Oxygen content of superconducting Ba2YCu3O6.5+x

Single-phase non-stoichiometric Ba₂YCu₃O_6.5+x with –0.248x0.300 can be obtained by annealing prereacted samples at 0.01–1 bar oxygen partial pressure. Samples withx=–0.248 are semiconducting, samples at 0.239x0.300 are metallic withT _c increasing from 92.2 to 94.0 K for annealing in 0.02–1 bar O₂.     

Critical current density of a YBa2Cu3O7 film: Comparison between experiment and collective pinning theory

With the vibrating reed technique we have measured the critical current densityJ _c of a Y 123 200 nm thin film as a function of magnetic field perpendicular to the CuO₂ planes (O T<B8 T) and temperature (20KT60 K). At fieldsB<0.1 TJ _c is magnetic field independent and decreases at higher fields. A comparison with theory indicates that a crossover from a single pinning to a small bundle collective pinning regime may explain the observed behaviour. According to our estimate the main pinning centers are weak point pins due to oxygen vacancies. From the temperature dependence ofJ _c atB0 we obtain a temperature dependence of the thermodynamical critical fieldB _c (1–T/T _c )² forT20 K which agrees with the anomalous temperature dependence ofB _c2 observed recently in highly anisotropic high temperature superconductors.     

The small momentum transfer k L o C→K S 0 C regeneration at high energies

Results of the first elastic K _S ^o regeneration experiment on carbon, using magnetic spark chamber spectrometer, are presented in the beam momentum interval 10p50 GeV/c. The d ifferentia cross section d/dt is reconstructed in the range 0·0025–t0·02 (GeV/c)² and its slopeB is found to be momentum independent with an average valueB=(65±11) (GeV/c)^–2. The results are in agreement with the calculations using the coherent production model.     

The Becker-Döring cluster equations: Basic properties and asymptotic behaviour of solutions

Existence and uniqueness results are established for solutions to the Becker-Döring cluster equations. The density is shown to be a conserved quantity. Under hypotheses applying to a model of a quenched binary alloy the asymptotic behaviour of solutions with rapidly decaying initial data is determined. Denoting the set of equilibrium solutions byc ⁽⁾, 0 _s , the principal result is that if the initial density _{0 s} then the solution converges strongly toc ^(o), while if ₀ > _s the solution converges weak* toc ^(s). In the latter case the excess density ₀– _s corresponds to the formation of larger and larger clusters, i.e. condensation. The main tools for studying the asymptotic behaviour are the use of a Lyapunov function with desirable continuity properties, obtained from a known Lyapunov function by the addition of a special multiple of the density, and a maximum principle for solutions.     

Thermal conductivity and specific heat of amorphous Zr0.67Ni0.33 after structural relaxation

Low-temperature measurements of the thermal conductivity (0.3KT5K) and of the specific heatC (0.07KT3.5K) of splat-cooled amorphous superconducting Zr_0.67Ni_0.33(T _c 2.7K) after different annealing stages are reported. increases progressively (up to 55%) after annealing. An analysis of with the help of normal-state measurements belowT _c in an overcritical field shows that the phonon-electron scattering remains unaltered after annealing. Hence the increase in must be entirely attributed to structure-induced (intrinsic) scattering, i.e. by two-level tunneling states (TLS) at low temperatures (T1K). The specific heat shows a small decrease aboveT _c (by 8%) which is attributed to a small diminution of the electronic density of states at the Fermi level and to a small increase in the Debye temperature. ForTT _c where TLS dominate, the specific heatC decreases less upon annealing than expected from the increase of in the standard tunneling model. This points to a change in the TLS relaxation time spectrum upon annealing, as observed previously for Zr _x Cu_1–x glasses.     

Charge carrier governed temperature dependence of the electric field gradient for111Cd in tellurium

Using the TDPAC-method with the proble nucleus¹¹¹Cd the electric quadrupole interaction (QI) in the trigonal semiconductor Te has been investigated in the temperature range 77 KT655 K. In contrast to most metals the quadrupole frequencyv _Q increases with increasing temperature. This is a consequence of the fact that in metals the charge carrier density is temperature independent, whereas in semiconductors it strongly increases with temperature. A comparison between the temperature variation of the quadrupole coupling constantv _Q and that of the charge carrier density leads to the conclusion that the QI in Te is governed by changes in the free electron density.     

Formation area of amorphous thin V−Zr films prepared by cocondensation on hot substrates

Thin V_100–x Zr _x -films of various compositions (10x87) are cocondensed onto hot substrates (280 KT _s 803 K). The formation area of amorphous films is determined by X-ray diffraction. Crystallization temperatures are measured and crystallization products are identified. The glass formation area extends at room temperature from 15 at%-Zr to 69 at%-Zr. V₆₀Zr₄₀-films become amorphous up to 753 K. The extent of the glass formation area of V–Zr is quite similar to those of Co–Zr and Cu–Zr, although the heats of mixing of the three systems differ enormously. We conclude that the glass formation area of cocondensed Vanadium-Zirconium films is not determined by thermodynamical data, but seems to be dominated by the kinetic constraints of the cocondensation process.     

Singular measures without restrictive intervals

For the transformationT:[0,1][0,1] defined byT(x)=x(1–x) with 04, a is shown to exist for whichT has no restrictive intervals, hence is sensitive to initial conditions, but for which no finite absolutely continuous invariant measure exists forT.Supported by the U.S. Army Research Office through the Mathematical Sciences Institute of Cornell University     

Measurement of the refractive index and optical absorption spectra of epitaxial bismuth substituted yttrium iron garnet films at uv to near-ir wavelengths

Refractive-index and optical-absorption spectra of Bi-substituted yttrium iron garnet films, epitaxially grown by liquid-phase epitaxy, have been measured in the spectral regime 0.26 m1.9 m by thin-film interference for 0.52 m and by ellipsometry for0.52 m. The Y_3–x–y Bi _x Pb _y Fe_5–z Pt _z O₁₂ films contain bismuth in the range Ox 1.42, lead in the range 0.01 y0.08 and platinum in the range 0.005<=z0.03. There is satisfactory coincidence between the results from ellipsometry and thin-film interference in the overlapping wavelength region. The materials investigated are the same as reported earlier from this laboratory in ter mof their magnetic and magnetooptic properties.     

Anisotropy of the low temperature resistivity of hexagonal single crystalline spin glass systems

The impurity contribution to the resistivity in zero field (T) of dilute hexagonal single crystals of ZnMn, CdMn and MgMn has been studied in the mK range on samples cut parallel () and perpendicular () to thec-axis, using a SQUID technique for the measurements. Typical spin glass behavior is found in (T) as well as (T) for all alloys, with Kondo like logarithmic increases at higher temperatures and maxima atT _m at lower temperatures, indicating the influence of impurity interactions. The differences in the corresponding isotropic resistivity _poly(T) between the three systems can qualitatively be understood within the framework of a theoretical model by Larsen, describing (T) as a function of universal quantitiesT/T _K and _RKKY/T _K , where _RKKY is the RKKY-interaction strength andT _K the Kondo temperature. With respect to the two lattice directions studied, the behavior of (T and (T is anisotropic in the Kondo regime as well as in the range where ordering becomes important. While the anisotropy in the Kondo slope can be understood by an anisotropic unitarity limit, the understanding of the anisotropy in region where impurity interactions are important remains problematic.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. S. Methfessel on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

The electrical resistivity of the reentrant spin glass alloys (Fe0.65Ni0.35)1−x Mn x in the temperature range 4 to 280 K

The specific electrical resistivityp(T) was measured for the reentrant spin glass system (Fe_0.65Ni_0.35)_1–x Mn _x (0x0.102) in the temperature range 4 KT280 K. We used our own phenomenological ansatz to explain the results obtained in order to provide the fitted parameters with physical meaning. The cause of the observed minimum in the measured curves can be given by a model of local magnetism.     

Far-infrared spectroscopy of the supreconductor YBa2Cu4O8

The frequencies of allB _1u (z) phonon modes predicted by a group-theoretical analysis were measured and found to agree well with recent lattice dynamical calculations for this compound. We report also the determination of two superconducting gap values in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ through phonon self-energy effects in the normal and superconducting conducting state. The gap-to-T _c ratios obtained from an analysis of these effects are 2 ₁/kT _c 2.5 and 5.82 ₂/kT _c 9.2. This coincides with previous results of both phononic and electronic Raman scattering where values of 2.1 and 6.3 were found. We further find anomalous softenings of two phonon modes 40 Kabove T _c , which correlate with an observed deviation from the linear temperature dependence of the average plasma frequency _p (T).     

Magnetic properties of Nd3+ in Nd−Ba−Cu−O-compounds

Neutron diffraction, neutron spectroscopy and magnetization measurements have been employed to study the structural, electronic, and magnetic behavior of eleven compounds with the general formula Nd_1+y Ca _v Ba_2–y–v Cu₃O _x (0y0.5; 0v0.25; 6x7). The structure turned out to react to oxygen reduction similar as other 123-compounds, yielding discontinuities close to the metal-insulator-transition and the well-known relations of bond lengths as a function ofT _c. The crystalline electric field (CEF) interaction, splitting the 10-fold degenerate ground-state J-multiplet of the Nd³⁺-ions into five doublet states, was investigated by neutron spectroscopy. The derived CEF parameters have been used to determine changes in the electronic surroundings of the Nd³⁺ ions. In addition, with the help of the CEF parameters the thermodynamic magnetic properties of these compounds were calculated which turn out to be in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Valence change of europium in the Eu(Ir1−x Pd x )2Si2 silicides

Eu(Ir_1–x Pd _x )₂Si₂ solid solutions which exist only for 0x0.125 and 0.75x1 crystallize in the tetragonal ThCr₂Si₂-type structure. X-ray diffraction data, magnetic susceptibility and¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer measurements suggest that these compounds can be characterized as homogeneous mixed valence systems. At room temperature and for 0x0.125, the europium valence decreases asx increases. For 0.75x1, a sharp continuous valence transition from Eu²⁺ to Eu³⁺ occurs near 48 K, 54 K and 78 K forx=0.75, 0.81 and 0.94 respectively. These valence changes are discussed in relation with the Eu–(Ir, Pd) interatomic distance.     

Spin-glass behavior of (La,Gd)B6 alloys

The low-frequency ac magnetic susceptibility of (La_1–x Gd _x )B₆ alloys (0.0035x0.0812) was measured between 0.04 and 10 K in very low and moderate applied magnetic fields up to 8 kOe. In addition, the low-field static susceptibility was measured between 4.2 and 200 K. At low temperatures the alloys exhibit the basic features of the spin glass state, that is sharp maxima and time dependent effects in the low-field ac susceptibility. The temperature and field dependence of the susceptibility follows a law of corresponding states forx0.01, which is characteristic for Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interactions. Effects from interactions between the Gd ions observed above the freezing temperature are consistent with a recent theory based on a virial expansion of the magnetic free energy for the RKKY model and yield |J|=0.04 eV for the magnitude of thes–f exchange integral. The same value is obtained from the initial susceptibility atT0 when compared with a molecular-field result. Above 1 K the initial susceptibility follows a single-impurity Curie law with the free-ion value of the magnetic moment of the Gd solute.     

Phases and phase transitions in the mixed molecular system (NaCN)1−x(KCN)x

The phase diagram of (NaCN)_1–x(KCN)_x was examined by neutron powder diffraction in the temperature range 5K T300 K. Several non-cubic low-temperature phases were identified for concentrationsx<x _c1=0.15 andxx _c2=0.89. Lattice parameters and ferroelastic deformations were determined from the observed powder patterns. The phase transformations were characterized following the temperature dependence of the appropriate order parameters.     

Acoustic properties of amorphous SiO2 and PdSiCu,and of crystalline Ag,NbTi and Ta at very low temperatures

With the vibrating reed and vibrating wire techniques we have investigated the acoustic properties of vitreous silica (SiO₂, Suprasil I) and of amorphous PdSiCu as well as of polycrystalline Ag, NbTi and Ta at frequencies of 100 Hz/2<6 kHz and at temperatures of 0.1 mKT1 K. The relative change of sound velocity v/v of SiO₂ shows saturation effects, strain amplitude dependence, as well as an unexpected temperature dependence below its maximum atT<50 mK. For PdSiCu we observe that below a certain temperature, which depends on the applied strain, the temperature dependence of the sound velocityv deviates from the logarithmic behavior observed at higher temperatures and reaches an almost constant value atT<1 mK. In the same temperature rangeQ ^–1 does not remain constant but steadily decreases. The acoustic properties of the two amorphous materials at finite strain show substantial deviations from the standard tunneling model. Some of the observed anomalies can be explained taking into account the change of population of the tunneling systems energy states and a nonlinear relaxation absorption. For polycrystalline Ag we find v/v lnT andQ ^–1T ^1/3 over three decades inT atT<100 mK; it shows low-temperature acoustic properties which are strikingly similar to those of amorphous materials. The temperature and strain dependencies of the acoustic properties of polycrystalline superconducting NbTi and Ta resemble those obtained for SiO₂. These results indicate that there are basically no differences in the low-temperature acoustic properties of polycrystals and amorphous materials.     

Intrinsic carrier concentration in Hg1−xCdxTe

The effective mass of heavy holes has been determined on the basis of simultaneous analysis of the Hall coefficient and conductivity data obtained in the temperature region 100–300 K on well characterized p-type Hg_1–x Cd_xTe (x0·2) samples. Its value is 0·7m₀. The calculation of intrinsic carrier concentration for 0·19 x0·3 and 50 Kg T 300 K has been carried out using the above value of the effective mass of holes, Hansen's expression for the band gap and momentum matrix element from magneto-optical measurements.     

Green's functions for body-centred cubic lattices

The presented paper contains the tables of Green's functions for bcc lattices for outband frequencies 1·0/ _m 1·6. The central-force model is used, the interaction with 8 nearest and 6 next-nearest neighbours is considered and the number of different Green's functions is fairly decreased by symmetry. Numerical difficulties arising by computing Green's functions are discussed. The derivation of symmetry relations for a dynamical matrix is generalized for the matrix of Green's functions.     

Proton spin-lattice relaxation times in ytterbium hydrides

The measurements of the proton (NMR) spinlattice relaxation times have been made in a series of ytterbium hydrides, YbH _x . Results are reported forx=1.80, 1.95, 2.00 and 2.62 and temperatures 4.2T297K. In the orthorhombic phase (1.80x2.00), the spin-lattice relaxation times are dominated by the hyperfine interaction of protons with conduction electrons and the spin diffusion mechanism. In the cubic phase (x=2.62), the relaxation times are five orders of magnitude shorter than in the orthorhombic one. This is interpreted in terms of the proton coupling with the Yb³⁺ ion spin fluctuations.