(Revised January 2000)
Information for Contributors contains instructions for manuscript preparation and is published in the first issue of each volume and includes information about:
Information about this journal and other APS journals is available on the APS research=journals World Wide Web server at the URL http://publish.aps.org/. Much information is also available via ftp to aps.org in the subdirectories /jrnls, /pacs, /revtex, etc., of the /pub directory. Most filenames include as an extension a suffix (beginning with a period), which indicates the nature of the file: .asc (plain ASCII), .pdf (portable document file, usable with Acrobat), .ps (PostScript), or .tex (TeX). Most files exist in two or three versions, distinguished by the suffix. Some specific files are cited where pertinent below.
Manuscripts may be submitted by a variety of electronic modes (including via e-print servers, direct Web upload, and e-mail), or by conventional mail, but not by fax. Interactive submission forms, available on our Web server, are an integral part of the submission process for the e-print and Web modes, and are strongly recommended for e-mail and conventional-mail submission. These forms aid authors in supplying all the information needed in structured format which furthers efficient processing; they also provide a location for additional ``free form'' information. [For authors without Web browsers which support forms, noninteractive versions of the submission forms are available via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/jrnls directory as the sub_prl files (include filename suffix .asc, .tex, or .ps), or by request to the Editorial Office.]
Please specify the author to whom correspondence should be addressed, and give all available communications information for this individual (postal and e-mail addresses, phone and fax numbers), since in various circumstances they may all be useful. Please specify journal and section to which the paper is submitted, and give PACS (Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme) index categories for the work. (The scheme is available on our Web server, and also via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/pacs directory.
A signed APS copyright-transfer form (available in plain text, PostScript, or TeX format here) should be included with the submission, and will be required before publication. While the transfer of copyright takes effect only upon acceptance of the paper for publication in an APS journal, supplying the form initially can prevent unnecassary delays. The form appears at the end of the 18 October 1999 issue of Physical Review Letters and is available from the Editorial Office, on the World Wide Web via the URL http://publish.aps org/ or via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/jrnls directory as the copy_trnsfr files (include filename suffix .asc, .ps, or .tex). Be sure to use the latest (1/96 or later) version of the form.
Papers should be written in scientific English, in a style consistent with that of the journal. The total length of a Letter should not exceed 4 journal pages; a Comment, 1 page. [Guidelines for estimating the length of manuscripts appear at the end of some issues of the journal, e.g., 15 March 1999, and via ftp to aps.org (length_est_prl.asc, etc., in the /pub/jrnls directory).] Submission is a representation that the work is not now being considered for publication elsewhere. Proper text reference must be made to portions previously published or scheduled for publication, including conference proceedings. See ``Prior Disclosure,'' Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 2101 (1984).
For detailed information about electronic submissions, see http://publish.aps.org/ESUB/. Properly prepared electronic submissions are eligible for a publication-charge discount. Those that use APS macro packages may qualify for the compuscript production program, under which author-supplied files are converted directly to production format and coding, rather than being rekeyed for publication. Receipt of an electronic submission will be acknowledged by email within 24 hours. Copies of the manuscript should not be sent by conventional mail unless the electronic transmission has not been successful. Figures for an electronic submission must be received in at least review-quality form before editorial processing can begin. The figures may be sent electronically (preferred) or by overnight mail, or review-quality figures may be sent by fax while the "originals" are sent by conventional or overnight mail as soon as possible. Refer to the online documentation for more detailed instructions.
Manuscripts sent by conventional mail should be submitted in quadruplicate to the Editors, Physical Review Letters, 1 Research Road, P.O. Box 9000, Ridge, NY 11961-9000. [The first copy, used for production purposes if the paper is accepted for publication, must be printed (d ouble spaced) on one side of the paper only; additional copies, used for review purposes, may be printed on both sides of the paper.]
Manuscripts and figures are not routinely returned to authors. Authors should indicate (preferably on initial submittal) if they want the manuscript and/or figures returned when correspondence is sent during the ed itorial process, and/or after a final decision has been made.
When a manuscript is resubmitted, please include a summary of changes made and a brief response to all recommendations and criticisms. The interactive resubmission forms available on our Web server may be used for electronic- mail, Web-upload, and hard-copy transmission of modified manuscripts and figures. These forms should also be used when a manuscript previously submitted to one APS journal is resubmitted to another. When resubmitting electronically, send the complete file for the text if there have been any changes. Please refer to the online documentation for more detailed instructions. If the resubmission is by conventional mail, send four copies of the revised manuscript (with figures) and include the resubmission form or equivalent information. For any resubmission, please state whether or not the figures have been modified, and supply new PostScript-formatted figures or scanner- reproducible figures if there have been such changes. It is only necessary to resend the "original" figures if the previous versions are no longer valid. Please update any other information (e.g., address and communication information) that has changed or will change since initial submission.
Fax transmission of a message to the editor, summary of changes made to the paper, or response to reviewer comments is sometimes usable by the editorial office. Nevertheless, because of the unreliable quality of faxed copy and our limited facilities for handling such correspondence we prefer that conventional, overnight, or electronic mail be used instead.
Material for publication (manuscripts, replacement pages, figures) that is sent by fax is generally unusable for review or production purposes. If you have minimal changes to your paper, we might be able to accommodate them by copying them to the good copy in the editorial office. If the changes are involved or numerous, this will not be possible. You can send pages for substitution but be sure to mark the changes so we can judge what is required if we are to consider transcribing them. In any case, send good copy by conventional or overnight mail as soon as possible. We may not be able to proceed until it arrives.
Authors are notified by electronic mail or fax of the editorial acceptance of their article. When a revised manuscript or electronic file is received after that, corrections are made by our production vendor to their SGML file already in existence. If the revisions are not separately and explicitly described, the author may be requested by the editorial office to provide such a description. When technical or styling questions arise during the production process, we attempt to contact the author by phone, electronic mail, or fax. Proofs are normally sent (via fax) to authors.
The following are general guidelines for preparation of a conventional manuscript or a compuscript. In addition, memos regarding production requirements appear at the end of some issues of the journal. For more detailed style information, consult the Physical Review Style and Notation Guide, available via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/jrnls directory as the style_guide files (include filename suffix, .pdf, .ps, or .tex). Additional style guidelines may be found in the AIP Style Manual, 4th ed., 1990 (ISBN 0-88318-642-X, $10.00; available from Springer-Verlag, P.O. Box 2485, Secaucus, NJ 07096-2485. Also consult recent issues of the journal.
A manuscript, comprising all material which is to be set in
type, must be
typewritten (except possibly for mathematical
expressions and Greek letters; see below), double spaced (3 lines per inch, at least
6 mm of white space between lines) in type size such that there are
90
characters/6 in.,
on one side only of good quality, white, approximately 8.5 x 11-in. (or A4) paper,
with margins of at least 1 in.
along four edges. A clear, sharp, nonerasable,
black-on-white reproduction on hard-surfaced paper is acceptable
as the ``original.'' Number all pages (including the title page).
Include copies of any figures at the end of the manuscript.
Mathematical expressions should be typed, or
neatly written in ink. The prime requisite is
that the copy shall be clear to the production
keyboarder, who is neither a physicist nor a
mathematician. Unusual or ambiguous symbols (see
table on page 21 of the Style Manual) should
be identified by marginal notes at
first appearance and subsequently when confusion
might arise; for nonalphabetic symbols,
give the number found on pages 44 and 45 of
the Style Manual. Mark superscripts with an
inverted caret below, and subscripts with a
caret above, if necessary. Three-vectors and
dyadics are set in boldface type (mark with a
black-pencil, wiggly underline).
Editorial marking by authors, except for the
resolution of ambiguities as discussed above, is
rarely of sufficient value to warrant the effort.
The author must carefully proofread the paper
to eliminate grammatical errors, misspellings, and omission
of symbols.
The text should be directed at a general readership, not specialists.
Avoid acronyms and jargon, even if they seem of common usage.
If unavoidable, define them in the text.
Notation should be
unambiguous, concise, and consistent with standard
usage. Introduce new terminology or notation only when clearly needed.
Indent all paragraphs.
Use the solidus (slash)
only to denote division of mathematical quantities, to denote
(optionally) an interface between materials [e.g., Ag/Cu(001)],
and in ``and/or.'' Its meaning when used between words
is usually imprecise; use the proper conjunction or punctuation.
The length of the paper is crucial.
Avoid excess white space in figures;
unneeded numbering of displayed equations
may add length; references which are incomplete
may lead to an underestimate of the length; and
note that right-adjusted text
or text with very nonuniform line length is subject to greater
error in its
estimated length.
Also note that equations in text (undisplayed) must
be simple; some equations which are presented in text
may require display for printing and thus add to the length.
Ideally, figures are planned for reduction to final journal size
on the basis of their content and detail. The size of lettering should be
chosen with this in mind. If the lettering is drafted too small,
full reduction will not be possible; the length will have been underestimated.
At final reduction, the size of the smallest capital letters and
numerals is to be at least 2 mm.
Ultimately it is the responsibility of the author to provide
a paper of the proper length. The Editorial Office attempts
to provide some guidance. A quick-count formula is applied to each
new paper.
The staff makes a more careful
estimate of the publication length of those whose quick
count exceeds a limit value, and
reports the calculation to the author. In a case
of excessive length, the paper must be shortened prior to
review. In a case of the estimated length being close to the final
limit, the author is advised to make the next version shorter.
The length restriction applies to all versions of a paper.
Upon acceptance of a paper for publication, length is
again considered by the staff; the author
may be requested to supply the shortened version before
production can proceed. The composition of the
paper into journal pages is the final criterion. If
the length is still excessive, page copies
are faxed to the author; publication is
delayed until satisfactory cuts are obtained.
An advantage of preparing a compuscript using REVTeX is that it
facilitates an easy but accurate assessment by the author of the paper's length.
The macro package
supplied to authors permits generation of galley-format (single narrow column)
output; use the prl style option. From this, a direct count or a measurement of journal text lines can be made. Include the separation of abstract, captions, and reference list from text (e.g., +2 lines of "white space" for each separation). Note that long equations and wide sections of text incur a double count, and this must be properly taken into account.
The space that will be occupied by figures should then be added. Figures can be planned for reproduction according to their content and lettering size as described below. On the journal page, the two-column area available for text and figures is nominally 9.5 in. (24 cm) deep; 6 text lines occupy 1 in. of vertical space.
The title should be concise, but informative
enough to instruct the nonexpert reader and to facilitate
information retrieval. Do not introduce new terminology in titles.
There must be an abstract (double
spaced) of no more than 600 characters, including spaces, which should be
self-contained (no footnotes) for reprinting in abstracting journals.
Comments and Replies should not include an abstract.
The names of authors may be listed in any order
in the byline between the title and abstract.
If the number of authors exceeds 40, the authors will be listed
in the Table of Contents as, e.g., A. Jones et al. The
author who submits the paper should ensure that all persons listed
as authors approve the inclusion of their names,
and check that the form of each name is the one normally used by that author.
Byline addresses are set directly under the author
names. They are intended to indicate the
institution where the research was done. These
addresses usually consist of department or division, institution, city,
state or country. Street addresses, post office boxes,
etc., may be included; zip and postal codes
are proper.
A limited number of byline
formats are allowed: Authors may be grouped together
by institution(s), with the name and location of their
institution(s) following each group. It is permissible
to have two groups from a single institution (different
departments). A more concise presentation is a
single list of authors followed by the list of
institutions. A variant of this form, to show specific
affiliations, is to use a key to link each author to
his or her institution(s) unambiguously. The key consists of a
superscript numeral, and is placed, in order,
at the beginning of each institution listing; each
author's name then carries the appropriate key(s).
It is also permitted to give a group (collaboration)
name in addition to the single full list of authors' names.
The group name is put in parentheses, between
the end of the list of authors and the beginning of the
list of institutions. If the number of authors exceeds
40 the group name will appear in the Table of Contents.
Footnotes to an author's name or address should be
limited to those useful for location of, or communication
with, an author.
Use the
symbols (always as superscripts),
(in the order listed) if there are 12 or fewer
footnotes. Use lower-case alphabetical a, b, c, etc., if
there are 13 or more footnotes.
Footnotes giving electronic addresses (e.g., email, fax, or Web)
of a corresponding author are encouraged.
Footnotes which
describe an author's position or title are not acceptable.
Information concerning financial support (funding agencies,
programs) or affiliations of institutions themselves
with larger organizations should be listed in an acknowledgments
paragraph.
Punctuate mathematical expressions and displayed
equations as part of the sentence. In general, use single-letter
symbols for mathematical quantities in equations and expressions, possibly
with subscript or superscript indices
or labels and with argument(s) in parentheses. There are a few
well established multiletter exceptions, such as the trigonometric
functions.
Avoid complicated superscripts and subscripts. Avoid frequent
repetition of a complicated mathematical expression; represent
it by some convenient symbol. Use the form exp in cases of long or complicated arguments. Except for the square root of a simple quantity without
superscripts, use fractional exponents instead of the radical sign.
Avoid
the use of bars over extended expressions. Avoid the use of diacritical
marks (tildes, etc.) over groups of symbols, as well as the use of double
oversymbols (e.g., a caret over a tilde). Use
the solidus (/)
or negative exponents for fractions in running text, and in displayed
equations when this does not reduce clarity.
When the extent of a denominator is ambiguous, use appropriate
bracketing to ensure clarity. Give the base of logarithms (e.g., ln,
log, log). ``Dangling'' decimal points should be
preceded or followed by zeros
or deleted, as appropriate. Displayed
equations should be punctuated and aligned to bring out their
structure. Put equation numbers in parentheses at the
right-hand margin.
Three-vectors and dyadics are commonly set in boldface type.
Four-vectors are set in italic
type for Latin letters, and in ordinary type for Greek letters. Vectors
in more than four dimensions may be set in either boldface or lightface
(italic for Latin letters) type. More general quantities, such as matrices,
operators, etc., should generally not be distinguished from scalars
typographically unless essential to avoid confusion; in that case,
either boldface or some
sort of ``decoration,'' such as a caret, is satisfactory. Do not use
the center dot to indicate multiplication
of scalars.
A final acknowledgments paragraph may be
used to recognize
named individuals who contributed scientifically to the specific
research of the paper, to cite the funding agencies that provided
financial support for the work, and to note the
affiliation of institutions in the byline with a larger system.
The statement of thanks for help should be
simple and may not be a dedication or memorial. References
to memberships, positions, titles, and awards are inappropriate,
as are dates associated with funding. It is unnecessary to give the
exact form, e.g., fellowship, scholarship, program name, in which funding
was granted.
Footnotes, both references and remarks,
must be numbered consecutively in order of citation, and
be given in a double-spaced list at the end of the main text.
The journal does not use the bottom-of-page footnotes. Footnotes
to the byline (superscript ,
etc., or a, b, c, etc.)
will lead the list.
(Order
a reference cited in a figure or table
caption as if cited when the figure
or table is first mentioned in the text.) Cite footnotes in text, captions,
or other footnotes in the form ``Smith, Doe, and Jones [2],'' ``recent
experiments [1,4-6],'' or (see Ref. [8]).''
Almost all references should cite each author in the form ``F. Jones.''
Consider the form ``F. Jones et al.''
(no comma before et) only when there are four
or more authors.
The reference should cite: journal name,
volume number, page, and year (in the case of translation journals, give
information for original and translation);
conference name (or topic), place, year, editor(s), publisher, and
year of publication; book title, editor(s), publisher, and
year of publication;
report issuing institution in full and identification number
of the report (give title if number not available).
Some examples of proper form follow (also consult recent issues of
the journal).
J. M. Smith, R. Brown, and C. Green, Phys. Rev. B
26, 1 (1982); Nucl. Phys. A195, 1 (1982).
J. M. Smith, Phys. Rev. D (to be published);
R. Brown, Phys. Rev. B 26, 706(E) (1982).
J. M. Smith, Molecular Dynamics (Academic,
New York, 1980), Vol. 20, p. 20.
R. Brown, in Charge Density Waves in Solids,
edited by C. Green, Modern Problems in Condensed
Matter Sciences Vol. 25 (North-Holland,
Amsterdam, 1989).
C. Green, University of Wisconsin, Madison,
Report No. MAD/PH/650, 1991.
J. M. Smith et al., in Proceedings of the
Topical Meeting on CP Violation, Calcutta,
June 1990 (unpublished).
It is important to confirm the accuracy of bibliographic information in
references. This has become more important
now that the journal is online. Hyperlinks will be programmed to
enable readers to ``click'' on references and jump directly to the
material cited. If your reference citations are incorrect or
incomplete (e.g., missing author name, or an incorrect volume number
or page), the associated hyperlinks may fail, and the usefulness
of your paper in the online environment may be diminished.
Since at the present time such links work only from the reference
section, work cited anywhere in the paper, including in figure
and table captions and in ``Note(s) added,'' should be included
in the reference section.
Separate tables, numbered in the order in which they are referred
to in text, should be used for all but the simplest tabular
material. Include them after the reference and footnotes.
Each table must have a caption (double spaced) that makes the
table intelligible without reference to the text.
Column headings should be simple and contain
all units; symbols should be explained in the caption.
Use a single horizontal rule to separate headings and entries.
Use horizontally running space to distinguish broad groups among
entries, and extra vertically running space for columnar groups.
Vertical rules should not be used.
Denote footnotes in a table by superscript lower-case
roman letters, and list at the end of the table.
Figures should be planned for the column width (8.6 cm or 3 3/8 in.) of the
journal. If the detail shown requires it, 1.5 or 2 columns
may be used. A note
should be left on or with such figures. Final-journal-size originals
or prints are
preferable to oversized originals. Authors are encouraged to submit all figures
electronically, even if the text of the manuscript is not submitted
electronically;
refer to the online instructions for more details. Figures submitted on paper
should be of high quality and suitable for digital scanning, which
is done at 600
or 1200 dpi depending on the level of detail; original ink drawings or glossy
prints are acceptable. Be advised that the scanner reproduces all imperfections
(e.g., correction fluid, tape, smudges, writing on the back
of the figure, etc.).
All figures must be prepared so that the details can be seen after reproduction.
They must have a clear background and unbroken lines with as much black-
white contrast as possible. The symbol width and lettering height
on the journal
page should be at least 2 mm. Avoid small open symbols that tend to fill in,
small dots and decimal points, and shading or cross-hatching that is not coarse
enough to withstand reproduction. Curves should be smooth; curves and lines
should have consistent line widths of sufficient weight
[final weight of at least
0.18 mm (0.5 point)]. The resolution of the drawing software and output device
should be set as high as possible (preferably 600 dpi or higher).
Figures should be numbered in the order in which they are referred to in the
number, the name of the first author, and the journal. An indication, e.g.,
"TOP," of the intended orientation of a figure is helpful, especially in
ambiguous cases. Each figure must have a caption that makes the figure
intelligible without reference to the text; list captions on a separate sheet.
Text should be placed in the caption, not on the figure.
Groups of figures that share
a (single) caption must be labeled "(a), (b)," etc.
The figure itself should have
properly labeled axes with correctly abbreviated units enclosed in parentheses.
Use consistent lettering and style as in the body of the text (correct
capitalization, unslashed zeros, proper exponential notation, superscripts and
subscripts, decimal points instead of commas, etc.). Use the form
R (10³ Omega),
not R × 10³ Omega. Use half spacing within compound
units, not hyphens or periods.
Avoid ambiguous usage of the solidus ("/"), e.g., (mb/MeV sr), not
(mb/MeV/sr). When possible, integer numbers should be used on the axis scales
of figures, e.g., 1, 2, 3, or 0, 5, 10, not 1.58, 3.16, 4.75.
Decimal points must
be on the line (not above it); do not use commas instead.
Use the same number of digits to the right of the decimal point for
all numbers on the axis scales. A
number must be both before and behind the decimal point,
e.g., 0.2, not .2. For complete instructions see the
Physical Review Style and Notation Guide or the
AIP Style Manual.
Avoid submitting prescreened prints of photographic material or laser-printed
renditions of continuous-tone data; reproduction of such figures is seldom
satisfactory and there is a risk of moiré patterns appearing
in the final product.
If PostScript files are not available, supply glossy or matte-finish
photographs or
laser prints at the highest resolution possible and in the final published size.