No Arabic abstract
An exhaustive investigation of metallic electronic transport and superconductivity of organic superconductors (TMTSF)_2PF_6 and (TMTSF)_2ClO_4 in the Pressure-Temperature phase diagram between T=0 and 20 K and a theoretical description based on the weak coupling renormalization group method are reported. The analysis of the data reveals a high temperature domain (Tapprox 20 K) in which a regular T^2 electron-electron Umklapp scattering obeys a Kadowaki-Woods law and a low temperature regime (T< 8 K) where the resistivity is dominated by a linear-in temperature component. In both compounds a correlated behavior exists between the linear transport and the extra nuclear spin-lattice relaxation due to antiferromagnetic fluctuations. In addition, a tight connection is clearly established between linear transport and T_c. We propose a theoretical description of the anomalous resistivity based on a weak coupling renormalization group determination of electron-electron scattering rate. A linear resistivity is found and its origin lies in antiferromagnetic correlations sustained by Cooper pairing via constructive interference. The decay of the linear resistivity term under pressure is correlated with the strength of antiferromagnetic spin correlations and T_c, along with an unusual build-up of the Fermi liquid scattering. The results capture the key features of the low temperature electrical transport in the Bechgaard salts.
In an ultrasonic experiment, we have investigated the temperature profile of the velocity of longitudinal elastic waves propagating along a direction perpendicular to the layers in the organic superconductors kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2X, X = Cu(SCN)_2 and Cu[N(CN)_2]Br. Although a small decrease of the velocity is observed at the superconducting transition, the most anomalous behavior is obtained in the normal metallic state where an important softening is identified around 40-50 K. In order to characterize the origin of this anomaly, we have studied its behavior under the application of hydrostatic pressure. The observed behavior is found to mimic those of the transport and magnetic properties of these materials which have been attributed to the magnetic fluctuations. Following the example of one-dimensional insulating systems where coupling between longitudinal acoustic waves and magnetic fluctuations is known to occur, our results suggest that the pseudo-gap regime of these two-dimensional organic superconductors is dominated by a similar mechanism.
Comparing resistivity data of quasi-one dimensional superconductors (TMTSF)_2PF_6 and (TMTSF)_2ClO_4 along the least conducting c*-axis and along the high conductivity a -axis as a function of temperature and pressure, a low temperature regime is observed in which a unique scattering time governs transport along both directions of these anisotropic conductors. However, the pressure dependence of the anisotropy implies a large pressure dependence of the interlayer coupling. This is in agreement with the results of first-principles DFT calculations implying methyl group hyperconjugation in the TMTSF molecule. In this low temperature regime, both materials exhibit for rc a temperature dependence aT + bT^2. Taking into account the strong pressure dependence of the anisotropy, the T-linear rc is found to correlate with the suppression of the superconducting Tc, in close analogy with ra data. This work is revealing the domain of existence of the 3D coherent regime in the generic (TMTSF)_2X phase diagram and provides further support for the correlation between T-linear resistivity and superconductivity in non-conventional superconductors.
A microscopic theory of superconductivity is formulated within an effective $p$-$d$ Hubbard model for a CuO2 plane. By applying the Mori-type projection technique, the Dyson equation is derived for the Green functions in terms of Hubbard operators. The antiferromagnetic exchange caused by interband hopping results in pairing of all carries in the conduction subband and high Tc proportional to the Fermi energy. Kinematic interaction in intraband hopping is responsible for the conventional spin-fluctuation pairing. Numerical solution of the gap equation proves the d-wave gap symmetry and defines Tc doping dependence. Oxygen isotope shift and pressure dependence of Tc are also discussed.
We have investigated the origin of the large increase in spin-echo decay rates for the $^{77}$Se nuclear spins at temperatures near to $T=30K$ in the organic superconductor (TMTSF)$_2$ClO$_4$. The measured angular dependence of $T_2^{-1}$ demonstrates that the source of the spin-echo decays lies with carrier density fluctuations rather than fluctuations in TMTSF molecular orientation. The very long time scales are directly associated with the dynamics of the anion ordering occurring at $T=25K$, and the inhomogeneously broadened spectra at lower temperatures result from finite domain sizes. Our results are similar to observations of line-broadening effects associated with charge-ordering transitions in quasi-two dimensional organic conductors.
We show that, at weak to intermediate coupling, antiferromagnetic fluctuations enhance d-wave pairing correlations until, as one moves closer to half-filling, the antiferromagnetically-induced pseudogap begins to suppress the tendency to superconductivity. The accuracy of our approach is gauged by detailed comparisons with Quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The negative pressure dependence of Tc and the existence of photoemission hot spots in electron-doped cuprate superconductors find their natural explanation within this approach.