京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(エネルギー科学) / 甲第19415号 / エネ博第323号 / 新制||エネ||65(附属図書館) / 32440 / 京都大学大学院エネルギー科学研究科エネルギー基礎科学専攻 / (主査)教授 片平 正人, 教授 森井 孝, 教授 木下 正弘 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Energy Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

<p>The 1D Wigner crystal is a long sought after strongly correlated quantum state. Here we present electronic transport data of asymmetric quantum point contacts (QPC) tuned to the spin-incoherent regime, which provides evidence for achieving the 1D Wigner state. Our result can be distinguished in several particularly noticeable ways. First, we utilize an asymmetric point contact geometry that is simple to fabricate and has not been studied previously. We are able to tune to the conductance anomalies simply by asymmetrically applying voltages to the gates. Second, we observe clear suppression of the first plateau and direct jumps to the second in these asymmetric QPCs at liquid helium temperatures (4.2 K). Such conductance behavior is indicative of Wigner crystal row formation.</p> <p>This thesis suggests that the novel geometry and gating scheme allows for a novel way to search for strongly correlated electronic behavior in quasi-1D quantum wires. A key finding is the importance of asymmetric QPCs for observation of anomalous transport characteristics. We have observed a strongly developed e<super>2</super>/h feature under asymmetric voltage gating and zero applied magnetic field. Such a feature is attributed to enhanced spin energies in the system. We believe the asymmetric design allows for a relaxing of the 1D confinement so that a quasi-1D electron conformation develops, which in turn allows for various possible magnetic states. In addition, by optimally tuning the confinement potential, we observe an unexpected suppression of the 2e<super>2</super>/h plateau. This provides further evidence for unusual electron arrangements in the asymmetric quantum point contact.</p> <p>I also discuss transport studies on the new FeSe superconductor. Our collaboration discovered the superconducting &beta;-FeSe compound with a Tc approximately 8 K. The crystal lattice structure of &beta;-FeSe is by far the simplest of the Fe superconductors. One of the most interesting observations regarding FeSe is that the crystal structure undergoes a structural transition at approximately 105 K from tetragonal to orthorhombic (or triclinic) symmetry. We believe this structural transition to be closely related to the origin of superconductivity in this class of materials.</p> <p>Transport studies also seem to support this claim. From Hall effect measurements of bulk FeSe, we find that FeSe is likely a two band (electron and hole) superconductor, which suggests it is quite different from the cuprates, and that very unconventional superconducting mechanisms are at play. The temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient is measured, and found to rapidly increase below 105 K. This suggests the scattering time related to hole bands dominate the transport at low temperature. As there is no magnetic ordering observed at low temperature, we do not expect the scattering from random Fe magnetic impurities to play a significant role in the enhanced hole scattering times. Thus, we speculate that this change is related to the structural transition observed.</p> / Dissertation

Bi2Rh3Se2 have been known as a charge-density-wave (CDW) superconductor, where the superconducting critical temperature Tc and the CDW phase transition are about 0.7 K and 250 K, respectively. Since there has no definite proof that the anomaly at around 250 K comes from charge-density-wave, we wished to provide another evidence to study whether the superconductor had the properties of CDW by electric resistivity measurements applied different pressures. Bi2Rh3Se2 was prepared by using the solid state reaction method and heating in the quartz tube. After the sample was synthesized, the quality was identified by XRD, MPMS, and specific heat probe. With the confirmation of the above-mentioned measurements, we can determine the sample¡¦s quality is good. Furthermore, temperature-dependent resistivity (2-340 K) under pressure (up to 22.23 kbar) on the ternary superconductor Bi2Rh3Se2 are performed to study the possible coexistence of CDW and superconductivity. Interestingly, the resistive anomaly occurred at Ts~250 K, is shifted to higher temperature with increasing pressure. This experimental finding is not consistent with a traditional CDW transition. Moreover, the temperature-dependent Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) electron diffraction is evident a structural phase transition from space group ¡§C1 2/m 1¡¨ (Ts > 250 K) to ¡§P1 2/m 1¡¨ (Ts < 250 K). Finally, We do the Co doping to make sure the effects of chemical pressure on this phase transition. The results are opposite to imposed by physical pressure that the transition is shift to lower temperature with more Co inside the sample.

The aim of this thesis was to identify topologically protected states in the materials SnTe and Fe3Sn2. Such states are currently receiving a large amount of interest due to their applications for spintronic devices. Recently SnTe was discovered to be a crystalline topological insulator, a state of matter where its surface is highly conducting while the bulk remains insulating. However detection of these surface states is difficult using transport measurements, since the bulk is not totally insulating but still contains a large number of free carriers. SnTe undergoes a rhombohedral structural distortion on cooling caused by a soft transverse optic phonon, with the exact Tc strongly dependent on the carrier concentration. The distortion acts to lower crystal symmetry removing some of the symmetries that protect the surface state. Single crystal samples displaying the structural transition were grown and investigated using inelastic X-ray scattering to measure the phonon softening previously reported by other authors. The soft phonon was seen to recover again after distortion indicative of a 2nd order ferroelectric transition. This is the first reported discovery of the recovery showing the distortion is ferroelectric in nature. Shubnikov de Haas quantum oscillations were measured to study the Fermi surface under ambient and high hydrostatic pressure conditions. A distortion of the Fermi surface caused by the structural transition was evident, resulting in 4 distinct oscillation frequencies. However at applied pressures above 6 kbar, the transition was suppressed and only 1 oscillation measured. A two component Hall response also becomes apparent under high pressure. The possible origin of this and its relation to possible surface states is discussed. The anomalous Hall effect was also measured in the ferromagnet Fe3Sn2 which has a bilayer Kagome structure. Previous measurements on polycrystalline Fe3Sn2 suggested a non-collinear spin rotation from the spins pointing along the c-axis at high temperature to lying in the a-b plane below 80 K. A spin glass phase is then expected below 80 K. Single crystal magnetisation measurements carried out in this thesis show the spins are in the a-b plane at high temperatures and begin to display a ferromagnetic component along the c-axis approaching 80 K. The difference is accounted for by considering the demagnetising factor in the plate shaped single crystals. For this temperature range an applied field along the c-direction however rotates the moments towards c. At intermediate fields there are strong features evident in both the anomalous Hall effect and magnetoresistance. These features may be due to a topological Hall effect caused by a non-collinear spin structure. The possible existence of Skyrmion excitations was also recently discussed theoretically in Fe3Sn2. Our data is more suggestive of static Skyrmions known to cause topological Hall effects in MnSi.

Materials in proximity to quantum critical points (QCPs) experience strong fluctuations in the order parameter associated with the transition and often, as a result, display interesting properties. In this dissertation, we have used a variety of experimental probes such as Shubnikov-de Haas quantum oscillations, thermal conductivity and heat capacity, to better understand two such materials — $A_3T_4$Sn$_{13}$ and YFe$_2$Ge$_2$. $A_3T_4$Sn$_{13}$ ($A$ = Ca, Sr; $T$ = Ir, Rh) is a family of quasi-skutterudite superconductors with moderate $T_c$’s between 4 and 8 K. Although the superconductivity is believed to be phonon-mediated with s-wave pairing symmetry, an unusual second-order structural transition makes this material family fascinating to study. Whether this structural transition is a result of three distortions with perpendicular wavevectors resulting in a cubic-to-cubic transformation, or each wavevector acting independently giving rise to cubic-to-tetragonal transformations and formation of twinned domains is a disputed issue. We have measured quantum oscillations in the resistivity of Sr3Ir4Sn13 and compared it to density functional theory (DFT) calculations for both scenarios. Our results strongly suggest that the former interpretation is correct. The structural transition temperature $T^*$ in $A_3T_4$Sn$_{13}$ can be suppressed to zero by tuning with physical or chemical pressure. In (Ca$_x$Sr$_{1−x}$)$_3$Rh$_4$Sn$_13$, the quantum critical point can be accessed purely by chemical substitution at x ~ 0.9. In the vicinity of the QCP, we expect large fluctuations of the order parameter at low temperatures, which for a structural transition could manifest as a structural disorder. We have measured thermal conductivity at temperatures much lower than $T_c$ and found that it is well described by a single power law with suppressed exponents near the QCP. The heat capacity, however, remains ~ $T^3$. After excluding conventional phonon scattering mechanisms, we propose the possibility of intrinsic quasi-static spatial disorder that is related to the structural QCP. YFe$_2$Ge$_2$ is closely linked to the “122” family of iron-based superconductors like KFe$_2$As$_2$, although it has a significantly lower $T_c$ ~ 1 K. It has a rather three-dimensional Fermi surface which closely resembles that of KFe$_2$As$_2$ in the pressure-induced collapsed tetragonal phase. YFe$_2$Ge$_2$ is in proximity to several types of magnetic order which are predicted by DFT calculations to have lower energy than the non-spin polarised case. Even though YFe$_2$Ge$_2$ is non-magnetic, its superconductivity could be strongly affected by magnetic fluctuations. Through a collaboration with researchers at the University of Waterloo, we have measured the thermal conductivity of YFe$_2$Ge$_2$ down to millikelvin temperatures and up to 2.5 T in field. Our results suggest that YFe$_2$Ge$_2$ is a nodal superconductor. This result could assist in the explanation of the unconventional superconductivity in iron-based superconductors.

No description available.

La polyaniline est un polymère conducteur intrinsèque aux potentialités indéniables dans le domaine de la micro-électronique. Elle allie la légèreté, le faible coût et la modularité des polymères avec les propriétés de conduction électrique des métaux. La mise à profit de ce mélange de propriétés à l’échelle industrielle nécessite une maitrise des procédés de mise en œuvre de la polyaniline, notamment sous forme de film polymère, domaine où il y a encore un manque de maitrise. Pour y remédier, il faudrait tout d’abord comprendre l’influence de chaque paramètre de mise en œuvre sur les propriétés de conduction du film de polyaniline. Pour cela, nous avons choisi une polyaniline plast-dopée commerciale à l’état de dispersion et avons fait une étude paramétrique sur l’effet du type de solvant utilisé pour la dispersion ainsi que celui de la température d’évaporation de celui-ci lors du dépôt du film. Deux types d’études ont été menés : la première porte sur les propriétés rhéologiques et diélectriques des dispersions de polyaniline et la seconde sur les propriétés structurales et de conduction des films. A travers la première étude, nous avons pu montré que lors du chauffage des dispersions de polyaniline, celles-ci subissaient une transition structurale liquide-liquide du second ordre dont les paramètres varient avec le type du solvant utilisé. A travers la seconde étude, nous avons aussi mis en évidence que les films déposés dans les domaines avoisinant la température transition de phase dans les mélanges liquides sont les moins conducteurs et les moins cristallisés. Selon le type de solvant choisi, deux mécanismes de conduction ont été trouvés : les sauts à portées variables tridimensionnel (VRH 3D), pour le cas de la série de films issus de la dispersion dans l’acide dichloroacétique et déplacement par effet tunnel induit par les fluctuations thermiques (FIT) pour la série de films issus de la dispersion dans le mélange acide dichloroacétique / acide formique. Il en ressort finalement que pour obtenir un film de polyaniline plast-dopée ayant la conductivité la plus élevée, il faut appliquer les conditions expérimentales qui permettent d’obtenir un degré de cristallinité élevé (298 K pour PANI/DCAA). / The purpose of this study is to perform polyaniline films with the highest conductivity. The effect of the solvent type and the casting temperature on the electrical properties of plastdoped polyaniline dispersions and films were investigated. For this purpose, rheological and dielectric investigations have been undertaken for dispersions of plast-doped polyaniline in two different solvents (dichloroacetic acid and formic acid / dichloroacetic acid mixture). Changes appearing above a certain temperature, 318K for PANI/DCAA and 313K for PANI/DCAA-FA, for both rheological dielectric and rheological parameters revealed the existence of a second order liquid-liquid structural transition occurring in the polyaniline organic dispersions. We also investigated the effect of the selected processing parameters on the film properties. We found that the DC conductivity mechanism is governed by Mott’s three-dimensional variable range hopping (3D VRH) model for PANI/DCAA films and by a fluctuation induced tunnelling model (FIT) for PANI/DCAA-FA films. Besides, the films cast at temperatures around the second order liquid-liquid structural transition temperature of polyaniline dispersions lead to the lowest conductivity and crystallinity, regardless of the solvent type used. A qualitative correlation was also found between the conductivity and the crystallinity of the polyaniline films. So, in order to obtain films with the highest electric conductivities, we have to apply experimental conditions leading to the highest crystallinity (298 K for PANI/DCAA).

Cette thèse porte sur les propriétés magnétiques et structurales de MnAs/GaAs(001) et sur la dynamique photo-induite du système hétéroépitaxial Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001). MnAs présente une séquence inhabituelle de transitions de phases magnéto-structurales. En volume, α-MnAs est hexagonal et ferromagnétique (FM). A 313 K, il transite (1er ordre) vers β-MnAs, perd son ordre FM et devient orthorhombique. A 400 K, il transite (2nd ordre) vers γ-MnAs, hexagonale et paramagnétique. En couche mince épitaxiée sur GaAs(001), α- et β-MnAs coexistent entre 283 et 313K sous la forme de bandes auto-organisées avec alternance des phases ce qui permet l’émergence d’un champ magnétique dipolaire de surface. Ce champ permet de manipuler via la température, et sans champ magnétique appliqué, l’aimantation de Fe, ou encore localement via une impulsion laser femtoseconde. Des mesures ont été réalisées sur ce système par effet Kerr magnéto-optique (MOKE) et par diffusion résonante des rayons X (XRMS). La XRMS donne accès à l’évolution en température des bandes et à l’aimantation de chacune des couches (aux seuils L3 de Fe et de Mn). Il est montré que les cycles de chaque couche peuvent être obtenus aussi bien par MOKE que par XRMS grâce à la linéarité de la réponse MOKE. La dynamique structurale photo-induite de MnAs/GaAs(001) a aussi été étudiée par diffraction des rayons X résolue en temps sur des temps allant de la picoseconde à la microseconde. Ces résultats mettent en évidence l’excitation de phonons cohérents, la génération d’une onde de déformation, la nucléation de la phase γ et enfin la formation transitoire de bandes auto-organisées pendant la phase de refroidissement. Ces résultats ont été corrélés aux résultats sur le renversement de l’aimantation du fer dans Fe/MnAs et un mécanisme est proposé. / The subject of this thesis is the study of the magnetic and structural properties of MnAs/GaAs(001) and of the photoinduced phase transition dynamics in MnAs/GaAs(001). MnAs exhibits a peculiar sequence of magneto-structural phase transitions. In the bulk, α-MnAs is hexagonal and ferromagnetic (FM). At 313K, it transits (1st order) towards β-MnAs becoming orthorhombic and FM order is lost. At 400K, it transits (2nd order) towards γ-MnAs becoming paramagnetic and hexagonal. When MnAs is grown epitaxially on GaAs(001), α and β phases coexist in the form of self-organized stripes with alternating phases, which permits the appearance of a dipolar magnetic field close to the surface. This field allows the manipulation of the Fe magnetization via the temperature, without applying magnetic field, or locally via a femtosecond laser pulse. Measurements were made using magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and X-ray resonant scattering (XRMS). The XRMS gives access to the evolution of the stripes with the temperature and to the magnetization of each layer (at the L3 edge of Fe and Mn). Hysteresis cycles of magnetic layers can be obtained by XRMS and also by MOKE thanks to the linearity of the response. The photo-induced structural dynamics of MnAs/GaAs(001) was also studied by time-resolved X-ray diffraction from the picosecond to the microsecond timescales. The results evidence the excitation of coherent phonons, the generation of a strain wave, the nucleation of the γ phase, and finally the transient formation of self-organized stripes during the cooling phase. These results provide insight into the Fe magnetization reversal process in Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001) and a mechanism is proposed.

No description available.

This thesis reports transport in ultrathin single crystalline nanowires of gold (∼ 2nm). These nanowires were fabricated using an oriented attachment process whereby nanoparticles of appropriate dimensions join in a linear fashion to form long and stable wires. The main motivation was to study the role of electron-electron interactions on the transport mechanism in case of a metallic system, as one approaches dimensions closer to the Fermi wavelength. The study forms the first of its kind in a simple metallic system of this dimension. Indeed, several new features have been obtained in this regard: Chapter 4 reports a breakdown of Fermi liquid state in such a system opening up possibilities of exotic states constituted by a strongly correlated Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid. We report consistent scaling of current-voltage curves, characteristic of such a phase and even resonant tunneling in such structures. The study reports the first observation of a correlated electron liquid in a metal, which has been observed only in semiconductors and polymer wires till date. Chapter 5 discusses the possibility of tuning the transport mechanism in these wires via a controlled change in the growth process. We show that using appropriate growth mechanisms, we can have a localized ground state as well, where variable range hopping is the dominant transport mechanism. Possibility of structural transitions in ultrathin wires is a field that has garnered considerable interest due to simulations. We present a highly sensitive tool in the form of electrical noise and its higher order statistics that can act as a detector of structural transitions. This has been thoroughly studied in case of conventional shape memory systems in Chapter 6. Preliminary noise studies on the nanowires have been reported in Chapter 7.