arXiv subjects

M. B. Salamon

Publications and source records attributed to M. B. Salamon.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

Breakdown of the lattice polaron picture in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 single crystals

When heated through the magnetic transition at Tc, La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 changes from a band metal to a polaronic insulator. The Hall constant R_H, through its activated behavior and sign anomaly, provides key evidence for polaronic behavior. We use R_H and the Hall mobility to demonstrate the breakdown of the polaron phase. Above 1.4Tc, the polaron picture holds in detail, while below, the activation energies of both R_H and the mobility deviate strongly from their polaronic values. These changes reflect the presence of metallic, ferromagnetic fluctuations, in the volume of which the Hall effect develops additional contributions tied to quantal phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Magnetotransport in manganites and the role of quantal phases I: Theory

A microscopic picture of charge transport in manganites is developed, with particular attention being paid to the neighborhood of the ferromagnet-to- paramagnet phase transition. The basic transport mechanism invoked is inelastically-assisted carrier hopping between states localized by magnetic disorder. In the context of the anomalous Hall effect, central roles are played by the Pancharatnam and spin-orbit quantal phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Magnetotransport in manganites and the role of quantal phases II: Experiment

As in conventional ferromagnets, the Hall resistivity rho_xy of a La_{2/3}(Ca,Pb)_{1/3}MnO_3 single crystal exhibits both ordinary and anomalous contributions at low temperature. However, these contributions, unexpectedly, have opposite signs. Near Tc, the ordinary contribution is no longer evident and rho_xy is solely determined by the sample magnetization, reaching an extremum at approximately 40% of the saturated magnetization. A new model for the anomalous Hall effect, incorporating the quantal phase accumulated by double-exchange, three-site hopping reproduces this result. Below Tc, rho_xy reflects the competition between normal and anomalous Hall effects.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Electronic Transport in La-Ca Manganites

We revisit the transport properties of La-Ca manganites in detail, since they have been confirmed in a number of CMR-exhibiting materials. We also discuss new data considered the hallmark of an unusually high electron-phonon coupling responsible for charge localization and small polaron transport.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Coexistence of localized and itinerant carriers near Tc in calcium-doped manganites

We explore the possibility that polaronic distortions in the paramagnetic phase of La$_{0.67}$Ca$_{0.33}$MnO$_3$ manganites persist in the ferromagnetic phase by considering the observed electrical resistivity to arise from coexisting field- and temperature-dependent polaronic and band-electron fractions. We use an effective medium approach to compute the total resistivity of the two-component system, and find that a limit with low percolation threshold explains the data rather well. To test the validity of this model, we apply it to the thermoelectric coefficient. We propose a plausible mean-field model that reproduces the essential features of a microscopic model and provides a comparison with the experimental mixing fraction, as well as the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

^{139}La Spectrum and Spin-Lattice Relaxation Measurements of La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3 in the Paramagnetic State

^{139}La NMR measurements of La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3 performed in the paramagnetic state and high magnetic fields are reported. Analysis of the high temperature spectrum measured establishes that the spectrum it is a standard powder pattern broadened by a variation in lattice distortions. At lower temperatures, the spectrum shifts and broadens. Both the shift and broadening exhibit Curie-Weiss behavior, indicating that the shift measures the polarization of the electron spin system, and the broadening reflects a distribution of magnetic susceptibilities. This distribution may result from variations of local susceptibility in the bulk of the sample or from differences in demagnetizing factors among powder grains. The spectrum also indicates that the lattice distortions do not change as the temperature lowers. Spectral diffusion measurements suggest that the temperature dependence of the spectrum shape does not result from freezing out of motion of magnetic polarons. Variation of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation across the spectrum indicate that magnetic fluctuations, not lattice vibrations, dominate nuclear relaxation. Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation therefore measures electron spin dynamics in this system. The magnetic field dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation indicates that the electron spin-spin correlation function adopts simple single exponential behavior with a slow field-independent correlation time of 10^{-8} seconds near Tc. The spin-spin correlation function changes form at higher temperatures, but remains slow. The spin-lattice relaxation therefore indicates the presence of extremely slow dynamics above Tc.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1998

Hall Effect of La2/3(Ca,Pb)1/3MnO3 Single Crystals near the Critical Temperature

The Hall resistivity rho_{xy} of a La_{2/3}(Ca,Pb)_{1/3}MnO_3 single crystal has been measured as a function of temperature and field. The overall behavior is similar to that observed previously in thin-films. At 5 K, rho_{xy} is positive and linear in field, indicating that the anomalous contribution $R_S$ is negligible. However, the effective carrier density in a free electron model is n_{eff}=2.4 holes/Mn, even larger than the 0.85-1.9 holes/Mn reported for thin-films and far larger than the 0.33 holes/Mn expected from the doping level. As temperature increases, a strong, negative contribution to rho_{xy} appears, that we ascribe to R_S. Using detailed magnetization data, we separate the ordinary (\propto B) and anomalous (\propto M) contributions. Below T_C, R_S \propto rho_{xx}, indicating that magnetic skew scattering is the dominant mechanism in the metallic ferromagnetic regime. At and above the resistivity-peak temperature, we find that rho_{xy}/rho_{xx}M is a constant, independent of temperature and field. This implies that the anomalous Hall coefficient is proportional to the magnetoresistance. A different explanation based on two fluid model is also presented.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Low-Temperature Phase Transition in Bi_2Sr_2Ca(Ni_xCu_{1-x})_20_8: Evidence for Unconventional Superconductivity

We report the discovery of a low-temperature phase transition in Bi_2Sr_2Ca(Ni_xCu_{1-x})_20_8 high temperature superconductor. This transition manifests itself as a sharp reduction of the thermal conductivity of the samples at a temperature of T_c* \approx 200 mK. The temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity changes dramatically from T^αwith αbetween 1.6 and 1.75 above the transition to T-linear behavior below the transition. Application of a small magnetic field suppresses the low-temperature phase. We interpret this behavior as a phase transition into a second bulk low-temperature superconducting state in which the time-reversal symmetry is likely to be broken. This discovery constitutes direct evidence for unconventional superconductivity in high temperature superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1996

High Temperature Thermopower in La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3 Films: Evidence for Polaronic Transport

Thermoelectric power, electrical resistivity and magnetization experiments, performed in the paramagnetic phase of La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3, provide evidence for polaron-dominated conduction in CMR materials. At high temperatures, a large, nearly field-independent difference between the activation energies for resistivity (rho) and thermopower (S), a characteristic of Holstein Polarons, is observed, and ln(rho) ceases to scale with the magnetization. On approaching T_c, both energies become field-dependent, indicating that the polarons are magnetically polarized. Below T_c, the thermopower follows a law S(H) prop. 1/rho (H) as in non saturated ferromagnetic metals.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Hall-Effect Sign Anomaly and Small-Polaronic Conduction in (La_{1-x}Gd_x)_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO_3

The Hall coefficient of Gd-doped La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3 exhibits Arrhenius behavior over a temperature range from 2T_c to 4T_c, with an activation energy very close to 2/3 that of the electrical conductivity. Although both the doping level and thermoelectric coefficient indicate hole-like conduction, the Hall coefficient is electron-like. This unusual result provides strong evidence in favor of small-polaronic conduction in the paramagnetic regime of the manganites.

cond-mat↗