Weak localization in multiterminal networks of diffusive wires

We study the quantum transport through networks of diffusive wires connected to reservoirs in the Landauer-Büttiker formalism. The elements of the conductance matrix are computed by the diagrammatic method. We recover the combination of classical resistances and obtain the weak localization corrections. For arbitrary networks, we show how the Cooperon must be properly weighted over the different wires. Its nonlocality is clearly analyzed. We predict a new geometrical effect that may change the sign of the weak localization correction in multiterminal geometries.     

Negative and positive magnetoresistance in bilayer graphene: Effects of weak localization and charge inhomogeneity

We report measurements of magnetoresistance in bilayer graphene as a function of gate voltage (carrier density) and temperature. We examine multiple contributions to the magnetoresistance, including those of weak localization (WL), universal conductance fluctuations (UCF), and inhomogeneous charge transport. A clear WL signal is evident at all measured gate voltages (in the hole doped regime) and temperature ranges (from 0.25 to 4.3 K), and the phase coherence length extracted from the WL data does not saturate at low temperatures. The WL data is fit to demonstrate that the electron-electron Nyquist scattering is the major source of phase decoherence. A decrease in UCF amplitude with increase in gate voltage and temperature is shown to be consistent with a corresponding decrease in the phase coherence length. In addition, a weak positive magnetoresistance at higher magnetic fields is observed, and attributed to inhomogeneous charge transport.     

Quantized four-terminal resistances in a ferromagnetic graphene p-n junction

The quantum Hall and longitudinal resistances in four-terminal ferromagnetic graphene p-n junctions under a perpendicular magnetic field are investigated. In the Hall measurement, the transverse contacts are assumed to be located at the p-n interface to avoid the mixing of edge states at the interface and the resulting quantized resistances are then topologically protected. According to the charge carrier type, the resistances in a four-terminal p-n junction can be naturally divided into nine different regimes. The symmetric Hall and longitudinal resistances are observed, with many new robust quantum plateaus revealed due to the competition between spin splitting and local potentials.     

Gate-voltage-induced realization of different rational fractions ofh/e2at fixed values of current and magnetic field

We present magnetotransport measurement results obtained on samples with a window-shaped geometry and Schottky gates in the quantum Hall regime. The investigated samples consist of two Hall bars shorted by wide regions of 2DEG. With Schottky gates across each of the Hall bars electron densities and hence filling factors within the two arms of the structures can individually be tuned.We show that by applying appropriate gate voltages to the samples four-terminal resistances equal to different rational fractions ofh/e²can be realized at fixed magnetic field. The measurement results can be explained in the edge channel picture of the quantum Hall effect as well as in a local transport model. In both models it is the interplay between the gate-voltage-induced sub-gate filling factors and the resulting partition of the total current onto the two sample arms that leads to the observed phenomena.     

Weak localization in mesoscopic hole transport: berry phases and classical correlations

We consider phase-coherent transport through ballistic and diffusive two-dimensional hole systems based on the Kohn-Luttinger Hamiltonian. We show that intrinsic heavy-hole-light-hole coupling gives rise to clear-cut signatures of an associated Berry phase in the weak localization which renders the magnetoconductance profile distinctly different from electron transport. Nonuniversal classical correlations determine the strength of these Berry phase effects and the effective symmetry class, leading even to antilocalization-type features for circular quantum dots and Aharonov-Bohm rings in the absence of additional spin-orbit interaction. Our semiclassical predictions are confirmed by numerical calculations.     

Current correlations in quantum spin Hall insulators

We consider a four-terminal setup of a two-dimensional topological insulator (quantum spin Hall insulator) with local tunneling between the upper and lower edges. The edge modes are modeled as helical Luttinger liquids and the electron-electron interactions are taken into account exactly. Using perturbation theory in the tunneling, we derive the cumulant generating function for the interedge current. We show that different possible transport channels give rise to different signatures in the current noise and current cross correlations, which could be exploited in experiments to elucidate the interplay between electron-electron interactions and the helical nature of the edge states.     

Anomalous properties of the Kronig–Penney model with compositional and structural disorder

We study the localisation properties of the eigenstates in the Kronig–Penney model with weak compositional and structural disorder. The main result is an expression for the localisation length that is valid for any kind of self- and inter-correlations of the two types of disorder. We show that the interplay between compositional and structural disorder can result in anomalous localisation.     

Quantum Dynamics in Noisy Backgrounds: from Sampling to Dissipation and Fluctuations

We investigate the dynamics of a quantum system coupled linearly to Gaussian white noise using functional methods. By performing the integration over the noisy field in the evolution operator, we get an equivalent non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, which evolves the quantum state with a dissipative dynamics. We also show that if the integration over the noisy field is done for the time evolution of the density matrix, a gain contribution from the fluctuations can be accessed in addition to the loss one from the non-hermitian Hamiltonian dynamics. We illustrate our study by computing analytically the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, which we found to be the complex frequency harmonic oscillator, with a known evolution operator. It leads to space and time localisation, a common feature of noisy quantum systems in general applications.     

Nonlinear ion transport in liquid and solid electrolytes

This paper describes nonlinear ion transport properties of liquid and solid electrolytes. Typically, the relation between ionic current density and electric field becomes nonlinear at electric fields above 50–100?kV/cm. We review the 1st and 2nd Wien effect found in classical strong and weak electrolyte solutions as well as the strong nonlinear ion transport effects observed for inorganic glasses and for polymer electrolytes. Furthermore, we give an overview over models describing nonlinear ion transport in electrolyte solutions, in glasses and in polymers. Recent results are presented for the nonlinear ionic conductivity of supercooled ionic liquids. We show that supercooled ionic liquids exhibit anomalous Wien effects, which are clearly distinct from the classical Wien effects. We also discuss the frequency dependence of higher-order conductivity and permittivity spectra of these liquids.     

Ballistic transport in nanoscale field effect transistors revealed by four-terminal DC characterization

We show that four-terminal measurements of the differential conductance of field effect transistors (FETs) can provide important insights into the transport mechanism, and in particular can reveal the presence of ballistic transport. Measurements and simulations of purposely fabricated AlGaAs–GaAs heterostructure FETs show that ballistic transport results in a pronounced peak in the derivative of the differential conductance versus the gate voltage, which splits into two peaks with increasing drain-to-source voltage. Analyzing the four-probe conductance, ballistic electron transport through the channel is revealed as the origin of the observed peak splitting.     

Quantum phase slips in superconducting wires with weak inhomogeneities

Quantum phase slips are traditionally considered in diffusive superconducting wires which are assumed homogeneous. We present a definite estimate for the amplitude of phase slips that occur at a weak inhomogeneity in the wire where local resistivity is slightly increased. We model such a weak link as a general coherent conductor and show that the amplitude is dominated by the topological part of the action. We argue that such weak links occur naturally in apparently homogeneous wires and adjust the estimate to that case. The fabrication of an artificial weak link would localize phase slips and facilitate a better control of the phase-slip amplitude.     

Near-perfect correlation of the resistance components of mesoscopic samples at the quantum Hall regime

We study the four-terminal resistance fluctuations of mesoscopic samples near the transition between the nu=2 and the nu=1 quantum Hall states. We observe near-perfect correlations between the fluctuations of the longitudinal and Hall components of the resistance. These correlated fluctuations appear in a magnetic-field range for which the two-terminal resistance of the samples is quantized. We discuss these findings in light of edge-state transport models of the quantum Hall effect. We also show that our results lead to an ambiguity in the determination of the width of quantum Hall transitions.     

Scattering of electromagnetic waves by ensembles of particles and discrete random media

Current problems of the theory of multiple scattering of electromagnetic waves by discrete random media are reviewed, with an emphasis on densely packed media. All equations presented are based on the rigorous theory of electromagnetic scattering by an arbitrary system of non-spherical particles. The main relations are derived in the circular-polarization basis. By applying methods of statistical electromagnetics to a discrete random medium in the form of a plane-parallel layer, we transform these relations into equations describing the average (coherent) field and equations for the sums of ladder and cyclical diagrams in the framework of the quasi-crystalline approximation. The equation for the average field yields analytical expressions for the generalized Lorentz-Lorenz law and the generalized Ewald-Oseen extinction theorem, which are traditionally used for the calculation of the effective refractive index. By assuming that the particles are in the far-field zones of each other, we transform all equations asymptotically into the well-known equations for sparse media. Specifically, the equation for the sum of the ladder diagrams is reduced to the classical vector radiative transfer equation. We present a simple approximate solution of the equation describing the weak localization (WL) effect (i.e., the sum of cyclical diagrams) and validate it by using experimental and numerically exact theoretical data. Examples of the characteristics of WL as functions of the physical properties of a particulate medium are given. The applicability of the interference concept of WL to densely packed media is discussed using results of numerically exact computer solutions of the macroscopic Maxwell equations for large ensembles of spherical particles. These results show that theoretical predictions for spare media composed of non-absorbing or weakly absorbing particles are reasonably accurate if the particle packing density is less than ∼30%. However, a further increase of the packing density and/or absorption may cause optical effects not predicted by the low-density theory and caused by near-field effects. The origin of the near-filed effects is discussed in detail.     

122型铁基超导线带材实用化研究进展

在种类众多的新型铁基超导材料中,122型铁基超导体具有高转变温度、超高上临界场、低各向异性、高临界电流密度等优点,因此成为高场应用领域最具竞争力的铁基超导材料.目前122型铁基超导线带材在4.2 K,10 T下的传输临界电流密度已经超过10⁵A/cm²这一实用化门槛值,表现出十分广阔的应用前景.本文回顾了新型铁基超导体的发现及发展历程,结合122型铁基超导体的自身特点,就如何制备高性能122型铁基超导线带材展开讨论,同时对粉末装管法制备流程中影响线带材性能的几大关键因素进行了详细分析.重点介绍了近年来122型铁基超导线带材的实用化研究进展,包括高强度线带材的制备、圆线的研制、多芯线材及长线的制备、超导接头的研究、力学性能及各向异性的研究等.对122型铁基超导线带材实用化研究进行了总结,并对其未来的发展趋势进行了展望.     

Role of orbital dynamics in spin relaxation and weak antilocalization in quantum dots

We develop a semiclassical theory for spin-dependent quantum transport to describe weak (anti)localization in quantum dots with spin-orbit coupling. This allows us to distinguish different types of spin relaxation in systems with chaotic, regular, and diffusive orbital classical dynamics. We find, in particular, that for typical Rashba spin-orbit coupling strengths, integrable ballistic systems can exhibit weak localization, while corresponding chaotic systems show weak antilocalization. We further calculate the magnetoconductance and analyze how the weak antilocalization is suppressed with decreasing quantum dot size and increasing additional in-plane magnetic field.     

Spin-dependent transport in four-terminal rings in the presence of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling

Spin dependent transport in one-dimensional four-terminal rings (FTRs) is investigated in the presence of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC). In the absence of the RSOC, the conductances as a function of the electron wave vector show resonant behavior for symmetrical configurations. For asymmetrical configurations, the conductances show peculiar zero-conductance resonances, and two kinds of conductance zeros have been found. In the presence of the RSOC, the original conductance zeros disappear as new conductance zeros are generated. Moreover, two kinds of symmetry relations have been found in the conductances, the spin dependent conductances and the spin polarizations. For the FTRs with axial or central symmetry, the phase-locking effect has been found in terminal 2, where there is no spin polarization. Under a weak magnetic field, the Zeeman term is treated by a perturbation, and it is found that the Zeeman effect is obvious for weak RSOC.     

Superconducting properties of long TiN wires

The low-temperature transport properties of titanium nitride wires with the width comparable with or much larger than the superconducting coherence length are studied experimentally. It is shown that the reduction of the width of wires does not affect the transport properties at the temperatures above the superconducting transition temperature and electron transport in this temperature range is determined by quantum contributions to the conductivity from weak localization and electron–electron interaction. It is established that the reduction of the width of wires does not change the superconducting transition temperature but completely suppresses the topological Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition. It is found that the threshold magnetic field increases with a decrease in the width of wires.     

Weak localization and universal conductance fluctuations in multi-layer graphene

We have performed magneto transport measurements on a multi-layer graphene device fabricated by conventional mechanical exfoliation. Suppression of weak localization (WL) as evidenced by the negative magnetoresistance (NMR) centered at zero field, and reproducible universal conductance fluctuations (UCFs) are observed. Interestingly, it is found that the phase coherence lengths calculated by fitting the observed NMR to conventional WL theory are longer than those determined from fitting the amplitudes of the UCFs to theory in the low temperature regime (T ≤ 8 K). In the high temperature regime (T > 8 K), the phase coherence lengths calculated by fitting the observed NMR to conventional WL theory are shorter than those determined from fitting the amplitudes of the UCFs to theory. Our new results therefore indicate a difference in the electron phase-breaking process between the two models of WL and UCFs in graphene. We speculate that the presence of the capping and bottom graphene layers, which leads the enhancement of disorder in-between, improves the localization condition for WL effect during carrier transportation in the low temperature regime. With increasing temperature, the localization condition for WL in multi-layer graphene becomes much weaker due to strong thermal damping. Therefore, the phase coherence lengths calculated by fitting the observed NMR to conventional WL theory are shorter than those determined from fitting the amplitudes of the UCFs to theory at high temperatures.     

超导体电输运及交流磁化率双模式测量系统研制

介绍了一种基于小型制冷机的超导转变温度电输运和交流磁化率双模式单腔测量装置。该装置包括电输运法测量和交流磁化率法测量两部分,分别实现对高温超导薄膜样品的超导转变温度的测量。电输运法测量部分利用四点法测量原理对超导薄膜的电阻进行测量,获取电阻随温度变化的曲线;同时利用电流换向法消除热电势带来的测量误差,以进一步提高测量的精度。交流磁化率法测量部分利用的是电磁感应原理和超导磁效应。该部分包含有初级线圈和次级线圈,超导样品放置于两线圈之间。初级线圈用于产生交变激励磁场,次级线圈的输出信号反应了超导样品磁化率的变化,其输出信号由锁相放大器获取。测量过程中使用计算机自动记录测量数据。