99 research outputs found
Evidence for time-reversal symmetry breaking of the superconducting state near twin-boundary interfaces in FeSe
Junctions and interfaces consisting of unconventional superconductors provide
an excellent experimental playground to study exotic phenomena related to the
phase of the order parameter. Not only the complex structure of unconventional
order parameters have an impact on the Josephson effects, but also may
profoundly alter the quasi-particle excitation spectrum near a junction. Here,
by using spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, we visualize the
spatial evolution of the local density of states (LDOS) near twin boundaries
(TBs) of the nodal superconductor FeSe. The rotation of the
crystallographic orientation across the TB twists the structure of the
unconventional order parameter, which may, in principle, bring about a
zero-energy LDOS peak at the TB. The LDOS at the TB observed in our study, in
contrast, does not exhibit any signature of a zero-energy peak and an apparent
gap amplitude remains finite all the way across the TB. The low-energy
quasiparticle excitations associated with the gap nodes are affected by the TB
over a distance more than an order of magnitude larger than the coherence
length . The modification of the low-energy states is even more
prominent in the region between two neighboring TBs separated by a distance
. In this region the spectral weight near the Fermi level
(0.2~meV) due to the nodal quasiparticle spectrum is almost
completely removed. These behaviors suggest that the TB induces a fully-gapped
state, invoking a possible twist of the order parameter structure which breaks
time-reversal symmetry.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Quantum criticality in inter-band superconductors
In fermionic systems with different types of quasi-particles, attractive
interactions can give rise to exotic superconducting states, as pair density
wave (PDW) superconductivity and breached pairing. In the last years the search
for these new types of ground states in cold atom and in metallic systems has
been intense. In the case of metals the different quasi-particles may be the up
and down spin bands in an external magnetic field or bands arising from
distinct atomic orbitals that coexist at a common Fermi surface. These systems
present a complex phase diagram as a function of the difference between the
Fermi wave-vectors of the different bands. This can be controlled by external
means, varying the density in the two-component cold atom system or, in a
metal, by applying an external magnetic field or pressure. Here we study the
zero temperature instability of the normal system as the Fermi wave-vectors
mismatch of the quasi-particles (bands) is reduced and find a second order
quantum phase transition to a PDW superconducting state. From the nature of the
quantum critical fluctuations close to the superconducting quantum critical
point (SQCP), we obtain its dynamic critical exponent. It turns out to be
and this allows to fully characterize the SQCP for dimensions .Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
Superconductivity induced by spark erosion in ZrZn2
We show that the superconductivity observed recently in the weak itinerant
ferromagnet ZrZn2 [C. Pfleiderer et al., Nature (London) 412, 58 (2001)] is due
to remnants of a superconducting layer induced by spark erosion. Results of
resistivity, susceptibility, specific heat and surface analysis measurements on
high-quality ZrZn2 crystals show that cutting by spark erosion leaves a
superconducting surface layer. The resistive superconducting transition is
destroyed by chemically etching a layer of 5 microns from the sample. No
signature of superconductivity is observed in rho(T) of etched samples at the
lowest current density measured, J=675 Am-2, and at T < 45 mK. EDX analysis
shows that spark-eroded surfaces are strongly Zn depleted. The simplest
explanation of our results is that the superconductivity results from an alloy
with higher Zr content than ZrZn2.Comment: Final published versio
Magnetic field tuning of antiferromagnetic YbPt
We present measurements of the specific heat, magnetization, magnetocaloric
effect and magnetic neutron diffraction carried out on single crystals of
antiferromagnetic YbPt, where highly localized Yb moments order at
K in zero field. The antiferromagnetic order was suppressed to
by applying a field of 1.85 T in the plane.
Magnetocaloric effect measurements show that the antiferromagnetic phase
transition is always continuous for , although a pronounced step
in the magnetization is observed at the critical field in both neutron
diffraction and magnetization measurements. These steps sharpen with decreasing
temperature, but the related divergences in the magnetic susceptibility are cut
off at the lowest temperatures, where the phase line itself becomes vertical in
the field-temperature plane. As , the antiferromagnetic
transition is increasingly influenced by a quantum critical endpoint, where
ultimately vanishes in a first order phase transition.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Only Fermi-Liquids are Metals
Any singular deviation from Landau Fermi-liquid theory appears to lead, for
arbitrarily small concentration of impurities coupling to a non-conserved
quantity, to a vanishing density of states at the chemical potential and
infinite resistivity as temperature approaches zero. Applications to
copper-oxide metals including the temperature dependence of the anisotropy in
resistivity, and to other cases of non Fermi-liquids are discussed.Comment: 11 pages,revtex, 1 Postscript figur
Renormalization group approach of itinerant electron systems near the Lifshitz point
Using the renormalization approach proposed by Millis for the itinerant
electron systems we calculated the specific heat coefficient for
the magnetic fluctuations with susceptibility near the Lifshitz point. The constant value
obtained for and the logarithmic temperature dependence, specific
for the non-Fermi behavior, have been obtained in agreement with the
experimental dat.Comment: 6 pages, Revte
Localized moments and the stability of antiferromagnetic order in Yb3Pt4
We present here the results of electrical resistivity {\rho}, magnetization
M, ac susceptibility \c{hi}ac', and specific heat CM measurements that have
been carried out on single crystals of Yb3Pt4 over a wide range of fields and
temperatures. The 2.4-K N\'eel temperature that is found in zero field
collapses under field to a first-order transition TN=0 at BCEP=1.85 T. In the
absence of antiferromagnetic order, the specific heat CM(T,B), the
magnetization M(T,B), and even the resistivity {\rho}(T,B) all display B/T
scaling, indicating that they are dominated by strong paramagnetic
fluctuations, where the only characteristic energy scale results from the
Zeeman splitting of an energetically isolated, Yb doublet ground state. This
paramagnetic scattering disappears with the onset of antiferromagnetic order,
revealing Fermi liquid behavior {\Delta}{\rho}=AT2 that persists up to the
antiferromagnetic phase line TN(B), but not beyond. The first-order character
of TN=0 and the ubiquity of the paramagnetic fluctuations imply that
non-Fermi-liquid behaviors are absent in Yb3Pt4. In contrast to heavy fermions
such as YbRh2Si2, Yb3Pt4 represents an extremely simple regime of f-electron
behavior where the Yb moments and conduction electrons are almost decoupled,
and where Kondo physics plays little role.Comment: 10 pages,12 figure
Whither Correlated Electron Theory?
This is the text of the 'Theory' opening talk at the 2001 Strongly Correlated
Electron Systems conference. It contains opinions about some of the outstanding
scientific challenges facing the theory side of the correlated electrons field.Comment: 7 pages. No figures. To appear in Physica
Field-induced quantum fluctuations in the heavy fermion superconductor CeCu2Ge2
Quantum-mechanical fluctuations in strongly correlated electron systems cause
unconventional phenomena such as non-Fermi liquid behavior, and arguably high
temperature superconductivity. Here we report the discovery of a field-tuned
quantum critical phenomenon in stoichiometric CeCu2Ge2, a spin density wave
ordered heavy fermion metal that exhibits unconventional superconductivity
under ~ 10 GPa of applied pressure. Our finding of the associated quantum
critical spin fluctuations of the antiferromagnetic spin density wave order,
dominating the local fluctuations due to single-site Kondo effect, provide new
information about the underlying mechanism that can be important in
understanding superconductivity in this novel compound.Comment: Heavy Fermion, Quantum Critical Phenomeno
Non Fermi Liquid Behaviour near a spin-glass transition
In this paper we study the competition between the Kondo effect and RKKY
interactions near the zero-temperature quantum critical point of an Ising-like
metallic spin-glass. We consider the mean-field behaviour of various physical
quantities. In the `quantum- critical regime' non-analytic corrections to the
Fermi liquid behaviour are found for the specific heat and uniform static
susceptibility, while the resistivity and NMR relaxation rate have a non-Fermi
liquid dependence on temperature.Comment: 15 pages, RevTex 3.0, 1 uuencoded ps. figure at the en
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