arXiv subjects

J. F. Oliveira

Publications and source records attributed to J. F. Oliveira.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Engineering a Correlated Narrow-Gap Semiconductor: Effects of Ga Substitution in EuZn$_2$P$_2$

The effect of Ga substitution on the electronic, magnetic, and low-energy responses of the Zintl phase EuZn$_2$P$_2$ is investigated by electrical transport, electron spin resonance (ESR), and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Incorporating Ga into EuZn$_2$P$_2$ (EuZn$_{1.8}$Ga$_{0.2}$P$_2$) reduces the electrical resistivity, indicating enhanced free-carrier density and a narrowed semiconducting gap. ESR confirms the persistence of Eu$^{2+}$ moments while showing a crossover from a Lorentzian to a Dysonian lineshape, consistent with reduced skin depth, increased carrier density, and the emergence of diffusive contributions. Ga-substituted compound display pronounced negative magnetoresistance linked to magnetic-polaron formation. THz-TDS reveals strong low-frequency absorption and a notable enhancement of the Drude conductivity in the substituted material, together with an increased carrier scattering time and enhanced carrier-density--to--effective-mass ratio. These results demonstrate that Ga substitution tunes charge transport, carrier dynamics, and short-range magnetic correlations in EuZn$_2$P$_2$, establishing EuZn$_{1.8}$Ga$_{0.2}$P$_2$ as a promising platform for engineering correlated narrow-gap magnetic semiconductors with enhanced electronic and spin-dependent functionalities.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Spin Dynamics and Light-Induced Effects in EuZn$_2$P$_2$

The magnetic spin dynamics and optical properties of EuZn$_2$P$_2$ are studied. Single crystals grown by the Sn-flux method crystallize in the $P\overline{3}m1$ (No.~164) space group and order antiferromagnetically at $T_N=23.5$~K. $^{151}$Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy confirms the presence of the Eu$^{2+}$ oxidation state only and the magnetic moment angle relative to the $c$-axis is $θ=46(3)$\textdegree. Temperature-dependent electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements reveal that spin-spin interactions predominantly govern the spin relaxation mechanisms, as evidenced by the linewidth behavior ($ΔH$). Positive $g$-shifts ($Δg)$ for $H \parallel ab$ indicate the presence of local electron polarization. The ESR data support the formation of anisotropic magnetic polarons, which trap spin carriers and contribute to increased electrical resistance. Angular-dependent ESR spectra at room temperature display anisotropic behavior in both $Δg(ϕ)$ and $ΔH(ϕ)$, with a dominant three-dimensional component $C_{3D}$, indicative of robust interlayer coupling and antiferromagnetic fluctuations. Under light illumination, a small broadening of $ΔH$ is observed. Furthermore, a photovoltaic effect is identified in EuZn$_2$P$_2$, with photodetector performance metrics suggesting promising capabilities for future optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Estimating the effective reproduction number for heterogeneous models using incidence data

The effective reproduction number, R(t), is a central point in the study of infectious diseases. It establishes in an explicit way the extent of an epidemic spread process in a population. The current estimation methods for the time evolution of R(t), using incidence data, rely on the generation interval distribution, g(τ), which is usually obtained from empirical data or already known distributions from the literature. However, there are systems, especially highly heterogeneous ones, in which there is a lack of data and an adequate methodology to obtain g(τ). In this work, we use mathematical models to bridge this gap. We present a general methodology for obtaining an explicit expression of the reproduction numbers and the generation interval distributions provided by an arbitrary compartmental model. Additionally, we present the appropriate expressions to evaluate those reproduction numbers using incidence data. To highlight the relevance of such methodology, we apply it to the spread of Covid-19 in municipalities of the state of Rio de janeiro, Brazil. Using two meta-population models, we estimate the reproduction numbers and the contributions of each municipality in the generation of cases in all others. Our results point out the importance of mathematical modelling to provide epidemiological meaning of the available data.

q-bio.PE↗

arXiv2018

Magnon excitations and quantum critical behavior of the ferromagnet U$_4$Ru$_7$Ge$_6$

We present an extensive study of the ferromagnetic heavy fermion compound U$_4$Ru$_7$Ge$_6$. Measurements of electrical resistivity, specific heat and magnetic properties show that U$_4$Ru$_7$Ge$_6$ orders ferromagnetically at ambient pressure with a Curie temperature $T_{C} = 6.8 \pm 0.3$ K. The low temperature magnetic behavior of this soft ferromagnet is dominated by the excitation of gapless spin-wave modes. Our results on the transport properties of U$_4$Ru$_7$Ge$_6$ under pressures up to $2.49$ GPa suggest that U$_4$Ru$_7$Ge$_6$ has a putative ferromagnetic quantum critical point (QCP) at $P_c \approx 1.7 \pm 0.02$ GPa. In the ordered phase, ferromagnetic magnons scatter the conduction electrons and give rise to a well defined power law temperature dependence in the resistivity. The coefficient of this term is related to the spin-wave stiffness and measurements of the very low temperature resistivity allow to accompany the behavior of this quantity as the the ferromagnetic QCP is approached. We find that the spin-wave stiffness decreases with increasing pressure implying that the transition to the non-magnetic Fermi liquid state is driven by the softening of the magnons. The observed quantum critical behavior of the magnetic stiffness is consistent with the influence of disorder in our system. At quantum criticality ($P = P_c \approx 1.7 \pm 0.02$ GPa), the resistivity shows the behavior expected for an itinerant metallic system near a ferromagnetic QCP.

cond-mat.str-el↗