668 research outputs found
Uniaxial stress technique and investigations into correlated electron systems
In the repertoire of an experimental condensed matter physicist, the ability to tune continuously through features in the electronic structure and to selectively break point-group symmetries are both valuable techniques. The experimental technique at the heart of this dissertation, uniaxial stress, can do both such things.
The thesis will start with a thorough discussion of our new technique, which was continually developed over the course of this work, presenting both its unique capabilities and also some guidance on the best working practices, before moving on to describe results obtained on two different strongly correlated electron materials.
The first, Sr₂RuO₄, is an unconventional superconductor, whose order parameter has long been speculated to be odd-parity. Of interest to us is the close proximity of one of its three Fermi surfaces to a Van Hove singularity (VHs). Our results strongly suggest that we have been able to traverse the VHs, inducing a topological Lifshitz transition. T[sub]c is enhanced by a factor ~2.3 and measurements of H[sub](c2) open the possibility that optimally strained Sr₂RuO₄ has an even-parity, rather than odd-parity, order parameter. Measurements of the normal state properties show that quasiparticle scattering is increased across all the bands and in all directions, and effects of quantum criticality are observed around the suspected Lifshitz transition.
Sr₃Ru₂O₇ has a metamagnetic quantum critical endpoint, which in highly pure samples is masked by a novel phase. Weak in-plane magnetic fields are well-known to induce strong resistive anisotropy in the novel phase, leading to speculation that a spontaneous, electronically driven lowering of symmetry occurs. Using magnetic susceptibility and resistivity measurements we can show that in-plane anisotropic strain also reveals the strong susceptibility to electronic anisotropy. However, the phase diagram that these pressure measurements reveal is consistent only with large but finite susceptibility, and not with spontaneous symmetry reduction
Piezoelectric-based apparatus for strain tuning
We report the design and construction of piezoelectric-based apparatus for
applying continuously tuneable compressive and tensile strains to test samples.
It can be used across a wide temperature range, including cryogenic
temperatures. The achievable strain is large, so far up to 0.23% at cryogenic
temperatures. The apparatus is compact and compatible with a wide variety of
experimental probes. In addition, we present a method for mounting
high-aspect-ratio samples in order to achieve high strain homogeneity.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
Probing momentum-dependent scattering in uniaxially stressed SrRuO through the Hall effect
Under in-plane uniaxial stress, the largest Fermi surface sheet of the
correlated metal SrRuO undergoes a Lifshitz transition from an
electron-like to an open geometry. We investigate the effects of this
transition on transport through measurement of the longitudinal resistivity
and the Hall coefficient . At temperatures where
scattering is dominated by electron-electron scattering, becomes
more negative across the Lifshitz transition, opposite to expectations from the
change in Fermi surface topology. We show that this change in is
explainable only if scattering changes throughout the Brillouin zone, not just
at the point in -space where the Lifshitz transition occurs. In a model of
orbital-dependent scattering, the electron-electron scattering rate on sections
of Fermi surface with orbital weight decreases dramatically. On the other
hand, at temperatures where defect scattering dominates and
are essentially constant across the Lifshitz transition.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure
Spin skyrmion gaps as signatures of strong-coupling insulators in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene
The flat electronic bands in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG)
host a variety of correlated insulating ground states, many of which are
predicted to support charged excitations with topologically non-trivial spin
and/or valley skyrmion textures. However, it has remained challenging to
experimentally address their ground state order and excitations, both because
some of the proposed states do not couple directly to experimental probes, and
because they are highly sensitive to spatial inhomogeneities in real samples.
Here, using a scanning single-electron transistor, we observe thermodynamic
gaps at even integer moir\'e filling factors at low magnetic fields. We find
evidence of a field-tuned crossover from charged spin skyrmions to bare
particle-like excitations, suggesting that the underlying ground state belongs
to the manifold of strong-coupling insulators. From the spatial dependence of
these states and the chemical potential variation within the flat bands, we
infer a link between the stability of the correlated ground states and local
twist angle and strain. Our work advances the microscopic understanding of the
correlated insulators in MATBG and their unconventional excitations.Comment: Supplementary information available at
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42275-
A systematic review and meta-analysis of thiazide-induced hyponatraemia: time to reconsider electrolyte monitoring regimens after thiazide initiation?
Aims: Hyponatraemia is one of the major adverse effects of thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics and the leading cause of drug-induced hyponatraemia requiring hospital admission. We sought to review and analyze all published cases of this important condition.
Methods: Ovid Medline, Embase, Web of Science and PubMed electronic databases were searched to identify all relevant articles published before October 2013. A proportions meta-analysis was undertaken.
Results: One hundred and two articles were identified of which 49 were single patient case reports. Meta-analysis showed that mean age was 75 (95% CI 73, 77) years, 79% were women (95% CI 74, 82) and mean body mass index was 25 (95% CI 20, 30) kg m−2. Presentation with thiazide-induced hyponatraemia occurred a mean of 19 (95% CI 8, 30) days after starting treatment, with mean trough serum sodium concentration of 116 (95% CI 113, 120) mm and serum potassium of 3.3 (95% CI 3.0, 3.5) mm. Mean urinary sodium concentration was 64 mm (95% CI 47, 81). The most frequently reported drugs were hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide and bendroflumethiazide.
Conclusions: Patients with thiazide-induced hyponatraemia were characterized by advanced age, female gender, inappropriate saliuresis and mild hypokalaemia. Low BMI was not found to be a significant risk factor, despite previous suggestions. The time from thiazide initiation to presentation with hyponatraemia suggests that the recommended practice of performing a single investigation of serum biochemistry 7–14 days after thiazide initiation may be insufficient or suboptimal. Further larger and more systematic studies of thiazide-induced hyponatraemia are required
A systematic review and meta-analysis of thiazide-induced hyponatraemia: time to reconsider electrolyte monitoring regimens after thiazide initiation?
Aims: Hyponatraemia is one of the major adverse effects of thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics and the leading cause of drug-induced hyponatraemia requiring hospital admission. We sought to review and analyze all published cases of this important condition.
Methods: Ovid Medline, Embase, Web of Science and PubMed electronic databases were searched to identify all relevant articles published before October 2013. A proportions meta-analysis was undertaken.
Results: One hundred and two articles were identified of which 49 were single patient case reports. Meta-analysis showed that mean age was 75 (95% CI 73, 77) years, 79% were women (95% CI 74, 82) and mean body mass index was 25 (95% CI 20, 30) kg m−2. Presentation with thiazide-induced hyponatraemia occurred a mean of 19 (95% CI 8, 30) days after starting treatment, with mean trough serum sodium concentration of 116 (95% CI 113, 120) mm and serum potassium of 3.3 (95% CI 3.0, 3.5) mm. Mean urinary sodium concentration was 64 mm (95% CI 47, 81). The most frequently reported drugs were hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide and bendroflumethiazide.
Conclusions: Patients with thiazide-induced hyponatraemia were characterized by advanced age, female gender, inappropriate saliuresis and mild hypokalaemia. Low BMI was not found to be a significant risk factor, despite previous suggestions. The time from thiazide initiation to presentation with hyponatraemia suggests that the recommended practice of performing a single investigation of serum biochemistry 7–14 days after thiazide initiation may be insufficient or suboptimal. Further larger and more systematic studies of thiazide-induced hyponatraemia are required
Core outcome measures for palliative and end-of-life research after severe stroke: mixed-method Delphi study
Background and Purpose:
Stroke is the second commonest cause of death worldwide and a leading cause of severe disability, yet there are no published trials of palliative care in stroke. To design and evaluate palliative care interventions for people with stroke, researchers need to know what measurable outcomes matter most to patients and families, stroke professionals, and other service providers.
Methods:
A multidisciplinary steering group of professionals and laypeople managed the study. We synthesized recommendations from respected United Kingdom and international consensus documents to generate a list of outcome domains and then performed a rapid scoping literature review to identify potential outcome measures for use in future trials of palliative care after stroke. We then completed a 3-round, online Delphi survey of professionals, and service users to build consensus about outcome domains and outcome measures. Finally, we held a stakeholder workshop to review and finalize this consensus.
Results:
We generated a list of 36 different outcome domains from 4 key policy documents. The rapid scoping review identified 43 potential outcome measures that were used to create a shortlist of 16 measures. The 36 outcome domains and 16 measures were presented to a Delphi panel of diverse healthcare professionals and lay service users. Of 48 panelists invited to take part, 28 completed all 3 rounds. Shared decision-making and quality of life were selected as the most important outcome domains for future trials of palliative care in stroke. Additional comments highlighted the need for outcomes to be feasible, measurable, and relevant beyond the initial, acute phase of stroke. The stakeholder workshop endorsed these results.
Conclusions:
Future trials of palliative care after stroke should include pragmatic outcome measures, applicable to the evolving patient and family experiences after stroke and be inclusive of shared decision-making and quality of life
Dependence of T of YBa Cu O on in-plane uniaxial stress
We probe the effect on of in-plane uniaxial stress applied to the high-temperature superconductor . We find a highly anisotropic response. Under compression along the axis, which reduces the orthorhombicity of the planes, is broadly flat for stresses up to at least 1.7 GPa. Under compression along the axis, decreases steeply. For stresses beyond GPa the decrease is quasilinear. We hypothesize that superconductivity is suppressed by competition with uniaxial charge density wave order, which has been found to onset at GPa
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