Electron-Phonon Driven Spin Frustration in Multi-Band Hubbard Models: MX Chains and Oxide Superconductors

We discuss the consequences of both electron-phonon and electron-electron couplings in 1D and 2D multi-band (Peierls-Hubbard) models. After briefly discussing various analytic limits, we focus on (Hartree-Fock and exact) numerical studies in the intermediate regime for both couplings, where unusual spin-Peierls as well as long-period, frustrated ground states are found. Doping into such phases or near the phase boundaries can lead to further interesting phenomena such as separation of spin and charge, a dopant-induced phase transition of the global (parent) phase, or real-space (``bipolaronic'') pairing. We discuss possible experimentally observable consequences of this rich phase diagram for halogen-bridged, transition metal, linear chain complexes (MX chains) in 1D and the oxide superconductors in 2D.Comment: 6 pages, four postscript figures (appended), in regular Te

Materials Characterization by Time Delay Spectrometry Ultrasound

A technique known as Time Delay Spectrometry (TDS), which has been used at JPL for ultrasonic tissue characterization, has promise for similar application in materials characterization as well. This technique differs from the approaches based on pulse-echo techniques which are used by other workers. Time Delay Spectrometry operates in the frequency domain directly. The transducer is excited by a rapidly swept frequency source and a tracking receiver is used to select signals arriving during a narrow time interval. In the reflection mode this time interval represents the range of the reflecting surface. In the transmission mode this time interval is adjusted to the desired acoustic delay, causing rejection of signals which follow extraneous paths. This swept frequency implementation makes coherent processing of the full analytic signal possible, which in turn allows more representative signatures to be obtained. In the reflection mode, for example, a better indication is obtained of the true strength of an interface or scatterer because the response can be made less dependent on the interference effects that so greatly alter the amplitude peaks of the conventional echo. This technique also permits an enhanced dynamic range to be obtained by applying frequency compensation directly to the transmitted signal. An added bonus is the ability to use data logging systems at rates commensurate with microprocessor operation in place of more expensive high speed transient recorders with limited memory capacity. Attenuation spectra taken on tissue specimens and on a few material samples will be presented. These data will demonstrate the ability of Time Delay Spectrometry to either minimize reverberation artifacts or to make use of the information contained in the artifact

Effect of quantum lattice fluctuations on the optical-absorption spectra of halogen-bridged mixed-valence transition-metal complexes

The effect of quantum lattice fluctuations on the optical-absorption spectra in the ground state of halogen-bridged mixed-valence transition-metal linear-chain complexes is studied by using a one-dimensional extended Peierls-Hubbard model. The nonadiabatic effects due to finite phonon frequency $\omega_{\pi}>0$ are treated through an energy-dependent electron-phonon scattering function $\delta(k^{\prime},k)$ introduced by means of an unitary transformation. The calculated optical-absorption spectra do not have the inverse-square-root singularity, but they have a peak above the gap edge and there exists a significant tail below the peak, which are consistent with the optical-absorption coefficient or the optical conductivity measurements of this material.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Quantum lattice fluctuations in a model electron-phonon system

An analytical approach, based on the unitary transformation method, has been developed to study the effect of quantum lattice fluctuations on the ground state of a model electron-phonon system. To study nonadiabatic case, the Green's function method is used to implement the perturbation treatment. The phase diagram and the density of states of fermions are obtained. We show that when electron-phonon coupling constant $\alpha^{2}/K$ decreases or phonon frequency $\omega_{\pi}$ increases the lattice dimerization and the gap in the fermion spectrum decrease gradually. At some critical value the system becomes gapless and the lattice dimerization disappears. The inverse-square-root singularity of the density of states at the gap edge in the adiabatic case disappears because of the nonadiabatic effect, which is consistent with the measurement of optical conductivity in quasi-one-dimensional systems.Comment: 9 pages, 4 ps figures include

Real time magneto-optical imaging of vortices in superconductors

We demonstrate here real-time imaging of individual vortices in a NbSe2 single crystal using polarized light microscopy. A new high-sensitivity magneto-optical (MO) imaging system enables observation of the static vortex lattice as well as single vortex motion at low flux densities.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figur

Improved Mean-Field Scheme for the Hubbard Model

Ground state energies and on-site density-density correlations are calculated for the 1-D Hubbard model using a linear combination of the Hubbard projection operators. The mean-field coefficients in the resulting linearized Equations of Motion (EOM) depend on both one-particle static expectation values as well as static two-particle correlations. To test the model, the one particle expectation values are determined self-consistently while using Lanczos determined values for the two particle correlation terms. Ground state energies and on-site density-density correlations are then compared as a function of $U$ to the corresponding Lanczos values on a 12 site Hubbard chain for 1/2 and 5/12 fillings. To further demonstrate the validity of the technique, the static correlation functions are also calculated using a similar EOM approach, which ignores the effective vertex corrections for this problem, and compares those results as well for a 1/2 filled chain. These results show marked improvement over standard mean-field techniques.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, text and figures as one postscript file -- does not need to be "TeX-ed". LA-UR-94-294

Photoinduced charge separation in Q1D heterojunction materials: Evidence for electron-hole pair separation in mixed-halide MXMX solids

Resonance Raman experiments on doped and photoexcited single crystals of mixed-halide $MX$ complexes ($M$=Pt; $X$=Cl,Br) clearly indicate charge separation: electron polarons preferentially locate on PtBr segments while hole polarons are trapped within PtCl segments. This polaron selectivity, potentially very useful for device applications, is demonstrated theoretically using a discrete, 3/4-filled, two-band, tight-binding, extended Peierls-Hubbard model. Strong hybridization of the PtCl and PtBr electronic bands is the driving force for separation.Comment: n LaTeX, figures available by mail from JTG ([email protected]

Effects of the Lattice Discreteness on a Soliton in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Model

In this paper we analytically study the effects of the lattice discreteness on the electron band in the SSH model. We propose a modified version of the TLM model which is derived from the SSH model using a continuum approximation. When a soliton is induced in the electron-lattice system, the electron scattering states both at the bottom of the valence band and the top of the conduction band are attracted to the soliton. This attractive force induces weakly localized electronic states at the band edges. Using the modified version of the TLM model, we have succeeded in obtaining analytical solutions of the weakly localized states and the extended states near the bottom of the valence band and the top of the conduction band. This band structure does not modify the order parameters. Our result coincides well with numerical simulation works.Comment: to be appear in J.Phys.Soc.Jpn. Figures should be requested to the author. They will be sent by the conventional airmai

Simulation Studies on the Stability of the Vortex-Glass Order

The stability of the three-dimensional vortex-glass order in random type-II superconductors with point disorder is investigated by equilibrium Monte Carlo simulations based on a lattice XY model with a uniform field threading the system. It is found that the vortex-glass order, which stably exists in the absence of screening, is destroyed by the screenng effect, corroborating the previous finding based on the spatially isotropic gauge-glass model. Estimated critical exponents, however, deviate considerably from the values reported for the gauge-glass model.Comment: Minor modifications made, a few referenced added; to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.69 No.1 (2000

Phase diagram and optical conductivity of the one-dimensional spinless Holstein model

The effects of quantum lattice fluctuations on the Peierls transition and the optical conductivity in the one-dimensional Holstein model of spinless fermions have been studied by developing an analytical approach, based on the unitary transformation method. We show that when the electron-phonon coupling constant decreases to a finite critical value the Peierls dimerization is destroyed by the quantum lattice fluctuations. The dimerization gap is much more reduced by the quantum lattice fluctuations than the phonon order parameter. The calculated optical conductivity does not have the inverse-square-root singularity but have a peak above the gap edge and there exists a significant tail below the peak. The peak of optical-conductivity spectrum is not directly corresponding to the dimerized gap. Our results of the phase diagram and the spectral-weight function agree with those of the density matrix renormalization group and the exact diagonalization methods.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures include