Phonon-mediated tuning of instabilities in the Hubbard model at half-filling

We obtain the phase diagram of the half-filled two-dimensional Hubbard model on a square lattice in the presence of Einstein phonons. We find that the interplay between the instantaneous electron-electron repulsion and electron-phonon interaction leads to new phases. In particular, a d$_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconducting phase emerges when both anisotropic phonons and repulsive Hubbard interaction are present. For large electron-phonon couplings, charge-density-wave and s-wave superconducting regions also appear in the phase diagram, and the widths of these regions are strongly dependent on the phonon frequency, indicating that retardation effects play an important role. Since at half-filling the Fermi surface is nested, spin-density-wave is recovered when the repulsive interaction dominates. We employ a functional multiscale renormalization-group method that includes both electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions, and take retardation effects fully into account.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Raman scattering study of electron-doped Prx_xCa1−x_{1-x}Fe2_2As2_2 superconductors

Temperature-dependent polarized Raman spectra of electron-doped superconducting Pr$_x$Ca$_{1-x}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ ($x \approx 0.12$) single crystals are reported. All four allowed by symmetry even-parity phonons are identified. Phonon mode of B$_{1g}$ symmetry at 222 cm$^{-1}$, which is associated with the c-axis motion of Fe ions, is found to exhibit an anomalous frequency hardening at low temperatures, that signals non-vanishing electron-phonon coupling in the superconducting state and implies that the superconducting gap magnitude $2\Delta_c < 27$meV.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

A Field-Induced Re-Entrant Novel Phase and A Ferroelectric-Magnetic Order Coupling in HoMnO3

A re-entrant novel phase has been observed in the hexagonal ferroelectric HoMnO3 in the presence of magnetic fields, in the temperature ranges defined by the plateau of the dielectric constant anomaly. The dielectric plateau evolves with fields from a narrow sharp dielectric peak at the Mn-spin rotation transition at 32.8 K in zero magnetic field. Such a field-induced dielectric plateau anomaly appears both in the temperature sweep at a constant field and in the field sweep at a constant temperature without detectable hysteresis. This is attributed to the indirect coupling between the ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic orders, arising from an antiferromagnetic domain wall effect, where the magnetic order parameter of the Mn subsystem has to change sign across the ferroelectric domain wall in the compound, that influences the ferroelectric domains via a local magnetostrictive effect

Raman scattering study of (Kx_xSr1−x_{1-x})Fe2_2As2_2 (xx = 0.0, 0.4)

Polarized Raman spectra of non-superconducting SrFe$_2$As$_2$ and superconducting K$_{0.4}$Sr$_{0.6}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ ($T_c = 37$ K) are reported. All four phonon modes (A$_{1g}$ + B$_{1g}$ + 2E$_g$) allowed by symmetry, are found and identified. Shell model gives reasonable description of the spectra. No detectable anomalies are observed near the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transition in SrFe$_2$As$_2$ or the superconducting transition in K$_{0.4}$Sr$_{0.6}$Fe$_2$As$_2$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Thermoelectric properties of Zn_5Sb_4In_(2-δ)(δ=0.15)

The polymorphic intermetallic compound Zn_5Sb_4In_(2−δ) (δ = 0.15(3)) shows promising thermoelectric properties at low temperatures, approaching a figure of merit ZT of 0.3 at 300 K. However, thermopower and electrical resistivity changes discontinuously at around 220 K. Measurement of the specific heat locates the previously unknown temperature of the order-disorder phase transition at around 180 K. Investigation of the charge carrier concentration and mobility by Hall measurements and infrared reflection spectroscopy indicate a mixed conduction behavior and the activation of charge carriers at temperatures above 220 K. Zn_5Sb_4In_(2−δ) has a low thermal stability, and at temperatures above 470 K samples decompose into a mixture of Zn, InSb, and Zn_4Sb_3

Spectroscopy of infrared-active phonons in high-temperature superconductors

For a large variety of superconducting materials both experimental and theoretical lattice dynamical studies have been performed to date. The assignment of the observed infrared- and Raman-active phonon modes to the particular lattice eigenmodes is generally accepted. We will concentrate here upon the analysis of the changes of the infrared-phonon parameters (frequency and linewidth) upon entering the superconducting state which, as will be shown, may provide information on the magnitude of the superconductivity-related gap and its dependence on the superconducting transition temperature Tc

Comparative Raman Studies of Sr2RuO4, Sr3Ru2O7 and Sr4Ru3O10

The polarized Raman spectra of layered ruthenates of the Srn+1RunO3n+1 (n=1,2,3) Ruddlesden-Popper series were measured between 10 and 300 K. The phonon spectra of Sr3Ru2O7 and Sr4Ru3O10 confirmed earlier reports for correlated rotations of neighboring RuO6 octahedra within double or triple perovskite blocks. The observed Raman lines of Ag or B1g symmetry were assigned to particular atomic vibrations by considering the Raman modes in simplified structures with only one double or triple RuO6 layer per unit cell and by comparison to the predictions of lattice dynamical calculations for the real Pban and Pbam structures. Along with discrete phonon lines, a continuum scattering, presumably of electronic origin, is present in the zz, xx and xy, but not in the x'y' and zx spectra. Its interference with phonons results in Fano shape for some of the lines in the xx and xy spectra. The temperature dependencies of phonon parameters of Sr3Ru2O7 exhibit no anomaly between 10 and 300 K where no magnetic transition occurs. In contrast, two B1g lines in the spectra of Sr4Ru3O10, corresponding to oxygen vibrations modulating the Ru-O-Ru bond angle, show noticeable hardening with ferromagnetic ordering at 105 K, thus indicating strong spin-phonon interaction.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figure