No Arabic abstract
We present low temperature measurements of the resistance in magnetic field of superconducting ultrathin amorphous Bi films with normal state sheet resistances, $R_N$, near the resistance quantum, $R_Q={hbarover {e^2}}$. For $R_N<R_Q$, the tails of the resistive transitions show the thermally activated flux flow signature characteristic of defect motion in a vortex solid with a finite correlation length. When $R_N$ exceeds $R_Q$, the tails become non-activated. We conclude that in films where $R_N>R_Q$ there is no vortex solid and, hence, no zero resistance state in magnetic field. We describe how disorder induced quantum and/or mesoscopic fluctuations can eliminate the vortex solid and also discuss implications for the magnetic-field-tuned superconductor-insulator transition.
We investigate the field tuned quantum phase transition in a 2D low-disorder amorphous InO$_x$ film in the frequency range of 0.05 to 16 GHz employing microwave spectroscopy. In the zero temperature limit, the AC data are consistent with a scenario where this transition is from a superconductor to a metal instead of a direct transition to an insulator. The intervening metallic phase is unusual with a small but finite resistance that is much smaller than the normal state sheet resistance at the lowest measured temperatures. Moreover, it exhibits a superconducting response on short length and time scales while global superconductivity is destroyed. We present evidence that the true quantum critical point of this 2D superconductor metal transition is located at a field $B_{sm}$ far below the conventionally defined critical field $B_{cross}$ where different isotherms of magnetoresistance cross each other. The superfluid stiffness in the low frequency limit and the superconducting fluctuation frequency from opposite sides of the transition both vanish at B $approx B_{sm}$. The lack of evidence for finite-frequency superfluid stiffness surviving $B_{cross}$ signifies that $B_{cross}$ is a crossover above which superconducting fluctuations make a vanishing contribution to DC and AC measurements.
Electron Spin Resonance and optical reflectivity measurements demonstrate a metal-insulator transition in Na_2CsC_60 as the system passes from the low temperature simple cubic to the high temperature {it fcc} structure above 300 K. The non-conducting electronic state is especially unexpected in view of the metallic character of other, apparently isostructural fullerides, like K_3C_60. The occurence of this phase in Na_2CsC_60 suggests that alkali specific effects can not be neglected in the description of the electronic properties of alkali doped fullerides. We discuss the origin of the insulating state and the relevance of our results for the anomaly observed in the magnitude of the superconducting transition temperature of Na_2AC_60 fullerides.
We study the dynamics of the Cooper pairing across the T=0 phase diagram of the two-dimensional Hubbard Model, relevant for high-temperature superconductors, using a cluster extension of dynamical mean field theory. We find that the superconducting pairing function evolves from an unconventional form in the over-doped region into a more conventional boson-mediated retarded form in the under-doped region of the phase diagram. The boson, however, promotes the rise of a pseudo-gap in the electron density of states rather than a superconducting gap as in the standard theory of superconductivity. We discuss our results in terms of Mott-related phenomena, and we show that they can be observed in tunneling experiments.
Thermal conductivity measurements have been performed on the superconducting ferromagnet UCoGe down to very low temperature and under magnetic field. In addition to the electronic quasiparticle thermal conductivity, additional contributions to the thermal transport are detected: they are sensitive to the amplitude and direction of the magnetic field, and at low temperature, they display a strong anisotropy with the heat current direction. We identify these contributions as arising from magnetic fluctuations. Detection of such fluctuations on the thermal transport in 3D weak ferromagnets is very rare if not unique, and pledges for a strongly itinerant character of the magnetism of UCoGe.
As the normal state sheet resistance, $R_n$, of a thin film superconductor increases, its superconducting properties degrade. For $R_nsimeq h/4e^2$ superconductivity disappears and a transition to a nonsuperconducting state occurs. We present electron tunneling and transport measurements on ultrathin, homogeneously disordered superconducting films in the vicinity of this transition. The data provide strong evidence that fluctuations in the amplitude of the superconducting order parameter dominate the tunneling density of states and the resistive transitions in this regime. We briefly discuss possible sources of these amplitude fluctuation effects. We also describe how the data suggest a novel picture of the superconductor to nonsuperconductor transition in homogeneous 2D systems.