Thermodynamic properties of ferromagnetic/superconductor/ferromagnetic nanostructures

The theoretical description of the thermodynamic properties of ferromagnetic/superconductor/ferromagnetic (F/S/F) systems of nanoscopic scale is proposed. Their superconducting characteristics strongly depend on the mutual orientation of the ferromagnetic layers. In addition, depending on the transparency of S/F interfaces, the superconducting critical temperature can exhibit four different types of dependences on the thickness of the F-layer. The obtained results permit to give some practical recommendations for the spin-valve effect experimental observation. In this spin-valve sandwich, we also expect a spontaneous transition from parallel to anti-parallel ferromagnetic moment orientation, due to the gain in the superconducting condensation energy.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR

Critical current of 3He-A in narrow channels

The critical current Jc of superfluid 3He-A in 0.8-μm-diam channels has been measured by the observation of the pressure difference along the channels versus the mass current. During warming Jc was found to decrease by about 30% at TBA(cyl) and by another 30% at TBA; TBA(cyl) is the reduced B→A transition temperature in the narrow flow channels, with TBA(cyl)TBA=0.92 at 27.4 bars. Above TBA a second dissipative mechanism was observed at lower currents. These features are believed to be associated with the ends of the channels.Peer reviewe

Comment on "Accelerated Detectors and Temperature in (Anti) de Sitter Spaces"

It is shown how the results of Deser and Levin on the response of accelerated detectors in anti-de Sitter space can be understood from the same general perspective as other thermality results in spacetimes with bifurcate Killing horizons.Comment: 5 pages, LaTe

Evidence for two-dimensional nucleation of superconductivity in MgB2_{2}

According to the crystal structure of MgB$_{2}$ and band structure calculations quasi-two-dimensional (2D) boron planes are responsible for the superconductivity. We report on critical fields and resistance measurements of 30 nm thick MgB$_{2}$ films grown on MgO single crystalline substrate. A linear temperature dependence of the parallel and perpendicular upper critical fields indicate a 3D-like penetration of magnetic field into the sample. Resistivity measurements, in contrast, yield a temperature dependence of fluctuation conductivity above T$_{c}$ which agrees with the Aslamazov-Larkin theory of fluctuations in 2D superconductors. We consider this finding as an experimental evidence of two-dimensional nucleation of superconductivity in MgB$_{2}$.Comment: 5 RevTex pages, 3 PostScript Figures ZIPed in archive Sidoren.zip. Submitted to EuroPhys. Lett. December 3, 200

Critical temperature of superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers

Superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers are known to exhibit nontrivial dependence of the critical temperature T_c on the thickness d_f of the ferromagnetic layer. We develop a general method for investigation of T_c as a function of the bilayer's parameters. It is shown that interference of quasiparticles makes T_c(d_f) a nonmonotonic function. The results are in good agreement with experiment. Our method also applies to multilayered structures.Comment: 4 pages, 2 EPS figures; the style file jetpl.cls is included. Version 2: typos correcte

On the scalar sector of the covariant graviton two-point function in de Sitter spacetime

We examine the scalar sector of the covariant graviton two-point function in de Sitter spacetime. This sector consists of the pure-trace part and another part described by a scalar field. We show that it does not contribute to two-point functions of gauge-invariant quantities. We also demonstrate that the long-distance growth present in some gauges is absent in this sector for a wide range of gauge parameters.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, LaTeX, considerably shortene

Theoretical description of the ferromagnetic π\pi -junctions near the critical temperature

The theory of ferromagnetic Pi-junction near the critical temperature is presented. It is demonstrated that in the dirty limit the modified Usadel equation adequately describes the proximity effect in ferromagnets. To provide the description of an experimentally relevant situation, oscillations of the Josephson critical current are calculated as a function of ferromagnetic layer thickness for different transparencies of the superconductor-ferromagnet interfaces.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

The Generalized Hartle-Hawking Initial State: Quantum Field Theory on Einstein Conifolds

Recent arguments have indicated that the sum over histories formulation of quantum amplitudes for gravity should include sums over conifolds, a set of histories with more general topology than that of manifolds. This paper addresses the consequences of conifold histories in gravitational functional integrals that also include scalar fields. This study will be carried out explicitly for the generalized Hartle-Hawking initial state, that is the Hartle-Hawking initial state generalized to a sum over conifolds. In the perturbative limit of the semiclassical approximation to the generalized Hartle-Hawking state, one finds that quantum field theory on Einstein conifolds is recovered. In particular, the quantum field theory of a scalar field on de Sitter spacetime with $RP^3$ spatial topology is derived from the generalized Hartle-Hawking initial state in this approximation. This derivation is carried out for a scalar field of arbitrary mass and scalar curvature coupling. Additionally, the generalized Hartle-Hawking boundary condition produces a state that is not identical to but corresponds to the Bunch-Davies vacuum on $RP^3$ de Sitter spacetime. This result cannot be obtained from the original Hartle-Hawking state formulated as a sum over manifolds as there is no Einstein manifold with round $RP^3$ boundary.Comment: Revtex 3, 31 pages, 4 epsf figure