arXiv subjects

M. Bachmann

Publications and source records attributed to M. Bachmann.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Probing intraband excitations in ZrTe$_5$: a high-pressure infrared and transport study

Zirconium pentatetelluride, ZrTe5, shows remarkable sensitivity to hydrostatic pressure. In this work we address the high-pressure transport and optical properties of this compound, on samples grown by flux and charge vapor transport. The high-pressure resistivity is measured up to 2 GPa, and the infrared transmission up to 9 GPa. The dc conductivity anisotropy is determined using a microstructured sample. Together, the transport and optical measurements allow us to discern band parameters with and without the hydrostatic pressure, in particular the Fermi level, and the effective mass in the less conducting, out-of-plane direction. The results are interpreted within a simple two-band model characterized by a Dirac-like, linear in-plane band dispersion, and a parabolic out-of-plane dispersion.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Adsorption of flexible polymer chains on a surface: Effects of different solvent conditions

Polymer chains undergoing a continuous adsorption-desorption transition are studied through extensive computer simulations. A three-dimensional self-avoiding walk lattice model of a polymer chain grafted onto a surface has been treated for different solvent conditions. We have used an advanced contact-density chain-growth algorithm, in which the density of contacts can be directly obtained. From this quantity, the order parameter and its fourth-order Binder cumulant are computed, as well as the corresponding critical exponents and the adsorption-desorption transition temperature. As the number of configurations with a given number of surface contacts and monomer-monomer contacts is independent of the temperature and solvent conditions, it can be easily applied to get results for different solvent parameter values without the need of any extra simulations. In analogy to continuous magnetic phase transitions, finite-size-scaling methods have been employed. Quite good results for the critical properties and phase diagram of very long single polymer chains have been obtained by properly taking into account the effects of corrections to scaling. The study covers all solvent effects, going from the limit of {\it super-self-avoiding walks}, characterized by effective monomer-monomer repulsion, to poor solvent conditions that enable the formation of compact polymer structures.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

Electronic in-plane symmetry breaking at field-tuned quantum criticality in CeRhIn5

Electronic nematics are exotic states of matter where electronic interactions break a rotational symmetry of the underlying lattice, in analogy to the directional alignment without translational order in nematic liquid crystals. Intriguingly such phases appear in the copper- and iron-based superconductors, and their role in establishing high-temperature superconductivity remains an open question. Nematicity may take an active part, cooperating or competing with superconductivity, or may appear accidentally in such systems. Here we present experimental evidence for a phase of nematic character in the heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn5. We observe a field-induced breaking of the electronic tetragonal symmetry of in the vicinity of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) quantum phase transition at Hc~50T. This phase appears in out-of-plane fields of H*~28T and is characterized by substantial in-plane resistivity anisotropy. The anisotropy can be aligned by a small in-plane field component, with no apparent connection to the underlying crystal structure. Furthermore no anomalies are observed in the magnetic torque, suggesting the absence of metamagnetic transitions in this field range. These observations are indicative of an electronic nematic character of the high field state in CeRhIn5. The appearance of nematic behavior in a phenotypical heavy fermion superconductor highlights the interrelation of nematicity and unconventional superconductivity, suggesting nematicity to be a commonality in such materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Atomistic Green's Function Method supported by ab initio Calculations : Application to phonon transport in ZnO and ZnS

We present an approach to calculate ballistic phonon transport that combines the atomistic Green's function (AGF) method with ab initio results. For the inter atomic potential we use the harmonic approach. The equilibrium positions of the atoms and the inter atomic force constants(ifcs) are calculated using the ABINIT program package, which is based on density functional theory. Therefore, the presented approach is parameter free. From the Green's function of the system we determine the density of states as well as the transmission function. The thermal conductance is obtained within the linear response regime. We apply this approach to bulk ZnO and bulk ZnS. Transmission functions for different transport direction for each material are presented. A comparison of the transmission function shows, that a ZnO/ZnS interface could be a promising phonon blocker. Adding such interfaces in ZnO or ZnS based thermoelectric devices could therefore increase the figure of merit.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2000

Variational Approach to Hydrogen Atom in Uniform Magnetic Field of Arbitrary Strength

Extending the Feynman-Kleinert variational approach, we calculate the temperature-dependent effective classical potential governing the quantum statistics of a hydrogen atom in a uniform magnetic at all temperatures. The zero-temperature limit yields the binding energy of the electron which is quite accurate for all magnetic field strengths and exhibits, in particular, the correct logarithmic growth at large fields.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Recursive Graphical Construction for Feynman Diagrams of Quantum Electrodynamics

We present a method for a recursive graphical construction of Feynman diagrams with their correct multiplicities in quantum electrodynamics. The method is first applied to find all diagrams contributing to the vacuum energy from which all n-point functions are derived by functional differentiation with respect to electron and photon propagators, and to the interaction. Basis for our construction is a functional differential equation obeyed by the vacuum energy when considered as a functional of the free propagators and the interaction. Our method does not employ external sources in contrast to traditional approaches.

hep-th↗

arXiv1999

Recursive Graphical Construction of Feynman Diagrams and Their Multiplicities in phi^4- and in phi^2A-Theory

The free energy of a field theory can be considered as a functional of the free correlation function. As such it obeys a nonlinear functional differential equation which can be turned into a recursion relation. This is solved order by order in the coupling constant to find all connected vacuum diagrams with their proper multiplicities. The procedure is applied to a multicomponent scalar field theory with a phi^4-self-interaction and then to a theory of two scalar fields phi and A with an interaction phi^2 A. All Feynman diagrams with external lines are obtained from functional derivatives of the connected vacuum diagrams with respect to the free correlation function. Finally, the recursive graphical construction is automatized by computer algebra with the help of a unique matrix notation for the Feynman diagrams.

hep-th↗

arXiv1999

Strong-Coupling Calculation of Fluctuation Pressure of a Membrane Between Walls

We calculate analytically the proportionality constant in the pressure law of a membrane between parallel walls from the strong-coupling limit of variational perturbation theory up to third order. Extrapolating the zeroth to third approximations to infinity yields the pressure constant alpha=0.0797149. This result lies well within the error bounds of the most accurate available Monte-Carlo result 0.0798 +- 0.0003.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1998

Variational Perturbation Theory for Density Matrices

We develop convergent variational perturbation theory for quantum statistical density matrices. The theory is applicable to polynomial as well as nonpolynomial interactions. Illustrating the power of the theory, we calculate the temperature-dependent density of a particle in a double-well and of the electron in a hydrogen atom.

quant-ph↗