Anisotropic s-wave superconductivity: comparison with experiments on MgB2 single crystals

The recently discovered superconductivity in MgB2 has captured world attention due to its simple crystal structure and relatively high superconducting transition temperature Tc=39K. It appears to be generally accepted that it is phonon-mediated s-wave BCS-like superconductivity. Surprisingly, the strongly temperature dependent anisotropy of the upper critical field, observed experimentally in magnesium diboride single crystals, is still lacking a consistent theoretical explanation. We propose a simple single-gap anisotropic s-wave order parameter in order to compare its implications with the prediction of a multi-gap isotropic s-wave model. The quasiparticle density of states, thermodynamic properties, NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate, optical conductivity, and Hc2 anisotropy have been analyzed within this anisotropic s-wave model. We show that the present model can capture many aspects of the unusual superconducting properties of MgB2 compound, though more experimental data appear to be necessary from single crystal MgB2.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, some minor changes, to appear in Europhys. Let

Anisotropic critical fields of MgB2 single crystals

The recently discovered superconductivity in MgB2 has created the world sensation. In spite of the relatively high superconducting transition temperature Tc=39K, the superconductivity is understood in terms of rare two gap superconductor with energy gaps attached to the sigma- and pi-band. However, this simple model cannot describe the temperature dependent anisotropy in H_c2 or the temperature dependence of the anisotropic magnetic penetration depth. Here we propose a model with two anisotropic energy gaps with different shapes. Indeed the present model describes a number of pecularities of MgB2 which have been revealed only recently through single crystal MgB2.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Acta Physica Polonica B, proceedings of the International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, SCES2002, Krakow, Polan

Low-speed wind tunnel investigation of the lateral-directional characterisitcs of a large-scale variable wing-sweep fighter model in the high-lift configuration

The low-speed characteristics of a large-scale model of the F-14A aircraft were studied in tests conducted in the Ames Research Center 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. The primary purpose of the present tests was the determination of lateral-directional stability levels and control effectiveness of the aircraft in its high-lift configuration. Tests were conducted at wing angles of attack between minus 2 deg and 30 deg and with sideslip angles between minus 12 deg and 12 deg. Data were taken at a Reynolds number of 8.0 million based on a wing mean aerodynamic chord of 2.24 m (7.36 ft). The model configuration was changed as required to show the effects of direct lift control (spoilers) at yaw, yaw angle with speed brake deflected, and various amounts and combinations of roll control

The Si ribbon crystal for the solar battery using the horizontal pull method

A method utilizing a device to spray noble gases to cool the site of silicon crystal growth is described. The salient points are: (1) soft and uniform cooling was possible, (2) the length of the boundary surface of growth along the growth direction was made long over a wide width compared to the thickness, and (3) this made it possible to effectively remove the heat produced from solification. By using forced gas spraying on the solution surface in contact with the points of crystal growth, growth at the points of growth is enhanced and the rate of growth is speeded up

Out of plane optical conductivity in d-wave superconductors

We study theoretically the out of plane optical conductivity of d-wave superconductors in the presence of impurities at T=0K. Unlike the usual approach, we assume that the interlayer quasi-particle transport is due to coherent tunneling. The present model describes the T^2 dependence of the out of plane superfluid density observed in YBCO and Tl2201 for example. In the optical conductivity there is no Drude peak in agreement with experiment, and the interlayer Josephson tunneling is also assured in this model. In the unitary limit we predict a step like behaviour around omega=Delta in both the real and imaginary part of the optical conductivity.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

SENSITIVITY OF GROSS STATE PRODUCT TO CYCLICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE

The sensitivity of regional industry to business cycles has been widely documented. Responses of individual businesses and industries in a specific region or state to each phase of the business cycle has been less well analyzed and understood. Lacking in all the documentation, moreover, is reference to the impact of business cycles on interregional trade and regional interindustry structure and to the separation of these impacts from those due to business activity location and dislocation. To deal with these limitations, state-level location quotient and shift-share analyses of year-to-year changes in industry-specific contribution to gross state product are used in differentiating the varying degrees of cyclical sensitivity among industries and regions and then, in later studies, to account for these differences in parallel analyses of the structure of inter-regional trade and interindustry transactions among selected groups of states. A micro-to-macro analytical framework is offered, finally, for testing working hypotheses pertaining to the sensitivity of businesses, industries and regions to the business cycle and to structural dislocation.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Possible f-wave superconductivity in Sr2_2RuO4_4?

Until recently it has been believed that the superconductivity in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ is described by p-wave pairing. However, both the recent specific heat and the magnetic penetration depth measurements on the purest single crystals of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ appear to be explained more consistently in terms of f-wave superconductivity. In order to further this hypothesis, we study theoretically the thermodynamics and thermal conductivity of f-wave superconductors in a planar magnetic field. We find the simple expressions for these quantities when $H \ll H_{c2}$ and $T \ll T_{c}$, which should be readily accessible experimentally.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

Gapped optical excitations from gapless phases: imperfect nesting in unconventional density waves

We consider the effect of imperfect nesting in quasi-one-dimensional unconventional density waves in the case, when the imperfect nesting and the gap depends on the same wavevector component. The phase diagram is very similar to that in a conventional density wave. The density of states is highly asymmetric with respect to the Fermi energy. The optical conductivity at T=0 remains unchanged for small deviations from perfect nesting. For higher imperfect nesting parameter, an optical gap opens, and considerable amount of spectral weight is transferred to higher frequencies. This makes the optical response of our system very similar to that of a conventional density wave. Qualitatively similar results are expected in d-density waves.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Structural transitions of monoolein bicontinuous cubic phase induced by inclusion of protein lysozyme solutions

Inclusion of protein lysozyme molecules in lipidic monoolein cubic phase induces a transition from a $\rm Pn\bar{3}m$ structure to $\rm Im\bar{3}m$ one. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) method with high intensity synchrotron radiation enabled us to follow closely the transition depending on the conditions of lysozyme solutions. We showed that concentrated lysozyme solutions induced the appearance of the $\rm Im\bar{3}m$ structure coexisting with the $\rm Pn\bar{3}m$ structure. From the relation between the lattice parameters of these two structures it was shown that they were related by the Bonnet transformation of underlying triply periodic minimal surfaces. We found that the transition also occurred at lower lysozyme concentration when NaCl induced attraction between lysozyme molecules. The origin of the transition was considered as a frustration in the cubic phase where lysozyme molecules were highly confined. A simple estimation of the frustration was given, which took into account of the translational entropy of lysozyme molecules. At the highest concentration of lysozyme and NaCl the $\rm Im\bar{3}m$ structure was found to disappear and left only the $\rm Pn\bar{3}m$ structure. This was probably either due to the crystallization or phase separation of lysozyme solutions ongoing microscopically, which absorbed lysozyme molecules from channels of the cubic phase and thus removed the frustration.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure