Browse
Submit Data
Databases
API
Help

Dataset Information

16 Views

0 Connections

0 Citations

0 Reanalyses

0 Downloads

Omics score: 0

Upper critical field and superconductor-metal transition in ultrathin niobium films.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies suggest that in disordered ultrathin films superconducting (SC) state may be intrinsically inhomogeneous. Here we investigate the nature of SC state in ultrathin Nb films, of thickness d ranging from 1.2 to 20 nm, which undergo a transition from amorphous to polycrystalline structure at the thickness [Formula: see text] nm. We show that the properties of SC state are very different in polycrystalline and amorphous films. The upper critical field ([Formula: see text]) is orbitally limited in the first case, and paramagnetically limited in the latter. The magnetic field induced superconductor-metal transition is observed, with the critical field approximately constant or decreasing as a power-law with the film conductance in polycrystalline or amorphous films, respectively. The scaling analysis indicates distinct scaling exponents in these two types of films. Negative contribution of the SC fluctuations to conductivity exists above [Formula: see text], particularly pronounced in amorphous films, signaling the presence of fluctuating Cooper pairs. These observations suggest the development of local inhomogeneities in the amorphous films, in the form of proximity-coupled SC islands. An usual evolution of SC correlations on cooling is observed in amorphous films, likely related to the effect of quantum fluctuations on the proximity-induced phase coherence.

SUBMITTER: Zaytseva I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7642399 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Json Xml

Similar Datasets

Superconductor-metal transition in odd-frequency-paired superconductor in a magnetic field.

Project description:It is shown that the application of a sufficiently strong magnetic field to the odd-frequency-paired pair-density wave state described in A. M. Tsvelik [Phys. Rev. B 94, 165114 (2016)] leads to formation of a low-temperature metallic state with zero Hall response. Applications of these ideas to the recent experiments on stripe-ordered La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 (LBCO) are discussed.

| S-EPMC6600980 | biostudies-literature

Rotational symmetry breaking in the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 probed by upper-critical field experiments.

Project description:Recently it was demonstrated that Sr intercalation provides a new route to induce superconductivity in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Topological superconductors are predicted to be unconventional with an odd-parity pairing symmetry. An adequate probe to test for unconventional superconductivity is the upper critical field, Bc2. For a standard BCS layered superconductor Bc2 shows an anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied parallel and perpendicular to the layers, but is isotropic when the field is rotated in the plane of the layers. Here we report measurements of the upper critical field of superconducting SrxBi2Se3 crystals (Tc = 3.0 K). Surprisingly, field-angle dependent magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy of Bc2 when the magnet field is rotated in the basal plane. The large two-fold anisotropy, while six-fold is anticipated, cannot be explained with the Ginzburg-Landau anisotropic effective mass model or flux flow induced by the Lorentz force. The rotational symmetry breaking of Bc2 indicates unconventional superconductivity with odd-parity spin-triplet Cooper pairs (Δ4-pairing) recently proposed for rhombohedral topological superconductors, or might have a structural nature, such as self-organized stripe ordering of Sr atoms.

| S-EPMC4923890 | biostudies-literature

Thickness-Induced Metal-Insulator Transition in Sb-doped SnO2 Ultrathin Films: The Role of Quantum Confinement.

Project description:A thickness induced metal-insulator transition (MIT) was firstly observed in Sb-doped SnO2 (SnO2:Sb) epitaxial ultrathin films deposited on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Both electrical and spectroscopic studies provide clear evidence of a critical thickness for the metallic conductivity in SnO2:Sb thin films and the oxidation state transition of the impurity element Sb. With the shrinkage of film thickness, the broadening of the energy band gap as well as the enhancement of the impurity activation energy was studied and attributed to the quantum confinement effect. Based on the scenario of impurity level pinning and band gap broadening in quantum confined nanostructures, we proposed a generalized energy diagram to understand the thickness induced MIT in the SnO2:Sb system.

| S-EPMC4663506 | biostudies-literature

Upper Critical Field and Kondo Effects in Fe(Te0.9Se0.1) Thin Films by Pulsed Field Measurements.

Project description:The transition temperatures of epitaxial films of Fe(Te0:9Se0:1) are remarkably insensitive to applied magnetic field, leading to predictions of upper critical fields Bc2(T = 0) in excess of 100 T. Using pulsed magnetic fields, we find Bc2(0) to be on the order of 45 T, similar to values in bulk material and still in excess of the paramagnetic limit. The same films show strong magnetoresistance in fields above Bc2(T), consistent with the observed Kondo minimum seen above Tc. Fits to the temperature dependence in the context of the WHH model, using the experimental value of the Maki parameter, require an effective spin-orbit relaxation parameter of order unity. We suggest that Kondo localization plays a similar role to spin-orbit pair breaking in making WHH fits to the data.

| S-EPMC4748285 | biostudies-other

Alternating Current Field Effects in Atomically Ferroelectric Ultrathin Films.

Project description:In this work, atomically K1-xNaxNbO3 thin films are taken as examples to investigate the reversible and irreversible effects in a horizon plane, i.e., the changes of domain structures, phase states, free energies, etc., under a z-axis alternating current field via a phase-field method. The simulation results show the driving forces during the charging and discharging process, where there is a variation for the angles of the domain walls from 180° to 90° (and then an increase to 135°), which are the external electric field and domain wall evolution, respectively. As for the phase states, there is a transformation between the orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases which can't be explained by the traditional polarization switching theory. This work provides a reasonable understanding of the alternating current field effect, which is essential in information and energy storage.

| S-EPMC8999760 | biostudies-literature

Electrochemical Characterization of Ultrathin Cross-Linked Metal Nanoparticle Films.

Project description:Here we report the preparation, characterization, and electrochemical study of conductive, ultrathin films of cross-linked metal nanoparticles (NPs). Nanoporous films ranging from 40 to 200 nm in thickness composed of gold and platinum NPs of ∼5 nm were fabricated via a powerful layer-by-layer spin coating process. This process allows preparation of uniform NP films as large as 2 × 2 cm(2) with precise control over thickness, structure, and electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties. Gold, platinum, and bimetallic NP films were fabricated and characterized using cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy, and conductance measurements. Their electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was investigated. Our results show that the electrochemical activity of such NP films is initially hindered by the presence of dense thiolate cross-linking ligands. Both electrochemical cycling and oxygen plasma cleaning are effective means in restoring their electrochemical activity. Gold NP films have higher electric conductivity than platinum possibly due to more uniform film structure and closer particle-particle distance. The electrochemical and electrocatalytic performance of platinum NP films can be greatly enhanced by the incorporation of gold NPs. This work focuses on electrochemical characterization of cross-linked NP films and demonstrates several unique properties. These include quick and easy preparation, ultrathin and uniform film thickness, tunable structure and composition, and transferability to many other substrates.

| S-EPMC6080952 | biostudies-literature

Upper critical field reaches 90?tesla near the Mott transition in fulleride superconductors.

Project description:Controlled access to the border of the Mott insulating state by variation of control parameters offers exotic electronic states such as anomalous and possibly high-transition-temperature (Tc) superconductivity. The alkali-doped fullerides show a transition from a Mott insulator to a superconductor for the first time in three-dimensional materials, but the impact of dimensionality and electron correlation on superconducting properties has remained unclear. Here we show that, near the Mott insulating phase, the upper critical field Hc2 of the fulleride superconductors reaches values as high as ?90?T-the highest among cubic crystals. This is accompanied by a crossover from weak- to strong-coupling superconductivity and appears upon entering the metallic state with the dynamical Jahn-Teller effect as the Mott transition is approached. These results suggest that the cooperative interplay between molecular electronic structure and strong electron correlations plays a key role in realizing robust superconductivity with high-Tc and high-Hc2.

| S-EPMC5321754 | biostudies-literature

Pauli-limit upper critical field of high-temperature superconductor La1.84Sr0.16CuO4.

Project description:The upper critical field of a cuprate high-temperature superconductor, La1.84Sr0.16CuO4, was investigated by high-frequency self-resonant contactless electrical conductivity measurements in magnetic fields up to 102?T. An irreversible transition was observed at 85?T (T?=?4.2?K), defined as the upper critical field. The temperature-dependent upper critical field was argued on the basis of the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg theory. The Pauli-limiting pair-breaking process with a small contribution of the spin-orbit coupling explained the first-order phase transition exhibiting a hysteresis observed at low temperatures.

| S-EPMC6861275 | biostudies-literature

Isolated zero field sub-10 nm skyrmions in ultrathin Co films.

Project description:Due to their exceptional topological and dynamical properties magnetic skyrmions-localized stable spin structures-show great promise for spintronic applications. To become technologically competitive, isolated skyrmions with diameters below 10 nm stable at zero magnetic field and at room temperature are desired. Despite finding skyrmions in a wide spectrum of materials, the quest for a material with these envisioned properties is ongoing. Here we report zero field isolated skyrmions at T = 4 K with diameters below 5 nm observed in the virgin ferromagnetic state coexisting with 1 nm thin domain walls in Rh/Co atomic bilayers on Ir(111). These spin structures are investigated by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and can also be detected using non-spin-polarized tips via the noncollinear magnetoresistance. We demonstrate that sub-10 nm skyrmions are stabilized in these ferromagnetic Co films at zero field due to strong frustration of exchange interaction, together with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and large magnetocrystalline anisotropy.

| S-EPMC6707282 | biostudies-literature

Effect of nanostructuration on the spin crossover transition in crystalline ultrathin films.

Project description:Mastering the nanostructuration of molecular materials onto solid surfaces and understanding how this process affects their properties are of utmost importance for their integration into solid-state electronic devices. This is even more important for spin crossover (SCO) systems, in which the spin transition is extremely sensitive to size reduction effects. These bi-stable materials have great potential for the development of nanotechnological applications provided their intrinsic properties can be successfully implemented in nanometric films, amenable to the fabrication of functional nanodevices. Here we report the fabrication of crystalline ultrathin films (<1-43 nm) of two-dimensional Hofmann-type coordination polymers by using an improved layer-by-layer strategy and a close examination of their SCO properties at the nanoscale. X-ray absorption spectroscopy data in combination with extensive atomic force microscopy analysis reveal critical dependence of the SCO transition on the number of layers and the microstructure of the films. This originates from the formation of segregated nanocrystals in early stages of the growth process that coalesce into a continuous film with an increasing number of growth cycles for an overall behaviour reminiscent of the bulk. As a result, the completeness of the high spin/low spin transition is dramatically hindered for films of less than 15 layers revealing serious limitations to the ultimate thickness that might be representative of the performance of the bulk when processing SCO materials as ultrathin films. This unprecedented exploration of the particularities of the growth of SCO thin films at the nanoscale should encourage researchers to put a spotlight on these issues when contemplating their integration into devices.

| S-EPMC6460953 | biostudies-literature

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

OmicsDI is an Elixir interoperability service. Learn more ›

Tweets

OmicsDI Databases

PRIDE
PeptideAtlas
MassIVE
JPOST Repository
Physiome Model Repository

EGA
EVA
ENA
LINCS
PAXDB
Cell Collective

MetaboLights
Metabolomics Workbench
MetabolomeExpress
GNPS
BioModels
FAIRDOMHub

ArrayExpress
dbGaP
ExpressionAtlas
GEO
NODE

Information

Databases
Help
API
Contact us
Code on GitHub
Terms of use
Submit Data