First order dipolar phase transition in the Dicke model with infinitely coordinated frustrating interaction

We found analytically a first order quantum phase transition in the Cooper pair box array of $N$ low-capacitance Josephson junctions capacitively coupled to a resonant photon in a microwave cavity. The Hamiltonian of the system maps on the extended Dicke Hamiltonian of $N$ spins one-half with infinitely coordinated antiferromagnetic (frustrating) interaction. This interaction arises from the gauge-invariant coupling of the Josephson junctions phases to the vector potential of the resonant photon field. In $N \gg 1$ semiclassical limit, we found a critical coupling at which ground state of the system switches to the one with a net collective electric dipole moment of the Cooper pair boxes coupled to superradiant equilibrium photonic condensate. This phase transition changes from the first to second order if the frustrating interaction is switched off. A self-consistently `rotating' Holstein-Primakoff representation for the Cartesian components of the total superspin is proposed, that enables to trace both the first and the second order quantum phase transitions in the extended and standard Dicke models respectively.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure

Solvable model for a charge-4e4e superconductor

A charge-$4e$ superconductor forms due to the condensation of quartets of electrons. While in previous works the mechanism for the formation of charge-$4e$ superconductivity has been analyzed in terms of the binding of Cooper pairs in unconventional superconductors, its properties in the fermionic sector have not been studied systematically due to its inherently interacting nature even at the mean-field level. Here we propose a solvable model for a charge-$4e$ superconductor -- a spinful version of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model with an anomalous quartic term. We show that the ground state is gapless and resembles a heavy Fermi liquid. We analytically solve for the superfluid density and show that it is perturbative in the strength of the charge-$4e$ order parameter, in sharp contrast with a regular (charge-$2e$) superconductor. Upon lowering temperature, we show that the correlation between charge-$4e$ order and regular interaction terms can drive a first-order phase transition to a charge-$2e$ superconducting state.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figure

A new species of the planthopper genus Conosimus associated with an endemic shrub in southern Spain

The poorly-known genus Conosimus Mulsant et Rey, 1855 (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Issidae) includes six species and is briefly reviewed. Adults and fifth instars of a new species, Conosimus baenai n. sp., are described and compared with other species in the genus. The new species is associated with an endemic shrub, Echinospartum boissieri, in Jaen, Spain, in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, one of the richest botanical areas of the Mediterranean Basin.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Low temperature mixed spin state of Co3+ in LaCoO3 evidenced from Jahn-Teller lattice distortions

One- and multi-phonon excitations of the single crystalline LaCoO3 were studied using Raman spectroscopy in the temperature region of 5 K - 300 K. First-order Raman spectra show a larger number of phonon modes than allowed for the rhombohedral structure. Additional phonon modes are interpreted in terms of activated modes due to lattice distortions, arising from the Jahn-Teller (JT) activity of the intermediate-spin (IS) state of Co3+ ions. In particular, the 608-cm-1 stretching-type mode shows anomalous behavior in peak energy and scattering intensity as a function of temperature. The anomalous temperature dependence of the second-order phonon excitations spectra is in accordance with the Franck-Condon mechanism that is characteristic for a JT orbital order.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, to be published in J. Low. Temp. Physic

Dynamical lattice instability versus spin liquid state in a frustrated spin chain system

The low-dimensional s=1/2 compound (NO)[Cu(NO3)3] has recently been suggested to follow the Nersesyan-Tsvelik model of coupled spin chains. Such a system shows unbound spinon excitations and a resonating valence bond ground state due spin frustration. Our Raman scattering study demonstrates phonon anomalies as well as the suppression of a broad magnetic scattering continuum for temperatures below a characteristic temperature, T<T*=100K. We interpret these effects as evidence for a dynamical interplay of spin and lattice degrees of freedom that might lead to a further transition into a dimerized or structurally distorted phase at lower temperatures.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Dynamical Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction in KCuF3: Raman evidence for an antiferrodistortive lattice instability

In the orbitally ordered, quasi-one dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet KCuF3 the low-energy Eg and B1g phonon modes show an anomalous softening (25% and 13%) between room temperature and the characteristic temperature T_S = 50 K. In this temperature range a freezing-in of F ion dynamic displacements is proposed to occur. In addition, the Eg mode at about 260 cm-1 clearly splits below T_S. The width of the phonon lines above T_S follows an activated behavior with an activation energy of about 50 K. Our observations clearly evidence a reduction of the structural symmetry below T_S and indicate a strong coupling of lattice and spin fluctuations for T>T_S.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure