Observation of two species of vortices in the anisotropic spin-triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4Sr_2 Ru O_4

Magnetic flux structures in single crystals of the layered spin triplet superconductor Sr$\_{2}$RuO$\_{4}$ are studied by scanning micro SQUID Force microscopy. Vortex chains appear as the applied field is tilted along the in-plane direction of the superconductor. The vortex chains align along the direction of the in-plane component of the applied magnetic field. The decoration of in-plane vortices by crossing Abrikosov vortices is observed: two vortex orientations are apparent simultaneously, one along the layers and the other perpendicular to the layers. The crossing vortices appear preferentially on the in-plane vortices

Observation of vortex coalescence in the anisotropic spin-triplet superconductor Sr2_{2}RuO4_{4}

We present direct imaging of magnetic flux structures in the anisotropic, spin-triplet superconductor Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$ using a scanning $\mu$SQUID microscope. Individual quantized vortices were seen at low magnetic fields. Coalescing vortices forming flux domains were revealed at intermediate fields. Based on our observations we suggest that a mechanism intrinsic to the material stabilizes the flux domains against the repulsive vortex-vortex interaction. Topological defects like domain walls can provide this, implying proof for unconventional chiral superconductivity.Comment: submitted to PR

Organic Compounds in Early Solar System Aqueous Fluids

thermally-metamorphosed ordinary chondrite regolith breccias (Monahans 1998, hereafter simply Monahans ( 5) and Zag (H3-6)) contain fluid inclusion-bearing halite (NaCl) crystals dated to be ~4.5 billion years old. Thus, compositional data on fluid inclusions in these halites will reveal unique information regarding the origin and activity of aqueous fluids in the early solar system, and especially their interactions with organic mate- rial. Our initial analyses of solid inclusions in Monahans halite has shown the presence of olivine, high- and low- Ca pyroxene, feldspars, magnetite, sulfides, phyllosilicates, zeolites, metal, phosphates and abundant organics. We age of carbon, carbonates and organics in these residues, and low but significant amino acids concentrations in Monahans and Zag halite

Elastic and thermodynamic properties of alpha-Bi2O3 at high pressures: Study of mechanical and dynamical stability

[EN] The elastic and thermodynamic properties of the monoclinic polymorph of bismuth oxide (alpha-Bi2O3); aka mineral bismite, have been theoretically investigated both at room pressure and under hydrostatic compression by means of first principles calculations based on density functional theory. In this work, the elastic stiffness coefficients, elastic moduli, Poisson's ratio, B/G ratio, elastic anisotropy indexes (A(B), A(G), A(1), A(2), A(3), Au) and directional dependence of Young modulus and linear compressibility have been obtained. Vickers hardness, and sound wave velocities have been calculated. Our simulations show that bismite has a high elastic anisotropy. alpha-Bi2O3 is a ductile material whose elastic anisotropy increases under compression and presents a stronger ability to resist volume compression than shear deformation at all pressures. Besides, it has a very small minimum thermal conductivity, which is well suited for thermoelectric applications. Finally, the mechanical and dynamical stability of bismite at high pressure has been studied and it has been found that alpha-Bi2O3 becomes mechanically unstable at pressures beyond 19.3 GPa and dynamically unstable above 11.5 GPa. These instabilities could be responsible for the amorphization of bismite observed experimentally between 15 and 20 GPa.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad under Projects MAT2016-75586-C4-2-P/3-P and MAT2015-71070-REDC. P.R.-H. and A.M. acknowledge Red Espanola de SupercomputaciOn (RES) and MALTA-Cluster for the computing time.Gomis, O.; Manjón, F.; Rodríguez-Hernández, P.; Muñoz, A. (2019). Elastic and thermodynamic properties of alpha-Bi2O3 at high pressures: Study of mechanical and dynamical stability. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids. 124:111-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpcs.2018.09.002S11112012

Evaluation of Spin-Triplet Superconductivity in Sr2RuO4

This review presents a summary and evaluations of the superconducting properties of the layered ruthenate Sr2RuO4 as they are known in the autumn of 2011. This paper appends the main progress that has been made since the preceding review by Mackenzie and Maeno was published in 2003. Here, special focus is placed on the critical evaluation of the spin-triplet, odd-parity pairing scenario applied to Sr2RuO4. After an introduction to superconductors with possible odd-parity pairing, accumulated evidence for the pairing symmetry of Sr2RuO4 is examined. Then, significant recent progress on the theoretical approaches to the superconducting pairing by Coulomb repulsion is reviewed. A section is devoted to some experimental properties of Sr2RuO4 that seem to defy simple explanations in terms of currently available spin-triplet scenario. The next section deals with some new developments using eutectic boundaries and micro-crystals, which reveals novel superconducting phenomena related to chiral edge states, odd-frequency pairing states, and half-fluxoid states. Some of these properties are intimately connected with the properties as a topological superconductor. The article concludes with a summary of knowledge emerged from the study of Sr2RuO4 that are now more widely applied to understand the physics of other unconventional superconductors, as well as with a brief discussion of relatively unexplored but promising areas of ongoing and future studies of Sr2RuO4.Comment: 31 pages, 35 figures, published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. as a review article of Special Topic

Analytical description of the topological interaction between magnetic domain walls in nanowires

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