Direct evidence for an intrinsic square vortex lattice in the overdoped high- T(c) superconductor La(1.83)Sr(0.17)CuO(4+delta)

We report here the first direct observations of a well ordered vortex lattice in the bulk of a La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4+delta) single crystal (slightly overdoped, x = 0.17). Our small angle neutron scattering investigation of the mixed phase reveals a crossover from triangular to square coordination with increasing magnetic field. The existence of an intrinsic square vortex lattice has never been observed in high-temperature superconductors and is indicative of the coupling of the vortex lattice to a source of anisotropy, such as those provided by a d-wave order parameter or the presence of stripes.     

Square vortex lattice at anomalously low magnetic fields in electron-doped Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4

We report here on the first direct observations of the vortex lattice in the bulk of electron-doped Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4 single crystals. Using small-angle neutron scattering, we have observed a square vortex lattice with the nearest neighbors oriented at 45 degrees from the Cu-O bond direction, which is consistent with theories based on the d-wave superconducting gap. However, the square symmetry persists down to unusually low magnetic fields. Moreover, the diffracted intensity from the vortex lattice is found to decrease rapidly with increasing magnetic field.     

The symmetry of three-electron states in a quantized magnetic field

The states of itinerant electrons on the finite square lattice in a quantized magnetic field are discussed. The single-electron states are classified by irreducible representations (IRs) of the magnetic translation group.The representation correspond to the Landau level, whereas its basis functions are analogs of the cyclotronic orbits. The filling factor of the Landau level is considered in the frame of multi-electron functions. Corresponding states are classified by the IR of MTG as well as by the irreducible representation of a symmetric group (permuting the electrons) and a unitary group (permuting electron states). The discussion is restricted to the case when the magnetic flux per unit cell of the two-dimensional square lattice is a rational number in terms of magnetic flux quanta. The additional parameter of the model is the Hubbard interaction between electrons.     

Magnetic-Flux-Induced Tunable Completely Flat Band and Topological Nearly Flat Band in Square Kagome Lattice

The flat bands in a square kagome lattice containing square and triangle plaquettes, are respectively investigated, and the origin of the doubly degenerated completely flat bands and the corresponding compact localized states are elucidated. It is found that the introduction of external magnetic flux enriches the modulation parameters, making the system present many interesting results. In the case that the magnetic flux penetrates through each square plaquette, the tunable completely flat band has one more tunable parameter. And when the external magnetic flux penetrates through each triangle plaquette, excepting a completely flat band, the band dispersions of the system present the topological nearly flat band, which is very useful to realize the interesting fractional quantum Hall physics. The average density of states is also calculated to corroborate the completely FB generated by the highly localized eigenstates. Furthermore, the implementation of the square kagome lattice system based on the current photonic waveguide network technology is demonstrated. The scheme opens up a way to generate the tunable completely flat band and topological nearly flat band in square kagome lattice under multi-parameter variable conditions.     

Commensurate dynamic magnetic correlations in La2Cu0.9Li0.1O4

When sufficient numbers of holes are introduced into the two-dimensional CuO2 square lattice, dynamic magnetic correlations become incommensurate with underlying lattice in all previously investigated La(2-x)A(x)Cu(1-z)B(z)O(4+y) ( A = Sr or Nd, B = Zn) including high T(c) superconductors and insulators, and in bilayered superconducting YBa2Cu3O6.6 and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8. Magnetic correlations also become incommensurate in structurally related La2NiO4 when doped with Sr or O. We report an exception to this so-far well-established experimental "rule" in La(2)Cu(1-z)Li(z)O4 in which magnetic correlations remain commensurate.     

“Soft” modes of the excitation spectrum constructed on perturbations of the Abrikosov lattice with a single flux quantum in the unit cell

We have analyzed the spectrum of gapless excitations emerging upon the perturbation of the Abrikosov lattice with a single flux quantum in the unit cell. Superconductors with Ginzburg–Landau parameter κ close to unity are of special interest. We have determined the spectrum of gapless excitations close to zeroth shear modes for an arbitrary angle ? between the unit cell vectors. Analysis of the excitation spectra of triangular and square lattices with a single flux quantum in the unit cell has shown that solutions with a number of flux quanta greater than one exist at least in the range of parameters κ close to unity (κ > 1) and give smaller values of the free energy as compared to its values for a triangular lattice with a single flux quantum. For small values of momentum k (in the k ² approximation), the excitation spectrum of the “transverse” mode in the triangular lattice is independent of the direction of the momentum lying in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. For the square lattice (? = π/2), the transverse mode is anisotropic in the k ² approximation also.     

Magnon heat transport in doped La2CuO4

We present results of the thermal conductivity of La2CuO4 and La(1.8)Eu(0.2)CuO4 single crystals which represent model systems for the two-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a square lattice. We find large anisotropies of the thermal conductivity which are explained in terms of two-dimensional heat conduction by magnons within the CuO2 planes. Nonmagnetic Zn substituted for Cu gradually suppresses this magnon thermal conductivity kappa(mag). A semiclassical analysis of kappa(mag) is shown to yield a magnon mean free path which scales linearly with the reciprocal concentration of Zn ions.     

Anomalous reduction of the β-decay rate due to resonant energy absorption

The solvable model of a periodic array of quantum dots in a magnetic field is investigated. It is shown that in the case of square lattice and irrational flux the energy spectrum of a charged particle in the array has a fractal structure. In the case of honeycomb lattice the existence of an additional splitting of magnetic bands related with lattice geometry. The position of the Van Hove singularities is determined.     

Self-assembled nanocrystalline CdSe thin films

The topic of this contribution is the investigation of quantum states and quantum Hall effect in electron gas subjected to a periodic potential of the lateral lattice. The potential is formed by triangular quantum antidots located on the sites of the square lattice. In such a system the inversion center and the four-fold rotation symmetry are absent. The topological invariants which characterize different magnetic subbands and their Hall conductances are calculated. It is shown that the details of the antidot geometry are crucial for the Hall conductance quantization rule. The critical values of lattice parameters defining the shape of triangular antidots at which the Hall conductance is changed drastically are determined. We demonstrate that the quantum states and Hall conductance quantization law for the triangular antidot lattice differ from the case of the square lattice with cylindrical antidots. As an example, the Hall conductances of magnetic subbands for different antidot geometries are calculated for the case when the number of magnetic flux quanta per unit cell is equal to three.     

Origin of ferroelectricity in high-T(c) magnetic ferroelectric CuO

Cupric oxide is a unique magnetic ferroelectric material with a transition temperature significantly higher than the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. However, the mechanism of high-T(c) multiferroicity in CuO remains puzzling. In this Letter, we clarify the mechanism of high-T(c) multiferroicity in CuO by using combined first-principles calculations and an effective hamiltonian model. We find that CuO contains two magnetic sublattices, with strong intrasublattice interactions and weakly frustrated intersublattice interactions. The weak spin frustration leads to incommensurate spin excitations that dramatically enhance the entropy of the multiferroic phase and eventually stabilize that phase in CuO.     

Spin dynamics and magnetic correlation length in two-dimensional quantum heisenberg antiferromagnets

The correlated spin dynamics and temperature dependence of the correlation length xi(T) in two-dimensional quantum (S = 1/2) Heisenberg antiferromagnets (2DQHAF) on a square lattice are discussed in light of experimental results of proton spin lattice relaxation in copper formiate tetradeuterate. In this compound the exchange constant is much smaller than the one in recently studied 2DQHAF, such as La2CuO4 and Sr2CuO2Cl2. Thus the spin dynamics can be probed in detail over a wider temperature range. The NMR relaxation rates turn out to be in excellent agreement with a theoretical mode-coupling calculation. The deduced temperature behavior of xi(T) is in agreement with high-temperature expansions, quantum Monte Carlo simulations, and the pure quantum self-consistent harmonic approximation. Contrary to the predictions of the theories based on the nonlinear sigma model, no evidence of crossover between different quantum regimes is observed.     

Fermion-pairing on a square lattice in extreme magnetic fields

We consider the Cooper-problem on a two-dimensional, square lattice with a uniform, perpendicular magnetic field. Only rational flux fractions are considered. An extended (real-space) Hubbard model including nearest and next nearest neighbor interactions is transformed to “k-space”, or more precisely, to the space of eigenfunctions of Harper’s equation, which constitute basis functions of the magnetic translation group for the lattice. A BCS-like truncation of the interaction term is performed. Expanding the interactions in the basis functions of the irreducible representations of the point group C_4ν of the square lattice simplify calculations. The numerical results indicate enhanced binding compared to zero magnetic field, and thus re-entrant superconducting pairing at extreme magnetic fields, well beyond the point where the usual semi-classical treatment of the magnetic field breaks down.     

Saturated ferromagnetism from statistical transmutation in two dimensions

The total spin of the ground state is calculated in the U-->infinity Hubbard model with uniform magnetic flux perpendicular to a square lattice, in the absence of Zeeman coupling. It is found that the saturated ferromagnetism emerges in a rather wide region in the space of the flux density phi and the electron density ne. In particular, the saturated ferromagnetism at phi=ne is induced by the formation of a spin-1/2 boson, which is a composite of an electron and the unit flux quantum.     

Generalized Bethe ansatz equations for Hofstadter problem

The problem of diagonalization of the quantum mechanical Hamiltonian, governing dynamics of an electron on a two-dimensional triangular or square lattice in external uniform magnetic field, applied perpendicularly to the lattice plane, the flux through lattice cell, divided by the elementary quantum flux, being a rational number, is reduced to the generalized Bethe ansatz like equations on the high genus algebraic curve. Our formulae for the trigonometric case, where the genus of the curve vanishes, contain as a particular case a recent result of Wiegmann and Zabrodin.Supported by the Russian Academy of Sciences and Academy of Finland     

Condensation of states at the Landau levels and disorder-independent transport in a random system

I consider an electron on a square lattice, formed by random strenght point potentials, in the presence of a magnetic field, orthogonal to the lattice. When the number of magnetic flux quanta per unit cell is less than one, then an infinite density of extended disorder independent states condenses at each Landau level and provides the possibility for resistivity minima in a disordered system.     

Structural,magnetic and optical properties of diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) phase of Ni modified CuO nanoparticles

Control on the size of copper oxide (CuO) in the nano range is a highly motivating approach to study its multifunctional nature. The present investigation reports a sol-gel derived Ni doped CuO nanoparticles (Cu_1-xNi_xO). Rietveld refinement of the XRD spectra confirms the formation of single monoclinic phase of Cu_1-xNi_xO nanoparticles having crystallite size within the range of 19–21 nm. Raman spectra show the presence of characteristics Raman active modes and vibrational bands in the Cu_1-xNi_xO samples that corroborate the monoclinic phase of the samples as revealed by refinement of XRD data. The estimated band gap of pure CuO is found to be ∼1.43 eV, which decreases with the increase of dopant concentration into CuO matrix. This result is in line with estimated crystallite size. Magnetization curves confirm the weak ferromagnetic nature of Cu_1-xNi_xO nanoparticles which reveal the DMS phase. This weak magnetic nature may be induced in the samples due to the exchange interaction between the localized magnetic d-spins of Ni ions and carriers (holes or electrons) from the valence band of pristine CuO lattice. Replacement of Cu⁺² by Ni⁺² ions into the host CuO lattice induces the magnetization. The quantified value of squareness ratio (S < 0.5) confirms the inter-grain magnetic interactions in the Cu_1-xNi_xO nanoparticles which is also the reason of weak induced magnetization.     

Absence of a spontaneous long-range order in a mixed spin-(1/2, 3/2) Ising model on a decorated square lattice due to anomalous spin frustration driven by a magnetoelastic coupling

The mixed spin-(1/2, 3/2) Ising model on a decorated square lattice, which takes into account lattice vibrations of the spin-3/2 decorating magnetic ions at a quantum-mechanical level under the assumption of a perfect lattice rigidity of the spin-1/2 nodal magnetic ions, is examined via an exact mapping correspondence with the effective spin-1/2 Ising model on a square lattice. Although the considered magnetic structure is in principle unfrustrated due to bipartite nature of a decorated square lattice, the model under investigation may display anomalous spin frustration driven by a magnetoelastic coupling. It turns out that the magnetoelastic coupling is a primary cause for existence of the frustrated antiferromagnetic phases, which exhibit a peculiar coexistence of antiferromagnetic long-range order of the nodal spins with a partial disorder of the decorating spins with possible reentrant critical behavior. Under certain conditions, the anomalous spin frustration caused by the magnetoelastic coupling is responsible for unprecedented absence of spontaneous long-range order in the mixed-spin Ising model composed from half-odd-integer spins only.     

Hexagonal and square flux line lattices in CeCoIn5

Using small-angle neutron scattering, we have imaged the magnetic flux line lattice (FLL) in the d-wave heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn5. At low fields we find a hexagonal FLL. Around 0.6 T this undergoes what is most likely a first-order transition to square symmetry, with the nearest neighbors oriented along the gap node directions. This orientation of the square FLL is consistent with theoretical predictions based on the d-wave order parameter symmetry.     

Redistributing Chern numbers of Landau subbands: tight-binding electrons under staggered modulated magnetic fields

We investigate the magnetotransport properties of electrons on a square lattice under a magnetic field with the alternate flux strength phi+/-Deltaphi in neighboring plaquettes. A new peculiar behavior of the Hall conductance has been found and is robust against weak disorder: if phi=(p/2N)2pi (p and 2N are coprime integers) is fixed, the Chern numbers of Landau subbands will be redistributed between neighboring pairs and hence the total quantized Hall conductance exhibits a direct transition by +/-Ne2/h at critical fillings when Deltaphi is increased from 0 up to a critical value Deltaphi_{c}. This effect can be an experimental probe of the staggered-flux phase.     

Temperature dependence of the flux line lattice transition into square symmetry in superconducting LuNi2B2C

We have investigated the temperature dependence of the H parallel to c flux line lattice structural phase transition from square to hexagonal symmetry, in the tetragonal superconductor LuNi2B2C ( T(c) = 16.6 K). At temperatures below 10 K the transition onset field, H2(T), is only weakly temperature dependent. Above 10 K, H2(T) rises sharply, bending away from the upper critical field. This contradicts theoretical predictions of H2(T) merging with the upper critical field and suggests that just below the H(c2)(T) curve the flux line lattice might be hexagonal.