arXiv subjects

Jorge Berger

Publications and source records attributed to Jorge Berger.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Nonlocal thermal noise in electrically coupled conductors: A microscopic two-dimensional study

The Johnson-Nyquist theory is commonly implemented by representing a conductor as a collection of independent local thermal-noise sources whose strength is determined by the local temperature. Whether this local-noise representation remains valid for electrically coupled conductors maintained at different temperatures has received comparatively little attention. We investigate this question by means of microscopic two-dimensional simulations of interacting charge carriers in conducting wires capacitively coupled. The model reproduces Ohm's law, the equilibrium Johnson noise, and vanishing correlations between detached wire segments when both wires are at the same temperature. However, when the wires are held at different temperatures, finite correlations develop between the electromotive forces generated in distant segments, leading to systematic deviations of the Johnson temperature inferred from the local-noise picture. The effect persists although the microscopic particle interactions are short-ranged and the two wires interact only through the capacitive coupling. These results suggest that the independent-local-source representation of thermal noise may not remain valid in electrically coupled nonequilibrium conductors.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Stability limits in two-band superconductor rings

This study explores transitions between states with different winding number in two-band superconducting rings. From the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations for two-component superconductors, we apply linear instability theory and develop a semi-analytical method that provides the critical flux for phase-slip occurrence. The developed method was applied to investigate how the critical flux depends on physical properties, such as band parameters and temperature. Finally, we show the possible existence of a soliton state, in which the phase winding number is different in each condensate.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Time-connected phase slips in current-driven two-band superconducting wires

We study quasi-one dimensional wires of two-band superconductors driven by an electrical current. We find that the onset of dissipation can occur with the nucleation of time-connected phase slips (t-PS). The topological structure of the t-PS consists of two phase slips (one in each order parameter) separated in time and connected via an interband vortex string along the time direction. This shows as a two-peak structure in voltage vs. time. We discuss the conditions for observing t-PS, depending on the interband coupling strength and the relaxation time scales for each order parameter.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Non-local origin and correlations in the Johnson noise at nonuniform temperatures

We propose an alternative scenario for the propagation of thermal noise in a conductor. In this scenario, the noise in the emf (electromotive force) between two terminals cannot be described as a sum of contributions from uncorrelated regions, each in local thermal equilibrium. We review previous studies of thermal noise in circuits with nonuniform temperature. We suggest experiments that could distinguish between different scenarios. We build a workable 1D model for a gas of particles that undergo stochastic collisions with the lattice and exert distance-dependent forces on each other. We enunciate definitions of current, voltage, and emf, appropriate to a wire with limited number of particles. For uniform temperature, within appropriate length and temperature ranges, our simulations comply with Nyquist's result. Analytic results can be obtained in the limit of strong interparticle interaction. The simulations indicate that (1) thermal noise in a resistor at uniform temperature within an electric circuit can be larger (smaller) than predicted by Nyquist due to the presence of a resistor with higher (lower) temperature in the circuit; (2) for sufficiently long circuits, the deviation from the Nyquist prediction is inversely proportional to the distance between the centers of the resistors; (3) if the resistors differ in temperature, their emf can be correlated, even if they are detached. The long-range repulsion between charges in electrically connected resistors may have conceptual and technological impact in nanodevices.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Closed vortex state in 3D mesoscopic superconducting films under an applied transport current

By using the full 3D generalized time dependent Ginzbug-Landau equation we study a long superconducting film of finite width and thickness under an applied transport current. We show that, for sufficiently large thickness, the vortices and the antivortices become curved before they annihilate each other. As they approach the center of the sample, their ends combine, producing a single closed vortex. We also determine the critical values of the thickness for which the closed vortex sets in for different values of the Ginzburg-Ladau parameter. Finally, we propose a model of how to detect a closed vortex experimentally.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Attempt to describe phase slips by means of an adiabatic approximation

In the description of non equilibrium situations in a superconductor at temperatures far below its critical temperature, the Keldysh-Usadel technique (KUT) is required. However, the non-stationary KUT has not been applied to realistic circuits. Moreover, the stationary KUT has been applied in situations where time independence is not guaranteed. As a plausibility check for this procedure, we resort to a toy model (the Ginzburg-Landau model), in situations that involve very slow evolution. We find that, even in these situations, neglecting the explicit influence of time variation leads to inaccurate or even qualitatively wrong description of phase slips.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

A case of thermodynamic failure in the Ginzburg--Landau approach to fluctuation superconductivity

The Ginzburg--Landau approach postulates an energy density, together with an interpretation for the supercurrent, and invokes Ohm's law. We consider quasi-one-dimensional nonuniform superconducting loops, either smooth or piecewise uniform, that enclose a magnetic flux, above the critical temperature. We evaluate the averages of the current and of the power released per unit length, due to thermal fluctuations. We consider three averages: canonical ensemble average, time-average using a time-dependent model, and canonical ensemble in the reciprocal space. All the evaluations imply that heat is absorbed in part of the loop and released in other part, despite the assumption that the loop is at uniform temperature.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2021

A flexible anatomical set of mechanical models for the organ of Corti

We built a flexible platform to study the mechanical operation of the organ of Corti (OoC) in the transduction of basilar membrane (BM) vibrations to oscillations of an inner hair cell bundle (IHB). The anatomical components that we consider are the outer hair cells (OHCs), the outer hair cell bundles, Deiters cells, Hensen cells, the IHB and various sections of the reticular lamina. In each of the components we apply Newton's equations of motion. The components are coupled to each other and are further coupled to the endolymph fluid motion in the subtectorial gap. This allows us to obtain the forces acting on the IHB, and thus study its motion as a function of the parameters of the different components. Some of the components include a nonlinear mechanical response. We found that slight bending of the apical ends of the OHCs can have a significant impact on the passage of motion from the BM to the IHB, including critical oscillator behaviour. In particular, our model implies that the components of the OoC could cooperate to enhance frequency selectivity, amplitude compression and signal to noise ratio in the passage from the BM to the IHB. Since the model is modular, it is easy to modify the assumptions and parameters for each component.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2017

The stationary SQUID

In the customary mode of operation of a SQUID, the electromagnetic field in the SQUID is an oscillatory function of time. In this situation, electromagnetic radiation is emitted, and couples to the sample. This is a back-action that can alter the state that we intend to measure. A circuit that could perform as a stationary SQUID consists of a loop of superconducting material that encloses the magnetic flux, connected to a superconducting and to a normal electrode. This circuit does not contain Josephson junctions, or any other miniature feature. We study the evolution of the order parameter and of the electrochemical potential in this circuit; they converge to a stationary regime and the voltage between the electrodes depends on the enclosed flux. We obtain expressions for the power dissipation and for the heat transported by the electric current; the validity of these expressions does not rely on a particular evolution model for the order parameter. We evaluate the influence of fluctuations. For a SQUID perimeter of the order of 1$μ$m and temperature $0.9T_c$, we obtain a flux resolution of the order of $10^{-5}Φ_0/$Hz$^{1/2}$; the resolution is expected to improve as the temperature is lowered.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Correlation of the Superconducting Critical Temperature with Spin and Orbital Excitation Energies In (Ca{x}La{1-x})(Ba{1.75-x}La{0.25+x})Cu{3}O{y} as Measured by Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering

Electronic spin and orbital (dd) excitation spectra of (Ca{x}La{1-x})(Ba{1.75-x}La{0.25+x})Cu{3}O{y} samples are measured by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS). In this compound, Tc of samples with identical hole dopings is strongly affected by the Ca/Ba substitution x due to subtle variations in the lattice constants, while crystal symmetry and disorder as measured by line-widths are x independent. We examine two extreme values of x and two extreme values of hole-doping content y corresponding to antiferromagnetic and superconducting states. The x dependence of the spin mode energies is approximately the same for both the antiferromagnetic and superconducting samples. This clearly demonstrates that RIXS is sensitive to J even in doped samples. A positive correlation between the superexchange J and the maximum of Tc at optimal doping Tc^{max} is observed. We also measured the x dependence of the d_{xy} -> d_{x^2-y^2} and d_{xz/yz} -> d_{x^2-y^2} orbital splittings. We infer that the effect of the unresolved d_{3z^2-r^2} -> d_{x^2-y^2} excitation on Tc^{max} is much smaller than the effect of J. There appears to be dispersion in the d_{xy} -> d_{x^2-y^2} peak of up to 0.05 eV. Our fitting of the peaks furthermore indicates an asymmetric dispersion for the d_{xz/yz} -> d_{x^2-y^2} excitation. A peak at ~0.8 eV is also observed, and attributed to a dd excitation in the chain layer.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Influence of the boundary conditions on the current flow pattern along a superconducting wire

We study the patterns at which the current flow stabilizes in a 1D superconducting wire, for various experimentally reasonable boundary conditions, for small fixed current densities and temperatures close to $T_c$. We pay special attention to the possible existence of a stationary regime. If the contacts are superconducting, truly stationary or normal regimes do not exist, but can be approached as a limit. In the case of weak superconducting contacts, a rich phase diagram is found, with several periodic regimes that involve two phase slip centers. For some of these regimes, the density of Cooper pairs does not have mirror symmetry. If the contacts are normal, the stationary regime is possible.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Flux-induced Nernst effect in a superconducting loop

When a superconducting ring encloses a magnetic flux that is not an integer multiple of half the quantum of flux, a voltage arises in the direction perpendicular to the temperature gradient. This effect is entirely due to thermal fluctuations. We study the dependence of this voltage on the temperature gradient, flux, position, average temperature, BCS coherence length, thermal coherence length, and the Kramer--Watts-Tobin parameter. The largest voltages were obtained for fluxes close to $0.3Φ_0$, average temperatures slightly below the critical temperature, thermal coherence length of the order of the perimeter of the ring and BCS coherence length that is not negligible in comparison to the thermal coherence length. As a rough comparison between the flux-induced and the field-induced effects, we also considered a two dimensional sample.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Qualitative modifications and new dynamic phases in the phase diagram of 1D superconducting wires driven with electric currents

After an initial transient period, the conduction regime in a 1D superconducting wire that carries a fixed current is either normal or periodic or stationary. The phase diagram for these possibilities was studied in Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 99}, 167003 (2007) for particular values of the length and the material parameters. We have extended this study to arbitrary length and to a range of material parameters that includes realistic values. Variation of the length leads to scaling laws for the phase diagram. Variation of the material parameters leads to new qualitative features and new phases, including a parameter region in which all three regimes are possible.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Characterization of the spontaneous symmetry breaking due to quenching of a one-dimensional superconducting loop

We study the final distribution of the winding numbers in a 1D superconducting ring that is quenched through its critical temperature in the absence of magnetic flux. The study is conducted using the stochastic time-dependent Ginzburg--Landau model, and the results are compared with the Kibble--Zurek mechanism (KZM). The assumptions of KZM are formulated and checked as three separate postulates. We find a characteristic length and characteristic times for the processes we study. Besides the case of uniform rings, we examined the case of rings with several weak links. For temperatures close or below $T_c$, the coherence length does not characterize the correlation length. In order to regard the winding number as a conserved quantity, it is necessary to allow for a short lapse of time during which unstable configurations decay. We found criteria for the validity of the 1D treatment. The is no lower bound for final temperatures that permit 1D treatment. For moderate quenching times $τ_Q$, the variance of the winding number obeys the scaling $< n^2>\propto τ_Q^{-1/4}$, as predicted by KZM in the case of mean field models; for $τ_Q\alt 10^5\hbar /k_BT_c$, the dependence is weaker. We also studied the behavior of the system when fluctuations of the gauge field are suppressed, and obtained that the scaling $< n^2>\propto τ_Q^{-1/4}$ is obeyed over a wider range.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2012

Parallel and Perpendicular Susceptibility Above $T_{c}$ in La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ Single Crystals

We report direction-dependent susceptibility and resistivity measurements on La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ single crystals. These crystals have rectangular needle-like shapes with the crystallographic "c" direction parallel or perpendicular to the needle axis,which, in turn, is in the applied field direction. At optimal doping we find finite diamagnetic susceptibility above $T_{c}$, namely fluctuating superconductivity (FSC), only when the field is perpendicular to the planes. In underdoped samples we could find FSC in both field directions. We provide a phase diagram showing the FSC region, although it is sample dependent in the underdoped cases. The variations in the susceptibility data suggest a different origin for the FSC between underdoping (below 10%) and optimal doping. Finally, our data indicates that the spontaneous vortex diffusion constant above $T_c$ is anomalously high.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Supercurrent fluctuations in short filaments

We evaluate the average and the standard deviation of the supercurrent in superconducting nanobridges, as functions of the temperature and the phase difference, in an equilibrium situation. We also evaluate the autocorrelation of the supercurrent as a function of the elapsed time. The behavior of supercurrent fluctuations is qualitatively different from from that of the normal current: they depend on the phase difference, have a different temperature dependence, and for appropriate range their standard deviation is independent of the probing time. We considered two radically different filaments and obtained very similar results for both. Fluctuations of the supercurrent can in principle be measured.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Fluctuations in superconducting rings with two order parameters

Starting from the Ginzburg-Landau energy functional, we discuss how the presence of two order parameters and the coupling between them influence a superconducting ring in the fluctuative regime. Our method is exact, but requires numerical implementation. We also study approximations for which some analytic expressions can be obtained, and check their ranges of validity. We provide estimates for the temperature ranges where fluctuations are important, calculate the persistent current in magnesium diboride rings as a function of temperature and enclosed flux, and point out its additional dependence on the cross-section area of the ring. We find temperature regions in which fluctuations enhance the persistent currents and regions where they inhibit the persistent current. The presence of two order parameters that can fluctuate independently always leads to larger averages of the order parameters at Tc, but only for appropriate parameters this yields larger persistent current. In cases of very different material parameters for the two coupled condensates, the persistent current is inhibited.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Influence of Thermal Fluctuations on Uniform and Nonuniform Superconducting Rings according to the Ginzburg--Landau and the Kramer--Watts-Tobin Models

We evaluate the influence of thermal fluctuations on superconducting rings that enclose a magnetic flux, using the time-dependent Ginzburg--Landau (TDGL) or the Kramer--Watts-Tobin (KWT) model, while thermal fluctuations are accounted for by means of Langevin terms. This method is applicable in situations where previous methods are not, such as nonuniform loops, rings with large width to radius ratio and loops with large coherence length to perimeter ratio. We evaluate persistent currents, position and statistical behavior of flux-induced vortices and lifetime of metastable fluxoid states. The influence of nonuniformity on the persistent current does not depend strongly on the details of the cross-section profile; it depends mainly on its first harmonic, but not only on it. As a consequence of nonuniformity the maximum of the persistent current shifts to smaller fluxes and the passage between fluxoid states remains non-hysteretic down to lower temperatures than in the case of a uniform sample. Our results using TDGL agree remarkably well with recent measurements of the persistent current in superconducting rings and with measurements of the position of a vortex that mediates between fluxoid states in an asymmetric disk with a hole; they could also provide a plausible explanation for unexpectedly short measured lifetimes of metastable states. Comparison between TDGL and KWT indicates that they lead to the same results for the persistent current, whereas KWT leads to larger lifetimes than TDGL.

cond-mat.supr-con↗