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Gozar, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Gozar, A..

6 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Detection of a two-phonon mode in a cuprate superconductor via polarimetric resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Recent improvements in the energy resolution of resonant inelastic x-ray scattering experiments (RIXS) at the Cu-L 3 edge have enabled the study of lattice, spin, and charge excitations. Here, we report on the detection of a low-intensity signal at 140 meV, twice the energy of the bond-stretching (BS) phonon mode, in the cuprate superconductor Bi 2 ⁢Sr 2 CaCu 2 ⁢O 8+x (Bi-2212). Ultrahigh-resolution polarimetric RIXS measurements allow us to resolve the outgoing polarization of the signal and identify this feature as a two-phonon excitation. Further, here we study the connection between the two-phonon mode and the BS one-phonon mode by constructing a joint density of states toy model that reproduces the key features of the data.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Large response of charge stripes to uniaxial stress in La 1.475 Nd 0.4 Sr 0.125 CuO 4

The La-based "214"cuprates host several symmetry-breaking phases, including superconductivity, charge and spin order in the form of stripes, and a structural orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transition. Therefore these materials are an ideal system to study the effects of uniaxial stress onto the various correlations that pervade the cuprate phase diagram. We report resonant x-ray scattering experiments on La 1.475 Nd 0.4 Sr 0.125 CuO 4 (LNSCO-125) that reveal a significant response of charge stripes to uniaxial tensile stress of ~0.1GPa. These effects include a reduction of the onset temperature of stripes by ~50K, a 29-K reduction of the low-temperature orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition, competition between charge order and superconductivity, and a preference for stripes to form along the direction of applied stress. Altogether, we observe a dramatic response of the electronic properties of LNSCO-125 to a modest amount of uniaxial stress.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Insulator to metal transition in WO 3 induced by electrolyte gating

Tungsten oxide and its associated bronzes (compounds of tungsten oxide and an alkali metal) are well known for their interesting optical and electrical characteristics. We have modified the transport properties of thin WO 3 films by electrolyte gating using both ionic liquids and polymer electrolytes. We are able to tune the resistivity of the gated film by more than five orders of magnitude, and a clear insulator-to-metal transition is observed. To clarify the doping mechanism, we have performed a series of incisive operando experiments, ruling out both a purely electronic effect (charge accumulation near the interface) and oxygen-related mechanisms. We propose instead that hydrogen intercalation is responsible for doping WO 3 into a highly conductive ground state and provide evidence that it can be described as a dense polaronic gas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

High-precision measurement of magnetic penetration depth in superconducting films

We report that the magnetic penetration depth (λ) in thin superconducting films is usually measured by the mutual inductance technique. The accuracy of this method has been limited by uncertainties in the geometry of the solenoids and in the film position and thickness, by parasitic coupling between the coils, etc. Here, we present several improvements in the apparatus and the method. To ensure the precise thickness of the superconducting layer, we engineer the films at atomic level using atomic-layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy. In this way, we also eliminate secondary-phase precipitates, grain boundaries, and pinholes that are common with other deposition methods and that artificially increase the field transmission and thus the apparent λ. For better reproducibility, the thermal stability of our closed-cycle cryocooler used to control the temperature of the mutual inductance measurement has been significantly improved by inserting a custom-built thermal conductivity damper. Next, to minimize the uncertainties in the geometry, we fused a pair of small yet precisely wound coils into a single sapphire block machined to a high precision. Lastly, the sample is spring-loaded to exactly the same position with respect to the solenoids. Altogether, we can measure the absolute value of λ with the accuracy better than ±1%.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

High temperature interface superconductivity

High-T c superconductivity at interfaces has a history of more than a couple of decades. In this review we focus our attention on copper-oxide based heterostructures and multi-layers. We first discuss the technique, atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE) engineering, that enabled High-T c Interface Superconductivity (HT-IS), and the challenges associated with the realization of high quality interfaces. Then we turn our attention to the experiments which shed light on the structure and properties of interfacial layers, allowing comparison to those of single-phase films and bulk crystals. Both ‘passive’ hetero-structures as well as surface-induced effects by external gating are discussed. Here, we conclude by comparing HT-IS in cuprates and in other classes of materials, especially Fe-based superconductors, and by examining the grand challenges currently laying ahead for the field.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗