Correlation Between Band Structure and Magneto- Transport Properties in HgTe/CdTe Two-Dimensional Far-Infrared Detector Superlattice

Theoretical calculations of the electronic properties of n-type HgTe/CdTe superlattices (SLs) have provided an agreement with the experimental data on the magneto-transport behaviour. We have measured the conductivity, Hall mobility, Seebeck and Shubnikov-de Haas effects and angular dependence of the magneto-resistance. Our sample, grown by MBE, had a period d=d ₁+d ₂ (124 layers) of $d_{1}=8.6~\mathrm{nm}~\mathrm{(HgTe)} /d_{2}=3.2~\mathrm{nm}~\mathrm{(CdTe)}$ . Calculations of the spectras of energy E(d ₂), E(k _z ) and E(k _p ), respectively, in the direction of growth and in plane of the superlattice; were performed in the envelope function formalism. The energy E(d ₂,Γ,4.2 K), shown that when d ₂ increase the gap E _g decrease to zero at the transition semiconductor to semimetal conductivity behaviour and become negative accusing a semimetallic conduction. At 4.2 K, the sample exhibits n type conductivity, confirmed by Hall and Seebeck effects, with a Hall mobility of $2.5 \times 10^{5}~\mathrm{cm}^{2}/ \mathrm{V\,s}$ . This allowed us to observe the Shubnikov-de Haas effect with n=3.20×10¹² cm^?2. Using the calculated effective mass ( $m^{*}_{E1}(E_{F}) = 0.05 m_{0}$ ) of the degenerated electrons gas, the Fermi energy (2D) was E _F =88 meV in agreement with 91 meV of thermoelectric power α. In intrinsic regime, α～T ^?3/2 and R _H T ^3/2 indicates a gap E _g =E ₁?HH ₁=101 meV in agreement with calculated E _g (Γ,300 K)=105 meV. The formalism used here predicts that the system is semiconductor for d ₁/d ₂=2.69 and d ₂<100 nm. Here, d ₂=3.2 nm and E _g (Γ,4.2 K)=48 meV so this sample is a two-dimensional modulated nano-semiconductor and far-infrared detector (12 μm<λ _c <28 μm).     

Superconductivity of Bi Confined in an Opal Host

Superconductivity is observed in a composite of rhombohedral crystalline bismuth nanoparticles imbedded in an insulating porous opal host via electrical transport and AC magnetic susceptibility. The onset of superconductivity in this system occurs in two steps, with upper transition temperature T _c,U =4.1 K and lower transition temperature of T _c,L =0.7 K, which we attribute to the granular nature of the composite. The transition at T _c,U is observed to split into two transitions with the application of a magnetic field, and these have upper critical fields extrapolated to T=0 K of H _c2,1(0)=0.7 T and H _c2,2(0)=1.0 T, corresponding to coherence lengths of ξ ₁(0)=21 nm and ξ ₂(0)=18 nm, respectively. We suggest that because of the lack of bulk-like states in the Bi nanoparticles due to confinement effects, superconductivity originates from surface states arising from Rashba spin-orbit scattering at the interface.     

Electrical, optical, and thermal properties of Sn-doped phase change material Ge2Sb2Te5

In this article, effect of Sn on the electrical, optical, and thermal properties of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ is studied. Ge₂Sb₂Te₅, Ge_1.55Sb₂Te₅Sn_0.45, and Ge_1.1Sb₂Te₅Sn_0.9 alloys are prepared by melt quenching technique and their thin films are prepared by thermal evaporation on glass substrates. These materials are then characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, optical method, and impedance measurements. Doping with Sn maintains the NaCl-type crystalline structure of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅. Activation energy (E _a) for crystallization is calculated by Kissinger’s method. E _a decreases slightly from 2.56 eV for Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ to 2.24 eV for Ge_1.1Sb₂Te₅Sn_0.9. The distinct change in extinction coefficient (k) of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ and Sn-doped amorphous films is found in the visible region. A large increase in optical contrast (C) is observed in the Sn-doped phase change materials. The phase change transition is studied using impedance measurements as a function of temperature. Impedance measurements show the appearance of nucleation centers in samples heated at temperatures below crystallization temperature (T _c) and above glass transition temperature (T _g).     

Effects of H2/Cl2 ratio on CVD synthesis of superconducting Nb3Ge tapes

This Paper investigates the effects of H₂/Cl₂ ratio, R_g, [H₂/Cl₂(Nb,Ge)] in chemical vapour deposition processes on the synthesis and superconducting properties of Nb₃Ge tapes. Critical temperature, T_c, critical current density, J_c, and grain size of A15 Nb₃Ge vary considerably with the gas ratio, R_g. The lattice parameter of A15 Nb₃Ge and its volume ratio to Ge-rich Nb₅Ge₃ phases are also dependent on R_g. The volume ratio of A15 Nb₃Ge to Nb₅Ge₃ increases with increasing R_g, while the grain size of Nb₃Ge considerably decreases. The highest T_c, 19 K, (mid-point) was obtained for Nb₃Ge tape where the A15 Nb₃Ge compound coexisted with a small amount of tetragonal or hexagonal Nb₅Ge₃ compounds. The largest J_c was ≈ 4.5 × 10⁸ A m⁻² at 16 T and 4.2 K.     

Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of niobium-doped BGO70 glasses

Niobium-doped BGO glass of composition 85[3Bi₂O₃–7GeO₂ (BGO70)]–Nb15 was investigated for its kinetic parameters n and activation energies E _i : i = 1, 2, g of transformations via available models. Two crystallization exothermal peaks were observed for all heating histograms exploiting 5, 10, 15, and 20 K/min heating rates following the glass transition in non-isothermal DTA curves. An exothermal shoulder prior to first crystallization peak P₁ was identified as thermally favorable crystallizing metastable phase Bi₂GeO₅. P₁ was assigned to thermally stable crystal phase Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂. T _g lied between 729 and 731 K ± 4 K; T _p1 varied from 835–855 K ± 2 K, and T _p2 had values 965–986 K ± 2 K. Independent of the model exploited, activation energies E _g, E _p1, and E _p2 were 32.89 ± 3.1, 47.33 ± 0.72, and 62.74 ± 0.72 kcal/mol, respectively. P₁ corresponds to crystalline disks of Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂, and P₂ identified stable phase BGO crystal rods growing inward from the surface imbedded in glass matrix. Niobium doping modified the transformation kinetic parameters n and E _a of the composition by providing a control on growth mechanism for BGO platelets or rods.     

Synthesis and Superconductivity of New BiS2 Based Superconductor PrO0.5F0.5BiS2

We report synthesis and superconductivity at 3.7 K in PrO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂. The newly discovered material belongs to the layered sulfide based REO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂ compounds having a ZrCuSiAs-type structure. The bulk polycrystalline compound is synthesized by the vacuum encapsulation technique at 780 ^°C in a single step. Detailed structural analysis has shown that the as synthesized PrO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂ is crystallized in a tetragonal P4/nmm space group with lattice parameters a=4.015(5) Å, c=13.362(4) Å. Bulk superconductivity is observed in PrO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂ below 4 K from magnetic and transport measurements. Electrical transport measurements showed superconducting transition temperature (T _c ) onset at 3.7 K and T _c (ρ=0) at 3.1 K. The hump at T _c related to the superconducting transition is not observed in the heat capacity measurement and rather a Schottky-type anomaly is observed at below ～6 K. The compound is slightly semiconducting in a normal state. Isothermal magnetization (MH) exhibited typical type II behavior with a lower critical field (H _c1) of around 8 Oe.     

Activation Energy of the Photo Induced Q2 Oxygen Ordered Phase in the La2CuO4.08 Superconductor

The interstitial oxygen ordering in a La₂CuO_{4+ y} (y = 0.08) single crystal with a T _c = 38 K has been investigated. We have studied the growth dynamics of the three dimensional (3D) ordered phase, called Q2, at different temperatures under X-ray illumination. The critical temperature T ₀～334 K of the order-disorder transition for the Q2 phase has been determined. We have found that the illumination of the sample with a continuous polarized synchrotron radiation X-ray flux stimulates the oxygen ordering kinetics. The photoinduced ordering process shows a threshold characteristic of cooperative phenomena and its kinetics shows a temperature dependence that is controlled by the activation energy E _A = 100 meV.     

Synthesis and High-Temperature Heat Capacity of Dy<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> and Ho<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

The Dy₂Ge₂O₇ and Ho₂Ge₂O₇ pyrogermanates have been prepared by solid-state reactions in several sequential firing steps in the temperature range 1237–1473 K using stoichiometric mixtures of Dy₂O₃ (or Ho₂O₃) and GeO₂. The heat capacity of the synthesized germanates has been determined as a function of temperature by differential scanning calorimetry in the range 350–1000 K. The experimentally determined C _p (T) curves of the dysprosium and holmium germanates have no anomalies and are well represented by the Maier–Kelley equation. The experimental C _p (T) data have been used to evaluate the thermodynamic functions of the Dy₂Ge₂O₇ and Ho₂Ge₂O₇ pyrogermanates: enthalpy increment H°(T)–H°(350 K), entropy change S°(T)–S°(350 K), and reduced Gibbs energy Ф°(T).     

Optical and Magnetic Properties of Ten-Period InGaMnAs/GaAs Quantum Wells

Ten layers of InGaMnAs/GaAs multiquantum wells (MQWs) structure were grown on high resistivity (100) p-type GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A presence of the ferromagnetic structure was confirmed in the InGaMnAs/GaAs MQWs structure, and have ferromagnetic ordering with a Curie temperature, T _C=50 K. It is likely that the ferromagnetic exchange coupling of the sample with T _C=50 K is hole-mediated resulting in Mn substituting In or Ga sites. PL emission spectra of the InGaMnAs MQWs sample grown at a temperature of 170 °C show that an activation energy of the Mn ion on the first quantum confinement level in InGaAs QW is 32 meV and impurity Mn is partly ionized. The fact that the activation energy of 32 meV of Mn ion in the QW is lower than an activation energy of 110 meV for a substitutional Mn impurity in GaAs, indicating an impurity band existing in the bandgap due to substitutional Mn ions.     

Upper Critical Field Measurements up to 60 T in Arsenic-Deficient LaO0.9F0.1FeAs1−δ : Pauli Limiting Behavior at High Fields vs. Improved Superconductivity at Low Fields

We report resistivity and upper critical field B _c2(T) data for As-deficient LaO_0.9F_0.1FeAs_1?δ in a wide temperature and field range up to 60 T. These disordered samples exhibit a slightly enhanced superconducting transition at T _c =29 K and a significantly enlarged slope dB _c2/dT=?5.4 T/K near T _c which contrasts with a flattening of B _c2(T) starting near 23 K above 30 T. This flattening is interpreted as Pauli limiting behavior (PLB) with B _c2(0)≈63 T. We compare our results with B _c2(T)-data reported in the literature for clean and disordered samples. Whereas clean samples show no PLB for fields below 60 to 70 T, the hitherto unexplained flattening of B _c2(T) for applied fields H ∥ ab observed for several disordered closely related systems is interpreted also as a manifestation of PLB. Consequences of our results are discussed in terms of disorder effects within the frame of conventional and unconventional superconductivity.     

3He Vapor Pressure near Its Critical Point

Between 0.65 K and 3.2 K, the temperature dependence of the vapor pressure P of ³He is defined by the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90). However, the ITS-90 vapor pressure equation was not designed to be consistent with the scaling law required for the second temperature derivative of the vapor pressure in the vicinity of the liquid-vapor critical point. In this paper, two scaling-type equations are used to describe the ³He vapor pressure in the region near the critical point. The first scaling equation contains two unknown coefficients which are obtained by taking as reference the temperature $\bar{T}$ at which the product (T _c ?T)P presents a maximum ( $\bar{T}=2.56736$  K). The second scaling equation contains three unknown coefficients which are obtained by using as references $\bar{T}$ and T _up=3.2 K, the upper value of the ITS-90 interval. In both equations we take for the critical temperature and pressure the values T _c =3.31554 K and P _c =114?632.7 Pa. The proposed equations, specially the second one, are satisfactorily compared with experimental data for P and dP/dT within the temperature range (T _c ?T)/T _c ≤0.065 and with semiempirical data for d ² P/dT ² within the temperature range 0.0001≤(T _c ?T)/T _c ≤0.03.     

Ferromagnetism in Mn-implanted Ge/Si Nanostructure Material

Multistacked Ge quantum dots (QDs) with Si spacers of different thicknesses have been grown on (100) Si substrates by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition followed by Mn ion implantation and post-annealing. The presence of ferromagnetic structure was confirmed in the insulating (Si_0.45Ge_0.55)Mn_0.03 diluted magnetic quantum dots (DMQD) and semiconducting (Si_0.45Ge_0.55)Mn_0.05 DMQD. The DMQD materials were found to be homogeneous and to exhibit p-type conductivity and ferromagnetic ordering with a Curie temperature of T _C=350 and 160 K. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) data show that there is a phase separation of Mn₅Ge₃ from the MnGe nanostructure. The temperature-dependent electrical resistivity in semiconducting DMQD material indicates that manganese introduces two acceptor levels in germanium, at 0.14 eV from the valence band and 0.41 eV from the conduction band implying Mn substituting Ge. Therefore, it is likely that the ferromagnetic exchange coupling of DMQD material with T _C=160 K is hole mediated due to formation of bound magnetic polarons and the ferromagnetism in a sample with T _C>300 K is due to Mn₅Ge₃ phase.     

Lattice instability in the normal state of La2−x Sr x CuO4

Novel softening has been found in the transverse elastic constant (C ₁₁–C ₁₂)/2 below 50 K in single-crystalline La_1.86Sr_0.14CuO₄ (LSCO) by high-precision ultrasonic measurements in magnetic fieldsH along thec axis. With decreasing temperature, this lattice softening persists down to the superconducting transition temperatureT _c(H), which is reduced to 14 K by applying fields up to 14 T. BelowT _c(H) the softening turns to rapid hardening. This behavior indicates the presence of lattice instability of the orthorhombic (Bmab) structure in the normal state of LSCO, which disappears in the superconducting state. This is evidence for the intimate interplay between high-T _c superconductivity and the lattice instability in LSCO.     

High Field Magnetization of TbPd2Ge2 Single Crystal

The magnetic measurements in detail, especially high field magnetic measurements up to 45 T, have been performed on a TbPd₂Ge₂ single crystal. The compound shows an antiferromagnetic ordering below T _N =14 K. High field magnetization shows that the magnetic easy direction is the [110] direction in the basal plane. The easy magnetization is saturated above about 25 T at 1.3 K and reaches 9.0 μ_B/f.u. Multi-step metamagnetic processes appear within the basal plane; that is, three-step and five-step metamagnetic processes appear along the [110] and [100] directions, respectively. The [001] magnetization process is a one-step metamagnetic one. All transitions persist up to near T _N . The B ₁₀₀–T and B ₁₁₀–T magnetic phase diagrams were constructed, where there are five and three ordered phases, respectively. The crystalline electric field effects were examined. On the basis of the effects, the magnetization behavior has been discussed.     

Magneto-transport and Magnetic Susceptibility of SmFeAsO1−x F x (x=0.0 and 0.20)

We report superconductivity in the SmFeAsO_1?x F _x for the x=0.2 system being synthesized using the single step solid state reaction route. Rietveld analysis of room temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) data shows the studied samples, SmFeAsO_1?x F _x with x=0.0 and x=0.2, are crystallized in a single phase tetragonal structure with space group P4/nmm. The resistivity measurement shows superconductivity for the x=0.20 sample with T _c (onset) ～51.7 K. The upper critical field, [H _c2(0)] is estimated ～3770 kOe by Ginzburg–Landau (GL) theory. Broadening of superconducting transition in magnetotransport is studied through thermally activated flux flow in an applied field up to 130 kOe. The flux flow activation energy (U/k _B ) is estimated ～1215 K for 1 kOe field. Magnetic measurements exhibited bulk superconductivity with lower critical field (H _c1) of ～1.2 kOe at 2 K. In the normal state, the paramagnetic nature of compound confirms no trace of magnetic impurity, which orders ferromagnetically. AC susceptibility measurements have been carried out for SmFeAsO_0.80F_0.20 sample at various amplitude and frequencies of applied AC drive field. The intergranular critical current density (J _c ) is estimated. Specific heat [C _p (T)] measurement showed an anomaly at around 140 K due to the SDW ordering of Fe, followed by another peak at 5 K corresponding to the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering of Sm⁺³ ions in the SmFeAsO compound. Interestingly, the change in entropy (marked by the C _p transition height) at 5 K for Sm⁺³ AFM ordering is heavily reduced in the case of the superconducting SmFeAsO_0.80F_0.20 sample.     

Superconductivity in Layered CeO0.5F0.5BiS2

We report appearance of superconductivity in CeO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂. The bulk polycrystalline samples CeOBiS₂ and CeO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂ are synthesized by conventional solid state reaction route via vacuum encapsulation technique. Detailed structural analysis showed that the studied CeO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂ compound is crystallized in tetragonal P4/nmm space group with lattice parameters a=4.016(3) Å, c=13.604(2) Å. DC magnetization measurement (MT-curve) shows the ferromagnetic signal at the low temperature region. The superconductivity is established in CeO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂ at $T_{c}^{\mathrm{onset}}=2.5~\mbox{K}$ by electrical transport measurement. Under applied magnetic field, both T _c onset and T _c (ρ=0) decrease to lower temperatures and an upper critical field [H _c2(0)] above 1.2 Tesla is estimated. The results suggest coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity for the CeO_0.5F_0.5BiS₂ sample.     

Impact of Gd Doping on Morphology and Superconductivity of NbN Sputtered Thin Films

We report the effect of Gd inclusion in the NbN superconductor thin films. The films are deposited on single crystalline Silicon (100) by DC reactive sputtering technique, i.e., deposition of Nb and Gd in presence of reactive N₂ gas. The fabricated relatively thick films (400 nm) are crystallized in cubic structure. These films are characterized for their morphology, elemental analysis, and roughness by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) respectively. The optimized film (maximum T _c ) is achieved with gas ratio of Ar:N₂ (80:20) for both pristine and Gd-doped films. The optimized NbN film possesses T _c (R=0) in zero and 140 kOe fields are at 14.8 K and 8.8 K, respectively. The Gd-doped NbN film showed T _c (R=0) in zero and 130 kOe fields at 11.2 K and 6.8 K, respectively. The upper critical field H _c2(0) of the studied superconducting films is calculated from the magneto-transport [R(T)H] measurements using GL equations. It is found that Gd doping deteriorated the superconducting performance of NbN.     

Interplay Between Diamagnetic and Ferromagnetic Phase in (Bi2223)1−y (LSMO) y Composites Thick Films

Thick films of ((Bi,Pb)₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O _x )_1?y (La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃) _y [(Bi2223)_1?y (LSMO) _y ] composites (y=0.01, 0.03, 0.05) are deposited by means of a simple melting-quenching-annealing method onto (001)-oriented LaAlO₃(LAO) substrates. The constituent compounds Bi2223 and LSMO are prepared by standard solid-state reaction and sol–gel method, respectively. Measurements of the dependence of the magnetization on the temperature show the presence of superconducting and ferromagnetic phase below ～54 K and ～370 K, respectively. Current–voltage measurements on composites with y=0.01, 0.03 show that the superconducting critical current drop dramatically from I _c≈350 mA at T=15 K to zero at T≈0.5T _c (～25 K). The dependence of the magnetization on the external magnetic field applied in-plane or out-of-plane at 5 K displays well defined hysteresis loops, which correspond to the superconducting, diamagnetic phase. For T>T _c, the ferromagnetic loop of LSMO is observed. The critical current density, J _c, was determined for samples with y=0.01 and 0.05 by applying Kim’s model to the superconducting, diamagnetic hysteresis recorded at 5 K. The calculated values for J _c(B) resulted to be smaller than those obtained for individual bulk Bi2223 samples due, probably, to the presence of LSMO particles whose ferromagnetic domains compete with the superconducting diamagnetic phase.     

Electrical and Magnetic Behaviour of PrFeAsO_{\mathbf{0.8}}F_{\mathbf{0.2}} Superconductor

The superconducting and ground state samples of PrFeAsO_0.8F_0.2 and PrFeAsO have been synthesised via the easy and versatile single step solid state reaction route. X-ray and Reitveld refine parameters of the synthesised samples are in good agreement to the earlier reported value of the structure. The ground state of the pristine compound (PrFeAsO) exhibited a metallic-like step in resistivity below 150 K followed by another step at 12 K. The former is associated with the spin density wave (SDW)-like ordering of Fe spins and later to the anomalous magnetic ordering for Pr moments. Both the resistivity anomalies are absent in case of the superconducting PrFeAsO_0.8F_0.2 sample. Detailed high field (up to 12 Tesla) electrical and magnetization measurements are carried out for the superconducting PrFeAsO_0.8F_0.2 sample. The PrFeAsO_0.8F_0.2 exhibited superconducting onset ( $T_{c}^{\mathrm{onset}}$ ) at around 47 K with T _c (ρ=0) at 38 K. Though the $T_{c}^{\mathrm{onset}}$ remains nearly invariant, the T _c (ρ=0) is decreased with applied field, and the same is around 23 K under an applied field of 12 Tesla. The upper critical field (H _c2) is estimated from the Ginzburg–Landau equation (GL) fitting, which is found to be ～182 Tesla. Critical current density (J _c ), being calculated from high field isothermal magnetization (MH) loops with the help of Beans critical state model, is found to be of the order of 10³ A/cm². Summarily, the superconductivity characterization of the single step synthesised PrFeAsO_0.8F_0.2 superconductor is presented.     

Comparative Experimental and Density Functional Theory (<Emphasis Type="Italic">DFT</Emphasis>) Study of the Physical Properties of MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript> and AlB<Subscript>2</Subscript>

In the present study, we report an intercomparison of various physical and electronic properties of MgB₂ and AlB₂. In particular, the results of phase formation, resistivity ρ(T), thermoelectric power S(T), magnetization M(T), heat capacity (C _P ), and electronic band structure are reported. The original stretched hexagonal lattice with a=3.083 Å, and c=3.524 Å of MgB₂ shrinks in c-direction for AlB₂ with a=3.006 Å, and c=3.254 Å. The resistivity ρ(T), thermoelectric power S(T) and magnetization M(T) measurements exhibited superconductivity at 39 K for MgB₂. Superconductivity is not observed for AlB₂. Interestingly, the sign of S(T) is +ve for MgB₂ the same is ?ve for AlB₂. This is consistent with our band structure plots. We fitted the experimental specific heat of MgB₂ to Debye–Einstein model and estimated the value of Debye temperature (Θ _D) and Sommerfeld constant (γ) for electronic specific heat. Further, from γ, the electronic density of states (DOS) at Fermi level N(E _F) is calculated. From the ratio of experimental N(E _F) and the one being calculated from DFT, we obtained value of λ to be 1.84, thus placing MgB₂ in the strong coupling BCS category. The electronic specific heat of MgB₂ is also fitted below T _c using α-model and found that it is a two gap superconductor. The calculated values of two gaps are in good agreement with earlier reports. Our results clearly demonstrate that the superconductivity of MgB₂ is due to very large phonon contribution from its stretched lattice. The same two effects are obviously missing in AlB₂, and hence it is not superconducting. DFT calculations demonstrated that for MgB₂, the majority of states come from σ and π 2p states of boron on the other hand σ band at Fermi level for AlB₂ is absent. This leads to a weak electron phonon coupling and also to hole deficiency as π bands are known to be of electron type, and hence obviously the AlB₂ is not superconducting. The DFT calculations are consistent with the measured physical properties of the studied borides, i.e., MgB₂ and AlB₂.