377 research outputs found
Superconducting properties of [BaCuO_x]_2/[CaCuO_2]_n artificial structures with ultrathick CaCuO_2 blocks
The electrical transport properties of [BaCuO_x]_2/[CaCuO_2]_n
(CBCCO-2xn)underdoped high temperature superconducting superlattices grown by
Pulsed Laser Deposition have been investigated. Starting from the optimally
doped CBCCO-2x2 superlattice, having three CuO_2 planes and T_c around 80 K, we
have systematically increased the number n up to 15 moving toward the
underdoped region and hence decreasing T_c. For n>11 the artificial structures
are no longer superconducting, as expected, for a uniformly distributed charge
carriers density inside the conducting block layer. The sheet resistance of
such artificial structures (n nearly equal to 11) turns out to be quite
temperature independent and close to the 2D quantum resistance 26 kOhm. A
further increase of the number of CuO_2 planes results in an insulator-type
dependence of R(T) in the wide range of temperatures from room temperature to 1
K. The value of the sheet resistance separating the Superconducting and the
Insulating regimes supports the fermionic scenario of the
Superconductor-Insulator transition in these systems.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. Corresponding author: [email protected]
Analysis of charge transfer mechanism on (Ba1-xNdxCuO2+d)2/(CaCuO2)n superconducting superlattices by thermoelectric power measurements
We have investigated the charge transfer mechanism in artificial
superlattices by Seebeck effect measurements. Such a technique allows a precise
determination of the amount of charge transferred on each CuO2 plane. A
systematic characterization of thermoelectric power in (BaCuO2+d)2/(CaCuO2)n
and (Ba0.9Nd0.1CuO2+d)2/(CaCuO2)n superlattices demonstrates that electrical
charge distributes uniformly among the CuO2 planes in the Ca-block. The
differences observed in the Seebeck effect behavior between the Nd-doped and
undoped superlattices are ascribed to the different metallic character of the
Ba-block in the two cases. Finally, the special role of structural disorder in
superlattices with n=1 is pointed out by such analysis.Comment: subitted to PRB, 15 pages, 3 figure
Thrombolysis for Ischemic Stroke in Patients Aged 90 Years or Older
none5noneM. Balestrino; L. Dinia; M. Del Sette; B. Albano; C. GandolfoBalestrino, Maurizio; L., Dinia; M., Del Sette; B., Albano; Gandolfo, Carl
Dissipation in ultra-thin current-carrying superconducting bridges; evidence for quantum tunneling of Pearl vortices
We have made current-voltage (IV) measurements of artificially layered
high- thin-film bridges. Scanning SQUID microscopy of these films provides
values for the Pearl lengths that exceed the bridge width, and shows
that the current distributions are uniform across the bridges. At high
temperatures and high currents the voltages follow the power law , with , and at high temperatures and
low-currents the resistance is exponential in temperature, in good agreement
with the predictions for thermally activated vortex motion. At low
temperatures, the IV's are better fit by linear in . This is
expected if the low temperature dissipation is dominated by quantum tunneling
of Pearl vortices.Comment: 5 pages, 7 fig
Evidence of orbital reconstruction at interfaces in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films
Electronic properties of transition metal oxides at interfaces are influenced
by strain, electric polarization and oxygen diffusion. Linear dichroism (LD)
x-ray absorption, diffraction, transport and magnetization on thin
La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films, allow identification of a peculiar universal interface
effect. We report the LD signature of preferential 3d-eg(3z2-r2) occupation at
the interface, suppressing the double exchange mechanism. This surface orbital
reconstruction is opposite of that favored by residual strain and independent
of dipolar fields, chemical nature of the substrate and capping.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
Aedes albopictus Sterile Male Production: Influence of Strains, Larval Diet and Mechanical Sexing Tools
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a biologically based method of pest control, which relies on the mass production, sterilization, and release of sterile males of the target species. Since females can transmit viruses, it is important to develop a mass rearing system to produce a large number of males with a low presence of females. We evaluated the effects of different strains, larval diets and sexing tools on male productivity and residual female presence for the application of SIT against Aedes albopictus. Strains coming from Italy, Germany, Greece, and Montenegro, with different levels of colonization, were reared with three larval diets: IAEA-BY, BLP-B and SLP-BY. Developed pupae were sexed using two different mechanical methods: sieve or Fay-Morlan separator. The results proved that adoption of the Fay-Morlan separator increased the productivity and limited the female presence. The IAEA-BY diet showed the lowest female contamination. Strains with a high number of breeding generations showed a decreased productivity and an increased female presence. Increased female presence was found only in extensively reared strains and only when the sorting operation was conducted with sieves. We hypothesize that extensive colonization may determine a size reduction which limits the sexing tool efficiency itself
Effects of epitaxial strain on the growth mechanism of YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films in [YBa2Cu3O7-x / PrBa2Cu3O7-x] superlattices
We report on the growth mechanism of YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO). Our study is based
on the analysis of ultrathin, YBa2Cu3O7-x layers in c-axis oriented YBa2Cu3O7-x
/ PrBa2Cu3O7-x superlattices. We have found that the release of epitaxial
strain in very thin YBCO layers triggers a change in the dimensionality of the
growth mode. Ultrathin, epitaxially strained, YBCO layers with thickness below
3 unit cells grow in a block by block two dimensional mode coherent over large
lateral distances. Meanwhile, when thickness increases, and the strain relaxes,
layer growth turns into three dimensional, resulting in rougher layers and
interfaces.Comment: 10 pages + 9 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev.
Efficiency of Three Diets for Larval Development in Mass Rearing Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)
A fundamental step in establishing a mass production system is the development of a larval diet that promotes high adult performance at a reasonable cost. To identify a suitable larval diet for Aedes albopictus (Skuse), three diets were compared: a standard laboratory diet used at the Centro Agricoltura Ambiente, Italy (CAA) and two diets developed specifically for mosquito mass rearing at the FAO/IAEA Laboratory, Austria. The two IAEA diets, without affecting survival to the pupal stage, resulted in a shorter time to pupation and to emergence when compared with the CAA diet. At 24 h from pupation onset, 50 and 90% of the male pupae produced on the CAA and IAEA diets, respectively, had formed and could be collected. The diet received during the larval stage affected the longevity of adult males with access to water only, with best results observed when using the CAA larval diet. However, similar longevity among diet treatments was observed when males were supplied with sucrose solution. No differences were observed in the effects of larval diet on adult male size or female fecundity and fertility. Considering these results, along with the relative costs of the three diets, the IAEA 2 diet is found to be the preferred choice for mass rearing of Aedes albopictus, particularly if a sugar meal can be given to adult males before release, to ensure their teneral reserves are sufficient for survival, dispersal, and mating in the field
Energy and symmetry of excitations in undoped layered cuprates measured by Cu resonant inelastic x-ray scattering
We measured high resolution Cu edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering
(RIXS) of the undoped cuprates LaCuO, SrCuOCl, CaCuO
and NdBaCuO. The dominant spectral features were assigned to
excitations and we extensively studied their polarization and scattering
geometry dependence. In a pure ionic picture, we calculated the theoretical
cross sections for those excitations and used them to fit the experimental data
with excellent agreement. By doing so, we were able to determine the energy and
symmetry of Cu-3 states for the four systems with unprecedented accuracy and
confidence. The values of the effective parameters could be obtained for the
single ion crystal field model but not for a simple two-dimensional cluster
model. The firm experimental assessment of excitation energies carries
important consequences for the physics of high superconductors. On one
hand, having found that the minimum energy of orbital excitation is always
eV, i.e., well above the mid-infrared spectral range, leaves to
magnetic excitations (up to 300 meV) a major role in Cooper pairing in
cuprates. On the other hand, it has become possible to study quantitatively the
effective influence of excitations on the superconducting gap in cuprates.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, 1 tabl
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