Nonexponential quasiparticle decay and phase relaxation in low-dimensional conductors

We show that in low-dimensional disordered conductors, the quasiparticle decay and the relaxation of the phase are not exponential processes. In the quasi-one-dimensional case, both behave at small time as e(-(t/tau(in))3/2) where the inelastic time, tau(in), identical for both processes, is a power T-2/3 of the temperature. The nonexponential quasiparticle decay results from a modified derivation of the Fermi golden rule. This result implies the existence of an unusual distribution of relaxation times.     

Quasiparticle relaxation in Heavy Fermions studied using Inverse Fourier Transform of optical conductivity

Inverse Fourier Transform of optical conductivity is used for studies of quasiparticle relaxation in Heavy Fermions in time domain. We demonstrate the usefulness of the procedure on model spectra and then use it to study quasiparticle relaxation in two Heavy Fermions YbFe₄Sb₁₂ and CeRu₄Sb₁₂. Optical conductivity in time domain reveals details of quasiparticle relaxation close to the Fermi level, not readily accessible from the spectra in the frequency domain. In particular, we find that the relaxation of heavy quasiparticles does not start instantaneously, but typically after a few hundred femto-seconds.     

Electronic structure of SmOFeAs

The electronic structure of SmOFeAs, a parent compound of iron arsenic superconductors, is measured by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Due to the surface contribution, the measured electronic structure deviates strongly from the calculations. One of the bulk bands is identified by photon energy dependence measurements. Moreover, the appearance of sharp quasiparticle peaks at low temperatures implies the drastic reduction of the scattering rate. No energy gap is observed at Fermi level, indicating that the Fermi surface nesting is irrelevant in the spin density wave formation.     

Nuclear spin relaxation in strongly disordered superconductors

The influence of nonmagnetic impurity and spin-orbit scattering on the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate in strongly disordered superconductors is presented. Using Anderson's exact-eigenstate formalism, it is shown that there exist two effects of disorder onT ₁ ^–1 . Firstly, nonmagnetic impurity and spin-orbit scattering enhances the magnitude of the relaxation rate in the same manner as in the normal dirty metal due to the diffusive nature of quasiparticle motion. Secondly, the Hebel-Slichter peak becomes suppressed due to the disorder enhancement of the quasiparticle inelastic scattering rate due to phonon, Coulomb, and/or spin-fluctuation interactions. Comparison with the available experimental data is made.     

Weak-Localization Effect on the Density of States in Disordered d-wave Superconductors

The weak-localization effect on the quasiparticle density of states (DOS) is studied with the diagrammatic technique in the binary-alloy model of disordered two-dimensional d-wave superconductors both in the Born and the unitary limits. We derive in details the expressions of the Goldstone modes (cooperon and diffuson) for quasiparticle diffuson. For generic Fermi surfaces, the DOS is shown to be subject to a quantum interference correction of logarithmic suppression. In the combined limit of unitarity and nested Fermi surface (the UN limit), it is found that the self-energy diagrams with two π-mode diffusons make additional contributions to the weak-localization effect, which has not been considered in the previous diagrammatic analysis. Due to the contributions of these new diagrams, the DOS in the UN limit is shown to have also a negative logarithmic correction, which is qualitatively different from the previous prediction.     

Weak-Localization Effect on the Density of States in Disordered d-wave Superconductors

The weak-localization effect on the quasiparticle density of states (DOS) is studied with the diagrammatic technique in the binary-alloy model of disordered two-dimensional d-wave superconductors both in the Born and the unitary limits. We derive in details the expressions of the Goldstone modes (cooperon and diffuson) for quasiparticle diffuson. For generic Fermi surfaces, the DOS is shown to be subject to a quantum interference correction of logarithmic suppression. In the combined limit of unitarity and nested Fermi surface (the UN limit), it is found that the self-energy diagrams with two π-mode diffusons make additional contributions to the weak-localization effect, which has not been considered in the previous diagrammatic analysis. Due to the contributions of these new diagrams, the DOS in the UN limit is shown to have also a negative logarithmic correction, which is qualitatively different from the previous prediction.     

Specific heat of disordered superfluid 3He

The specific heat of superfluid 3He, disordered by a silica aerogel, is found to have a sharp discontinuity marking the thermodynamic transition to superfluidity at a temperature reduced from that of bulk 3He. The magnitude of the discontinuity is also suppressed. This disorder effect can be understood from the Ginzburg-Landau theory which takes into account elastic quasiparticle scattering suppressing both the transition temperature and the amplitude of the order parameter. We infer that the limiting temperature dependence of the specific heat is linear at low temperatures in the disordered superfluid state, consistent with predictions of gapless excitations everywhere on the Fermi surface.     

Momentum dependence of quasiparticle spectrum and Bogoliubov angle in cuprate superconductors

The momentum dependence of the low energy quasiparticle spectrum and the related Bogoliubov angle in cuprate superconductors are studied within the kinetic energy driven superconducting mechanism. By calculation of the ratio of the low energy quasiparticle spectra at positive and negative energies, it is shown that the Bogoliubov angle increases monotonically across the Fermi crossing point. The results also show that the superconducting coherence of the low energy quasiparticle peak is well described by a simple d-wave Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer formalism, although the pairing mechanism is driven by the kinetic energy by exchanging spin excitations.     

Finite Fermi systems theory and self-consistency relations

The self-consistent theory of the finite Fermi systems is outlined. This approach is based on the same Fermi liquid theory principles as the familiar theory for finite Fermi systems (FFS) by Migdal. We show that the basic Fermi system properties can be evaluated in terms of the quasiparticle Lagrangian L_q which incorporates the energy dependency effects. This Lagrangian is defined so that the corresponding Lagrange equations should coincide with the FFS theory equations of motion of the quasiparticles. The quasiparticle energy E_q defined in the terms of t he quasiparticle Lagrangian L_q according to the usual canonical rules is shown to be equal to the binding energy E_o of the system. For a given Lagrangian L_q the particle densities in nuclei, the nuclear single-particle spectra, the low-lying collective states (LCS) properties, and the amplitude of the interquasiparticle interaction are also evaluated. The suggested approach is compared with the Hartree-Fock theory with effective forces.     

Composite-fermion spin excitations as nu approaches 1/2: interactions in the Fermi sea

Measurements of low-lying spin excitations by inelastic light scattering unveil a delicate balance between spin reversal and Fermi energies in the Fermi sea of composite fermions that emerges in the limit of nu --> 1/2. The interplays between these two fundamental quasiparticle interactions are uncovered in lowest spin-flip excitations in which the spin orientation and Landau level index of composite fermions change simultaneously. A collapse of the spin-flip excitation gap as nu --> 1/2 is linked to vanishing quasiparticle energy level spacings and loss of full spin polarization.     

Effect of the vortices on the nuclear spin relaxation rate in the unconventional pairing states of the organic superconductor (TMTSF)2PF6

This Letter theoretically discusses quasiparticle states and nuclear spin relaxation rates T1-1 in the quasi-one-dimensional superconductor (TMTSF)2PF6 under a magnetic field applied parallel to the conduction chains. We study the effects of Josephson-type vortices on T1(-1) by solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation for p-, d- or f-wave pairing interactions. In the presence of line nodes in pairing functions, T1(-1) is proportional to T in sufficiently low temperatures because quasiparticles induced by vortices at the Fermi energy relax spins. We also try to identify the pairing symmetry of (TMTSF)2PF6.     

Andreev levels in a graphene–superconductor surface

In order to consider the Dirac-like spectrum of graphene we employ the Bogoliubov de Gennes–Dirac formalism to determine the quasiparticle Andreev levels in an NS surface (normal–superconductor). The normal region is characterized by a width L while the superconducting region is semi-infinite and both regions are made of doped graphene. The quasiparticle energy spectrum is originated by the Andreev reflections that occur in the NS interface. It is shown that this spectrum depends on the width of the normal region and the Fermi energy in each region. When the Fermi energy in the normal metal is lower than the gap of the superconductor region, the spectrum is affected by specular Andreev reflections. The equation that is obtained to find the spectrum is very general and we solve it for some particular cases. We find that the energy spectrum oscillates when the Fermi energy in graphene is changed. Finally we obtain under some approximations an equation for the energy spectrum which is similar in structure as those obtained for an INS conventional junction.     

From the Bose-Einstein to fermion condensation

The appearance of the fermion condensation, which can be compared to the Bose-Einstein condensation, in different Fermi liquids is considered; its properties are discussed; and a large amount of experimental evidence in favor of the existence of the fermion condensate (FC) is presented. We show that the appearance of FC is a signature of the fermion condensation quantum phase transition (FCQPT), which separates the regions of normal and strongly correlated liquids. Beyond the FCQPT point, the quasiparticle system is divided into two subsystems, one containing normal quasiparticles and the other, FC, localized at the Fermi level. In the superconducting state, the quasiparticle dispersion in systems with FC can be represented by two straight lines, characterized by effective masses M _FC ^* and M _L ^* and intersecting near the binding energy E₀, which is of the order of the superconducting gap. The same quasiparticle picture and the energy scale E₀ persist in the normal state. We demonstrate that fermion systems with FC have features of a “quantum protectorate” and show that strongly correlated systems with FC, which exhibit large deviations from the Landau Fermi liquid behavior, can be driven into the Landau Fermi liquid by applying a small magnetic field B at low temperatures. Thus, the essence of strongly correlated electron liquids can be controlled by weak magnetic fields. A reentrance into the strongly correlated regime is observed if the magnetic field B decreases to zero, while the effective mass M* diverges as \(M^ * \propto {1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 {\sqrt B }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\sqrt B }}\). The regime is restored at some temperature \(T^ * \propto \sqrt B \). The behavior of Fermi systems that approach FCQPT from the disordered phase is considered. This behavior can be viewed as a highly correlated one, because the effective mass is large and strongly depends on the density. We expect that FCQPT takes place in trapped Fermi gases and in low-density neutron matter, leading to stabilization of the matter by lowering its ground-state energy. When the system recedes from FCQPT, the effective mass becomes density independent and the system is suited perfectly to be conventional Landau Fermi liquid.     

Intervortex quasiparticle tunneling and the electronic structure of multivortex configurations in type-II superconductors

The electronic spectrum of multivortex configurations in type-II superconductors is studied taking into account the effect of quasiparticle tunneling between the vortex cores. The tunneling is responsible for the formation of strongly coupled quasiparticle states for intervortex distances a < a _cc , where the critical distance a _c is of the order of several coherence lengths ξ. When analyzing the resulting spectra of vortex clusters bonded by quasiparticle tunneling, we find a transition from a set of degenerate Caroli-de Gennes-Matricon branches to anomalous branches similar to the ones in multiquantum giant vortices. This spectrum transformation results in the oscillatory behavior of the density of states at the Fermi level as a function of a and could be observed in mesoscopic superconductors and disordered flux line arrays in bulk systems. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Fermi surface and quasiparticle dynamics of Na0.7CoO2 investigated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We present the first angle-resolved photoemission study of Na0.7CoO2, the host material of the superconducting NaxCoO2.nH(2)O series. Our results show a hole-type Fermi surface, a strongly renormalized quasiparticle band, a small Fermi velocity, and a large Hubbard U. The quasiparticle band crosses the Fermi level from M toward Gamma suggesting a negative sign of effective single-particle hopping t(eff) (about 10 meV) which is on the order of magnetic exchange coupling J in this system. Quasiparticles are well defined only in the T-linear resistivity (non-Fermi-liquid) regime. Unusually small single-particle hopping and unconventional quasiparticle dynamics may have implications for understanding the phase of matter realized in this new class of a strongly interacting quantum system.     

Quasiparticle lifetime in graphite studied by ultrahigh-resolution ARPES

We have performed ultrahigh-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to elucidate the nature of quasiparticle dynamics in graphite. We found fairly sharp quasiparticle peak of π band around K(H) point in the vicinity of the Fermi level, together with the strong mass renormalization of the band (kink). The imaginary part of electron self-energy (ImΣ) shows a sudden drop below 0.18 eV, indicative of a strong electron-phonon coupling. The linear energy dependence of ImΣ at higher binding energies provides an evidence for the deviation from the conventional Fermi liquid theory.