arXiv subjects

M. Dressel

Publications and source records attributed to M. Dressel.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Anisotropic charge dynamics in the quantum spin-liquid candidate $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu$_2$(CN)$_3$

We have in detail characterized the anisotropic charge response of the dimer Mott insulator $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$\-Cu$_2$(CN)$_3$ by dc conductivity, Hall effect and dielectric spectroscopy. At room temperature the Hall coefficient is positive and close to the value expected from stoichiometry; the temperature behavior follows the dc resistivity $ρ(T)$. Within the planes the dc conductivity is well described by variable-range hopping in two dimensions; this model, however, fails for the out-of-plane direction. An unusually broad in-plane dielectric relaxation is detected below about 60 K; it slows down much faster than the dc conductivity following an Arrhenius law. At around 17 K we can identify a pronounced dielectric anomaly concomitantly with anomalous features in the mean relaxation time and spectral broadening. The out-of-plane relaxation, on the other hand, shows a much weaker dielectric anomaly; it closely follows the temperature behavior of the respective dc resistivity. At lower temperatures, the dielectric constant becomes smaller both within and perpendicular to the planes; also the relaxation levels off. The observed behavior bears features of relaxor-like ferroelectricity. Because heterogeneities impede its long-range development, only a weak tunneling-like dynamics persists at low temperatures. We suggest that the random potential and domain structure gradually emerge due to the coupling to the anion network.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

ESR studies on the spin-liquid candidate $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu$_2$(CN)$_{3}$: anomalous response below $T=8$ K

The organic conductor $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu$_2$(CN)$_{3}$ seems to form a quantum spin liquid, although at low temperatures unusual properties are seen in the charge, spin and lattice degrees of freedom. Here we report results of X-band ESR studies of $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu$_2$(CN)$_{3}$ single crystals as a function of temperature and angle. We find indications of two anisotropic relaxation mechanisms at low temperatures and compare them to the spin-liquid behavior observed in other strongly correlated systems. In addition, we can recognize charge inhomogeneities in the copper ions of the anion layer. This disorder might be linked to the dielectric response measured in this compound.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Persistent detwinning of iron pnictides by small magnetic fields

Our comprehensive study on EuFe$_2$As$_2$ reveals a dramatic reduction of magnetic detwinning fields compared to other AFe$_2$As$_2$ (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) iron pnictides by indirect magneto-elastic coupling of the Eu$^{2+}$ ions. We find that only 0.1T are sufficient for persistent detwinning below the local Eu$^{2+}$ ordering; above $T_\text{Eu}$ = 19K, higher fields are necessary. Even after the field is switched off, a significant imbalance of twin domains remains constant up to the structural and electronic phase transition (190K). This persistent detwinning provides the unique possibility to study the low temperature electronic in-plane anisotropy of iron pnictides without applying any symmetrybreaking external force.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Evolution of ferroelectricity in tetrathiafulvalene-p-chloranil as a function of pressure and temperature

The neutral-to-ionic phase transition in the mixed-stack charge-transfer complex tetrathiafulvalene-p-chloranil (TTF-CA) has been studied by pressure-dependent infrared spectroscopy up to p=11 kbar and down to low temperatures, T = 10 K. By tracking the C=O antisymmetric stretching mode of CA molecules, we accurately determine the ionicity of TTF-CA in the pressure-temperature phase diagram. At any point the TTF-CA crystal bears only a single ionicity; there is no coexistence region or an exotic high-pressure phase. Our findings shed new light on the role of electron-phonon interaction in the neutral-ionic transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

EuFe2(As1-xPx)2: reentrant spin glass and superconductivity

By systematic investigations of the magnetic, transport and thermodynamic properties of single crystals of EuFe2(As1-xPx)2 we explore the complex interplay of superconductivity and Eu2+ magnetism. Below 30K, two magnetic transitions are observed for all P substituted crystals suggesting a revision of the phase diagram. In addition to the canted A-type antiferromagnetic order of Eu2+ at approximately 20K, a spin glass transition is discovered at lower temperatures. Most remarkably, the reentrant spin glass state of EuFe2(As1-xPx)2 coexists with superconductivity around x = 0.2.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Observation of an inter-sublattice exchange magnon in CoCr$_2$O$_4$ and analysis of magnetic ordering

We report on an investigation of optical properties of multiferroic CoCr$_{2}$O$_{4}$ at terahertz frequencies in magnetic fields up to 30 T. Below the ferrimagnetic transition (94 K), the terahertz response of CoCr$_{2}$O$_{4}$ is dominated by a magnon mode, which shows a steep magnetic-field dependence. We ascribe this mode to an exchange resonance between two magnetic sublattices with different $g$-factors. In the framework of a simple two-sublattice model (the sublattices are formed by Co$^{2+}$ and Cr$^{3+}$ ions), we find the inter-sublattice coupling constant, $λ= - (18 \pm 1)$ K, and trace the magnetization for each sublattice as a function of field. We show that the Curie temperature of the Cr$^{3+}$ sublattice, $Θ_{2}$ = $(49 \pm 2)$ K, coincides with the temperature range, where anomalies of the dielectric and magnetic properties of CoCr$_{2}$O$_{4}$ have been reported in literature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Broadband electron spin resonance from 500 MHz to 40 GHz using superconducting coplanar waveguides

We present non-conventional electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments using microfabricated superconducting waveguides. We show that a very broad frequency range, from 0.5 to 40 GHz, becomes accessible with a high frequency accuracy of less than 1 MHz at low temperatures down to 1.6 K and in fields up to 1.4 T. This allows an accurate inspection of the ESR absorption position in the frequency domain, in contrast to the more common observation in the field domain. We demonstrate the applicability of frequency-swept ESR on Cr3+ atoms in ruby as well as on organic radicals of the Nitronyl-nitroxide family (using the 2-(4'-methoxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetra-methylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, a.k.a. NitPhOMe). Measurements between 1.6 and 30 K reveal a small frequency shift of the ESR and a resonance broadening below the critical temperature, which we both attribute to a modification of the magnetic field configuration due to the appearance of shielding currents.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Charge Order Breaks Magnetic Symmetry in Molecular Quantum Spin Chains

Charge order affects most of the electronic properties but is believed not to alter the spin arrangement since the magnetic susceptibility remains unchanged. We present electron-spin-resonance experiments on quasi-one-dimensional (TMTTF)2X salts (X= PF6, AsF6 and SbF6), which reveal that the magnetic properties are modified below TCO when electronic ferroelectricity sets in. The coupling of anions and organic molecules rotates the g-tensor out of the molecular plane creating magnetically non-equivalent sites on neighboring chains at domain walls. Due to anisotropic Zeeman interaction a novel magnetic interaction mechanism in the charge-ordered state is observed as a doubling of the rotational periodicity of Delta H.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Universal sheet resistance and revised phase diagram of the cuprate high-temperature superconductors

Upon introducing charge carriers into the copper-oxygen sheets of the enigmatic lamellar cuprates the ground state evolves from an insulator into a superconductor, and eventually into a seemingly conventional metal (a Fermi liquid). Much has remained elusive about the nature of this evolution and about the peculiar metallic state at intermediate hole-carrier concentrations (p). The planar resistivity of this unconventional metal exhibits a linear temperature dependence (ρ$\propto$ T) that is disrupted upon cooling toward the superconducting state by the opening of a partial gap (the pseudogap) on the Fermi surface. Here we first demonstrate for the quintessential compound HgBa$_2$CuO$_{4+δ}$ a dramatic switch from linear to purely quadratic (Fermi-liquid-like, ρ$\propto$ T$^2$) resistive behavior in the pseudogap regime. Despite the considerable variation in crystal structures and disorder among different compounds, our result together with prior work gives new insight into the p-T phase diagram and reveals the fundamental resistance per copper-oxygen sheet in both linear (ρ_S = A_{1S} T) and quadratic (ρ_S = A_{2S} T$^2$) regimes, with A_{1S} $\propto$ A_{2S} $\propto$ 1/p. Theoretical models can now be benchmarked against this remarkably simple universal behavior. Deviations from this underlying behavior can be expected to lead to new insights into the non-universal features exhibited by certain compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Boson peak in overdoped manganites La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3}

In the charge-ordered phase of strongly doped manganites La$_{1-x}$Ca$_x$MnO$_3$ ($x \geq 0.5$) absorption lines appear in the terahertz spectral range for commensurate $x$ values right below the charge-ordering temperature. They are connected to acoustic phonons that become optically active by folding of the Brillouin zone. At lower temperatures a strongly asymmetric extra absorption band develops at frequencies corresponding to the position of the lowest-energy van Hove singularity in the reduced Brillouin zone. The band is assigned to the boson peak, i.e. to the excess of lattice vibrational states over the standard Debye contribution. The folded phonons and the boson peak do not show up for incommensurate calcium contents when no distinct Brillouin zone folding exists.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Electronic properties of Fabre charge-transfer salts under various temperature and pressure conditions

Using density functional theory, we determine parameters of tight-binding Hamiltonians for a variety of Fabre charge transfer salts, focusing in particular on the effects of temperature and pressure. Besides relying on previously published crystal structures, we experimentally determine two new sets of structures; (TMTTF)$_2$SbF$_6$ at different temperatures and (TMTTF)$_2$PF$_6$ at various pressures. We find that a few trends in the electronic behavior can be connected to the complex phase diagram shown by these materials. Decreasing temperature and increasing pressure cause the systems to become more two-dimensional. We analyze the importance of correlations by considering an extended Hubbard model parameterized using Wannier orbital overlaps and show that while charge order is strongly activated by the inter-site Coulomb interaction, the magnetic order is only weakly enhanced. Both orders are suppressed when the effective pressure is increased.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Cooperative dynamics in charge-ordered state of alpha-(BEDT-TTF)2I3

Electric-field-dependent pulse measurements are reported in the charge-ordered state of alpha-(BEDT-TTF)2I3. At low electric fields up to about 50 V/cm only negligible deviations from Ohmic behavior can be identified with no threshold field. At larger electric fields and up to about 100 V/cm a reproducible negative differential resistance is observed with a significant change in shape of the measured resistivity in time. These changes critically depend whether constant voltage or constant current is applied to the single crystal. At high enough electric fields the resistance displays a dramatic drop down to metallic values and relaxes subsequently in a single-exponential manner to its low-field steady-state value. We argue that such an electric-field induced negative differential resistance and switching to transient states are fingerprints of cooperative domain-wall dynamics inherent to two-dimensional bond-charge density wave with ferroelectric-like nature.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Anisotropic optical conductivity of the putative Kondo insulator CeRu$_4$Sn$_6$

Kondo insulators and in particular their non-cubic representatives have remained poorly understood. Here we report on the development of an anisotropic energy pseudogap in the tetragonal compound CeRu$_4$Sn$_6$ employing optical reflectivity measurements in broad frequency and temperature ranges, and local density approximation plus dynamical mean field theory calculations. The calculations provide evidence for a Kondo insulator-like response within the $a-a$ plane and a more metallic response along the c axis and qualitatively reproduce the experimental observations, helping to identify their origin.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Optical properties of the iron-pnictide analog BaMn2As2

We have investigated the infrared and Raman optical properties of BaMn2As2 in the ab-plane and along the c-axis. The most prominent features in the infrared spectra are the Eu and A2u phonon modes which show clear TO-LO splitting from the energy loss function analysis. All the phonon features we observed in infrared and Raman spectra are consistent with the calculated values. Compared to the iron-pnictide analog AFe2As2, this compound is much more two-dimensional in its electronic properties. For E || c-axis, the overall infrared reflectivity is insulating like. Within the ab-plane the material exhibits a semiconducting behavior. An energy gap 2Δ=48 meV can be clearly identified below room temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Broadening of hot-spot response spectrum of superconducting NbN nanowire single-photon detector with reduced nitrogen content

The spectral detection efficiency and the dark count rate of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) has been studied systematically on detectors made from thin NbN films with different chemical compositions. Reduction of the nitrogen content in the 4 nm thick NbN films results in a more than two orders of magnitude decrease of the dark count rates and in a red shift of the cut-off wavelength of the hot-spot SNSPD response. The observed phenomena are explained by an improvement of uniformity of NbN films that has been confirmed by a decrease of resistivity and an increase of the ratio of the measured critical current to the depairing current. The latter factor is considered as the most crucial for both the cut-off wavelength and the dark count rates of SNSPD. Based on our results we propose a set of criteria for material properties to optimize SNSPD in the infrared spectral region.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

B-T phase diagram of CoCr2O4 in magnetic fields up to 14 T

We have measured the magnetization and specific heat of multiferroic CoCr2O4 in magnetic fields up to 14 T. The high-field magnetization measurements indicate a new phase transition at T* = 5 - 6 K. The phase between T* and the lock-in transition at 15 K is characterized by magnetic irreversibility. At higher magnetic fields, the irreversibility increases. Specific-heat measurements confirm the transition at T*, and also show irreversible behavior. We construct a field-temperature phase diagram of CoCr2O4.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Reducing vortex losses in superconducting microwave resonators with microsphere patterned antidot arrays

We experimentally investigate the vortex induced energy losses in niobium coplanar waveguide resonators with and without quasihexagonal arrays of nanoholes (antidots), where large-area antidot patterns have been fabricated using self-assembling microsphere lithography. We perform transmission spectroscopy experiments around 6.25 and 12.5 GHz in magnetic field cooling and zero field cooling procedures with perpendicular magnetic fields up to B=27 mT at a temperature T=4.2 K. We find that the introduction of antidot arrays into resonators reduces vortex induced losses by more than one order of magnitude.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Theoretical investigation of electronic specific heat of two-band superconductors

We apply the generalized two-band model of superconductivity to calculate the electronic contribution to the specific heat, superconducting gaps and electron-boson coupling constants of the multi-band layered superconductors MgB2 and Ba(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2. For both compounds, the obtained temperature-behavior of the specific heat well describes the experimental data. We compare our findings with the "two-band - model" that is frequently used to calculate the electronic specific heat, and that is applicable only for superconductors with strong interband scattering ("dirty" enough superconductors).

cond-mat.supr-con↗