Transverse conductivity behavior at threshold electric field for CDW sliding in NbSe3

We have measured the dynamical properties which occur in the transverse direction to the conducting chains in NbSe₃ single-crystals, when the CDW slides along the chains. A sharp decrease in transverse conductivity takes place above an electric field less than the longitudinal threshold one for CDW sliding; that may result from induced phase shifts between CDW chains. Under the joint application of dc and rf driving fields voltage Shapiro steps for longitudinal transport are observed as usual but also pronounced current Shapiro steps in transverse direction. The possible mechanisms of this effect as well as a tentative new view on the origin of the narrow band noise in CDW compounds are discussed.     

Study of magnetic properties of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 nanotubes by Monte Carlo simulation

Magnetic properties of a single nanotube whose walls are constituted by nanograins of La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ are studied by means of Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. The system is considered as composed by ferromagnetic grains which couple via dipolar interaction. The grain size distribution is obtained from experimental measurements and the inter-grain distance distribution is obtained from a study of distance distribution among magnetic particles distributed in the tube walls. We show the magnetization behavior for a tube of 700 nm of diameter and 3.5 μm length. We discuss the simulation for different temperatures and external fields. As a main result, we show that the distribution of inter-granular distances has a unique behavior for tubular structures of similar diameter/length aspect ratio, independent of their sizes. This scaling relation allows us to perform the simulations using a tube of smaller dimensions. We succeed in explaining the magnetization curves, finding that dipolar interaction is necessary to explain the experimental behavior and that the grains behave as having magnetic dead layers.     

Magnetoresistance of 2H−NbSe2

The magnetoresistance anisotropy of 2H?NbSe₂ was studied at 9.3 K and 35 K. Data indicate that the Fermi surface above and below the charge-density-wave onset temperature includes one or more sheets that are highly elongated (and possibly open) along the [0001] direction. The magnetoresistance at 9.3 K exhibits an anomalous linear dependence on magnetic field for all field directions studied, similar to that reported previously for $\text{B}$[0001]     

由纳米管和纳米颗粒构成的TiO2膜的制备与机理研究

采用聚苯乙烯小球修饰Ti片表面,并进行阳极氧化,制备出一种由纳米颗粒和纳米管构成的TiO₂膜．通过数值模拟,分析了氧化表面附近的局部电场分布对TiO₂膜形貌的影响．结果表明,覆盖物增强了局部电场,从而加快了O^2-与Ti的反应速率,有利于TiO₂的生长;与此同时,[TiF₆]^6-的扩散受到阻碍,使得TiO₂的溶解速率减慢．可见,覆盖物打破了TiO₂纳米管形成的平衡条件,导致纳米颗粒的生成．此外,通过X射线衍射和Raman光谱的测试分析发现,所制备的TiO₂为锐钛矿结构.     

Photoemission studies of Cu intercalated NbSe2

We report growth and angle resolved photoemission studies of Cu intercalated NbSe₂. Cu_xNbSe₂ with x=0, 0.04 and 0.08 were grown by iodine vapor transport method. Intercalation and doping was confirmed by the change in the c-axis lattice constant and the change in the electronic structure, respectively. To investigate the nesting condition, we performed auto-correlation analysis on the data. We find that the magnitude of the nesting vector decreases with doping but the direction remains unchanged. Our observation is consistent with the nesting coming from intra-pocket transition.     

On the properties of 2HNbSe2

The dHvA-effect for 2HNbSe₂ is calculated for different directions of the external field. We also calculate the coexistence region of superconductivity and magnetic ordering using a two-band model.     

Magnetic susceptibility of NbSe3 and TaSe3

The magnetic susceptibility of NbSe₃ shows a decrease beginning slightly above its upper charge density wave transition (CDW) of 144 K, but no change within our resolution near the 59 K transition. The change in the density of states at the Fermi level due to the upper transition is 0.14 states-eV/Nb. TaSe₃ on the other hand has a temperature independent susceptibility. In some cases the trichalcogenides are contaminated with their corresponding dichalcogenide. Such contamination can be observed by susceptibility measurements in the case of 2HTaSe₂ but not of 2HNbSe₂. We also report an anomaly in the susceptibility of 4HaNbSe₂, which suggests a CDW transition at 45 K.     

Thermal conductivity of NbSe3

The thermal conductivity, κ, of NbSe₃ has been measured by novel self-heating techniques that allowed the electric field dependence of κ to also be measured. Measurements were made from 35 K to room temperature. Above the charge density wave transitions, the phonon thermal conductivity is 4–7 times the electron thermal conductivity, and it rises smoothly below the transitions, indicating that phonon-phonon scattering predominates. Phonon mean free parths have been estimated at 187 A° at 60 K and 60 A° at 150 K. No clear anomalies were observed at the phase transitions, giving upper limits to changes in the phonon mean free path. No field dependence of κ was observed.     

Charge density waves in 2HNbSe2

The formation of a weak superlattice in transmission electron diffraction patterns of the hexagonal layered superconductor 2HNbSe₂ below 35 K is reported. Based on the temperature dependence of the superlattice reflexion intensity down to 17 K and by comparison with related layer materials, an interpretation of these effects in terms of a charge density wave coupled to a periodic lattice distortion is proposed.     

Symmetry-adapted tight-binding calculations of the totally symmetric A1 phonons of single-walled carbon nanotubes and their resonant Raman intensity

The atomistic calculations of the physical properties of perfect single-walled carbon nanotubes based on the use of the translational symmetry of the nanotubes face increasing computational difficulties for most of the presently synthesized nanotubes with up to a few thousand atoms in the unit cell. This difficulty can be circumvented by use of the helical symmetry of the nanotubes and a two-atom unit cell. We present the results of such symmetry-adapted tight-binding calculations of the totally symmetric A₁ phonons (the RBM and the G-band modes) and their resonant Raman intensity for several hundred nanotubes.In particular, we show that (1) the frequencies and the resonant Raman intensity of the RBM and the G-band modes show diameter and chirality dependence and family patterns, (2) the strong electron– phonon interactions in metallic nanotubes lead to Kohn anomalies at the zone center, (3) the G-band consists of a subband due to phonons of semiconducting tubes centered at 1593 cm⁻¹, a subband of phonons at 1570 cm⁻¹, and a subband of phonons of metallic tubes at 1540 cm⁻¹. The latter prediction confirms previous theoretical results but disagrees with the commonly adopted assignment of the G-band features.     

Microwave absorption in 2HNbSe2 and critical fluctuations above Tc

Large three-dimensional critical fluctuations above T_c have been observed in 2HNbSe₂ compounds by microwave absorption.     

Thermopower of doped and damaged NbSe3

We have measured the thermoelectric power of pure NbSe₃ as well as samples which have been substitutionally doped with isoelectronic Ta and the charged impurity Ti and separate samples which have been radiation damaged by 2.5 MeV protons. We find that 5% Ta doping supresses the lower temperature charge density wave transition. In contrast, the radiation damaged samples and 0.1% Ti samples with larger residual resistivities then the Ta doped samples retain the CDW transitions. A discussion is given of the difference between doping and radiation damage.     

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of NbSe2-TiSe2 composite thin films

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of titanium tetrachloride and niobium pentachloride with di-tert-butyl selenide at 550 °C was investigated for different precursors’ flow rates. Scanning electron microscopy of the films showed that they were composed of two different kinds of plate-like crystallites. Point wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX) analyses of the crystallites revealed that they either had the NbSe₂ or the TiSe₂ composition. The presence of the two phases was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the calculated cell parameters indicate that niobium or titanium was not incorporated into each others’ lattice. WDX and XRD analyses highlighted how the NbSe₂:TiSe₂ ratio in the composite films could be controlled by precursor flow rate.     

Magnetization modification by superconductivity in Nb/Ni80Fe20/Nb trilayers

We present experimental evidences for magnetization modification by superconductivity in a series of Nb/Ni₈₀Fe₂₀/Nb trilayers. By monitoring the magnetization in a zero field as a function of temperature, we observed an irreversibility in magnetization between the cooling and warming branches just above the superconducting transition temperature T_c. These results suggest that the magnetization of the ferromagnetic Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ layer is reduced by the mutual interactions between the ferromagnet and superconductor. Moreover, this effect diminishes with increasing thickness of the Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ layer, which indicates that the interaction between the superconducting and magnetic layers occurs mainly at the vicinity of the interfaces.     

Ti掺杂NbSe2电子结构的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法, 计算了理想2H-NbSe₂和Ti掺杂2H-NbSe₂晶体的几何结构及电子结构; 对掺杂前后超胞的能带图、态密度及分波态密度图进行了分析. 结果表明, 掺杂后费米能级附近能量区域的电子态密度出现了较高的峰值, 且费米能级位置发生了改变. 理论上可以认为Ti的掺杂会使得NbSe₂的导电性增强, 有利于开发新型的电接触复合材料.     

Reproducible nucleation sites for flux dendrites in MgB2

Magneto-optical imaging was used to study dendritic flux penetration in films of MgB₂. By repeating experiments under the same external conditions, reproducible features were seen in the pattern formation; dendrites tend to nucleate from fixed locations along the edge. However, their detailed structure deeper inside the film is never reproduced. The reproducibility in nucleation sites is explained as a result of edge roughness causing field hot spots.     

多种金属/TiO2核壳纳米棒阵列的通用制备方法

使用了一种具有较大通用性的方法制备了金属/二氧化钛(TiO₂)核壳纳米结构. 采用电沉积方法在多孔氧化铝模板(AAO)孔洞中沉积壁厚均一的TiO₂纳米管,TiO₂纳米管的壁厚可以通过沉积时间来控制,而纳米管的直径和长度则由模板孔洞大小和模板厚度决定. 采用这种方法制备的TiO₂纳米管顶端是开放的,而底端连接在电沉积前溅射在AAO模板背面的金膜上. 这种TiO₂纳米管阵列结构适合进行二次电沉积,以它为模板将Pd、Cu、Fe等金属沉积到纳米管中形成核壳纳米棒结构. 这是一种可以用于制备多种金属/TiO₂核壳纳米结构的通用方法,采用这种方法制备的金属/TiO₂核壳纳米棒结构具有填充率高和取向性好的特点,而且它们的壁厚和长度可以通过分别改变两步电沉积的时间来控制.     

Large upper critical field in non-centrosymmetric superconductor Y2C3

We determine the upper critical field μ₀H_c2(T_c) of non-centrosymmetric superconductor Y₂C₃ using two distinct methods: the bulk magnetization M(T) and the tunnel-diode oscillator (TDO) based impedance measurements. It is found that the upper critical field reaches a value of 30 T at zero temperature which is above the weak-coupling Pauli paramagnetic limit. We argue that the observation of such a large μ₀H_c2(0) in Y₂C₃ could be attributed to the admixture of spin-singlet and spin-triplet pairing states as a result of broken inversion symmetry.     

Magnetic field dependence of vortex activation energy: A comparison between MgB2, NbSe2 and Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 superconductors

The dissipative mechanism at low current density is compared in three different classes of superconductors. This is achieved by measuring the resistance as a function of temperature and magnetic field in clean polycrystalline samples of NbSe₂, MgB₂ and Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ (BSCCO) superconductors. Thermally activated flux flow behaviour is seen in all the three systems and clearly identified in bulk MgB₂. While the activation energy at low fields for MgB₂ is comparable to Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀, its field dependence follows a parabolic behaviour unlike a power-law dependence seen in Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀. We analyse our results based on Kramer’s scaling for grain boundary pinning in MgB₂ and NbSe₂.