Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of Co-based boride superconductor LaCo1.73Fe0.27B2

We have performed angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of Co-based boride superconductor LaCo1.73Fe0.27B2 (Tc = 4.1 K), which is isostructural to the 122-type Fe-pnictide superconductor with the pnictogen atom being replaced with boron. We found that the Fermi level is located at a dip in the density of states (DOS) in contrast to Co-pnictide ferromagnets. This reduction in DOS together with the strong Co 3d-B 2p covalent bonding removes the ferromagnetic order and may cause the superconductivity. The energy bands near the Fermi level show higher three dimensionality and a weaker electron-correlation effect than those of Fe pnictides. The Fermi surface topology is considerably different from that of Fe pnictides, suggesting the difference in the superconducting mechanism between boride and pnictide superconductors.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Spin configuration in a frustrated ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic thin film system

We have studied the magnetic configuration in ultrathin antiferromagnetic Mn films grown around monoatomic steps on an Fe(001) surface by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and ab-initio-parametrized self-consistent real-space tight binding calculations in which the spin quantization axis is independent for each site thus allowing noncollinear magnetism. Mn grown on Fe(001) presents a layered antiferromagnetic structure. In the regions where the Mn films overgrows Fe steps the magnetization of the surface layer is reversed across the steps. Around these defects a frustration of the antiferromagnetic order occurs. Due to the weakened magnetic coupling at the central Mn layers, the amount of frustration is smaller than in Cr and the width of the wall induced by the step does not change with the thickness, at least for coverages up to seven monolayers.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Non-propagating degrees of freedom in supergravity and very extended G_2

Recently a correspondence between non-propagating degrees of freedom in maximal supergravity and the very extended algebra E_11 has been found. We perform a similar analysis for a supergravity theory with eight supercharges and very extended G_2. In particular, in the context of d=5 minimal supergravity, we study whether supersymmetry can be realised on higher-rank tensors with no propagating degrees of freedom. We find that in this case the very extended algebra fails to capture these possibilities.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure. v2: transformation properties of higher-rank tensors under SU(2) R-symmetry analysed and refs added. v3: improved discussion, published versio

Origin of the Verwey transition in magnetite: Group theory, electronic structure, and lattice dynamics study

The Verwey phase transition in magnetite has been analyzed using the group theory methods. It is found that two order parameters with the symmetries $X_3$ and $\Delta_5$ induce the structural transformation from the high-temperature cubic to the low-temperature monoclinic phase. The coupling between the order parameters is described by the Landau free energy functional. The electronic and crystal structure for the cubic and monoclinic phases were optimized using the {\it ab initio} density functional method. The electronic structure calculations were performed within the generalized gradient approximation including the on-site interactions between 3d electrons at iron ions -- the Coulomb element $U$ and Hund's exchange $J$. Only when these local interactions are taken into account, the phonon dispersion curves, obtained by the direct method for the cubic phase, reproduce the experimental data. It is shown that the interplay of local electron interations and the coupling to the lattice drives the phonon order parameters and is responsible for the opening of the gap at the Fermi energy. Thus, it is found that the metal-insulator transition in magnetite is promoted by local electron interactions, which significantly amplify the electron-phonon interaction and stabilize weak charge order coexisting with orbital order of the occupied $t_{2g}$ states at Fe ions. This provides a scenario to understand the fundamental problem of the origin of the Verwey transition in magnetite.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, 8 tables. Accepted version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Closed strings in Ramond-Ramond backgrounds

We write the IIB Green-Schwarz action in certain general classes of curved backgrounds threaded with Ramond-Ramond fluxes. The fixing of the kappa symmetry in the light-cone gauge and the use of supergravity Bianchi identities simplify the task. We find an expression that truncates to quartic order in the spacetime spinors and relays interesting information about the vacuum structure of the worldsheet theory. The results are particularly useful in exploring integrable string dynamics in the context of the holographic duality.Comment: 24 pages; this is a significant revision to hep-th/0112063 with new results added, and including comparison with recent literature; v2: minor typos corrected, citations adde

Charge and orbital order in Fe_3O_4

Charge and orbital ordering in the low-temperature monoclinic structure of magnetite (Fe_3O_4) is investigated using LSDA+U. While the difference between t_{2g} minority occupancies of Fe^{2+}_B and Fe^{3+}_B cations is large and gives direct evidence for charge ordering, the screening is so effective that the total 3d charge disproportion is rather small. The charge order has a pronounced [001] modulation, which is incompatible with the Anderson criterion. The orbital order agrees with the Kugel-Khomskii theory.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure