Electronic structure of BaTiO3 using resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy at the Ba-L3 and Ti-K absorption edges

We have studied the electronic properties of the ferroelectric barium titanate BaTiO₃ using two complementary bulk-sensitive spectroscopic probes, resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy (RXES) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy in the partial fluorescence mode (PFY-XAS) at the Ba-L₃ and Ti-K absorption edges. Contrary to a previous study, we found no fine structure in the pre-edge area of the PFY-XAS spectrum at the Ba-L₃ edge, and no temperature-induced spectral change was observed between room temperature and 150 °C. This result is not supportive of the possible presence of the displacement around Ba²⁺ at the Curie temperature. RXES spectra were measured at the Ti-K edge for BaTiO₃, along with SrTiO₃ and La-doped metallic SrTiO₃. The photon energy of the emission peak is found to be nearly constant throughout the absorption edge for all three compounds. We deduce the Ti 3d states to have a delocalized character, in contrast with the Ba 5d states, a property which is consistent with the proposed scenario of the formation of electric dipoles in BaTiO₃.     

Isotopic dependence of the giant monopole resonance in the even-A 112-124Sn isotopes and the asymmetry term in nuclear incompressibility

The strength distributions of the giant monopole resonance (GMR) have been measured in the even-A Sn isotopes (A=112-124) with inelastic scattering of 400-MeV alpha particles in the angular range 0 degrees -8.5 degrees . We find that the experimentally observed GMR energies of the Sn isotopes are lower than the values predicted by theoretical calculations that reproduce the GMR energies in 208Pb and 90Zr very well. From the GMR data, a value of Ktau = -550 +/- 100 MeV is obtained for the asymmetry term in the nuclear incompressibility.     

Current-voltage characteristics of charge-ordered organic crystals

The current-voltage characteristics of layered organic crystals theta-(BEDT-TTF)2MZn(SCN)4 (M = Cs, Rb) follow the power law with a large exponent (e.g., 8.4 at 0.29 K for M = Cs) over a wide range of currents in the low-temperature insulating state. The power-law characteristics are attributed to electric field-induced unbinding of electron-hole pairs that are thermally excited in the background of the two-dimensional charge order. The magnitude of crossover electric fields from Ohmic to the power-law characteristics indicates that the electron-electron Coulomb interaction is significantly long-ranged: The screening length is greater than 10 molecule sites.     

de Haas-van Alphen study of the Fermi surfaces of superconducting LiFeP and LiFeAs

We report a de Haas-van Alphen oscillation study of the 111 iron pnictide superconductors LiFeAs with T(c) ≈ 18 K and LiFeP with T(c) ≈ 5 K. We find that for both compounds the Fermi surface topology is in good agreement with density functional band-structure calculations and has almost nested electron and hole bands. The effective masses generally show significant enhancement, up to ~3 for LiFeP and ~5 for LiFeAs. However, one hole Fermi surface in LiFeP shows a very small enhancement, as compared with its other sheets. This difference probably results from k-dependent coupling to spin fluctuations and may be the origin of the different nodal and nodeless superconducting gap structures in LiFeP and LiFeAs, respectively.     

Search for Alpha Inelastic Condensed State in 24Mg

The alpha inelastic scattering from ²⁴Mg was measured to obtain the isoscalar natural-parity excitation strengths and to search for the α-condensed states. The multipole decomposition analysis for the measured cross sections was performed. The strength distributions for the ${{\Delta}L=0{-}3}$ were successfully obtained and the possible candidates for the α-condensed states around the ¹⁶O core were found.     

Two-dimensional and three-dimensional Fermi surfaces of superconducting BaFe2(As(1-x)P(x))2 and their nesting properties revealed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We have studied the three-dimensional shapes of the Fermi surfaces (FSs) of BaFe(2)(As(1-x)P(x))(2) (x=0.38), where superconductivity is induced by isovalent P substitution and by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Moderately strong electron mass enhancement has been identified for both the electron and hole FSs. Among two observed hole FSs, the nearly two-dimensional one shows good nesting with the outer two-dimensional electron FS, but its orbital character is different from the outer electron FS. The three-dimensional hole FS shows poor nesting with the electron FSs. The present results suggest that the three dimensionality and the difference in the orbital character weaken FS nesting while partial nesting among the outer electron FSs of d(xy) character and/or that within the three-dimensional hole FS becomes dominant, which may lead to the nodal superconductivity.     

Structure and microstructure of epitaxial Sr n Fe n O3 n −1 films

Thin films of SrFeO_{3??? x} (0?≤?x?≤?0.5) (SFO) grown on a (LaAlO₃)_0.3 (SrAl_0.5Ta_0.5O₃)_0.7 (LSAT) substrate by pulsed laser deposition have been structurally investigated by electron diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy for different post-deposition oxygen treatments. During the deposition and post-growth oxidation, the oxygen-reduced SFO films accept extra oxygen along the tetrahedral layers to minimize the elastic strain energy. The oxidation process stops at a concentration SFO_2.875 and/or SFO_2.75 because a zero misfit with the LSAT substrate is reached. A possible growth mechanism and phase transition mechanism are suggested. The non-oxidized films exhibit twin boundaries having a local perovskite-type structure with a nominal composition close to SFO₃.