0000000001075147
AUTHOR
D. Persano Adorno
showing 37 related works from this author
Wave-mixing effects on electronic noise in semiconductors
2006
The results of a Monte Carlo analysis of hot-electron intrinsic noise in a n-type GaAs bulk driven by two mixed large-amplitude alternating electric fields having frequency in the subterahertz range are presented. The noise properties are investigated by studying the velocity autocorrelation function and the noise spectrum. We explored the relations among the frequency response and the velocity fluctuations as a function of the frequencies and intensities of the mixed fields. When the semiconductor is driven by two mixed ciclostationary electric fields, a resonant-like enhancement of the spectra near the two frequencies of the applied fields is found.
CHANGES OF ELECTRONIC NOISE INDUCED BY OSCILLATING FIELDS IN BULK GaAs SEMICONDUCTORS
2008
A Monte Carlo study of hot-electron intrinsic noise in a n-type GaAs bulk driven by one or two mixed cyclostationary electric fields is presented. The noise properties are investigated by computing the spectral density of velocity fluctuations. An analysis of the noise features as a function of the amplitudes and frequencies of two applied fields is presented. Numerical results show that it is possible to reduce the intrinsic noise. The best conditions to realize this effect are discussed.
Resonant activation in polymer translocation: new insights into the escape dynamics of molecules driven by an oscillating field
2010
The translocation of molecules across cellular membranes or through synthetic nanopores is strongly affected by thermal fluctuations. In this work we study how the dynamics of a polymer in a noisy environment changes when the translocation process is driven by an oscillating electric field. An improved version of the Rouse model for a flexible polymer has been adopted to mimic the molecular dynamics, by taking into account the harmonic interactions between adjacent monomers and the excluded-volume effect by introducing a Lennard–Jones potential between all beads. A bending recoil torque has also been included in our model. The polymer dynamics is simulated in a two-dimensional domain by num…
Augmented lectures: Benefits of supporting physics teaching with the theatre
2019
Abstract Young generations are less and less interested in studying STEM subjects. For this reason, numerous studies have strongly suggested a change in the methods scientific knowledge is developed in the learners, through the use of alternative and more creative strategies. In recent decades a strong interaction between scientific subjects and the arts has been established by means of theatre. The objective is to bring science to students and the public in ways that are engaging, instructive, artistic and, always, content-driven: the medium is the arts; the message is the joy of science. When we talk about Physics in a theatre show, are we only making a good dissemination or are we also t…
Monte Carlo simulation of high‐order harmonics generation in bulk semiconductors and submicron structures
2004
To qualify the feasibility of standard semiconductor materials and Schottky‐barrier diodes (SBDs) for THz high‐order harmonic generation and extraction, the harmonic intensity, intrinsic noise and signal‐to‐noise ratio are calculated by the Monte Carlo method when a periodic high‐frequency large‐amplitude external signal is applied to a semiconductor device. Due to very high signal‐to‐noise ratio heavily doped GaAs SBDs are found to exhibit conditions for frequency mixing and harmonic extraction that are definitively superior to those of bulk materials. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Relaxation of Electron Spin during High-Field Transport in GaAs Bulk
2011
A semiclassical Monte Carlo approach is adopted to study the multivalley spin depolarization of drifting electrons in a doped n-type GaAs bulk semiconductor, in a wide range of lattice temperature ($40<T_L<300$ K) and doping density ($10^{13}<n<10^{16}$cm$^{-3}$). The decay of the initial non-equilibrium spin polarization of the conduction electrons is investigated as a function of the amplitude of the driving static electric field, ranging between 0.1 and 6 kV/cm, by considering the spin dynamics of electrons in both the $\Gamma$ and the upper valleys of the semiconductor. Doping density considerably affects spin relaxation at low temperature and weak intensity of the driving electric fiel…
Nonequilibrium electron spin relaxation in n-type doped GaAs sample
2019
Non-equilibrium electron spin relaxation in a n-type doped GaAs bulk semiconductor is investigated. We use a semiclassical Monte Carlo approach by considering multivalley spin dynamics of drifting electrons. Spin relaxation is considered through the D'yakonov-Perel mechanism, which is the dominant process in III-V semiconductors. An analytical expression for the inhomogeneous broadening of spin precession vector is derived by taking into account the effect of the electric field and the doping density. The inclusion of electron-electron scattering has the effect of increasing both the spin lifetime and the depolarization length. In particular, we find a non-monotonic trend with the maximum o…
NONEQUILIBRIUM PHENOMENA AND METASTABILITY IN MESOSCOPIC AND QUANTUM SYSTEMS
2020
Here we summarize some relevant results related to nonequilibrium phenomena in mesoscopic and quantum systems. A common phenomenon in the dynamics of out-of-equilibrium systems is the metastability, and the problem of the lifetime of metastable states involves fundamental aspects of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Metastability (see Fig. 1) is a signature of a first order phase transition, often characterized by a long-living metastable state. In particular, the stability of a metastable state can be enhanced by Gaussian and non-Gaussian noise sources. This counterintuitive effect has been found in different physical areas, ranging from spintronics, aggregation kinetics of Brownian pa…
Environmental Noise and Nonlinear Relaxation in Biological Systems
2012
We analyse the effects of environmental noise in three different biological systems: (i) mating behaviour of individuals of 'Nezara viridula' (L.) (Heteroptera Pentatomidae); (ii) polymer translocation in crowded solution; (iii) an ecosystem described by a Verhulst model with a multiplicative Lèvy noise. Specifically, we report on experiments on the behavioural response of 'N. viridula' individuals to sub-threshold deterministic signals in the presence of noise. We analyse the insect response by directionality tests performed on a group of male individuals at different noise intensities. The percentage of insects which react to the sub-threshold signal shows a non-monotonic behavior, charac…
New Quasi-Atomic Nanoheterostructures: Superatoms and Excitonic Quasi-Molecules
2016
In this review, the state-of-the-art of research of artificial atoms (superatoms or quasi-atomic nanoheterostructures) and more complex nanostructures based on them—synthetic molecules is discussed, a new model of an artificial atom, which satisfactorily explains its electronic properties, is proposed, and the prospects for development of the new scientific trend are mentioned. В этом обзоре обсуждается современное состояние исследований искусственных атомов (сверхатомов или квазиатомных наногетероструктур) и более сложных наноструктур на их основе — синтетических молекул, предложена новая модель искусственного атома, удовлетворительно объясняющая его электронные свойства, а также указаны п…
Monte Carlo analysis of electronic noise in semiconductors under sub‐terahertz cyclostationary mixed fields
2006
This paper reports the results of Monte Carlo simulations of electronic noise in a GaAs bulk driven by two mixed high-frequency large-amplitude periodic electric fields. Under these conditions, the system response shows some peculiarities in the noise performance, such as a resonant-like enhancement of the spectra near the two frequencies of the applied fields. The relations among the frequency response and the velocity fluctuations as a function of intensities and frequencies of the sub-terahertz mixed excitation fields have been investigated. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Noise influence on electron dynamics in semiconductors driven by a periodic electric field
2008
Studies about the constructive aspects of noise and fluctuations in different non-linear systems have shown that the addition of external noise to systems with an intrinsic noise may result in a less noisy response. Recently, the possibility to reduce the diffusion noise in semiconductor bulk materials by adding a random fluctuating contribution to the driving static electric field has been tested. The present work extends the previous theories by considering the noise-induced effects on the electron transport dynamics in low-doped n-type GaAs samples driven by a high-frequency periodic electric field (cyclostationary conditions). By means of Monte Carlo simulations, we calculate the change…
Teacher professional development in the context of the “Open Discovery of STEM laboratories” project: Is the MOOC methodology suitable for teaching p…
2020
Abstract The “Open Discovery of STEM Laboratories” (ODL) project, funded by the European Erasmus+ KA2 program, was aimed at introducing the use of MOOCs in school curricula. In particular, it fostered teacher collaboration in creating and using micro-MOOCs for the inclusion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) online remote or virtual laboratories in the everyday teaching practice. The project focused on teachers, educators and curriculum designers with the aim to strengthen their profile by supporting them to deliver high quality teaching practices and to adopt new methods and tools. Thanks to the project, in service and pre-service teachers had the opportunity to ext…
Doping dependence of spin dynamics of drifting electrons in GaAs bulks
2010
We study the effect of the impurity density on lifetimes and relaxation lengths of electron spins in the presence of a static electric field in a n-type GaAs bulk. The transport of electrons and the spin dynamics are simulated by using a semiclassical Monte Carlo approach, which takes into account the intravalley scattering mechanisms of warm electrons in the semiconductor material. Spin relaxation is considered through the D'yakonov-Perel mechanism, which is the dominant mechanism in III-V semiconductors. The evolution of spin polarization is analyzed by computing the lifetimes and depolarization lengths as a function of the doping density in the range 10^{13} - 10^{16} cm^{-3}, for differ…
Generation of even harmonics of sub-THz radiation in bulk GaAs in the presence of a static electric field
2007
The static electric field effects on nonlinear carrier dynamics in low-doped GaAs bulk under the influence of an intense sub-terahertz field are studied by a three-dimensional multivalleys Monte Carlo simulation. The conversion efficiency is calculated by using the appropriate Maxwell equation for the propagation of an electromagnetic wave along a given direction in the medium. Production of odd and even harmonics due to the nonlinearity of the velocity-field relation is investigated.
Electron dynamical response in InP semiconductors driven by fluctuating electric fields
2015
Abstract The complexity of electron dynamics in low-doped n-type InP crystals operating under fluctuating electric fields is deeply explored and discussed. In this study, we employ a multi-particle Monte Carlo approach to simulate the non-linear transport of electrons inside the semiconductor bulk. All possible scattering events of hot electrons in the medium, the main details of the band structure, as well as the heating effects, are taken into account. The results presented in this study derive from numerical simulations of the electron dynamical response to the application of a sub-Thz electric field, fluctuating for the superimposition of an external source of Gaussian correlated noise.…
Functional analysis of Normal and CSNB a-wave ERG component
2009
The features of a-wave of the human electroretinogram are one of the more debated problems in electrophysiology since the a-wave reflects the functional integrity of the two photoreceptoral populations (rods and cones). Although different models concerning the contributions of the early photoreceptoral response are available in current literature, a fully comprehensive theory is difficult to formulate because of the large amount of individual photoreceptors. We study the kinetics of the photoreceptoral response through the analysis of the a-wave shape both in healthy and in patients affected by the Congenital Stationary Night Blindness, that interests the rod population only. The physiologi…
Monte Carlo Study of Diffusion Noise Reduction in GaAs Operating under Periodic Conditions
2009
The effects of an external correlated source of noise on the intrinsic carrier noise in a low‐doped GaAs bulk, operating under periodic conditions, are investigated. Numerical results confirm that the dynamical response of electrons driven by a high‐frequency periodic electric field receives a benefit by the constructive interplay between the fluctuating field and the intrinsic noise of the system. In particular, in this contribute we show a nonmonotonic behavior of the integrated spectral density, which value critically depends on the correlation time of the external noise source.
External Noise Effects in Silicon MOS Inversion Layer
2013
The effect of the addition of an external source of correlated noise on the electron transport in silicon MOS inversion layer, driven by a static electric field, has been investigated. The electron dynamics is simulated by a Monte Carlo procedure which takes into account non-polar optical and acoustic phonons. In our modelling of the quasi-two-dimensional electron gas, the potential profile, perpendicular to the MOS structure, is assumed to follow the triangular potential approximation. We calculate the changes in both the autocorrelation function and the spectral density of the velocity fluctuations, at different values of noise amplitude and correlation time. The findings indicate that, t…
Dynamical effects and Terahertz harmonic generation in low-doped bulk semiconductors and submicron structures
2006
We present results obtained using a three-dimensional multivalleys Monte Carlo (MC) model to simulate the nonlinear carrier dynamics under the influence of an intense sub-terahertz electric field in a doped bulk semiconductor. By self-consistently coupling a one-dimensional Poisson solver to the ensemble MC code we simulate also the nonlinear carrier dynamics in n+nn+ structures operating under large-amplitude periodic signals and investigate the voltage-current characteristic hysteresis cycle and the high-order harmonic efficiency. For both cases we discuss the dependence of the nonlinearities and of the harmonic generation efficiency on the frequency and the intensity of the alternating s…
Noise features in InP crystals operating under static, periodic or fluctuating electric fields
2014
The results of a study concerning the intrinsic noise in low-doped n-type InP crystals operating under static, periodic or fluctuating electric fields are shown. To simulate the dynamics of electrons in the bulk, we employ a Monte Carlo approach, by taking into account the main details of band structure, scattering processes, as well as heating effects. The noise features are investigated by computing the velocity fluctuations correlation function, its spectral density and the total noise power, for different values of amplitude and frequency of the driving field. We show how the noise spectra are affected by the electric field frequency and compare their peculiarities with those exhibited …
Polarization of the Radiation Emitted in GaAs Semiconductors Driven by Far Infrared Fields
2010
The effects due to the mixing of two far infrared electric fields on the harmonic generation process in low doped GaAs bulks are studied by a three dimensional multivalleys Monte Carlo simulation. The conversion efficiency is calculated by using the appropriate Maxwell equation for the propagation of an electro-magnetic wave along a given direction in the medium. In particular, we focus our attention on the polarization of the generated harmonics, by comparing the polarization obtained from the mixing of an oscillating field with a static electric field with that obtained in the presence of two cyclostationary fields, having an integer ratio between the two frequencies. The findings show th…
Noise-induced resonance-like phenomena in InP crystals embedded in fluctuating electric fields
2016
We explore and discuss the complex electron dynamics inside a low-doped n-type InP bulk embedded in a sub-THz electric field, fluctuating for the superimposition of an external source of Gaussian correlated noise. The results presented in this study derive from numerical simulations obtained by means of a multi-valley Monte Carlo approach to simulate the nonlinear transport of electrons inside the semiconductor crystal. The electronic noise characteristics are statistically investigated by calculating the correlation function of the velocity fluctuations, its spectral density and the integrated spectral density, i.e. the total noise power, for different values of both amplitude and frequenc…
Enhancement of electron spin lifetime in GaAs crystals: the benefits of dichotomous noise
2013
The electron spin relaxation process in n-type GaAs crystals driven by a fluctuating electric field is investigated. Two different sources of fluctuations are considered: (i) a symmetric dichotomous noise and (ii) a Gaussian correlated noise. Monte Carlo numerical simulations show, in both cases, an enhancement of the spin relaxation time by increasing the amplitude of the external noise. Moreover, we find that the electron spin lifetime versus the noise correlation time: (i) increases up to a plateau in the case of dichotomous random fluctuations, and (ii) shows a nonmonotonic behaviour with a maximum in the case of bulks subjected to a Gaussian correlated noise.
External noise effects on the electron velocity fluctuations in semiconductors
2008
We investigate the modification of the intrinsic carrier noise spectral density induced in low-doped semiconductor materials by an external correlated noise source added to the driving high-frequency periodic electric field. A Monte Carlo approach is adopted to numerically solve the transport equation by considering all the possible scattering phenomena of the hot electrons in the medium. We show that the noise spectra are strongly affected by the intensity and the correlation time of the external random electric field. Moreover this random field can cause a suppression of the total noise power.
Noise-induced effects in nonlinear relaxation of condensed matter systems
2015
Abstract Noise-induced phenomena characterise the nonlinear relaxation of nonequilibrium physical systems towards equilibrium states. Often, this relaxation process proceeds through metastable states and the noise can give rise to resonant phenomena with an enhancement of lifetime of these states or some coherent state of the condensed matter system considered. In this paper three noise induced phenomena, namely the noise enhanced stability, the stochastic resonant activation and the noise-induced coherence of electron spin, are reviewed in the nonlinear relaxation dynamics of three different systems of condensed matter: (i) a long-overlap Josephson junction (JJ) subject to thermal fluctuat…
Wavelet analysis of human photoreceptoral response
2010
Feature detection of biomedical signals is crucial for deepening our knowledge of the physiological phenomena giving rise to them. To achieve this aim, even if many analytic approaches have been suggested only few are able to deal with signals whose features are time dependent, and to provide useful clinical information. In this work we use the wavelet analysis to extract peculiarities of the early response of the photoreceptoral human system, known as a-wave ERG-component. The analysis of the a-wave features is important since this component reflects the functional integrity of the two populations of photoreceptors, rods and cones whose activation dynamics are not well known. Moreover, in …
The influence of noise on electron dynamics in semiconductors driven by a periodic electric field
2009
Studies about the constructive aspects of noise and fluctuations in different non-linear systems have shown that the addition of external noise to systems with an intrinsic noise may result in a less noisy response. Recently, the possibility to reduce the diffusion noise in semiconductor bulk materials by adding a random fluctuating contribution to the driving static electric field has been tested. The present work extends the previous theories by considering the noise-induced effects on the electron transport dynamics in low-doped n-type GaAs samples driven by a high-frequency periodic electric field (cyclostationary conditions). By means of Monte Carlo simulations, we calculate the change…
Cancer growth dynamics: stochastic models and noise induced effects
2009
In the framework of the Michaelis‐Menten (MM) reaction kinetics, we analyze the cancer growth dynamics in the presence of the immune response. We found the coexistence of noise enhanced stability (NES) and resonant activation (RA) phenomena which act in an opposite way with respect to the extinction of the tumor. The role of the stochastic resonance (SR) in the case of weak cancer therapy has been analyzed. The evolutionary dynamics of a system of cancerous cells in a model of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is investigated by a Monte Carlo approach. We analyzed the effects of a targeted therapy on the evolutionary dynamics of normal, first‐mutant and cancerous cell populations. We show how …
Phonon-induced spin relaxation of conduction electrons in silicon crystals
2014
Experimental works managing electrical injection of spin polarization in n-type and p-type silicon have been recently carried out up to room-temperature. In spite of these promising experimental results, a comprehensive theoretical framework concerning the influence of transport conditions on phonon-induced electron spin depolarization in silicon structures, in a wide range of values of lattice temperature, doping concentration and amplitude of external fields, is still at a developing stage. In order to investigate the spin transport of conduction electrons in lightly doped n-type Si crystals, a set of semiclassical multiparticle Monte Carlo simulations has been carried out. The mean spin …
ERG signal analysis using wavelet transform
2009
The wavelet analysis is a powerful tool for analyzing and detecting features of signals characterized by time-dependent statistical properties, as biomedical signals. The identification and the analysis of the components of these signals in the time-frequency domain, give meaningful information about the physiological mechanisms that govern them. This article presents the results of the wavelet analysis applied to the a-wave component of the human electroretinogram. In order to deepen and improve our knowledge about the behavior of the early photoreceptoral response, including the possible activation of interactions and correlations among the photoreceptors, we have detected and identified …
A comparison among different techniques for human ERG signals processing and classification
2014
A comparison among different techniques for human ERG signals processing and classification ( Articles not published yet, but available online Article in press About articles in press (opens in a new window) ) Barraco, R.a, Persano Adorno, D.a , Brai, M.a, Tranchina, L.b a Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Università di Palermo and CNISM, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 18, I-90128 Palermo, Italy b Laboratorio di Fisica e Tecnologie Relative - UniNetLab, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 18, I-90128 Palermo, Italy Abstract Feature detection in biomedical signals is crucial for deepening our knowledge about the involved physiological processes. To achieve this aim, many analytic appro…
Monte Carlo Simulation of Harmonic Generation in GaAs structures operating under large-signal Conditions
2007
By using a multiparticles Monte Carlo technique, with a self-consistently coupled one-dimensional Poisson solver, we investigate the dependence of the nonlinear carrier dynamics in GaAs n+nn+ micro e submicro-structures operating under very intense sub-terahertz signals by: (i) the frequency and the intensity of the excitation signal and (ii) the length of the n region.
A study of the human rod and cone electroretinogram a-wave component
2009
The study of the electrical response of the retina to a luminous stimulus is one of the main fields of research in ocular electrophysiology. The features of the first component (a-wave) of the retinal response reflect the functional integrity of the two populations of photoreceptors: rods and cones. We fit the a-wave for pathological subjects with functions that account for possible mechanisms governing the kinetics of the photoreceptors. The paper extends a previous analysis, carried out for normal subjects, in which both populations are active, to patients affected by two particular diseases that reduce the working populations to only one. The pathologies investigated are Achromatopsia, a…
Frequency influence on the hot-electron noise reduction in GaAs operating under periodic signals
2008
A Monte Carlo study of the role of the frequency on the hot-electron intrinsic noise reduction in an n-type GaAs bulk driven by two mixed cyclostationary electric fields is presented. Previous numerical results showed the possibility to reduce the diffusion noise under specific wave-mixing conditions. In this work the variations of the noise properties are investigated by computing and integrating the spectral density of the velocity fluctuations. We found that the effect of reduction of the noise level due to the addition of a second field at twice frequency is almost independent of the frequency.
Intermittent targeted therapies and stochastic evolution in patients affected by chronic myeloid leukemia
2016
Front line therapy for the treatment of patients affected by chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is based on the administration of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, namely imatinib or, more recently, axitinib. Although imatinib is highly effective and represents an example of a successful molecular targeted therapy, the appearance of resistance is observed in a proportion of patients, especially those in advanced stages. In this work, we investigate the appearance of resistance in patients affected by CML, by modeling the evolutionary dynamics of cancerous cell populations in a simulated patient treated by an intermittent targeted therapy. We simulate, with the Monte Carlo method, the stochastic evolu…
An experience of elicited inquiry elucidating the electron transport in semiconductor crystals
2016
In this study we report the results of an inquiry-driven learning path experienced by a sample of 10 electronic engineering students, engaged to investigate the electron transport in semiconductors. The undergraduates were first instructed by following a lecture-based class on condensed matter physics and then involved into an inquiry based path of simulative explorations. The students were invited by two instructors to explore the electron dynamics in a semiconductor bulk by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The students, working in group, had to design their own procedure of exploration, as expected in a traditional guided inquiry. But they experienced several difficulties on planning and…