1,262 research outputs found
Specific Heat of the Ca-Intercalated Graphite Superconductor CaC
The superconducting state of Ca-intercalated graphite CaC6 has been
investigated by specific heat measurements. The characteristic anomaly at the
superconducting transition (Tc = 11.4 K) indicates clearly the bulk nature of
the superconductivity. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the
electronic specific heat are consistent with a fully-gapped superconducting
order parameter. The estimated electron-phonon coupling constant is lambda =
0.60 - 0.74 suggesting that the relatively high Tc of CaC6 can be explained
within the weak-coupling BCS approach.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figs, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Superconductivity in Heavy Alkaline-Earths Intercalated Graphites
We report the discovery of superconductivity below 1.65(6) K in
Sr-intercalated graphite SrC6, by susceptibility and specific heat (Cp)
measurements. In comparison with CaC6, we found that the anisotropy of the
upper critical fields for SrC6 is much reduced. The Cp anomaly at Tc is smaller
than the BCS prediction indicating an anisotropic superconducting gap for SrC6
similar to CaC6. The significantly lower Tc of SrC6 as compared to CaC6 can be
understood in terms of "negative" pressure effects, which decreases the
electron-phonon coupling for both in-plane intercalant and the out-of-plane C
phonon modes. We observed no superconductivity for BaC6 down to 0.3 K.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Effect of Pressure on Superconducting Ca-intercalated Graphite CaC
The pressure effect on the superconducting transition temperature () of
the newly-discovered Ca-intercalated graphite compound CaC has been
investigated up to 16 kbar. is found to increase under pressure
with a large relative ratio / of +0.4 %/kbar. Using
first-principles calculations, we show that the large and positive effect of
pressure on can be explained in the scope of electron-phonon theory due
to the presence of a soft phonon branch associated to in-plane vibrations of Ca
atoms. Implications of the present findings on the current debate about the
superconducting mechanism in graphite intercalation compounds are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figs, final PRB versio
Functional renormalization group study of an eight-band model for the iron arsenides
We investigate the superconducting pairing instabilities of eight-band models
for the iron arsenides. Using a functional renormalization group treatment, we
determine how the critical energy scale for superconductivity depends on the
electronic band structure. Most importantly, if we vary the parameters from
values corresponding to LaFeAsO to SmFeAsO, the pairing scale is strongly
enhanced, in accordance with the experimental observation. We analyze the
reasons for this trend and compare the results of the eight-band approach to
those found using five-band models.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure
Energy Gaps and Kohn Anomalies in Elemental Superconductors
The momentum and temperature dependence of the lifetimes of acoustic phonons
in the elemental superconductors Pb and Nb was determined by resonant spin-echo
spectroscopy with neutrons. In both elements, the superconducting energy gap
extracted from these measurements was found to converge with sharp anomalies
originating from Fermi-surface nesting (Kohn anomalies) at low temperatures.
The results indicate electron many-body correlations beyond the standard
theoretical framework for conventional superconductivity. A possible mechanism
is the interplay between superconductivity and spin- or charge-density-wave
fluctuations, which may induce dynamical nesting of the Fermi surface
"PROXIMITY" AS A DESIGN STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE, COLLABORATIVE AND INCLUSIVE URBAN PUBLIC SPACES
Public spaces at neighbourhood scale represent the main scenario of citizens’ life, nodes that define an archipelago of places with a key role in promoting and fostering the enhancement and maintenance of the built environment through mutual collaboration. This network of open and built spaces traces the reference infrastructure of urban planning and redevelopment models, based on proximity as device for physical and social relationship, central in the post-pandemic city debate.
“The city of proximity” is the first focus addressed by the Atelier of Urban Innovation Lab in Bologna: an exhibition and laboratory space for comparison and co-design of public space, housed inside the City Hall of the Italian metropolitan city of Bologna and co-curated by the Department of Architecture, University of Bologna and the city agency Foundation for the Urban Innovation.
The Atelier explores urban dynamics and contemporary challenges using analogue and digital tools investigating the potential of the ecosystem defining the realm of the everyday dynamics – for instance, squares, courtyards, markets, libraries, urban gardens, playgrounds, sport equipment, etc. In addition to the physical transformations linked to the concept of proximity, the design process, the actors involved and the results obtained are considered relevant.
This paper, framing the topic on transition city issues, addresses the potential, transversal andrecurrent features of neighborhood spaces with the aim of acknowledging replicable strategies and design practices for collaborative cities based on new form of citizen democracy that encourage the reactivation of places, community creation, resilience to climate change and sustainable mobility, as
experimented by the lab-like environment of Urban Innovation Lab Bologna
Single 20meV boson mode in KFe2As2 detected by point-contact spectroscopy
We report an experimental and theoretical investigation of the electron-boson
interaction in KFe2As2 by point-contact (PC) spectroscopy, model, and ab-initio
LDA-based calculations for the standard electron-phonon Eliashberg function.
The PC spectrum viz. the second derivative of the I - V characteristic of
representative PC exhibits a pronounced maximum at about 20meV and surprisingly
a featureless behavior at lower and higher energies. We discuss phonon and
non-phonon (excitonic) mechanisms for the origin of this peak. Analysis of the
underlying source of this peak may be important for the understanding of
serious puzzles of superconductivity in this type of compounds.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figs., to be published in PR
Phase diagram and superconductivity of calcium borohyrides at extreme pressures
Motivated by the recent discovery of near-room temperature superconductivity in high-pressure superhydrides, we investigate from first principles the high-pressure superconducting phase diagram of the ternary Ca-B-H system, using ab initio evolutionary crystal structure prediction, and Density Functional Perturbation Theory. We find that below 100 GPa all stable and weakly metastable phases are insulating. This pressure marks the appearance of several new chemically-forbidden phases on the hull of stability, and the first onset of metalization in CaBH5. Metallization is then gradually achieved at higher pressure at different compositions. Among the metallic phases stable in the Megabar regime, we predict two high-Tc superconducting phases with CaBH6 and Ca2B2H13 compositions, with critical temperatures of 119 and 89 K at 300 GPa, respectively, surviving to lower pressures. Ternary hydrides will most likely play a major role in superconductivity research in the coming years; our study suggests that, in order to reduce the pressure for the onset of metallicity and superconductivity, further explorations of ternary hydrides should focus on elements less electronegative than boron
Study of temperature dependent atomic correlations in MgB
We have studied the evolution with temperature of the local as well as the
average crystal structure of MgB using the real-space atomic pair
distribution function (PDF) measured by high resolution neutron powder
diffraction. We have investigated the correlations of the B-B and B-Mg nearest
neighbor pair motion by comparing, in the wide temperature range from T=10 K up
to T=600 K, the mean-square displacements (MSD) of single atoms with the
mean-square relative displacements (MSRD) obtained from the PDF peak
linewidths. The results show that the single atom B and Mg vibrations are
mostly decoupled from each other, with a small predominance of positive (in
phase) correlation factor for both the B-B and B-Mg pairs. The small positive
correlation is almost temperature independent, in contrast with our theoretical
calculations; this can be a direct consequence of the strong decay processes of
the anharmonic phonons
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