1,099 research outputs found
Suppression of low-energy Andreev states by a supercurrent in YBa_2Cu_3O_7-delta
We report a coherence-length scale phenomenon related to how the high-Tc
order parameter (OP) evolves under a directly-applied supercurrent. Scanning
tunneling spectroscopy was performed on current-carrying YBa_2Cu_3O_7-delta
thin-film strips at 4.2K. At current levels well below the theoretical
depairing limit, the low-energy Andreev states are suppressed by the
supercurrent, while the gap-like structures remain unchanged. We rule out the
likelihood of various extrinsic effects, and propose instead a model based on
phase fluctuations in the d-wave BTK formalism to explain the suppression. Our
results suggest that a supercurrent could weaken the local phase coherence
while preserving the pairing amplitude. Other possible scenarios which may
cause the observed phenomenon are also discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review
Scanning SQUID Susceptometry of a paramagnetic superconductor
Scanning SQUID susceptometry images the local magnetization and
susceptibility of a sample. By accurately modeling the SQUID signal we can
determine the physical properties such as the penetration depth and
permeability of superconducting samples. We calculate the scanning SQUID
susceptometry signal for a superconducting slab of arbitrary thickness with
isotropic London penetration depth, on a non-superconducting substrate, where
both slab and substrate can have a paramagnetic response that is linear in the
applied field. We derive analytical approximations to our general expression in
a number of limits. Using our results, we fit experimental susceptibility data
as a function of the sample-sensor spacing for three samples: 1) delta-doped
SrTiO3, which has a predominantly diamagnetic response, 2) a thin film of
LaNiO3, which has a predominantly paramagnetic response, and 3) a
two-dimensional electron layer (2-DEL) at a SrTiO3/AlAlO3 interface, which
exhibits both types of response. These formulas will allow the determination of
the concentrations of paramagnetic spins and superconducting carriers from fits
to scanning SQUID susceptibility measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure
Measurement of Cosmic-ray Muons and Muon-induced Neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory
We have measured the muon flux and production rate of muon-induced neutrons
at a depth of 611 m water equivalent. Our apparatus comprises three layers of
crossed plastic scintillator hodoscopes for tracking the incident cosmic-ray
muons and 760 L of gadolinium-doped liquid scintillator for producing and
detecting neutrons. The vertical muon intensity was measured to be cmssr. The yield of
muon-induced neutrons in the liquid scintillator was determined to be
neutrons/(gcm). A fit to the recently measured neutron
yields at different depths gave a mean muon energy dependence of for liquid-scintillator targets.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figures, 3 table
Local tunneling probe of (110) Y_0.95Ca_0.05Ba_2Cu_3O_7-delta thin films in a magnetic field
Scanning tunneling spectroscopy was performed on (110)-oriented thin films of
Ca-overdoped YCaBaCuO at 4.2K, to probe
the local evolution of AndreevSaint-James surface states in a c-axis
magnetic field. In zero field, we observed conductance spectra with
spontaneously-split peaks and spectra with unsplit zero-bias peaks. The former
showed enhanced splitting with field, and the latter showed threshold splitting
above finite fields. Although both field evolutions can be described in terms
of screening and orbital supercurrents, within the framework of
pairing (=; =,), the enhanced splitting is
consistent with only the + state. Our results have direct
implications on the stability of broken time-reversal symmetry in cuprate
superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Development and Evaluation of a Positive Youth Development Course for University Students in Hong Kong
With higher education, university graduates are important elements of the labor force in knowledge-based economies. With reference to the mental health and developmental problems in university students, there is a need to review university's role in nurturing holistic development of students. Based on the positive youth development approach, it is argued that promoting intrapersonal competencies is an important strategy to facilitate holistic development of young people in Hong Kong. In The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a course entitled Tomorrow's Leader focusing on positive youth development constructs to promote student well-being will be offered on a compulsory basis starting from 2012/13 academic year under the new undergraduate curriculum structure. The proposed course was piloted in 2010/11 school year. Different evaluation strategies, including objective outcome evaluation, subjective outcome evaluation, process evaluation, and qualitative evaluation, are being carried out to evaluate the developed course. Preliminary evaluation findings based on the piloting experience in 2010/11 academic year are presented in this paper
Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the central domain of Drosophila Dribble, a protein that is essential for ribosome biogenesis. Addendum
An addition to the paper by Cheng et al. [(2010), Acta Cryst. F66, 546–548]
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