arXiv subjects

Thilo Kopp

Publications and source records attributed to Thilo Kopp.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Flux Periodicities in Loops of Nodal Superconductors

Supercurrents in superconducting flux threaded loops are expected to oscillate with the magnetic flux with a period of hc/2e. This is indeed true for s-wave superconductors larger than the coherence length xi_0. Here we show that for superconductors with gap nodes, there is no such strict condition for the supercurrent to be hc/2e rather than hc/e periodic. For nodal superconductors, the flux induced Doppler shift of the near nodal states leads to a flux dependent occupation probability of quasi-particles circulating clockwise and counter clockwise around the loop, which leads to an hc/e periodic component of the supercurrent, even at zero temperature. We analyze this phenomenon on a cylinder in an approximative analytic approach and also numerically within the framework of the BCS theory. Specifically for d-wave pairing, we show that the hc/e periodic current component decreases with the inverse radius of the loop and investigate its temperature dependence.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Electron-phonon coupling in a two-dimensional inhomogeneous electron gas: consequences for surface spectral properties

We investigate the coupling of an inhomogeneous electron system to phonons. The properties of an electronic system composed of a mixture of microscopic ordered and disordered islands are changed fundamentally by a phonon mode. In high-Tc cuprates, such a phase separation scenario is supported by recent STM and nuclear quadrupole resonance studies. We show that even a weak or moderate electron-phonon coupling can be sufficient to produce dramatic changes in the electronic state of the inhomogeneous electron gas. The spectral properties calculated in our approach provide a natural explanation of the low-energy nodal ARPES features and exhibit a novel non-Fermi-liquid state stabilized through electron-phonon coupling.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Exact results in a slave boson saddle point approach for a strongly correlated electron model

We revisit the Kotliar-Ruckenstein (KR) slave boson saddle point evaluation for a two-site correlated electron model. As the model can be solved analytically, it is possible to compare the KR saddle point results to the exact many particle levels. The considered two site cluster mimics an infinite-$U$ single-impurity Anderson model with a nearest neighbor Coulomb interaction: one site is strongly correlated with an infinite local Coulomb repulsion which hybridizes with the second site, on which the local Coulomb repulsion vanishes. Making use of the flexibility of the representation we introduce appropriate weight factors in the KR saddle point scheme. Ground state and all excitation levels agree with the exact diagonalization results. Thermodynamics and correlation functions may be recovered in a suitably renormalized saddle point evaluation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Barnes slave boson approach to the two-site single impurity Anderson model with non-local interaction

The Barnes slave boson approach to the $U=\infty$ single impurity Anderson model extended by a non-local Coulomb interaction is revisited. We demonstrate first that the radial gauge representation facilitates the treatment of such a non-local interaction by performing the \emph{exact} evaluation of the path integrals representing the partition function, the impurity hole density and the impurity hole density autocorrelation function for a two-site cluster. The free energy is also obtained on the same footing. Next, the exact results are compared to their approximations at saddle-point level, and it is shown that the saddle point evaluation recovers the exact answer in the limit of strong non-local Coulomb interaction, while the agreement between both schemes remains satisfactory in a large parameter range.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Electronic charge and orbital reconstruction at cuprate-titanate interfaces

In complex transition metal oxide heterostructures of physically dissimilar perovskite compounds, interface phenomena can lead to novel physical properties not observed in either of their constituents. This remarkable feature opens new prospects for technological applications in oxide electronic devices based on nm-thin oxide films. Here we report on a significant electronic charge and orbital reconstruction at interfaces between YBa2Cu3O6 and SrTiO3 studied using local spin density approximation (LSDA) with intra-atomic Coulomb repulsion (LSDA+U). We show that the interface polarity results in the metallicity of cuprate-titanate superlattices with the hole carriers concentrated predominantly in the CuO2 and BaO layers and in the first interface TiO2 and SrO planes. We also find that the interface structural relaxation causes a strong change of orbital occupation of Cu 3d orbitals in the CuO2 layers. The concomitant change of Cu valency from +2 to +3 is related to the partial occupation of the Cu $3d_{3z^2-r^2}$ orbitals at the interface with SrO planes terminating SrTiO3. Interface-induced predoping and orbital reconstruction in CuO2 layers are key mechanisms which control the superconducting properties of field-effect devices developed on the basis of cuprate-titanate heterostructures.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Slave bosons in radial gauge: a bridge between path integral and hamiltonian language

We establish a correspondence between the resummation of world lines and the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian for a strongly correlated electronic system. For this purpose, we analyze the functional integrals for the partition function and the correlation functions invoking a slave boson representation in the radial gauge. We show in the spinless case that the Green's function of the physical electron and the projected Green's function of the pseudofermion coincide. Correlation and Green's functions in the spinful case involve a complex entanglement of the world lines which, however, can be obtained through a strikingly simple extension of the spinless scheme. As a toy model we investigate the two-site cluster of the single impurity Anderson model which yields analytical results. All expectation values and dynamical correlation functions are obtained from the exact calculation of the relevant functional integrals. The hole density, the hole auto-correlation function and the Green's function are computed, and a comparison between spinless and spin 1/2 systems provides insight into the role of the radial slave boson field. In particular, the exact expectation value of the radial slave boson field is finite in both cases, and it is not related to a Bose condensate.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Interface controlled electronic charge inhomogeneities in correlated heterostructures

For heterostructures of ultrathin, strongly correlated copper-oxide films and dielectric perovskite layers, we predict inhomogeneous electronic interface states. Our study is based on an extended Hubbard model for the cuprate film. The interface is implemented by a coupling to the electron and phonon degrees of freedom of the dielectric oxide layer. We find that electronic ordering in the film is associated with a strongly inhomogeneous polaron effect. We propose to consider the interfacial tuning as a powerful mechanism to control the charge ordering in correlated electronic systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Orbital Ordering and Spin-Ladder Formation in La2RuO5

The semiconductor-semiconductor transition of La2RuO5 is studied by means of augmented spherical wave (ASW) electronic structure calculations as based on density functional theory and the local density approximation. This transition has lately been reported to lead to orbital ordering and a quenching of the local spin magnetic moment. Our results hint towards an orbital ordering scenario which, markedly different from the previously proposed scheme, preserves the local S = 1 moment at the Ru sites in the low-temperature phase. The unusual magnetic behaviour is interpreted by the formation of spin-ladders, which result from the structural changes occurring at the transition and are characterized by antiferromagnetic coupling along the rungs.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Electrostatic interface tuning in correlated superconducting heterostructures

An electrostatic field, which is applied to a gated high-temperature superconducting (HTSC) film, is believed to affect the film similar to charge doping. Analyzing the pairing in terms of a t-J model, we show that a coupling to electric dipoles and phonons at the interface of film and dielectric gate localizes the injected charge and leads to a superconductor-insulator transition. This results in a dramatic modification of the doping dependent phase diagram close to and above the optimal doping which is expected to shed light on recent electric field-effect experiments with HTSC cuprates.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

pi-Junction behavior and Andreev bound states in Kondo quantum dots with superconducting leads

We investigate the temperature- and coupling-dependent transport through Kondo dot contacts with symmetric superconducting s-wave leads. For finite temperature T we use a superconducting extension of a selfconsistent auxiliary boson scheme, termed SNCA, while at T=0 a perturbative renormalization group treatment is applied. The finite-temperature phase diagram for the 0--pi transition of the Josephson current in the junction is established and related to the phase-dependent position of the subgap Kondo resonance with respect to the Fermi energy. The conductance of the contact is evaluated in the zero-bias limit. It approaches zero in the low-temperature regime, however, at finite T its characteristics are changed through the coupling- and temperature-dependent 0--pi transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

The Origin of Magnetic Interactions in Ca3Co2O6

We investigate the microscopic origin of the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic spin exchange couplings in the quasi one-dimensional cobalt compound Ca3Co2O6. In particular, we establish a local model which stabilizes a ferromagnetic alignment of the S=2 spins on the cobalt sites with trigonal prismatic symmetry, for a sufficiently strong Hund's rule coupling on the cobalt ions. The exchange is mediated through a S=0 cobalt ion at the octahedral sites of the chain structure. We present a strong coupling evaluation of the Heisenberg coupling between the S=2 Co spins on a separate chain. The chains are coupled antiferromagnetically through super-superexchange via short O-O bonds.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

Jordan-Wigner approach to dynamic correlations in spin-ladders

We present a method for studying the excitations of low-dimensional quantum spin systems based on the Jordan-Wigner transformation. Using an extended RPA-scheme we calculate the correlation function of neighboring spin flips which well approximates the optical conductivity of ${\rm Sr_2CuO_3}$. We extend this approach to the two-leg $S=1/2$--ladder by numbering the spin operators in a meander-like sequence. We obtain good agreement with the optical conductivity of the spin ladder compound (La,Ca)$_{14}$Cu$_{24}$O$_{41}$ for polarization along the rungs. For polarization along the legs higher order correlations are important to explain the weight of high-energy continuum excitations and we estimate the contribution of 4-- and 6--fermion processes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

Cyclic Spin Exchange in Cuprate Spin Ladders

We investigate the influence of a cyclic spin exchange J_{cyc} on the one- and two-triplet excitations of an undoped two-leg S=1/2 ladder, using the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG). The dispersion of the S=0 two-triplet bound state is dramatically reduced by J_{cyc} due to a repulsion between triplets on neighboring rungs. In (La,Ca)_{14}Cu_{24}O_{41} a consistent description of both the spin gap and the S=0 bound state requires $J_{cyc}/J_\perp \approx 0.20-0.27$ and $J/J_{\perp} \approx 1.25-1.35$. With these coupling ratios the recently developed dynamical DMRG yields an excellent description of the entire S=0 excitation spectrum observed in the optical conductivity, including the continuum contribution.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

Charge ordering in half-doped Pr(Nd)$_{0.5}$Ca$_{0.5}$MnO$_3$ under magnetic field

Recent experiments in Pr(Nd)$_{0.5}$Ca$_{0.5}$MnO$_3$ thin films exhibited (multiple) reentrant charge ordering (CO) transitions with change of {\it temperature} T under fixed magnetic field H, which are in contrast to the results for the corresponding bulk materials. To explain the experimental findings, a model including the double-exchange mechanism, intersite Coulomb interaction and electron-phonon coupling is proposed, for which the reentrant CO is naturally obtained due to the temperature dependence of the band-type coherent polaron hopping. Various results for the CO in the (H, T) plane are extensively discussed. The theory is considered to be valid for both thin films and bulk materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Coexistence of bond-order wave and antiferromagnetism in a two-dimensional half-filled Peierls-Hubbard model

The two-dimensional Peierls-Hubbard model is studied at half-filling within both Hartree-Fork and Kotliar-Ruckenstein slave-boson theory. The interplay between two types of long-range order, bond-order wave (BOW) and antiferromagnetism (AFM), is analysed for two representative dimerization patterns, corresponding both to the same wavevector $(π,π)$. For each pattern, the Peierls dimerization (and associated BOW) is weakened and finally suppressed with increasing Hubbard on-site interaction, and correspondingly AFM is gradually enhanced. In particular, a coexistence regime with both BOW and AFM order is established in the parameter space of electron-lattice and Hubbard interactions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Slave Bosons in Radial Gauge: the Correct Functional Integral Representation and Inclusion of Non-Local Interactions

We introduce a new path integral representation for slave bosons in the radial gauge which is valid beyond the conventional fluctuation corrections to a mean-field solution. For electronic lattice models, defined on the constrained Fock space with no double occupancy, all phase fluctuations of the slave particles can be gauged away if the Lagrange multipliers which enforce the constraint on each lattice site are promoted to time-dependent fields. Consequently, only the amplitude (radial part) of the slave boson fields survives. It has the special property that it is equal to its square in the physical subspace. This renders the functional integral for the radial field Gaussian, even when non-local Coulomb-type interactions are included. We propose i) a continuum integral representation for the set-up of further approximation schemes, and ii) a discrete representation with an Ising-like radial variable, valid for long-ranged interactions as well. The latter scheme can be taken as a starting point for numerical evaluations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Imperfect nesting and Peierls instability for a two-dimensional tight-binding model

Based on a half-filled two-dimensional tight-binding model with nearest-neighbour and next nearest-neighbour hopping the effect of imperfect Fermi surface nesting on the Peierls instability is studied at zero temperature. Two dimerization patterns corresponding to a phonon vector $(π, π)$ are considered. It is found that the Peierls instability will be suppressed with an increase of next nearest-neighbour hopping which characterizes the nesting deviation. First and second order transitions to a homogeneous state are possible. The competition between the two dimerized states is discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1995

Heavy Particle in a d-dimensional Fermionic Bath: A Strong Coupling Approach

We investigate the low temperature behavior of a heavy particle (mass $M$) in a fermionic bath. An effective action is considered which exactly implements the orthogonality catastrophe. It is equivalent to a model of local bosons coupling via a long-range interaction to the particle. The saddlepoint solution for the heavy particle propagator yields a finite quasiparticle weight in two and higher dimensions. In one dimension the propagator decays algebraically for long times. The saddle point approximation is valid for large $M$.

cond-mat↗