Neste trabalho de mestrado apresentamos um estudo sobre a manifestação do efeito Rashba em isolantes topológicos na ausência de simetria de inversão estrutural. Os cálculos das propriedades atomísticas, energéticas e as estruturas eletrônicas são abordados através de métodos de primeiros princípios baseados na teoria do funcional da densidade. E seus resultados foram utilizados para o desenvolvimento de hamiltoniana efetiva baseado no modelo de Zhang. Realizamos o estudo de dois sistemas: 1) Bi$_2$Se$_3$ com átomos de Sn depositados na superfície: Este sistema pode ser entendido através da manifestação do efeito Rashba sobre um isolante topológico dada a quebra de simetria de inversão estrutural. Para um sítio de deposição específico, os átomos de Sn causam uma reconstrução da superfície e um terceiro cone de Dirac é observado na estrutura eletrônica. Este terceiro cone é não localizado na superfície e pode ser entendido como a manifestação do efeito Rashba. 2) PbBiI: Reportado aqui como um novo isolante topológico 2D com efeito Rashba. Descobrimos este sistema por um estudo sistemático sobre uma família de materiais formados por átomos tipo IV, V, e VII, cuja estrutura cristalina é hexagonal e não centrossimétrica. Mostramos que o PbBiI possui: i) Estabilidade mecânica, ii) Spin-splitting Rashba de 60 meV, iii) um gap de energia não trivial de 0.14 eV, iv) retroespalhamento proibido entre os estados de borda e v) retroespalhamento proibido entre os estados do bulk no entorno do nível de Fermi. Estas propriedades fazem do PbBiI um candidato para construção de dispositivos de spintrônica que atenua a perda de energia. / In this work, were studied the Rashba effect in topological insulators without structural inversion symmetry. We performed a first principles study based on density functional theory to calculate the atomistic properties, formation energy and electronic structure. These results were used to development a effective Hamiltonian based on Zhang model. They were studied two systems: 1) Bi$_2$Se$_3$ with Sn atoms deposited on the surface: This system can be seen as the Rashba effect manifestation on a topological insulator due to the structural inversion symmetry breaking. For a specific deposition site, the Sn atoms cause a reconstruction of the surface and display a third Dirac cone in the electronic structure. This third cone is not located on the surface and can be understood as the giant Rashba effect manifestation. 2) We propose a new non-centrosymmetric honeycomb-lattice QSH insulator family formed by the IV, V, and VII elements. The system formed by Bi, Pb and I atoms is reported here as a new 2D topological insulator with Rashba effect. We show that this system has: i) Mechanical stability, ii) spin-splitting Rashba of 60 meV, iii) nontrivial energy gap of 0.14 eV, iv) backscattering forbidden for both edge and bulk conductivity channels in the nanoribbon band structure. These properties make PbBiI a good candidate to construct spintronic devices with less energy loss.

Les liquides ioniques sont des fluides non volatiles, constitués de cations et d’anions, qui sont conducteurs ioniques, isolants électriques, et peuvent avoir des valeurs de capacité très élevées. Ces liquides sont susceptibles non seulement de remplacer les électrolytes solides, mais également de susciter des champs électriques intenses (>SI{10}{megavoltpercentimetre}) au sein d’une couche dite double couche électronique (electric double layer, EDL) à l’interface entre le liquide et le matériau sur lequel il est déposé. Ceci conduit à une injection de porteurs de charge bidimensionelle avec des densités allant jusqu’à SI{e15}{cm^{-2}}. Cet effet de grille remarquablement fort des liquides ioniques est réduit en présence d’états piégés ou de rugosité de surface. À cet égard, les dicalchogénures de métaux de transitions, de très haute qualité cristalline et atomiquement plats, font partis des semi-conducteurs les plus adaptés aux grilles EDL.Nous avons réalisé des transistors à effet de champ avec des EDL dans des nanotubes multi-couches de ce{WS2}, avec des performances comparables à celles de transistors EDL sur des ilots de ce{WS2}, et meilleurs que celles de nanotubes de ce{WS2} avec une grille solide. Nous avons obtenu des mobilités allant jusqu’à SI{80}{squarecentimetrepervoltpersecond} pour les porteurs n et p, et des ratios de courants on/off dépassant SI{e5}{} pour les deux polarités. Pour de forts dopages de type électron, les nanotubes ont un comportement métallique jusqu’à basse température. De plus, utiliser un liquide ionique permet de créer une jonction pn de manière purement électrostatique. En prenant avantage de cet effet, nous avons pu réaliser un transistor photoluminescent dans un nanotube.La possibilité de susciter de très forte densités de charges donne la possibilité d’induire des phases métalliques ou supraconductrices dans des semi-conducteurs a large bande interdite. Nous avons ainsi réussi à induire par effet de champ une phase métallique à basse température dans du diamant intrinsèque avec une surface hydrogénée, et nous avons obtenu un effet de champ dans du silicone dopé métallique.Les liquides ioniques offrent beaucoup d’avantages, mais leur champ d’application est encore réduit par l’instabilité du liquide, ainsi que par les courants de fuites et l’absorption graduelle d’impuretés. Un moyen efficace de s’affranchir de ces inconvénients, tout en conservant la possibilité d’induire de très fortes densités de porteurs, est de gélifier le liquide ionique. Nous sommes allés plus loin en fabriquant des gels ioniques modifiés, avec les cations fixés sur une seule surface et les anions libres de se mouvoir au sein du gel. Cet outil nous a permis de réaliser une nouvelle diode à effet de champ de faible puissance. / Ionic liquids are non-volatile fluids, consisting of cations and anions, which are ionically conducting and electrically insulating and hold very high capacitances. These liquids have the ability to not only to replace solid electrolytes, but to create strongly increased electric fields (>SI{10}{megavoltpercentimetre}) in the so-called electric double layer (EDL) on the electrolyte/channel interface, which leads to the injection of 2D charge carrier densities up to SI{e15}{cm^{-2}}. The remarkably strong gate effect of ionic liquids is diminished in the presence of trapped states and roughness-induced surface disorder, which points out that atomically flat transition metal dichalcogenides of high crystal quality are some of the semiconductors best suited for EDL-gating.We realised EDL-gated field-effect transistors based on multi-walled ce{WS2} nanotubes with operation performance comparable to that of EDL-gated thin flakes of the same material and superior to the performance of backgated ce{WS2} nanotubes. For instance, we observed mobilities of up to SI{80}{squarecentimetrepervoltpersecond} for both p- and n-type charge carriers and our current on-off ratios exceed SI{e5}{} for both polarities. At high electron doping levels, the nanotubes show metallic behaviour down to low temperatures. The use of an electrolyte as topgate dielectric allows the purely electrostatic formation of a pn-junction. We successfully fabricated a light-emitting transistor taking advantage of this utility.The ability of high charge carrier doping suggests an electrostatically induced metal phase or superconductivity in large gap semiconductors. We successfully induced low temperature metallic conduction into intrinsic diamond with hydrogen-terminated surface via field-effect and we observed a gate effect in doped, metallic silicon.Ionic liquids have many advantageous properties, but their applicability suffers from the instability of their liquid body, gate leakage currents and absorption of impurities. An effective way to bypass most of these problems, while keeping the ability of ultra-high charge carrier injection, is the gelation of ionic liquids. We even went one step further and fabricated modified ion gel films with the cations fixed on one surface and the anions able to move freely through the film. With this tool, we realised a novel low-power field-effect diode.

by Tsai Yau Moon = 錳氧化物的金屬-絶緣體轉變 : 多層薄膜及異構結 / 蔡友滿. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / by Tsai Yau Moon = Meng yang hua wu de jin shu-jue yuan ti zhuan bian : duo ceng bo mo ji yi gou jie / Cai Youman. / Abstract / 論文摘要 / Acknowledgements / Table of Contents / List of Figures / List of Tables / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Perovskite-type structure / Chapter 1.2 --- Metal-insulator transition / Chapter 1.3 --- Magnetoresistance / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) / Chapter 1.3.2.1 --- Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) in perovskite manganites / Chapter 1.3.2.2 --- Possible origin of CMR / Chapter 1.4 --- Brief review of p-n junction between perovskite manganites and STON (001) / Chapter 1.5 --- Our project / Chapter 1.6 --- Scope of this thesis work / References / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Preparation and characterization of manganite thin films / Chapter 2.1 --- Thin film deposition / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Facing-target sputtering (FTS) / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Vacuum system / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Deposition procedure / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Deposition conditions / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Oxygen annealing system / Chapter 2.1.6 --- Silver electrode coating system / Chapter 2.2 --- Characterization / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Alpha step profilometer / Chapter 2.2.2 --- X-ray diffraction (XRD) / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Transport property measurement / References / Chapter Chapter 3 --- [LCSMO/PCMO] multilayers / Chapter 3.1 --- [LCSMO (100 A)/PCMO (X A)] multilayers / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Sample preparation / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Results and discussion / Chapter 3.1.2.1 --- Structural analysis / Chapter 3.1.2.2 --- Transport properties / Chapter 3.2 --- [LCSMO (50 A)/PCMO (X A)] multilayers / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Sample preparation / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Results and discussion / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Structural analysis / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Transport properties / References / Chapter Chapter 4 --- [LSMO/PCMO] multilayers and LSMO/STON p-n junction / Chapter 4.1 --- [LSMO/PCMO] multilayers / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Sample preparation / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Results and discussion / Chapter 4.1.2.1 --- Structural analysis / Chapter 4.1.2.2 --- Magnetization / Chapter 4.2 --- LSMO/STON heterojunction / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Sample preparation / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Results and discussion / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Structural analysis / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Metal insulator transition of LSMO revealed by four point I-V measurement / Chapter 4.3 --- Conclusion / References / Chapter 5 Conclusion / Chapter 5.1 --- Conclusion / Chapter 5.2 --- Future outlook

Este trabalho mostra a comparação dos efeitos das falhas provocadas pelos Single-Event Effects em dispositivos 28nm FDSOI, 28nm FDSOI High-K e 32nm Bulk CMOS e células de memória 6T SRAM feitas com estes dispositivos. Para conseguir isso, foram usadas ferramentas TCAD para simular falhas transientes devido a impacto de íons pesados a nível dispositivo e nível circuito. As simulações neste ambiente tem como vantagem a simulação dos fatos e mecanismos que produz as falhas transientes e seus efeitos nos dispositivos, além de também servir para projetar virtualmente estes dispositivos e caraterizar eles para estas simulações. Neste caso, foram projetados três dispositivos para simulação: um transistor NMOS de 32nm Bulk, um transistor NMOS de 28nm FDSOI e um transistor NMOS de 28nm FDSOI High-K para fazer comparações entre eles. Estes dispositivos foram projetados, caraterizados e testados contra o impacto de íons pesados a níveis dispositivo e circuito. Como resultado obtido, transistor Bulk de 32nm teve, no pior caso, uma carga coletada de 7.57 e 7.19 vezes maior que a carga coletada pelo dispositivo FDSOI de 28nm e FDSOI High-K de 28nm respectivamente atingido pelo mesmo íon pesado de 100MeV-cm2/mg. Com estes dados foi possível modelar o comportamento da carga coletada de ambos dispositivos usando este íon pesado, atingindo os terminais de Fonte e Dreno em distintos lugares e ângulos. Usando a mesma ferramenta e os dados obtidos de carga coletada pelos testes anteriores, foram projetadas células de memória SRAM de 6 transistores. Isso foi para testar elas contra os efeitos do impacto de íons pesados nos transistores NMOS de armazenagem da dados. Neste caso, a Transferência Linear de Energia (LET) do íon necessária para fazer que o dado armazenado na SRAM Bulk mude é 12.8 vezes maior que no caso da SRAM FDSOI e 10 maior no caso da SRAM FDSOI High-K, embora a quantidade de carga coletada necessária para que o dado mude em ambas células seja quase a mesma. Com estes dados foi possível modelar os efeitos dos íons pesados em ambos circuitos, descobrir a Carga Crítica destes e qual é o mínimo LET necessário para que o dado armazenado nestas SRAMs mude. / This work shows a comparison of faults due to Single-Event Effects in 28nm Fully Depleted SOI (FDSOI), 28nm FDSOI High-K and 32nm Bulk CMOS devices, and in 6T SRAM memory cells made with these devices. To provide this, was used TCAD tools to simulate transient faults due to heavy ion impacts on device and circuit levels. The simulations in that environment have the advantage to simulate the facts and mechanisms which produce the transient faults and this effects on the electronic devices, it also allow to simulate the virtual device fabrication and to characterize them. In this case, two devices were created for the simulations: a 32nm Bulk NMOS transistor and a 28nm FDSOI NMOS transistor for compare them. These devices were created, characterized and tested against heavy ion impacts at device and circuit levels. The results show that 32nm Bulk transistor has, in the worst case, a collected charge 7.57 and 7.19 times greater than the 28nm FDSOI and 28nm FDSOI High-K respectively collected charge with the same 100MeV-cm2/mg heavy ion. With these data it was possible to model the behavior of the collected charge in both devices with the same heavy-ion, reach the Source and Drain Terminal in different places and angles. Using the same tools and the obtained collected charge data of previous simulations, it was designed 6 transistors SRAM Memory Cells. That is done to test these circuits against the heavy ion effects on the data-storage NMOS transistor. In this case, the necessary Ion Linear Energy Transfer (LET) to flip the Bulk SRAM is 12.8 greater than the FDSOI SRAM and 10 times greater than the FDSOI High- K SRAM case, although the amount of charge to flip the cells is almost the same in both cases. With these data it was possible to model the heavy-ion effects in both circuits, discover the Critical Charge of them and the minimum LET to flips these SRAMs.

Amostras policristalinas de La(5/8-y)Pr(y)Ca(3/8)MnO(3); 0 y 0.625; foram produzidas pelo método da mistura estequiométrica de óxidos e tratadas termicamente ao ar a 1400 oC. As amostras foram caracterizadas através de medidas de difração de raios-X, resistividade elétrica rho(T), susceptibilidade magnética chi(T) e magnetorresistividade rho(T, H = 50 kOe). Os resultados das análises dos diagramas de raios-X indicaram que os materiais são de fase única e que houve uma substituição efetiva de La por Pr no sítio A ao longo da série. Medidas de rho(T) e chi(T) revelaram que a temperatura de transição de fase metal-isolante TMI e temperatura de Curie TC decrescem com o aumento da concentração y e que a resistividade residual rho0 (rho(T = 10 K)) é consideravelmente alta em amostras com y 0.35. Ainda, com o decréscimo de T, as amostras com y 0.35 transitam para uma fase de ordenamento de carga em TOC ~ 194 K e, em seguida, para uma fase metálica em TMI. Essas medidas também sugerem a coexistência de fases ferromagnética-metálica FMM e de ordenamento de carga isolante OCI nesses materiais. Nas propriedades físicas macroscópicas, a fase FMM mostrou ser a dominante para os compostos com pequenas concentrações de Pr (y 0.25) e a fase OCI dominante para os compostos com altas concentrações de Pr (y 0.40). As medidas de rho(T, H = 50 kOe) mostram que a magnitude da resistividade elétrica decresce drasticamente nas vizinhanças de TMI sob a aplicação de um campo magnético externo. A magnitude de MR (MR = (rho(H = 0)-rho(H = 50 kOe))/rho(H = 50 kOe)) entre os extremos da série (y = 0 e 0.625) varia até sete ordens de grandeza, sendo que o máximo valor de MR para amostras com y = 0 é de ~ 0.75 e naquelas com y = 0.625 é ~ 3.4x106 . O diagrama de fases deste composto evidencia uma região crítica (0.30 y 0.40) onde os valores de TMI, TC, MR e 0 variam abruptamente como função de y, sendo que em outras regiões tal variação é mais suave. A variação significativa desses quatro valores indica uma competição mais forte entre as fases coexistentes ocorre na região crítica. Algumas características marcantes podem ser observadas nas amostras da região crítica tais como: a presença de um segundo pico, abaixo de TMI, em ~ 90 K e ~ 72 K na curva de rho(T) de amostras com y = 0.30 e 0.35, histerese térmica mais pronunciada em rho(T) e chi(T), MR torna-se colossal, relaxação significativa da resistividade elétrica com o tempo, entre outras. Assim, as propriedades de transporte e magnéticas nessa região crítica são dominadas pela forte competição entre as fases coexistentes. / Polycrystalline samples of La(5/8-y)Pr(y)Ca(3/8)MnO(3); 0 y 0.625; were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method and sintered in air at 1400 oC. These compounds were studied by measurements of X-ray powder diffraction, magnetic susceptibility chi(T), and electrical resistivity rho(T, H). X-ray powder diffraction measurements indicated single phase materials and an effective substitution of La by Pr. Results from rho(T) and chi(T) revealed that increasing y in this series results in a rapid reduction of both the insulator to metal transition temperature TMI and the Curie temperature TC. Such a rapid decrease in TMI with increasing y is also accompanied by the occurrence of a new transition temperature, termed TCO, which is related to the transition to the charge ordered CO state. Such a temperature, which is essentially independent of y, occurs at TCO ~ 194 K and is mainly observed in samples with y 0.35. The other feature is the presence of a large residual resistivity electrical rho(0 = (10 K)) for large y (y 0.35) at low-T even though rho(T) suggests a metallic behavior below TMI. The temperature for the maximum magnetoresistance effect occurs near TMI, that shifts to higher T with increasing field. The MR is defined here as (rho(H = 0)-rho(H = 50 kOe))/rho(H = 50 kOe) and is enhanced by seven orders of magnitude from ~ 0.75 up to ~ 3.4x106 in samples with y = 0 and y = 0.625, respectively. Some features like the thermal hysteresis observed in both rho(T) and chi(T) curves indicate the coexistence of different phases in a range of y concentration, i. e., the ferromagnetic-metallic FMM and the charge ordered-insulating COI domains. The FMM is stable for y 0.25, but the COI state becomes dominant for y 0.40. There is a critical region in the phase diagram, ranging from y = 0.30 to 0.40, where the magnitude of the TMI, TC, MR, and 0 were found to display abrupt changes with increasing y. Some anomalous features like a second peak in rho(T) below TMI, a two-step increasing in chi(T), a colossal MR effect and others are observed for compositions belonging to this critical region. Our combined data suggest that the general physical properties of these compounds in such a critical region are dominated by the strong competition between coexisting ferromagnetic-metallic and charge ordered-insulating phases.

Cette thèse s’intéresse à une technique de caractérisation particulièrement bien adaptée à l’étude de couches diélectriques ultra-minces sur semiconducteurs. La génération de seconde harmonique (SHG) est une méthode très prometteuse, basée sur l’optique non-linéaire. Un laser est focalisé sur l'échantillon à caractériser et le signal à deux fois la fréquence fondamentale est mesuré. Pour les matériaux centrosymétriques comme c-Si, SiO2 et Al2O3, le signal SHG est dû aux défauts et au champ électrique Edc d’interface (induit par les charges préexistantes Qox et/ou piégées au niveau des pièges d’interface Dit). La SHG donne ainsi accès à la qualité des interfaces entre diélectriques/semiconducteurs. Néanmoins, le signal SHG dépend aussi des phénomènes de propagation optique dans les structures multicouches. Pour cette raison, nous avons développé un programme de simulation qui prend en compte les phénomènes optiques et les champs électriques statiques aux interfaces. Nous avons utilisé la SHG pour analyser la qualité de passivation de structures Al2O3/Si préparées avec des procédés différents et nous avons montré une corrélation entre SHG et mesure de durée de vie des porteurs de charges. Les valeurs de Qox et Dit ont été extraites par des mesures de capacité-tension et elles ont permis de calculer le champ Edc. La simulation optique, avec les valeurs extraites de Edc a permis de reproduire les données expérimentales de SHG dans ces structures. La SHG a été utilisée également pour la caractérisation des substrats Silicium-sur-Isolant (SOI). Pour les structures SOI épaisses, la simulation et les résultats expérimentaux ont montré que la réponse SHG est dominée par les interférences optiques (faible impact de Edc). Pour les structures SOI ultraminces, les interfaces sont couplées électriquement et des valeurs de Edc sont nécessaires pour reproduire les données expérimentales par simulation. Cela implique que pour les SOI ultraminces, la SHG pourrait donner accès aux champs électriques au niveau des interfaces d’une manière non-destructive. / This PhD work was developed in the context of research for novel characterization methods for ultra-thin dielectric films on semiconductors and their interfacial quality. Second harmonic generation (SHG) is a very promising non-invasive technique based on nonlinear optics. A laser emitting at the fundamental frequency is incident upon the sample which responds through its 2nd order polarization, generating a signal at twice the fundamental frequency. For centrosymmetric materials such as c-Si, amorphous SiO2 or Al2O3, the SHG signal is mainly due to the defects and to the static electric field Edc present at the interface (due to pre-existing charges Qox and/or photo-injected charge trapping/detrapping at interface traps Dit). Thus, SHG measurement gives access to the quality of dielectric/semiconductor interfaces. Nevertheless, the SHG signal is also dependent on multilayer optical propagation phenomena. For this reason, we have developed a simulation program which accounts for the optical phenomena and the static electric fields at the interfaces. We have used SHG to monitor the passivation quality of Al2O3/Si structures prepared with different processes and showed a correlation between SHG and minority carrier lifetime measurements. Qox and Dit were extracted from capacitance-voltage measurements and helped calculating the Edc values. The optical simulation, fed with known Edc values reproduced the experimental SHG data in these structures. The SHG was also used for Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) substrates characterization. In thick SOI structures, both simulations and experimental results show that the SHG response is mainly given by optical interferences (Edc has no impact). In ultrathin SOI, the interfaces are electrically coupled and Edc is needed as input in the simulation in order to reproduce the experimental SHG data. This implies that in ultrathin SOI, SHG can access the interface electric fields in a non-destructive way.

Nesta dissertação estudaremos sistemas de bósons ultrafrios armadilhados em uma rede ótica quadrada bidimensional sem levar em consideração o confinamento harmônico. A dinâmica desses sistemas é bem descrita pelo modelo de Bose-Hubbard, que prevê uma transição de fase quântica de um superfluido para um isolante de Mott a temperaturas baixas, e pode ser induzida variando a profundidade do potencial da rede ótica. Apresentaremos o diagrama de fases dessa transição construído a partir de uma aproximação de campo médio e também com um cálculo numérico usando um algoritmo de Monte Carlo Quântico, denominado algoritmo Worm. Encontramos o ponto crítico para o primeiro lobo de Mott em ambos os casos, concordando com trabalhos anteriores. / This work study the two-dimensional ultracold bosonic atoms loaded in a square optical lattice, without harmonic confinement. The dynamics of this system is described by the Bose-Hubbard model, which predicts a quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott-insulator at low temperatures that can be induced by varying the depth of the optical potential. We present here the phase diagram of this transition built from a mean field approach and from a numerical calculation using a Quantum Monte Carlo algorithm, namely the Worm algorithm. We found the critical transition point for the first Mott lobe in both cases, in agreement with the standard literature.

<p>High speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) used in, e.g., read channel and ultra wideband (UWB) applications are often based on a flash topology. The read channel applications is the intended application of this work, where a part of the work covers the design of two different types of 6-bit flash ADCs. Another field of application is UWB receivers.</p><p>To optimize the performance of the whole system and derive the specifications for the sub-blocks of the system it is often desired to use a topdown design methodology. To facilitate the top-down design methodology the ADCs are modeled on behavioral level. The models are simulated in MATLAB®. The results are used to verify the functionality of the proposed circuit topologies and serve as a base to the circuit design phase.</p><p>The first flash ADC has a conventional topology. It has a resistor net connected to a number of latched comparators, but its thermometer-tobinary encoder is based on 2-to-1 multiplexers buffered with inverters. This gives a compact encoder with a regular structure and short critical path. The main disadvantage is the code dependent timing difference between the encoder outputs introduced by this topology. The ADC was simulated on schematic level in Cadence® using the foundry provided transistor models. The design obtained a maximum sampling frequency of 1 GHz, an effective resolution bandwidth of 390 MHz, and a power consumption of 170 mW.</p><p>The purpose of the second ADC is to demonstrate the concept of introducing dynamic element matching (DEM) into the reference net of a flash ADC. This design yields information about the performance improvements the DEM gives, and what the trade-offs are when introducing DEM. Behavioral level simulations indicate that the SFDR is improved by 11 dB when introducing DEM, but the settling time of the reference net with DEM will now limit the conversion speed of the converter. Further, the maximum input frequency is limited by the total resistance in the reference net, which gets increased in this topology. The total resistance is the total switch on-resistance plus the total resistance of the resistors. To increase the conversion speed and the maximum input frequency a new DEM topology is proposed in this work, which reduces the number of switches introduced into the reference net compared with earlier proposed DEM topologies. The transistor level simulations in Cadence® of the flash ADC with DEM indicates that the SFDR improves by 6 dB compared with when not using DEM, and is expected to improve more if more samples are used in the simulation. This was not possible in the current simulations due to the long simulation time. The improved SFDR is however traded for an increased chip area and a reduction of the maximum sampling frequency to 550 MHzfor this converter. The average power consumption is 92 mW.</p><p>A goal of this work is to evaluate a 130 nm partially depleted silicon-oninsulator (SOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology with respect to analog circuit implementation. The converters are therefore implemented in this technology. When writing this the ADCs are still being manufactured. Since the technology evaluation will be based on the measurement results the final results of the evaluation are not included in this thesis. The conclusions regarding the SOI CMOS technology are therefore based on a literature study of published scientific papers in the SOI area, information extracted during the design phase of the ADCs, and from the transistor level circuit simulations. These inputs indicate that to fully utilize the potential performance advantages of the SOI CMOS technology the partially depleted SOI CMOS technology should be exchanged for a fully depleted SOI CMOS technology. The manufacturing difficulties regarding the control of the thin-film thickness must however first be solved before the exchange can be done.</p> / Report code: LiU-Tek-Lic-2005:68.

Upon fertilization the paternal and maternal genomes unite, giving rise to the embryo, with its unique genetic code. All cells in the human body are derived from the fertilized ovum: hence they all contain (with a few exceptions) the same genetic composition. However, by selective processes, genes are turned on and off in an adaptable, and cell type-specific, manner. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how signals coming from outside the cell and epigenetic factors residing in the cell nucleus, cooperate to control gene expression. The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily consists of around 30 cytokines, which are essential for accurate gene regulation during embryonic development and adult life. Among these are the ligands TGF-β1 and bone morphogenetic (BMP) -7, which interact with diverse plasma membrane receptors, but signal via partly the same Smad proteins. Smad4 is essential to achieve TGF-β-dependent responses. We observed that by regulating transcription factors such as Id2 and Id3 in a specific manner, TGF-β1 and BMP-7 achieve distinct physiological responses. Moreover, we demonstrate that CTCF, an insulator protein regulating higher order chromatin conformation, is able to direct transcription by recruiting RNA polymerase II to its target sites. This is the first mechanistic explanation of how an insulator protein can direct transcription, and reveals a link between epigenetic modifications and classical regulators of transcription. We also detected that DNA loci occupied by CTCF replicate late. The timing of replication is a crucial determinant of gene activity. Genes replicating early tend to be active, whereas genes replicating late often are silenced. Thus, CTCF can regulate transcription at several levels. Finally, we detected a substantial cross-talk between CTCF and TGF-β signaling. This is the first time that a direct interplay between a signal transduction pathway and the chromatin insulator CTCF is demonstrated.

Condensed matter physics provides us with an opportunity to explore a large variety of systems with diverse properties. Central to the understanding of these systems is a characterization of the nature of their ground states and low energy excitation. Often, such systems show various forms of emergent properties that are absent in the microscopic level. Identification of such emergent phases of condensed matter form an important avenue of research in the field. In this thesis example of such phases and their associated phase transitions have been studied. The work presented here may be broadly divided into two themes: construction of the theoretical framework for understanding materials already studied experimentally, and, trying to provide new theoretical avenues which may be relevant for understanding future experiments. In these studies we shall explore some unconventional phases and phase transitions that may occur in condensed matter systems. A comprehensive understanding of the properties of such unconventional phases and phase transitions is important in the context of the large array of experimentally studied materials that regularly defy conventional wisdom in more than one way. The thesis consists of two distinct parts. In the first part we study three problems in frustrated magnets. The second part consists of studies of the tunnelling spectroscopy of metal-insulator-superconductor junctions in graphene. Studies in frustrated magnets have opened up the possibility of existence of a whole range of phases beyond the already known magnetically ordered ones. Some of these new phases, like the spin nematic or the valence bond solid, display some other conventional order themselves. Others, like the much sort after spin liquid phases displays a whole new kind of order that cannot be captured through the celebrated Landau’s classification of phases on the basis of symmetry breaking and associated order parameters. The phase transitions in these systems are also equally interesting and lead to intriguing possibilities that demand new modes of analysis. In this part of the thesis we shall study the different properties of three magnets with spin-1/2, 1 and 3/2 respectively. We start by providing an introduction to frustrated spin systems in Chapter [1]. The origin of antiferromagnetic interactions in Mott insulators is discussed and the concept of frustration of magnetic interaction is explained. We also point out the causes that may destroy magnetic order in spin systems, particularly the role of quantum fluctuations in presence or absence of magnetic frustration. This is followed with a brief outline of various magnetically ordered and disordered ground states with particular emphasis on the description of the later. We also give a brief outline of various properties of such phases and associated quantum phase transitions particularly noting the influences of quantum interferences encoded in the Berry phase terms. A brief description of the finite temperature properties is also provided. We end an outline of various experimentally relevant compounds that requires comprehensive understanding, some of which have been addressed in this thesis. In Chapter [2] we study the properties of a spin-nematic state in context of the recently discovered spin-1 Mott insulator Nickel Gallium Sulphide (NiGa2S4). This isotropic triangular lattice compound shows no spin ordering till low temperatures. We propose that it may have a particular type of spin-nematic ground state and explain the experimentally observed properties of the compound on the basis of our proposal. Starting from a two band Hubbard model description, relevant for the compound, we derive the Bilinear Biquadratic spin Hamiltonian. We then show, within mean field theory, that this Hamiltonian describes a transition from the spiral state to a ferro-nematic state as a function of the ratio of bilinear and biquadratic couplings. We also study the possible effects of small pinning disorder andmagnetic field and suggest experiments that can possibly distinguish the proposed nematic state from others. In Chapter [3] we explore the effects of the magneto-elastic coupling in the spin-3/2 B-site chromite spinel Cadmium Chromite (CdCr2O4). In this compound the spins form a pyrochlore lattice. Nearest neighbour spins interact antiferromagnetically. Due to frustration the system does not order at low temperatures and instead goes into a classical spin liquid state. Such a cooperative paramagnet is very susceptible to external perturbations which may relieve their frustration. In CdCr2O4, at lower temperatures the magnetic frustration is relieved by distorting the lattice through a first order magnetoelastic transition. Thus the compound presents a case where the relevant perturbation to the frustrated spin interactions is provided by spin-phonon coupling. An effect of such perturbations on a cooperative paramagnet is of general interest and all aspects of this are not understood presently. We take the initial step of characterizing the spin-phonon interaction in detail. Based on recent sound velocity experiments, we construct a microscopic theory for the sound velocity renormalization due to the spin-phonon coupling and explain the recent experimental data obtained by S. Zherlitsyn et al. using our theory we can explain the dependence of the sound velocity on temperature as well as magnetic field. We also construct a Landau theory to explain (qualitatively) the behaviour of sound velocity across the magneto-structural transition. Further, we discuss the effects due to the small Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction that may be present in these compounds. In Chapter [4] we study the possibility of a direct second order quantum phase transition from spiral to dimer phase in two dimensional antiferromagnets. Such transitions between phases with incompatible symmetries are forbidden within conventional Landau Ginzburg-Wilson paradigm of critical phenomena. Early works showed that when the spiral is destroyed by long wavelength fluctuations a fractionalized Z2 spin liquid is obtained. In this work we show an alternative way–the quantum destruction of the spiral magnet. We argue that, when the defects of the spiral phase proliferate and condense, their associated Berry phase automatically leads to dimerization. We apply our theory to study concrete lattice models where such transitions may be observed. This transition is an example of a Landau forbidden deconfined quantum phase transition. The proposed critical theory is naturally written in terms of fractional degrees of freedom which emerge right at the critical point. These fractional particles interact with each other through emergent gauge fields and are deconfined right at the critical point (but are confined in either of the two adjoining phases). We argue, based on existing results, that the monopoles of the gauge field are dangerously irrelevant right at the critical point rendering the later noncompact. The critical point is characterized by an emergent global U (1) conservation law that is absent in the microscopic model, a typical feature of a deconfined quantum critical point. The resultant field theory belongs to the class of anisotropic NCCP3 class which may be studied numerically in future to understand its critical properties. In modern condensed matter physics the emergence of new and novel phases of matter have often been associated with the presence of strong correlations. Indeed, strongly correlated systems seem to harbour in them the potential to realize some of the most unconventional and exotic emergent phases of matter. However in graphene, which is a single layer of graphite, the emergence of novel properties, as present experiments suggest, is due to its unique band structure and not a fallout of intricate correlation effects. Band structure studies of graphene suggest that the material is a zero gap semiconductor with the low energy excitations resembling massless Dirac quasi-particles. The consequence of this is immediate and interesting. It has lead to the possibility of exploring the physics of relativistic fermions in two spatial dimensions and much of this has been studied with great vigour in the last five years. In our studies, presented in Chapter [5], we explore one of the many consequence of this emergent Dirac structure of the low energy quasi-particles, namely the properties of metal-insulator-superconductor junctions of graphene. The twin effect of Klein tunneling of Dirac fermions (and associated transmission resonances) and Andreev reflection (both specular and retro) sets them aside from their conventional counterparts. The graphene normal metal-insulator-superconductor (NIS) junctions show strikingly different properties like oscillations in the sub-gap tunneling conductance as a function of both barrier strength and width. We make a detailed study of this for arbitrary barrier strengths and widths with and without Fermi-surface mismatch between the normal and the superconducting sides. The amplitude of these oscillations are maximum for aligned Fermi surface and vanishes for large Fermi surface mismatch. We provide an understanding for this unconventional behaviour of graphene NIS junctions. We also suggest experimental tests for our theory. Such experimental verification will reveal one more remarkable emergent property in a condensed matter system.