Study of : pronounced differences between the and ground states

We present electrical resistivity and specific heat measurements of alloys on the Rh rich side of the phase diagram of the Ce(Rh_1-xPd_x)₂Si₂ system. We compare these results with those obtained at intermediate and low Rh concentrations. The analysis of the concentration and temperature dependence of the entropy and of the scaling behaviour of C _el ( T ) and ρ( T ) clearly confirm a separation of the magnetic phase diagram into two regions: the region x ≤0.3, showing a concentration independent characteristic temperature for the 4 f-electrons with T ₀ ≈ 45 K, while for x > 0.3, T₀ decreases to T ₀ ( x = 1) ≈ 15 K. At low Pd-content, T_N decreases very rapidly from T _N = 36 K in pure CeRh₂Si₂ to T _N = 18 K at x = 0.1. With higher Pd concentration T_N stabilizes at T _N ≈ 15 K whereas the magnitude of the anomalies in C _el ( T ) and in the susceptibility around T_N are further reduced and disappear at x ≈ 0.3. This differs from the behavior found on the Pd-rich side, where T_N decreases continuously to zero with increasing Rh content. The pronounced differences observed between both phase boundaries and the drastic effect of doping on the Rh rich side suggest an itinerant character in CeRh₂ Si₂, in contrast with the localized character of CePd₂Si₂. Further evidence for the itinerant character of CeRh₂Si₂ is given by the ρ( T ) dependence observed for x ≤0.3, which scales with ρ( T ) of the prototype itinerant compound YCo₂. Received 31 December 2001 / Received in final form 6 July 2002 Published online 19 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: berisso@cab.cnea.gov.ar     

Nature of the Peierls- to Mott-insulator transition in 1D

In order to clarify the physics of the crossover from a Peierls band insulator to a correlated Mott-Hubbard insulator, we analyze ground-state and spectral properties of the one-dimensional half-filled Holstein-Hubbard model using quasi-exact numerical techniques. In the adiabatic limit the transition is connected to the band to Mott insulator transition of the ionic Hubbard model. Depending on the strengths of the electron-phonon coupling and the Hubbard interaction the transition is either first order or evolves continuously across a narrow intermediate phase with finite spin, charge, and optical excitation gaps. Received 7 July 2002 / Received in final form 21 October 2002 Published online 27 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: holger.fehske@physik.uni-greifswald.de     

Phase diagram of the extended hubbard model with pair hopping interaction

A one-dimensional model of interacting electrons with on-site U, nearest-neighbor V, and pair-hopping interaction W is studied at half-filling using the continuum limit field theory approach. The ground state phase diagram is obtained for a wide range of coupling constants. In addition to the insulating spin-density wave (SDW) and charge-density wave (CDW) phases for large U and V, respectively, we identify a bond-charge-density-wave (BCDW) phase W < 0, | U - 2V| < | 2W| and a bond-spin-density-wave (BSDW) for W > 0, | U - 2V| < W. The possibility of bond-located ordering results from the site-off-diagonal nature of the pair-hopping term and is a special feature of the half-filled band case. The BCDW phase corresponding to an enhanced Peierls instability in the system. The BdSDW is an unconventional insulating magnetic phase, characterized by a gapless spin excitation spectrum and a staggered magnetization located on bonds between sites. The general ground state phase diagram including insulating, metallic, and superconducting phases is discussed. A transition to the η-superconducting phase at | U - 2V| ≪ 2t?W is briefly discussed. Received 20 February 2002 / Received in final form 11 April 2002 Published online 19 July 2002     

CEF nature of the magnetic excitations in ordered HoNi B C

The magnetic excitations in the antiferromagnetic phase of HoNi₂B₂C are studied by inelastic neutron scattering on single crystals for the first time. Spectra measured at constant T = 2 K along symmetry directions of the reciprocal space are well explained in terms of crystal electric field (CEF) magnetic excitons within the J = 8 ground state multiplet of Ho³⁺. Very modest bandwidth with planar energy dispersion describes the magnetic exciton dynamics. A perturbative model approach consisting of the CEF states in the effective exchange mean-field provides a simple but applicable characterization of the experimental observations. The microscopic determination of the relevant exchange parameters is discussed in connection with previous works on the subject. Received 25 February 2002 / Received in final form 13 May 2002 Published online 14 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: nordal.cavadini@psi.ch     

Phase diagram of the spin extended model

The quantum phase transition in the ground state of the extended spin S = 1/2 XY model has been studied in detail. Using the exact solution of the model the low temperature thermodynamics, as well as the ground state phase diagram of the model in the presence of applied uniform and/or staggered magnetic field are discussed. Received 29 November 2002 / Received in final form 24 February 2003 Published online 11 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: japa@iph.hepi.edu.ge     

Possible phases of the two-dimensional Hubbard model

We present a stability analysis of the 2D t - t' Hubbard model on a square lattice for various values of the next-nearest-neighbor hopping t' and electron concentration. Using the free energy expression, derived by means of the flow equations method, we have performed numerical calculation for the various representations under the point group C _4ν in order to determine at which temperature symmetry broken phases become more favorable than the symmetric phase. A surprisingly large number of phases has been observed. Some of them have an order parameter with many nodes in -space. Commonly discussed types of order found by us are antiferromagnetism, d _{x2 - y2} -wave singlet superconductivity, d-wave Pomeranchuk instability and flux phase. A few instabilities newly observed are a triplet analog of the flux phase, a particle-hole instability of p-type symmetry in the triplet channel which gives rise to a phase of magnetic currents, an s^*-magnetic phase, a g-wave Pomeranchuk instability and the band splitting phase with p-wave character. Other weaker instabilities are found also. A comparison with experiments is made. Received 25 July 2002 / Received in final form 28 November 2002 Published online 14 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Current address: Département de physique and Centre de recherche sur les propriétés électroniques de matériaux avancés, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1 e-mail: vaha@physique.usherb.ca     

A fractional-spin phase in the power-law Kondo model

We consider a Kondo impurity coupled to a fermionic host with a power-law density of states near the Fermi level, ρ(ε) ∼ |ε|^r, with exponent r < 0. Using both perturbative renormalization group (poor man's scaling) and numerical renormalization group methods, we analyze the phase diagram of this model for ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic Kondo coupling. Both sectors display non-trivial behavior with several stable phases separated by continuous transitions. In particular, on the ferromagnetic side there is a stable intermediate-coupling fixed point with universal properties corresponding to a fractional ground-state spin. Received 18 February 2002 Published online 31 July 2002     

A theoretical analysis of the magnetic properties of La<Subscript>2</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The magnetic properties of the La₂CuO₄ are analyzed by means of the paramagnetic solution of the Hubbard model within the composite operator method. The experimental findings of the inelastic neutron magnetic scattering [R. Coldea et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 5377 (2001)] for the spin spectrum, the spin-wave intensity and the behavior of the dispersion at the zone boundary are well described by our results although the difference in phase. The Hubbard model emerges has a minimal model capable to describe the anomalous magnetic behavior of such a strongly correlated material. Received 29 July 2002 / Received in final form 2 January 2003 Published online 14 March 2003     

Magnetization and neutron scattering studies of the pressure effect on the magnetic transition in Er Y Co

Neutron powder diffraction was employed to study the pressure effect on the magnetic transition in the pseudobinary Laves-phase compound Er_0.57Y_0.43Co₂ and to determine the magnetic moments of the Er- and Co-subsystems. Our studies reveal that the onset of long-range magnetic order for both the localized 4 f (Er) and itinerant 3 d (Co) electron moments appears at about the same temperature at ambient pressure. The pressure effect on T_c is found to be negative and equal for both sublattices, namely T _c / p ∼ - 0.4 K/kbar. The values of the magnetic moments of the Er and the Co ions are found = 5.40±0.15μ _B /atom, = 0.50±0.07μ _B /atom and 5.35±0.15μ _B /atom, 0.37±0.09μ _B /atom, for p = 0 and 6 kbar, respectively. Our experimental results give evidence for short-range magnetic order formation at temperatures already above T_c and for a coexistence short- and long-range order below T_c down to 4 K. Received 20 December 2001 / Received in final form 12 June 2002 Published online 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: andrew.podlesnyak@psi.ch     

Monte Carlo simulations of the classical two-dimensional discrete frustrated model

The classical two-dimensional discrete frustrated φ ⁴ model is studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The correlation function is obtained for two values of a parameter d that determines the frustration in the model. The ground state is a ferro-phase for d = - 0.35 and a commensurate phase with period N = 6 for d = - 0.45. Mean field predicts that at higher temperature the system enters a para-phase via an incommensurate state, in both cases. Monte Carlo data for d = - 0.45 show two phase transitions with a floating-incommensurate phase between them. The phase transition at higher temperature is of the Kosterlitz-Thouless type. Analysis of the data for d = - 0.35 shows only a single phase transition between the floating-fluid phase and the ferro-phase within the numerical error. Received 16 December 2002 / Received in final form 17 January 2003 Published online 6 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: vladimir@shg.ru     

LOCV calculation for the uniform electron fluid at finite temperature

The free energy of the homogeneous electron fluid at finite temperature is obtained using the lowest order constrained variational (LOCV) method. In order to test the convergence of cluster expansion series the three-body cluster terms are calculated with the LOCV correlation functions. The results agree reasonably with those of Monte Carlo, coupled-cluster, perturbational expansion etc, techniques at zero temperature. The flashing and critical temperatures as well as the critical exponent are found to be about 0.6, 1.3 eV and 0.384 respectively. A similar liquid-gas phase transition to that of nuclear matter and liquid He³ is observed. Received 15 April 2002 / Received in final form 19 October 2002 Published online 4 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: modarres@khayam.ut.ac.ir     

Structural phase transition in FeBO under pressure

Using the density functional theory the structural and magnetic properties of iron borate under high pressure have been studied. At about P = 22.7 GPa a first order phase transition to the phase described by the same space group Rc has been found. The phase transition is accompanied by a 9% volume change of the unit cell, a four times decrease of the magnetic moment on Fe, an increase of the charge density at Fe, and a disappearance of the energy gap in the electronic density of states. Received 21 September 2001 and Received in final form 6 January 2002 Published online 6 June 2002     

Broad-band dielectric spectroscopy of Ba 2NaNb 5O 15 single crystal

Barium sodium niobate (BNN) single crystals are studied by IR spectroscopy, time-domain THz transmission spectroscopy, HF coaxial wave-guide technique and LF dielectric spectroscopy to cover the frequency range 10²-10¹⁴ Hz in a wide temperature interval. The dielectric response parallel and perpendicular to the polar c-axis is discussed. The ferroelectric transition at T _c = 830 K is driven by a relaxational soft mode coupled with another central-mode type relaxation which both gradually disappear on cooling in the ferroelectric phase. Below T _i the parameters of the expected IR active amplitudon were estimated. The low-temperature permittivity increase on cooling for the field direction has been explained by an incipient proper ferroelectric-ferroelastic transition driven by an IR and Raman active B₂-symmetry soft mode. Received 24 August 2002 Published online 19 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: buixader@fzu.cz     

High-pressure study of the non-Fermi liquid material U 2 Pt 2 In

The effect of hydrostatic pressure ( p ? 1.8 GPa) on the non-Fermi liquid state of U₂Pt₂In is investigated by electrical resistivity measurements in the temperature interval 0.3-300 K. The experiments were carried out on single-crystals with the current along ( I || c ) and perpendicular ( I || a ) to the tetragonal axis. The pressure effect is strongly current-direction dependent. For I || a we observe a rapid recovery of the Fermi-liquid T²-term with pressure. A comparison of the data with the magnetotransport theory of Rosch provides evidence for the location of U₂Pt₂In at an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point. For I || c the resistivity increases under pressure, indicating the enhancement of an additional scattering mechanism. Received 2 March 2001 and Received in final form 29 June 2001     

Non-Fermi liquid behavior in the stripe phase of the extended Hubbard model

Within a strong-coupling perturbative approach, based on a Cumulant Expansion of the extended single-band Hubbard model, we show that the on-shell inverse scattering time deviates from the normal Fermi-liquid behavior near the points of the Fermi surface connected by the characteristic wave-vector of an incommensurate charge density wave. The violation of the Fermi liquid behavior is associated with a square root behavior of the inverse quasiparticle lifetime in proximity of a stripe phase. Some relevant features observed in ARPES experiments on Bi2212 are qualitatively reproduced. Received 28 February 2002 / Received in final form 7 May 2002 Published online 9 July 2002     

Location of the minimum of the differential tunneling resistance in a superconductor-degenerate semiconductor Schottky contact

Measurements of differential resistance in a superconductor-degenerate semiconductor junction Nb - n ^{+ +} GaAs at T = 1.6 K show close similarity to those for a conventional superconductor-insulator- normal metal junction, except for the position of the minimum which is located at 3.6 meV. Using a simple model for the charge screening at the Schottky barrier, we give an argument why this minimum is by far displaced with respect to the superconducting gap energy ( Δ _g = 1.5 meV for bulk Nb). We argue that a rebuilding of the density of states takes place at the barrier, due to the imperfect metal screening in the degenerate semiconductor. Energy states close to the degenerate semiconductor Fermi energy are depleted at the barrier and are not available for tunneling, up to an energy E_g which adds to the superconducting gap Δ _g . Received 11 November 2002 / Received in final form 21 February 2003 Published online 11 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: c.nappi@cib.na.cnr.it     

Commensurate-incommensurate transition in two-coupled chains of nearly half-filled electrons

We investigate the physical properties of two coupled chains of electrons, with a nearly half-filled band, as a function of the interchain hopping t _⊥ and the doping. We show that upon doping, the system undergoes a metal-insulator transition well described by a commensurate-incommensurate transition. By using bosonization and renormalization we determine the full phase diagram of the system, and the physical quantities such as the charge gap. In the commensurate phase two different regions, for which the interchain hopping is relevant and irrelevant exist, leading to a confinement-deconfinement crossover in this phase. A minimum of the charge gap is observed for values of t _⊥ close to this crossover. At large t _⊥ the region of the commensurate phase is enhanced, compared to a single chain. At the metal-insulator transition the Luttinger parameter takes the universal value K _ρ ^* = 1, in agreement with previous results on special limits of this model. Received 31 July 2000     

Electron dynamics in Na and Pt clusters from time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory

We present a method for the numerical investigation of the electron dynamics in small metallic clusters in intense laser fields. We obtain information about collective excitations and relaxation processes in the Na ₉ ⁺ and Pt₃ clusters analyzing the power spectrum of the dipole moment within a mean-field approach. The power spectrum is computed for various laser pulse parameters as well as for the limit of an infinitely short laser pulse. Due to the basis set expansion of the wave function our method is capable to follow the dynamics not only of the whole electron cloud, but of any particular molecular orbital. Received 28 March 2002 / Received in final form 31 May 2002 Published online 24 September 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: pavlyukh@mpi-halle.de     

Cellular oscillator with a small number of particles

To illustrate complex spatio-temporal effects which are possible in cellular reactions with a small number of particles, we present Monte Carlo simulations of the formation of oscillatory spark-like patterns in a model completely stochastic Ca⁺² oscillator. Our analysis shows that in order to observe such patterns the minimum average number of Ca⁺² ions in the cytosol may be as low as about 50. Received 21 April 2002 / Received in final form 19 June 2002 Published online 14 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: zhdanov@catalysis.nsk.su     

SrRuO based heterostructures grown by pulsed laser deposition

In this report we demonstrate that high quality epitaxial heterostructures, based on metallic SrRuO₃ and insulating SrTiO₃ individual blocks a few unit cells thick, can be grown in a purely 2D, layer-by-layer mode, using pulsed laser deposition with in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) diagnostics. The thickness of each constituent block can be controlled at the level of a single unit cell. A detailed investigation carried out at the synchrotron facility, ESRF, by various X-ray techniques has demonstrated that each intensity oscillation of the RHEED specular spot corresponds strictly to the growth of a single perovskite unit cell, either SrRuO₃ or SrTiO₃. Furthermore, we show that, in these structures, the interfaces between the different constituent blocks are very sharp with a roughness of only one unit cell. Received 3 July 2002 / Received in final form 12 September 2002 Published online 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: tebano@uniroma2.it