AC-DC coupling experiments in the spin density wave state of tetramethyltetraselenofulvalene-hexafluorophosphate [(TMTSF)2PF6]

Experiments performed on (TMTSF)₂PF₆ in the spin density wave (SDW) state in the presence of joint ac and dc excitations do not show evidence for coupling between dc and ac response. Irradiation by microwaves does not lead to strong dc nonlinearity, and attempts to resurrect the ESR signal by applied dc currents were also unsuccessful. While the strongly frequency dependent response is indicative of collective effects, the response of the SDW ground state is fundamentally different from that of a charge density wave condensate.     

Infrared conductivity from spin and charge density waves: (TMTSF) 2X

Infrared conductivity from an incommensurate spin density wave occurs due to even-order charge density wave harmonics which interact with the host lattice. Phonon states within the density-wave-induced energy gap for single-particle excitations lead to conductivity much different from that of an incommensurate charge density wave including counter-ion ordering. The conductivity expected for relaxed and quenched states of (TMTSF)₂ClO₄ is discussed.     

Subterahertz electrodynamics of (TMTSF)2X (X = ClO4, PF6) salts

The terahertz-subterahertz spectra of the complex permittivity and dynamic conductivity of polycrystalline (TMTSF)₂ClO₄ and (TMTSF)₂PF₆ samples are measured quantitatively. The spectra of (TMTSF)₂ClO₄ have absorption lines at frequencies of 7 and 30 cm^?1. The obtained temperature dependences of the line parameters in the range 5–300 K cast some doubt on the earlier concept of their phonon origin. An excitation is detected at temperatures below 20 K in the frequency range near 30 cm^?1, and its nature is related to the activation of a transverse acoustic phonon caused by the folding of the Brillouin zone due to the ordering of noncentrosymmetrical anions below 20 K. An increase in the carrier relaxation rate is found in this temperature range, which indicates a close relation between the electron and phonon subsystems in (TMTSF)₂ClO₄. Sings of additional low-energy excitations that should manifest themselves at frequencies below 1–2 cm^?1 are detected. (TMTSF)₂PF₆ containing centrosymmetrical anions has no absorption lines in the frequency range 3–20 cm^?1 and the temperature range 5–300 K.     

Band structure of (TMTSF)2X

The electronic structure of the organic conductors (TMTSF)₂X has been explored in terms of the tight binding band structures calculated for a sheet of TSF molecules. The Se 4d-orbitals appear to be critical in enhancing the interstack Se…Se interaction to the point that (TMTSF)₂X becomes pseudo two-dimensional. Based upon the present band structure study, it is discussed whether a normal metallic state or a spin density wave state provides the closed Fermi surface responsible for the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations observed in (TMTSF)₂PF₆.     

Dipole-dipole spin anisotropy energy for spin density waves in highly anisotropic crystals: (TMTSF) 2X

The dipole-dipole spin anisotropy energy for a spin density wave (SDW) is compatible with experimental easy, intermediate, and hard spin polarization axes in the (TMTSF) ₂X class of organic conductors only when electron-hole correlations of the SDW are atomic in size. Magnitudes of the spin anisotropy energy and the spin-flip magnetic field in this case agree with experiment for a SDW amplitude comparable to 10^-2 Bohr magnetons/TMTSF molecule.     

Evolution of the spin-density wave-superconductivity texture in the organic superconductor (TMTSF)2PF6 under pressure

We report an investigation at the endpoint region of the spin density wave state in (TMTSF)₂PF₆ where metal and superconductivity emerge. Thanks to resistivity measurements along the three main crystallographic directions, we are able to follow the texture in this phase coexistence regime. In this respect, superconductivity is used as a decoration technique of the metallic pattern. We show that metal (superconductivity) emerges first along the c^? direction in a counterintuitive manner. Then metal (superconductivity) domains evolves from filaments along the c^? axis towards slabs perpendicular to the a-axis which melt together in the homogeneous phase at high pressure. This evolution is compatible with the proposition of the formation of a soliton phase in the vicinity of the critical pressure of the (TMTSF)₂PF₆ phase diagram.     

Physical properties of (TMTSF)2TaF6: Influence of the anion size

The physical properties of (TMTSF)₂TaF₆ are discussed through transport and magnetic measurements. A crossover between two different regimes is observed around 100K and a spin density wave ground state appears below 11 K. The phase diagram under magnetic field is determined. Finally, the properties of this compound are compared with that of the other members of the TMTSF series and the influence of the anion size is discussed.     

Fractionally charged excitations in the charge density wave state of a quarter-filled t-J chain with quantum phonons

Elementary excitations of the 4k _F charge density wave state of a quarter-filled strongly correlated electronic one-dimensional chain are investigated in the presence of dispersionless quantum optical phonons using Density Matrix Renormalization Group techniques. Such excitations are shown to be topological solitons carrying charge e/2 and spin zero. Relevance to the 4k _F charge density wave instability in (DI - DCNQI)₂ A g or recently discovered in (TMTTF)₂X ( X=PF ₆, AsF₆) is discussed. Received 30 March 2001 and Received in final form 11 May 2001     

Coexistence of superconductivity and spin density wave orderings in the organic superconductor (TMTSF) 2 PF 6

The phase diagram of the organic superconductor (TMTSF)₂PF₆has been revisited using transport measurements with an improved control of the applied pressure. We have found a 0.8 kbar wide pressure domain below the critical point (9.43 kbar, 1.2 K) for the stabilisation of the superconducting ground state featuring a coexistence regime between spin density wave (SDW) and superconductivity (SC). The inhomogeneous character of the said pressure domain is supported by the analysis of the resistivity between T _SDW and T _SC and the superconducting critical current. The onset temperature T _SC is practically constant ( 1.20±0.01 K) in this region where only the SC/SDW domain proportion below T _SC is increasing under pressure. An homogeneous superconducting state is recovered above the critical pressure with T _SC falling at increasing pressure. We propose a model comparing the free energy of a phase exhibiting a segregation between SDW and SC domains and the free energy of homogeneous phases which explains fairly well our experimental findings. Received 3 September 2001 and Received in final form 9 November 2001     

Study on the competition between density waves, singlet, and triplet pairing superconductivity in organic conductors (TMTSF)2X

We study the effect of dimerization of TMTSF molecules and the effect of magnetic field (Zeeman splitting) on the phase competition in quasi one-dimensional organic superconductors (TMTSF)₂X by applying the random phase approximation method. As for the dimerization effect, we conclude that due to the decrease of the dimerization, which corresponds to applying the pressure and cooling, spin and charge density wave states are suppressed and give way to a superconducting state. As for the magnetic field effect, we find generally that spin-triplet pairing mediated by a coexistence of 2k_F spin and 2k_F charge fluctuations can be strongly enhanced by applying magnetic field rather than triplet pairing due to a ferromagnetic spin fluctuations. Applying the above idea to (TMTSF)₂X compounds, a magnetic field induced singlet-triplet transition is consistent with above mechanism in (TMTSF)₂ClO₄.     

Infrared study on the formation of charge density waves in (TMTSF) 2X (X = Reo4− and PF6− at atmospheric pressure

The temperature dependence of the infrared absorption spectra (4000–200 cm^?) of (TMTSF) ₂Reo₄ and (TMTSF) ₂PF₆ are investigated with the aim at using the appearance of vibronic absorptions originated by electron-molecular vibration interactions to monitor the formation of charge density waves (CDW) on the donor stacks. The presence of vibronic bands at ≈1400, 436 and 264 cm^?1 in (TMTSF) ₂Re0₄ below 180 K shows that the anion ordering transition in this salt induces the formation of commensurate CDW. The absence of vibronic bands in the PF₆^? salt at 8K indicates that no CDW formation nor an underlying 2K_f lattice distortion takes place at the metal-insulator (MI) phase transition. These results show that, at atmospheric pressure both salts do not undergo a conventional Peierls type MI transition.     

ESR study of weakly irradiated organic conductors: TMTSF-DMTCNQ and (TMTSF)2PF6

We present ESR experiment on irradiated TMTSF-DMTCNQ and (TMTSF)₂PF₆. They suggest that a weak disorder extends the metallic phases to low temperatures. Surprisingly, disorder has no effect on the ESR linewidth of (TMTSF)₂PF₆ between 20 and 30 K, where the d.c. conductivity changes a lot with disorder.     

Hall mobility in quasi one-dimensional conductors with charge density or spin density wave ground state

High mobilities found for free carriers below the phase transition in quasi one-dimensional crystals such as TTF-TCNQ and (TMTSF)₂PF₆ indicate that defect scattering is unimportant. We calculate the Hall mobility due to phonon scattering and find good agreement with the measured value of 10⁴cm²/Vsec for (TMTSF)₂PF₆ at 4K.     

Optical conductivity of the Bechgaard salts: the sum rules revisited

The validity of the optical sum rules has been addressed eversince and was always matter of debate. Particularly controversial is the proof that the partial sum rules can be extended to both optical conductivity and energy loss function. We show in this paper that for both transverse (optical conductivity) and longitudinal (energy loss function) absorption processes the corresponding sum rule can be theoretically established and through appropriate conditions for the integration limits exactly verified. We also focus our attention on the one-dimensional case within the microscopic Hubbard model. An application of these concepts to the quasi one-dimensional systems, for which we have chosen the organic (TMTSF)₂PF₆ material, will also be presented. Received: 19 December 1997 / Received in final form: 9 March 1998 / Accepted: 23 March 1998     

Theory of resonant Raman scattering from low-energy collective excitations of interacting electrons in quantum wires

The Raman spectra of quantum wires in the region of electronic intra-band excitations are investigated using one- and two-band models based on the Luttinger approximation with spin. Structures related to charge and spin density modes are identified, and analyzed with respect to their behavior with photon energy and temperature. It is found that the low-energy peaks in the polarized spectra, close to resonance that are commonly assigned to “single particle excitations”, can be interpreted as the signature of spin density excitations. A broad structure in the resonant depolarized spectrum is predicted above the frequency of the spin density excitations. This is due to simultaneous but independent propagation of spin and charge density modes. The results, when compared with experiment, show, that the electronic collective excitations of quantum wires at low energies are characteristic for a non-Fermi liquid. Received: 25 March 1998 / Accepted: 3 June 1998     

Electron spin resonance spectroscopy of the organic conductor: (TMTSF)2PF6

The ESR g-factor, linewidth and spin susceptibility of (TMTSF)₂PF₆ are each found to have a distinct temperature dependence. The anisotropy of g and of the linewidth for static magnetic fields in the plane perpendicular to the highly conducting axis suggest that spin-phonon scattering is the dominant relaxation mechanism. The metal-insulator transition at 19 K is reflected particularly clearly in the magnetic properties.     

The electrical resistivity of the charge transfer complex (TMTSF)2PF6

The temperature dependence of the resistivity of (TMTSF)₂PF₆ over the temperature range 25–300 K is in excellent agreement with “libron” theory, if a Bloch (1-phonon) contribution corresponding to λ = 0.16 (a value determined from the Peierls transition temperature) is invoked. This contributes about 10% to the resistivity at 300 K, and about 20% at 40 K.     

Synthetic metals based on tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene(TMTSF): Varied anisotropy in the low temperature (125K) structures of (TMTSF)2X,X=C104-, PF6-, and AsF6-.

The low temperature (125K) X-ray crystal structures of (TMTSF)₂X, X=C10₄^-, PF₆^-, and AsF₆^- reveal decreases in the intermolecular interand intrastack Se-Se contact distances upon cooling (298K to 125K) which are highly anisotropic and different from one salt to another. The changes in the interstack distances, which are normal to the stacking direction, are approximately twice those involving intrastack Se-Se interactions. These observations establish that the anisotropic structural changes which accompany decreased temperature are common to numerous (TMTSF)₂X radical cation conducting salts.     

Long-wavelength magnetic excitations in the Zn0.55Mn0.45Fe2O4 ferrite

The small-angle neutron scattering energy spectra of the Zn_0.55Mn_0.45Fe₂O₄ ferrite are analyzed at different temperatures (both below and above T _C ? 390 K) and scattering angles. The thermal expansion coefficient α(T) is measured in the temperature range 80–600 K. It is revealed that inelastic neutron scattering is governed not only by spin waves of the Holstein-Primakoff type but also by the substantial contribution of additional long-wavelength magnetic excitations. The physical nature of these low-energy magnetic excitations is discussed.