Thermodynamic and transport measurements of superconducting Na0.3CoO2.1.3H2O single crystals prepared by electrochemical deintercalation

Superconducting single crystal samples of Na0.3CoO2.1.3H(2)O have been produced using an electrochemical technique which dispenses with the usual bromine chemical deintercalation method. In fully hydrated crystals, susceptibility and specific heat measurements confirm that bulk superconductivity has been achieved. The extracted normal state density of states indicates Fermi-liquid behavior with strong mass enhancement and a modest Wilson ratio. Measurements of H(c2) for H parallel c and H parallel ab reveal significant anisotropy, and the extracted value for the coherence length is about 100 A, consistent with an extremely narrow bandwidth.     

Metal-insulator transition in Ni-doped Na0.75CoO2: Insights from infrared studies

Nickel substitution at the cobalt site in Na_0.75CoO₂ induces an upturn in the resistivity on lowering the temperature, with the metal-to-insulator transition temperature (T _MIT) increasing with the Ni content. Low temperature far infrared measurements on polycrystalline samples of Na_0.75CoO₂ and Na_0.75Co_0.95Ni_0.05O₂, the latter having T _MIT ∼ 175 K, have been carried out. Dramatic changes in the Na mode frequencies, and relative intensities of the out-of-plane modes corresponding to the two Na sites are observed, coincident with the MIT in Na_0.75Co_0.95Ni_0.05O₂. It is argued that these changes are associated with a charge ordering of the CoO₂ layer, associated with the metal-insulator transition.     

Infrared spectroscopy of the charge ordering transition of Na0.5CoO2

We report infrared reflectivity study of charge ordering in a Na0.5CoO2 single crystal. In comparison with x=0.7 and 0.85 compounds, we found that the effective carrier density increases systematically with decreasing Na contents. The charge ordering transition only affects the optical spectra below 1000 cm(-1). A hump near 800 cm(-1) develops below 100 K, which is accompanied by the appearance of new lattice modes as well as the strong antiresonance feature of phonon spectra. These observations signify a polaronic characteristic of charge carriers. Below T(co), an optical gap develops at the magnitude of 2Delta approximately 3.5k(B)T(co) (T相似文献   

Metamagnetic transitions and anomalous magnetoresistance in EuAg_4As_2 crystals

In this work,we systematically studied the magnetic and transport properties of EuAg4As2 single crystals.It was found that the two antiferromagnetic transitions(TN1=10 K and TN2=15 K)were driven to lower temperatures by an applied magnetic field.Below TN1,two successive metamagnetic transitions were observed when a magnetic field was applied in the ab plane(H//abplane).For both H//ab and H//c,EuAg4As2 showed a positive,unexpectedly large magnetoresistance(up to 202%)in lower magnetic fields below TN1,and a large negative magnetoresistance(up to-78%)at high fields/intermediate temperatures,thus presenting potential applications in magnetic sensors.Finally,the magnetic phase diagrams of EuAg4As2 were constructed for both H//ab and H//c using the resistivity and magnetisation data.     

In-plane ferromagnetism in charge-ordering Na0.55CoO2

The magnetic and transport properties are systematically studied on the single crystal Na(0.55)CoO2 with the resistivity divergence below 50 K. A weak ferromagnetic ordering is observed in susceptibility below 20 K with the magnetic field parallel to the Co-O plane, while no such ferromagnetic ordering is observed with the field perpendicular to the Co-O plane. It gives evidence for the existence of in-plane ferromagnetism below 20 K. The observed magnetoresistance of 30% at the field of 6 T at low temperatures indicates an unexpectedly strong spin-charge coupling in the triangle lattice NaxCoO2 system.     

Studies of metal-insulator transition in TiSxSe2-x single crystals

A temperature induced metal-insulator transition has been found in TiS_xSe_2-x single crystals. The M-I transition is found to occur over the temperature range 250° to 300°C for 1.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.7. The present observation of the M-I transition has been compared and contrasted with the earlier reported M-I transition in TiS_1.7 single crystals. Evidence is presented and arguments are put forward in support of the occurrence of the M-I transition in terms of the variation in disorder of the extra Ti atoms in the van der Waals gap. The possible reason for the suppression of the M-I transition in TiS_xSe_2-x for x ≤ 1 is outlined.     

Three-dimensional spin fluctuations in Na0.75CoO2

We report polarized- and unpolarized-neutron scattering measurements of magnetic excitations in single-crystal Na0.75CoO2. The data confirm ferromagnetic correlations within the cobalt layers and reveal antiferromagnetic correlations perpendicular to the layers, consistent with an A-type antiferromagnetic ordering. The magnetic modes propagating perpendicular to the layers are sharp, and reach a maximum energy of approximately 12 meV. From a minimal spin-wave model, containing only nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange interactions, we estimate the interlayer and intralayer exchange constants to be 12.2+/-0.5 meV and -6+/-2 meV, respectively. We conclude that the magnetic fluctuations in Na0.75CoO2 are highly three dimensional.     

Spin state transition in Ca-doped Na0.7CoO2 with the nominal Co valence below 3.16

In order to clarify the nature of the transition around 300 K in Ca-doped Na_0.7CoO₂, the magnetism of Na_0.7Ca_yCoO₂ with y=0.035 and 0.07 was investigated in a positive muon spin rotation and relaxation (μ⁺SR) experiment. Transverse field μ⁺SR measurements showed that the spin state of the Co ions in Na_0.7Ca_0.07CoO₂ changes at around 300 K; i.e. the exponential relaxation rate vs. T curve exhibited a large maximum around 300 K with an accompanying small peak in the muonic Knight shift, whereas no changes were found in the asymmetry, similar to [Ca₂CoO₃]_0.62[CoO₂] at around 400 K.Although the spin-density-wave (SDW) state exists for Na_xCoO₂ with x≥0.75 at low temperatures, zero-field μ⁺SR spectra in the Ca-doped samples showed no muon spin precessions down to 1.8 K but only fast relaxations indicating disorder. This is probably because the Ca²⁺ ions in the Na planes alter the charge and/or spin distribution in the CoO₂ planes. As a result, the SDW order is hindered, as the nominal Co valence is decreased below 3.16.     

Disproportionation, metal-insulator transition, and critical interaction strength in Na(1/2)CoO2

Charge disproportionation (CD) and spin differentiation in Na(1/2)CoO2 are studied using the correlated band local-density approximation + Hubbard U (LDA+U) approach. The simultaneous CD and gap opening seen previously is followed in detail through a first-order charge disproportionation transition 2Co(3.5+)-->Co3++Co4+. Disproportionation in the Co a(g) orbital results in half of the ions (Co3+) becoming electronically and magnetically dead, transforming the quarter-filled a(g) system into a half-filled subsystem that subsequently undergoes the observed charge ordering or metal-insulator transition. Comparing with data in the x approximately 0.3 regime suggests the system has moved into the multiband regime where the effective Coulomb repulsion U-->U(eff)=U/sqrt[3] strongly lessens correlation effects.     

Stripe correlations in Na(0.75)CoO2

We present a combined high-energy x-ray diffraction and local-density approximation study of the sodium ordering in Na(0.75)CoO2. The obtained results rule out previously proposed Na-ordering models and provide strong evidence for the formation of sodium-density stripes in this material. The local-density approximation calculations prove that the sodium-density stripes lead to a sizable dip in the density of the Co states at the Fermi level, pointing to band structure effects as a driving force for the stripe formation. This indicates that the sodium ordering is connected to stripelike charge correlations within the CoO2 layers, leading to an astonishing similarity between the doped cuprates and the NaxCoO2 compounds.     

Phase transition in sarcosine phosphite single crystals

Single crystals of sarcosine phosphite (SarcH₃PO₃) have been grown. The amino acid sarcosine is an isomer of the protein amino acid alanine. Both amino acids are described by the same chemical formula but have different structures; or, more specifically, in contrast to the alanine molecule, the sarcosine molecule has a symmetric structure. It has been found that the sarcosine phosphite compound undergoes a structural phase transition at a temperature of approximately 200 K. This result has demonstrated that compounds of achiral amino acids are more susceptible to structural phase transitions.     

Charge ordering and magnetopolarons in Na0.82CoO2

Using spectral ellipsometry, we measured the dielectric function of a Na(0.82(2))CoO2 crystal that exhibits bulk antiferromagnetism with T(N)=19.8 K. We identify two prominent transitions as a function of temperature. The first one at 280 K involves marked changes of the electronic and lattice responses that are indicative of charge ordering in the CoO2 layers. The second transition occurs around T(N)=19.8 K and reveals sizable spin-charge coupling. The data are discussed in terms of charge ordering and formation of magnetopolarons due to a charge-induced spin-state transition of adjacent Co3+ ions.     

Magnetic ordering and spin waves in Na0.82CoO2

NaxCoO2, the parent compound of the recently synthesized superconductor Na(x)CoO(2):yH(2)O, exhibits bulk antiferromagnetic order below approximately 20 K for 0.75相似文献   

Metal insulator transition characteristics of macro-size single domain VO2 crystals

The metal insulator transition (MIT) characteristics of macro-size single-domain VO₂ crystal were investigated. At the MIT, the VO₂ crystal exhibited a rectangular shape hysteresis curve, a large change in resistance between the insulating and the metallic phases, in the order of ～10⁵, and a small transition width (i.e. temperature difference before and after MIT) as small as 10^?3°C. These MIT characteristics of the VO₂ crystals are discussed in terms of phase boundary motion and the possibility of controlling the speed of the phase boundary, with change in size of crystal, is suggested.     

Metamagnetic transition and magnetocaloric effect in antiferromagnetic TbPdAl compound

Magnetic properties and the magnetocaloric effect of the compound TbPdAl are investigated. The compound exhibits a weak antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling, and undergoes two successive AFM transitions at T_N=43 K and T_t=22 K. A field-induced metamagnetic transition from AFM to ferromagnetic (FM) state is observed below T_N, and a small magnetic field can destroy the AFM structure of TbPdAl, inducing an FM-like state. The maximal value of magnetic entropy change is −11.4 J/kg K with a refrigerant capacity of 350 J/kg around T_N for a field change of 0-5 T. Good magnetocaloric properties of TbPdAl result from the high saturation magnetization caused by the field-induced AFM-FM transition.