Origin of time reversal symmetry breaking in Y(1-y)Ca(y)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(7-x)

We have studied the Zero Bias Conductance Peak (ZBCP) of the tunneling conductance measured on (1,1,0) oriented Y(1-y)Ca(y)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(7-x) thin films as a function of doping and of magnetic field. A spontaneous (zero field) split of the ZBCP was observed only in overdoped samples (either by O or by Ca). The magnitude of this split was found to be linear in doping. All samples exhibited a magnetic field splitting, also strongly doping dependent. The field susceptibility chi=d(delta)/dH diverges at the point at which spontaneous ZBCP splitting occurs, its inverse value, chi^(-1), following a linear doping dependence on both the underdoped and overdoped sides. We discuss these results in terms of recent theoretical models of Time Reversal Symmetry Breaking (TRSB).Comment: 5 figure

Remarkable change of tunneling conductance in YBCO films in fields up to 32.4T

We studied the tunneling density of states in YBCO films under strong currents flowing along node directions. The currents were induced by fields of up to 32.4T parallel to the film surface and perpendicular to the $CuO_{2}$ planes. We observed a remarkable change in the tunneling conductance at high fields where the gap-like feature shifts discontinuously from 15meV to a lower bias of 11meV, becoming more pronounced as the field increases. The effect takes place in increasing fields around 9T and the transition back to the initial state occurs around 5T in decreasing fields. We argue that this transition is driven by surface currents induced by the applied magnetic field.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure

Field Induced Nodal Order Parameter in the Tunneling Spectrum of YBa2_2Cu3_3O7−x_{7-x} Superconductor

We report planar tunneling measurements on thin films of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ at various doping levels under magnetic fields. By choosing a special setup configuration, we have probed a field induced energy scale that dominates in the vicinity of a node of the d-wave superconducting order parameter. We found a high doping sensitivity for this energy scale. At Optimum doping this energy scale is in agreement with an induced $id_{xy}$ order parameter. We found that it can be followed down to low fields at optimum doping, but not away from it.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Performance Criteria for Relational Database Normalization

The fourth normal form where data redundancy is eliminated is a more efficient construct for storage and user access

On the resistivity at low temperatures in electron-doped cuprate superconductors

We measured the magnetoresistance as a function of temperature down to 20mK and magnetic field for a set of underdoped PrCeCuO (x=0.12) thin films with controlled oxygen content. This allows us to access the edge of the superconducting dome on the underdoped side. The sheet resistance increases with increasing oxygen content whereas the superconducting transition temperature is steadily decreasing down to zero. Upon applying various magnetic fields to suppress superconductivity we found that the sheet resistance increases when the temperature is lowered. It saturates at very low temperatures. These results, along with the magnetoresistance, cannot be described in the context of zero temperature two dimensional superconductor-to-insulator transition nor as a simple Kondo effect due to scattering off spins in the copper-oxide planes. We conjecture that due to the proximity to an antiferromagnetic phase magnetic droplets are induced. This results in negative magnetoresistance and in an upturn in the resistivity.Comment: Accepted in Phys. Rev.

Stochastic analysis of transport of conservative solutes in caisson experiments

The Los Alamos National Laboratory has conducted in the past a series of experiments of transport of conservative and reactive solutes. The experimental setup and the experimental results are presented in a series of reports. The main aim of the experiments was to validate models of transport of solutes in unsaturated flow at the caisson intermediate scale, which is much larger than the one pertaining to laboratory columns. First attempts to analyze the experimental results were by one-dimensional convective-dispersion models. These models could not explain the observed solute breakthrough curves and particularly the large solute dispersion in the caisson effluent Since there were some question marks about the uniformity of water distribution at the caisson top, the transport experiments were repeated under conditions of saturated flow. In these experiments constant heads were applied at the top and the bottom of the caisson and the number of concentration monitoring stations was quadrupled. The analysis of the measurements by the same one-dimensional model indicated clearly that the fitted dispersivity is much larger than the pore-sole dispersivity and that it grows with the distance in an approximately linear fashion. This led to the conclusion, raised before, that transport in the caisson is dominated by heterogeneity effects, i.e. by spatial variability of the material Such effects cannot be captured by traditional one-dimensional models. In order to account for the effect of heterogeneity, the saturated flow experiments have been analyzed by using stochastic transport modeling. The apparent linear growth of dispersivity with distance suggested that the system behaves like a stratified one. Consequently, the model of Dagan and Bresier has been adopted in order to interpret concentration measurements. In this simple model the caisson is viewed as a bundle of columns of different permeabilities, which are characterized by a p.d.f. (probability denasity function)

Equilibrium climate sensitivity increases with aerosol concentration due to changes in precipitation efficiency

How Earth's climate reacts to anthropogenic forcing is one of the most burning questions faced by today's scientific community. A leading source of uncertainty in estimating this sensitivity is related to the response of clouds. Under the canonical climate-change perspective of forcings and feedbacks, the effect of anthropogenic aerosols on clouds is categorized under the forcing component, while the modifications of the radiative properties of clouds due to climate change are considered in the feedback component. Each of these components contributes the largest portion of uncertainty to its relevant category and is largely studied separately from the other. In this paper, using idealized cloud-resolving radiative–convective-equilibrium simulations, with a slab ocean model, we show that aerosol–cloud interactions could affect cloud feedback. Specifically, we show that equilibrium climate sensitivity increases under high aerosol concentration due to an increase in the short-wave cloud feedback. The short-wave cloud feedback is enhanced under high-aerosol conditions due to a stronger increase in the precipitation efficiency with warming, which can be explained by higher sensitivity of the droplet size and the cloud water content to the CO2 concentration rise. These results indicate a possible connection between cloud feedback and aerosol–cloud interactions.</p

Local and macroscopic tunneling spectroscopy of Y(1-x)CaxBa2Cu3O(7-d) films: evidence for a doping dependent is or idxy component in the order parameter

Tunneling spectroscopy of epitaxial (110) Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3O7-d films reveals a doping dependent transition from pure d(x2-y2) to d(x2-y2)+is or d(x2-y2)+idxy order parameter. The subdominant (is or idxy) component manifests itself in a splitting of the zero bias conductance peak and the appearance of subgap structures. The splitting is seen in the overdoped samples, increases systematically with doping, and is found to be an inherent property of the overdoped films. It was observed in both local tunnel junctions, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and in macroscopic planar junctions, for films prepared by either RF sputtering or laser ablation. The STM measurements exhibit fairly uniform splitting size in [110] oriented areas on the order of 10 nm2 but vary from area to area, indicating some doping inhomogeneity. U and V-shaped gaps were also observed, with good correspondence to the local faceting, a manifestation of the dominant d-wave order parameter

Low-temperature dependence of the thermo-magnetic transport properties of the SrTiO3/LaAlO3 interface

We report transport measurements, including: Hall, Seebeck and Nernst Effect. All these transport properties exhibit anomalous field and temperature dependences, with a change of behavior observed at about H 1.5T and T 15K. We were able to reconcile the low-temperature-low-field behavior of all transport properties using a simple two band analysis. A more detailed model is required in order to explain the high magnetic field regime.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure