Mott transition from a spin liquid to a Fermi liquid in the spin-frustrated organic conductor kappa-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3

The pressure-temperature phase diagram of the organic Mott insulator kappa-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3, a model system of the spin liquid on triangular lattice, has been investigated by 1H NMR and resistivity measurements. The spin-liquid phase is persistent before the Mott transition to the metal or superconducting phase under pressure. At the Mott transition, the spin fluctuations are rapidly suppressed and the Fermi-liquid features are observed in the temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate and resistivity. The characteristic curvature of the Mott boundary in the phase diagram highlights a crucial effect of the spin frustration on the Mott transition.     

Mott transition, antiferromagnetism, and d-wave superconductivity in two-dimensional organic conductors

We study the Mott transition, antiferromagnetism, and superconductivity in layered organic conductors using the cellular dynamical mean-field theory for the frustrated Hubbard model. A d-wave superconducting phase appears between an antiferromagnetic insulator and a metal for t'/t=0.3-0.7 or between a nonmagnetic Mott insulator (spin liquid) and a metal for t'/t>or=0.8, in agreement with experiments on layered organic conductors including kappa-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3. These phases are separated by a strong first-order transition. The phase diagram gives much insight into the mechanism for -wave superconductivity. Two predictions are made.     

Mott transition in a valence-bond solid insulator with a triangular lattice

We have investigated the Mott transition in a quasi-two-dimensional Mott insulator EtMe{3}P[Pd(dmit){2}]{2} with a spin-frustrated triangular-lattice in hydrostatic pressure and magnetic-field [Et and Me denote C2H5 and CH3, respectively, and Pd(dmit){2} (dmit=1,3-dithiole-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate,dithiolate) is an electron-acceptor molecule]. In the pressure-temperature (P-T) phase diagram, a valence-bond solid phase is found to neighbor the superconductor and metal phases at low temperatures. The profile of the phase diagram is common to those of Mott insulators with antiferromagnetic order. In contrast to the antiferromagnetic Mott insulators, the resistivity in the metallic phase exhibits anomalous temperature dependence, rho=rho{0}+AT(2.5).     

Mott localization nurtures several competing and coexisting orders

Band insulating diamond or metallic mercury differs in a fundamental fashion from materials containing Mott localized electrons. Proliferation of long range orders that compete and sometimes coexist is an important consequence of Mott localization. In this article we focus on how Mott localization creates a rich phase diagram and new physics. A projected nature of the low energy Hilbert space, as opposed to a Fermi gas like Hilbert space, underlies this. Spin, orbital and charge degree of freedom gain independence, but get quantum entangled among themselves and create novel phases. We focus on spin-half single orbital systems. Mott localization encourages entanglement of spin pairs via valence bond formation. We relate valence bond dynamics to emergent gauge fields. Emergent gauge fields in turn nurture and encourage a variety of orders, including topological orders: antiferromagnetism, spin liquids, charge, spin stripes, chiral order and robust superconducting order.     

Symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in frustrated systems determined by the spatial anisotropy of spin correlations

We study the resonating valence bond theory of the Hubbard-Heisenberg model on the half-filled anisotropic triangular lattice. Varying the frustration changes the wave vector of maximum spin correlation in the Mott insulating phase. This, in turn, changes the symmetry of the superconducting state that occurs at the boundary of the Mott insulating phase. We propose that this physics is realized in several families of quasi-two-dimensional organic superconductors.     

Determination of the Co valence in bilayer hydrated superconducting NaxCoO2 · yH2O by soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy

We addressed the so-far unresolved issue concerning the Co valence in the superconducting bilayer hydrated Na(x)CoO(2) · yH(2)O (x～0.35, y～1.3) using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Co-L(2,3) and O-K edges. We find that the valence state of the Co lies in a narrow range from +3.3 to +3.4 for all studied Na(x)CoO(2) · yH(2)O samples and their deuterated analogue with T(c)'s ranging from 3.8 to 4.7 K. These valence values are far from the often claimed +3.7, the number based on the Na content only. We propose to modify the phase diagram accordingly, where the basic electronic structure of the superconducting phase is very close to that of the Na(0.7)CoO(2) system, suggesting that the presence of in-plane spin fluctuations could play an important role for the superconductivity.     

Nematic and chiral order for planar spins on a triangular lattice

We propose a variant of the antiferromagnetic XY model which includes a biquadratic (J2) as well as the quadratic (J1) interaction on the triangular lattice. The phase diagram for large J2/J1 exhibits a phase with coexisting quasi-long-range nematic, and long-ranged vector spin chirality orders in the absence of magnetic order, which qualifies our model as the first instance of a classical spin model that exhibits a vector chiral spin liquid phase. The interplay of nematic and spin chirality orders is discussed. A variety of critical properties are derived by means of Monte Carlo simulation.     

Revised superconducting phase diagram of hole-doped Na(x)(H3O)(z)CoO2 x yH(2)O

We have studied the superconducting phase diagram of NaxCoO2.yH(2)O as a function of electronic doping, characterizing our samples both in terms of Na content x and the Co valence state. Our findings are consistent with a recent report that intercalation of H3O+ ions into NaxCoO2, together with water, acts as an additional dopant, indicating that Na substoichiometry alone does not control the electronic doping of these materials. We find a superconducting phase diagram where optimal T(C) is achieved through a Co valence range of 3.24-3.35, while T(C) decreases for materials with a higher Co valence. The critical role of dimensionality in achieving superconductivity is highlighted by similarly doped nonsuperconducting anhydrous samples, differing from the superconducting hydrate only in interlayer spacing.     

Electronic model for CoO2 layer based systems: chiral resonating valence bond metal and superconductivity

Takada et al. have reported superconductivity in layered Na(x)CoO(2)yH(2)O (T(c) approximately equal to 5 K). We model a reference neutral CoO2 layer as an orbitally nondegenerate spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Mott insulator on a triangular lattice and Na(x)CoO(2)yH(2)O as electron doped Mott insulators described by a t-J model. It is suggested that at optimal doping chiral spin fluctuations enhanced by the dopant dynamics lead to a gapful d-wave superconducting state. A chiral resonating valence bond (RVB) metal, a parity and time (PT) reversal violating state with condensed RVB gauge fields, with a possible weak ferromagnetism, and low temperature p-wave superconductivity are also suggested at higher dopings.     

Coexistence of triplet superconductivity and spin density waves

We discuss the possibility of the coexistence of spin density waves (antiferromagnetism) and triplet superconductivity as a particular example of a broad class of systems where the interplay of magnetism and superconductivity is important. We focus on the case of quasi-one-dimensional metals, where it is known that antiferromagnetism is in close proximity to triplet superconductivity in the pressure versus temperature phase diagram. Over a range of pressures, we propose an intermediate nonuniform phase consisting of antiferromagnetic and triplet superconducting orders. In the coexistence region, we propose a flop transition in the spin density wave order parameter vector, which affects the nature of the superconducting state and leads to the appearance of several new phases.     

Pairing and superconductivity driven by strong quasiparticle renormalization in two-dimensional organic charge transfer salts

We introduce and analyze a variational wave function for quasi-two-dimensional kappa-(ET)(2) organic salts containing strong local and nonlocal correlation effects. We find an unconventional superconducting ground state for intermediate charge carrier interaction, sandwiched between a conventional metal at weak coupling and a spin liquid at larger coupling. Most remarkably, the excitation spectrum is dramatically renormalized and is found to be the driving force for the formation of the unusual superconducting state.     

Phase diagram of an Ising model with competitive interactions on a Husimi tree and its disordered counterpart

We consider an Ising competitive model defined over a triangular Husimi tree where loops, responsible for an explicit frustration, are even allowed. We first analyze the phase diagram of the model with fixed couplings in which a “gas of noninteracting dimers (or spin liquid) — ferro or antiferromagnetic ordered state” zero temperature transition is recognized in the frustrated regions. Then we introduce the disorder for studying the spin glass version of the model: the triangular ±J model. We find out that, for any finite value of the averaged couplings, the model exhibits always a finite temperature phase transition even in the frustrated regions, where the transition turns out to be a glassy transition. The analysis of the random model is done by applying a recently proposed method which allows us to derive the critical surface of a random model through a mapping with a corresponding nonrandom model.     

Observation of spin susceptibility enhancement in the possible Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state of CeCoIn(5)

We report (115)In nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn(5) in the vicinity of the superconducting critical field H(c2) for a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the ? axis. A possible inhomogeneous superconducting state, the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state, is stabilized in this part of the phase diagram. In an 11 T applied magnetic field, we observe clear signatures of the two phase transitions: the higher temperature one to the homogeneous superconducting state and the lower temperature phase transition to a FFLO state. We find that the spin susceptibility in the putative FFLO state is significantly enhanced as compared to the value in a homogeneous superconducting state. The implications of this finding for the nature of the low temperature phase are discussed.     

Coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity close to a quantum phase transition: the Heisenberg- to Ising-type crossover

A microscopic mean-field theory of the phase coexistence between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in the weakly ferromagnetic itinerant electron system is constructed, while incorporating a realistic mechanism for superconducting pairing due to the exchange of critical spin fluctuations. The self-consistent solution of the resulting equations determines the superconducting transition temperature which is shown to depend strongly on the exchange splitting. The effect of phase crossover from isotropic (Heisenberg-like) to uniaxial (Ising-like) spin fluctuations near the quantum phase transition is analyzed and the generic phase diagram is obtained. This scenario is then applied to the case of itinerant ferromagnet ZrZn2, which sheds light on the proposed phase diagram of this compound. A possible explanation of superconductivity in UGe2 is also discussed.     

Origin of the anomalous low temperature upturn in the resistivity of the electron-doped cuprate superconductors

The temperature, doping, and field dependences of the magnetoresistance (MR) in Pr2-xCexCuO4-delta films are reported. We distinguish between orbital MR, found when the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the ab planes, and the nearly isotropic spin MR. The latter, the major MR effect in the superconducting samples, appears in the region of the doping-temperature phase diagram where drho/dT<0, or an upturn in the resistivity appears. We conclude that the upturn originates from spin scattering processes.     

Triplet superconductivity vs. easy-plane ferromagnetism in a 1D itinerant electron system with transverse spin anisotropy

In this paper we study the ground state phase diagram of a one-dimensional t-U-J model, at half-filling. In the large-bandwidth limit and for ferromagnetic exchange with easy-plane anisotropy, a phase with gapless charge and massive spin excitations, characterized by the coexistence of triplet superconducting and spin density wave instabilities is realized in the ground state. With reduction of the bandwidth, a transition into an insulating phase showing properties of the spin- XY model takes place.Received: 6 February 2004, Published online: 9 April 2004PACS: 71.10.Hf Non-Fermi-liquid ground states, electron phase diagrams and phase transitions in model systems - 71.10.Fd Lattice fermion models (Hubbard model, etc.) - 74.20.Mn Nonconventional mechanisms (spin fluctuations, polarons and bipolarons, resonating valence bond model, anyon mechanism, marginal Fermi liquid, Luttinger liquid, etc.) - 71.27. + a Strongly correlated electron systems; heavy fermions - 75.10.Pq Spin chain modelsG.I. Japaridze: Permanent address: Andronikashvili Institute of Physics, Georgian Academy, Tamarashvili 6, Tbilisi 380077, Georgia     

重费米子超导与竞争序

与其他非常规超导系列相比, 重费米子超导体往往具有丰富多样的竞争序, 超导与各种竞争序相伴而生, 电子配对与反铁磁涨落、铁磁涨落、价态涨落、电四极矩涨落等量子临界涨落密切相关, 扩充了非常规超导的研究内容. 重费米子材料中的f电子往往同时参与超导与各种竞争序的形成, 表现出局域与巡游的二重性. 重费米子二流体理论为理解重费米子超导与竞争序的关系提供了新的思路.     

The case for universality of the phase diagram of the Fabre and Bechgaard salts

We report the observation of superconductivity in the spin-Peierls Fabre salt (TMTTF)₂PF₆ from pressure dependent electrical transport measurements above a threshold of 4.35 GPa. The data complete the sequence of ground states of this compound in the temperature and pressure plane adducing an empirical basis to the universal character of the phase diagram of the Fabre salts and their selenide analogues, the Bechgaard salts. The structure of the phase diagram at the approach of the crossover between spin-density wave and superconducting states is compared with the results of scaling theory of the interplay between both electronic instabilities under pressure. The comparison supports the view that magnetism and superconductivity in these compounds have a common electronic origin. Received 10 January 2001     

Coexistence of the chiral superconductivity and noncollinear magnetic order in the ensemble of Hubbard fermions on a triangular lattice

For the system of strongly correlated electrons on a triangular lattice, the possibility of coexisting superconductivity with the chiral order parameter and the 120°-type noncollinear spin ordering is demonstrated. The integral self-consistency equation for the superconducting order parameter is derived using the diagram technique for Hubbard operators taking into account the spin structure, exchange interaction within two coordination spheres, and intersite Coulomb repulsion.     

Mott physics, sign structure, ground state wavefunction, and high-T c superconductivity

In this article I give a pedagogical illustration of why the essential problem of high-T _c superconductivity in the cuprates is about how an antiferromagnetically ordered state can be turned into a short-range state by doping. I will start with half-filling where the antiferromagnetic ground state is accurately described by the Liang-Doucot-Anderson (LDA) wavefunction. Here the effect of the Fermi statistics becomes completely irrelevant due to the no double occupancy constraint. Upon doping, the statistical signs reemerge, albeit much reduced as compared to the original Fermi statistical signs. By precisely incorporating this altered statistical sign structure at finite doping, the LDA ground state can be recast into a short-range antiferromagnetic state. Superconducting phase coherence arises after the spin correlations become short-ranged, and the superconducting phase transition is controlled by spin excitations. I will stress that the pseudogap phenomenon naturally emerges as a crossover between the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases. As a characteristic of non Fermi liquid, the mutual statistical interaction between the spin and charge degrees of freedom will reach a maximum in a high-temperature ??strange metal phase?? of the doped Mott insulator.