Photoemission study of electronic structure evolution across the metal-insulator transition of heavily B-doped diamond

We studied the electronic structure evolution of heavily B-doped diamond films across the metal-insulator transition (MIT) using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS). From high-temperature UPS, through which electronic states near the Fermi level (E_F) up to ∼5k_BT can be observed (k_B is the Boltzmann constant and T the temperature), we observed the carrier concentration dependence of spectral shapes near E_F. Using another carrier concentration dependent UPS, we found that the change in energy position of sp-band of the diamond valence band, which corresponds to the shift of E_F, can be explained by the degenerate semiconductor model, indicating that the diamond valence band is responsible for the metallic states for samples with concentrations above MIT. We discuss a possible electronic structure evolution across MIT.     

Degradation of superconducting properties in MgB2 by Cu addition

The (MgB₂)_2−xCu_x (x=0-0.5) superconducting system was prepared by a solid-state reaction technique. Microstructural evolution and transport properties including resistivity versus temperature up to a magnetic field of 6 T, activation energy, thermoelectric power and Fermi energy, E_F, and the corresponding velocity, V_F, values of the samples prepared were also investigated. The XRD analysis showed a multiphase formation and no detectable solution of Cu in MgB₂. Two different impurity phases, MgCu₂ and CuB₂₄, have been identified and their peak intensity increased when the Cu concentration increased. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of the samples showed a metallic behavior down to T_c. But, for the Cu concentrations above 0.3 the superconducting phase transition completely disappeared. The magnetic field strongly affects the electrical properties. For x=0.0 samples, the transition is found to be sharp, ΔT∼1 K, but it becomes broader with increasing magnetic field and Cu concentration. The calculated values of carrier concentration, n, of the samples are showed a sharp decrease with increasing Cu content. For x=0.0 sample the n was calculated to be 12×10²¹ cm⁻³, but for the x=0.5 sample it decreased to 1.3×10²¹ cm⁻³. We found that the activation energy, U(B), decreased sharply with increasing magnetic field. According to thermoelectric power and Fermi energy, E_F, calculations the decrease of the carrier concentration by the additions of Cu into MgB₂ gives a decrease in E_F and this could be attributed to a shift of the Fermi level towards the top of the σ-hole band.     

Observation of a degenerate Fermi gas confined by a standing electromagnetic wave

We have observed a gas of Fermi atoms confined in the antinodes of a standing electromagnetic wave. The standing wave is formed by two counter-propagating beams with the wavelength of 10.6 μm focused on the same spot. Each antinode confines a pancake-shaped cloud of 7500 lithium-6 atoms in two equally populated spin states at the temperature T = 0.1E _F, where E _F is the Fermi energy. The system is in the regime beyond the local density approximation: Only the 3 lowest energy states of the axial motion are populated. The system may become an instrument for the study of 2D Fermi physics and 3D effects beyond the local density approximation.     

Effect of antiferromagnetic ordering on the optical transitions in MnF2

Two optical absorption bands (viz. C and F) in MnF₂, whose line positions are nearly temperature-independent above T_N = 67.3 K, are investigated for the effect of magnetic ordering. Both bands are blue-shifted by ΔE (≌90 cm^?1 for C and 120 cm^?1 for F at 10 K) and the lines show additional narrowing on cooling through T_N. It is found that ΔE varies as the sublattice lattice magnetization below T_N and nearly as the magnetic energy above T_N.     

CDW instability of electron gas in a strong magnetic field

It is shown that within the Hartree-Fock approximation the electron gas in the quantum limit of a strong magnetic field has an instability as the temperature is lowered toward the charge density wave state with an wave-vector which has finite components in the directions not only parallel but also perpendicular to the field. The critical temperature, T_c, is estimated under the assumption of T_c??_F?ω_c, where ?_F and ω_c are the Fermi energy of the non-interacting system and the cyclotron frequency respectively.     

Energy and momentum losses in the process of neutrino scattering on plasma electrons in the presence of a magnetic field

The neutrino-electron scattering in a dense degenerate magnetized plasma under the conditions μ ² > 2eB ≫ μE is investigated. The volume density of the neutrino energy and momentum losses due to this process are calculated. The results we have obtained demonstrate that plasma in the presence of an external magnetic field is more transparent for neutrino than for non-magnetized plasma. It is shown that neutrino scattering under conditions considered does not lead to the neutrino force acting on plasma.     

Longitudinal magnetoresistance in the Extreme Quantum Limit in nonparabolic semiconductors

We calculate the Longitudinal Magnetoresistance in the Extreme Quantum Limit (?Ω_c ? k_BT) for a nondegenerate n-type InSb sample at low temperatures when the dominant energy and momentum loss mechanisms are the el-acoustic phonon and the el-ionized impurity interactions. The magnetic field dependence of the effective mass which is due to the nonparabolic nature of the conduction band as well as the energy and magnetic field dependence of the relaxation time are incorporated in the analysis. Analytical results are presented for both nondegenerate and degenerate samples when individual scattering mechanisms are operative. In general nonparabolicity causes an enhancement in the Longitudinal Magnetoresistance and changes the nature of its magnetic field dependence as compared to the case of a parabolic conduction band.     

Exchange of transverse plasmons and electrical conductivity of neutron star cores

We study the electrical conductivity in magnetized neutron star cores produced by collisions between charged particles. We take into account the ordinary exchange of longitudinal plasmons and the exchange of transverse plasmons in collisions between particles. The exchange of transverse plasmons is important for collisions between relativistic particles, but it has been disregarded previously when calculating the electrical conductivity. We show that taking this exchange into account changes the electrical conductivity, including its temperature dependence (thus, for example, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity along the magnetic field in the low-temperature limit takes the form ?_‖ ∝ T ^5/3 instead of the standard dependence ?_‖ ∝ T ² for degenerate Fermi systems). We briefly describe the effect of possible neutron and proton superfluidity in neutron star cores on the electrical conductivity and discuss various scenarios for the evolution of neutron star magnetic fields.     

Near EF electronic structure of heavily boron-doped superconducting diamond

We have performed soft X-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (SXARPES) of a heavily boron-doped superconducting diamond film (T_c=7.2 K) in order to study the electronic structure near the Fermi level (E_F). Careful determination of measured momentum space that across Γ point in the Brillouin zone (BZ) and increase of an energy resolution provide further spectroscopic evidence that E_F is located at the highly dispersive diamond-like bands, indicating that holes at the top of the diamond-like valence band play an essential role for the conducting properties of the heavily boron-doped superconducting diamond for this boron-doping region (effective carrier concentration of 1.6%). The SXARPES intensities at E_F were also mapped out over BZ to obtain experimental Fermi surface sheets and compared with calculations.     

Neutrino Self-Energy and Index of Refraction in Strong Magnetic Field: A New Approach

The Ritus E_p eigenfunction method is extended to the case of spin-1 charged particles in a constant electromagnetic field and used to calculate the one-loop neutrino self-energy in the presence of a strong magnetic field. From the obtained self-energy, the neutrino dispersion relation and index of refraction in the magnetized vacuum are determined within the field range m²_e?eB?M²_W. The propagation of neutrinos in the magnetized vacuum is anisotropic due to the dependence of the index of refraction on the angle between the directions of the neutrino momentum and the external field. Possible cosmological implications of the results are discussed.     

Unified approach to Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz and finite size corrections for lattice models and field theories

We present a unified approach to the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz (TBA) for magnetic chains and field theories that includes the finite size (and zero-temperature) calculations for lattice BA models. In all cases, the free energy follows by quadratures from the solution of a single nonlinear integral equation (NLIE) (a system of NLIE appears for nested BA). We derive the NLIE for: (a) the six-vertex model with twisted boundary conditions, (b) the XXZ chain in an external magnetic field h_z and (c) the massive Thirring sine-Gordon model (mT-sG) in a periodic box of size β ≡ T^-1 using the light-cone approach. This NLIE is solved by iteration in one regime (high T in the XXZ chain and low T in the sG-mT model). In the opposite (conformal) regime, the leading behaviors are obtained in closed form. Higher corrections can be derived from the Riemann-Hilbert form of the NLIE that we present.     

Superconductivity of (Sn1−z Pbz)1−x InxTe alloys

The temperature dependences of the electrical resistivity of (Sn_1?z Pb_z)_1?x In_xTe alloys with different concentrations of lead (z=0–0.60) and indium (x=0.03–0.20) were studied at temperatures T=0.4–4.2 K in magnetic fields from zero to H=15 kOe. A resistivity drop of no less than three-four orders of magnitude was observed in this range of alloy compositions. Application of a magnetic field above a critical level resulted in a recovery of the sample resistivity to the original value. The observed resistivity drop is identified with a superconducting transition. The critical parameters of the superconducting transition (T _c and H _c2) were determined at the drop to one half the normal resistivity level. Experimental dependences of the critical supercon-ducting-transition temperature T _c and of the second critical magnetic field H _c2 on the contents of lead (z) and indium (x) were measured. The data obtained confirm a strong localization of the In impurity states and are evidence of the extrinsic nature of superconductivity in the class of materials under study. It was established that as the Pb content in (Sn_1?z Pb_z)_1?x In_xTe increases, T _c and H _c2 decrease as the Fermi level E _F (fixed in the In impurity resonance band) leaves the Δ extremum and the superconductivity breaks down when E _F leaves the LΣ saddle point in the valence-band energy spectrum.     

The townsend coefficient and runaway of electrons in electronegative gas

We have studied the character of variation of the number of electrons formed in an electronegative gas (SF₆) under the action of an external electric field. At any value of the electric field strength E, the number of generated electrons exponentially increases with the distance from the cathode, while the average velocity and energy of electrons attain constant values. At small values of the reduced field strength, E/p<94 V/(cm Torr) (p is the gas pressure), the regime of electron attachment prevails that is characterized by negative values of the exponent (negative Townsend coefficients). For E/p>94 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication proceeds in the usual Townsend regime with positive exponents. In the intermediate region of E/p=40–160 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication coefficient exhibits a linear dependence on E/p. Numerical calculations based on a simple model show that the Townsend multiplication regime takes place even in very strong fields where the drag caused by ionization can be ignored. A universal function describing the electron runaway in SF₆ is obtained.     

A boundary-value problem for dielectric spherical void in a homogeneous insulator by considering surface conductivity

In this paper, the boundary-value problem satisfying the Dirichlet condition has been solved for the case of a dielectric, spherical void inside a homogeneous insulator by considering surface conductivity. Mathematical equations have been derived to calculate the respective electric fields E_i(t)and E_e(t) inside and outside spherical gas voids that exist within an insulator by considering the surface conductivity γ_s of gas voids having an electric permittivity of ε_i and conductivity γ_i under DC (ωτ⪡1) and AC (ωτ⪢1) conditions. The expression for the dipole moment of a polarized spherical dielectric particle has been obtained in accordance with the determined electric field E_i(t). The derived expressions are then applied to calculate reciprocal interaction force between the spherical particle and metallic electrodes, which is very considerable for the dielectric separation processes in the DC and AC cases.     

Coherent transmission of nodal Dirac fermions through a graphene-based superconducting double barrier junction

Transport characteristics of relativistic electrons through graphene-based d-wave superconducting double barrier junction and ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor/normal metal double junction have been investigated based on the Dirac–Bogoliubov–de Gennes equation. We have first presented the results of superconducting double barrier junction. In the subgap regime, both the crossed Andreev and nonlocal tunneling conductance all oscillate with the bias voltage due to the formation of Andreev bound states in the normal metal region. Moreover, the critical voltage beyond which the crossed Andreev conductance becomes to zero decreases with increasing value of superconducting pair potential α. In the presence of the ferromagnetism, the MR through graphene-based ferromagnet/ d-wave superconductor/normal metal double junction has been investigated. It is shown that the MR increases from exchange splitting h ₀=0 to h ₀=E _F (Fermi energy), and then it goes down. At h ₀=E _F, MR reaches its maximum 100. In contrast to the case of a single superconducting barrier, Andreev bound states also manifest itself in the zero bias MR, which result in a series of peaks except the maximum one at h ₀=E _F. Besides, the resonance peak of the MR can appear at certain bias voltage and structure parameter. Those phenomena mean that the coherent transmission can be tuned by superconducting pair potential, structure parameter, and external bias voltage, which benefits the spin-polarized electron device based on the graphene materials.     

On the energy losses of slow ions in an interacting degenerate electron gas

Energy losses of slow ions with velocitiesv?v _F (v _F is the Fermi velocity) in an interacting degenerate electron gas are calculated on the basis of the dielectric theory of Singwi. It is shown that the local field effects taken into account in this theory lead to an increase of the energy losses as compared with the Lindhard stopping power by a factor which can reach a few tens of percent for some compressed ICF plasmas. Corresponding factors for simple metals are as much as 2–3 and are in agreement with experiment.     

Magnetic-field dependent phonon states in paramagnetic CeF3

Raman scattering experiments in paramagnetic uniaxial CeF₃ at helium temperature demonstrate a splitting of some degenerate (E_g)-phonon states in an external magnetic field parallel to the crystal axis. A linear splitting is observed in low fields, followed by a field independent (saturation) splitting in high fields. In addition, changes in the Raman scattering efficiencies and a reduction of the line width of phonon transitions are observed with increasing magnetic fields. No such effects are observed for magnetic fields perpendicular to the crystal axis. The splittings of degenerate phonon modes are related to the paramagnetic saturation 〈S_z〉.     

Size-dependent energy scales in the ideal fermi gas

Abstract

The simplest model for the electronic properties of small metal particles is an ideal Fermi gas confined to a finite volume. When the confining region of size L has a regular shape such as a sphere or a cube, there are two distinct scales of energy which characterize the spectrum of eigenvalues near the Fermi energy E_F ≡ ?² k ² _f/2m. The inner scale δ ～ E_F /(k_FL)² is the mean spacing between successive energy levels, while the outer energy scale Δ ～ E_F /(k_FL) describes clustering of several levels, or shell structure. Consequences for the behaviour of thermodynamic properties are investigated. There are three regimes of temperature T: normal metallic (T > Δ), shell-metallic (δ < T < Δ) and semiconductor-like (T < δ). Finally, if the shape of a hard-walled container is allowed to vary so as to minimize the energy, it is argued that the optimal shape fluctuates between spherical and distorted as L is changed.     

First-principles study of ferromagnetism in N doped TiO2 and TiO

N doped TiO is nonmagnetic, in which spin-split impurity states are not induced near the Fermi energy (E_F) by N dopant. N doped TiO₂ along with transition-metal (TM) doped TiO is magnetic, in which spin-split impurity states are induced across E_F. The magnetic moment is determined by the 3d4s electron configurations and the valence states of TM-dopant ions when they substitute Ti. Hence, the origin of ferromagnetism of N doped TiO₂ and TiO is not closely related to the width of the band gaps of host oxides, but would be crucially related to that if the dopant can induce spin-split impurity states near E_F.     

Muon spin rotation in heavy-electron pauli-limit superconductors

The formalism for analyzing the magnetic field distribution in the vortex lattice of Pauli-limit heavy-electron superconductors is applied to the evaluation of the vortex lattice static linewidth relevant to the muon spin rotation (??SR) experiment. Based on the Ginzburg-Landau expansion for the superconductor free energy, we study the evolution with respect to the external field of the static linewidth both in the limit of independent vortices (low magnetic field) with a variational expression for the order parameter and in the near H _c2 ^P (T) regime with an extension of the Abrikosov analysis to Pauli-limit superconductors. We conclude that in the Ginzburg-Landau regime in the Pauli-limit, anomalous variations of the static linewidth with the applied field are predicted as a result of the superconductor spin response around a vortex core that dominates the usual charge-response screening supercurrents. We propose the effect as a benchmark for studying new puzzling vortex lattice properties recently observed in CeCoIn₅.