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Results for “superconducting fluctuations”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Vortex entropy and superconducting fluctuations in ultrathin underdoped Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x superconductor

Vortices in superconductors can help identify emergent phenomena but certain fundamental aspects of vortices, such as their entropy, remain poorly understood. Here, we study the vortex entropy in underdoped Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x by measuring both magneto-resistivity and Nernst effect on ultrathin flakes (≤2 unit-cell). We extract the London penetration depth from the magneto-transport measurements on samples with different doping levels. It reveals that the superfluid phase stiffness p s scales linearly with the superconducting transition temperature T c , down to the extremely underdoped case. On the same batch of ultrathin flakes, we measure the Nernst effect via on-chip thermometry. Together, we obtain the vortex entropy and find that it decays exponentially with T c or p s . We further analyze the Nernst signal above T c in the framework of Gaussian superconducting fluctuations. The combination of electrical and thermoelectric measurements in the two-dimensional limit provides fresh insight into high temperature superconductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Parametrically amplified Josephson plasma waves in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+ x : Evidence for local superconducting fluctuations up to the pseudogap temperature T ∗

Experiments that subject underdoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x (YBCO) to intense terahertz pulses at temperatures between the transition temperature T c and the pseudogap scale T ∗ have revealed a reflectivity edge that resembles that of the superconducting state, together with second harmonic generation of a probe pulse modulated at a similar frequency. These have been interpreted in terms of parametric amplification of the lower Josephson plasmon mode. Since this mode is often associated with coherent oscillations between bilayers in the YBCO structure, these experiments have led to the suggestion that the intense pump has created (or revealed) in-plane pair coherence up to T ∗ ≈ 400 K. In this paper we propose an alternative explanation by assuming the existence of local pair amplitude and phase at equilibrium for T c < T < T ∗ . The phase correlation spans only a few lattice constants and we do not assume any pump-induced enhancement of this correlation, either in-plane or between bilayers. Instead, the coherent drive, via a parametric amplification process, induces coherence in the Josephson currents between members of bilayers. When combined with a Floquet framework, the reflectivity data can be explained. The key point is that in the lower Josephson plasmon, the coupling between bilayers is mainly capacitive; the Josephson current between bilayers can be set to zero without strongly affecting the parametric amplification process. Importantly, while superconducting coherence may not be created by the pump, the pseudogap phase must possess a local pairing amplitude at equilibrium. Consequently, these experiments have strong implications for the understanding of the pseudogap phase.

parametric amplification↗
DOE OSTI2025

Role of Nematic Fluctuations on Superconductivity in FeSe 0.47 ⁢Te 0.53 Revealed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance under Pressure

The relationship between antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin fluctuations (SF), nematic fluctuations, and superconductivity (SC) has been central to understanding the pairing mechanism in iron-based superconductors (IBSCs). Iron chalcogenides, which hold the simplest crystal structure in IBSCs, provide a good platform to investigate the relationship. Here, we report 77 Se and 125 Te nuclear magnetic resonance studies of FeSe 0.47⁢ Te 0.53 , which is located close to a nematic quantum critical point (QCP), under pressures up to 1.35 GPa. Further, both the superconducting critical temperature and AFMSF were found to be enhanced under pressure, which suggests a correlation between SC and AFMSF in FeSe 0.47 ⁢Te 0.53 . However, the contribution of AFMSF to SC in FeSe 0.47 ⁢Te 0.53 was found to be much less compared to that in FeSe 1−𝑥 ⁢S 𝑥 , suggesting that nematic fluctuations play a dominant role in the SC in FeSe 1−𝑥⁢ Te 𝑥 around the nematic QCP.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Understanding and Mitigating Coherence and Frequency Fluctuations in Superconducting Transmon Qubits

Transmon qubits are a cornerstone of superconducting quantum computing platforms. However‚ their frequency and coherence properties exhibit temporal fluctuations‚ leading to performance degradation in quantum processors over time. A common mitigation approach involves frequent recalibration‚ which‚ while effective‚ results in increased system downtime. Enhancing the long-term stability of transmon qubits is therefore critical for scalable and reliable quantum computing. In this study‚ we develop novel techniques for understanding the underlying mechanisms driving frequency and coherence fluctuations in fixed-frequency transmon qubits. We further explore strategies to mitigate these instabilities‚ aiming to improve overall system robustness. Our findings provide insights into optimizing superconducting quantum hardware for practical applications.

Roy, Tanay [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evidence for d -wave superconductivity of infinite-layer nickelates from low-energy electrodynamics

The discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates established another category of unconventional superconductors that shares structural and electronic similarities with cuprates. However, key issues of the superconducting pairing symmetry, gap amplitude and superconducting fluctuations are yet to be addressed. Here we utilize static and ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy to address these. We demonstrate that the equilibrium terahertz conductivity and non-equilibrium terahertz responses of an optimally Sr-doped nickelate film (superconducting transition temperature of T c = 17 K) are in line with the electrodynamics of d-wave superconductivity in the dirty limit. The gap-to-T c ratio (2Δ/k B T c ) is found to be 3.4, indicating that the superconductivity falls in the weak coupling regime. In addition, we observed substantial superconducting fluctuations near T c that do not extend into the deep normal state as the optimally hole-doped cuprates do. In conclusion, our results support a d-wave system that closely resembles the electron-doped cuprates.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1987

Quantum fluctuations of the superconducting cosmic string

Quantum fluctuations of the proposed superconducting string with Bose charge carriers are studied in terms of the vortices on the string world sheet. In the thermodynamical limit, it is found that they appear in the form of free vortices rather than as bound pairs. This fluctuation mode violates the topological conservation law on which superconductivity is based. However, this limit may not be reached. The critical size of the superconducting string is estimated as a function of the coupling constants involved.

Zhang, Shoucheng↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transport signatures of phase fluctuations in superconducting qubits

Abstract Josephson junctions supply the nonlinear inductance element in superconducting qubits. In the widely used transmon configuration, where the junction is shunted by a large capacitor, the low charging energy minimizes the sensitivity of the qubit to charge noise while maintaining the necessary anharmonicity to qubit states. We report here low-frequency transport measurements on small standalone junctions and identically fabricated capacitively-shunted junctions that show two distinct features normally attributed to small capacitance junctions near zero bias: reduced switching currents and prominent finite resistance associated with phase diffusion in the current–voltage characteristic. Our transport data reveals the existence of phase fluctuations in transmons arising from intrinsic junction capacitance.

Wisne, M. (ORCID:0009000610684209)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Charge density fluctuations with enhanced superconductivity at the proposed quantum critical point of Sr0.77⁢Ba0.23⁢Ni2⁢As2

A quantum critical point (QCP) represents a continuous phase transition at absolute zero. In unconventional superconductors, enhanced superconducting transition temperature and magnetic fluctuation strength are often observed together, indicating magnetism-mediated superconductivity. This raises the question of whether quantum fluctuations in other degrees of freedom, such as charge, could similarly boost superconductivity. However, because charge is frequently intertwined with magnetism, isolating and understanding its specific role in Cooper pair formation pose a significant challenge. Here, we report persistent charge density fluctuations (CDFs) down to 15 K in the nonmagnetic superconductor Sr0.77⁢Ba0.23⁢Ni2⁢As2, which lie near a proposed nematic QCP associated with a sixfold enhancement of superconductivity. Our results show that the quasielastic CDFs do not condense into resolution-limited Bragg peaks but, rather, display nonsaturated strength. The phonons associated with CDFs completely soften at 25 K, with their critical behavior described by the same mathematical framework as the antiferromagnetic Fermi liquid model, yielding a fitted Curie-Weiss temperature of 𝜃≈0K. Additionally, we find that the nematic fluctuations are weakly coupled to the lattice, as evidenced by the absence of softening in nematic-coupled in-plane transverse acoustic phonons. Our discovery positions Sr𝑥⁢Ba1−𝑥⁢Ni2⁢As2 as a promising candidate for charge-fluctuation-driven superconductivity.

Aczel, Adam [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000319641943)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pervasive symmetry-lowering nanoscale structural fluctuations in the cuprate La 2−𝑥 ⁢Sr 𝑥 ⁢Cu⁢O 4

The cuprate superconductors are among the most widely studied quantum materials, yet there remain fundamental open questions regarding their electronic properties and the role of structural degrees of freedom. Recent neutron and x-ray scattering measurements uncovered exponential scaling with temperature of the strength of orthorhombic fluctuations in the tetragonal phase of La 2−𝑥⁢ Sr 𝑥 ⁢Cu⁢O 4 and Tl 2 ⁢Ba 2 ⁢Cu⁢O 6+𝛿 , unusual behavior that closely resembles prior results for the emergence of superconducting fluctuations, and that points to a common origin rooted in inherent correlated structural inhomogeneity. Here, in this study, we use neutron and x-ray diffuse scattering to provide further insight into structural fluctuations in La 2−𝑥 ⁢Sr 𝑥 ⁢Cu⁢O 4 . We perform measurements up to temperatures that approach the melting point of the undoped parent compound, and we investigate the effects of in situ in-plane uniaxial elastic stress and plastic deformation. Our neutron scattering results for the parent compound La 2 ⁢Cu⁢O 4 reveal that short-range orthorhombic fluctuations persist to the maximum experimental temperature of nearly 1000 K, i.e., to a significant fraction of the crystallization temperature. At this temperature, the spatial characteristic length extracted from the momentum-space data is still about three lattice constants. The neutron scattering experiment enables quasistatic discrimination and reveals that the response is increasingly dynamic at higher temperatures. We also find that neither compressive elastic stress along the tetragonal [110] direction nor irreversible plastic deformation activating the ⟨100⟩⁢[001] slip system significantly alter the robust orthorhombic fluctuations. Overall, these results support the notion that these fluctuations couple to subtle, underlying inhomogeneity that underpins the cuprate phase diagram. Finally, in La 1.8⁢ Sr 0.2⁢ Cu⁢O 4 , we uncover low-energy structural fluctuations at a nominally forbidden reflection that are distinct from the orthorhombic distortions. While the origin of these fluctuations is not clear, they might be related to the presence of extended defects such as dislocations or stacking faults.

Spieker, R. J. [Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, M↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nanoscale structural correlations in a model cuprate superconductor

Understanding the extent and role of inhomogeneity is a pivotal challenge in the physics of cuprate superconductors. While it is known that structural and electronic inhomogeneity is prevalent in the cuprates, it has proven difficult to disentangle compound-specific features from universally relevant effects. Here, in this study, we combine advanced neutron and x-ray diffuse scattering with numerical modeling to obtain insight into bulk structural correlations in HgBa 2 ⁢ CuO 4+δ . This cuprate exhibits a high optimal transition temperature of nearly 100 K, pristine charge-transport behavior, and a simple average crystal structure without long-range structural instabilities, and is therefore uniquely suited for investigations of intrinsic inhomogeneity. We uncover diffuse reciprocal-space patterns that correspond to prominent nanoscale correlations of atomic displacements perpendicular to the CuO 2 planes. The real-space nature of the correlations is revealed through three-dimensional pair distribution function analysis and complementary numerical refinement. We find that relative displacements of ionic and CuO 2 layers play a crucial role, and that the structural inhomogeneity is not directly caused by the presence of conventional point defects. The observed correlations are therefore intrinsic to HgBa 2 ⁢ CuO 4+δ , and thus likely important for the physics of cuprates more broadly. It is possible that the structural correlations are closely related to the unusual superconducting fluctuations and Mott-localization in these complex oxides. As advances in scattering techniques yield increasingly comprehensive data, the experimental and analysis tools developed here for large volumes of diffuse scattering data can be expected to aid future investigations of a wide range of materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

In Situ Scattering Studies of Superconducting Vacancy‐Ordered Monoclinic TiO Thin Films

Abstract The structural and transport properties of vacancy‐ordered monoclinic superconducting titanium oxide (TiO) thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy are investigated. The evolution of the crystal structure during growth is monitored by in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction. Long‐range ordering of Ti and O vacancies in the disordered cubic phase stabilizes the vacancy‐ordered monoclinic TiO phase. The reduced structural disorder arising from vacancy‐ordering is correlated with a superconductor‐metal transition (SMT) in contrast to the superconductor‐insulator transition (SIT) observed in cubic TiO, orthorhombic Ti 2 O 3 , and the Magneli γ − Ti 3 O 5 and γ − Ti 4 O 7 phase. Magnetoresistance measurements for the SIT phases indicate superconducting fluctuations persisting in the normal phase. These results confirm the role of disorder related to Ti and O vacancies and structural inhomogeneity in determining the electronic properties of the normal state of titanium oxide‐based superconductors.

Baksi, Merve↗
DOE OSTI2025

Field Induced Density Wave in a Kagome Superconductor

On the kagome lattice, electrons benefit from the simultaneous presence of band topology, flat electronic bands, and Van Hove singularities, forming competing or cooperating orders. Understanding the interrelation between these distinct order parameters remains a significant challenge, leaving much of the associated physics unexplored. In the kagome superconductor KV 3 Sb 5 , which exhibits a charge density wave (CDW) state below T ≃ 78 K, we uncover an unpredicted field-induced phase transition below 6 K. The observed transition is marked by a hysteretic anomaly in the resistivity, nonlinear electrical transport, and a change in the symmetry of the electronic response as probed via the angular dependence of the magnetoresistivity. These observations surprisingly suggest the emergence of an unanticipated broken symmetry state coexisting with the original CDW. To understand this experimental observation, we developed a theoretical minimal model for the normal state inside the high-temperature parent CDW phase, where an incommensurate CDW order emerges as an instability subleading to superconductivity. Here, the incommensurate CDW emerges when superconducting fluctuations become fully suppressed by large magnetic fields. Our results suggest that, in kagome superconductors, quantum states can either coexist or are nearly degenerate in energy, indicating that these are rich platforms to expose new correlated phenomena.

Charge density waves↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tractable model of a pair density wave

Here, this Letter describes a simple mechanism for superconducting pairing with finite wave vector (pair density wave) based on weak coupling. The mechanism is illustrated with a quasi-one-dimensional model relevant to certain a class of quasi-one-dimensional materials. Within this model, pair and charge density wave order parameters are intertwined emerging as components of the same matrix field and are related by particle-hole symmetry.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1993

Analysis of resistance data on a good ceramic sample of YBa2Cu3O(7-x)

Resistance data between 91.4 and 200 K on a ceramic sample of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) are analyzed using a two-band model for normal-state conductance plus the Lawrence-Doniach theory for effects of superconducting fluctuations. The data is fitted to a rms accuracy of 0.16 percent of the resistance in the middle of the temperature range. The steepest slope of the resistance of the sample occurs at 91.13 K, and the analysis shows that the critical region extends to less than 0.3 K above Tc. Values of parameters found indicate that defect or impurity scattering within grains is unusually small in this sample. Some difficulties in understanding Hall data using either simple two-band models or more sophisticated one-band models are discussed briefly.

Eagles, David M.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantum Fluctuations and Multifractally enhanced Superconductivity in Disordered Thin Films

The interplay between electron–electron interactions and weak localization (or anti-localization) phenomena in two-dimensional systems can significantly enhance the superconducting transition temperature. For this work, we develop the theory of quantum fluctuations within such multifractally enhanced superconducting states in thin films. In conditions of weak disorder, we employ the Finkel’stein nonlinear sigma model to derive an effective action for the superconducting order parameter and the quasiclassical Green’s function, meticulously accounting for the influence of quantum fluctuations. This effective action, applicable for interactions of any strength, reveals the critical role of well-known collective modes in a dirty superconductor, and its saddle-point analysis leads to modified Usadel and gap equations. These equations comprehensively incorporate the renormalizations stemming from the interplay between interactions and disorder, resulting in the non-trivial energy dependence of the gap function. Notably, our analysis establishes a direct relation between the self-consistent gap equation at the superconducting transition temperature and the known renormalization group equations for interaction parameters in the normal state.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Disentangling the impact of quasiparticles and two-level systems on the statistics of superconducting-qubit lifetime

Temporal fluctuations in the superconducting qubit lifetime, T 1 , present additional challenges in the pursuit of fault-tolerant quantum computing. Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, T 1 fluctuations are generally attributed to strong coupling between the qubit and a few near-resonant two-level systems (TLSs), which can exchange energy with an ensemble of thermally fluctuating two-level fluctuators (TLFs) at low frequencies. Here, we report T 1 measurements of qubits with varying geometrical footprints and surface dielectrics as a function of temperature. By analyzing the noise spectrum of the qubit depolarization rate, Γ 1 = 1 / T 1 , we disentangle the contributions of TLSs, nonequilibrium quasiparticles (QPs), and equilibrium (thermally excited) QPs to the variance in Γ 1 . We find that the Γ 1 variance in qubits with smaller footprints is more susceptible to QP and TLS fluctuations than that in larger-footprint qubits. Furthermore, the QP-induced variances in all qubits align with the theoretical framework of QP diffusion and fluctuation. These findings offer valuable insights for future qubit design and engineering optimization.

Zhu, Shaojiang [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000293180092)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Slow electron-phonon relaxation controls the dynamics of the superconducting resistive transition

Here, we investigate the temporal and spatial scales of resistance fluctuations (𝑅 fluctuations) at the superconducting resistive transition accessed through voltage fluctuation measurements in thin epitaxial TiN films. This material is characterized by slow electron-phonon relaxation, which puts it far beyond the applicability range of the textbook scenario of superconducting fluctuations. The measured Lorentzian spectrum of the 𝑅 fluctuations identifies their correlation time, which is nearly constant across the transition region and has no relation to the conventional Ginzburg-Landau timescale. Instead, the correlation time coincides with the energy relaxation time determined by a combination of the electron-phonon relaxation and the relaxation via diffusion into reservoirs. Our data are quantitatively consistent with the model of spontaneous temperature fluctuations and highlight the lack of understanding of the resistive transition in materials with slow electron-phonon relaxation.

critical phenomena↗