174 research outputs found
Anisotropic dielectric function in polar nano-regions of relaxor ferroelectrics
The paper suggests to treat the infrared reflectivity spectra of single
crystal perovskite relaxors as fine-grained ferroelectric ceramics: locally
frozen polarization makes the dielectric function strongly anisotropic in the
phonon frequency range and the random orientation of the polarization at
nano-scopic scale requires to take into account the inhomogeneous
depolarization field. Employing a simple effective medium approximation
(Bruggeman symmetrical formula) to dielectric function describing the polar
optic modes as damped harmonic oscillators turns out to be sufficient for
reproducing all principal features of room temperature reflectivity of PMN. One
of the reflectivity bands is identified as a geometrical resonance entirely
related to the nanoscale polarization inhomogeneity. The approach provides a
general guide for systematic determination of the polar mode frequencies split
by the inhomogeneous polarization at nanometer scale.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Interaction of Gold Nanoparticles in Barium Titanate Thin Films
A novel approach to control the grain size of oxide thin film materials has
been investigated. Perovskite BaTiO3 shows interesting grain structures when
deposited on gold predeposited, (111)-oriented, singlecrystal SrTiO3
substrates. Solid oxide films grow epitaxially on patterned seed layers and
show variations in grain size relative to the films deposited on SrTiO3
directly.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
Born Effective Charges and Infrared Response of LiBC
Calculations of the zone center optical mode frequencies (including LO-TO
splitting), Born effective charges Z for each atom,
dielectric constants and , and the dielectric
response in the infrared, using density functional linear response theory, are
reported. Calculated Raman modes are in excellent agreement with experimental
values (170 cm and 1170 cm), while it will require better
experimental data to clarify the infrared active mode frequencies. The Born
effective charges Z (i) have surprisingly different values
for B and C, and (ii) show considerable anisotropy. Relationships between the
effective charges and LO-TO splitting are discussed, and the predicted
reflectivity in the range 0 -- 1400 cm is presented. These results hold
possible implications for Li removal in LiBC, and C substition for B in
MgB.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Lattice models and Landau theory for type II incommensurate crystals
Ground state properties and phonon dispersion curves of a classical linear
chain model describing a crystal with an incommensurate phase are studied. This
model is the DIFFOUR (discrete frustrated phi4) model with an extra
fourth-order term added to it. The incommensurability in these models may arise
if there is frustration between nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor
interactions. We discuss the effect of the additional term on the phonon
branches and phase diagram of the DIFFOUR model. We find some features not
present in the DIFFOUR model such as the renormalization of the
nearest-neighbor coupling. Furthermore the ratio between the slopes of the soft
phonon mode in the ferroelectric and paraelectric phase can take on values
different from -2. Temperature dependences of the parameters in the model are
different above and below the paraelectric transition, in contrast with the
assumptions made in Landau theory. In the continuum limit this model reduces to
the Landau free energy expansion for type II incommensurate crystals and it can
be seen as the lowest-order generalization of the simplest Lifshitz-point
model. Part of the numerical calculations have been done by an adaption of the
Effective Potential Method, orginally used for models with nearest-neighbor
interaction, to models with also next-nearest-neighbor interactions.Comment: 33 pages, 7 figures, RevTex, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Giant Anharmonic Phonon Scattering in PbTe
Understanding the microscopic processes affecting the bulk thermal
conductivity is crucial to develop more efficient thermoelectric materials.
PbTe is currently one of the leading thermoelectric materials, largely thanks
to its low thermal conductivity. However, the origin of this low thermal
conductivity in a simple rocksalt structure has so far been elusive. Using a
combination of inelastic neutron scattering measurements and first-principles
computations of the phonons, we identify a strong anharmonic coupling between
the ferroelectric transverse optic (TO) mode and the longitudinal acoustic (LA)
modes in PbTe. This interaction extends over a large portion of reciprocal
space, and directly affects the heat-carrying LA phonons. The LA-TO anharmonic
coupling is likely to play a central role in explaining the low thermal
conductivity of PbTe. The present results provide a microscopic picture of why
many good thermoelectric materials are found near a lattice instability of the
ferroelectric type
Application of elastostatic Green function tensor technique to electrostriction in cubic, hexagonal and orthorhombic crystals
The elastostatic Green function tensor approach, which was recently used to
treat electrostriction in numerical simulation of domain structure formation in
cubic ferroelectrics, is reviewed and extended to the crystals of hexagonal and
orthorhombic symmetry. The tensorial kernels appearing in the expressions for
effective nonlocal interaction of electrostrictive origin are derived
explicitly and their physical meaning is illustrated on simple examples. It is
argued that the bilinear coupling between the polarization gradients and
elastic strain should be systematically included in the Ginzburg-Landau free
energy expansion of electrostrictive materials.Comment: 4 page
Disorder induced collapse of the electron phonon coupling in MgB observed by Raman Spectroscopy
The Raman spectrum of the superconductor MgB has been measured as a
function of the Tc of the film. A striking correlation is observed between the
onset and the frequency of the mode. Analysis of the data with
the McMillan formula provides clear experimental evidence for the collapse of
the electron phonon coupling at the temperature predicted for the convergence
of two superconducting gaps into one observable gap. This gives indirect
evidence of the convergence of the two gaps and direct evidence of a transition
to an isotropic state at 19 K. The value of the electron phonon coupling
constant is found to be 1.22 for films with T 39K and 0.80 for films with
T19K.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Phase transition close to room temperature in BiFeO3 thin films
BiFeO3 (BFO) multiferroic oxide has a complex phase diagram that can be
mapped by appropriately substrate-induced strain in epitaxial films. By using
Raman spectroscopy, we conclusively show that films of the so-called
supertetragonal T-BFO phase, stabilized under compressive strain, displays a
reversible temperature-induced phase transition at about 100\circ, thus close
to room temperature.Comment: accepted in J. Phys.: Condens. Matter (Fast Track Communication
Extreme Electron-Phonon Coupling in Boron-based Layered Superconductors
The phonon-mode decomposition of the electron-phonon coupling in the
MgB2-like system Li_{1-x}BC is explored using first principles calculations. It
is found that the high temperature superconductivity of such systems results
from extremely strong coupling to only ~2% of the phonon modes. Novel
characteristics of E_2g branches include (1) ``mode lambda'' values of 25 and
greater compared to a mean of for other modes, (2) a precipitous
Kohn anomaly, and (3) E_2g phonon linewidths within a factor of ~2 of the
frequency itself, indicating impending breakdown of linear electron-phonon
theory. This behavior in borne out by recent inelastic x-ray scattering studies
of MgB2 by Shukla et al.Comment: 4 two-column pages, 4 figures. Equations simplified. Figure 4
changed. Comparison with new data include
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