Magnetic properties of the new organic superconductor λ-(BETS)2GaCl4

This papr discusses the results of the first investigation of the magnetic properties of the organic superconductor λ-(BETS)₂GaCl₄. It is shown that the transition to the superconducting state begins at T _c≈7 K, which is considerably lower than the value T _c≈10 K determined from resistive measurements. The estimated value of the critical current density turns out to be two orders of magnitude lower than in superconductors of the family κ-(ET)₂ X. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 760–762 (August 1997)     

Radio-frequency absorption study of the parameters of high-T c materials irradiated with fast reactor neutrons

The magnetic properties of YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x ceramics of various densities and Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈ quasicrystals irradiated with neutrons at fluences of 10¹⁶–10¹⁹ cm⁻² are investigated by a radio-frequency method (in the frequency range f=100–150 MHz). The electromagnetic absorption is used to estimate the parameters of a Josephson medium: the lower critical field, the critical current density, the grain size and intergranular distances, and the penetration depth of the magnetic field in the sample. The hysteresis of electromagnetic absorption in the indicated superconductors is investigated; the hysteresis effect can be used to obtain data on flux pinning processes and flux creep dynamics. It is shown that an increase in the critical current density is observed as a result of the injection of radiation-induced pinning centers. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 28–34 (January 1997)     

Modeling and design of a magnetic resonance mass spectrometer with a resolution of ∼ 106

The equations of motion for a charged particle in crossed magnetic and electric fields are used to make a numerical simulation of the operation of a magnetic resonance mass spectrometer for which the ion trajectory in the analyzer is divided into various sections. The calculations take into account the real structural dimensions and the parameters of the main components and systems and also allow for its operating characteristics in various regimes, as obtained by investigating a prototype. The calculation s yield the optimum geometric, electrical, frequency, phase, and magnetic parameters of the device, for which one can achieve a resolution R ₅₀₉₆≈1.35×10⁶ and a current efficiency K _I ≈0.006. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 89–96 (April 1999)     

Current filamentation and macroturbulence in superconductors in rotating magnetic fields

The onset of specific magnetic structures associated with the formation of extended current filaments is observed in YBCO single crystals in a rotating magnetic field. Like current filaments in a plasma, they are unstable and decay into current macrovortices. The appearance of filaments is explained by the formation of closed flux rings along magnetization-reversal fronts and collapse of these rings with formation of Meissner cylinders. The total current along the surface and in the vortex shell of the cylinder (the latter current dominates in high-T _c superconductors) exceeds the critical current in the same volume located far from a filament. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 3, 253–257 (10 February 1997)     

Effect of an alternating field on the relaxation of effect of an alternating field on the relaxation of magnetic flux in a Josephson medium

We establish how trapped magnetic flux depends on the frequency and amplitude of an alternating field and how such a field affects the relaxation rate of the flux. We find that the nature of the flux creep changes in the process and that relaxation of the flux stops after the external field is switched off. We examine the dynamics of flux relaxation in a ring in the approximation in which the current density is assumed homogeneous, for various density dependences of the effective vortex activation energy. The critical current density and the vortex activation energy are obtained as functions of the external field strength. Finally, we explain the observed behavior in terms of the different field profiles emerging in the rings. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 1047–1056 (March 1997)     

New phase transition in an easy-axis “triangular” antiferromagnet

The NMR of ⁵⁵Mn in the quasi-one-dimensional noncollinear anti-ferromagnet CsMnI₃ is investigated at T=1.3 K in magnetic fields up to ∼80 kOe and angles between the field and C ₆ axis ϕ≈ 0.5° and ϕ=7°. A new reorientational magnetic phase transition is observed in a field H _c1≈39.0 kOe. The magnetic structure for H>H _c1 is determined. The average Mn²⁺ spins of the magnetic sublattices in the new phase are determined from an analysis of the NMR spectrum to be 〈 S _C 〉=1.63 and 〈S _D 〉=1.72. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 12, 988–993 (25 June 1998)     

Magnetic vortices and thermoelectric effect in a hollow superconducting cylinder

The question of a surface barrier which determines the behavior of a vortex in a hollow superconducting cylinder of finite thickness in an external magnetic field is discussed, taking into account magnetic flux quantization in the cavity. The behavior of magnetic vortices in a hollow superconductor in the presence of a thermoelectric current is also considered. Pairs of magnetic vortices with opposite magnetic field orientations (vortex-antivortex pairs) are generated by this current near T _c. The thermoelectric current drives the antivortex (the vortex with oppositely directed field) out of the cylinder, whereas the vortex is ejected into the cavity and remains on the inside cylinder surface as a current. The number of magnetic flux quanta trapped inside the cylinder increases by one. The relation of this mechanism to the “giant” thermoelectric effect in hollow superconductors is discussed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 2175–2193 (June 1997)     

Pinning of planar vortices and magnetic field penetration in a three-dimensional Josephson medium

The behavior of planar (laminar) vortices in a three-dimensional, ordered Josephson medium as a function of the parameter I, which is proportional to the critical junction current and the cell size, is investigated with allowance for pinning due to the cellular structure of the medium. The minimum possible distances between two isolated vortices are calculated. A system of vortices formed in a sample in a monotonically increasing external magnetic field is analyzed. The minimum distance from the outermost vortex to the nearest neighbor is proportional to I ^−1.1. For I⩽1.3 each vortex contains a single flux quantum Φ₀, and the distance between them does not decrease in closer proximity to the boundary but remains approximately constant, implying that the magnetic field does not depend on the coordinate in the region penetrated by vortices. These facts contradict the generally accepted Bean model. The sample magnetization curve has a form typical of type II superconductors. Allowance for pinning raises the critical field H _c and induces a sudden jump in the curve at H=H _c. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 38–46 (September 1997)     

Nonlinear properties and paramagnet-to-ferromagnet transition in Nd<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> single crystal with metallic ground state

We present the results from studying the magnetic properties (linear and nonlinear susceptibilities and the depolarization of polarized neutrons) of Nd_{1 − x} Ba _x MnO₃ manganite, x = 0.3, with Curie temperature T _C ≈ 140 K and dielectric-to-metal transition temperature T _DM ≈ 129 K. Its critical behavior corresponds to that of an isotropic 3-D ferromagnet at temperatures above T*≈ 144 K, but a strong nonlinear response in weak magnetic fields and depolarization are observed at temperatures below T*. It is shown that this nontraditional behavior is related to the generation of ferromagnetic clusters in the paramagnetic matrix that form a conducting percolative network at temperatures near T _DM.     

X-ray microanalysis of quaternary semiconductor solid solutions and its application to the (SnTe-SnSe):In system

A reliable technique of local chemical characterization of multicomponent semiconductor solid solutions has been developed, and the possibility of its application to the SnTe-SnSe quaternary solid solutions doped with 16 at.% In verified. The behavior of the electrical resistivity of samples of these solid solutions at low temperatures, 0.4–4.2 K, has been studied. The critical temperature T _c and the second critical magnetic field H _c2 of the superconducting transition and their dependences on the solid-solution composition have been determined. The superconducting transition at T _c≈2–3 K is due to hole filling of the In-impurity resonance states, and the observed variation of the superconducting transition parameters with increasing Se content in the solid solution is related to the extrema in the valence band and the In band of resonance states shifting with respect to one another. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 612–617 (April 1999)     

Magnetoplastic effect in irradiated NaCl and LiF crystals

The effect of low x-ray irradiation doses (≈10² rad) on the magnetoplastic effect — the detachment of dislocations from paramagnetic centers under the action of an external magnetic field B — in alkali-halide crystals has been investigated. The measurements were performed on LiF crystals and three types of NaCl crystals, differing in impurity content. The dependence of the mean free path l of the dislocations on the rotational frequency ν of a sample in a magnetic field was especially sensitive to low irradiation doses. In unirradiated crystals this dependence is a single-step dependence and is characterized by a critical frequency ν _c ∝B ² above which the magnetoplastic effect is not observed. The frequency ν _c depends only on the type of paramagnetic centers, and not on their density. Even the lowest irradiation dose employed (<100 rad) leads to a sharp restructuring of the dependence l(ν), converting it into a two-step dependence (for edge dislocations) with an additional critical frequency ν _c2, that is insensitive to the irradiation dose, and that corresponds to the appearance of magnetically sensitive stoppers of a new type under irradiation. The initial critical frequency ν _c1, as a rule, also varies with the dose, reflecting the change in state of the impurity complexes (Ca in NaCl and Mg in LiF). Specifically, it is shown for NaCl(Ca) crystals that as the irradiation dose increases, the frequency ν _c1 increases, gradually approaching the value ν _c2, so that by the time the dose is ≈300 rad, the dependence l(ν) once again becomes a single-step dependence, dropping sharply only for ν⩾ν _c2. It is shown that the addition of a small number of Ni atoms to a NaCl crystal makes the Ca complexes radiation resistant, and the critical frequency ν _c1 corresponding to them initially equals ν _c2 for crystals with no Ni. The recombination kinetics of radiation defects in the case in which the samples are irradiated under a tungsten lamp was investigated. A possible physical model of the observed dependences is discussed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 615–626 (February 1997)     

Supercurrent and its Fano effect in a Josephson Aharonov-Bohm ring

The Josephson current through an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer, in which a quantum dot (QD) is situated on one arm and a magnetic flux Φ threads through the ring, has been investigated. In the presence of the magnetic flux, the relation between the Josephson current and the superconductor phase is complex, and the system can be adjusted to π junction by either modulating the magnetic flux or the QD’s energy level ε_d. Due to the electron-hole symmetry, the Josephson current I has the property I(ε_d,Φ)=I(-ε_d,Φ+π). The Josephson current exhibits a jump when a pair of Andreev bound states aligns with the Fermi energy. The condition for the current jump is given. Particularly, we find that the position of the current jump and the position of the maximum value of the critical current I_c are identical. Due to the interference between the two paths, the critical current I_c versus the QD’s level ε_d shows a typical Fano shape, which is similar to the Fano effect in the corresponding normal device. However they also show some differences. For example, the critical current never reaches zero for any parameters, while the current in the normal device can reach zero at the destruction point.     

Magnetic and transport properties of monocrystalline<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fe</Emphasis><Subscript>3</Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis><Subscript>4</Subscript>

A monocrystal ofFe ₃ O ₄ is characterized by resistance, magnetoresistance and magnetic measurements in a temperature range from 4.2 K to 350 K and magnetic field-cycling from −9 T to 9 T. The resistance measurements revealed a metal-insulator Verwey transition (VT) atT _v =123.76 K with activation energy E=92.5 meV at T >T _v and temperature-substitute for the activation energy below the VT,T ₀=E/k _B ≈3800 K within 70 K–110K. The magnetotransport results independently verified the VT at 123.70 K, with discontinuous change in the magnetic moment ΔM≈0.21 ΔM≈0.21μ _B and resistance hysteresis, dependent on the magnetic field in a narrow temperature range of 0.4° around theT _v . The magnetic characterization established self consistentlyT _v as ≈123.67 K, the jump in the magnetization at the VT≈0.25μ _B and confirmed, that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy is the main microscopic mechanism responsible for the magnetization of the monocrystal (88%) with additional natural and imposed defects contributing as 12%.     

Characteristics of the statistical distribution of the current transmitted by a cathode spot of a vacuum arc in variously oriented magnetic fields

The influence of variously oriented uniform magnetic fields on the cathodic attachment of a low-current vacuum arc with electrodes made of oxygen-free copper and CuCr30 composition is studied. It is found that, if the current is fixed, cathode spots in the arc attachment are distributed by the normal law in the entire range of variation of the amplitude of magnetic induction vector B and angle α between this vector and the normal to the cathode surface. The parameters of the distribution depend on the magnetic field and cathode material. The magnetic field dependence is appreciable only when angle α exceeds some critical value α* (α* ≈ 30° and ≈45° for cathodes made of copper and CuCr30, respectively). At α > α*, the parameters of the distribution become strongly dependent on α, while the B dependence remains weak. Only when α → π/2 does the field amplitude have a pronounced effect on the parameters of the distribution. From the obtained results, we determine the statistical characteristics of the distribution of the mean current transmitted by a cathode spot in variously oriented magnetic fields. The found relationships make it possible to explain the peculiarities of the structure of the cathodic attachment of the high-current vacuum arc stabilized by an external axial magnetic field.     

Contribution of superconducting grains and grain boundaries to the magnetoresistance of ceramic YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7 − δ</Subscript> high-temperature superconductors in weak magnetic fields

The current-voltage characteristics of granular YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 high-temperature superconductor samples have been measured at a temperature of 77.3 K in external transverse magnetic fields H _ext with a strength of up to H _ext ≈ 500 Oe for low transport current densities (0.1 A/cm² ≤ j ≤ 0.6 A/cm²). The current-voltage characteristics obtained have been used to construct dependences of the magnetoresistance ρ on the quantities j (ρ(j) _Hext=const) and H _ext(ρ(H _ext) _{j = const}). It has been revealed that the current and field dependences of the magnetoresistance exhibit anomalies at H _ext ≥ H _c1g , where H _c1g is the lower critical field of superconducting grains. A comparative analysis of the dependences ρ(j)H _{ext = const} and ρ(H _ext) _{j = const} has made it possible to develop concepts regarding the influence of the processes of redistribution of the magnetic field between grain boundaries and superconducting grains on the transport and galvanomagnetic properties of granular high-temperature superconductors. It has been established that the field dependences of the magnetoresistance exhibit specific features associated with the beginning of penetration of Josephson vortices into grain boundaries in the magnetic field H _c1J and with the breaking of a continuous chain of Josephson junctions in the magnetic field H _c2J .     

Critical current of an inhomogeneous Josephson junction at an intergrain boundary with a random distribution of dislocations

The critical current J _c(θ) of an intergrain boundary is calculated as a function of the contact misorientation angle θ of the granules. It is assumed that the ordering parameter is suppressed in regions near boundaries with an enhanced mechanical stress induced by randomly distributed surface dislocations. The stress distribution function is determined using a probabilistic approach. Assuming that the weak coupling at the boundary is Josephson coupling, an analytic expression is found for the angular dependence J _c(θ) (for tilt and twist boundaries). The magnitude of the residual critical current of a boundary in a strong magnetic field is estimated. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 393–402 (March 1998)     

Fast magnetic relaxation, studied by microwave absorption in neutron-irradiated YBa2Cu3O7−x ceramic

A contactless microwave method is used to measure the fast magnetic relaxation of granular ceramic samples of YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x irradiated by neutrons with fluences of 10¹⁶–10¹⁹ cm⁻². An experimental study of the time dependence of the relaxation of high-frequency (rf) absorption (f=100 MHz) after the action of an external magnetic field pulse has shown the magnetic relaxation times τ ₀ to be in the time interval of 0.5–150 ms. The rf-absorption mechanism is discussed in terms of an intergranular system with a thermally activated flux of vortices and their diffusion in the granular medium. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 977–981 (June 1997)     

Magnetoresistance of LaCoO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and an insulator-metal transition induced in it by a high magnetic field

The transformation of the band structure of LaCoO₃ in the applied magnetic field has been theoretically studied. If the field is below its critical value B _C ≈ 65 T, the dielectric band gap decreases with the field, thus giving rise to negative magnetoresistance that is highest at T ≃ 300–500 K. The critical field is related to the crossover between the low- and high-spin terms of Co³⁺ ions. The spin crossover results in an insulator-metal transition induced by an increase in the magnetic field.     

Formation of bound magnetic polarons in Cd1−x MnxTe crystals. Contribution of the average exchange field and thermodynamic fluctuations of the magnetization to the binding energy

It is shown that the temperature dependence of the binding energy of exciton-impurity complexes in the semimagnetic semiconductors Cd_1−x Mn_xTe (x≈0.05) is described well in the donor-electron model with an effective characteristic magnetic-polaron energy. The contributions of the average exchange field and of thermodynamic fluctuations of the magnetization to the binding energy and their variation with temperature with and without a weak magnetic field (H⩽3.5 kOe) are determined. How doping with scandium, vanadium, and cobalt effects the appearance of the magnetic-polaron in the experimental crystals was studied. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 527–535 (March 1997)     

Electron spin resonance in InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures with a manganese δ layer

The static and high-frequency dynamic magnetic properties and photoluminescence of two-dimensional semiconductor GaAs heterostructures containing an InGaAs quantum well and a thin manganese layer (δ layer) are studied. It is found that the Curie temperature is T _C ≈ 35 K and the magnetic anisotropy field of the ferromagnetic manganese δ layer is H _a ≈ 600 Oe. The spin resonance spectrum exhibits a line in weak fields (from −50 to 100 Oe), which is observed in the same temperature interval T < 40 K where the ferromagnetic ordering of the manganese δ layer occurs. This line is probably caused by the nonresonance contribution of the spin-dependent scattering of charge carriers to the negative magnetic resistance. The dependence of the degree of polarization of photoluminescence on the magnetic field also points to the ferromagnetic behavior of the manganese δ layer.