Divergence of the grüneisen ratio at quantum critical points in heavy fermion metals

We present low-temperature volume thermal expansion, beta, and specific heat, C, measurements on high-quality single crystals of CeNi2Ge2 and YbRh2(Si0.95Ge0.05)(2) which are located very near to quantum critical points. For both systems, beta shows a more singular temperature dependence than C, and thus the Grüneisen ratio Gamma proportional to beta/C diverges as T-->0. For CeNi2Ge2, our results are in accordance with the spin-density wave (SDW) scenario for three-dimensional critical spin fluctuations. By contrast, the observed singularity in YbRh2(Si0.95Ge0.05)(2) cannot be explained by the itinerant SDW theory but is qualitatively consistent with a locally quantum critical picture.     

Universally diverging Grüneisen parameter and the magnetocaloric effect close to quantum critical points

At a generic quantum critical point, the thermal expansion alpha is more singular than the specific heat c(p). Consequently, the "Grüneisen ratio," Gamma=alpha/c(p), diverges. When scaling applies, Gamma approximately T(-1/(nu z)) at the critical pressure p=p(c), providing a means to measure the scaling dimension of the most relevant operator that pressure couples to; in the alternative limit T-->0 and p not equal p(c), Gamma approximately 1/(p-p(c)) with a prefactor that is, up to the molar volume, a simple universal combination of critical exponents. For a magnetic-field driven transition, similar relations hold for the magnetocaloric effect (1/T) partial differential T/ partial differential H|(S). Finally, we determine the corrections to scaling in a class of metallic quantum critical points.     

Maximal Grüneisen parameter at polymorphic transformations in crystals

It is shown using polymorphic transformations in crystals of sodium (NaCN) and rubidium (RbCN) cyanides and copper chloride (CuCl) as examples that under structural transformation, the Grüneisen parameter may attain a value of γ_max ≈ 4.5.     

Grüneisen ratio quest for self-duality of quantum criticality in a spin-1/2 XY chain with Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction

The quantum phase transition(QPT) and quantum criticality of an anisotropic spin-1/2 XY chain under the interplay of magnetic field and Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya(DM) interaction, which is interpreted as an electric field, are investigated, wherein the anisotropic parameter plays a similar role as the superconducting pairing gap in the interacting Kitaev topological superconductor model that protects the topological order. It is shown that the thermal Drude weight is a good quantity to characterize the gapped(D_(th) = 0) and gapless(D_(th) 0) ground states. The continuous QPT is marked by a quantum critical point(QCP) associated with entropy accumulation, which is manifested by a characteristic Güneisen ratio(GR) with or without selfduality symmetry. It is shown that at a self-dual QCP, the GR keeps a finite value as T→0,while at a general QCP without self-duality symmetry, it displays a power-law temperature dependent divergence: Γ(T,r_c)～±T~(-1),which provides a novel thermodynamic means for probing QPT.     

Temperature Dependence of Mode Grüneisen Parameters in Ferroelectric Perovskites at T ≅ Tc

An approximate expression for the temperature dependence of the Grüneisen parameter n TO ( T ) for ferroelectric perovskites is obtained, which implies a Curie-Weiss behavior in the vicinity of the transition temperature. While no temperature dependent data on n TO itself is available, indirect estimates based upon the frequency and volume temperature dependence seem to give reasonable results.     

Thermal expansion and Grüneisen parameters of Ba(Fe(1-x)Co(x))2As2: a thermodynamic quest for quantum criticality

Thermal expansion data are used to study the uniaxial pressure dependence of the electronic-magnetic entropy of Ba(Fe(1-x)Co(x))2As2. Uniaxial pressure is found to be proportional to doping and, thus, also an appropriate tuning parameter in this system. Many of the features predicted to occur for a pressure-tuned quantum critical system, in which superconductivity is an emergent phase hiding the critical point, are observed. The electronic-magnetic Grüneisen parameters associated with the spin-density wave and superconducting transitions further demonstrate an intimate connection between both ordering phenomena.     

Absorption cross section in the topologically massive gravity at the critical point

The absorption cross section for the warped AdS₃ black hole background shows that it is larger than the area even if the s-wave limit is considered. It raises some question whether the deviation from the areal cross section is due to the warped configuration of the geometry or the rotating coordinate system, where these two effects are mixed up in the warped AdS₃ black hole. So, we study the low-frequency scattering dynamics of propagating scalar fields under the warped AdS₃ background at the critical point which reduces to the BTZ black hole in the rotating frame without the warped factor, which shows that the deformation effect at the critical point does not appear.     

Dependence of the Ratio of Squared Acoustic Wave Velocities in Solids on the Grüneisen Parameter

Russian Physics Journal - It is found that in the Leont’ev and Belomestnykh–Tesleva formulas for the Grüneisen parameter, the righthand sides of the equalities depend on the...     

Tricritical point in quantum phase transitions of the Coleman–Weinberg model at Higgs mass

The tricritical point, which separates first and second order phase transitions in three-dimensional superconductors, is studied in the four-dimensional Coleman–Weinberg model, and the similarities as well as the differences with respect to the three-dimensional result are exhibited. The position of the tricritical point in the Coleman–Weinberg model is derived and found to be in agreement with the Thomas–Fermi approximation in the three-dimensional Ginzburg–Landau theory. From this we deduce a special role of the tricritical point for the Standard Model Higgs sector in the scope of the latest experimental results, which suggests the unexpected relevance of tricritical behavior in the electroweak interactions.     

Correlation of mode grüneisen parameter with the ratio of phonon frequencies in binary cubic compounds

A correlation formula between the mode Grüneisen parameter γ_j and the frequency ratio of LO and TO phonons is semiempirically derived and compared with the experimental values for a large number of cubic binary and few ternary compounds. This relationship is represented by a linear function of $\text{x}{}^2\text{(x=}\text{ω}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>LO</mtext>}}\text{ω}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>TO</mtext>}}\text{)}$.     

Effects of intrinsic anharmonicity in the Mie–Grüneisen equation of state and higher order corrections

The usual quasiharmonic Mie–Grüneisen (MG) equation of state is modified by the inclusion of ‘intrinsic anharmonicities’, which have been considered up to now primarily in the high temperature limit. A comparison with experimental data for the rare gas solids, Ar, Kr and Xe and for MgO reveals that the anharmonic contributions cannot be represented perfectly within the MG approximation. A small but significant modification of the MG approach is presented to estimate intrinsic anharmonic contributions within a mean-field approximation for the thermal part of the internal energy. This estimate results in reasonable interpolations to low temperatures, where quantum effects are dominant. The present approach is also compared with more restricted recent theoretical results.     

Intersubband transitions in In_xAl_(1-x)N/In_yGa_(1-y)N quantum well operating at 1.55 μm

In this paper, we theoretically study the effects of doping concentration NDand an external electric field on the intersubband transitions in InxAl(1-x)N/InyGa(1-y)N single quantum well by solving the Schr¨odinger and Poisson equations self-consistently. Obtained results including transition energies, the band structure, and the optical absorption have been discussed. The lowest three intersubband transitions(E2- E1),(E3- E1), and(E3- E2) are calculated as functions of doping concentration ND. By increasing the doping concentration ND, the depletion effect can be reduced, and the ionized electrons will compensate the internal electric field which results from the spontaneous polarization. Our results show that an optimum concentration NDexists for which the transition 0.8 eV(1.55 μm) is carried out. Finally, the dependence of the optical absorption α13(ω) on the external electric field and doping concentration is studied. The maximum of the optical absorption can be red-shifted or blue-shifted through varying the doping concentration and the external electric field. The obtained results can be used for designing optical fiber telecommunications operating at 1.55 μm.     

Hall and transverse even effects in the vicinity of a quantum critical point in Tm1 ? x Yb x B12

The angular, temperature, and magnetic field dependences of the resistance recorded in the Hall effect geometry are studied for the rare-earth dodecaboride Tm_{1 ? x} Yb _x B₁₂ solid solutions where the metal-insulator and antiferromagnetic-paramagnetic phase transitions are observed in the vicinity of the quantum critical point x _c ?? 0.3. The measurements performed on high-quality single crystals in the temperature range 1.9?C300 K for the first time have revealed the appearance of the second harmonic contribution, a transverse even effect in these fcc compounds near the quantum critical point. This contribution a is found to increase drastically both under the Tm-to-ytterbium substitution in the range x > x _c and with an increase in the external magnetic field. Moreover, as the Yb concentration x increases, a negative peak of a significant amplitude appears on the temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient R _H(T) for the Tm^{1 ? x} Yb _x B₁₂ compounds, in contrast to the invariable behavior R _H(T) ?? const found for TmB₁₂. The complicated activation-type behavior of the Hall coefficient is observed at intermediate temperatures for x ?? 0.5 with activation energies E _g /k _B ?? 200 K and E _a/k _B = 55?C75 K, and the sign inversion of R _H(T) is detected at liquid-helium temperatures in the coherent regime. Renormalization effects in the electron density of states induced by variation of the Yb concentration are analyzed. The anomalies of the charge transport in Tm_{1 ? x} Yb _x B₁₂ solid solutions in various regimes (charge gap formation, intra-gap many-body resonance, and coherent regime) are discussed in detail and the results are interpreted in terms of the electron phase separation effects in combination with the formation of nanosize clusters of rare earth ions in the cage-glass state of the studied dodecaborides. The data obtained allow concluding that the emergence of Yb-Yb dimers in the Tm_{1 ? x} Yb _x B₁₂ cage-glass matrix is the origin of the metal-insulator transition observed in the achetypal strongly correlated electron system of YbB₁₂.     

Experimental study of the Grüneisen parameter of a fullerite C60 single crystal near phase transitions at 90 and 260 K by the photoacoustic method

The behavior of the Grüneisen parameter of single-crystal fullerite C₆₀ has been studied experimentally near orientational phase transitions at 90 and 260 K. The measurements have been performed by the photoacoustic method using an automated photoacoustic device with laser excitation (the intensity was modulated by a harmonic law) and shadow piezoelectric detection. The temperature dependence of the relative change in the Grüneisen parameter in the fullerite C₆₀ single crystal has been measured near the phase transitions at 90 and 260 K. The results have been analyzed.     

Electronic energy alignment at the PbSe quantum dots/ZnO(101̅0) interface

A number of solar energy conversion strategies depend on exciton dissociation across interfaces between semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and other electron or hole conducting materials. A critical factor governing exciton dissociation and charge transfer in these systems is the alignment of electronic energy levels across the interface. We probe interfacial electronic energy alignment in a model system, sub-monolayer films of PbSe QDs adsorbed on single crystal ZnO(101?0) surfaces using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. We establish electronic energy alignment as a function of quantum dot size and surface chemistry. We find that replacing insulating oleic-acid capping molecules on the QDs by the short hydrazine or ethanedithiol molecules results in pinning of the valence band maximum (VBM) of QDs to ZnO substrate states, independent of QD size. This is in contrast to similar measurements on TiO₂(110) where the alignment of the PbSe QD VBM to that of the TiO₂ substrate depends on QD size. We interpret these findings as indicative of strong electronic coupling of QDs with the ZnO surface but less with the TiO₂ surface. Based on the measured energy alignment, we predict that electron injection from the 1s_e level in photo-excited PbSe QDs to ZnO can occur with small QDs (diameter ? = 3.4 nm), but energetically unfavorably for larger dots (? = 6.7 nm). In the latter, hot electrons above the 1s_e level are necessary for interfacial electron injection.     

Singularities of classical and quantum correlations at critical points of the Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick model in bipartitions and tripartitions of spins

By using the lowest order expansion in the number of spins, we study the classical correlation (CC) and quantum correlations (QCs) between two spin subgroups of the Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick (LMG) model in both binary and trinary decompositions of spins. In the case of bipartitions, we find that the CC and all the QCs are divergent in the same singular behavior at the critical point of the LMG model. In the case of tripartitions, however, the CC is still divergent but the QCs remain finite at the critical point. The present result shows that the CC is very robust but the QCs are much frangible to the environment disturbance.