Weak localization effect on thermomagnetic phenomena

The quantum transport equation (QTE) is extended to study weak localization (WL) effects on galvanomagnetic and thermomagnetic phenomena. QTE has many advantages over the linear response method (LRM): (i) particle-hole asymmetry which is necessary for the Hall effect is taken into account by the nonequilibrium distribution function, while LRM requires expansion near the Fermi surface, (ii) when calculating response to the temperature gradient, the problem of WL correction to the heat current operator is avoided, (iii) magnetic field is directly introduced to QTE, while the LRM deals with the vector potential and and special attention should be paid to maintain gauge invariance, e.g. when calculating the Nernst effect the heat current operator should be modified to include the external magnetic field. We reproduce in a very compact form known results for the conductivity, the Hall and the thermoelectric effects and then we study our main problem, WL correction to the Nernst coefficient (transverse thermopower).Comment: 20 pages 2 figure

Effects of Electron-Electron and Electron-Phonon Interactions in Weakly Disordered Conductors and Heterostuctures

We investigate quantum corrections to the conductivity due to the interference of electron-electron (electron-phonon) scattering and elastic electron scattering in weakly disordered conductors. The electron-electron interaction results in a negative $T^2 \ln T$-correction in a 3D conductor. In a quasi-two-dimensional conductor, $d < v_F/T$ ($d$ is the thickness, $v_F$ is the Fermi velocity), with 3D electron spectrum this correction is linear in temperature and differs from that for 2D electrons (G. Zala et. al., Phys. Rev.B {\bf 64}, 214204 (2001)) by a numerical factor. In a quasi-one-dimensional conductor, temperature-dependent correction is proportional to $T^2$. The electron interaction via exchange of virtual phonons also gives $T^2$-correction. The contribution of thermal phonons interacting with electrons via the screened deformation potential results in $T^4$-term and via unscreened deformation potential results in $T^2$-term. The interference contributions dominate over pure electron-phonon scattering in a wide temperature range, which extends with increasing disorder.Comment: 6 pages, 2figure

Superconductivity by long-range color magnetic interaction in high-density quark matter

We argue that in quark matter at high densities, the color magnetic field remains unscreened and leads to the phenomenon of color superconductivity. Using the renormalization group near the Fermi surface, we find that the long-range nature of the magnetic interaction changes the asymptotic behavior of the gap $\Delta$ at large chemical potential $\mu$ qualitatively. We find $\Delta\sim\mu g^{-5}\exp(-{3\pi^2\over\sqrt{2}}{1\over g})$, where $g$ is the small gauge coupling. We discuss the possibility of breaking rotational symmetry by the formation of a condensate with nonzero angular momentum, as well as interesting parallels to some condensed matter systems with long-range forces.Comment: 14 pages, REVTEX, uses eps

Plasmon attenuation and optical conductivity of a two-dimensional electron gas

In a ballistic two-dimensional electron gas, the Landau damping does not lead to plasmon attenuation in a broad interval of wave vectors q << k_F. Similarly, it does not contribute to the optical conductivity \sigma (\omega, q) in a wide domain of its arguments, E_F > \omega > qv_F, where E_F, k_F and v_F are, respectively, the Fermi energy, wavevector and velocity of the electrons. We identify processes that result in the plasmon attenuation in the absence of Landau damping. These processes are: the excitation of two electron-hole pairs, phonon-assisted excitation of one pair, and a direct plasmon-phonon conversion. We evaluate the corresponding contributions to the plasmon linewidth and to the optical conductivity.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; final form, misprints correcte

The puzzle of 90 degree reorientation in the vortex lattice of borocarbide superconductors

We explain 90 degree reorientation in the vortex lattice of borocarbide superconductors on the basis of a phenomenological extension of the nonlocal London model that takes full account of the symmetry of the system. We propose microscopic mechanisms that could generate the correction terms and point out the important role of the superconducting gap anisotropy.Comment: 4 pages, 2 eps figure

Influence of temperature gradients on tunnel junction thermometry below 1 K: cooling and electron-phonon coupling

We have studied thermal gradients in thin Cu and AlMn wires, both experimentally and theoretically. In the experiments, the wires were Joule heated non-uniformly at sub-Kelvin temperatures, and the resulting temperature gradients were measured using normal metal-insulator-superconducting tunnel junctions. The data clearly shows that even in reasonably well conducting thin wires with a short ($\sim 10 \mu$m) non-heated portion, significant temperature differences can form. In most cases, the measurements agree well with a model which includes electron-phonon interaction and electronic thermal conductivity by the Wiedemann-Franz law.Comment: J. Low Temp. Phys. in pres

The Eliashberg Function of Amorphous Metals

A connection is proposed between the anomalous thermal transport properties of amorphous solids and the low-frequency behavior of the Eliashberg function. By means of a model calculation we show that the size and frequency dependence of the phonon mean-free-path that has been extracted from measurements of the thermal conductivity in amorphous solids leads to a sizeable linear region in the Eliashberg function at small frequencies. Quantitative comparison with recent experiments gives very good agreement.Comment: 4pp., REVTeX, 1 uuencoded ps fig. Original posting had a corrupted raw ps fig appended. Published as PRB 51, 689 (1995

Effect of microstructures on the electron-phonon interaction in the disordered metals Pd60_{60}Ag40_{40}

Using the weak-localization method, we have measured the electron-phonon scattering times $\tau_{ep}$ in Pd$_{60}$Ag$_{40}$ thick films prepared by DC- and RF-sputtering deposition techniques. In both series of samples, we find an anomalous $1/\tau_{ep} \propto T^2\ell$ temperature and disorder dependence, where $\ell$ is the electron elastic mean free path. This anomalous behavior cannot be explained in terms of the current concepts for the electron-phonon interaction in impure conductors. Our result also reveals that the strength of the electron-phonon coupling is much stronger in the DC than RF sputtered films, suggesting that the electron-phonon interaction not only is sensitive to the total level of disorder but also is sensitive to the microscopic quality of the disorder.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Weak localization in InSb thin films heavily doped with lead

The paper reports on the investigations of the weak localization (WL) effects in 3D polycrystalline thin films of InSb. The films are closely compensated showing the electron concentration n>10^{16} cm^{-3} at the total concentration of the donor and acceptor type structural defects >10^{18} cm^{-3}. Unless Pb-doped, the InSb films do not show any measurable or show very small WL effect at 4.2 K. The Pb-doping to the concentration of the order of 10^{18} cm^{-3} leads to pronounced WL effects below 7 K. In particular, a clearly manifested SO scattering is observed. From the comparison of the experimental data on temperature dependence of the magnetoresistivity and sample resistance with the WL theory, the temperature dependence of the phase destroying time is determined. The determination is performed by fitting theoretical terms obtained from Kawabata's theory to experimental data on magnetoresistance. It is concluded that the dephasing process is connected to three separate interaction processes. The first is due to the SO scatterings and is characterized by temperature-independent relaxation time. The second is associated with the electron-phonon interaction. The third dephasing process is characterized by independent on temperature relaxation time tau_c. This relaxation time is tentatively ascribed to inelastic scattering at extended structural defects, like grain boundaries. The resulting time dephasing time shows saturation in its temperature dependence. The temperature dependence of the resistance of the InSb films can be explained by the electron-electron interaction for T2 K.Comment: 15 pages with 5 figure

Quantum corrections to the conductivity of fermion - gauge field models: Application to half filled Landau level and high-TcT_c superconductors

We calculate the Altshuler-Aronov type quantum correction to the conductivity of $2d$ charge carriers in a random potential (or random magnetic field) coupled to a transverse gauge field. The gauge fields considered simulate the effect of the Coulomb interaction for the fractional quantum Hall state at half filling and for the $t-J$ model of high-$T_c$ superconducting compounds. We find an unusually large quantum correction varying linearly or quadratically with the logarithm of temperature, in different temperature regimes.Comment: 12 pages REVTEX, 1 figure. The figure is added and minor misprints are correcte