Anomalous thermopower in heavy-fermion compounds CeB<Subscript>6</Subscript>, CeAl<Subscript>3</Subscript>, and CeCu<Subscript>6 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Au<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>

High-precision measurements of thermopower have been performed in a wide temperature range (2–300 K) for a series of cerium-based heavy-fermion compounds, including CeB₆, CeAl₃, CeCu₆, and substitutional solid solutions of the CeCu_{6 ? x} Au _x system (x = 0.1, 0.2). All compounds exhibit an unusual (logarithmic) asymptotic behavior of the temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient: S ∝ ?lnT. In the case of cerium hexaboride, this anomalous behavior of S(T) is accompanied by the appearance of weak-carrier-localization-mode asymptotics in the conductivity (σ(T) ∝ T ^0.39), while the paramagnetic susceptibility χ(T) and the effective mass of charge carriers m _eff(T) vary according to a power law (χ(T), m _eff(T) ∝ T ^?0.8) in the temperature interval T = 10–80 K. This behavior corresponds to renormalization of the density of states at the Fermi level. The observed anomalous behavior of thermopower in CeB₆ and other cerium-based intermetallic compounds is attributed to the formation of heavy fermions (many-body states in the metal matrix) at low temperatures.     

Magnetic properties of the Gd<Subscript>2</Subscript>V<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Mo<Subscript>1.33</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> and Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>VMoO<Subscript>7</Subscript> pyrochlore compounds

It is demonstrated that 50% substitution of vanadium for molybdenum in the pyrochlore lattice of the complex oxide Y₂(V _x Mo_{1 ? x} )₂O₇ results in a transition from the spin-glass ground state (at x = 0) to the ferromagnetic state in Y₂VMoO₇ (a = 10.1645(2) Å, T _C = 55 K). The Gd₂V_0.67Mo_1.33O₇ compound (a = 10.2862(3) Å) is a ferromagnet with T _C (84 K) exceeding that of undoped Gd₂MnO₂O₇.     

Structural and magnetic phase transformations in the diluted laves phases Pr(Fe<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The Pr(Fe_{1 ? x} Al _x )₂ alloys with concentrations x = 0–1 have been synthesized under a high pressure. The phase composition and lattice parameters (a and c) have been determined as a function of x. The magnetic and Mössbauer measurements have been performed at T = 90–400 K. It has been established that the Curie temperatures of alloys linearly depend on their composition.     

Specific features of dielectric anomalies in Pb<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ge<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Te(Ga) near a ferroelectric phase transition

The dielectric properties of Pb_{1 ? x} Ge _x Te(Ga) (x = 0.02, 0.03, 0.05) were studied in the temperature range 77–150 K at frequencies of 10⁴–10⁶ Hz. It is revealed that the ferroelectric phase transition temperature T _c and the permittivity ? of Pb_{1 ? x} Ge _x Te(Ga) increase substantially with the Ge content. The temperature dependence of the permittivity of Pb_{1 ? x} Ge _x Te shows two peaks; the main peak is at the ferroelectric phase transition temperature T _c , and an additional peak is at T ₁ > T _c .     

Heat capacity of the Pb<Subscript>5</Subscript>(Ge<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Si<Subscript>x</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>11</Subscript> ferroelectric system

The temperature dependences of the molar heat capacity at constant pressure, C_p, of Pb₅(Ge_1?xSi_x)₃O₁₁ crystals with x=0, 0.39, and 0.45 in the range 5–300 K, as well as of their permittivity, dielectric losses, and the pyroelectric effect, have been measured. Experimental data on the temperature behavior of the heat capacity are presented in the form of a sum of two Debye and one Einstein terms, C_p(T)=0.405C_D1(Θ_D1=160 K, T)+0.53C_D2(Θ_D2=750 K, T)+0.046C_E(Θ_E=47 K, T). Besides a peak in the region of the ferroelectric Curie point T_c=450 K for crystals with x=0, the temperature dependences of the heat capacity did not reveal any other pronounced anomalies.     

Heat capacity and thermopower coefficient of the carbon preform of sapele wood

This paper reports on measurements of the heat capacity at constant pressure C _p in the 80–300-K temperature interval and the thermopower coefficient S at 5–300 K of the carbon preform of sapele wood, which was prepared at the carbonization temperature of 1000°C. Measurements of C _p (T), our previous data on the phonon thermal conductivity, and literature information on the sound velocity have been used to calculate the phonon mean free path l(T) for this material. It has been shown that within the temperature interval 200–300 K, l is constant and equal to 11 Å, a figure matching the size of the nanocrystallites (“graphite fragments”) making up the carbon framework of the sapele carbon preform. The high-temperature parts of S(T) have been found to follow a linear course characteristic of diffusive thermopower for the degenerate state of charge carriers, with only one type of charge carriers present. The anisotropy of the thermopower coefficient has been estimated.     

New superconductivity dome in LaFeAsO1−xFx far away from magnetism and accompanied by structural transition

We report on the discovery and novel physics of a new superconductivity dome in LaFeAsO_1?xF_x with high-doping rate (0.25 ≤x≤0.75) synthesized by using the high-pressure technique. The maximal critical temperature T_c = 30 K peaked at x_opt = 0.5 ～0.55, which is even higher than that at x≤ 0.2. By nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we find that the new superconducting dome is far away from a magnetically ordered phase without low-energy magnetic fluctuations. Instead, NMR and transmission electron microscopy measurements indicate that a C4 rotation symmetry-breaking structural transition takes place for x> 0.5 above T_c. The electrical resistivity shows a temperature-linear behavior around the doping level where the crystal transition temperature extrapolate to zero and T_c is the maximal, suggesting the importance of quantum fluctuations associated with the structural transition. Our results point to a new paradigm of high temperature superconductivity.     

Phase separation and anisotropy in the electrical properties of weakly doped lanthanum manganites

Variations in the thermopower, electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance, thermal expansion coefficients, and their anisotropy with temperature were detected near room temperature in single crystals of weakly doped lanthanum manganites La_1?xA_xMnO₃ (A = Ca, Sr; x = 0.07–0.125) with orthorhombic structure. The results obtained are discussed in terms of a model of phase separation related to polaron anisotropy. Due to a gain in exchange and elastic energies in the lattice, small-radius magnetic polarons can merge to form polarons of a larger size, which would contain now not one but rather a few electrons (equal in number to the polarons in the cluster). As a result, short-range order in a cluster and phase separation set in at a temperature T_ps ≈ 250–300 K, which is approximately equal to the Curie temperature T_C of conducting manganites with x ≈ 0.2–0.3.     

Peculiarities of the magnetic,galvanomagnetic, elastic,and magnetoelastic properties of Sm<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Sr<Subscript>x</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> manganites

Manganites of the Sm1?xSr_xMnO₃ system (x=0.33, 0.4, and 0.45) possess giant negative values of the magnetoresistance Δρ/ρ and the volume magnetostriction ω near the Curie temperature T_C. In the compound with x=0.33, the isotherms of Δρ/ρ, ω, and magnetization σ exhibit smooth variation and do not reach saturation up to maximum magnetic field strengths (120 kOe) studied (according to the neutron diffraction data, this substance comprises a ferromagnetic (FM) matrix with distributed clusters of a layered antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure of the A type). In the compounds with x=0.4 and 0.45 containing, besides the FM matrix and A-type AFM phase, a charge-ordered AFM phase of the CE type (thermally stable to higher temperatures as compared to the A-type AFM and the FM phases), the same isotherms measured at T ≥ T_C show a jumplike increase in the interval of field strengths between H_c1 and H_c2 and then reach saturation. In the interval H_c1 > H > H_c2, the σ, ω, and Δρ/ρ values exhibit a metastable behavior. At temperatures above T_C, the anisotropic magnetostriction changes sign, which is indicative of rearrangements in the crystal structure. The giant values of ω and Δρ/ρ observed at T ≥ T_C for all compounds, together with excess (relative to the linear) thermal expansion and a maximum on the ρ(T) curve, are explained by the phenomenon of electron phase separation caused by a strong s-d exchange. The giant values of magnetoresistance and volume magnetostriction (with ω reaching ～10^?3) are attributed to an increase in the volume of the FM phase induced by the applied magnetic field. In the compound with x=0.33, this increase proceeds smoothly as the FM phase grows through the FM layers in the A-type AFM phase. In the compounds with x=0.4 and 0.45, the FM phase volume increases at the expense of the charge-ordered CE-type AFM structure (in which spins of the neighboring manganese ions possess an AFM order). The jumps observed on the σ(H) curves, whereby the magnetization σ reaches ～70% of the value at T=1.5 K, are indicative of a threshold character of the charge-ordered phase transition to the FM state. Thus, the giant values of ω and Δρ/ρ are inherent in the FM state, appearing as a result of the magnetic-field-induced transition of the charge-ordered phase to the FM state, rather than being caused by melting of this phase.     

Gaussian free field in the background of correlated random clusters,formed by metallic nanoparticles

The effect of metallic nano-particles (MNPs) on the electrostatic potential of a disordered 2D dielectric media is considered. The disorder in the media is assumed to be white-noise Coulomb impurities with normal distribution. To realize the correlations between the MNPs we have used the Ising model with an artificial temperature T that controls the number of MNPs as well as their correlations. In the T → 0 limit, one retrieves the Gaussian free field (GFF), and in the finite temperature the problem is equivalent to a GFF in iso-potential islands. The problem is argued to be equivalent to a scale-invariant random surface with some critical exponents which vary with T and correspondingly are correlation-dependent. Two type of observables have been considered: local and global quantities. We have observed that the MNPs soften the random potential and reduce its statistical fluctuations. This softening is observed in the local as well as the geometrical quantities. The correlation function of the electrostatic and its total variance are observed to be logarithmic just like the GFF, i.e. the roughness exponent remains zero for all temperatures, whereas the proportionality constants scale with T ? T _c . The fractal dimension of iso-potential lines (D _f ), the exponent of the distribution function of the gyration radius (τ _r ), and the loop lengths (τ _l ), and also the exponent of the loop Green function x _l change in terms of T ? T _c in a power-law fashion, with some critical exponents reported in the text. Importantly we have observed that D _f (T) ? D _f (T _c ) ~ 1/√ξ(T), in which ξ(T) is the spin correlation length in the Ising model.     

Magnetic polarons,clusters, and their effect on the electric properties of weakly doped lanthanum manganites

The resistivity, magnetoresistance, thermopower, and magnetic susceptibility of La_1?xA_xMnO₃(A≡Ca,Sr;x=0.07–0.1) single crystals are investigated in the temperature range from 77 to 400 K. Sharp changes in the properties (the resistivity activation energy ΔEρ, its temperature coefficient γ, the thermopower activation energy ΔE _S , the magnetoresistance, and the appearance of spontaneous magnetization) of these crystals occur near a temperature of 275±25 K, which is approximately twice as high as their Curie point T_C and approximately half of the structural transition temperature. The results are explained by the phase separation: the formation of ferromagnetic clusters. The phase separation occurs through the coalescence of small-radius unsaturated magnetic polarons, in which only two or three magnetic moments of Mn are polarized, into a large-radius ferromagnetic polaron (a cluster about 10–12 Å in size) with several charge carriers. As a result, the short-range order occurs in the cluster at a temperature of about 275 K, which is close to T _C of conducting doped manganites. The results of the experimental studies of the resistivity and the magnetoresistance as functions of temperature and magnetic field and the estimates agree well with the cluster model.     

Anisotropy of microwave conductivity in the superconducting and normal states of YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis>: 3D-2D crossover

The imaginary parts of microwave conductivity σ″(T<T_c) and resistivity ρ (_T)=1/σ(T>T_c) along (σ _ab ^″ and ρ_ab) and across and (σ _c ^″ and ρ_c the cuprate ab planes of a YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x crystal with the oxygen doping level x varying from 0.07 to 0.47 were measured in the temperature range 5≤ T≤200 K. In the superconducting state, the σ _ab ^″ (T)/σ _ab ^″ (0) and σ _c ^″ (T/σ _c ^″ (0) curves coincide for an optimally doped (x=0.07) crystal, but, with an increase in x, the slopes of the σ _c ^″ (T)/σ _c ^″ (0) curves decrease noticeably at T<T_c/3, on the background of small changes happening to the σ _ab ^″ (T/σ _ab ^″ (0) curves. The two-dimensional (2D) transport along the ab planes in the normal state of YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x is always metallic, but there is a crossover (at x=0.07) from the Drude to hopping (at x>0.07) conductivity along the c axis. This is confirmed both by the estimates of the lowest metallic and the highest tunneling conductivities along the c axis and by quantitative comparison of the measured ρ_c(T) curves with the curves calculated in the polaron model of quasiparticle transport along the c axis.     

Upper critical field of cellular magnesium diboride

A cellular superconducting material consisting of thin (1–20 μm) MgB_2?x layers and magnesium granules of about 100 μm has been produced. The critical temperature T _c of this superconductor decreases with the thickness of the MgB_2?x layers. In unalloyed magnesium diboride, the curvature of the temperature dependence of the upper critical field H _c2(T) changes gradually from downward to pronounced upward as the temperature T _c decreases from 38 to 36 K.     

Low-temperature anomalies in the specific heat and thermal conductivity of MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The temperature dependences of the specific heat C(T) and thermal conductivity K(T) of MgB₂ were measured at low temperatures and in the neighborhood of T _c . In addition to the well-known superconducting transition at T _c ≈40 K, this compound was found to exhibit anomalous behavior of both the specific heat and thermal conductivity at lower temperatures, T≈10–12 K. Note that the anomalous behavior of C(T) and K(T) is observed in the same temperature region where MgB₂ was found to undergo negative thermal expansion. All the observed low-temperature anomalies are assigned to the existence in MgB₂ of a second group of carriers and its transition to the superconducting state at T_c2≈10?12 K.     

Low-Temperature Transport Properties of Lanthanum Hexaboride La<Subscript>1–<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ce<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>B<Subscript>6</Subscript> Single Crystals

Resistivity (ρ), thermal conductivity (k) and Seebeck coefficient (S) of La_1–xCe_xB₆ single crystals with various concentrations of cerium Ce ions was measured in a wide temperature range 3?300 K. The obtained data were analyzed in the framework of the Coqblin–Shrieffer model. The contributions of scattering of carriers on magnetic ions Ce for all transport parameters ρ(T), k(T), S(T) are revealed. Strong dependence of the magnetic scattering on concentration of the cerium ions are identified. The anomalous behavior of the transport parameters ρ(T), k(T), S(T) in the region near 30 K is attributed to the Δ ~ 30 K splitting of Г₈ level.     

Thermodynamic study of compounds of the Nd-Ba-Cu-O system

Standard enthalpies of formation for solid solutions of composition Nd_{1 + x} Ba_{2 ? x} Cu₃O _y (x = 0–0.8, y = 6.65–7.24) from oxides were determined by solution calorimetry. The heat capacity of NdBa₂Cu₃O_6.87 phase was measured in the range 5–320 K by low-temperature adiabatic calorimetry. The absolute entropy S ^o(T), the difference of enthalpies H ^o(T)-H ^o(0 K), and the reduced Gibbs energy Φ^o(T) = S ^o(T)–[H ^o(T)–H ^o(0)]/T were calculated on the basis of smoothed dependence C _p (T) in the 0–320 K range. An assessment was made for the heat capacities and the absolute entropies of solid solutions Nd_1+x Ba_2?x Cu₃O _y . The obtained set of thermodynamic parameters can be used for the calculation of phase equilibria in the Nd-Ba-Cu-O system.     

Effect of phase transitions on the exciton absorption spectrum of Rb<Subscript>x</Subscript>K<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ag<Subscript>4</Subscript>I<Subscript>5</Subscript> superionic conductors

The absorption spectrum of thin films of solid solutions of Rb_xK_1?xAg₄I₅ superionic conductors is investigated in the energy range 3–6 eV at temperatures from 90 to 290 K upon heating and cooling. It is established that the temperature dependences of the spectral position E _m and the half-width Γ of the long-wavelength exciton band are determined by the exciton-phonon interaction and the generation of Frenkel defects at phase transitions to the superionic state. Fluctuations of the composition of solid solutions do not affect the behavior of the dependences E _m (x) and Γ(x) at 90 K, which is indicative of the localization of excitons in the AgI sublattice of these compounds. A difference in the dependences T _c 1(x) and T _c 2(x) (the γ → β and β → α phase transitions, respectively) is revealed: the curve T _c 1(x) has a minimum at x ≈ 0.5, whereas the curve T _c 2(x) shows a weak maximum.     

Dielectric properties of betaine phosphite-betaine phosphate solid-solution crystals in the improper ferroelastic phase

Temperature dependences of dielectric permittivity in the improper ferroelastic phase, including the region of the improper ferroelastic phase transition occurring at T=T_c1, were studied in the betaine phosphite-betaine phosphate solid-solution crystals. At a betaine phosphate (BP) concentration of 10%, the phase transition temperature T_c1 was found to shift toward higher temperatures by about 5 K compared to betaine phosphite (BPI) crystals, where T_c1=355 K. The phase transition remains in the vicinity of the tricritical point. As the BP concentration in BPI is increased, the dielectric anomaly at T=T_c1 weakens substantially compared to pure BPI. The nonlinear temperature dependence of reciprocal dielectric permittivity in the improper ferroelastic phase of BPI_xBP_1?x crystals is described in the concentration region 0.9≤x≤1 in terms of a thermodynamic model taking into account the biquadratic relation of the nonpolar order parameter of the improper ferroelastic phase transition to polarization. The decrease in the ferroelectric phase transition temperature T_c1 (or in the temperature of loss of improper ferroelastic phase stability) with increasing BP concentration in the above limits is due to the decreasing effect of the nonpolar mode on the polar instability, which is accompanied by a weakening of the dielectric anomaly at T=T_c1     

Existence of two types of perfect Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>2−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>La<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>CuO<Subscript>6+δ</Subscript> single crystals

It is found that perfect Bi₂Sr_2?x La _x CuO_6+δ single crystals with the same concentrations of lanthanum x = 0.64 and excess oxygen δ = 0.237 exist in two types. Single crystals of the first type are obtained by slow cooling (the synthesis time is 90–105 h). They have a monoclinic superlattice and exhibit no superconducting transition down to 2 K. Crystals of the second type are obtained by rapid cooling (the synthesis time is 30–40 h) and are characterized by a orthorhombic superlattice and T _c = 18 K. Thus, the superconducting transition temperature is determined not only by the concentration of carriers but also by the configuration of defects. A rhombic superlattice prevails in single crystals obtained by slow cooling in the lanthanum concentration range x = 0.3–0.5, while a monoclinic superlattice dominates in the range x = 0.75–0.85. This fact explains the high values of T _c at optimal doping (x = 0.4) and the absence of high-T _c superconductivity at p < 0.10.     

The effects of the composition,temperature and geometry on the hysteretic properties of the Ising-type barcode nanowire

In the present study, a theoretical approach to investigate the magnetic hysteresisproperties in barcode nanowire are used and applied to study Ising system on hexagonalstructure. The hysteresis behaviors of Ising-type barcode nanowire (IBN) are studiedwithin the effective-field theory with correlations. The effects of the composition(p),temperature (T) and geometry (interlayer length (d), shell length(s), andwire length (r)) on the hysteresis behaviors are examined indetail. The phase diagrams are presented in the five different planes, namely(p,T),(d,r),(d, T), (r, T) and (s, T) as function of coercive field (H _C ) and remanence(M _r ), and investigatedsoft/hard the magnetic characteristics of the system. We find that the hysteresis loopsareas decrease case as the temperature, wire and lengths increase. Moreover, whenp increasesthe hysteresis loop areas increase. Moreover, H _C exhibits an increasein around d =1 value, then H _C does not change withthe increasing d values. Theoretical results have qualitativelycompatible with some experimental works of multilayer nanowire.