arXiv subjects

A. P. Reyes

Publications and source records attributed to A. P. Reyes.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

NMR evidence for inhomogeneous glassy behavior driven by nematic fluctuations in iron arsenide superconductors

We present $^{75}$As nuclear magnetic resonance spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation rate data in Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ and Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Cu$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ as a function of temperature, doping and magnetic field. The relaxation curves exhibit a broad distribution of relaxation rates, consistent with inhomogeneous glassy behavior up to 100 K. The doping and temperature response of the width of the dynamical heterogeneity is similar to that of the nematic susceptibility measured by elastoresistance measurements. We argue that quenched random fields which couple to the nematic order give rise to a nematic glass that is reflected in the spin dynamics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Physical properties and magnetic structure of the intermetallic CeCuBi2 compound

In this work, we combined magnetization, pressure dependent electrical resistivity, heat-capacity, 63Cu Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray resonant magnetic scattering experiments to investigate the physical properties of the intermetallic CeCuBi2 compound. Our single crystals show an antiferromagnetic ordering at TN ~ 16 K and the magnetic properties indicate that this compound is an Ising antiferromagnet. In particular, the low temperature magnetization data revealed a spin-flop transition at T = 5 K when magnetic fields about 5.5 T are applied along the c-axis. Moreover, the X-ray magnetic diffraction data below TN revealed a commensurate antiferromagnetic structure with propagation wavevector (0 0 1/2) with the Ce^3+ moments oriented along the c-axis. Furthermore, our heat capacity, pressure dependent resistivity and temperature dependent 63Cu NMR data suggest that CeCuBi2 exhibits a weak heavy fermion behavior with strongly localized Ce^3+ 4f electrons. We thus discuss a scenario taking into account the anisotropic magnetic interaction between the Ce^3+ ions along with the tetragonal crystalline electric field effects in CeCuBi2.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Suppression of 3D-ordering by defects in the $S=1/2$ frustrated chain magnet LiCuVO$_4$

We report on a heat capacity study of high quality single crystal samples of \lcvo\ -- a frustrated spin $S=1/2$ chain system -- in magnetic field amounting to 3/4 of the saturation field. At low fields up to about 7~T, a linear temperature dependence of the specific heat, $C_p\propto T$, resulting from 1D magnetic correlations in the spin chains is followed upon cooling by a sharp lambda anomaly of the transition into a 3D helical phase with $C_p\propto T^3$ behavior at low temperature. The transition from a spin liquid into a spin-modulated (SM) phase at higher fields occurs via a hump-like anomaly which, as the temperature decreases further turns into a $C_p\propto T^2$ law distinctive for a quasi-2D system. We suggest an explanation for how nonmagnetic defects in the Cu$^{2+}$ chains can suppress 3D long-range ordering in the SM phase and leave it undisturbed in a helical phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Internal static electric and magnetic field at the copper cite in a single crystal of the electron-doped high-T$_{c}$ superconductor Pr$_{1.85}$Ce$_{0.15}$CuO$_{4-y}$

We report $^{63, 65}$Cu-NMR spectroscopy and Knight shift measurements on a single crystal of the electron-doped high-$T_{c}$ superconductor Pr$_{1.85}$Ce$_{0.15}$CuO$_{4-y}$ (PCCO) with an applied magnetic field ($H$) up to 26.42 T. A very small NQR frequency is obtained with the observation of the spectrum, which shows an extremely wide continuous distribution of it that becomes significant narrower below 20 K at $H$ $\parallel$ $c$ where the superconductivity is completely suppressed, indicating a significant change in the charge distribution at the Cu site, while the corresponding changes at $H$ $\perp$ $c$ is negligible when the superconductivity is present or not fully suppressed. The Knight shift and central linewidth are proportional to the applied magnetic field with a high anisotropy. We find that the magnitude of the internal static magnetic field at the copper is dominated by the anisotropic Cu$^{2+}$ 3$d$-orbital contributions, while its weak temperature-dependence is mainly determined by the isotropic contact hyperfine coupling to the paramagnetic Pr$^{3+}$ spins, which also gives rise to the full distribution of the internal static magnetic field at the copper for $H$ $\perp$ $c$. This internal static electric and magnetic field environment at the copper is very different from that in the hole-doped cuprates, and may provide new insight into the understanding of high-$T_{c}$ superconductivity. Other experimental techniques are needed to verify whether the observed significant narrowing of the charge distribution at the Cu site with $H$ $\parallel$ $c$ is caused by the charge ordering (CO) [E. H. da Silva Neto $et ~al.$, to be published in Science] \cite{ehdsn} or a new type of charge modulation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Search for a spin-nematic phase in the quasi-one-dimensional frustrated magnet LiCuVO$_4$

We have performed NMR experiments on the quasi one-dimensional frustrated spin-1/2 system LiCuVO$_4$ in magnetic fields $H$ applied along the c-axis up to field values near the saturation field $H_{\rm sat}$. For the field range $H_{\rm c2} 41.4$T, indicating that the majority of magnetic moments in LiCuVO$_4$ are already saturated in this field range. This result is inconsistent with the previously observed linear field dependence of the magnetization $M(H)$ for $H_{\rm c3}<H<H_{\rm sat}$ with $μ_0H_{\rm sat}=45$T [L. E. Svistov {\it et al}., JETP Letters {\bf 93}, 21 (2011)]. We argue that the discrepancy is due to non-magnetic defects in the samples. The results of the spin-lattice relaxation rate of $^7$Li nuclei indicate an energy gap which grows with field twice as fast as the Zeeman energy of a single spin, therefore, suggesting that the two-magnon bound state is the lowest energy excitation. The energy gap tends to close at $μ_0H \approx 41$T. Our results suggest that the theoretically predicted spin-nematic phase, if it exists in LiCuVO$_4$, can be established only within the narrow field range $40.5 < μ_0 H < 41.4$T .

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Magnetic structure and domain conversion of quasi-2D frustrated antiferromagnet CuCrO2 probed by NMR

We have carried out 63,65Cu NMR spectra measurements in magnetic field up to about 15.5 T on single crystal of a multiferroic triangular-lattice antiferromagnet CuCrO2. The measurements were performed for perpendicular and parallel orientation of the magnetic field with respect to the c-axis of the crystal, and the detailed angle dependence of the spectra on the magnetic field direction within ab-plane was studied. The shape of the spectra can be well described in the model of spiral spin structure proposed by recent neutron diffraction experiments. When field is rotated perpendicular to crystal c-axis, we observed, directly for the first time, a remarkable reorientation of spin plane simultaneous with rotation of the incommensurate wavevector by quantitatively deducing the conversion of less energetically favorable domain to a more favorable one. At high enough fields parallel to c-axis, the data are consistent with either a field-induced commensurate spiral magnetic structure or an incommensurate spiral magnetic structure with a disorder in the c direction, suggesting that high fields may have influence on interplanar ordering.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Superconducting anisotropy in the electron-doped high-T$_{c}$ superconductors Pr$_{2-x}$Ce$_{x}$CuO$_{4-y}$

We report superconducting anisotropy measurements in the electron-doped high-$T_{c}$ superconductors (HTSCs) Pr$_{2-x}$Ce$_{x}$CuO$_{4-y}$ (PCCO, $x$ = 0.15 and 0.17) with applied magnetic field ($H_{0}$) up to 28 T. Our results show that the upper critical field [$H_{c2}(T)$] is highly anisotropic, and as temperature $T$ $\rightarrow$ 0 the value of it at $H_{0}$ $\parallel$ $c$ [$H_{c2,\parallel c}$(0)] is far less than the Pauli limit, which is very different from that at $H_{0}$ $\perp$ $c$. The $H_{c2}(0)$ character along with the evaluated zero $T$ coherence length $[ξ_{ab(c)}(0)]$ and penetration depth $[λ_{ab(c)}(0)]$ is compared with those of the hole-doped cuprate HTSCs and typical Fe-based superconductors. We find that the low temperature anisotropic character of PCCO is rather similar to that of hole-doped cuprate HTSCs, but apparently larger than that of typical Fe-based superconductors. This study also proves a new sensitive probe of detecting rich properties of unconventional superconductors with the use of the resonant frequency of a NMR probe circuit.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Multigap superconductivity in locally non-centrosymmetric SrPtAs: An As nuclear quadrupole resonance investigation

We report detailed $^{75}$As-NQR investigations of the locally non-centrosymmetric superconductor SrPtAs. The spin-lattice relaxation studies prove weakly coupled multi-gap superconductivity. The Hebel-Slichter peak, a hallmark of conventional superconductivity, is strongly suppressed, which points to an unconventional superconducting state. The observed behavior excludes a superconducting order parameter with line nodes and is consistent with proposed $f$-wave and chiral $d$-wave order parameters.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

NMR investigation of the Knight shift anomaly in CeIrIn5 at high magnetic fields

We report nuclear magnetic resonance Knight shift data in the heavy fermion material CeIrIn5 at fields up to 30 T. The Knight shift of the In displays a strong anomaly, and we analyze the results using two different interpretations. We find that the Kondo lattice coherence temperature and the effective mass of the heavy electrons remains largely unaffected by the magnetic field, despite the fact that the Zeeman energy is on the order of the coherence temperature.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Microscopic coexistence of a two-component incommensurate spin density wave with superconductivity in underdoped NaFe$_{0.983}$Co$_{0.017}$As

We have performed $^{75}$As and $^{23}$Na nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on a single crystal of NaFe$_{0.9835}$Co$_{0.0165}$As and found microscopic coexistence of superconductivity with a two-component spin density wave (SDW). Using $^{23}$Na NMR we measured the spatial distribution of local magnetic fields. The SDW was found to be incommensurate with a major component having magnetic moment ($\sim0.2\,μ_B$/Fe) and a smaller component with magnetic moment ($\sim0.02\,μ_B$/Fe). Spin lattice relaxation experiments reveal that this coexistence occurs at a microscopic level.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Progressive slowing down of spin fluctuations in underdoped LaFeAsO$_{1-x}$F$_x$

The evolution of low-energy spin dynamics in the iron-based superconductor LaFeAsO$_{1-x}$F$_x$ was studied over a broad doping, temperature, and magnetic field range (x = 0 - 0.15, T up to 480K, H up to 30T) by means of As nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). An enhanced spin-lattice relaxation rate divided by temperature, 1/T1T, in underdoped superconducting samples (x = 0.045, 0.05 and 0.075) suggests the presence of antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, which are strongly reduced in optimally-doped (x = 0.10) and completely absent in overdoped (x = 0.15) samples. In contrast to previous analysis, Curie-Weiss fits are shown to be insufficient to describe the data over the whole temperature range. Instead, a BPP-type model is used to describe the occurrence of a peak in 1/T1T clearly above the superconducting transition, reflecting a progressive slowing down of the spin fluctuations down to the superconducting phase transition.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Emergence of charge order from the vortex state of a high temperature superconductor

Evidence is mounting that charge order competes with superconductivity in high Tc cuprates. Whether this has any relationship to the pairing mechanism is unknown since neither the universality of the competition nor its microscopic nature has been established. Here using nuclear magnetic resonance, we show that, similar to La214, charge order in YBCO has maximum strength inside the superconducting dome, at doping levels p = 0.11 - 0.12.We further show that the overlap of halos of incipient charge order around vortex cores, similar to those visualised in Bi2212, can explain the threshold magnetic field at which long-range charge order emerges. These results reveal universal features of a competition in which charge order and superconductivity appear as joint instabilities of the same normal state, whose relative balance can be field-tuned in the vortex state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Absence of static orbital current magnetism at the apical oxygen site in HgBa$_2$CuO$_{4+δ}$ from NMR

The simple structure of HgBa$_2$CuO$_{4+δ}$ (Hg1201) is ideal among cuprates for study of the pseudogap phase as a broken symmetry state. We have performed $^{17}$O nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on an underdoped Hg1201 crystal with transition temperature of 74 K to look for circulating orbital currents proposed theoretically and inferred from neutron scattering. The narrow spectra preclude static local fields in the pseudogap phase at the apical site, suggesting that the moments observed with neutrons are fluctuating. The NMR frequency shifts are consistent with a dipolar field from the Cu$^{+2}$ site.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Anomalous hysteresis as an evidence for a magnetic field-induced chiral superconducting state in LiFeAs

Magnetometry measurements in high quality LiFeAs single-crystals reveal a change in the sign of the magnetic hysteresis in the vicinity of the upper critical field $H_{c2}$, from a clear diamagnetic response dominated by the pinning of vortices, to a considerably smaller net hysteretic response of opposite sign, which \emph{disappears} at $H_{c2}$. If the diamagnetic response at high fields results from pinned vortices and associated screening super-currents, this sign change must result from currents circulating in the opposite sense, which give rise to a small field-dependent magnetic moment \emph{below} $H_{c2}$. This behavior seems to be extremely sensitive to the sample quality or stoichiometry, as we have observed it only in a few fresh crystals, which also display the de Haas van Alphen-effect. We provide arguments against the surface superconductivity, the flux compression, and the random $π$ junction scenarios, which have been previously put forward to explain a paramagnetic Meissner effect, below the lower critical field $H_{c1}$. The observed anomalous hysteresis at high fields will be compatible with the existence of chiral gap wave-functions, which possess a field dependent magnetic moment. Within a Landau-Ginzburg framework, we demonstrate how a $(d_{x^2 - y^2} + id_{xy})$ or a $(p_x+ip_y)$ chiral superconducting component can be stabilized in the mixed state of $s_{\pm}$ superconductor, due to the combined effects of the magnetic field and the presence of competing pairing channels. The realization of a particular chiral pairing depends on the microscopic details of the strengths of the competing pairing channels.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Magnetic field dependence of spin-lattice relaxation in the s$\pm$ state of Ba$_{0.67}$K$_{0.33}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$

The spatially averaged density of states, , of an unconventional d-wave superconductor is magnetic field dependent, proportional to $H^{1/2}$, owing to the Doppler shift of quasiparticle excitations in a background of vortex supercurrents[1,2]. This phenomenon, called the Volovik effect, has been predicted to exist for a sign changing $s\pm$ state [3], although it is absent in a single band s-wave superconductor. Consequently, we expect there to be Doppler contributions to the NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate, $1/T_1 \propto $, for an $s\pm$ state which will depend on magnetic field. We have measured the $^{75}$As $1/T_1$ in a high-quality, single crystal of Ba$_{0.67}$K$_{0.33}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ over a wide range of field up to 28 T. Our spatially resolved measurements show that indeed there are Doppler contributions to $1/T_1$ which increase closer to the vortex core, with a spatial average proportional to $H^2$, inconsistent with recent theory [4]

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Nature of the low energy excitations in the short range ordered region of Cs$_2$CuCl$_4$ as revealed by $^{133}$Cs NMR

We report nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of the spin-1/2 anisotropic triangular lattice antiferromagnet Cs$_2$CuCl$_4$ as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field. The observed temperature and magnetic field dependence of the NMR relaxation rate suggests that low energy excitations in the short-range ordered region stabilized over a wide range of intermediate fields and temperatures of the phase diagram are gapless or nearly gapless fermionic excitations. An upper bound on the size of the gap of 0.037 meV $\approx J/10$ is established. The magnetization and NMR relaxation rate can be qualitatively described either by a quasi-1D picture of weakly coupled chains, or by mean-field theories of specific 2D spin liquids; however, quantitative differences exist between data and theory in both cases. This comparison indicates that 2D interactions are quantitatively important in describing the low-energy physics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

High--field NMR of the quasi--1D antiferromagnet LiCuVO$_4$

We report on NMR studies of the quasi one--dimensional (1D) antiferromagnetic $S=1/2$ chain cuprate LiCuVO$_4$ in magnetic fields $H$ up to $μ_0H$ = 30 T ($\approx 70$% of the saturation field $H_{\rm sat}$). NMR spectra in fields higher than $H_{\rm c2}$ ($μ_0H_{\rm c2} \approx 7.5$ T) and temperatures $T<T_{\rm N}$ can be described within the model of a spin-modulated phase in which the magnetic moments are aligned parallel to the applied field $H$ and their values alternate sinusoidally along the magnetic chains. Based on theoretical concepts about magnetically frustrated 1D chains, the field dependence of the modulation strength of the magnetic structure is deduced from our experiments. Relaxation time $T_2$ measurements of the $^{51}$V nuclei show that $T_2$ depends on the particular position of the probing $^{51}$V nucleus with respect to the magnetic copper moments within the 1D chains: the largest $T_2$ value is observed for the vanadium nuclei which are very next to the magnetic Cu$^{2+}$ ion with largest ordered magnetic moment. This observation is in agreement with the expectation for the spin-modulated magnetic structure. The $(H,T)$ magnetic phase diagram of LiCuVO$_4$ is discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

$^{75}$As NMR of Ba(Fe$_{0.93}$Co$_{0.07}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ in High Magnetic Field

The superconducting state of an optimally doped single crystal of Ba(Fe$_{0.93}$Co$_{0.07}$)$_2$As$_2$ was investigated by $^{75}$As NMR in high magnetic fields from 6.4 T to 28 T. It was found that the Knight shift is least affected by vortex supercurrents in high magnetic fields, $H>11$ T, revealing slow, possibly higher order than linear, increase with temperature at $T \lesssim 0.5 \, T_c$, with $T_c \approx 23 \, K$. This is consistent with the extended s-wave state with $A_{1g}$ symmetry but the precise details of the gap structure are harder to resolve. Measurements of the NMR spin-spin relaxation time, $T_2$, indicate a strong indirect exchange interaction at all temperatures. Below the superconducting transition temperature vortex dynamics lead to an anomalous dip in $T_2$ at the vortex freezing transition from which we obtain the vortex phase diagram up to $H = 28$ T.

cond-mat.supr-con↗