Correlation of tunneling spectra with surface nano-morphology and doping in thin YBa2Cu3O7-delta films

Tunneling spectra measured on thin epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-delta films are found to exhibit strong spatial variations, showing U and V-shaped gaps as well as zero bias conductance peaks typical of a d-wave superconductor. A full correspondence is found between the tunneling spectra and the surface morphology down to a level of a unit-cell step. Splitting of the zero bias conductance peak is seen in optimally-doped and overdoped films, but not in the underdoped ones, suggesting that there is no transition to a state of broken time reversal symmetry in the underdoped regimeComment: accepted to ep

Resistivity scaling and critical dynamics of fully frustrated Josephson-junction arrays with on-site dissipation

We study the scaling behavior and critical dynamics of the resistive transition in Josephson-junction arrays, at f=1/2 flux quantum per plaquette, by numerical simulation of an on-site dissipation model for the dynamics. The results are compared with recent simulations using the resistively-shunted-junction model. For both models, we find that the resistivity scaling and critical dynamics of the phases are well described by the same critical temperature as for the chiral (vortex-lattice) transition, with a power-law divergent correlation length. The behavior is consistent with the single transition scenario, where phase and chiral variables order at the same temperature, but with different dynamic exponents z for phase coherence and chiral order.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Direct observation of nanometer-scale pinning sites in (Nd0.33_{0.33},Eu0.20_{0.20},Gd0.47_{0.47})Ba2_2Cu3_3O7−δ_{7-\delta} single crystals

We report on the observation of self-organized stripe-like structures on the as-grown surface and in the bulk of (Nd,Eu,Gd)Ba$_2$Cu$_3$O$_y$ single crystals. The periodicity of the stripes on the surface lies between 500 and 800 nm. These are possibly the growth steps of the crystal. Transmission electron microscopy investigations revealed stripes of periodicity in the range of 20 to 40 nm in the bulk. From electron back scattered diffraction investigations, no crystallographic misorientation due to the nanostripes has been found. Scanning tunneling spectroscopic experiments revealed nonsuperconducting regions, running along twin directions, which presumably constitute strong pinning sites.Comment: 4 pages, 5 Figure

Magnetic domain tuning and the emergence of bubble domains in the bilayer manganite La 2−2x Sr 1+2x Mn 2 O 7 (x=0.32)

We report a magnetic force microscopy study of the magnetic domain evolution in the layered manganite La2-2x Sr1+2x Mn2O7 (with x = 0.32). This strongly correlated electron compound is known to exhibit a wide range of magnetic phases, including a recently uncovered biskyrmion phase. We observe a continuous transition from dendritic to stripelike domains, followed by the formation of magnetic bubbles due to a field-and temperaturedependent competition between in-plane and out-of-plane spin alignments. The magnetic bubble phase appears at comparable field and temperature ranges as the biskyrmion phase, suggesting a close relation between both phases. Based on our real-space images we construct a temperature-field phase diagram for this composition.open115Ysciescopu