National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

A range of nano techniques is explored in order to increase the critical current in pulsed laser deposited (PLD) superconducting YBa2Cu3O (x) (YBCO) thin films. The structural measurements are linked with magnetic and transport measurements of the films. The effectiveness of PLD techniques is analyzed from the point of view of the dimensionality of nanostructures formed prior to and during the film growth. It is shown that a combination of two-dimensional substrate decoration with nanoparticles before the film deposition and one-dimensional growth of external phase nanorods during the deposition offers a high critical current in magnetic field both along the c-axis and in the ab-plane of YBCO.

The low frequency collective movements of proteins associated with biologically relevant conformational transitions are situated in the terahertz (THz) spectral region. THz spectroscopy experiments have revealed that each molecular species has a unique absorption pattern in THz domain. We used time-domain THz spectroscopy (TDS) to study the conformation and flexibility of bovine serum albumin (BSA), a protein whose 3D structure is unknown. We performed THz spectroscopy experiments on lyophilized BSA. Theoretical spectra were obtained by normal modes analysis performed on BSA structures generated by homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. The agreement between experimental and theoretical data allowed us to validate the model of BSA and also to gain insight into BSA vibrations in THz domain.

Multilayer spin valve structures of type AF/F/Cu/F and AF/F/MgO/F (AF=antiferromagnetic layer and F=ferromagnetic layer) have been prepared by sputtering in radiofrequence. The samples were investigated at room temperature by magneto-optic Kerr effect and conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy, before and after thermal hydrogenation. Additional magnetic peculiarities were observed at low temperatures via SQUID magnetometry. The effect of the thermal hydrogenation on the magnetic properties of the systems was discussed with respect to the changes in the local spin configuration, observed by Mssbauer spectroscopy.

A designed experimental configuration for the simultaneous study of magnetization reversal and giant magnetoresistance effects in layered systems is reported. The suitability of the device, designed mainly for didactical purposes, to prove giant magneto-resistance effects is exemplified in case of exchange coupled spin valve structures. The multilayer structures were prepared by theromo-ionic vacuum arc methods and initially characterized by X-ray diffractometry and energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy. According to the performed experiments, it has been clearly proven the presence of magnetoresistance maxima ever ranges of applied fields inducing antiparallel magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic layers interfacing a thin conductive layer.

Two-band superconductivity has a topology different from that in single-band superconductivity. The topology is not always stabilized in an infinitely homogeneous sample. The morphology, grain shape, and pattern of the device (topology of the superconducting materials) is effective in stabilizing the topology. In this report, we discuss a vortex having a small magnetic flux but a large winding number as one plausible topology in a two-band superconductor. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A controlled pinning change from the ab-plane dominant to the c-axis dominant has been achieved in a novel method of nanostructured YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) growth. The method is a synchronous self-assembly of BaZrO3 (BZO) and Ag-assisted YBCO nanothreads. The formation of entangled nanothreads increases the critical current density while keeping the critical temperature close to that in pure YBCO films. The nanothreads extend through the whole thickness of thick films, making the method suitable for increasing total critical current density per centimeter of width (Ic-w). Two growth mechanisms, the formation of BZO nanorods and YBCO nanocolumns, complement each other, form a coherent structure and produce samples with strong correlated pinning. In addition to the increase in Ic-w, correlated pinning leads to an increase in vortex melting temperature in a wide range of magnetic fields. The films grown by this method have high Ic-w both in low magnetic fields along the c axis and high magnetic fields in the ab plane of YBCO. Such a superconductor would be suitable for both cable and magnet applications.

We report columnar growth of YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) films by pulsed laser deposition using nanodots of Au, Ag and Pd deposited on SrTiO3 substrate prior to the growth of the film. The nanodots initiate formation of densely packed YBCO columns with c-axis along the length of the columns. The obtained columnar structure offers enhanced pinning of magnetic flux and provides high critical current density in a magnetic field directed along the c-axis of YBCO while keeping high critical current density for other directions of magnetic field. The evidence of columnar structure is given by the planar and cross-sectional atomic force microscopy, transmissional election microscopy and rotational transport measurements of critical current. By creating the columnar structure, an improvement of critical current up to about 200% is achieved comparable to the reference samples without nanodots in a wide range of magnetic field and thickness of the samples. The largest increase in critical current is observed in magnetic fields close to the matching field calculated from the density of nanoparticles or density of YBCO columns. (C) 2009 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.

Non-centrosymmetric superconductor Li-2(Pc1-xPtx)(3)B, x = 0-1 was synthesized from mixtures of the elements. A simple semi-open method is proposed using endings-pressed stainless steel tubes placed in a high-vacuum furnace. Heating regime employed a short-time overheating at 900 degrees C and a slow cooling step between T-s and 550 degrees C within 3 h. To adequately compensate Li-losses and attain maximum critical temperature, the optimum T-s and starting Li-content were found to change from 720 to 740 degrees C and from Li-2.4 to Li-2.6, respectively, when x was changing from 0 to 1. It was shown that placing Li separately in the tube also produces superconducting samples. Li being supplied to the (Pd,Pt)-B mixture through the vapour transport. This result enables the possibility of thin films growth using a (Pd,Pt)-B precursor film heat treated in a Li-vapour atmosphere. Preliminary results on thin films growth are introduced. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Two-component superconductivity based on the two-band superconductor has a functional topology such as an inter-band phase difference soliton (i-soliton) to realize topological electronics (topolonics). Many gauge field theories are applied to investigate the topology of two-band superconductivity. To ease experimental and electronics applications, these theories should be refined. Weinberg-Salam theory and SU(2) (two-dimensional special unitary symmetry) gauge field theory are proper starting points. An effective extra force field because of the crystal structure and inter-band Josephson interaction, rather than spontaneous symmetry breaking, simplifies the conventional gauge field theory. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The temperature T variation of the normalized magnetization relaxation rate S in high-temperature superconductors (HTS) with strong vortex pinning exhibits a maximum in the low-T range. This was reported for various HTS, and the origin of the faster relaxation at low T appearing in standard magnetization relaxation measurements was usually related to specific pinning properties of the investigated specimens. Since the observed behaviour seems to be characteristic to all HTS with enhanced pinning (generated by random and/or correlated disorder), we show that the S(T) maximum can be explained in terms of classic collective vortex creep. The influence of thermo-magnetic instabilities in the low-T range is also evidenced. The collective (elastic) creep regime is generated by the T dependent macroscopic currents induced in the sample during standard magnetization measurements. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.