Contactless measurement of electrical conductivity for bulk nanostructured silver prepared by high-pressure torsion: A study of the dissipation process of giant strain

We measured the electrical conductivity of bulk nanostructured silver prepared by high-pressure torsion (HPT) in a contactless manner by observing the AC magnetic susceptibility resulting from the eddy current, so that we could quantitatively analyze the dissipation process of the residual strain with sufficient time resolution as a function of temperature T and initial shear strain γ. The HPT process was performed at room temperature under a pressure of 6 GPa for revolutions N = 0–5, and we targeted a wide range of residual shear strains. The contactless measurement without electrode preparation enabled us to investigate both the fast and slow dissipation processes of the residual strain with sufficient time resolution, so that a systematic study of these processes became possible. The changes in the electrical conductivity as a function of N at room temperature were indeed consistent with changes in the Vickers microhardness; furthermore, they were also related to changes in structural parameters such as the preferred orientation, the interplanar distance, and the crystallite size. The dissipation process at N = 1, corresponding to γ ≈ 30, was the largest and the fastest. For N = 5, corresponding to γ ≈ 140, we considered the effects of grain boundaries, as well as those of dislocations. The strain dissipation was quite slow below T = 290 K. According to the analytical results, it became successful to conduct the quantitative evaluation of the strain dissipation at arbitrary temperatures: For instance, the relaxation times at T = 280 and 260 K were estimated to be 3.6 and 37 days, respectively

Large enhancement of superconducting transition temperature in single-element superconducting rhenium by shear strain

Finding a physical approach for increasing the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is a challenge in the field of material science. Shear strain effects on the superconductivity of rhenium were investigated using magnetic measurements, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and first-principles calculations. A large shear strain reduces the grain size and simultaneously expands the unit cells, resulting in an increase in Tc. Here we show that this shear strain approach is a new method for enhancing Tc and differs from that using hydrostatic strain. The enhancement of Tc is explained by an increase in net electron–electron coupling rather than a change in the density of states near the Fermi level. The shear strain effect in rhenium could be a successful example of manipulating Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer-type Cooper pairing, in which the unit cell volumes are indeed a key parameter

Uniaxial strain effects on the superconducting transition in Re-doped Hg-1223 cuprate superconductors

The effects of uniaxial strain and hydrostatic pressure on Hg0.83Re0.18Ba2Ca2.4Cu3.6O14 [Hg0.83(Re0.18)-1223] were investigated by ac magnetic measurements under stress corresponding to a pressure of 20 GPa at maximum. According to a previous thermal study based on the Ehrenfest relation, in-plane contraction should increase the superconducting transition temperature Tc, whereas out-of-plane contraction should decrease Tc. This suggests that the increase in Tc under hydrostatic-pressure contraction must be smaller than that under in-plane contraction. However, the present uniaxial-strain experiments revealed enhancement of Tc under both in-plane and out-of-plane contraction, and the largest enhancement was observed under hydrostatic-pressure contraction. According to a band calculation, all contraction styles induce hole doping from the HgO blocks to the CuO2 blocks, and hydrostatic-pressure contraction yields the largest hole doping among three contractions. This behavior explains well a series of changes in Tc in the stress region of below 8 GPa. More specifically, under hydrostatic-pressure contraction, Tc exhibited an increase, a decrease, and another increase with increasing pressure, and this multistep change is similar to that observed in Bi-2223-type cuprate superconductors, suggesting that it is necessary to distinguish the effect of strain on the middle CuO2 plane in the three-CuO2-plane package from that on the outer planes

Discrete Change in Magnetization by Chiral Soliton Lattice Formation in the Chiral Magnet Cr1/3NbS2

In the chiral magnet Cr1/3NbS2, discrete changes in the magnetization (M) caused by the formation of a chiral soliton lattice (CSL) were observed in magnetization curve measurements using a single crystal of submillimeter thickness. When M is measured with a minimal increment of the magnetic field H, 0.15 Oe, discrete changes in M are observed in the H region that exhibits definite magnetic hysteresis. In particular, enormous discrete changes in M are observed as H decreases from the field above the saturation field, while fine M steps are also found in the intermediate H range independently of the sweeping direction of the field. The former is considered as a type of enormous Barkhausen effect associated with the CSL formation. The latter originates from the change in soliton number during the CSL formation

Geometrical protection of topological magnetic solitons in microprocessed chiral magnets

A chiral soliton lattice stabilized in a monoaxial chiral magnet CrNb3S6 is a magnetic superlattice consisting of magnetic kinks with a ferromagnetic background. The magnetic kinks are considered to be topological magnetic solitons (TMSs). Changes in the TMS number yield discretized responses in magnetization and electrical conductivity, and this effect is more prominent in smaller crystals. We demonstrate that, in microprocessed CrNb3S6 crystals, TMSs are geometrically protected through element-selected micromagnetometry using soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (MCD). A series of x-ray MCD data is supported by mean-field and micromagnetic analyses. By designing the microcrystal geometry, TMS numbers can be successfully changed and fixed over a wide range of magnetic fields

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362