151 research outputs found
Correlation between the transition temperature and the superfluid density in BCS superconductor NbB_2+x
The results of the muon-spin rotation experiments on BCS superconductors
NbB_2+x (x = 0.2, 0.34) are reported. Both samples, studied in the present
work, exhibit rather broad transitions to the superconducting state, suggesting
a distribution of the volume fractions with different transition temperatures
(T_c)'s. By taking these distributions into account, the dependence of the
inverse squared zero-temperature magnetic penetration depth (\lambda_0^{-2}) on
T_c was reconstructed for temperatures in the range 1.5K<T_c<8.0K.
\lambda_0^{-2} was found to obey the power law dependence \lambda_0^{-2}\propto
T_c^{3.1(1)} which appears to be common for some families of BCS
superconductors as, {\it e.g.}, Al doped MgB_2 and high-temperature cuprate
superconductors as underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta}.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Determination of the zero-field magnetic structure of the helimagnet MnSi at low temperature
Below a temperature of approximately 29 K the manganese magnetic moments of
the cubic binary compound MnSi order to a long-range incommensurate helical
magnetic structure. Here, we quantitatively analyze a high-statistic zero-field
muon spin rotation spectrum recorded in the magnetically ordered phase of MnSi
by exploiting the result of representation theory as applied to the
determination of magnetic structures. Instead of a gradual rotation of the
magnetic moments when moving along a axis, we find that the angle of
rotation between the moments of certain subsequent planes is essentially
quenched. It is the magnetization of pairs of planes which rotates when moving
along a axis, thus preserving the overall helical structure.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Evidence for Cooper Pair Diffraction on the Vortex Lattice of Superconducting Niobium
We investigated the Abrikosov vortex lattice (VL) of a pure Niobium single
crystal with the muon spin rotation (\mu SR) technique. Analysis of the \mu SR
data in the framework of the BCS-Gor'kov theory allowed us to determine
microscopic parameters and the limitations of the theory. With decreasing
temperature the field variation around the vortex cores deviates substantially
from the predictions of the Ginzburg-Landau theory and adopts a pronounced
conical shape. This is evidence of partial diffraction of Cooper pairs on the
VL predicted by Delrieu for clean superconductors.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Direct observation of the quantum critical point in heavy fermion CeRhSi
We report on muon spin rotation studies of the noncentrosymmetric heavy
fermion antiferromagnet CeRhSi. A drastic and monotonic suppression of the
internal fields, at the lowest measured temperature, was observed upon an
increase of external pressure. Our data suggest that the ordered moments are
gradually quenched with increasing pressure, in a manner different from the
pressure dependence of the N\'eel temperature. At \unit{23.6}{kbar}, the
ordered magnetic moments are fully suppressed via a second-order phase
transition, and is zero. Thus, we directly observed the quantum
critical point at \unit{23.6}{kbar} hidden inside the superconducting phase
of CeRhSi
Magnetic field distribution and characteristic fields of the vortex lattice for a clean superconducting niobium sample in an external field applied along a three-fold axis
The field distribution in the vortex lattice of a pure niobium single crystal
with an external field applied along a three-fold axis has been investigated by
the transverse-field muon-spin-rotation (TF-SR) technique over a wide
range of temperatures and fields. The experimental data have been analyzed with
the Delrieu's solution for the form factor supplemented by phenomenological
formulas for the parameters. This has enabled us to experimentally establish
the temperatures and fields for the Delrieu's, Ginzburg-Landau's, and Klein's
regions of the vortex lattice. Using the numerical solution of the
quasiclassical Eilenberger's equation the experimental results have been
reasonably understood. They should apply to all clean BCS superconductors. The
analytical Delrieu's model supplemented by phenomenological formulas for its
parameters is found to be reliable for analyzing TF-SR experimental data
for a substantial part of the mixed phase. The Abrikosov's limit is contained
in it.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figure
Muon spin rotation study of the magnetic penetration depth in the intercalated graphite superconductor CaC6
We report temperature- and magnetic field-dependent bulk muon spin rotation
measurements in a c-axis oriented superconductor CaC6 in the mixed state. Using
both a simple second moment analysis and the more precise analytical
Ginzburg-Landau model, we obtained a field independent in-plane magnetic
penetration depth {\lambda}ab (0) = 72(3) nm. The temperature dependencies of
the normalized muon spin relaxation rate and of the normalized superfluid
density result to be identical, and both are well represented by the clean
limit BCS model with 2\Delta/kB Tc = 3.6(1), suggesting that CaC6 is a fully
gapped BCS superconductor in the clean limit regime.Comment: Accepted for publication in PR
Pressure effects on the transition temperature and the magnetic field penetration depth in the pyrochlore superconductor RbOs_2O_6
We report magnetization measurements under high hydrostatic pressure in the
newly discovered pyrochlore superconductor RbOs_2O_6 (T_c\simeq6.3K at p=0). A
pronounced and {\it positive} pressure effect (PE) on T_c with dT_c/dp
=0.090(1)K/kbar was observed, whereas no PE on the magnetic penetration depth
\lambda was detected. The relative pressure shift of T_c [ dlnT_c/dp \simeq
1.5%/kbar] is comparable with the highest values obtained for highly underdoped
high-temperature cuprate superconductors. Our results suggest that RbOs_2O_6 is
an adiabatic BCS-type superconductor.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
Study of the magnetic penetration depth in RbOs_2O_6
Measurements of the magnetic field penetration depth \lambda in the
pyrochlore superconductor RbOs_2O_6 (T_c\simeq6.3 K) were carried out by means
of the muon-spin-rotation (\muSR) technique. At low temperatures
\lambda^{-2}(T) saturates and becomes constant below T\simeq 0.2T_c, in
agreement with what is expected for weak-coupled s-wave BCS superconductors.
The value of \lambda at T=0 was found to be in the range of 250 nm to 300 nm.
\muSR and equilibrium magnetization measurements both reveal that at low
temperatures is almost (at the level of 10%) independent of the
applied magnetic field. This result suggests that the superconducting energy
gap in RbOs_2O_6 is isotropic.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure
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