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J. Barzola-Quiquia

Publications and source records attributed to J. Barzola-Quiquia.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2009

Andreev reflection measurements in nanostructures with amorphous WC$_x$ superconducting contacts

Point-contact Andreev reflection measurements of Co/ and Cu/tungsten-carbide (WC$_x$) contacts are presented. Metallic thin films were patterned by e-beam-lithography and lift-off; tungsten carbide superconducting tips were grown directly on the pre-patterned samples by decomposition of a metallo-organic vapour (tungsten hexacarbonyl) under a focused Ga$^+$-ion beam (FIB). Current-voltage measurements as a function of temperature and magnetic field clearly showed the signatures of Andreev reflection. The experimental conductance-voltage curves were analyzed within the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory. The results highlight the possibilities, advantages and disadvantages of using FIB-produced amorphous WC$_x$ tips for point-contact spectroscopy in metallic nanostructures.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Changes in the electrical transport of ZnO under visible light

Complex impedance spectroscopy data in the frequency range 16Hz < f < 3 MHz at room temperature were acquired on pure ZnO single crystal and thin film. The measured impedance of the ZnO samples shows large changes with time after exposure to or covering them from visible light. At fixed times Cole-Cole-diagrams indicate the presence of a single relaxation process. A simple analysis of the impedance data allows us to obtain two main relaxation times. The behavior for both, ZnO crystal and thin film, is similar but the thin film shows shorter relaxation times. The analysis indicates the existence of two different photo-active defects with activation energies between ~0.8 eV and ~1.1 eV.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2009

On the origin of the electric carrier concentration in graphite

We investigate the dependence of the electrical resistivity of $\sim 60 $nm thick single crystalline graphite samples on the defect concentration produced by proton irradiation at very low fluences. We show that the resistivity decreases few percent at room temperature after inducing defects at concentrations as low as $\sim 0.1 $ppm due to the increase in the carrier density, in agreement with theoretical estimates. The overall results indicate that the carrier densities measured in graphite are not intrinsic but related to defects and impurities.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2009

Disordered Electrical Potential Observed on the Surface of SiO$_2$ by Electric Field Microscopy

The electrical potential on the surface of $\sim 300$ nm thick SiO$_2$ grown on single crystalline Si substrates has been characterized at ambient conditions using electric field microscopy. Our results show an inhomogeneous potential distribution with fluctuations up to $\sim 0.4 $V within regions of $1 μ$m. The potential fluctuations observed at the surface of these usual dielectric holders of graphene sheets should induce strong variations in the graphene charge densities and provide a simple explanation for some of the anomalous behaviors of the transport properties of graphene.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2009

Magnetic order in Graphite: Experimental evidence, intrinsic and extrinsic difficulties

We discuss recently obtained data using different experimental methods including magnetoresistance measurements that indicate the existence of metal-free high-temperature magnetic order in graphite. Intrinsic as well as extrinsic difficulties to trigger magnetic order by irradiation of graphite are discussed in view of recently published theoretical work.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2008

Sample Size Effects on the Transport Characteristics of Mesoscopic Graphite Samples

In this work we investigated correlations between the internal microstructure and sample size (lateral as well as thickness) of mesoscopic, tens of nanometer thick graphite (multigraphene) samples and the temperature $(T)$ and field $(B)$ dependence of their electrical resistivity $ρ(T,B)$. Low energy transmission electron microscopy reveals that the original highly oriented pyrolytic graphite material -- from which the multigraphene samples were obtained by exfoliation -- is composed of a stack of $\sim 50 $nm thick and micrometer long crystalline regions separated by interfaces running parallel to the graphene planes. We found a qualitative and quantitative change in the behavior of $ρ(T,B)$ upon thickness of the multigraphene samples, indicating that their internal microstructure is important.} {The overall results indicate that the metallic-like behavior of $ρ(T)$ at zero field measured for bulk graphite samples is not intrinsic of ideal graphite. The results suggest that the interfaces between crystalline regions may be responsible for the superconducting-like properties observed in graphite. Our transport measurements also show that reducing the sample lateral size as well as the length between voltage electrodes decreases the magnetoresistance, in agreement with recently published results. The magnetoresistance of the multigraphene samples shows a scaling of the form ($(R(B) - R(0))/R(0))/T^α= f(B/T)$ with a sample dependent exponent $α\sim 1$, which applies in the whole temperature 2 K $\le T \le 270$K and magnetic field range $B \le 8 $T.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2008

From Ohmic to Ballistic Transport in Oriented Graphite

In this work we show that for a quasi-2D system of size $Ω$ and thickness $t$ the resistance goes as $(2ρ/πt)\ln(Ω/W)$, diverging logarithmically with the size. Measurements in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) as well as numerical simulations confirm this relation. Furthermore, we present an experimental method that allows us to obtain the carriers mean free path $l(T)$, the Fermi wavelength $λ(T)$ and the mobility $μ(T)$ directly from experiments without adjustable parameters. Measuring the electrical resistance through microfabricated constrictions in HOPG and observing the transition from ohmic to ballistic regime we obtain that $0.2 μ$m $\lesssim l \lesssim 10 μ$m, $0.1 μ$m $\lesssim λ\lesssim 2 μ$m and a mobility $5 \times 10^4$ cm$^2$/Vs $ \lesssim μ\lesssim 4 \times 10^7$ cm$^2$/Vs when the temperature decreases from 270K to 3K. A comparison of these results with those from literature indicates that conventional, multiband Boltzmann-Drude approaches are inadequate for oriented graphite. The upper value obtained for the mobility is much larger than the mobility graphene samples of micrometer size can have.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2008

A comparison of the magnetic properties of Proton- and Iron-implanted graphite

In this work we have investigated the changes of the magnetic properties of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite samples after irradiation either with $\sim 3 \times 10^{14}$ protons or $ 3.5 \times 10^{13} ... 3.5 \times 10^{14}$ iron ions with energies in the MeV range. Our results show that iron and proton irradiations can produce similar paramagnetic contributions depending on the implantation temperature. However, only protons induce a ferromagnetic effect.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2007

Intrinsic Superconductivity at 25 K in Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite

High resolution magnetoresistance data in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite thin samples manifest non-homogenous superconductivity with critical temperature $T_c \sim 25 $K. These data exhibit: i) hysteretic loops of resistance versus magnetic field similar to Josephson-coupled grains, ii) quantum Andreev's resonances and iii) absence of the Schubnikov-de Haas oscillations. The results indicate that graphite is a system with non-percolative superconducting domains immersed in a semiconducting-like matrix. As possible origin of the superconductivity in graphite we discuss interior-gap superconductivity when two very different electronic masses are present.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2007

Size Effects in the Magnetoresistance of Graphite: Absence of Magnetoresistance in Micrometer size Samples

We present a study of the magnetoresistance of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) as a function of the sample size. Our results show unequivocally that the magnetoresistance reduces with the sample size even for samples of hundreds of micrometers size. This sample size effect is due the large mean free path and Fermi wavelength of carriers in graphite and may explain the observed practically absence of magnetoresistance in micrometer confined small graphene samples where quantum effects should be at hand. These were not taken into account in the literature yet and ask for a revision of experimental and theoretical work on graphite.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2007

Experimental Evidence for Two-Dimensional Magnetic Order in Proton Bombarded Graphite

We have prepared magnetic graphite samples bombarded by protons at low temperatures and low fluences to attenuate the large thermal annealing produced during irradiation. An overall optimization of sample handling allowed us to find Curie temperatures $ T_c \gtrsim 350$ K at the used fluences. The magnetization versus temperature shows unequivocally a linear dependence, which can be interpreted as due to excitations of spin waves in a two dimensional Heisenberg model with a weak uniaxial anisotropy.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2006

Proton-induced magnetic order in carbon: SQUID measurements

In this work we have studied systematically the changes in the magnetic behavior of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) samples after proton irradiation in the MeV energy range. Superconducting quantum interferometer device (SQUID) results obtained from samples with thousands of localized spots of micrometer size as well on samples irradiated with a broad beam confirm previously reported results. Both, the para- and ferromagnetic contributions depend strongly on the irradiation details. The results indicate that the magnetic moment at saturation of spots of micrometer size is of the order of $10^{-10}$ emu.

cond-mat.str-el↗