Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Competing phases'

In this thesis we use the Variational Cluster Approximation (VCA) in the investigation of broken symmetry states of strongly correlated systems with frustration. Layered organic compounds, in which dimers of organic molecules form an anisotropic triangular lattice, are among materials that show this frustration. We discuss the two-dimensional one-band Hubbard model used for studying these compounds. Then we introduce VCA, which allows to study ordered phases by a variational principle based on the electron self-energy. We explain the computational methods that we used in conjunction with VCA. A comparison of the normal state and Néel antiferromagnetic ordered phase energies enables us to conclude that this order is dominant at large values of U, below some critical value of frustration (t'/t ). By observing the saturation of the order parameter, we argue that U [greater or approximately equal to] 8 is already in the strong coupling limit. d -wave superconductivity is discussed in relation with cluster and lattice point group symmetries. The two different pairings, d[subscript x[superscript 2]]-[subscript y[superscript 2]] and d[subscript xy] , are studied separately. A comparison of the energies of the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases shows that while d -wave superconductivity dominates the antiferromagnetic phase, the d[subscript x[superscript 2]]-[subscript y[superscript 2]] order exists at intermediate U and d[subscript xy] is dominant at low values of U. We found no evidence of homogeneous coexistence of antiferromagnetic and d -wave superconducting phases. In addition, we investigate a spiral magnetic order on the isotropic triangular lattice, where no Néel antiferromagnetic order is found. By looking at the density of states, we see that the system is metallic at weak coupling. For U [greater or approximately equal to] 6 until a value in the range [8,12), we find an insulating phase, without long-range order, which we conjecture to be a spin liquid phase. This spiral order is found at stronger coupling.

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The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the competing ordered phases in the metallic heavy fermion compound URu2Si2, which displays a bodycentered tetragonal lattice. We first provide a study case of the competition between antiferromagnetic (AF) and spin liquid phases. The antiferromagnetic state is study with spin-wave theory. Whereas the spin liquid analysis has been carried out in an algebraic spin liquid representation. In the second part, we describe an effective theory for Raman scattering experiments at these particular phases. We provide insight about the hidden order phase displayed by the heavy fermion compound URu2Si2.
L?objectif central de cette th?se est d??tudier des phases ordonn?es en comp?tition dans des mat?riaux magn?tiques pr?sentant une structure cristalline t?tragonale centr?e. Ce travail est divis? en deux parties principales. Dans la premi?re, nous pr?sentons les r?sultats de notre ?tude de la comp?tition entre des ?tats ordonn?s antiferromagn?tiques et des phases liquides de spin. Nous montrons comment ces derni?res peuvent ?tre stabilis?es par la frustration g?om?trique et par une g?n?ralisation de la sym?trie de spin au groupe SU(n). Les ?tats antiferromagn?tiques sont d?crits par une th?orie d?onde de spin et l?analyse de liquide de spin est effectu?e par une repr?sentation fermionique des op?rateurs de spin. Dans la deuxi?me partie, nous d?crivons une th?orie effective pour d?rcrire des exp?riences de diffusion Raman. Nous fournissons un aper?u de la phase d?ordre cach? affich?e par le compos? de fermions lourds URu2Si2.

L’objectif central de cette thèse est d’étudier des phases ordonnées en compétition dans des matériaux magnétiques présentant une structure cristalline tétragonale centrée.Ce travail est divisé en deux parties principales. Dans la première, nous présentons les résultats de notre étude de la compétition entre des états ordonnés antiferromagnétiques et des phases liquides de spin. Nous montrons comment ces dernières peuvent être stabilisées par la frustration géométrique et par une généralisation de la symétrie de spinau groupe SU(n). Les états antiferromagnétiques sont décrits par une théorie d’onde despin et l’analyse de liquide de spin est effectuée par une représentation fermionique des opérateurs de spin. Dans la deuxième partie, nous décrivons une théorie effective pour dércrire des expériences de diffusion Raman. Nous fournissons un aperçu de la phase d’ordre caché affichée par le composé de fermions lourds URu2Si2
The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the competing ordered phases in the metallic heavy fermion compound URu2Si2, which displays a body-centered tetragonallattice. We first provide a study case of the competition between antiferromagnetic(AF) and spin liquid phases. The antiferromagnetic state is study with spin-wave theory. Whereas the spin liquid analysis has been carried out in an algebraic spin liquid representation.In the second part, we describe an effective theory for Raman scattering experiments at these particular phases. We provide insight about the hidden order phase displayed by the heavy fermion compound URu2Si2

2009/2010
Understanding the interplay between the phases present in a high-temperature superconductor (superconducting, pseudogap, strange metal and Fermi-liquid-like) is the key-concept for shining light on the nature of the superconductivity mechanisms in copper-oxide based superconductors. Here, I set the bases for addressing this physics by developing an approach based on ultrafast time-resolved optical spectroscopy in the infrared and visible spectral regions. The experiments performed disclose the real-time evolution of the optical properties while the system is suddenly brought out-of-equilibrium by an ultrashort laser pulse. The data obtained show how a competing admixture of two or more phases in a high-temperature superconductor can be created and observed evolving. Finally by using new models for interpreting the experimental results the ultrafast dynamics of the competing phases start to be revealed.
XXIII Ciclo
1982

xiii, 110 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
This dissertation investigates the interplay between, and the possible coexistence of, magnetic and superconducting order in metals. We start with studying the electromagnetic properties of s-wave superconductors near a ferromagnetic instability. By using a generalized Ginzburg-Landau theory and scaling arguments, we show that competition between magnetic order and superconducting order can change the scaling of observables. For instance, the exponent for the temperature dependence of the critical current can deviate from the Ginzburg-Landau value of 3/2. These results may be relevant to understanding the observed behavior of MgCNi 3 . We then study the nature of the superconductor-to-normal-metal transition in p-wave superconductors. Although the phase transition is continuous at a mean- field level, a more careful renormalization-group analysis in conjunction with large-n expansion techniques strongly suggest that the transition is first order. This conclusion is the same as for s-wave superconductors, where these techniques also predict a first-order transition. In p-wave superconductors, topological excitations known as skyrmions are known to exist in addition to the more common vortices. In the third part of this dissertation, we study the properties of skyrmion lattices in an external magnetic field. We propose iv experiments to distinguish vortex lattices from skyrmion lattices by means of their melting curves and their μSR signatures.
Adviser: Dietrich Belitz

For some time it was believed that simple, single - component, fluid phase behaviour was limited to a homogeneous gas and homogeneous liquid phase separated by a line of first order phase transitions. However, recent studies have demonstrated that simple fluid behaviour can be extended to richer phase diagrams through tuning of the effective potential. Fluids whose constituent particles feel a strong attraction at close range and weak repulsion at longer ranges have been shown, under certain conditions, to assemble into heterogeneous structures such as spherical and cylindrical clusters, lamellae and spherical and cylindrical voids. Lattice Monte Carlo simulations are used to explore the phase diagram of a single - component fluid following a hard - core effective potential with an attractive and a repulsive Yukawa tail. The relative strngths of attractive and repulsive potentials are found for which heterogeneous structures become stable. Then the region of stability of heterogeneous structures is delimited through the use of histogram reweighting to map out the locus of points at which the homogeneous and heterogeneous states have equal free energy. A transition matrix Monte Carlo biasing technique is used to reveal the system behaviour inside the free energy barrier at low temperatures, when the gas - liquid phase transition appears to have re-asserted itself. Finally, a discussion as to the mechanism for assembly of the heterogeneous structures is offered.

In this thesis the superconducting and magnetic phases of LiOH(Fe,Co)(Se,S), CuFeAs/CuFeSb, and LaFeP_1-xAs_xO - belonging to the 11, 111 and 1111 structural classes of iron-based arsenides and chalcogenides - are investigated by means of 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and muon spin rotation/relaxation (μSR). Of major importance in this study is the application of high magnetic fields in Mössbauer spectroscopy to distinguish and characterize ferro- (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) order. A user-friendly Mössbauer data analysis program was developed to provide suitable model functions not only for high field spectra, but relaxation spectra or parameter distributions in general. In LaFeP_1-xAs_xO the reconstruction of the Fermi surface is described by the vanishing of the Γ hole pocket with decreasing x. The continuous change of the orbital character and the covalency of the d-electrons is shown by Mössbauer spectroscopy. A novel antiferromagnetic phase with small magnetic moments of ~ 0.1 μ_B state is characterized. The superconducting order parameter is proven to continuously change from a nodal to a fully gapped s-wave like Fermi surface in the superconducting regime as a function of x, partially investigated on (O,F) substituted samples. LiOHFeSe is one of the novel intercalated FeSe compounds, showing strongly increased T_C = 43 K mainly due to increased interlayer spacing and resulting two-dimensionality of the Fermi surface. The primary interest of the samples of this thesis is the simultaneously observed ferromagnetism and superconductivity. The local probe techniques prove that superconducting sample volume gets replaced by ferromagnetic volume. Ferromagnetism arises from magnetic order with T_C = 10 K of secondary iron in the interlayer. The tendency of this system to show (Li,Fe) disorder is preserved upon (Se,S) substitution. However, superconductivity gets suppressed. The results of Mössbauer spectroscopy indicate that the systems tends to a secondary structural phase, where the local iron environment observed in pure FeS is absent. Moreover, two interlayer positions of the iron are identified. The absence of enhanced superconducting T_C in LiOHFeS thus is related to a structural instability. Also, in CuFeAs the role of secondary iron at the Cu position turns out to be decisive for the observed magnetic behaviour. As in LiOHFeSe, it orders ferromagnetically at T_C ~ 11 K and superimposes with the magnetic instability of the main iron site. It is shown that a small charge doping of 0.1e/Fe, which is expected from (Cu,Fe) disorder, is sufficient to switch the system between a paramagnetic and an AFM ground state. Both magnetic orders are indistinguishable, because the magnetic order parameters are strongly coupled. This coupling was observed in the structurally identical CuFeSb, where the magnetic order parameters of both iron sites scale perfectly. The magnetically unstable CuFeAs and the ferromagnetic CuFeSb can be classified according to the theory of As height driven magnetism, predicting a change from paramagnetism to AFM and finally FM with increasing As height.

Theoretical aspects of multicomponent superconductivity and systemswith competing interactions are studied using Monte Carlo techniques.Motivated by recent experimental and theoretical results of complex struc-ture formation of vortices in multicomponent systems, possible vortex struc-ture formations due to vortex interactions that are not purely attractive orrepulsive are considered. Vortex structures such as clusters, superclusters,hierarchical structure formation, stripes, gossamer patters, glassy phases, aswell as checkerboard lattices and loops are demonstrated to be possible.The order of the superconducting phase transition is considered for multi-component lattice London superconductors. The phase transition is demon-strated to be either rst-order or continuous depending on the strength of asymmetry-breaking Josephson intercomponent interaction. It is argued thatthe rst-order phase transition is caused by a vortex phase separation due toa uctuation-induced attractive interaction between vortex lines.

QC 20151117

Mergers and acquisitions are gaining a lot of prominence in global corporate dynamics as a strategic way for organizations to grow and diversify rapidly. The significance of post-merger integration cannot be overstated (Shrivastava, 1986). Although the main purpose behind organizational mergers and acquisitions is “One plus one makes three”, most post-merger integration studies focus upon failures (Dutta, Dutta, and Das, 2011). This research study is based in the context of post-merger integration between two competing firms and presents an empirical Action Research study focusing on “synergy realization”. This research study builds upon Clayton’s (2010) work on Complex Adaptive System (CAS) (Stacey, 2011) for realizing synergies amidst post-merger integration. CAS has been complemented by Complexity Leadership Theory (Uhl-Bien, Marion and McKelvey, 2007) which provides some control over the otherwise unpredictable nature of CAS. This study also attempts to utilize proven methodologies and methods oriented around organizational behavior, change management, emergence, co-evolution, and other leadership concepts that are anchored in Mode 2 research. The research methods, as well as the issues related to the research context, have continuously evolved while conducting this research study due to reflections offered by the double loop learning process. Although the primary focus of this study was to identify synergy realizations during the merger integration phase, the research study also explored the underpinning issues, problems, and challenges faced by organizational members while adjusting to or reconciling the different ways of functioning and behaving that were affecting synergy realizations. This study therefore also includes findings associated with organizational merger associated concerns such as interpersonal issues, human resource, knowledge management, communication, organizational management, leadership, and organizational ethos. This study makes 3 main contributions. First, this research study presents innovative insights towards resolving some of the mysteries attached with organizational mergers, by focusing upon positive merger objectives through synergy realizations by heeding to Clayton’s (2010) appeal for scholars and practitioners to go beyond traditional M&A methodologies. Second, this study presents an empirical account of some of the Mode 2 knowledge creation concepts such as Action Research, CAS, CLT, SSM and LiC, which has the potential of inspiring similar experimentation in organizational learning and management research. And third, this study demonstrates how researching practitioners can make an impact on successful adaptations to organizational change management situations such as the ones presented by organizational mergers by bridging the gap between theory and practice, and building upon research-oriented knowledge through AR and professional doctorate programmes.

Antiferromagnets are choice systems to study quantum critical behavior. Unlike ferromagnets, they can experience continuous quantum phase transitions when tuned by pressure. However, the lack of a net magnetization renders experimental approaches difficult and often indirect. Here I demonstrate that both non-resonant and resonant x-ray magnetic diffraction under pressure provide the highly-desired direct probe for microscopic insights into the disappearance of the magnetic order, as well as the evolution of the charge and structural degrees of freedom. In Mo₃Sb₇, where spins are itinerant with small magnetic moments, we have discovered the doubling of the superconducting transition temperature under pressure and relate it to a lattice change from tetragonal to cubic structure. In MnP, a spiral magnetic order with tightened pitch was revealed in the high-pressure phase near a superconducting state at ∼7 GPa. As the spiral pitch changes, fluctuations move from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic at long and short wavelengths, respectively, thereby potentially pro- moting spin-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity of different symmetries. In the all-in-all-out (AIAO) pyrochlore antiferromagnet Cd₂Os₂O₇, we discovered an anti- ferromagnetic quantum critical point at 35.8 GPa using new techniques for resonant x-ray magnetic diffraction under pressure. The continuous suppression of AIAO antiferromagnetic order to zero temperature is accompanied by inversion symmetry breaking of the lattice, dividing the P − T phase space into three regions of different time reversal and spatial inversion symmetries. While phase lines of opposite curvature indicate a striking departure from a mean-field form at high pressure, the intertwined spin, charge, and phonon fluctuation modes point to a strong-coupled scenario of quantum criticality.

In this thesis the superconducting and magnetic phases of LiOH(Fe,Co)(Se,S), CuFeAs/CuFeSb, and LaFeP_1-xAs_xO - belonging to the 11, 111 and 1111 structural classes of iron-based arsenides and chalcogenides - are investigated by means of 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and muon spin rotation/relaxation (μSR). Of major importance in this study is the application of high magnetic fields in Mössbauer spectroscopy to distinguish and characterize ferro- (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) order. A user-friendly Mössbauer data analysis program was developed to provide suitable model functions not only for high field spectra, but relaxation spectra or parameter distributions in general. In LaFeP_1-xAs_xO the reconstruction of the Fermi surface is described by the vanishing of the Γ hole pocket with decreasing x. The continuous change of the orbital character and the covalency of the d-electrons is shown by Mössbauer spectroscopy. A novel antiferromagnetic phase with small magnetic moments of ~ 0.1 μ_B state is characterized. The superconducting order parameter is proven to continuously change from a nodal to a fully gapped s-wave like Fermi surface in the superconducting regime as a function of x, partially investigated on (O,F) substituted samples. LiOHFeSe is one of the novel intercalated FeSe compounds, showing strongly increased T_C = 43 K mainly due to increased interlayer spacing and resulting two-dimensionality of the Fermi surface. The primary interest of the samples of this thesis is the simultaneously observed ferromagnetism and superconductivity. The local probe techniques prove that superconducting sample volume gets replaced by ferromagnetic volume. Ferromagnetism arises from magnetic order with T_C = 10 K of secondary iron in the interlayer. The tendency of this system to show (Li,Fe) disorder is preserved upon (Se,S) substitution. However, superconductivity gets suppressed. The results of Mössbauer spectroscopy indicate that the systems tends to a secondary structural phase, where the local iron environment observed in pure FeS is absent. Moreover, two interlayer positions of the iron are identified. The absence of enhanced superconducting T_C in LiOHFeS thus is related to a structural instability. Also, in CuFeAs the role of secondary iron at the Cu position turns out to be decisive for the observed magnetic behaviour. As in LiOHFeSe, it orders ferromagnetically at T_C ~ 11 K and superimposes with the magnetic instability of the main iron site. It is shown that a small charge doping of 0.1e/Fe, which is expected from (Cu,Fe) disorder, is sufficient to switch the system between a paramagnetic and an AFM ground state. Both magnetic orders are indistinguishable, because the magnetic order parameters are strongly coupled. This coupling was observed in the structurally identical CuFeSb, where the magnetic order parameters of both iron sites scale perfectly. The magnetically unstable CuFeAs and the ferromagnetic CuFeSb can be classified according to the theory of As height driven magnetism, predicting a change from paramagnetism to AFM and finally FM with increasing As height.:1 Acronyms and Symbols 2 Introduction 3 Iron-based arsenides and chalcogenides 3.1 Structural properties 3.2 Electronic properties 3.2.1 Magnetism 3.2.2 Superconductivity 3.2.3 Nematic phase 3.3 Investigated samples 4 Moessfit - a free Mössbauer fitting program 4.1 Aspects of program design 4.2 Errors 4.2.1 Uncorrelated 4.2.2 Hesse 4.2.3 MonteCarlo 4.2.4 Minos 4.3 Fitting algorithm 4.4 Maximum entropy method (MEM) 4.5 Kolmogorov-Smirnov confidence 5 Mössbauer spectroscopy 5.1 Mössbauer effect 5.2 Relativistic Doppler effect 5.3 Full static Hamiltonian 5.3.1 Quadrupole interaction 5.3.2 Isomer shift. 5.3.3 Zeeman splitting 5.3.4 Combined interaction 5.3.5 Transition probabilities 5.3.6 The magic angle 5.4 Transmission integral 5.4.1 Absorption area 5.4.2 Ideal thickness 5.4.3 Line width and line shape 5.4.4 Levelling 5.5 Applied field measurements of powder samples 5.5.1 Paramagnet, axial symmetric EFG in transverse field geometry 6 5.5.2 Uniaxial antiferromagnet, axial symmetric EFG in transverse field geometry 6 5.5.3 Paramagnet, axial symmetric EFG in longitudinal field geometry 6 5.5.4 Uniaxial ferromagnet, axial symmetric EFG in transverse field geometry 6 5.5.5 Polarised photons 5.5.6 Total absorption cross section 5.5.7 Polarised sources 5.6 Blume line shape model 6 μSR 6.1 Muon decay and detection 6.2 Magnetic order and dynamic relaxation 6.2.1 Magnetic order 6.2.2 Time dependent field distributions 6.2.3 Aspects of μSR in iron-based arsenides and chalcogenides 6.2.4 Weak transverse field (WTF) 6.3 Superconductivity - transverse field (TF) experiments 7 Intercalated FeSe 7.1 Bulk properties: XRD, susceptibility, resistivity 7.2 Structural characterization 7.3 LiOHFeSe - Mössbauer spectroscopy 7.3.1 Applied transverse field 7.4 LiOHFeSe - μSR 7.4.1 Zero field (ZF) 7.4.2 Pinning experiment 7.4.3 Transverse field (TF) 7.5 Mössbauer investigation of LiOHFe_1-yCo_ySe_1-xS_x. 7.6 Discussion 8 LaFeO(As,P) 8.1 Preliminary measurements and electronic structure calculations 8.2 Mössbauer spectroscopy 8.3 μSR 8.3.1 Magnetic characterization 8.3.2 Spin dynamics 8.3.3 Superconductivity 8.4 Discussion 9 CuFeAs and CuFeSb 9.1 Preliminary results of CuFeAs and CuFeSb 9.2 CuFeAs: Mössbauer spectroscopy 9.2.1 Zero field (ZF) 9.2.2 Longitudinal field (LF) 9.2.3 Transverse field (TF) 9.3 CuFeAs: μSR 9.3.1 Zero field (ZF) 9.3.2 Weak transverse field (WTF) 9.4 Further investigations on CuFeAs 9.4.1 Neutron scattering 9.4.2 Theoretical calculation 9.4.3 Local element analysis with EDX/WDX 9.5 CuFeSb: Mössbauer spectroscopy 9.5.1 Zero Field (ZF) 9.5.2 Transverse field (TF) 9.6 Discussion 10 Conclusion 11 Appendix 11.1 Derivation of the quadrupole interaction and isomer shift 11.2 Matrix form of the static nuclear Hamiltonian 11.3 Mössbauer line intensities 11.4 Blume line shape model 11.4.1 Special case: two states with diagonal Hamiltonians 11.5 Moessfit models 11.5.1 FeSe_1-xS_x(Li_1-zFe_zOH) ZF, standard 11.5.2 FeSe_1-xS_x(Li_1-zFe_zOH) ZF, 4 fractions 11.5.3 FeSe_1-xS_x(Li_1-zFe_zOH) Pinning 11.5.4 FeSe_1-xS_x(Li_1-zFe_zOH) TF 11.5.5 FeSe_1-xS_x(Li_1-zFe_zOH) CS-Vzz-MEM 11.5.6 LaFeP_1-xAs_x+ ferrocene, ZF 11.5.7 LaFeP_1-xAs_x+ ferrocene, LF 11.5.8 LaFeP_1-xAs_x+ iron foil, ZF 11.5.9 LaFeAsO ZF 11.5.10 LaFeAsO TF 11.5.11 CuFeAs + ferrocen, ZF 11.5.12 CuFeAs + ferrocen, ZF, high statistics 11.5.13 CuFeAs + ferrocen, LF 11.5.14 CuFeAs + ferrocen, TF 11.5.15 CuFeSb ZF 11.5.16 CuFeSb TF

碩士
國立中興大學
化學系
93
The brg gene is a bactoriocin regulator gene of Erwinia carotovora subspecies carotovora. This study is to understand the interaction between brg and other’s bacteriocin regulator gene. Here, we knock out the brg gene from the Erwinia competent cell by homologous recombination. In order to produce a mutant, we prepare competent cell use a modified version of Hanahan and the best growing conditions of Erwinia carotovora subspecies carotovora to improve the efficiency of transformation. By studying of the transformation efficiency under the different growing temperatures and log phases, we can find the discrepancy of different bacteria strains. In bacteria strains H-rif-8-6、M-rif-11-2 and TO-4, there are have different transformation frequency range with the plasmids pBR322, pBluescript, and pACYC177 under 29℃, 32℃, and 35℃. After modification, the transformation efficiency range from 5×103 to 1×104（cfu/μg）of plasmid DNA in H-rif-8-6 under 29℃, the range from 1×104 to 2×104（cfu/μg）of plasmid DNA in M-rif-11-2 under 32℃ and 35℃, and the range from 4.2×102 to 8.4×102（cfu/μg）of plasmid DNA in TO-4 under 29℃, 32℃, and 35℃. In the high temperature like 35℃ and 37℃, H-rif-8-6 has the special competence different from M-rif-8-6 and TO-4. H-rif-8-6 can not growing in the high temperature; M-rif-11-2 can growing under 35℃, but not under 37℃; TO-4 can grow in the high temperature. On the other hand, combine the best growing conditions with the modified solution; the transformation efficiency can increase 20-fold in H-rif-8-6 competent cell, and increase 90-fold in M-rif-11-2 competent cell.