High-temperature superconductivity from fine-tuning of Fermi-surface singularities in iron oxypnictides

In the family of the iron-based superconductors, the $RE$FeAsO-type compounds (with $RE$ being a rare-earth metal) exhibit the highest bulk superconducting transition temperatures ($T_{\mathrm{c}}$) up to $55\ \textrm{K}$ and thus hold the key to the elusive pairing mechanism. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the intrinsic electronic structure of SmFe$_{0.92}$Co$_{0.08}$AsO ($T_{\mathrm{c}}=18\ \textrm{K}$) is highly nontrivial and consists of multiple band-edge singularities in close proximity to the Fermi level. However, it remains unclear whether these singularities are generic to the $RE$FeAsO-type materials and if so, whether their exact topology is responsible for the aforementioned record $T_{\mathrm{c}}$. In this work, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to investigate the inherent electronic structure of the NdFeAsO$_{0.6}$F$_{0.4}$ compound with a twice higher $T_{\mathrm{c}}=38\ \textrm{K}$. We find a similarly singular Fermi surface and further demonstrate that the dramatic enhancement of superconductivity in this compound correlates closely with the fine-tuning of one of the band-edge singularities to within a fraction of the superconducting energy gap $\Delta$ below the Fermi level. Our results provide compelling evidence that the band-structure singularities near the Fermi level in the iron-based superconductors must be explicitly accounted for in any attempt to understand the mechanism of superconducting pairing in these materials.Comment: Open access article available online at http://www.nature.com/articles/srep1827

Interaction-induced singular Fermi surface in a high-temperature oxypnictide superconductor

In the family of iron-based superconductors, LaFeAsO-type materials possess the simplest electronic structure due to their pronounced two-dimensionality. And yet they host superconductivity with the highest transition temperature Tc=55K. Early theoretical predictions of their electronic structure revealed multiple large circular portions of the Fermi surface with a very good geometrical overlap (nesting), believed to enhance the pairing interaction and thus superconductivity. The prevalence of such large circular features in the Fermi surface has since been associated with many other iron-based compounds and has grown to be generally accepted in the field. In this work we show that a prototypical compound of the 1111-type, SmFe0.92Co0.08AsO, is at odds with this description and possesses a distinctly different Fermi surface, which consists of two singular constructs formed by the edges of several bands, pulled to the Fermi level from the depths of the theoretically predicted band structure by strong electronic interactions. Such singularities dramatically affect the low-energy electronic properties of the material, including superconductivity. We further argue that occurrence of these singularities correlates with the maximum superconducting transition temperature attainable in each material class over the entire family of iron-based superconductors.Comment: Open access article available online at http://www.nature.com/srep/2015/150521/srep10392/full/srep10392.htm

A description of a system of programs for mathematically processing on unified series (YeS) computers photographic images of the Earth taken from spacecraft

A description of a batch of programs for the YeS-1040 computer combined into an automated system for processing photo (and video) images of the Earth's surface, taken from spacecraft, is presented. Individual programs with the detailed discussion of the algorithmic and programmatic facilities needed by the user are presented. The basic principles for assembling the system, and the control programs are included. The exchange format within whose framework the cataloging of any programs recommended for the system of processing will be activated in the future is displayed

Zinc Sulfide Tubes Reinforced with Carbon Nanofibers

Zinc sulfide submicron and nanotubes with outer diameters in the range from 100 to 1000 nm were produced through chemical deposition from vapor under argon pressure. The novel process provides formation of ZnS tubes reinforced with carbon nanofibers. This is the first time that the ZnS tubes are grown with fibers during deposition

RECRYSTALLIZATION OF CERAMIC MATERIAL FABRICATED FROM Cd1-xZnxTe.

Binary and ternary A(illegible)B(illegible) compounds are conventionally grown from melt. This technique is very complicated and requires complex equipment to provide high pressures and high temperatures to grow stoichiometric compositions. New opportunities for designing materials used in the infrared technique and ionizing radiation detectors are opened by advantages in nanotechnology. In particular difficulties in Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}Te with various Zn content are traditionally used in infrared optics and as a material for ionizing radiation detectors. Zn concentration in the nanopowders produced by the new vapor deposition technique varies from x=0.02 to x=0.1, including the composition Cd{sub illegible}Zn{sub illegible}Te, which is the most promising as a material for ionizing radiation detectors working at room temperature without cooling

Weak-coupling superconductivity in a strongly correlated iron pnictide

Iron-based superconductors have been found to exhibit an intimate interplay of orbital, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom, dramatically affecting their low-energy electronic properties, including superconductivity. Albeit the precise pairing mechanism remains unidentified, several candidate interactions have been suggested to mediate the superconducting pairing, both in the orbital and in the spin channel. Here, we employ optical spectroscopy (OS), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), ab initio band-structure, and Eliashberg calculations to show that nearly optimally doped NaFe$_{0.978}$Co$_{0.022}$As exhibits some of the strongest orbitally selective electronic correlations in the family of iron pnictides. Unexpectedly, we find that the mass enhancement of itinerant charge carriers in the strongly correlated band is dramatically reduced near the $\Gamma$ point and attribute this effect to orbital mixing induced by pronounced spin-orbit coupling. Embracing the true band structure allows us to describe all low-energy electronic properties obtained in our experiments with remarkable consistency and demonstrate that superconductivity in this material is rather weak and mediated by spin fluctuations.Comment: Open access article available online at http://www.nature.com/articles/srep1862

Formation of material prescribed phase composition from refractory filler silica powder modified with alkoxide and sol-gel composite

Creation of ceramics and refractories with improved physicomechanical properties is possible with use of nanomaterials in their technology. Introduction of SiC nanoparticles into a ceramic material charge by using modified filler powders is proposed. Fillers modified with tetraethoxysilane during grinding leads to powder crystal structure breakdown and SiC mechanochemical synthesis. The amount of -SiC synthesized in this way depends on the amount of modifying additive. Results are provided for modified filler phase composition before and after heat treatment at 1000°C, and mechanochemically synthesized SiC thermal stability is established. It is shown that sintering of modified electro-corundum worsens with an increase in amount of synthesized silicon carbide nanoparticles. The difference is demonstrated in phase composition formation with heat treatment of a mixture of modified and normal finely ground electrocorundum with a sol-gel binder and firing up to 1600°C. Silicon carbide nanoparticle synthesis does not exceed 3 – 7 % in both cases. Recommendations are given for use of corundum filler with a different amount of modifying additive