Superconducting and Magnetic Properties of Nb/Pd_1-xFe_x/Nb Triple Layers

The superconducting and magnetic properties of Nb/Pd_1-xFe_x/Nb triple layers with constant Nb layer thickness d_Nb=200 A and different interlayer thicknesses are investigated. The thickness dependence of the magnetization and of the superconducting transition temperature shows that for small iron concentration x the Pd_1-xFe_x layer is likely to be in the paramagnetic state for very thin films whereas ferromagnetic order is established for x>=0.13. The parallel critical field B_c2II(T) exhibits a crossover from two-dimensional (2D) behavior where the Nb films are coupled across the interlayer, towards a 2D behavior of coupled Nb films with increasing d_PdFe or x. This 2D-2D crossover allows a determination of the penetration depth xi_F of Cooper pairs into the Pd_1-xFe_x layer as a function of x. For samples with a ferromagnetic interlayer xi_ is found to be independent of x.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Anomalous Hall effect in the noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn5Si3

Metallic antiferromagnets with noncollinear orientation of magnetic moments provide a playground for investigating spin-dependent transport properties by analysis of the anomalous Hall effect. The intermetallic compound Mn5Si3 is an intinerant antiferromagnet with collinear and noncollinear magnetic structures due to Mn atoms on two inequivalent lattice sites. Here, magnetotransport measurements on polycrystalline thin films and a single crystal are reported. In all samples, an additional contribution to the anomalous Hall effect attributed to the noncollinear arrangment of magnetic moments is observed. Furthermore, an additional magnetic phase between the noncollinear and collinear regimes above a metamagnetic transition is resolved in the single crystal by the anomalous Hall effect.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Conductance oscillations in mesoscopic rings: microscopic versus macroscopic picture

The phase of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in mesoscopic metal rings in the presence of a magnetic field can be modulated by application of a DC-bias current I_DC. We address the question of how a variation of I_DC and hence of the microscopic phases of the electronic wave functions results in the macroscopic phase of the conductance oscillations. Whereas the first one can be varied continuously the latter has to be quantized for a ring in two-wire configuration by virtue of the Onsager symmetry relations. We observe a correlation between a phase flip by +/- pi and the amplitude of the oscillations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Time-resolved collapse and revival of the Kondo state near a quantum phase transition

One of the most successful paradigms of many-body physics is the concept of quasiparticles: excitations in strongly interacting matter behaving like weakly interacting particles in free space. Quasiparticles in metals are very robust objects. Yet, when a system's ground state undergoes a qualitative change at a quantum critical point (QCP), the quasiparticles may disintegrate and give way to an exotic quantum-fluid state of matter. The nature of this breakdown is intensely debated, because the emergent quantum fluid dominates the material properties up to high temperature and might even be related to the occurence of superconductivity in some compounds. Here we trace the dynamics of heavy-fermion quasiparticles in CeCu$_{6-x}$Au$_{x}$ and monitor their evolution towards the QCP in time-resolved experiments, supported by many-body calculations. A terahertz pulse disrupts the many-body heavy-fermion state. Under emission of a delayed, phase-coherent terahertz reflex the heavy-fermion state recovers, with a coherence time 100 times longer than typically associated with correlated metals. The quasiparticle weight collapses towards the QCP, yet its formation temperature remains constant -- phenomena believed to be mutually exclusive. Coexistence in the same experiment calls for revisions in our view on quantum criticality.Comment: Published version, including data on CeCu6, CeCu5.9Au0.1, and CeCu5Au1 and extended Supplementary Information. 7 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary Information: 5 pages, 3 figure

Tricritical behaviour of Ising spin glasses with charge fluctuations

We show that tricritical points displaying unusal behaviour exist in phase diagrams of fermionic Ising spin glasses as the chemical potential or the filling assumes characteristic values. Exact results for infinite range interaction and a one loop renormalization group analysis of thermal tricritical fluctuations for finite range models are presented. Surprising similarities with zero temperature transitions and a new $T=0$ tricritical point of metallic quantum spin glasses are derived.Comment: 4 pages, 1 Postscript figure, minor change