arXiv subjects

C. Hess

Publications and source records attributed to C. Hess.

88 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

$^{75}$As NMR studies of superconducting LaO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$FeAs

We have performed 75As Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements on aligned powders of the new LaO0.9F0.1FeAs superconductor. In the normal state, we find a strong temperature dependence of the spin shift and Korringa behavior of the spin lattice relaxation rate. In the superconducting state, we find evidence for line nodes in the superconducting gap and spin-singlet pairing. Our measurements reveal a strong anisotropy of the spin lattice relaxation rate, which suggest that superconducting vortices contribute to the relaxation rate when the field is parallel to the c-axis but not for the perpendicular direction.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Magnetic Ordering and Negative Thermal Expansion in PrFeAsO

We report the structure and magnetism of PrOFeAs, one of the parent phases of the newly discovered Fe-As superconductors, as measured by neutron powder diffraction. In common with other REOFeAs materials, a tetragonal-orthorhombic phase transition is found on cooling below 136 K and striped Fe magnetism with $k =$(1,0,1) is detected below $\sim$ 85 K. Our magnetic order parameter measurements show that the ordered Fe moment along the a axis reaches a maximum at $\sim$ 40 K, below which an anomalous expansion of the c axis sets in, which results in a negative thermal volume expansion of 0.015 % at 2 K. We propose that this effect, which is suppressed in superconducting samples, is driven by a delicate interplay between Fe and Pr ordered moments.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Field and Temperature Dependence of the Superfluid Density in LaO_{1-x}F_xFeAs Superconductors: A Muon Spin Relaxation Study

We present zero field and transverse field \muSR experiments on the recently discovered electron doped Fe-based superconductor LaO_{1-x}F_xFeAs. The zero field experiments on underdoped (x=0.075) and optimally doped (x=0.1) samples rule out any static magnetic order above 1.6 K in these superconducting samples. From transverse field experiments in the vortex phase we deduce the temperature and field dependence of the superfluid density. Whereas the temperature dependence is consistent with a weak coupling BCS s-wave or a dirty d-wave gap function scenario, the field dependence strongly evidences unconventional superconductivity. We obtain the in-plane penetration depth of λ_{ab} (0) = 254(2)nm for LaO_{0.9}F_{0.1}FeAs and λ_{ab} (0) = 364(8)nm for LaO_{0.925}F_{0.075}FeAs. Further evidence for unconventional superconductivity is provided by the ratio of T_c versus the superfluid density, which is close to the Uemura line of hole doped high-T_c cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Heat conduction in low-dimensional quantum magnets

Transport properties provide important information about the mobility, elastic and inelastic of scattering of excitations in solids. Heat transport is well understood for phonons and electrons, but little is known about heat transport by magnetic excitations. Very recently, large and unusual magnetic heat conductivities were discovered in low-dimensional quantum magnets. This article summarizes experimental results for the magnetic thermal conductivity $κ_\mathrm{mag}$ of several compounds which are good representations of different low-dimensional quantum spin models, i.e. arrangements of S=1/2 spins in the form of two-dimensional (2D) square lattices and one-dimensional (1D) structures such as chains and two-leg ladders. Remarkable properties of $κ_\mathrm{mag}$ have been discovered: It often dwarfs the usual phonon thermal conductivity and allows the identification and analysis of different scattering mechanisms of the relevant magnetic excitations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Magnetization and specific heat of TbFe3(BO3)4: Experiment and crystal field calculations

We have studied the thermodynamic properties of single-crystalline TbFe3(BO3)4. Magnetization measurements have been carried out as a function of magnetic field (up to 50 T) and temperature up to 350K with the magnetic field both parallel and perpendicular to the trigonal c-axis of the crystal. The specific heat has been measured in the temperature range 2-300K with a magnetic field up to 9 T applied parallel to the c-axis. The data indicate a structural phase transition at 192 K and antiferromagnetic spin ordering at 40 K. A Schottky anomaly is present in the specific heat data around 20 K, arising due to two low-lying energy levels of the Tb3+ ions being split by f-d coupling. Below TN magnetic fields parallel to the c-axis drive a spin-flop phase transition, which is associated with a large magnetization jump. The highly anisotropic character of the magnetic susceptibility is ascribed mainly to the Ising-like behavior of the Tb3+ ions in the trigonal crystal field. We describe our results in the framework of an unified approach which is based on mean-field approximation and crystal-field calculations.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Magnetic heat conductivity in $\rm\bf CaCu_2O_3$: linear temperature dependence

We present experimental results for the thermal conductivity $κ$ of the pseudo 2-leg ladder material $\rm CaCu_2O_3$. The strong buckling of the ladder rungs renders this material a good approximation to a $S=1/2$ Heisenberg-chain. Despite a strong suppression of the thermal conductivity of this material in all crystal directions due to inherent disorder, we find a dominant magnetic contribution $κ_\mathrm{mag}$ along the chain direction. $κ_\mathrm{mag}$ is \textit{linear} in temperature, resembling the low-temperature limit of the thermal Drude weight $D_\mathrm{th}$ of the $S=1/2$ Heisenberg chain. The comparison of $κ_\mathrm{mag}$ and $D_\mathrm{th}$ yields a magnetic mean free path of $l_\mathrm{mag}\approx 22 \pm 5$ Å, in good agreement with magnetic measurements.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Magnetization of undoped 2-leg S = 1/2 spin ladders in La4Sr10Cu24O41

Magnetization data of single crystalline La4Sr10Cu24O41 are presented. In this compound, doped spin chains and undoped spin ladders are realized. The magnetization, at low temperatures, is governed by the chain subsystem with a finite interchain coupling which leads to short range antiferromagnetic spin correlations. At higher temperatures, the response of the chains can be estimated in terms of a Curie-Weiss law. For the ladders, we apply the low-temperature approximation for a S=1/2 2-leg spin ladder by Troyer et al.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

One- and Two-Triplon Spectra of a Cuprate Ladder

We have performed inelastic neutron scattering on the near ideal spin-ladder compound La4Sr10Cu24O41, which will serve as a model system for the investigation of doped ladders. A key feature in the analysis was the separation of one-triplon and two-triplon scattering contributions due to an antiphase rung modulation. This enabled extraction of the one-triplon dispersion which has a spin gap of 26.4+/-0.3 meV, and for the first time two-triplon scattering is clearly observed. The exchange constants are determined by fitting the data to be Jleg=186 meV and Jrung=124 meV along the leg and the rung respectively. In addition to the surprisingly large difference between Jleg and Jrung a substantial ring exchange of Jcyc=31 meV was confirmed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

X-ray absorption spectroscopy on layered cobaltates Na_xCoO_2

Measurements of polarization and temperature dependent soft x-ray absorption have been performed on Na_xCoO_2 single crystals with x=0.4 and x=0.6. They show a deviation of the local trigonal symmetry of the CoO_6 octahedra, which is temperature independent in a temperature range between 25 K and 372 K. This deviation was found to be different for Co^{3+} and Co^{4+} sites. With the help of a cluster calculation we are able to interpret the Co L_{23}-edge absorption spectrum and find a doping dependent energy splitting between the t_{2g} and the e_g levels (10Dq) in Na_xCoO_2.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Magnon Heat Conductivity and Mean Free Paths in Two-Leg Spin Ladders: A Model-Independent Determination

The magnon thermal conductivity $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$ of the spin ladders in $\rm Sr_{14}Cu_{24-x}Zn_xO_{41}$ has been investigated at low doping levels $x=0$, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75. The Zn-impurities generate nonmagnetic defects which define an upper limit for $l_{\mathrm{mag}}$ and therefore allow a clear-cut relation between $l_{\mathrm{mag}}$ and $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$ to be established independently of any model. Over a large temperature range we observe a progressive suppression of $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$ with increasing Zn-content and find in particular that with respect to pure $\rm Sr_{14}Cu_{24}O_{41}$ $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$ is strongly suppressed even in the case of tiny impurity densities where $l_{\mathrm{mag}}\lesssim 374$~Å. This shows unambiguously that large $l_{\mathrm{mag}}\approx 3000$~Å which have been reported for $\rm Sr_{14}Cu_{24}O_{41}$ and $\rm La_{5}Ca_9Cu_{24}O_{41}$ on basis of a kinetic model are in the correct order of magnitude.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Magnon-Hole Scattering and Charge Order in $Sr_{14-x}Ca_xCu_{24}O_{41}$

The magnon thermal conductivity $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$ of the hole doped spin ladders in $\rm Sr_{14-x}Ca_xCu_{24}O_{41}$ has been investigated at low doping levels $x$. The analysis of $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$ reveals a strong doping and temperature dependence of the magnon mean free path $l_{\mathrm{mag}}$ which is a local probe for the interaction of magnons with the doped holes in the ladders. In particular, this novel approach to studying charge degrees of freedom via spin excitations shows that charge ordering of the holes in the ladders leads to a freezing out of magnon-hole scattering processes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Thermal conductivity of doped $\rm\bf La_2CuO_4$ as an example for heat transport by optical phonons in complex materials

We investigate the phonon thermal conductivity $κ_{\mathrm{ph}}$ of doped $\rm La_2CuO_4$ based on out-of-plane thermal conductivity measurements. When room temperature is approached the temperature dependence of $κ_{\mathrm{ph}}$ strongly deviates from the $T^{-1}$-decrease which is usually expected for heat transport by acoustic phonons. Instead, $κ_{\mathrm{ph}}$ decreases much weaker or even increases with rising temperature. Simple arguments suggest that such unusual temperature dependencies of $κ_{\mathrm{ph}}$ are caused by heat transport via dispersive optical phonons.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2003

Phonon thermal conductivity in doped $\rm\bf La_2CuO_4$: Relevant scattering mechanisms

Results of in-plane and out-of-plane thermal conductivity measurements on $\rm La_{1.8-x}Eu_{0.2}Sr_xCuO_4$ ($0\leq x\leq0.2$) single crystals are presented. The most characteristic features of the temperature dependence are a pronounced phonon peak at low temperatures and a steplike anomaly at $T_{LT}$, i.e., at the transition to the low temperature tetragonal phase (LTT-phase), which gradually decrease with increasing Sr-content. Comparison of these findings with the thermal conductivity of $\rm La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$ and $\rm La_2NiO_4$ clearly reveals that in $\rm La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$ the most effective mechanism for phonon scattering is impurity-scattering (dopants), as well as scattering by soft phonons that are associated with the lattice instability in the low temperature orthorhombic phase (LTO-phase). There is no evidence that stripe correlations play a major role in suppressing the phonon peak in the thermal conductivity of $\rm La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

Magnon Heat Transport in doped $\rm La_2CuO_4$

We present results of the thermal conductivity of $\rm La_2CuO_4$ and $\rm La_{1.8}Eu_{0.2}CuO_4$ single-crystals which represent model systems for the two-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a square lattice. We find large anisotropies of the thermal conductivity, which are explained in terms of two-dimensional heat conduction by magnons within the CuO$_2$ planes. Non-magnetic Zn substituted for Cu gradually suppresses this magnon thermal conductivity $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$. A semiclassical analysis of $κ_{\mathrm{mag}}$ is shown to yield a magnon mean free path which scales linearly with the reciprocal concentration of Zn-ions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Magnon Heat Transport in (Sr,La)_14Cu_24O_41

We have measured the thermal heat conductivity kappa of the compounds Sr_14Cu_24O_41 and Ca_9La_5Cu_24O_41 containing doped and undoped spin ladders, respectively. We find a huge anisotropy of both, the size and the temperature dependence of kappa which we interpret in terms of a very large heat conductivity due to the magnetic excitations of the one-dimensional spin ladders. This magnon heat conductivity decreases with increasing hole doping of the ladders. The magnon heat transport is analyzed theoretically using a simple kinetic model. From this analysis we determine the spin gap and the temperature dependent mean free path of the magnons which ranges by several thousand angstroms at low temperature. The relevance of several scattering channels for the magnon transport is discussed.

cond-mat↗

arXiv2000

Thermal/Electronic Transport Properties and Two-Phase Mixtures in La_{5/8-x}Pr_{x}Ca_{3/8}MnO_{3}

We measured thermal conductivity, k, thermoelectric power, S, and dc electric conductivity, sigma, of La_{5/8-x}Pr_{x}Ca_{3/8}MnO_{3}, showing an intricate interplay between metallic ferromagnetism (FM) and charge ordering (CO) instability. The change of k, S and sigma with temperature (T) and x agrees well with the effective medium theories for binary metal-insulator mixtures. This agreement clearly demonstrates that with the variation of T as well as x, the relative volumes of FM and CO phases drastically change and percolative metal-insulator transition occurs in the mixture of FM and CO domains.

cond-mat.str-el↗