Thermodynamics of vortices in layered superconductors and the dependence of Tc on anisotropy

Data on multilayered superconductors such as YBa₂Cu₃O₇PrBa₂Cu₃O₇ show a strong dependence of T_c on anisotropy. In particular, the ratio T_cτ, where τ is the effective XY coupling constant, is found to vary by much more than the theoretical XY limit of 2.4. Layered superconductors allow for an additional anisotropy due to the core energy E_c of vortices perpendicular to the layers. It is shown that if E_c is large, such that the anisotropy is larger than exp(-E_cT_c), T_c is near a fluxon transition which is described by fluctuations of flux loops parallel to the layers. In the latter case T_cτ can vary by more than 2.4, accounting for the data.     

Surface diffusion of dysprosium on the W(1 1 1) facet

Diffusion of dysprosium on the (1 1 1) facet of a tungsten micromonocrystal was investigated by means of spectral analysis of field emission current fluctuations. The experimental spectral density functions of the current fluctuations were analysed by using Gesley and Swanson’s theoretical spectral density function, which enables to determine the surface diffusion coefficient D for dysprosium. Derived from the temperature dependence of D, the diffusion activation energy E is presented for some Dy coverages θ_(1 1 1). In the temperature range 400–600 K, the E first drops from 1.25 eV per atom at θ₍₁₁₁₎≈0.25 ML to 0.48 eV per atom at θ₍₁₁₁₎≈1 ML (corresponding to the minimum of the work function of the system), then increases to 1.03 eV per atom at θ₍₁₁₁₎≈1.3 ML. The results are discussed from the aspects of the substrate structure and interaction in the adsorbed layer.     

Upper bound to the charge-transfer energy on a 2D Wigner lattice in high-Tc cuprates

Assuming that the energy of a 2D Wigner lattice, which has been frequently observed on the CuO₂ plane in layered high-T_c cuprates, is composed of Coulomb energy, kinetic energy, and charge-transfer energy which is necessary to transfer electrons or holes onto the CuO₂ plane (the magnitude of the energy is expected to be of the order of the work function of the compound constituting the plane from which the electrons are transferred, if the CuO₂ plane easily accepts the electrons or holes, as if the CuO₂ plane were crystal surface), we find in the mean-field approximation, that the total energy for a unit lattice, E₀, can be given by a function of the charge-transfer energy E_φ as E₀= (E_φ−E_φ⁰+O((E_φ−E_φ⁰)₂)(>0), where the value of E_φ⁰(1.5 in the ground state, for example) is independent of the lattice configuration. This relation implies that the upper bound to the charge-transfer energy is given by E_φ⁰. The smallness of E_φ⁰, compared with the work function of ordinary metals and alloys (with the work function around 4 eV), is necessary for the realization of the 2D Wigner lattice in many layered high-T_c cuprates.     

A study of estimation method for conduction band offset in semiconductor heterostructure by using triple-barrier resonant tunneling diodes

A method for evaluating a band offset of a heterojunction is proposed by measuring temperature dependence of current–voltage (I–V) characteristics in triple-barrier resonant tunneling diodes (TBRTDs). The method was applied for investigating a conduction band offset by using GaAs_0.25P_0.75/GaAs TBRTDs with thin strain heterobarriers grown by MOCVD and ΔE_c was estimated as 200–240 meV. In the strain-barrier TBRTDs, negative differential resistance was observed below 100 K.     

Fabrication, microstructure and critical current density of screen-printed Ag-(Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox superconducting tapes

The influence of the sintering conditions on the microstructure and critical current density J_c has been studied on screen-printed Ag-(Bi, Pb)₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_x tapes with a ceramics mono-layer core. Three kinds of fabrication processes, which consist of a combination of cold working (rolling and/or pressing) and sintering, are applied. Four times repetition of pressing and sintering after the pre-sintering produces the highest c-axis alignment and achieves J_c= 1.5 × 10⁴ A/cm² (77 K, 0 T). The J_c versus θ data with an angle θ between B and the c-axis elucidate the relation between the anisotropy ratio γ=J_c(Bc)/J_c(B|c and the half-height angular width Δθ of a peak for Bc. This is related to both grain alignment and the J_c value. An increase in J_c, which comes from an improvement for grain alignment, enhances γ and narrows Δθ. The J_c versus θ data are fitted to the expression J_c(B, θ)=J _c(B, 90°)/[(γ−1)|cos θ|ⁿ+1] by regarding both γ and n as adjustable parameters. Fabrication of screen-printed tapes with multilayers (1≤N≤5) is presented, where the critical current increases from 8.0 A to 30.2 A at 77 K and 0 T as N increases.     

Electronic structure of (Nd, Ce)2(Ba, Nd)2Cu3Oy

The dependence of T_c on oxygen content was determined for (Nd_0.67Ce_0.33)₂(Ba_0.67Nd_0.33)₂Cu_3.01O_y. It was found that superconduction appears in a range of y=9.10−9.16 and that T_c is enhanced remarkably by the increase of oxygen content. In an oxygen content range where superconduction appeared, the Ce valence was nearly +4 and the Cu valence changed from 2.31 to 2.33. The conductivity was measured in a wide temperature range between T_c and 1200 K as a function of oxygen partial pressure. The high-temperature conductivity increased with increasing oxygen content. It was found that both carrier concentration and mobility are increased with oxygen content. The conduction at low temperatures was semiconductor-like, and increased with increasing oxygen content, where the energy gap E_A-E_V between acceptor level and top of filled band approached zero.     

Optical absorption, disorder and the Anderson transition

The optical gap, E_g, of amorphous indium-oxide films is measured as a function of static disorder near the metal-insulator transition. On the insulating side of the transition the optical gap obeys a scaling relation, ΔE_g = -E_*Δg where E_* is of the order of the Fermi energy of the given sample and g≡K_Fl. These results are ascribed to the continuous shift of the mobility-edge in the conduction band with disorder.     

Influence of fluctuations on thermal conductivity of high-Tc YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductor

To study a behavior of the thermal conductivity near T_c specific heat and thermal diffusivity of the YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ high-T_c ceramics were simultaneously measured. Close to T_c = 92.30 K the thermal diffusivity and the thermal conductivity discovered minima and the specific heat – maximum. Quantitative analysis of the influence of thermodynamical fluctuations showed the same power laws with Gaussian exponent equal to 0.5 and existing of crossover from the 3D Gaussian to 3D XY critical behavior in the specific heat and thermal conductivity at the approach to T_c. To explain the minimum in thermal conductivity at T_c we propose a mechanism of scattering of phonons on the superconducting fluctuations.     

A relation between the atomic charge of carbon and the C1s core electron binding energy estimated from a comparison of gas phase and solid state data and the molar polarizabilities of the investigated molecules

A method for internal calibration of ESCA (XPS ) spectra is described that permits the use of a simple relation between binding energy (E_b) and atomic charge (q) : E_b = kq + E_b0. This relation has been shown to hold for a large number of elements. So far the relation for carbon has, however, not been very well established. A method is now described that allows the use of carbon charges determined from E_b, vs. q correlations for other elements and has also made it possible to establish a linear relation for carbon. The method does not use carbon charges determined directly from quantum chemical calculations.

As an essential part of this procedure we investigated empirically the possible relation between the difference between the gas phase calibration standard and that for the same element in the solid state, “a”, and the molar polarizability of the substance, P. It was found that “a” decreases with increasing polarizability, tentatively as a=4.15+8.30 P^−1/3. Therefore, knowledge of the polarizability of carbon-containing molecules from the literature made it possible to determine “a” and then the charge of all other atoms in the molecule. In this way a set of E_b and qc date was obtained. These data were complemented by another set using theoretical q_c snd solid state E_b of phenyl compounds previously made.

The results of the investigation show a linear relation between E_b(Cls) and q_c valid for the solid state: E_b,(Cls) = 4.68 q_c + 286.2 eV with a correlation coefficient of 0.945. This brings the previously obtained k value for carbon, which seemed anomalously high, down to a value of similar magnitude as for other light elements.     

The order of magnetic phase transition in La(Fe1−xCox)11.4Si1.6 compounds

Magnetic transitions in La(Fe_1−xCo_x)_11.4Si_1.6 compounds with x=0–0.08, have been studied by DC magnetic measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The temperature dependence of the Landau coefficients has been derived by fitting the magnetization, M(μ₀H), using the Landau expansion of the magnetic free energy. For x0.02 there is a strongly first-order magnetic phase transition between ferromagnetic and paramagnetic (F–P) states in zero external field and a metamagnetic transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic (P–F) above T_c. Increasing the cobalt content drives the F–P transition towards second order and eliminates the metamagnetic transition.     

Spectral intensities in the ν1 band of NH3

Intensities have been measured for individual transitions in the Q and R branches of the ν₁ band of NH₃ using a difference-frequency laser spectrometer. The data yield an integrated band strength of S⁰_v=219.36±1.03 cm^-2/MPa at 297 K, corresponding to a transition moment of μ_v = 8.535(20) × 10^-32 C·m, and a Herman-Wallis correction factor, (1 + _jm)², where _j = 0.0209(20). The intensities of a few lines for K 7 were noticeably perturbed by a perpendicular Coriolis interaction with 2ν₄ (E, L = 2), so were excluded from the fit. A small sample of ν₃ band lines occurring in the ν₁ band scans also yields a rough estimate of the ν₃ band intensity with evident irregular perturbations.     

The thermodynamics of purely elastic scattering theories and conformal perturbation theory

We discuss the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz, and explain how it allows one to reduce the infinite-volume thermodynamics of a (1 + 1)-dimensional purely elastic scattering theory to the solution of a set of integral equations for the one-particle excitation energies. The free energy at zero chemical potential(s) and temperature T is related to the ground state energy E₀(R) of the theory on a cylinder of circumference R = 1/T. E₀(R) determines properties of the CFT describing the UV limit of the given massive theory. These include the central charge (which we investigated in earlier work), the scaling dimension d of the conformal field whose perturbation leads to the massive theory, the coefficients in the conformal perturbation theory (CPT) expansion of E₀(R) in powers of R^2−d, and the bulk term in the CPT calculation of the ground-state energy. We determine the bulk term analytically, and obtain numerically the first six coefficients in the expansion of E₀(R) for many purely elastic scattering theories, including the scaling limit of the T = T_c Ising model in a magnetic field. The perfect agreement with (more limited) direct CPT results provides further strong support for the identification of these theories as specific perturbed CFTs. We suggest that the singularities of E₀(R), the first of which is responsible for the finite radius of convergence of CPT, are square-root branch points and related to the zeros of the partition function of the corresponding lattice model.     

A generalized Vlasov equation

A two-special dimension electronic system characterized by a plasma parameter Γ 1 is analyzed; then, by using a rigorous non-equilibrium statistical mechanical theory, the evolution of distribution function is considered. A generalized Vlasov equation (GVE) is derived. Compared to the usual Vlasov equation, GVE presents an additional velocity-dependent correlation term. Taking as a starting point the GVE, the phenomenological approximation to two-particles function, ƒ₂(r₁r₂p₁p₂; t) = ƒ₁(r₁p₁;t)f₁(r₂p₂;t)g(r₁−r₂), proposed by Singwi, Tosi, Landi and Sjolander is analyzed.     

Time-dependent response of interface states determined by using differential isothermal transient spectroscopy

A method based on the differential analysis of the isothermal transients is proposed to study the dynamical properties of the charging and discharging of interface states, and several possibilities of using this method are shown. The results obtained in SiO₂/Si and Si₃N₄/SiO₂/Si samples are in agreement with the existence of a spatial and energy distribution of interface states within the insulator. From the experimental data, the concentration of traps within the insulator at 35 Å is estimated to be 5×10⁹ cm^-2 eV^-1, with a tunneling cross section 10^-19 cm², at E_c-E ≈ 0.2 eV.     

A spectroscopic ellipsometric investigation of new critical points of Zn1−xMnxS epilayers

Zn_1−xMn_xS epilayers were grown on GaAs (1 0 0) substrates by hot-wall epitaxy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed that all the epilayers have a zincblende structure. The optical properties were investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry at 300 K from 3.0 to 8.5 eV. The obtained data were analyzed for determining the critical points of pseudodielectric function spectra, (E) = ₁(E) + i₂(E), such as E₀, E₀ + Δ₀, and E₁, and three E₂ (Σ, Δ, Γ) structures at a lower Mn composition range. These critical points were determined by analytical line-shapes fitted to numerically calculated derivatives of their pseudodielectric functions. The observation of new peaks, as well as the shifting and broadening of the critical points of Zn_1−xMn_xS epilayers, were investigated as a function of Mn composition by ellipsometric measurements for the first time. The characteristics of the peaks changed with increasing Mn composition. In particular, four new peaks were observed between 4.0 and 8.0 eV for Zn_1−xMn_xS epilayers, and their characteristics were investigated in this study.     

Systematic thermopower measurements of the thallium cuprates Tl(Ba,Sr)2Cam−1CumO2m+3−δ and Tl2Ba2Cam−1CumO2m+4+δ

The thermoelectric power (TEP) S versus temperature has been systematically investigated for several series of the superconducting cuprates Tl(Ba,Sr)₂Ca_m−1Cu_mO_2m+3−δ (m = 2, 3) and Tl₂Ba₂Ca_m−1Cu_mO_2m+4+δ (m = 1, 2, 3). The consideration of the S(T_c) curves allows two important points to be found evidence for. The first one deals with the fact that all these superconducting thallium cuprates are systematically overdoped whatever T_c, and whatever the number of Cu or Tl layers; no underdoped superconducting cuprate could be obtained. The second point shows that there exist two classes of Tl cuprates: the weakly overdoped cuprates that exhibit a T_{c max} ≥ 100 K (all the triple copper layer cuprates and the 2212 cuprates) and those which can be heavily doped that exhibit a T_{c max} ≤ 90 K (the 2201 and the 1212 cuprates). The different behavior of thallium cuprates compared to YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ and to bismuth cuprates is discussed.     

Structurally tuned superconductivity in heavy-fermion CeMIn5 (M=Co, Ir, Rh)

We discuss systematic trends in the high-temperature physical properties of the heavy Fermion superconductors (HFS) CeCoIn₅ (T_c=2.3 K, γ=300 mJ/molK²), CeIrIn₅ (T_c=0.4 K, γ=750 mJ/molK²), and CeRhIn₅ (P_c=16 kbar, T_c=2.1 K, γ=400 mJ/molK²) in terms of crystalline-electrical-field effects(CEF). We suggest the possibility that the interplay between the symmetry of the CEF ground-state (or low-T CEF scheme of levels) and the f–s hybridization could generate spin fluctuations relevant to the superconducting pairing mechanism in these materials. This hypothesis may provide insight into the fact that some crystal structures appear to favor superconductivity. Further, CeMIn₅ (M=Co, Ir, Rh) appear to be structural relatives of the cubic heavy Fermion superconductor CeIn₃, but with much higher T_c's. We argue that structural layering inherent in the tetragonal CeMIn₅ crystal structure determines the magnetic and electronic anisotropy responsible for the enhanced T_c's. We also describe similarities and differences between these compounds and the high-T_c cuprates.     

Carbon solubility and superconductivity in MgB2

Successful replacement of B by C in the series MgB_2−xC_x for values of x upto 0.3 is reported. Resistivity and ac susceptibility measurements have been carried out in the samples. Solubility of carbon, inferred from the observed change in the lattice parameter with carbon content indicates that carbon substitutes upto x=0.30 into the MgB₂ lattice. The superconducting transition temperature, T_c measured both by zero resistivity and the onset of the diamagnetic signal shows a systematic decrease with increase in carbon content upto x=0.30, beyond which the volume fraction decreases drastically. The temperature dependence of resistivity in the normal state fits to the Bloch–Gruneisen formula for all the carbon compositions studied. The Debye temperature, θ_D, extracted from the fit, is seen to decrease with carbon content from 900 to 525 K, whereas the electron–phonon interaction parameter, λ, obtained from the McMillan equation using the measured T_c and θ_D, is seen to increase monotonically from 0.8 in MgB₂ to 0.9 in the x=0.50 sample. The ratio of the resistivities between 300 and 40 K versus T_c is seen to follow the Testardi correlation for the C substituted samples. The decrease in T_c is argued to mainly arise due to large decrease in θ_D with C concentration and a decrease in the hole density of states at N(E_F).     

Vortices and phase transitions in two-dimensional non-abelian spin models

We modify O(n) models (n>2) in two dimensions so as to comparedifferent thoeries with identical local properties and different global ones. Our O′ (3) model with a particular interaction has vortex-like configuration (π₁(P₂) = Z₂) though it is locally equivalent to an O (3) model (π₁(S₂) = 0). Our results have been obtained by means of strong coupling methods. The Padé extrapolants show a critical value x_c = 11.8.