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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2010

High Resolution Polar Kerr Effect Measurements of Sr2RuO4: Evidence for Broken Time Reversal Symmetry in the Superconducting State

Polar Kerr effect in the spin-triplet superconductor Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} was measured with high precision using a Sagnac interferometer with a zero-area Sagnac loop. We observed non-zero Kerr rotations as big as 65 nanorad appearing below T{sub c} in large domains. Our results imply a broken time reversal symmetry state in the superconducting state of Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}, similar to {sup 3}He-A.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

Upper limit on spontaneous supercurrents in Sr2RuO4

It is widely believed that the perovskite Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} is an unconventional superconductor with broken time reversal symmetry. It has been predicted that superconductors with broken time reversal symmetry should have spontaneously generated supercurrents at edges and domain walls. We have done careful imaging of the magnetic fields above Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} single crystals using scanning Hall bar and SQUID microscopies, and see no evidence for such spontaneously generated supercurrents. We use the results from our magnetic imaging to place upper limits on the spontaneously generated supercurrents at edges and domain walls as a function of domain size. For a single domain, this upper limit is below the predicted signal by two orders of magnitude. We speculate on the causes and implications of the lack of large spontaneous supercurrents in this very interesting superconducting system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2010

Magnetic-force-microscope Study of Interlayer _Kinks_ in Individual Vortices in Underdoped Cuprate YBa2Cu3O6 x Superconductor

We use magnetic force microscopy to both image and manipulate individual vortex lines threading single crystalline YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6.4}, a layered superconductor. We find that when we pull the top of a pinned vortex, it may not tilt smoothly. Sometimes, we observe a vortex to break into discrete segments that can be described as short stacks of pancake vortices, similar to the 'kinked' structure proposed by Benkraouda and Clem. Quantitative analysis gives an estimate of the pinning force and the coupling between the stacks. Our measurements highlight the discrete nature of stacks of pancake vortices in layered superconductors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

Controlled Manipulation of Individual Vortices in a Superconductor

We report controlled local manipulation of single vortices by low temperature magnetic force microscope (MFM) in a thin film of superconducting Nb. We are able to position the vortices in arbitrary configurations and to measure the distribution of local depinning forces. This technique opens up new possibilities for the characterization and use of vortices in superconductors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

Preparation and properties of amorphous MgB2/MgO superstructures: A new model disordered superconductor

In this paper we introduce a novel method for fabricating MgB{sub 2}/MgO multilayers and demonstrate the potential for using them as a new model for disordered superconductors. In this approach we control the annealing of the MgB{sub 2} to yield an interesting new class of disordered (amorphous) superconductors with relatively high transition temperatures. The multilayers appear to exhibit quasi-two-dimensional superconductivity with controlled anisotropy. We discuss the properties of the multilayers as the thickness of the components of the bilayers vary.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

Uncovering a Pressure-Tuned Electronic Transition in Bi_1.98Sr_2.06Y_0.68Cu_2O_8+mu using Raman Scattering and X-Ray Diffraction

We report pressure tuned Raman and x-ray diffraction data of Bi1.98Sr2.06Y0.68Cu2O8 revealing a critical pressure at 21 GPa with anomalies in six physical quantities: electronic Raman background, electron-phonon coupling, spectral weight transfer from high to low frequency, density dependent behaviour of phonon and magnon frequencies, and a compressibility change in the c-axis. For the first time in a cuprate, mobile charge carriers, lattice, and magnetism all show anomalies at a distinct critical pressure in the same experimental setting. Furthermore, the Raman spectral changes are similar to that seen traversing the superconducting dome with doping, suggesting that the critical pressure at 21 GPa is related to the much discussed critical point at optimal doping.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Electronic band structure and Kondo coupling in YbRh2Si2

The electronic band structure of YbRh2Si2 is calculated in a relativistic framework including correlation corrections and magnetization of the Yb ion and compared to detailed angle-resolved photoemission spectra. The photoemission spectra for LuRh2Si2 are used as reference to identify electronic bands with no f symmetry. The calculated band structure manifests a 4f13 spin-polarized configuration leaving the unoccupied state at 1.4eV above the Fermi energy. At the band theory level, the 4f bands are located far below the Fermi level and the anisotropic Coulomb interaction within the 4f shell spreads the multilevel into broader 4f complexes below -2.5eV . The photoemission spectra obtained on YbRh2Si2 show a clear f -multilevel splitting into j=7/2 and 5/2 excitations. The interaction of the 4f7/2 levels close to the Fermi energy with two conduction bands shows visible hybridization gaps of 45 and 80meV, respectively. We discuss the origin of these excitations and provide an analysis according to Anderson's single-impurity model with parameters suggested by the band-structure calculation and the photoemission spectra. Both experiment and theory indicate nearly identical Fermi surfaces for LuRh2Si2 and YbRh2Si2 . The valency of Yb in YbRh2Si2 is estimated to be close to +3.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Momentum dependence of 4f hybridization in heavy-fermion compounds: Angle-resolved photoemission study of YbIr2Si2 and YbRh2Si2

Heavy-fermion compounds YbIr2Si2 and YbRh2Si2 were studied by means of angle-resolved photoemission (PE). The splittings and dispersions of the 4f13 bulk and surface PE signals in the region of the expected energy crossings of the 4f final states and the valence bands in the Brillouin zone are observed. The experimental results are explained in terms of a simplified periodic Anderson model by a momentum dependence of the electron hopping matrix element between the 4f and valence-band states.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Nested Fermi Surface and Electronic Instability in Ca_3Ru_2O_7

High-resolution angular resolved photoemission data reveal well-defined quasiparticle bands of unusually low weight, emerging in line with the metallic phase of Ca(3)Ru(2)O(7) below approximately 30 K . At the bulk structural phase transition temperature of 48 K, we find clear evidence for an electronic instability, gapping large parts of the underlying Fermi surface that appears to be nested. Metallic pockets are found to survive in the small, non-nested sections, constituting a low-temperature Fermi surface with 2 orders of magnitude smaller volume than in all other metallic ruthenates. The Fermi velocities and volumes of these pockets are in agreement with the results of complementary quantum oscillation measurements on the same crystal batches.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2010

Polaronic Behavior of Undoped High-Tc Cuprate Superconductors from Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectra

We present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data on undoped La2CuO4, indicating polaronic coupling between bosons and charge carriers. Using a shell model, we calculate the electron-phonon coupling and find that it is strong enough to give self-trapped polarons. We develop an efficient method for calculating ARPES spectra in undoped systems. Using the calculated couplings, we find the width of the phonon sideband in good agreement with experiment. We analyze reasons for the observed dependence of the width on the binding energy.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Quantitative analysis of Sr2RuO4 angle-resolved photoemission spectra: Many-body interactions in a model Fermi liquid

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) spectra hold a wealth of information about the many-body interactions in a correlated material. However, the quantitative analysis of ARPES spectra to extract the various coupling parameters in a consistent manner is extremely challenging, even for a model Fermi liquid system. We propose a fitting procedure which allows quantitative access to the intrinsic line shape, deconvolved of energy and momentum resolution effects, of the correlated two-dimensional material Sr2RuO4. In correlated two-dimensional materials, we find an ARPES linewidth that is narrower than its binding energy, a key property of quasiparticles within Fermi liquid theory. We also find that when the electron-electron scattering component is separated from the electron-phonon and impurity scattering terms, it decreases with a functional form compatible with Fermi liquid theory as the Fermi energy is approached. In combination with the previously determined Fermi surface, these results give a complete picture of a Fermi liquid system via ARPES. Furthermore, we show that the magnitude of the extracted imaginary part of the self-energy is in remarkable agreement with DC transport measurements.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Direct evidence of two gaps in underdoped Bi2212

This short paper summarizes the results we presented at the LEHTSC2007 conference. Recent doping and temperature dependence of angle-resolved photoemission data of underdoped superconducting cuprate Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (Bi2212) have revealed the presence of two energy scales exhibiting distinct behaviours [1,2]. One, which dominates the antinodal region, increases with underdoping and does not show obvious temperature dependence across Tc. This is a behaviour known for more than a decade and considered as the general gap behaviour in the underdoped regime. The other, which dominates the near-nodal regime, does not increase with less doping and opens near Tc via a BCS-like temperature dependence. This is a behaviour not previously observed in the single particle spectra. We propose a momentum space picture of these two energy scales or energy gaps that could resolve the seemingly contradictory gap measurements among different experimental techniques. Our results have also further constrained the theory for high-Tc superconducting cuprates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Transient Electronic Structure and Melting of a Charge Density Wave in TbTe3

Obtaining insight into microscopic cooperative effects is a fascinating topic in condensed matter research because, through self-coordination and collectivity, they can lead to instabilities with macroscopic impacts like phase transitions. We used femtosecond time- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (trARPES) to optically pump and probe TbTe3, an excellent model system with which to study these effects. We drove a transient charge density wave melting, excited collective vibrations in TbTe3, and observed them through their time-, frequency-, and momentum-dependent influence on the electronic structure. We were able to identify the role of the observed collective vibration in the transition and to document the transition in real time. The information that we demonstrate as being accessible with trARPES will greatly enhance the understanding of all materials exhibiting collective phenomena.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Resonating Valence Bonds and Mean-Field d-Wave Superconductivity in Graphite

We investigate the possibility of inducing superconductivity in a graphite layer by electronic correlation effects. We use a phenomenological microscopic Hamiltonian which includes nearest neighbor hopping and an interaction term which explicitly favors nearest neighbor spin-singlets through the well-known resonance valence bond (RVB) character of planar organic molecules. Treating this Hamiltonian in mean-field theory, allowing for bond-dependent variation of the RVB order parameter, we show that both s- and d-wave superconducting states are possible. The d-wave solution belongs to a two-dimensional representation and breaks time reversal symmetry. At zero doping there exists a quantum critical point at the dimensionless coupling J/t = 1.91 and the s- and d-wave solutions are degenerate for low temperatures. At finite doping the d-wave solution has a significantly higher T{sub c} than the s-wave solution. By using density functional theory we show that the doping induced from sulfur absorption on a graphite layer is enough to cause an electronically driven d-wave superconductivity at graphite-sulfur interfaces. We also discuss applying our results to the case of the intercalated graphites as well as the validity of a mean-field approach.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2010

Energy Gaps in the Failed High-Tc Superconductor La_1.875Ba_0.125CuO_4

A central issue on high-T{sub c} superconductivity is the nature of the normal-state gap (pseudogap) in the underdoped regime and its relationship with superconductivity. Despite persistent efforts, theoretical ideas for the pseudogap evolve around fluctuating superconductivity, competing order and spectral weight suppression due to many-body effects. Recently, while some experiments in the superconducting state indicate a distinction between the superconducting gap and pseudogap, others in the normal state, either by extrapolation from high-temperature data or directly from La{sub 1.875}Ba{sub 0.125}CuO{sub 4} (LBCO-1/8) at low temperature, suggest the ground-state pseudogap is a single gap of d-wave form. Here we report angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) data from LBCO-1/8, collected with improved experimental conditions, that reveal the ground-state pseudogap has a pronounced deviation from the simple d-wave form. It contains two distinct components: a d-wave component within an extended region around the node and the other abruptly enhanced close to the antinode, pointing to a dual nature of the pseudogap in this failed high-T{sub c} superconductor which involves a possible precursor pairing energy scale around the node and another of different but unknown origin near the antinode.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2010

Bogoliubov Angle, Particle-Hole Mixture and Angular Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy in Superconductors

Superconducting excitations - Bogoliubov quasiparticles - are the quantum mechanical mixture of negatively charged electron (-e) and positively charged hole (+e). We propose a new observable for Angular Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) studies that is the manifestation of the particle-hole entanglement of the superconducting quasiparticles. We call this observable a Bogoliubov angle. This angle measures the relative weight of particle and hole amplitude in the superconducting (Bogoliubov) quasiparticle. We show how this quantity can be measured by comparing the ratio of spectral intensities at positive and negative energies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

The Impact of an Oxygen Dopant in an ideal Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8 delta Crystal

Recent scanning tunneling microscopy studies have shown that local nanoscale pairing inhomogenities are correlated with interstitial oxygen dopants in Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}}. Combining electrostatic and cluster calculations, in this paper the impact of a dopant on the local Madelung and charge transfer energies, magnetic exchange J, Zhang-Rice mobility, and interactions with the lattice is investigated. It is found that electrostatic modifications locally increases the charge transfer energy and slightly suppresses J. It is further shown that coupling to c-axis phonons is strongly modified near the dopant. The combined effects of electrostatic modifications and coupling to the lattice yield broadened spectral features, reduced charge gap energies, and a sizable local increase of J. This implies a strong local interplay between antiferromagnetism, polarons, and superconducting pairing.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Superconductivity-Induced Self-Energy Evolution of the Nodal Electron in Optimally-Doped Bi2212

The temperature dependent evolution of the renormalization effect in optimally-doped Bi2212 along the nodal direction has been studied via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Fine structure is observed in the real part of the self-energy (Re{Sigma}), including a subkink and maximum, suggesting that electrons couple to a spectrum of bosonic modes, instead of just one mode. Upon cooling through the superconducting phase transition, the fine structures of the extracted Re{Sigma} exhibit a two-processes evolution demonstrating an interplay between kink renormalization and superconductivity. We show that this two-process evolution can be qualitatively explained by a simple Holstein model in which a spectrum of bosonic modes is considered.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗