Thermal energy can be conducted by different mechanisms including by single particles or collective excitations. Thermal conductivity is system-specific and shows a richness of behaviors currently explored in different systems including insulators, s
trange metals and cuprate superconductors. Here, we show that despite the seeming complexity of thermal transport, the thermal diffusivity $alpha$ of liquids and supercritical fluids has a lower bound which is fixed by fundamental physical constants for each system as $alpha_m=frac{1}{4pi}frac{hbar}{sqrt{m_em}}$, where $m_e$ and $m$ are electron and molecule masses. The newly introduced elementary thermal diffusivity has an absolute lower bound dependent on $hbar$ and the proton-to-electron mass ratio only. We back up this result by a wide range of experimental data. We also show that theoretical minima of $alpha$ coincide with the fundamental lower limit of kinematic viscosity $ u_m$. Consistent with experiments, this points to a universal lower bound for two distinct properties, energy and momentum diffusion, and a surprising correlation between the two transport mechanisms at their minima. We observe that $alpha_m$ gives the minimum on the phase diagram except in the vicinity of the critical point, whereas $ u_m$ gives the minimum on the entire phase diagram.
We present a study of transport properties of the heavy fermion URu$_2$Si$_2$ in pulsed magnetic field. The large Nernst response of the hidden order state is found to be suppressed when the magnetic field exceeds 35 T. The combination of resistivity
, Hall and Nernst data outlines the reconstruction of the Fermi surface in the temperature-field phase diagram. The zero-field ground state is a compensated heavy-electron semi-metal, which is destroyed by magnetic field through a cascade of field-induced transitions. Above 40 T, URu$_2$Si$_2$ appears to be a polarized heavy fermions metal with a large density of carriers whose effective mass rapidly decreases with increasing magnetic polarization.
We present measurements of the local tunneling density of states in the low temperature ordered state of PrFe4P12. The temperature dependencies of the Fermi level density of states and of the integrated density of states at low bias voltages show ano
malies at T=6.5 K, the onset of multipolar ordering as detected by specific heat and other macroscopic measurements. In the ordered phase, we find a local density of states with a V-shape form, indicating a partial gap opening over the Fermi surface. The size of the gap according to the tunneling spectra is about 2 meV.
We present a study of thermoelectric coefficients in CeCoIn_5 down to 0.1 K and up to 16 T in order to probe the thermoelectric signatures of quantum criticality. In the vicinity of the field-induced quantum critical point, the Nernst coefficient nu
exhibits a dramatic enhancement without saturation down to lowest measured temperature. The dimensionless ratio of Seebeck coefficient to electronic specific heat shows a minimum at a temperature close to threshold of the quasiparticle formation. Close to T_c(H), in the vortex-liquid state, the Nernst coefficient behaves anomalously in puzzling contrast with other superconductors and standard vortex dynamics.
The antiferroquadrupolar ordering of PrFe$_{4}$P$_{12}$ is explored by probing thermal and thermoelectric transport. The lattice thermal conductivity drastically increases with the ordering, as a consequence of a large drop in carrier concentration a
nd a strong electron-phonon coupling. The low level of carrier density in the ordered state is confirmed by the anomalously large values of the Seebeck and Nernst coefficients. The results are reminiscent of URu$_{2}$Si$_{2}$ and suggest that both belong to the same class of aborted metal-insulator transitions. The magnitude of the Nernst coefficient, larger than in any other metal, indicates a new route for Ettingshaussen cooling at Kelvin temperatures.
We report detailed thermodynamic and transport measurements for non-superconducting La$_{1.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$CuO$_4$. Collectively, these data reveal that a highly-correlated Fermi-liquid ground state exists in La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ beyond the supercond
ucting dome, and confirm that charge transport in the cuprates is dominated at finite temperatures by intense electron-electron scattering.
Low temperature thermal conductivity, $kappa$, of optimally-doped Bi2212 was studied before and after the introduction of point defects by electron irradiation. The amplitude of the linear component of $kappa$ remains unchanged, confirming the univer
sal nature of heat transport by zero-energy quasiparticles. The induced decrease in the absolute value of $kappa$ at finite temperatures allows us to resolve a nonuniversal term in $kappa$ due to conduction by finite-energy quasiparticles. The magnitude of this term provides an estimate of the quasiparticle lifetime at subkelvin temperatures.
We report here measurements of the in-plane thermal conductivity K(T) of the underdoped cuprate YBa2Cu4O8 (Y124) below 1K. K(T) is shown to follow a simple, phononic T^3 dependence at the lowest temperatures for both current directions, with a neglig
ible linear, quasiparticle contribution. This observation is in marked contrast with behavior reported in optimally doped cuprates, and implies that extended zero-energy (or low energy) low-energy quasiparticles are absent in YBa2Cu4O8 at low temperatures.
The thermal conductivity of Zn-doped YBCO crystals was studied at low temperature (0.15 < T < 0.8 K) for different concentrations of Zn impurities. A small amount of Zn induces a dramatic decrease in the non-linear component of the low-temperature th
ermal conductivity. Moreover, the magnitude of the linear component (obtained by extrapolating the data to T=0) is found to depend on Zn concentration. After an initial decrease, this linear term, associated with the electronic contribution to the conductivity, increases with increasing Zn dopage. Such an increase is consistent with the introduction of low-energy excitations by Zn impurities as expected for a $d_{x^2-y^2}$ superconducting state in contrast to an anisotropic s-wave gap. The results are compared to quantitative predictions of available theoretical models.
