Fluctuation conductivity in superconducting MgB2

According to the crystal structure of MgB₂ and band structure calculations, quasi-two-dimensional (2D) boron planes are responsible for the superconductivity. We report on critical-field and resistance measurements of 5.6-μm-thick MgB₂ films grown on a sapphire single-crystal substrate. Resistivity measurements yield a temperature dependence of the fluctuation conductivity above the critical temperature, which agrees with the Aslamazov-Larkin and Maki-Thompson theory of fluctuations in layered superconductors, indicating a quasi-two-dimensional nucleation of superconductivity in MgB₂.     

Metastable phase in the quantum Hall ferromagnet

Time-dependent capacitance measurements reveal an unstable phase of electrons in gallium arsenide quantum well that occurs when two Landau levels with opposite-spin are brought close to degeneracy by applying a gate voltage. This phase emerges below a critical temperature and displays a peculiar non-equilibrium dynamical evolution. The relaxation dynamics is found to follow a stretched-exponential behaviour and correlates with hysteresis loops observed by sweeping the magnetic field. These experiments indicate that metastable randomly distributed magnetic domains with peculiar excitations are involved in the relaxation process in a way that is equivalently tunable by a change in gate voltage or temperature.     

Surface bodies and p-affine surface area

The surface body is a generalization of the floating body. Its relation to p-affine surface area is studied.     

Proof of the Mixing Theorem for Statistical Systems in Classical Physics

In a general measure-theoretic context, it is proved that the action of a stochastic map on a pair of probability distributions can be characterized by the criterion of decreasing mixing distance.