Magnetic properties of σ\sigma-FeCr alloy as calculated with the charge and spin self-consistent KKR(CPA) method

Magnetic properties of a $\sigma-$Fe$_{16}$Cr$_{14}$ alloy calculated with the charge and spin self- consistent Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) and combined with coherent potential approximation (KKR-CPA) methods are reported. Non-magnetic state as well as various magnetic orderings were considered, i.e. ferromagnetic (FM) and more complex anti-parallel (called APM) arrangements for selected sublattices, as follows from the symmetry analysis. It has been shown that the Stoner criterion applied to non-magnetic density of states at the Fermi energy, $E_F$ is satisfied for Fe atoms situated on all five lattice sites, while it is not fulfilled for all Cr atoms. In FM and APM states, the values of magnetic moments on Fe atoms occupying various sites are dispersed between 0 and 2.5 $\mu_B$, and they are proportional to the number of Fe atoms in the nearest-neighbor shell. Magnetic moments of Cr atoms havin much smaller values were found to be coupled antiparallel to those of Fe atoms. The average value of the magnetic moment per atom was found to be $=0.55 \mu_B$ that is by a factor of 4 larger than the experimental value found for a $\sigma-$Fe$_{0.538}$Cr$_{0.462}$ sample. Conversely, admitting an anti- parallel ordering (APM model) on atoms situated on C and D sites, according to the group theory and symmetry analysis results, yielded a substantial reduction of to 0.20 $\mu_B$. Further diminution of to 0.15 $\mu_B$, which is very close to the experimental value of 0.14 $\mu_B$, has been achieved with the KKR-CPA calculations by considering a chemical disorder on sites B, C and D

Quasiparticle states of the Hubbard model near the Fermi level

The spectra of the t-U and t-t'-U Hubbard models are investigated in the one-loop approximation for different values of the electron filling. It is shown that the four-band structure which is inherent in the case of half-filling and low temperatures persists also for some excess or deficiency of electrons. Besides, with some departure from half-filling an additional narrow band of quasiparticle states arises near the Fermi level. The dispersion of the band, its bandwidth and the variation with filling are close to those of the spin-polaron band of the t-J model. For moderate doping spectral intensities in the new band and in one of the inner bands of the four-band structure decrease as the Fermi level is approached which leads to the appearance of a pseudogap in the spectrum.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Disentanglement of the electronic and lattice parts of the order parameter in a 1D Charge Density Wave system probed by femtosecond spectroscopy

We report on the high resolution studies of the temperature (T) dependence of the q=0 phonon spectrum in the quasi one-dimensional charge density wave (CDW) compound K0.3MoO3 utilizing time-resolved optical spectroscopy. Numerous modes that appear below Tc show pronounced T-dependences of their amplitudes, frequencies and dampings. Utilizing the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory we show that these modes result from linear coupling of the electronic part of the order parameter to the 2kF phonons, while the (electronic) CDW amplitude mode is overdamped.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures + supplementary material, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Neel to Spin-Glass-like Phase Transition versus Dilution in Geometrically Frustrated ZnCr_{2-2x}Ga_{2x}O_4

ZnCr2O4 undergoes a first order spin-Peierls-like phase transition at 12.5 K from a cubic spin liquid phase to a tetragonal Neel state. Using powder diffraction and single crystal polarized neutron scattering, we determined the complex spin structure of the Neel phase. This phase consisted of several magnetic domains with different characteristic wave vectors. This indicates that the tetragonal phase of ZnCr2O4 is very close to a critical point surrounded by many different Neel states. We have also studied, using elastic and inelastic neutron scattering techniques, the effect of nonmagnetic dilution on magnetic correlations in ZnCr_{2-2x}Ga_{2x}O_4 (x=0.05 and 0.3). For x=0.05, the magnetic correlations do not change qualitatively from those in the pure material, except that the phase transition becomes second order. For x= 0.3, the spin-spin correlations become short range. Interestingly, the spatial correlations of the frozen spins in the x=0.3 material are the same as those of the fluctuating moments in the pure and the weakly diluted materials

Fast electrochemical membrane actuator:Design, fabrication and preliminary testing

An actuator based on water electrolysis with a fast change of voltage polarity is presented. It demonstrates a new actuation principle allowing significant increase the operation frequency of the device due to fast termination of the produced gas. The actuator consists of a working chamber with metallic electrodes and supplying channels filled with an electrolyte. The chamber is formed in a layer of SU-8 and covered by a flexible polydimethylsiloxane membrane, which deforms as the pressure in the chamber increases. Design, fabrication procedure, and first tests of the actuator are described

The problem of "macroscopic charge quantization" in single-electron devices

In a recent Letter by the authors [I.S. Burmistrov and A.M.M. Pruisken, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 056801 (2008)] it was shown that single-electron devices (single electron transistor or SET) display "macroscopic charge quantization" which is completely analogous to the quantum Hall effect observed on very different electron systems. In this investigation we present more detail on these new findings. Based on the Ambegaokar-Eckern-Schoen (AES) theory of the Coulomb blockade we introduce a general response theory that probes the sensitivity of SET to changes in the boundary conditions. This response theory defines a new set of physical observables and we establish the contact with the standard results obtained from ordinary linear response theory. The response parameters generally define the renormalization behavior of the SET in the entire regime from weak coupling with large values of the tunneling conductance all the way down to the strong coupling phase where the system displays the Coulomb blockade. We introduce a general criterion for charge quantization that is analogous to the Thouless criterion for Anderson localization. We present the results of detailed computations on the weak coupling side of the theory, i.e. both perturbative and non-perturbative (instantons). Based on an effective theory in terms of quantum spins we study the quantum critical behavior of the AES model on the strong coupling side. Consequently, a unifying scaling diagram of the SET is obtained. This diagram displays all the super universal topological features of the theta-angle concept that previously arose in the theory of the quantum Hall effect.Comment: RevTex, 22 pages, 10 figure

Quasi-long-range ordering in a finite-size 2D Heisenberg model

We analyse the low-temperature behaviour of the Heisenberg model on a two-dimensional lattice of finite size. Presence of a residual magnetisation in a finite-size system enables us to use the spin wave approximation, which is known to give reliable results for the XY model at low temperatures T. For the system considered, we find that the spin-spin correlation function decays as 1/r^eta(T) for large separations r bringing about presence of a quasi-long-range ordering. We give analytic estimates for the exponent eta(T) in different regimes and support our findings by Monte Carlo simulations of the model on lattices of different sizes at different temperatures.Comment: 9 pages, 3 postscript figs, style files include

Diagrammatic analysis of the Hubbard model:Stationary property of the thermodynamic potential

Diagrammatic approach proposed many years ago for strong correlated Hubbard model is developed for analyzing of the thermodynamic potential properties. The new exact relation between such renormalized quantities as thermodynamic potential, one-particle propagator and correlation function is established. This relation contains additional integration of the one-particle propagator by the auxiliary constant. The vacuum skeleton diagrams constructed from irreducible Green's functions and tunneling propagator lines are determined and special functional is introduced. The properties of such functional are investigated and its relation to the thermodynamic potential is established. The stationary properties of this functional with respect to first order changing of the correlation function is demonstrated and as a consequence the stationary properties of the thermodynamic potential is proved.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Point-contact study of ReFeAs(1-x)Fx (Re=La, Sm) superconducting films

Point-contact (PC) Andreev-reflection (AR) measurements of the superconducting gap in iron-oxipnictide ReFeAsO_{1-x}F_x (Re=La, Sm) films have been carried out. The value of the gap is distributed in the range 2\Delta \simeq 5-10 meV (for Re=Sm) with a maximum in the distribution around 6 meV. Temperature dependence of the gap \Delta(T) can be fitted well by BCS curve giving reduced gap ratio 2\Delta /kT_c^*\simeq 3.5 (here T_c^* is the critical temperature from the BCS fit). At the same time, an expected second larger gap feature was difficult to resolve distinctly on the AR spectra making determination reliability of the second gap detection questionable. Possible reasons for this and the origin of other features like clear-cut asymmetry in the AR spectra and current regime in PCs are discussed.Comment: 6 two-column pages, 6 figs., 26 Refs., to be published in Superconductor Science and Technolog

Many-Body Approch to Spin-Dependent Transport in Quantum Dot Systems

By means of a diagram technique for Hubbard operators we show the existence of a spin-dependent renormalization of the localized levels in an interacting region, e.g. quantum dot, modeled by the Anderson Hamiltonian with two conduction bands. It is shown that the renormalization of the levels with a given spin direction is due to kinematic interactions with the conduction sub-bands of the opposite spin. The consequence of this dressing of the localized levels is a drastically decreased tunneling current for ferromagnetically ordered leads compared to that of paramagnetically ordered leads. Furthermore, the studied system shows a spin-dependent resonant tunneling behaviour for ferromagnetically ordered leads.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure