Magnetoresistance of untwinned YBa(2)Cu(3)O(y) single crystals in a wide range of doping: anomalous hole-doping dependence of the coherence length

Magnetoresistance (MR) in the a-axis resistivity of untwinned YBa(2)Cu(3)O(y) single crystals is measured for a wide range of doping ( y = 6.45-7.0). The y dependence of the in-plane coherence length xi(ab) estimated from the fluctuation magnetoconductance indicates that the superconductivity is anomalously weakened in the 60-K phase; this observation, together with the Hall coefficient and the a-axis thermopower data which suggest the hole doping to be 12% for y approximately equal to 6.65, gives evidence that the origin of the 60-K plateau is the 1/8 anomaly. At high temperatures, the normal-state MR data show signatures of the Zeeman effect on the pseudogap in underdoped samples.     

Anisotropic transport properties in the phase-separated La_(0.67)Ca_(0.33)MnO_3/NdGaO_3 (001) films

The anisotropic transport property was investigated in a phase separation La_(0.67)Ca_(0.33)MnO_3(LCMO) film grown on(001)-oriented Nd GaO_3(NGO) substrate. It was found that the resistivity along the b-axis is much higher than that along the a-axis. Two resistivity peaks were observed in the temperature dependent measurement along the b-axis, one located at 91 K and the other centered at 165 K. Moreover, we also studied the response of the resistivities along the two axes to various electric currents, magnetic fields, and light illuminations. The resistivities along the two axes are sensitive to the magnetic field. However, the electric current and light illumination can influence the resistivity along the b-axis obviously, but have little effect on the resistivity along the a-axis. Based on these results, we believe that an anisotropicstrain-controlled MnO_6 octahedra shear-mode deformation may provide a mechanism of conduction filaments paths along the a-axis, which leads to the anisotropic transport property.     

Closing the pseudogap by Zeeman splitting in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y at high magnetic fields.

Interlayer tunneling resistivity is used to probe the low-energy density-of-states (DOS) depletion due to the pseudogap in the normal state of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y. Measurements up to 60 T reveal that a field that restores DOS to its ungapped state shows strikingly different temperature and doping dependencies from the characteristic fields of the superconducting state. The pseudogap closing field and the pseudogap temperature T small star, filled evaluated independently are related through a simple Zeeman energy scaling. These findings indicate a predominant role of spins over the orbital effects in the formation of the pseudogap.     

Scaling of anomalous hall resistivity in Nd2(Mo(1-x)Nb(x))2O7 with spin chirality

We have investigated scaling of anomalous Hall resistivity with longitudinal resistivity (rho(xx)) in pyrochlore type Nd2(Mo(1-x)Nb(x))2O7 with spin chirality. Scattering rate of the conduction electron on the Mo sublattice can be varied with x from band transport to polaron hopping, while keeping the two-in-two-out structure of the Nd moments intact. The anomalous part of the Hall resistivity arising from the Mo spin chirality (rho(H)(chi)) shows a clear scaling behavior with rho(xx) (rho(H)(chi) proportional to rho(xx)0.39), in accord with a recent theoretical result based on the Berry phase mechanism in the hopping conduction regime.     

Superconductor-to-insulator transition and transport properties of underdoped YBa2Cu3O(y) crystals

The carrier-concentration-driven superconductor-to-insulator (SI) transition as well as transport properties in underdoped YBa2Cu3O(y) twinned crystals is studied. The SI transition takes place at y approximately 6.3, carrier concentration n(SI)H approximately 3x10(20) cm(-3), anisotropy rho(c)/rho(ab) approximately 10(3), and the threshold resistivity rho(SI)ab approximately 0.8 mOmega cm which corresponds to a critical sheet resistance h/4e2 approximately 6.5 kOmega per CuO2 bilayer. The evolution of a carrier, nH infiniti y - 6.2, is clearly observed in the underdoped region. The resistivity and Hall coefficient abruptly acquire strong temperature dependence at y approximately 6.5 indicating a radical change in the electronic state.     

Effect of Zn doping in hole-type 1111 phase (Pr, Sr)FeAsO

There is an anomalous broad hump in the normal state resistivity in hole-type 1111 phase FeAs-based superconductors and its origin is an open issue. We study the effect of Zn doping on this anomaly in order to determine whether it is associated with the residual structural/antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase transition as in the parent compounds. A series of Zn doped Pr?.?Sr?.?FeAsO samples are prepared and their resistivity, magnetoresistance, Hall effect and specific heat are measured. Zn doping should not introduce extra charge carriers, and instead it can suppress the structural/AFM transition efficiently in the parent LaFeAsO system. The hump in resistivity remains unchanged with 6% Zn doping in Pr?.?Sr?.?FeAsO. The measurements of magnetoresistance reveal that the magnetoresistance is negligible in the Zn doped Pr?.?Sr?.?FeAsO samples, in contrast to the large positive magnetoresistance below the temperature of structure/AFM phase transition in the parent compound PrFeAsO. The results indicate that the anomalous broad hump in resistivity does not originate from the structural/AFM transition. The Hall effect and specific heat data are also consistent with this conclusion.     

Hall effect and conduction anisotropy in the organic conductor (TMTSF)2PF6

Both the Hall effect and the ab(')-plane conduction anisotropy are directly addressing the unconventional normal phase properties of the Bechgaard salt (TMTSF)2PF6. We found that the dramatic reduction of the carrier density deduced from recent optical data is not reflected in an enhanced Hall resistance. The pressure and temperature dependence of the b(')-direction resistivity reveal isotropic relaxation time and do not require explanations beyond the Fermi liquid theory. Our results allow a coherent-diffusive transition in the interchain carrier propagation, however the possible crossover to Luttinger liquid behavior is placed at an energy scale above room temperature.     

Reconstruction of the Fermi surface in the pseudogap state of cuprates

Reconstruction of the Fermi surface of high-temperature superconducting cuprates in the pseudogap state is analyzed within a nearly exactly solvable model of the pseudogap state, induced by short-range order fluctuations of the antiferromagnetic (AFM), spin-density wave (SDW), or a similar charge-density wave (CDW) order parameter, competing with the superconductivity. We explicitly demonstrate the evolution from “Fermi arcs” (on the “large” Fermi surface) observed in the ARPES experiments at relatively high temperatures (when both the amplitude and phase of the density waves fluctuate randomly) towards the formation of typical “small” electron and hole “pockets,” which are apparently observed in the de Haas-van Alphen and Hall resistance oscillation experiments at low temperatures (when only the phase of the density waves fluctuate and the correlation length of the short-range order is large enough). A qualitative criterion for the quantum oscillations in high magnetic fields to be observable in the pseudogap state is formulated in terms of the cyclotron frequency, the correlation length of fluctuations, and the Fermi velocity. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Phase fluctuations and the pseudogap in YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x)

The thermodynamics of the superconducting transition is studied as a function of doping using high-resolution expansivity data of YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x) single crystals and Monte Carlo simulations of the anisotropic 3D- XY model. We directly show that T(c) of underdoped YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x) is strongly suppressed from its mean-field value (T(MF)(c)) by phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter. For overdoped YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x) fluctuation effects are greatly reduced and T(c) approximately T(MF)(c). We find that T(MF)(c) exhibits a similar doping dependence as the pseudogap energy, naturally suggesting that the pseudogap arises from phase-incoherent Cooper pairing.     

Interplay of externally doped and thermally activated holes in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO4 and their impact on the pseudogap crossover

We presented the recent Hall effect data for a number of carriers in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO4 as the sum of two components: the temperature independent term n0(x), which is due to external doping, and the thermally activated contribution. Their balance determines the crossover temperature T*(x) from the marginal Fermi liquid to pseudogap regime. The activation energy Delta(x) for thermally excited carriers equals the energy between the Fermi surface "arc" and the band bottom, as seen in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. Other implications for the (T, x)-phase diagram of cuprates are also discussed.     

Anomalous Hall effect in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3 superlattices: hopping transport and a probe of dimensionality

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3 (LSMO/STO) superlattices was analyzed using theories of the Berry phase effect. The temperature-dependent anomalous Hall coefficient Rs is found to be expressed by -Rs = Rs0 exp[(T/T0)1.5], where Rs0 is a prefactor and T0 is in units of kelvin, and is explained by the carrier-hopping mechanism. In addition, a scaling analysis for the Hall resistivity as a function of magnetization supports the scenario of the Berry phase effects. Furthermore, a shifting extremum of Hall resistivity in LSMO/STO superlattices is observed and regarded as a probe of dimensionality in quasi-two-dimensional systems.     

Pseudogaps in an incoherent metal

How are the properties of a metal changed by strong inelastic scattering? We investigate this question within the two-dimensional t-J model using extended dynamical mean field theory and a generalized noncrossing approximation. Short-ranged antiferromagnetic fluctuations lead to a strongly incoherent single particle dynamics, large entropy, and resistance. Close to the Mott transition at low hole doping a pseudogap opens, accompanied by a drop in resistivity and an increase in the Hall constant for both lower temperatures T and doping levels. The behavior obtained bears surprising similarity to properties of the cuprates.     

Contrasting physical properties of the trilayer nickelates Nd_4Ni_3O_(10) and Nd_4Ni_3O_8

We report the crystal structures and physical properties of trilayer nickelates Nd4Ni3O10and Nd4Ni3O8.Measurements of magnetization and electrical resistivity display contrasting behaviors in the two compounds.Nd4Ni3O10shows a paramagnetic metallic behavior with a metal-to-metal phase transition(T^*)at about 162 K,as revealed by both magnetic susceptibility and resistivity.Further magnetoresistance and Hall coefficient results show a negative magnetoresistance at low temperatures and the carrier type of Nd4Ni3O10is dominated by hole-type charge carriers.The significant enhancement of Hall coefficient and resistivity below T*suggests that effective charge carrier density decreases when cooling through the transition temperature.In contrast,Nd4Ni3O8 shows an insulating behavior.In addition,this compound shows a paramagnetic behavior with the similar magnetic moment as that of Nd4Ni3O10derived from the Curie-Weiss fitting.This may suggest that the magnetic moments in both systems are contributed by Nd^3+ ions.By applying pressures up to about 49 GPa,the insulating behavior is still present and becomes even stronger under a high pressure.Our results suggest that the different Ni configurations(Ni^1+/2+ or Ni^2+/3+)and the changes of coordination environment of Ni sites may account for the contrasting behaviors in trilayer nickelates Nd4Ni3O10and Nd4Ni3O8.     

Nickel impurity-induced enhancement of the pseudogap of cuprate high-T(c) superconductors

The influence of magnetic Ni and nonmagnetic Zn impurities on the normal-state pseudogap (PG) in the c-axis optical conductivity of (Sm,Nd)Ba(2){Cu(1-y)(Ni,Zn)(y)}(3)O(7-delta) crystals was studied by spectral ellipsometry. We find that these impurities, which strongly suppress superconductivity, have a profoundly different impact on the PG. Zn gives rise to a gradual and inhomogeneous PG suppression while Ni strongly enhances the PG. Our results challenge theories that relate the PG either to precursor superconductivity or to other phases with exotic order parameters, such as flux phase or d-density wave states, that should be suppressed by potential scattering. The apparent difference between magnetic and nonmagnetic impurities instead points towards an important role of magnetic correlations in the PG state.     

Pseudogap-driven sign reversal of the Hall effect

We present a calculation of the Hall coefficient in 2H-TaSe(2) and 2H-Cu(0.2)NbS(2) based on their electronic structure extracted from angle-resolved photoemission spectra. The well-known semiclassical approach, based on the solution of the Boltzmann equation, yields the correct value for the normal-state Hall coefficient. Entering the charge density wave state results in the opening of the pseudogap and redistribution of the spectral weight. Accounting for this allows us to reproduce the temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient, including the prominent sign change, with no adjustable parameters.     

Evidence for a quantum phase transition in Pr2-xCe(x)CuO4-delta from transport measurements

The doping and temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient, R(H), and ab-plane resistivity in the normal state down to 350 mK is reported for oriented films of the electron-doped high-T(c) superconductor Pr(2-x)Ce(x)CuO(4-delta). The doping dependences of beta (rho=rho(0)+ATbeta) and R(H) (at 350 mK) suggest a quantum phase transition at a critical doping near x=0.165.     

Superconductivity and quantum criticality in CeCoIn5

Electrical resistivity measurements on a single crystal of the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn5 at pressures to 4.2 GPa reveal a strong crossover in transport properties near P(*) approximately 1.6 GPa, where T(c) is a maximum. The temperature-pressure phase diagram constructed from these data provides a natural connection to cuprate physics, including the possible existence of a pseudogap.     

Synthesis and characterization of germanium monosulphide (GeS) single crystals grown using different transporting agents

This paper reports the growth of germanium monosulphide (GeS) single crystals by vapour phase technique using different transporting agents. The single crystallinity and composition of the grown crystals have been verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) respectively. Resistivity measurements have been carried out in different temperature ranges. Transport parameters, e.g. resistivity, Hall coefficient, carrier concentration and mobility have been measured at varying magnetic fields. All the experimental results have been explained.