Specific features of electrical conductivity of the insulating phase of vanadium dioxide doped with niobium

The electrical conductivity of V_{1 – x}Nb_xO₂ single crystals have been investigated over a wide temperature range covering regions of the existence of the metallic and insulating phases. It has been shown that, with an increase in the niobium concentration, the electrical conductivity of the metallic phase becomes below the Mott limit for the minimum metallic conductivity. Immediately after the metal–insulator transition, the electrical conductivity is determined by a large amount of free electrons that gradually localized with a decrease in the temperature. The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity in the insulating phase of V_{1 – x}Nb_xO₂ has been explained in the framework of the hopping conductivity model that takes into account the effect of thermal vibrations of atoms on the resonance integral.     

Conductivity of granular metallic films

The electrical resistivity of granular metallic films with a granule size R ～ 10–50 Å decomposes into two factors. One of them depends only on the ratio (T ₀(x)/T) and varies in a range of six to seven orders of magnitude. The second factor depends on the volume concentration of metallic granules x and the concentration of the solution of isolated metal atoms in their oxide and varies in a range of five to six orders of magnitude. Expressions for both factors have been obtained. The conductivity of the granular films is related to tunneling between neighboring granules. The tunneling probability depends substantially on the concentration of the solution of isolated metal atoms in the oxide.     

Detection of photoconductivity in hyperfine metal films in the visible and infrared spectral regions

Photoelectric phenomena in island metal films are investigated. The electrical conductivity and photoconductivity are measured in island films of Ti, W, FeNi, and others grown by the method of radio-frequency sputtering in argon. The photoconductivity effect is observed in metal films whose resistivity varies with temperature by the activation law of ρ ∝ exp(T₀/T)^0.5. This law is interpreted within the model of variable range hopping conductivity in the region of a Coulomb quasi-gap. The photoconductivity in metal films is detected in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. The mechanisms of photoconductivity in an island metal film are discussed.     

Pseudogap and its temperature dependence in YBCO from the data of resistance measurements

The temperature dependence of the excess conductivity Δσ for Δσ = A(1 ? T/T^*)exp(Δ^*/T) (YBCO) epitaxial films is analyzed. The excess conductivity is determined from the difference between the normal resistance extrapolated to the low-temperature range and the measured resistance. It is demonstrated that the temperature dependence of the excess conductivity is adequately described by the relationship Δσ = A(1 ? T/T^*)exp(Δ^*/T). The pseudogap width and its temperature dependence are calculated under the assumption that the temperature behavior of the excess conductivity is associated with the formation of the pseudogap at temperatures well above the critical temperature T _c of superconductivity. The results obtained are compared with the available experimental and theoretical data. The crossover to fluctuation conductivity near the critical temperature T _c is discussed.     

Detection of the metal–insulator transition in disordered systems of magnetic nanoislands

We have studied the conductivity and permittivity of a series of nanoisland-type FeNi films with an effective thickness of up to 3.2 nm on different substrates. It has been observed that the quantity Re ε changes its sign at effective thickness d ^* ≈ 1.5–1.8 nm, because of the metal–insulator transition. Analysis of the temperature dependences of the conductivity has confirmed the existence of the metal–insulator transition at the same thickness d ^*. It has been concluded that the introduced effective permittivity can serve as a characteristic of island metal systems.     

Conductivity and anomalous Hall effect in film magnetic nanocomposites based on nonstoichiometric oxides

The transport properties of film nanocomposites (Co₄₀Fe₄₀B₂₀) _x (AlO _y )_{100 ? x} and (Co₈₄Nb₁₄Ta₂) _x (AlO _y )_{100 ? x} based on AlO _y oxide (y ~ 1), containing a ferromagnetic metal, are studied in the region of the metal–insulator transition (57 > x > 47 at %). It is found that at x > 49 at %, the conductivity of nanocomposites is well described by a logarithmic law of σ(T) = a + b ln T, which can be explained by the peculiarities of the Coulomb interaction in nanogranular systems with metallic conductivity near the metal—insulator transition. It is shown that parameter b is determined by the characteristic size of the percolation cluster cell, which in nanocomposites of both types happen to be the same (~8 nm) and correlates well with the results of electron microscopy studies. The temperature dependence of the anomalous Hall effect at the logarithmic dependence of conductivity is studied for the first time. In the immediate vicinity of the transition, a power-law scaling between the anomalous Hall resistance and longitudinal resistance ρ _H ^a ∝ ρ^0.4, is detected, which can be explained by the suppression of its own mechanism of the anomalous Hall effect under the strong scattering of charge carriers.     

Transport properties of Co<Subscript>2</Subscript>CrAl Heusler alloy films

The effect of atomic disorder on the electron transport and the magnetoresistance (MR) of Co₂CrAl Heusler alloy (HA) films has been investigated. We show that Co₂CrAl films with L2₁ order exhibit a negative value for the temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) in a temperature range of 10 < T < 290 K, and the temperature dependence of electric conductivity varies as T ^3/2 similarly to that of the zero-gap semiconductors. The atomic or the site disorder on the way of L2₁ → B2 → A2 → amorphous state in Co₂CrAl HA films causes the deviation from this dependence: reduction in the absolute value of TCR as well as decrease in the resistivity down to ?(T = 293 K) ～ 200 μΩ cm in comparison to ?(T = 293 K) ～ 230 μΩ cm typical for the Co₂CrAl films with L2₁ order. The magnetic-field dependence of MR of the Co₂CrAl films with L2₁ order is determined by two competing contributions: a positive Lorentz scattering and a negative s-d scattering. The atomic disorder in Co₂CrAl films drastically changes MR behavior due to its strong influence on the magnetic properties.     

Optical and electrical properties of thin NiO films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering and spray pyrolysis

Thin NiO films are deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering and spray pyrolysis. The main optical constants, i.e., refractive index n(λ), absorption coefficient α(λ), extinction coefficient k(λ), and thickness d, are determined. The temperature dependence of the resistance of thin films is found, and the activation energy of films deposited by different methods is determined.     

Electrical conductivity of the semiconducting phase in vanadium dioxide single crystals

The electrical conductivity of the semiconducting phase of vanadium dioxide single crystals is studied over a wide range of temperatures. It is shown that the electrical conductivity varies with temperature as log σ ～ T in the range 340–170 K and as log σ ～ 1/T at temperatures below 120 K. The experimental results are described in the framework of the model in which the temperature dependence of the hopping conductivity of small-radius polarons is determined by the dependence of the resonance integral on the amplitude of thermal lattice vibrations.     

Size effects and magnetization of (Fe/Si)<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript> multilayer film nanostructures

The temperature dependence of the magnetization of (Fe/Si) _n multilayer films with nanometer layers is investigated. The films are prepared through thermal evaporation under ultrahigh vacuum onto Si(100) and Si(111) single-crystal substrates. It is revealed that the thickness of individual iron layers in (Fe/Si) _n multilayer films affects the magnetization and its temperature dependence. The inference is made that this dependence is associated with the formation of a chemical interface at the Fe-Si boundaries. The characteristics of the chemical interface in the (Fe/Si) _n films are estimated.     

Thermopower of lead chalcogenides at high pressures

Thermopower measurements on PbX crystals (X=Te, Se, S) at high hydrostatic pressures of up to 35 GPa are reported. New data were obtained on the magnitude and on the pressure dependence of the thermopower of high-pressure semiconducting and metallic phases. The phase transitions occurring in PbX are treated in terms of a model in which the transition to an insulator electronic spectrum is caused by the Peierls lattice distortion.     

Analysis of the refractive indices of lithium niobate at high temperatures

The temperature dependence of the refractive indices of lithium niobate crystals of stoichiometric composition is analyzed. It is shown that, in the region of the ferroelectric phase, the electronic dipole polarizability of oxygen ions significantly depends on the crystal temperature. The difference in the refractive indices Δn = n _e ? n _o in the paraelectric phase at λ = 1200 nm is determined to be 0.036 ± 0.003.     

Low-temperature thermal conductivity of tellurium-doped bismuth

Phonon thermal conductivities κ₂₂ (?T ‖ C1) and κ₃₃ (? T ‖ C₃) of tellurium-doped bismuth with an electron concentration in the range 1.8 × 10¹⁹ ≤ n_L ≤ 1.4 × 10²⁰ cm^?3 were studied in the temperature interval 2 < T < 300 K. The temperature dependence of the phonon thermal conductivity obtained on doped bismuth samples of both orientations exhibits two maxima, one at a low temperature and the other at a high temperature. The effect of various phonon relaxation mechanisms on the dependence of both phonon thermal conductivity maxima on temperature, impurity concentration, and electron density is studied.     

Changes in the electronic,optical, and magnetic properties of LaSrMnO films upon transition from the rhombohedral phase to the orthorhombic phase

The properties of LaSrMnO films are investigated in the temperature range of the transition from the rhombohedral phase to the orthorhombic phase (600–650° C). It is shown that, with a variation in the growth temperature T_s, the change in the film properties is governed by the interaction of Mn-O metallic (ferromagnetic) clusters in the dielectric (antiferromagnetic) matrix. At T_s≤600°C, the low density of e _g states and the dielectric gap (E _g =0.3–0.5 eV) are responsible for the following features: (i) the optical transparency in the range ?ω=0.5–2 eV, (ii) the difference between the FC and ZFC magnetizations M(T), (iii) the high resistance, and (iv) the appearance of the portions R(T) ≈ const in the dependence R(T) due to the transformation of clusters into a system of tunnel-coupled quantum dots. At T_s≥650°C, the local increase in the atomic and electronic densities leads to a decrease in the optical transmission and the resistance by three to nine orders of magnitude, the appearance of a maximum and a minimum in the dependences R(T) of the LaSrMnO films, and an increase in the magnetization M(10 K) by one order of magnitude. The inference is drawn that magnetic ordering of the system of tunnel-coupled clusters encourages an increase in the cluster size and in the content of the metallic (ferromagnetic) phase.     

Temperature Dependence of the Thermal Conductivity of a Trapped Dipolar Bose-Condensed Gas

The thermal conductivity of a trapped dipolar Bose condensed gas is calculated as a function of temperature in the framework of linear response theory. The contributions of the interactions between condensed and noncondensed atoms and between noncondensed atoms in the presence of both contact and dipole-dipole interactions are taken into account to the thermal relaxation time, by evaluating the self-energies of the system in the Beliaev approximation. We will show that above the Bose-Einstein condensation temperature (T?>?T _BEC ) in the absence of dipole-dipole interaction, the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity reduces to that of an ideal Bose gas. In a trapped Bose-condensed gas for temperature interval k _B T?<<?n ₀ g _B , E _p ?<<?k _B T (n ₀ is the condensed density and g _B is the strength of the contact interaction), the relaxation rates due to dipolar and contact interactions between condensed and noncondensed atoms change as \( {\tau}_{dd12}^{-1}\propto {e}^{-E/{k}_BT} \) and τ _c12?∝?T ^?5, respectively, and the contact interaction plays the dominant role in the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity, which leads to the T ^?3 behavior of the thermal conductivity. In the low-temperature limit, k _B T?<<?n ₀ g _B , E _p ?>>?k _B T, since the relaxation rate \( {\tau}_{c12}^{-1} \) is independent of temperature and the relaxation rate due to dipolar interaction goes to zero exponentially, the T ² temperature behavior for the thermal conductivity comes from the thermal mean velocity of the particles. We will also show that in the high-temperature limit (k _B T?>?n ₀ g _B ) and low momenta, the relaxation rates \( {\tau}_{c12}^{-1} \) and \( {\tau}_{dd12}^{-1} \) change linearly with temperature for both dipolar and contact interactions and the thermal conductivity scales linearly with temperature.     

Positive magnetoresistance effect in rare earth cobaltites

The structure, magnetic, and magnetotransport properties of the Pr_0.5Sr_0.5Co_{1 ? x} Fe _x O₃ system have been studied. The ferromagnet-spin glass (x = 0.5)-G-type antiferromagnet (x = 0.7) transitions and the metal—insulator transitions (x = 0.25) have been revealed. It has been established that the magnetoresistance of the metallic ferromagnetic cobaltites changes sign from positive to negative as the external magnetic field increases. The positive component increases and the negative component decreases with decreasing temperature. The negative magnetoresistance increases sharply in the insulating spinglass phase. Possible causes of the low-magnetic-field positive magnetoresistance in the rare earth metallic cobaltites are discussed.     

Magnetic moment of square SIS Josephson arrays: Self-organized criticality

The temperature-and magnetic-field dependences of the magnetic moment of square Josephson arrays with SIS-type junctions are studied experimentally. Two temperature regions are observed with different types of magnetization curves. Magnetic flux avalanches are detected in the low-temperature region. Statistical analysis of avalanche amplitudes A shows that their size distribution varies in accordance with the power law P∝Aⁿ with crossover, when exponent n varies from n=?0.7 for small avalanches to n=?6 for large avalanches, while the frequency spectrum varies in accordance with the law 1/f^α. Such behavior is interpreted as a manifestation of self-organized criticality.     

Layer stacking dependence on thermoelectric properties of massive Dirac fermions in bilayer graphene

We numerically study the thermoelectric transport in AB- and AA-stacked bilayer graphene in the presence of a strong magnetic field and disorder. In the AB-stacked case, we find that the thermoelectric conductivities display different asymptotic behaviors, depending on the ratio between the temperature and the width of the disorder-broadened Landau levels (LLs), similar to those of monolayer graphene. In the high temperature regime, the transverse thermoelectric conductivity α _xy saturates to a universal value 5.54k _B e/h at the center of each LL, and displays a linear temperature dependence at low temperatures. The calculated Nernst signal has a peak with a height of the order of k _B /e, and the thermopower changes sign at the central LL. We attribute this unique behavior to the coexistence of particle and hole LLs. In the AA-stacked bilayer case, it is found that the thermoelectric transport properties are consistent with the behavior of a band insulator. The obtained results demonstrate the sensitivity of the thermoelectric conductivity to the band gap near the Dirac point.     

Thermal conductivity of partially graphitized biocarbon obtained by carbonization of medium-density fiberboard in the presence of a Ni-based catalyst

The thermal conductivity k and resistivity ρ of biocarbon matrices, prepared by carbonizing medium-density fiberboard at T _carb = 850 and 1500°C in the presence of a Ni-based catalyst (samples MDF-C( Ni)) and without a catalyst (samples MDF-C), have been measured for the first time in the temperature range of 5–300 K. X-ray diffraction analysis has revealed that the bulk graphite phase arises only at T _carb = 1500°C. It has been shown that the temperature dependences of the thermal conductivity of samples MDFC- 850 and MDF-C-850(Ni) in the range of 80–300 K are to each other and follow the law of k(T) ～ T ^1.65, but the use of the Ni-catalyst leads to an increase in the thermal conductivity by a factor of approximately 1.5, due to the formation of a greater fraction of the nanocrystalline phase in the presence of the Ni-catalyst at T _carb = 850°C. In biocarbon MDF-C-1500 prepared without a catalyst, the dependence is k(T) ～ T ^1.65, and it is controlled by the nanocrystalline phase. In MDF-C-1500(Ni), the bulk graphite phase formed increases the thermal conductivity by a factor of 1.5–2 compared to the thermal conductivity of MDF-C-1500 in the entire temperature range of 5–300 K; k(T = 300 K) reaches the values of ～10 W m^–1 K^–1, characteristic of biocarbon obtained without a catalyst only at high temperatures of T _carb = 2400°C. It has been shown that MDF-C-1500(Ni) in the temperature range of 40?300 K is characterized by the dependence, k(T) ～ T ^1.3, which can be described in terms of the model of partially graphitized biocarbon as a composite of an amorphous matrix with spherical inclusions of the graphite phase.