Comment on `Strong Vortex Liquid Correlation' from Multiterminal Measurements on Untwinned YBa2_2Cu3_3O7−δ_{7-\delta} Single Crystals'

A.Rydh and \"O.Rapp [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 86}, 1873 (2001).] claim that the vortex liquid in untwinned YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ crystals is correlated above the melting transition, in striking contrast to previous work [D.L\'opez {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 76}, 4034 (1996).]. In this Comment we present new measurements using the same experimental technique on twinned and untwinned YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ crystals with similar overall characteristics as those reported by Rydh and Rapp . The comparison of the vortex correlation response in both cases indicates that the central conclusion of their work is not correct. Our results reconfirm the work by L\'opez {\it et al.} and points on the origin of the misinterpretation in the work of Rydh and Rapp.Comment: comment on A.Rydh and \"O.Rapp, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 86}, 1873 (2001). accepted in Phys. Rev. Let

Surface plasmons at single nanoholes in Au-films

The generation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP's) at isolated nanoholes in 100 nm thick Au films is studied using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). Finite-difference time-domain calculations, some explicitly including a model of the NSOM tip, are used to interpret the results. We find the holes act as point-like sources of SPP's and demonstrate that interference between SPP's and a directly transmitted wave allows for determination of the wavelength, phase, and decay length of the SPP. The near-field intensity patterns can be manipulated by varying the angle and polarization of the incident beam.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Anisotropic superconductivity and magnetism in single-crystal RbEuFe4_4As4_4

We investigate the anisotropic superconducting and magnetic properties of single-crystal RbEuFe$_4$As$_4$ using magnetotransport and magnetization measurements. We determine a magnetic ordering temperature of the Eu-moments of $T_m$ = 15 K and a superconducting transition temperature of $T_c$ = 36.8 K. The superconducting phase diagram is characterized by high upper critical field slopes of -70 kG/K and -42 kG/K for in-plane and out-of-plane fields, respectively, and a surprisingly low superconducting anisotropy of $\Gamma$ = 1.7. Ginzburg-Landau parameters of $\kappa_c \sim 67$ and $\kappa_{ab} \sim 108$ indicate extreme type-II behavior. These superconducting properties are in line with those commonly seen in optimally doped Fe-based superconductors. In contrast, Eu-magnetism is quasi-two dimensional as evidenced by highly anisotropic in-plane and out-of-plane exchange constants of 0.6 K and $<$ 0.04 K. A consequence of the quasi-2D nature of the Eu-magnetism are strong magnetic fluctuation effects, a large suppression of the magnetic ordering temperature as compared to the Curie-Weiss temperature, and a cusp-like anomaly in the specific heat devoid of any singularity. Magnetization curves reveal a clear magnetic easy-plane anisotropy with in-plane and out-of-plane saturation fields of 2 kG and 4 kG.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Virtual Cartier divisors and blow-ups

We prove a universal property for blowups in regularly immersed subschemes, based on a notion we call “virtual effective Cartier divisor”. We also construct blow-ups of quasi-smooth closed immersions in derived algebraic geometry

Complete intersections: Moduli, Torelli, and good reduction

We study the arithmetic of complete intersections in projective space over number fields. Our main results include arithmetic Torelli theorems and versions of the Shafarevich conjecture, as proved for curves and abelian varieties by Faltings. For example, we prove an analogue of the Shafarevich conjecture for cubic and quartic threefolds and intersections of two quadrics.Comment: 37 pages. Typo's fixed. Expanded Section 2.

Raising the superconducting TcT_\mathrm{c} of gallium: in-situ characterization of the transformation of α\alpha-Ga into β\beta-Ga

Gallium (Ga) displays several metastable phases. Superconductivity is strongly enhanced in the metastable $\mathrm{\beta}$-Ga with a critical temperature $T_\mathrm{c}= 6.04(5)\,\mathrm{K}$, while stable $\mathrm{\alpha}$-Ga has a much lower $T_\mathrm{c}<1.2\,\mathrm{K}$. Here we use a membrane-based nanocalorimeter to initiate the transition from $\mathrm{\alpha}$-Ga to $\mathrm{\beta}$-Ga on demand, as well as study the specific heat of the two phases on one and the same sample. The in-situ transformation is initiated by bringing the temperature to about $10\,\mathrm{K}$ above the melting temperature of $\mathrm{\alpha}$-Ga. After such treatment, the liquid supercools down to $232\,\mathrm{K}$, where $\mathrm{\beta}$-Ga solidifies. We find that $\mathrm{\beta}$-Ga is a strong-coupling type-I superconductor with $\Delta(0)/k_\mathrm{B}T_\mathrm{c} =2.00(5)$ and a Sommerfeld coefficient $\gamma_\mathrm{n} = 1.53(4)\,\mathrm{mJ/molK^2}$, 2.55 times higher than that in the $\alpha$ phase. The results allow a detailed comparison of fundamental thermodynamic properties between the two phases

Multi-flavor quantum criticality

In a quantum critical metal, the electronic density of states, or quasiparticle mass on the Fermi surface, is strongly enhanced through electronic correlations. The density of states in the quantum critical unconventional superconductor CeCoIn$_5$, can be readily accessed in the normal state because all energy scales are small. However, the experimental challenges associated with large nuclear specific heat and long nuclear spin-lattice relaxation times have impeded unveiling a more detailed physical picture. Here we report an extensive thermal impedance spectroscopy study of CeCoIn$_5$ that assesses the density of states in two independent ways, via the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate and via the specific heat. We establish that the temperature- and magnetic field dependence of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate is determined entirely by the energy-scale competition near the quantum critical point. In particular, mass enhancement is cut off at finite magnetic fields. However, the specific heat measurements reveal excess entropy in addition to that associated with the density of states on the Fermi surface. This excess entropy is direct thermodynamic evidence for a "second flavor" of fluctuating boson in CeCoIn$_5$. The electronic nature of this excess entropy is evidenced by its suppression in the superconducting state. We suggest such a multi-flavour character for a broader class of quantum critical metals.Comment: 39 page

Six operations and Lefschetz-Verdier formula for Deligne-Mumford stacks

Laszlo and Olsson constructed Grothendieck's six operations for constructible complexes on Artin stacks in \'etale cohomology under an assumption of finite cohomological dimension, with base change established on the level of sheaves. In this article we give a more direct construction of the six operations for complexes on Deligne-Mumford stacks without the finiteness assumption and establish base change theorems in derived categories. One key tool in our construction is the theory of gluing finitely many pseudofunctors developed in arXiv:1211.1877. As an application, we prove a Lefschetz-Verdier formula for Deligne-Mumford stacks. We include both torsion and $\ell$-adic coefficients.Comment: 62 pages. v5, v4: minor improvements; v3: added a Lefschetz-Verdier formula; v2: moved the appendix in v1 to arXiv:1211.187