Neutron Scattering Studies of the Magnetic Fluctuations in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta}

Neutron scattering measurements have been made on the spin fluctuations in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} for different oxygen doping levels. Incommensurability is clearly observed for oxygen concentrations of 6.6 and 6.7 and is suggested for the 6.93. Measurements of the resonance for the O_{6.6} concentration show that it exists in a broadened and less intense form at temperatures much higher than T_c.Comment: 9 pages, 4 gif figures, Proceedings of Spectroscopies in Novel Superconductors, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Sept, 199

Pseudogap and incommensurate magnetic fluctuations in YBa_2Cu_3O_{6. 6}

Unpolarized inelastic neutron scattering is used to study the temperature and wave vector dependence of the dynamical magnetic susceptibility, $\chi''(q,\omega)$, of a well characterized single crystal $YBa_2Cu_3O_{6.6}$ ($T_c=62.7$ K). We find that a pseudogap opens in the spin fluctuation spectrum at temperatures well above $T_c$. We speculate that the appearance of the low frequency incommensurate fluctuations is associated with the opening of the pseudogap. To within the error of the measurements, a gap in the spin fluctuation spectrum is found in the superconducting state.Comment: 6 pages, 3 ps figs, Proceedings of ICNS, Physica B, to be publishe

Observation of Magnetic Moments in the Superconducting State of YBa2_2Cu3_3O6.6_{6.6}

Neutron Scattering measurements for YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$ have identified small magnetic moments that increase in strength as the temperature is reduced below $T^\ast$ and further increase below $T_c$. An analysis of the data shows the moments are antiferromagnetic between the Cu-O planes with a correlation length of longer than 195 \AA in the $a$-$b$ plane and about 35 \AA along the c-axis. The origin of the moments is unknown, and their properties are discusssed both in terms of Cu spin magnetism and orbital bond currents.Comment: 9 pages, and 4 figure

Are food exposures obtained through commercial market panels representative of the general population? Implications for outbreak investigations

Current methods of control recruitment for case-control studies can be slow (a particular issue for outbreak investigations), resource-intensive and subject to a range of biases. Commercial market panels are a potential source of rapidly recruited controls. Our study evaluated food exposure data from these panel controls, compared with an established reference dataset. Market panel data were collected from two companies using retrospective internet-based surveys; these were compared with reference data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). We used logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios to compare exposure to each of the 71 food items between the market panel and NDNS participants. We compared 2103 panel controls with 2696 reference participants. Adjusted for socio-demographic factors, exposure to 90% of foods was statistically different between both panels and the reference data. However, these differences were likely to be of limited practical importance for 89% of Panel A foods and 79% of Panel B foods. Market panel food exposures were comparable with reference data for common food exposures but more likely to be different for uncommon exposures. This approach should be considered for outbreak investigation, in conjunction with other considerations such as population at risk, timeliness of response and study resources

Magnetic Coherence as a Universal Feature of Cuprate Superconductors

Recent inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments on La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ have established the existence of a {\it magnetic coherence effect}, i.e., strong frequency and momentum dependent changes of the spin susceptibility, $\chi''$, in the superconducting phase. We show, using the spin-fermion model for incommensurate antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, that the magnetic coherence effect establishes the ability of INS experiments to probe the electronic spectrum of the cuprates, in that the effect arises from the interplay of an incommensurate magnetic response, the form of the underlying Fermi surface, and the opening of the d-wave gap in the fermionic spectrum. In particular, we find that the magnetic coherence effect observed in INS experiments on La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ requires that the Fermi surface be closed around $(\pi,\pi)$ up to optimal doping. We present several predictions for the form of the magnetic coherence effect in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ in which an incommensurate magnetic response has been observed in the superconducting state.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures; extended version of Phys. Rev B, R6483 (2000

Observation of Magnetic Order in a YBa2Cu3O6.6{\rm YBa_2Cu_3O_{6.6}} Superconductor

Polarized beam neutron scattering measurements on a highly perfect crystal of ${\rm YBa_2Cu_3O_{6.6}}$ show a distinct magnetic transition with an onset at about 235K, the temperature expected for the pseudogap transition. The moment is found to be about 0.1 $\mu_B$ for each sublattice and have a correlation length of at least 75 \AA. We found the critical exponent for the magnetic neutron intensity to be 2$\beta$ =0.37$\pm$ 0.12. This is the proper range for the class of transition that has no specific heat divergence possibly explaining why none is found at the pseudogap transition.Comment: 3 figure

Magnetic Order in YBa2_2Cu3_3O6+x_{6+x} Superconductors

Polarized and unpolarized neutron diffraction has been used to search for magnetic order in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ superconductors. Most of the measurements were made on a high quality crystal of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$. It is shown that this crystal has highly ordered ortho-II chain order, and a sharp superconducting transition. Inelastic scattering measurements display a very clean spin-gap and pseudogap with any intensity at 10 meV being 50 times smaller than the resonance intensity. The crystal shows a complicated magnetic order that appears to have three components. A magnetic phase is found at high temperatures that seems to stem from an impurity with a moment that is in the $a$-$b$ plane, but disordered on the crystal lattice. A second ordering occurs near the pseudogap temperature that has a shorter correlation length than the high temperature phase and a moment direction that is at least partly along the c-axis of the crystal. Its moment direction, temperature dependence, and Bragg intensities suggest that it may stem from orbital ordering of the $d$-density wave (DDW) type. An additional intensity increase occurs below the superconducting transition. The magnetic intensity in these phases does not change noticeably in a 7 Tesla magnetic field aligned approximately along the c-axis. Searches for magnetic order in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7}$ show no signal while a small magnetic intensity is found in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.45}$ that is consistent with c-axis directed magnetic order. The results are contrasted with other recent neutron measurements.Comment: 11 pages with 10 figure

Phonon anomalies at the valence transition of SmS : An inelasticX-ray scattering study under pressure

The phonon dispersion curve of SmS under pressure was studied by inelastic x-ray scattering around the pressure-induced valence transition. A significant softening of the longitudinal acoustic modes propagating along the [111] direction was observed spanning a wide $q$ region from ($\frac{2\pi}{3a},\frac{2\pi}{3a},\frac{2\pi}{3a}$) up to the zone boundary as SmS becomes metallic. The largest softening occurs at the zone boundary and stays stable up to the highest measured pressure of 80 kbar while a gradual hardening of the low $q$ modes simultaneously appears. This phonon spectrum indicates favorable conditions for the emergence of pressure-induced superconductivity in SmS.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure