0000000000075856
AUTHOR
Paul Leiderer
Macroscopic persistent currents in YBa2Cu3O7
Persistent currents in polycrystalline YBa2Cu3O7 rings have been investigated by measuring the spatial distribution of the magnetic flux trapped in field-cooled samples. The results unambiguously show that macroscopic persistent ring currents exist. The critical current density depends very sensitively on the sample quality, reachingj c ≈250 A/cm2 at 77 K for our best samples.
Surface-state electrons on a hydrogen film. 1. Annealing of the film
We have investigated the surface of thin films (thickness ∼2 µm) of solid H2 between 1.5 and 4.2 K by measuring the ac conductivity of surface-state electrons (SSE). The films were prepared on a glass substrate by quench condensation at 1.5 K and were therefore initially strongly disordered. In fact the surface of the virgin films before any heat treatment was so rough that no current due to SSE could be observed. Annealing the films decreased the surface roughness and gave rise to a thermal-activation-type temperature dependence of the SSE conductivity. By proper heat treatment up to 8 K the activation energy could be reduced to 10kB.
Energy dependence of the electron-boson coupling strength in the electron-doped cuprate superconductor Pr1.85Ce0.15CuO4−δ
In the conventional theory of superconductivity the critical temperature Tc is determined by the electron-phonon coupling constant and the phonon cut-off frequency. The hallmark experiments of McMillan and Rowell demonstrated that bosons (phonons) responsible for pairing can be observed through the frequency dependence of the gap parameter. Determination of the electron-boson coupling strength in high-${T}_{c}$ cuprates is, however, not an easy task. One of the promising ways is to measure the energy relaxation rate of photoexcited carriers by using femtosecond real-time techniques. Here, considering the electron relaxation process within the conduction band, it is commonly assumed that the…
Characterization of thin superconducting YBaCuO-films by Raman-spectroscopy
We have investigated thin sputtered films of the high Tc material YBa2Cu3O7 by means of Raman spectroscopy at different stages of the preparation process. We find that the films are amorphous after sputtering. The Raman spectra indicate that random polycrystalline layers, as well as crystalline layers with preferred orientation, are obtained by an additional thermal treatment.
Direct observation of a buckling transition during the formation of thin colloidal crystals
We have investigated a colloidal suspension in a thin wedge formed by two glass plates in the presence of a lateral pressure. Starting with a single hexagonal layer, with increasing separation between the glass plates additional layers are added. This process is accompanied by a number of structural transitions necessary to maintain a high packing fraction under the given boundary conditions. Besides the well-known sequence of hexagonal and quadratic phases, we observe two new phases which are identified with the buckling and the rhombic phase recently predicted by other authors.
Superfluid density in metastable 3He4He mixtures
Abstract We havestudied superfluld 3He4He mixtures quenched into nonequilibrium states inside the miscibility gap by means of second sound . From the results for the second sound velocity we conclude that the superfluid density in the metastable state is well described by extrapolation from equilibrium values. The boundary of the metastable region, where nucleation processes set in rapidly, is reflected in a sharp increase of the second sound attenuation.
Charge-Induced Deformation of the 4He Solid-Superfluid Interface
The interface between solid and superfluid 4He has revealed unusual dynamic properties. Characteristic of this quantum system are the very high thermal conductivity of the superfluid phase, and an extremely small heat of fusion below temperatures of about 1 K. As a result, equilibrium at the solid-superfluid 4He interface is established quite rapidly, which gives rise, e.g., to melting — crystallization waves [1,2] — similar in appearance to surface waves on a free liquid surface — and to anomalous transmission of sound [3].
Surface acceleration during dry laser cleaning of silicon
We report on measurements of the surface acceleration for the application of dry laser cleaning. For that purpose, industrial silicon samples were irradiated by a frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The surface displacement was measured by a heterodyne interferometer and recorded by a digital storage oscilloscope. Several hundreds of shots were averaged to give smooth displacement curves which could be derived numerically. The experiments show that the highest accelerations, which are thought to be responsible for the cleaning, occur on the time scale of the laser pulse. Simple theoretical models are in good agreement with the experimental data. The maximal displacement depends only …
Spatial development of multiple-gap states in nonequilibrium superconductors
We have studied the gap instability in a superconductor under tunneling injection at high voltages by probing the spatial distribution of the phonon emission. A high sensitivity was achieved by using the fountain pressure of superfluid helium for detecting the phonons. Spatial structures were observed at gap depressions as small as 2%. From their spatial development we find that the quasiparticles diffuse into regions where their density is higher.
The growth of atomically rough 4He crystals
We have studied the growth of atomically rough bcc and hcp4He crystals from the superfluid phase for temperaturesT>0.9 K. The growth coefficient displays a temperature dependence which can be represented bym 4 K∝ $$e^{\Delta E/k_B T} $$ . The parameter ΔE is found to be in close agreement with the energy gap of rotons, suggesting that these thermal excitations dominate the growth kinetics. Besides, the absolute value of the growth coefficient depends on crystal orientation, with an anisotropy for the hcp phase of about a factor of 2.5 between the $$\left\{ {10\bar 10} \right\}$$ and {0001} planes.
Macroscopic persistent currents in laser deposited YBa2Cu3O7 films
We have investigated persistent currents in a superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 ring of about 1 cm diameter, which was deposited as c-axis textured film on a SrTiO3 substrate by laser ablation. The currents were registered, via their magnetic field distribution, with a small vibrating pick-up coil. At 77 K persistent currents with negligible decay over 103 s have been observed below a critical current density jc=0.9×105 A/cm2, both for a field-cooled and a zero-field-cooled sample. This demonstrates that it is possible to fabricate dissipationless devices of such films on a relatively large scale.
Tunneling and point contact investigations of La1.85Sr0.15CuO4
The high-T c superconductor La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 was investigated by means of point contact and tunneling measurements on small-sized contacts. We find different values for the energy gap at different points of the samples. The ratio 2Delta/k B T c ranges from about 3 to 6. For some point contacts we observe a clear signature of a supercurrent. Data for the temperature dependence of the critical current are presented.
Temperature Effects on the Phonon Spectrum in YBa2Cu3O7 Single Crystals and Thin Films
We have performed a detailed investigation of the temperature dependence of the 385cm-1 phonon in single crystals and thin films of the YBa2Cu3O7 superconductor by means of Raman spectroscopy. In the single crystal the frequency of this phonon shows a downshift of about 5 cm-1 on passing the superconducting transition from above, which is referred to a strong electron-phonon interaction in the superconductor. The shift of the phonon in thin epitaxial films on MgO or SrTiO3 substrates is only about 2.5 cm-1. This difference may be a result of a structural transition in the single crystal which is possibly suppressed in the films because of the epitaxy. The electron-phonon interaction is also…
A new upper limit of the electron anti neutrino rest mass from tritium β-decay
Abstract A new upper limit of the electron anti neutrino rest mass has been deduced from the tritium β-decay spectrum. A source of molecular tritium has been investigated with a new solenoid retarding spectrometer. The results are m ν ϵ 2 = −38.8 ± 34.1 stat ± 15.1 syst (eV) 2 /c 4 from which we conclude m ν ϵ ≤ 7.2 eV/c 2 with 95% c.l. Our β-endpoint corresponds to a 3H-3He atomic mass difference of Δm( 3 H- 3 He) = 18590.8 ± 3 eV/c 2 (1σ) .
Wetting behavior of solid hydrogen films
We have studied the dewetting of quench-condensed solid hydrogen films on bare and Ne plated Ag substrates. Information about the morphology of the films during the dewetting process is obtained from measurements of photoelectron tunneling through the films and complementary surface plasmon resonance data. Plating the Ag substrate with Ne films of various thickness allows to tune the strength of the van der Waals interaction with the hydrogen and thus to change the H2 films from a state of incomplete to complete wetting.
Macroscopic persistent currents in laser ablated YBa2Cu3O7-x films
AbstractThin films of YBa2Cu3O7-x have been produced in situ by laser ablation. As the condensation of the superconducting film is done onto hot substrates (600 - 780°C) at high oxygen pressures (~ 1 mbar), this techniques does not require any special postannealing step. Thus the total process time amounts to less than 10 min. Films were found to be polycrystalline with the c-axis preferentially oriented normal to the substrate plane on single crystalline (001) SrTiO3 and (random) ZrO2, as measured by ion channeling (Xmin = 5.5 % on SrTiO3), x-ray scattering and TEM. Complete superconducting transitions above 90 K with transition widths of about 1 K have been observed even on YSZ substrates…
Laser cleaning of oxide iron layer : efficiency enhancement due to electrochemical induced absorptivity change
Laser cleaning experiments exhibited a higher cleaning efficiency of the laser cleaning upon application of electrochemical potential on an oxidised iron surface. The objective of this study is to clarify the role of such an electrochemical control on cleaning efficiency. Therefore a study by optical spectrometry at normal incidence in the relevant conditions was performed. From these measurements the optical parameters n and k were deduced. While n is mainly not affected, k changes for a factor of 10 upon application of an electrochemical potential. These results explain the differences in laser cleaning efficiency due to the modified absorption length.
Diffusion of colloids in one-dimensional light channels
Single-file diffusion (SFD), prevalent in many chemical and biological processes, refers to the one-dimensional motion of interacting particles in pores which are so narrow that the mutual passage of particles is excluded. Since the sequence of particles in such a situation remains unaffected over time t, this leads to strong deviations from normal diffusion, e.g. an increase of the particle mean-square-displacement as the square root of t. We present experimental results of the diffusive behaviour of colloidal particles in one-dimensional channels with varying particle density. The channels are realized by means of a scanning optical tweezers. Based on a new analytical approach (Kollmann 2…
Improved limit on the electron-antineutrino rest mass from tritium ß-decay
Abstract The endpoint region of the β-spectrum of tritium was remeasured by an electrostatic spectrometer with magnetic guiding field. It enabled the search for a rest mass of the electron-antineutrino with improved precision. The result is m2v=−39±34stat±15syst(eV/c2)2, from which an upper limit of mv m( T )−m( 3 He )=18 591±3 eV /c 2 .
Precision measurement of the conversion electron spectrum of 83mKr with a solenoid retarding spectrometer
This paper reports on precision measurements of conversion lines in the decay of 83mKr with nuclear transition energies of 32.1 keV and 9.4 keV, respectively. The spectra were taken from a submonolayer surface of 83mKr frozen onto a cold backing, using the new Mainz solenoid retarding spectrometer. The high luminosity and resolution of this instrument enables the observation of all allowed conversion lines up to the N-shell and to fully separate the elastic component from inelastic satellites. The combined analysis of the data yields the transition energies Ey=32151.5±1.1 eV and 9405.9±0.8 eV, respectively. The experiment served also to pilot the application of this spectrometer to the ques…
Modelling and Diagnostic of Pulsed Laser-Solid Interactions Applications to Laser Cleaning: a TMR programme
This TMR programme ((ERBFMRXCT980188) aims to study the fundamental physical and chemical aspects of pulsed laser-solid interactions leading to any form of surface cleaning in order to develop the laser cleaning technique as a reliable industrial production tool.
Hydrogen and helium films as model systems of wetting
Optical experiments on the wetting properties of liquid 4He and molecular hydrogen are reviewed. Hydrogen films on noble metal surfaces serve as model systems for studying triple point wetting, a continuous transition between wetting and non-wetting. By means of optically excited surface plasmons, the adsorbed film thickness for temperatures around, and far below, the bulk melting temperature is measured, and the physical mechanisms responsible for the transition are elucidated. Possible applications for other experiments in pure and applied research are discussed. Thin films are droplets of liquid helium are studied on cesium surfaces, on which there is a first order wetting transition. Ou…
A solenoid retarding spectrometer with high resolution and transmission for keV electrons
Abstract We have built an electrostatic electron spectrometer combining both high resolution and large luminosity. The instrument consists essentially of two superconducting solenoids separated by a system of ring electrodes of 4 m in length. Source and detector are placed in the high-field regions of the superconducting solenoids, whereas the repellent analyzing electrostatic potential of the ring electrodes peaks at the minimum of the magnetic field in between these solenoids. The magnetic guiding field provides (i) the acceptance of the full foreward solid angle of 2π, (ii) the transformation of the transverse cyclotron motion into longitudinal motion parallel to the magnetic field. The …
On dewetting dynamics of solid films of hydrogen isotopes and its influence on tritium [Beta] spectroscopy
The dewetting dynamics of solid films of hydrogen isotopes, quench-condensed on a graphite substrate, was measured at various temperatures below desorption by observing the stray light from the film. A schematic model describing the dewetting process by surface diffusion is presented, which agrees qualitatively with our data. The activation energies of different hydrogen isotopes for surface diffusion were determined. The time constant for dewetting of a quench-condensed T2 film at the working temperature of 1.86 K of the mainz neutrino mass experiment was extrapolated.
Kapitza resistance of laser-annealed surfaces
Our understanding of the phonon processes at the interfaces between two media is still quite rudimentary. Particularly notorious is the helium-solid interface, where the accoustic impedances differ by a large amount. It is well known that the Kapitza resistance, i.e. the thermal boundary resistance between helium and a solid, is usually up to 100 times smaller than predicted by the acoustic theory as formulated by Khalatnikov [1]. However, it was shown by J. WEBER et al. [2] that there was no discrepancy at surfaces of freshly cleaved crystals, i.e. at surfaces of exceptional good quality. Thus it is clear that surface irregularities must be responsible for the anomalous Kapitza resistance.…
Investigation of the epitaxy of thin YBa2Cu3O7-delta films
Abstract The degree of epitaxy of thin sputtered and laser ablated films have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Using the selection rules for Raman scattering for the different phonons in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ the superconducting films on SrTiO 3 and MgO are found to be epitaxially grown with the c -axis perpendicular to the substrate. On ZrO 2 the films also grow with their c -axis perpendicular to the substrate, but with randomly oriented a / b -directions in the plane of the film.
Stability of solid T2 films
Abstract Films of molecular tritium, physisorbed on a cold substrate, have been investigated by means of ellipsometry. A significant effect of the radioactive decay processes on the desorption kinetics and the low temperature stability of these films is not observed.