398 research outputs found
Anisotropic thermodynamics of d-wave superconductors in the vortex state
We show that the density of states and the thermodynamic properties of a 2D
d-wave superconductor in the vortex state with applied magnetic field
in the plane depend on the angle between and the order parameter nodes.
Within a semiclassical treatment of the extended quasiparticle states, we
obtain fourfold oscillations of the specific heat, measurement of which
provides a simple probe of gap symmetry. The frequency dependence of the
density of states and the temperature dependence of thermodynamic properties
obey different power laws for field in the nodal and anti-nodal direction. The
fourfold pattern is changed to twofold when orthorhombicity is considered.Comment: 5 pages, figures included, minor changes, published versio
Behavior of vortices near twin boundaries in underdoped
We use scanning SQUID microscopy to investigate the behavior of vortices in
the presence of twin boundaries in the pnictide superconductor
Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2. We show that the vortices avoid pinning on twin boundaries.
Individual vortices move in a preferential way when manipulated with the SQUID:
they tend to not cross a twin boundary, but rather to move parallel to it. This
behavior can be explained by the observation of enhanced superfluid density on
twin boundaries in Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2. The observed repulsion from twin
boundaries may be a mechanism for enhanced critical currents observed in
twinned samples in pnictides and other superconductors
Spatially modulated magnetic structure of EuS due to the tetragonal domain structure of SrTiO
The combination of ferromagnets with topological superconductors or
insulators allows for new phases of matter that support excitations such as
chiral edge modes and Majorana fermions. EuS, a wide-band-gap ferromagnetic
insulator with a Curie temperature around 16 K, and SrTiO (STO), an
important substrate for engineering heterostructures, may support these phases.
We present scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)
measurements of EuS grown epitaxially on STO that reveal micron-scale
variations in ferromagnetism and paramagnetism. These variations are oriented
along the STO crystal axes and only change their configuration upon thermal
cycling above the STO cubic-to-tetragonal structural transition temperature at
105 K, indicating that the observed magnetic features are due to coupling
between EuS and the STO tetragonal structure. We speculate that the STO
tetragonal distortions may strain the EuS, altering the magnetic anisotropy on
a micron-scale. This result demonstrates that local variation in the induced
magnetic order from EuS grown on STO needs to be considered when engineering
new phases of matter that require spatially homogeneous exchange
Magnetic field of an in-plane vortex outside a layered superconductor
We present the solution to London's equations for the magnetic fields of a
vortex oriented parallel to the plane, and normal to a crystal face, of a
layered superconductor. These expressions account for flux spreading at the
superconducting surface, which can change the apparent size of the vortex along
the planes by as much as 30%. We compare these expressions with experimental
results.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
The exponential map for the unitary group SU(2,2)
In this article we extend our previous results for the orthogonal group,
, to its homomorphic group . Here we present a closed, finite
formula for the exponential of a traceless matrix, which can be
viewed as the generator (Lie algebra elements) of the group. We apply
this result to the group, which Lie algebra can be represented by the
Dirac matrices, and discuss how the exponential map for can be
written by means of the Dirac matrices.Comment: 10 page
Scanning SQUID Susceptometry of a paramagnetic superconductor
Scanning SQUID susceptometry images the local magnetization and
susceptibility of a sample. By accurately modeling the SQUID signal we can
determine the physical properties such as the penetration depth and
permeability of superconducting samples. We calculate the scanning SQUID
susceptometry signal for a superconducting slab of arbitrary thickness with
isotropic London penetration depth, on a non-superconducting substrate, where
both slab and substrate can have a paramagnetic response that is linear in the
applied field. We derive analytical approximations to our general expression in
a number of limits. Using our results, we fit experimental susceptibility data
as a function of the sample-sensor spacing for three samples: 1) delta-doped
SrTiO3, which has a predominantly diamagnetic response, 2) a thin film of
LaNiO3, which has a predominantly paramagnetic response, and 3) a
two-dimensional electron layer (2-DEL) at a SrTiO3/AlAlO3 interface, which
exhibits both types of response. These formulas will allow the determination of
the concentrations of paramagnetic spins and superconducting carriers from fits
to scanning SQUID susceptibility measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure
Upper limit on spontaneous supercurrents in SrRuO
It is widely believed that the perovskite SrRuO is an unconventional
superconductor with broken time reversal symmetry. It has been predicted that
superconductors with broken time reversal symmetry should have spontaneously
generated supercurrents at edges and domain walls. We have done careful imaging
of the magnetic fields above SrRuO single crystals using scanning Hall
bar and SQUID microscopies, and see no evidence for such spontaneously
generated supercurrents. We use the results from our magnetic imaging to place
upper limits on the spontaneously generated supercurrents at edges and domain
walls as a function of domain size. For a single domain, this upper limit is
below the predicted signal by two orders of magnitude. We speculate on the
causes and implications of the lack of large spontaneous supercurrents in this
very interesting superconducting system.Comment: 9 page
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