Change of superconducting character in UTe2induced by magnetic field
K. Kinjo, H. Fujibayashi, S. Kitagawa, K. Ishida, Y. Tokunaga, H. Sakai, S. Kambe, A. Nakamura, Y. Shimizu, Y. Homma, D. X. Li, F. Honda, D. Aoki, K. Hiraki, M. Kimata, T. Sasaki
UTe2 is a recently discovered spin-triplet superconductor. One of the characteristic features of UTe2 is a magnetic field (H)-boosted superconductivity above 16 T when H is applied exactly parallel to the b axis. To date, this superconducting (SC) state has not been thoroughly investigated, and the SC properties as well as the spin state of this high-H SC (HHSC) phase are not well understood. In this study, we performed AC magnetic susceptibility and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements and found that, up to 24.8 T, the HHSC state is intrinsic to UTe2 and quite sensitive to the H angle, and that its SC character is different from that in the low-H SC (LHSC) state. The dominant spin component of the spin-triplet pair is along the a axis in the LHSC state but is changed in the HHSC state along the b axis. Our results indicate that H-induced multiple SC states originate from the remaining spin degrees of freedom.
Phase-sensitive measurements of the superconducting gap in Fe-based superconductors have proven more difficult than originally anticipated. While quasiparticle interference (QPI) measurements based on scanning tunneling spectroscopy are often proposed as defnitive tests of gap structure, the analysis typically relies on details of the model employed. Here we point out that the temperature dependence of momentum-integrated QPI data can be used to identify gap sign changes in a qualitative way, and present an illustration for $s_{\pm}$ and $s_{++}$ states in a system with typical Fe-pnictide Fer…
We study how shear moduli of a correlated metal change across superconducting phase transitions. Using a microscopic theory we explain why for most classes of superconductors this change is small. The Fe-based and the A15 systems are notable exceptions where the change is boosted by five orders of magnitude. We show that this boost is a consequence of enhanced nematic correlation. The theory explains the unusual temperature dependence of the orthorhombic shear and the back-bending of the nematic transition line in the superconducting phase of the Fe-based systems.
Low-temperature (T) heat-capacity measurements under hydrostatic pressure of up to p=2.1 GPa have been performed on single-crystalline CeCu2Si2. A broad superconducting (SC) region exists in the T-p phase diagram. In the low-pressure region antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations and in the high-pressure region valence fluctuations had previously been proposed to mediate Cooper pairing. We could identify these two distinct SC regions. We found different thermodynamic properties of the SC phase in both regions, supporting the proposal that different mechanisms might be implied in the formation of s…
Iron-based superconductor SmFeAsO(0.91)F(0.09) has been investigated by the 57Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy versus temperature with the special attention paid to the region of the superconducting transition at about 47 K. Modulation of the electron charge density was found. It leads to the development of the charge density wave (CDW) and electric field gradient wave (EFGW). The modulation of CDW is enhanced in the temperature region of the superconducting gap opening, while the amplitude of EFGW is partly suppressed within this temperature region. This effect is exactly opposite to the similar ef…
Understanding the magnetic excitations in high-transition temperature (high-$T_c$) copper oxides is important because they may mediate the electron pairing for superconductivity. By determining the wavevector ({\bf Q}) and energy ($\hbarω$) dependence of the magnetic excitations, one can calculate the change in the exchange energy available to the superconducting condensation energy. For the high-$T_c$ superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$, the most prominent feature in the magnetic excitations is the resonance. Although the resonance has been suggested to contribute a major part of the superc…
For the traditional low T_c superconductors, the superconducting condensation energy is proportional to the change in energy of the ionic lattice between the normal and superconducting state, providing a clear link between pairing and the electron-ion interaction. Here, for the t-J model, we discuss an analogous relationship between the superconducting condensation energy and the change in the exchange energy between the normal and superconducting states. We point out the possibility of measuring this using neutron scattering and note that such a measurement, while certainly difficult, could p…
Response functions for spin-density-wave (SDW) and d-wave singlet superconductivity ($d$SC) in quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) electron systems are calculated by a renormalization group technique. It is shown that the response functions for both SDW, $χ_\rs$, and $d$SC, $χ_d$, are enhanced by interchain hopping, $t_\perp$, i.e., by quasi-one dimensionality. When the Fermi surface deviates from perfect nesting, $χ_\rs$ saturates below the energy scale of imperfectness of the nesting, while $χ_d$ is hardly affected. Consequently, the superconducting correlation increases even away from the SDW phase…
We report the observation of two dielectric transitions at 110K and 60K in the microwave response of non-superconducting YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{6.0} crystals. The transitions are characterized by a change in polarizability and presence of loss peaks, associated with overdamped dielectric modes. An explanation is presented in terms of changes in polarizability of the apical O atoms in the Ba-O layer, affected by lattice softening at 110K, due to change in buckling of the Cu-O layer. The onset of another mode at 60K strongly suggests an additional local lattice change at this temperature. Thus microwav…
Two-dimensional electron gases in SrTiO3-based heterostructures provide a platform to study the real-time evolution of the macroscopic state with a variation of the carrier density, and the impact of structural properties on the emergence of the superconducting state. We have explored the isothermal evolution of the electron gas in AlOx/SrTiO3 by measuring the variation of resistance with continuous gate-voltage-controlled tuning of its carrier density. It is seen that condensation of the ordered phase leads to non-monotonic isotherms within the superconducting dome. The timescale for dynamic …
We discuss the possibility that the strain field introduced by the structural supermodulation in Bi-2212 and certain other cuprate materials may modulate the superconducting pairing interaction. We calculate the amplitude of this effect, visible in scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments, and thereby relate a change in the local superconducting gap with the change in the local dopant displacements induced by the supermodulation. In principle, since this modulation is periodic, sufficiently accurate x-ray measurements or ab initio calculations should enable one to determine which atomic dis…
We study the resonating valence bond (RVB) theory of the Hubbard-Heisenberg model on the half-filled anisotropic triangular lattice. Varying the frustration changes the wavevector of maximum spin correlation in the Mott insulating phase. This, in turn, changes the symmetry of the superconducting state, that occurs at the boundary of the Mott insulating phase. We propose that this physics is realised in several families of quasi-two-dimensional organic superconductors.
We study the shift of the the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ in ferromagnetic-superconducting bi-layers and in a superconducting film supplied a square array of ferromagnetic dots. We find that the transition temperature in these two cases change presumably in opposite direction and that its change is not too small. We extend these results to multilayer structures. We predict that rather small external magnetic field $\sim 10$ Oe can change the transition temperature of the bilayer by 10% .
We performed a Laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study on a wide doping range of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (BaK) and precisely determined the doping evolution of the superconducting (SC) gaps in this compound. The gap size of the outer hole Fermi surface (FS) sheet around the Brillioun zone (BZ) center shows an abrupt drop with overdoping (for x > 0.6) while the inner and middle FS gaps roughly scale with Tc. This is accompanied by the simultaneous disappearance of the electron FS sheet with similar orbital character at the BZ corner. These results browse the different contributions …
The interlayer tunneling mechanism of the cuprate high temperature superconductors involves a conversion of the confinement kinetic energy of the electrons perpendicular to the CuO-planes ($c$-axis) in the normal state to the pair binding energy in the superconducting state. This mechanism is discussed and the arguments are presented from the point of view of general principles. It is shown that recent measurements of the $c$-axis properties support the idea that the electrons substantially lower their $c$-axis kinetic energy upon entering the superconducting state, a change that is nearly imp…
The superconducting state is achieved by the condensation of Cooper pairs and is protected by the superconducting gap. The pairing interaction between the two electrons of a Cooper pair determines the superconducting gap function. Thus, it is very pivotal to detect the gap structure for understanding the mechanism of superconductivity. In cuprate superconductors, it has been well established that the superconducting gap may have a d-wave function Δ = Δ_0cos2θ. This gap function has an alternative sign change by every pi/2 in the momentum space when the in-plane azimuthal angle theta is scanned…
The mixed state of superconducting (SC) and normal (N) phases in one dimensional systems are characterized by several phase slips and localization of the order parameter of the SC phase. The phenomenon is explained on the basis of a complex Ginzburg Landau (CGL) model. We present a simple analysis of the system on multiple scales to capture localization and phase slips when phases coexist.
We report measurements of ac magnetic susceptibility $χ_{ac}$ and de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations in KFe$_2$As$_2$ under high pressure up to 24.7 kbar. The pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ changes from negative to positive across $P_c \sim 18$ kbar as previously reported. The ratio of the upper critical field to $T_c$, i.e, $B_{c2} / T_c$, is enhanced above $P_c$, and the shape of $χ_{ac}$ vs field curves qualitatively changes across $P_c$. DHvA oscillations smoothly evolve across $P_c$ and indicate no drastic change in the Fermi surface up to 24.7…
Infinite-layer Nd1-xSrxNiO2 thin films with Sr doping level x from 0.08 to 0.3 were synthesized and investigated. We found a superconducting dome to be between 0.12 and 0.235 which is accompanied by a weakly insulating behaviour in both underdoped and overdoped regimes. The dome is akin to that in the electron-doped 214-type and infinite-layer cuprate superconductors. For x higher than 0.18, the normal state Hall coefficient ($R_{H}$) changes the sign from negative to positive as the temperature decreases. The temperature of the sign changes monotonically decreases with decreasing x from the o…
Using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation with the complex relaxation time and the Maxwell equation, we systematically examine transverse motion of vortex dynamics in the presence of pinning disorders. Consequently, in a plastic flow phase in which moving and pinned vortices coexist, we find that the Hall voltage generally changes its sign. The origin of the sign change is ascribed to a fact that moving vortices are strongly drifted by circular current of pinned vortices and the enforced transverse moving direction becomes opposite to that by transport current. This suggests that the H…
The chemical potential of a superconductor is of critical importance since, at equilibrium, it is the energy where electrons pair and form the superconducting condensate. However, in non-equilibrium measurements, there may be a difference between the chemical potential of the quasiparticles and that of the pairs. Here we report a systematic time- and angle-resolved photoemission study of the pump-induced change in the chemical potential of an optimally doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi2212) sample in both its normal and superconducting states. The change in chemical potential can be unde…
We report measurements of electrical resistivity under pressure to 5.8 GPa, magnetization to 6.7 GPa,and ac susceptibility to 7.1 GPa in KFe2As2. The previously reported change of slope in the pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature Tc(p) at a pressure p0=1.8 GPa is confirmed, and Tc(p) is found to be nearly constant above p0 up to 7.1 GPa. The T-p phase diagram is very sensitive to the pressure conditions as a consequence of the anisotropic uniaxial pressure dependence of Tc. Across p0, a change in the behavior of the upper critical field is revealed through a scalin…
We present new measurements of the thermal conductivity of UPt3 down to very low temperatures (16mK) and under magnetic fields (up to 4 T) which cover all the superconducting phases of UPt3. The measurements in zero field are compared with recent theoretical predictions for the thermal conductivity, which is dominated by impurity states at the lowest temperatures studied. The measurements under magnetic field at low temperatures are surprising since they don't show the expected low field square root dependence. The discontinuity of d kappa/dT at Tc changes drastically when passing from the hig…
A systematic study of irreversible magnetization was performed in bulk Niobium after different surface treatments. Starting with smooth surfaces and abrading them, a strong increase of the critical current is observed up an apparent limiting value. An impressive change of the critical current is also observed in the surface superconductivity (SSC) state, reaching values of the same order of magnitude as in the mixed state. We explain also the observation of strong SSC for magnetic field perpendicular to larges facets in terms of nucleation of SC along bumps of a corrugated surface.
We investigated the magnetic field dependence of the superconducting phase transition in heavy fermion CeCoIn_5 (T_c = 2.3 K) using specific heat, magneto-caloric effect, and thermal expansion measurements. The superconducting transition becomes first order when the magnetic field is oriented along the 001 crystallographic direction with a strength greater that 4.7 T, and transition temperature below T_0 ~ 0.31 T_c. The change from second order at lower fields is reflected in strong sharpening of both specific heat and thermal expansion anomalies associated with the phase transition, a strong …
This work reports studies performed in the superconducting compound FeSe0:5Te0:5 under high pressure. Changes were observed in the transition temperature, superconducting critical fields,anomalous variations in the Meissner fraction, and in Ginzburg Landau parameters. The superconducting properties were calculated and compared using the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenber approximation and Ginzburg-Landau theory. Hydrostatic pressure was produced from atmospheric to 823 MPa, the increment in the critical temperature was from 14.45 to 20.5 K at a rate of change about 0.0069 K/MPa.
We investigated the annealing effects on the physical properties of SrFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ ($x=0.35$). The superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) increased from 26 K to 33 K by annealing. The X-ray diffraction measurement suggested that the annealed crystals have the shorter/longer $a/c$-axes and the larger pnictogen height $h_\mathrm{Pn}$. This must be linked to the $T_c$-enhancement by annealing. Moreover, it was found that the post-annealing decreased the electronic specific heat coefficient at $T$=0 K, $γ_r$, and changed the magnetic field ($H$) dependence from sub-linear $γ…
We study spin-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity in the one-band Hubbard model. Higher order effective interactions in $U$ give rise to a superconducting instability which is very sensitive to changes in the Fermi surface topology arising as a function of doping and changes in the band structure. We show the superconducting phase diagram as a function of doping and next-nearest neighbor hopping in the limit of very small Coulomb interaction strength and discuss peculiarities arising at the phase boundaries separating different superconducting domains.
We use high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to map the three-dimensional momentum dependence of the superconducting gap in FeSe. We find that on both the hole and electron Fermi surfaces, the magnitude of the gap follows the distribution of $d_{yz}$ orbital weight. Furthermore, we theoretically determine the momentum dependence of the superconducting gap by solving the linearized gap equation using a tight binding model which quantitatively describes both the experimental band dispersions and orbital characters. By considering a Fermi surface only including one electron po…
The magnetic dependencies of the critical current of aluminum ring with asymmetric link-up of current leads have been measured in order to clear up the essence of the paradoxical absence of the jump of the critical current at the quantum number change revealed before at the measurements of asymmetric superconducting ring. The measurements have shown that the experimental and theoretical dependencies agree in the region of magnetic field corresponding to integer numbers of the flux quantum and disagree at the half of the flux quantum. The jump is not observed as well as in the asymmetric rings.
We investigate "hot" regions with anomalous high field dissipation in bulk niobium superconducting radio frequency cavities for particle accelerators by using low energy muon spin rotation (LE-$μ$SR) on corresponding cavity cutouts. We demonstrate that superconducting properties at the hot region are well described by the non-local Pippard/BCS model for niobium in the clean limit with a London penetration depth $λ_\mathrm{L} = 23 \pm 2$ nm. In contrast, a cutout sample from the 120$^\circ$C baked cavity shows a much larger $λ> 100$ nm and a depth dependent mean free path, likely due to gradien…
Measurements of the superconducting transition temperatures for Al-doped, C-doped and neutron-damaged-annealed MgB2 samples under pressure up to ~8 kbar are presented. The dT_c/dP values change systematically with the decrease of the ambient pressure T_c in a regular fashion. The evolution of the pressure derivatives can be understood assuming that the change in phonon spectrum is a dominant contribution to dT_c/dP.
We find that the dependence on temperature and magnetic field of the electrical resistance of diffusive ferromagnetic nano-wires measured with superconducting electrodes changes drastically with the distance, $L$, between the ferromagnet/superconductor contacts, however is remarkably similar for the wires with the same $L$ ranging from 300 nm to 1000 nm, prepared under identical conditions. The result gives an evidence for the long-range superconductor-induced changes in transport properties of ferromagnetic nano-wires.
In superconductors with unconventional pairing mechanisms, the energy gap in the excitation spectrum often has nodes, which allow quasiparticle excitations at low energies. In many cases, e.g. $d$-wave cuprate superconductors, the position and topology of nodes are imposed by the symmetry, and thus the presence of gapless excitations is protected against disorder. Here we report on the observation of distinct changes in the gap structure of iron-pnictide superconductors with increasing impurity scattering. By the successive introduction of nonmagnetic point defects into BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x…
We report the ultra-fast optical response of quasi-particles (QPs) in both the pseudogap (PG) and superconducting (SC) states of underdoped (UD) Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi2212) single crystal measured with the time-resolved pump-probe technique. At a probe energy $\hbarω_{pr}$=1.55 eV, it is found that the reflectivity change $Δ$R/R changes its sign at exactly $T_{c}$, which allows the direct separation of the charge dynamics of PG and SC QPs. Further systematic investigations indicate that the transient signals associated with PG and SC QPs depend on the probe beam energy and pol…
The recently discovered kagome superconductors $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($A$ = K, Rb, Cs) possess a unique band structure with van Hove singularities and Dirac dispersions, in which unusual charge-density-wave (CDW) orders with time-reversal and rotational symmetry breaking have been reported. One of the most crucial unresolved issues is identifying the symmetry of the superconductivity that develops inside the CDW phase. Theory predicts a variety of unconventional superconducting symmetries, including exotic states with chiral and topological properties accompanied by a sign-changing superconducting ga…
We report magnetization hysteresis measurements in the peak effect region of a very clean single crystal of superconducting 2H-NbSe$_2$ at temperatures very close to T$_c$(0). Through measurement of minor magnetization curves, we infer the equilibrium magnetization curve across the PE region. We observe a small first order like change in equilibrium magnetization across the peak effect. We relate this observation to the entropy change associated with the order-disorder transformation. We further note that the first order like change in the equilibrium magnetization observed in 2H-NbSe$_2$ is c…
The nature of superconductivity in heavy-fermion materials is a subject under intense debate, and controlling this many-body state is central for its eventual understanding. Here, we examine how proximity effects may change this phenomenon, by investigating the effects of an additional metallic layer on the top of a Kondo-lattice, and allowing for pairing in the former. We analyze a bilayer Kondo Lattice Model with an on-site Hubbard interaction, $-U$, on the additional layer, using a mean-field approach. For $U=0$, we notice a drastic change in the density-of-states due to multiple-orbital si…
Using time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory we find oscillations of critical current density $j_c$ as a function of the length $L$ of the bridge formed from two-band superconductor. We explain this effect by appearance of the phase solitons in the bridge at $j<j_c$, those number changes with change of $L$. In case of sufficiently strong interband coupling oscillations of $j_c$ disappear.
We study operation of a new device, the superconducting differential double contour interferometer (DDCI), in application for the ultra sensitive detection of magnetic flux and for digital read out of the state of the superconducting flux qubit. DDCI consists of two superconducting contours weakly coupled by Josephson Junctions. In such a device a change of the critical current and the voltage happens in a step-like manner when the angular momentum quantum number changes in one of the two contours. The DDCI may outperform traditional Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices when the change…
We study theoretically the spectral and transport properties of a superconducting wire with a magnetic defect. We start by modelling the system as a one dimensional magnetic Josephson junction and derive the equation determining the full subgap spectrum in terms of the normal-state transfer matrix for arbitrary length and exchange field of the magnetic region. We demonstrate that the quantum phase transition predicted for a short-range magnetic impurity, and associated with a change of the total spin of the system, also occurs in junctions of finite length. Specifically, we find that the total…
Pressure dependence of the electronic and crystal structures of K$_{x}$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_{2}$, which has pressure-induced two superconducting domes of SC I and SC II, was investigated by x-ray emission spectroscopy and diffraction. X-ray diffraction data show that compressibility along the c-axis changes around 12 GPa, where a new superconducting phase of SC II appears. This suggests a possible tetragonal to collapsed tetragonal phase transition. X-ray emission spectroscopy data also shows the change in the electronic structure around 12 GPa. These results can be explained by the scenario that the…
The magnetic field of vortices in anisotropic superconducting films is considered in the framework of anisotropic London approach. It is found that at distances large relative to the core size, the magnetic field normal to the film surface may change sign. We find that the magnetic field attenuates at large distances as $1/r^3$ as it does in isotropic films, but the anisotropy induces an angular dependence to the supercurrents which causes the sign of the field to change for anisotropy parameters $γ=λ_2/λ_1>\sqrt{2}$ in some parts of the $(x,y)$ plane.
By using a hydrostatic pressure, we have successfully tuned the ground state and superconductivity in LaO0.5F0.5BiSe2 single crystals. It is found that, with the increase of pressure, the original superconducting phase with Tc about 3.5 K can be tuned to a state with lower Tc, and then a new superconducting phase with Tc about 6.5 K emerges. Accompanied by this crossover, the ground state is switched from a semiconducting state to a metallic one. Accordingly, the normal state resistivity also shows a nonmonotonic change with the external pressure. Furthermore, by applying a magnetic field, the…
Motivated by recent experiments on nonlocal transport through multiterminal superconducting hybrid structures, we present self-consistent calculations based on quasiclassical Green's functions for the order parameter, currents and voltages in a system consisting of a diffusive superconductor connected to two normal and one superconducting electrodes. We investigate non-equilibrium effects for different biasing conditions corresponding to measurements of the nonlocal conductance and of the nonlocal resistance. It is shown that while the nonlocal conductance does not change its sign, this change…
An anisotropic lattice anomaly near the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, was observed in MgB2 by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction. The a-axis thermal expansion becomes negative near Tc, while the c-axis thermal expansion is unaffected. This is qualitatively consistent with a depletion of the boron-boron s-band as the superconducting gap opens, resulting in weaker bonding. However, the observed anomaly is much larger than predicted by the Ehrenfest relation, strongly suggesting that the phonon thermal expansion also changes sign, as commonly observed in hexagonal layered cr…
Recent reflectivity measurements provide evidence for a "violation" of the in-plane optical integral in the underdoped high-T_c compound Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+δ} up to frequencies much higher than expected by standard BCS theory. The sum rule violation may be related to a loss of in-plane kinetic energy at the superconducting transition. Here, we show that a model based on phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter can account for this change of in-plane kinetic energy at T_c. The change is due to a transition from a phase-incoherent Cooper-pair motion in the pseudogap regime above…
The structural, electrical and magnetic properties of the superconducting ferromagnets, Gd1.4-xDyxCe0.6Sr2RuCu2O10 (x=0-0.6) are systematically investigated as a function of Dy doping and temperature. These compounds are characterised by high temperature superconductivity (Tc ranging from 20-40 K depending upon the Dy content) coexisting with weak ferromagnetism with two magnetic transitions (TM2 ranging from 95-106 K and TM1 around 120 K). Doping with Dy gives no significant structural changes except for a minor change in the c/a ratio. However the superconducting transition temperature is si…
The magnetic and superconducting properties of RuSr2Gd1.5Ce0.5Cu2O10-x polycrystalline samples with different oxygen doping level are presented. A strong suppression of the superconducting temperature (Tc), as well as a reduction in the superconducting fraction, occurs as the oxygen content is reduced by annealing the samples in oxygen deprived atmospheres. Drastic changes in the electrical resistivity are observed above Tc, possibly associated with oxygen removal mainly from grain boundaries. However, the magnetic ordering is relatively less affected by the changes in oxygen content of the sa…
The quantum states of flux qubit is suggested to observe with the help of a new device, the superconducting differential double contour interferometer (DDCI). The flux qubit and the superconducting quantum interference device (DC-SQUID) are connected in the DDCI through the phase of the wave function rather than through magnetic flux. The critical current of DC-SQUID should change to the maximum value at the change of the flux qubit state thanks to this phase coupling. A large jump in the critical current and voltage enables to observe continuously the change in time the state of the flux qubi…
We measure the transport properties of mechanically strained single crystals of BaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$ over a wide range of $x$. The Néel transition is extremely sensitive to stress and this sensitivity increases as optimal doping is approached, even though the transition itself is strongly suppressed. Furthermore, we observe significant changes in the superconducting transition temperature with applied strain, which mirror changes as a function of the composition $x$. These experiments are a direct illustration of the intimate coupling between different degrees of freedom in iron…
We provide a novel methodological approach to the estimate of the change of the Quantum Vacuum electromagnetic energy density in a High critical Temperature superconducting metal bulk sample, when it undergoes the transition in temperature, from the superconducting to the normal phase. The various contributions to the Casimir energy in the two phases are highlighted and compared. While the TM polarization of the vacuum mode allows for a macroscopic description of the superconducting transition, the changes in the TE vacuum mode induced by the superconductive correlations are introduced within …
The stable and metastable states of different configurations of a loop in the form of an eight is studied in the presence of a magnetic field. We find that for certain configurations the current is equal to zero for any value of the magnetic field leading to a magnetic field independent superconducting state. The state with fixed phase circulation becomes unstable when the momentum of the superconducting electrons reaches a critical value. At this moment the kinetic energy of the superconducting condensate becomes of the same order as the potential energy of the Cooper pairs and it leads to an…
The transverse (Hall) voltage in thin films of the high-temperature superconductor YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-δ}$ with an artificial periodic pinning array is investigated. Columnar defect regions along the crystallographic $c$ axis, in which superconductivity is suppressed, are created by irradiation with He$^+$ ions through a silicon stencil mask. The commensurate arrangement of magnetic flux quanta with the artificial defect lattice is confirmed by maxima of the critical current and minima of the resistance, respectively. The magnetic field dependence of the transverse voltage reveals a commens…
We consider properties of a fully superconducting variant of the superconducting quantum interference proximity transistor magnetic flux sensor. We study the density of states in a finite-size superconducting metal wire in the diffusive limit, and how it depends on the phase gradient of the order parameter. We describe the dependence on the junction length and interface transparency, and discuss properties relevant for using the structure in magnetic flux detection applications.
This work presents new experimental results on low-temperature (LT) characterization of local rf properties of passive superconducting (SC) microwave devices using a novel Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM). In this technique, a modulated laser beam is focused onto and scanned over the surface of a resonant SC device to probe the spatial distribution of rf current. The highly localized photo-induced change of the kinetic inductance of the SC device produces both a shift of the resonant frequency f_0 and change of the quality factor Q. An image of these changes is recorded as the laser spot is sca…
The appearance of magnetization during the application of mechanical stress and the creation of elastic deformation during the application of a magnetic field are two fundamental properties of piezomagnetic materials. The symmetry of superconducting ferromagnets UGe_2, URhGe, UCoGe allows piezomagnetism. In addition to conventional piezomagnetic properties occurring in both normal and superconducting states, superconducting state of these piezomagnets has its own specificity. Unlike conventional superconductors, in uranium ferromagnets, the critical transition temperature to the superconductin…
