Thermal conductivity in the vicinity of the quantum critical end point in Sr3Ru2O7

Thermal conductivity of Sr3Ru2O7 was measured down to 40 mK and at magnetic fields through the quantum critical end point at Hc=7.85 T. A peak in the electrical resistivity as a function of the field was mimicked by the thermal resistivity. In the limit as T-->0 K, we find that the Wiedemann-Franz law is satisfied to within 5% at all fields, implying that there is no breakdown of the electron despite the destruction of the Fermi liquid state at quantum criticality. A significant change in disorder [from rho0(H=0 T)=2.1 to 0.5 microOmega cm] does not influence our conclusions. At finite temperatures, the temperature dependence of the Lorenz number is consistent with ferromagnetic fluctuations causing the non-Fermi liquid behavior as one would expect at a metamagnetic quantum critical end point.     

Transport and percolation in a low-density high-mobility two-dimensional hole system

We present a study of the temperature and density dependence of the resistivity of an extremely high quality two-dimensional hole system grown on the (100) surface of GaAs. For high densities in the metallic regime (p > or approximately4x10;{9} cm;{-2}), the nonmonotonic temperature dependence ( approximately 50-300 mK) of the resistivity is consistent with temperature dependent screening of residual impurities. At a fixed temperature of T=50 mK, the conductivity versus density data indicate an inhomogeneity driven percolation-type transition to an insulating state at a critical density of 3.8x10;{9} cm;{-2}.     

Metallic low-temperature resistivity in a 2D electron system over an extended temperature range

We report measurements of the zero-field resistivity in a dilute 2D electron system in silicon at temperatures down to 35 mK. This extends the previously explored range of temperatures in this system by almost an order of magnitude. On the metallic side, the resistivity near the metal-insulator transition continues to decrease with decreasing temperature and shows no low-temperature upturn. At the critical electron density, the resistivity is found to be temperature independent in the entire temperature range from 35 mK to 1 K.     

Melting curve of 4He: no sign of a supersolid transition down to 10 mK

We have measured the melting curve of 4He in the temperature range from 10 to 400 mK with the accuracy of about 0.5 micro bar. Crystals of different quality show the expected T4 dependence in the range from 80 to 400 mK without any sign of the supersolid transition, and the coefficient is in excellent agreement with available data on the sound velocity in liquid 4He and on the Debye temperature of solid 4He. Below 80 mK, we have observed a small deviation from T4 dependence, which, however, cannot be attributed to the supersolid transition, because instead of decrease the entropy of the solid rather remains constant, about 2.5 x 10(-6) R.     

High-pressure study of non-Fermi liquid and spin-glass-like behavior in CeRhSn

We present measurements of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity ρ(T) of CeRhSn up to ~27 kbar. At low temperatures, ρ(T) varies linearly with T for all pressures, indicating non-Fermi liquid behavior. Below Tf ~ 6 K, ρ(T) deviates from a linear dependence. We found that the low-T feature centered at T = Tf shows a pressure dependence ?Tf/?P ≈ 30 mK kbar?1 which is typical of canonical spin glasses. This interplay between spin-glass-like and non-Fermi liquid behavior was observed in both CeRhSn and a Ce0.9La0.1RhSn alloy.     

YbRh(2)Si(2): pronounced non-fermi-liquid effects above a low-lyingmagnetic phase transition

We report the first observation of non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) effects in a clean Yb compound at ambient pressure and zero magnetic field. The electrical resistivity and the specific-heat coefficient of high-quality single crystals of YbRh(2)Si(2) present a linear and a logarithmic temperature dependence, respectively, in more than a decade in temperature. We ascribe this NFL behavior to the presence of (presumably) quasi-2D antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations related to a very weak magnetic phase transition at T(N) approximately 65 mK. Application of hydrostatic pressure induces anomalies in the electrical resistivity, indicating the stabilization of magnetic order.     

Easy-axis kagome antiferromagnet: local-probe study of Nd3Ga5SiO14

We report a local-probe investigation of the magnetically anisotropic kagome compound Nd3Ga5SiO14. Our zero-field muon spin relaxation (muSR) results provide direct evidence of a fluctuating collective paramagnetic state down to 60 mK, supported by a wipeout of the Ga nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal below 25 K. At 60 mK a dynamics crossover to a much more static state is observed by muSR in magnetic fields above 0.5 T. Accordingly, the NMR signal is recovered at low T above a threshold field, revealing a rapid temperature and field variation of the magnetic fluctuations.     

Crossover from dilute to majority spin freezing in two leg ladder system Sr(Cu,Zn)2O3

The two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in moderate magnetic fields in ultraclean AlAs-GaAs heterojunctions exhibits transport anomalies suggestive of a compressible anisotropic metallic state. Using scaling arguments and Monte Carlo simulations, we develop an order parameter theory of an electron nematic phase. The observed temperature dependence of the resistivity anisotropy behaves like the orientational order parameter if the transition to the nematic state occurs at a finite temperature T(c) approximately 65 mK, and is slightly rounded by a small background microscopic anisotropy. We propose a light scattering experiment to measure the critical susceptibility.     

Unexpected behaviour of YbCu4.5 at very high pressures

We report resistivity measurements of the heavy fermion compound YbCu_4.5 for pressures up to 23.5 GPa. Although the temperature dependence of the resistivity in general does not change compared to previous results at lower pressures, surprisingly the temperature of the Kondo resistivity maximum increases with pressure at pressures exceeding 12.5 GPa. At the highest pressure of 23.5 GPa the resistivity was measured down to 50 mK. No trace of magnetic order, i.e. any anomaly in the resistivity behaviour has been found at this highest pressure reached.     

Variable range hopping in Si:P at very low temperature

The resistivity of doped semiconductor Si: P in the intermidiate concentration range was measured in low temperature region down to 10 mK. In the lowest temperatures Mott's formula for the variable range hopping is shown to be not applicable and T^-n-like temperature dependence of resistivity is confirmed. The Importance of the level correlation in the random system is discussed.     

Log-T dependence in the low-temperature resistivity of Sb doped Si

We have studied temperature dependence of the resistivity of Sb doped Si at low temperature down to 10mK. In the vicinity of metal-nonmetal transition in Sb doped Si, the low-temperature resistivity in a just metallic side shows a logarithmic increase with lowering temperature. After thermal annealing the log-T dependence disappears and $\text{T}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ dependence is observed in the same temperature region. We find that the log-T dependence in the low-temperature resistivity comes from a surface-related conduction.     

Evidence for a quantum phase transition in Pr2-xCe(x)CuO4-delta from transport measurements

The doping and temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient, R(H), and ab-plane resistivity in the normal state down to 350 mK is reported for oriented films of the electron-doped high-T(c) superconductor Pr(2-x)Ce(x)CuO(4-delta). The doping dependences of beta (rho=rho(0)+ATbeta) and R(H) (at 350 mK) suggest a quantum phase transition at a critical doping near x=0.165.     

Superconductivity of compressed platinum powder at very low temperatures

Superconductivity of compressed, high-purity platinum powder (average grain size 2–3 μm) was found by measurements of resistivity, AC susceptibility and magnetization. The transition temperature into the superconducting state T_c and the critical magnetic field B_c strongly depend on the packing fraction f of the samples: we found 0.62T_c(0)1.38 mK and 6.6B_c(0)67 μT for 0.8f0.5, respectively. The temperature dependence of the critical magnetic fields can be described by B_c(T)=B_c(0)(1−(T/T_c)²). The discussion of these results includes possible explanations for the origin of superconductivity in this new superconducting material.     

Enhanced susceptibility in LNiO3 perovskites ( L = La,Pr,Nd,Nd0.5Sm0. 5)

The temperature dependence of the resistivity rho(T) and of the dc magnetic susceptibility chi(T) were measured on high-quality LNiO3 (L = La,Pr,Nd,Nd0.5Sm0.5) samples synthesized under high oxygen pressure. Subtraction of the rare-earth contribution to chi(T) allows the presentation of the evolution of the susceptibility of the NiO3 array from Pauli to Curie-Weiss paramagnetism with decreasing bandwidth. A metal-insulator transition occurring at a temperature T(t) = T(N) is first order for L = Pr and Nd; it becomes second order and produces no anomaly in chi(-1)(T) at a T(t)>T(N) for L = Nd0.5Sm0.5. In the antiferromagnetic domain T相似文献   

Field-induced quantum critical point in CeCoIn5

The resistivity of the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn5 was measured as a function of temperature, down to 25 mK and in magnetic fields of up to 16 T applied perpendicular to the basal plane. With increasing field, we observe a suppression of the non-Fermi liquid behavior, rho approximately T, and the development of a Fermi liquid state, with its characteristic rho=rho(0)+AT2 dependence. The field dependence of the T2 coefficient shows critical behavior with an exponent of 1.37. This is evidence for a field-induced quantum critical point (QCP), occurring at a critical field which coincides, within experimental accuracy, with the superconducting critical field H(c2). We discuss the relation of this field-tuned QCP to a change in the magnetic state, seen as a change in magnetoresistance from positive to negative, at a crossover line that has a common border with the superconducting region below approximately 1 K.     

Giant electron-electron scattering in the Fermi-liquid state of Na0.7CoO2

The in-plane resistivity rho and thermal conductivity kappa of single crystal Na0.7CoO2 were measured down to 40 mK. Verification of the Wiedemann-Franz law, kappa/T=L(0)/rho as T-->0, and observation of a T2 dependence of rho at low temperature establish the existence of a well-defined Fermi-liquid state. The measured value of coefficient A reveals enormous electron-electron scattering, characterized by the largest Kadowaki-Woods ratio A/gamma(2) encountered in any material. The rapid suppression of A with magnetic field suggests a possible proximity to a magnetic quantum critical point. We also speculate on the possible role of magnetic frustration and proximity to a Mott insulator.     

Acoustic properties of amorphous silica between 1 and 500 mK

We have made reliable measurements of the sound velocity delta v/v(0) and internal friction Q(-1) in vitreous silica at 1.03, 3.74, and 14.0 kHz between 1 mK and 0.5 K. In contrast with earlier studies that did not span as wide a temperature and frequency range, our measurements of Q(-1) reveal a crossover (as T decreases) only near 10 mK from the T(3) dependence predicted by the standard tunneling model to a T dependence predicted if interactions are accounted for. We find good fits at all frequencies using a single interaction parameter, the prefactor of the interaction-driven relaxation rate, in contrast to earlier claims of a frequency dependent power law. We also show that the discrepancy in the slopes d(delta v/v(0))/d(log(10)T) below and above the sound velocity maximum (1: -1 observed, 1: -2 predicted) can be resolved by assuming a modified distribution of tunneling states.     

Nuclear orientation at isolde/cern

A facility for Nuclear Implantation into Cold On-Line Equipment (NICOLE) is being installed at the new on-line isotope separator ISOLDE 3 at CERN. The first on-line run was in the beginning of July 1988. The low temperature equipment has been successfully tested and first off-line experiments on various isotopes have been performed. NMR/ON has been done on vaious isotopes (Co, Xe, Pt, Au) in iron host. First experience with the top-loading dilution refrigertor (Oxford Instruments Limited) shows that it performs very well. The cooling power is 400 μW at 100 mK and 34 μW at 25 mK. The base temperature can be kept continuously well below 5 mK. NMR/ON can be performed at temperatures below 5.5 mK. The base temperature on-line is expected to be lower then 6 mK. The sample can be cooled down from room temperature to 10 mK within two hours, to 6 mK within 3 hours which is not only important for off-line but also for on-line experiments when samples have to be changed to remove long lived daughter activity. The latest results will be reported.     

Magnetic-field induced quantum critical point in YbRh(2)Si(2)

We report low-temperature calorimetric, magnetic, and resistivity measurements on the antiferromagnetic (AF) heavy-fermion metal YbRh(2)Si(2) ( T(N)=70 mK) as a function of magnetic field B. While for fields exceeding the critical value B(c0) at which T(N)-->0 the low-temperature resistivity shows an AT2 dependence, a 1/(B-B(c0)) divergence of A(B) upon reducing B to B(c0) suggests singular scattering at the whole Fermi surface and a divergence of the heavy quasiparticle mass. The observations are interpreted in terms of a new type of quantum critical point separating a weakly AF ordered from a weakly polarized heavy Landau-Fermi liquid state.     

Superconductivity in CeCoIn5-xSnx: veil over an ordered state or novel quantum critical point?

Measurements of specific heat and electrical resistivity in magnetic fields up to 9 T along [001] and temperatures down to 50 mK of Sn-substituted CeCoIn5 are reported. The maximal -ln(T) divergence of the specific heat at the upper critical field Hc2 down to the lowest temperature characteristic of non-Fermi-liquid systems at the quantum critical point (QCP), the universal scaling of the Sommerfeld coefficient, and agreement of the data with spin-fluctuation theory provide strong evidence for quantum criticality at Hc2 for all x< or =0.12 in CeCoIn5-xSnx. These results indicate the "accidental" coincidence of the QCP located near Hc2 in pure CeCoIn5, in actuality, constitute a novel quantum critical point associated with unconventional superconductivity.