257 research outputs found
Superconducting fluctuation corrections to ultrasound attenuation in layered superconductors
We consider the temperature dependence of the sound attenuation and sound
velocity in layered impure metals due to superconducting fluctuations of the
order parameter above the critical temperature. We obtain the dependence on
material properties of these fluctuation corrections in the hydrodynamic limit,
where the electron mean free path is much smaller than the wavelength of sound
and where the electron collision rate is much larger than the sound frequency.
For longitudinal sound propagating perpendicular to the layers, the open Fermi
surface condition leads to a suppression of the divergent contributions to
leading order, in contrast with the case of paraconductivity. The leading
temperature dependent corrections, given by the Aslamazov-Larkin, Maki-Thompson
and density of states terms, remain finite as T->Tc. Nevertheless, the
sensitivity of new ultrasonic experiments on layered organic conductors should
make these fluctuations effects measurable.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for PRB. Added discussion on incoherent
interlayer tunneling and other small modifications suggested by referee
Localization by disorder in the infrared conductivity of (Y,Pr)Ba2Cu3O7 films
The ab-plane reflectivity of (Y{1-x}Prx)Ba2Cu3O7 thin films was measured in
the 30-30000 cm-1 range for samples with x = 0 (Tc = 90 K), x = 0.4 (Tc = 35 K)
and x = 0.5 (Tc = 19 K) as a function of temperature in the normal state. The
effective charge density obtained from the integrated spectral weight decreases
with increasing x. The variation is consistent with the higher dc resistivity
for x = 0.4, but is one order of magnitude smaller than what would be expected
for x = 0.5. In the latter sample, the conductivity is dominated at all
temperatures by a large localization peak. Its magnitude increases as the
temperature decreases. We relate this peak to the dc resistivity enhancement. A
simple localization-by-disorder model accounts for the optical conductivity of
the x = 0.5 sample.Comment: 7 pages with (4) figures include
Electron Dynamics in NdCeCuO: Evidence for the Pseudogap State and Unconventional c-axis Response
Infrared reflectance measurements were made with light polarized along the a-
and c-axis of both superconducting and antiferromagnetic phases of electron
doped NdCeCuO. The results are compared to
characteristic features of the electromagnetic response in hole doped cuprates.
Within the CuO planes the frequency dependent scattering rate,
1/, is depressed below 650 cm; this behavior is a
hallmark of the pseudogap state. While in several hole doped compounds the
energy scales associated with the pseudogap and superconducting states are
quite close, we are able to show that in NdCeCuO
the two scales differ by more than one order of magnitude. Another feature of
the in-plane charge response is a peak in the real part of the conductivity,
, at 50-110 cm which is in sharp contrast with the
Drude-like response where is centered at . This
latter effect is similar to what is found in disordered hole doped cuprates and
is discussed in the context of carrier localization. Examination of the c-axis
conductivity gives evidence for an anomalously broad frequency range from which
the interlayer superfluid is accumulated. Compelling evidence for the pseudogap
state as well as other characteristics of the charge dynamics in
NdCeCuO signal global similarities of the cuprate
phase diagram with respect to electron and hole doping.Comment: Submitted to PR
A First Search for coincident Gravitational Waves and High Energy Neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007
We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts
associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal
new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy,
particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the
underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the
period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first
science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed
for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with
the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place
limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave
emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of
merger and core-collapse events.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, science summary page at
http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S5LV_ANTARES/index.php. Public access
area to figures, tables at
https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=p120000
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