arXiv subjects

Anjan K. Gupta

Publications and source records attributed to Anjan K. Gupta.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Evidence for topological surface states in metallic single crystals of Bi2Te3

Bi2Te3 is a member of a new class of materials known as topological insulators which are supposed to be insulating in the bulk and conducting on the surface. However experimental verification of the surface states has been difficult in electrical transport measurements due to a conducting bulk. We report low temperature magnetotransport measurements on single crystal samples of Bi2Te3. We observe metallic character in our samples and large and linear magnetoresistance from 1.5 K to 290 K with prominent Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations whose traces persist upto 20 K. Even though our samples are metallic we are able to obtain a Berry phase close to the value of π expected for Dirac fermions of the topological surface states. This indicates that we might have obtained evidence for the topological surface states in metallic single crystals of Bi2Te3. Other physical quantities obtained from the analysis of the SdH oscillations are also in close agreement with those reported for the topological surface states. The linear magnetoresistance observed in our sample, which is considered as a signature of the Dirac fermions of the surface states, lends further credence to the existence of topological surface states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Hysteresis in superconducting short weak links and $μ$-SQUIDs

Thermal hysteresis in a micron-size Superconducting Quantum Interference Device ($μ$-SQUID), with weak links as Josephson junctions, is an obstacle for improving its performance for magnetometery. Following the "hot-spot" model of Skocpol et al. [J. Appl. Phys. {\bf 45}, 4054 (1974)] and by incorporating the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity of superconductor using a linear approximation, we find a much better agreement with the observed temperature dependence of the retrapping current in short superconducting Nb-based weak links and $μ$-SQUIDs. In addition, using the temperature dependence of the critical current, we find that above a certain temperature hysteresis disappears. We analyze the current-voltage characteristics and the weak link temperature variation in both the hysteretic and non-hysteretic regimes. We also discuss the effect of the weak link geometry in order to widen the temperature range of hysteresis-free operation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Tip induced doping effects in local tunnel spectra of graphene

We report on tip induced doping in local tunnel spectra of single layer graphene (SLG) with tunable back-gate using room temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/S). The SLG samples, prepared on silicon dioxide surface by exfoliation method and verified by Raman spectra, show atomically resolved honeycomb lattice. Local tunnel spectra show two minima with a clear evolution in the position of both with doping by the back gate. A similar variation in spectra is also observed spatially due to charge inhomogeneity. With doping the two minima move in opposite directions with one showing nearly a square root dependence and the other a linear dependence on gate voltage. We explain these features as arising from the STM tip induced and bias voltage dependent doping in SLG.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy study of charge inhomogeneities in bilayer Graphene

We report room temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy study of bilayer graphene prepared by mechanical exfoliation on SiO$_2$/Si surface and electrically contacted with gold pads using a mechanical mask. The bulk conductivity shows contribution from regions of varying electron density indicating significant charge inhomogeneity. Large scale topographic images show ripple like structures with a roughness of $\sim$1nm while the small scale atomic resolution images show graphite-like triangular lattice. Local dI/dV-V tunnel spectra have an asymmetric V-shape with the minima location showing significant spatial variation indicating inhomogeneity in electron density of order 10$^{11}$ cm-2. The minima in spectra at a fixed location also shifts linearly with the gate voltage with a slope consistent with the field induced carrier density.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2009

Evidence of mobile carriers with Charge Ordering gap in Epitaxial Pr$_{0.625}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_{3}$ Thin Films

Epitaxial thin films of charge-ordered Pr$_{0.625}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_{3}$ have been studied using variable temperature Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS). The as grown films were found to be granular while the annealed films show atomic terraces at all temperatures and are found to be electronically homogeneous in 78-300K temperature range. At high temperatures (T$>$T$_{CO}\approx$ 230 K) the local tunnel spectra of the annealed films show a depression in the density of states (DOS) near Fermi energy implying a pseudogap with a significant DOS at E$_F$. The gap feature becomes more robust with cooling with a sharp jump in DOS at E$_F$ at T$_{CO}$ and with a gap value of $\sim$0.3 eV at 78K. At low temperatures we find a small but finite DOS at E$_F$ indicative of some delocalized carriers in the CO phase together with an energy gap. This is consistent with bulk transport, which shows weakening of the activation gap with cooling below 200K, and indicates the presence of two types of carriers at low temperatures.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Polaronic Pseudogap in the Metallic Phase of La$_{0.625}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_3$ Thin Films

The electronic density of states (DOS) of La$_{0.625}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_3$(LCMO) strain free epitaxial thin films with an insulator-metal transition temperature (T$_{IM}$) of 250 K was probed using variable temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. We find a depression in the DOS with a finite zero bias conductance (ZBC) signifying a pseudogap (PG) in 78-310 K temperature range. With cooling, the ZBC is found to increase indicating an increased DOS near E$_F$. We interpret PG as a signature of Jahn-Teller polarons while ZBC change, in agreement with the bulk insulator-metal transition, optical Drude peak, and photoemission experiments indicates the presence of free carriers at the Fermi energy in the metallic phase. The free carriers are discussed in terms of correlated polaronic states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Tunneling Study of the Charge-Ordering Gap on the Surface of La$_{0.350}$Pr$_{0.275}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_3$ Thin Films

Variable temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy studies on (110) oriented epitaxial thin films of La$_{0.350}$Pr$_{0.275}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_3$ are reported in the temperature range of 77 to 340 K. The films, grown on lattice matched NdGaO$_3$ substrates, show a hysteretic metal-insulator transition in resistivity at 170 K. The topographic STM images show step-terrace morphology while the conductance images display a nearly homogeneous surface. The normalized conductance spectra at low temperatures (T$<$150 K) show an energy gap of 0.5 eV while for T$\geq$180 K a gap of 0.16 eV is found from the activated behavior of the zero bias conductance. The presence of energy gap and the absence of phase separation on the surface over more than 2 $μ$m$\times$2 $μ$m area contradicts the metallic behavior seen in resistivity measurements at low temperatures. We discuss the measured energy gap in terms of the stabilization of the insulating CO phase at the film surface.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

Non-conservation of Density of States in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_y$: Coexistence of Pseudogap and Superconducting gap

The tunneling spectra obtained within the ab-plane of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_y$ (Bi2212) for temperatures below and above the critical temperature (T$_c$) are analyzed. We find that the tunneling conductance spectra for the underdoped compound in the superconducting state do not follow the conservation of states rule. There is a consistent loss of states for the underdoped BI2212 implying an underlying depression in the density of states (DOS) and hence the pseudogap near the Fermi energy (E$_F$). Such an underlying depression can also explain the peak-dip-hump structure observed in the spectra. Furthermore, the conservation of states is recovered and the dip-hump structure disappears after normalizing the low temperature spectra with that of the normal state. We argue that this is a direct evidence for the coexistence of a pseudogap with the superconducting gap.

cond-mat.supr-con↗