Relation between vortex excitation and thermal conductivity in superconductors

Thermal conductivity κ _xx(T) under a field is investigated in d _{x2 - y2}-wave superconductors and isotropic s-wave superconductors by the linear response theory, using a microscopic wave function of the vortex lattice states. To study the origin of the different field dependence of κ_xx(T) between higher and lower temperature regions, we analyze the spatially-resolved thermal conductivity around a vortex at each temperature, which is related to the spectrum of the local density of states. We also discuss the electric conductivity in the same formulation for a comparison. Received 8 December 2001 and Received in final form 20 March 2002 Published online 6 June 2002     

Relationships between a microscopic parameter and the stochastic equations for interface's evolution of two growth models

The relationship between a microscopic parameter p, that is related to the probability of choosing a mechanism of deposition, and the stochastic equation for the interface's evolution is studied for two different models. It is found that in one model, that is similar to ballistic deposition, the corresponding stochastic equation can be represented by a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation where both λ and ν depend on p in the following way: ν(p) = νp and λ(p) = λp ^3/2. Furthermore, in the other studied model, which is similar to random deposition with relaxation, the stochastic equation can be represented by an Edwards-Wilkinson (EW) equation where ν depends on p according to ν(p) = νp ². It is expected that these results will help to find a framework for the development of stochastic equations starting from microscopic details of growth models. Received 26 August 2002 / Received in final form 20 November 2002 Published online 6 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: ealbano@inifta.unlp.edu.ar     

Molecular dynamics in thin films of isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate)

The molecular dynamics in thin films (18 nm-137 nm) of isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (i-PMMA) of two molecular weights embedded between aluminium electrodes are measured by means of dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 50 mHz to 10 MHz at temperatures between 273 K and 392 K. The observed dynamics is characterized by two relaxation processes: the dynamic glass transition (α-relaxation) and a (local) secondary β-relaxation. While the latter does not depend on the dimensions of the sample, the dynamic glass transition becomes faster (≤2 decades) with decreasing film thickness. This results in a shift of the glass transition temperature T _g to lower values compared to the bulk. With decreasing film thickness a broadening of the relaxation time distribution and a decrease of the dielectric strength is observed for the α-relaxation. This enables to deduce a model based on immobilized boundary layers and on a region displaying a dynamics faster than in the bulk. Additionally, T _g was determined by temperature-dependent ellipsometric measurements of the thickness of films prepared on silica. These measurements yield a gradual increase of T _g with decreasing film thickness. The findings concerning the different thickness dependences of T _g are explained by changes of the interaction between the polymer and the substrates. A quantitative analysis of the T _g shifts incorporates recently developed models to describe the glass transition in thin polymer films. Received 12 August 2001 and Received in final form 16 November 2001     

Pion and kaon electromagnetic form factors in a SUL(3) ⊗ SUR(3) effective Lagrangian

A SU(2) effective Lagrangian is extended to a SU _L(3) ⊗SU _R(3) by including the vector and axial vector meson. With this effective Lagrangian, electromagnetic form factors of charged pion and kaon are calculated in both time- and space-like regions. The pseudoscalar meson loops are taken into account. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained for those form factors and charged pseudoscalar meson radii. Decay widths of ρ→ππ and φ→K ⁺ K ^- are also calculated and shown to agree with experimental data very well. Received: 20 December 1999 / Accepted: 12 October 2000     

Normal-state electrical resistivity and superconducting magnetic penetration depth in Eu<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>K<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>As<Subscript>2</Subscript> polycrystals

We report measurements of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, ρ(T), and magnetic pen-etration depth, λ(T), for polycrystalline samples of Eu_0.5K_0.5Fe₂As₂ with T _c = 31 K. ρ(T) follows a linear temperature dependence above T _c and bends over to a weaker temperature dependence around 150 K. The magnetic penetration depth, determined by radio frequency technique displays an unusual minimum around 4 K which is associated with short-range ordering of localized Eu³⁺ moments. The article is published in the original.     

Zero bias anomaly in the density of states of low-dimensional metals

We consider the effect of Coulomb interactions on the average density of states (DOS) of disordered low-dimensional metals for temperatures T and frequencies ω smaller than the inverse elastic life-time 1/τ. Using the fact that long-range Coulomb interactions in two dimensions (2d) generate ln²-singularities in the DOS ν(ω) but only ln-singularities in the conductivity σ(ω), we can re-sum the most singular contributions to the average DOS via a simple gauge-transformation. If σ(ω) > 0, then a metallic Coulomb gapν(ω) ∝ |ω|/e ⁴ appears in the DOS at T = 0 for frequencies below a certain crossover frequency Ω ₂ which depends on the value of the DC conductivity σ(0). Here, - e is the charge of the electron. Naively adopting the same procedure to calculate the DOS in quasi 1d metals, we find ν(ω) ∝ (|ω|/Ω ₁)^1/2exp(- Ω ₁/|ω|) at T = 0, where Ω ₁ is some interaction-dependent frequency scale. However, we argue that in quasi 1d the above gauge-transformation method is on less firm grounds than in 2d. We also discuss the behavior of the DOS at finite temperatures and give numerical results for the expected tunneling conductance that can be compared with experiments. Received 28 August 2001 / Received in final form 28 January 2002 Published online 9 July 2002     

Static and dynamic properties of supercooled thin polymer films

The dynamic and static properties of a supercooled (non-entangled) polymer melt are investigated via molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations. The system is confined between two completely smooth and purely repulsive walls. The wall-to-wall separation (film thickness), D, is varied from about 3 to about 14 times the bulk radius of gyration. Despite the geometric confinement, the supercooled films exhibit many qualitative features which were also observed in the bulk and could be analyzed in terms of mode-coupling theory (MCT). Examples are the two-step relaxation of the incoherent intermediate scattering function, the time-temperature superposition property of the late time α-process and the space-time factorization of the scattering function on the intermediate time scale of the MCT β-process. An analysis of the temperature dependence of the α-relaxation time suggests that the critical temperature, T _c, of MCT decreases with D. If the confinement is not too strong ( D≥10monomer diameter), the static structure factor of the film coincides with that of the bulk when compared for the same distance, T - T _c(D), to the critical temperature. This suggests that T - T _c(D) is an important temperature scale of our model both in the bulk and in the films. Received 12 September 2001     

Temperature dependence of the YBa2Cu3O7 energy gap in differently oriented tunnel junctions

We have applied the break-junction technique to highly biepitaxial c-axis oriented YBa₂Cu₃O₇ thin films with T _C (ρ=0) = 91 K. Mechanically adjustable junctions with a good stability and tunneling current favored along the ab-planes have been realized. The conductance characteristics of these junctions show the presence of gap related maxima that move towards zero bias for increasing temperatures. Considering the misorientation angle α≈ 45 ^° ± 5 ^° of the junction, a maximum gap value at the Fermi level Δ ≈ 22 meV is inferred at T = 13 K. The temperature dependence of the gap related structures, shows a quasilinear behavior for T > 0.4 T _C similar to that observed in c-axis oriented, S-I-N type YBa₂Cu₃O₇ planar junctions. Received 20 July 2001     

Phase transition and random-field induced domain wall response of SrTi O 3

The dielectric permittivity ε^′ - i of SrTi ¹⁸O ₃ (STO18) is studied under a dc electric field E as a function of the temperature, T. In ε^′ vs. T, a double-peak is found when 0 < E < 30 KV/m. While the peak at high-T is attributed to the smeared ferroelectric phase transition, the low-T one is induced by domain wall motion. The transverse Ising model including an external homogeneous and quenched random-fields is successfully used to describe both the smeared phase transition and the domain wall response in the low-T domain state. The calculations are in good agreement with the experimental results. Received 4 January 2002 / Received in final form 25 March 2002 Published online 19 July 2002     

Coalescence process of monodispersed Co cluster assemblies

Cluster-cluster coalescence process of monodispersed Co clusters with mean diameter d = 8.5 and 13 nm deposited a plasma-gas-condensation-type cluster beam deposition system was investigated by in situ electrical conductivity measurements and ex situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and analyzed by percolation concept. The electrical conductivity measurement and TEM observation indicated that, below temperature T≈ 100^°C, the Co clusters in the assemblies maintain their original structure as deposited at room temperature, while that the inter-cluster coalescence takes place at T > 100^°C, although the size distribution and the interface morphology of the clusters showed no marked change at substrate temperatures T _s≤200^°C. Received 29 November 2000     

The K * Kπ and ρππ couplings in QCD

The light cone QCD sum rules are derived for the K ^* Kπ coupling g _K ^* Kπ and the ρππ coupling g _ρππ. The contribution from the excited states and the continuum is subtracted cleanly through the double Borel transform with respect to the two external momenta, p ₁ ², p ₂ ²= (p−q)². Our result g _K ^* Kπ= (8.7 ± 0.5) and g _ρππ= (11.5 ± 0.8) is in good agreement with the experimental value. Received: 31 July 1998 / Revised version: 20 November 1998     

K-matrix analysis of the (IJ<Superscript>PC</Superscript> = 00<Superscript>+ +</Superscript>)-wave in the mass region below 1900 MeV

We present the results of the current analysis of the partial wave IJ ^PC = 00^{+ +} based on the available data for meson spectra ( ππ, KˉK,ηη,η,ππππ). In the framework of the K-matrix approach, the analytical amplitude has been reconstructed in the mass region 280 MeV < < 1900 MeV. The following scalar-isoscalar states are seen: comparatively narrow resonances f ₀(980), f ₀(1300), f ₀(1500), f ₀(1750) and the broad state f₀(1200-1600). The positions of the amplitude poles (masses and total widths of the resonances) are determined as well as pole residues (partial widths to meson channels ππ, KˉK,ηη,η,ππππ). The fitted amplitude gives us the positions of the K-matrix poles (bare states) and the values of bare-state couplings to meson channels thus allowing the quark-antiquark nonet classification of bare states. On the basis of the obtained partial widths to the channels ππ, KˉK,ηη,η, we estimate the quark/gluonium content of f ₀(980), f ₀(1300), f ₀(1500), f ₀(1750), f₀(1200-1600). For f ₀(980), f ₀(1300), f ₀(1500) and f ₀(1750), their partial widths testify the qˉq origin of these mesons though being unable to provide precise evaluation of the possible admixture of the gluonium component in these resonances. The ratios of the decay coupling constants for the f₀(1200-1600) support the idea about the gluonium nature of this broad state. Received: 14 May 2002 / Accepted: 20 August 2002 / Published online: 11 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: anisovic@thd.pnpi.spb.ru Communicated by A. Sch?fer     

Stretched exponential relaxation in the Coulomb glass

The relaxation of the specific heat and the entropy to their equilibrium values is investigated numerically for the three-dimensional Coulomb glass at very low temperatures. The long time relaxation follows a stretched exponential function, f (t) = f ₀exp - (t/τ)^β , with the exponent β increasing with the temperature. The relaxation time diverges as an Arrhenius law when T→ 0. Received 24 May 2001 and Received in final form 12 September 2001     

Spin-wave contributions to nuclear magnetic relaxation in magnetic metals

The longitudinal and transverse nuclear magnetic relaxation rates 1/T ₁(T) and 1/T ₂(T) are calculated for three- and two-dimensional (3D and 2D) metallic ferro- and antiferromagnets (FM and AFM) with localized magnetic moments in the spin-wave temperature region. The contribution of the one-magnon decay processes is strongly enhanced in comparison with the standard T-linear Korringa term, especially for the FM case. For the 3D AFM case this contribution diverges logarithmically, the divergence being cut at the magnon gap ω due to magnetic anisotropy, and for the 2D AFM case as ω^-1. The electron-magnon scattering processes yield T ²ln(T/ω) and T ²/ω^1/2-terms in 1/T ₁ for the 3D AFM and 2D FM cases, respectively. The two-magnon (“Raman”) contributions are investigated and demonstrated to be large in the 2D FM case. Peculiarities of the isotropic 2D limit (where the correlation length is very large) are analyzed. Received 29 November 1999 and Received in final form 6 June 2000     

Temporal correlations and persistence in the kinetic Ising model: the role of temperature

We study the statistical properties of the sum S _t = dt'σ _t', that is the difference of time spent positive or negative by the spin σ _t, located at a given site of a D-dimensional Ising model evolving under Glauber dynamics from a random initial configuration. We investigate the distribution of S_t and the first-passage statistics (persistence) of this quantity. We discuss successively the three regimes of high temperature ( T > T _c), criticality ( T = T _c), and low temperature ( T < T _c). We discuss in particular the question of the temperature dependence of the persistence exponent , as well as that of the spectrum of exponents (x), in the low temperature phase. The probability that the temporal mean S _t/t was always larger than the equilibrium magnetization is found to decay as t ^{- - ?}. This yields a numerical determination of the persistence exponent in the whole low temperature phase, in two dimensions, and above the roughening transition, in the low-temperature phase of the three-dimensional Ising model. Received 4 December 2000     

T-band phenomena in 183Re

Abstact: High-spin states in ¹⁸³Re have been studied using the ¹⁷⁶Yb(¹¹B,4n) reaction at 52 and 57 MeV. Two high-K bands have been observed directly by a time-correlated γ-γ coincidence measurement. One of the bands is built on an isomeric K ^π=(25/2)⁺ state at E _x= 1908 keV with a half-life of 0.82(2) ms. The other band, assigned as K ^π=(29/2)⁻ at E _x= 2739 keV, decays to the (25/2)⁺ band. These bands are interpreted as three-quasiparticle structures, π(5/2)⁺[402] &⊗ν(9/2)⁺[624] ⊗ν(11/2)⁺[615] for the (25/2)⁺ band and π(9/2)⁻[514] ⊗ν(9/2)⁺[624] ⊗ν(11/2)⁺[615] for the (29/2)⁻ band. The K ^π= (29/2)⁻ band becomes strongly Coriolis mixed with increasing spin and is gradually changing into a low-K s-band structure. Received: 20 April 1998     

K<Superscript>+</Superscript> production in proton-nucleus reactions and the role of momentum-dependent potentials

The production of K⁺-mesons in proton-nucleus collisions from 1.0 to 2.5GeV is analyzed with respect to one-step nucleon-nucleon ( NN → NYK ⁺) and two-step Δ-nucleon ( ΔN → K ⁺ YN) or pion-nucleon ( πN → K ⁺ Y) production channels on the basis of a coupled-channel transport approach (CBUU) including the kaon final-state interactions. The influence of momentum-dependent potentials for the nucleon, hyperon and kaon in the final state are studied as well as the importance of K⁺ elastic rescattering in the target nucleus. The transport calculations are compared to the experimental K⁺ spectra taken at LBL Berkeley, SATURNE, CELSIUS, GSI and COSY-Jülich. It is found that the momentum-dependent baryon potentials affect the excitation function of the K⁺ cross-section; at low bombarding energies of ∼ 1.0GeV the attractive baryon potentials in the final state lead to a relative enhancement of the kaon yield, whereas the net repulsive potential at bombarding energies ∼ 2GeV causes a decrease of the K⁺ cross-section. Furthermore, it is pointed out that especially the K⁺ spectra at low momenta (or kinetic energy T _K) allow to determine the in-medium K⁺ potential almost model independently due to a relative shift of the K⁺ spectra in kinetic energy that arises from the acceleration of the kaons when propagating out of the nuclear medium to free space, i.e. converting the potential energy to the kinetic energy of the free kaon. Received: 28 January 2002 / Accepted: 3 June 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Wolfgang.Cassing@theo.physik.uni-giessen.de Communicated by P. Schuck     

Fluctuation-induced magnetotransport of superconductors in the quasiballistic regime

We study the fluctuation-induced magnetotransport of a two-dimensional superconductor in the quasiballistic regime, where ξ _GL(T) ≪ ℓ (ℓ is the electron mean free path and ξ _GL(T) is the Ginzburg-Landau coherence length). The magnetoconductivity is evaluated in the nonlocal fluctuation regime thereby extending the existing theory valid in the local limit. We show that the Maki-Thompson (MT) and density-of-states (DOS) contributions strongly compensate each other and their sum is negligible in comparison with the Aslamazov-Larkin (AL) term. The hierarchy of the fluctuation contributions to the magnetoconductivity in the high-field limit is also qualitatively discussed. Received 10 July 2002 / Received in final form 21 November 2002 Published online 7 May 2003     

The reaction pp→pΛK + near threshold

We analyze the recent total cross section data for pp→pΛK ⁺ near threshold measured at COSY. Using an effective range approximation for the on-shell pΛ S-wave final state interaction we extract from these data the combination ?= (2|K _s|²+|K _t|²)^−1/2= 0.38 fm⁴ of the singlet (K _s) and triplet (K _t) threshold transition amplitudes. We present an exploratory calculation of various (tree-level) vector and pseudoscalar meson exchange diagrams. Pointlike ω-exchange alone and the combined (ρ⁰,ω,K^*+)-exchange can explain the experimental value of ?. The pseudoscalar meson exchanges based on a SU(3) chiral Lagrangian turn out to be too large. However, when adding π⁰-exchange in combination with the resonant πN→S ₁₁(1650) →KΛ transition and introducing monopole form factors with a cut-off Λ_c= 1.5 GeV one is again able to reproduce the experimental value of ?. More exclusive measurements are necessary to reveal the details of the pp→pΛK ⁺ production mechanism. Received: 28 October 1998 / Revised version: 12 January 1999     

Microphase separation in weakly charged hydrophobic polyelectrolytes

Aqueous solutions of a well-defined poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-sodium 2-acrylamido-methylpropanesulfonate) (NIPAM/NaAMPS in a 95/5 molar ratio) have been investigated by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and rheological experiments as a function of temperature ( 25^° C T 60^° C) and polymer concentration ( 0.5wt% C 12wt%). The solutions remain optically transparent and isotropic over the whole temperature range, in contrast with the homopolyNIPAM which precipitates above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST = 32^° C). Upon addition of salt, the systems undergo a micro-macrophase separation. At temperatures above 45^° C, the SANS spectra exhibit a sharp peak at a scattering wave vector, q _max, which increases slightly with temperature. At high temperature ( T∼ 60^° C), the scattered intensity follows a power law I(q) ∼q ^-4 in the asymptotic regime, characteristic of two-density media with sharp interfaces, and q _max is found to vary with polymer concentration as q _max∼C ^0.22. Estimates of the typical sizes give values between 40 ? and 200 ?. These results provide a strong evidence of a thermally induced microphase separation, which is corroborated by the very sharp increases of the viscosity (over 2 decades) and of the stress relaxation time of the solutions, occurring in the temperature range where the scattering peak is observed. The results are discussed and compared with the theoretical models proposed for weakly charged polyelectrolytes in a poor solvent. Received 1 October 2001