117 research outputs found
Is ZrB12 two gap superconductor?
We report the measurements of the temperature dependence of the resistivity,
\rho(T), magnetic penetration depth,\lambda(T) the lower, Hc1(T), and upper,
Hc2(T), critical magnetic fields, for single crystals of dodecaboride ZrB12,
diboride ZrB2 and thin films of diboride MgB2. We observe a number of
deviations from conventional behavior in these materials. Although ZrB12
behaves like a simple metal in the normal state, the resistive Debye
temperature, 300 K, is three times smaller relative to that (800-1200 K)
calculated from the specific heat, C(T), data. We observe predominantly
quadratic temperature behavior of resistivity in ZrB12 below 25 K, and in ZrB2
below 100 K, indicating the possible importance of the electron-electron
interaction in these borides. Superfluid density of ZrB12 displays
unconventional temperature dependence with pronounced shoulder at T/Tc equal to
0.65. Contrary to conventional theories we found a linear temperature
dependence of Hc2(T) for ZrB12 from Tc down to 0.35 K. We suggest that both
\lambda(T) and Hc2(T) dependencies in ZrB12 can be explained by two band BCS
model with different superconducting gap and Tc.Comment: PDF file, 12 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Physical Review
Condon Domain Phase Diagram for Silver
We present the Condon domain phase diagram for a silver single crystal
measured in magnetic fields up to 28 T and temperatures down to 1.3 K. A
standard ac method with a pickup coil system is used at low frequency for the
measurements of the de Haas-van Alphen effect (dHvA). The transition point from
the state of homogeneous magnetization to the inhomogeneous Condon domain state
(CDS) is found as the point where a small irreversibility in the dHvA
magnetization arises, as manifested by an extremely nonlinear response in the
pickup voltage showing threshold character. The third harmonic content in the
ac response is used to determine with high precision the CDS phase boundary.
The experimentally determined Condon domain phase diagram is in good agreement
with the theoretical prediction calculated by the standard Lifshitz-Kosevich
(LK) formula
Electron transport, penetration depth and upper critical magnetic field of ZrB12 and MgB2
We report on the synthesis and measurements of the temperature dependence of
resistivity, R(T), the penetration depth, l(T), and upper critical magnetic
field, Hc2(T), for polycrystalline samples of dodecaboride ZrB12 and diboride
MgB2. We conclude that ZrB12 as well as MgB2 behave like simple metals in the
normal state with usual Bloch-Gruneisen temperature dependence of resistivity
and with rather low resistive Debye temperature, TR=280 K, for ZrB12 (as
compared to MgB2 with TR=900 K). The R(T) and l(T) dependencies of ZrB12 reveal
a superconducting transition at Tc=6.0 K. Although a clear exponential
l(T)dependence in MgB2 thin films and ceramic pellets was observed at low
temperatures, this dependence was almost linear for ZrB12 below Tc/2. These
features indicate s-wave pairing state in MgB2, whereas a d-wave pairing state
is possible in ZrB12. A fit to the data gives a reduced energy gap
2D(0)/kTc=1.6 for MgB2 films and pellets, in good agreement with published data
for 3D \pi - sheets of the Fermi surface. Contrary to conventional theories we
found a linear temperature dependence of Hc2(T) for ZrB12 (Hc2(0)=0.15 T).Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, submitted to JET
Electron transport and anisotropy of the upper critical magnetic field in a Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2 single crystals
Early work on the iron-arsenide compounds supported the view, that a reduced
dimensionality might be a necessary prerequisite for high-Tc superconductivity.
Later, however, it was found that the zero-temperature upper critical magnetic
field, Hc2(0), for the 122 iron pnictides is in fact rather isotropic. Here, we
report measurements of the temperature dependence of the electrical
resistivity, \Gamma(T), in Ba0.5K0.5Fe2As2 and Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2 single
crystals in zero magnetic field and for Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2 as well in static and
pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T. We find that the resistivity of both
compounds in zero field is well described by an exponential term due to
inter-sheet umklapp electron-phonon scattering between light electrons around
the M point to heavy hole sheets at the \Gamma point in reciprocal space. From
our data, we construct an H-T phase diagram for the inter-plane (H || c) and
in-plane (H || ab) directions for Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2. Contrary to published data
for underdoped 122 FeAs compounds, we find that Hc2(T) is in fact anisotropic
in optimally doped samples down to low temperatures. The anisotropy parameter,
{\gamma} = Habc2/Hcc2, is about 2.2 at Tc. For both field orientations we find
a concave curvature of the Hc2 lines with decreasing anisotropy and saturation
towards lower temperature. Taking into account Pauli spin paramagnetism we
perfectly can describe Hc2(T) and its anisotropy.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Direct Observation of Condon Domains in Silver by Hall Probes
Using a set of micro Hall probes for the detection of the local induction,
the inhomogeneous Condon domain structure has been directly observed at the
surface of a pure silver single crystal under strong Landau quantization in
magnetic fields up to 10 T. The inhomogeneous induction occurs in the
theoretically predicted part of the H-T Condon domain phase diagram.
Information about size, shape and orientation of the domains is obtained by
analyzing Hall probes placed along and across the long sample axis and by
tilting the sample. On a beryllium surface the induction inhomogeneity is
almost absent although the expected induction splitting here is at least ten
times higher than in silver.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PR
First Principles Study of the Electronic and Vibrational Properties of LiNbO2
In the layered transition metal oxide LiNbO the Nb () ion is
trigonal-prismatically coordinated with O ions, with the resulting crystal
field leading to a single band system for low energy properties. A
tight-binding representation shows that intraplanar second neighbor hopping
meV dominates the first neighbor interaction ( meV). The
first and third neighbor couplings are strongly modified by oxygen
displacements of the symmetric Raman-active vibrational mode, and
electron-phonon coupling to this motion may provide the coupling mechanism for
superconductivity in Li-deficient samples (where K). We calculate all
zone-center phonon modes, identify infrared (IR) and Raman active modes, and
report LO-TO splitting of the IR modes. The Born effective charges for the
metal ions are found to have considerable anisotropy reflecting the degree to
which the ions participate in interlayer coupling and covalent bonding. Insight
into the microscopic origin of the valence band density, composed of Nb
states with some mixing of O states, is obtained from examining
Wannier functions for these bands.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures; Updated with reviewer comments; Updated
reference
Interaction of vortices in thin superconducting films and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition
The precondition for the BKT transition in thin superconducting films, the
logarithmic intervortex interaction, is satisfied at distances short relative
to , is the London penetration depth of the
bulk material and is the film thickness. For this reason, the search for
the transition has been conducted in samples of the size . It is
argued below that film edges turn the interaction into near exponential
(short-range) thus making the BKT transition impossible. If however the
substrate is superconducting and separated from the film by an insulated layer,
the logarithmic intervortex interaction is recovered and the BKT transition
should be observable.Comment: 4 pages, no figure
Electronic Raman scattering in Magnetite, Spin vs. Charge gap
We report Raman scattering data of single crystals of magnetite (Fe3O4) with
Verwey transition temperatures (Tv) of 123 and 117K, respectively. Both single
crystals reveal broad electronic background extending up to 900 wavenumbers
(~110 meV). Redistribution of this background is observed when samples are
cooled below Tv. In particular, spectra of the low temperature phase show
diminished background below 300 wavenumbers followed by an enhancement of the
electronic background between 300 and 400 wavenumbers. To enhance the effect of
this background redistribution we divide the spectra just below the transition
by the spectra just above the transition. A resultant broad peak-like feature
is observed, centered at 370 wavenumbers (45 meV). The peak position of this
feature does not scale with the transition temperature. We discuss two
alternative assignments of this feature to a spin or charge gap in magnetite.Comment: 4 figures, 1 tabl
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