The Nernst-Ettingshausen coefficient in the normal phase of doped HTSCs of the YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>y</Subscript> system

The temperature dependence of the Nernst-Ettingshausen coefficient Q(T) in the normal phase of doped HTSCs of the yttrium system was studied. The main features characterizing the behavior of this coefficient were revealed, and the character and mechanism of the effect that various nonisovalent substituents exert on the Q(T) dependence were analyzed. It is shown that the narrow-band model permits one not only to describe all the specific features observed in the Q(T) curves but also to perform a simultaneous quantitative analysis of the temperature dependences of four kinetic coefficients (the electrical resistivity and the Seebeck, Hall, and Nernst-Ettingshausen coefficients) with the use of a common set of model parameters characterizing the band structure and carrier system in the normal phase of an HTSC. This approach was employed to determine the carrier mobilities and the asymmetry of the dispersion curve in the systems studied (YBa₂Cu₃O_y, y = 6.37–6.91; YBa₂Cu_3?xCo_xO_y, x = 0–0.3; Y_1?xCa_xBa₂Cu₃O_y, x = 0–0.25; Y_1?xCa_xBa_2?xLa_xCu₃O_y, x = 0–0.5) and to analyze the effect of the substitutions involved on the variation of these parameters.     

Hyperfine nuclear interaction at copper lattice sites of high-temperature superconductors studied by <Superscript>61</Superscript>Cu(<Superscript>61</Superscript>Ni) Mössbauer emission spectroscopy

Mössbauer emission spectroscopy on the ⁶¹Cu(⁶¹Ni) isotope has been used to determine the quadrupole coupling constant C(Ni) and magnetic induction B(Ni) for the ⁶¹Ni²⁺ probe at copper sites in Cu₂O, CuO, La_{2 ?x}Ba_xCuO₄, Nd_2?xCe_xCuO₄, RBa₂Cu₃O₆, and RBa₂Cu₃O₇ (R=Y, Nd, Gd, Yb). The compounds containing divalent copper were found to exhibit linear C(Ni) vs. C(Cu) and B(Ni) vs. B(Cu) relations [C(Cu) and B(Cu) are the quadrupole coupling constant and magnetic induction for the ⁶³Cu probe, respectively, found by NMR], which is interpreted as an argument for the copper being in divalent state. The deviation of the data points corresponding to the Cu(1) sites in RBa₂Cu₃O₆ and RBa₂Cu₃O₇ from the C(Ni) vs. C(Cu) straight line may be due either to the copper valence being other than 2+ (in the RBa₂Cu₃O₆ compounds) or to the principal axes of the total and valence electric field gradient being differently oriented (in the RBa₂Cu₃O₇ compounds).     

Spectroscopy of optical centers of Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions in partially stabilized and stabilized zirconium crystals

The structure of the optical centers of Eu³⁺ ions in tetragonal (ZrO₂)_1–x–y (Y₂O₃) _x (Eu₂O₃) _y (х = 2.7–3.6; y = 0.1) and cubic (ZrO₂)_1–x–y (Y₂O₃) _x (Eu₂O₃) _y (х = 8–38; y = 0.1–0.5) crystals of solid solutions on the basis of zirconium dioxide is studied using the methods of optical and Raman-scattering spectroscopy. Characteristic optical centers of Eu³⁺ ions with different crystalline environments are revealed in the above compounds.     

Enhancement of pseudogap anomalies induced by nanoscale structural inhomogeneity in YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>6.93</Subscript> high-<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis><Subscript>c</Subscript> superconductor

The magnetization M(H) in the superconducting state, dc magnetic susceptibility χ(T) in the normal state, and specific heat C(T) near the superconducting transition temperature T _c have been measured for a series of fine-crystalline YBa₂Cu₃O _y samples having nearly optimum values of y = 6.93 ± 0.3 and T _c = (91.5 ± 0.5) K. The samples differ only in the degree of nanoscale structural inhomogeneity. The characteristic parameters of superconductors (the London penetration depth and the Ginzburg–Landau parameter) and the thermodynamic critical field H _c are determined by the analysis of the magnetization curves M(H). It is found that the increase in the degree of nanoscale structural inhomogeneity leads to an increase in the characteristic parameters of superconductors and a decrease in H _c(T) and the jump of the specific heat ΔC/T _c. It is shown that the changes in the physical characteristics are caused by the suppression of the density of states near the Fermi level. The pseudogap is estimated by analyzing χ(T). It is found that the nanoscale structural inhomogeneity significantly enhances and probably even creates the pseudogap regime in the optimally doped high-T _c superconductors.     

Colossal room-temperature magnetoresistance in thin La<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ag<Subscript>y</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> epitaxial films

The first thin La_1?xAg_yMnO₃ epitaxial films (_y ≤ x) were grown on SrTiO₃ (110) substrates with silver present in the ionized state (Ag⁺) only. The Curie temperatures T_C of the compositions with x = y = 0.05, x = y = 0.1, and x = 0.3 and y = 0.27 crystallizing in the hexagonal structure \(R\bar 3c\) above or close to room temperature. The temperature dependences of electrical resistivity ρ and of magnetoresistance ¦Δρ/ρ/¦ = ¦(ρ_H ? ρ _H = 0)/ρ_H=0¦ pass through maxima near T_C, with the magnetoresistance being negative and reaching colossal values of ～7–20% in a magnetic field H = 8.2 kOe not only at T_C but also at room temperature. The magnetic moment per formula unit as derived from the saturation magnetization at T = 5 K is substantially smaller than expected for complete ferromagnetic ordering. The magnetization in fields of up to 6 kOe depends on the actual sample cooling conditions, and the hysteresis loop of a field-cooled sample is displaced along the H axis by ΔH. The above properties can be accounted for by the fact that the films are in a two-phase magnetic (ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic) state induced by strong s-d exchange. The maximum value of Δ H was used to calculate the energy of exchange coupling between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic parts of a sample.     

Effect of heterovalent substitution of rare-earth elements on the magnetic and transport properties of YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

The Y_{(1 ? x} Ce _x Ba₂Cu₃O₇ system with low cerium concentrations has been synthesized. The cerium solubility limit measured using x-ray powder diffraction analysis is about 2.4 at. %. The temperature dependences of the magnetization M(T) are measured for samples cooled in a magnetic field (FC) and in a zero field (ZFC). The difference between the magnetizations M _ZFC-M _FC at 77.4 K, which is proportional to the pinning potential, passes through a maximum at x = 0.0156. This concentration corresponds to the average distance (equal to eight lattice constants) between the impurity ions in the plane of the rare-earth elements, which is comparable to the diameter of Abrikosov vortices in YBa₂Cu₃O₇.     

Conductivity and anomalous Hall effect in film magnetic nanocomposites based on nonstoichiometric oxides

The transport properties of film nanocomposites (Co₄₀Fe₄₀B₂₀) _x (AlO _y )_{100 ? x} and (Co₈₄Nb₁₄Ta₂) _x (AlO _y )_{100 ? x} based on AlO _y oxide (y ~ 1), containing a ferromagnetic metal, are studied in the region of the metal–insulator transition (57 > x > 47 at %). It is found that at x > 49 at %, the conductivity of nanocomposites is well described by a logarithmic law of σ(T) = a + b ln T, which can be explained by the peculiarities of the Coulomb interaction in nanogranular systems with metallic conductivity near the metal—insulator transition. It is shown that parameter b is determined by the characteristic size of the percolation cluster cell, which in nanocomposites of both types happen to be the same (~8 nm) and correlates well with the results of electron microscopy studies. The temperature dependence of the anomalous Hall effect at the logarithmic dependence of conductivity is studied for the first time. In the immediate vicinity of the transition, a power-law scaling between the anomalous Hall resistance and longitudinal resistance ρ _H ^a ∝ ρ^0.4, is detected, which can be explained by the suppression of its own mechanism of the anomalous Hall effect under the strong scattering of charge carriers.     

High-temperature complex impedance and modulus spectroscopic studies of doped Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Bi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ferroelectric ceramics

Lead-free Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ (NBT) and (1 ? x)Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ + xBaTiO₃ with x = 0.1 and 0.2 (where x = 0.1 and 0.2 are named as NBT1 and NBT2, respectively), (1 ? y)Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ + yBa_0.925Nd_0.05TiO₃ with y = 0.1 and 0.2 (where y = 0.1 and 0.2 are named as NBT3 and NBT4, respectively)-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were prepared using the sol-gel method. The crystal structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) at room temperature (RT). The XRD patterns confirmed the presence of the rhombohedral phase in all the samples. The electrical properties of the present NBT-based samples were investigated by complex impedance and the modulus spectroscopy technique in the temperature range of RT–600 °C. The AC conductivity was found to increase with the substitution of Ba²⁺ ions to the NBT sample whereas it significantly decreased with the addition of Nd³⁺ ions. The more anion vacancies in Ba-added samples and the lower anion vacancies in Nd-added samples were found to be responsible for higher and lower conductivities, respectively.     

Investigation of the cation distribution in perovskite-like oxides with Mössbauer spectroscopy

Complex perovskite-like oxides, such as LnFe_2/3Mo_1/3O₃ orthoferrites, Ln_8?ySr_yCu_8?xFe_xO₂₀ (8-8-20), Pr₄BaCu₄FeO_13-δ(4-1-5), YBa_2-yLa _y Cu_3-xFe _x O_7-δ and Y_1-yCa _y Ba _y La _y Cu_3-xFe _x O_7-δ (1-2-3), are studied by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy. At room temperature, the spectra of the orthoferrites contain only magnetic components. The spectra of the 1-2-3 compounds contain only magnetically disordered components: iron atoms substitute for copper at Cu(1) sites, taking various configurations: planar squares, quadratic pyramids, and octahedra. Cuprates 8-8-20 and 4-1-5 have a wide diversity of spectra. In the 8-8-20 oxides, a phase related to the pyramidal environment of the iron cations is present at any iron concentration. In all the perovskites, iron cations become magnetically ordered only at octahedral sites of the structure.     

Anomalous transport properties of a paramagnetic NiTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> + HTSC two-phase system representing a random Josephson junction network

Composites representing a network of random Josephson junctions and characterized by the compositions 92.5 at. % Y_3/4Lu_1/4Ba₂Cu₃O₇+7.5 at. % NiTiO₃ and 92.5 at. % Y_3/4Lu_1/4Ba₂Cu₃O₇+7.5 at.% MgTiO₃ are synthesized, and their magnetoresistance properties are studied. The temperature dependence of the resistance R(T) measured for the composite that contains the paramagnetic NiTiO₃ compound exhibits a characteristic feature below the superconducting transition temperature T_c of the high-T_c superconductor, namely, a region where R is independent of the current j and weakly depends on the magnetic field H. Below a certain temperature T_m, a strong dependence of R on j and H is observed, which is peculiar to a network of Josephson junctions. The dependences R(T, j, H) obtained for the “reference” samples with the nonmagnetic MgTiO3 compound exhibit no such features. The anomalous behavior of the HTSC + NiTiO3 composite is explained by the effect produced by the magnetic moments of Ni atoms in the insulating barriers on the transport current.     

Extreme Electromechanical Characteristics and Microstructural Features of Ferro-Piezoceramics Based on Lead Titanate

Microstructural features and electrophysical parameters of a number of solid solutions based on PbTiO₃ are investigated. Solid solutions (Pb_{1–3/2x + z/2}Nd _x )(Ti_1–y–zMn _y Inz)O₃ and Pb_1–xCa _x Ti_1–y(W_1/2Co_1/2) _y O₃ with extreme values of the mechanical Q-factor and electromechanical anisotropy are chosen as the objects of investigation. The ferro-piezoceramic samples are obtained through conventional sintering and hot pressing. X-ray structural and microstructural studies are performed, and the complex elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric parameters of experimental samples are measured. The frequency dependences of complex parameters of the experimental samples have been studied at frequencies of up to 40 MHz. It is established that the extreme values of the mechanical Q-factor and piezoelectric anisotropy of the investigated PbTiO₃-based solid solutions are due to microstructural features associated with the technological regimes of ferropiezoceramic fabrication.     

Low-temperature thermal-expansion anomaly in Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>2</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>6</Subscript>

Single-crystal samples of the Bi_{2 + x}Sr_{2 ? x ? y}Cu_{1 + y}O_{6 + δ} system revealed anomalous (negative) thermal expansion in the temperature range 10–20 K. Magnetic fields of 1–3 T were found to strongly affect the position and width of the anomaly region. A thermal-expansion singularity was detected at temperatures T≈30–50 K, which may be related to the formation of a pseudogap.     

Phase Diagrams of Solid Solutions of Relaxor Ferroelectrics from the Dielectric Spectroscopy Data

The dielectric spectra of Pb(_1–z)Ba _z (Mg_1/3Nb_2/3) _m (Zn_1/3Nb_2/3) _y (Ni_1/3Nb_2/3) _n TixO₃ (x = 0.25–0.4, y = 0.1130–0.0842, m = 0.4844–0.1298, n = 0.1266–0.4726, z = 0–0.15) ceramics with substitution in both A and B crystallographic positions of the perovskite structure are studied. The system demonstrates a transition from the relaxor state to the normal ferroelectric state in both cases: when the concentration of lead titanate grows and the concentration of barium is reduced. On the basis of experimental results, the x–T and z–T phase diagrams are plotted. Despite different crystal chemical reasons of the relaxor state emergence in the investigated solid solutions, their diagrams demonstrate an evident similarity. We have revealed the disappearance of the temperature hysteresis at the transition to the relaxor state in both cases, which has allowed us to make an assumption of the existence of tricritical points on the corresponding diagrams.     

Colormagnetic confinement in the quark–gluon thermodynamics

Nonperturbative effects in the quark–gluon thermodynamics are studied in the framework of vacuum correlator method. It is shown, that for T > T ₀ = 175 MeV two correlators: colorelectric D ₁ ^E (x) and colormagnetic D ^H (x), provide the Polyakov line and the colormagnetic confinement in the spatial planes respectively. As a result, both effects produce the realistic behavior of p(T) and I(T), being in good agreement with numerical lattice data.     

A statistical model of a metallic inclusion in semiconducting media

The atomic dynamics of the binary Al_100–xCu_x system is simulated at a temperature T = 973 K, a pressure p = 1.0 bar, and various copper concentrations x. These conditions (temperature, pressure) make it possible to cover the equilibrium liquid Al_100–xCu_x phase at copper concentrations 0 ≤ x ≤ 40% and the supercooled melt in the concentration range 40% ≤ x ≤ 100%. The calculated spectral densities of the time correlation functions of the longitudinal \({\tilde C_L}\)(k, ω) and transverse \({\tilde C_T}\)(k, ω) currents in the Al_100–xCu_x melt at a temperature T = 973 K reveal propagating collective excitations of longitudinal and transverse polarizations in a wide wavenumber range. It is shown that the maximum sound velocity in the v_L(x) concentration dependence takes place for the equilibrium melt at an atomic copper concentration x = 10 ± 5%, whereas the supercooled Al_100–xCu_x melt saturated with copper atoms (x ≥ 40%) is characterized by the minimum sound velocity. In the case of the supercooled melt, the concentration dependence of the kinematic viscosity ν(x) is found to be interpolated by a linear dependence, and a deviation from the linear dependence is observed in the case of equilibrium melt at x < 40%. An insignificant shoulder in the ν(x) dependence is observed at low copper concentrations (x < 20%), and it is supported by the experimental data. This shoulder is caused by the specific features in the concentration dependence of the density ρ(x).     

Anisotropy of microwave conductivity in the superconducting and normal states of YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis>: 3D-2D crossover

The imaginary parts of microwave conductivity σ″(T<T_c) and resistivity ρ (_T)=1/σ(T>T_c) along (σ _ab ^″ and ρ_ab) and across and (σ _c ^″ and ρ_c the cuprate ab planes of a YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x crystal with the oxygen doping level x varying from 0.07 to 0.47 were measured in the temperature range 5≤ T≤200 K. In the superconducting state, the σ _ab ^″ (T)/σ _ab ^″ (0) and σ _c ^″ (T/σ _c ^″ (0) curves coincide for an optimally doped (x=0.07) crystal, but, with an increase in x, the slopes of the σ _c ^″ (T)/σ _c ^″ (0) curves decrease noticeably at T<T_c/3, on the background of small changes happening to the σ _ab ^″ (T/σ _ab ^″ (0) curves. The two-dimensional (2D) transport along the ab planes in the normal state of YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x is always metallic, but there is a crossover (at x=0.07) from the Drude to hopping (at x>0.07) conductivity along the c axis. This is confirmed both by the estimates of the lowest metallic and the highest tunneling conductivities along the c axis and by quantitative comparison of the measured ρ_c(T) curves with the curves calculated in the polaron model of quasiparticle transport along the c axis.     

Structural and compositional heterogeneities in liquid aluminosilicate: insight from a grain structure model

Network structure as well as structural and compositional heterogeneities in aluminosilicate (Al₂O₃-2SiO₂) under compression is investigated by analysis and visualization of simulation data. Structural and compositional heterogeneities are clarified through analysis of topology structure and size distribution of TO _x -clusters (T = Si, Al; x = 3, 4, 5, 6) as well as OT _y -clusters (y = 2, 3, 4). The TO _x -cluster can be considered as TO _x -grains. It appears that the structure of aluminosilicate is the mixture of TO _x -grains with a different short-range order structure and this is the origin of structural heterogeneity. Regarding their composition, the OSi _y - and OAl _y -clusters can be considered as silica- and alumina-grains respectively, and the structure of aluminosilicate can thus be considered to be formed from silica- and alumina-grains. This results in compositional heterogeneity. Moreover, the degree of polymerization and polyamorphism as well as dynamic heterogeneity is also discussed in detail.     

Magnetic susceptibility of fine crystalline high-temperature YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>6.93</Subscript> superconductors. The role of nanoscale structural disordering

Static magnetic susceptibility χ(T) in the normal state (T_c ≤ T ≤ 400 K) and specific heat C(T) near temperature T_c of the transition to the superconducting state are experimentally studied for a series of fine crystalline samples of high-temperature YBa₂Cu₃O_y superconductor, having y and T_c close to optimal but differing in the degree of nanoscale structural disordering. It is shown that under the influence of structural disordering, there is enhancement of anomalous pseudogap behavior of the studied characteristics and a significant increase in the width of the pseudogap.     

Relativmessung integrierter Wirkungsquerschnitte für den Kernphotoeffekt: Die Reaktion O16(γ, n)O15

Li₂CO₃ and Na₂C₄H₈O₈ have been irradiated by 34 MeV bremsstrahlung. The yield of the induced O¹⁵ activity has been measured relative to the yield of the C¹²(γ, n)C¹¹ resp. Cu⁶³(γ, n)Cu⁶² reaction by detecting the annihilation quanta. Additional yield measurements with the bremsstrahlung beam attenuated by 18 mm of lead were made to determine the ratio of the integrated cross sections for the reactions O¹⁶(γ, n)O¹⁵ and C¹²(γ, n)C¹¹ resp. Cu⁶³(γ, n)Cu⁶². Using the cross section ofBarber et al. for C¹²(γ, n)C¹¹, the cross section integrated up to 33 MeV for O¹⁶(γ, n)O¹⁵ was obtained to 61±7 MeVmb.     

Effect of cation substitution in Cs<Subscript>1–2<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ba<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>H<Subscript>2</Subscript>PO<Subscript>4</Subscript> on structural properties and proton conductivity

We synthesized compounds with partial substitution of Cs⁺ cations in CsH₂PO₄ by Ba²⁺ cations. The structural, electron transport and thermodynamic properties of Cs_1–2x Ba _x H₂PO₄ (x = 0–0.15) were studied for the first time with the help of a set of physicochemical methods: infrared and impedance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and synchronous thermal analysis. The proton conductivity of Cs_1–2x Ba _x H₂PO₄ at 50–230°C was investigated in detail by impedance measurements. The formation of solid substitution solutions isostructural with CsH₂PO₄ (P2₁/m) is observed in the range of substitution degrees of x = 0–0.1, with a slight decrease in the unit cell parameters and some salt amorphization. The conductivity of disordered Cs_1–2x Ba _x H₂PO₄ in the low-temperature region increases by two orders of magnitude at x = 0.02 and increases with an increasing fraction of barium cations by three or four orders of magnitude at x = 0.05–0.1; the superionic phase transition practically disappears. At x = 0.15, heterophase systems based on salts are formed, showing high conductivity and a further decrease in the activation energy of conductivity to 0.63 eV. The conductivity of the high-temperature phase of Cs_1–2x Ba _x H₂PO₄ does not change with increasing fraction of the substituent.