Topic overview

cond-mat.supr-con

3348 works11853 researchers

Map preview

Start with the graph, then narrow the list

3348works
11853researchers

Next steps

Use the topic as a working map

Open the full map for clusters, then return here to scan ranked papers and people.

Topic graph

See the topic as a live network

Open full explorer

Inspect nearby papers, researchers, institutions and communities without opening a separate graph page.

Building this map preview

BZPEER is loading the nearby papers, people, topics and institutions for this page.

Papers in this area

24 paper(s) to start with

preprint2016arXiv

Strong anisotropy within a Heisenberg model in the J=1/2 insulating state of Sr2Ir0.8Ru0.2O4

The dispersive magnetic excitations in Sr2IrO4 have previously been well described within an isospin-1/2 Heisenberg model on a square lattice that revealed parallels with La2CuO4. Here we investigate the inelastic spectra of Sr2Ir0.8Ru0.2O4 with resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) at the Ir L3-edge. The results are well described using linear spin-wave theory within a similar Heisenberg model applicable to Sr2IrO4, however the disorder induced by the substitution of 20% Ir4+ ions for Ru4+ removes longer range exchange interactions. A large spin-gap (40 meV) is measured indicating strong anisotropy from spin-orbit coupling that is manifest due to the altered magnetic structure in Sr2Ir0.8Ru0.2O4 with c-axis aligned moments compared to the basal plane moments in the parent. Collectively the results indicate the robustness of a Heisenberg model description even when the magnetic structure is altered and the J=1/2 moments diluted.

preprint2016arXiv

Superconductivity from Doublon Condensation in the Ionic Hubbard Model

In the ionic Hubbard model, the onsite repulsion $U$, which drives a Mott insulator and the ionic potential $V$, which drives a band insulator, compete with each other to open up a window of charge fluctuations when $U \sim V$. We study this model on square and cubic lattices in the limit of large $U$ and $V$, with $V\sim U$. Using an effective Hamiltonian and a slave boson approach with both doublons and holes, we find that the system undergoes a phase transition as a function of $V$ from an antiferromagnetic Mott insulator to a paramagnetic insulator with strong singlet correlations, which is driven by a condensate of "neutral" doublon-hole pairs. On further increasing $V$, the system undergoes another phase transition to a superconducting phase driven by condensate of "charged" doublons and holes. The superfluid phase, characterized by presence of coherent (but gapped) fermionic quasiparticle, and $hc/e$ flux quantization, has a high $T_c \sim t $ which shows a dome shaped behaviour as a function of $V$. The paramagnetic insulator phase has a deconfined U(1) gauge field and associated gapless photon excitations. We also discuss how these phases can be detected in

preprint2016arXiv

Quench dynamics of the three-dimensional U(1) complex field theory: geometric and scaling characterisation of the vortex tangle

We present a detailed study of the equilibrium properties and stochastic dynamic evolution of the U(1)-invariant relativistic complex field theory in three dimensions. This model has been used to describe, in various limits, properties of relativistic bosons at finite chemical potential, type II su- perconductors, magnetic materials and aspects of cosmology. We characterise the thermodynamic second-order phase transition in different ways. We study the equilibrium vortex configurations and their statistical and geometrical properties in equilibrium at all temperatures. We show that at very high temperature the statistics of the filaments is the one of fully-packed loop models. We identify the temperature, within the ordered phase, at which the number density of vortex lengths falls-off algebraically and we associate it to a geometric percolation transition that we characterise in various ways. We measure the fractal properties of the vortex tangle at this threshold. Next, we perform infinite rate quenches from equilibrium in the disordered phase, across the thermo- dynamic critical point, and deep into the ordered phase. We show that three time regimes can be distinguished: a first

preprint2016arXiv

Topological superconductivity in an ultrathin, magnetically-doped topological insulator proximity coupled to a conventional superconductor

As a promising candidate system to realize topological superconductivity, the system of a 3D topological insulator (TI) grown on top of the s-wave superconductor has been extensively studied. To access the topological superconductivity experimentally, the 3D TI sample must be thin enough to allow for Cooper pair tunneling to the exposed surface of TI. The use of magnetically ordered dopants to break time-reversal symmetry may allow the surface of a TI to host Majorana fermion, which are believed to be a signature of topological superconductivity. In this work, we study a magnetically-doped thin film TI-superconductor hybrid systems. Considering the proximity induced order parameter in thin film of TI, we analyze the gap closing points of the Hamiltonian and draw the phase diagram as a function of relevant parameters: the hybridization gap, Zeeman energy, and chemical potential of the TI system. Our findings provide a useful guide in choosing relevant parameters to facilitate the observation of topological superconductivity in thin film TI-superconductor hybrid systems. In addition, we further perform numerical analysis on a TI proximity coupled to a s-wave superconductor and find t

preprint2017arXiv

Two-band superconductivity of bulk and surface states in Ag thin films on Nb

We use epitaxial strain to shift the energy of the two-dimensional Ag(111) surface states of Ag islands on Nb(110) substrates, allowing to spatially tune the bottom of the surface-state band $E_{\rm SS}$ through the Fermi level $E_{\rm F}$. Bulk and surface-state contributions to the Ag(111) local density of states (LDOS) can be separated with scanning tunneling spectroscopy. For thick islands ($\approx$\, 20 nm), the Ag surface states are decoupled from the Ag bulk states via orthogonality, and the superconductive gap induced by proximity to Nb is due to bulk states only. However, for thin islands (3-4 nm), surface-state electrons develop superconducting correlations as identified by a complete energy gap in the LDOS when $E_{\rm F}$ is smaller than but close to $E_{\rm F}$. The induced superconductivity in this case is of two-band nature and appears to occur when the surface-state wave function reaches down to the Ag/Nb interface.

preprint2017arXiv

Cooperative coupling of static magnetism and bulk superconductivity in the stripe phase of La_2-xBa_xCuO_4: Pressure- and doping-dependent studies

Static spin-stripe order and superconductivity were systematically studied in La_2-xBa_xCuO_4 (0.11 - 0.17) at ambient pressure by means of magnetization and muSR experiments. We find that all the investigated La_2-xBa_xCuO_4 samples exhibit static spin-stripe order and that the quasi two-dimensional superconducting (SC) transition temperature T_c1 and the static spin-stripe order temperature T_so have very similar values throughout the phase diagram. Moreover, the magnetic and the SC properties of the x = 0.155 (LBCO-0.155) and x = 0.17 (LBCO-0.17) samples were studied under hydrostatic pressure. As a remarkable result, in these bulk cuprate superconductors the three-dimensional SC transition temperature T_c and T_so nearly coincide at all pressure investigated (0 - 2.3 GPa). We also observed a pressure induced transition from long-range spin stripe order to a disordered magnetic state at 1.6 GPa in LBCO-0.155, coexisting with a SC state with substantial superfluid density. In LBCO-0.17 a disordered magnetic state is present at all p. The present results indicate that static magnetic order and SC pairing correlations develop in a cooperative fashion in La_2-xBa_xCuO_4, and provide

preprint2016arXiv

Time-reversal-breaking topological phases in antiferromagnetic Sr$_2$FeOsO$_6$ films

In this work, we studied time-reversal-breaking topological phases as a result of the interplay between antiferromagnetism and inverted band structures in thin films of antiferromagnetic double perovskite transition-metal Sr$_2$FeOsO$_6$. By combining the first-principles calculations and analytical models, we demonstrate that the quantum anomalous Hall phase and chiral topological superconducting phase can be realized in this system. We find that to achieve time-reversal-breaking topological phases in antiferromagnetic materials, it is essential to break the combined symmetry of time reversal and inversion, which generally exists in antiferromagnetic structures. As a result, we can utilize an external electric gate voltage to induce the phase transition between topological phases and trivial phases, thus providing an electrically controllable topological platform for the future transport experiments.

preprint2016arXiv

Probing the pairing interaction and multiple Bardasis-Schrieffer modes using Raman spectroscopy

In unconventional superconductors, understanding the form of the pairing interaction is the primary goal. In this regard, Raman spectroscopy is a very useful tool, as it identifies the ground state and also the subleading pairing channels by probing collective modes. Here we propose a general theory for multiband Raman response and identify new features in the spectrum that can provide a robust test for a pairing theory. We identify multiple Bardasis-Schrieffer type collective modes and connect the weights of these modes to the sub-leading gap structures within a microscopic pairing theory. The conclusions are completely general, and we apply our approach to interpret the B1g Raman scattering in hole-doped BaFe2As2.

preprint2016arXiv

Towards a quantitative description of tunneling conductance of superconductors: application to LiFeAs

Since the discovery of iron-based superconductors, a number of theories have been put forward to explain the qualitative origin of pairing, but there have been few attempts to make quantitative, material-specific comparisons to experimental results. The spin-fluctuation theory of electronic pairing, based on first-principles electronic structure calculations, makes predictions for the superconducting gap. Within the same framework, the surface wave functions may also be calculated, allowing, e.g., for detailed comparisons between theoretical results and measured scanning tunneling topographs and spectra. Here we present such a comparison between theory and experiment on the Fe-based superconductor LiFeAs. Results for the homogeneous surface as well as impurity states are presented as a benchmark test of the theory. For the homogeneous system, we argue that the maxima of topographic image intensity may be located at positions above either the As or Li atoms, depending on tip height and the setpoint current of the measurement. We further report the experimental observation of transitions between As and Li-registered lattices as functions of both tip height and setpoint bias, in agree

preprint2016arXiv

Multi-Regulator Functional Renormalization Group for Many-Fermion Systems

We propose a method of multi-regulator functional renormalization group (MR-FRG) which is a novel formulation of functional renormalization group with multiple infrared regulators. It is applied to a two-component fermionic system with an attractive contact interaction to study crossover phenomena between the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) phase and the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) phase. To control both the fermionic one-particle excitations and the bosonic collective excitations,IR regulators are introduced, one for the fermionic two-point function and another for the four-fermion vertex. It is shown that the Nozières-Schmitt-Rink (NSR) theory, which is successful to capture qualitative features of the BCS-BEC crossover, can be derived from MR-FRG. Some aspects of MR-FRG to go beyond the NSR theory are also discussed.

preprint2016arXiv

From the pion cloud of Tomonaga to the electron pairs of Schrieffer: many body wave functions from nuclear physics to condensed matter physics

It is well known that diverse pieces of models and physical ideas coming from different areas of physics converged in the BCS theory of superconductivity. On the contrary it is little known that the formalism developed in the Tomonaga quantum field theory of the pion-nucleon system was an important ingredient for the development of BCS theory. We discuss the evolution of these ideas in quantum field theory providing an unconventional historical perspective.

preprint2016arXiv

Lattice, Charge and Spin phase inhomogeneity in complex striped quantum matter

The Superstripes 2016 conference, held on June 23-29, 2016 in the island of Ischia in Italy celebrated the 20th anniversary of this series of conferences. For 20 years structural, electronic, and magnetic phase inhomogeneities in quantum matter have been the scientific focus for a growing physics community interested in complexity in quantum matter. It has been the meeting point for different scientific communities facing the challenging project to unveil the complex space and time landscapes in quantum matter. The interesting spatial inhomogeneity length scale of multiple coexisting phase ranges from atomic to mesoscopic and the time fluctuations are spread over multiple time scales. The response of these materials changes using different experimental techniques with different spatial and time resolution probing different aspects of the quantum complexity.

preprint2016arXiv

Nonlinear light-Higgs coupling in superconductors beyond BCS: Effects of the retarded phonon-mediated interaction

We study the contribution of the Higgs amplitude mode on the nonlinear optical response of superconductors beyond the BCS approximation by taking into account the retardation effect in the phonon-mediated attractive interaction. To evaluate the vertex correction in nonlinear optical susceptibilities that contains the effect of collective modes, we propose an efficient scheme which we call the "dotted DMFT" based on the nonequilibrium dynamical mean-field theory (nonequilibrium DMFT) to go around the difficulty of solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation and analytical continuation. The vertex correction is represented by the derivative of the self-energy with respect to the external driving field, which is self-consistently determined by the differentiated ("dotted") DMFT equations. We apply the method to the Holstein model, a prototypical electron-phonon-coupled system, to calculate the susceptibility for the third-harmonic generation including the vertex correction. The results show that, in sharp contrast to the BCS theory, the Higgs mode can contribute to the third-harmonic generation for general polarization of the laser field with an order of magnitude comparable t

preprint2016arXiv

Fluctuation magnetoconductivity in pristine and protonirradiated Ca8.5La1.5(Pt3As8)(Fe2As2)5 single crystals

The influence of the proton irradiation on the thermally fluctuation-induced conductivity in Ca8.5La1.5(pt3As8)(Fe2As2)5 single crystal was investigatyed. The in-plane magnetoconductivity was measured up to H=13T. It is observed that the Tc was suppressed up to 30.3 from 32.5 K when the proton is irradiated whereas the amplitude of the fluctuation effect is the almost same in both samples. The results were analyzed by the Ullah and Dorsey scaling functions based on the Hartree approximation to the Ginzburg-Landau free energy, including the critical-fluctuation regime. In the pristine sample, the 3D-2D crossover in the fluctuation effect was observed near the Tc. When the 3D-2D occurs, it is newly found that there is a regime simultaneously described by 2D and 3D fluctuation behaviors. Meanwhile, the proton-irradiated sample showed the 3D fluctuation.

preprint2016arXiv

2D nano-granularity of the oxygen chains in the YBa2Cu3O6.33 superconductor

The organization of dopants in high temperature superconductors provides complex topological geometries that controls superconducting properties. This makes the study of dopants spatial distribution of fundamental importance. The mobile oxygen ions, y, in the CuO2 plane of YBa2Cu3O6+y (0.33<y<0.67) form ordered chains which greatly affect the transport properties of the material. Here we visualize and characterize the 2D spatial organization of these oxygen chains using scanning micro X-ray diffraction measurements in transmission mode on a thin single crystal slab with y=0.33 (Tc=7 K) near the critical doping for the insulator-to-metal transition. We show the typical landscape of percolation made of a granular spatial pattern due the oxygen chains segregating in quasi-one-dimensional needles of Ortho II (O-II) phase embedded in an insulating matrix with low density of disordered oxygen interstitials

preprint2016arXiv

Fe-As bond fluctuations in a double-well potential in LaFeAsO

While for a long time iron based superconductors have been investigated looking at the average crystalline structure there is now growing interest on the divergence of local from the average structure. Here we use advanced data analysis of EXAFS, a fast and local probe, which has key advantages compared to crystallographic measurements, in unveiling the dynamics of the local structure. The results show that the Fe-As pair oscillates in the double-well potential both in undoped and in cobalt doped LaFeAsO crystals. The parameters and the characteristics of the double-well potential are determined by curve fits of the polarized EXAFS data. Temperature dependent Fe-As pair distribution and tunneling frequency are derived from selected model of two potential wells. We observe the softening of the Fe-As oscillations at the tetragonal to orthorhombic structural phase transition at 150 K in LaFeAsO. A weak broad softening is observed while decreasing the temperature from 70 to 40 K in superconducting LaFe0.89Co0.11AsO which could be correlated with the onset of short range charge density wave order.

preprint2016arXiv

Tiny adiabatic-demagnetization refrigerator for a commercial superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer

A tiny adiabatic-demagnetization refrigerator (T-ADR) has been developed for a commercial superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer [Magnetic Property Measurement System (MPMS) from Quantum Design]. The whole T-ADR system is fit in a cylindrical space of the diameter $8.5$ mm and the length $250$ mm, and can be inserted into the narrow sample tube of MPMS. A sorption pump is self-contained in T-ADR, and hence no complex gas handling system is necessary. With the single crystalline Gd$_3$Ga$_5$O$_{12}$ garnet ($\sim 2$ grams) used as a magnetic refrigerant, the routinely achievable lowest temperature is $\sim 0.56$ K. The lower detection limit for a magnetization anomaly is $\sim 1 \times 10^{-7}$ emu, estimated from fluctuation of the measured magnetization. The background level is $\sim 5 \times 10^{-5}$ emu below 2 K at $H = 100$ Oe, which is largely attributable to a contaminating paramagnetic signal from the magnetic refrigerant.

preprint2016arXiv

The flux dynamics behavior of the two competing high temperature superconducting phases in underdoped LaCuO4.06

In complex transition metal oxides (TMO) an arrested electronic phase separation (PS) appears by tuning the system near a Lifshitz transition in multiband Hubbard models. The PS in La2CuO4+y near insulator to metal transition (IMT) is made of short range Charge Density Wave (CDW) order inhomogeneity coexisting with quenched lattice disorder. While at high doping y=0.1 percolation gives a single superconducting phase, near the IMT at y=0.06 two coexisting superconducting phases appear: the first one with a critical temperature Tc1=16 K and the second one with Tc2=29K. It is known that the two superconducting phases are characterized by two different space geometry because of two different spatial distributions of both CDW order and dopants self-organization. Here we show that these two phases show different flux dynamic regimes using alternating current (AC) multi-harmonic susceptibility experiments. This is a unique technique capable to investigate multi-phase superconductors and characterize their transport properties in a percolative scenario. Results point out that the low critical temperature phase is well described by a bulk-like flux pinning with a 2D geometry while the phase

preprint2016arXiv

Superconductivity in repulsively interacting fermions on a diamond chain: flat-band induced pairing

To explore whether a flat-band system can accommodate superconductivity, we consider repulsively interacting fermions on the diamond chain, a simplest quasi-one-dimensional system that contains a flat band. Exact diagonalization and the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) are used to show that we have a significant binding energy of a Cooper pair with a long-tailed pair-pair correlation in real space when the total band filling is slightly below $1/3$, where the dispersive band interacts with the flat band that is empty but close to $E_F$. Pairs selectively formed across the outer sites of the diamond chain are responsible for the pairing correlation. At exactly $1/3$-filling an insulating phase emerges, where the entanglement spectrum indicates the particles on the outer sites are highly entangled and topological. These come from a peculiarity of the flat band in which "Wannier orbits" are not orthogonalizable.

preprint2016arXiv

Nonequilibrium and relaxation effects in tunnel superconducting junctions

The specific property of a planar tunnel junction with thin-film diffusive plates and long enough leads is an essential enhancement of its transmission coefficient compared to the bare transparency of the tunnel barrier [1,2]. In voltage-biased junctions, this creates favourable conditions for strong nonequilibrium of quasiparticles in the junction plates and leads, produced by multiparticle tunneling. We study theoretically the interplay between the nonequilibrium and relaxation processes in such junctions and found that nonequilibrium in the leads noticeably modifies the current-voltage characteristic at $eV > 2Δ$, especially the excess current, whereas strong diffusive relaxation restores the result of the classical tunnel model. At $eV \leq 2Δ$, the diffusive relaxation decreases the peaks of the multiparticle currents. The inelastic relaxation in the junction plates essentially suppresses the $n$-particle currents ($n>2$) by the factor $n$ for odd and $n/2$ for even $n$. The results may be important for the problem of decoherence in Josephson-junction based superconducting qubits.

preprint2016arXiv

Current dependence of the hot-spot response spectrum of superconducting single-photon detectors with different layouts

We show that avoiding bends in a current-carrying superconducting nanowire enhances the probability for low energy photons to be detected and that this enhancement is entirely due to the increase in the experimentally achievable critical current. We studied nanowires shaped as either meander or spiral. The spirals had different layouts, a double-spiral layout with an S-turn in the middle and a single-spiral layout without such turn. Nanowires were prepared from films of niobium nitride with a thickness of 5 nm. For specimens with each layout we measured the spectra of the single-photon response in the wavelength range from 400 nm to 1600 nm and defined the cut-off wavelength $λc$ beyond which the response rolls off. The largest and the smallest $λc$ were found for the single-spiral layout and for the meander, respectively. For all three layouts the relationship between $λc$ and the relative bias current falls onto a universal curve which has been predicted earlier in the framework of the modified hot-spot model. For the single-spiral layout, the efficiency of photon detection at wavelengths smaller than $λc$ reaches the expected absorbance of the spiral structure and the timing jit

preprint2016arXiv

Towards Measuring Vacuum Polarization of Quantum Electrodynamics with Superconducting Junctions

In this proposal, we present an experimental setup based on superconducting circuits and Josephson junctions to explore the modification of Josephson coefficient in the presence of external magnetic field due to vacuum polarization of quantum electrodynamics. This robust experiment can be considered as one of the few possible chances to observe the fine quantum field theory corrections in the low energy regimes in condensed matter systems. It can also be a new check for the universality of Josephson constant which is important in metrology. We will expect the signal to noise ratio of the read-out signal to increases quadratically by running time of the experiment. This characteristic of the output signal the will guarantee the feasibility of measurements with desired precision

preprint2016arXiv

Complex lattice and charge inhomogeneity favoring quantum coherence in high temperature superconductors

The presence of two components in the electron fluid of high temperature superconductors and the complex charge and lattice inhomogeneity have been the hot topics of the international conference of the superstripes series, Superstripes 2015, held in Ischia in 2015. The debate on the mechanisms for reaching room temperature superconductivity has been boosted by the discovery of superconductivity with the highest critical temperature in pressurized sulfur hydride. Different complex electronic and structural landscapes showing up in superconductors which resist to the decoherence effects of high temperature has been discussed. While low temperature superconductors described by the BCS approximation are made of a single condensate in the weak coupling the high temperature superconductors are made of coexisting multiple condensates, in different spots of the k-space and the real space, some in the BCS-BEC crossover regime and others in the BCS regime. The role of shape resonance in the exchange interaction between these different condensates, like the Fano-Feshbach Resonance in ultracold gasses, is emerging as a key term for high temperature superconductivity.

preprint2016arXiv

Spin-resolved interference due to Majorana state on interface between normal and superconducting leads

We investigate the subgap spectrum and transport properties of the quantum dot placed on interface between metallic and superconducting leads and additionally side-coupled to the edge of topological superconducting (TS) chain, hosting the Majorana quasiparticle. Due to chiral nature of the Majorana states only one spin component, say $\uparrow$, of the quantum dot electrons is directly hybridized with the TS wire. We study the spin-selective interferometric patterns driven by the Majorana quasiparticle. The proximity induced on-dot pairing effectively transmits the interference onto both spin components, but each of them is characterized by completely different (even opposite) signatures. To explain their origin we confront our results with the toy model, where TS chain is replaced by the usual quantum and the tunneling of $\downarrow$ electrons is prohibited. We also address unique interplay of the Majorana and Kondo features, both appearing at zero energy.

People in this topic

12 visible researcher(s)