Third-order phase transition and superconductivity in thin films

We have found a new mean field solution in the BCS theory of superconductivity. This unconventional solution indicates the existence of superconducting phase transitions of third order in thin films, or in bulk matter with a layered structure. The critical temperature increases with decreasing thickness of the layer, and does not exhibit the isotope effect. The electronic specific heat is a continuous function of temperature with a discontinuity in its derivative.     

Axialisation, cooling and quenching of ions in a Penning trap

On the basis of a macroscopic ground state population it was argued recently that Bose-Einstein condensation should occur in a one-dimensional harmonic potential. We examine this situation by drawing analogies to bosons in a two-dimensional box, where the thermodynamic limit is well-defined. We show that in both systems although the ground state populations show sharp onsets at the critical temperature, the behaviour of the specific heat is analytic, which proves the absence of a phase transition in these systems. Received: 17 February 1997 / Revised: 3 September 1997 / Accepted: 13 October 1997     

Specific heat jump in BCS superconductors

An exact analytical expression for the specific heat jump at the critical temperature T_c has been obtained directly from the BCS gap equation for any shape of the energy dependent electronic density of states (DOS). We consider a model which takes into consideration electron-electron repulsion, formulated in the Hubbard model along with the electron-electron attraction due to electron-phonon interaction in the BCS formalism. We have analyzed this expression for constant as well as for the Lorentzian forms of DOS. It is shown that the constant DOS in the simple BCS theory cannot explain the large values of , found in some superconductors. The specific heat versus temperature curve has been found to have a peak, similar to that of Eliashberg theory of superconductivity. The influence of repulsive interaction is very small and occurs mainly at higher temperatures. Received: 26 January 1998     

Isotope shifts and hyperfine structure in the transitions in calcium II

The isotope shift and hyperfine structure in the three - transitions in Ca II have been studied by fast ion beam collinear laser spectroscopy for all stable Ca isotopes. The metastable 3d states were populated within the surface ionization source of a mass separator with a probability of about 0.1%. After resonant excitation to the 4p levels with diode laser light around 850 nm the uv photons from the transitions to the ground state were used for detection. Hyperfine structure parameters A and B for the odd isotope ⁴³Ca, as evaluated from the splittings observed, agree well with theoretical predictions from relativistic many-body perturbation theory. Field shift constants and specific mass shift constants were extracted from the measured isotope shifts and are discussed in comparison with expectation values from theory. Received: 19 September 1997 / Revised: 5 December 1997 / Accepted: 27 January 1998     

Monte Carlo simulations of high-moment - low-moment transitions in Invar alloys

We have reproduced magneto-volume effects typical for Invar alloys by examining a spin-analogous model which describes coupled spatial and magnetic degrees of freedom and, additionally, chemical disorder. Constant pressure Monte Carlo simulations of this model show an almost vanishing thermal expansion over a broad range of temperatures below ,a softening of the bulk modulus and the absence of a sharp peak in the specific heat at the magnetic phase transition as observed in Fe₆₅Ni₃₅ Invar. Received: 9 September 1996 / Revised: 23 May and 23 September 1997 / accepted: 3 September 1997     

Concerning the first-order phase transition in the low-dimensional organic superconductor (BEDO—TTF)2ReO4 · H2O. Crystal and electronic band structures below the phase transition (T = 170 K)

The effect of the first-order phase transition occurring around 220 K on the crystal and electronic structure of the molecular superconductor (BEDO-TTF) has been studied. The crystal structure at 170 K has been determined and it is found that the main structural change resulting from the phase transition is connected with a rotation of the anions. This rotation leads to changes in the SS and SO intermolecular contacts within the BEDO-TTF donor layers. How these structural changes affect the electronic structure of the salt is studied by comparing the transfer integrals for the different donordonor intermolecular interactions calculated for the room temperature and 170 K crystal structures. It is shown that Fermi surfaces for the 170 K and room temperature structures are very similar, do not exhibit nesting properties, and can be described as resulting from the hybridization of superposing ellipses. Received: 4 September 1997 / Received in final form: 2 December 1997 / Accepted: 3 December 1997     

Cesium ordering and electron localization-delocalization phenomena in the quasi-one-dimensional diphosphate tungsten bronzes: Cs1‒xP8W8O40

We present a structural investigation of the family of quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) conductors, which exhibit intriguing charge transport properties where, for x small, the conductivity exhibits a crossover from a semiconducting to a metallic like regime when the temperature decreases. In these materials the double zig-zag chains, together with the diphosphate groups, delimit channels which are partially filled with the ions. It is found, from an X-ray diffuse scattering investigation, that at room temperature the ions are locally ordered on a lattice of well-defined sites in the channel direction and not ordered between neighboring channels. These ions form 1D incommensurate concentration waves whose periodicity depends on the stoichiometry. In upon cooling, the intrachannel order increases significantly, and an interchannel order between the 1D concentration waves develops. But, probably because of kinetic effects, no tridimensional (3D) long range order of the ions is achieved at low temperature. The 3D low-temperature local order has been determined and it is found that the phase shift between the concentration waves minimizes their Coulomb repulsions. This local order is increasingly reduced as the Cs concentration diminishes. We interpret the intriguing features of the electrical conductivity in relationship with the thermal evolution of the Cs ordering effects. We suggest that in , for x small, a localization-delocalization transition of the Anderson type occurs due to the thermal variation of the Cs disorder. When x increases, the enhancement of the disorder leads to a localization of the electronic wave function in the whole temperature range measured. Finally, and probably because of the disorder, no charge density wave instability is revealed by our X-ray diffuse scattering investigation. Received: 10 October 1997 / Received in final form: 11 December 1997 / Accepted: 16 December 1997     

Ferromagnetic ground state in the Kondo lattice model

We present a series of rigorous examples of the Kondo lattice model that exhibit full ferromagnetism in the ground state. The models are defined in one-, two- and three-dimensional lattices, and are characterized by a range of hopping terms, specific electron filling, and large ferromagnetic coupling. Our examples show that a sufficient strong but finite exchange coupling between conduction electrons and localized spins could overcome the competition from mobility of a finite density of electrons and drive the system from a paramagnetic phase to a ferromagnetic phase. We also establish a relation of ferromagnetism between the Hubbard model and Kondo lattice model. Meanwhile some rigorous results on ferromagnetism in the corresponding Hubbard model are presented. Received: 10 September 1997 / Revised: 15 October 1997 / Accepted: 17 October 1997     

Anomalies of attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in YBa2Cu3O7‒δ thin films in the vicinity of Tc

We present measurements of the attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in thin YBa₂Cu₃O films as a function of temperature, in magnetic fields up to 3.6 T applied parallel to the c-axis of the films. We have observed anomalies in both, the attenuation and the phase velocity in the vicinity of the superconducting critical temperature which do not depend on the magnetic field. Possible origins of these anomalies, observed, to our knowledge, for the first time in YBa₂Cu₃O thin films, are discussed and compared to bulk acoustic wave experiments. We present a kind of feedback technique for surface acoustic waves which improves the sensitivity of this type of measurement. The actual sensitivity limits are mentioned. Received: 7 August 1997 / Revised: 7 November 1997 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

Evolution from BCS superconductivity to Bose condensation: analytic results for the crossover in three dimensions

We provide an analytic solution for the mean-field equations and for the relevant physical quantities at the Gaussian level, in terms of the complete elliptic integrals of the first and second kinds, for the crossover problem from BCS superconductivity to Bose-Einstein condensation of a three-dimensional system of free fermions interacting via an attractive contact potential at zero temperature. This analytic solution enables us to follow the evolution between the two limits in a particularly simple and transparent way, as well as to verify the absence of singularities during the evolution. Received: 9 May 1997 / Revised: 4 August 1997 / Accepted: 6 November 1997     

Mesoscopic charge density wave in a magnetic flux

The stability of a Charge Density Wave (CDW) in a one-dimensional ring pierced by a Aharonov-Bohm flux is studied in a mean-field picture. It is found that the stability depends on the parity of the number N of electrons. When the size of the ring becomes as small as the coherence length , the CDW gap increases for even N and decreases for odd N. Then when N is even, the CDW gap decreases with flux but it increases when N is odd. The variation of the BCS ratio with size and flux is also calculated. We derive the harmonics expansion of the persistent current in a presence of a finite gap. Received: 16 September 1997 / Received in final form: 12 November 1997 / Accepted: 13 November 1997     

Specific heat of a BCS superconductor

By expressing the free energy as an appropriate temperature integration over the square of the BCS energy gap function and by substituting simple but accurate analytic expressions for the latter, corresponding expressions are obtained for the specific heat in the superconducting state. In the upper portion of the temperature range, the ratio of the specific heats in the superconducting and normal states is 2.43 (1 + 0.936 in t), to better than one per cent accuracy, where t is the reduced temperature. Thus, the semilog plot of temperature versus the ratio of specific heat to temperature is a straight line over a large portion of one decade of specific heat. Corresponding expressions of similar simplicity and accuracy are obtained for the middle and low temperature ranges.     

The slope equations: A universal relationship between local structure and glass transition temperature

In this article, we present a universal relationship between the glass transition temperature and the local glass structure. The derivation of the simplest expression of this relationship and some comparisons with experimental values have already been reported in a recent letter. We give here the analytical expression of the parameter of the Gibbs-Di Marzio equation and also new experimental probes for the validity of the relationship, especially in low modified binary glasses. The influence of medium range order is presented and the unusual behavior of in binary and systems explained by the presence of modifier-rich clusters (denoted by doublets). Received: 3 September 1997 / Received in final form and accepted: 17 November 1997     

Dynamical phase diagram of the random field Ising model

The stationary states of the random-field Ising model are determined through the master equation approach, where the contact with the heat bath is simulated by the Glauber stochastic dynamics. The phase diagram of the model is constructed from the stationary values of the magnetization as a function of temperature and field amplitude. The continuous phase transitions coincide with the equilibrium ones, while the first-order transitions occur at fields larger than the corresponding values at equilibrium. The difference between the fields at the limit of stability of the ordered phase and that of the equilibrium is maximum at zero temperature and vanishes at the tricritical point. We also find the mean field time auto-correlation function at the stationary states of the model. Received: 4 June 1997 / Revised: 5 August 1997 / Accepted: 10 November 1997     

Chiral phase transition at finite temperature in the linear sigma model

We study the chiral phase transition at finite temperature in the linear sigma model by employing a self-consistent Hartree approximation. This approximation is introduced by imposing self-consistency conditions on the effective meson mass equations which are derived from the finite temperature one-loop effective potential. It is shown that in the limit of vanishing pion mass, namely when the chiral symmetry is exact, the phase transition becomes a weak first order accompanying a gap in the order parameter as a function of temperature. This is caused by the long range fluctuations of meson fields whose effective masses become small in the transition region. It is shown, however, that with an explicit chiral symmetry breaking term in the Lagrangian which generates the realistic finite pion mass the transition is smoothed out irrespective of the choice of coupling strength. Recieved: 19 September 1997 / Revised version: 30 October 1997     

Superconductivity in the intermetallic compound YRhAl

The intermetallic compound, YRhAl, has been prepared and is found to be isomorphic with RRhAl (R=Pr, Nd, Gd, Ho and Tm) compounds crystallizing in the orthorhombic TiNiSi-type structure (space group Pnma). Heat capacity and electrical resistivity measurements in the He-3 temperature range reveal that this compound is superconducting with a transition temperature, T_c, of 0.9 K. The electronic specific heat coefficient, γ, and the Debye temperature are found to be 6.1 mJ/mol K and 197 K, respectively. The specific heat jump at the superconducting transition is found to be consistent with the BCS weak-coupling limit. This combined with the earlier observation of superconductivity in LaRhAl (T_c=2.4 K) having a different structure than that of YRhAl, suggests that the underlying structure is not very crucial for the occurrence of superconductivity in RRhAl series of compounds.     

Anomalous specific-heat jump in a two-component ultracold fermi gas

The thermodynamic functions of a Fermi gas with spin population imbalance are studied in the temperature-asymmetry plane in the BCS limit. The low-temperature domain is characterized by an anomalous enhancement of the entropy and the specific heat above their values in the unpaired state, decrease of the gap and eventual unpairing phase transition as the temperature is lowered. The unpairing phase transition induces a second jump in the specific heat, which can be measured in calorimetric experiments. While the superfluid is unstable against a supercurrent carrying state, it may sustain a metastable state if cooled adiabatically down from the stable high-temperature domain. In the latter domain the temperature dependence of the gap and related functions is analogous to the predictions of the BCS theory.     

Formation of metallic nanophases in silica by ion-beam mixing Part I: Mixing mechanisms

2 matrix is studied by means of the Rutherford backscattering technique. Two different mechanisms are observed: at low temperature (300 K and below) the variance of the mixed profile varies with the square of the ion fluence, whereas at higher temperature (400 K to 620 K) a linear variation is found. The low-temperature kinetics are accounted for by the migration of Ag-defect complexes after introduction of Ag atoms into the silica matrix by a ballistic process. A combination of ballistic and radiation-enhanced diffusion processes explains the results obtained at high temperature. This work emphasizes the role of the presence of metallic clusters on the migration of metal atoms in silica. Received: 10 June 1997/Accepted: 29 September 1997     

A quantum field theory of the liquid-glass transition in multi-component liquids

An established unified theory of the liquid-glass transition in one-component liquids is extended to multi-component liquids. The universal features such as the Kauzmann paradox, the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher (VTF) law on the relaxation times and the transport coefficients, the jump of the specific heat at the glass transition temperature and the Boson peaks are elucidated. The Kauzmann entropy in a form of a Curie law with a negative sign comes from the mixing between the sound and the intra-band fluctuation entropies, where the critical temperature corresponds to the sound instability temperature at a reciprocal particle distance. The VTF law is constructed from the Einstein relation on entropy and probability so that the Kauzmann entropy is included as a normal form in exponent of the VTF law. The Kauzmann entropy explains the Kauzmann paradox and the jump of the specific heat so that the universal features of the glass transition are elucidated consistently.