Effects of metallic spacer in layered superconducting Sr2(Mgy_yTi1−y_{1-y})O3FeAs

The highly two-dimensional superconducting system Sr2(Mg$_y$Ti$_{1-y}$)O3FeAs, recently synthesized in the range of 0.2 < y < 0.5, shows an Mg concentration-dependent $T_c$. Reducing the Mg concentration from y=0.5 leads to a sudden increase in $T_c$, with a maximum $T_c$ ~40 K at y=0.2. Using first principles calculations, the unsynthesized stoichiometric y=0 and the substoichiometric y=0.5 compounds have been investigated. For the 50% Mg-doped phase (y=0.5), Sr2(Mg$_y$Ti$_{1-y}$)O3 layers are completely insulating spacers between FeAs layers, leading to the fermiology such as that found for other Fe pnictides. At y=0, representing a phase with metallic Sr2TiO3 layers, the $\Gamma$-centered Fe-derived Fermi surfaces (FSs) considerably shrink or disappear. Instead, three $\Gamma$-centered Ti FSs appear, and in particular two of them have similar size, like in MgB2. Interestingly, FSs have very low Fermi velocity in large fractions: the lowest being 0.6$\times10^6$ cm/s. Furthermore, our fixed spin moment calculations suggest the possibility of magnetic ordering, with magnetic Ti and nearly nonmagnetic Fe ions. These results indicate a crucial role of Sr2(Mg$_y$Ti$_{1-y}$)O3 layers in this superconductivity.Comment: 7 pages; Proceedings of ICSM-201

Spin-memory loss at Co/Ru interfaces

We have determined the spin-memory-loss parameter, $\delta_{Co/Ru}$, by measuring the transmission of spin-triplet and spin-singlet Cooper pairs across Co/Ru interfaces in Josephson junctions and by Current-Perpendicular-to-Plane Giant Magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) techniques. The probability of spin-memory loss at the Co/Ru interface is $(1-exp(-\delta_{Co/Ru}))$. From the CPP-MR, we obtain $\delta_{Co/Ru} = 0.34^{+0.04}_{-0.02}$ that is in good agreement with $\delta_{Co/Ru} = 0.35 \pm 0.08$ obtained from spin-triplet transmission. For spin-singlet transmission, we have $\delta_{Co/Ru} = 0.64 \pm 0.05$ that is different from that obtained from CPP-GMR and spin-triplet transmission. The source of this difference is not understood.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Infinite Layer LaNiO(2): Ni(1+)is not Cu(2+)

The Ni ion in LaNiO$_2$ has the same formal ionic configuration $3d^9$ as does Cu in isostructural CaCuO$_2$, but it is reported to be nonmagnetic and probably metallic whereas CaCuO$_2$ is a magnetic insulator. From ab initio calculations we trace its individualistic behavior to (1) reduced $3d-2p$ mixing due to an increase of the separation of site energies ($\epsilon_d - \epsilon_p$) of at least 2 eV, and (2) important Ni $3d(3z^2-r^2)$ mixing with La $5d(3z^2-r^2)$ states that leads to Fermi surface pockets of La $5d$ character that hole-dope the Ni 3d band.Correlation effects do not appear to be large in LaNiO$_2$. However, ad hoc increase of the intraatomic repulsion on the Ni site (using the LDA+U method) is found to lead to a novel correlated state: (i) the transition metal $d(x^2-y^2)$ and $d(3z^2-r^2)$ states undergo consecutive Mott transitions, (ii) their moments are antialigned leading (ideally) to a "singlet" ion in which there are two polarized orbitals, and (iii) mixing of the upper Hubbard $3d(3z^2-r^2)$ band with the La $5d(xy)$ states leaves considerable transition metal 3d character in a band pinned to the Fermi level. The magnetic configuration is more indicative of a Ni$^{2+}$ ion in this limit, although the actual charge changes little with U.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Evidence for incommensurate spin fluctuations in Sr_2RuO_4

We report first inelastic neutron scattering measurements in the normal state of Sr_2RuO_4 that reveal the existence of incommensurate magnetic spin fluctuations located at ${\bf q}_0=(\pm 0.6\pi/a, \pm 0.6\pi/a, 0)$. This finding confirms recent band structure calculations that have predicted incommensurate magnetic responses related to dynamical nesting properties of its Fermi surface

Searching for Z′Z' bosons decaying to gluons

The production and decay of a new heavy vector boson, a chromophilic $Z'$ vector boson, is described. The chromophilic $Z'$ couples only to two gluons, but its two-body decays are absent, leading to a dominant decay mode of $Z'\rightarrow q\bar{q}g$. The unusual nature of the interaction predicts a cross-section which grows with $m_{Z'}$ for a fixed coupling and an accompanying gluon with a coupling that rises with its energy. We study the $t\bar{t}g$ decay mode, proposing distinct reconstruction techniques for the observation of an excess and for the measurement of $m_{Z'}$. We estimate the sensitivity of current experimental datasets.Comment: For submission to PR

Structural origin of the anomalous temperature dependence of the local magnetic moments in the CaFe2_{2}As2_{2} family of materials

We report a combination of Fe K$\beta$ x-ray emission spectroscopy and $ab$-intio calculations to investigate the correlation between structural and magnetic degrees of freedom in CaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$. The puzzling temperature behavior of the local moment found in rare earth-doped CaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ [\textit{H. Gretarsson, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 110}, 047003 (2013)}] is also observed in CaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$. We explain this phenomenon based on first-principles calculations with scaled magnetic interaction. One scaling parameter is sufficient to describe quantitatively the magnetic moments in both CaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$ ($x=0.055$) and Ca$_{0.78}$La$_{0.22}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ at all temperatures. The anomalous growth of the local moments with increasing temperature can be understood from the observed large thermal expansion of the $c$-axis lattice parameter combined with strong magnetoelastic coupling. These effects originate from the strong tendency to form As-As dimers across the Ca layer in the CaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ family of materials. Our results emphasize the dual local-itinerant character of magnetism in Fe pnictides

The Unusual Superconducting State at 49 K in Electron-Doped CaFe2As2 at Ambient

We report the detection of unusual superconductivity up to 49 K in single crystalline CaFe2As2 via electron-doping by partial replacement of Ca by rare-earth. The superconducting transition observed suggests the possible existence of two phases: one starting at ~ 49 K, which has a low critical field ~ 4 Oe, and the other at ~ 21 K, with a much higher critical field > 5 T. Our observations are in strong contrast to previous reports of doping or pressurizing layered compounds AeFe2As2 (or Ae122), where Ae = Ca, Sr or Ba. In Ae122, hole-doping has been previously observed to generate superconductivity with a transition temperature (Tc) only up to 38 K and pressurization has been reported to produce superconductivity with a Tc up to 30 K. The unusual 49 K phase detected will be discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Nonlocality of Kohn-Sham exchange-correlation fields in dielectrics

The theory of the macroscopic field appearing in the Kohn-Sham exchange-correlation potential for dielectric materials, as introduced by Gonze, Ghosez and Godby, is reexamined. It is shown that this Kohn-Sham field cannot be determined from a knowledge of the local state of the material (local crystal potential, electric field, and polarization) alone. Instead, it has an intrinsically nonlocal dependence on the global electrostatic configuration. For example, it vanishes in simple transverse configurations of a polarized dielectric, but not in longitudinal ones.Comment: 4 pages, two-column style with 2 postscript figures embedded. Uses REVTEX and epsf macros. Also available at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~dhv/preprints/index.html#dv_gg

Optical Pulse-Phased Photopolarimetry of PSR B0656+14

We have observed the optical pulse profile of PSR B0656+14 in 10 phase bins at a high signal-to-noise ratio, and have measured the linear polarization profile over 30% of the pulsar period with some significance. The pulse profile is double-peaked, with a bridge of emission between the two peaks, similar to gamma-ray profiles observed in other pulsars. There is no detectable unpulsed flux, to a 1-sigma limit of 16% of the pulse-averaged flux. The emission in the bridge is highly (~ 100%) polarized, with a position angle sweep in excellent agreement with the prediction of the Rotating Vector Model as determined from radio polarization observations. We are able to account for the gross features of the optical light curve (i.e., the phase separation of the peaks) using both polar cap and outer gap models. Using the polar cap model, we are also able to estimate the height of the optical emission regions.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures, accepted by ApJ (scheduled v597 n2, November 10, 2003