Band-Contact Lines in Electron Energy Spectrum of Graphite

We discuss the known experimental data on the phase of the de Haas -van Alphen oscillations in graphite. These data can be understood if one takes into account that four band-contact lines exist near the HKH edge of the Brillouin zone of graphite.Comment: 5 pages, 2 fifures. To appear in Physical Review B (B15

Berry phase and de Haas - van Alphen effect in LaRhIn5_5

We explain the experimental data on the magnetization of $LaRhIn_5$ recently published by R. G. Goodrich et al. in Phys. Rev.Lett. {\bf 89}, 026401 (2002). We show that the magnetization of a small electron group associated with a band-contact line was detected in that paper. These data provide the first observation of the Berry phase of electrons in metals via the de Haas - van Alphen effect.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Electron energy spectrum and the Berry phase in graphite bilayer

We emphasize that there exist four Dirac-type points in the electron-energy spectrum of a graphite bilayer near the point K of its Brillouin zone. One of the Dirac points is at the point K, and three Dirac points lie nearby. Each of these three points generates the Berry phase $\pi$, while the Dirac point at K gives the phase $-\pi$. It is these four points that determine the Berry phase in the bilayer. If an electron orbit surrounds all these points, the Berry phase is equal to $2\pi$.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B ; expande

Anisotropic superconducting strip in an oblique magnetic field

The critical state of a thin superconducting strip in an oblique applied magnetic field H_a is analyzed without any restrictions on the dependence of the critical current density j_c on the local magnetic induction {\bf B}. In such a strip, j_c is not constant across the thickness of the sample and differs from J_c/d, where J_c is the critical sheet current. It is shown that in contrast to the case of {\bf B}-independent j_c, the profiles H_z(x) of the magnetic-field component perpendicular to the strip plane generally depend on the in-plane component H_{ax} of the applied magnetic field H_a, and on how H_a is switched on. On the basis of this analysis, we explain how and under what conditions one can extract j_c({\bf B}) from the magnetic-field profiles H_z(x) measured by magneto-optical imaging or by Hall-sensor arrays at the upper surface of the strip.Comment: 7 pages with 4 figure

Critical state in type-II superconductors of arbitrary shape

The well-known Bean critical state equations in general are not sufficient to describe the critical state of type-II superconductors when the sample shape is not symmetric. We show how one can find the critical state in superconductors of arbitrary shape. Analyzing a simple example of nonsymmetry, we demonstrate that in the general case, a perturbation of the current distribution in the critical state propagates into the sample smoothly in a diffusive way. This is in contrast to the usual Bean critical state where the current distribution changes abruptly at a narrow front.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, appears in Phys. Rev. B 71, issue 1 (2005

Nanomechanics of an individual vortex in an anisotropic type-II superconductor

As shown in recent experiments [Auslaender et al., Nature Physics 5, 35 (2009)] magnetic force microscopy permits one not only to image but also to manipulate an individual vortex in type-II superconductors, and this manipulation provides a new powerful tool to study vortex dynamics and pinning. We derive equations that describe the deformation of an individual vortex in an anisotropic biaxial type-II superconductor under the action of the microscope's magnetic tip. These equations take into account the driving force generated by the tip, the elastic force caused by the vortex deformation, and the pinning force exerted by point defects. Using these equations, we reproduce the main features of the experimental data obtained by Auslaender et al.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure