show that strong coupling between graphene and the substrate is mitigated when 0.8 monolayer of Na is adsorbed and consolidated on top graphene-on-Ni(111). Specifically, the {\pi} state is partially restored near the K-point and the energy gap between the {\pi} and {\pi}* states reduced to 1.3 eV after adsorption, as measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We show that this change is not caused by intercalation of Na to underneath graphene but it is caused by an electronic coupling between Na on top and graphene. We show further that graphene can be decoupled to a much higher extent when Na is intercalated to underneath graphene. After intercalation, the energy gap between the {\pi} and {\pi}* states is reduced to 0 eV and these states are identical as in freestanding and n-doped graphene. We conclude thus that two mechanisms of decoupling exist: a strong decoupling through intercalation, which is the same as one found using noble metals, and a weak decoupling caused by electronic interaction with the adsorbate on top.

Single crystal metal films on insulating substrates are attractive for microelectronics and other applications, but they are difficult to achieve on macroscopic length scales. The conventional approach to obtaining such films is epitaxial growth at high temperature using slow deposition in ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Here we describe a different approach: sputter deposition at modest temperatures followed by annealing to induce secondary grain growth. We show that polycrystalline as-deposited Cu on \alpha-Al2O3(0001) can be transformed into Cu(111) with centimeter-sized grains. Employing optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and electron backscatter diffraction to characterize the films before and after annealing, we find a particular as-deposited grain structure that promotes the growth of giant grains upon annealing. To demonstrate one potential application of such films, we grow graphene by chemical vapor deposition on wafers of annealed Cu and obtain epitaxial graphene grains of 0.2 mm diameter., Comment: 5 figures

Films of (111)-textured Cu, Ni, and Cu$_x$Ni$_y$ were evaluated as substrates for chemical vapor deposition of graphene. A metal thickness of 400 nm to 700 nm was sputtered onto a substrate of $\alpha-$Al$_2$O$_3$(0001) at temperatures of 250 C to 650 C. The films were then annealed at 1000 C in a tube furnace. X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction measurements showed all films have (111) texture but have grains with in-plane orientations differing by $60^{\circ}$. The in-plane epitaxial relationship for all films was $[110]_{metal}$||$[10\bar{1}0]_{{Al}_{2}{O}_{3}}$. Reactive sputtering of Al in O$_2$ before metal deposition resulted in a single in-plane orientation over 97 % of the Ni film but had no significant effect on the Cu grain structure. Transmission electron microscopy showed a clean Ni/Al$_2$O$_3$ interface, confirmed the epitaxial relationship, and showed that formation of the $60^{\circ}$ twin grains was associated with features on the Al$_2$O$_3$ surface. Increasing total pressure and Cu vapor pressure during annealing decreased the roughness of Cu and and Cu$_x$Ni$_y$ films. Graphene grown on the Ni(111) films was more uniform than that grown on polycrystalline Ni/SiO$_2$ films, but still showed thickness variations on a much smaller length scale than the distance between grains.

The Electron Counting Capacitance Standard currently pursued at PTB aims to close the Quantum Metrological Triangle with a final precision of a few parts in 10^7. This paper reports the considerable progress recently achieved with a new generation of single-electron tunnelling devices. A five-junction R-pump was operated with a relative charge transfer error of five electrons in 10^7, and was used to successfully perform single-electron charging of a cryogenic capacitor. The preliminary result for the single-electron charge quantum has an uncertainty of less than two parts in 10^6 and is consistent with the value of the elementary charge., Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, 1 table

Causal inference approaches in systems genetics exploit quantitative trait loci (QTL) genotypes to infer causal relationships among phenotypes. The genetic architecture of each phenotype may be complex, and poorly estimated genetic architectures may compromise the inference of causal relationships among phenotypes. Existing methods assume QTLs are known or inferred without regard to the phenotype network structure. In this paper we develop a QTL-driven phenotype network method (QTLnet) to jointly infer a causal phenotype network and associated genetic architecture for sets of correlated phenotypes. Randomization of alleles during meiosis and the unidirectional influence of genotype on phenotype allow the inference of QTLs causal to phenotypes. Causal relationships among phenotypes can be inferred using these QTL nodes, enabling us to distinguish among phenotype networks that would otherwise be distribution equivalent. We jointly model phenotypes and QTLs using homogeneous conditional Gaussian regression models, and we derive a graphical criterion for distribution equivalence. We validate the QTLnet approach in a simulation study. Finally, we illustrate with simulated data and a real example how QTLnet can be used to infer both direct and indirect effects of QTLs and phenotypes that co-map to a genomic region., Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/09-AOAS288 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org)

A novel type of solitary wave is predicted to form in spin torque oscillators when the free layer has a sufficiently large perpendicular anisotropy. In this structure, which is a dissipative version of the conservative droplet soliton originally studied in 1977 by Ivanov and Kosevich, spin torque counteracts the damping that would otherwise destroy the mode. Asymptotic methods are used to derive conditions on perpendicular anisotropy strength and applied current under which a dissipative droplet can be nucleated and sustained. Numerical methods are used to confirm the stability of the droplet against various perturbations that are likely in experiments, including tilting of the applied field, non-zero spin torque asymmetry, and non-trivial Oersted fields. Under certain conditions, the droplet experiences a drift instability in which it propagates away from the nanocontact and is then destroyed by damping., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures

We measure the power spectral density of frequency fluctuations in nanocontact spin torque oscillators over time scales up to 50 ms. We use a mixer to convert oscillator signals ranging from 10 GHz to 40 GHz into a band near 70 MHz before digitizing the time domain waveform. We analyze the waveform using both zero crossing time stamps and a sliding Fourier transform, discuss the different limitations and advantages of these two methods, and combine them to obtain a frequency noise spectrum spanning more than five decades of Fourier frequency $f$. For devices having a free layer consisting of either a single Ni$_{\text{}80}$Fe$_{\text{}20}$ layer or a Co/Ni multilayer we find a frequency noise spectrum that is white at large $f$ and varies as \emph{$1/f$} at small $f$. The crossover frequency ranges from $\approx\unit[10^{4}]{Hz}$ to $\approx\unit[10^{6}]{Hz}$ and the $1/f$ component is stronger in the multilayer devices. Through actual and simulated spectrum analyzer measurements, we show that $1/f$ frequency noise causes both broadening and a change in shape of the oscillator's spectral line as measurement time increases. Our results indicate that the long term stability of spin torque oscillators cannot be accurately predicted from models based on thermal (white) noise sources.

We have measured spin transfer-induced dynamics in magnetic nanocontact devices having a perpendicularly magnetized Co/Ni free layer and an in-plane magnetized CoFe fixed layer. The frequencies and powers of the excitations agree well with the predictions of the single-domain model and indicate that the excited dynamics correspond to precessional orbits with angles ranging from zero to 90 degrees as the applied current is increased at a fixed field. From measurements of the onset current as a function of applied field strength we estimate the magnitude of the spin torque asymmetry parameter lambda ~ 1.5. By combining these with spin torque ferromagnetic resonance measurements, we also estimate the spin wave radiation loss in these devices.

We measure oscillator phase from the zero crossings of the voltage vs. time waveform of a spin torque nanocontact oscillating in a vortex mode. The power spectrum of the phase noise varies with Fourier frequency $f$ as $1/f^2$, consistent with frequency fluctuations driven by a thermal source. The linewidth implied by phase noise alone is about 70 % of that measured using a spectrum analyzer. A phase-locked loop reduces the phase noise for frequencies within its 3 MHz bandwidth., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, supplementary material. Submitted to {Appl. Phys. Lett.}