An unusual isotope effect in a high-transition-temperature superconductor

In conventional superconductors, the electron pairing that allows superconductivity is caused by exchange of virtual phonons, which are quanta of lattice vibration. For high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) superconductors, it is far from clear that phonons are involved in the pairing at all. For example, the negligible change in T(c) of optimally doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta (Bi2212; ref. 1) upon oxygen isotope substitution (16O --> 18O leads to T(c) decreasing from 92 to 91 K) has often been taken to mean that phonons play an insignificant role in this material. Here we provide a detailed comparison of the electron dynamics of Bi2212 samples containing different oxygen isotopes, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our data show definite and strong isotope effects. Surprisingly, the effects mainly appear in broad high-energy humps, commonly referred to as 'incoherent peaks'. As a function of temperature and electron momentum, the magnitude of the isotope effect closely correlates with the superconducting gap--that is, the pair binding energy. We suggest that these results can be explained in a dynamic spin-Peierls picture, where the singlet pairing of electrons and the electron-lattice coupling mutually enhance each other.     

A distinct bosonic mode in an electron-doped high-transition-temperature superconductor

Despite recent advances in understanding high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) superconductors, there is no consensus on the origin of the superconducting 'glue': that is, the mediator that binds electrons into superconducting pairs. The main contenders are lattice vibrations (phonons) and spin-excitations, with the additional possibility of pairing without mediators. In conventional superconductors, phonon-mediated pairing was unequivocally established by data from tunnelling experiments. Proponents of phonons as the high-T(c) glue were therefore encouraged by the recent scanning tunnelling microscopy experiments on hole-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8-delta (BSCCO) that reveal an oxygen lattice vibrational mode whose energy is anticorrelated with the superconducting gap energy scale. Here we report high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy measurements of the electron-doped high-T(c) superconductor Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4 (PLCCO) (T(c) = 24 K) that reveal a bosonic excitation (mode) at energies of 10.5 +/- 2.5 meV. This energy is consistent with both spin-excitations in PLCCO measured by inelastic neutron scattering (resonance mode) and a low-energy acoustic phonon mode, but differs substantially from the oxygen vibrational mode identified in BSCCO. Our analysis of the variation of the local mode energy and intensity with the local gap energy scale indicates an electronic origin of the mode consistent with spin-excitations rather than phonons.     

The structure of the high-energy spin excitations in a high-transition-temperature superconductor

In conventional superconductors, lattice vibrations (phonons) mediate the attraction between electrons that is responsible for superconductivity. The high transition temperatures (high-T(c)) of the copper oxide superconductors has led to collective spin excitations being proposed as the mediating excitations in these materials. The mediating excitations must be strongly coupled to the conduction electrons, have energy greater than the pairing energy, and be present at T(c). The most obvious feature in the magnetic excitations of high-T(c) superconductors such as YBa2Cu3O6+x is the so-called 'resonance'. Although the resonance may be strongly coupled to the superconductivity, it is unlikely to be the main cause, because it has not been found in the La2-x(Ba,Sr)(x)CuO4 family and is not universally present in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta (ref. 9). Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to characterize possible mediating excitations at higher energies in YBa2Cu3O6.6. We observe a square-shaped continuum of excitations peaked at incommensurate positions. These excitations have energies greater than the superconducting pairing energy, are present at T(c), and have spectral weight far exceeding that of the 'resonance'. The discovery of similar excitations in La2-xBa(x)CuO4 (ref. 10) suggests that they are a general property of the copper oxides, and a candidate for mediating the electron pairing.     

A multi-component Fermi surface in the vortex state of an underdoped high-Tc superconductor

To understand the origin of superconductivity, it is crucial to ascertain the nature and origin of the primary carriers available to participate in pairing. Recent quantum oscillation experiments on high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) copper oxide superconductors have revealed the existence of a Fermi surface akin to that in normal metals, comprising fermionic carriers that undergo orbital quantization. The unexpectedly small size of the observed carrier pocket, however, leaves open a variety of possibilities for the existence or form of any underlying magnetic order, and its relation to d-wave superconductivity. Here we report experiments on quantum oscillations in the magnetization (the de Haas-van Alphen effect) in superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6.51) that reveal more than one carrier pocket. In particular, we find evidence for the existence of a much larger pocket of heavier mass carriers playing a thermodynamically dominant role in this hole-doped superconductor. Importantly, characteristics of the multiple pockets within this more complete Fermi surface impose constraints on the wavevector of any underlying order and the location of the carriers in momentum space. These constraints enable us to construct a possible density-wave model with spiral or related modulated magnetic order, consistent with experimental observations.     

Quantum oscillations and the Fermi surface in an underdoped high-Tc superconductor

Despite twenty years of research, the phase diagram of high-transition-temperature superconductors remains enigmatic. A central issue is the origin of the differences in the physical properties of these copper oxides doped to opposite sides of the superconducting region. In the overdoped regime, the material behaves as a reasonably conventional metal, with a large Fermi surface. The underdoped regime, however, is highly anomalous and appears to have no coherent Fermi surface, but only disconnected 'Fermi arcs'. The fundamental question, then, is whether underdoped copper oxides have a Fermi surface, and if so, whether it is topologically different from that seen in the overdoped regime. Here we report the observation of quantum oscillations in the electrical resistance of the oxygen-ordered copper oxide YBa2Cu3O6.5, establishing the existence of a well-defined Fermi surface in the ground state of underdoped copper oxides, once superconductivity is suppressed by a magnetic field. The low oscillation frequency reveals a Fermi surface made of small pockets, in contrast to the large cylinder characteristic of the overdoped regime. Two possible interpretations are discussed: either a small pocket is part of the band structure specific to YBa2Cu3O6.5 or small pockets arise from a topological change at a critical point in the phase diagram. Our understanding of high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) superconductors will depend critically on which of these two interpretations proves to be correct.     

Spin correlations in the electron-doped high-transition-temperature superconductor Nd2-xCexCuO4+/-delta

High-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) superconductivity develops near antiferromagnetic phases, and it is possible that magnetic excitations contribute to the superconducting pairing mechanism. To assess the role of antiferromagnetism, it is essential to understand the doping and temperature dependence of the two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin correlations. The phase diagram is asymmetric with respect to electron and hole doping, and for the comparatively less-studied electron-doped materials, the antiferromagnetic phase extends much further with doping and appears to overlap with the superconducting phase. The archetypal electron-doped compound Nd2-xCexCuO4+/-delta (NCCO) shows bulk superconductivity above x approximately 0.13 (refs 3, 4), while evidence for antiferromagnetic order has been found up to x approximately 0.17 (refs 2, 5, 6). Here we report inelastic magnetic neutron-scattering measurements that point to the distinct possibility that genuine long-range antiferromagnetism and superconductivity do not coexist. The data reveal a magnetic quantum critical point where superconductivity first appears, consistent with an exotic quantum phase transition between the two phases. We also demonstrate that the pseudogap phenomenon in the electron-doped materials, which is associated with pronounced charge anomalies, arises from a build-up of spin correlations, in agreement with recent theoretical proposals.     

Resonance in the electron-doped high-transition-temperature superconductor Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4-delta

In conventional superconductors, the interaction that pairs the electrons to form the superconducting state is mediated by lattice vibrations (phonons). In high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) copper oxides, it is generally believed that magnetic excitations might play a fundamental role in the superconducting mechanism because superconductivity occurs when mobile 'electrons' or 'holes' are doped into the antiferromagnetic parent compounds. Indeed, a sharp magnetic excitation termed 'resonance' has been observed by neutron scattering in a number of hole-doped materials. The resonance is intimately related to superconductivity, and its interaction with charged quasi-particles observed by photoemission, optical conductivity, and tunnelling suggests that it might play a part similar to that of phonons in conventional superconductors. The relevance of the resonance to high-T(c) superconductivity, however, has been in doubt because so far it has been found only in hole-doped materials. Here we report the discovery of the resonance in electron-doped superconducting Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4-delta (T(c) = 24 K). We find that the resonance energy (E(r)) is proportional to T(c) via E(r) approximately 5.8k(B)T(c) for all high-T(c) superconductors irrespective of electron- or hole-doping. Our results demonstrate that the resonance is a fundamental property of the superconducting copper oxides and therefore must be essential in the mechanism of superconductivity.     

Two-dimensional geometry of spin excitations in the high-transition-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+x

The fundamental building block of the copper oxide superconductors is a Cu4O4 square plaquette. The plaquettes in most of these materials are slightly distorted to form a rectangular lattice, for which an influential theory predicts that high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) superconductivity is nucleated in 'stripes' aligned along one of the axes. This theory received strong support from experiments that indicated a one-dimensional character for the magnetic excitations in the high-T(c) material YBa2Cu3O6.6 (ref. 4). Here we report neutron scattering data on 'untwinned' YBa2Cu3O6+x crystals, in which the orientation of the rectangular lattice is maintained throughout the entire volume. Contrary to the earlier claim, we demonstrate that the geometry of the magnetic fluctuations is two-dimensional. Rigid stripe arrays therefore appear to be ruled out over a wide range of doping levels in YBa2Cu3O6+x, but the data may be consistent with liquid-crystalline stripe order. The debate about stripes has therefore been reopened.     

UGe2在铁磁态下费米面

近些年发现UGe2在一定压强和温度下铁磁态与超导态共存,因为以前传统理论认为铁磁态与超导态之间是竞争关系,所以共存的可能性很小.这引起了人们的极大兴趣.由于超导凝聚电子对一般只发生在费米面附近,费米面的图像的研究,对于这个问题的研究有很重要的意义.本文重点介绍,材料UGe2在铁磁态下费米面的变化.     

Direct numerical simulation of three-dimensional coherent structure in plane mixing layer

The three-dimensional temporally evolving plane mixing layer is sinulated by directly solying the Navier-Stokes equations using pseudo-spectral method. The process of loss of stability, and the formation paring, and development of vortex are presented. The simulated result shows that the evolving characteristics of coherent structure are important mechanism of growing and entrainment of mixing layer.     

Electron pockets in the Fermi surface of hole-doped high-Tc superconductors

High-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides occurs when the materials are chemically tuned to have a carrier concentration intermediate between their metallic state at high doping and their insulating state at zero doping. The underlying evolution of the electron system in the absence of superconductivity is still unclear, and a question of central importance is whether it involves any intermediate phase with broken symmetry. The Fermi surface of the electronic states in the underdoped 'YBCO' materials YBa2Cu3O(y) and YBa2Cu4O8 was recently shown to include small pockets, in contrast with the large cylinder that characterizes the overdoped regime, pointing to a topological change in the Fermi surface. Here we report the observation of a negative Hall resistance in the magnetic-field-induced normal state of YBa2Cu3O(y) and YBa2Cu4O8, which reveals that these pockets are electron-like rather than hole-like. We propose that these electron pockets most probably arise from a reconstruction of the Fermi surface caused by the onset of a density-wave phase, as is thought to occur in the electron-doped copper oxides near the onset of antiferromagnetic order. Comparison with materials of the La2CuO4 family that exhibit spin/charge density-wave order suggests that a Fermi surface reconstruction also occurs in those materials, pointing to a generic property of high-transition-temperature (T(c)) superconductors.     

Spin-imbalance in a one-dimensional Fermi gas

Superconductivity and magnetism generally do not coexist. Changing the relative number of up and down spin electrons disrupts the basic mechanism of superconductivity, where atoms of opposite momentum and spin form Cooper pairs. Nearly forty years ago Fulde and Ferrell and Larkin and Ovchinnikov (FFLO) proposed an exotic pairing mechanism in which magnetism is accommodated by the formation of pairs with finite momentum. Despite intense theoretical and experimental efforts, however, polarized superconductivity remains largely elusive. Unlike the three-dimensional (3D) case, theories predict that in one dimension (1D) a state with FFLO correlations occupies a major part of the phase diagram. Here we report experimental measurements of density profiles of a two-spin mixture of ultracold (6)Li atoms trapped in an array of 1D tubes (a system analogous to electrons in 1D wires). At finite spin imbalance, the system phase separates with an inverted phase profile, as compared to the 3D case. In 1D, we find a partially polarized core surrounded by wings which, depending on the degree of polarization, are composed of either a completely paired or a fully polarized Fermi gas. Our work paves the way to direct observation and characterization of FFLO pairing.     

减阻沟槽表面近壁湍流相干运动的实验研究

以光滑平板及间隔V型减阻沟槽面为研究对象,利用二维激光多普勒测速系统(laser doppler velocimetry, LDV),获得零压力梯度时光滑平板及沟槽板上部区域湍流边界层流场的流向和壁法向的湍流脉动分量.考察了沟槽对速度脉动的二阶及三阶相关统计参数的影响,并将这些相关量的变化情况与边界层中的相干运动相结合,由此来探讨沟槽面与湍流边界层之间的相互作用规律.     

基于点数据集三维空间曲面三角化算法实现

在地质、医学等科学研究领域中,基于原始数据建立三维空间图像模型的研究具有较高价值;特别在三维地质构造建模中,测量获取的原始数据采用点数据集形式表示。基于点数据构建三维空间曲面三角化网格模型能够很好地还原点数据集所表示的曲面形态和展布,在现有的三角化剖分算法研究的基础上,提出一种基于点数据集三维空间曲面三角化网格模型生成算法;该算法生成的网格模型质量较高,能够较好地描述点集所表示的曲面形态。采用描述地质界面的点数据集进行算法验证与测试,根据边界数据实际情况,生成三维空间曲面三角化模型并更新网格模型边界,效果比较理想。     

A novel wide-range precision instrument for measuring three-dimensional surface topography

We developed a measuring instrument that had wide range, high precision, small measuring touch force. The instrument for three-dimensional (3D) surface topography measurement was composed of a high precision displacement sensor based on the Michelson interference principle, a 3D platform based on vertical scanning, a measuring and control circuit, and an industrial control computer. It was a closed loop control system, which changed the traditional moving stylus scanning style into a moving platform scanning style. When the workpiece was measured, the lever of the displacement sensor returned to the balanced position in every sample interval according to the zero offset of the displacement sensor. The non-linear error caused by the rotation of the lever was, therefore, very small even if the measuring range was wide. The instrument can measure the roughness and the profile size of a curved surface.     

改进的区域解相算法及其在三维重建中的应用

解相位算法是位相三维轮廓测量技术的关键,基于区域的解相位算法是应用较为广泛的解相算法之一。但在实践中发现基于区域的解相算法存在一定问题:当被测物体表面存在阶跃形变结构或噪声较大时可能产生解相错误。通过对该算法解相过程的分析确定了错误产生的原因,并针对存在问题提出一种改进算法,在区域分割的基础上计算每点相位可靠度质量图,并根据计算的二阶差分质量图制定新的区域分割与合并策略对相位进行解算。实验结果表明,本文算法可显著提高基于区域解相算法的解相精度,对表面高度变化较为复杂、噪声较大的相位数据可进行有效处理,具有良好的重建精度和鲁棒性。     

A novel photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting laser based on coherent coupling

We demonstrate a novel oxide confined GaAs-based photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting laser (PC-VCSEL) operating at a wavelength of 850 nm based on coherent coupling. A ring-shaped light-emitting aperture is added to the conventional PC-VCSEL, and coherent coupling is achieved between the central defect aperture and the ring-shaped light-emitting aperture. Measurements show that under the continuous-wave (CW) injected current of 20 mA, a high power of 2 mW is obtained, and the side mode suppres...     

对称边坡三维临界滑动面的确定

文章运用对称边坡三维安全系数显示解,确定三维对称边坡的临界滑动面.假设对称边坡的滑动面是椭球面,改变滑面入口点位置和椭球的中心点位置,应用对称边坡三维安全系数显示解,计算得到对应最小安全系数的滑动面,即为三维临界滑动面.算例表明:初始正应力的假设对最终安全系数的结果影响不大,从而保证该方法的合理性与有效性;当边坡宽高比...