Specific heat measurements of the gap structure of the organic superconductors kappa-(ET)_2Cu[N(CN)_2]Br and kappa-(ET)_2Cu(NCS)_2

We present high resolution heat capacity measurements for the organic superconductors kappa-(ET)_2Cu[N(CN)_2]Br and kappa-(ET)_2Cu(NCS)_2 in fields up to 14 T. We use the high field data to determine the normal state specific heat and hence extract the behavior of the electronic specific heat C_{el} in the superconducting state in zero and finite fields. We find that in both materials for T/T_c<0.3, C_{el}(H=0)\sim T^2 indicating d-wave superconductivity. Our data are inconsistent with s-wave behavior, but may be fitted to a strong coupling d-wave model over the full temperature range.Comment: 4 pages, with figure

Evidentiary Tactics: Selecting the “Best” Evidence to Simplify the Case

In the early 1990s, the American Bar Association Special Committee on Jury Comprehension released the results of surveys of jurors. These jurors had participated in complex federal and state cases. The researchers asked the jurors what complaints they had against the attorneys who had tried the cases. By a wide margin, the primary complaint was that the litigators went overboard and swamped the jury with information, particularly an excessive number of exhibits. At trial, the attorney must exorcise the demons of complexity and confusion. There are strategies and tactics that should be employed to reduce cases to manageable portions that the jury can easily digest. For example, the attorney can trim the size of his or her case by relying on a single theory of the case at trial. Counsel must also be discriminating regarding the witnesses and documents relevant to the theory. Finally, counsel should be similarly discriminating regarding evidence, and only select the “best” items of evidence in order to achieve simplicity at trial. Selectivity is so critical in a complex case that litigators cannot afford to rely purely on rote or intuition to choose the items of trial evidence. The only truth the jury knows is the story told by our evidence, and we owe it to our clients to ensure that we select the best evidence to tell the simplest, most compelling story

Angle Dependent Magnetoresistance of the Layered Organic Superconductor \kappa-(ET)2Cu(NCS)2: Simulation and Experiment

The angle-dependences of the magnetoresistance of two different isotopic substitutions (deuterated and undeuterated) of the layered organic superconductor \kappa-(ET)2Cu(NCS)2 are presented. The angle dependent magnetoresistance oscillations (AMRO) arising from the quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) and quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) Fermi surfaces in this material are often confused. By using the Boltzman transport equation extensive simulations of the AMRO are made that reveal the subtle differences between the different species of oscillation. No significant differences are observed in the electronic parameters derived from quantum oscillations and AMRO for the two isotopic substitutions. The interlayer transfer integrals are determined for both isotopic substitutions and a slight difference is observed which may account for the negative isotope effect previously reported [1]. The success of the semi-classical simulations suggests that non-Fermi liquid effects are not required to explain the interlayer-transport in this system.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figure