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S. Agrestini

Publications and source records attributed to S. Agrestini.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Study of temperature dependent atomic correlations in MgB$_{2}$

We have studied the evolution with temperature of the local as well as the average crystal structure of MgB$_2$ using the real-space atomic pair distribution function (PDF) measured by high resolution neutron powder diffraction. We have investigated the correlations of the B-B and B-Mg nearest neighbor pair motion by comparing, in the wide temperature range from T=10 K up to T=600 K, the mean-square displacements (MSD) of single atoms with the mean-square relative displacements (MSRD) obtained from the PDF peak linewidths. The results show that the single atom B and Mg vibrations are mostly decoupled from each other, with a small predominance of positive (in phase) correlation factor for both the B-B and B-Mg pairs. The small positive correlation is almost temperature independent, in contrast with our theoretical calculations; this can be a direct consequence of the strong decay processes of the $E_{2g}$ anharmonic phonons.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Sc substitution for Mg in MgB2: effects on Tc and Kohn anomaly

Here we report synthesis and characterization of Mg_{1-x}Sc_{x}B_{2} (0.12 T_{c}>6 K. We find that the Sc doping moves the chemical potential through the 2D/3D electronic topological transition (ETT) in the sigma band where the ``shape resonance" of interband pairing occurs. In the 3D regime beyond the ETT we observe a hardening of the E_{2g} Raman mode with a significant line-width narrowing due to suppression of the Kohn anomaly over the range 0<q<2k_{F}.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

High Tc superconductivity at a critical strain and charge density in diborides

We report variation of lattice structure in diborides (AB2) with different A atoms to identify the special case of MgB2 showing high Tc superconductivity. High purity MgB2 (Tc~39 K) has been prepared by direct reaction of the elements and the lattice parameters are measured by x-ray diffraction determining the strain e of the B-B distance. The results show that the superconductivity in these intermetallics appear near a critical point in a two variables (strain and charge density) phase diagram at (ec, rc).

cond-mat.supr-con↗

A Superconductor Made by a Metal Heterostructure at the Atomic Limit Tuned at the "Shape Resonance": MgB2

We have studied the variation of Tc with charge density and lattice parameters in Mg1-xAlxB2 superconducting samples at low Al doping x<8%. We show that high Tc occurs where the chemical potential is tuned at a "superconducting shape resonance" near the energy Ec of the quantum critical point (QCP) for the dimensional transition from 2D to 3D electronic structure in a particular subband of the natural superlattice of metallic atomic boron layers. At the "shape resonance" the electrons pairs see a 2D Fermi surface at EF-w0 and a 3D Fermi surface at EF+wo, where wo is the energy cut off of the pairing interaction. The resonant amplification occurs in a narrow energy range where EF-Ec is in the range of 2wo.

cond-mat.supr-con↗