Tracking Ultrafast Photocurrents in the Weyl Semimetal TaAs Using THz Emission Spectroscopy.

We investigate polarization-dependent ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs using terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy. Our results reveal that highly directional, transient photocurrents are generated along the noncentrosymmetric c axis regardless of incident light polarization, while helicity-dependent photocurrents are excited within the ab plane. This is consistent with earlier static photocurrent experiments, and demonstrates on the basis of both the physical constraints imposed by symmetry and the temporal dynamics intrinsic to current generation and decay that optically induced photocurrents in TaAs are inherent to the underlying crystal symmetry of the transition metal monopnictide family of Weyl semimetals.

Structural and magnetic characterization of large area, free-standing thin films of magnetic ion intercalated dichalcogenides Mn0.25TaS2 and Fe0.25TaS2.

Free-standing thin films of magnetic ion intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides are produced using ultramicrotoming techniques. Films of thicknesses ranging from 30 nm to 250 nm were achieved and characterized using transmission electron diffraction and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Diffraction measurements visualize the long range crystallographic ordering of the intercalated ions, while the dichroism measurements directly assess the orbital contributions to the total magnetic moment. We thus verify the unquenched orbital moment in Fe0.25TaS2 and measure the fully quenched orbital contribution in Mn0.25TaS2. Such films can be used in a wide variety of ultrafast x-ray and electron techniques that benefit from transmission geometries, and allow measurements of ultrafast structural, electronic, and magnetization dynamics in space and time.

Transient Grating Spectroscopy in Magnetic Thin Films: Simultaneous Detection of Elastic and Magnetic Dynamics.

Surface magnetoelastic waves are coupled elastic and magnetic excitations that propagate along the surface of a magnetic material. Ultrafast optical techniques allow for a non-contact excitation and detection scheme while providing the ability to measure both elastic and magnetic components individually. Here we describe a simple setup suitable for excitation and time resolved measurements of high frequency magnetoelastic waves, which is based on the transient grating technique. The elastic dynamics are measured by diffracting a probe laser pulse from the long-wavelength spatially periodic structural deformation. Simultaneously, a magnetooptical measurement, either Faraday or Kerr effect, is sensitive to the out-of-plane magnetization component. The correspondence in the response of the two channels probes the resonant interaction between the two degrees of freedom and reveals their intimate coupling. Unraveling the observed dynamics requires a detailed understanding of the spatio-temporal evolution of temperature, magnetization and thermo-elastic strain in the ferromagnet. Numerical solution of thermal diffusion in two dimensions provides the basis on which to understand the sensitivity in the magnetooptic detection.

Ultrafast magnetization and structural dynamics in the intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides Fe0.25TaS2 and Mn0.25TaS2.

We measure magnetization and structural dynamics in two intercalant-ordered transition metal dichalcogenides: Fe0.25TaS2 and Mn0.25TaS2. The structurally equivalent materials allow us to probe the effect of orbital angular momentum which is active in Fe0.25TaS2 and absent in Mn0.25TaS2. Interestingly, we find that the magnetooptics dynamics are nearly indistinguishable in these two materials, in contradiction to conventional explanations of a spin-lattice mechanism. We compare our results to other materials where spin-lattice demagnetization has been put forth as a demagnetization channel.

Melting of charge stripes in vibrationally driven La(1.875)Ba(0.125)CuO4: assessing the respective roles of electronic and lattice order in frustrated superconductors.

We report femtosecond resonant soft x-ray diffraction measurements of the dynamics of the charge order and of the crystal lattice in nonsuperconducting, stripe-ordered La1.875Ba0.125CuO4. Excitation of the in-plane Cu-O stretching phonon with a midinfrared pulse has been previously shown to induce a transient superconducting state in the closely related compound La1.675Eu0.2Sr0.125CuO4. In La1.875Ba0.125CuO4, we find that the charge stripe order melts promptly on a subpicosecond time scale. Surprisingly, the low temperature tetragonal (LTT) distortion is only weakly reduced, reacting on significantly longer time scales that do not correlate with light-induced superconductivity. This experiment suggests that charge modulations alone, and not the LTT distortion, prevent superconductivity in equilibrium.

Optical properties of a vibrationally modulated solid state Mott insulator.

Optical pulses at THz and mid-infrared frequencies tuned to specific vibrational resonances modulate the lattice along chosen normal mode coordinates. In this way, solids can be switched between competing electronic phases and new states are created. Here, we use vibrational modulation to make electronic interactions (Hubbard-U) in Mott-insulator time dependent. Mid-infrared optical pulses excite localized molecular vibrations in ET-F2TCNQ, a prototypical one-dimensional Mott-insulator. A broadband ultrafast probe interrogates the resulting optical spectrum between THz and visible frequencies. A red-shifted charge-transfer resonance is observed, consistent with a time-averaged reduction of the electronic correlation strength U. Secondly, a sideband manifold inside of the Mott-gap appears, resulting from a periodically modulated U. The response is compared to computations based on a quantum-modulated dynamic Hubbard model. Heuristic fitting suggests asymmetric holon-doublon coupling to the molecules and that electron double-occupancies strongly squeeze the vibrational mode.

Dynamics of photo-excited electrons in magnetically ordered TbMnO3.

Time resolved optical spectroscopy is used to elucidate the dynamics of photodoped spin-aligned carriers in the presence of an underlying magnetic lattice in the multiferroic compound TbMnO(3). The transient responses while probing d-d intersite transitions show marked differences along different crystallographic directions, which are discussed in terms of the interplay between the processes of hopping of the photo-injected electrons and the magnetic order in the material.

Photoinduced melting of antiferromagnetic order in La(0.5)Sr(1.5)MnO4 measured using ultrafast resonant soft x-ray diffraction.

We used ultrafast resonant soft x-ray diffraction to probe the picosecond dynamics of spin and orbital order in La(0.5)Sr(1.5)MnO(4) after photoexcitation with a femtosecond pulse of 1.5 eV radiation. Complete melting of antiferromagnetic spin order is evidenced by the disappearance of a (1/4,1/4,1/2) diffraction peak. On the other hand, the (1/4,1/4,0) diffraction peak, reflecting orbital order, is only partially reduced. We interpret the results as evidence of destabilization in the short-range exchange pattern with no significant relaxation of the long-range Jahn-Teller distortions. Cluster calculations are used to analyze different possible magnetically ordered states in the long-lived metastable phase. Nonthermal coupling between light and magnetism emerges as a primary aspect of photoinduced phase transitions in manganites.

Light-induced superconductivity in a stripe-ordered cuprate.

One of the most intriguing features of some high-temperature cuprate superconductors is the interplay between one-dimensional "striped" spin order and charge order, and superconductivity. We used mid-infrared femtosecond pulses to transform one such stripe-ordered compound, nonsuperconducting La(1.675)Eu(0.2)Sr(0.125)CuO(4), into a transient three-dimensional superconductor. The emergence of coherent interlayer transport was evidenced by the prompt appearance of a Josephson plasma resonance in the c-axis optical properties. An upper limit for the time scale needed to form the superconducting phase is estimated to be 1 to 2 picoseconds, which is significantly faster than expected. This places stringent new constraints on our understanding of stripe order and its relation to superconductivity.

Polaronic conductivity in the photoinduced phase of 1T-TaS2.

The transient optical conductivity of photoexcited 1T-TaS2 is determined over a three-order-of-magnitude frequency range. Prompt collapse and recovery of the Mott gap is observed. However, we find important differences between this transient metallic state and that seen across the thermally driven insulator-metal transition. Suppressed low-frequency conductivity, Fano phonon line shapes, and a midinfrared absorption band point to polaronic transport. This is explained by noting that the photoinduced metallic state of 1T-TaS2 is one in which the Mott gap is melted but the lattice retains its low-temperature symmetry, a regime only accessible by photodoping.

Ultrafast electronic phase transition in La1/2Sr3/2MnO4 by coherent vibrational excitation: evidence for nonthermal melting of orbital order.

An ultrafast electronic phase transition, associated with melting of orbital order, is driven in La1/2Sr3/2MnO4 by selectively exciting the Mn-O stretching mode with femtosecond pulses at 16 microm wavelength. The energy coupled into this vibration is less than 1% of that necessary to induce the transition thermally. Nonthermal melting of this electronic phase originates from coherent lattice displacements comparable to the static Jahn-Teller distortion.

Simplified setup for high-resolution spectroscopy that uses ultrashort pulses.

Using a broadband femtosecond laser and a simple optical setup, we demonstrate narrow-bandwidth-tunable excitation of vibrational modes in CCl4 and CHBr3 liquids. The resolution obtained is 80 times higher than the laser bandwidth. A pair of time-shifted, linearly chirped pulses is created by use of a high-order dispersion-compensated prism-interferometer setup. We use this pulse pair to selectively excite Raman-active transitions. Our setup represents a significant simplification with improved resolution, of previous approaches to the use of ultrashort pulses for chemically selective spectroscopy.

Quasi-phase-matched generation of coherent extreme-ultraviolet light.

High-harmonic generation is a well-known method of producing coherent extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light, with photon energies up to about 0.5 keV (refs 1, 2). This is achieved by focusing a femtosecond laser into a gas, and high harmonics of the fundamental laser frequency are radiated in the forward direction. However, although this process can generate high-energy photons, efficient high-harmonic generation has been demonstrated only for photon energies of the order 50-100 eV (ref. 5). Ionization of the gas prevents the laser and the EUV light from propagating at the same speed, which severely limits the conversion efficiency. Here we report a technique to overcome this problem, and demonstrate quasi-phase-matched frequency conversion of laser light into EUV. Using a modulated hollow-core waveguide to periodically vary the intensity of the laser light driving the conversion, we efficiently generate EUV light even in the presence of substantial ionization. The use of a modulated fibre shifts the energy spectrum of the high-harmonic light to significantly higher photon energies than would otherwise be possible. We expect that this technique could form the basis of coherent EUV sources for advanced lithography and high-resolution imaging applications. In future work, it might also be possible to generate isolated attosecond pulses.

Evidence for a three-nucleon-force effect in proton-deuteron elastic scattering.

Developments in spin-polarized internal targets for storage rings have permitted measurements of 197 MeV polarized protons scattering from vector polarized deuterons. This work presents measurements of the polarization observables A(y), iT11, and C(y,y) in proton-deuteron elastic scattering. When compared to calculations with and without three-nucleon forces, the measurements provide further evidence that three-nucleon forces make a contribution to the observables. This work indicates that three-body forces derived from static nuclear properties appear to be crucial to the description of dynamical properties.

Effect of RG 12525, a new leukotriene antagonist, on pulmonary function of asthmatic adults.

RG 12525 is a new oral leukotriene D4 (LTD4) antagonist with proven activity in animal and human models of leukotriene-induced bronchoconstriction. In this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study the bronchodilator effects of single oral doses of RG 12525 of 25 and 200 mg or placebo were evaluated in 62 adult asthmatic patients. All patients had previously demonstrated 20% reversibility of FEV1 with an inhaled beta-agonist. They had an unmedicated FEV1 less than 80% of predicted value at the time of the study. Bronchodilator activity was assessed by spirometry before and at multiple time points after dosing for eight hours. A single 200-mg dose of RG 12525 of mg resulted in statistically significantly greater increases in mean maximum change above baseline for FEV1 and FEF25-75% than placebo. The peak effect was observed four to five hours after dosing. The RG 12525 dose of 25 mg dose induced better bronchodilation than placebo but the differences were not significant. Adverse clinical experiences or laboratory abnormalities were not noted.

Budesonide in grass pollen rhinitis.

To determine the relative efficacy, to compare the incidence of adverse experiences, and to assess the systemic glucocorticoid effect of nasal preparations of budesonide, 200 micrograms bid, and placebo, 50 adult patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis due to grass pollen were studied in a stratified, double-blind parallel group design. After a 2-week baseline period, budesonide nasal spray, 100 microgram per nostril twice a day, was compared with placebo nasal spray over a 4-week treatment period. Supplementary treatment with chlorpheniramine, 4-mg tablets, was permitted when necessary to control symptoms. Daily symptom and medication diaries were kept by the patients. Investigator assessments of symptoms and side effects were made at clinic visits at 2-week intervals. At baseline and again towards the end of the study, blood samples were drawn for the determination of plasma cortisol levels and 24-hour urine samples collected for the measurement of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid output. Of the 24 men and 26 women entering, 49 completed the study. Symptom scores for sneezing, stuffy nose, and nasal secretion all decreased dramatically from baseline when budesonide treatment was started. The decrease in symptoms was greater for budesonide than for placebo (P < .001). There was no difference between budesonide and placebo with regard to eye itch and rescue medication used. Morning nasal washes were taken during the grass season before treatment was started and 16 to 17 days after. They showed a significant decrease in TAME esterase levels in secretions in the budesonide treated patients (P = .03) but not in the placebo-treated patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Multiple kinase arrest points in the G1 phase of nontransformed mammalian cells are absent in transformed cells.

We have shown that nontransformed mammalian cells arrest early in the G1 phase of the cell cycle when treated with exceedingly low concentrations of the nonspecific kinase inhibitor staurosporine, whereas transformed cells continue to progress through the cell cycle. We have now treated normal or transformed human skin fibroblasts with four other kinase inhibitors. Three of these inhibitors are highly specific: KT5720 inhibits cAMP-dependent protein kinase, KT5823 inhibits cGMP-dependent protein kinase, and KT5926 inhibits myosin light-chain kinase. The fourth inhibitor K252b has a moderate specificity for protein kinase C but also inhibits the three kinases just mentioned. We have found that these inhibitors reversibly arrest normal human skin fibroblasts at different times in the G1 phase but do not affect the cell cycle progression of transformed cells. The times of arrest within the G1 phase can be divided into two categories. Two of the inhibitors, KT5926 and K252b, act at an early time that is approximately 4 h after the transition from G0 to G1. The cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitors KT5720 and KT5823 arrest cells at a later time that is approximately 6 h after the G0/G1 boundary. These data indicate that there are multiple kinase-mediated phosphorylations of different substrates that are essential for the progression of normal cells, but not transformed cells, through the G1 phase. These inhibitors provide us with a set of biochemical probes that should be invaluable in the study of the function of kinases during G1 phase progression of normal cells.

Preliminary report on the use of zinc in vivo to protect against nitrogen mustard toxicity in female Balb/cJ mice.

Previous studies with cultured normal human fibroblasts indicated that treatment of cells with zinc before exposure to an alkylating agent enhanced cell survival by seven- to ninefold. To establish whether a similar zinc-induced protective response could be elicited in vivo, we conducted a preliminary experiment in which Balb/cJ female mice were treated with zinc (2 mg kg-1 body weight) or saline by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection at 48, 36, 24 and 12 h before i.p. administration of the alkylating agent nitrogen mustard (4 mg kg-1 body weight). Of the animals that received saline before nitrogen mustard, 57% died as compared with only 20% in the group treated with zinc before administration of the alkylating agent. As was observed in the studies of cells in culture, the results described in this report may suggest the existence in Balb/cJ female mice of a zinc-mediated protective response against nitrogen mustard toxicity.

Attempted use of zinc in vivo to protect against nitrogen mustard toxicity in tumor-free and in L1210 leukemia-bearing female B6D2F1 mice.

The use of alkylating agents in treating cancer is limited by their toxicity to both normal and tumor tissue. Early in vitro studies indicated that zinc might be effective in mitigating this toxicity to normal tissue. The present studies were done to determine the capability of zinc to induce in vivo a protective response to an alkylating agent without also contributing to mortality. Tumor-free and L1210 leukemia-bearing female B6D2F1 mice were treated with zinc before administration of the alkylating agent nitrogen mustard. Protocols for administration route and frequency as well as the chemical formulation of the zinc were varied. The effect of a phytate-free diet was studied. Two parameters were used to determine the effectiveness of zinc in protecting animals from the toxicity of nitrogen mustard: the number of tumor-free mice that survived and an increase in the median life span of the tumor-bearing mice. The zinc-induction protocols used in these studies provided a limited degree of protection against nitrogen mustard toxicity in tumor-free female mice, but in tumor-bearing animals the protective response elicited with the protocols examined did not provide an appreciable therapeutic benefit.