Towards ferromagnet/superconductor junctions on graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pakkayil, Shijin Babu

2015-01-01

Ever since A. Aspect et al. performed the famous 1982 experiment to prove the violation of Bell's inequality, there have been suggestions to conduct the same experiment in a solid state system. Some of those proposals involve superconductors as the source of entangled electron pair and spin depended interfaces as the optical analogue of polariser/filter. Semiconductors can serve as the best medium for such an experiment due to their long relaxation lengths. So far there are no reports on a ferromagnet/superconductor junctions on a semiconductor even though such junctions has been successfully realised in metallic systems. This thesis reports the successful fabrication of ferromagnet/superconductor junction along with characterising measurements in a perfectly two dimensional zero-gap semiconductor known as graphene. Since it's discovery in 2004, graphene has attracted prodigious interest from both academia and industry due to it's inimitable physical properties: very high mobility, high thermal and electrical conductivity, a high Young's modulus and impermeability. Graphene is also expected to have very long spin relaxation length and high spin life time because of it's low spin orbit coupling. For this reason and since researchers are always looking for novel materials and devices to comply with the high demands for better and faster data storage devices, graphene has emanated as a brand new material system for spin based devices. The very first spin injection and detection in graphene was realised in 2007 and ever since, the focal point of the research has been to improve the spin transport properties. A part of this thesis discusses a new fabrication recipe which has a high yield for successfully contacting graphene with a ferromagnet. A high starting yield for ferromagnetic contacts is a irremissible condition for combining superconducting contacts to the device to fabricate ferromagnet/superconductor junctions. Any fabrication recipe

Towards ferromagnet/superconductor junctions on graphene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pakkayil, Shijin Babu

2015-07-01

Ever since A. Aspect et al. performed the famous 1982 experiment to prove the violation of Bell's inequality, there have been suggestions to conduct the same experiment in a solid state system. Some of those proposals involve superconductors as the source of entangled electron pair and spin depended interfaces as the optical analogue of polariser/filter. Semiconductors can serve as the best medium for such an experiment due to their long relaxation lengths. So far there are no reports on a ferromagnet/superconductor junctions on a semiconductor even though such junctions has been successfully realised in metallic systems. This thesis reports the successful fabrication of ferromagnet/superconductor junction along with characterising measurements in a perfectly two dimensional zero-gap semiconductor known as graphene. Since it's discovery in 2004, graphene has attracted prodigious interest from both academia and industry due to it's inimitable physical properties: very high mobility, high thermal and electrical conductivity, a high Young's modulus and impermeability. Graphene is also expected to have very long spin relaxation length and high spin life time because of it's low spin orbit coupling. For this reason and since researchers are always looking for novel materials and devices to comply with the high demands for better and faster data storage devices, graphene has emanated as a brand new material system for spin based devices. The very first spin injection and detection in graphene was realised in 2007 and ever since, the focal point of the research has been to improve the spin transport properties. A part of this thesis discusses a new fabrication recipe which has a high yield for successfully contacting graphene with a ferromagnet. A high starting yield for ferromagnetic contacts is a irremissible condition for combining superconducting contacts to the device to fabricate ferromagnet/superconductor junctions. Any fabrication recipe

Atomic scale 0-π transition and pairing symmetry in a Josephson junction with a ferromagnetic insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawabata, S.; Kashiwaya, S.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, A. A.; Asano, Y.

2011-01-01

Full text: A superconducting ring with a π-junction made from superconductor (S) / ferromagnetic- metal (FM) / superconductor (S) exhibits a spontaneous current without an external magnetic field and the corresponding magnetic flux is half a flux quantum in the ground state. Such a π-ring provides so-called 'quiet qubit' that can be efficiently decoupled from the fluctuation of the external field. However, the usage of FM gives rise to strong Ohmic dissipation. Therefore, the realization of π-junctions without FM is highly desired for qubit applications. We theoretically consider the possibility of the π-junction formation in the mesoscopic Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic insulators (FI) by taking into account the band structure of such materials explicitly. In the case of the fully polarized FIs, e.g., La 2 BaCuO 5 (LBCO) and K 2 CuF 4 , we found the formation of a π-junction and a novel atomic-scale 0-π transition induced by increasing the FI thickness LF. In this talk, I will discuss a thermal stability and material-parameter dependences of the atomic-scale 0-π transition as well as possibility of the odd-frequency pairing in such systems. (author)

Proximity induced ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and finite-size effects on the surface states of topological insulator nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Parijat; Kubis, Tillmann; Tan, Yaohua; Klimeck, Gerhard

2015-01-01

Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 are well known 3D-topological insulators (TI). Films made of these materials exhibit metal-like surface states with a Dirac dispersion and possess high mobility. The high mobility metal-like surface states can serve as building blocks for a variety of applications that involve tuning their dispersion relationship and opening a band gap. A band gap can be opened either by breaking time reversal symmetry, the proximity effect of a superconductor or ferromagnet or adjusting the dimensionality of the TI material. In this work, methods that can be employed to easily open a band gap for the TI surface states are assessed. Two approaches are described: (1) Coating the surface states with a ferromagnet which has a controllable magnetization axis. The magnetization strength of the ferromagnet is incorporated as an exchange interaction term in the Hamiltonian. (2) An s-wave superconductor, because of the proximity effect, when coupled to a 3D-TI opens a band gap on the surface. Finally, the hybridization of the surface Dirac cones can be controlled by reducing the thickness of the topological insulator film. It is shown that this alters the band gap significantly.

Reentrant Superspin Glass Phase in a La_{0.82}Ca_{0.18}MnO_{3} Ferromagnetic Insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Anil Kumar

2014-03-01

Full Text Available We report results of the magnetization and ac susceptibility measurements down to very low fields on a single crystal of the perovskite manganite, La_{0.82}Ca_{0.18}MnO_{3}. This composition falls in the intriguing ferromagnetic insulator region of the manganite phase diagram. In contrast to earlier beliefs, our investigations reveal that magnetically (and in every other sense, this is a single-phase system with a ferromagnetic ordering temperature of around 170 K. However, this ferromagnetic state is magnetically frustrated, and the system exhibits pronounced glassy dynamics below 90 K. Based on measured dynamical properties, we propose that this quasi-long-ranged ferromagnetic phase, and the associated superspin glass behavior, is the true magnetic state of the system, rather than being a macroscopic mixture of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, as often suggested. Our results provide an understanding of the quantum phase transition from an antiferromagnetic insulator to a ferromagnetic metal via this ferromagnetic insulating state as a function of x in La_{1−x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3}, in terms of the possible formation of magnetic polarons.

Half-metallic ferromagnetism in Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO from first principles study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, X.F.; Zhang, J.; Xu, B.; Yao, K.L.

2012-01-01

Electronic structures and magnetism of Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO have been investigated by the first-principle method based on density functional theory (DFT). The results show that Cu can induce stable ferromagnetic ground state. The magnetic moment of supercell including single Cu atom is 1.0 μ B . Electronic structure shows that Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO is a p-type half-metallic ferromagnet. The half-metal property is mainly attribute to the crystal field splitting of Cu 3d orbital, and the ferromagnetism is dominated by the hole-mediated double exchange mechanism. Therefore, Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO should be useful in semiconductor spintronics and other applications. - Highlights: → Magnetism of Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO. → Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO shows interesting half-metal character. → Total energies calculations reveal that Cu can induce ferromagnetic ground state. → Ferromagnetism dominated by the hole-mediated double exchange mechanism.

Proximity effects and Josephson currents in ferromagnet. Spin-triplet superconductors junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrade, Damien

2015-01-01

Spin-triplet superconductivity, first attached to the description of 3 He, is now generally considered to also occur in heavy-fermions compounds and in perovskite ruthenium oxide Sr 2 RuO 4 . The latter material is especially interesting since many experiments show strong evidences for a unitary chiral spin-triplet state. Moreover, the recent fabrication of thin heterostructures made of ferromagnetic SrRuO 3 on the top of Sr 2 RuO 4 strongly encourages new theoretical studies on the interplay between spin-triplet superconductor and ferromagnet in similar fashion to spin-singlet superconductors. Using an extended tight-binding Hamiltonian to model the superconductor, we discuss in this thesis the specific proximity effects of such interface by solving self-consistently the Bogoliubov-De Gennes equations on two- and three-dimensional lattices in the ballistic limit. We obtain the spatial profile of the superconducting order parameters at the interface as well as the spin-polarisation and the current across the Josephson junctions. In contrast to heterostructures made of spin-singlet superconductor, we show that the physical properties at the interface are not only controlled by the strength of the magnetization inside the ferromagnet but also by its orientation due to the existence of a finite pair spin projection of the spin-triplet Cooper pairs. We analyse in the first part the spin-polarisation and the Gibbs free energy at the three-dimensional ferromagnet-chiral spin-triplet superconductor interface. Then, the second part of the thesis is dedicated to the study of the Josephson junctions made of a chiral spin-triplet superconductor and a ferromagnetic barrier. More precisely, we analyse the existence of 0-π state transitions in two- and three-dimensional junctions with respect to the strength and the orientation of the magnetization. Finally, we study the proximity effects at the interface of helical spin-triplet superconductors. They differ from the chiral

Nonlinear thermoelectric effects in high-field superconductor-ferromagnet tunnel junctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Kolenda

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Thermoelectric effects result from the coupling of charge and heat transport and can be used for thermometry, cooling and harvesting of thermal energy. The microscopic origin of thermoelectric effects is a broken electron–hole symmetry, which is usually quite small in metal structures. In addition, thermoelectric effects decrease towards low temperatures, which usually makes them vanishingly small in metal nanostructures in the sub-Kelvin regime.Results: We report on a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of thermoelectric effects in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures. We investigate the dependence of thermoelectric currents on the thermal excitation, as well as on the presence of a dc bias voltage across the junction.Conclusion: Large thermoelectric effects are observed in superconductor/ferromagnet and superconductor/normal-metal hybrid structures. The spin-independent signals observed under finite voltage bias are shown to be reciprocal to the physics of superconductor/normal-metal microrefrigerators. The spin-dependent thermoelectric signals in the linear regime are due to the coupling of spin and heat transport, and can be used to design more efficient refrigerators.

Photoinduced Coherent Spin Fluctuation in Primary Dynamics of Insulator to Metal Transition in Perovskite Cobalt Oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arima T.

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Coherent spin fluctuation was detected in the photoinduced Mott insulator-metal transition in perovskite cobalt oxide by using 3 optical-cycle infrared pulse. Such coherent spin fluctuation is driven by the perovskite distortion changing orbital gap.

Energy gap of ferromagnet-superconductor bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halterman, Klaus; Valls, Oriol T

2003-10-15

The excitation spectrum of clean ferromagnet-superconductor bilayers is calculated within the framework of the self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory. Because of the proximity effect, the superconductor induces a gap in the ferromagnet spectrum, for thin ferromagnetic layers. The effect depends strongly on the exchange field in the ferromagnet. We find that as the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer increases, the gap disappears, and that its destruction arises from those quasiparticle excitations with wave vectors mainly along the interface. We discuss the influence that the interface quality and Fermi energy mismatch between the ferromagnet and superconductor have on the calculated energy gap. We also evaluate the density of states in the ferromagnet, and we find it in all cases consistent with the gap results.

Ginsburg-Landau equation around the superconductor-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, T.K.

1991-01-01

Based on the scaling theory of localization, we construct a Ginsburg-Landau (GL) equation for superconductors in an arbitrary strength of disordered potential. Using this GL equation, we reexamine the criteria for the superconductor-insulator transition and find that the transition to a localized superconductor can happen on both sides of the (normal) metal-insulator transition, in contrast to a previous prediction by Ma and Lee [Phys. Rev. B 32, 5658 (1985)] that the transition can only be on the insulator side. Furthermore, by comparing our theory with a recent scaling theory of dirty bosons by Fisher et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 587 (1990)], we conclude that nontrivial crossover behavior in transport properties may occur in the vicinity of the superconductor-insulator transition

Manganites in Perovskite Superlattices: Structural and Electronic Properties

KAUST Repository

Jilili, Jiwuer

2016-07-13

Perovskite oxides have the general chemical formula ABO3, where A is a rare-earth or alkali-metal cation and B is a transition metal cation. Perovskite oxides can be formed with a variety of constituent elements and exhibit a wide range of properties ranging from insulators, metals to even superconductors. With the development of growth and characterization techniques, more information on their physical and chemical properties has been revealed, which diversified their technological applications. Perovskite manganites are widely investigated compounds due to the discovery of the colossal magnetoresistance effect in 1994. They have a broad range of structural, electronic, magnetic properties and potential device applications in sensors and spintronics. There is not only the technological importance but also the need to understand the fundamental mechanisms of the unusual magnetic and transport properties that drive enormous attention. Manganites combined with other perovskite oxides are gaining interest due to novel properties especially at the interface, such as interfacial ferromagnetism, exchange bias, interfacial conductivity. Doped manganites exhibit diverse electrical properties as compared to the parent compounds. For instance, hole doped La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 is a ferromagnetic metal, whereas LaMnO3 is an antiferromagnetic insulator. Since manganites are strongly correlated systems, heterojunctions composed of manganites and other perovskite oxides are sunject to complex coupling of the spin, orbit, charge, and lattice degrees of freedom and exhibit unique electronic, magnetic, and transport properties. Electronic reconstructions, O defects, doping, intersite disorder, magnetic proximity, magnetic exchange, and polar catastrophe are some effects to explain these interfacial phenomena. In our work we use first-principles calculations to study the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of manganite based superlattices. Firstly, we investigate the electronic

Epitaxial heterojunctions of oxide semiconductors and metals on high temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Vasquez, Richard P. (Inventor); Hunt, Brian D. (Inventor); Foote, Marc C. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

Epitaxial heterojunctions formed between high temperature superconductors and metallic or semiconducting oxide barrier layers are provided. Metallic perovskites such as LaTiO3, CaVO3, and SrVO3 are grown on electron-type high temperature superconductors such as Nd(1.85)Ce(0.15)CuO(4-x). Alternatively, transition metal bronzes of the form A(x)MO(3) are epitaxially grown on electron-type high temperature superconductors. Also, semiconducting oxides of perovskite-related crystal structures such as WO3 are grown on either hole-type or electron-type high temperature superconductors.

Charge transport through superconductor/Anderson-insulator interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frydman, A.; Ovadyahu, Z.

1997-01-01

We report on a study of charge transport through superconductor-insulator-superconductor and normal metal endash insulator endash superconductor structures (SIS and NIS junctions, respectively) where the insulator is of the Anderson type. Devices which are characterized by a junction resistance larger than 10 kΩ show behavior which is typical of Giaever tunnel junctions. In structures having smaller resistance, several peculiar features are observed. In the SIS junctions, Josephson coupling is detected over distances much larger then the typical insulator localization length. In addition, a series of resistance peaks appears at voltages of 2Δ/n, where Δ is the superconducting gap. The NIS Junctions exhibit a large resistance dip at subgap bias. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings and suggest that they may result from the presence of high transmission channels through the barrier region. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Half-metallic ferromagnetism with low magnetic moment in zinc-blende TiBi from first-principles calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Zhi-Yuan; Xu, Bin; Gao, G.Y.

2013-01-01

The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of zinc-blende TiBi are investigated by using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. It is found that zinc-blende TiBi exhibits half-metallic ferromagnetism with the energy gap of 1.39 eV in the minority-spin channel. The calculated total magnetic moment of 1.00 µ B per formula unit mainly originates from the Ti atom. We also show that the half-metallicity of zinc-blende TiBi can be maintained up to 3% compression and 5% expansion of lattice constant with respect to the equilibrium lattice, and zinc-blende TiBi is still half-metallic when the spin–orbit coupling is considered. The robust half-metallicity and low magnetic moment make zinc-blende TiBi a potential candidate for spintronic applications. - Highlights: • Half-metallic ferromagnetism in zinc-blende TiBi. • Zinc-blende TiBi has low magnetic moment of 1.00 µ B /f.u. • Spin–orbit coupling does not destroy the half-metallicity of zinc-blende TiBi

Creating and manipulating nonequilibrium spins in nanoscale superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolf, Michael J.; Kolenda, Stefan; Beckmann, Detlef [Institut fuer Nanotechnologie, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Huebler, Florian [Institut fuer Nanotechnologie, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Suergers, Christoph; Fischer, Gerda [Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Loehneysen, Hilbert von [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany)

2015-07-01

We report on nonlocal transport in superconductor hybrid structures, with ferromagnetic as well as normal-metal tunnel junctions attached to the superconductor. In the presence of a strong Zeeman splitting of the density of states, we find signatures of spin transport over distances of several μm, exceeding other length scales such as the coherence length, the normal-state spin-diffusion length, and the charge-imbalance length. Using a combination of ferromagnetic and normal-metal contacts, we demonstrate spin injection from a normal metal, and show a complete separation of charge and spin imbalance. An exchange splitting induced by the ferromagnetic insulator europium sulfide enables spin transport at very small applied magnetic fields, and therefore paves the way to manipulating spin currents by local exchange fields.

Peculiar ferromagnetic insulator state in the low-hole-doped manganites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Algarabel, P.A.; Teresa, J.M. de; Blasco, J.; Ibarra, M.R.; Kapusta, Cz.; Sikora, M.; Zajac, D.; Riedi, P.C.; Ritter, C.

2003-01-01

In this work we show the very different nature of the ferromagnetic state of the low-hole-doped manganites with respect to other manganites showing colossal magnetoresistance. High-field measurements definitively prove the coexistence of ferromagnetic-metallic and ferromagnetic-insulating regions even when the sample is magnetically saturated, with the ground state being inhomogeneous. We have investigated La 0.9 Ca 0.1 MnO 3 as a prototype compound. A wide characterization by means of magnetic and magnetotransport measurements, neutron diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance has allowed us to establish that the ground state is based on the existence of disordered nanometric double-exchange metallic clusters that coexist with long-range superexchange-based ferromagnetic insulating regions. Under high magnetic field the system reaches magnetization saturation by aligning the magnetic clusters and the insulating matrix, but even if they grow in size, they do not reach the percolation limit

Charge transport of graphene ferromagnetic-insulator-superconductor junction with pairing state of broken time reversal symmetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaser Hajati

2015-04-01

Full Text Available We investigate the charge transport through a graphene-based ferromagnetic-insulator-superconductor junction with a broken time reversal symmetry (BTRS of dx2−y2 + is and dx2−y2 + idxy superconductor using the extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk formalism. Our analysis have shown several charateristics in this junction, providing a useful probe to understand the role of the order parameter symmetry in the superconductivity. We find that the presence of the BTRS (X state in the superconductor region has a strong effect on the tunneling conductance curves which leads to a decrease in the height of the zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP. In particular, we show that the magnitude of the superconducting proximity effect depends to a great extent on X and by increasing X, the zero-bias charge conductance oscillations with respect to the rotation angle β are suppressed. In addition, we find that at the maximum rotation angle β = π/4, introducing BTRS in the FIS junction causes oscillatory behavior of the zero-bias charge conductance with the barrier strength (χG by a period of π and by approaching the X to 1, the amplitude of charge conductance oscillations increases. This behavior is drastically different from none BTRS similar graphene junctions. At last, we suggest an experimental setup for verifying our predicted effects.

Critical behaviors of half-metallic ferromagnet Co3Sn2S2

OpenAIRE

Yan, Weinian; Zhang, Xiao; Shi, Qi; Yu, Xiaoyun; Zhang, Zhiqing; Wang, Qi; Li, Si; Lei, Hechang

2018-01-01

We have investigated the critical behavior of a shandite-type half-metal ferromagnet Co3Sn2S2. It exhibits a second-order paramagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition with TC = 174 K. To investigate the nature of the magnetic phase transition, a detailed critical exponent study has been performed. The critical components beta, gamma, and delta determined using the modified Arrott plot, the Kouvel-Fisher method as well as the critical isotherm analysis are match reasonably well and follow the s...

Half-metallicity and ferromagnetism of TcX (X=C, Si and Ge) in zinc blende structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yong [College of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Physics Department, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1 (Canada); Xing, Yue [College of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Bose, S.K., E-mail: sbose@brocku.ca [Physics Department, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1 (Canada); Zhao, Yong-Hong [Department of Physics, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610068 (China)

2013-02-15

We report results of a first-principles density-functional study of three binary transition-metal compounds TcX (X=C, Si and Ge) in the hypothetical cubic zinc blende (ZB) structure. Our calculations are based on the full potential linear augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) plus local orbitals method, together with generalized gradient approximation for the exchange-correlation potential. Half-metallic (HM) ferromagnetism is observed in these binary compounds for their optimized cell volumes. In the HM state, these compounds possess an integer magnetic moment (1.000{mu}{sub B}) per formula unit, which is one of the important characteristics of half-metallic ferromagnets (HMFs). The ferromagnetic (FM) state is found to be stable for ZB TcC, TcSi and TcGe against the nonmagnetic (NM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) states. Calculations show that half-metallicity can be maintained for a wide range of lattice constants in these binary compounds. Density functional calculations of exchange interactions and the Curie temperatures reveal similar trends for the three compounds with respect to the lattice parameter. These compounds are compatible with the traditional semiconductors, and could be useful in spin-electronics and other applications. The most important aspect of this work is to explore the possibility of not only magnetism, but HM ferromagnetism in compounds involving NM elements and 4d transition element Tc. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We study magnetism of the compounds TcSi, TcC, and TcGe. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These compounds, with nonmagnetic constituents, are found to be ferromagnetic. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer They show robust half-metallicity in zinc blende structure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Estimated Curie temperatures suggest that synthesis of these compounds is worth pursuing.

100% spin accumulation in non-half-metallic ferromagnet-semiconductor junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petukhov, A G; Niggemann, J; Smelyanskiy, V N; Osipov, V V

2007-01-01

We show that the spin polarization of electron density in non-magnetic degenerate semiconductors can achieve 100%. The effect of 100% spin accumulation does not require a half-metallic ferromagnetic contact and can be realized in ferromagnet-semiconductor FM-n + -n junctions even at moderate spin selectivity of the FM-n + contact when the electrons with spin 'up' are extracted from n semiconductor through the heavily doped n + layer into the ferromagnet and the electrons with spin 'down' are accumulated near the n + -n interface. We derived a general equation relating spin polarization of the current to that of the electron density in non-magnetic semiconductors. We found that the effect of complete spin polarization is achieved near the n + -n interface when the concentration of the spin 'up' electrons tends to zero in this region while the diffusion current of these electrons remains finite

Theory of the low-voltage impedance of superconductor-- p insulator--normal metal tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemberger, T.R.

1984-01-01

A theory for the low-voltage impedance of a superconductor-- p insulator--normal metal tunnel junction is developed that includes the effects of charge imbalance and of quasiparticle fluctuations. A novel, inelastic, charge-imbalance relaxation process is identified that is associated with the junction itself. This new process leads to the surprising result that the charge-imbalance component of the dc resistance of a junction becomes independent of the electron-phonon scattering rate as the insulator resistance decreases

Half-metallic antiferromagnetism in double perovskite BiPbCrCuO6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, Ke-Chuan; Wang, Y. K.

2015-01-01

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of BiPbCrCuO 6 double perovskite are investigated based on first-principles density functional calculations with generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA incorporated with Coulomb correlation interaction U (GGA + U). The results suggest the half-metallic (HM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) properties of BiPbCrCuO 6 double perovskite. The HM-AFM property of the double perovskite is caused by the double-exchange mechanism between neighboring Cr 5+ (t 2g 1 ↓) and Cu 2+ (t 2g 3 ↑t 2g 3 ↓e g 2 ↑e g ↓) via the intermediate O 2− (2s 2 2p 6 ) ion

Ferromagnetic coupling strength and electron-doping effects in double perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontcuberta, J.; Rubi, D.; Frontera, C.; Garcia-Munoz, J.L.; Wojcik, M.; Jedryka, E.; Nadolski, S.; Izquierdo, M.; Avila, J.; Asensio, M.C.

2005-01-01

We review experiments and results on ferromagnetic and metallic A 2 FeMoO 6 double perovskites that made it possible to obtain a detailed understanding of the nature of the ferromagnetic coupling and paved the way for further enhancement of the Curie temperature. We show that appropriate chemical substitutions, combined with detailed structural, magnetotransport and spectroscopic data allow us to map quite a complete picture of the properties of these oxides

Superconductor-Metal-Insulator transition in two dimensional Ta thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sun-Gyu; Kim, Eunseong

2013-03-01

Superconductor-insulator transition has been induced by tuning film thickness or magnetic field. Recent electrical transport measurements of MoGe, Bi, Ta thin films revealed an interesting intermediate metallic phase which intervened superconducting and insulating phases at certain range of magnetic field. Especially, Ta thin films show the characteristic IV behavior at each phase and the disorder tuned intermediate metallic phase [Y. Li, C. L. Vicente, and J. Yoon, Physical Review B 81, 020505 (2010)]. This unexpected metallic phase can be interpreted as a consequence of vortex motion or contribution of fermionic quasiparticles. In this presentation, we report the scaling behavior during the transitions in Ta thin film as well as the transport measurements in various phases. Critical exponents v and z are obtained in samples with wide ranges of disorder. These results reveal new universality class appears when disorder exceeds a critical value. Dynamical exponent z of Superconducting sample is found to be 1, which is consistent with theoretical prediction of unity. z in a metallic sample is suddenly increased to be approximately 2.5. This critical exponent is much larger than the value found in other system and theoretical prediction. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Research Foundation of Korea through the Creative Research Initiatives.

Ba2NiOsO6 : A Dirac-Mott insulator with ferromagnetism near 100 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Hai L.; Calder, Stuart

2016-01-01

In this study, the ferromagnetic semiconductor Ba 2 NiOsO 6 (T mag ~ 100 K) was synthesized at 6 GPa and 1500 °C. It crystallizes into a double perovskite structure [Fm - 3m; a = 8.0428 (1) Å], where the Ni 2+ and Os 6+ ions are perfectly ordered at the perovskite B site. We show that the spin-orbit coupling of Os 6+ plays an essential role in opening the charge gap. The magnetic state was investigated by density functional theory calculations and powder neutron diffraction. The latter revealed a collinear ferromagnetic order in a > 21 kOe magnetic field at 5 K. The ferromagnetic gapped state is fundamentally different from that of known dilute magnetic semiconductors such as (Ga,Mn)As and (Cd,Mn)Te (T mag < 180 K), the spin-gapless semiconductor Mn 2 CoAl (T mag ~ 720 K), and the ferromagnetic insulators EuO (T mag ~ 70 K) and Bi 3 Cr 3 O 11 (T mag ~ 220 K). It is also qualitatively different from known ferrimagnetic insulators and semiconductors, which are characterized by an antiparallel spin arrangement. Our finding of the ferromagnetic semiconductivity of Ba 2 NiOsO 6 should increase interest in the platinum group oxides, because this alternative class of materials should be useful in the development of spintronic, quantum magnetic, and related devices.

Some thermodynamical properties of normal (or ferromagnetic) metal / superconductor heterojunctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cayssol, Jerome

2003-01-01

We have investigated the orbital magnetism of a ballistic hybrid normal-superconductor ring. We have obtained the flux dependent excitation spectrum for arbitrary normal and superconductor lengths. We have introduced a new method to evaluate the current harmonics. We have described the cross-over from the, 'h/eh/e-periodic persistent current to the', h/2e-periodic Josephson current. In a second study, we have calculated the effect of intrinsic ordinary reflexion on the Josephson current in a ballistic superconductor-ferromagnetic-superconductor. The spectrum is strongly modified by gap openings but the current and the 0-π transition are only slightly modified up to very high spin polarisation. In a third study, we analyse the contain of some solutions of Usadel equation. The standard perturbation theory dressed by cooperons enables us to interpret those solutions in terms of diffusive paths connecting Andreev reflexion events. (author) [fr

In silico CrNF, a half-metallic ferromagnetic nitride–fluoride mimicking CrO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matar, Samir F.

2014-01-01

Isoelectronic with CrO 2 , CrNF is proposed in silico based on rutile derived structures with DFT computations. The ground state structure defined from cohesive energies is of MgUO 4 -type, characterized by short covalent Cr–N and long ionic Cr–F distances. Like CrO 2 it is a half-metallic ferromagnet with M=2 μ B /FU integer magnetization with reduced band gap at minority spins. Major difference of magnetic response to pressure characterizes CrNF as a soft ferromagnet versus hard magnetic CrO 2 . The chemical bonding properties point to prevailing covalent Cr–N versus ionic Cr–F bonding. Different synthesis routes are examined. - Highlights: • DFT identification of CrNF is based on isoelectronicity and rutile derivatives. • Similarly to CrO 2 , CrNF is a half-metallic ferromagnet with reduced band gap. • Strong pressure dependence of magnetization of CrNF oppositely to CrO 2 . • Covalent Cr–N bonding prevails in spite of the presence of ionic Cr–F. • Cohesive energies favor the synthesis for which protocols are proposed

Tunneling conductance oscillations in spin-orbit coupled metal-insulator-superconductor junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kapri, Priyadarshini; Basu, Saurabh

2018-01-01

The tunneling conductance for a device consisting of a metal-insulator-superconductor (MIS) junction is studied in presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) via an extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk formalism. We find that the tunneling conductance as a function of an effective barrier potential that defines the insulating layer and lies intermediate to the metallic and superconducting electrodes, displays an oscillatory behavior. The tunneling conductance shows high sensitivity to the RSOC for certain ranges of this potential, while it is insensitive to the RSOC for others. Additionally, when the period of oscillations is an odd multiple of a certain value of the effective potential, the conductance spectrum as a function of the biasing energy demonstrates a contrasting trend with RSOC, compared to when it is not an odd multiple. The explanations for the observation can be found in terms of a competition between the normal and Andreev reflections. Similar oscillatory behavior of the conductance spectrum is also seen for other superconducting pairing symmetries, thereby emphasizing that the insulating layer plays a decisive role in the conductance oscillations of a MIS junction. For a tunable Rashba coupling, the current flowing through the junction can be controlled with precision.

Strain-induced metal-insulator phase coexistence in perovskite manganites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, K H; Lookman, T; Bishop, A R

2004-03-25

The coexistence of distinct metallic and insulating electronic phases within the same sample of a perovskite manganite, such as La(1-x-y)Pr(y)Ca(x)MnO3, presents researchers with a tool for tuning the electronic properties in materials. In particular, colossal magnetoresistance in these materials--the dramatic reduction of resistivity in a magnetic field--is closely related to the observed texture owing to nanometre- and micrometre-scale inhomogeneities. Despite accumulated data from various high-resolution probes, a theoretical understanding for the existence of such inhomogeneities has been lacking. Mechanisms invoked so far, usually based on electronic mechanisms and chemical disorder, have been inadequate to describe the multiscale, multiphase coexistence within a unified picture. Moreover, lattice distortions and long-range strains are known to be important in the manganites. Here we show that the texturing can be due to the intrinsic complexity of a system with strong coupling between the electronic and elastic degrees of freedom. This leads to local energetically favourable configurations and provides a natural mechanism for the self-organized inhomogeneities over both nanometre and micrometre scales. The framework provides a physical understanding of various experimental results and a basis for engineering nanoscale patterns of metallic and insulating phases.

Half metallic ferromagnetism in tri-layered perovskites Sr{sub 4}T{sub 3}O{sub 10}(T = Co, Rh)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghimire, Madhav Prasad, E-mail: ghimire.mpg@gmail.com [Faculty of Science, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 3323, Khumaltar, Lalitpur (Nepal); International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0044 (Japan); Thapa, R. K.; Sandeep [Department of Physics, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796-004 (India); Rai, D. P. [Department of Physics, Pachhunga University College, Aizawl 796-001 (India); Sinha, T. P. [Department of Physics, Bose Institute, Kolkata 700-009 (India); Hu, Xiao [International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0044 (Japan)

2015-02-14

First-principles density functional theory (DFT) is used to investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of Sr{sub 4}Rh{sub 3}O{sub 10}, a member of the Ruddlesden-Popper series. Based on the DFT calculations taking into account the co-operative effect of Coulomb interaction (U) and spin-orbit couplings (SOC), Sr{sub 4}Rh{sub 3}O{sub 10} is found to be a half metallic ferromagnet (HMF) with total magnetic moment μ{sub tot} = 12 μ{sub B} per unit cell. The material has almost 100% spin-polarization at the Fermi level despite of sizable SOC. Replacement of Rh atom by the isovalent Co atom is considered. Upon full-replacement of Co, a low-spin to intermediate spin transition happens resulting in a HMF state with the total magnetic moment three-time larger (i.e., μ{sub tot} = 36 μ{sub B} per unit cell), compared to Sr{sub 4}Rh{sub 3}O{sub 10}. We propose Sr{sub 4}Rh{sub 3}O{sub 10} and Sr{sub 4}Co{sub 3}O{sub 10} as candidates of half metals.

Magnetic and electronic properties of half-metallic ferromagnetic Mn-stabilised zirconia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maznichenko, Igor; Daene, Markus; Hergert, Wolfram; Mertig, Ingrid [Martin-Luther-Univ. Halle-Wittenberg, Inst. Phys., 06099 Halle (Germany); Ernst, Arthur; Ostanin, Sergey; Sandratskii, Leonid; Bruno, Patrick [Max-Planck-Inst. Mikrostrukturphys., Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle (Germany); Bergqvist, Lars [Dept. Phys., Uppsala Univ., Box 530, 751 21 Uppsala (Sweden); Hughes, Ian; Staunton, Julie [Dept. Phys., Univ. Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Kudrnovsky, Josef [Max-Planck-Inst. Mikrostrukturphys., Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle (Germany); Inst. Phys., Acad. Sci. of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague (Czech Republic)

2007-07-01

The investigations of the manganese stabilised cubic zirconia (Mn-SZ) show that this dilute magnetic semiconductors possess unique magnetic properties. Based on ab-initio electronic structure calculations which include the effects of thermally excited magnetic fluctuations, the autors predict Mn-SZ to be ferromagnetic for a wide range of Mn concentration up to high T{sub C}. It was found that this material, which is well known both as a diamond imitation and as a catalyst, is halfmetallic with majority and minority spin states of the Mn impurities lying in the wide band gap of zirconia. The high T{sub C} ferromagnetism is robust against oxygen vacancies and against the distribution of Mn impurities on the Zr fcc sublattice. This work responds to the question concerning the key electronic and structure factors behind an optimal doping. The autors propose this stable half-metallic ferromagnet to be a promising candidate for future spintronics applications.

First principles investigation of half-metallicity and spin gapless semiconductor in CH3NH3Cr x Pb1- x I3 mixed perovskites

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, H. M.; Zhu, Z. W.; Zhang, C. K.; He, Z. D.; Luo, S. J.

2018-04-01

The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of organic-inorganic hybrid mixed perovskites CH3NH3Cr x Pb1- x I3 ( x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00) in cubic, tetragonal and orthorhombic phases have been investigated by first-principles calculation. The results indicate that the tetragonal CH3NH3Cr0.75Pb0.25I3 is a spin gapless semiconductor with Curie temperature of 663 K estimated using mean field approximation. All other CH3NH3Cr x Pb1- x I3 mixed perovskites are half-metallic ferromagnets together with 100% spin polarization, and their total magnetic moment are 4.00, 8.00, 12.00 and 16.00 µB per unit cell for x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00, respectively. The effect of , and orientation of organic cation CH3NH3 + on the electronic properties of CH3NH3Cr0.50Pb0.50I3 was investigated. The results show that the CH3NH3 + in different orientations have a slight effect on the lattice constants, the energy gap in minority-spin states, half-metallic gap, local magnetic moment, and Curie temperature.

Spin-dependent quasiparticle tunneling in junction superconductor-isolator-ferromagnetic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shlapak, Yu.V.; Shaternik, V.E.; Rudenko, E.M.

2001-01-01

The influence of Andreev reflection of quasiparticles in transparent tunnel junctions of superconductor-isolator-ferromagnetic on electric-current transport is studied within the framework of the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) model. It's obtained that current and signal-to-noise ratio can be increased for the memory cell by using in it the double-barrier tunnel junction ferromagnetic-isolator-superconductor-isolator-ferromagnetic instead off the usual tunnel junction ferromagnetic-isolator-ferromagnetic. The evolution of non-linear (tunnel-type) current-voltage characteristics with increasing of the junction transparency is described. (orig.)

First-Principle Predictions of Electronic Properties and Half-Metallic Ferromagnetism in Vanadium-Doped Rock-Salt SrO

Science.gov (United States)

Berber, Mohamed; Doumi, Bendouma; Mokaddem, Allel; Mogulkoc, Yesim; Sayede, Adlane; Tadjer, Abdelkader

2018-01-01

We have used first-principle methods of density functional theory within the full potential linearized augmented plane wave scheme to investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of cubic rock-salt, SrO, doped with vanadium (V) impurity as Sr1- x V x O at various concentrations, x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75. We have found that the ferromagnetic state arrangement of Sr1- x V x O is more stable compared to the anti-ferromagnetic state configuration. The electronic structures have a half-metallic (HM) ferromagnetic (F) behavior for Sr0.75V0.25O and Sr0.5V0.5O. This feature results from the metallic and semiconducting natures of majority-spin and minority-spin bands, respectively. The HMF gap decreases with the increasing concentration of vanadium atoms due to the broadening of 3 d (V) levels in the gap, and hence the Sr0.25V0.75O becomes metallic ferromagnetic. The Sr0.75V0.25O revealed a large HM gap with spin polarization of 100%. The Sr1- x V x O compound at low concentrations seems a better candidate to explore the half-metallicity for practical spintronics applications.

First-principles study on half-metallic ferromagnetic properties of Zn1- x V x Se ternary alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Khatta, Swati; Tripathi, S. K.; Prakash, Satya

2017-09-01

The spin-polarised density functional theory along with self-consistent plane-wave pseudopotential is used to investigate the half-metallic ferromagnetic properties of ternary alloys Zn1- x V x Se. The generalized gradient approximation is used for exchange-correlation potential. The equilibrium lattice constants, bulk modulus, and its derivatives are calculated. The calculated spin-polarised energy-band structures reveal that these alloys are half-metallic for x = 0.375 and 0.50 and nearly half-metallic for other values of x. The estimated direct and indirect bandgaps may be useful for the magneto-optical absorption experiments. It is found that there is strong Zn 4s, Se 4p, and V 3d orbital hybridization in the conduction bands of both the spins, while Se 4p and V 3d orbital hybridization predominates in the valence bands of both the spins. The s, p-d, and p-d orbital hybridization reduces the local magnetic moment of V atoms and small local magnetic moments are produced on Zn and Se atoms which get coupled with V atoms in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, respectively. The conduction and valence-band-edge splittings and exchange constants predict the ferromagnetism in these alloys. The conduction band-impurity (s and p-d) exchange interaction is more significant for ferromagnetism in these alloys than the valence band-impurity (p-d) exchange interaction.

Non-quasiparticle states in a half-metallic ferromagnet with antiferromagnetic s-d(f) interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Irkhin, V Yu

2015-04-22

Non-quasiparticle (incoherent) states which play an important role in the electronic structure of half-metallic ferromagnets (HMF) are investigated consistently in the case of antiferromagnetic s-d(f) exchange interaction. Their appropriate description in the limit of strong correlations requires a rearrangement of perturbation series in comparison with the usual Dyson equation. This consideration provides a solution of the Kondo problem in the HMF case and can be important for first-principle HMF calculations performed earlier for ferromagnetic s-d(f) interaction.

Peculiar long-range supercurrent in superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction containing a noncollinear magnetic domain in the ferromagnetic region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Hao, E-mail: menghao1982@shu.edu.cn [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001 (China); National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Wu, Xiuqiang [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Ren, Yajie [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001 (China)

2015-01-14

We study the supercurrent in clean superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructure containing a noncollinear magnetic domain in the ferromagnetic region. It is demonstrated that the magnetic domain can lead to a spin-flip scattering process, which reverses the spin orientations of the singlet Cooper pair and simultaneously changes the sign of the corresponding electronic momentum. If the ferromagnetic layers on both sides of magnetic domain have the same features, the long-range proximity effect will take place. That is because the singlet Cooper pair will create an exact phase-cancellation effect and gets an additional π phase shift as it passes through the entire ferromagnetic region. Then, the equal spin triplet pair only exists in the magnetic domain region and can not diffuse into the other two ferromagnetic layers. So, the supercurrent mostly arises from the singlet Cooper pairs, and the equal spin triplet pairs are not involved. This result can provide a approach for generating the long-range supercurrent.

Ferromagnetic half-metallic characteristic in bulk Ni 0.5M 0.5O (M=Cu, Zn and Cd): A GGAU study

KAUST Repository

Mi, Wenbo; Yang, Hua; Cheng, Yingchun; Bai, Haili

2012-01-01

Ferromagnetic half metallicity with a high spin polarization of 100% was predicted in the bulk Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O using density-functional theory method. The band gap of majority spin is 3.45 eV for Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O. The density of states of minority spin at the Fermi level are mainly from Cu 3d and O 2p in the Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O. The magnetic moments are from Ni 3d states. Ni 0.5Zn 0.5O and Ni 0.5Cd 0.5O systems are ferromagnetic insulators, but the magnetic moment of Ni 2 ions is enhanced by the Zn and Cd incorporation. Therefore, Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O is the potential candidate for spintronics devices because of the predicted high spin polarization. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ferromagnetic half-metallic characteristic in bulk Ni 0.5M 0.5O (M=Cu, Zn and Cd): A GGAU study

KAUST Repository

Mi, Wenbo

2012-07-01

Ferromagnetic half metallicity with a high spin polarization of 100% was predicted in the bulk Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O using density-functional theory method. The band gap of majority spin is 3.45 eV for Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O. The density of states of minority spin at the Fermi level are mainly from Cu 3d and O 2p in the Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O. The magnetic moments are from Ni 3d states. Ni 0.5Zn 0.5O and Ni 0.5Cd 0.5O systems are ferromagnetic insulators, but the magnetic moment of Ni 2 ions is enhanced by the Zn and Cd incorporation. Therefore, Ni 0.5Cu 0.5O is the potential candidate for spintronics devices because of the predicted high spin polarization. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Half-metallic perovskite superlattices with colossal thermoelectric figure of merit

KAUST Repository

Upadhyay Kahaly, M.; Ozdogan, K.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2013-01-01

Nowadays heavy experimental efforts are focussed on doped oxide thermoelectrics to increase the thermopower and thermoelectric performance. We propose a high thermoelectric figure of merit for half-metallic SrTi1−xCoxO3 (x = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5) in a superlattice with SrTiO3, which is stable at high temperatures and in an oxygen environment. The maximal value of Z hardly depends on the doping, while the temperature at which the maximum occurs increases with the Co concentration. The easy tunability from being an insulator to a half-metal under substitutional doping combined with the colossal figure of merit opens up great potential in the emerging field of spin-caloritronics.

Half-metallic perovskite superlattices with colossal thermoelectric figure of merit

KAUST Repository

Upadhyay Kahaly, M.

2013-05-09

Nowadays heavy experimental efforts are focussed on doped oxide thermoelectrics to increase the thermopower and thermoelectric performance. We propose a high thermoelectric figure of merit for half-metallic SrTi1−xCoxO3 (x = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5) in a superlattice with SrTiO3, which is stable at high temperatures and in an oxygen environment. The maximal value of Z hardly depends on the doping, while the temperature at which the maximum occurs increases with the Co concentration. The easy tunability from being an insulator to a half-metal under substitutional doping combined with the colossal figure of merit opens up great potential in the emerging field of spin-caloritronics.

Tunneling Evidence of Half-Metallic Ferromagnetism in La(0.7)Ca(0.3)MnO(3)

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, J. Y. T.; Yeh, N. C.; Vasquez, R. P.

1997-01-01

Direct experimental evidence of half-metallic density of states (DOS) is observed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy on ferromagnetic La(0.7)Ca(0.3)MnO(3) which exhibits colossal magnetoresistance (SMR).

arXiv Gauge Topological Nature of the Superconductor-Insulator Transition

CERN Document Server

Diamantini, M.C.; Lukyanchuk, I.; Vinokur, V.M.

It has long been believed that, at absolute zero, electrons can form only one quantum coherent state, a superconductor. Yet, several two dimensional superconducting systems were found to harbor the superinsulating state with infinite resistance, a mirror image of superconductivity, and a metallic state often referred to as Bose metal, characterized by finite longitudinal and vanishing Hall resistances. The nature of these novel and mysterious quantum coherent states is the subject of intense study.Here, we propose a topological gauge description of the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) that enables us to identify the underlying mechanism of superinsulation as Polyakov's linear confinement of Cooper pairs via instantons. We find a criterion defining conditions for either a direct SIT or for the SIT via the intermediate Bose metal and demonstrate that this Bose metal phase is a Mott topological insulator in which the Cooper pair-vortex liquid is frozen by Aharonov-Bohm interactions.

Electric-field-induced extremely large change in resistance in graphene ferromagnets

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yu

2018-01-01

A colossal magnetoresistance (˜100×10^3% ) and an extremely large magnetoresistance (˜1×10^6% ) have been previously explored in manganite perovskites and Dirac materials, respectively. However, the requirement of an extremely strong magnetic field (and an extremely low temperature) makes them not applicable for realistic devices. In this work, we propose a device that can generate even larger changes in resistance in a zero-magnetic field and at a high temperature. The device is composed of graphene under two strips of yttrium iron garnet (YIG), where two gate voltages are applied to cancel the heavy charge doping in the YIG-induced half-metallic ferromagnets. By calculations using the Landauer-Büttiker formalism, we demonstrate that, when a proper gate voltage is applied on the free ferromagnet, changes in resistance up to 305×10^6% (16×10^3% ) can be achieved at the liquid helium (nitrogen) temperature and in a zero magnetic field. We attribute such a remarkable effect to a gate-induced full-polarization reversal in the free ferromagnet, which results in a metal-state to insulator-state transition in the device. We also find that the proposed effect can be realized in devices using other magnetic insulators, such as EuO and EuS. Our work should be helpful for developing a realistic switching device that is energy saving and CMOS-technology compatible.

Disorder dependence of the magnetic moment of the half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb from first principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orgassa, D.; Fujiwara, H.; Schulthess, T. C.; Butler, W. H.

2000-01-01

Using half-metallic ferromagnets in spin-dependent devices, like spin valves and ferromagnetic tunnel junctions, is expected to increase the device performance. However, using the half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb in such devices led to much less than ideal results. One of the possible sources for this behavior is atomic disorder. First-principles calculations of the influence of atomic disorder on the electronic structure of NiMnSb underline the sensitivity of half-metallic properties in NiMnSb to atomic disorder. In this article, we report on the disorder dependence of the total magnetic moment calculated by applying the layer Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method in conjunction with the coherent potential approximation. We consider the following types of disorder: (1) intermixing of Ni and Mn, (2) partial occupancy of a normally vacant lattice site by Ni and Mn, and (3) partial occupancy of this site by Mn and Sb. In all cases the composition is kept stoichiometric. All three types of disorder decrease the moment monotonically with increasing disorder levels. For the experimentally seen disorder of 5% Mn and 5% Sb on the normally vacant lattice site, the total moment is decreased by 4.1%. The results suggest that precise measurement of the saturation magnetization of NiMnSb thin films can give information on the disorder. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Ab initio calculations of half-metallic ferromagnetism in Cr-doped MgSe and MgTe semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noor, N.A. [Department of Physics, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, 54590 Lahore (Pakistan); Alay-e-Abbas, S.M. [Department of Physics, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100 (Pakistan); Department of Physics, GC University Faisalabad, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad 38000 (Pakistan); Sohaib, M.U. [Lahore Development Authority, 54590 Lahore (Pakistan); Ghulam Abbas, S.M. [Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040 (Pakistan); Shaukat, A., E-mail: schaukat@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100 (Pakistan)

2015-01-15

The full-potential linear-augmented-plane-waves plus local-orbitals (FP-LAPW+lo) method has been employed for investigation of half-metallic ferromagnetism in Cr-doped ordered zinc-blende MgSe and MgTe semiconductors. Calculations of exchange and correlation (XC) effects have been carried out using generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and orbital independent modified Becke–Johnson potential coupled with local (spin) density approximation (mBJLDA). The thermodynamic stability of the compounds and their preferred magnetic orders have been analyzed in terms of the heat of formation and minimum total energy difference in ferromagnetic (FM) and anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) ordering, respectively. Calculated electronic properties reveal that the Cr-doping induces ferromagnetism in MgSe and MgTe which gives rise to a half-metallic (HM) gap at Fermi level (E{sub F}). Further, the electronic band structure is discussed in terms of s (p)–d exchange constants that are consistent with typical magneto-optical experiment and the behavior of charge spin densities is presented for understanding the bonding nature. Our results demonstrate that the higher effective potential for the spin-down case is responsible for p–d exchange splitting. Total magnetic moment (mainly due to Cr-d states) of these compounds is 4µ{sub B}. Importantly, the electronic properties and HM gap obtained using mBJLDA show remarkable improvement as compared to the results obtained using standard GGA functional. - Highlights: • Spin effect theoretical study on Cr-doped MgSe and MgTe is performed. • Half-metallic ferromagnetism in Cr{sub x}Mg{sub 1−x}Se and Cr{sub x}Mg{sub 1−x}Te is established. • Results of WC-GGA and mBJLDA are compared for performance. • HM gaps for Cr{sub x}Mg{sub 1−x}Se and Cr{sub x}Mg{sub 1−x}Te show nonlinear variation with x. • Important values of exchange splitting/constants and moments are reported.

Topological insulators and superconductors from string theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Shinsei; Takayanagi, Tadashi

2010-01-01

Topological insulators and superconductors in different spatial dimensions and with different discrete symmetries have been fully classified recently, revealing a periodic structure for the pattern of possible types of topological insulators and superconductors, both in terms of spatial dimensions and in terms of symmetry classes. It was proposed that K theory is behind the periodicity. On the other hand, D-branes, a solitonic object in string theory, are also known to be classified by K theory. In this paper, by inspecting low-energy effective field theories realized by two parallel D-branes, we establish a one-to-one correspondence between the K-theory classification of topological insulators/superconductors and D-brane charges. In addition, the string theory realization of topological insulators and superconductors comes naturally with gauge interactions, and the Wess-Zumino term of the D-branes gives rise to a gauge field theory of topological nature, such as ones with the Chern-Simons term or the θ term in various dimensions. This sheds light on topological insulators and superconductors beyond noninteracting systems, and the underlying topological field theory description thereof. In particular, our string theory realization includes the honeycomb lattice Kitaev model in two spatial dimensions, and its higher-dimensional extensions. Increasing the number of D-branes naturally leads to a realization of topological insulators and superconductors in terms of holography (AdS/CFT).

First-principles study on half-metallic ferromagnetic properties of Zn{sub 1-x}V{sub x}Se ternary alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khatta, Swati; Tripathi, S.K.; Prakash, Satya [Panjab University, Central of Advanced Study in Physics, Department of Physics, Chandigarh (India)

2017-09-15

The spin-polarised density functional theory along with self-consistent plane-wave pseudopotential is used to investigate the half-metallic ferromagnetic properties of ternary alloys Zn{sub 1-x}V{sub x}Se. The generalized gradient approximation is used for exchange-correlation potential. The equilibrium lattice constants, bulk modulus, and its derivatives are calculated. The calculated spin-polarised energy-band structures reveal that these alloys are half-metallic for x = 0.375 and 0.50 and nearly half-metallic for other values of x. The estimated direct and indirect bandgaps may be useful for the magneto-optical absorption experiments. It is found that there is strong Zn 4s, Se 4p, and V 3d orbital hybridization in the conduction bands of both the spins, while Se 4p and V 3d orbital hybridization predominates in the valence bands of both the spins. The s, p-d, and p-d orbital hybridization reduces the local magnetic moment of V atoms and small local magnetic moments are produced on Zn and Se atoms which get coupled with V atoms in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, respectively. The conduction and valence-band-edge splittings and exchange constants predict the ferromagnetism in these alloys. The conduction band-impurity (s and p-d) exchange interaction is more significant for ferromagnetism in these alloys than the valence band-impurity (p-d) exchange interaction. (orig.)

Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-20

Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 20120321 - 20150320 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Topological insulators and superconductors for innovative...locking, which hold promise for various innovative devices. Similarly, topological superconductors are associated with exotic surface states, which...298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Final Report Title: Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

Quantum critical singularities in two-dimensional metallic XY ferromagnets

Science.gov (United States)

Varma, Chandra M.; Gannon, W. J.; Aronson, M. C.; Rodriguez-Rivera, J. A.; Qiu, Y.

2018-02-01

An important problem in contemporary physics concerns quantum-critical fluctuations in metals. A scaling function for the momentum, frequency, temperature, and magnetic field dependence of the correlation function near a 2D-ferromagnetic quantum-critical point (QCP) is constructed, and its singularities are determined by comparing to the recent calculations of the correlation functions of the dissipative quantum XY model (DQXY). The calculations are motivated by the measured properties of the metallic compound YFe2Al10 , which is a realization of the DQXY model in 2D. The frequency, temperature, and magnetic field dependence of the scaling function as well as the singularities measured in the experiments are given by the theory without adjustable exponents. The same model is applicable to the superconductor-insulator transitions, classes of metallic AFM-QCPs, and as fluctuations of the loop-current ordered state in hole-doped cuprates. The results presented here lend credence to the solution found for the 2D-DQXY model and its applications in understanding quantum-critical properties of diverse systems.

Field-induced resistance switching at metal/perovskite manganese oxide interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohkubo, I.; Tsubouchi, K.; Harada, T.; Kumigashira, H.; Itaka, K.; Matsumoto, Y.; Ohnishi, T.; Lippmaa, M.; Koinuma, H.; Oshima, M.

2008-01-01

Planar type metal/insulator/metal structures composed of an epitaxial perovskite manganese oxide layer and various metal electrodes were prepared for electric-field-induced resistance switching. Only the electrode pairs including Al show good resistance switching and the switching ratio reaches its maximum of 1000. This resistance switching occurs around the interface between Al electrodes and epitaxial perovskite manganese oxide thin films

Half-metallic and insulating natures in Ru-based ordered double perovskite oxides Ba_2X"I"I"IRu"VO_6 (X = V, Cr) induced by 3d-t_2_g"n orbital filling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, H.-E.M. Musa; Althoyaib, S.S.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present results of a comprehensive systemic study of the crystal, electronic and magnetic structures on two members of Ru-based ordered double perovskite oxides Ba_2XRuO_6 (X = V, Cr). For the corporate compound, the analysis of density of states (DOS) results suggests that the 3d-t_2_g orbital filling plays a major role in governing the conduction mechanism in these systems. The DOS and magnetic results show that Ba_2XRuO_6 exhibits half-metallic (HM) nature as X = V, where the electronic structure of Ba_2V"I"I"IRu"VO_6 with 3d-t_2_g"2 behaves like that of HM ferrimagnetic (FI), switches to compensate FI insulating behavior as X = Cr, with an extra electron filled 3d-t_2_g"3 in Ba_2Cr"I"I"IRu"VO_6. We find, on consideration of electron correlation (LSDA+U) and spin-orbital coupling (SOC) effects that the electronic structure of Ba_2XRuO_6 takes a HM nature, whereas it is completely transformed to insulating nature once an extra electron filled the 3d-t_2_g orbitals in X = Cr case. Such tuning is accompanied by spin-state hopping of one electron from half-filled spin-state in Ru"V (t_2_g"3 e_g"0) to two and three occupied spin-state in V"I"I"I (t_2_g"2 e_g"0) and Cr"I"I"I (t_2_g"3 e_g"0), respectively. The charge distribution results show that this extra electron occupies chiefly the spin-down of conduction orbitals and plays a major role in determining the electronic and magnetic structures of Ba_2XRuO_6 system. - Highlights: • Half-metallic and insulating natures are observed in Ba_2XRuO_6 (X = V, Cr). • 3d-t_2_g"n orbitals filling plays a major role in governing the conduction mechanism. • LSDA+U method under density functional theory (DFT) is considered. • HM ferrimagnetic (FI) (X = V) switch to compensate FI insulating (X = Cr).

Half-metallic ferromagnetism in Fe-doped Zn3P2 from first-principles calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaiganesh, G.; Jaya, S. Mathi

2014-01-01

Using the first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory, we have studied the magnetism and electronic structure of Fe-doped Zinc Phosphide (Zn 3 P 2 ). Our results show that the half-metallic ground state and ferromagnetic stability for the small Fe concentrations considered in our study. The stability of the doped material has been studied by calculating the heat of formation and analyzing the minimum total energies in nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic phases. A large value of the magnetic moment is obtained from our calculations and our calculation suggests that the Fe-doped Zn 3 P 2 may be a useful material in semiconductor spintronics

Photoemission study of electronic structure of the half-metallic ferromagnet Co₃Sn₂S₂

OpenAIRE

Holder, M.; Dedkov, Y.; Kade, A.; Rosner, H.; Schnelle, W.; Leithe-Jasper, A.; Weihrich, R.; Molodtsov, S.

2009-01-01

Surface electronic structure of polycrystalline and single-crystalline samples of the half-metallic ferromagnet Co₃Sn₂S₂ was studied by means of angle-resolved and core-level photoemissions. The experiments were performed in temperature regimes both above and below a Curie temperature of 176.9 K. The spectroscopic results are compared to local-spin density approximation band-structure calculations for the bulk samples. It is found that the surface sensitive experimental data are generally rep...

The half-metallic ferromagnetism character in Be1−xVxY (Y=Se and Te) alloys: An ab-initio study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajjad, M.; Manzoor, Sadia; Zhang, H.X.; Noor, N.A.; Alay-e-Abbas, S.M.; Shaukat, A.; Khenata, R.

2015-01-01

Ab-initio calculations for V-doped BeSe and BeTe semiconductors are performed by means of all-electrons full-potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) method. The structural properties are optimized using the Wu-Cohen generalized gradient approximation functional, whereas modified Becke and Jhonson local density approximation functional has been employed for evaluating the spin-polarized electronic and magnetic properties. Magnetic stability at various doping concentrations in ferromagnetic (FM) and anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) ordering is investigated by comparing the minimum total energies and enthalpies of formation (ΔH). Studied band structures, density of states, total energy, exchange interactions and magnetic moments manifest both alloys with half-metallic ferromagnetic behavior. Moreover, their valance bands are found to be paired ferromagnetically with V atoms. Furthermore, it was observed that the magnetic moment of vanadium atom reduces from free space charge value due to p–d hybridization which yields small magnetic moments on the Be, Se and Te sites. - Highlights: • Density functional calculations for V-doped BeSe and BeTe are performed. • V-doped BeSe and BeTe are found to be stable half-metallic ferromagnetism. • Improved electronic properties are achieved using mBJLDA which confirm HMF. • The half-metallic gaps show non-linear variation with increasing dopant concentration

Topological insulators and superconductors: tenfold way and dimensional hierarchy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Shinsei; Schnyder, Andreas P; Furusaki, Akira; Ludwig, Andreas W W

2010-01-01

It has recently been shown that in every spatial dimension there exist precisely five distinct classes of topological insulators or superconductors. Within a given class, the different topological sectors can be distinguished, depending on the case, by a Z or a Z 2 topological invariant. This is an exhaustive classification. Here we construct representatives of topological insulators and superconductors for all five classes and in arbitrary spatial dimension d, in terms of Dirac Hamiltonians. Using these representatives we demonstrate how topological insulators (superconductors) in different dimensions and different classes can be related via 'dimensional reduction' by compactifying one or more spatial dimensions (in 'Kaluza-Klein'-like fashion). For Z-topological insulators (superconductors) this proceeds by descending by one dimension at a time into a different class. The Z 2 -topological insulators (superconductors), on the other hand, are shown to be lower-dimensional descendants of parent Z-topological insulators in the same class, from which they inherit their topological properties. The eightfold periodicity in dimension d that exists for topological insulators (superconductors) with Hamiltonians satisfying at least one reality condition (arising from time-reversal or charge-conjugation/particle-hole symmetries) is a reflection of the eightfold periodicity of the spinor representations of the orthogonal groups SO(N) (a form of Bott periodicity). Furthermore, we derive for general spatial dimensions a relation between the topological invariant that characterizes topological insulators and superconductors with chiral symmetry (i.e., the winding number) and the Chern-Simons invariant. For lower-dimensional cases, this formula relates the winding number to the electric polarization (d=1 spatial dimensions) or to the magnetoelectric polarizability (d=3 spatial dimensions). Finally, we also discuss topological field theories describing the spacetime theory of

Half-metallic zinc-blende pnictides in real environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Lijie; Liu Banggui

2005-01-01

The structural stability of half-metallic zinc-blende pnictides and the robustness of their half-metallic ferromagnetism in the presence of tetragonal and orthorhombic crystalline deformations are studied using a full-potential linear augmented plane wave method within the density-functional theory. The total energies of zinc-blende MnAs, CrAs, and CrSb are proved to increase with deformation increase, in contrast to those of other zinc-blende half-metallic pnictides, and therefore these three are stable against the deformations but the others are not. This is consistent with the experimental fact that only these three have been fabricated. On the other hand, the half-metallic ferromagnetism of the latter two is proved to be robust enough to survive large crystal deformations. This implies that half-metallic ferromagnetism may be achieved experimentally even in substantially deformed zinc-blende ultrathin films or layers of CrAs and CrSb in real environments

Lattice effects on ferromagnetism in perovskite ruthenates

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, J.-G.; Zhou, J.-S.; Goodenough, John B.

2013-01-01

Ferromagnetism and its evolution in the orthorhombic perovskite system Sr1–xCaxRuO3 have been widely believed to correlate with structural distortion. The recent development of high-pressure synthesis of the Ba-substituted Sr1–yBayRuO3 makes it possible to study ferromagnetism over a broader phase diagram, which includes the orthorhombic Imma and the cubic phases. However, the chemical substitutions introduce the A-site disorder effect on Tc, which complicates determination of the relationship between ferromagnetism and structural distortion. By clarifying the site disorder effect on Tc in several unique series of ruthenates in which the average bond length 〈A–O〉 remains the same but the bond-length variance varies, we are able to demonstrate a parabolic curve of Tc versus mean bond length 〈A–O〉. A much higher Tc ∼ 177 K than that found in orthorhombic SrRuO3 can be obtained from the curve at a bond length 〈A–O〉, which makes the geometric factor t = 〈A–O〉/(√2〈Ru–O〉) ∼ 1. This result reveals not only that the ferromagnetism in the ruthenates is extremely sensitive to the lattice strain, but also that it has an important implication for exploring the structure–property relationship in a broad range of oxides with perovskite or a perovskite-related structure. PMID:23904477

Theory of Josephson effect in d-wave superconductor/diffusive ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2007-01-01

We study Josephson effect in d-wave superconductor/diffusive ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor junctions, changing the exchange field and the angles between the normal to the interfaces and the crystal axes of d-wave superconductors. We find a 0–π transition at a certain value of the exchange field.

Electronic heat, charge and spin transport in superconductor-ferromagnetic insulator structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergeret, Sebastian [Materials Physics Center (CFM-CSIC), San Sebastian (Spain); Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastian (Spain)

2015-07-01

It is known for some time that a superconducting (S) film in contact with a ferromagnetic insulator (FI) exhibits a spin-splitting in the density of states (DoS). Recently we have explored different S-FI hybrid structures and predicted novel effects exploiting such spin-splitting of the DoS. In this talk I will briefly discuss (i) a heat valve based on a FI-S-I-S-FI Josephson junction; (ii) a thermoelectric transistor and (iii) the occurrence of a giant thermophase in a thermally-biased Josephson junction.

Unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in topological insulator/ferromagnetic layer heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Kally, James; Lv, Yang; Zhang, Delin; Lee, Joon Sue; Samarth, Nitin; Wang, Jian-Ping; Department of Electrical; Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Collaboration; Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University Collaboration

The surface states of topological insulators offer a potentially very efficient way to generate spins and spin-orbit torques to magnetic moments in proximity. The switching by spin-orbit torque itself only requires two terminals so that a charge current can be applied. However, a third terminal with additional magnetic tunneling junction structure is needed to sense the magnetization state if such devices are used for memory and logic applications. The recent discovery of unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in heavy metal/ferromagnetic and topological insulator/magnetically doped topological insulator systems offers an alternative way to sense magnetization while still keeping the number of terminals to minimal two. The unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in topological insulator/strong ferromagnetic layer heterostructure system has yet not been reported. In this work, we report our experimental observations of such magnetoresistance. It is found to be present and comparable to the best result of the previous reported Ta/Co systems in terms of magnetoresistance per current density per total resistance.

Unidirectional spin-Hall and Rashba-Edelstein magnetoresistance in topological insulator-ferromagnet layer heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Yang; Kally, James; Zhang, Delin; Lee, Joon Sue; Jamali, Mahdi; Samarth, Nitin; Wang, Jian-Ping

2018-01-09

The large spin-orbit coupling in topological insulators results in helical spin-textured Dirac surface states that are attractive for topological spintronics. These states generate an efficient spin-orbit torque on proximal magnetic moments. However, memory or logic spin devices based upon such switching require a non-optimal three-terminal geometry, with two terminals for the writing current and one for reading the state of the device. An alternative two-terminal device geometry is now possible by exploiting the recent discovery of the unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in heavy metal/ferromagnet bilayers and unidirectional magnetoresistance in magnetic topological insulators. Here, we report the observation of such unidirectional magnetoresistance in a technologically relevant device geometry that combines a topological insulator with a conventional ferromagnetic metal. Our devices show a figure of merit (magnetoresistance per current density per total resistance) that is more than twice as large as the highest reported values in all-metal Ta/Co bilayers.

The half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb; a positron-annihilation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanssen, K.

1988-04-01

The electronic structure of NiMnSb is investigated by means of spin-polarized measurements of the angular correlation of annihilation radiation. NiMnSb is predicted to be a half-metallic ferromagnet. The experimental set-up and the application of the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) method to the calculation of the two-photon momentum density are discussed. To interpret the experimental data, the electronic structure, the Fermi surface and the two-photon momentum density have been calculated according to the KKR method. The calculations, based on self-consistent potentials evaluated according to the augmented-spherical-wave method, were performed scalar-relativistically. From the measured distribution the sum and difference of the spin-dependent momentum densities are obtained once integrated along three different directions in p(over→) space, namely , and . The distributions show a clear impression of the majority-spin Fermi-surface. A good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment is established. From this analysis a value for the 'three-photon-difference effect' in NiMnSb is established of (8.4±0.1).10 -3 . To test in particular the half-metallic nature of the band structure the experimental distributions are compared with theoretical ones obtained from modelled band structures in which small numbers of electrons near the Fermi level are transferred from one spin population to the other. The best agreement is obtained for a band occupation in which no electrons are transferred, i.e. for the half-metallic state

Photoemission study of electronic structure of the half-metallic ferromagnet Co3Sn2S2

Science.gov (United States)

Holder, M.; Dedkov, Yu. S.; Kade, A.; Rosner, H.; Schnelle, W.; Leithe-Jasper, A.; Weihrich, R.; Molodtsov, S. L.

2009-05-01

Surface electronic structure of polycrystalline and single-crystalline samples of the half-metallic ferromagnet Co3Sn2S2 was studied by means of angle-resolved and core-level photoemissions. The experiments were performed in temperature regimes both above and below a Curie temperature of 176.9 K. The spectroscopic results are compared to local-spin density approximation band-structure calculations for the bulk samples. It is found that the surface sensitive experimental data are generally reproduced by the bulk computation suggesting that the theoretically predicted half-metallic properties of Co3Sn2S2 are retained at the surface.

Superconducting magnetoresistance in ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Stamopoulos, D; Aristomenopoulou, E

2015-08-26

Magnetoresistance is a multifaceted effect reflecting the diverse transport mechanisms exhibited by different kinds of plain materials and hybrid nanostructures; among other, giant, colossal, and extraordinary magnetoresistance versions exist, with the notation indicative of the intensity. Here we report on the superconducting magnetoresistance observed in ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayers, namely Co/Nb/Co trilayers, subjected to a parallel external magnetic field equal to the coercive field. By manipulating the transverse stray dipolar fields that originate from the out-of-plane magnetic domains of the outer layers that develop at coercivity, we can suppress the supercurrent of the interlayer. We experimentally demonstrate a scaling of the magnetoresistance magnitude that we reproduce with a closed-form phenomenological formula that incorporates relevant macroscopic parameters and microscopic length scales of the superconducting and ferromagnetic structural units. The generic approach introduced here can be used to design novel cryogenic devices that completely switch the supercurrent 'on' and 'off', thus exhibiting the ultimate magnetoresistance magnitude 100% on a regular basis.

pi-phase magnetism in ferromagnetic-superconductor superlattices

CERN Document Server

Khusainov, M G; Proshin, Y N

2001-01-01

The Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fylde-Ferrel new 0 pi- and pi pi-states are forecasted for the ferromagnetic metal/superconductor superlattices with antiferromagnetic magnetization orientation in the neighbouring layers. The above-mentioned states are characterized under certain conditions by higher critical temperature T sub c as compared to the earlier known LOFF 00- and pi 0-states with the FM-layers ferromagnetic ordering. It is shown that the nonmonotonous behavior of the T sub c of the FM/S superlattices by the thickness of the S-layers lower than the d sub s suppi value is connected with the cascades of the 0 pi-pi pi-0 pi phase transitions. The character of the T sub c oscillations by the d sub s > d sub s suppi is related to the 00-pi 0-00 transitions. The logical elements of the new type, combining the advantages of the superconducting and magnetic information recording in one sample are proposed on the basis of the FM/S superlattices

Topological insulators and topological superconductors

CERN Document Server

Bernevig, Andrei B

2013-01-01

This graduate-level textbook is the first pedagogical synthesis of the field of topological insulators and superconductors, one of the most exciting areas of research in condensed matter physics. Presenting the latest developments, while providing all the calculations necessary for a self-contained and complete description of the discipline, it is ideal for graduate students and researchers preparing to work in this area, and it will be an essential reference both within and outside the classroom. The book begins with simple concepts such as Berry phases, Dirac fermions, Hall conductance and its link to topology, and the Hofstadter problem of lattice electrons in a magnetic field. It moves on to explain topological phases of matter such as Chern insulators, two- and three-dimensional topological insulators, and Majorana p-wave wires. Additionally, the book covers zero modes on vortices in topological superconductors, time-reversal topological superconductors, and topological responses/field theory and topolo...

Topological insulators/superconductors: Potential future electronic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hor, Y. S.

2014-01-01

A new material called topological insulator has been discovered and becomes one of the fastest growing field in condensed matter physics. Topological insulator is a new quantum phase of matter which has Dirac-like conductivity on its surface, but bulk insulator through its interior. It is considered a challenging problem for the surface transport measurements because of dominant internal conductance due to imperfections of the existing crystals of topological insulators. By a proper method, the internal bulk conduction can be suppressed in a topological insulator, and permit the detection of the surface currents which is necessary for future fault-tolerant quantum computing applications. Doped topological insulators have depicted a large variety of bulk physical properties ranging from magnetic to superconducting behaviors. By chemical doping, a TI can change into a bulk superconductor. Nb x Bi 2 Se 3 is shown to be a superconductor with T c ∼ 3.2 K, which could be a potential candidate for a topological superconductor

Effect of shear stress on electromagnetic behaviors in superconductor-ferromagnetic bilayer structure

Science.gov (United States)

Yong, Huadong; Zhao, Meng; Jing, Ze; Zhou, Youhe

2014-09-01

In this paper, the electromagnetic response and shielding behaviour of superconductor-ferromagnetic bilayer structure are studied. The magnetomechanical coupling in ferromagnetic materials is also considered. Based on the linear piezomagnetic coupling model and anti-plane shear deformation, the current density and magnetic field in superconducting strip are obtained firstly. The effect of shear stress on the magnetization of strip is discussed. Then, we consider the magnetic cloak for superconductor-ferromagnetic bilayer structure. The magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic material is obtained for perfect cloaking in uniform magnetic field with magnetomechanical coupling in ferromagnet. The simulation results show that the electromagnetic response in superconductors will change by applying the stress only to the ferromagnetic material. In addition, the performance of invisibility of structure for non-uniform field will be affected by mechanical stress. It may provide a method to achieve tunability of superconducting properties with mechanical loadings.

Tunneling magnetoresistance in junctions composed of ferromagnets and time-reversal invariant topological superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Zhongbo; Wan, Shaolong

2016-01-01

Tunneling magnetoresistance between two ferrromagnets is an issue of fundamental importance in spintronics. In this work, we show that tunneling magnetoresistance can also emerge in junctions composed of ferromagnets and time-reversal invariant topological superconductors without spin-rotation symmetry. Here the physical origin is that when the spin-polarization direction of an injected electron from the ferromagnet lies in the same plane of the spin-polarization direction of Majorana zero modes, the electron will undergo a perfect spin-equal Andreev reflection, while injected electrons with other spin-polarization directions will be partially Andreev reflected and partially normal reflected, which consequently has a lower conductance, and therefore, the magnetoresistance effect emerges. Compared to conventional magnetic tunnel junctions, an unprecedented advantage of the junctions studied here is that arbitrary high tunneling magnetoresistance can be obtained even when the magnetization of the ferromagnets are weak and the insulating tunneling barriers are featureless. Our findings provide a new fascinating mechanism to obtain high tunneling magnetoresistance. (paper)

P-wave holographic superconductor/insulator phase transitions affected by dark matter sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogatko, Marek; Wysokinski, Karol I.

2016-01-01

The holographic approach to building the p-wave superconductors results in three different models: the Maxwell-vector, the SU(2) Yang-Mills and the helical. In the probe limit approximation, we analytically examine the properties of the first two models in the theory with dark matter sector. It turns out that the effect of dark matter on the Maxwell-vector p-wave model is the same as on the s-wave superconductor studied earlier. For the non-Abelian model we study the phase transitions between p-wave holographic insulator/superconductor and metal/superconductor. Studies of marginally stable modes in the theory under consideration allow us to determine features of p-wave holographic droplet in a constant magnetic field. The dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the coupling constant α to the dark matter sector is affected by the dark matter density ρ_D. For ρ_D>ρ the transition temperature is a decreasing function of α. The critical chemical potential μ_c for the quantum phase transition between insulator and metal depends on the chemical potential of dark matter μ_D and for μ_D=0 is a decreasing function of α.

Magnetoresistance and magnetic properties of the double perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philipp, J.B.; Majewski, P.; Resinger, D.; Gepraegs, S; Opel, M.; Reb, A.; Alff, L.; Gross, R.

2004-01-01

The magnetic double perovskite materials of composition A 2 BB'O 6 with A an alkaline earth ion and B and B' a magnetic and non-magnetic transition metal or lanthanide ions, respectively, have attracted considerable attention due to their interesting magnetic properties ranging from antiferromagnetism to geometrically frustrated spin systems and ferromagnetism. With respect to application in spin electronics, the ferromagnetic double perovskites with BB' = CrW, CrRe, FeMo or FeRe and A = Ca, Ba, Sr are highly interesting due to their in most cases high Curie temperatures well above room temperature and their half-magnetic behaviour. Here, we summarize the structural, magnetotransport, magnetic and optical properties of the ferromagnetic double perovskites and discuss the underlying physics. In particular, we discuss the impact of the steric effects resulting in a distorted perovskite structure, doping effects obtained by a partial replacing of the divalent alkaline earth ions on the A site by a trivalent lanthanide as well as B/B' cationic disorder on the Curie temperature T C , the saturation magnetization and the magnetotransport properties. Our results support the presence of a kinetic energy driven mechanism in the ferromagnetic double perovskites, where ferromagnetism is stabilised by a hybridization of states of the non-magnetic B'- site positioned in between the high spin B-sites. (author)

An Angle Resolved Photoemission Study of a Mott Insulator and Its Evolution to a High Temperature Superconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ronning, Filip

2002-03-19

One of the most remarkable facts about the high temperature superconductors is their close proximity to an antiferromagnetically ordered Mott insulating phase. This fact suggests that to understand superconductivity in the cuprates we must first understand the insulating regime. Due to material properties the technique of angle resolved photoemission is ideally suited to study the electronic structure in the cuprates. Thus, a natural starting place to unlocking the secrets of high Tc would appears to be with a photoemission investigation of insulating cuprates. This dissertation presents the results of precisely such a study. In particular, we have focused on the compound Ca{sub 2-x}Na{sub x}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}. With increasing Na content this system goes from an antiferromagnetic Mott insulator with a Neel transition of 256K to a superconductor with an optimal transition temperature of 28K. At half filling we have found an asymmetry in the integrated spectral weight, which can be related to the occupation probability, n(k). This has led us to identify a d-wave-like dispersion in the insulator, which in turn implies that the high energy pseudogap as seen by photoemission is a remnant property of the insulator. These results are robust features of the insulator which we found in many different compounds and experimental conditions. By adding Na we were able to study the evolution of the electronic structure across the insulator to metal transition. We found that the chemical potential shifts as holes are doped into the system. This picture is in sharp contrast to the case of La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} where the chemical potential remains fixed and states are created inside the gap. Furthermore, the low energy excitations (ie the Fermi surface) in metallic Ca{sub 1.9}Na{sub 0.1}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} is most well described as a Fermi arc, although the high binding energy features reveal the presence of shadow bands. Thus, the results in this dissertation provide a

Spin-transport-phenomena in metals, semiconductors, and insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Althammer, Matthias Klaus

2012-07-19

Assuming that one could deterministically inject, transport, manipulate, store and detect spin information in solid state devices, the well-established concepts of charge-based electronics could be transferred to the spin realm. This thesis explores the injection, transport, manipulation and storage of spin information in metallic conductors, semiconductors, as well as electrical insulators. On the one hand, we explore the spin-dependent properties of semiconducting zinc oxide thin films deposited via laser-molecular beam epitaxy (laser-MBE). After demonstrating that the zinc oxide films fabricated during this thesis have excellent structural, electrical, and optical properties, we investigate the spin-related properties by optical pump/probe, electrical injection/optical detection, and all electrical spin valve-based experiments. The two key results from these experiments are: (i) Long-lived spin states with spin dephasing times of 10 ns at 10 K related to donor bound excitons can be optically addressed. (ii) The spin dephasing times relevant for electrical transport-based experiments are {<=} 2 ns at 10 K and are correlated with structural quality. On the other hand we focus on two topics of current scientific interest: the comparison of the magnetoresistance to the magnetothermopower of conducting ferromagnets, and the investigation of pure spin currents generated in ferromagnetic insulator/normal metal hybrid structures. We investigate the magnetoresistance and magnetothermopower of gallium manganese arsenide and Heusler thin films as a function of external magnetic field orientation. Using a series expansion of the resistivity and Seebeck tensors and the inherent symmetry of the sample's crystal structure, we show that a full quantitative extraction of the transport tensors from such experiments is possible. Regarding the spin currents in ferromagnetic insulator/normal metal hybrid structures we studied the spin mixing conductance in yttrium iron garnet

Half-metallic ferromagnetism in full-Heusler compounds ACaX2 (A = K and Rb; X = N and O)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umamaheswari, R.; Vijayalakshmi, D.; Yogeswari, M.; Kalpana, G.

2014-01-01

Electronic structure and magnetic properties of hypothetical ACaX 2 (A = K and Rb; X= N and O) compounds in full-Heusler phase have been investigated based on density functional theory (DFT) within the local density approximation (LDA). The electronic band structures and density of states of these compounds show that the spin-down electrons have metallic, and the spin-up electrons have a semi conducting gap resulting in stable half-metallic ferromagnetic behaviour. The strong spin polarization of 2p states of N and O atoms is found to be the origin of ferromagnetism which results in a total magnetic moment of 3 μB and 1 μB respectively

Room temperature ferromagnetism and half metallicity in nickel doped ZnS: Experimental and DFT studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akhtar, Muhammad Saeed [School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Centre of Excellence in Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590 (Pakistan); Malik, Mohammad Azad, E-mail: Azad.malik@manchester.ac.uk [School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Riaz, Saira; Naseem, Shahzad [Centre of Excellence in Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590 (Pakistan)

2015-06-15

The nickel doped nanocrystalline ZnS thin films were deposited onto glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD). Also ZnS:Ni nanoparticles were synthesized by CBD/co-precipitation method. Powder X-ray diffraction (p-XRD) studies demonstrate that both thin films and nanoparticles correspond to sphalerite (cubic) phase of ZnS with slight shift towards higher 2θ values due to incorporation of nickel in the ZnS lattice. The crystallite sizes estimated by Scherrer equation were 4 and 2.6 nm for ZnNiS thin films and nanoparticles, respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images reveal that the morphology of thin films is based on quasi-spherical particles with nano scale dimensions. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy confirms that the as-deposited thin films have a stoichiometry consistent with the nickel doped ZnS. Full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-L/APW) method based on spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) was employed to investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of ZnNiS for the doping concentration. Exchange-correlation functional was studied using generalized gradient approximation (GGA + U) method. Electronic band structures and density of states (DOS) demonstrate 100% spin polarization (half metallicity) with ferromagnetic exchange interactions. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) analysis confirms the theoretical observation of ferromagnetism in nickel doped ZnS. These ZnS based half metallic ferromagnets seem to have virtuous applications in future spintronic devices. - Highlights: • ZnS.Ni thin films and nanoparticles were deposited onto glass substrates by CBD. • p-XRD correspond to sphalerite (cubic) phase of ZnS with slight shift in peaks. • DFT was employed to investigate the properties of ZnS.Ni. • DOS demonstrate 100% spin polarization with ferromagnetic exchange interactions. • SQUID analysis confirms the theoretical observations of nickel doped ZnS.

Meissner effect in diffusive normal metal/d-wave superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, Takehito; Tanaka, Yukio; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Inoue, Jun-ichiro; Asano, Yasuhiro

2005-01-01

The Meissner effect in diffusive normal metal/insulator/d-wave superconductor junctions is studied theoretically in the framework of the Usadel equation under the generalized boundary condition. The effect of midgap Andreev resonant states (MARS) formed at the interface of d-wave superconductor is

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism in topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Duming

exist when topological insulators are interfaced with superconductors. The observation of Majorana fermions would not only be fundamentally important, but would also lead to applications in fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. By interfacing topological insulator nanoribbons with superconducting electrodes, we observe distinct signatures of proximity-induced superconductivity, which is found to be present in devices with channel lengths that are much longer than the normal transport characteristic lengths. This might suggest preferential coupling of the proximity effect to a ballistic surface channel of the topological insulator. In addition, when the electrodes are in the superconducting state, we observe periodic magnetoresistance oscillations which suggest the formation of vortices in the proximity-induced region of the nanoribbons. Our results demonstrate that proximity-induced superconductivity and vortices can be realized in our nanoribbon geometry, which accomplishes a first important step towards the search for Majorana fermions in condensed matter. In Chapter 5, I will discuss experiments on a magnetically-doped topological insulator (Mn-doped Bi2Se3) to induce a surface state gap. The metallic Dirac cone surface states of a topological insulator are expected to be protected against small perturbations by time-reversal symmetry. However, these surface states can be dramatically modified and a finite energy gap can be opened at the Dirac point by breaking the time-reversal symmetry via magnetic doping. The interplay between magnetism and topological surface states is predicted to yield novel phenomena of fundamental interest such as a topological magneto-electric effect, a quantized anomalous Hall effect, and the induction of magnetic monopoles. Our systematic measurements reveal a close correlation between the onset of ferromagnetism and quantum corrections to diffusive transport, which crosses over from the symplectic (weak anti-localization) to the

Possibility of a ferromagnetic and conducting metal-organic network

Science.gov (United States)

Mabrouk, Manel; Hayn, Roland; Denawi, Hassan; Ben Chaabane, Rafik

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present first principles calculations based on the spin-polarized generalized gradient approximation with on-site Coulomb repulsion term (SGGA + U), to explore the electronic and magnetic properties of the novel planar metal-organic networks TM-Pc and TM-TCNB (where TM means a transition metal of the 3d series: Ti, V, Cr, …, or Zn, Pc - Phthalocyanine, and TCNB - Tetracyanobenzene) as free-standing sheets. This work is an extension of two earlier research works dealing with the Mn (Mabrouk et al., 2015) and Fe (Mabrouk et al., 2017) cases. Our theoretical investigations demonstrate that TM-Pc are more stable than TM-TCNB. Our results unveil that all the TM-Pc frameworks have an insulating behavior with the exception of Mn-Pc which is half-metallic and favor antiferromagnetic order in the case of our magnetic systems except for V-Pc which is ferromagnetic. In contrast, the TM-TCNB networks are metallic at least in one spin direction and exhibit long-range ferromagnetic coupling in case for magnetic structures, which represent ideal candidates and an interesting prospect of unprecedented applications in spintronics. In addition, these results may shed light to achieve a new pathway on further experimental research in molecular spintronics.

Proximity effects in ferromagnet/superconductor structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, H.L.; Sun, G.Y.; Yang, L.Y.; Xing, D.Y.

2004-01-01

The Nambu spinor Green's function approach is applied to study proximity effects in ferromagnet/superconductor (FM/SC) structures. They include the induced superconducting order parameter and density of states (DOS) with superconducting feature on the FM side, and spin-dependent DOS within the energy gap on the SC side. The latter indicates an appearance of gapless superconductivity and a coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in a small regime near the interface. The influence of exchange energy in FM and barrier strength at interface on the proximity effects is discussed

Ceramic superconductor/metal composite materials employing the superconducting proximity effect

Science.gov (United States)

Holcomb, Matthew J.

2002-01-01

Superconducting composite materials having particles of superconducting material disposed in a metal matrix material with a high electron-boson coupling coefficient (.lambda.). The superconducting particles can comprise any type of superconductor including Laves phase materials, Chevrel phase materials, A15 compounds, and perovskite cuprate ceramics. The particles preferably have dimensions of about 10-500 nanometers. The particles preferably have dimensions larger than the superconducting coherence length of the superconducting material. The metal matrix material has a .lambda. greater than 0.2, preferably the .lambda. is much higher than 0.2. The metal matrix material is a good proximity superconductor due to its high .lambda.. When cooled, the superconductor particles cause the metal matrix material to become superconducting due to the proximity effect. In cases where the particles and the metal matrix material are chemically incompatible (i.e., reactive in a way that destroys superconductivity), the particles are provided with a thin protective metal coating. The coating is chemically compatible with the particles and metal matrix material. High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) cuprate ceramic particles are reactive and therefore require a coating of a noble metal resistant to oxidation (e.g., silver, gold). The proximity effect extends through the metal coating. With certain superconductors, non-noble metals can be used for the coating.

The half-metallic ferromagnetism character in Be{sub 1−x}V{sub x}Y (Y=Se and Te) alloys: An ab-initio study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sajjad, M. [School of Electronic Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); Manzoor, Sadia [Department of Physics, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, 54590 Lahore (Pakistan); Zhang, H.X. [School of Electronic Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); Beijing Key Laboratory of Work Safety Intelligent Monitoring, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); Noor, N.A. [Department of Physics, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, 54590 Lahore (Pakistan); Alay-e-Abbas, S.M. [Department of Physics, GC University Faisalabad, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad 38000 (Pakistan); Department of Physics, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100 (Pakistan); Shaukat, A. [Department of Physics, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100 (Pakistan); Khenata, R., E-mail: khenata_rabah@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Physique Quantique et de Modélisation Mathématique (LPQ3M), Département de Technologie, Université de Mascara, Mascara 29000 (Algeria)

2015-04-01

Ab-initio calculations for V-doped BeSe and BeTe semiconductors are performed by means of all-electrons full-potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) method. The structural properties are optimized using the Wu-Cohen generalized gradient approximation functional, whereas modified Becke and Jhonson local density approximation functional has been employed for evaluating the spin-polarized electronic and magnetic properties. Magnetic stability at various doping concentrations in ferromagnetic (FM) and anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) ordering is investigated by comparing the minimum total energies and enthalpies of formation (ΔH). Studied band structures, density of states, total energy, exchange interactions and magnetic moments manifest both alloys with half-metallic ferromagnetic behavior. Moreover, their valance bands are found to be paired ferromagnetically with V atoms. Furthermore, it was observed that the magnetic moment of vanadium atom reduces from free space charge value due to p–d hybridization which yields small magnetic moments on the Be, Se and Te sites. - Highlights: • Density functional calculations for V-doped BeSe and BeTe are performed. • V-doped BeSe and BeTe are found to be stable half-metallic ferromagnetism. • Improved electronic properties are achieved using mBJLDA which confirm HMF. • The half-metallic gaps show non-linear variation with increasing dopant concentration.

Probing anisotropic magnetotransport in manganese perovskites using Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, H.L.; Yoon, S.; Cooper, S.L.; Cheong, S.; Han, P.D.; Payne, D.A.

1998-01-01

We report an electronic Raman scattering study of the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) manganese perovskites as a function of temperature, magnetic field, symmetry, and doping. The low-frequency electronic Raman spectrum in the paramagnetic-insulating phase of these materials is characterized by a diffusive Raman-scattering response, while a nearly flat continuum response is observed in the ferromagnetic-metallic state. We found that the B 1g -symmetry electronic scattering intensity is significantly reduced with applied magnetic field near T C , in a manner reminiscent of the dc magnetoresistivity. The strongly field-dependent scattering rate in the B 1g channel appears to reflect the highly field-dependent mobility along the Mn-O bond direction expected in the double exchange mechanism. In addition, we observe a persistent field dependence in the B 1g electronic scattering response for T C , suggesting that the ferromagnetic phase is inhomogeneous, perhaps consisting of both metallic and insulating components. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Magnetic pinning in superconductor-ferromagnet multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulaevskii, L. N.; Chudnovsky, E. M.; Maley, M. P.

2000-01-01

We argue that superconductor/ferromagnet multilayers of nanoscale period should exhibit strong pinning of vortices by the magnetic domain structure in magnetic fields below the coercive field when ferromagnetic layers exhibit strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The estimated maximum magnetic pinning energy for single vortex in such a system is about 100 times larger than the pinning energy by columnar defects. This pinning energy may provide critical currents as high as 10 6 -10 7 A/cm 2 at high temperatures (but not very close to T c ) at least in magnetic fields below 0.1 T. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

First principles description of the insulator-metal transition in europium monoxide

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hao

2012-02-01

Europium monoxide, EuO, is a ferromagnetic insulator. Its electronic structure under pressure and doping is investigated by means of density functional theory. We employ spin polarized electronic structure calculations including onsite electron-electron interaction for the localized Eu 4f and 5d electrons. Our results show that under pressure the ferromagnetism is stable, both for hydrostatic and uniaxial pressure, while the compound undergoes an insulator-metal transition. The insulator-metal transition in O deficient and Gd doped EuO is reproduced for an impurity concentration of 6.25%. A 10 monolayer thick EuO(1 0 0) thin film is predicted to be an insulator with a narrow band gap of 0.08 eV. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Larmor diffraction in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritz, Robert; Pfleiderer, Christian [Physik Department E21, TU Muenchen, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Sokolov, Dmitry; Huxley, Andrew [School of Physics and Astronomy, Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ (United Kingdom); Keller, Thomas [MPI fuer Festkoerperforschung, Heisenbergstr. 1, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

2010-07-01

Larmor Diffaction (LD) is a neutron resonance spin-echo technique which allows the study of the lattice constant as well the distribution of lattice constants. It was traditionally thought that neutron spin-echo measurements cannot be used in materials such as superconductors or ferromagnets, because they strongly depolarize a polarized neutron beam. In UGe{sub 2} we are able to demonstrate that this technique may be applied in ferromagnetic superconductors with a magnetic Ising anisotropy. UGe{sub 2} exhibits two ferromagnetic phases which are separated by a transition at temperature T{sub x}. With increasing hydrostatic pressure superconductivity emerges at the pressure for which T{sub x} is suppressed. Using LD we studied the temperature dependence of the lattice constant as well as the distribution of lattice constants for all three axis of UGe{sub 2} down to 0.5 K and at pressures up to 12 kbar.

Robust half-metallicity of hexagonal SrNiO_3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Gao-Yuan; Ma, Chun-Lan; Chen, Da; Zhu, Yan

2016-01-01

In the rich panorama of the electronic and magnetic properties of 3d transition metal oxides SrMO_3 (M=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu), one member (SrNiO_3) is missing. In this paper we use GGA+U method based on density functional theory to examine its properties. It is found that SrNiO_3 is a ferromagnetic half-metal. The charge density map shows a high degree of ionic bonding between Sr and other atoms. Meanwhile, a covalent-bonding Ni–O–Ni–O–Ni chain is observed. The spin density contour of SrNiO_3 further indicates that the magnetic interaction between Ni atoms mediated by O is semicovalent exchange. The density of states are examined to explore the unusual indirect magnetic-exchange mechanism. Corresponding to the total energies results, a robust half-metallic character is observed, suggesting a promising giant magneto-optical Kerr property of the material. The partial density of states are further examined to explore the origin of ferromagnetic half-metallicity. The O atoms are observed to have larger contribution at fermi level than Ni atoms to the spin-polarized states, demonstrating that O atoms play a critical role in ferromagnetic half-metallicity of SrNiO_3. Hydrostatic pressure effect is examined to evaluate how robust the half-metallic ferromagnetism is. - Graphical abstract: (a) The total energy as a function of the lattice constant a for hexagonal SrNiO3 with various magnetic phases. (b) The total electronic density of states for hexagonal SrNiO_3 with FM configuration from GGA+U calculations. (c) Total electron-density distribution in the (110) plane. The colors gradually change from cyan (through pink) to yellow corresponding to charge density value from 0 to 4.0. (d) The magnetization density map in the (110) plane. The colors range from blue (through green) to red corresponding to magnetization density value from −0.15 to 0.45. Black and white contours stand for positive and negative values, respectively. - Highlights: • Hexagonal Sr

Magnetic pinning in superconductor-ferromagnet multilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bulaevskii, L. N. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, CUNY Lehman College 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, New York 10468-1589 (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Chudnovsky, E. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, CUNY Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, New York 10468-1589 (United States); Maley, M. P. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2000-05-01

We argue that superconductor/ferromagnet multilayers of nanoscale period should exhibit strong pinning of vortices by the magnetic domain structure in magnetic fields below the coercive field when ferromagnetic layers exhibit strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The estimated maximum magnetic pinning energy for single vortex in such a system is about 100 times larger than the pinning energy by columnar defects. This pinning energy may provide critical currents as high as 10{sup 6}-10{sup 7} A/cm{sup 2} at high temperatures (but not very close to T{sub c}) at least in magnetic fields below 0.1 T. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Spin-polarized tunneling through a ferromagnetic insulator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kok, M.; Kok, M.; Beukers, J.N.; Brinkman, Alexander

2009-01-01

The polarization of the tunnel conductance of spin-selective ferromagnetic insulators is modeled, providing a generalized concept of polarization including both the effects of electrode and barrier polarization. The polarization model is extended to take additional non-spin-polarizing insulating

Ferromagnetic-insulators-modulated transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Jun-Ji; Liao Wen-Hu

2014-01-01

Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The single ferromagnetic barrier modulated transmission probability is expected to be a periodic function of the polarization angle and the planar rotation angle, that decreases with the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange increasing. However, the transmission probability for the double ferromagnetic insulators modulated n—n junction and n—p junction is not a periodic function of polarization angle nor planar rotation angle, owing to the combined effects of the double ferromagnetic insulators and the barrier potential. Since the energy gap between the conduction band and the valence band is narrowed and widened respectively in ranges of 0 ≤ θ < π/2 and π/2 < θ ≤ π, the transmission probability of the n—n junction first increases rapidly and then decreases slowly with the increase of the magnetic proximity exchange strength. While the transmission probability for the n—p junction demonstrates an opposite trend on the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange because the band gaps contrarily vary. The obtained results may lead to the possible realization of a magnetic/electric switch based on TIs and be useful in further understanding the surface states of TIs

Enhanced superconductivity and superconductor to insulator transition in nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Shilpam; Amaladass, E.P. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Sharma, Neha [Surface & Nanoscience Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Harimohan, V. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Amirthapandian, S. [Materials Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Mani, Awadhesh, E-mail: mani@igcar.gov.in [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)

2017-06-01

Disorder driven superconductor to insulator transition via intermediate metallic regime is reported in nano-crystalline thin films of molybdenum. The nano-structured thin films have been deposited at room temperature using DC magnetron sputtering at different argon pressures. The grain size has been tuned using deposition pressure as the sole control parameter. A variation of particle sizes, room temperature resistivity and superconducting transition has been studied as a function of deposition pressure. The nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films are found to have large carrier concentration but very low mobility and electronic mean free path. Hall and conductivity measurements have been used to understand the effect of disorder on the carrier density and mobilities. Ioffe-Regel parameter is shown to correlate with the continuous metal-insulator transition in our samples. - Highlights: • Thin films of molybdenum using DC sputtering have been deposited on glass. • Argon background pressure during sputtering was used to tune the crystallite sizes of films. • Correlation in deposition pressure, disorder and particle sizes has been observed. • Disorder tuned superconductor to insulator transition along with an intermediate metallic phase has been observed. • Enhancement of superconducting transition temperature and a dome shaped T{sub C} vs. deposition pressure phase diagram has been observed.

Theory of charge transport in diffusive normal metal conventional superconductor point contacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Kashiwaya, S.

2003-01-01

Tunneling conductance in diffusive normal (DN) metal/insulator/s-wave superconductor junctions is calculated for various situations by changing the magnitudes of the resistance and Thouless energy in DN and the transparency of the insulating barrier. The generalized boundary condition introduced by

Nonmonotonic critical temperature in superconductor ferromagnet bilayers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fominov, Ya. V.; Fominov, I.V.; Chtchelkatchev, N.M.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2002-01-01

The critical temperature Tc of a superconductor/ferromagnet (SF) bilayer can exhibit nonmonotonic dependence on the thickness df of the F layer. SF systems have been studied for a long time; according to the experimental situation, a ¿dirty¿ limit is often considered which implies that the mean free

Controlled thermoelectric response of a tunable Rashba coupled metal-insulator-superconductor junction

Science.gov (United States)

Kapri, Priyadarshini; Adhikary, Priyanka; Sinha, Shubham; Basu, Saurabh

2018-05-01

Thermoelectric effect for metal, insulator and the superconductor junctions has been studied with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) being present at the interfaces via modified Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) theory. We find that the thermopower, as a function of an effective barrier potential that characterizes the intermediate insulating layer, displays an oscillatory behavior. Interesting interplay between the strength of RSOC and the effective barrier potential has been carried out in details in this regard. For specific ranges of the effective barrier potential, RSOC enhances the thermopower, while the reverse happens for other values. Moreover it is found that the effective barrier potential plays a crucial role in determining the thermopower spectrum. For a tunable Rashba coupling, the thermopower of the junction can be controlled with precision, which may useful for the thermoelectric applications, at low temperatures. Further the efficiency of the system is obtained for different pairing correlations of the superconducting lead where we find that the system with a d-wave symmetry is more efficient as compared to a s-wave correlation, in some selective regions of effective barrier potential. It is found that for some selective regions of effective barrier potential, the efficiency of the system increases with RSOC and the opposite happens for other values.

Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weides, M.P.

2006-01-01

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are well-known physical properties of solid states that have been widely studied and long thought about as antagonistic phenomena due to difference in spin ordering. It turns out that the combination of both superconductor and ferromagnet leads to a very rich and interesting physics. One particular example, the phase oscillations of the superconducting order parameter inside the ferromagnet, will play a major role for the devices discussed in this work. In this thesis, I present Josephson junctions with a thin Al 2 O 3 tunnel barrier and a ferromagnetic interlayer, i.e. superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) stacks. The fabrication of junctions was optimized regarding the insulation of electrodes and the homogeneity of the current transport. The junctions were either in the 0 or π coupled ground state, depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and on temperature. The influence of ferromagnetic layer thickness on the transport properties and the coupling (0, π) of SIFS tunnel junctions was studied. Furthermore, using a stepped ferromagnetic layer with well-chosen thicknesses, I obtained the so-called 0-π Josephson junction. At a certain temperature this 0-π junction can be made perfectly symmetric. In this case the ground state corresponds to a vortex of supercurrent creating a magnetic flux which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum Φ 0 . Such structures allow to study the physics of fractional vortices and to build various electronic circuits based on them. The SIFS junctions presented here have an exponentially vanishing damping at T → 0. The SIFS technology developed within the framework of this work may be used to construct classical and quantum devices such as oscillators, memory cells and qubits. (orig.)

Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weides, M.P.

2006-07-01

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are well-known physical properties of solid states that have been widely studied and long thought about as antagonistic phenomena due to difference in spin ordering. It turns out that the combination of both superconductor and ferromagnet leads to a very rich and interesting physics. One particular example, the phase oscillations of the superconducting order parameter inside the ferromagnet, will play a major role for the devices discussed in this work. In this thesis, I present Josephson junctions with a thin Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tunnel barrier and a ferromagnetic interlayer, i.e. superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) stacks. The fabrication of junctions was optimized regarding the insulation of electrodes and the homogeneity of the current transport. The junctions were either in the 0 or {pi} coupled ground state, depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and on temperature. The influence of ferromagnetic layer thickness on the transport properties and the coupling (0, {pi}) of SIFS tunnel junctions was studied. Furthermore, using a stepped ferromagnetic layer with well-chosen thicknesses, I obtained the so-called 0-{pi} Josephson junction. At a certain temperature this 0-{pi} junction can be made perfectly symmetric. In this case the ground state corresponds to a vortex of supercurrent creating a magnetic flux which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum {phi}{sub 0}. Such structures allow to study the physics of fractional vortices and to build various electronic circuits based on them. The SIFS junctions presented here have an exponentially vanishing damping at T {yields} 0. The SIFS technology developed within the framework of this work may be used to construct classical and quantum devices such as oscillators, memory cells and qubits. (orig.)

Magneto-optical Kerr-effect at low temperatures. Investigation of superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahn, Patrick; Bayer, Jonas [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Institute for Innovative Surfaces FINO, Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany); Stahl, Claudia; Ruoss, Stephen; Graefe, Joachim; Schuetz, Gisela [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Institute for Innovative Surfaces FINO, Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany)

2016-07-01

With XMCD microscopy it is possible to visualize the critical current density of the superconductor YBCO with high spatial resolution. Therefore, soft magnetic CoFeB is introduced as sensor layer. The magnetic stray fields of the supercurrents lead to a local reorientation of the magnetic moments in the ferromagnet, which are then imaged via X-ray microscopy. These experiments have to be carried out at the scanning X-ray microscope MAXYMUS at the synchrotron Bessy II in Berlin. For that purpose pre-characterization of the sensor is highly desirable: Magnetic interactions between the superconductor and the ferromagnetic sensor layer have been investigated at low temperatures using Kerr-effect measurements. Therefore hysteresis loops are obtained by a sophisticated magnet and field ramping setup within the NanoMOKE3 system. The results are used to optimize the ferromagnetic sensor layer for XMCD microscopy of superconductors.

Charge driven metal-insulator transitions in LaMnO3|SrTiO3 (111) superlattices

KAUST Repository

Cossu, Fabrizio; Tahini, Hassan Ali; Singh, Nirpendra; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2017-01-01

Interfaces of perovskite oxides, due to the strong interplay between the lattice, charge and spin degrees of freedom, can host various phase transitions, which is particularly interesting if these transitions can be tuned by external fields. Recently, ferromagnetism was found together with a seemingly insulating state in superlattices of manganites and titanates. We therefore study the (111) oriented $(\\text{LaMnO}_3)_{6-x}\\vert(\\text{SrTiO}_3)_{6+x}~(x = -0.5, 0, 0.5)$ superlattices by means of ab initio calculations, predicting a ferromagnetic ground state due to double exchange in all cases. We shed light on the ferromagnetic coupling in the LaMnO3 region and at the interfaces. The insulating states of specific superlattices can be understood on the basis of Jahn-Teller modes and electron/hole doping.

Charge driven metal-insulator transitions in LaMnO3|SrTiO3 (111) superlattices

KAUST Repository

Cossu, Fabrizio

2017-08-01

Interfaces of perovskite oxides, due to the strong interplay between the lattice, charge and spin degrees of freedom, can host various phase transitions, which is particularly interesting if these transitions can be tuned by external fields. Recently, ferromagnetism was found together with a seemingly insulating state in superlattices of manganites and titanates. We therefore study the (111) oriented $(\\\\text{LaMnO}_3)_{6-x}\\\\vert(\\\\text{SrTiO}_3)_{6+x}~(x = -0.5, 0, 0.5)$ superlattices by means of ab initio calculations, predicting a ferromagnetic ground state due to double exchange in all cases. We shed light on the ferromagnetic coupling in the LaMnO3 region and at the interfaces. The insulating states of specific superlattices can be understood on the basis of Jahn-Teller modes and electron/hole doping.

A first-principles study of half-metallic ferromagnetism in binary alkaline-earth nitrides with rock-salt structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, G.Y.; Yao, K.L.; Liu, Z.L.; Zhang, J.; Min, Y.; Fan, S.W.

2008-01-01

In this Letter, using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) method, we extend the electronic structure and magnetism studies on zinc-blende structure of II-V compounds MX (M=Ca,Sr,Ba; X=N,P,As) [M. Sieberer, J. Redinger, S. Khmelevskyi, P. Mohn, Phys. Rev. B 73 (2006) 024404] to the rock-salt structure. It is found that, in the nine compounds, only alkaline-earth nitrides CaN, SrN and BaN exhibit ferromagnetic half-metallic character with a magnetic moment of 1.00μ B per formula unit. Furthermore, compared with the zinc-blende structure of CaN, SrN and BaN, the rock-salt structure has lower energy, which makes them more promising candidates of possible growth of half-metallic films on suitable substrates

Investigations of the electronic, magnetic and crystalline structure of perovskite oxides and an oxide-oxide interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raisch, Christoph Werner

2013-01-01

The mineral perovskite CaTiO 3 lends its name to the class of compounds with composition ABX 3 , which have the same type of crystal structure known as the perovskite structure. Here, A and B are cations while X is typically a halogen or oxygen anion. The bigger cation A and the X anions form a cubic close packing AX 3 with the smaller B cation occupying one quarter of the octahedral sites. The underlying work deals with three classes of perovskite oxides, the ''titanates'', the ''cuprates'' and the ''manganites'', where the central B cations are Ti, Cu and Mn respectively, each class with very characteristic properties. Strontium titanate, STO, like so many oxides is an insulator, yet paraelectric and diamagnetic. It gained special interest as a commercially available, high quality substrate for the growth of hightemperature superconductors and other oxide thin films. The huge class of perovskite cuprates is most famous for members like YBCO, the well-known high-temperature superconductor. Finally, the doped, mixed-valent perovskite manganites LXMO (here X = Sr, Ca, Ce) have to be mentioned. They appeared on the screen of experimental and theoretical physicists in the 1950s when ferromagnetism and magnetoresistance were discovered in these compounds, leading to the theory of double exchange. In the mid-1990s they further increased their importance, following the description of the Jahn-Teller polaron and the discovery of the colossal magnetoresistance phenomenom. They may be derived from an insulator, LaMnO 3 , but the doping allows the control of electric and magnetic properties over a wide range, i.e. from insulating behavior to metallic conductivity or from diamagnet to ferromagnet. Further notable effects are found when electric or magnetic fields are applied, including spin polarization and the related effect of colossal magnetoresistance. These substances may be approximated as consisting of

Nondegenerate valleys in the half-metallic ferromagnet Fe/WS 2

Science.gov (United States)

Messaoudi, Omar; Ibañez-Azpiroz, Julen; Bouzar, Hamid; Lounis, Samir

2018-01-01

We present a first-principles investigation of the electronic properties of monolayer WS2 coated with an overlayer of Fe. Our ab initio calculations reveal that the system is a half-metallic ferromagnet with a gap of ˜1 eV for the majority spin channel. Furthermore, the combined effect of time-reversal symmetry breaking due to the magnetic Fe overlayer and the large spin-orbit coupling induced by W gives rise to nondegenerate K and K' valleys. This has a tremendous impact on the excited-state properties induced by externally applied circularly polarized light. Our analysis demonstrates that the latter induces a singular hot-spot structure of the transition probability around the K and K' valleys for right and left circular polarization, respectively. We trace back the emergence of this remarkable effect to the strong momentum dependent spin-noncollinearity of the valence band involved. As a main consequence, a strong valley-selective magnetic circular dichroism is obtained, making this system a prime candidate for spintronics and photonics applications.

Microwave and dc response of an Abrikosov vortex lattice in ferromagnetic superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bespalov, A.A., E-mail: bespalovaa@gmail.com [Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Université Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798, F-33400 Talence (France); Mel’nikov, A.S. [Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Nizhny Novgorod State University, 22 Gagarin av., 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Buzdin, A.I. [Université Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798, F-33400 Talence (France)

2014-08-15

Highlights: • We study the ac and dc responses of vortices in ferromagnetic superconductors. • Abrikosov vortex motion is damped due to radiation of magnons. • A frequency and vortex velocity threshold for magnon generation exists. • Magnon generation leads to resonant behavior of the surface impedance. • Resonances also appear on the I–V curve of the ferromagnetic superconductor. - Abstract: In magnetic superconductors the magnetic flux dynamics is influenced by the interaction of vortices with the magnetization. This interaction leads to the appearance of an additional damping force acting on the vortices. By solving the London and Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equations we analyze the ac and dc responses of a ferromagnetic superconductor in the mixed state. If the vortices are driven by an ac force, their viscosity is enhanced due to the generation of magnons. This viscosity enhancement affects the surface impedance of the sample. In the case of a dc driving current vortices start to radiate magnons when their velocity exceeds a threshold value. As a result, either a step-like feature or a series of peaks appear on the I–V curve.

Microwave and dc response of an Abrikosov vortex lattice in ferromagnetic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bespalov, A.A.; Mel’nikov, A.S.; Buzdin, A.I.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We study the ac and dc responses of vortices in ferromagnetic superconductors. • Abrikosov vortex motion is damped due to radiation of magnons. • A frequency and vortex velocity threshold for magnon generation exists. • Magnon generation leads to resonant behavior of the surface impedance. • Resonances also appear on the I–V curve of the ferromagnetic superconductor. - Abstract: In magnetic superconductors the magnetic flux dynamics is influenced by the interaction of vortices with the magnetization. This interaction leads to the appearance of an additional damping force acting on the vortices. By solving the London and Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equations we analyze the ac and dc responses of a ferromagnetic superconductor in the mixed state. If the vortices are driven by an ac force, their viscosity is enhanced due to the generation of magnons. This viscosity enhancement affects the surface impedance of the sample. In the case of a dc driving current vortices start to radiate magnons when their velocity exceeds a threshold value. As a result, either a step-like feature or a series of peaks appear on the I–V curve

Optimized effective potential model for the double perovskites Sr2 - xYxVMoO6 and Sr2 - xYxVTcO6

Science.gov (United States)

Solovyev, I. V.

2011-08-01

In an attempt to explore half-metallic properties of the double perovskites Sr2 - xYxVMoO6 and Sr2 - xYxVTcO6, we construct an effective low-energy model, which describes the behavior of the t2g states of these compounds. All parameters of such a model are derived rigorously on the basis of first-principles electronic structure calculations. In order to solve this model, we employ the optimized effective potential method and treat the correlation interactions in the random phase approximation. Although correlation interactions considerably reduce the intraatomic exchange splitting in comparison with the Hartree-Fock approach, this splitting still substantially exceeds the typical values obtained in the local-spin-density approximation (LSDA), which alters many predictions based on the LSDA. Our main results are summarized as follows. (i) All ferromagnetic states are expected to be half-metallic. However, their energies are generally higher than those of the ferrimagnetic ordering between V and Mo/Tc sites (except Sr2VMoO6). (ii) All ferrimagnetic states are metallic (except fully insulating Y2VTcO6) and no half-metallic antiferromagnetism has been found. (iii) Moreover, many of the ferrimagnetic structures appear to be unstable with respect to the spin-spiral alignment. Thus, the true magnetic ground state of these systems is expected to be more complex. In addition, we discuss several methodological issues related to nonuniqueness of the effective potential for the half-metallic and magnetic insulating states.

The half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb a positron-annihilation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanssen, K.E.H.M.

1988-01-01

The electronic structure of NiMnSb is investigated by means of spin-polarized measurements of the angular correlation of annihilation radiation. NiMnSb is predicted to be a half metallic ferromagnet: the electrons of one spin direction are metallic, whereas the electrons of the opposite spin direction are semiconducting. The key question underlying this thesis was whether this is indeed true. After a general introduction the angular correlation set-up is described. The measurements are performed in a two-dimensional geometry, so that both angles in the angular correlation could be resolved. The measured distributions correspond to once-integrated two-photon momentum densities. By making use of the inherent partial polarization of the position beam and by aligning the electron-spin populations in the sample by means of an external magnetic field spin-polarized results can be obtained. After a short summary of the treatment of the (raw) angular-correlation data. The application of the Knorringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) formalism to the calculation of the two-photon momentum density is discussed. To interpret the NiMnSb data, the electronic structure, the Fermi surface and the two-photon momentum densities have been obtained once integrated along three different directions inimpulse space. The difference distributions show a clear impression of the majority-spin Fermi surface. A good quantitative overall agreement between theory and experiment is established. From this analysis a value for the three-photon difference effect in NiMnSb has been obtained. To test the half-metallic nature of the band structure the experimental distributions are compared with theoretical ones obtained from modelled band structures in which small numbers of electrons near the Fermi level are transported from one spin population to the other. 167 refs.; 27 figs.; 7 tabs

Heat transport and electron cooling in ballistic normal-metal/spin-filter/superconductor junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawabata, Shiro; Vasenko, Andrey S.; Ozaeta, Asier; Bergeret, Sebastian F.; Hekking, Frank W.J.

2015-01-01

We investigate electron cooling based on a clean normal-metal/spin-filter/superconductor junction. Due to the suppression of the Andreev reflection by the spin-filter effect, the cooling power of the system is found to be extremely higher than that for conventional normal-metal/nonmagnetic-insulator/superconductor coolers. Therefore we can extract large amount of heat from normal metals. Our results strongly indicate the practical usefulness of the spin-filter effect for cooling detectors, sensors, and quantum bits

Heat transport and electron cooling in ballistic normal-metal/spin-filter/superconductor junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawabata, Shiro, E-mail: s-kawabata@aist.go.jp [Electronics and Photonics Research Institute (ESPRIT), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Vasenko, Andrey S. [LPMMC, Université Joseph Fourier and CNRS, 25 Avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble (France); Ozaeta, Asier [Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM-MPC), Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU, Manuel de Lardizabal 5, E-20018 San Sebastián (Spain); Bergeret, Sebastian F. [Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM-MPC), Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU, Manuel de Lardizabal 5, E-20018 San Sebastián (Spain); Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Manuel de Lardizabal 5, E-20018 San Sebastián (Spain); Hekking, Frank W.J. [LPMMC, Université Joseph Fourier and CNRS, 25 Avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble (France)

2015-06-01

We investigate electron cooling based on a clean normal-metal/spin-filter/superconductor junction. Due to the suppression of the Andreev reflection by the spin-filter effect, the cooling power of the system is found to be extremely higher than that for conventional normal-metal/nonmagnetic-insulator/superconductor coolers. Therefore we can extract large amount of heat from normal metals. Our results strongly indicate the practical usefulness of the spin-filter effect for cooling detectors, sensors, and quantum bits.

Electronic structure of ferromagnet-insulator interfaces: Fe/MgO and Co/MgO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, M.

2007-07-11

In this thesis the electronic structure of Fe/MgO{sub x} and Co/MgO{sub x} ferromagnet-insulator interfaces, representing material systems which are widely used in magnetic tunnel junctions, is studied by means of spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The photoemission studies focus particularly on the response of the ferromagnetic electronic system in contact with MgO of varying stoichiometries, as this reflects the mechanisms of metal-oxide bonding at real ferromagnet-insulator interfaces. The correlation between chemical bonding and electronic structure formation is analyzed by combining information from core- and valence-band photoemission spectroscopy. The spectral features are compared to band structure calculations, which are performed using the SPR-KKR method. The Fe/MgO and Co/MgO systems are prepared by molecular beam epitaxy under ultrahigh vacuum conditions on well-defined (4 x 6) GaAs(001) substrates. A structural analysis by means of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) reveals their body-centered cubic crystalline structure, whereas the chemical characterization by Auger electron spectroscopy is used to quantify the chemical environment at the sample surfaces. The magnetic analysis, using the magneto-optical Kerr effect, reveals the uniaxial anisotropy of the ferromagnetic layers. A crucial parameter is given by the MgO degree of oxidation, which is addressed by means of core-level spectroscopy and quantified by suitable fitting procedures of the Mg 2p core level. The results of the photoemission experiments show, that the electronic structure of the Fe/MgO and Co/MgO ferromagnet/insulator interfaces and, consequently, the interfacial spin polarization are sensitively controlled by the interface chemistry. In particular, three distinct scenarios are identified: the nearly stoichiometric, the oxygen-deficient and the over-oxidized ferromagnet/MgO interface. Each case is defined by innate characteristics of the electronic structure at

Theory of the electric current transmission coefficient in the superconductor-insulator-superconductor geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navani, R.

1974-01-01

Tunneling in the superconductor-insulator-superconductor (S'-I-S) geometry, where the two superconductors are not necessarily the same, is studied theoretically. Two different models of the S'-I-S geometry - which we call the ''initial model'' and the ''improved model'' are discussed. For the initial model the potential barrier is flat. In the improved model, however, the differing material properties of the three regions - S', I, and S - are taken into account in an approximate fashion. In addition, applied, contact, and image potentials in the insulator are included. The solid state material properties that are taken to be different are the effective electronic masses in the three regions and the Fermi energies in the two superconductors. The quasiparticle wave functions in the S', I, and S regions are determined for both models as solutions to the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. The electric current transmission coefficients (also the reflection coefficient for the initial model) are derived and their behavior is extensively analyzed. Their forms in the thick barrier limit - where L greater than or approximately equal to 5 A - are related to the BCS densities of states. The tunneling current density is found to depend strongly on the tunneling angle. A relation between the angular position of the tunneling current peak and the barrier thickness is given. Finally, it is shown that the choice of insulator material effects the tunneling current, and the effect is greater the thicker the insulating film

Higher-order topological insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Khalaf, Eslam

2018-05-01

We study surface states of topological crystalline insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry. These fall into the category of "higher-order" topological insulators and superconductors which possess surface states that propagate along one-dimensional curves (hinges) or are localized at some points (corners) on the surface. We provide a complete classification of inversion-protected higher-order topological insulators and superconductors in any spatial dimension for the 10 symmetry classes by means of a layer construction. We discuss possible physical realizations of such states starting with a time-reversal-invariant topological insulator (class AII) in three dimensions or a time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor (class DIII) in two or three dimensions. The former exhibits one-dimensional chiral or helical modes propagating along opposite edges, whereas the latter hosts Majorana zero modes localized to two opposite corners. Being protected by inversion, such states are not pinned to a specific pair of edges or corners, thus offering the possibility of controlling their location by applying inversion-symmetric perturbations such as magnetic field.

Half-metallic and insulating natures in Ru-based ordered double perovskite oxides Ba{sub 2}X{sup III}Ru{sup V}O{sub 6} (X = V, Cr) induced by 3d-t{sub 2g}{sup n} orbital filling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saad, H.-E.M. Musa, E-mail: musa.1964@gmail.com; Althoyaib, S.S.

2017-04-01

In this paper, we present results of a comprehensive systemic study of the crystal, electronic and magnetic structures on two members of Ru-based ordered double perovskite oxides Ba{sub 2}XRuO{sub 6} (X = V, Cr). For the corporate compound, the analysis of density of states (DOS) results suggests that the 3d-t{sub 2g} orbital filling plays a major role in governing the conduction mechanism in these systems. The DOS and magnetic results show that Ba{sub 2}XRuO{sub 6} exhibits half-metallic (HM) nature as X = V, where the electronic structure of Ba{sub 2}V{sup III}Ru{sup V}O{sub 6} with 3d-t{sub 2g}{sup 2} behaves like that of HM ferrimagnetic (FI), switches to compensate FI insulating behavior as X = Cr, with an extra electron filled 3d-t{sub 2g}{sup 3} in Ba{sub 2}Cr{sup III}Ru{sup V}O{sub 6}. We find, on consideration of electron correlation (LSDA+U) and spin-orbital coupling (SOC) effects that the electronic structure of Ba{sub 2}XRuO{sub 6} takes a HM nature, whereas it is completely transformed to insulating nature once an extra electron filled the 3d-t{sub 2g} orbitals in X = Cr case. Such tuning is accompanied by spin-state hopping of one electron from half-filled spin-state in Ru{sup V} (t{sub 2g}{sup 3} e{sub g}{sup 0}) to two and three occupied spin-state in V{sup III} (t{sub 2g}{sup 2} e{sub g}{sup 0}) and Cr{sup III} (t{sub 2g}{sup 3} e{sub g}{sup 0}), respectively. The charge distribution results show that this extra electron occupies chiefly the spin-down of conduction orbitals and plays a major role in determining the electronic and magnetic structures of Ba{sub 2}XRuO{sub 6} system. - Highlights: • Half-metallic and insulating natures are observed in Ba{sub 2}XRuO{sub 6} (X = V, Cr). • 3d-t{sub 2g}{sup n} orbitals filling plays a major role in governing the conduction mechanism. • LSDA+U method under density functional theory (DFT) is considered. • HM ferrimagnetic (FI) (X = V) switch to compensate FI insulating (X = Cr).

Final Report. Novel Behavior of Ferromagnet/Superconductor Hybrid Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birge, Norman

2016-01-01

Final report for grant DE-FG02-06ER46341. This work has produced a most convincing experimental demonstration that spin-triplet supercurrent can appear in Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic materials, even when the superconducting electrodes are conventional, spin-singlet superconductors.

Final Report. Novel Behavior of Ferromagnet/Superconductor Hybrid Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birge, Norman [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)

2016-09-26

Final report for grant DE-FG02-06ER46341. This work has produced a most convincing experimental demonstration that spin-triplet supercurrent can appear in Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic materials, even when the superconducting electrodes are conventional, spin-singlet superconductors.

Novel superconducting state in ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe. Microscopic coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity probed by 59Co-NQR measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Kenji; Hattori, Taisuke; Ihara, Yoshihiko; Nakai, Yusuke; Sato, Noriaki K.; Deguchi, Kazuhiko; Tamura, Nobuyuki; Satoh, Isamu

2010-01-01

We have investigated the relationship between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe from 59 Co nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements. Our experimental results indicate the microscopic coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in UCoGe, and suggest a 'self-induced vortex state' in its superconducting state. We also review NQR experiments, which play an important role in this study. (author)

Fluxons in thin-film superconductor-insulator superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sakai, S.; Bodin, P.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

In a system of thin alternating layers of superconductors and insulators the equations describing static and dynamic fluxon solutions are derived. The approach, represented by a useful compact matrix form, is intended to describe systems fabricated for example of niobium or niobium-nitride thin...... films; in the limit of ultrathin superconductor films it may give a model for describing fluxon motion in layered high-Tc superconductors. Numerical examples of current versus voltage curves to be expected in such an experiment are presented. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American...

Spin filtering through ferromagnetic BiMn O3 tunnel barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Gajek, M.; Bibes, M.; Barthélémy, A.; Bouzehouane, K.; Fusil, S.; Varela, M.; Fontcuberta, J.; Fert, A.

2005-07-01

We report on experiments of spin filtering through ultrathin single-crystal layers of the insulating and ferromagnetic oxide BiMnO3 (BMO). The spin polarization of the electrons tunneling from a gold electrode through BMO is analyzed with a counterelectrode of the half-metallic oxide La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO). At 3K we find a 50% change of the tunnel resistances according to whether the magnetizations of BMO and LSMO are parallel or opposite. This effect corresponds to a spin-filtering efficiency of up to 22%. Our results thus show the potential of complex ferromagnetic insulating oxides for spin filtering and injection.

Evidence for Crossed Andreev Reflections in (100)YBa2Cu3O7+δ-SrRuO3 superconductor-ferromagnet bilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asulin, I.; Yuli, O.; Millo, O.; Koren, G.

2005-01-01

Full Text:Since the ferromagnetic side of a superconductor-ferromagnet junction is spin polarized, Andreev reflections are suppressed. Consequently, the proximity induced superconductor order parameter in the ferromagnet is expected to decay rapidly, on the order of a nm, the typical coherence length in a ferromagnet. Our scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements on thin epitaxial (100)YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7+ δ-SrRuO 3 (YBaCuO-SrO) bilayers, where SrO is a ferromagnet, indeed show that on most of the junction area the superconductor order parameter vanishes in the SrO layers thicker than 8 nm. However, we find localized regions, arranged along narrow (< 10 nm) stripes, where the order parameter (superconductor-like gap structure) penetrates the ferromagnet over more than 20 nm. This is attributed to 'Crossed Andreev Reflections,' taking place at domain boundaries, where an electron from one magnetic domain is retro reflected as a hole with opposite spin in an adjacent domain. Our observation may account for the (not abundant) cases where a long-range proximity effect was found in superconductor-ferromagnet proximity systems

Half-metallic superconducting triplet spin multivalves

Science.gov (United States)

Alidoust, Mohammad; Halterman, Klaus

2018-02-01

We study spin switching effects in finite-size superconducting multivalve structures. We examine F1F2SF3 and F1F2SF3F4 hybrids where a singlet superconductor (S) layer is sandwiched among ferromagnet (F) layers with differing thicknesses and magnetization orientations. Our results reveal a considerable number of experimentally viable spin-valve configurations that lead to on-off switching of the superconducting state. For S widths on the order of the superconducting coherence length ξ0, noncollinear magnetization orientations in adjacent F layers with multiple spin axes leads to a rich variety of triplet spin-valve effects. Motivated by recent experiments, we focus on samples where the magnetizations in the F1 and F4 layers exist in a fully spin-polarized half-metallic phase, and calculate the superconducting transition temperature, spatially and energy resolved density of states, and the spin-singlet and spin-triplet superconducting correlations. Our findings demonstrate that superconductivity in these devices can be completely switched on or off over a wide range of magnetization misalignment angles due to the generation of equal-spin and opposite-spin triplet pairings.

Optimized effective potential model for the double perovskites Sr2-xYxVMoO6 and Sr2-xYxVTcO6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solovyev, I V

2011-01-01

In an attempt to explore half-metallic properties of the double perovskites Sr 2-x Y x VMoO 6 and Sr 2-x Y x VTcO 6 , we construct an effective low-energy model, which describes the behavior of the t 2g states of these compounds. All parameters of such a model are derived rigorously on the basis of first-principles electronic structure calculations. In order to solve this model, we employ the optimized effective potential method and treat the correlation interactions in the random phase approximation. Although correlation interactions considerably reduce the intraatomic exchange splitting in comparison with the Hartree-Fock approach, this splitting still substantially exceeds the typical values obtained in the local-spin-density approximation (LSDA), which alters many predictions based on the LSDA. Our main results are summarized as follows. (i) All ferromagnetic states are expected to be half-metallic. However, their energies are generally higher than those of the ferrimagnetic ordering between V and Mo/Tc sites (except Sr 2 VMoO 6 ). (ii) All ferrimagnetic states are metallic (except fully insulating Y 2 VTcO 6 ) and no half-metallic antiferromagnetism has been found. (iii) Moreover, many of the ferrimagnetic structures appear to be unstable with respect to the spin-spiral alignment. Thus, the true magnetic ground state of these systems is expected to be more complex. In addition, we discuss several methodological issues related to nonuniqueness of the effective potential for the half-metallic and magnetic insulating states.

The half-metallic ferromagnetism character in Be1-xVxY (Y=Se and Te) alloys: An ab-initio study

Science.gov (United States)

Sajjad, M.; Manzoor, Sadia; Zhang, H. X.; Noor, N. A.; Alay-e-Abbas, S. M.; Shaukat, A.; Khenata, R.

2015-04-01

Ab-initio calculations for V-doped BeSe and BeTe semiconductors are performed by means of all-electrons full-potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) method. The structural properties are optimized using the Wu-Cohen generalized gradient approximation functional, whereas modified Becke and Jhonson local density approximation functional has been employed for evaluating the spin-polarized electronic and magnetic properties. Magnetic stability at various doping concentrations in ferromagnetic (FM) and anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) ordering is investigated by comparing the minimum total energies and enthalpies of formation (ΔH). Studied band structures, density of states, total energy, exchange interactions and magnetic moments manifest both alloys with half-metallic ferromagnetic behavior. Moreover, their valance bands are found to be paired ferromagnetically with V atoms. Furthermore, it was observed that the magnetic moment of vanadium atom reduces from free space charge value due to p-d hybridization which yields small magnetic moments on the Be, Se and Te sites.

Half-metallic ferromagnetism in (Z B, Al, Ga, and In) Heusler alloys ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

K H SADEGHI

2018-01-03

11], and zincblende (ZB) transition-metal pnictides and chalcogenides [12–17]. Among HM ferromagnets, Heusler alloys are attractive because of their technical applications (in spin-injection devices [18], spin-filters [19], ...

Biaxial stress driven tetragonal symmetry breaking and high-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor from half-metallic CrO2

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Xiang-Bo; Liu, Bang-Gui

2018-03-01

It is highly desirable to combine the full spin polarization of carriers with modern semiconductor technology for spintronic applications. For this purpose, one needs good crystalline ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) semiconductors with high Curie temperatures. Rutile CrO2 is a half-metallic spintronic material with Curie temperature 394 K and can have nearly full spin polarization at room temperature. Here, we find through first-principles investigation that when a biaxial compressive stress is applied on rutile CrO2, the density of states at the Fermi level decreases with the in-plane compressive strain, there is a structural phase transition to an orthorhombic phase at the strain of -5.6 % , and then appears an electronic phase transition to a semiconductor phase at -6.1 % . Further analysis shows that this structural transition, accompanying the tetragonal symmetry breaking, is induced by the stress-driven distortion and rotation of the oxygen octahedron of Cr, and the half-metal-semiconductor transition originates from the enhancement of the crystal field splitting due to the structural change. Importantly, our systematic total-energy comparison indicates the ferromagnetic Curie temperature remains almost independent of the strain, near 400 K. This biaxial stress can be realized by applying biaxial pressure or growing the CrO2 epitaxially on appropriate substrates. These results should be useful for realizing full (100%) spin polarization of controllable carriers as one uses in modern semiconductor technology.

Ferromagnet / superconductor oxide superlattices

Science.gov (United States)

Santamaria, Jacobo

2006-03-01

The growth of heterostructures combining oxide materials is a new strategy to design novel artificial multifunctional materials with interesting behaviors ruled by the interface. With the (re)discovery of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) materials, there has been renewed interest in heterostructures involving oxide superconductors and CMR ferromagnets where ferromagnetism (F) and superconductivity (S) compete within nanometric distances from the interface. In F/S/F structures involving oxides, interfaces are especially complex and various factors like interface disorder and roughness, epitaxial strain, polarity mismatch etc., are responsible for depressed magnetic and superconducting properties at the interface over nanometer length scales. In this talk I will focus in F/S/F structures made of YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) and La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO). The high degree of spin polarization of the LCMO conduction band, together with the d-wave superconductivity of the YBCO make this F/S system an adequate candidate for the search of novel spin dependent effects in transport. We show that superconductivity at the interface is depressed by various factors like charge transfer, spin injection or ferromagnetic superconducting proximity effect. I will present experiments to examine the characteristic distances of the various mechanisms of superconductivity depression. In particular, I will discuss that the critical temperature of the superconductor depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization of the F layers, giving rise to a new giant magnetoresistance effect which might be of interest for spintronic applications. Work done in collaboration with V. Peña^1, Z. Sefrioui^1, J. Garcia-Barriocanal^1, C. Visani^1, D. Arias^1, C. Leon^1 , N. Nemes^2, M. Garcia Hernandez^2, S. G. E. te Velthuis^3, A. Hoffmann^3, M. Varela^4, S. J. Pennycook^4. Work supported by MCYT MAT 2005-06024, CAM GR- MAT-0771/2004, UCM PR3/04-12399 Work at Argonne supported by the Department of Energy, Basic

Promising half-metallicity in ductile NbF3: a first-principles prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bo; Wang, Junru; Liu, Xiaobiao; Zhao, Mingwen

2018-02-14

Materials with half-metallicity are long desired in spintronics. Using first-principles calculations, we predicted that the already-synthesized NbF 3 crystal is a promising half-metal with a large exchange splitting and stable ferromagnetism. The mechanical stability, ductility and softness of the NbF 3 crystal were confirmed by its elastic constants and moduli. The Curie temperature (T C = 120 K) estimated from the Monte Carlo simulations based on the 3D Ising model is above the liquid nitrogen temperature (78 K). The ferromagnetism and half-metallicity can be preserved on the surfaces of NbF 3 . The NbOF 2 formed by substituting F with O atoms, however, has an antiferromagnetic ground state and a normal metallic band structure. This work opens an avenue for half-metallic materials and may find applications in spintronic devices.

Broadly tunable metal halide perovskites for solid-state light-emission applications

OpenAIRE

Adjokatse, Sampson; Fang, Hong-Hua; Loi, Maria Antonietta

2017-01-01

The past two years have witnessed heightened interest in metal-halide perovskites as promising optoelectronic materials for solid-state light emitting applications beyond photovoltaics. Metal-halide perovskites are low-cost solution-processable materials with excellent intrinsic properties such as broad tunability of bandgap, defect tolerance, high photoluminescence quantum efficiency and high emission color purity (narrow full-width at half maximum). In this review, the photophysical propert...

Half-metallicity of zinc blend YSi and YSi/CdTe interfaces: By modified Becke–Johnson density functional calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, S.W.; Li, W.B.; Yang, L.; Huang, X.P.; Ding, L.J.; Yao, K.L.

2015-01-01

Abstracts: Utilizing the full potential linearized augment plane wave method with the modified Becke–Johnson potential, the half-metallicity and electronic structures of zinc blend YSi and YSi/CdTe interfaces were investigated. Calculations show the equilibrium lattice parameter for zinc blend YSi is 6.57 Angstrom, which is good compatibility with CdTe. Under theoretical equilibrium lattice parameters, zinc blend YSi is a half-metallic ferromagnet. The total magnetic moment is 1.00 μ B per cell. Electronic structures show the half-metallic gap is 0.391 eV and p-d hybridization mechanism plays a crucial role in forming half-metallic ferromagnetism. Half-metallic ferromagnetism preserved in YSi/CdTe interfaces implies CdTe would be a promising substrate for epitaxial growth zinc blend YSi films. Negative cohesive energy and heat of formation indicate zinc blend YSi could be fabricated experimentally. - Highlights: • Zinc blend YSi is good compatibility with CdTe. • Zinc blend YSi is a half-metallic ferromagnet with 0.391 eV half-metallic gap. • Negative cohesive energy and heat of formation indicate YSi could be synthesized. • Half-metallicity for YSi/CdTe slabs shows CdTe could be used to fabricate YSi film

Half-metallicity of zinc blend YSi and YSi/CdTe interfaces: By modified Becke–Johnson density functional calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, S.W., E-mail: fansw1129@126.com [Department of Physics, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002 (China); Li, W.B. [School of Physics and Chemistry, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000 (China); Yang, L.; Huang, X.P.; Ding, L.J. [Department of Physics, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002 (China); Yao, K.L. [School of Physics and Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2015-08-01

Abstracts: Utilizing the full potential linearized augment plane wave method with the modified Becke–Johnson potential, the half-metallicity and electronic structures of zinc blend YSi and YSi/CdTe interfaces were investigated. Calculations show the equilibrium lattice parameter for zinc blend YSi is 6.57 Angstrom, which is good compatibility with CdTe. Under theoretical equilibrium lattice parameters, zinc blend YSi is a half-metallic ferromagnet. The total magnetic moment is 1.00 μ{sub B} per cell. Electronic structures show the half-metallic gap is 0.391 eV and p-d hybridization mechanism plays a crucial role in forming half-metallic ferromagnetism. Half-metallic ferromagnetism preserved in YSi/CdTe interfaces implies CdTe would be a promising substrate for epitaxial growth zinc blend YSi films. Negative cohesive energy and heat of formation indicate zinc blend YSi could be fabricated experimentally. - Highlights: • Zinc blend YSi is good compatibility with CdTe. • Zinc blend YSi is a half-metallic ferromagnet with 0.391 eV half-metallic gap. • Negative cohesive energy and heat of formation indicate YSi could be synthesized. • Half-metallicity for YSi/CdTe slabs shows CdTe could be used to fabricate YSi film.

Superconductor-insulator transitions in 2D: the experimental situation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markovic, N.; Christiansen, C.; Mack, A.; Goldman, A.M.

2000-01-01

Superconductor-insulator (SI) transitions in ultrathin films have attracted significant attention over the last decade because of the possibility that they are quantum phase transitions. Magnetic field, film thickness, or carrier concentration can be used as control parameters. The bosonic pictures of these transitions proposed some years ago are only in qualitative agreement with experiment. In particular, the critical resistance appears not to be universal, and there are variations in the values of critical exponents. It has been concluded that in real films fermionic degrees of freedom must be taken into account. There are also indications that the phase diagram may include a significant metallic phase separating the superconducting and insulating phases, and that the transition may have a significant percolative aspect. The experimental situation will be broadly reviewed with attention paid to issues relating to materials and measurements. (orig.)

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wild, Georg Hermann

2012-01-01

We report on the fabrication of superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (Nb/AlO x /Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 /Nb) Josephson junctions (SIFS JJs) with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, and high quality factors. For these junctions, a transition from 0- to π-coupling is observed for a thickness d F =6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes up to about 400 GHz provides valuable information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, at high frequencies the damping is explained by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. They allow to study the junction dynamics, in particular the switching probability from the zero-voltage into the voltage state with and without microwave irradiation. The experiments with microwave irradiation are well explained within semi-classical models and numerical simulations. In contrast, at mK temperature the switching dynamics without applied microwaves clearly shows secondary quantum effects. Here, we could observe for the first time macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer. This observation excludes fluctuations of the critical current as a consequence of an unstable magnetic domain structure of the ferromagnetic interlayer and affirms the suitability of SIFS Josephson junctions for quantum information processing.

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wild, Georg Hermann

2012-03-04

We report on the fabrication of superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (Nb/AlO{sub x}/Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18}/Nb) Josephson junctions (SIFS JJs) with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, and high quality factors. For these junctions, a transition from 0- to {pi}-coupling is observed for a thickness d{sub F}=6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18} interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18} has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes up to about 400 GHz provides valuable information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, at high frequencies the damping is explained by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. They allow to study the junction dynamics, in particular the switching probability from the zero-voltage into the voltage state with and without microwave irradiation. The experiments with microwave irradiation are well explained within semi-classical models and numerical simulations. In contrast, at mK temperature the switching dynamics without applied microwaves clearly shows secondary quantum effects. Here, we could observe for the first time macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer. This observation excludes fluctuations of the critical current as a consequence of an unstable magnetic domain structure of the ferromagnetic interlayer and affirms the suitability of SIFS Josephson junctions for quantum information processing.

Spin current and spin transfer torque in ferromagnet/superconductor spin valves

Science.gov (United States)

Moen, Evan; Valls, Oriol T.

2018-05-01

Using fully self-consistent methods, we study spin transport in fabricable spin valve systems consisting of two magnetic layers, a superconducting layer, and a spacer normal layer between the ferromagnets. Our methods ensure that the proper relations between spin current gradients and spin transfer torques are satisfied. We present results as a function of geometrical parameters, interfacial barrier values, misalignment angle between the ferromagnets, and bias voltage. Our main results are for the spin current and spin accumulation as functions of position within the spin valve structure. We see precession of the spin current about the exchange fields within the ferromagnets, and penetration of the spin current into the superconductor for biases greater than the critical bias, defined in the text. The spin accumulation exhibits oscillating behavior in the normal metal, with a strong dependence on the physical parameters both as to the structure and formation of the peaks. We also study the bias dependence of the spatially averaged spin transfer torque and spin accumulation. We examine the critical-bias effect of these quantities, and their dependence on the physical parameters. Our results are predictive of the outcome of future experiments, as they take into account imperfect interfaces and a realistic geometry.

Time evolution of a new superconducting state in long ferromagnetic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharmadurai, G.

1980-01-01

We examine the unique features associated with the onset of a time dependent superconducting state in long reentrant ferromagnetic superconductors due to the self-heating induced breakdown of the ferromagnetic normal state. After solving the relevant one-dimensional heat flow equations in an analytic approximation we estimate the duration of the resulting metastable superconducting state and discuss the qualitative aspects of the temporal behaviour of this new superconducting state. (orig.)

The metal-insulator transition of RNiO3 perovskites. What can we learn from neutron diffraction?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medarde, M.L.

1996-01-01

RNiO 3 perovskites (R = rare earth) provide a remarkable opportunity to study the relationship between structural and physical properties since by moving along the 4f rare earth series, the evolution of several transport and magnetic properties can be nicely correlated to the steric effects associated with the lanthanide contraction. The most appealing example is probably the metal-insulator transition discovered for the compounds with R≠La, whose critical temperature T M-I increases with decreasing size of the rare earth ion. In this lecture, a summary of the most relevant neutron diffraction results on this system is presented. Moreover, the nickelates are used as an example to illustrate the performance of the diffractometers HRPT and DMCG to be installed at the SINQ. (author) 12 figs., 2 tabs., 17 refs

Double perovskites with strong spin-orbit coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Ashley M.

We first present theoretical analysis of powder inelastic neutron scattering experiments in Ba2FeReO6 performed by our experimental collaborators. Ba2FeReO6, a member of the double perovskite family of materials, exhibits half-metallic behavior and high Curie temperatures Tc, making it of interest for spintronics applications. To interpret the experimental data, we develop a local moment model, which incorporates the interaction of Fe spins with spin-orbital locked magnetic moments on Re, and show that it captures the experimental observations. We then develop a tight-binding model of the double perovskite Ba 2FeReO6, a room temperature ferrimagnet with correlated and spin-orbit coupled Re t2g electrons moving in the background of Fe moments stabilized by Hund's coupling. We show that for such 3d/5d double perovskites, strong correlations on the 5d-element (Re) are essential in driving a half-metallic ground state. Incorporating both strong spin-orbit coupling and the Hubbard repulsion on Re leads to a band structure consistent with ab initio calculations. The uncovered interplay of strong correlations and spin-orbit coupling lends partial support to our previous work, which used a local moment description to capture the spin wave dispersion found in neutron scattering measurements. We then adapt this tight-binding model to study {111}-grown bilayers of half-metallic double perovskites such as Sr2FeMoO6. The combination of spin-orbit coupling, inter-orbital hybridization and symmetry-allowed trigonal distortion leads to a rich phase diagram with tunable ferromagnetic order, topological C= +/-1, +/-2 Chern bands, and a C = +/-2 quantum anomalous Hall insulator regime. We have also performed theoretical analysis of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments to investigate the magnetic excitations in the weakly distorted face-centered-cubic (fcc) iridate double perovskites La2ZnIrO 6 and La2MgIrO6. Models with dominant Kitaev exchange seem to most naturally

Intrinsic Dirac half-metal and quantum anomalous Hall phase in a hexagonal metal-oxide lattice

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shou-juan; Zhang, Chang-wen; Zhang, Shu-feng; Ji, Wei-xiao; Li, Ping; Wang, Pei-ji; Li, Sheng-shi; Yan, Shi-shen

2017-11-01

The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect has attracted extensive attention due to time-reversal symmetry broken by a staggered magnetic flux emerging from ferromagnetic ordering and spin-orbit coupling. However, the experimental observations of the QAH effect are still challenging due to its small nontrivial bulk gap. Here, based on density functional theory and Berry curvature calculations, we propose the realization of intrinsic QAH effect in two-dimensional hexagonal metal-oxide lattice, N b2O3 , which is characterized by the nonzero Chern number (C =1 ) and chiral edge states. Spin-polarized calculations indicate that it exhibits a Dirac half-metal feature with temperature as large as TC=392 K using spin-wave theory. When the spin-orbit coupling is switched on, N b2O3 becomes a QAH insulator. Notably, the nontrivial topology is robust against biaxial strain with its band gap reaching up to Eg=75 meV , which is far beyond room temperature. A tight-binding model is further constructed to understand the origin of nontrivially electronic properties. Our findings on the Dirac half-metal and room-temperature QAH effect in the N b2O3 lattice can serve as an ideal platform for developing future topotronics devices.

Recent Developments in Half-Metallic Magnetism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, R.A. de; Buschow, K.H.J.

1986-01-01

The compound PtMnSb is a half-metallic ferromagnet and its unusual band structure is intimately connected with the high Magneto Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE). In this paper it will be discussed how various types of substitutions can modify this band structure and lead to possible enhancement of the

Quantitative magneto-optical investigation of superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, G; Brisbois, J; Pinheiro, L B G L; Müller, J; Blanco Alvarez, S; Devillers, T; Dempsey, N M; Scheerder, J E; Van de Vondel, J; Melinte, S; Vanderbemden, P; Motta, M; Ortiz, W A; Hasselbach, K; Kramer, R B G; Silhanek, A V

2018-02-01

We present a detailed quantitative magneto-optical imaging study of several superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures, including Nb deposited on top of thermomagnetically patterned NdFeB and permalloy/niobium with erasable and tailored magnetic landscapes imprinted in the permalloy layer. The magneto-optical imaging data are complemented with and compared to scanning Hall probe microscopy measurements. Comprehensive protocols have been developed for calibrating, testing, and converting Faraday rotation data to magnetic field maps. Applied to the acquired data, they reveal the comparatively weaker magnetic response of the superconductor from the background of larger fields and field gradients generated by the magnetic layer.

Quantitative magneto-optical investigation of superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, G.; Brisbois, J.; Pinheiro, L. B. G. L.; Müller, J.; Blanco Alvarez, S.; Devillers, T.; Dempsey, N. M.; Scheerder, J. E.; Van de Vondel, J.; Melinte, S.; Vanderbemden, P.; Motta, M.; Ortiz, W. A.; Hasselbach, K.; Kramer, R. B. G.; Silhanek, A. V.

2018-02-01

We present a detailed quantitative magneto-optical imaging study of several superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures, including Nb deposited on top of thermomagnetically patterned NdFeB and permalloy/niobium with erasable and tailored magnetic landscapes imprinted in the permalloy layer. The magneto-optical imaging data are complemented with and compared to scanning Hall probe microscopy measurements. Comprehensive protocols have been developed for calibrating, testing, and converting Faraday rotation data to magnetic field maps. Applied to the acquired data, they reveal the comparatively weaker magnetic response of the superconductor from the background of larger fields and field gradients generated by the magnetic layer.

Magnon-induced superconductivity in a topological insulator coupled to ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Hugdal, Henning G.; Rex, Stefan; Nogueira, Flavio S.; Sudbø, Asle

2018-05-01

We study the effective interactions between Dirac fermions on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator due to the proximity coupling to the magnetic fluctuations in a ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic insulator. Our results show that the magnetic fluctuations can mediate attractive interactions between Dirac fermions of both Amperean and BCS types. In the ferromagnetic case, we find pairing between fermions with parallel momenta, so-called Amperean pairing, whenever the effective Lagrangian for the magnetic fluctuations does not contain a quadratic term. The pairing interaction also increases with increasing Fermi momentum and is in agreement with previous studies in the limit of high chemical potential. If a quadratic term is present, the pairing is instead of BCS type above a certain chemical potential. In the antiferromagnetic case, BCS pairing occurs when the ferromagnetic coupling between magnons on the same sublattice exceeds the antiferromagnetic coupling between magnons on different sublattices. Outside this region in parameter space, we again find that Amperean pairing is realized.

Vacancy induced half-metallicity in half-Heusler semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Zhiyong

2011-09-28

First-principles calculations are performed to investigate the effect of vacancies on the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the two prototypical half-Heusler semiconductors NiTiSn and CoTiSb. The spin degeneracy of the host materials is broken for all types of isolated vacancies under consideration, except for Ni-deficient NiTiSn. A half-metallic character is identified in Sn-deficient NiTiSn and Co/Ti/Sb-deficient CoTiSb. We can explain our findings by introducing an extending Slater-Pauling rule for systems with defects. A ferromagnetic ordering of the local moments due to double exchange appears to be likely.

Phenomenological description of anisotropy effects in some ferromagnetic superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shopova, Diana V., E-mail: sho@issp.bas.bg [TCCM Research Group, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, BG-1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Todorov, Michail D. [Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia (Bulgaria)

2015-07-03

We study phenomenologically the role of anisotropy in ferromagnetic superconductors UGe{sub 2}, URhGe, and UCoGe for the description of their phase diagrams. We use the Ginzburg–Landau free energy in its uniform form as we will consider only spatially independent solutions. This is an expansion of previously derived results where the effect of Cooper-pair and crystal anisotropies is not taken into account. The three compounds are separately discussed with the special stress on UGe{sub 2}. The main effect comes from the strong uniaxial anisotropy of magnetization while the anisotropy of Cooper pairs and crystal anisotropy only slightly change the phase diagram in the vicinity of Curie temperature. The limitations of this approach are also discussed. - Highlights: • Anisotropic Landau energy for description of ferromagnetic superconductors is proposed. • Meissner phases are described with their existence and stability conditions. • The application of the model to UGe{sub 2} is discussed. • The limitations to apply the model for description of experimental data are explained.

Scanning X-ray microscopy of superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stahl, Claudia; Ruoss, Stephen; Weigand, Markus; Schuetz, Gisela [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart (Germany); Zahn, Patrick; Bayer, Jonas [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart (Germany); Research Institute for Innovative Surfaces, FINO, Aalen University (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Research Institute for Innovative Surfaces, FINO, Aalen University (Germany)

2016-07-01

The magnetic flux distribution arising from a high-T{sub c} superconductor is detected and visualized with high spatial resolution using scanning x-ray microscopy (SXM). Therefore, we introduce a sensor layer, namely, an amorphous, soft-magnetic CoFeB cover layer. The magnetic stray fields of the supercurrents lead to a local reorientation of the magnetic moments in the ferromagnet, which is visualized using the large x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) effect of the Co and Fe L3-edge. We show that the XMCD contrast in the sensor layer corresponds to the in-plane magnetic flux distribution of the superconductor and can hence be used to image magnetic structures in superconductors with high spatial resolution. Using the total electron yield (TEY) mode the surface structure and the magnetic domains can be imaged simultaneously and can be correlated. The measurements are carried out at our scanning x-ray microscope MAXYMUS at Bessy II, Berlin with the new low temperature setup.

Theory of thermal and charge transport in diffusive normal metal / superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Asano, Y.

2005-01-01

Thermal and charge transport in diffusive normal metal (DN)/insulator/s-, d-, and p-wave superconductor junctions are studied based on the Usadel equation with the Nazarov's generalized boundary condition. We derive a general expression of the thermal conductance in unconventional superconducting

Phase coherent transport in hybrid superconductor-topological insulator devices

Science.gov (United States)

Finck, Aaron

2015-03-01

Heterostructures of superconductors and topological insulators are predicted to host unusual zero energy bound states known as Majorana fermions, which can robustly store and process quantum information. Here, I will discuss our studies of such heterostructures through phase-coherent transport, which can act as a unique probe of Majorana fermions. We have extensively explored topological insulator Josephson junctions through SQUID and single-junction diffraction patterns, whose unusual behavior give evidence for low-energy Andreev bound states. In topological insulator devices with closely spaced normal and superconducting leads, we observe prominent Fabry-Perot oscillations, signifying gate-tunable, quasi-ballistic transport that can elegantly interact with Andreev reflection. Superconducting disks deposited on the surface of a topological insulator generate Aharonov-Bohm-like oscillations, giving evidence for unusual states lying near the interface between the superconductor and topological insulator surface. Our results point the way towards sophisticated interferometers that can detect and read out the state of Majorana fermions in topological systems. This work was done in collaboration with Cihan Kurter, Yew San Hor, and Dale Van Harlingen. We acknowledge funding from Microsoft Project Q.

Structurally triggered metal-insulator transition in rare-earth nickelates.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercy, Alain; Bieder, Jordan; Íñiguez, Jorge; Ghosez, Philippe

2017-11-22

Rare-earth nickelates form an intriguing series of correlated perovskite oxides. Apart from LaNiO 3 , they exhibit on cooling a sharp metal-insulator electronic phase transition, a concurrent structural phase transition, and a magnetic phase transition toward an unusual antiferromagnetic spin order. Appealing for various applications, full exploitation of these compounds is still hampered by the lack of global understanding of the interplay between their electronic, structural, and magnetic properties. Here we show from first-principles calculations that the metal-insulator transition of nickelates arises from the softening of an oxygen-breathing distortion, structurally triggered by oxygen-octahedra rotation motions. The origin of such a rare triggered mechanism is traced back in their electronic and magnetic properties, providing a united picture. We further develop a Landau model accounting for the metal-insulator transition evolution in terms of the rare-earth cations and rationalizing how to tune this transition by acting on oxygen rotation motions.

Hybrid molecule/superconductor assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Riley, D.R.; Zhao, J.; Zhou, J.P., Jones, C.

1993-01-01

The fabrication of electronic devices from molecular materials has attracted much attention recently. Schottky diodes, molecular transistors, metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes, MIS field effect transistors and light emitting diodes have all been prepared utilizing such substances. The active elements in these devices have been constructed by depositing the molecular phase onto the surface of a metal, semiconductor or insulating substrate. With the recent discovery of high temperature superconductivity, new opportunities now exist for the study of molecule/superconductor interactions as well as for the construction of novel hybrid molecule/superconductor devices. In this paper, methods for preparing the initial two composite molecule/semiconductor devices will be reported. Consequently, light sensors based on dye-coated superconductor junctions as well as molecular switches fashioned from conductive polymer coated superconductor junctions as well as molecular switches fashioned from conductive polymer coated superconductor microbridges will be discussed. Moreover, molecule/superconductor energy and electron transfer phenomena will be illustrated also for the first time

Realization of a Hole-Doped Mott Insulator on a Triangular Silicon Lattice

Science.gov (United States)

Ming, Fangfei; Johnston, Steve; Mulugeta, Daniel; Smith, Tyler S.; Vilmercati, Paolo; Lee, Geunseop; Maier, Thomas A.; Snijders, Paul C.; Weitering, Hanno H.

2017-12-01

The physics of doped Mott insulators is at the heart of some of the most exotic physical phenomena in materials research including insulator-metal transitions, colossal magnetoresistance, and high-temperature superconductivity in layered perovskite compounds. Advances in this field would greatly benefit from the availability of new material systems with a similar richness of physical phenomena but with fewer chemical and structural complications in comparison to oxides. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we show that such a system can be realized on a silicon platform. The adsorption of one-third monolayer of Sn atoms on a Si(111) surface produces a triangular surface lattice with half filled dangling bond orbitals. Modulation hole doping of these dangling bonds unveils clear hallmarks of Mott physics, such as spectral weight transfer and the formation of quasiparticle states at the Fermi level, well-defined Fermi contour segments, and a sharp singularity in the density of states. These observations are remarkably similar to those made in complex oxide materials, including high-temperature superconductors, but highly extraordinary within the realm of conventional s p -bonded semiconductor materials. It suggests that exotic quantum matter phases can be realized and engineered on silicon-based materials platforms.

The metal-insulator transition of RNiO{sub 3} perovskites. What can we learn from neutron diffraction?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Medarde, M L [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1996-11-01

RNiO{sub 3} perovskites (R = rare earth) provide a remarkable opportunity to study the relationship between structural and physical properties since by moving along the 4f rare earth series, the evolution of several transport and magnetic properties can be nicely correlated to the steric effects associated with the lanthanide contraction. The most appealing example is probably the metal-insulator transition discovered for the compounds with R{ne}La, whose critical temperature T{sub M-I} increases with decreasing size of the rare earth ion. In this lecture, a summary of the most relevant neutron diffraction results on this system is presented. Moreover, the nickelates are used as an example to illustrate the performance of the diffractometers HRPT and DMCG to be installed at the SINQ. (author) 12 figs., 2 tabs., 17 refs.

Resistance switching memory in perovskite oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Z.B.; Liu, J.-M.

2015-01-01

The resistance switching behavior has recently attracted great attentions for its application as resistive random access memories (RRAMs) due to a variety of advantages such as simple structure, high-density, high-speed and low-power. As a leading storage media, the transition metal perovskite oxide owns the strong correlation of electrons and the stable crystal structure, which brings out multifunctionality such as ferroelectric, multiferroic, superconductor, and colossal magnetoresistance/electroresistance effect, etc. The existence of rich electronic phases, metal–insulator transition and the nonstoichiometric oxygen in perovskite oxide provides good platforms to insight into the resistive switching mechanisms. In this review, we first introduce the general characteristics of the resistance switching effects, the operation methods and the storage media. Then, the experimental evidences of conductive filaments, the transport and switching mechanisms, and the memory performances and enhancing methods of perovskite oxide based filamentary RRAM cells have been summarized and discussed. Subsequently, the switching mechanisms and the performances of the uniform RRAM cells associating with the carrier trapping/detrapping and the ferroelectric polarization switching have been discussed. Finally, the advices and outlook for further investigating the resistance switching and enhancing the memory performances are given

Competing interactions in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic perovskite superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takamura, Y.; Biegalski, M.B.; Christen, H.M.

2009-10-22

Soft x-ray magnetic dichroism, magnetization, and magnetotransport measurements demonstrate that the competition between different magnetic interactions (exchange coupling, electronic reconstruction, and long-range interactions) in La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}FeO{sub 3}(LSFO)/La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}(LSMO) perovskite oxide superlattices leads to unexpected functional properties. The antiferromagnetic order parameter in LSFO and ferromagnetic order parameter in LSMO show a dissimilar dependence on sublayer thickness and temperature, illustrating the high degree of tunability in these artificially layered materials.

Half metallic ferromagnet Pr_0_._9_5Mn_0_._9_3_9O_3 for spin based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santhosh Kumar, B.; Praveen Shankar, N.; Venkateswaran, C.; Manimuthu, P.

2016-01-01

Half Metallic Ferromagnets (HMF) are excellent candidates for spintronics devices due to their unusual 3d and 4s bands. Band theory and first principles calculations strongly predict that Pr based compounds are promising HMF candidates due to their spin hybridisation. Among all Pr based HMF, Pr_0_._9_5Mn_0_._9_3_9O_3 is special because of its pervoskite structure. The different oxidation states of Mn and Pr will enhance the hybridisation of 3d and 4f bands. The present study is experimental effort on the preparation of Pr based compounds

Coherent and correlated spin transport in nanoscale superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morten, Jan Petter

2008-03-15

Motivated by the desire for better understanding of nano electronic systems, we theoretically study the conductance and noise characteristics of current flow between superconductors, ferromagnets, and normal-metals. Such nano structures can reveal information about superconductor proximity effects, spin-relaxation processes, and spintronic effects with potential applications for different areas of mesoscopic physics. We employ the quasiclassical theory of superconductivity in the Keldysh formalism, and calculate the nonequilibrium transport of spin and charge using various approaches like the circuit theory of quantum transport and full counting statistics. For two of the studied structures, we have been able to compare our theory to experimental data and obtain good agreement. Transport and relaxation of spin polarized current in superconductors is governed by energy-dependent transport coefficients and spin-flip rates which are determined by quantum interference effects. We calculate the resulting temperature-dependent spin flow in ferromagnet-superconductor devices. Experimental data for spin accumulation and spin relaxation in a superconducting nano wire is in agreement with the theory, and allows for a spin-flip spectroscopy that determines the dominant mechanism for spin-flip relaxation in the studied samples. A ferromagnet precessing under resonance conditions can give rise to pure spin current injection into superconductors. We find that the absorbed spin current is measurable as a temperature dependent Gilbert damping, which we calculate and compare to experimental data. Crossed Andreev reflection denotes superconducting pairing of electrons flowing from different normal-metal or ferromagnet terminals into a superconductor. We calculate the nonlocal currents resulting from this process in competition with direct electron transport between the normal-metal terminals. We take dephasing into account, and study the nonlocal current when the types of contact in

Magnon diffusion theory for the spin Seebeck effect in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Rezende, Sergio M.; Azevedo, Antonio; Rodríguez-Suárez, Roberto L.

2018-05-01

In magnetic insulators, spin currents are carried by the elementary excitations of the magnetization: spin waves or magnons. In simple ferromagnetic insulators there is only one magnon mode, while in two-sublattice antiferromagnetic insulators (AFIs) there are two modes, which carry spin currents in opposite directions. Here we present a theory for the diffusive magnonic spin current generated in a magnetic insulator layer by a thermal gradient in the spin Seebeck effect. We show that the formulations describing magnonic perturbation using a position-dependent chemical potential and those using a magnon accumulation are completely equivalent. Then we develop a drift–diffusion formulation for magnonic spin transport treating the magnon accumulation governed by the Boltzmann transport and diffusion equations and considering the full boundary conditions at the surfaces and interfaces of an AFI/normal metal bilayer. The theory is applied to the ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet and to the AFIs MnF2 and NiO, providing good quantitative agreement with experimental data.

Influence of soft ferromagnetic sections on the magnetic flux density profile of a large grain, bulk Y–Ba–Cu–O superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philippe, M P; Wéra, L; Fagnard, J-F; Vanderheyden, B; Vanderbemden, P; Ainslie, M D; Dennis, A R; Shi, Y-H; Cardwell, D A

2015-01-01

Bulk, high temperature superconductors have significant potential for use as powerful permanent magnets in a variety of practical applications due to their ability to trap record magnetic fields. In this paper, soft ferromagnetic sections are combined with a bulk, large grain Y–Ba–Cu–O high temperature superconductor to form superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures. We study how the ferromagnetic sections influence the shape of the profile of the trapped magnetic induction at the surface of each structure and report the surface magnetic flux density measured by Hall probe mapping. These configurations have been modelled using a 2D axisymmetric finite element method based on the H-formulation and the results show excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement with the experimental measurements. The model has also been used to study the magnetic flux distribution and predict the behaviour for other constitutive laws and geometries. The results show that the ferromagnetic material acts as a magnetic shield, but the flux density and its gradient are enhanced on the face opposite to the ferromagnet. The thickness and saturation magnetization of the ferromagnetic material are important and a characteristic ferromagnet thickness d* is derived: below d*, saturation of the ferromagnet occurs, and above d*, a weak thickness-dependence is observed. The influence of the ferromagnet is observed even if its saturation magnetization is lower than the trapped flux density of the superconductor. Conversely, thin ferromagnetic discs can be driven to full saturation even though the outer magnetic field is much smaller than their saturation magnetization. (paper)

Compact terahertz passive spectrometer with wideband superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi, K; Kohjiro, S; Yamada, T; Shimizu, N; Wakatsuki, A

2012-02-01

We developed a compact terahertz (THz) spectrometer with a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer, aiming to realize a portable and highly sensitive spectrometer to detect dangerous gases at disaster sites. The receiver cryostat which incorporates the SIS mixer and a small cryocooler except for a helium compressor has a weight of 27 kg and dimensions of 200 mm × 270 mm × 690 mm. In spite of the small cooling capacity of the cryocooler, the SIS mixer is successfully cooled lower than 4 K, and the temperature variation is suppressed for the sensitive measurement. By adopting a frequency sweeping system using photonic local oscillator, we demonstrated a spectroscopic measurement of CH(3)CN gas in 0.2-0.5 THz range.

Half-metallicity and giant magneto-optical Kerr effect in N-doped NaTaO3

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Yasir; Singh, Nirpendra; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2012-01-01

gradient approximation. We find a giant polar Kerr rotation of 2.16°at 725 nm wave length (visible region), much higher than in other half-metallic perovskites and the prototypical half-metal PtMnSb. We explain the physical origin of this unexpected

Topological Crystalline Insulators and Dirac Octets in Anti-perovskites

OpenAIRE

Hsieh, Timothy H.; Liu, Junwei; Fu, Liang

2014-01-01

We predict a new class of topological crystalline insulators (TCI) in the anti-perovskite material family with the chemical formula A$_3$BX. Here the nontrivial topology arises from band inversion between two $J=3/2$ quartets, which is described by a generalized Dirac equation for a "Dirac octet". Our work suggests that anti-perovskites are a promising new venue for exploring the cooperative interplay between band topology, crystal symmetry and electron correlation.

Magnetic tunable confinement of the superconducting condensate in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aladyshkin, A.Yu.; Gillijns, W.; Silhanek, A.V.; Moshchalkov, V.V.

2008-01-01

The effect of a nonuniform magnetic field induced by a ferromagnet on the magnetoresistance of thin-film superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures was investigated experimentally. Two different magnetic textures with out-of-plane magnetization were considered: a plain ferromagnetic film with bubble domains and a regular array of ferromagnetic dots. The stray fields of the structures are able to affect the spatial profile of the superconducting condensate, leading to a modification of the dependence of the critical temperature T c on an external magnetic field H. We showed how the standard linear T c (H) dependence with a single maximum at H=0 can be continuously transformed into so-called reentrant phase boundary with two T c peaks. We demonstrated that both domain-wall superconductivity and field-induced superconductivity are different manifestations of the magnetic confinement effect in various magnetic patterns

Influence of magnetic impurities on charge transport in diffusive-normal-metal/superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Inoue, J.; Asano, Y.

2005-01-01

Charge transport in the diffusive normal metal (DN)/insulator/s- and d-wave superconductor junctions is studied in the presence of magnetic impurities in DN in the framework of the quasiclassical Usadel equations with the generalized boundary conditions. The cases of s- and d-wave superconducting

Asymmetric d-wave superconducting topological insulator in proximity with a magnetic order

Science.gov (United States)

Khezerlou, M.; Goudarzi, H.; Asgarifar, S.

2018-02-01

In the framework of the Dirac-Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism, we investigate the transport properties in the surface of a 3-dimensional topological insulator-based hybrid structure, where the ferromagnetic and superconducting orders are simultaneously induced to the surface states via the proximity effect. The superconductor gap is taken to be spin-singlet d-wave symmetry. The asymmetric role of this gap respect to the electron-hole exchange, in one hand, affects the topological insulator superconducting binding excitations and, on the other hand, gives rise to forming distinct Majorana bound states at the ferromagnet/superconductor interface. We propose a topological insulator N/F/FS junction and proceed to clarify the role of d-wave asymmetry pairing in the resulting subgap and overgap tunneling conductance. The perpendicular component of magnetizations in F and FS regions can be at the parallel and antiparallel configurations leading to capture the experimentally important magnetoresistance (MR) of junction. It is found that the zero-bias conductance is strongly sensitive to the magnitude of magnetization in FS region mzfs and orbital rotated angle α of superconductor gap. The negative MR only occurs in zero orbital rotated angle. This result can pave the way to distinguish the unconventional superconducting state in the relating topological insulator hybrid structures.

Quantum Critical “Opalescence” around Metal-Insulator Transitions

Science.gov (United States)

Misawa, Takahiro; Yamaji, Youhei; Imada, Masatoshi

2006-08-01

Divergent carrier-density fluctuations equivalent to the critical opalescence of gas-liquid transition emerge around a metal-insulator critical point at a finite temperature. In contrast to the gas-liquid transitions, however, the critical temperatures can be lowered to zero, which offers a challenging quantum phase transition. We present a microscopic description of such quantum critical phenomena in two dimensions. The conventional scheme of phase transitions by Ginzburg, Landau, and Wilson is violated because of its topological nature. It offers a clear insight into the criticalities of metal-insulator transitions (MIT) associated with Mott or charge-order transitions. Fermi degeneracy involving the diverging density fluctuations generates emergent phenomena near the endpoint of the first-order MIT and must shed new light on remarkable phenomena found in correlated metals such as unconventional cuprate superconductors. It indeed accounts for the otherwise puzzling criticality of the Mott transition recently discovered in an organic conductor. We propose to accurately measure enhanced dielectric fluctuations at small wave numbers.

Ground state properties and thermoelectric behavior of Ru{sub 2}VZ (Z=Si, ge, sn) half-metallic ferromagnetic full-Heusler compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yalcin, Battal Gazi

2016-06-15

The ground state properties namely structural, mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties and thermoelectric behavior of Ru{sub 2}VZ (Z=Si, Ge and Sn) half-metallic ferromagnetic full-Heusler compounds are systematically investigated. These compounds are ferromagnetic and crystallize in the Heusler type L2{sub 1} structure (prototype: Cu{sub 2}MnAl, Fm-3m 225). This result is confirmed for Ru{sub 2}VSi and Ru{sub 2}VSn by experimental work reported by Yin and Nash using high temperature direct reaction calorimetry. The studied materials are half-metallic ferromagnets with a narrow direct band gap in the minority spin channel that amounts to 31 meV, 66 meV and 14 meV for Ru{sub 2}VSi, Ru{sub 2}VGe, and Ru{sub 2}VSn, respectively. The total spin magnetic moment (M{sub tot}) of the considered compounds satisfies a Slater–Pauling type rule for localized magnetic moment systems (M{sub tot}=(N{sub V}−24)µ{sub B}), where N{sub V}=25 is the number of valence electrons in the primitive cell. The Curie temperature within the random phase approximation (RPA) is found to be 23 K, 126 K and 447 K for Ru{sub 2}VSi, Ru{sub 2}VGe and Ru{sub 2}VSn, respectively. Semi-classical Boltzmann transport theories have been used to obtain thermoelectric constants, such as Seebeck coefficient (S), electrical (σ/τ) and thermal conductivity (κ/τ), power factor (PF) and the Pauli magnetic susceptibility (χ). ZT{sub MAX} values of 0.016 (350 K), 0.033 (380 K) and 0.063 (315 K) are achieved for Ru{sub 2}VSi, Ru{sub 2}VGe and Ru{sub 2}VSn, respectively. It is expected that the obtained results might be a trigger in future experimentally interest in this type of full-Heusler compounds. - Graphical abstract: Temperature dependence of figure of merit for Ru{sub 2}VZ (Z=Si, Ge, and Sn) compounds. - Highlights: • The ground state and thermoelectric properties are reported for the first time. • Ru{sub 2}VZ are found to be a half-metallic ferromagnetic full Heusler compound. • The

Enhanced ferromagnetism, metal-insulator transition, and large magnetoresistance in La1-xCaxMn1-xRuxO3 free of eg-orbital double-exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, M. F.; Du, Z. Z.; Liu, H. M.; Li, X.; Yan, Z. B.; Dong, S.; Liu, J.-M.

2014-03-01

The structure, ionic valences, magnetism, and magneto-transport behaviors of mixed valence oxides La1-xCaxMn1-xRuxO3 are systematically investigated. The simultaneous substitutions of La3+ and Mn3+ ions by Ca2+ and Ru4+, respectively, are confirmed by the structural and ionic valence characterizations, excluding the presence of Mn4+ and Ru3+ ions. The enhanced ferromagnetism, induced metal-insulator transition, and remarkable magnetoresistance effect are demonstrated when the substitution level x is lower than ˜0.6, in spite of the absence of the Mn3+-Ru4+ eg-orbital double-exchange. These anomalous magnetotransport effects are discussed based on the competing multifold interactions associated with the Mn3+-Ru4+ super-exchange and strong Ru4+-Ru4+ hopping, while the origins for the metal-insulator transition and magnetoresistance effect remain to be clarified.

Magnetoanisotropic spin-triplet Andreev reflection in ferromagnet-Ising superconductor junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Peng; Zhou, Yan-Feng; Yang, Ning-Xuan; Sun, Qing-Feng

2018-04-01

We theoretically study the electronic transport through a ferromagnet-Ising superconductor junction. A tight-binding Hamiltonian describing the Ising superconductor is presented. Then by combining the nonequilibrium Green's function method, the expressions of Andreev reflection coefficient and conductance are obtained. A strong magnetoanisotropic spin-triplet Andreev reflection is shown, and the magnetoanisotropic period is π instead of 2 π as in the conventional magnetoanisotropic system. We demonstrate a significant increase of the spin-triplet Andreev reflection for the single-band Ising superconductor. Furthermore, the dependence of the Andreev reflection on the incident energy and incident angle are also investigated. A complete Andreev reflection can occur when the incident energy is equal to the superconducting gap, regardless of the Fermi energy (spin polarization) of the ferromagnet. For the suitable oblique incidence, the spin-triplet Andreev reflection can be strongly enhanced. In addition, the conductance spectroscopies of both zero bias and finite bias are studied, and the influence of gate voltage, exchange energy, and spin-orbit coupling on the conductance spectroscopy are discussed in detail. The conductance exhibits a strong magnetoanisotropy with period π as the Andreev reflection coefficient. When the magnetization direction is parallel to the junction plane, a large conductance peak always emerges at the superconducting gap. This work offers a comprehensive and systematic study of the spin-triplet Andreev reflection and has an underlying application of π -periodic spin valve in spintronics.

Deficient by oxygen perovskites and superconductor with transition temperature 93 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, N.L.; Angel, R.J.; Finger, L.W.; Hazen, R.M.; Prewitt, K.T.

1988-01-01

Structural changes in some perovskites deficient by oxygen is reviewd. The structure of the high-temperature YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x superconductor is shown to develop usual for perovskites properties and at the same time to possess specific features. The specific feature includes the fact that ordering of vacancies and oxygen atoms is the consequence of Ba 2+ and Y 3+ ordering in positions A. Such ordering causes the removal of oxygen atoms plane from the structure and accurrence of pyramidal-coordinated atoms Cu2 in positions B. 22 refs.; 3 figs.; 2 tabs

Competition between superconductivity and magnetism in ferromagnet/superconductor heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izyumov, Yurii A; Proshin, Yurii N; Khusainov, Mensur G

2002-01-01

The mutual influence of superconductivity and magnetism in F/S systems, i.e. systems of alternating ferromagnetic (F) and superconducting (S) layers, is comprehensively reviewed. For systems with ferromagnetic metal (FM) layers, a theory of the proximity effect in the dirty limit is constructed based on the Usadel equations. For an FM/S bilayer and an FM/S superlattice, a boundary-value problem involving finite FM/S boundary transparency and the diffusion and wave modes of quasi-particle motion is formulated; and the critical temperature T c is calculated as a function of FM- and S-layer thicknesses. A detailed analysis of a large amount of experimental data amply confirms the proposed theory. It is shown that the superconducting state of an FM/S system is a superposition of two pairing mechanisms, Bardin - Cooper - Schrieffer's in S layers and Larkin - Ovchinnikov - Fulde - Ferrell's in FM ones. The competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic spontaneous moment orientations in FM layers is explored for the 0- and π-phase superconductivity in FM/S systems. For FI/S structures, where FI is a ferromagnetic insulator, a model for exchange interactions is proposed, which, along with direct exchange inside FI layers, includes indirect Ruderman - Kittel - Kasuya - Yosida exchange between localized spins via S-layer conduction electrons. Within this framework, possible mutual accommodation scenarios for superconducting and magnetic order parameters are found, the corresponding phase diagrams are plotted, and experimental results are explained. The results of the theory of the Josephson effect for S/F/S junctions are presented and the application of the theory of spin-dependent transport to F/S/F junctions is discussed. Application aspects of the subject are examined. (reviews of topical problems)

Search for Majorana fermions in topological superconductors.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Wei [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Shi, Xiaoyan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hawkins, Samuel D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Klem, John Frederick [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2014-10-01

The goal of this project is to search for Majorana fermions (a new quantum particle) in a topological superconductor (a new quantum matter achieved in a topological insulator proximitized by an s-wave superconductor). Majorana fermions (MFs) are electron-like particles that are their own anti-particles. MFs are shown to obey non-Abelian statistics and, thus, can be harnessed to make a fault-resistant topological quantum computer. With the arrival of topological insulators, novel schemes to create MFs have been proposed in hybrid systems by combining a topological insulator with a conventional superconductor. In this LDRD project, we will follow the theoretical proposals to search for MFs in one-dimensional (1D) topological superconductors. 1D topological superconductor will be created inside of a quantum point contact (with the metal pinch-off gates made of conventional s-wave superconductors such as niobium) in a two-dimensional topological insulator (such as inverted type-II InAs/GaSb heterostructure).

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-Tc superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Zigang; Wang, Jiasu; Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya; Wang, Suyu

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Ferromagnetic materials guide the flux distribution of the PMG to bulk positions. ► With ferromagnetic materials, guidance performance can be enhanced greatly. ► A new HTS Maglev system with onboard ferromagnetic materials is designed. ► The design can meet large guidance force requirements for practical applications. -- Abstract: Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves

Signature of magnetic-dependent gapless odd frequency states at superconductor / ferromagnet interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Jason [Department of Materials Science, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB30FS (United Kingdom)

2015-07-01

The theory of superconductivity developed by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer (BCS) explains the stabilisation of electron pairs into a spin-singlet, even frequency, state by the formation of an energy gap below which the density of states (DoS) is zero. At a superconductor interface with an inhomogeneous ferromagnet, a gapless odd frequency superconducting state is predicted in which the Cooper pairs are in a spin-triplet state. Although indirect evidence for such a state has been obtained, the gap structure and pairing symmetry have not so far been determined. In this talk I will present scanning tunnelling spectroscopy of Nb superconducting films proximity coupled to epitaxial Ho. These measurements reveal pronounced changes to the Nb sub-gap superconducting DoS on driving the Ho through a metamagnetic transition from a helical antiferromagnetic to a homogeneous ferromagnetic state for which a BCS-like gap is recovered. The results verify odd frequency spin-triplet superconductivity at superconductor / inhomogeneous magnet interfaces.

Fluorescence extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of half-metallic ferromagnet 'zinc-blende CrAs' grown on GaAs by molecular beam epitaxy

CERN Document Server

Ofuchi, H; Ono, K; Oshima, M; Akinaga, H; Manago, T

2003-01-01

In this work, geometric structures for a half-metallic ferromagnet 'zinc-blende CrAs', which showed ferromagnetic behavior beyond room temperature, were investigated using fluorescence extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurement. The EXAFS measurements revealed that As atoms around Cr atoms in the 2 nm CrAs film grown on a GaAs(0 0 1) substrate were coordinated tetrahedrally, indicating formation of zinc-blende CrAs. The Cr-As bond length in the zinc-blende CrAs is 2.49 A. This value is close to that which was estimated from the lattice constant (5.82 A) of ferromagnetic zinc-blende CrAs calculated by full-potential linearized augmented-plane wave method. The EXAFS analysis show that the theoretically predicted zinc-blende CrAs can be fabricated on GaAs(0 0 1) substrate by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy.

Fluorescence extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of half-metallic ferromagnet 'zinc-blende CrAs' grown on GaAs by molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ofuchi, H.; Mizuguchi, M.; Ono, K.; Oshima, M.; Akinaga, H.; Manago, T.

2003-01-01

In this work, geometric structures for a half-metallic ferromagnet 'zinc-blende CrAs', which showed ferromagnetic behavior beyond room temperature, were investigated using fluorescence extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurement. The EXAFS measurements revealed that As atoms around Cr atoms in the 2 nm CrAs film grown on a GaAs(0 0 1) substrate were coordinated tetrahedrally, indicating formation of zinc-blende CrAs. The Cr-As bond length in the zinc-blende CrAs is 2.49 A. This value is close to that which was estimated from the lattice constant (5.82 A) of ferromagnetic zinc-blende CrAs calculated by full-potential linearized augmented-plane wave method. The EXAFS analysis show that the theoretically predicted zinc-blende CrAs can be fabricated on GaAs(0 0 1) substrate by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy

The control of magnetism near metal-to-insulator transitions of VO2 nano-belts

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Nkosi, SS

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The magnetic properties of paramagnetic/weakly ferromagnetic films are strongly affected by the proximity to materials that undergo a metal to insulator phase transition. Here, we show that under the deposition conditions associated with structural...

Surface half-metallicity of half-Heusler compound FeCrSe and interface half-metallicity of FeCrSe/GaP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khalaf Al-zyadi, Jabbar M., E-mail: jabbar_alzyadi@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Basrah (Iraq); Jolan, Mudhahir H. [Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Basrah (Iraq); Yao, Kai-Lun, E-mail: klyao@mail.hust.edu.cn [School of Physics and Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); International Center of Materials Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110015 (China)

2016-04-01

Recent studies showed that half-Heusler FeCrSe exhibits half-metallic ferromagnetism (Huang et al. [20]). In this paper, we investigate extensively the electronic, magnetic, and half-metallic properties of the half-Heusler alloy FeCrSe (111) and (001) surfaces and the interface with GaP (111) substrate by using the first-principles calculations within the density functional theory. The atomic density of states demonstrates that the half-me tallicity verified in the bulk FeCrSe is maintained at the CrSe-terminated (001) and Se-terminated (111) surfaces, but lost at both Cr- and Fe-terminated (111) surfaces and the Fe-terminated (001) surface. Alternatively, for the interface of FeCrSe/GaP (111), the bulk half-metallicity is destroyed at Se–P configuration while Se–Ga interface and subinterface show nearly 100% spin polarization. Moreover, the calculated interfacial adhesion energies exhibit that Se–Ga shape is more stable than the Se–P one. The calculated magnetic moments of Se, Ga at the Se–Ga (111) interface and P at the Se–P (111) interface increase with respect to the corresponding bulk values while the atomic magnetic moment of Se atom at the Se–P (111) interface decreases. We also notice that the magnetic moments of subinterface Fe at both Se–Ga and Se–P (111) interfaces decrease compared to the bulk values. - Highlights: • The half-metallicity verified in the bulk FeCrSe is kept at the CrSe-terminated (001) and Se-terminated (111) surfaces. • The calculated interfacial adhesion energies exhibit that Se–Ga shape is more stable than Se–P. • The magnetic moments of Se, Ga and P atoms at the interface increase. • The Se–Ga interface shows nearly 100% spin polarization.

Ultra-low magnetic damping in metallic and half-metallic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Justin

The phenomenology of magnetic damping is of critical importance to devices which seek to exploit the electronic spin degree of freedom since damping strongly affects the energy required and speed at which a device can operate. However, theory has struggled to quantitatively predict the damping, even in common ferromagnetic materials. This presents a challenge for a broad range of applications in magnonics, spintronics and spin-orbitronics that depend on the ability to precisely control the damping of a material. I will discuss our recent work to precisely measure the intrinsic damping in several metallic and half-metallic material systems and compare experiment with several theoretical models. This investigation uncovered a metallic material composed of Co and Fe that exhibit ultra-low values of damping that approach values found in thin film YIG. Such ultra-low damping is unexpected in a metal since magnon-electron scattering dominates the damping in conductors. However, this system possesses a distinctive feature in the bandstructure that minimizes the density of states at the Fermi energy n(EF). These findings provide the theoretical framework by which such ultra-low damping can be achieved in metallic ferromagnets and may enable a new class of experiments where ultra-low damping can be combined with a charge current. Half-metallic Heusler compounds by definition have a bandgap in one of the spin channels at the Fermi energy. This feature can also lead to exceptionally low values of the damping parameter. Our results show a strong correlation of the damping with the order parameter in Co2MnGe. Finally, I will provide an overview of the recent advances in achieving low damping in thin film Heusler compounds.

Local structural distortion and electronic modifications in PrNiO3 across the metal-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piamonteze, C.; Tolentino, H.C.N.; Ramos, A.Y.; Massa, N. E.; Alonso, J.A.; Martinez-Lope, M.J.; Casais, M.T.

2003-01-01

Local electronic and structural properties of PrNiO3 perovskite were studied by means of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy at Ni K and L edges. The EXAFS results at Ni K edge show a structural transition from three different Ni-O bond-lengths at the insulating phase to two Ni-O bond-lengths above TMI. These results were interpreted as being due to a transition from a structure with two different Ni sites at the insulating phase to one distorted Ni site at the metallic phase. The Ni L edge spectra show a remarkable difference between the spectra measured at the insulating and metallic phases that indicates a decreasing degree of hybridization between Ni3d and O2p bands from the metallic to the insulating phase

Dielectric and diamagnetic susceptibilities near percolative superconductor-insulator transitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Loh, Yen Lee; Karki, Pragalv

2017-10-25

Coarse-grained superconductor-insulator composites exhibit a superconductor-insulator transition governed by classical percolation, which should be describable by networks of inductors and capacitors. We study several classes of random inductor-capacitor networks on square lattices. We present a unifying framework for defining electric and magnetic response functions, and we extend the Frank-Lobb bond-propagation algorithm to compute these quantities by network reduction. We confirm that the superfluid stiffness scales approximately as [Formula: see text] as the superconducting bond fraction p approaches the percolation threshold p c . We find that the diamagnetic susceptibility scales as [Formula: see text] below percolation, and as [Formula: see text] above percolation. For models lacking self-capacitances, the electric susceptibility scales as [Formula: see text]. Including a self-capacitance on each node changes the critical behavior to approximately [Formula: see text].

Charge disproportionation in RNiO3 at the metal-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, J.A.; Martinez-Lope, M.J.; Casais, M.T.; Garcia-Munoz, J.L.; Fernandez-Diaz, M.T.; Aranda, M.A.G.

1999-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Neutron and synchrotron diffraction data provide the first observation of changes in the crystal symmetry at the metal-insulator (MI) transition in RNiO 3 perovskites [1]. At high temperatures, YNiO 3 is orthorhombic and metallic but below T MI = 582 K it changes to a monoclinic insulator. The monoclinic symmetry is due to a partial 2 Ni 3+ → Ni 3+δ + Ni 3-δ charge disproportionation associated to the MI transition. In the insulating state the presence of two NiO 6 octahedra is reported with, respectively, expanded (Ni1) and contracted (Ni2) Ni-O bonds, that alternated along the three directions of the crystal. Corroborating the charge disproportion, unequal moments are found at Ni1 and Ni2 octahedra in the low temperature monoclinic phase. (author) J.A. Alonso et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. in press

Half-metallic ferromagnetism prediction in MoS2-based two-dimensional superlattice from first-principles

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Yan-Ni; Gao, Peng-Fei; Xia, Ming-Gang; Zhang, Sheng-Li

2018-03-01

Half-metallic ferromagnetism (HMFM) has great potential application in spin filter. However, it is extremely rare, especially in two-dimensional (2D) materials. At present, 2D materials have drawn international interest in spintronic devices. Here, we use ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the structural stability and electrical and magnetic properties of the MoS2-based 2D superlattice formed by inserting graphene hexagonal ring in 6 × 6 × 1 MoS2 supercell. Two kinds of structures with hexagonal carbon ring were predicted with structural stability and were shown HMFM. The two structures combine the spin transport capacity of graphene with the magnetism of the defective 2D MoS2. And they have strong covalent bonding between the C and S or Mo atoms near the interface. This work is very useful to help us to design reasonable MoS2-based spin filter.

Magnetic profiles in ferromagnetic/superconducting superlattices.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

te Velthuis, S. G. E.; Hoffmann, A.; Santamaria, J.; Materials Science Division; Univ. Complutense de Madrid

2007-02-28

The interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity has been of longstanding fundamental research interest to scientists, as the competition between these generally mutually exclusive types of long-range order gives rise to a rich variety of physical phenomena. A method of studying these exciting effects is by investigating artificially layered systems, i.e. alternating deposition of superconducting and ferromagnetic thin films on a substrate, which enables a straight-forward combination of the two types of long-range order and allows the study of how they compete at the interface over nanometer length scales. While originally studies focused on low temperature superconductors interchanged with metallic ferromagnets, in recent years the scope has broadened to include superlattices of high T{sub c} superconductors and colossal magnetoresistance oxides. Creating films where both the superconducting as well as the ferromagnetic layers are complex oxide materials with similar crystal structures (Figure 1), allows the creation of epitaxial superlattices, with potentially atomically flat and ordered interfaces.

Fabrication and study of hybrid molecule/superconductor assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Jurbergs, D.; Riley, D.R.; Zhao, J.; Zhou, J.P.; Lo, K.; Grassi, J.; Jones, C.

1994-01-01

The fabrication of electronic devices from molecular materials has attracted much attention recently. Schottky diodes, molecular transistors, metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes, MIS field effect transistors and light emitting diodes have all been prepared utilizing such substances. The active elements in these devices have been constructed by depositing the molecular phase onto the surface of a metal, semiconductor or insulating substrate. With the recent discovery of high temperature superconductivity, new opportunities now exist for the study of molecule/superconductor interactions as well as for the construction of novel hybrid molecule/superconductor devices. In this paper, methods for preparing the first two classes of composite molecule/superconductor devices are reported. Consequently, light sensors based on organic dye-coated superconductor junctions as well as molecular switches fashioned from organic conductive polymer-coated superconductor microbridges are discussed. Moreover, the initial results related to the study of molecule/superconductor energy and electron transfer phenomena are reported

Interface currents in topological superconductor–ferromagnet heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brydon, P M R; Timm, Carsten; Schnyder, Andreas P

2013-01-01

We propose the existence of a substantial charge current parallel to the interface between a noncentrosymmetric superconductor and a metallic ferromagnet. Our analysis focuses upon two complementary orbital-angular-momentum pairing states of the superconductor, exemplifying topologically nontrivial states which are gapped and gapless in the bulk, respectively. Utilizing a quasiclassical scattering theory, we derive an expression for the interface current in terms of Andreev reflection coefficients. Performing a systematic study of the current, we find stark qualitative differences between the gapped and gapless superconductors, which reflect the very different underlying topological properties. For the fully gapped superconductor, there is a sharp drop in the zero-temperature current as the system is tuned from a topologically nontrivial to a trivial phase. We explain this in terms of the sudden disappearance of the contribution to the current from the subgap edge states at the topological transition. The current in the gapless superconductor is characterized by a dramatic enhancement at low temperatures, and exhibits a singular dependence on the exchange-field strength in the ferromagnetic metal at zero temperature. This is caused by the energy shift of the strongly spin-polarized nondegenerate zero-energy flat bands due to their coupling to the exchange field. We argue that the interface current provides a novel test of the topology of the superconductor, and discuss prospects for the experimental verification of our predictions. (paper)

Transport and pairing properties of helical edges with proximity induced superconductivity and ferromagnetism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keidel, Felix; Burset, Pablo; Trauzettel, Bjoern [Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University of Wuerzburg, 97074 Wuerzburg (Germany); Crepin, Francois [Laboratoire de Physique Theorique de la Matiere Condensee, UPMC, Sorbonne Universites, 75252 Paris (France)

2016-07-01

The scientific interest in Quantum Spin Hall systems is far from declining. While these certainly are fascinating by themselves, there is plenty of new and exciting physics to arise when superconductivity and ferromagnetism are brought into the game. The strong constraint of helicity in the edge states of a two-dimensional topological insulator is responsible for an intimate relation between the allowed scattering processes in a hybrid junction and the parameters of the system, namely the superconducting order parameter and the magnetic field. In our work, we study a helical liquid in proximity to a conventional s-wave superconductor and ferromagnetic insulators by means of a Green's function analysis. The ferromagnet gives rise to sub-gap Andreev/Majorana bound states and non-local crossed Andreev reflection (CAR), both of which decisively affect the pairing and transport properties of the junction. As a result, the simple s-wave symmetry of the superconductor is enriched and unconventional odd-frequency triplet superconductivity emerges. Strikingly, we have identified a setup that favors CAR over electron co-tunneling and may allow for the indirect measurement of the symmetries of the superconducting order parameter.

Simulation of magnetic tunnel junction in ferromagnetic/insulator/semiconductor structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kostrov, Alexander I.; Stempitsky, Viktor R.; Kazimirchik, Vladimir N.

2008-07-01

In this work, we present a physical model and electrical macromodel for simulation of Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) effect based on Ferromagnetic/Insulator/Semiconductor (FIS) nanostructure. A modified Brinkman model has been proposed by including the voltage-dependent density of states of the ferromagnetic electrodes in order to explain the bias dependence magnitoresistance. The model takes into account injection of carriers in the semiconductor and Shottky barrier, electron tunneling through thin insulator and spin-transfer torque writing approach in memory cell. These very promising features should constitute the third generation of Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM). Besides, the model can efficiently be used to design magnetic CMOS circuits. The behavioral macro-model has been developed by means of Verilog-AMS language and implemented on the Cadence Virtuoso platform with Spectre simulator.

Electric-Field-Driven Dual Vacancies Evolution in Ultrathin Nanosheets Realizing Reversible Semiconductor to Half-Metal Transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Mengjie; Liu, Youwen; Zhi, Yuduo; Xiao, Chong; Gu, Bingchuan; Hua, Xuemin; Fan, Shaojuan; Lin, Yue; Bai, Wei; Tong, Wei; Zou, Youming; Pan, Bicai; Ye, Bangjiao; Xie, Yi

2015-12-02

Fabricating a flexible room-temperature ferromagnetic resistive-switching random access memory (RRAM) device is of fundamental importance to integrate nonvolatile memory and spintronics both in theory and practice for modern information technology and has the potential to bring about revolutionary new foldable information-storage devices. Here, we show that a relatively low operating voltage (+1.4 V/-1.5 V, the corresponding electric field is around 20,000 V/cm) drives the dual vacancies evolution in ultrathin SnO2 nanosheets at room temperature, which causes the reversible transition between semiconductor and half-metal, accompanyied by an abrupt conductivity change up to 10(3) times, exhibiting room-temperature ferromagnetism in two resistance states. Positron annihilation spectroscopy and electron spin resonance results show that the Sn/O dual vacancies in the ultrathin SnO2 nanosheets evolve to isolated Sn vacancy under electric field, accounting for the switching behavior of SnO2 ultrathin nanosheets; on the other hand, the different defect types correspond to different conduction natures, realizing the transition between semiconductor and half-metal. Our result represents a crucial step to create new a information-storage device realizing the reversible transition between semiconductor and half-metal with flexibility and room-temperature ferromagnetism at low energy consumption. The as-obtained half-metal in the low-resistance state broadens the application of the device in spintronics and the semiconductor to half-metal transition on the basis of defects evolution and also opens up a new avenue for exploring random access memory mechanisms and finding new half-metals for spintronics.

Half-metallicity in 2D organometallic honeycomb frameworks

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Hao; Li, Bin; Zhao, Jin

2016-10-01

Half-metallic materials with a high Curie temperature (T C) have many potential applications in spintronics. Magnetic metal free two-dimensional (2D) half-metallic materials with a honeycomb structure contain graphene-like Dirac bands with π orbitals and show excellent aspects in transport properties. In this article, by investigating a series of 2D organometallic frameworks with a honeycomb structure using first principles calculations, we study the origin of forming half-metallicity in this kind of 2D organometallic framework. Our analysis shows that charge transfer and covalent bonding are two crucial factors in the formation of half-metallicity in organometallic frameworks. (i) Sufficient charge transfer from metal atoms to the molecules is essential to form the magnetic centers. (ii) These magnetic centers need to be connected through covalent bonding, which guarantee the strong ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. As examples, the organometallic frameworks composed by (1,3,5)-benzenetricarbonitrile (TCB) molecules with noble metals (Au, Ag, Cu) show half-metallic properties with T C as high as 325 K. In these organometallic frameworks, the strong electronegative cyano-groups (CN groups) drive the charge transfer from metal atoms to the TCB molecules, forming the local magnetic centers. These magnetic centers experience strong FM coupling through the d-p covalent bonding. We propose that most of the 2D organometallic frameworks composed by molecule—CN—noble metal honeycomb structures contain similar half metallicity. This is verified by replacing TCB molecules with other organic molecules. Although the TCB-noble metal organometallic framework has not yet been synthesized, we believe the development of synthesizing techniques and facility will enable the realization of them. Our study provides new insight into the 2D half-metallic material design for the potential applications in nanotechnology.

Half-metallicity in 2D organometallic honeycomb frameworks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Hao; Li, Bin; Zhao, Jin

2016-01-01

Half-metallic materials with a high Curie temperature (T C ) have many potential applications in spintronics. Magnetic metal free two-dimensional (2D) half-metallic materials with a honeycomb structure contain graphene-like Dirac bands with π orbitals and show excellent aspects in transport properties. In this article, by investigating a series of 2D organometallic frameworks with a honeycomb structure using first principles calculations, we study the origin of forming half-metallicity in this kind of 2D organometallic framework. Our analysis shows that charge transfer and covalent bonding are two crucial factors in the formation of half-metallicity in organometallic frameworks. (i) Sufficient charge transfer from metal atoms to the molecules is essential to form the magnetic centers. (ii) These magnetic centers need to be connected through covalent bonding, which guarantee the strong ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. As examples, the organometallic frameworks composed by (1,3,5)-benzenetricarbonitrile (TCB) molecules with noble metals (Au, Ag, Cu) show half-metallic properties with T C as high as 325 K. In these organometallic frameworks, the strong electronegative cyano-groups (CN groups) drive the charge transfer from metal atoms to the TCB molecules, forming the local magnetic centers. These magnetic centers experience strong FM coupling through the d – p covalent bonding. We propose that most of the 2D organometallic frameworks composed by molecule—CN—noble metal honeycomb structures contain similar half metallicity. This is verified by replacing TCB molecules with other organic molecules. Although the TCB-noble metal organometallic framework has not yet been synthesized, we believe the development of synthesizing techniques and facility will enable the realization of them. Our study provides new insight into the 2D half-metallic material design for the potential applications in nanotechnology. (paper)

COERCIVE FORCE IN THE SYSTEM OF FERROMAGNETIC GRANULES FOR HALF METAL CrO2 WITH PERCOLATION CONDUCTIVITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. V. Dalakova

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of several samples of compacted powders of ferromagnetic half-metal CrO2, consisting of needle-shaped or spherical nanoparticles coated with thin dielectric shells, were investigated in wide temperature range. The temperature dependence of the coercive force Hc(T is compared with the temperature dependence of the field of maximum of positive tunneling magnetoresistance Hp(T. The dependence of Hp(T was nonmonotonic one. It is found that in the low-temperature range (4.2 ÷ 70 K the ratio Hp ≈ Hc, expected for compacted ferromagnetic powders with particles of submicron sizes, does not fulfilled. It is assumed that the possible reason of the difference between Hp and Hc is the mismatch between the orientation of the global magnetization of the entire sample and the orientations of the magnetic moments in some part of granules that form the optimal conducting channels at low temperatures. Such a mismatch may be due to the multidomain granules are more prone to the formation of optimal conducting chains in the transport channels. That leads to a change in the mechanism of magnetization reversal in these channels and to violation of the ratio Hp ≈ Hc.

First-principles study on ferromagnetism in double perovskite Sr2AlTaO6 doped with Cu or Zn at B sites

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y. D.; Wang, C. C.; Guo, Y. M.; Yu, Y.; Lu, Q. L.; Huang, S. G.; Li, Q. J.; Wang, H.; Cheng, R. L.; Liu, C. S.

2018-05-01

The possibilities of ferromagnetism induced by nonmagnetic dopants (Cu, Zn) in double perovskite Sr2AlTaO6 at B sites are investigated by density functional theory. Calculations reveal that substitutions at Ta-site tend to form high spin electronic configurations and could induce ferromagnetism which can be attributed to the hole-mediated p- d hybridization between Cu (or Zn) eg states and the neighboring O 2p states. The dopants preferably substitute at Al-site and adopt low spin electronic structures. Due to the smaller hole concentration and weaker covalent intensity, Sr2AlTaO6 with dopants at Al-site exhibits p-type metallic semiconductors without spin polarization.

''Soft'' Anharmonic Vortex Glass in Ferromagnetic Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radzihovsky, Leo; Ettouhami, A. M.; Saunders, Karl; Toner, John

2001-01-01

Ferromagnetic order in superconductors can induce a spontaneous vortex (SV) state. For external field H=0 , rotational symmetry guarantees a vanishing tilt modulus of the SV solid, leading to drastically different behavior than that of a conventional, external-field-induced vortex solid. We show that quenched disorder and anharmoinc effects lead to elastic moduli that are wave-vector dependent out to arbitrarily long length scales, and non-Hookean elasticity. The latter implies that for weak external fields H , the magnetic induction scales universally like B(H)∼B(0)+cH α , with α∼0.72 . For weak disorder, we predict the SV solid is a topologically ordered glass, in the ''columnar elastic glass'' universality class

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-Tc superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Zigang; Wang, Jiasu; Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya; Wang, Suyu

2013-02-01

Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves.

Spin-flip scattering effect on the current-induced spin torque in ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Zhengang; Su Gang; Jin Biao; Zheng Qingrong

2003-01-01

We have investigated the current-induced spin transfer torque of a ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet tunnel junction by taking the spin-flip scatterings into account. It is found that the spin-flip scattering can induce an additional spin torque, enhancing the maximum of the spin torque and giving rise to an angular shift compared to the case when the spin-flip scatterings are neglected. The effects of the molecular fields of the left and right ferromagnets on the spin torque are also studied. It is found that τ Rx /I e (τ Rx is the spin-transfer torque acting on the right ferromagnet and I e is the tunneling electrical current) does vary with the molecular fields. At two certain angles, τ Rx /I e is independent of the molecular field of the right ferromagnet, resulting in two crossing points in the curve of τ Rx /I e versus the relevant orientation for different molecular fields

Half-metallic behavior and electronic structure of Sr2CrMoO6 magnetic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonilla, C.M.; Landinez Tellez, D.A.; Arbey Rodriguez, J.; Vera Lopez, E.; Roa-Rojas, J.

2007-01-01

Complex perovskite materials with the A 2 BB'O 6 formula have been recently studied because of their peculiar magnetic and electronic properties. The origin of magnetism in the double perovskite Sr 2 FeMoO 6 brought these properties again into discussion. Recently, a new interaction mechanism was proposed for cases in which the hybridization of 3d and 2p levels of Mo with the 3d Fe levels is responsible for the half-metallic behavior in the Sr 2 FeMoO 6 material. We report on LAPW ab initio calculations within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to density functional theory (DFT) for another double perovskite, namely, Sr 2 CrMoO 6 . Our results show that this is also a half-metallic system. We correlate our results with an extension of the recent model proposed by Sarma to explain the conduction mechanism in this compound

Progress of metallic superconductors in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tachikawa, Kyoji, E-mail: tacsuper@keyaki.cc.u-tokai.ac.jp [Faculty of Engineering, Tokai University, 4-1-1, Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292 (Japan)

2013-01-15

Highlights: ► Japanese contributions on the R and D of different metallic superconductors are summarized. ► Nb–Ti wires have been developed for MRI, accelerator, MAGLEV train and other applications. ► Multifilamentary Nb{sub 3}Sn wires with excellent performance have been developed for high-field use. ► Long-length Nb{sub 3}Al wires with promising strain tolerance have been fabricated by a new process. -- Abstract: This article overviews the development of metallic superconductors in Japan covering different kinds of alloys and intermetallic compounds. Metallic superconductors have opened many new application areas in science and technology. Japan has been one of the leading countries in the world, both in the research and development and in large-scale manufacturing of metallic superconductors.

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-T{sub c} superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Zigang, E-mail: zgdeng@gmail.com [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power (TPL), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, Jiasu [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power (TPL), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, Suyu [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)

2013-02-14

Highlights: ► Ferromagnetic materials guide the flux distribution of the PMG to bulk positions. ► With ferromagnetic materials, guidance performance can be enhanced greatly. ► A new HTS Maglev system with onboard ferromagnetic materials is designed. ► The design can meet large guidance force requirements for practical applications. -- Abstract: Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves.

First-principles study on half-metallic zinc-blende CrS and its (001) surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Bin, E-mail: hnsqxb@163.com [Department of Mathematics and Information Sciences, North China university of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450011 (China); Chen, Leiming [Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management, Zhengzhou, 450015 (China)

2016-11-01

Half-metallic magnets with complete (100%) spin polarization have attracted growing interest due to the potential in spintronic applications. In this paper, we use the first-principles calculations to explain the seeming contradiction between the recent experimental ferromagnetism (Demper et al., 2012 [22]) and the previous theoretical antiferromagnetic ground state for half-metallic zinc-blende CrS, and the experimental ferromagnetism of zinc-blende CrS arises from the substrate effect. We also show that both Cr- and S-terminated (001) surfaces of CrS preserve the bulk half-metallicity. The calculated surface energy indicates that the S-terminated (001) surface is more stable than the Cr-terminated (001) surface within the whole effective Cr chemical potentials, and thus the S-terminated (001) surface is more likely than the Cr-terminated (001) surface when the CrS thin films are grown on ZnSe substrate.

Radiation-induced phase transformation in ferromagnetic perovskite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Podsekin, A K; Dem' yanov, V V; Ivanova, V V; Venevtsev, Yu N [Nauchno-Issledovatel' skij Fiziko-Khimicheskij Inst., Moscow (USSR)

1976-12-01

An effect of neutron irradiation inducing a phase transition in ferromagnetic perovskite, Sr/sub 0.3/La/sub 0.7/MnO/sub 3/, has been discovered and studied. It is shown that a change in the Curie temperature is proportional to the dose of reactor irradiation. A decrease in the temperature of the phase transition with the concentration of radiation defects is accompanied by an increase in the electrical specific resistance and a change in the initial lattice parameters. It is shown that the radiation shift is due to at least two causes, viz. to an increase in the parameters of the elementary cell and the growth of the electrical specific resistance as a result of bounded electron states' forming on the radiation defects.

Propagation Characteristics of Multilayer Hybrid Insulator-Metal-Insulator and Metal-Insulator-Metal Plasmonic Waveguides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Talafi Noghani

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Propagation characteristics of symmetrical and asymmetrical multilayer hybrid insulator-metal-insulator (HIMI and metal-insulator-metal (HMIM plasmonic slab waveguides are investigated using the transfer matrix method. Propagation length (Lp and spatial length (Ls are used as two figures of merit to qualitate the plasmonic waveguides. Symmetrical structures are shown to be more performant (having higher Lp and lower Ls, nevertheless it is shown that usage of asymmetrical geometry could compensate for the performance degradation in practically realized HIMI waveguides with different substrate materials. It is found that HMIM slab waveguide could support almost long-range subdiffraction plasmonic modes at dimensions lower than the spatial length of the HIMI slab waveguide.

Strong nonreciprocity of phonon polaritons of an insulator at its boundary with an ideal metal or superconductor in a magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chupis, I.E.; Mamaluy, D.A.

2000-01-01

Surface phonon polaritons in a semi-infinite insulator in a constant magnetic field at the boundary with an ideal metal or a superconductor have been considered. These phonon polaritons are induced by dynamic magnetoelectric interaction, which exists in the presence of a magnetic field. The modes of these surface polaritons appreciably differ in opposite directions of the magnetic field or the propagation of the wave. As a result, polaritons of a given optical or infrared frequency propagate only in one direction with respect to the magnetic field, which is the effect of rectification of surface electromagnetic waves. The inversion of the magnetic field results in 'switching on' or 'switching off' of surface polaritons. The existence of radiant surface polariton modes is predicted. (author)

Non-collinear magnetism in multiferroic perovskites.

Science.gov (United States)

Bousquet, Eric; Cano, Andrés

2016-03-31

We present an overview of the current interest in non-collinear magnetism in multiferroic perovskite crystals. We first describe the different microscopic mechanisms giving rise to the non-collinearity of spins in this class of materials. We discuss, in particular, the interplay between non-collinear magnetism and ferroelectric and antiferrodistortive distortions of the perovskite structure, and how this can promote magnetoelectric responses. We then provide a literature survey on non-collinear multiferroic perovskites. We discuss numerous examples of spin cantings driving weak ferromagnetism in transition metal perovskites, and of spin-induced ferroelectricity as observed in the rare-earth based perovskites. These examples are chosen to best illustrate the fundamental role of non-collinear magnetism in the design of multiferroicity.

Study of half-metallic ferromagnetism and elastic properties of Cd{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}Z (Z=S, Se)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rani, Anita [Guru Nanak College for Girls, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab (India); Kumar, Ranjan [Panjab University Chandigarh, Department of Physics, Chandigarh (India)

2016-12-15

We have studied the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Cd{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}S and Cd{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}Se diluted magnetic semiconductors in zinc blende (B3) phase at x = 0.25, 0.125 and 0.0625. The calculations have been performed using DFT (density functional theory) as implemented in SIESTA code using LDA (local density approximation) as exchange-correlation (XC) potential. Study of band structures and DOS (density of states) shows HMF (half-metallic ferromagnetic) nature of Cd{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}S and Cd{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}Se alloys. The calculated values of s-d exchange constant Nα and p-d exchange constant Nβ show the magnetic behavior of these compounds. Moreover, both DMSs retain their half-metallic nature at 0.25, 0.125 and 0.0625 concentrations with 100% spin polarization at Fermi level (E{sub F}). Total magnetic moment of these compounds is due to 3d states of Cr atom and also existence of small induced magnetic moment on other non-magnetic atoms as well. HM robustness is also calculated as a function of lattice constants. (orig.)

Critical current oscillations in superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor structure taking into account s-d scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vedyaev, A.V.; Ryzhanova, N.V.; Pugach, N.G.

2007-01-01

One calculated the critical current in the Josephson contact with the transition metal slightly ferromagnetic alloy interlayer. One solved the Gorkov equations taking into account s-d-scattering in a ferromagnet. The account of the mentioned scattering breaking down the Cooper pairs is shown to enable to ensure the conformity with the experiment [ru

Half-metallicity and electronic structures for carbon-doped group III-nitrides: Calculated with a modified Becke-Johnson potential

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Shuai-wei; Wang, Ri-gao; Xu, Pemg

2016-09-01

The electronic structures and magnetism for carbon-doped group III-nitrides are investigated by utilizing the first principle method with the modified Becke-Johnson potential. Calculations show that carbon substituting cations (anions) would induce the group III-nitrides to be paramagnetic metals (half-metallic ferromagnets). Single carbon substituting nitrogen could produce 1.00μB magnetic moment. Electronic structures indicate that the carriers-mediated double-exchange interaction plays a crucial role in forming the ferromagnetism. Based on the mean-field theory, the Curie temperature for carbon-doped group III-nitrides would be above the room temperature. Negative chemical pair interactions imply that carbon dopants tend to form clustering distribution in group III-nitrides. The nitrogen vacancy would make the carbon-doped group III-nitrides lose the half-metallic ferromagnetism.

Particle-vortex duality in topological insulators and superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murugan, Jeff [The Laboratory for Quantum Gravity & Strings, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town,Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7700 (South Africa); School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Olden Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Nastase, Horatiu [Instituto de Física Teórica, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista,R. Dr. Bento T. Ferraz 271, Bl. II, Sao Paulo 01140-070, SP (Brazil)

2017-05-31

We investigate the origins and implications of the duality between topological insulators and topological superconductors in three and four spacetime dimensions. In the latter, the duality transformation can be made at the level of the path integral in the standard way, while in three dimensions, it takes the form of “self-duality in odd dimensions'. In this sense, it is closely related to the particle-vortex duality of planar systems. In particular, we use this to elaborate on Son’s conjecture that a three dimensional Dirac fermion that can be thought of as the surface mode of a four dimensional topological insulator is dual to a composite fermion.

Orbital-selective Mott phase of Cu-substituted iron-based superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yang; Zhao, Yang-Yang; Song, Yun

2016-01-01

We study the phase transition in Cu-substituted iron-based superconductors with a new developed real-space Green’s function method. We find that Cu substitution has strong effect on the orbital-selective Mott transition introduced by the Hund’s rule coupling. The redistribution of the orbital occupancy which is caused by the increase of the Hund’s rule coupling, gives rise to the Mott–Hubbard metal-insulator transition in the half-filled d xy orbital. We also find that more and more electronic states appear inside that Mott gap of the d xy orbital with the increase of Cu substitution, and the in-gap states around the Fermi level are strongly localized at some specific lattice sites. Further, a distinctive phase diagram, obtained for the Cu-substituted Fe-based superconductors, displays an orbital-selective insulating phase, as a result of the cooperative effect of the Hund’s rule coupling and the impurity-induced disorder. (paper)

Spin Filtering in Epitaxial Spinel Films with Nanoscale Phase Separation

KAUST Repository

Li, Peng; Xia, Chuan; Li, Jun; Zhu, Zhiyong; Wen, Yan; Zhang, Qiang; Zhang, Junwei; Peng, Yong; Alshareef, Husam N.; Zhang, Xixiang

2017-01-01

The coexistence of ferromagnetic metallic phase and antiferromagnetic insulating phase in nanoscaled inhomogeneous perovskite oxides accounts for the colossal magnetoresistance. Although the model of spin-polarized electron transport across

Half-metallic magnetism in Ti3Co5-xFexB2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohit Pathak

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Bulk alloys and thin films of Fe-substituted Ti3Co5B2 have been investigated by first-principle density-functional calculations. The series, which is of interest in the context of alnico magnetism and spin electronics, has been experimentally realized in nanostructures but not in the bulk. Our bulk calculations predict paramagnetism for Ti3Co5B2, Ti3Co4FeB2 and Ti3CoFe4B2, whereas Ti3Fe5B2 is predicted to be ferromagnetic. The thin films are all ferromagnetic, indicating that moment formation may be facilitated at nanostructural grain boundaries. One member of the thin-film series, namely Ti3CoFe4B2, is half-metallic and exhibits perpendicular easy-axis magnetic anisotropy. The half-metallicity reflects the hybridization of the Ti, Fe and Co 3d orbitals, which causes a band gap in minority spin channel, and the limited equilibrium solubility of Fe in bulk Ti3Co5B2 may be linked to the emerging half-metallicity due to Fe substitution.

Half metallicity in bare BC{sub 2}N nanoribbons with zigzag edges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Hong, E-mail: lihong@ncut.edu.cn [College of Mechanical and Material Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100144 (China); Xiao, Xiang; Tie, Jun [College of Mechanical and Material Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100144 (China); Lu, Jing [State Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Physics and Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2017-06-09

We study the electronic and magnetic properties of bare zigzag BC{sub 2}N nanoribbons (ZBC{sub 2}NNRs) by using first principles calculations. The ZBC{sub 2}NNRs which we studied are assigned to four edge types, and we carefully examine the size effect and edge magnetic coupling orders. We find that the N edge and the C edge adjacent to N atoms have a ferromagnetic coupling, while the B edge and the C edge adjacent to B atoms have an anti-ferromagnetic coupling. These novel properties arise from the unsaturated edge with specific edge determined magnetic moment distribution. All the investigated ribbons exhibit magnetic ground states with room-temperature accessible half-metallic character, irrespective of the ribbon width. Our results suggest that ZBC{sub 2}NNRs can have potential applications in spintronics. - Highlights: • DFT study on bare zigzag BC{sub 2}N nanoribbons (ZBC{sub 2}NNRs). • All the studied bare ZBC{sub 2}NNRs are half-metals at room temperature. • The half-metal characters come from specific spin couplings on the edge atoms. • We predict bare ZBC{sub 2}NNRs as practical candidate for spintronics.

Theory of charge transport in diffusive normal metal/conventional superconductor point contacts in the presence of magnetic impurity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Inoue, J.; Asano, Y.

2006-01-01

Charge transport in the diffusive normal metal/insulator/s-wave superconductor junctions is studied in the presence of the magnetic impurity for various situations, where we have used the Usadel equation with Nazarov's generalized boundary condition. It is revealed that the magnetic impurity

Proximity Band Structure and Spin Textures on Both Sides of Topological-Insulator/Ferromagnetic-Metal Interface and Their Charge Transport Probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Marmolejo-Tejada, Juan Manuel; Dolui, Kapildeb; Lazić, Predrag; Chang, Po-Hao; Smidstrup, Søren; Stradi, Daniele; Stokbro, Kurt; Nikolić, Branislav K

2017-09-13

The control of recently observed spintronic effects in topological-insulator/ferromagnetic-metal (TI/FM) heterostructures is thwarted by the lack of understanding of band structure and spin textures around their interfaces. Here we combine density functional theory with Green's function techniques to obtain the spectral function at any plane passing through atoms of Bi 2 Se 3 and Co or Cu layers comprising the interface. Instead of naively assumed Dirac cone gapped by the proximity exchange field spectral function, we find that the Rashba ferromagnetic model describes the spectral function on the surface of Bi 2 Se 3 in contact with Co near the Fermi level E F 0 , where circular and snowflake-like constant energy contours coexist around which spin locks to momentum. The remnant of the Dirac cone is hybridized with evanescent wave functions from metallic layers and pushed, due to charge transfer from Co or Cu layers, a few tenths of an electron-volt below E F 0 for both Bi 2 Se 3 /Co and Bi 2 Se 3 /Cu interfaces while hosting distorted helical spin texture wounding around a single circle. These features explain recent observation of sensitivity of spin-to-charge conversion signal at TI/Cu interface to tuning of E F 0 . Crucially for spin-orbit torque in TI/FM heterostructures, few monolayers of Co adjacent to Bi 2 Se 3 host spectral functions very different from the bulk metal, as well as in-plane spin textures (despite Co magnetization being out-of-plane) due to proximity spin-orbit coupling in Co induced by Bi 2 Se 3 . We predict that out-of-plane tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in Cu/Bi 2 Se 3 /Co vertical heterostructure can serve as a sensitive probe of the type of spin texture residing at E F 0 .

Half-metallicity and giant magneto-optical Kerr effect in N-doped NaTaO3

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Yasir

2012-09-01

We use density functional theory and the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) approach to analyze the electronic and magneto-optical properties of N-doped NaTaO 3. The mBJ results show a half-metallic nature of NaTaO 2N, in contrast to the generalized gradient approximation. We find a giant polar Kerr rotation of 2.16°at 725 nm wave length (visible region), much higher than in other half-metallic perovskites and the prototypical half-metal PtMnSb. We explain the physical origin of this unexpected property. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlocal thermoelectric symmetry relations in ferromagnet-superconductor proximity structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machon, Peter; Belzig, Wolfgang [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz (Germany); Eschrig, Matthias [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz (Germany); Department of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, EGHAM, TW20 0EX (United Kingdom)

2012-07-01

The symmetries of thermal and electric transport coefficients in quantum coherent structures are related to fundamental thermodynamic principles by the Onsager reciprocity. We generalize Onsager's symmetry relation to nonlocal thermoelectric currents in a three terminal ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructure including spin-dependent crossed Andreev reflection and direct electron transfer processes. We proof this general symmetry by applying spin-dependent boundary conditions for quasi-classical Green's functions in both the clean and the dirty limit. We predict an anomalously large local thermopower and a nonlocal Seebeck effect, which can be explained by the spin-dependent spectral properties.

Role of temperature-dependent O-p-Fe-d hybridization parameter in the metal-insulator transition of Fe3O4: a theoretical study

Science.gov (United States)

Fauzi, A. D.; Majidi, M. A.; Rusydi, A.

2017-04-01

We propose a simple tight-binding based model for Fe3O4 that captures the preference of ferrimagnetic over ferromagnetic spin configuration of the system. Our model is consistent with previous theoretical and experimental studies suggesting that the system is half metallic, in which spin polarized electrons hop only among the Fe B sites. To address the metal-insulator transition (MIT) we propose that the strong correlation among electrons, which may also be influenced by the electron-phonon interactions, manifest as the temperature-dependence of the O-p-Fe-d hybridization parameter, particularly Fe-d belonging to one of the Fe B sites (denoted as {t}{{FeB}-{{O}}}(2)). By proposing that this parameter increases as the temperature decreases, our density-of-states calculation successfully captures a gap opening at the Fermi level, transforming the system from half metal to insulator. Within this model along with the corresponding choice of parameters and a certain profile of the temperature dependence of {t}{{FeB}-{{O}}}(2), we calculate the resistivity of the system as a function of temperature. Our calculation result reveals the drastic uprising trend of the resistivity profile as the temperature decreases, with the MIT transition temperature located around 100 K, which is in agreement with experimental data.

Holographic entanglement entropy in two-order insulator/superconductor transitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Yan, E-mail: yanpengphy@163.com; Liu, Guohua

2017-04-10

We study holographic superconductor model with two orders in the five dimensional AdS soliton background away from the probe limit. We disclose properties of phase transitions mostly from the holographic topological entanglement entropy approach. Our results show that the entanglement entropy is useful in investigating transitions in this general model and in particular, there is a new type of first order phase transition in the insulator/superconductor system. We also give some qualitative understanding and obtain the analytical condition for this first order phase transition to occur. As a summary, we draw the complete phase diagram representing effects of the scalar charge on phase transitions.

Influence of crossed fields in structures combining large grain, bulk (RE)BCO superconductors and soft ferromagnetic discs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philippe, M P; Fagnard, J F; Wéra, L; Vanderheyden, B; Vanderbemden, P; Morita, M; Nariki, S; Teshima, H; Caps, H

2016-01-01

Bulk (RE)BCO superconductors are able to trap record magnetic fields and can be used as powerful permanent magnets in various engineering applications such as rotating machines and magnetic bearings. When such superconducting (SC) “trapped field magnets” are combined to a ferromagnetic (FM) disc, the total magnetic moment is increased with respect to that of the superconductor alone. In the present work, we study experimentally the magnetic behaviour of such hybrid FM/SC structures when they are subjected to cycles of applied field that are orthogonal to their permanent magnetization, i.e. a “crossed-field” configuration. Experimental results show that the usual “crossed-field demagnetization” caused by the cycles of transverse field is strongly reduced in the presence of the ferromagnet. (paper)

Search for half-metallic magnets with large half-metallic gaps in the quaternary Heusler alloys CoFeTiZ and CoFeVZ (Z=Al, Ga, Si, Ge, As, Sb)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Lun; Yi, Lin; Gao, G.Y.

2014-01-01

We investigate the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the twelve quaternary Heusler alloys CoFeTiZ and CoFeVZ (Z=Al, Ga, Si, Ge, As, Sb) by using the first-principles calculations. It is shown that only CoFeTiSi, CoFeTiAs and CoFeVSb are half-metallic ferromagnets with considerable half-metallic gaps of 0.31, 0.18 and 0.17 eV, respectively. CoFeTiAl and CoFeTiGa are conventional semiconductors, and other alloys exhibit nearly half-metallicity or their half-metallic gaps are almost zero eV. We also find that the half-metallicities of CoFeTiSi, CoFeTiAs and CoFeVSb can be preserved under appropriate uniform and in-plane strains. The considerable half-metallic gaps and the robust half-metallicities under uniform and in-plane strains make CoFeTiSi, CoFeTiAs and CoFeVSb promising candidates for spintronic applications. - Highlights: • CoFeTiSi, CoFeTiAs and CoFeVSb have considerable half-metallic gaps. • Total magnetic moments obey the Slater–Pauling behavior of quaternary Heusler half-metals. • CoFeTiSi, CoFeTiAs and CoFeVSb retain half-metallicity under uniform and in-plane strains

Topological Insulators Dirac Equation in Condensed Matters

CERN Document Server

Shen, Shun-Qing

2012-01-01

Topological insulators are insulating in the bulk, but process metallic states around its boundary owing to the topological origin of the band structure. The metallic edge or surface states are immune to weak disorder or impurities, and robust against the deformation of the system geometry. This book, Topological insulators, presents a unified description of topological insulators from one to three dimensions based on the modified Dirac equation. A series of solutions of the bound states near the boundary are derived, and the existing conditions of these solutions are described. Topological invariants and their applications to a variety of systems from one-dimensional polyacetalene, to two-dimensional quantum spin Hall effect and p-wave superconductors, and three-dimensional topological insulators and superconductors or superfluids are introduced, helping readers to better understand this fascinating new field. This book is intended for researchers and graduate students working in the field of topological in...

Theory of tunneling in metal--superconductor devices: Supercurrents in the superconductor gap at zero temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, N.; Flores, F.; Guinea, F.

1988-01-01

Tunneling experiments in metal-oxide superconductor have shown the existence of ''leakage'' currents for applied voltages V smaller than one-half of the superconductor gap Δ. These currents are independent of temperature T. Recently experiments with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and squeezable tunnel junctions have shown that the observation of the superconductor gap depends strongly on the resistance in the junction. In fact only for resistances larger than ∼10 6 Ω the gap is clearly observable. These experiments have been explained in terms of the perturbative Hamiltonian formalism of Bardeen. However, it may happen that this theory while applicable for very large resistances may not be so for small tunnel resistances. We present here a nonperturbative theory in all orders of the transmitivity chemical bondTochemical bond 2 and show the existence of supercurrents for values of V 2 . We believe that experiments in STM and other junctions should be interpreted in the frame of this theory

Theoretical formulation of optical conductivity of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 exhibiting paramagnetic insulator - ferromagnetic metal transition

Science.gov (United States)

Satiawati, L.; Majidi, M. A.

2017-07-01

A theory of high-energy optical conductivity of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 has been proposed previously. The proposed theory works to explain the temperature-dependence of the optical conductivity for the photon energy region above ˜0.5 eV for up to ˜22 eV, but fails to capture the correct physics close to the dc limit in which metal-insulator transition occurs. The missing physics at the low energy has been acknowledged as mainly due to not incorporating phonon degree of freedom and electron-phonon interactions. In this study, we aim to complete the above theory by proposing a more complete Hamiltonian incorporating additional terms such as crystal field, two modes of Jahn-Teller vibrations, and coupling between electrons and the two Jahn-Teller vibrational modes. We solve the model by means of dynamical mean-field theory. At this stage, we aim to derive the analytical formulae involved in the calculation, and formulate the algorithmic implementation for the self-consistent calculation process. Our final goal is to compute the density of states and the optical conductivity for the complete photon energy range from 0 to 22 eV at various temperatures, and compare them with the experimental data. We expect that the improved model preserves the correct temperature-dependent physics at high photon energies, as already captured by the previous model, while it would also reveal ferromagnetic metal - paramagnetic insulator transition at the dc limit.

Magnons coherent transmission and its heat transport at ultrathin insulating ferromagnetic nanojunctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghantous M. Abou

2012-06-01

Full Text Available A model calculation is presented for the magnons coherent transmission and corresponding heat transport at magnetic insulating nanojunctions. The system consists of a ferromagnetically ordered ultrathin insulating junction between two semi-infinite ferromagnetically ordered leads. Spin dynamics are analyzed using the equations of motion for the spin precession displacements, valid for the range of temperatures of interest. Coherent scattering cross-sections at the junction boundary are calculated using the phase field matching theory, for all the incidence angles on the boundary from the lead bands, for arbitrary angles of incidence, at variable temperatures, and for different nano thicknesses of the ultrathin junction. The model is general; it is applied in particular to the Fe/Gd/Fe system with a sandwiched ferromagnetic Gd junction. It yields also the thermal conductivity due to the magnons coherent transmission between the two leads when these are maintained at slightly different temperatures. The calculation is carried out for state of the art values of the exchange constants, and elucidates the relation between the coherent scattering transmission of magnons and their thermal conductivity, for different thicknesses.

Half-metallic ferromagnetic features in d{sup 0} quaternary-Heusler compounds KCaCF and KCaCCl: A first-principles description

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Jiangtao [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350 (China); Dong, Shengjie [Department of Physics, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Lu, Yi-Lin [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350 (China); Zhao, Hui [Department of Physics, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Feng, Liefeng, E-mail: fengliefeng@tju.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350 (China); Wang, L.Y. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350 (China)

2017-04-15

The electronic structures and magnetic properties of quaternary Heusler alloys KCaCF and KCaCCl have been analyzed by means of first-principles calculations on the basis of density functional theory. We found that type-3 structure is the most stable configuration where C occupies (0, 0, 0) site, K (0.25, 0.25, 0.25), F/Cl (0.5, 0.5, 0.5), and Ca (0.75, 0.75, 0.75). Type-1 arrangement is the metastable structure in which K, Ca, C, and X occupy (0, 0, 0), (0.25, 0.25, 0.25), (0.5, 0.5, 0.5), and (0.75, 0.75, 0.75) sites, respectively. Both of them are half metals with equilibrium volume. The spin polarization is predominantly from C 2p states. With the variation of the lattice constant, spin-gapless semiconducting characteristic is achieved for type-1 KCaCCl as volume increases. - Highlights: • KCaCX (X=F and Cl) alloys with quaternary-Heusler structure were designed. • They exhibit a half-metallic ferromagnetic behavior at equilibrium lattice parameter. • The spin polarization is mainly from the partially-filled p state and p-d interaction. • KCaCCl can become spin-gapless semiconductor with the variation of lattice parameter.

The influence of the spin-dependent phases of tunneling electrons on the conductance of a point ferromagnet/isolator/d-wave superconductor contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Vodopyanov, B P

2010-05-12

The influence of the spin-dependent phase shifts (SDPSs) associated with the electronic reflection and transmission amplitudes acquired by electrons upon scattering at the potential barrier on the Andreev reflection probability of electron and hole excitations for a ferromagnet/isolator/d-wave superconductor (FIS) contact and on the charge conductance of the FIS contact is studied. Various superconductor orientations are considered. It has been found that for strong ferromagnets and ultrathin interface potential for the {110} oriented d-wave superconductor the presence of the SDPS can lead to the appearance of finite-voltage peaks in the charge conductance of the F/I/d-wave superconductor contact. On the contrary, for the {100} orientation of the d-wave superconductor the presence of the SDPS can lead to restoration of the zero-voltage peak and suppression of finite-voltage peaks. The spin-dependent amplitudes of the Andreev reflection probability and energy levels of the spin-dependent Andreev bound states are found.

Temperature dependence of the spontaneous magnetisation of ferromagnetic insulators: Does it obey the 3/2-5/2-β law?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuz'min, M.D.; Tishin, A.M.

2005-01-01

Temperature dependence of the spontaneous magnetisation is analysed for three archetypal ferromagnetic insulators, EuS, EuO and CrBr 3 . The main point is the shape, rather than scale, of the curve M s (T). As far as the available data enable us to judge, this shape is adequately described by the simple ''3/2-5/2-β'' expression (m=[1-sτ 3/2 -(1-s)τ 5/2 ] β ), proposed previously for metallic ferromagnets, and depends on a single dimensionless parameter s. The lack of direct experimental data makes this conclusion a preliminary one. In order to resolve the question definitively, accurate magnetic measurements on single crystals are required as a matter of priority

Ferromagnetism in manganite s substituted with silver of perovskite structure; Ferromagnetismo en manganitas sustituidas con plata de estructura perovskita

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hernandez, N.; Hernandez, T.; Dzul, I.; Pena, Y., E-mail: thernang@yahoo.co [Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Laboratorio de Materiales I, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Pedro de Alba s/n, 66450 San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon (Mexico)

2011-07-01

A series of mixed oxides of general formula Sm{sub 1-x}Ag{sub x}MnO{sub 3} with perovskite structure were prepared by first by conventional solid-state reaction processing. The structure, morphology and magnetism of the samples are investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the x=0.1 sample is a single perovskite structure, while x{>=} 0.2, samples consist of a ferromagnetic perovskite phase and two nonmagnetic phases, Ag and Ag{sub 1.8}Mn{sub 8}O{sub 16}. The ferromagnetic behavior of Sm{sub 1-x}Ag{sub x}MnO{sub 3} decrease with increase of Ag composition. The Sem analysis when x=0.1 revealed that the random distribution of morphology and size of particles result of preparation method. The samples of Sm{sub 1-x}Ag{sub x}MnO{sub 3} by x between 0.1 and 0.5 show that applying 10 T fields these cannot reach a saturation value. (Author)

Observation of strong ferromagnetism in the half-Heusler compound CoTiSb system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedeek, K., E-mail: KamiliaSedeek@yahoo.com; Hantour, H.; Makram, N.; Said, Sh. A.

2016-06-01

not obey the 18 valence electron/unit cell category of zero magnetic moment. Electronic structure calculations of the prepared stable multiphases CoTiSb is necessary to understand the origin of the detected strong half-metallic ferromagnetic behavior. - Highlights: • Synthesis by direct fusion yields stable multiphases CoTiSb half-Heusler alloy. • A mixture of well-ordered and distorted lattice planes characterizes the alloy. • De-mixing into multiphases altered the semiconducting CoTiSb to strong ferromagnet. • The alloy undergoes more than two ferromagnetic transitions with T{sub c} above 900 °K. • A proposed magnetic field diagram is given for the multiphases CoTiSb nano-system.

Ceramic superconductors II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, M.F.

1988-01-01

This volume compiles papers on ceramic superconductors. Topics include: structural patterns in High-Tc superconductors, phase equilibria of barium oxide superconductors, localized electrons in tetragonal YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-δ/, lattice and defect structure and properties of rare earth/alkaline earth-copper-oxide superconductors, alternate candidates for High-Tc superconductors, perovskite-structure superconductors; superconductive thin film fabrication, and superconductor/polymer composites

Spin Dependent Electronic Structure of Doped Manganese Perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J.-H.

1999-01-01

The spin-resolved photoemission spectra were successfully obtained from La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 190 nm thick epitaxial film on SrTiO3(001). Well below Tc the results clearly manifest the half-metallic nature, i.e., for the majority spin, the photoemission spectrum clearly shows a metallic Fermi cut-off, whereas for the minority spin, it shows an insulating gap with disappearance of the spectral weight at ∼0.6 eV binding energy. On heating through Tc the spectra show no difference for different spins and the spectra weight at the Fermi level (EF disappears, indicating that the Mn 3d spins become disordered) and the system undergoes the ferromagnetic metal to paramagnetic non-metal transition. (c) 2000 American Vacuum Society

First-principles investigation of the electronic states at perovskite and pyrite hetero-interfaces

KAUST Repository

Nazir, Safdar

2012-09-01

Oxide heterostructures are attracting huge interest in recent years due to the special functionalities of quasi two-dimensional quantum gases. In this thesis, the electronic states at the interface between perovskite oxides and pyrite compounds have been studied by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Optimization of the atomic positions are taken into account, which is considered very important at interfaces, as observed in the case of LaAlO3/SrTiO3. The creation of metallic states at the interfaces thus is explained in terms of charge transfer between the transition metal and oxygen atoms near the interface. It is observed that with typical thicknesses of at least 10-12 °A the gases still extend considerably in the third dimension, which essentially determines the magnitude of quantum mechanical effects. To overcome this problem, we propose incorporation of highly electronegative cations (such as Ag) in the oxides. A fundamental interest is also the thermodynamic stability of the interfaces due to the possibility of atomic intermixing in the interface region. Therefore, different cation intermixed configurations are taken into account for the interfaces aiming at the energetically stable state. The effect of O vacancies is also discussed for both polar and non-polar heterostructures. The interface metallicity is enhanced for the polar system with the creation of O vacancies, while the clean interface at the non-polar heterostructure exhibits an insulating state and becomes metallic in presence of O vacancy. The O vacancy formation energies are calculated and explained in terms of the increasing electronegativity and effective volume of A the side cation. Along with these, the electronic and magnetic properties of an interface between the ferromagnetic metal CoS2 and the non-magnetic semiconductor FeS2 is investigated. We find that this contact shows a metallic character. The CoS2 stays quasi half metallic at the interface, while the

Spin pumping through a topological insulator probed by x-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueroa, A.I., E-mail: aifigueg@gmail.com [Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Baker, A.A. [Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Collins-McIntyre, L.J.; Hesjedal, T. [Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Laan, G. van der [Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom)

2016-02-15

In the field of spintronics, the generation of a pure spin current (without macroscopic charge flow) through spin pumping of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer opens up the perspective of a new generation of dissipation-less devices. Microwave driven ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can generate a pure spin current that enters adjacent layers, allowing for both magnetization reversal (through spin-transfer torque) and to probe spin coherence in non-magnetic materials. However, standard FMR is unable to probe multilayer dynamics directly, since the measurement averages over the contributions from the whole system. The synchrotron radiation-based technique of x-ray detected FMR (XFMR) offers an elegant solution to this drawback, giving access to element-, site-, and layer-specific dynamical measurements in heterostructures. In this work, we show how XFMR has provided unique information to understand spin pumping and spin transfer torque effects through a topological insulator (TI) layer in a pseudo-spin valve heterostructure. We demonstrate that TIs function as efficient spin sinks, while also allowing a limited dynamic coupling between ferromagnetic layers. These results shed new light on the spin dynamics of this novel class of materials, and suggest future directions for the development of room temperature TI-based spintronics. - Highlights: • X-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance is used to study the spin pumping phenomenon. • We show a powerful way to get information of spin transfer between magnetic layers. • We observe spin pumping through a topological insulators at room temperature. • Topological insulators function as efficient spin sinks.

Spin pumping through a topological insulator probed by x-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueroa, A.I.; Baker, A.A.; Collins-McIntyre, L.J.; Hesjedal, T.; Laan, G. van der

2016-01-01

In the field of spintronics, the generation of a pure spin current (without macroscopic charge flow) through spin pumping of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer opens up the perspective of a new generation of dissipation-less devices. Microwave driven ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can generate a pure spin current that enters adjacent layers, allowing for both magnetization reversal (through spin-transfer torque) and to probe spin coherence in non-magnetic materials. However, standard FMR is unable to probe multilayer dynamics directly, since the measurement averages over the contributions from the whole system. The synchrotron radiation-based technique of x-ray detected FMR (XFMR) offers an elegant solution to this drawback, giving access to element-, site-, and layer-specific dynamical measurements in heterostructures. In this work, we show how XFMR has provided unique information to understand spin pumping and spin transfer torque effects through a topological insulator (TI) layer in a pseudo-spin valve heterostructure. We demonstrate that TIs function as efficient spin sinks, while also allowing a limited dynamic coupling between ferromagnetic layers. These results shed new light on the spin dynamics of this novel class of materials, and suggest future directions for the development of room temperature TI-based spintronics. - Highlights: • X-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance is used to study the spin pumping phenomenon. • We show a powerful way to get information of spin transfer between magnetic layers. • We observe spin pumping through a topological insulators at room temperature. • Topological insulators function as efficient spin sinks.

Robust half-metallicity at the zincblende CrTe(0 0 1) surfaces and its interface with ZnTe(0 0 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmadian, F.; Abolhassani, M.R.; Hashemifar, S.J.; Elahi, M.

2010-01-01

All electron full potential calculations based on spin density functional theory are performed to study cubic zincblende (ZB) and hexagonal NiAs structures of bulk CrTe, free (0 0 1) surfaces of ZB CrTe, and interface of ZB CrTe with ZnTe(0 0 1). The ferromagnetic NiAs structure is reported to be about 0.26 eV more stable than the ferromagnetic ZB phase while ZB CrTe is found to be a half-metallic ferromagnet with a half-metallic gap of about 2.90 eV. Thermodynamic stability of CrTe(0 0 1) surfaces are studied in the framework of ab-initio thermodynamic. The obtained phase diagram evidences more stability of the Te terminated surface compared with the Cr termination. We discuss that both Te and Cr ideal terminations of CrTe(0 0 1) retain bulk-like half-metallic property but with a reduced half-metallic gap compared with bulk value. The structural, electronic, magnetic, and band alignment properties of the ZB CrTe/ZnTe(0 0 1) interface are computed and a rather large minority valence band offset of about 1.09 eV is observed in this heterojunction.

Spin-polarized structural, elastic, electronic and magnetic properties of half-metallic ferromagnetism in V-doped ZnSe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monir, M. El Amine.; Baltache, H. [Laboratoire de Physique Quantique de la Matière et de la Modélisation Mathématique (LPQ3M), Faculté des Sciences, Université de Mascara, Mascara 29000 (Algeria); Murtaza, G., E-mail: murtaza@icp.edu.pk [Materials Modeling Lab, Department of Physics, Islamia College University, Peshawar (Pakistan); Khenata, R., E-mail: khenata_rabah@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Physique Quantique de la Matière et de la Modélisation Mathématique (LPQ3M), Faculté des Sciences, Université de Mascara, Mascara 29000 (Algeria); Ahmed, Waleed K. [ERU, Faculty of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain (United Arab Emirates); Bouhemadou, A. [Laboratory for Developing New Materials and their Characterization, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Setif, 19000 Setif (Algeria); Omran, S. Bin [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Seddik, T. [Laboratoire de Physique Quantique de la Matière et de la Modélisation Mathématique (LPQ3M), Faculté des Sciences, Université de Mascara, Mascara 29000 (Algeria)

2015-01-15

Based on first principles spin-polarized density functional theory, the structural, elastic electronic and magnetic properties of Zn{sub 1−x}V{sub x}Se (for x=0.25, 0.50, 0.75) in zinc blende structure have been studied. The investigation was done using the full-potential augmented plane wave method as implemented in WIEN2k code. The exchange-correlation potential was treated with the generalized gradient approximation PBE-GGA for the structural and elastic properties. Moreover, the PBE-GGA+U approximation (where U is the Hubbard correlation terms) is employed to treat the “d” electrons properly. A comparative study between the band structures, electronic structures, total and partial densities of states and local moments calculated within both GGA and GGA+U schemes is presented. The analysis of spin-polarized band structure and density of states shows the half-metallic ferromagnetic character and are also used to determine s(p)-d exchange constants N{sub 0}α (conduction band ) and N{sub 0}β (valence band) due to Se(4p)–V(3d) hybridization. It has been clearly evidence that the magnetic moment of V is reduced from its free space change value of 3 µ{sub B} and the minor atomic magnetic moment on Zn and Se are generated. - Highlights: • Half metallicity origins by doping V in ZnSe. • PBE-GGA+U approximation is employed to treat the “d” electrons properly. • s(p)-d Exchange constants N{sub 0}α (conduction band ) and N{sub 0}β (valence band) are due to Se(4p)-V(3d) hybridization.

New half-metallic materials with an alkaline earth element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusakabe, Koichi; Geshi, Masaaki; Tsukamoto, Hidekazu; Suzuki, Naoshi

2004-01-01

New candidates for half-metallic materials were theoretically designed recently by Geshi et al. The materials are calcium pnictides, i.e. CaP, CaAs and CaSb. When the zinc-blende structure was assumed, these compounds showed half-metallic electronic band-structure, in which a curious flat band was found. To explain this magnetism, we investigated characters of orbitals on this flat band of CaAs. The hybridization of p states of As with d states of Ca is shown to be essential for formation of a flat band made of localized orbitals. The appearance of complete spin polarization in the flat band suggests that the flat-band mechanism is relevant for the ferromagnetism. A connection from the first-principles result to a solvable Hubbard model with a flat band is discussed

Temperature dependence of hole mobility in Mott insulators: Normal-state resistivity of high-T/sub c/ superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, N.

1989-01-01

We consider the diffusion of a hole injected in a Mott insulator described by a one-band Hubbard Hamiltonian at half-filling and in the atomic limit. The diffusion coefficient turns out to be temperature independent exactly giving 1/T dependence for the drift mobility via the Einstein relation. This is in marked disagreement with the (1/T)/sup 1/2/ dependence obtaining in the self-retracing path approximation at low temperatures. We note the possible relevance of our result to the linear T dependence of the normal-state resistivity observed in the high-T/sub c/ oxide superconductors

Current correlations in superconductor - normal metal mesoscopic structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bignon, Guillaume

2005-01-01

Thanks to the experimental progress in miniaturization and cryogenics over the last twenty years, it is now possible to build sufficiently small electric circuits where the wave like nature of electron becomes significant. In such electric circuit transport properties like current and noise are modified. It corresponds to the mesoscopic scale. Moreover, connecting a mesoscopic circuit to a superconductor enhances the effects due to interference between electrons since a superconductor is a macroscopic source of coherent electrons pairs: the Cooper pairs. In this thesis, we study current correlations in mesoscopic normal metal - superconductor structures. First, the energy dependence of current noise in a normal metal - superconductor tunnel junction is analysed taking into account weak disorder and interactions. We show that if the normal metal is out of equilibrium, current and noise become independent. Next, we consider the case of a superconductor connected to two normal metals by tunnel junctions. We show that it is possible to change the sign of current crossed correlation by tuning the voltages and that it can be used to probe the size of the Cooper pairs. Lastly, using Usadel's quasi-classic theory, we study the energy dependence of noise in a normal metal - normal metal - superconductor double junction. We show that barrier's transparencies modifies significantly both current and noise. (author) [fr

Topological Oxide Insulator in Cubic Perovskite Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hosub; Rhim, Sonny H.; Im, Jino; Freeman, Arthur J.

2013-01-01

The emergence of topologically protected conducting states with the chiral spin texture is the most prominent feature at the surface of topological insulators. On the application side, large band gap and high resistivity to distinguish surface from bulk degrees of freedom should be guaranteed for the full usage of the surface states. Here, we suggest that the oxide cubic perovskite YBiO3, more than just an oxide, defines itself as a new three-dimensional topological insulator exhibiting both a large bulk band gap and a high resistivity. Based on first-principles calculations varying the spin-orbit coupling strength, the non-trivial band topology of YBiO3 is investigated, where the spin-orbit coupling of the Bi 6p orbital plays a crucial role. Taking the exquisite synthesis techniques in oxide electronics into account, YBiO3 can also be used to provide various interface configurations hosting exotic topological phenomena combined with other quantum phases. PMID:23575973

On the energy scale involved in the metal to insulator transition of quadruple perovskite EuCu3Fe4O12: infrared spectroscopy and ab-initio calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Brière, B; Kalinko, A; Yamada, I; Roy, P; Brubach, J B; Sopracase, R; Zaghrioui, M; Phuoc, V Ta

2016-06-27

Optical measurements were carried out by infrared spectroscopy on AA'3B4O12 A-site ordered quadruple perovskite EuCu3Fe4O12 (microscopic sample) as function of temperature. At 240 K (=TMI), EuCu3Fe4O12 undergoes a very abrupt metal to insulator transition, a paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition and an isostructural transformation with an abrupt large volume expansion. Above TMI, optical conductivity reveals a bad metal behavior and below TMI, an insulating phase with an optical gap of 125 meV is observed. As temperature is decreased, a large and abrupt spectral weight transfer toward an energy scale larger than 1 eV is detected. Concurrently, electronic structure calculations for both high and low temperature phases were compared to the optical conductivity results giving a precise pattern of the transition. Density of states and computed optical conductivity analysis identified Cu3dxy, Fe3d and O2p orbitals as principal actors of the spectral weight transfer. The present work constitutes a first step to shed light on EuCu3Fe4O12 electronic properties with optical measurements and ab-initio calculations.

Proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet hetero-structures as a function of interface properties

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmiento, Julio; Patino, Edgar J.

2014-03-01

Superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures are currently a subject of strong research due to novel phenomena resulting from the proximity effect. Among the most investigated ones are the oscillations of the critical temperature as function of the ferromagnet thickness. The oscillatory behavior of Tc is theoretically explained as to be result of the generation of the FFLO (Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov) state of Cooper pairs under the presence of the exchange field of the ferromagnet. With the advancement of experimental techniques for S/F bilayers growth new questions regarding the effect of the interface transparency can to be addressed. For instance the influence of the interface roughness on the proximity effect. For studying this phenomenon Nb/Co and Nb/Cu/Co samples were sputtered on SiO2 substrates with different roughness. Characterization of these samples show a significant variation of Tc with the interface roughness. This results point towards a possible relationship between transparency and roughness of the interface. Proyecto Semilla Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de los Andes.

Metal-insulator transitions

Science.gov (United States)

Imada, Masatoshi; Fujimori, Atsushi; Tokura, Yoshinori

1998-10-01

Metal-insulator transitions are accompanied by huge resistivity changes, even over tens of orders of magnitude, and are widely observed in condensed-matter systems. This article presents the observations and current understanding of the metal-insulator transition with a pedagogical introduction to the subject. Especially important are the transitions driven by correlation effects associated with the electron-electron interaction. The insulating phase caused by the correlation effects is categorized as the Mott Insulator. Near the transition point the metallic state shows fluctuations and orderings in the spin, charge, and orbital degrees of freedom. The properties of these metals are frequently quite different from those of ordinary metals, as measured by transport, optical, and magnetic probes. The review first describes theoretical approaches to the unusual metallic states and to the metal-insulator transition. The Fermi-liquid theory treats the correlations that can be adiabatically connected with the noninteracting picture. Strong-coupling models that do not require Fermi-liquid behavior have also been developed. Much work has also been done on the scaling theory of the transition. A central issue for this review is the evaluation of these approaches in simple theoretical systems such as the Hubbard model and t-J models. Another key issue is strong competition among various orderings as in the interplay of spin and orbital fluctuations. Experimentally, the unusual properties of the metallic state near the insulating transition have been most extensively studied in d-electron systems. In particular, there is revived interest in transition-metal oxides, motivated by the epoch-making findings of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates and colossal magnetoresistance in manganites. The article reviews the rich phenomena of anomalous metallicity, taking as examples Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Ru compounds. The diverse phenomena include strong spin and

Virtual half-metallicity at the CoS2/FeS2 interface induced by strain

KAUST Repository

Nazir, Safdar

2013-01-01

Spin polarized ab initio calculations based on density functional theory are performed to investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of the interface between the ferromagnetic metal CoS2 and the nonmagnetic semiconductor FeS2. Relaxation of the interface structure is taken into account by atomic force minimization. We find that both Co and Fe are close to half-metallicity at the interface. Tensile strain is shown to strongly enhance the spin polarization so that a virtually half-metallic interface can be achieved, for comparably moderate strain. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Non-conductive ferromagnetic carbon-coated (Co, Ni) metal/polystyrene nanocomposites films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takacs, H., E-mail: helene.takacs@gmail.com [CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, Grenoble 38054 (France); LTM-CNRS-UJF, CEA, LETI, Minatec Campus, Grenoble 38054 (France); Viala, B.; Hermán, V. [CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, Grenoble 38054 (France); Tortai, J.-H. [LTM-CNRS-UJF, CEA, LETI, Minatec Campus, Grenoble 38054 (France); Duclairoir, F. [Université Grenoble Alpes, INAC, Grenoble 38054 (France); CEA, INAC, Grenoble 38054 (France)

2016-03-07

This article reports non-conductive ferromagnetic properties of metal/polymer nanocomposite films intended to be used for RF applications. The nanocomposite arrangement is unique showing a core double-shell structure of metal-carbon-polystyrene: M/C//P{sub 1}/P{sub 2}, where M = Co, Ni is the core material, C = graphene or carbon is the first shell acting as a protective layer against oxidation, P{sub 1} = pyrene-terminated polystyrene is the second shell for electrical insulation, and P{sub 2} = polystyrene is a supporting matrix (// indicates actual grafting). The nanocomposite formulation is briefly described, and the film deposition by spin-coating is detailed. Original spin-curves are reported and analyzed. One key outcome is the achievement of uniform and cohesive films at the wafer scale. Structural properties of films are thoroughly detailed, and weight and volume fractions of M/C are considered. Then, a comprehensive overview of DC magnetic and electrical properties is reported. A discussion follows on the magnetic softness of the nanocomposites vs. that of a single particle (theoretical) and the raw powder (experimental). Finally, unprecedented achievement of high magnetization (∼0.6 T) and ultra-high resistivity (∼10{sup 10 }μΩ cm) is shown. High magnetization comes from the preservation of the existing protective shell C, with no significant degradation on the particle net-moment, and high electrical insulation is ensured by adequate grafting of the secondary shell P{sub 1}. To conclude, the metal/polymer nanocomposites are situated in the landscape of soft ferromagnetic materials for RF applications (i.e., inductors and antennas), by means of two phase-diagrams, where they play a crucial role.

Local density of states and order parameter configurations in layered ferromagnet-superconductor structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halterman, Klaus [Physics and Computational Sciences, Research and Engineering Sciences Department, Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, CA 93555 (United States)]. E-mail: klaus.halterman@navy.mil; Valls, Oriol T. [School of Physics and Astronomy and Minnesota Supercomputer Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)]. E-mail: otvalls@umn.edu

2005-04-01

We analyze the local density of states (LDOS) of heterostructures consisting of alternating ferromagnet, F, and superconductor, S, layers. We consider structures of the SFS and SFSFSFS type, with thin nanometer scale F and S layers, within the ballistic regime. The spin-splitting effects of the ferromagnet and the mutual coupling between the S regions, yield several nontrivial stable and metastable pair amplitude configurations, and we find that the details of the spatial behavior of the pair amplitude govern the calculated electronic spectra. These are reflected in discernible signatures of the LDOS. The roles that the magnetic exchange energy, interface scattering strength, and the Fermi wavevector mismatch each have on the LDOS for the different allowed junction configurations, are systematically investigated.

Local density of states and order parameter configurations in layered ferromagnet-superconductor structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halterman, Klaus; Valls, Oriol T.

2005-01-01

We analyze the local density of states (LDOS) of heterostructures consisting of alternating ferromagnet, F, and superconductor, S, layers. We consider structures of the SFS and SFSFSFS type, with thin nanometer scale F and S layers, within the ballistic regime. The spin-splitting effects of the ferromagnet and the mutual coupling between the S regions, yield several nontrivial stable and metastable pair amplitude configurations, and we find that the details of the spatial behavior of the pair amplitude govern the calculated electronic spectra. These are reflected in discernible signatures of the LDOS. The roles that the magnetic exchange energy, interface scattering strength, and the Fermi wavevector mismatch each have on the LDOS for the different allowed junction configurations, are systematically investigated

Metal-insulator transition and superconductivity in heavily boron-doped diamond and related materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Achatz, Philipp

2009-05-15

During this PhD project, the metal-insulator transition and superconductivity of highly boron-doped single crystal diamond and related materials have been investigated. The critical boron concentration n{sub c} for the metal-insulator transition was found to be the same as for the normal-superconductor transition. All metallic samples have been found to be superconducting and we were able to link the occurence of superconductivity to the proximity to the metal-insulator transition. For this purpose, a scaling law approach based on low temperature transport was proposed. Furthermore, we tried to study the nature of the superconductivity in highly boron doped single crystal diamond. Raman spectroscopy measurements on the isotopically substituted series suggest that the feature occuring at low wavenumbers ({approx} 500 cm{sup -1}) is the A1g vibrational mode associated with boron dimers. Usual Hall effect measurements yielded a puzzling situation in metallic boron-doped diamond samples, leading to carrier concentrations up to a factor 10 higher than the boron concentration determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The low temperature transport follows the one expected for a granular metal or insulator, depending on the interplay of intergranular and intragranular (tunneling) conductance. The metal-insulator transition takes place at a critical conductance g{sub c}. The granularity also influences significantly the superconducting properties by introducing the superconducting gap {delta} in the grain and Josephson coupling J between superconducting grains. A peak in magnetoresistance is observed which can be explained by superconducting fluctuations and the granularity of the system. Additionally we studied the low temperature transport of boron-doped Si samples grown by gas immersion laser doping, some of which yielded a superconducting transition at very low temperatures. Furthermore, preliminary results on the LO-phonon-plasmon coupling are shown for the

Metal-insulator transition and superconductivity in heavily boron-doped diamond and related materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achatz, Philipp

2009-01-01

During this PhD project, the metal-insulator transition and superconductivity of highly boron-doped single crystal diamond and related materials have been investigated. The critical boron concentration n c for the metal-insulator transition was found to be the same as for the normal-superconductor transition. All metallic samples have been found to be superconducting and we were able to link the occurence of superconductivity to the proximity to the metal-insulator transition. For this purpose, a scaling law approach based on low temperature transport was proposed. Furthermore, we tried to study the nature of the superconductivity in highly boron doped single crystal diamond. Raman spectroscopy measurements on the isotopically substituted series suggest that the feature occuring at low wavenumbers (∼ 500 cm -1 ) is the A1g vibrational mode associated with boron dimers. Usual Hall effect measurements yielded a puzzling situation in metallic boron-doped diamond samples, leading to carrier concentrations up to a factor 10 higher than the boron concentration determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The low temperature transport follows the one expected for a granular metal or insulator, depending on the interplay of intergranular and intragranular (tunneling) conductance. The metal-insulator transition takes place at a critical conductance g c . The granularity also influences significantly the superconducting properties by introducing the superconducting gap Δ in the grain and Josephson coupling J between superconducting grains. A peak in magnetoresistance is observed which can be explained by superconducting fluctuations and the granularity of the system. Additionally we studied the low temperature transport of boron-doped Si samples grown by gas immersion laser doping, some of which yielded a superconducting transition at very low temperatures. Furthermore, preliminary results on the LO-phonon-plasmon coupling are shown for the first time in aluminum

Formation of spin-polarons in the ferromagnetic Kondo lattice model away from half-filling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arredondo, Y; Navarro, O; Vallejo, E; Avignon, M

2012-01-01

Even though realistic one-dimensional experiments in the field of half-metallic semiconductors are not at hand yet, we are interested in the underlying fundamental physics. In this regard we study a one-dimensional ferromagnetic Kondo lattice model, a model in which a conduction band is coupled ferromagnetically to a background of localized d moments with coupling constant J H , and investigate the T = 0 phase diagram as a function of the antiferromagnetic interaction J between the localized moments and the band-filling n, since it has been observed that doping of the compounds has led to formation of magnetic domains. We explore the spin-polaron formation by looking at the nearest-neighbour correlation functions in the spin and charge regimes for which we use the density matrix renormalization group method, which is a highly efficient method to investigate quasi-one-dimensional strongly correlated systems. (paper)

Wide-band operation of quasi-optical distributed superconductor/insulator/superconductor mixers with epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohjiro, S; Shitov, S V; Wang, Z; Uzawa, Y; Miki, S; Kawakami, A; Shoji, A

2004-01-01

For the optimum design of integrated receivers operating above the gap frequency of Nb, we have designed, fabricated and tested NbN-based quasi-optical superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) mixers. The mixer chip incorporates a resonant half-wavelength epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN junction, a twin-slot antenna and their coupling circuits. We adopted two kinds of coupling circuit between the antenna and the SIS junction: one is an in-phase feed with a length of 95 μm and the other is an anti-phase feed of 30 μm length. It was found that the anti-phase mixer reveals a 3 dB bandwidth of 43% of the centre frequency; the uncorrected double-sideband receiver noise temperature T RX = 691 K at 0.91 THz and T RX = 844 K at 0.80 THz, while 17% and T RX = 1250 K at 0.79 THz for the in-phase version. Possible reasons for this difference are discussed, which could be transmission loss and its robustness with respect to the variation of junction parameters. These experimental results suggest the NbN-based distributed mixer with the anti-phase feed is a better candidate for wide-band integrated receivers operating above 0.7 THz

Metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chu-Hsuan; Liu, Chee Wee

2010-01-01

The major radiation of the sun can be roughly divided into three regions: ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. Detection in these three regions is important to human beings. The metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetector, with a simpler process than the pn-junction photodetector and a lower dark current than the MSM photodetector, has been developed for light detection in these three regions. Ideal UV photodetectors with high UV-to-visible rejection ratio could be demonstrated with III-V metal-insulator-semiconductor UV photodetectors. The visible-light detection and near-infrared optical communications have been implemented with Si and Ge metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetectors. For mid- and long-wavelength infrared detection, metal-insulator-semiconductor SiGe/Si quantum dot infrared photodetectors have been developed, and the detection spectrum covers atmospheric transmission windows.

Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Photodetectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chu-Hsuan Lin

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The major radiation of the Sun can be roughly divided into three regions: ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. Detection in these three regions is important to human beings. The metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetector, with a simpler process than the pn-junction photodetector and a lower dark current than the MSM photodetector, has been developed for light detection in these three regions. Ideal UV photodetectors with high UV-to-visible rejection ratio could be demonstrated with III-V metal-insulator-semiconductor UV photodetectors. The visible-light detection and near-infrared optical communications have been implemented with Si and Ge metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetectors. For mid- and long-wavelength infrared detection, metal-insulator-semiconductor SiGe/Si quantum dot infrared photodetectors have been developed, and the detection spectrum covers atmospheric transmission windows.

Heat dissipation due to ferromagnetic resonance in a ferromagnetic metal monitored by electrical resistance measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanoi, Kazuto; Yokotani, Yuki; Kimura, Takashi

2015-01-01

The heat dissipation due to the resonant precessional motion of the magnetization in a ferromagnetic metal has been investigated. We demonstrated that the temperature during the ferromagnetic resonance can be simply detected by the electrical resistance measurement of the Cu strip line in contact with the ferromagnetic metal. The temperature change of the Cu strip due to the ferromagnetic resonance was found to exceed 10 K, which significantly affects the spin-current transport. The influence of the thermal conductivity of the substrate on the heating was also investigated

Modeling high-temperature superconductors and metallic alloys on the Intel IPSC/860

Science.gov (United States)

Geist, G. A.; Peyton, B. W.; Shelton, W. A.; Stocks, G. M.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has embarked on several computational Grand Challenges, which require the close cooperation of physicists, mathematicians, and computer scientists. One of these projects is the determination of the material properties of alloys from first principles and, in particular, the electronic structure of high-temperature superconductors. While the present focus of the project is on superconductivity, the approach is general enough to permit study of other properties of metallic alloys such as strength and magnetic properties. This paper describes the progress to date on this project. We include a description of a self-consistent KKR-CPA method, parallelization of the model, and the incorporation of a dynamic load balancing scheme into the algorithm. We also describe the development and performance of a consolidated KKR-CPA code capable of running on CRAYs, workstations, and several parallel computers without source code modification. Performance of this code on the Intel iPSC/860 is also compared to a CRAY 2, CRAY YMP, and several workstations. Finally, some density of state calculations of two perovskite superconductors are given.

Studying the superconductor-ferromagnet proximity effect with polarised neutron reflectometry

Science.gov (United States)

Satchell, Nathan; Cooper, Joshaniel; Kinane, Christy; Witt, James; Burnell, Gavin; Langridge, Sean

At the interface between a superconductor (S) and ferromagnet (F), an inhomogeneity can convert singlet Cooper pairs into the (spin aligned) long ranged triplet component (LRTC). The manipulation of the LRTC forms the basis of the emerging field of super-spintronics. Several theoretical works predict modification to the local magnetic state inside the S layer with the inclusion of triplet Cooper pairs, however there are now several experimental observations which disagree on both the magnitude and direction of this induced moment (see for example and). Here we report on measurements of the proximity effect using polarised neutron reflectometry, a technique sensitive to changes in the total magnetisation of a S-F heterostructure. Our results suggest that a `smoking gun' direct signature of the LRTC is below the sensitivity of our technique, we are able to study the inverse effect namely a modification to the ferromagnetism by proximity to singlet superconductivity. These observations are supported by XMCD measurements showing changes to the Fe and Co below the S layer Tc.

Surface antiferromagnetism and incipient metal-insulator transition in strained manganite films

KAUST Repository

Cossu, Fabrizio; Colizzi, G.; Filippetti, A.; Fiorentini, Vincenzo; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2013-01-01

Using first-principles calculations, we show that the (001) surface of the ferromagnet La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 under an epitaxial compressive strain favors antiferromagnetic (AF) order in the surface layers, coexisting with ferromagnetic (FM) bulk order. Surface antiferromagnetism is accompanied by a very marked surface-related spectral pseudogap, signaling an incomplete metal-insulator transition at the surface. The different relaxation and rumpling of the MnO2 and LaO surface planes in the two competing magnetic phases cause distinct work-function changes, which are of potential diagnostic use. The AF phase is recognized as an extreme surface-assisted case of the combination of in-plane AF super-exchange and vertical FM double-exchange couplings that rules magnetism in manganites under in-plane compression.

Surface antiferromagnetism and incipient metal-insulator transition in strained manganite films

KAUST Repository

Cossu, Fabrizio

2013-06-21

Using first-principles calculations, we show that the (001) surface of the ferromagnet La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 under an epitaxial compressive strain favors antiferromagnetic (AF) order in the surface layers, coexisting with ferromagnetic (FM) bulk order. Surface antiferromagnetism is accompanied by a very marked surface-related spectral pseudogap, signaling an incomplete metal-insulator transition at the surface. The different relaxation and rumpling of the MnO2 and LaO surface planes in the two competing magnetic phases cause distinct work-function changes, which are of potential diagnostic use. The AF phase is recognized as an extreme surface-assisted case of the combination of in-plane AF super-exchange and vertical FM double-exchange couplings that rules magnetism in manganites under in-plane compression.

Parity-Forbidden Transitions and Their Impact on the Optical Absorption Properties of Lead-Free Metal Halide Perovskites and Double Perovskites.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Weiwei; Wang, Xiaoming; Xiao, Zewen; Wang, Jianbo; Mitzi, David B; Yan, Yanfa

2017-07-06

Using density functional theory calculations, we analyze the optical absorption properties of lead (Pb)-free metal halide perovskites (AB 2+ X 3 ) and double perovskites (A 2 B + B 3+ X 6 ) (A = Cs or monovalent organic ion, B 2+ = non-Pb divalent metal, B + = monovalent metal, B 3+ = trivalent metal, X = halogen). We show that if B 2+ is not Sn or Ge, Pb-free metal halide perovskites exhibit poor optical absorptions because of their indirect band gap nature. Among the nine possible types of Pb-free metal halide double perovskites, six have direct band gaps. Of these six types, four show inversion symmetry-induced parity-forbidden or weak transitions between band edges, making them not ideal for thin-film solar cell applications. Only one type of Pb-free double perovskite shows optical absorption and electronic properties suitable for solar cell applications, namely, those with B + = In, Tl and B 3+ = Sb, Bi. Our results provide important insights for designing new metal halide perovskites and double perovskites for optoelectronic applications.

Visualizing supercurrents in 0-{pi} ferromagnetic Josephson tunnel junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldobin, Edward; Guerlich, Christian; Gaber, Tobias; Koelle, Dieter; Kleiner, Reinhold [Physikalisches Institut and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena, Universitaet Tuebingen (Germany); Weides, Martin; Kohlstedt, Hermann [Institute of Solid State Physics, Reserch Center Juelich (Germany)

2009-07-01

So-called 0 and {pi} Josephson junctions can be treated as having positive and negative critical currents. This implies that the same phase shift applied to a Josephson junction causes counterflow of supercurrents in 0 and in {pi} junctions connected in parallel provided they are short in comparison with Josephson penetration depth {lambda}{sub J}. We have fabricated several 0, {pi}, 0-{pi}, 0-{pi}-0 and 20 x (0-{pi}-) planar superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor Josephson junctions and studied the spatial supercurrent density distribution j{sub s}(x,y) across the junction area using low temperature scanning electron microscopy. At zero magnetic field we clearly see counterflow of the supercurrents in 0 and {pi} regions. The picture also changes consistently in the applied magnetic field.

Transport through hybrid superconducting/ferromagnetic double-path junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Facio, T.J.S. [Departamento de Física e Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, 15385-000, Ilha Solteira, SP (Brazil); Orellana, P.A. [Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria, Av. Vicuña Mackenna, 3939, Santiago (Chile); Jurelo, A.R. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa – UEPG, 84030-000, Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil); Figueira, M.S. [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24210-340, Niterói, RJ (Brazil); Cabrera, G.G. [Instituto de Física ‘Gleb Wataghin’, Universidade Estadual de Campinas – UNICAMP, 13083-859, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Siqueira, E.C., E-mail: ecosta@utfpr.edu.br [Departamento de Física, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná – UTFPR, 84016-210, Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil)

2017-02-05

In this paper we study a double-path junction formed by a ferromagnetic and a superconductor lead. The first path connects the superconductor and ferromagnet directly while the second path connects these metals through a quantum dot. The whole system works as an Aharonov–Bohm interferometer allowing the study of the interference between these two paths under the presence of spin imbalance and Andreev bound states. We considered the effect of Fano interference on the electronic transmittance through the quantum dot and observed two regimes of conduction depending on the strength of the direct coupling. For the weak coupling regime, the transmittance presented the usual four resonances due to the Andreev bound states whereas for the strong coupling regime the profile was inverted and resonances became anti-resonances. However, even in the strong coupling regime it was possible to observe a central resonance due to the interference between the Andreev bound states. We have also studied the signatures of Fano interference on the average occupation within the quantum dot. The spin accumulation was analyzed and how it depends on the direct coupling and an external magnetic field applied to the system. The results obtained may be used in a possible experimental implementation of this system in order to probe spin related effects in ferromagnetic superconductor nanostructures. - Highlights: • An Aharonov–Bohm interferometer composed by a quantum-dot coupled to a superconductor and ferromagnetic lead is studied. • The transmittance through the QD is determined by the interplay between Andreev and Fano interference. • Spin accumulation within the quantum dot is studied as a function of bias/gate voltages and an external magnetic flux.

Dynamical Conductivity across the Disorder-Tuned Superconductor-Insulator Transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mason Swanson

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We calculate the dynamical conductivity σ(ω and the bosonic (pair spectral function P(ω from quantum Monte Carlo simulations across clean and disorder-driven superconductor-insulator transitions (SITs. We identify characteristic energy scales in the superconducting and insulating phases that vanish at the transition due to enhanced quantum fluctuations, despite the persistence of a robust fermionic gap across the SIT. Disorder leads to enhanced absorption in σ(ω at low frequencies compared to the SIT in a clean system. Disorder also expands the quantum critical region, due to a change in the universality class, with an underlying T=0 critical point with a universal low-frequency conductivity σ^{*}≃0.5(4e^{2}/h.

Voltage Control of Rare-Earth Magnetic Moments at the Magnetic-Insulator-Metal Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Leon, Alejandro O.; Cahaya, Adam B.; Bauer, Gerrit E. W.

2018-01-01

The large spin-orbit interaction in the lanthanides implies a strong coupling between their internal charge and spin degrees of freedom. We formulate the coupling between the voltage and the local magnetic moments of rare-earth atoms with a partially filled 4 f shell at the interface between an insulator and a metal. The rare-earth-mediated torques allow the power-efficient control of spintronic devices by electric-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance and magnetization switching.

Optimization of superconductor--normal-metal--superconductor Josephson junctions for high critical-current density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golub, A.; Horovitz, B.

1994-01-01

The application of superconducting Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 wires or tapes to electronic devices requires the optimization of the transport properties in Ohmic contacts between the superconductor and the normal metal in the circuit. This paper presents results of tunneling theory in superconductor--normal-metal--superconductor (SNS) junctions, in both pure and dirty limits. We derive expressions for the critical-current density as a function of the normal-metal resistivity in the dirty limit or of the ratio of Fermi velocities and effective masses in the clean limit. In the latter case the critical current increases when the ratio γ of the Fermi velocity in the superconductor to that of the weak link becomes much less than 1 and it also has a local maximum if γ is close to 1. This local maximum is more pronounced if the ratio of effective masses is large. For temperatures well below the critical temperature of the superconductors the model with abrupt pair potential on the SN interfaces is considered and its applicability near the critical temperature is examined

Giant magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection in ferromagnetic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telegin, A.V.; Sukhorukov, Yu.P.; Loshkareva, N.N.; Mostovshchikova, E.V.; Bebenin, N.G.; Gan'shina, E.A.; Granovsky, A.B.

2015-01-01

We present a brief review on magnetotransmission (magnetoabsorption) and magnetoreflection of natural (unpolarized) light in ferromagnetic chromium chalcogenide spinel, manganites with perovskite structure and thin-film metallic nanostructures in the middle infrared spectral range. The magnetooptical effects under discussion are of high interest for numerous and promising applications in the infrared optoelectronics. - Highlights: • Magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection of light in ferromagnetic are presented. • The effects are greater than common magnetooptical phenomena in the infrared. • The effects may have a different origin depending on a material or spectral range. • Possible applications of the magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection are discussed

Giant magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection in ferromagnetic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Telegin, A.V., E-mail: telegin@imp.uran.ru [M.N. Miheev Institute of Metal Physics of Ural Branch of RAS, 620137 Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Sukhorukov, Yu.P.; Loshkareva, N.N.; Mostovshchikova, E.V.; Bebenin, N.G. [M.N. Miheev Institute of Metal Physics of Ural Branch of RAS, 620137 Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Gan' shina, E.A.; Granovsky, A.B. [Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-06-01

We present a brief review on magnetotransmission (magnetoabsorption) and magnetoreflection of natural (unpolarized) light in ferromagnetic chromium chalcogenide spinel, manganites with perovskite structure and thin-film metallic nanostructures in the middle infrared spectral range. The magnetooptical effects under discussion are of high interest for numerous and promising applications in the infrared optoelectronics. - Highlights: • Magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection of light in ferromagnetic are presented. • The effects are greater than common magnetooptical phenomena in the infrared. • The effects may have a different origin depending on a material or spectral range. • Possible applications of the magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection are discussed.

Electronic structure, magnetism and thermoelectricity in layered perovskites: Sr2SnMnO6 and Sr2SnFeO6

Science.gov (United States)

Khandy, Shakeel Ahmad; Gupta, Dinesh C.

2017-11-01

Layered structures especially perovskites have titanic potential for novel device applications and thanks to the multifunctional properties displayed in these materials. We forecast and justify the robust spin-polarized ferromagnetism in half-metallic Sr2SnFeO6 and semiconducting Sr2SnMnO6 perovskite oxides. Different approximation methods have been argued to put forward their physical properties. The intriguingly intricate electronic band structures favor the application of these materials in spintronics. The transport parameters like Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivity, have been put together to establish their thermoelectric response. Finally, the layered oxides are found to switch their application as thermoelectric materials and hence, these concepts design the principles of the technologically desired thermoelectric and spin based devices.

Onset of itinerant ferromagnetism associated with semiconductor ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, the magnetic and transport properties of the TiNb1−CoSn solid solution compounds with half Heusler cubic MgAgAs-type structure have been studied. This work shows the onset of ferromagnetism associated with a semiconductor to metal transition. The transition occurs directly from ferromagnetic metal to ...

The effect of interfacial charge transfer on ferromagnetism in perovskite oxide superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, F. [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Gu, M. [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Arenholz, E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source (ALS); Browning, N. D. [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology; Takamura, Y. [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

2012-01-05

We investigate the structural, magnetic, and electrical properties of superlattices composed of the ferromagnetic/metal La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ and non-magnetic/metal La_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ grown on (001)-oriented SrTiO₃ substrates. Using a combination of bulk magnetometry, soft x-ray magnetic spectroscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate that robust ferromagnetic properties can be maintained in this superlattice system where charge transfer at the interfaces is minimized. Thus, ferromagnetism can be controlled effectively through the chemical identity and the thickness of the individual superlattice layers.

Observation of large low-field magnetoresistance in spinel cobaltite: A new half-metal

KAUST Repository

Li, Peng

2015-12-10

Low-field magnetoresistance is an effective and energy-saving way to use half-metallic materials in magnetic reading heads and magnetic random access memory. Common spin-polarized materials with low field magnetoresistance effect are perovskite-type manganese, cobalt, and molybdenum oxides. In this study, we report a new type of spinel cobaltite materials, self-assembled nanocrystalline NiCo2O4, which shows large low field magnetoresistance as large as –19.1% at 0.5 T and –50% at 9 T (2 K). The large low field magnetoresistance is attributed to the fast magnetization rotation of the core nanocrystals. The surface spin-glass is responsible for the observed weak saturation of magnetoresistance under high fields. Our calculation demonstrates that the half-metallicity of NiCo2O4 comes from the hopping eg electrons within the tetrahedral Co-atoms and the octahedral Ni-atoms. The discovery of large low-field magnetoresistance in simple spinel oxide NiCo2O4, a non-perovskite oxide, leads to an extended family of low-field magnetoresistance materials. (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Observation of large low-field magnetoresistance in spinel cobaltite: A new half-metal

KAUST Repository

Li, Peng; Xia, Chuan; Zheng, Dongxing; Wang, Ping; Jin, Chao; Bai, Haili

2015-01-01

Low-field magnetoresistance is an effective and energy-saving way to use half-metallic materials in magnetic reading heads and magnetic random access memory. Common spin-polarized materials with low field magnetoresistance effect are perovskite-type manganese, cobalt, and molybdenum oxides. In this study, we report a new type of spinel cobaltite materials, self-assembled nanocrystalline NiCo2O4, which shows large low field magnetoresistance as large as –19.1% at 0.5 T and –50% at 9 T (2 K). The large low field magnetoresistance is attributed to the fast magnetization rotation of the core nanocrystals. The surface spin-glass is responsible for the observed weak saturation of magnetoresistance under high fields. Our calculation demonstrates that the half-metallicity of NiCo2O4 comes from the hopping eg electrons within the tetrahedral Co-atoms and the octahedral Ni-atoms. The discovery of large low-field magnetoresistance in simple spinel oxide NiCo2O4, a non-perovskite oxide, leads to an extended family of low-field magnetoresistance materials. (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Temperature dependence of differential conductance in Co-based Heusler alloy Co2TiSn and superconductor Pb junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Ooka, Ryutaro; Shigeta, Iduru; Umetsu, Rie Y.; Nomura, Akiko; Yubuta, Kunio; Yamauchi, Touru; Kanomata, Takeshi; Hiroi, Masahiko

2018-05-01

We investigated temperature dependence of differential conductance G (V) in planar junctions consisting of Co-based Heusler alloy Co2TiSn and superconductor Pb. Ferromagnetic Co2TiSn was predicted to be half-metal by first-principles band calculations. The spin polarization P of Co2TiSn was deduced to be 60.0% at 1.4 K by the Andreev reflection spectroscopy. The G (V) spectral shape was smeared gradually with increasing temperature and its structure was disappeared above the superconducting transition temperature Tc. Theoretical model analysis revealed that the superconducting energy gap Δ was 1.06 meV at 1.4 K and the Tc was 6.8 K , indicating that both values were suppressed from bulk values. However, the temperature dependent Δ (T) behavior was in good agreement with that of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. The experimental results exhibit that the superconductivity of Pb attached to half-metallic Co2TiSn was kept the conventional BCS mechanism characterized strong-coupling superconductors while its superconductivity was slightly suppressed by the superconducting proximity effect at the Co2TiSn/Pb interface.

Unambiguous separation of the inverse spin Hall and anomalous Nernst effects within a ferromagnetic metal using the spin Seebeck effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Stephen M.; Hoffman, Jason; Pearson, John E.; Bhattacharya, Anand

2014-01-01

The longitudinal spin Seebeck effect is measured on the ferromagnetic insulator Fe 3 O 4 with the ferromagnetic metal Co 0.2 Fe 0.6 B 0.2 (CoFeB) as the spin detector. By using a non-magnetic spacer material between the two materials (Ti), it is possible to decouple the two ferromagnetic materials and directly observe pure spin flow from Fe 3 O 4 into CoFeB. It is shown that in a single ferromagnetic metal, the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) and anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) can occur simultaneously with opposite polarity. Using this and the large difference in the coercive fields between the two magnets, it is possible to unambiguously separate the contributions of the spin Seebeck effect from the ANE and observe the degree to which each effect contributes to the total response. These experiments show conclusively that the ISHE and ANE in CoFeB are separate phenomena with different origins and can coexist in the same material with opposite response to a thermal gradient.

Computational study on the half-metallicity in transition metal—oxide-incorporated 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Qian; Wang, Hui-Li; Zhang, Li-Fu; Hu, Shuang-Lin; Hu, Zhen-Peng

2018-06-01

In this study, based on the first-principles calculations, we systematically investigated the electronic and magnetic properties of the transition metal-oxide-incorporated 2D g-C3N4 nanosheet (labeled C3N4-TM-O, TM = Sc-Mn). The results suggest that the TM-O binds to g-C3N4 nanosheets strongly for all systems. We found that the 2D C3N4-TM-O framework is ferromagnetic for TM = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, while it is antiferromagnetic for TM = Mn. All the ferromagnetic systems exhibit the half-metallic property. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations based on the Heisenberg model suggest that the Curie temperatures ( T c ) of the C3N4-TM-O (TM = Sc, Ti, V, Cr) framework are 169 K, 68 K, 203 K, and 190 K, respectively. Based on Bader charge analysis, we found that the origin of the half-metallicity at Fermi energy can be partially attributed to the transfer of electrons from TM atoms to the g-C3N4 nanosheet. In addition, we found that not only electrons but also holes can induce half-metallicity for 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets, which may help to understand the origin of half-metallicity for graphitic carbon nitride.

Structural stability, electronic structure and magnetic properties of the new hypothetical half-metallic ferromagnetic full-Heusler alloy CoNiMnSi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elahmar M.H.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available We investigated the structural stability as well as the mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties of the Full-Heusler alloy CoNiMnSi using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW method. Two generalized gradient approximations (GGA and GGA + U were used to treat the exchange-correlation energy functional. The ground state properties of CoNiMnSi including the lattice parameter and bulk modulus were calculated. The elastic constants (Cij and their related elastic moduli as well as the thermodynamic properties for CoNiMnSi have been calculated for the first time. The existence of half-metallic ferromagnetism (HM-FM in this material is apparent from its band structure. Our results classify CoNiMnSi as a new HM-FM material with high spin polarization suitable for spintronic applications.

Metal-insulator crossover in superconducting cuprates in strong magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchetti, P.A.; Su Zhaobin; Yu Lu

2001-02-01

The metal-insulator crossover of the in-plane resistivity upon temperature decrease, recently observed in several classes of cuprate superconductors, when a strong magnetic field suppresses the superconductivity, is explained using the U(1)xSU(2) Chern-Simons gauge field theory. The origin of this crossover is the same as that for a similar phenomenon observed in heavily underdoped cuprates without magnetic field. It is due to the interplay between the diffusive motion of the charge carriers and the 'peculiar' localization effect due to short-range antiferromagnetic order. We also calculate the in-plane transverse magnetoresistance which is in a fairly good agreement with available experimental data. (author)

Modulation of Metal and Insulator States in 2D Ferromagnetic VS2 by van der Waals Interaction Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yuqiao; Deng, Haitao; Sun, Xu; Li, Xiuling; Zhao, Jiyin; Wu, Junchi; Chu, Wangsheng; Zhang, Sijia; Pan, Haibin; Zheng, Xusheng; Wu, Xiaojun; Jin, Changqing; Wu, Changzheng; Xie, Yi

2017-08-01

2D transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are currently the key to the development of nanoelectronics. However, TMDCs are predominantly nonmagnetic, greatly hindering the advancement of their spintronic applications. Here, an experimental realization of intrinsic magnetic ordering in a pristine TMDC lattice is reported, bringing a new class of ferromagnetic semiconductors among TMDCs. Through van der Waals (vdW) interaction engineering of 2D vanadium disulfide (VS 2 ), dual regulation of spin properties and bandgap brings about intrinsic ferromagnetism along with a small bandgap, unravelling the decisive role of vdW gaps in determining the electronic states in 2D VS 2 . An overall control of the electronic states of VS 2 is also demonstrated: bond-enlarging triggering a metal-to-semiconductor electronic transition and bond-compression inducing metallization in 2D VS 2 . The pristine VS 2 lattice thus provides a new platform for precise manipulation of both charge and spin degrees of freedom in 2D TMDCs availing spintronic applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Neutron-scattering studies of magnetic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, S.K.; Crabtree, G.W.; Hinks, D.G.; Mook, H.A.; Pringle, O.A.

1982-01-01

Results obtained in the last few years obtained by neutron diffraction on the nature of the magnetic ordering in magnetic superconductors are reviewed. Emphasis is given to studies of the complex intermediate phase in ferromagnetic superconductors where both superconductivity and ferromagnetism appear to coexist

Electromagnetic properties of metals and superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, K.P.

1977-01-01

Part 1: Metals. 1. Introduction. 1.1. Normal and anomalous skin effects. 2. Helicons and magneto-plasma waves. 3. Helicon-phonon interaction. 3.1. Magneto-plasma (Alfven) waves. 4. Cyclotron waves. 5. Spin waves in electron system. Part 2: Superconductors. 6. Introduction. 6.1. Response to weak electromagnetic fields. 7. Effect of strong radiation field on superconductors. 8. Laser-induced non-equilibrium state in superconductors. 9. Possibility of photon-induced electron pairing - one-boson processes. 10. Possibility of photon-induced electron pairing -two-boson processes. (author)

Ionic behavior of organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite based metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yucheng; Zhang, Yuming; Pang, Tiqiang; Xu, Jie; Hu, Ziyang; Zhu, Yuejin; Tang, Xiaoyan; Luan, Suzhen; Jia, Renxu

2017-05-24

Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites are promising semiconductors for optoelectronic applications. Despite the achievements in device performance, the electrical properties of perovskites have stagnated. Ion migration is speculated to be the main contributing factor for the many unusual electrical phenomena in perovskite-based devices. Here, to understand the intrinsic electrical behavior of perovskites, we constructed metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors based on perovskite films and performed capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements of the capacitors. The results provide direct evidence for the mixed ionic-electronic transport behavior within perovskite films. In the dark, there is electrical hysteresis in both the C-V and I-V curves because the mobile negative ions take part in charge transport despite frequency modulation. However, under illumination, the large amount of photoexcited free carriers screens the influence of the mobile ions with a low concentration, which is responsible for the normal C-V properties. Validation of ion migration for the gate-control ability of MOS capacitors is also helpful for the investigation of perovskite MOS transistors and other gate-control photovoltaic devices.

Nonlocal thermoelectric effects and nonlocal Onsager relations in a three-terminal proximity-coupled superconductor-ferromagnet device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machon, Peter; Belzig, Wolfgang [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz (Germany); Eschrig, Matthias [SEPnet and Hubbard Theory Consortium, Department of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX (United Kingdom)

2013-07-01

We study thermal and charge transport in a three-terminal setup consisting of a superconducting and two ferromagnetic contacts. We predict that the simultaneous presence of spin-filtering and of spin-dependent scattering phase shifts at each of the two interfaces will lead to very large nonlocal thermoelectric effects both in clean and in disordered systems. The symmetries of thermal and electric transport coefficients are related to fundamental thermodynamic principles by the Onsager reciprocity. Our results show that a nonlocal version of the Onsager relations for thermoelectric currents holds in a three terminal quantum coherent ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructure including spin-dependent crossed Andreev reflection and coherent electron transfer processes.

Development of half metallicity within mixed magnetic phase of Cu1‑x Co x MnSb alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Bandyopadhyay, Abhisek; Neogi, Swarup Kumar; Paul, Atanu; Meneghini, Carlo; Bandyopadhyay, Sudipta; Dasgupta, Indra; Ray, Sugata

2018-05-01

Cubic half-Heusler Cu1‑x Co x MnSb () compounds have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically for their magnetic, transport and electronic properties in search of possible half metallic antiferromagnetism. The systems (Cu,Co)MnSb are of particular interest as the end member alloys CuMnSb and CoMnSb are semi metallic (SM) antiferromagnetic (AFM) and half metallic (HM) ferromagnetic (FM), respectively. Clearly, Co-doping at the Cu-site of CuMnSb introduces changes in the carrier concentration at the Fermi level that may lead to half metallic ground state but there remains a persistent controversy whether the AFM to FM transition occurs simultaneously. Our experimental results reveal that the AFM to FM magnetic transition occurs through a percolation mechanism where Co-substitution gradually suppresses the AFM phase and forces FM polarization around every dopant cobalt. As a result a mixed magnetic phase is realized within this composition range while a nearly HM band structure is developed already at the 10% Co-doping. Absence of T 2 dependence in the resistivity variation at low T-region serves as an indirect proof of opening up an energy gap at the Fermi surface in one of the spin channels. This is further corroborated by the ab initio electronic structure calculations that suggests that a nearly ferromagnetic half-metallic ground state is stabilized by Sb-p holes produced upon Co doping.

The improved damping of superconductor bearings for 35 kWh superconductor flywheel energy storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Y.H.; Park, B.J.; Jung, S.Y.; Han, S.C.; Lee, W.R.; Bae, Y.C.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We made a 35 kWh superconductor flywheel energy storage system. ► The damping coefficient of the superconductor bearing was increased over 3000 N s/m. ► The source of damping was discussed. -- Abstract: A 35 kWh Superconductor Flywheel Energy Storage system (SFES) using hybrid bearing sets, which is composed of a high temperature superconductor (HTS) bearing and an active magnet damper (AMD), has been developed at KEPCO Research Institute (KEPRI). Damping is a source of energy loss but necessary for the stability of the flywheel system. We found that the damping of HTS bearings can be improved by thermal insulating bolts, which play a role of passive type external damper. To investigate the source of the increased damping, damping coefficients were measured with HTS bearings using insulating bolts made of three kinds of polymer materials. The damping coefficient was raised over 3000 N s/m in the case of PEEK bolts. The value was almost a quarter of the AMD. In this study, thermoelastic and Coulomb friction damping mechanisms are discussed. The main damping mechanism was the thermoelastic damping of the bolts themselves. And interfacial gap between the insulating bolt and metal chamber, which increased during the cooling process, was considered to be the cause of the anisotropic damping coefficients. Finally, the effects of the HTS bearings on the first critical speed are shown

Non-hydrolytic metal oxide films for perovskite halide overcoating and stabilization

Science.gov (United States)

Martinson, Alex B.; Kim, In Soo

2017-09-26

A method of protecting a perovskite halide film from moisture and temperature includes positioning the perovskite halide film in a chamber. The chamber is maintained at a temperature of less than 200 degrees Celsius. An organo-metal compound is inserted into the chamber. A non-hydrolytic oxygen source is subsequently inserted into the chamber. The inserting of the organo-metal compound and subsequent inserting of the non-hydrolytic oxygen source into the chamber is repeated for a predetermined number of cycles. The non-hydrolytic oxygen source and the organo-metal compound interact in the chamber to deposit a non-hydrolytic metal oxide film on perovskite halide film. The non-hydrolytic metal oxide film protects the perovskite halide film from relative humidity of greater than 35% and a temperature of greater than 150 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Quasiparticle density of states in a half metal in the presence of odd-frequency Cooper pairs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Asano, Yasuhiro; Yokoyama, Takehito; Tanaka, Yukio; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2008-01-01

We study the local density of states in a half metal sandwiched by the two superconductors. The spin-flip scattering at the junction interface opens the Josephson channels of the odd-frequency spin-triplet s-wave Cooper pairs. The penetration of the odd-frequency pairs enhances the quasiparticle

Spin supercurrent in Josephson contacts with noncollinear ferromagnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shomali, Zahra; Zareyan, Malek; Belzig, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

We present a theoretical study of the Josephson coupling of two superconductors that are connected through a diffusive contact consisting of noncollinear ferromagnetic domains. The leads are conventional s-wave superconductors with a phase difference of ψ. Firstly, we consider a contact with two domains with magnetization vectors misoriented by an angle θ. Using the quantum circuit theory, we found that in addition to the charge supercurrent, which shows a 0-π transition relative to the angle θ, a spin supercurrent with a spin polarization normal to the magnetization vectors flows between the domains. While the charge supercurrent is odd in ψ and even in θ, the spin supercurrent is even in ψ and odd in θ. Furthermore, with asymmetric insulating barriers at the interfaces of the junction, the system may experience an antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition for ψ=π. Secondly, we discuss the spin supercurrent in an extended magnetic texture with multiple domain walls. We find the position-dependent spin supercurrent. While the direction of the spin supercurrent is always perpendicular to the plane of the magnetization vectors, the magnitude of the spin supercurrent strongly depends on the phase difference between the superconductors and the number of domain walls. In particular, our results reveal the high sensitivity of spin- and charge-transport in the junction to the number of domain walls in the ferromagnet. We show that superconductivity in coexistence with noncollinear magnetism can be used in a Josephson nanodevice to create a controllable spin supercurrent acting as a spin transfer torque on a system. Our results demonstrate the possibility of coupling the superconducting phase to the magnetization dynamics and, hence, constituting a quantum interface, for example between the magnetization and a superconducting qubit.

New superconductors from granular to high T$_{c}$

CERN Document Server

Deutscher, Guy

2006-01-01

How new are the high Tc superconductors, as compared to the conventional low Tc ones? In what sense are these oxides different from regular metals in their normal state? How different is the mechanism for high Tc superconductivity from the well-known electron-phonon interaction that explains so well superconductivity in metals and alloys? What are the implications of the new features of the high Tc oxides for their practical applications? This book aims to give some answers to those questions, drawing particularly on similarities between the high Tc oxides and granular superconductors, which also present a maximum of their critical temperature near the metal-insulator transition.

Pressure effects on topological crystalline insulator SnTe and derived superconductor Sn{sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}Te

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maurya, V. K.; Shruti,; Patnaik, S., E-mail: spatnaik@mail.jnu.ac.in [School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi (India); Jha, Rajveer; Awana, V. P. S. [National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2016-05-23

We are reporting decrease in superconducting transition temperature accompanied by increased metallicity in indium doped SnTe superconductor. SnTe is a topological crystalline insulator and superconductivity is achieved by indium substitution in place of tin. With application of hydrostatic pressure we find negative dT{sub c}/dP of ~ -0.6K/GPa upto 2.5 GPa. The overall phenomenon is ascribed to unconventional superconductivity. Decrease in resistivity is also seen in single crystal SnTe with application of pressure but no evidence of superconductivity is observed.

Probing odd-triplet contributions to the long-ranged proximity effect by scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diesch, Simon; Machon, Peter; Belzig, Wolfgang; Scheer, Elke [Universitaet Konstanz, Konstanz (Germany); Suergers, Christoph; Beckmann, Detlef [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2015-07-01

In conventional superconductors, electrons are bound in singlet Cooper pairs, i.e. with opposite spin. More recently, experiments on superconductor-ferromagnet-systems have shown Cooper pairs tunneling through ferromagnetic layers, indicating Cooper pairs of equal spin, thus corresponding to a long-range triplet proximity effect. Most experimental evidence for triplet superconductivity comes from observations of the thickness dependence of the Josephson current through a ferromagnetic barrier, but there is an increasing interest in obtaining direct spectroscopic evidence. This project aims at analyzing the electronic density of states of a thin diffusive normal metal layer (Ag) coupled to a superconductor (Al) across a ferromagnetic insulator (EuS) using a scanning tunneling microscope in spectroscopy mode at 280 mK. For this purpose, we fabricated EuS films of different thicknesses and acquired spectroscopic data at different magnetic fields. We observe significant broadening of the superconductive energy gap and a variety of sub-gap structures including zero-bias conductance peaks induced by the presence of the ferromagnet.

Spin-polarized structural, elastic, electronic and magnetic properties of half-metallic ferromagnetism in V-doped ZnSe

Science.gov (United States)

Monir, M. El Amine.; Baltache, H.; Murtaza, G.; Khenata, R.; Ahmed, Waleed K.; Bouhemadou, A.; Omran, S. Bin; Seddik, T.

2015-01-01

Based on first principles spin-polarized density functional theory, the structural, elastic electronic and magnetic properties of Zn1-xVxSe (for x=0.25, 0.50, 0.75) in zinc blende structure have been studied. The investigation was done using the full-potential augmented plane wave method as implemented in WIEN2k code. The exchange-correlation potential was treated with the generalized gradient approximation PBE-GGA for the structural and elastic properties. Moreover, the PBE-GGA+U approximation (where U is the Hubbard correlation terms) is employed to treat the "d" electrons properly. A comparative study between the band structures, electronic structures, total and partial densities of states and local moments calculated within both GGA and GGA+U schemes is presented. The analysis of spin-polarized band structure and density of states shows the half-metallic ferromagnetic character and are also used to determine s(p)-d exchange constants N0α (conduction band) and N0β (valence band) due to Se(4p)-V(3d) hybridization. It has been clearly evidence that the magnetic moment of V is reduced from its free space change value of 3 μB and the minor atomic magnetic moment on Zn and Se are generated.

Electromagnetic-acoustic coupling in ferromagnetic metals at liquid-helium temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gordon, R A

1981-01-01

Electromagnetic-acoustic coupling at the surface and in the bulk of ferromagnetic metals at liquid-helium temperatures has been studied using electromagnetically excited acoustic standing-wave resonances at MHz frequencies in a number of ferromagnetic metals and alloys of commercial interest...

Water-Induced Dimensionality Reduction in Metal-Halide Perovskites

KAUST Repository

Turedi, Bekir

2018-03-30

Metal-halide perovskite materials are highly attractive materials for optoelectronic applications. However, the instability of perovskite materials caused by moisture and heat-induced degradation impairs future prospects of using these materials. Here we employ water to directly transform films of the three-dimensional (3D) perovskite CsPbBr3 to stable two-dimensional (2D) perovskite-related CsPb2Br5. A sequential dissolution-recrystallization process governs this water induced transformation under PbBr2 rich condition. We find that these post-synthesized 2D perovskite-related material films exhibit excellent stability against humidity and high photoluminescence quantum yield. We believe that our results provide a new synthetic method to generate stable 2D perovskite-related materials that could be applicable for light emitting device applications.

PR IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS - INSULATING PLANES, METALLIC CHAINS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

KHOMSKII, D

Critical discussion is given of the properties of Pr-containing high-T(c) superconductors, especially Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7. It is argued that the models proposed to explain suppression of T(c) and other properties of this system (pairbreaking; hole filling; strong p-f hybridization) are inadequate and

Optical and electron microanalysis of cuprate superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoff, H.A.; Osofsky, M.S.; Toth, L.E.; Richards, L.E.; Pande, C.S.; Lechter, W.L.

1990-01-01

Individual anisotropic grains in heterogeneous and opaque cuprate materials, when viewed in a reflected-light optical microscope through crossed polarizers, often have characteristic colors, when a daylight source is used. Of the cuprate superconductors, regardless of charge carrier type, examined so far, only one characteristic color has been observed We have studied the presence of color and found a strong correlation with the existence of superconductivity. The change in color from insulator to metal to superconductor and the compositions corresponding to these changes found by quantitative energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy on superconducting Tl-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and metallic but not superconducting La-Sr-Cu-O materials is discussed

Gaps and pseudogaps in perovskite rare earth nickelates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. James Allen

2015-06-01

Full Text Available We report on tunneling measurements that reveal the evolution of the quasiparticle state density in two rare earth perovskite nickelates, NdNiO3 and LaNiO3, that are close to a bandwidth controlled metal to insulator transition. We measure the opening of a sharp gap of ∼30 meV in NdNiO3 in its insulating ground state. LaNiO3, which remains a correlated metal at all practical temperatures, exhibits a pseudogap of the same order. The results point to both types of gaps arising from a common origin, namely, a quantum critical point associated with the T = 0 K metal-insulator transition. The results support theoretical models of the quantum phase transition in terms of spin and charge instabilities of an itinerant Fermi surface.

Driving Curie temperature towards room temperature in the half-metallic ferromagnet K2Cr8O16 by soft redox chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Pirrotta, I; Fernández-Sanjulián, J; Moran, E; Alario-Franco, M A; Gonzalo, E; Kuhn, A; García-Alvarado, F

2012-02-14

The half-metallic ferromagnet K(2)Cr(8)O(16) with the hollandite structure has been chemically modified using soft chemistry methods to increase the average oxidation state of chromium. The synthesis of the parent material has been performed under high pressure/high temperature conditions. Following this, different redox reactions have been carried out on K(2)Cr(8)O(16). Oxidation to obtain potassium-de-inserted derivatives, K(2-x)Cr(8)O(16) (0 ≤x≤ 1), has been investigated with electrochemical methods, while the synthesis of sizeable amounts was achieved chemically by using nitrosonium tetrafluoroborate as a highly oxidizing agent. The maximum amount of extracted K ions corresponds to x = 0.8. Upon oxidation the hollandite structure is maintained and the products keep high crystallinity. The de-insertion of potassium changes the Cr(3+)/Cr(4+) ratio, and therefore the magnetic properties. Interestingly, the Curie temperature increases from ca. 175 K to 250 K, getting therefore closer to room temperature.

Phase Sensitive Measurements of Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions for Cryogenic Memory Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Niedzielski, Bethany Maria

A Josephson junction is made up of two superconducting layers separated by a barrier. The original Josephson junctions, studied in the early 1960's, contained an insulating barrier. Soon thereafter, junctions with normal-metal barriers were also studied. Ferromagnetic materials were not even theoretically considered as a barrier layer until around 1980, due to the competing order between ferromagnetic and superconducting systems. However, many exciting physical phenomena arise in hybrid superconductor/ferromagnetic devices, including devices where the ground state phase difference between the two superconductors is shifted by pi. Since their experimental debut in 2001, so-called pi junctions have been demonstrated by many groups, including my own, in systems with a single ferromagnetic layer. In this type of system, the phase of the junction can be set to either 0 or pi depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer. Of interest, however, is the ability to control the phase of a single junction between the 0 and pi states. This was theoretically shown to be possible in a system containing two ferromagnetic layers (spin-valve junctions). If the materials and their thicknesses are properly chosen to manipulate the electron pair correlation function, then the phase state of a spin-valve Josephson junction should be capable of switching between the 0 and ? phase states when the magnetization directions of the two ferromagnetic layers are oriented in the antiparallel and parallel configurations, respectively. Such a phase-controllable junction would have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, which is a necessary component to an ultra-low power superconducting computer. A fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. The goal of this work was to experimentally verify this prediction for a phase-controllable ferromagnetic Josephson junction. To address this

Broadly tunable metal halide perovskites for solid-state light-emission applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adjokatse, Sampson; Fang, Hong-Hua; Loi, Maria Antonietta

2017-01-01

The past two years have witnessed heightened interest in metal-halide perovskites as promising optoelectronic materials for solid-state light emitting applications beyond photovoltaics. Metal-halide perovskites are low-cost solution-processable materials with excellent intrinsic properties such as

Localized versus collective behaviour of d-electrons in transition metal oxide systems of perovskite systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, C N.R. [Indian Inst. of Tech., Kanpur

1974-12-01

The behavior of d-electrons in perovskites of the type LnZO/sub 3/ (Z = trivalent transition metal ion and Ln = rare earth or yttrium) depends on the spin configuration of the transition metal ion. LaTiO/sub 3/ and LaNiO/sub 3/ with low-spin transition metal ions (S = 1/2) are metallic while LaCrO/sub 3/, LnMnO/sub 3/ and LnFeO/sub 3/ with high-spin ions are poor semiconductors exhibiting localized behavior of d-electrons. In rare earth cobaltites, the cobalt ions are present mainly in the diamagnetic low-spin Co /sup III/ state at low temperatures. The Co/sup III/ ions transform to high-spin Co/sup 3 +/ ions with increase in temperature. At higher temperatures, there is electron-transfer from Co/sup 3 +/ to Co/sup III/ions producing intermetallic states. Spin-state transitions are seen in these cobaltites in the range 150-870/sup 0/K. At high temperatures, the cobaltites show evidence for localized-itinerant electron transitions. In La/sub 1-x/ Sr/sub x/CoO/sub 3/ there is onset of ferromagnetism at x > 0.125, at which point there is a structural dicontinuity and electrons become itinerant. The composition with x = 0.5 is metallic and T/sub c/ = 230/sup 0/K. The ferromagnetic component in La/sub 1-x/Sr/sub x/ CoO/sub 3/ increases with x in the range 0.125-0.50. Catalytic properties of rare earth cobaltites appear to be related to the spin state equilibria. (auth)

Quantum Monte Carlo study of the superconductor-insulator transition in the dual vortex representation

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Hasan; Gazit, Snir; Randeria, Mohit; Trivedi, Nandini

The superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in two dimensions is a paradigm for quantum criticality that has been observed experimentally in Josephson junction arrays, superconducting thin films, and cold atoms trapped in an optical lattice. The conventional picture of the transition is in terms of the condensation of bosonic degrees of freedom (Cooper pairs in superconductors). Interestingly, the transition has a dual description, where the insulating phase is a Bose condensate of vortices. We study the SIT numerically by means of a large-scale quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulation in the vortex representation. This provides direct access to both the boson and vortex degrees of freedom and allows us to numerically test the duality and quantify deviations from self-duality. Our main focus is on critical properties such as the vortex and the boson phase stiffness. We compare our results to previous studies in the bosonic representation. We acknowledge support from Grant DOE-BES DE-FG02-07ER46423 (HK, NT).

Transport and screen blockage characteristics of reflective metallic insulation materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brocard, D.N.

1984-01-01

In the event of a LOCA within a nuclear power plant, it is possible for insulation debris to be generated by the break jet. Such debris has the potential for PWR sump screen (or BWR RHR suction inlet) blockage and thus can affect the long-term recirculation capability. In addition to the variables of break jet location and orientation, the types and quantities of debris which could be generated are dependent on the insulation materials employed. This experimental investigation was limited to reflective metallic insulation and components thereof. The study was aimed at determining the flow velocities needed to transport the insulation debris to the sump screens and the resulting modes of screen blockage. The tests revealed that thin metallic foils (0.0025 in. and 0.004 in.) could transport at low flow velocities, 0.2 to 0.5 ft/sec. Thicker foils (0.008 in.) transported at higher velocities, 0.4 to 0.8 ft/sec, and as fabricated half cylinder insulation units required velocities in excess of 1.0 ft/sec for transport. The tests also provided information on screen blockage patterns that showed blockage could occur at the lower portion of the screen as foils readily flipped on the screen when reaching it

Transition Metal Dopants Essential for Producing Ferromagnetism in Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Lydia; Thurber, Aaron P.; Anghel, Josh; Sabetian, Maryam; Engelhard, Mark H.; Tenne, D.; Hanna, Charles; Punnoose, Alex

2010-08-13

Recent claims that ferromagnetism can be produced in nanoparticles of metal oxides without the presence of transition metal dopants has been refuted in this work by investigating 62 high quality well-characterized nanoparticle samples of both undoped and Fe doped (0-10% Fe) ZnO. The undoped ZnO nanoparticles showed zero or negligible magnetization, without any dependence on the nanoparticle size. However, chemically synthesized Zn₁₋xFexO nanoparticles showed clear ferromagnetism, varying systematically with Fe concentration. Furthermore, the magnetic properties of Zn₁₋xFexO nanoparticles showed strong dependence on the reaction media used to prepare the samples. The zeta potentials of the Zn₁₋xFexO nanoparticles prepared using different reaction media were significantly different, indicating strong differences in the surface structure. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies clearly showed that the difference in the ferromagnetic properties of Zn₁₋xFexO nanoparticles with different surface structures originate from differences in the fraction of the doped Fe³⁺ ions that are coupled ferromagnetically.

Superconductors at the nanoscale. From basic research to applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woerdenweber, Roger [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany). Peter Gruenberg Inst.; Moshchalkov, Victor [KU Leuven (Belgium). Inst. for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry; Bending, Simon [Bath Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Physics; Tafuri, Francesco (ed.) [Seconda Univ. di Napoli, Aversa (Italy)

2017-07-01

By covering theory, design, and fabrication of nanostructured superconducting materials, this monograph is an invaluable resource for research and development. This book contains the following chapters: Tutorial on nanostructured superconductors; Imaging vortices in superconductors: from the atomic scale to macroscopic distances; Probing vortex dynamics on a single vortex level by scanning ac-susceptibility microscopy; STM studies of vortex cores in strongly confined nanoscale superconductors; Type-1.5 superconductivity; Direct visualization of vortex patterns in superconductors with competing vortex-vortex interactions; Vortex dynamics in nanofabricated chemical solution deposition high-temperature superconducting films; Artificial pinning sites and their applications; Vortices at microwave frequencies; Physics and operation of superconducting single-photon devices; Josephson and charging effect in mesoscopic superconducting devices; NanoSQUIDs: Basics and recent advances; Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} intrinsic Josephson junction stacks as emitters of terahertz radiation; Interference phenomena in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids; Spin-orbit interactions, spin currents, and magnetization dynamics in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids; Superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids.

Charge and spin transport in mesoscopic superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. J. Wolf

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Non-equilibrium charge transport in superconductors has been investigated intensely in the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in the vicinity of the critical temperature. Much less attention has been paid to low temperatures and the role of the quasiparticle spin.Results: We report here on nonlocal transport in superconductor hybrid structures at very low temperatures. By comparing the nonlocal conductance obtained by using ferromagnetic and normal-metal detectors, we discriminate charge and spin degrees of freedom. We observe spin injection and long-range transport of pure, chargeless spin currents in the regime of large Zeeman splitting. We elucidate charge and spin transport by comparison to theoretical models.Conclusion: The observed long-range chargeless spin transport opens a new path to manipulate and utilize the quasiparticle spin in superconductor nanostructures.

Investigation of spin-gapless semiconductivity and half-metallicity in Ti2MnAl-based compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lukashev, P.; Staten, B.; Hurley, N.; Kharel, P.; Gilbert, S.; Fuglsby, R.; Huh, Y.; Valloppilly, S.; Zhang, W.; Skomski, R.; Sellmyer, D. J.; Yang, K.

2016-01-01

The increasing interest in spin-based electronics has led to a vigorous search for new materials that can provide a high degree of spin polarization in electron transport. An ideal candidate would act as an insulator for one spin channel and a conductor or semiconductor for the opposite spin channel, corresponding to the respective cases of half-metallicity and spin-gapless semiconductivity. Our first-principle electronic-structure calculations indicate that the metallic Heusler compound Ti 2 MnAl becomes half-metallic and spin-gapless semiconducting if half of the Al atoms are replaced by Sn and In, respectively. These electronic structures are associated with structural transitions from the regular cubic Heusler structure to the inverted cubic Heusler structure.

Metal Oxides as Efficient Charge Transporters in Perovskite Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Haque, Mohammed

2017-07-10

Over the past few years, hybrid halide perovskites have emerged as a highly promising class of materials for photovoltaic technology, and the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has accelerated at an unprecedented pace, reaching a record value of over 22%. In the context of PSC research, wide-bandgap semiconducting metal oxides have been extensively studied because of their exceptional performance for injection and extraction of photo-generated carriers. In this comprehensive review, we focus on the synthesis and applications of metal oxides as electron and hole transporters in efficient PSCs with both mesoporous and planar architectures. Metal oxides and their doped variants with proper energy band alignment with halide perovskites, in the form of nanostructured layers and compact thin films, can not only assist with charge transport but also improve the stability of PSCs under ambient conditions. Strategies for the implementation of metal oxides with tailored compositions and structures, and for the engineering of their interfaces with perovskites will be critical for the future development and commercialization of PSCs.

Electronic structure of the half-metallic ferromagnet KCrSe2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, J.; van Bruggen, Christiaan; Haas, C.; Groot, R.A. de

1989-01-01

The electronic structure of the layered compound KCrSe2 in the ferromagnetic spin arrangement is calculated using the augmented-spherical-wave method. For the minority-spin direction the Fermi level lies in a 1.34-eV-wide gap between the bottom of the Cr 3d ↓ band and the Se 4p ↓ band, while for the

Magnetism in ordered metallic perovskite compound GdPd3BxC1-x

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, Abhishek; Mazumdar, Chandan; Ranganathan, R.; Dattagupta, S.

2009-01-01

We report results of dc-magnetization, ac-susceptibility and magnetoresistance measurements on crystalline metallic-perovskite compounds GdPd 3 B x C 1-x (x=0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00) and the parent cubic compound GdPd 3 . The interest in these materials stems from the observation of negative temperature coefficient of resistance and negative thermal expansion in some of the members of this series. In the present study, we show that by substitution of non-magnetic elements, boron and carbon, the nature of the magnetic interaction can be varied from dominating ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic and finally to a canted magnetic structure without altering the crystal symmetry of the compounds. The variation of magnetic interaction by modifying the lattice parameter resembles Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) oscillations.

What can Andreev bound states tell us about superconductors?

Science.gov (United States)

Millo, Oded; Koren, Gad

2018-08-06

Zero-energy Andreev bound states, which manifest themselves in the tunnelling spectra as zero-bias conductance peaks (ZBCPs), are abundant at interfaces between superconductors and other materials and on the nodal surface of high-temperature superconductors. In this review, we focus on the information such excitations can provide on the properties of superconductor systems. First, a general introduction to the physics of Andreev bound states in superconductor/normal metal interfaces is given with a particular emphasis on why they appear at zero energy in d -wave superconductors. Then, specific spectroscopic tunnelling studies of thin films, bilayers and junctions are described, focusing on the corresponding ZBCP features. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) studies show that the ZBCPs on the c -axis YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7- δ (YBCO) films are correlated with the surface morphology and appear only in proximity to (110) facets. STS on c -axis La 1.88 Sr 0.12 CuO 4 (LSCO) films exhibiting the 1/8 anomaly shows spatially modulated peaks near zero bias associated with the anti-phase ordering of the d -wave order parameter predicted at this doping level. ZBCPs were also found in micrometre-size edge junctions of YBCO/SrRuO 3 /YBCO, where SrRuO 3 is ferromagnetic. Here, the results are consistent with a crossed Andreev reflection effect (CARE) at the narrow domain walls of the SrRuO 3 ZBCPs measured in STS studies of manganite/cuprate bilayers could not be attributed to CARE because the manganite's domain wall is much larger than the coherence length in YBCO, and instead are attributed to proximity-induced triplet-pairing superconductivity with non-conventional symmetry. And finally, ZBCPs found in junctions of non-intentionally doped topological insulator films of Bi 2 Se 3 and the s -wave superconductor NbN are attributed to proximity-induced p x  + ip y triplet order parameter in the topological material.This article is part of the theme issue 'Andreev bound states'. �

Tuning the metal-insulator transition in manganite films through surface exchange coupling with magnetic nanodots.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, T Z; Gai, Z; Xu, X Y; Guo, H W; Yin, L F; Shen, J

2011-04-15

In strongly correlated electronic systems, the global transport behavior depends sensitively on spin ordering. We show that spin ordering in manganites can be controlled by depositing isolated ferromagnetic nanodots at the surface. The exchange field at the interface is tunable with nanodot density and makes it possible to overcome dimensionality and strain effects in frustrated systems to greatly increasing the metal-insulator transition and magnetoresistance. These findings indicate that electronic phase separation can be controlled by the presence of magnetic nanodots.

Magnetoelastic coupling in Sr2(Fe1-xCrx)ReO6 double perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serrate, D; Teresa, J M De; Algarabel, P A; Marquina, C; Blasco, J; Ibarra, M R; Galibert, J

2007-01-01

We have investigated magnetoelastic coupling in Sr 2 (Fe 1-x Cr x )ReO 6 polycrystalline double perovskites. The end compound, Sr 2 CrReO 6 , shows a high ferromagnetic transition temperature of 635 K and is thought to exhibit a nearly half-metallic conduction band. We probed the unexpected high orbital moment borne by the Re atom by means of volume and anisotropic magnetostriction measurements in magnetic fields up to 12 T. Our magnetostriction results can be explained by the existence of a large spin-orbit coupling which, in combination with crystal-field effects, produces a single-ion type magnetostrictive response. The Re orbital moment triggers a greatly enhanced magnetocrystalline anisotropy compared to other ferromagnetic double perovskites. From our magnetostriction data, the temperature dependence of the coercive field as a function of Cr-doping is obtained. We discovered that the coercive field increases as Fe is replaced with Cr, which is linked to a strong enhancement of the magnetic anisotropy. This suggests a close relationship between the Fe[Cr]-O-Re coupling and the magnetic anisotropy. We also analysed the impact of the Re orbital moment on the spin-dependent transport across Sr 2 CrReO 6 grain boundaries. The present work opens up the possible use of these compounds for magnetostrictive applications in a wide temperature and magnetic field range

The low temperature specific heat and electrical transport, magnetic properties of Pr{sub 0.65}Ca{sub 0.35}MnO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Zhiyong, E-mail: zyhan@cauc.edu.cn

2017-02-01

The magnetic properties, electrical transport properties, and low temperature specific heat of polycrystalline perovskite manganese oxide Pr{sub 0.65}Ca{sub 0.35}MnO{sub 3} have been investigated experimentally. It is found that there exists cluster glass state in the sample at low temperature besides the antiferromagnetic insulating state. With the increase of magnetic field, antiferromagnetic insulating state converts to ferromagnetic metal state and the Debye temperature decreases gradually. In addition, the low temperature electron specific heat in zero magnetic field is obviously larger than that of ordinary rare-earth manganites oxide and this phenomenon is related to the itinerant electrons in ferromagnetic cluster state and the disorder in Pr{sub 0.65}Ca{sub 0.35}MnO{sub 3}. - Highlights: • There exists cluster glass state in the sample at low temperature besides the antiferromagnetic insulating state. • With the increase of magnetic field, antiferromagnetic insulating state converts to ferromagnetic metal state. • Low temperature electron specific heat in zero magnetic field is larger than that of ordinary rare-earth manganites oxide.

Theory of quantum metal to superconductor transitions in highly conducting systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spivak, B.

2010-04-06

We derive the theory of the quantum (zero temperature) superconductor to metal transition in disordered materials when the resistance of the normal metal near criticality is small compared to the quantum of resistivity. This can occur most readily in situations in which 'Anderson's theorem' does not apply. We explicitly study the transition in superconductor-metal composites, in an swave superconducting film in the presence of a magnetic field, and in a low temperature disordered d-wave superconductor. Near the point of the transition, the distribution of the superconducting order parameter is highly inhomogeneous. To describe this situation we employ a procedure which is similar to that introduced by Mott for description of the temperature dependence of the variable range hopping conduction. As the system approaches the point of the transition from the metal to the superconductor, the conductivity of the system diverges, and the Wiedemann-Franz law is violated. In the case of d-wave (or other exotic) superconductors we predict the existence of (at least) two sequential transitions as a function of increasing disorder: a d-wave to s-wave, and then an s-wave to metal transition.

2D-ACAR spectra of insulating and superconducting Y-123

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smedskjaer, L.C.; Bansil, A.

1992-09-01

An overview of the two-dimensional angular correlation (2D-ACAR) positron annihilation results for the three fundamental phases of YBa 2 Cu 3 O x , namely, the normal metal, the superconductor, and the insulator, is presented. In addition to the c-axis projected momentum density, the recent results for the a-axis projection as well as the insulating Y123 are discussed. The experimental results are compared and contrasted with the corresponding band theory predictions as far as possible in order to gain insight into the electronic structure and Fermiology of this archetypal high-T c superconductor

Surface half-metallicity and stability of zinc-blende sodium monoselenide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabatabaeifar, A.; Davatolhagh, S.; Moradi, M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Density functional study reveals. • Robust half-metallicity of zinc-blende NaSe (001) surfaces. • Stable against phase separation as indicated by negative formation energy. • Magnetically stable at room temperature because of high Curie temperature. • Surfaces are stable as indicated by low surface energies. • Therefore, zinc-blende NaSe promising candidate as spin injection material. - Abstract: The electronic structure and magnetic properties of relaxed (001) surfaces of the sp-electron half-metallic ferromagnet NaSe in the zinc-blende phase, are calculated on the basis of first principle density functional theory within the framework of self-consistent field plane wave pseudo-potential method, using the generalized gradient approximation for the exchange-correlation functional. The results of this study reveal that both Na- and Se-terminated surfaces retain the robust bulk half-metallic property. The negative value found for the bulk formation energy indicates that this material is stable against phase separation. We also obtain the surface energies and discuss their stability via the calculated bulk formation energy. The Curie temperature is estimated to be 920 K within mean field approximation, which is well above the room temperature. In the light of the above, zinc-blende NaSe appears to be a good candidate for spintronic applications as spin injection material.

Electronic correlations in insulators, metals and superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sentef, Michael Andreas

2010-12-03

In this thesis dynamical mean-field methods in combination with a continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo impurity solver are used to study selected open problems of condensed matter theory. These problems comprise the effect of correlations and their quantification in covalent band insulators, non-local correlation effects and their intriguing consequences in frustrated two-dimensional systems, and a phenomenological approach to investigate temperature-dependent transport in graphene in the presence of disorder. (orig.)

Electronic correlations in insulators, metals and superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sentef, Michael Andreas

2010-01-01

In this thesis dynamical mean-field methods in combination with a continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo impurity solver are used to study selected open problems of condensed matter theory. These problems comprise the effect of correlations and their quantification in covalent band insulators, non-local correlation effects and their intriguing consequences in frustrated two-dimensional systems, and a phenomenological approach to investigate temperature-dependent transport in graphene in the presence of disorder. (orig.)

Metal-insulator transition and Frohlich conductivity in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michielsen, K.F L; de Raedt, H.A.

1996-01-01

A quantum molecular dynamics technique is used to study the single-particle density of states, Drude weight, optical conductivity and flux quantization in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model. Our simulation data show that the SSH model has a metal-insulator transition away from half-filling. In the

Magnetic decoupling of ferromagnetic metals through a graphene spacer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grimaldi, I.; Papagno, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá della Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 (Italy); Ferrari, L. [Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma I-00133 (Italy); Istituto di Struttura della Materia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trieste (Italy); Sheverdyaeva, P.M.; Mahatha, S.K. [Istituto di Struttura della Materia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trieste (Italy); Pacilé, D., E-mail: daniela.pacile@fis.unical.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá della Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 (Italy); Istituto di Struttura della Materia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trieste (Italy); Carbone, C. [Istituto di Struttura della Materia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trieste (Italy)

2017-03-15

We study the magnetic coupling between different ferromagnetic metals (FMs) across a graphene (G) layer, and the role of graphene as a thin covalent spacer. Starting with G grown on a FM substrate (Ni or Co), we deposited on top at room temperature several FM metals (Fe, Ni, Co). By measuring the dichroic effect of 3p photoemission lines we detect the magnetization of the substrate and the sign of the exchange coupling in FM overlayer at room temperature. We show that the G layer magnetically decouples the FM metals. - Highlights: • The magnetic coupling between ferromagnets mediated by graphene is studied. • To this end, the linear dichroic effect in 3p photoemission lines is employed. • For selected junctions no magnetic coupling is attained through graphene. • Graphene inhibits the magnetic alignment that normally occurs between ferromagnets.

Experiments on the rf surface resistance of the perovskite superconductors at 3 GHz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hein, M.; Klein, N.; Mueller, G.; Piel, H.; Roeth, R.W.

1988-01-01

Since the discovery of the perovskite superconductors many experiments to explore their physical properties have been performed and various potential applications have been considered. The high critical temperature of more than 90 K obtained with Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O/sub 7-δ/ (Y may be substituted by other rare earth elements) makes these superconductors interesting for applications in microwave technology. This has focused the authors interest on the investigation of their rf properties. Due to the sensitivity of the rf surface resistance to surface impurities and remaining non superconducting phases rf measurements are a good means to provide useful information about the quality of sample preparation and about physical properties of the superconductor itself. This contribution reports on the experimental determination of the rf surface resistance of Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O/sub 7-δ/ and Eu 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O/sub 7-δ/ in the normal and superconducting state at 3 GHz. In the first chapter the preparation of the ceramic samples and initial dc experiments are described. The main part of the paper describes the rf measurements which are performed in a superconducting niobium host cavity. The obtained results for both the surface resistance and the high field performance are discussed with respect to the preparation of the samples and regarding possible applications. 7 references, 7 figures, 2 tables

Levitation properties of maglev systems using soft ferromagnets

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chen-Guang; Zhou, You-He

2015-03-01

Soft ferromagnets are widely used as flux-concentration materials in the design of guideways for superconducting magnetic levitation transport systems. In order to fully understand the influence of soft ferromagnets on the levitation performance, in this work we apply a numerical model based on the functional minimization method and the Bean’s critical state model to study the levitation properties of an infinitely long superconductor immersed in the magnetic field created by a guideway of different sets of infinitely long parallel permanent magnets with soft ferromagnets between them. The levitation force, guidance force, magnetic stiffness and magnetic pole density are calculated considering the coupling between the superconductor and soft ferromagnets. The results show that the levitation performance is closely associated with the permanent magnet configuration and with the location and dimension of the soft ferromagnets. Introducing the soft ferromagnet with a certain width in a few configurations always decreases the levitation force. However, for most configurations, the soft ferromagnets contribute to improve the levitation performance only when they have particular locations and dimensions in which the optimized location and thickness exist to increase the levitation force the most. Moreover, if the superconductor is laterally disturbed, the presence of soft ferromagnets can effectively improve the lateral stability for small lateral displacement and reduce the degradation of levitation force.

On metal-insulator transition in cubic fullerides

Science.gov (United States)

Iwahara, Naoya; Chibotaru, Liviu

The interplay between degenerate orbital and electron correlation is a key to characterize the electronic phases in, for example, transition metal compounds and alkali-doped fullerides. Besides, the degenerate orbital couples to spin and lattice degrees of freedom ,giving rise to exotic phenomena. Here, we develop the self-consistent Gutzwiller approach for the simultaneous treatment of the Jahn-Teller effect and electron correlation, and apply the methodology to reveal the nature of the ground electronic state of fullerides. For small Coulomb repulsion on site U, the fulleride is quasi degenerate correlated metal. With increase of U, we found the quantum phase transition from the metallic phase to JT split phase. In the latter, the Mott transition (MT) mainly develops in the half-filled subband, whereas the empty and the completely filled subbands are almost uninvolved. Therefore, we can qualify the metal-insulator transition in fullerides as an orbital selective MT induced by JT effect.

Optimization of a superconducting linear levitation system using a soft ferromagnet

Science.gov (United States)

Agramunt-Puig, Sebastia; Del-Valle, Nuria; Navau, Carles; Sanchez, Alvaro

2013-04-01

The use of guideways that combine permanent magnets and soft ferromagnetic materials is a common practice in magnetic levitation transport systems (maglevs) with bulk high-temperature superconductors. Theoretical tools to simulate in a realistic way both the behavior of all elements (permanent magnets, soft ferromagnet and superconductor) and their mutual effects are helpful to optimize the designs of real systems. Here we present a systematic study of the levitation of a maglev with translational symmetry consisting of a superconducting bar and a guideway with two identic permanent magnets and a soft ferromagnetic material between them. The system is simulated with a numerical model based on the energy minimization method that allows to analyze the mutual interaction of the superconductor, assumed to be in the critical state, and a soft ferromagnet with infinite susceptibility. Results indicate that introducing a soft ferromagnet within the permanent magnets not only increases the levitation force but also improves the stability. Besides, an estimation of the relative sizes and shapes of the soft ferromagnet, permanent magnets and the superconductor in order to obtain large levitation force with full stability is provided.

Metal Halide Perovskite Single Crystals: From Growth Process to Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuigen Li

2018-05-01

Full Text Available As a strong competitor in the field of optoelectronic applications, organic-inorganic metal hybrid perovskites have been paid much attention because of their superior characteristics, which include broad absorption from visible to near-infrared region, tunable optical and electronic properties, high charge mobility, long exciton diffusion length and carrier recombination lifetime, etc. It is noted that perovskite single crystals show remarkably low trap-state densities and long carrier diffusion lengths, which are even comparable with the best photovoltaic-quality silicon, and thus are expected to provide better optoelectronic performance. This paper reviews the recent development of crystal growth in single-, mixed-organic-cation and fully inorganic halide perovskite single crystals, in particular the solution approach. Furthermore, the application of metal hybrid perovskite single crystals and future perspectives are also highlighted.

Mechanics of a composite structure of GFRP insulators and superconductors with a gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, H.; Imagawa, S.; Nishimura, A.

1997-01-01

Superconducting coils in large scale magnet applications such as the Large Helical Device (LHD) are subjected to large electromagnetic force at the interfaces between conductors and electrical insulators. The insulators do not always contact the superconductor surfaces completely. This may cause a reduction of coil rigidity. Nonlinear behavior was observed in the compressive load-displacement curves in some experiments of coil packs. The nonlinear curves were found to be well fitted by an exponential function. We considered this nonlinearity as a surface contact problem and devised some analytical models to evaluate the rigidity reduction in terms of gap length. The results of this analysis also support the exponential function

Process for forming epitaxial perovskite thin film layers using halide precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Clem, Paul G.; Rodriguez, Mark A.; Voigt, James A.; Ashley, Carol S.

2001-01-01

A process for forming an epitaxial perovskite-phase thin film on a substrate. This thin film can act as a buffer layer between a Ni substrate and a YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x superconductor layer. The process utilizes alkali or alkaline metal acetates dissolved in halogenated organic acid along with titanium isopropoxide to dip or spin-coat the substrate which is then heated to about 700.degree. C. in an inert gas atmosphere to form the epitaxial film on the substrate. The YBCO superconductor can then be deposited on the layer formed by this invention.

Structural and Quantitative Investigation of Perovskite Pore Filling in Mesoporous Metal Oxides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shany Gamliel

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In recent years, hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite light absorbers have attracted much attention in the field of solar cells due to their optoelectronic characteristics that enable high power conversion efficiencies. Perovskite-based solar cells’ efficiency has increased dramatically from 3.8% to more than 20% in just a few years, making them a promising low-cost alternative for photovoltaic applications. The deposition of perovskite into a mesoporous metal oxide is an influential factor affecting solar cell performance. Full coverage and pore filling into the porous metal oxide are important issues in the fabrication of highly-efficient mesoporous perovskite solar cells. In this work, we carry out a structural and quantitative investigation of CH3NH3PbI3 pore filling deposited via sequential two-step deposition into two different mesoporous metal oxides—TiO2 and Al2O3. We avoid using a hole conductor in the perovskite solar cells studied in this work to eliminate undesirable end results. Filling oxide pores with perovskite was characterized by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS in Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM on cross-sectional focused ion beam (FIB lamellae. Complete pore filling of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite into the metal oxide pores was observed down to X-depth, showing the presence of Pb and I inside the pores. The observations reported in this work are particularly important for mesoporous Al2O3 perovskite solar cells, as pore filling is essential for the operation of this solar cell structure. This work presents structural and quantitative proof of complete pore filling into mesoporous perovskite-based solar cells, substantiating their high power conversion efficiency.

Anomalous second ferromagnetic phase transition in Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} topological insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Min, E-mail: zmzmi1987@163.com; Liu, Ligang; Yang, Hui

2016-09-05

We report the observation of ferromagnetism in topological insulator Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} single crystal. The structural, magnetic, and microstructure properties of Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} are investigated. The existence of complicated ferromagnetic ordering, indicates the anomalous second ferromagnetic phase transition below 30 K. Well-defined ferromagnetic hysteresis in the magnetization was found in the sample. The origin of bulk ferromagnetism in Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} is concerned with three aspects: Co cluster, RKKY interactions, and the spin texture of Co impurities. - Highlights: • The bulk ferromagnetism have been found in the C{sub o0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} single crystal. • The anomalous second ferromagnetic phase transition is found below 30 K. • The origin of bulk ferromagnetism in Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} is concerned with three aspects.

Study of half-metallic behavior in Sr2CoWO6 perovskite by ab initio DFT calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonilla, M.; Landinez Tellez, D.A.; Arbey Rodriguez, J.; Aguiar, J. Albino; Roa-Rojas, J.

2008-01-01

In this work, we report several ab initio calculations performed for Sr 2 CoWO 6 by means of the density functional theory and the linearized augmented plane wave method for both spin orientations. For calculations, the exchange and correlation potential were treated into the generalized gradient approximation, which permits to consider from the beginning the difference between the electronic densities for both up and down spin orientations. The densities of states are calculated by the histogram method and the positions of Fermi levels are found by integrating over the density of states for both spin configurations. Our results reveal that Sr 2 CoWO 6 material behaves as insulators for the spin-up orientation and conductor for the spin down, as expected for the half-metallic systems. Results of partial densities of states permit to conclude that the conduction band has predominant contributions of d x 2 -y 2 and d xz+yz states of Co for the spin-down orientation. A magnetic moment of 3 μ B was calculated. From the Murnaghan equation state, we also calculate the cell dimensions that minimize the total energy for several configurations

Magnetic field induced superconductor-insulator transitions for ultra-thin Bi films on the different underlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makise, K; Kawaguti, T; Shinozaki, B

2009-01-01

This work shows the experimental results of the superconductor-insulator (S-I) transition for ultra-thin Bi films in magnetic fields. The quench-condensed (q-c) Bi film onto insulating underlayers have been interpreted to be homogeneous. In contrast, the Bi film without underlayers has been regarded as a granular film. The electrical transport properties of ultra-thin metal films near the S-I transition depend on the structure of the film. In order to confirm the effect of the underlayer to the homogeneity of the superconducting films, we investigate the characteristics of S-I transitions of q-c nominally homogeneous Bi films on underlayers of two insulating materials, SiO, and Sb. Under almost the same deposition condition except for the material of underlayer, we prepared the Bi films by repeating the additional deposition and performed in-situ electrical measurement. It is found that the transport properties near the S-I transitions show the remarkable difference between two films on different underlayers. As for Bi films on SiO, it turned out that the temperature dependence of resistance per square R sq (T) of the field-tuned transition and the thickness-tuned transition shows similar behavior; it was a thermally activated form. On the other hand, the R sq (T) of Bi films on Sb for thickness-tuned S-I transition showed logarithmic temperature dependence, but that for field-tuned S-I transition showed a thermally activated form.

Theoretical studies of unconventional superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groensleth, Martin Sigurd

2008-07-01

This thesis presents four research papers. In the first three papers we have derived analytical results for the transport properties in unconventional superconductors and ferromagnetic systems with multiple broken symmetries. In Paper I and parts of Paper II we have studied tunneling transport between two non-unitary ferromagnetic spin-triplet superconductors, and found a novel interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity manifested in the Josephson effect as a spin- and charge-current in the absence of an applied voltage across the junction. The critical amplitudes of these currents can be adjusted by the relative magnetization direction on each side of the junction. Furthermore, in Paper II, we have found a way of controlling a spin-current between two ferromagnets with spin-orbit coupling. Paper III considers a junction consisting of a ferromagnet and a non-unitary ferromagnetic superconductor, and we show that the conductance spectra contains detailed information about the superconducting gaps and pairing symmetry of the Cooper-pairs. In the last paper we present a Monte Carlo study of an effective Hamiltonian describing orbital currents in the CuO2 layers of high-temperature superconductive cuprates. The model features two intrinsically anisotropic Ising models, coupled through an anisotropic next-nearest neighbor interaction, and an Ashkin-Teller nearest neighbor fourth order coupling. We have studied the specific heat anomaly, as well as the anomaly in the staggered magnetization associated with the orbital currents and its susceptibility. We have found that in a limited parameter regime, the specific heat anomaly is substantially suppressed, while the susceptibility has a non-analytical peak across the order-disorder transition. The model is therefore a candidate for describing the breakup of hidden order when crossing the pseudo-gap line on the under-doped side in the phase diagram of high-temperature superconductors. (Author) 64 refs., figs

Spectrum of ferromagnetic transition metal magnetic excitations and neutron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzemskij, A.L.

1979-01-01

Quantum statistical models of ferromagnetic transition metals as well as methods of their solutions are reviewed. The correspondence of results on solving these models and the data on scattering thermal neutrons in ferromagnetic is discussed

Optimization of a superconducting linear levitation system using a soft ferromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agramunt-Puig, Sebastia; Del-Valle, Nuria; Navau, Carles; Sanchez, Alvaro

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Study of the levitation of a superconducting bar over different magnetic guideways. ► A soft ferromagnet within permanent magnets improves levitation stability. ► We study the best geometry for large levitation force with full stability. -- Abstract: The use of guideways that combine permanent magnets and soft ferromagnetic materials is a common practice in magnetic levitation transport systems (maglevs) with bulk high-temperature superconductors. Theoretical tools to simulate in a realistic way both the behavior of all elements (permanent magnets, soft ferromagnet and superconductor) and their mutual effects are helpful to optimize the designs of real systems. Here we present a systematic study of the levitation of a maglev with translational symmetry consisting of a superconducting bar and a guideway with two identic permanent magnets and a soft ferromagnetic material between them. The system is simulated with a numerical model based on the energy minimization method that allows to analyze the mutual interaction of the superconductor, assumed to be in the critical state, and a soft ferromagnet with infinite susceptibility. Results indicate that introducing a soft ferromagnet within the permanent magnets not only increases the levitation force but also improves the stability. Besides, an estimation of the relative sizes and shapes of the soft ferromagnet, permanent magnets and the superconductor in order to obtain large levitation force with full stability is provided

Optimization of a superconducting linear levitation system using a soft ferromagnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agramunt-Puig, Sebastia; Del-Valle, Nuria; Navau, Carles, E-mail: carles.navau@uab.cat; Sanchez, Alvaro

2013-04-15

Highlights: ► Study of the levitation of a superconducting bar over different magnetic guideways. ► A soft ferromagnet within permanent magnets improves levitation stability. ► We study the best geometry for large levitation force with full stability. -- Abstract: The use of guideways that combine permanent magnets and soft ferromagnetic materials is a common practice in magnetic levitation transport systems (maglevs) with bulk high-temperature superconductors. Theoretical tools to simulate in a realistic way both the behavior of all elements (permanent magnets, soft ferromagnet and superconductor) and their mutual effects are helpful to optimize the designs of real systems. Here we present a systematic study of the levitation of a maglev with translational symmetry consisting of a superconducting bar and a guideway with two identic permanent magnets and a soft ferromagnetic material between them. The system is simulated with a numerical model based on the energy minimization method that allows to analyze the mutual interaction of the superconductor, assumed to be in the critical state, and a soft ferromagnet with infinite susceptibility. Results indicate that introducing a soft ferromagnet within the permanent magnets not only increases the levitation force but also improves the stability. Besides, an estimation of the relative sizes and shapes of the soft ferromagnet, permanent magnets and the superconductor in order to obtain large levitation force with full stability is provided.

Observation of large low field magnetoresistance in ramp-edge tunneling junctions based on doped manganite ferromagnetic electrodes and a SrTiO{sub 3} insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, C.; Jia, Q.X.; Fan, Y.; Hundley, M.F.; Reagor, D.W.; Hawley, M.E.; Peterson, D.E.

1998-07-01

The authors report the fabrication of ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet junction devices using a ramp-edge geometry based on (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3})MnO{sub 3} ferromagnetic electrodes and a SrTiO{sub 3} insulator. The multilayer thin films were deposited using pulsed laser deposition and the devices were patterned using photolithography and ion milling. As expected from the spin-dependent tunneling, the junction magnetoresistance depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization in the electrodes. The maximum junction magnetoresistance (JMR) of 30% is observed below 300 Oe at low temperatures (T < 100 K).

Giant magneto-spin-Seebeck effect and magnon transfer torques in insulating spin valves

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yihong; Chen, Kai; Zhang, Shufeng

2018-01-01

We theoretically study magnon transport in an insulating spin valve (ISV) made of an antiferromagnetic insulator sandwiched between two ferromagnetic insulator (FI) layers. In the conventional metal-based spin valve, the electron spins propagate between two metallic ferromagnetic layers, giving rise to giant magnetoresistance and spin transfer torque. Here, the incoherent magnons in the ISV serve as angular momentum carriers and are responsible for the angular momentum transport between two FI layers across the antiferromagnetic spacer. We predict two transport phenomena in the presence of the temperature gradient: a giant magneto-spin-Seebeck effect in which the output voltage signal is controlled by the relative orientation of the two FI layers and magnon transfer torque that can be used for switching the magnetization of the FI layers with a temperature gradient of the order of 0.1 Kelvin per nanometer.

Quantum phase transitions of strongly correlated electron systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imada, Masatoshi

1998-01-01

Interacting electrons in solids undergo various quantum phase transitions driven by quantum fluctuations. The quantum transitions take place at zero temperature by changing a parameter to control quantum fluctuations rather than thermal fluctuations. In contrast to classical phase transitions driven by thermal fluctuations, the quantum transitions have many different features where quantum dynamics introduces a source of intrinsic fluctuations tightly connected with spatial correlations and they have been a subject of recent intensive studies as we see below. Interacting electron systems cannot be fully understood without deep analyses of the quantum phase transitions themselves, because they are widely seen and play essential roles in many phenomena. Typical and important examples of the quantum phase transitions include metal-insulator transitions, (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) metal-superconductor transitions, superconductor-insulator transitions, magnetic transitions to antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic phases in metals as well as in Mott insulators, and charge ordering transitions. Here, we focus on three different types of transitions

Modeling all-electrical detection of the inverse Edelstein effect by spin-polarized tunneling in a topological-insulator/ferromagnetic-metal heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Rik; Register, Leonard F.; Banerjee, Sanjay K.

2018-04-01

The spin-momentum locking of the surface states in a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) allows a charge current on the surface of the TI induced by an applied spin current onto the surface, which is known as the inverse Edelstein effect (IEE), that could be achieved either by injecting pure spin current by spin-pumping from a ferromagnetic metal (FM) layer or by injecting spin-polarized charge current by direct tunneling of electrons from the FM to the TI. Here, we present a theory of the observed IEE effect in a TI-FM heterostructure for the spin-polarized tunneling experiments. If an electrical current is passed from the FM to the surface of the TI, because of density-of-states polarization of the FM, an effective imbalance of spin-polarized electrons occurs on the surface of the TI. Due to the spin-momentum helical locking of the surface states in the TI, a difference of transverse charge accumulation appears on the TI surface in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the magnetization of the FM, which is measured as a voltage difference. Here, we derive the two-dimensional transport equations of electrons on the surface of a diffusive TI, coupled to a FM, starting from the quantum kinetic equation, and analytically solve the equations for a rectangular geometry to calculate the voltage difference.

Computer predictions on Rh-based double perovskites with unusual electronic and magnetic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Halder, Anita; Nafday, Dhani; Sanyal, Prabuddha; Saha-Dasgupta, Tanusri

2018-03-01

In search for new magnetic materials, we make computer prediction of structural, electronic and magnetic properties of yet-to-be synthesized Rh-based double perovskite compounds, Sr(Ca)2BRhO6 (B=Cr, Mn, Fe). We use combination of evolutionary algorithm, density functional theory, and statistical-mechanical tool for this purpose. We find that the unusual valence of Rh5+ may be stabilized in these compounds through formation of oxygen ligand hole. Interestingly, while the Cr-Rh and Mn-Rh compounds are predicted to be ferromagnetic half-metals, the Fe-Rh compounds are found to be rare examples of antiferromagnetic and metallic transition-metal oxide with three-dimensional electronic structure. The computed magnetic transition temperatures of the predicted compounds, obtained from finite temperature Monte Carlo study of the first principles-derived model Hamiltonian, are found to be reasonably high. The prediction of favorable growth condition of the compounds, reported in our study, obtained through extensive thermodynamic analysis should be useful for future synthesize of this interesting class of materials with intriguing properties.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in Fe-based perovskite solid solution in lead-free ferroelectric Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 materials

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Nguyen The; Bac, Luong Huu; Trung, Nguyen Ngoc; Hoang, Nguyen The; Van Vinh, Pham; Dung, Dang Duc

2018-04-01

The integration of ferromagnetism in lead-free ferroelectric materials is important to fabricate smart materials for electronic devices. In this work, (1 - x)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 + xMgFeO3-δ materials (x = 0-9 mol%) were prepared through sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction characterization indicated that MgFeO3-δ materials existed as a well solid solution in lead-free ferroelectric Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 materials. The rhombohedral structure of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 materials was distorted due to the random distribution of Mg and Fe cations into the host lattice. The reduced optical band gap and the induced room-temperature ferromagnetism were due to the spin splitting of transition metal substitution at the B-site of perovskite Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 and the modification by A-site co-substitution. This work elucidates the role of secondary phase as solid solution in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 material for development of lead-free multiferroelectric materials.

Magnetic characterisation of large grain, bulk Y–Ba–Cu–O superconductor–soft ferromagnetic alloy hybrid structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philippe, M.P.; Fagnard, J.-F.; Kirsch, S.; Xu, Z.; Dennis, A.R.; Shi, Y.-H.; Cardwell, D.A.; Vanderheyden, B.; Vanderbemden, P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Large grain, bulk YBaCuO superconductor (SC) combined with ferromagnetic elements. • The flux lines curve outwards through the ferromagnet in the remanent state. • The trapped field in the SC is enhanced by the presence of the ferromagnet. • The effects of the SC and the ferromagnet add when the ferromagnet is saturated. - Abstract: Large grain, bulk Y–Ba–Cu–O (YBCO) high temperature superconductors (HTS) have significant potential for use in a variety of practical applications that incorporate powerful quasi-permanent magnets. In the present work, we investigate how the trapped field of such magnets can be improved by combining bulk YBCO with a soft FeNi, ferromagnetic alloy. This involves machining the alloy into components of various shapes, such as cylinders and rings, which are attached subsequently to the top surface of a solid, bulk HTS cylinder. The effect of these modifications on the magnetic hysteresis curve and trapped field of the bulk superconductor at 77 K are then studied using pick-up coil and Hall probe measurements. The experimental data are compared to finite element modelling of the magnetic flux distribution using Campbell’s algorithm. Initially we establish the validity of the technique involving pick-up coils wrapped around the bulk superconductor to obtain its magnetic hysteresis curve in a non-destructive way and highlight the difference between the measured signal and the true magnetization of the sample. We then consider the properties of hybrid ferromagnet/superconductor (F/S) structures. Hall probe measurements, together with the results of the model, establish that flux lines curve outwards through the ferromagnet, which acts, effectively, like a magnetic short circuit. Magnetic hysteresis curves show that the effects of the superconductor and the ferromagnet simply add when the ferromagnet is saturated fully by the applied field. The trapped field of the hybrid structure is always larger than that of the

La interstitial defect-induced insulator-metal transition in the oxide heterostructures LaAl O3 /SrTi O3

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jun; Yang, Ming; Feng, Yuan Ping; Rusydi, Andrivo

2017-11-01

Perovskite oxide interfaces have attracted tremendous research interest for their fundamental physics and promising all-oxide electronic applications. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we propose a surface La interstitial promoted interface insulator-metal transition in LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110). Compared with surface oxygen vacancies, which play a determining role on the insulator-metal transition of LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (001) interfaces, we find that surface La interstitials can be more experimentally realistic and accessible for manipulation and more stable in an ambient atmospheric environment. Interestingly, these surface La interstitials also induce significant spin-splitting states with a Ti dy z/dx z character at a conducting LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) interface. On the other hand, for insulating LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) (<4 unit cells LaAl O3 thickness), a distortion between La (Al) and O atoms is found at the LaAl O3 side, partially compensating the polarization divergence. Our results reveal the origin of the metal-insulator transition in LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) heterostructures, and also shed light on the manipulation of the superior properties of LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) for different possibilities in electronic and magnetic applications.

Ferromagnetic barrier-induced negative differential conductance on the surface of a topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An Xing-Tao

2014-01-01

The effect of the negative differential conductance of a ferromagnetic barrier on the surface of a topological insulator is theoretically investigated. Due to the changes of the shape and position of the Fermi surfaces in the ferromagnetic barrier, the transport processes can be divided into three kinds: the total, partial, and blockade transmission mechanisms. The bias voltage can give rise to the transition of the transport processes from partial to blockade transmission mechanisms, which results in a considerable effect of negative differential conductance. With appropriate structural parameters, the current-voltage characteristics show that the minimum value of the current can reach to zero in a wide range of the bias voltage, and then a large peak-to-valley current ratio can be obtained. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Influence of neutron irradiation on ferromagnetic metallic glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miglierini, M.; Nasu, Saburo; Sitek, J.

1992-01-01

Transmission 57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy is used to study effects of neutron irradiation on magnetic properties of Fe-based ferromagnetic metallic glasses. Elastic stress centers are produced during the process of neutron irradiation as a result of atom mixing. Rearrangement of the atoms causes changes in the average value of the hyperfine field distribution and orientation of the net magnetic moment. They are shown to depend on the composition of the investigated samples. Cr-doped metallic glasses depict transformation from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic state at room temperature after neutron irradiation implying changes in the Curie temperature. Presence of Ni in the samples reduces the effects of radiation damage. (orig.)

Practical superconductor development for electrical power applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goretta, K.C.

1991-10-01

Development of useful high-critical-temperature (high-T c ) superconductors requires synthesis of superconducting compounds; fabrication of wires, tapes, and films from these compounds; production of composite structures that incorporate stabilizers or insulators; and design and testing of efficient components. This report describes technical progress of research and development efforts aimed at producing superconducting components based on the Y-Ba-Cu, Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu, Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu, and Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu oxides systems. Topics discussed are synthesis and heat treatment of high-T c superconductors, formation of monolithic and composite wires and tapes, superconductor/metal connectors, characterization of structures and superconducting and mechanical properties, and fabrication and properties of thin films. Collaborations with industry and academia are also documented. 10 figs

Numerical simulations of quantum many-body systems with applications to superfluid-insulator and metal-insulator transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niyaz, P.

1993-01-01

Quantum Monte Carlo techniques were used to study two quantum many-body systems, the one-dimensional extended boson-Hubbard Hamiltonian, a model of superfluid-insulator quantum phase transitions, and the two-dimensional Holstein Model, a model for electron-phonon interactions. For the extended boson-Hubbard model, the authors studied the ground state properties at commensurate filling (density = 1) and half-integer filling (density = 1/2). At commensurate filling, the system has two possible insulating phases for strong coupling. If the on-site repulsion dominates, the system freezes into an insulating phase where each site is singly occupied. If the intersite repulsion dominates, doubly occupied and empty sites alternate. At weak coupling, the system becomes a superfluid. The authors investigated the order of phase transitions between these different phases. At half-integer filling, the authors found one strong coupling insulating phase, where singly occupied and empty sites alternate, and a weak coupling superfluid phase. The authors also investigated the possibility of a supersolid phase and found no clear evidence of such a new phase. For the electron-phonon (Holstein) model, the authors focused on the finite temperature phase transition from a metallic state to an insulating charge density wave (CDW) state as the temperature is lowered. The authors present the first calculation of the spectral density from Monte Carlo data for this system. The authors also investigated the formation of a CDW state as a function of various parameters characterizing the electron-phonon interactions. Using these numerical results as benchmarks, the authors then investigated different levels of Migdal approximations. The authors found the solutions of a set of gapped Migdal-Eliashberg equations agreed qualitatively with the Monte Carlo results

Sharp superconductor-insulator transition in short wires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meidan, Dganit; Oreg, Yuval; Refael, Gil; Smith, Robert A.

2008-01-01

Recent experiments on short MoGe nanowires show a sharp superconductor-insulator transition tuned by the normal state resistance of the wire, with a critical resistance of R c ∼ R Q = h/(4e 2 ). These results are at odds with a broad range of theoretical work on Josephson-like systems that predicts a smooth transition, tuned by the value of the resistance that shunts the junction. We develop a self-consistent renormalization group treatment of interacting phase-slips and their dual counterparts, correlated cooper pair tunneling, beyond the dilute approximation. This analysis leads to a very sharp transition with a critical resistance of R Q . The addition of the quasi-particles' resistance at finite temperature leads to a quantitative agreement with the experimental results. This self-consistent renormalization group method should also be applicable to other physical systems that can be mapped onto similar sine-Gordon models, in the previously inaccessible intermediate-coupling regime

Preserving half-metallic surface states in Cr O2 : Insights into surface reconstruction rules

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Bei; Shi, X. Q.; Chen, L.; Tong, S. Y.

2018-04-01

The issue of whether the half-metallic (HM) nature of Cr O2 could be retained at its surface has been a standing problem under debate for a few decades, but until now is still controversial. Here, based on the density functional theory calculations we show, in startling contrast to the previous theoretical understandings, that the surfaces of Cr O2 favorably exhibit a half-metallic-semiconducting (SmC) transition driven by means of a surface electronic reconstruction largely attributed to the participation of the unexpected local charge carriers (LCCs), which convert the HM double exchange surface state into a SmC superexchange state and in turn, stabilize the surface as well. On the basis of the LCCs model, a new insight into the surface reconstruction rules is attained. Our novel finding not only provided an evident interpretation for the widely observed SmC character of Cr O2 surface, but also offered a novel means to improve the HM surface states for a variety of applications in spintronics and superconductors, and promote the experimental realization of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in half-metal based systems.

Multiferroic behavior associated with an order-disorder hydrogen bonding transition in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with the perovskite ABX3 architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Prashant; Ramachandran, Vasanth; Clark, Ronald J; Zhou, Hai Dong; Toby, Brian H; Dalal, Naresh S; Kroto, Harold W; Cheetham, Anthony K

2009-09-30

Multiferroic behavior in perovskite-related metal-organic frameworks of general formula [(CH(3))(2)NH(2)]M(HCOO)(3), where M = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, is reported. All four compounds exhibit paraelectric-antiferroelectric phase transition behavior in the temperature range 160-185 K (Mn: 185 K, Fe: 160 K; Co: 165 K; Ni: 180 K); this is associated with an order-disorder transition involving the hydrogen bonded dimethylammonium cations. On further cooling, the compounds become canted weak ferromagnets below 40 K. This research opens up a new class of multiferroics in which the electrical ordering is achieved by means of hydrogen bonding.

Asymmetry in the normal-metal to high-Tc superconductor tunnel junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flensberg, K.; Hedegaard, P.; Brix, M.

1988-01-01

We show that the observed asymmetry in the I-V characteristics of high-T c material to normal metal junctions can be explained within the Resonating-Valence-Bond model. For a bias current with electrons moving from the superconductor to the normal metal the current is quadratic in the bias voltage, and in the opposite case with electrons moving from the normal metal to the superconductor the current is linear in V. (orig.)

Electronic properties of high Tc superconductors. Propiedades electronicas de los superconductores de alta temperatura critica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rojo, A G

1989-01-01

Using analytical and numerical methods, the electronic properties of the copper-oxygen plane in the normal phase of high Tc superconductors are described. Using the slave-boson technique in the saddle point, a theory of the metal insulator transition which generalizes the notions of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band for those planes is presented. A phase-diagram is obtained in the parameter space and effective masses, optical gaps and metallization are calculated as a function of the number of carriers. Based on the experimental evidence, the theory permits classification of superconducting compounds as charge transfer insulators in the stoichiometric case. The insulator state is characterized by a non-zero optical gap and a divergent effective mass which corresponds to the breakage of a Fermi-liquid scheme. The results obtained are applicable to metal-transition-oxides whose behaviour has been traditionally controversial and it is concluded that it is necessary to broaden the meaning of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band to better understand them. Based on the ideas of group renormalization in a real space, a lattice approximation is presented, which allows: a) To complement the treatment of slave-bosons in phase diagrams and optical gaps; b) Identification of an attraction mechanism between carriers originating from purely repulsive interactions. Numerical calculations in small clusters show the existence of a pairing mechanism showing a superconducting instability from a charge transfer insulator. (Author).

Transport properties of clean and disordered superconductors in matrix field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Lubo; Kirkpatrick, T.R.

2004-01-01

A comprehensive field theory is developed for superconductors with quenched disorder. We first show that the matrix field theory, used previously to describe a disordered Fermi liquid and a disordered itinerant ferromagnet, also has a saddle-point solution that describes a disordered superconductor. A general gap equation is obtained. We then expand about the saddle point to Gaussian order to explicitly obtain the physical correlation functions. The ultrasonic attenuation, number density susceptibility, spin-density susceptibility, and the electrical conductivity are used as examples. Results in the clean limit and in the disordered case are discussed, respectively. This formalism is expected to be a powerful tool to study the quantum phase transitions between the normal-metal state and the superconductor state

High mobility half-metallicity in the (LaMnO3)2/(SrTiO3)8 superlattice

KAUST Repository

Cossu, Fabrizio

2013-01-28

First principles calculations have been performed to investigate the LaMnO3/SrTiO3 superlattice. Structural relaxation within the generalized gradient approximation results in no significant tiltings or rotations of oxygen octahedra, but in distinct distortions in the SrTiO3 region. Taking into account the onsite Coulomb interaction, we find that the Mn spins order ferromagnetically, in contrast to the antiferromagnetic state of bulk LaMnO3. Most importantly, the interface strain combined with charge transfer across the interface induces half-metallicity within the MnO2 layers. The superlattice is particulary interesting for spintronics applications because the half-metallic states are characterized by an extraordinary high mobility.

High mobility half-metallicity in the (LaMnO3)2/(SrTiO3)8 superlattice

KAUST Repository

Cossu, Fabrizio; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Singh, Nirpendra

2013-01-01

First principles calculations have been performed to investigate the LaMnO3/SrTiO3 superlattice. Structural relaxation within the generalized gradient approximation results in no significant tiltings or rotations of oxygen octahedra, but in distinct distortions in the SrTiO3 region. Taking into account the onsite Coulomb interaction, we find that the Mn spins order ferromagnetically, in contrast to the antiferromagnetic state of bulk LaMnO3. Most importantly, the interface strain combined with charge transfer across the interface induces half-metallicity within the MnO2 layers. The superlattice is particulary interesting for spintronics applications because the half-metallic states are characterized by an extraordinary high mobility.

Electron drag in ferromagnetic structures separated by an insulating interface

Science.gov (United States)

Kozub, V. I.; Muradov, M. I.; Galperin, Y. M.

2018-06-01

We consider electron drag in a system of two ferromagnetic layers separated by an insulating interface. The source of it is expected to be magnon-electron interactions. Namely, we assume that the external voltage is applied to the "active" layer stimulating electric current through this layer. In its turn, the scattering of the current-carrying electrons by magnons leads to a magnon drag current within this layer. The 3-magnons interactions between magnons in the two layers (being of non-local nature) lead to magnon drag within the "passive" layer which, correspondingly, produce electron drag current via processes of magnon-electron scattering. We estimate the drag current and compare it to the phonon-induced one.

Electronic Identification of the Parental Phases and Mesoscopic Phase Separation of K_{x}Fe_{2-y}Se_{2} Superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Chen

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The nature of the parent compound of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS often plays a pivotal role in determining its superconductivity. The parent compounds of the cuprate HTSs are antiferromagnetically ordered Mott insulators, while those of the iron-pnictide HTSs are metals with spin-density-wave order. Here we report the electronic identification of two insulating parental phases and one semiconducting parental phase of the newly discovered family of K_{x}Fe_{2-y}Se_{2} superconductors. The two insulating phases exhibit Mott-insulator-like signatures, and one of the insulating phases is even present in the superconducting and semiconducting K_{x}Fe_{2-y}Se_{2} compounds. However, it is mesoscopically phase-separated from the superconducting or semiconducting phase. Moreover, we find that both the superconducting and semiconducting phases are free of the magnetic and vacancy orders present in the insulating phases, and that the electronic structure of the superconducting phase could be developed by doping the semiconducting phase with electrons. The rich electronic properties discovered in these parental phases of the K_{x}Fe_{2-y}Se_{2} superconductors provide the foundation for studying the anomalous behavior in this new class of iron-based superconductors.

Perovskite Oxide Thin Film Growth, Characterization, and Stability

Science.gov (United States)

Izumi, Andrew

Studies into a class of materials known as complex oxides have evoked a great deal of interest due to their unique magnetic, ferroelectric, and superconducting properties. In particular, materials with the ABO3 perovskite structure have highly tunable properties because of the high stability of the structure, which allows for large scale doping and strain. This also allows for a large selection of A and B cations and valences, which can further modify the material's electronic structure. Additionally, deposition of these materials as thin films and superlattices through techniques such as pulsed laser deposition (PLD) results in novel properties due to the reduced dimensionality of the material. The novel properties of perovskite oxide heterostructures can be traced to a several sources, including chemical intermixing, strain and defect formation, and electronic reconstruction. The correlations between microstructure and physical properties must be investigated by examining the physical and electronic structure of perovskites in order to understand this class of materials. Some perovskites can undergo phase changes due to temperature, electrical fields, and magnetic fields. In this work we investigated Nd0.5Sr 0.5MnO3 (NSMO), which undergoes a first order magnetic and electronic transition at T=158K in bulk form. Above this temperature NSMO is a ferromagnetic metal, but transitions into an antiferromagnetic insulator as the temperature is decreased. This rapid transition has interesting potential in memory devices. However, when NSMO is deposited on (001)-oriented SrTiO 3 (STO) or (001)-oriented (LaAlO3)0.3-(Sr 2AlTaO6)0.7 (LSAT) substrates, this transition is lost. It has been reported in the literature that depositing NSMO on (110)-oriented STO allows for the transition to reemerge due to the partial epitaxial growth, where the NSMO film is strained along the [001] surface axis and partially relaxed along the [11¯0] surface axis. This allows the NSMO film enough

A Difference in Using Atomic Layer Deposition or Physical Vapour Deposition TiN as Electrode Material in Metal-Insulator-Metal and Metal-Insulator-Silicon Capacitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenland, A.W.; Wolters, Robertus A.M.; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; Schmitz, Jurriaan

2011-01-01

In this work, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) and metal-insulator-silicon (MIS) capacitors are studied using titanium nitride (TiN) as the electrode material. The effect of structural defects on the electrical properties on MIS and MIM capacitors is studied for various electrode configurations. In the

Experimental and numerical study of influence of ferromagnetic cover on critical current of BiSCCO-2223/Ag tape superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojenciak, M; Souc, J; Goemoery, F

2009-01-01

Samples of commercially available BiSCCO-2223/Ag tape have been partially covered by the ferromagnetic material. Improvement of the self-field critical current up to 15 % has been achieved by this procedure. A critical current of such tape strongly depends on geometric and magnetic properties of both, the superconducting tape as well as the ferromagnetic cover. Numerical simulations, based on the critical state model using commercial finite element method (FEM) code, have been performed. Properties of superconductor are characterized by anisotropic dependence of the critical current density on magnetic field as well as detail geometry of filaments. The ferromagnetic material is characterized by nonlinear magnetization curve. Nonlinear dependences of the critical current on selected parameters are shown in this work. Optimization of the cover parameters using these curves has been made. Samples with various parameters have been manufactured for the confirmation of numerical simulations results. Experimental results are in good qualitative agreement with results obtained by numerical simulations.

Can disorder drive a Mott insulator into a metal in 2D?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trivedi, Nandini; Heidarian, Dariush

2006-01-01

We find that isoelectronic disorder generates novel phases in a Mott insulator at half filling. For both binary disorder potentials and for random site disorder models, the Mott gap is destroyed locally generating puddles of gapless excitations. With increasing disorder, these puddles grow and rather surprising, form an inhomogeneous metal in 2D. Antiferromagnetic long range order is more robust than the Mott gap and persists into the metal, getting destroyed close to a critical disorder where doubly occupied and empty sites percolate. (author)

Intradot spin-flip Andreev reflection tunneling through a ferromagnet-quantum dot-superconductor system with ac field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Hongyan; Zhou Shiping

2008-01-01

We investigate Andreev reflection (AR) tunneling through a ferromagnet-quantum dot-superconductor (F-QD-S) system in the presence of an external ac field. The intradot spin-flip scattering in the QD is involved. Using the nonequilibrium Green function and BCS quasiparticle spectrum for superconductor, time-averaged AR conductance is formulated. The competition between the intradot spin-flip scattering and photon-assisted tunneling dominates the resonant behaviors of the time-averaged AR conductance. For weak intradot spin-flip scattering strengths, the AR conductance shows a series of equal interval resonant levels. However, the single-peak at main resonant level develops into a well-resolved double-peak resonance at a strong intradot spin-flip scattering strength. Remarkable, multiple-photon-assisted tunneling that generates photonic sideband peaks with a variable interval has been found. In addition, the AR conductance-bias voltage characteristic shows a transition between the single-peak to double-peak resonance as the ratio of the two tunneling strengths varies

Spin pumping through a topological insulator probed by x-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, A. I.; Baker, A. A.; Collins-McIntyre, L. J.; Hesjedal, T.; van der Laan, G.

2016-02-01

In the field of spintronics, the generation of a pure spin current (without macroscopic charge flow) through spin pumping of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer opens up the perspective of a new generation of dissipation-less devices. Microwave driven ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can generate a pure spin current that enters adjacent layers, allowing for both magnetization reversal (through spin-transfer torque) and to probe spin coherence in non-magnetic materials. However, standard FMR is unable to probe multilayer dynamics directly, since the measurement averages over the contributions from the whole system. The synchrotron radiation-based technique of x-ray detected FMR (XFMR) offers an elegant solution to this drawback, giving access to element-, site-, and layer-specific dynamical measurements in heterostructures. In this work, we show how XFMR has provided unique information to understand spin pumping and spin transfer torque effects through a topological insulator (TI) layer in a pseudo-spin valve heterostructure. We demonstrate that TIs function as efficient spin sinks, while also allowing a limited dynamic coupling between ferromagnetic layers. These results shed new light on the spin dynamics of this novel class of materials, and suggest future directions for the development of room temperature TI-based spintronics.

Non-ferromagnetic overburden casing

Science.gov (United States)

Vinegar, Harold J.; Harris, Christopher Kelvin; Mason, Stanley Leroy

2010-09-14

Systems, methods, and heaters for treating a subsurface formation are described herein. At least one system for electrically insulating an overburden portion of a heater wellbore is described. The system may include a heater wellbore located in a subsurface formation and an electrically insulating casing located in the overburden portion of the heater wellbore. The casing may include at least one non-ferromagnetic material such that ferromagnetic effects are inhibited in the casing.

Superconductor-Insulator transition in a single Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonin, E.B.; PenttilA, J.S.; Parts, O.; Hakonen, P.J.; Paalanen, M.A.

1999-01-01

For ultra small Josephson junctions, when quantum effects become important, dissipative phase transition (DPT) has been predicted. The physical origin of this transition is the suppression of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the phase by tile interaction with dissipative quantum-mechanical environment. Macroscopic quantum tunneling destroys superconductivity of a junction, whereas suppression of tunneling restores superconductivity. Hence, this transition is often called a superconductor-insulator transition (SIT). SIT was predicted for various systems, but its detection in a single Josephson junction is of principal importance since it is the simplest system where this transition is expected, without any risk of being masked by other physical processes, as is possible in more complicated systems like regular or' random Josephson junction arrays. In this Letter we present results of our measurements on R = dV/dI vs. I curves, for a variety of single small isolated Josephson junctions, shunted and un shunted, with different values of capacitance C and normal state tunneling resistance RT. We have detected a crossover. between two types of RI-curves with an essentially different behavior at small currents. On the basis of this crossover, we are able to map out the whole phase diagram for a Josephson junction. The position of the observed phase boundary did not agree with that expected from the original theory. However, the theory revised to take into account a finite accuracy of our voltage measurements (viz., the minimum voltage which we are able to detect), explains well the observed phase diagram. Our important conclusion is that the concept of dissipative phase transition (DPT) and superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) are not completely identical as assumed before. Both are accompanied by the sign change of the thermo resistance, which is traditionally considered as a signature of SIT. Thus any DPT is SIT, but not vice versa. We argue that the real signature

Layer-dependent ferromagnetism in a van der Waals crystal down to the monolayer limit.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Bevin; Clark, Genevieve; Navarro-Moratalla, Efrén; Klein, Dahlia R; Cheng, Ran; Seyler, Kyle L; Zhong, Ding; Schmidgall, Emma; McGuire, Michael A; Cobden, David H; Yao, Wang; Xiao, Di; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo; Xu, Xiaodong

2017-06-07

Since the discovery of graphene, the family of two-dimensional materials has grown, displaying a broad range of electronic properties. Recent additions include semiconductors with spin-valley coupling, Ising superconductors that can be tuned into a quantum metal, possible Mott insulators with tunable charge-density waves, and topological semimetals with edge transport. However, no two-dimensional crystal with intrinsic magnetism has yet been discovered; such a crystal would be useful in many technologies from sensing to data storage. Theoretically, magnetic order is prohibited in the two-dimensional isotropic Heisenberg model at finite temperatures by the Mermin-Wagner theorem. Magnetic anisotropy removes this restriction, however, and enables, for instance, the occurrence of two-dimensional Ising ferromagnetism. Here we use magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy to demonstrate that monolayer chromium triiodide (CrI 3 ) is an Ising ferromagnet with out-of-plane spin orientation. Its Curie temperature of 45 kelvin is only slightly lower than that of the bulk crystal, 61 kelvin, which is consistent with a weak interlayer coupling. Moreover, our studies suggest a layer-dependent magnetic phase, highlighting thickness-dependent physical properties typical of van der Waals crystals. Remarkably, bilayer CrI 3 displays suppressed magnetization with a metamagnetic effect, whereas in trilayer CrI 3 the interlayer ferromagnetism observed in the bulk crystal is restored. This work creates opportunities for studying magnetism by harnessing the unusual features of atomically thin materials, such as electrical control for realizing magnetoelectronics, and van der Waals engineering to produce interface phenomena.

Interlayer vortices and edge dislocations in high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuklov, A.B.; Krakovsky, A.; Birman, J.L.

1995-01-01

The interaction of an edge dislocation made of half the superconducting plane with a magnetic interlayer vortex is considered within the framework of the Lawrence-Doniach model with negative as well as positive Josephson interlayer coupling. In the first case the binding energy of the vortex and the dislocation has been calculated by employing a variational procedure. The current distribution around the bound vortex turns out to be asymmetric. In the second case the dislocation carries a spontaneous magnetic half vortex, whose binding energy with the dislocation turns out to be infinite. The half-vortex energy has been calculated by the same variational procedure. Implications of the possible presence of such half vortices for the properties of high-temperature sueprconductors are discussed. We suggest employing artificially made superconductor-ferromagnet superlattices with the half plane removed to observe fractional vortices

First-order metal-insulator transitions in the extended Hubbard model due to self-consistent screening of the effective interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Schüler, M.; van Loon, E. G. C. P.; Katsnelson, M. I.; Wehling, T. O.

2018-04-01

While the Hubbard model is the standard model to study Mott metal-insulator transitions, it is still unclear to what extent it can describe metal-insulator transitions in real solids, where nonlocal Coulomb interactions are always present. By using a variational principle, we clarify this issue for short- and long-range nonlocal Coulomb interactions for half-filled systems on bipartite lattices. We find that repulsive nonlocal interactions generally stabilize the Fermi-liquid regime. The metal-insulator phase boundary is shifted to larger interaction strengths to leading order linearly with nonlocal interactions. Importantly, nonlocal interactions can raise the order of the metal-insulator transition. We present a detailed analysis of how the dimension and geometry of the lattice as well as the temperature determine the critical nonlocal interaction leading to a first-order transition: for systems in more than two dimensions with nonzero density of states at the Fermi energy the critical nonlocal interaction is arbitrarily small; otherwise, it is finite.

Superconducting proximity effect in mesoscopic superconductor/normal-metal junctions

CERN Document Server

Takayanagi, H; Toyoda, E

1999-01-01

The superconducting proximity effect is discussed in mesoscopic superconductor/normal-metal junctions. The newly-developed theory shows long-range phase-coherent effect which explaines early experimental results of giant magnetoresistance oscillations in an Andreev interferometer. The theory also shows that the proximity correction to the conductance (PCC) has a reentrant behavior as a function of energy. The reentrant behavior is systematically studied in a gated superconductor-semiconductor junction. A negative PCC is observed in the case of a weak coupling between the normal metal and the external reservoir. Phase coherent ac effect is also observed when rf is irradiated to the junction.

Electronic properties of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojo, A.G.

1989-01-01

Using analytical and numerical methods, the electronic properties of the copper-oxygen plane in the normal phase of high Tc superconductors are described. Using the slave-boson technique in the saddle point, a theory of the metal insulator transition which generalizes the notions of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band for those planes is presented. A phase-diagram is obtained in the parameter space and effective masses, optical gaps and metallization are calculated as a function of the number of carriers. Based on the experimental evidence, the theory permits classification of superconducting compounds as charge transfer insulators in the stoichiometric case. The insulator state is characterized by a non-zero optical gap and a divergent effective mass which corresponds to the breakage of a Fermi-liquid scheme. The results obtained are applicable to metal-transition-oxides whose behaviour has been traditionally controversial and it is concluded that it is necessary to broaden the meaning of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band to better understand them. Based on the ideas of group renormalization in a real space, a lattice approximation is presented, which allows: a) To complement the treatment of slave-bosons in phase diagrams and optical gaps; b) Identification of an attraction mechanism between carriers originating from purely repulsive interactions. Numerical calculations in small clusters show the existence of a pairing mechanism showing a superconducting instability from a charge transfer insulator. (Author) [es

Reentrant Metal-Insulator Transitions in Silicon -

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, John William M.

This thesis describes a study of reentrant metal -insulator transitions observed in the inversion layer of extremely high mobility Si-MOSFETs. Magneto-transport measurements were carried out in the temperature range 20mK-4.2 K in a ^3He/^4 He dilution refrigerator which was surrounded by a 15 Tesla superconducting magnet. Below a melting temperature (T_{M}~500 mK) and a critical electron density (n_{s }~9times10^{10} cm^{-2}), the Shubnikov -de Haas oscillations in the diagonal resistivity enormous maximum values at the half filled Landau levels while maintaining deep minima corresponding to the quantum Hall effect at filled Landau levels. At even lower electron densities the insulating regions began to spread and eventually a metal-insulator transition could be induced at zero magnetic field. The measurement of extremely large resistances in the milliKelvin temperature range required the use of very low currents (typically in the 10^ {-12} A range) and in certain measurements minimizing the noise was also a consideration. The improvements achieved in these areas through the use of shielding, optical decouplers and battery operated instruments are described. The transport signatures of the insulating state are considered in terms of two basic mechanisms: single particle localization with transport by variable range hopping and the formation of a collective state such as a pinned Wigner crystal or electron solid with transport through the motion of bound dislocation pairs. The experimental data is best described by the latter model. Thus the two dimensional electron system in these high mobility Si-MOSFETs provides the first and only experimental demonstration to date of the formation of an electron solid at zero and low magnetic fields in the quantum limit where the Coulomb interaction energy dominates over the zero point oscillation energy. The role of disorder in favouring either single particle localization or the formation of a Wigner crystal is explored by

A Brillouin scattering study of La0.77Ca0.23MnO3 across the metal-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seikh, Md Motin; Narayana, Chandrabhas; Sudheendra, L; Sood, A K; Rao, C N R

2004-01-01

Temperature-dependent Brillouin scattering studies have been carried out on La 0.77 Ca 0.23 MnO 3 across the paramagnetic insulator-ferromagnetic metal (I-M) transition (T C ∼ 230 K). The spectra show modes corresponding to a surface Rayleigh wave (SRW) and a high velocity pseudo-surface wave (HVPSAW) along with bulk acoustic waves (B1 and B2). The Brillouin shifts associated with the SRW and HVPSAW increase, whereas the B1 and B2 frequencies decrease, below T C . The temperature dependence of the SRW and HVPSAW modes is related to the increase in the elastic constant C 11 across the I-M transition. The decrease in frequency across the I-M transition of the bulk modes is understood to be due to enhanced self-energy corrections as a result of increased magnon-phonon interaction across the I-M transition. Correspondingly, these modes show a large increase in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) as the temperature decreases. We also observe a central peak whose width is maximum at T C

Effects of insulating vanadium oxide composite in concomitant mixed phases via interface barrier modulations on the performance improvements in metal-insulator-metal diodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaleem Abbas

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The performance of metal-insulator-metal diodes is investigated for insulating vanadium oxide (VOx composite composed of concomitant mixed phases using the Pt metal as the top and the bottom electrodes. Insulating VOx composite in the Pt/VOx/Pt diode exhibits a high asymmetry of 10 and a very high sensitivity of 2,135V−1 at 0.6 V. The VOx composite provides Schottky-like barriers at the interface, which controls the current flow and the trap-assisted conduction mechanism. Such dramatic enhancement in asymmetry and rectification performance at low applied bias may be ascribed to the dynamic control of the insulating and metallic phases in VOx composites. We find that the nanostructure details of the insulating VOx layer can be critical in enhancing the performance of MIM diodes.

Shape of Cooper pairs in a norma.-metal/superconductors junction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tanaka, Yukio; Asano, Yasuhiro; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2008-01-01

In s-wave superconductors the Cooper pair wave function is isotropic in momentum space. This property may also be expected for Cooper pairs entering a normal metal from a superconductor due to the proximity effect. We show, however, that such a deduction is incorrect and the pairing function in a

Modulating the electronic and magnetic properties of bilayer borophene via transition metal atoms intercalation: from metal to half metal and semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiuyun; Sun, Yi; Ma, Liang; Zhao, Xinli; Yao, Xiaojing

2018-07-27

Borophene, a two-dimensional monolayer made of boron atoms, has attracted wide attention due to its appealing properties. Great efforts have been devoted to fine tuning its electronic and magnetic properties for desired applications. Herein, we theoretically investigate the versatile electronic and magnetic properties of bilayer borophene (BLB) intercalated by 3d transition metal (TM) atoms, TM@BLBs (TM = Ti-Fe), using ab initio calculations. Four allotropes of AA-stacking (α 1 -, β-, β 12 - and χ 3 -) BLBs with different intercalation concentrations of TM atoms are considered. Our results show that the TM atoms are strongly bonded to the borophene layers with fairly large binding energies, around 6.31 ∼ 15.44 eV per TM atom. The BLBs with Cr and Mn intercalation have robust ferromagnetism, while for the systems decorated with Fe atoms, fruitful magnetic properties, such as nonmagnetic, ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic, are identified. In particular, the α 1 - and β-BLBs intercalated by Mn or Fe atom can be transformed into a semiconductor, half metal or graphene-like semimetal. Moreover, some heavily doped TM@BLBs expose high Curie temperatures above room temperature. The attractive properties of TM@BLBs entail an efficient way to modulate the electronic and magnetic properties of borophene sheets for advanced applications.

Synthesis and characterization of a-site doped LaTiO3 nano perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradha, M.; Ashok, Anuradha

2013-01-01

Nano-sized lanthanum titanate perovskites (La (1-x) A x TiO 3 ) (A= Ba, Sr, Ca) were prepared by sol-gel method and calcined at 800℃. The synthesised perovskites were characterized by Thermogravimetry/ Differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) etc. LaTiO 3 is a perovskite having prominent interest for a variety of applications such as dielectric, insulators, charge-transport properties etc. It is a defect perovskite, with transport properties varying from insulating to metallic based on oxygen stoichiometry. In a quest to observe the effect of the nano size on its properties, lanthanum titanate (LaTiO 3 ) nano perovskites with different dopants on the A-site were prepared by using sol-gel method. In the present work we discuss the synthesis and structural analysis of (La 0.8 A 0.2 TiO 3 ). Phase purity and structural analysis of the calcined samples were performed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD, with CuKα radiation). In addition to this, morphology and crystal structure was examined by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) using a JEOL JEM 2100 HRTEM. HRTEM studies indicate that the nano perovskites are of size around 20 nm. Ring pattern in SAED also confirms that the perovskite is polycrystalline/nanocrystalline. More detailed study on high resolution images and crystal structure shed light on the reason for the properties exhibited by this perovskites

Simulated electron affinity tuning in metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Mistry, Kissan; Yavuz, Mustafa; Musselman, Kevin P.

2017-05-01

Metal-insulator-metal diodes for rectification applications must exhibit high asymmetry, nonlinearity, and responsivity. Traditional methods of improving these figures of merit have consisted of increasing insulator thickness, adding multiple insulator layers, and utilizing a variety of metal contact combinations. However, these methods have come with the price of increasing the diode resistance and ultimately limiting the operating frequency to well below the terahertz regime. In this work, an Airy Function Transfer Matrix simulation method was used to observe the effect of tuning the electron affinity of the insulator as a technique to decrease the diode resistance. It was shown that a small increase in electron affinity can result in a resistance decrease in upwards of five orders of magnitude, corresponding to an increase in operating frequency on the same order. Electron affinity tuning has a minimal effect on the diode figures of merit, where asymmetry improves or remains unaffected and slight decreases in nonlinearity and responsivity are likely to be greatly outweighed by the improved operating frequency of the diode.

Metal-insulator transition in vanadium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zylbersztejn, A.; Mott, N.F.

1975-01-01

The basic physical parameters which govern the metal-insulator transition in vanadium dioxide are determined through a review of the properties of this material. The major importance of the Hubbard intra-atomic correlation energy in determining the insulating phase, which was already evidence by studies of the magnetic properties of V 1 -/subx/Cr/subx/O 2 alloys, is further demonstrated from an analysis of their electrical properties. An analysis of the magnetic susceptibility of niobium-doped VO 2 yields a picture for the current carrier in the low-temperature phase in which it is accompanied by a spin cloud (owing to Hund's-rule coupling), and has therefore an enhanced mass (m approx. = 60m 0 ). Semiconducting vanadium dioxide turns out to be a borderline case for a classical band-transport description; in the alloys at high doping levels, Anderson localization with hopping transport can take place. Whereas it is shown that the insulating phase cannot be described correctly without taking into account the Hubbard correlation energy, we find that the properties of the metallic phase are mainly determined by the band structure. Metallic VO 2 is, in our view, similar to transition metals like Pt or Pd: electrons in a comparatively wide band screening out the interaction between the electrons in a narrow overlapping band. The magnetic susceptibility is described as exchange enhanced. The large density of states at the Fermi level yields a substantial contribution of the entropy of the metallic electrons to the latent heat. The crystalline distortion removes the band degeneracy so that the correlation energy becomes comparable with the band width and a metal-insulator transition takes place

AAg2M[VO4]2 (A=Ba,Sr; M=Co,Ni): A series of ferromagnetic insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Möller, Angela; Amuneke, Ngozi E.; Daniel, Phillip; Lorenz, Bernd; de la Cruz, Clarina R.; Gooch, Melissa; Chu, Paul C. W.

2012-06-01

AAg2M[VO4]2 with A=Sr2+ or Ba2+ present a series of layered compounds featuring a triangular lattice of transition metal cations, M = Co2+ or Ni2+, connected via nonmagnetic ortho-vanadates, which provide the magnetic superexchange within the layers. For this series of insulating compounds, ferromagnetic long-range order below 10 K is suggested by magnetization and specific heat measurements and confirmed by neutron diffraction experiments. We have investigated the impact of the spacer size of A2+ separating the layers leading to a tilting of the vanadates and consequently inducing a change in the effective magnetic correlations. Magnetization and specific heat measurements corroborate the important dependence of the magnetic superexchange on the orientation of the vanadates and the respective spin system. Furthermore, the ground state properties of the spin systems, S=1 (Ni2+) and S=3/2 (Co2+) in their respective octahedral coordination of oxygen, are evaluated. Calculated magnetic moments of the single ion complexes agree well with the magnetic structure. We, furthermore, report the dependence of Tc on applied isotropic pressure suggestive of a pressure effect on the effective ferromagnetic exchange coupling constants. In addition spectroscopic investigations probing the electronic structure of the [MO6] complexes and the vibrational structure of the [VO4] units are given.

Infrared plasmonic nano-lasers based on Metal Insulator Metal waveguides

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hill, M.T.

2010-01-01

We will present our latest results on metal-insulator-metal waveguide devices, in particular reducing the dimensions of devices and distributed feedback lasers. Also we will examine potential useful applications for metal nano-lasers.

Magnetism in ordered metallic perovskite compound GdPd{sub 3}B{sub x}C{sub 1-x}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pandey, Abhishek [S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block-JD, Sector-III, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700098 (India); Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India)], E-mail: abhishek.phy@gmail.com; Mazumdar, Chandan [Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India)], E-mail: chandan.mazumdar@saha.ac.in; Ranganathan, R. [Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India); Dattagupta, S. [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Block-HC, Sector-III, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700106 (India)

2009-08-15

We report results of dc-magnetization, ac-susceptibility and magnetoresistance measurements on crystalline metallic-perovskite compounds GdPd{sub 3}B{sub x}C{sub 1-x} (x=0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00) and the parent cubic compound GdPd{sub 3}. The interest in these materials stems from the observation of negative temperature coefficient of resistance and negative thermal expansion in some of the members of this series. In the present study, we show that by substitution of non-magnetic elements, boron and carbon, the nature of the magnetic interaction can be varied from dominating ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic and finally to a canted magnetic structure without altering the crystal symmetry of the compounds. The variation of magnetic interaction by modifying the lattice parameter resembles Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) oscillations.

Charging damage in floating metal-insulator-metal capacitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ackaert, Jan; Wang, Zhichun; De Backer, E.; Coppens, P.

2002-01-01

In this paper, charging induced damage (CID) to metal-insulator-metal capacitors (MIMC) is reported. The damage is caused by the build up of a voltage potential difference between the two plates of the capacitor. A simple logarithmic relation is discovered between the damage by this voltage

Topotactic synthesis of strontium cobalt oxyhydride thin film with perovskite structure

Science.gov (United States)

Katayama, Tsukasa; Chikamatsu, Akira; Kamisaka, Hideyuki; Yokoyama, Yuichi; Hirata, Yasuyuki; Wadati, Hiroki; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2015-10-01

The substitution of hydride anions (H-) into transition metal oxides has recently become possible through topotactic reactions or high-pressure synthesis methods. However, the fabrication of oxyhydrides is still difficult because of their inherently less-stable frameworks. In this study, we successfully fabricated perovskite SrCoOxHy thin films via the topotactic hydride doping of brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 epitaxial thin films with CaH2. The perovskite-type cation framework was maintained during the topotactic treatment owing to epitaxial stabilization. Structural and chemical analyses accompanied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed that the doped hydride ions form a two-dimensional network of Co-H--Co bonds, in contrast to other reported perovskite oxyhydrides, SrMO3-xHx (M = Cr, Ti, V). The SrCoOxHy thin film exhibited insulating behavior and had a direct band gap of 2.1 eV. Thus, topotactic hydride doping of transition-metal-oxide thin films on suitable substrates is a promising method for the synthesis of new transition metal oxyhydrides.

Topotactic synthesis of strontium cobalt oxyhydride thin film with perovskite structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsukasa Katayama

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The substitution of hydride anions (H− into transition metal oxides has recently become possible through topotactic reactions or high-pressure synthesis methods. However, the fabrication of oxyhydrides is still difficult because of their inherently less-stable frameworks. In this study, we successfully fabricated perovskite SrCoOxHy thin films via the topotactic hydride doping of brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 epitaxial thin films with CaH2. The perovskite-type cation framework was maintained during the topotactic treatment owing to epitaxial stabilization. Structural and chemical analyses accompanied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed that the doped hydride ions form a two-dimensional network of Co-H−-Co bonds, in contrast to other reported perovskite oxyhydrides, SrMO3−xHx (M = Cr, Ti, V. The SrCoOxHy thin film exhibited insulating behavior and had a direct band gap of 2.1 eV. Thus, topotactic hydride doping of transition-metal-oxide thin films on suitable substrates is a promising method for the synthesis of new transition metal oxyhydrides.

Ca-site substitution induced a metal-insulator transition in manganite CaMnO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sousa, D.; Nunes, M.R.; Silveira, C.; Matos, I.; Lopes, A.B.; Melo Jorge, M.E.

2008-01-01

A systematic study of the A-site doping in Mn(IV)-rich perovskite manganites Ca 1-x Ho x MnO 3 , over a large homogeneity range (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.4), has been performed. A significant increase in the lattice parameters indicated the presence of mixed valence state of Mn: Mn 3+ and Mn 4+ . The substitution of calcium by holmium also induces strong changes in the electrical properties. We found that small Ho concentration produces an important decrease in the electrical resistivity and induces an electrical transition, the temperature corresponding to the metal-insulator transition (T MI ) shifts with the holmium content. This electrical behavior is attributed to the Mn 3+ ions content and a charge order effect

Large-Grain Tin-Rich Perovskite Films for Efficient Solar Cells via Metal Alloying Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavakoli, Mohammad Mahdi; Zakeeruddin, Shaik Mohammed; Grätzel, Michael; Fan, Zhiyong

2018-03-01

Fast research progress on lead halide perovskite solar cells has been achieved in the past a few years. However, the presence of lead (Pb) in perovskite composition as a toxic element still remains a major issue for large-scale deployment. In this work, a novel and facile technique is presented to fabricate tin (Sn)-rich perovskite film using metal precursors and an alloying technique. Herein, the perovskite films are formed as a result of the reaction between Sn/Pb binary alloy metal precursors and methylammonium iodide (MAI) vapor in a chemical vapor deposition process carried out at 185 °C. It is found that in this approach the Pb/Sn precursors are first converted to (Pb/Sn)I 2 and further reaction with MAI vapor leads to the formation of perovskite films. By using Pb-Sn eutectic alloy, perovskite films with large grain sizes up to 5 µm can be grown directly from liquid phase metal. Consequently, using an alloying technique and this unique growth mechanism, a less-toxic and efficient perovskite solar cell with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.04% is demonstrated, while pure Sn and Pb perovskite solar cells prepared in this manner yield PCEs of 4.62% and 14.21%, respectively. It is found that this alloying technique can open up a new direction to further explore different alloy systems (binary or ternary alloys) with even lower melting point. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Spin-exchange interaction between transition metals and metalloids in soft-ferromagnetic metallic glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Santanu; Choudhary, Kamal; Chernatynskiy, Aleksandr; Choi Yim, Haein; Bandyopadhyay, Asis K.; Mukherjee, Sundeep

2016-06-01

High-performance magnetic materials have immense industrial and scientific importance in wide-ranging electronic, electromechanical, and medical device technologies. Metallic glasses with a fully amorphous structure are particularly suited for advanced soft-magnetic applications. However, fundamental scientific understanding is lacking for the spin-exchange interaction between metal and metalloid atoms, which typically constitute a metallic glass. Using an integrated experimental and molecular dynamics approach, we demonstrate the mechanism of electron interaction between transition metals and metalloids. Spin-exchange interactions were investigated for a Fe-Co metallic glass system of composition [(Co1-x Fe x )0.75B0.2Si0.05]96Cr4. The saturation magnetization increased with higher Fe concentration, but the trend significantly deviated from simple rule of mixtures. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation was used to identify the ferromagnetic/anti-ferromagnetic interaction between the transition metals and metalloids. The overlapping band-structure and density of states represent ‘Stoner type’ magnetization for the amorphous alloys in contrast to ‘Heisenberg type’ in crystalline iron. The enhancement of magnetization by increasing iron was attributed to the interaction between Fe 3d and B 2p bands, which was further validated by valence-band study.

Plasma damage in floating metal-insulator-metal capacitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ackaert, Jan; Wang, Zhichun; De Backer, E.; Coppens, P.

2002-01-01

In this paper, charging induced damage (CID) to metal-insulator-metal capacitors (MIMCs), is reported. CID does not necessarily lead to direct yield loss, but may also induce latent damage leading to reliability losses. The damage is caused by the build up of a voltage potential difference between

Plasma Damage in Floating Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ackaert, Jan; Wang, Zhichun; Backer, E.; Coppens, P.

2001-01-01

In this paper, charging induced damage (CID) to metal-insulator-metal capacitors (MIMCs), is reported. CID does not necessarily lead to direct yield loss, but may also induce latent damage leading to reliability losses. The damage is caused by the build up of a voltage potential difference between

Spin-transfer torque generated by a topological insulator

KAUST Repository

Mellnik, A. R.

2014-07-23

Magnetic devices are a leading contender for the implementation of memory and logic technologies that are non-volatile, that can scale to high density and high speed, and that do not wear out. However, widespread application of magnetic memory and logic devices will require the development of efficient mechanisms for reorienting their magnetization using the least possible current and power. There has been considerable recent progress in this effort; in particular, it has been discovered that spin-orbit interactions in heavy-metal/ferromagnet bilayers can produce strong current-driven torques on the magnetic layer, via the spin Hall effect in the heavy metal or the Rashba-Edelstein effect in the ferromagnet. In the search for materials to provide even more efficient spin-orbit-induced torques, some proposals have suggested topological insulators, which possess a surface state in which the effects of spin-orbit coupling are maximal in the sense that an electron\\' s spin orientation is fixed relative to its propagation direction. Here we report experiments showing that charge current flowing in-plane in a thin film of the topological insulator bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) at room temperature can indeed exert a strong spin-transfer torque on an adjacent ferromagnetic permalloy (Ni81Fe19) thin film, with a direction consistent with that expected from the topological surface state. We find that the strength of the torque per unit charge current density in Bi 2Se3 is greater than for any source of spin-transfer torque measured so far, even for non-ideal topological insulator films in which the surface states coexist with bulk conduction. Our data suggest that topological insulators could enable very efficient electrical manipulation of magnetic materials at room temperature, for memory and logic applications. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Ion beam induced effects on the ferromagnetism in Pd nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulriya, P. K.; Mehta, B. R.; Agarwal, D. C.; Agarwal, Kanika; Kumar, Praveen; Shivaprasad, S. M.; Avasthi, D. K.

2012-01-01

Present study demonstrates the role of metal-insulator interface and ion irradiation induced defects on the ferromagnetic properties of the non-magnetic materials. Magnetic properties of the Pd nanoparticles(NPs) embedded in the a-silica matrix synthesized using atom beam sputtering technique, were determined using SQUID magnetometry measurements which showed that ferromagnetic response of Pd increased by 3.5 times on swift heavy ion(SHI) irradiation. The ferromagnetic behavior of the as-deposited Pd NPs is due to strain induced by the surrounding matrix and modification in the electronic structure at the Pd-silica interface as revealed by insitu XRD and XPS investigations, respectively. The defects created by the SHI bombardment are responsible for enhancement of the magnetization in the Pd NPs.

Influence of hole transport material/metal contact interface on perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Lei; Zhang, Shude; Yang, Songwang; Li, Xiaomin; Yu, Yu; Wei, Qingzhu; Ni, Zhichun; Li, Ming

2018-06-01

Interfaces have a significant impact on the performance of perovskite solar cells. This work investigated the influence of hole transport material/metal contact interface on photovoltaic behaviours of perovskite solar devices. Different hole material/metal contact interfaces were obtained by depositing the metal under different conditions. High incident kinetic energy metal particles were proved to penetrate and embed into the hole transport material. These isolated metal particles in hole transport materials capture holes and increase the apparent carrier transport resistance of the hole transport layer. Sample temperature was found to be of great significance in metal deposition. Since metal vapour has a high temperature, the deposition process accumulated a large amount of heat. The heat evaporated the additives in the hole transport layer and decreased the hole conductivity. On the other hand, high temperature may cause iodization of the metal contact.

Ultrastable Photoelectrodes for Solar Water Splitting Based on Organic Metal Halide Perovskite Fabricated by Lift-Off Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, SeongSik; Mai, Cuc Thi Kim; Oh, Ilwhan

2018-05-02

Herein, we report an integrated photoelectrolysis of water employing organic metal halide (OMH) perovskite material. As generic OMH perovskite material and device architecture are highly susceptible to degradation by aqueous electrolytes, we have developed a versatile mold-cast and lift-off process to fabricate and assemble multipurpose metal encapsulation onto perovskite devices. With the metal encapsulation effectively protecting the perovskite cell and also functioning as electrocatalyst, the high-performance perovskite photoelectrodes exhibit high photovoltage and photocurrent that are effectively inherited from the original solid-state solar cell. More importantly, thus-fabricated perovskite photoelectrode demonstrates record-long unprecedented stability even at highly oxidizing potential in strong alkaline electrolyte. We expect that this versatile lift-off process can be adapted in a wide variety of photoelectrochemical devices to protect the material surfaces from corroding electrolyte and facilitate various electrochemical reactions.

Metallic insulation transport and strainer clogging tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyvaerinen, J.; Hongisto, O.

1994-06-01

Experiments to probe the transport and clogging properties of metallic (metal reflective) insulation have been carried out in order to provide data for evaluation of their influence on the emergency core cooling and containment spray systems of the Finnish boiling water reactors in the event of a design basis accident. The specific metallic insulation tested was DARMET, provided by Darchem Engineering Ltd. The inner foils of Darmet are dimped. Available literature on the metallic insulation performance under design basis accident conditions has been reviewed. On the basis of the review a parametric approach has been chosen for the transport and clogging experiments. This approach involves testing a wide size range of various shapes of foil pieces. Five sets of experiments have been carried out. The first three sets investigate transport properties of the foil pieces, starting from sedimentation in stagnant waste pool and proceeding to transport in horizontal and vertically circulating flows. The clogging experiments have been addressed the differential pressures obtained due to accumulation of both pure and metallic and a mixture of metallic and fibrous (mineral wool) depris. (4 refs., 24 figs., 2 tabs.)

Strong coupling between localized 5f moments and itinerant quasiparticles in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe2

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wen; Liu, Yi; Wang, Xiaoying; Zhang, Yun; Xie, Donghua

2018-03-01

The heavy fermion physics arises from the complex interplay of nearly localized 4f/5f electrons and itinerant band-like ones, yielding heavy quasiparticles with an effective mass about 100 times (or more) of the bare electrons. Recently, experimental and theoretical investigations point out a localized and delocalized dual nature in actinide compounds, where itinerant quasiparticles account for the unconventional superconductivity in the vicinity of a magnetic instability. Here we report the strong coupling between localized 5f moments and itinerant quasiparticles in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe2. The coupling is nearly antiferromagnetic. As embedded in the ferromagnetic matrix of localized 5f moments below {T}{{C}}≈ 52 {{K}}, this coupling leads to short-range dynamic correlations of heavy quasiparticles, characterized by fluctuations of magnetic clusters. Those cluster-like spins of itinerant quasiparticles show a broad hump of magnetization at {T}X≈ 28 {{K}}, which is typical for the spin-glass freezing. Thus, our results present the direct observation of itinerant quasiparticles coexisting with localized 5f moments by conventional magnetic measurements, providing a new route into the coexistence between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in heavy fermion systems. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11404297), the Science Challenge Project (Grant No. TZ2016004), and the Science and Technology Foundation of China Academy of Engineering Physics (Grant Nos. 2013B0301050 and 2014A0301013).

Metal-organic frameworks at interfaces of hybrid perovskite solar cells for enhanced photovoltaic properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Deli; Pang, Aiying; Li, Yafeng; Dou, Jie; Wei, Mingdeng

2018-01-31

In this study, metal-organic frameworks, as an interfacial layer, were introduced into perovskite solar cells (PSCs) for the first time. An interface modified with the metal-organic framework ZIF-8 efficiently enhanced perovskite crystallinity and grain sizes, and the photovoltaic performance of the PSCs was significantly improved, resulting in a maximum PCE of 16.99%.

Ferromagnetic Peierls insulator state in A Mg4Mn6O15(A =K ,Rb ,Cs )

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, T.; Sugimoto, K.; Ohta, Y.; Tanaka, Y.; Sato, H.

2018-04-01

Using the density-functional-theory-based electronic structure calculations, we study the electronic state of recently discovered mixed-valent manganese oxides A Mg4Mn6O15(A =K ,Rb ,Cs ) , which are fully spin-polarized ferromagnetic insulators with a cubic crystal structure. We show that the system may be described as a three-dimensional arrangement of the one-dimensional chains of a 2 p orbital of O and a 3 d orbital of Mn running along the three axes of the cubic lattice. We thereby argue that in the ground state the chains are fully spin polarized due to the double-exchange mechanism and are distorted by the Peierls mechanism to make the system insulating.

The role of Co impurities and oxygen vacancies in the ferromagnetism of Co-doped SnO2: GGA and GGA+U studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hongxia; Yan Yu; Mohammed, Y. Sh.; Du Xiaobo; Li Kai; Jin Hanmin

2009-01-01

The electronic structure and ferromagnetic stability of Co-doped SnO 2 are studied using the first-principle density functional method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U schemes. The addition of effective U Co transforms the ground state of Co-doped SnO 2 to insulating from half-metallic and the coupling between the nearest neighbor Co spins to weak antimagnetic from strong ferromagnetic. GGA+U Co calculations show that the pure substitutional Co defects in SnO 2 cannot induce the ferromagnetism. Oxygen vacancies tend to locate near Co atoms. Their presence increases the magnetic moment of Co and induces the ferromagnetic coupling between two Co spins with large Co-Co distance. The calculated density of state and spin density distribution calculated by GGA+U Co show that the long-range ferromagnetic coupling between two Co spins is mediated by spin-split impurity band induced by oxygen vacancies. More charge transfer from impurity to Co-3d states and larger spin split of Co-3d and impurity states induced by the addition of U Co enhance the ferromagnetic stability of the system with oxygen vacancies. By applying a Coulomb U O on O 2 s orbital, the band gap is corrected for all calculations and the conclusions derived from GGA+U Co calculations are not changed by the correction of band gap.

Strong-coupling interaction in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, D.K.

1991-01-01

Extensive experimental and theoretical work have been done to understand the mechanisms of superconductivity. Until 1986 when Bednorz and Muller discovered superconductivity in the copper oxide perovskite, the principal mechanism was found to be electron-phonon interaction and the characteristics of superconductivity vary depending on the strength of the electron-phonon interaction and the electronic structure. The essential characteristic of these conventional superconductors could be divided into two groups: wide band metals with low density of states N(E F ) at the Fermi energy E F and a rather weak electron-phonon coupling V obeying the universal characteristics of the BCS theory and narrow d band metals, compounds, and alloys with high values of N(E F ), electron-phonon coupling V and non negligible Coulomb interaction between the electrons. In this paper a short summary and the important results of these theories are discussed. The inherent limitations of these theories based on electron-phonon interaction will be discussed. The authors indicate the major characteristics of the new superconductors. These characteristics are difficult to explain on the basis of either the conventional electron-phonon theory or theories based on magnetic interactions alone

Hole-doping effects on the magnetic properties of the La4Ba2Cu2O10 ferromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuno, F.; Masuda, H.; Hirabayashi, I.; Tanaka, S.; Mochiku, T.; Asano, H.; Izumi, F.

1992-01-01

Hole-doping effects by Ba substitution for La in La 4-x Ba 2+x Cu 2 O 10 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) have been studied to explore the possibilities of its metal-insulator transition and superconductivity. We have not detected any symptoms for metal-insulator transition, but found certain evidence for the hole-doping effect. We observed the dilution effect of Cu 2+ spin by non-magnetic Cu 3+ on the ferromagnetic transition temperature and the reduction of effective magnetic moment. (orig.)

Development of insulating coatings for liquid metal blankets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malang, S.; Borgstedt, H.U.; Farnum, E.H.; Natesan, K.; Vitkovski, I.V.

1994-07-01

It is shown that self-cooled liquid metal blankets are feasible only with electrically insulating coatings at the duct walls. The requirements on the insulation properties are estimated by simple analytical models. Candidate insulator materials are selected based on insulating properties and thermodynamic consideration. Different fabrication technologies for insulating coatings are described. The status of the knowledge on the most crucial feasibility issue, the degradation of the resisivity under irradiation, is reviewed

Magnetic Weyl Semimetal in Quasi Two-dimensional Half Metallic Co$_3$Sn$_2$Se$_2$

OpenAIRE

Xu, Qiunan; Liu, Enke; Shi, Wujun; Muechler, Lukas; Felser, Claudia; Sun, Yan

2017-01-01

We have found a ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal (WSM) in half metallic Co$_3$Sn$_2$Se$_2$. The three pairs of Weyl points near Fermi level (E$_F$) are derived from nodal lines gapped by spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Though the Weyl points are 0.11 eV above the charge neutral point, Fermi arc related states in the cleaved surface can range from E$_F$ -0.15 to E$_F$ +0.11 eV in energy space, due to the surface bands dispersion. Hence, Weyl points related physics should be detected by surface measurem...

Effect of interfacial defects on the electronic and magnetic properties of epitaxial CrAs/InAs and CrAs/CdSe half-metallic multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galanakis, I.; Lekkas, I.

2010-01-01

We present an extended study of single impurity atoms at the interface between the half-metallic ferromagnetic zinc-blende CrAs compound and the zinc-blende binary InAs and CdSe semiconductors in the form of very thin multilayers. Contrary to the case of impurities in the perfect bulk CrAs studied in Galanakis and Pouliasis [J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 321 (2009) 1084] defects at the interfaces do not alter in general the half-metallic character of the perfect systems. The only exception are Void impurities at Cr or In(Cd) sites which lead, due to the lower-dimensionality of the interfaces with respect to the bulk CrAs, to a shift of the p bands of the nearest neighboring As(Se) atom to higher energies and thus to the loss of the half-metallicity. But Void impurities are Schottky-type and should exhibit high formation energies and thus we expect the interfaces in the case of thin multilayers to exhibit a robust half-metallic character.

Excitonic metal-insulator phase transition of the Mott type in compressed calcium

Science.gov (United States)

Voronkova, T. O.; Sarry, A. M.; Sarry, M. F.; Skidan, S. G.

2017-05-01

It has been experimentally found that, under the static compression of a calcium crystal at room temperature, it undergoes a series of structural phase transitions: face-centered cubic lattice → body-centered cubic lattice → simple cubic lattice. It has been decided to investigate precisely the simple cubic lattice (because it is an alternative lattice) with the aim of elucidating the possibility of the existence of other (nonstructural) phase transitions in it by using for this purpose the Hubbard model for electrons with half-filled ns-bands and preliminarily transforming the initial electronic system into an electron-hole system by means of the known Shiba operators (applicable only to alternative lattices). This transformation leads to the fact that, in the new system of fermions, instead of the former repulsion, there is an attraction between electrons and holes. Elementary excitations of this new system are bound boson pairs—excitons. This system of fermions has been quantitatively analyzed by jointly using the equation-of-motion method and the direct algebraic method. The numerical integration of the analytically exact transcendental equations derived from the first principles for alternative (one-, two-, and three-dimensional) lattices has demonstrated that, in systems of two-species (electrons + hole) fermions, temperature-induced metal-insulator phase transitions of the Mott type are actually possible. Moreover, all these crystals are in fact excitonic insulators. This conclusion is in complete agreement with the analytically exact calculations of the ground state of a one-dimensional crystal (with half-filled bands), which were performed by Lieb and Wu with the aim to find out the Mott insulator-metal transition of another type.

Quasiparticle Green's function theory of the Josephson effect in chiral p-wave superconductor/diffusive normal metal/chiral p-wave superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sawa, Y.; Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2007-01-01

We study the Josephson effect in chiral p-wave superconductor/diffusive normal metal (DN)/chiral p-wave superconductor (CP/DN/CP) junctions using quasiclassical Green's function formalism with proper boundary conditions. The px+ipy-wave symmetry of superconducting order parameter is chosen which is

Non-magnetic compensation in ferromagnetic Ga1-xMnxAs and Ga1-xMnxP synthesized by ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scarpulla, M.A.; Stone, P.R.; Sharp, I.D.; Haller, E.E.; Dubon, O.D.; Beeman, J.W.; Yu, K.M.

2008-02-05

The electronic and magnetic effects of intentional compensation with non-magnetic donors are investigated in the ferromagnetic semiconductors Ga1-xMnxAs and Ga1-xMnxP synthesized using ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting (II-PLM). It is demonstrated that compensation with non-magnetic donors and MnI have similarqualitative effects on materials properties. With compensation TC decreases, resistivity increases, and stronger magnetoresistance and anomalous Hall effect attributed to skew scattering are observed. Ga1-xMnxAs can be controllably compensated with Te through a metal-insulator transition through which the magnetic and electrical properties vary continuously. The resistivity of insulating Ga1-xMnxAs:Te can be described by thermal activation to the mobility edge and simply-activated hopping transport. Ga1-xMnxP doped with S is insulating at all compositions but shows decreasing TC with compensation. The existence of a ferromagnetic insulating state in Ga1-xMnxAs:Te and Ga1-xMnxP:S having TCs of the same order as the uncompensated materials demonstrates that localized holes are effective at mediating ferromagnetism in ferromagnetic semiconductors through the percolation of ferromagnetic 'puddles' which at low temperatures.

Topotactic synthesis of strontium cobalt oxyhydride thin film with perovskite structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katayama, Tsukasa [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Chikamatsu, Akira, E-mail: chikamatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Kamisaka, Hideyuki [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Yokoyama, Yuichi; Hirata, Yasuyuki; Wadati, Hiroki [Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8581 (Japan); Fukumura, Tomoteru [CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8578 (Japan); Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan)

2015-10-15

The substitution of hydride anions (H{sup −}) into transition metal oxides has recently become possible through topotactic reactions or high-pressure synthesis methods. However, the fabrication of oxyhydrides is still difficult because of their inherently less-stable frameworks. In this study, we successfully fabricated perovskite SrCoO{sub x}H{sub y} thin films via the topotactic hydride doping of brownmillerite SrCoO{sub 2.5} epitaxial thin films with CaH{sub 2}. The perovskite-type cation framework was maintained during the topotactic treatment owing to epitaxial stabilization. Structural and chemical analyses accompanied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed that the doped hydride ions form a two-dimensional network of Co-H{sup −}-Co bonds, in contrast to other reported perovskite oxyhydrides, SrMO{sub 3−x}H{sub x} (M = Cr, Ti, V). The SrCoO{sub x}H{sub y} thin film exhibited insulating behavior and had a direct band gap of 2.1 eV. Thus, topotactic hydride doping of transition-metal-oxide thin films on suitable substrates is a promising method for the synthesis of new transition metal oxyhydrides.

Self-assembled monolayers on metal oxides : applications in nanotechnology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yildirim, O.

2010-01-01

The thesis describes the use of phosph(on)ate-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to modify and pattern metal oxides. Metal oxides have interesting electronic and magnetic properties such as insulating, semiconducting, metallic, ferromagnetic etc. and SAMs can tailor the surface properties. FePt

EDITORIAL: The electromagnetic properties of iron-based superconductors The electromagnetic properties of iron-based superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Prozorov, Ruslan; Gurevich, Alex; Luke, Graeme

2010-05-01

Iron-based superconductors, discovered just a few years ago, are members of a diverse family of pnictides and chalcogenides which may potentially contain hundreds of superconducting compounds. The unconventional, multiband superconductivity in these materials most likely emerges from the quintessential magnetic Fe ions. Along with many similarities to the high-Tc cuprates, the proximity of antiferromagnetism to superconductivity in these semi-metallic materials has attracted much attention. The massive effort aimed at understanding superconductivity in the high-Tc cuprates has stimulated the development of numerous state-of-the-art experimental techniques, improved crystal growth methods and a variety of new theoretical insights. These tools and models were already available and readily applied to the new iron-based superconductors for which lots of high quality new results are being reported literally every day. The current special section represents only a snapshot of these extensive studies performed in the second half of 2009, less than two years after the discovery of 26 K superconductivity in the LaFeAsO compound. The range of various experiments is impressive and this issue is mostly focused on the electromagnetic properties of these iron-based materials. The electromagnetic response is sensitive to the microscopic electronic behavior and therefore can be used to probe the mechanism of superconductivity. On the other hand, it is the electromagnetic response that determines many possible applications of these superconductors, particularly given their extremely high upper critical fields. At this point it is already quite clear that the iron-based superconductors cannot unambiguously fit into any known type of superconductor class and have been placed in one of their own. The metallic ground state of the parent compounds is different from the insulating state of the cuprates and generally exhibits a lower electromagnetic anisotropy. However, similar to the

Scattering of polarized low-energy electrons by ferromagnetic metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helman, J.S.

1981-01-01

A source of spin polarized electrons with remarkable characteristics based on negative electron affinity (NEA) GaAs has recently been developed. It constitutes a unique tool to investigate spin dependent interactions in electron scattering processes. The characteristics and working principles of the source are briefly described. Some theoretical aspects of the scattering of polarized low-energy electrons by ferromagnetic metals are discussed. Finally, the results of the first polarized low-energy electron diffraction experiment using the NEA GaAs source are reviewed; they give information about the surface magnetization of ferromagnetic Ni (110). (Author) [pt

Highly Efficient Light-Emitting Diodes of Colloidal Metal-Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals beyond Quantum Size.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Hoon; Wolf, Christoph; Kim, Young-Tae; Cho, Himchan; Kwon, Woosung; Do, Sungan; Sadhanala, Aditya; Park, Chan Gyung; Rhee, Shi-Woo; Im, Sang Hyuk; Friend, Richard H; Lee, Tae-Woo

2017-07-25

Colloidal metal-halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with a dimension less than the exciton Bohr diameter D B (quantum size regime) emerged as promising light emitters due to their spectrally narrow light, facile color tuning, and high photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE). However, their size-sensitive emission wavelength and color purity and low electroluminescence efficiency are still challenging aspects. Here, we demonstrate highly efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on the colloidal perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) in a dimension > D B (regime beyond quantum size) by using a multifunctional buffer hole injection layer (Buf-HIL). The perovskite NCs with a dimension greater than D B show a size-irrespective high color purity and PLQE by managing the recombination of excitons occurring at surface traps and inside the NCs. The Buf-HIL composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and perfluorinated ionomer induces uniform perovskite particle films with complete film coverage and prevents exciton quenching at the PEDOT:PSS/perovskite particle film interface. With these strategies, we achieved a very high PLQE (∼60.5%) in compact perovskite particle films without any complex post-treatments and multilayers and a high current efficiency of 15.5 cd/A in the LEDs of colloidal perovskite NCs, even in a simplified structure, which is the highest efficiency to date in green LEDs that use colloidal organic-inorganic metal-halide perovskite nanoparticles including perovskite QDs and NCs. These results can help to guide development of various light-emitting optoelectronic applications based on perovskite NCs.

Perovskite-Ni composite: a potential route for management of radioactive metallic waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahadik, Pooja Sawant; Sengupta, Pranesh; Halder, Rumu; Abraham, G; Dey, G K

2015-04-28

Management of nickel - based radioactive metallic wastes is a difficult issue. To arrest the release of hazardous material to the environment it is proposed to develop perovskite coating for the metallic wastes. Polycrystalline BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ perovskite with orthorhombic structure has been synthesized by sol-gel route. Crystallographic analyses show, the perovskite belong to orthorhombic Pmcn space group at room temperature, and gets converted to orthorhombic Incn space group at 623K, cubic Pm3m space group (with a=4.434Å) at 1173K and again orthorhombic Pmcn space group at room temperature after cooling. Similar observations have been made from micro-Raman study as well. Microstructural studies of BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ-NiO/Ni composites showed absence of any reaction product at the interface. This suggests that both the components (i.e. perovskite and NiO/Ni) of the composite are compatible to each other. Interaction of BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ-NiO/Ni composites with simulated barium borosilicate waste glass melt also did not reveal any reaction product at the interfaces. Importantly, uranium from the waste glass melt was found to be partitioned within BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ perovskite structure. It is therefore concluded that BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ can be considered as a good coating material for management of radioactive Ni based metallic wastes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanostructured Anodic Multilayer Dielectric Stacked Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Karthik, R; Kannadassan, D; Baghini, Maryam Shojaei; Mallick, P S

2015-12-01

This paper presents the fabrication of Al2O3/TiO2/Al2O3 metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor using anodization technique. High capacitance density of > 3.5 fF/μm2, low quadratic voltage coefficient of capacitance of dielectric stack required for high performance MIM capacitor.

An active homopolar magnetic bearing with high temperature superconductor (HTS) coils and ferromagnetic cores

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, G. V.; Dirusso, E.; Provenza, A. J.

1995-01-01

A proof-of-feasibility demonstration showed that high temperature superconductor (HTS) coils can be used in a high-load, active magnetic bearing in liquid nitrogen. A homopolar radial bearing with commercially wound HTS (Bi 2223) bias and control coils produced over 200 lb (890 N) radial load capacity (measured non-rotating) and supported a shaft to 14000 rpm. The goal was to show that HTS coils can operate stably with ferromagnetic cores in a feedback controlled system at a current density similar to that in Cu in liquid nitrogen. Design compromises permitted use of circular coils with rectangular cross section. Conductor improvements will eventually permit coil shape optimization, higher current density and higher bearing load capacity. The bias coil, wound with non-twisted, multifilament HTS conductor, required negligible power to carry its direct current. The control coils were wound with monofilament HTS sheathed in Ag. These dissipated negligible power for direct current (i.e. for steady radial load components). When an alternating current (AC) was added, the AC component dissipated power which increased rapidly with frequency and quadratically with AC amplitude. In fact at frequencies above about 2 hz, the effective resistance of the control coil conductor actually exceeds that of the silver which is in electrical parallel with the oxide superconductor. This is at least qualitatively understandable in the context of a Bean-type model of flux and current penetration into a Type II superconductor. Fortunately the dynamic currents required for bearing stability are of small amplitude. These results show that while twisted multifilament conductor is not needed for stable levitation, twisted multifilaments will be required to reduce control power for sizable dynamic loads, such as those due to unbalance.

Curtailing Perovskite Processing Limitations via Lamination at the Perovskite/Perovskite Interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Hest, Marinus F [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Moore, David [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Klein, Talysa [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Christians, Jeffrey A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Beard, Matthew C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Berry, Joseph J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dunfield, Sean P. [University of Colorado; Fabian, David M. [University of California Irvine; Dixon, Alex G. [University of Colorado; Dou, Benjia [University of Colorado; Ardo, Shane [University of California Irvine; Shaheen, Sean E. [University of Colorado

2018-04-24

Standard layer-by-layer solution processing methods constrain lead-halide perovskite device architectures. The layer below the perovskite must be robust to the strong organic solvents used to form the perovskite while the layer above has a limited thermal budget and must be processed in nonpolar solvents to prevent perovskite degradation. To circumvent these limitations, we developed a procedure where two transparent conductive oxide/transport material/perovskite half stacks are independently fabricated and then laminated together at the perovskite/perovskite interface. Using ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, external quantum efficiency, X-ray diffraction, and time-resolved photoluminesence spectroscopy, we show that this procedure improves photovoltaic properties of the perovskite layer. Applying this procedure, semitransparent devices employing two high-temperature oxide transport layers were fabricated, which realized an average efficiency of 9.6% (maximum: 10.6%) despite series resistance limitations from the substrate design. Overall, the developed lamination procedure curtails processing constraints, enables new device designs, and affords new opportunities for optimization.

First-principles study of half-metallic properties in RbCaNZ (Z = O, S, and Se) quaternary Heusler compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaei, S.; Ahmadian, F.

2018-06-01

On the basis of first principles calculations, the electronic structures and magnetic properties of quaternary Heusler alloys RbCaNZ (Z = O, S, and Se) were studied. The negative formation energies indicated that all these compounds were thermodynamically stable and thus may be experimentally synthesized at appropriate conditions in the future. The results showed that YI structure was the most favorable configuration among the three possible structures. All compounds were found to be half-metallic ferromagnets. The characteristic of energy bands and origin of half-metallicity were also verified. The total magnetic moments of RbCaNZ (Z = O, S, and Se) compounds were obtained 2μB per formula unit, which were in an agreement with Slater-Pauling rule (Mtot = 12 - Ztot). Half-metallicity was preserved at ranges of 5.06-8.36 Å, 5.96-8.81 Å, and 6.13-8.73 Å for RbCaNO, RbCaNS, and RbCaNSe compounds, respectively, which show that these quaternary Heusler compounds may be potential candidates in spintronic applications.

Ferromagnetism in the two-dimensional periodic Anderson model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batista, C. D.; Bonca, J.; Gubernatis, J. E.

2001-01-01

Using the constrained-path Monte Carlo method, we studied the magnetic properties of the two-dimensional periodic Anderson model for electron fillings between 1/4 and 1/2. We also derived two effective low-energy theories to assist in interpreting the numerical results. For 1/4 filling, we found that the system can be a Mott or a charge-transfer insulator, depending on the relative values of the Coulomb interaction and the charge-transfer gap between the two noninteracting bands. The insulator may be a paramagnet or antiferromagnet. We concentrated on the effect of electron doping on these insulating phases. Upon doping we obtained a partially saturated ferromagnetic phase for low concentrations of conduction electrons. If the system were a charge-transfer insulator, we would find that the ferromagnetism is induced by the well-known Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction. However, we found a novel correlated hopping mechanism inducing the ferromagnetism in the region where the nondoped system is a Mott insulator. Our regions of ferromagnetism spanned a much smaller doping range than suggested by recent slave boson and dynamical mean-field theory calculations, but they were consistent with that obtained by density-matrix renormalization group calculations of the one-dimensional periodic Anderson model

Giant magneto resistance and temperature coefficient of resistance in Sm0.55Sr0.30Ag0.15MnO3 perovskite

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Masroor Ahmad Bhat

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Silver ions substituted samarium strontium manganite (Sm0.55Sr0.30Ag0.15MnO3 pervoskite was synthesized by using respective oxides in stoichiometric ratio through solid state reaction. The as-prepared sample was characterized by various analytical techniques to confirm its formation and understand the effect of monovalent silver ions in pervoskite lattice. X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the single phase formation while grain morphology in SEM image indicates good connectivity among the grains. The enhancement in metal to insulator transition temperature shows quenched disorder and magnetoresistance phenomena. The magnetoresistance (MR and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR emerge from grain growth factor and homogeneity induced by Ag+ ions in the lattice. The reduction in hysteresis loss resulted from antiferromagnetic - ferromagnetic (TN and ferromagnetic - paramagnetic (Tc transitions reveals the removal of disorder in perovskite lattice by Ag+ ions substitution. This increases the magnetic moment across distinct ions on the applying magnetic field. The rise in MR% (~99% with silver doping emerging from smooth spin tunneling of the grains across the boundary and suppression of the disordered magnetic fluctuations with increase in magnetic field has been reported. The present compound exhibits the first order nature of magnetism and observed first time the highest value of TCR ~ 95%.

Mechanisms of spin-flipping and metal-insulator transition in nano-Fe3O4

Science.gov (United States)

Dito Fauzi, Angga; Aziz Majidi, Muhammad; Rusydi, Andrivo

2017-04-01

Fe3O4 is a half-metallic ferrimagnet with {{T}\\text{C}}˜ 860 K exhibiting metal-insulator transition (MIT) at  ˜120 K. In bulk form, the saturation magnetization is 0.6 Tesla (˜471 emu cm-3). A recent experimental study has shown that the saturation magnetization of nano-Fe3O4 thin films can achieve up to  ˜760 emu cm-3, attributed to spin-flipping of Fe ions at tetrahedral sites assisted by oxygen vacancies (V O). Such a system has shown to have higher MIT temperature (˜150 K). The spin-flipping is a new phenomenon in Fe3O4, while the MIT is a long-standing one. Here, we propose a model and calculations to investigate the mechanisms of both phenomena. Our results show that, for the system without V O, the ferrimagnetic configuration is energetically favorable. Remakably, upon inclusion of V O, the ground-state configuration switches into ferromagnetic. As for the MIT, by proposing temperature dependences of some hopping integrals in the model, we demonstrate that the system without and with V O undergo the MIT in slightly different ways, leading to higher MIT temperature for the system with V O, in agreement with the experimental data. Our results also show that the MIT in both systems occur concomitantly with the redistribution of electrons among the three Fe ions in each Fe3O4 formula unit. As such temperature dependences of hopping integrals may arise due to dynamic Jahn-Teller effects, our phenomenological theory may provide a way to reconcile existing theories relating the MIT to the structural transition and the charge ordering.

Superconductor homopolar machines with liquid-metal contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aliyevsky, B.L.; Bazarnov, B.A.; Oktyabrsky, A.M.; Popov, N.N.; Sherstuk, A.G.; Shopen, D.P.

1992-01-01

Alongside with the power increase of Electric Superconductor (SC) Machines including Homopolar Machines (HM) there is a strong need of improving their working characteristics, raising the efficiency, reducing the superconductor consumption. In the paper, the results of investigating the mass, dimensional and energetic properties of SCHM are given which are illustrated by the calculation of homopolar generators in the band of nominal power per unit P n = (2-250) MW at the voltage of 12, 24, 60, 230 V and rotation frequency of 25 and 50 rps. Screened and unscreened HM of a cylindrical type with liquid-metal current collector devices (LCD) and inductor consisting of 2 opposing SC coils mounted in a fixed cryostat inside the rotating armature are investigated

Nuclear orientation of rare earth impurities in ferromagnetic host metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keus, H.E.

1981-01-01

Experiments are described investigating the behaviour of the metals Nd and Lu as impurities in a ferromagnetic host metal - iron, cobalt and nickel. The systems have been studied with the aid of nuclear orientation, making use of the interactions between the atom nuclei and the electrons - the so called hyperfine interactions. (C.F.)

Electron tunneling studies of ultrathin films near the superconductor-to-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valles, J.M. Jr.; Garno, J.P.

1994-01-01

Electron tunneling measurements on ultrathin quench-condensed films near the superconductor-to-insulator (SI) transition reveal that the superconducting state degrades with increasing normal state sheet resistance, R □ , in a manner that depends strongly on film morphology. In homogeneously disordered films, the superconducting energy gap Δ 0 decreases continuously and appears to go to zero at the SI transition. In granular films the transport properties degrade while Δ 0 remains constant. Measurements in the normal state reveal disorder enhanced e - -e - interaction corrections to the density of states. These effects are strong and depend on morphology in a manner that is consistent with their playing an important role in driving the SI transition. (orig.)

The stability and half-metallicity of (001) surface and (001) interface based on zinc blende MnAs

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Hongpei; Feng, Tuanhui; Zhang, Chunli; Feng, Zhibo; Li, Ming; Yao, K. L.

2018-06-01

Motivated by the growth of MnAs/GaAs thin films in many experimental researches, we investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of bulk, (001) surfaces and (001) interfaces for zinc blende MnAs by means of first-principle calculations. It is confirmed that zinc blende MnAs is a nearly half-metallic ferromagnet with 4.00 μB magnetic moment. The calculated density of states show that the half-metallicity exists in As-terminated (001) surface while it is lost in Mn-terminated (001) surface. For the (001) interfaces of MnAs with semiconductor GaAs, it is found that As-Ga and Mn-As interfaces not only have higher spin polarization but also are more stable among the four considered interfaces. Our results would be helpful to grow stable and high polarized thin films or multilayers for the practical applications of spintronic devices.

Reduction of the Jahn-Teller distortion at the insulator-to-metal transition in mixed valence manganites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Munoz, J.L.; Suaaidi, M.; Fontcuberta, J.; Rodriguez-Carvajal, J.

1997-01-01

The insulator-to-metal transition in the manganite La 0.52 Y 0.15 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (T IM ∼115 K) has been studied by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction. The cell volume contraction at the Curie point is accompanied by a remarkable decrease of the Jahn-Teller distortion in MnO 6 octahedra. The change of the Mn-O bond lengths at T IM is anisotropic and brings about a drop out of the basal-plane collective distortion mode Q 2 , proposed to be the deformation responsible for the band split of e g↑ orbitals. This is consistent with the double-exchange picture, and precludes simple ferromagnetic exchange. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society