Microscopic neutron investigation of the Abrikosov state of high-temperature superconductors

Using small angle neutron scattering we have been able to observe for the first time a well-defined vortex lattice (VL) structure both in the hole-doped LSCO and electron-doped NCCO superconductors. Our measurements on optimally doped LSCO reveal the existence of a magnetic field-induced phase transition from a hexagonal to a square coordination of the VL. Various scenarios to explain such phase transition are presented. In NCCO also a clear square VL could be detected, which is unexpectedly kept down to the lowest measurable magnetic fields.      

Breakdown of one-parameter scaling in quantum critical scenarios for high-temperature copper-oxide superconductors

We show that if the excitations which become gapless at a quantum critical point also carry the electrical current, then a resistivity linear in temperature, as is observed in the copper-oxide high-temperature superconductors, obtains only if the dynamical exponent z satisfies the unphysical constraint, z < 0. At fault here is the universal scaling hypothesis that, at a continuous phase transition, the only relevant length scale is the correlation length. Consequently, either the electrical current in the normal state of the cuprates is carried by degrees of freedom which do not undergo a quantum phase transition, or quantum critical scenarios must forgo this basic scaling hypothesis and demand that more than a single-correlation length scale is necessary to model transport in the cuprates.     

Physics picture from neutron scattering study on Fe-based superconductors

Neutron scattering, with its ability to measure the crystal structure, the magnetic order, and the structural and magnetic excitations, plays an active role in investigating various families of Fe-based high-T c superconductors. Three different types of antiferromagnetic orders have been discovered in the Fe plane, but two of them cannot be explained by the spin-density-wave (SDW) mechanism of nesting Fermi surfaces. Noticing the close relation between antiferromagnetic order and lattice distortion in orbital ordering from previous studies on manganites and other oxides, we have advocated orbital ordering as the underlying common mechanism for the structural and antiferromagnetic transitions in the 1111, 122, and 11 parent compounds. We observe the coexistence of antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity in the (Ba,K)Fe 2 As 2 system, when its phase separation is generally accepted. Optimal T c is proposed to be controlled by the local FeAs 4 tetrahedron from our investigation on the 1111 materials. The Bloch phase coherence of the Fermi liquid is found crucial to the occurrence of bulk superconductivity in iron chalcogenides of both the 11 and the 245 families. Iron chalcogenides carry a larger staggered magnetic moment ( 2 μ B /Fe) than that in iron pnictides ( 1 μ B /Fe) in the antiferromagnetic order. Normal state magnetic excitations in the 11 superconductor are of the itinerant nature while in the 245 superconductor the spin-waves of localized moments. The observation of superconducting resonance peak provides a crucial piece of information in current deliberation of the pairing symmetry in Fe-based superconductors.     

Spin-glass dynamics determined from muon spin relaxation and neutron spin echo measurements

Muon spin relaxation (SR) and neutron spin echo (NSE) measurements of magnetic ion correlation times and correlation functions in the spin glass systemsCuMn,AgMn, andAuFe are compared. It is found that theSR and NSE measurements are in excellent agreement both above and below the spin-glass freezing temperatures. The experimental results are compared to recent theories of spin-glass dynamics.We are grateful to D.L. Huber and R.E. Walstedt for stimulating discussions. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, and was also supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Grant No. DMR-8115543.     

Magnetocrystalline symmetry, spin statics and dynamics in high-temperature superconductors

The symmetry analysis of the magnetic structures of La₂CuO₄ and YBa₂Cu₃O_6+δ (δ 0.4) antiferromagnetic oxide has been carried out. The spin configurations and spin-reorientation transition fields have been found. The frequencies of uniform spin oscillations and the external field dependence of their polarization properties have been calculated. It has been shown that the spin excitation branches may include exchange modes among which some dipole-active modes can be present. The spectrum of the inelastic light scattering accompanied with the excitation of spin and libration (tilting) freedom degrees has been discussed.     

Fermi arc formation by chiral spin textures in high-temperature superconductors

In angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy pseudogap phenomenon in high-temperature superconductors is observed as Fermi arcs, or truncated Fermi surface. Here I argue that the hole induced chiral spin texture scenario naturally leads to Fermi arcs by including hole hopping processes. Disappearance of part of the Fermi surface is associated with the effect of the coherence factor. Suppressed spectral weight of the holes turns out to be an electron-like component which has weight near (π,0) only and has some charge instability.     

The mysterious spin gap in high-temperature superconductors: New NMR/NQR studies

We review work, done mainly at the author’s laboratory, on the spin gap which is the NMR manifestation of the pseudogap observed in the normal state of high-temperature superconductors. The relation of the spin gap to an electronic crossover in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ is discussed. A possible explanation of both effects by assuming a charge density wave transition is presented. This suggestion is supported by measuring the isotope dependence of the spin gap in YBa₂Cu₄O₈.     

Vortex lattices in type-II superconductors studied by small-angle neutron scattering

Here we review recent small-angle scattering studies of the vortex lattice in a range of type-II superconductors carried out by our group. Emphasis is placed on providing examples of the kind of information which can be obtained by such measurements, focusing in particular on studies of the vortex lattice structure and form factor in LuNi₂B₂C, TmNi₂B₂C, CeCoIn₅ and Ba(Fe_0.93Co_0.07)₂As₂.     

Theory of neutron scattering from magnetised solid state plasmas

The spin and orbital components of the inelastic neutron cross-section for scattering from a magnetised, degenerate plasma are calculated treating the Coulomb interaction in the RPA. Particular attention is focussed on results for small wavevectors where effects of the magnetic field are most pronounced. It is shown that a collective mode is excited at small wavevectors with a frequency that is the square root of the sum of the squares of the plasmon and cyclotron frequencies.     

Anomalous Hall effect in the mixed state of high-temperature superconductors

The Hall effect in the mixed state of high-T_c superconductors (HTSC) is of an anomalous nature: near the transition there is a range of temperatures and of magnetic fields where the sign of the Hall effect is opposite to that in the normal state. The universality of the phenomenon in question is indicative of its connection with some general properties of the mixed state of type-II superconductors, namely, with peculiarities of motion of magnetic flux vortex lines (vortices) in these superconductors. This work puts forward a model accounting for a number of vortex motion specific features and providing a possibility to obtain the characteristics of the anomalous Hall effect.

The work is based on the phenomenologically generalized results of Bardeen-Stephen and Nozieres-Vinen, supplemented with an allowance for a new mechanism of vortex “friction” associated with Andreev electron reflection on the interface between the normal core and the superconducting periphery of a vortex. Within the framework of the model suggested, magnetic field (and temperature) dependences of the longitudinal and Hall resistances of a mixed state superconductor have been calculated at temperatures nearing T_c. At certain quite realistic parameters which define the forces acting on the vortices, there is a range of magnetic fields and temperatures where the sign of the Hall effect is opposite to that in the normal state. The lower limit of this range is the irreversibility line and the upper critical field.     

Inelastic neutron scattering study of spin waves in MnO

The dispersion relation E(q) for spin waves in MnO has been measured at 4.2°K by neutron inelastic scattering. The isotropic exchange integrals as well as the anisotropy constants have been determined by fitting the Hamiltonian to the data. It is found that the exchange striction plays main role in the anomaly in the magnetic interactions in MnO and the biquadratic exchange interaction j₁(S₁·S₂)² is almost absent (j₁/J₁ ? 0.002).     

On polarized neutron scattering from magnetized samples and the spin echo effect

The scattering of polarized neutrons from magnetized samples is considered in the general case of arbitrary orientation between the incident polarization, the magnetic field of the sample and the polarization of the scattered neutrons. Including both nuclear and magnetic scattering the general expressions for the cross section and the polarization of the scattered beam are derived in the case of small-angle scattering. It is shown that under certain experimental conditions an effect analogous to the Neutron Spin Echo should be observed, which could be used to measure small energy transfers. The contribution arising from the scattering by spin waves is examined in detail.     

Unambiguous evidence for extended s-wave pairing symmetry in hole-doped high-temperature superconductors

We have analysed data from angle-resolved photo-emission spectroscopy, Fourier transform scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and low-temperature thermal conductivity for optimally doped Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂ O _8+y in order to discriminate between d-wave and extended s-wave pairing symmetry. The combined data are inconsistent with d-wave symmetry, but quantitatively consistent with extended s-wave symmetry with eight line nodes. We also explain all phase-sensitive experiments in a consistent manner.     

Dynamic spin susceptibility of hole-doped high-temperature superconductors in a singlet-correlated conduction band model

We have derived an expression for the dynamical spin susceptibility of a hole-doped high-temperature superconductor taking into account a strong correlation between the magnetization of spins of the localized and itinerant electrons. This formula has been used to calculate the imaginary part of the susceptibility as a function of the frequency and wave vector. The results are compared to experimental data on the inelastic neutron scattering in compounds of the YBa₂Cu₃O_6+y type. A peak in the scattering intensity observed at an energy of about 40 meV in the region of wave vectors Q = (π, π) and an arc-shaped dispersion relief are interpreted as manifestations of the collective spin excitations in the system, the energy of which falls within a superconducting gap (spin exciton). The U-shaped divergent relief observed in the neutron scattering intensity is assigned to collective short-rage-order spin oscillations.