Mechanism of superfluid-insulator transition in two-dimensional Bose Hubbard model

To understand the mechanism of Mott transitions in case of no magnetic influence, superfluid-insulator (Mott) transitions are studied for the S = 0 Bose Hubbard model on the square lattice, using a variational Monte Carlo approach. In trial many-body wave functions, we introduce various types of attractive correlation factors between a doubly-occupied site (doublon, D) and an empty site (holon, H), which play a central role for the transition. We propose an improved picture of D–H binding; a Mott transition occurs when the D–H pair length becomes equivalent to the minimum D–D distance, which lengths are appropriately estimated. We confirm this picture is valid for all the wave functions with attractive D–H factors we consider, and point out it can be universal for nonmagnetic Mott transitions.     

Raman heterodyne detected magnetic resonance: II. Magnetic transitions of NV centre at level anticrossing region

In the preceding paper [1] we reported both cw and coherent transient measurements carried out in EPR and NMR transitions within the³A ground state of the nitrogen-vacancy centre in diamond using the Raman heterodyne detection technique. In this paper we use these measurements to characterise the nuclear magnetic transitions near a level anticrossing situation. The level anticrossing causes a mixing of the electronic spin and nuclear spin wave functions which results in a greatly enhanced NMR transition moment. The amount of mixing not only affects the dipole moment but, correspondingly, the characteristic relaxation times. In this paper we report the measurement of these parameters in the nitrogen-vacancy centre as a function of applied Zeeman field strength and analyse the results using the spin Hamiltonian formalism. Furthermore, combined with the particular features of the Raman heterodyne technique, such a system represents an ideal testing ground for the nonlinear behaviour of strongly driven transitions. Some results are illustrated, including dynamic Zeeman splitting and gain without inversion.     

A CCD based detector for quick detection of pressure induced phase transitions

Abstract

A high sensitivity CCD based two dimensional angle dispersive X-ray are a detector has been developed for quick detection of pressure induced phase transitions for a laboratory X-ray source such as a rotating anode generator. The performance of this detector was tested by successfully carrying out powder X-ray diffraction measurements on element Pd, intermetallics AuIn², AuGa² and low Z scatterer adamantane (C₁₀H_l6) at ambient conditions. Its utility for quick detection of phase transitions at high pressures with diamond anvil cell (DAC) is demonstrated by reproducing the known pressure induced structural phase transitions in RbI and KI. The importance of this detector system in search of unknown phase transitions has been established by observing new structural phase transitions in In_0.25Sn_0.75 and AuGa₂. Various softwares have also been developed such as interactive location of centre of diffraction rings, radial integration and image enhancement to analyze data from this detector.     

Electronic transition and the metallization effect in the BiFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystal at high pressures

The optical absorption spectra from bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) have been studied at high pressures up to 60 GPa in diamond anvil cells. An electronic transition at which the energy of the optical absorption edge decreases sharply from ～1.5 eV to zero has been observed at room temperature in a pressure range of 45–55 GPa. This indirectly indicates a insulator-metal transition. The observed electronic transition correlates with the recently revealed structural and magnetic transitions induced by high pressures in this crystal. The behavior of the optical absorption edge with decreasing the pressure is completely reversible in correlation with the reversibility of the magnetic transition. The “smearing” of the structural transition in pressure is caused by thermal fluctuations between the high-spin state and low-spin state of the Fe³⁺ ions near the transition.     

Magnetic collapse and the change of electronic structure of FeBO3 antiferromagnet under high pressure

The effect of high pressures up to 60 GPa on single-crystal and polycrystalline samples of iron borate ⁵⁷FeBO₃ was studied by Mössbauer absorption spectroscopy (⁵⁷Fe nuclei) in a diamond anvil cell. Magnetic field H _hf at the ⁵⁷Fe nuclei increases with pressure but abruptly drops to zero at 46±2 GPa, indicating the crystal transition from the antiferromagnetic to nonmagnetic state. This is accompanied by an abrupt change in the isomer shift and quadrupole splitting. Their values in the high-pressure phase are evidence for the transition of Fe⁺³ ions from a high-spin (S=5/2, ⁶ A _1g ) to low-spin (S=1/2, ⁶ T2g) state (spin crossover). This correlates with an abrupt decrease in the unit-cell volume (by ～9%) and optical gap. The change of the magnetic and electronic structures is explained by Mott’s transition with rupturing of strong d-d-electron correlations.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance study of ultrananocrystalline diamonds

We report on a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) materials produced by detonation technique. Analysis of the ¹³C and ¹H NMR spectra, spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation times in purified UNCD samples is presented. Our measurements show that UNCD particles consist of a diamond core that is partially covered by a sp ²-carbon fullerene-like shell. The uncovered part of outer diamond surface comprises a number of hydrocarbon groups that saturate the dangling bonds. Our findings are discussed along with recent calculations of the UNCD structure. Significant increase in the spin-lattice relaxation rate (in comparison with that of natural diamond), as well as stretched exponential character of the magnetization recovery, are attributed to the interaction of nuclear spins with paramagnetic centers which are likely fabrication-driven dangling bonds with unpaired electrons. We show that these centers are located mainly at the interface between the diamond core and shell.     

Mott transitions in heavily doped magnetic semiconductors

A generalization applicable to magnetic semiconductors is proposed for the Mott criterion for transitions of heavily doped semiconductors from an insulating into a highly conducting state. Based on this generalization, a study is made of insulator-metal transitions in a ferromagnetic semiconductor associated with temperature variations and of insulator-metal transitions in an antiferromagnetic semiconductor acted on by a magnetic field. These results are of independent interest for nondegenerate semiconductors as well, since they yield the temperature and field dependence for the impurity state radii and for the energies and magnetizations of unionized donors or acceptors. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 433–437 (March 1998)     

Magnetic neutron diffraction under pressures up to 43 GPa. Study of the EuX and GdX compounds

We present some recent results on magnetic neutron studies at pressures above 40 GPa. We used diamond and sapphire anvil pressure cells for low temperature neutron studies and a powder diffractometer specialized for high pressure studies. Focusing systems and low-background conditions allowed us to study samples with volumes as small as 0.001 mm³ in a diamond anvil cell at a pressure of 50 GPa. This technical progress allowed us to obtain new results in studies of “textbook” magnetic insulators EuX (X = S, Se, Te) and GdX (X = As, Sb, Bi). We found new magnetic phases. In the Eu-chalcogenides we observed a strong anion-dependent increase of the ferromagnetic exchange with decreasing lattice constant. In contrast, in the GdX compounds the antiferromagnetic order remains stable up to a pressure of 43 GPa. We show the importance of our results to understand the origin of indirect exchange interactions in magnetic semiconductors with well localized magnetic shells. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Electronic structure of Mott insulators

Mott insulators are identified here with ordinary magnetic insulators. The insulating gap, local moment, and effective spin hamiltonian aspects are qualitatively explained by means of a novel set of solutions of the Hartree-Fock equations. The apparent conflict between Bloch's theorem and localized-electron phenomenology is thereby resolved in an elementary manner. This Hartree-Fock approach also sheds considerable light on the physical mechanisms responsible for the associated metal-insulator (Mott) and other related phase transitions, as observed in V₂O₃ and several other materials. With some generalizations and refinements, this theoretical picture is shown to also account semiquantitatively for a number of detailed properties of NiO and CoO, two of the most extensively studied Mott insulator materials. A wide variety of experimental data for NiO is surveyed in order to determine reasonable values for its effective Hubbard hamiltonian parameters, suitably generalized for the 3d electrons. The problems of formally deriving effective spin hamiltonians for macroscopic magnetic insulator systems are also carefully examined. The old non-orthogonality catastrophe is fully resolved by means of a degenerate (open-shell) analogue of the linked cluster perturbation expansion of Brueckner and Goldstone. Although many quantitative issues remain, these results indicate that there is now a reasonably adequate conceptual understanding of the Mott insulating state.     

Spin and charge order in Mott insulators and d-wave superconductors

We argue that aspects of the anomalous, low temperature, spin and charge dynamics of the high temperature superconductors can be understood by studying the corresponding physics of undoped Mott insulators. Such insulators display a quantum transition from a magnetically ordered Néel state to a confining paramagnet with a spin gap; the latter state has bond-centered charge order, a low energy S=1 spin exciton, confinement of S=1/2 spinons, and a free S=1/2 moment near non-magnetic impurities. We discuss how these characteristics, and the quantum phase transitions, evolve upon doping the insulator into a d-wave superconductor. This theoretical framework was used to make a number of predictions for STM measurements and for the phase diagram of the doped Mott insulator in an applied magnetic field.     

First-order isostructural Mott transition in highly compressed MnO

We present evidence for an isostructural, first-order Mott transition in MnO at 105+/-5 GPa, based on high-resolution x-ray emission spectroscopy and angle-resolved x-ray diffraction data. The pressure-induced structural and spectral changes provide a coherent picture of MnO phase transitions from paramagnetic B1 to antiferromagnetic distorted B1 at 30 GPa, to paramagnetic B8 at 90 GPa, and to diamagnetic B8 at 105+/-5 GPa. The last is the Mott transition, accompanied by a significant loss of magnetic moment, an approximately 6.6% volume collapse and the insulator-metal transition as demonstrated by recent resistance measurements.     

Study of shallow impurity states in compound semiconductors using high resolution photoluminescence spectroscopy

In this paper we review briefly the use of high resolution photoluminescence to study the behavior of shallow impurity states in compound semiconductors. As an illustration we focus our review on GaAs. The binding energies of the ground state and of several low-lying excited states of the impurity centers are determined by studying the radiative transitions associated with excitons bound to neutral donors or acceptors. The difference between the binding energies of different donors in GaAs is rather small. Thus to resolve transitions associated with different chemical donors a magnetic field is used. This has the effect of sharpening the transitions as well as increasing the separation between them. One can identify donors in samples with total impurity concentrations as high as 5X10¹⁵/cm³. The binding energies of different chemical acceptors in GaAs are much higher. Thus the radiative transitions associated with excitons bound to neutral acceptors can be resolved in zero magnetic field. Energy levels of shallow donors and acceptors in GaAs are reviewed.     

Production of the excited Ne(2p 5 3p) atoms by dissociative recombination in the afterglow of high frequency neon discharge

Experimental results are presented of the measurements of the population of the Ne(2p ⁵ 3p) atoms from the time dependences of the relative intensities of the spectral lines corresponding to 3s -3p transitions in the afterglow period of a high frequency neon glow discharge at pressures from 266 Pa to 4 kPa. The partial recombination coefficients were determined from these measurements as a function of gas pressure and they are compared with measurements of other authors. It is shown that at low gas pressures the Ne(2p ⁵ 3p) atoms are also populated only in the dissociative recombination in spite of the fact that the dominant loss process of charged particles is the ambipolar diffusion.     

Phase transition of a second kind in nickel as observed through optical reflection under pressure

The magnetic permeability of materials at optical frequencies is usually suggested in the literature to be $\mu =1$. In this case one cannot expect to measure the magnetic second order phase transition at optical frequencies. The main novel idea of this paper is that the magnetic permeability μ is not equal to 1 for optical frequency and a phase transition of magnetism was measured experimentally with an optical frequency. In particular, this work presents the detection of a magnetic second order phase transition in nickel with temperature and at different pressures, by reflectivity measurements at an optical frequency. Based on our experiments the magnetic permeability is calculated as a function of temperature for pressures of 0.3, 5 and 10 GPa attained in a diamond anvil cell (DAC).     

Infrared Spectra of Benzene at High Pressures

Mid-infrared spectra in the ranges 400-1800 and 2700-4000 cm^-1 are reported for benzene samples in diamond anvil cells at ambient temperature and pressures up to 10 GPa. The freezing pressure is confirmed to be 0.1±0.05 GPa. Changes in the spectra and in the sample appearance indicate that sluggish solid state phase transitions occur near 2.0 and 4.0 GPa. The wave number shifts with pressure for 27 selected peaks are plotted. Their small increases show that only minor distortions of the molecules occur, and there is no evidence of any weakening of intramolecular bonds in this pressure range.     

Magnetic phase diagram of GdNi2Ge2: a magnetisation and specific-heat study

The antiferromagnetic body-centred tetragonal compound GdNi₂Ge₂ orders at 28 K. Successive magnetic phase transitions are observed by specific-heat and magnetisation measurements as a function of temperature in different applied magnetic fields. Plots of M² vs. B/M (Arrott-plots) show various anomalies. On the basis of the experimental results, a magnetic phase diagram is constructed. The multiple magnetic phase transitions are discussed in terms of competing ordering modes in the Gd sublattice.     

Percolative transition in carbon-ion implanted type II<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> diamond

Experimental data for the conductivity of type IIa diamond specimens implanted at low temperatures with carbon ions, followed by high temperature annealing, have been analyzed using hopping and percolation theories in the vicinity of the insulator-metal transition. Near the transition it appears that conductivity occurs viasp ²-bonded graphitic clusters which are randomly distributed in thesp ³-bonded diamond matrix. A conductivity crossover between the Mott and Efros-Shklovskii VRH laws has been observed on the insulating side of the transition.     

Infrared Spectra of Liquid and Crystalline Ethanol at High Pressures

Abstract

Mid-infrared spectra in the ranges 400–1800 and 2700–4600 cm^?1 of ethanol samples in diamond anvil cells at ambient temperature and pressures up to 11 GPa are reported. The freezing pressure is confirmed to be 1.8 GPa, and, unlike methanol, the resulting solid is crystalline rather than glassy. No further phase transitions are observed in this pressure range. The wave number shifts of 30 selected peaks with pressure are deduced, and their small magnitudes indicate that only minor distortions of the molecules occur. The effects of the strengthening of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds with pressure on the internal modes are briefly discussed.     

Line strengths and positions of the submillimeter magnetic dipole transitions of O2

Strengths and positions of lines between 14 and 160 cm^-1 from pure rotational magnetic dipole transitions of the homonuclear molecule O₂ have been measured under carefully controlled conditions over a range of pressures from 52 to 672 torr in a long-path cell using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Correction methods have been devised to alleviate the difficult problem of baseline determination in the calculation of equivalent width for each measured line. These data show excellent agreement with the theory of Tinkham and Strandberg over the above range of measurement. The possible implication of this work to the calibration of balloon-borne measurements of the cosmologically significant cosmic microwave background is also briefly discussed.     

Intelligent anvils applied to experimental investigations: state-of-the-art

Since a long time, efforts have been made to improve the accuracy of pressure and temperature measurements in diamond anvil cell experiments performed in experimental petrology and high-pressure physics. Here, we report on the state-of-the-art of the research carried out during past few years with the diamond anvils carrying implanted electronic structures (‘intelligent’ anvils, iAnvils). The electronic structures are inserted a few microns below the diamond surface into the diamond lattice by high-energy implantation of boron. These structures can be used as pressure- and temperature-sensitive devices. Another useful application is the fabrication of micro-heaters integrated in the anvils. Pressure- and temperature-induced responses of the sensors (change of resistance) are quantified by low-current measurement equipment. Calibrations against pressure–temperature parameters are performed using well-known phase transitions or by using equation of state of pure substances. Results of in situ measurements performed on iAnvils under pressure and temperature are presented, together with calibration curves for pressure and temperature. Future experiments on in situ measurements of the conductivity dependence of the sensor structures are discussed.