Possible isotope effect on the resonance peak formation in high-Tc_c cuprates

Starting from the three-band $p-d$ Hubbard Hamiltonian we derive an effective $t-J$ model including electron-phonon interaction of quasiparticles with optical phonons. Within the effective Hamiltonian we analyze the influence of electronic correlations and electron-phonon interaction on the dynamical spin susceptibility in layered cuprates. We find a huge isotope effect on the resonance peak in the magnetic spin susceptibility, ${Im}\chi({\bf q},\omega)$, seen by inelastic neutron scattering. It results from both the electron-phonon coupling and the electronic correlation effects taken into account beyond random phase approximation(RPA) scheme. We find at optimal doping the isotope coeffiecient $\alpha_{res} \approx 0.35$ which can be further tested experimentally.Comment: revised version, new figure is added. Phys. Rev. B 69, 0945XX (2004); in pres

Angular resolved specific heat in iron-based superconductors: the case for nodeless extended ss-wave gap

We consider the variation of the field-induced component of the specific heat $C({\bf H})$ with the direction of the applied field in $Fe-$pnictides within quasi-classical Doppler-shift approximation, with special emphasis to recent experiments on FeSe$_{0.4}$Te$_{0.6}$ [Zheng et al., arXiv:1004.2236]. We show that for extended $s-$wave gap with no nodes, $C({\bf H})$ has $\cos 4 \phi$ component, where $\phi$ is the angle between ${\bf H}$ and the direction between hole and electron Fermi surfaces. The maxima of $C({\bf H})$ are at $\pi/4$, $3\pi/4$, etc. if the applied field is smaller than $H_0 \leq 1T$, and at $\phi =0, \pi/2$, etc. if the applied field is larger than $H_0$. The angle-dependence of $C({\bf H})$, the positions of the maxima, and the relative magnitude of the oscillating component are consistent with the experiments performed in the field of $9T >> H_0$. We show that the observed $\cos 4 \phi$ variation does not hold if the $s-$wave gap has accidental nodes along the two electron Fermi surfaces.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Unconventional superconductivity and magnetism in Sr2_2RuO4_4 and related materials

We review the normal and superconducting state properties of the unconventional triplet superconductor Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ with an emphasis on the analysis of the magnetic susceptibility and the role played by strong electronic correlations. In particular, we show that the magnetic activity arises from the itinerant electrons in the Ru $d$-orbitals and a strong magnetic anisotropy occurs ($\chi^{+-} < \chi^{zz}$) due to spin-orbit coupling. The latter results mainly from different values of the $g$-factor for the transverse and longitudinal components of the spin susceptibility (i.e. the matrix elements differ). Most importantly, this anisotropy and the presence of incommensurate antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic fluctuations have strong consequences for the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter. In particular, reviewing spin fluctuation-induced Cooper-pairing scenario in application to Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ we show how p-wave Cooper-pairing with line nodes between neighboring RuO$_2$-planes may occur. We also discuss the open issues in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ like the influence of magnetic and non-magnetic impurities on the superconducting and normal state of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$. It is clear that the physics of triplet superconductivity in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ is still far from being understood completely and remains to be analyzed more in more detail. It is of interest to apply the theory also to superconductivity in heavy-fermion systems exhibiting spin fluctuations.Comment: short review article. Annalen der Physik, vol. 13 (2004), to be publishe

Multiband Superconductivity in Spin Density Wave Metals

We study the emergence of multiband superconductivity with $s$- and $d-$wave symmetry on the background of spin density wave (SDW). We show that the SDW coherence factors renormalize the momentum dependence of the superconducting (SC) gap, yielding a SC state with an \emph{unconventional} s-wave symmetry. Interband Cooper pair scattering stabilizes superconductivity in both symmetries. With increasing SDW order, the s-wave state is more strongly suppressed than the d-wave state. Our results are universally applicable to two-dimensional systems with a commensurate SDW.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Magnetic field dependence of the superconducting gap node topology in non-centrosymmetric CePt3_3Si

The non-centrosymmetric superconductor CePt$_3$Si is believed to have a line node in the energy gap arising from coexistence of s-wave and p-wave pairing. We show that a weak c-axis magnetic field will remove this line node, since it has no topological stability against time-reversal symmetry breaking perturbations. Conversely a field in the $a-b$ plane is shown to remove the line node on some regions of the Fermi surface, while bifurcating the line node in other directions, resulting in two 'boomerang'-like shapes. These line node topological changes are predicted to be observable experimentally in the low temperature heat capacity.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

A fibre forming smectic twist-bent liquid crystalline phase

We demonstrate the nanostructure and filament formation of a novel liquid crystal phase of a dimeric mesogen below the twist–bend nematic phase. The new fibre-forming phase is distinguished by a short-correlated smectic order combined with an additional nanoscale periodicity that is not associated with density modulation

Dynamical charge susceptibility in layered cuprates: the influence of screened inter-site Coulomb repulsion

The analytical expression for dynamical charge susceptibility in layered cuprates has been derived in the frame of singlet-correlated band model beyond random-phase-approximation (RPA) scheme. Our calculations performed near optimal doping regime show that there is a peak in real part of the charge susceptibility $\chi({\bf q},\omega)$ at {\bf Q} = ($\pi$, $\pi$) at strong enough inter-site Coulomb repulsion. Together with the strong maximum in the Im $\chi({\bf Q},\omega)$ at 15 meV it confirms the formation of low-energetic plasmons or charge fluctuations. This provides a jsutification that these excitations are important and together with a spin flcutuations can contribute to the Cooper pairing in layered cuprates. Analysing the charge susceptibilitiy with respect to an instability we obtain a new plasmon branch, $\omega_{\bf q}$, along the Brillouin Zone. In particular, we have found that it goes to zero near {\bf Q}$_{CDW} \approx (2\pi/3, 2\pi/3)$

Polaron Effects on Superexchange Interaction: Isotope Shifts of TNT_N, TCT_C, and T∗T^* in Layered Copper Oxides

A compact expression has been obtained for the superexchange coupling of magnetic ions via intermediate anions with regard to polaron effects at both magnetic ions and intermediate anions. This expression is used to analyze the main features of the behavior of isotope shifts for temperatures of three types in layered cuprates: the Neel temperatures ($T_N$), critical temperatures of transitions to a superconducting state ($T_C$), and characteristic temperatures of the pseudogap in the normal state ($T^*$).Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Spin susceptibility in bilayered cuprates: resonant magnetic excitations

We study the momentum and frequency dependence of the dynamical spin susceptibility in the superconducting state of bilayer cuprate superconductors. We show that there exists a resonance mode in the odd as well as the even channel of the spin susceptibility, with the even mode being located at higher energies than the odd mode. We demonstrate that this energy splitting between the two modes arises not only from a difference in the interaction, but also from a difference in the free-fermion susceptibilities of the even and odd channels. Moreover, we show that the even resonance mode disperses downwards at deviations from ${\bf Q}=(\pi,\pi)$. In addition, we demonstrate that there exists a second branch of the even resonance, similar to the recently observed second branch (the $Q^*$-mode) of the odd resonance. Finally, we identify the origin of the qualitatively different doping dependence of the even and odd resonance. Our results suggest further experimental test that may finally resolve the long-standing question regarding the origin of the resonance peak.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure