435 research outputs found
Vortex Core Structure and Dynamics in Layered Superconductors
We investigate the equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of the core
region of vortices in layered superconductors. We discuss the electronic
structure of singly and doubly quantized vortices for both s-wave and d-wave
pairing symmetry. We consider the intermediate clean regime, where the
vortex-core bound states are broadened into resonances with a width comparable
to or larger than the quantized energy level spacing, and calculate the
response of a vortex core to an {\em a.c.} electromagnetic field for vortices
that are pinned to a metallic defect. We concentrate on the case where the
vortex motion is nonstationary and can be treated by linear response theory.
The response of the order parameter, impurity self energy, induced fields and
currents are obtained by a self-consistent calculation of the distribution
functions and the excitation spectrum. We then obtain the dynamical
conductivity, spatially resolved in the region of the core, for external
frequencies in the range, 0.1\Delta < \hbar\omega \lsim 3\Delta. We also
calculate the dynamically induced charge distribution in the vicinity of the
core. This charge density is related to the nonequilibrium response of the
bound states and collective mode, and dominates the electromagnetic response of
the vortex core.Comment: Presented at the 2000 Workshop on ``Microscopic Structure and
Dynamics of Vortices in Unconventional Superconductors and Superfluids'',
held at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in
Dresden, Germany (28 pages with 15 figures). Alternate version with higher
resolution figures:
http://snowmass.phys.nwu.edu/~sauls/Eprints/Dresden2000.htm
Quantum Critical Superfluid Flows and Anisotropic Domain Walls
We construct charged anisotropic AdS domain walls as solutions of a
consistent truncation of type IIB string theory. These are a one-parameter
family of solutions that flow to an AdS fixed point in the IR, exhibiting
emergent conformal invariance and quantum criticality. They represent the
zero-temperature limit of the holographic superfluids at finite superfluid
velocity constructed in arXiv:1010.5777. We show that these domain walls exist
only for velocities less than a critical value, agreeing in detail with a
conjecture made there. We also comment about the IR limits of flows with
velocities higher than this critical value, and point out an intriguing
similarity between the phase diagrams of holographic superfluid flows and those
of ordinary superconductors with imbalanced chemical potential.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. V2: Very minor corrections. JHEP versio
Charge superconductivity from pair density wave order in certain high temperature superconductors
A number of spectacular experimental anomalies\cite{li-2007,fujita-2005} have
recently been discovered in certain cuprates, notably {\LBCO} and {\LNSCO},
which exhibit unidirectional spin and charge order (known as ``stripe order'').
We have recently proposed to interpret these observations as evidence for a
novel ``striped superconducting'' state, in which the superconducting order
parameter is modulated in space, such that its average is precisely zero. Here,
we show that thermal melting of the striped superconducting state can lead to a
number of unusual phases, of which the most novel is a charge
superconducting state, with a corresponding fractional flux quantum .
These are never-before observed states of matter, and ones, moreover, that
cannot arise from the conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) mechanism.
Thus, direct confirmation of their existence, even in a small subset of the
cuprates, could have much broader implications for our understanding of high
temperature superconductivity. We propose experiments to observe fractional
flux quantization, which thereby could confirm the existence of these states.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; new version in Nature Physics format with a
discussion of the effective Josephson coupling J2 and minor changes. Mildly
edited abstract. v3: corrected versio
Imaging spontaneous currents in superconducting arrays of pi-junctions
Superconductors separated by a thin tunneling barrier exhibit the Josephson
effect that allows charge transport at zero voltage, typically with no phase
shift between the superconductors in the lowest energy state. Recently,
Josephson junctions with ground state phase shifts of pi proposed by theory
three decades ago have been demonstrated. In superconducting loops,
pi-junctions cause spontaneous circulation of persistent currents in zero
magnetic field, analogous to spin-1/2 systems. Here we image the spontaneous
zero-field currents in superconducting networks of temperature-controlled
pi-junctions with weakly ferromagnetic barriers using a scanning SQUID
microscope. We find an onset of spontaneous supercurrents at the 0-pi
transition temperature of the junctions Tpi = 3 K. We image the currents in
non-uniformly frustrated arrays consisting of cells with even and odd numbers
of pi-junctions. Such arrays are attractive model systems for studying the
exotic phases of the 2D XY-model and achieving scalable adiabatic quantum
computers.Comment: Pre-referee version. Accepted to Nature Physic
Coexistence of Magnetic Order and Two-dimensional Superconductivity at LaAlO/SrTiO Interfaces
A two dimensional electronic system with novel electronic properties forms at
the interface between the insulators LaAlO and SrTiO. Samples
fabricated until now have been found to be either magnetic or superconducting,
depending on growth conditions. We combine transport measurements with
high-resolution magnetic torque magnetometry and report here evidence of
magnetic ordering of the two-dimensional electron liquid at the interface. The
magnetic ordering exists from well below the superconducting transition to up
to 200 K, and is characterized by an in-plane magnetic moment. Our results
suggest that there is either phase separation or coexistence between magnetic
and superconducting states. The coexistence scenario would point to an
unconventional superconducting phase in the ground state.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Block of NMDA receptor channels by endogenous neurosteroids: implications for the agonist induced conformational states of the channel vestibule
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) mediate synaptic plasticity, and their dysfunction is implicated in multiple brain disorders. NMDARs can be allosterically modulated by numerous compounds, including endogenous neurosteroid pregnanolone sulfate. Here, we identify the molecular basis of the use-dependent and voltage-independent inhibitory effect of neurosteroids on NMDAR responses. The site of action is located at the extracellular vestibule of the receptor's ion channel pore and is accessible after receptor activation. Mutations in the extracellular vestibule in the SYTANLAAF motif disrupt the inhibitory effect of negatively charged steroids. In contrast, positively charged steroids inhibit mutated NMDAR responses in a voltage-dependent manner. These results, in combination with molecular modeling, characterize structure details of the open configuration of the NMDAR channel. Our results provide a unique opportunity for the development of new therapeutic neurosteroid-based ligands to treat diseases associated with dysfunction of the glutamate system
Keldysh technique and non-linear sigma-model: basic principles and applications
The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive pedagogical
introduction into Keldysh technique for interacting out-of-equilibrium
fermionic and bosonic systems. The emphasis is placed on a functional integral
representation of underlying microscopic models. A large part of the review is
devoted to derivation and applications of the non-linear sigma-model for
disordered metals and superconductors. We discuss such topics as transport
properties, mesoscopic effects, counting statistics, interaction corrections,
kinetic equation, etc. The sections devoted to disordered superconductors
include Usadel equation, fluctuation corrections, time-dependent
Ginzburg-Landau theory, proximity and Josephson effects, etc. (This review is a
substantial extension of arXiv:cond-mat/0412296.)Comment: Review: 103 pages, 19 figure
A Bragg glass phase in the vortex lattice of a type II superconductor
Although crystals are usually quite stable, they are sensitive to a
disordered environment: even an infinitesimal amount of impurities can lead to
the destruction of the crystalline order. The resulting state of matter has
been a longstanding puzzle. Until recently it was believed to be an amorphous
state in which the crystal would break into crystallites. But a different
theory predicts the existence of a novel phase of matter: the so-called Bragg
glass, which is a glass and yet nearly as ordered as a perfect crystal. The
lattice of vortices that can contain magnetic flux in type II superconductors
provide a good system to investigate these ideas. Here we show that neutron
diffraction data of the vortex lattice in type II superconductors provides
unambiguous evidence for a weak, power-law decay of the crystalline order
characteristic of a Bragg glass. The theory also predicts accurately the
electrical transport properties of superconductors; it naturally explains the
observed phase transition and the dramatic jumps in the critical current
associated with the melting of the Bragg glass. Moreover the model explains
experiments as diverse as X-ray scattering in disordered liquid crystals and
conductivity of electronic crystals.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Dense Matter in Compact Stars: Theoretical Developments and Observational Constraints
We review theoretical developments in studies of dense matter and its phase
structure of relevance to compact stars. Observational data on compact stars,
which can constrain the properties of dense matter, are presented critically
and interpreted.Comment: Annu. Rev. Nucl. & Part. Sci. in press. 51 pages, 17 figure
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