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Magnetic measurements have been carried out in the superconducting and normal states of the optimally doped nonmagnetic bismuthate superconductor Ba0.63K0.37BiO3. The magnetic data along with previous muSR, resistivity, and tunneling data consistently show that there is a large polaronic enhancement in the density of states and effective electron-phonon coupling constant. The first-principle calculation within the density-functional theory indicates a small electron-phonon coupling constant of about 0.3-0.4, which can only lead to about 1 K superconductivity within the conventional phonon-mediated mechanism. Remarkably, the polaronic effect increases the electron-phonon coupling constant to about 1.4, which is large enough to leads to 32 K superconductivity. The present work thus uncovers the mystery of high-temperature superconductivity in bismuthate superconductors, which will also provide important insight into the pairing mechanism of other high-temperature superconductors., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

Single-crystalline alpha-Fe2O3 nanorings (short nanotubes) and nanotubes were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. High-resolution transmission electron microscope and selected-area electron diffraction confirm that the axial directions of both nanorings and nanotubes are parallel to the crystalline c-axis. What is intriguing is that the Morin transition occurs at about 210 K in the short nanotubes with a mean tube length of about 115 nm and a mean outer diameter of 169 nm while it disappears in the nanotubes with a mean tube length of about 317 nm and a mean outer diameter of 148 nm. Detailed analyses of magnetization data, x-ray diffraction spectra, and room-temperature Mossbauer spectra demonstrate that this very strong shape dependence of the Morin transition is intrinsic to hematite. We can quantitatively explain this intriguing shape dependence in terms of opposite signs of the surface magnetic anisotropy constants in the surface planes parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis (that is, K_parallel = -0.37 erg/cm^2 and K_perp = 0.42 erg/cm^{2})., Comment: 12 figures, 19 pages

We have calculated the tunneling conductance of a superconductor-insulator-superconductor junction based on the polaron-bipolaron theory of superconductivity. The predicted incoherent hump features are in quantitative agreement with tunneling spectra of optimally doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y and Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+y. We further show that angle-resolved photoemission spectra of underdoped cuprates are consistent with the Bose-Einstein condensation of inter-site bipolarons and that the superconducting gap symmetry is d-wave, which is determined by the anomalous kinetic process rather than by the pairing interaction. In the overdoped cuprates (BCS-like superconductors), the superconducting gap symmetry is the same as the pairing symmetry, which is found to be extended s-wave with eight line nodes in hole-doped cuprates and nodeless s-wave in electron-doped cuprates. The polaronic effect significantly enhances the density of states at the Fermi level and the effective electron-phonon coupling constant for low-energy phonon modes, which is the key to the understanding of high-temperature superconductivity., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We have analyzed scanning tunneling spectra of two electron-doped cuprates Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4 (Tc = 21 K and 24 K) and compared them with tunneling spectrum of hole-doped La1.84Sr0.16CuO4 and effective electron-boson spectral function of hole-doped La1.97Sr0.03CuO4 (extracted from angle-resolved photoemission spectrum). We have also analyzed tunneling spectra and angle-resolved photoemission spectra for hole-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8. These results unambiguously rule out magnetic pairing mechanism in both electron- and hole-doped cuprates and support polaronic/bipolaronic superconductivity in hole-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures

We report high-temperature (300-1120 K) magnetization data of Fe and Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded in multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The magnetic impurity concerntations are precisely determined by both high-energy synchrotron x-ray diffractometer and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. We unambiguously show that the magnetic moments of Fe and Fe3O4 nanoparticles are enhanced by a factor of about 3 compared with what they would be expected to have for free (unembedded) magnetic nanoparticles. The magnetization enhancement factor is nearly independent of the applied magnetic field but depends significantly on the cooling rate. What is more intriguing is that the enhanced moments were completely lost when the sample was heated up to 1120 K and the lost moments at 1120 K were completely recovered through several thermal cycles below 1020 K. Furthermore, there is a rapid increase or decrease in the magnetization below about 60 K. The anomalous magnetic properties cannot be explained by existing physics models except for the paramagnetic Meissner effect due to the existence of ultrahigh temperature superconductivity in the multi-walled carbon nanotubes., Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures

In our recent paper entitled "Pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity: Experimental constraints" (to be published in Physica Scripta, arXiv:1012.2368), we review some crucial experiments that place strong constraints on the microscopic pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates. In particular, we show that phonons rather than spin-fluctuation play a predominant role in the microscopic pairing mechanism. We further show that the intrinsic pairing symmetry in the bulk is not d-wave, but extended s-wave (having eight line nodes) in hole-doped cuprates and nodeless s-wave in electron-doped cuprates. In contrast, the author of the Comment (to be published in Physica Scripta) argues that our conclusions are unconvincing and even misleading. In response to the criticisms in the Comment, we further show that our conclusions are well supported by experiments and his criticisms are lack of scientific ground., Comment: 4 pages and 2 figures

High-temperature magnetic measurements have been carried out in hydrothermally synthesized greigite (Fe3S4). We show that the Curie temperature of greigite is significantly lower than that for its iron oxide counterpart Fe3O4. The lower TC value (about 677 K) of greigite is in quantitative agreement with that calculated using the exchange energy (3.25 meV) and the spin values of the two sublattices, which are inferred from the neutron and magnetization data of high-quality pure greigite samples. We further show that, with an effective on-site Hubbard energy Ueff = 1.16 eV, the lattice constant and two sublattice spins predicted from ab initio density-function theory are in nearly perfect agreement with the measured values. The parameter Ueff = 1.16 eV ensures Fe3S4 to be an excellent half-metallic material for spintronic applications., Comment: 5 page, 4 figures

Developing a theory of high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides is one of the outstanding problems in physics. It is a challenge that has defeated theoretical physicists for more than twenty years. Attempts to understand this problem are hindered by the subtle interplay among a few mechanisms and the presence of several nearly degenerate and competing phases in these systems. Here we present some crucial experiments that place essential constraints on the pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. The observed unconventional oxygenisotope effects in cuprates have clearly shown strong electron-phonon interactions and the existence of polarons and/or bipolarons. Angle-resolved photoemission and tunneling spectra have provided direct evidence for strong coupling to multiple-phonon modes. In contrast, these spectra do not show strong coupling features expected for magnetic resonance modes. Angle-resolved photoemission spectra and the oxygen-isotope effect on the antiferromagnetic exchange energy J in undoped parent compounds consistently show that the polaron binding energy is about 2 eV, which is over one order of magnitude larger than J = 0.14 eV. The normal-state spin-susceptibility data of holedoped cuprates indicate that intersite bipolarons are the dominant charge carriers in the underdoped region while the component of Fermi-liquid-like polarons is dominant in the overdoped region. All the experiments to test the gap or order-parameter symmetry consistently demonstrate that the intrinsic gap (pairing) symmetry for the Fermi-liquid-like component is anisotropic s-wave and the order-parameter symmetry of the Bose-Einstein condensation of bipolarons is d-wave., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, invited comment by Physica Scripta

Magnetic measurements have been performed on 40-nm sphere-like Fe3O4 nanoparticles using a Quantum Design vibrating sample magnetometer. Coating Fe3O4 nanoparticles with SiO2 effectively eliminates magnetic interparticle interactions so that the coercive field HC in the hightemperature range between 300 K and the Curie temperature (855 K) can be well fitted by an expression for noninteracting randomly oriented single-domain particles. From the fitting parameters, the effective anisotropy constant K is found to be (1.68 \pm 0.17) \times 105 erg/cm3, which is slightly larger than the bulk magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant of 1.35 \times 105 erg/cm3. Moreover, the inferred mean particle diameter from the fitting parameters is in quantitative agreement with that determined from transmission electron microscope. Such a quantitative agreement between data and theory suggests that the assemble of our SiO2-coated sphere-like Fe3O4 nanopartles represents a good system of noninteracting randomly-oriented single-domain particles., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

Magnetic measurements up to 1000 K have been performed on hydrothermally synthesized $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanoparticles (60 nm) using a Quantum Design vibrating sample magnetometer. A high vacuum environment (1$\times$10$^{-5}$ torr) during the magnetic measurement up to 1000 K leads to a complete reduction of $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ to Fe$_{3}$O$_{4}$. This precludes the determination of the N\'eel temperature for the $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanoparticles. In contrast, coating $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanoparticles with SiO$_{2}$ stabilizes the $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ phase up to 930 K, which allows us to determine the N\'eel temperature of the $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanoparticles for the first time. The N\'eel temperature of the 60-nm $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanoparticles is found to be 945 K, about 15 K below the bulk value. The small reduction of the N\'eel temperature of the $\alpha$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ nanoparticles is consistent with a finite-size scaling theory. Our current results also show that coating nanoparticles with SiO$_{2}$ can effectively protect nanoparticles from oxidation or reduction, which is important to technological applications., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

We report a giant magnetic moment enhancement of ferromagnetic nickel nanoparticles (11 nm) embedded in multi-walled carbon nanotubes. High-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiment and chemical analysis are used to accurately determine the ferromagnetic nickel concentration. Magnetic measurements up to 900 K show an intriguing result-the saturation magnetization of the nickel nanoparticles embedded in the multi-walled carbon nanotubes is about 3.4 times as much as the value expected from the measured nickel concentration while the Curie temperature is the same as that of bulk nickel. The implication of this giant magnetic moment enhancement, whatever its origin, is likely to be far reaching-it opens a new avenue for implementing spin-electronics at the molecular level., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures

We numerically calculate the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate (Rs) in the superconducting state in terms of anisotropic s-wave gaps. By taking into account electron-phonon coupling, our calculated Rs for a conventional s-wave superconductor, indium, is in quantitative agreement with the experimental data with a clear Hebel-Slichter peak. In contrast, by using the highly anisotropic s-wave gaps inferred from the magnetic penetration depth and scanning tunneling microscopy, our calculated Rs curves for electron-doped Pr_{0.91}LaCe_{0.09}CuO_{4-y} show no Hebel-Slichter peak, in agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the observed weak nonmagnetic pair-breaking effect provides unambiguous evidence for a highly anisotropic s-wave gap in this underdoped cuprate., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We analyze high-resolution scanning tunneling spectra of the electron-doped cuprate Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4 (T_c = 24 K). We find that the spectral fine structure below 35 meV is consistent with strong coupling to a bosonic mode at 16 meV, in quantitative agreement with early tunneling spectra of Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4. Since the energy of the bosonic mode is significantly higher than that (9.5-11 meV) of the magnetic resonance-like mode observed by inelastic neutron scattering, the coupling feature at 16 meV cannot arise from strong coupling to the magnetic mode. The present work thus demonstrates that the magnetic resonance-like mode cannot be the origin of high-temperature superconductivity in electron-doped cuprates., Comment: 4 pages and 4 figures

We present data analyses of the thermal conductivity and specific heat of electron-doped Pr1.85Ce0.15CuO4-y. The zero-field thermal conductivity and specific heat of this optimally electrondoped system can be only explained by a nodeless gap symmetry. The magnetic-field dependence of the electronic specific heat in the vortex state is in quantitative agreement with an s-wave theory. Our quantitative data analyses provide bulk evidence for a nodeless gap symmetry in optimally electron-doped cuprates., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

We address an important issue as to whether bulk-sensitive data of Raman scattering, optical conductivity, magnetic penetration depth, directional point-contact tunneling spectra, and nonmagnetic pair-breaking effect in optimally electron-doped Nd_{1.85}Ce_{0.15}CuO_{4-y} support a nodeless s-wave or d-wave superconducting gap. We numerically calculate Raman intensities, directional point-contact tunneling spectra, and nonmagnetic pair-breaking effect in terms of both s-wave and d-wave gap symmetries. We find that all these bulk-sensitive data are in quantitative agreement with a nearly isotropic s-wave gap. The fact that T_{c} is nearly independent of the residual resistivity rules out any d-wave gap symmetry., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We have studied the oxygen-isotope effect on the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}$ in overdoped Y$_{1-x}$Ca$_{x}$Ba$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-\delta}$ with $x$ = 0.10, 0.20, and 0.25. We find the oxygen-isotope exponent $\alpha_{O}$ to be small ($\sim$0.02) for $x$ = 0.10 but substantial ($\sim$0.1) for $x$ = 0.20 and 0.25. The doping level above which $\alpha_{O}$ increases sharply coincides with a quantum critical point where the normal-state pseudogap starts to diminish. The present isotope-effect experiments provide direct and quantitative constraints on the pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates., Comment: 4 pages, 4 Figures

We report magnetic susceptibility $\chi(T)$ measurements on oxygen-isotope exchanged La$_{1-x}$Ca$_{x}$MnO$_{3+y}$ up to 700 K. The $1/\chi(T)$ data show that the ferromagnetic exchange-energy $J$ depends strongly on the oxygen-isotope mass. The isotope effect on $J$ decreases with temperature up to 400 K and then increases again with temperature above 400 K. This unusual temperature dependence of the isotope effect cannot be explained by existing theories of the colossal magnetoresistance effect for doped manganites. The present results thus provide essential constraints on the physics of manganites., Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures

We report magnetic measurements up to 1200 K on multi-walled carbon nanotube mats using Quantum Design vibrating sample magnetometer. Extensive magnetic data consistently show two ferrromagnetic-like transitions at about 1000 K and 1275 K, respectively. The lower transition at about 1000 K is associated with an Fe impurity phase and its saturation magnetization is in quantitative agreement with the Fe concentration measured by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. On the other hand, the saturation magnetization for the higher transition phase ($\geq$1.0 emu/g) is about four orders of magnitude larger than that expected from the measured concentration of Co or CoFe, which has a high enough Curie temperature to explain this high transition. We show that this transition at about 1275 K is not consistent with a magnetic proximity effect of Fe-carbon systems and ferromagnetism of any carbon-based materials or magnetic impurities but with the paramagnetic Meissner effect due to the existence of $\pi$ Josephson junctions in a granular superconductor., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We report magnetic measurements up to 1100 K on a multi-walled carbon nanotube mat sample using a Quantum Design vibrating sample magnetometer. In an ultra-low field (H = -0.02 Oe), we find a very large paramagnetic susceptibility (up to 12.7% of 1/4pi) at 1100 K and a very large diamagnetic susceptibility (at least 8.4% of -1/4pi) at 482 K. A small magnetic field (2.1 Oe) completely suppresses the diamagnetic susceptibility at 482 K and reduces the paramagnetic susceptibility at 1100 K by a factor of over 20. We rule out explanations based on magnetic contaminants, instrument artifacts, and orbital diamagnetism. The magnetic data are inconsistent with any known physical phenomena except for granular superconductivity. The present results suggest the existence of an unknown new physical phenomenon or superconductivity with an ultra-high transition temperature., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

We report high-resolution spectra of the second derivative -d^{2}(Re\Sigma)/d\omega^{2} of the real part of electron self-energy \Sigma along the diagonal direction (where \omega = E_{F}-E - \Delta_{D} and \Delta_{D} is the diagonal superconducting gap) for a nonsuperconducting La_{1.97}Sr_{0.03}CuO_{4} (LSCO) crystal and a superconducting Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+y} (BSCCO) crystal with T_{c} = 91 K. The -d^{2}(Re\Sigma)/d\omega^{2} spectrum of the nonsuperconducting LSCO shows clear peak features, which match precisely with those in the phonon density of states obtained from neutron scattering. Similarly, if we assign \Delta_{D} = 7\pm1 meV for the superconducting BSCCO, the peak features in -d^{2}(Re\Sigma)/d\omega^{2} of this compound also match precisely with those in the phonon density of states and the tunneling spectrum. The present results rule out seemingly well accepted d-wave gap symmetry and strongly support an extended s-wave gap symmetry with eight line nodes., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures

The spectra of the second derivative of tunneling current d^{2}I/dV^{2} in the high-temperature superconductors YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-\delta} and Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+\delta} show clear dip and peak features due to strong coupling to the bosonic modes mediating electron pairing. The energies of all the peaks in -d^{2}I/dV^{2}-like spectra match precisely with the energies of the peaks in the phonon density of states obtained by inelastic neutron scattering. The results clearly demonstrate that the bosonic modes mediating the electron pairing are phonons and that high-temperature superconductivity arises primarily from strong coupling to multiple phonon modes., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

We report magnetic measurements up to 1200 K on three different multi-walled carbon nanotube mat samples using Quantum Design vibrating sample magnetometers. Three different samples prepared from arc discharge or chemical vapor deposition contain magnetic impurities ranging from about 100 ppm to about 1.5%. Our precise magnetic data clearly show two superconducting transitions, one at temperatures between 533 K and 700 K, and another at about 1200 K. The first transition temperature T_cJ, which coincides with the transition temperature seen in the resistance data, depends very strongly on the magnetic field, as expected from the onset of intergrain Josephson coupling in granular superconductors. The strong field dependence of T_cJ also excludes magnetic contaminants as the origin of the first transition. We also present direct and inferred diamagnetic Meissner fractions of 2 and 14%, respectively. The present results provide compelling evidence for superconductivity well above room temperature in multi-walled carbon nanotubes., Comment: 15 pages, 18 figures, The data are corrected for a constant offset of moment. The conclusion is the same, but the paper is much more convincing

Zhao et al. [Phys. Rev. B 62, R11 949 (2000)] reported studies of the oxygen-isotope effects on the intrinsic resistivity and thermoelectric power in the paramagnetic state of several ferromagnetic manganites. The isotope effects on the intrinsic electrical transport properties are not consistent with a simple small-polaron hopping mechanism, but can be well explained by a model where there coexist immobile bipolarons and thermally-excited small polarons. Recently, Banerjee et al. [Phys. Rev. B 68, 186401 (2003)] wrote a Comment on our paper, where they misunderstood our theoretical model, erroneously thinking that we explain the electrical transport in the paramagnetic state as due to bipolaron hopping. They confuse large polarons with small bipolarons, use incorrect conditions for bipolaron formation, and even incorrectly reproduce our data. We show that the model used in the Comment is inconsistent with any features of the observed oxygen-isotope effects. More evidence is provided to support the theoretical model used in our original paper., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

It is well known that copper-based perovskite oxides rightly enjoy consensus as high-temperature superconductors on the basis of two signatures: the resistive transition and the Meissner effect. We show that the resistive transitions in carbon nanotubes agree quantitatively with the Langer-Ambegaokar-McCumber-Halperin (LAMH) theory for quasi-1D superconductors although the superconducting transition temperatures can vary from 0.4 K to 750 K for different samples. We have also identified the Meissner effect in the field parallel to the tube axis up to room temperature for aligned and physically separated multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs). The magnitude of the Meissner effect is in quantitative agreement with the predicted penetration depth from the measured carrier density. Furthermore, the bundling of individual MWNTs into closely packed bundles leads to a large enhancement in the diamagnetic susceptibility, which is the hallmark of the Josephson coupling among the tubes in bundles. These results consistently indicate quasi-1D high-temperature superconductivity in carbon nanotubes., Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures

From the observed oxygen-isotope shift of the mid-infrared two-magnon absorption peak of YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6}$, we evaluate the oxygen-isotope effect on the in-plane antiferromagnetic exchange energy $J$. The exchange energy $J$ in YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6}$ is found to decrease by about 0.9% upon replacing $^{16}$O by $^{18}$O, which is slightly larger than that (0.6%) in La$_{2}$CuO$_{4}$. From the oxygen-isotope effects, we determine the lower limit of the polaron binding energy, which is about 1.7 eV for YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6}$ and 1.5 eV for La$_{2}$CuO$_{4}$, in quantitative agreement with angle-resolved photoemission data, optical conductivity data, and the parameter-free theoretical estimate. The large polaron binding energies in the insulating parent compounds suggest that electron-phonon coupling should also be strong in doped superconducting cuprates and may play an essential role in high-temperature superconductivity., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure

The phenomenon of superconductivity depends on the coherence of the phase of the superconducting order parameter. The resistive transition in quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) superconductors is broad because of a large phase fluctuation. We show that the resistive transition of a superconducting single-walled carbon nanotube bundle is in quantitative agreement with the Langer-Ambegaokar-McCumber-Halperin (LAMH) theory. We also demonstrate that the resistive transition below T^*_c = 0.89T_c0 is simply proportional to exp [-(3\beta T^*_c/T)(1-T/T^*_c)^3/2], where the barrier height has the same form as that predicted by the LAMH theory and T_c0 is the mean field superconducting transition temperature., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

The polaron binding energy E_{p} in undoped parent cuprates has been determined to be about 1.0 eV from the unconventional oxygen-isotope effect on the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature. The deduced value of E_{p} is in quantitative agreement with that estimated from independent optical data and that estimated theoretically from the measured dielectric constants. The substantial oxygen-isotope effect on the in-plane supercarrier mass observed in optimally doped cuprates suggests that polarons are bound into the Cooper pairs. We also identify the phonon modes that are strongly coupled to conduction electrons from the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, tunneling spectra, and optical data. We consistently show that there is a very strong electron-phonon coupling feature at a phonon energy of about 20 meV along the antinodal direction and that this coupling becomes weaker towards the diagonal direction. We further show that high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates is caused by strong electron-phonon coupling, polaronic effect, and significant coupling with 2 eV Cu-O charge transfer fluctuation., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures

It is well known that copper-based perovskite oxides rightly enjoy consensus as high-temperature superconductors on the basis of two signatures: Meissner effect and zero resistance. In contrast, I provide over twenty signatures for room temperature superconductivity in carbon nanotubes. The one-dimensionality of the nanotubes complicates the right-of-passage for prospective quasi-one-dimensional superconductors. The Meissner effect is less visible because the diameters of nanotubes are much smaller than the penetration depth. Zero resistance is less obvious because of the quantum contact resistance and significant quantum phase slip, both of which are associated with a finite number of transverse conduction channels. Nonetheless, on-tube resistance at room temperature has been found to be indistinguishable from zero for many individual multi-walled nanotubes. On the basis of more than twenty arguments, I suggest that carbon nanotubes deserve to be classified as room temperature superconductors. The mechanism for room-temperature superconductivity may arise from strong electron-phonon and electron-plasmon coupling., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures

We have analyzed data from angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy, Fourier transform scanning tunnelling spectroscopy, and low-temperature thermal conductivity for optimally doped Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8+y in order to discriminate between d-wave and extended s-wave pairing symmetry. The combined data are inconsistent with d-wave symmetry, but quantitatively consistent with extended s-wave symmetry with eight line nodes. We also consistently explain all the phase-sensitive experiments., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures

We have identified several important features in the neutron scattering data of cuprates, which are difficult to be explained in terms of d-wave and isotropic s-wave order parameters. Alternatively, we show that the neutron data are in quantitative agreement with an order parameter that has an extended s-wave (A_1g) symmetry and opposite sign in the bonding and antibonding electron bands formed within the Cu_{2}O_{4} bilayers. The extended s-wave has eight line nodes and change signs when a node is crossed. This A_1g pairing symmetry may be compatible with a charge fluctuation mediated pairing mechanism., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures

We theoretically estimate the electron-phonon coupling constant lambda for metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes with a diameter of 1.4 nm. The partial electron-phonon coupling constant for the hardest phonon mode is estimated to be about 0.0036, in good agreement with that deduced from Raman scattering data assuming superconductivity above room temperature. Assuming no superconductivity, we estimate the room-temperature inelastic mean free path l_ep due to electron-phonon scattering to be about 0.46 micrometer, and the total room-temperature inelastic mean free path l_in to be about 0.16 micrometer. We then argue that the electrical transport data of individual multi-walled nanotubes cannot be explained by ballistic transport at room temperature but provide strong evidence for quasi-one-dimensional superconductivity above room temperature., Comment: 6 pages, 3 Figures

A great number of the existing data for electrical transport, the Altshuler Aronov Spivak and Aharonov Bohm effects, as well as the tunneling spectra of individual carbon nanotubes can be well explained by theories of the quantum phase slips in quasi-one-dimensional superconductors. The existing data consistently suggest that the mean-field superconducting transition temperature T_{c0} in both single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes could be higher than 600 K. The quantum phase slip theories naturally explain why the on-tube resistances in the closely packed nanotube bundles or in the individual multi-walled nanotubes with large diameters approach zero at room temperature, while a single tube with a small diameter has a substantial resistance., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures

Detailed analyses are made on previously published data for multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The field dependence of the Hall voltage, the temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient, and the magnetoresistance effect (Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 697 (1994)) can all be consistently explained in terms of the coexistence of physically separated tubes and Josephson-coupled superconducting tubes with superconductivity above room temperature. The observed temperature dependencies of the remnant magnetization, the diamagnetic susceptibility, and the conductance are consistent with superconductivity above room temperature, but are inconsistent with ferromagnetic contamination. We also interpret the paramagnetic signal and unusual field dependence of the magnetization at 300 K (Phys. Rev. B 49, 15122 (1994)) as arising from the paramagnetic Meissner effect in a multiply connected superconducting network., Comment: 6 pages, 6 Figures

The temperature dependent frequency shifts of the Raman active G-band have recently been measured by R.Walter et al. for single-walled carbon nanotubes containing different concentrations of the magnetic impurity Ni:Co. These Raman data can be quantitatively explained by magnetic pair-breaking effect on a superconductor with a mean-field transition temperature T_c0 of 645 K, in excellent agreement with independent electrical transport and single-particle tunneling data. We suggest that such high-T_c superconductivity might arise from the pairing interaction mediated mainly by undamped acoustic plasmons in a quasi-one-dimensional electronic system., Comment: 6 page, 8 Figures

We have studied the oxygen-isotope effects on T_{c} and in-plane penetration depth \lambda_{ab}(0) in an optimally doped 3-layer cuprate Bi_{1.6}Pb_{0.4}Sr_{2}Ca_{2}Cu_{3}O_{10+y} (T_{c} \sim 107 K). We find a small oxygen-isotope effect on T_{c} (\alpha_{O} = 0.019), and a substantial effect on \lambda_{ab} (0) (\Delta \lambda_{ab} (0)/\lambda_{ab} (0) = 2.5\pm0.5%). The present results along with the previously observed isotope effects in single-layer and double-layer cuprates indicate that the isotope exponent \alpha_{O} in optimally doped cuprates is small while the isotope effect on the in-plane effective supercarrier mass is substantial and nearly independent of the number of the CuO_{2} layers. A plausible pairing mechanism is proposed to explain the isotope effects, high-T_{c} superconductivity and tunneling spectra in a consistent way., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We review various isotope effects in the high-T_c cuprate superconductors to assess the role of the electron-phonon interaction in the basic physics of these materials. Of particular interest are the unconventional isotope effects on the supercarrier mass, on the charge-stripe formation temperature, on the pseudogap formation temperature, on the EPR linewidth, on the spin-glass freezing temperature, and on the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature. The observed unconventional isotope effects strongly suggest that lattice vibrations play an important role in the microscopic pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity., Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures

we identify the intrinsic bulk pairing symmetry for both electron and hole-doped cuprates from the existing bulk- and nearly bulk-sensitive experimental results such as magnetic penetration depth, Raman scattering, single-particle tunneling, Andreev reflection, nonlinear Meissner effect, neutron scattering, thermal conductivity, specific heat, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. These experiments consistently show that the dominant bulk pairing symmetry in hole-doped cuprates is of extended s-wave with eight line nodes, and of anisotropic s-wave in electron-doped cuprates. The proposed pairing symmetries do not contradict some surface- and phase-sensitive experiments which show a predominant d-wave pairing symmetry at the degraded surfaces. We also quantitatively explain the phase-sensitive experiments along the c-axis for both Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+y} and YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-y}., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures

We report a study of oxygen isotope effects on low temperature specific heat, magnetization, and resistivity of La$_{1-x}$Ca$_{x}$MnO$_{3}$ and (La$_{1-y}$Pr$_{y})_{0.67}$Ca$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$. For the metallic compositions of La$_{1-x}$Ca$_{x}$MnO$_{3}$ and for charge-ordered La$_{0.5}$Ca$_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$ no change in low temperature specific heat has been detected with $^{16}$O -$^{18}$O exchange, while compounds of (La$_{1-y}$Pr$_{y})_{0.67}$Ca$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$ (0.4

The modern multi-polaron theory predicts a polaronic Fermi-liquid state, but such a state has not been unambigously confirmed by experiment so far. Here we report theoretical and experimental studies of the isotope effects on the low temperature kinetic properties of the doped ferromagnetic manganites. Our results provide clear evidence for a novel polaronic Fermi-liquid state in doped oxides., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures

We report precise measurements and quantitative data analysis on the low-temperature resistivity of several ferromagnetic manganite films. We clearly show that there exists a T^{4.5} term in low-temperature resistivity, and that this term is in quantitative agreement with the quantum theory of two-magnon scattering for half metallic ferromagnets. Our present results provide the first bulk experimental evidence of half-metallic ferromagnetism in doped manganites., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

Oxygen-isotope effects on the intrinsic resistivity have been studied in high-quality epitaxial thin films of La_{0.75}Ca_{0.25}MnO_{3} and Nd_{0.7}Sr_{0.3}MnO_{3}. We found that the residual resistivity \rho_{o} increases by about 15(3)% upon replacing ^{16}O by ^{18}O. This provides strong evidence for the presence of small or intermediate-size polarons in the metallic ferromagnetic state. Furthermore, the temperature dependent part of the resistivity at low temperatures consists of an AT^{4.5} term contributed from 2-magnon scattering, and a B\omega_{s}/\sinh^{2}(\hbar\omega_{s}/2k_{B}T) term which arises from scattering by a soft optical phonon mode. The absolute magnitudes of the coefficient A and the phonon frequency \hbar\omega_{s} for both isotope samples are in quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

Oxygen-isotope effect has been investigated in a recently discovered superconductor Sr_{0.4}K_{0.6}BiO_{3}. This compound has a distorted perovskite structure and becomes superconducting at about 12 K. Upon replacing ^{16}O with ^{18}O by 60-80%, the T_c of the sample is shifted down by 0.32-0.50 K, corresponding to an isotope exponent of alpha_{O} = 0.40(5). This isotope exponent is very close to that for a similar bismuthate superconductor Ba_{1-x}K_{x}BiO_{3} with T_c = 30 K. The very distinctive doping and T_c dependencies of alpha_{O} observed in bismuthates and cuprates suggest that bismuthates should belong to conventional phonon-mediated superconductors while cuprates might be unconventional supercondutors., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

We report measurements of the oxygen isotope effect (OIE) on the in-plane penetration depth \lambda_{ab}(0) in underdoped La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} single crystals. A highly sensitive magnetic torque sensor with a resolution of \Delta \tau ~ 10^{-12} Nm was used for the magnetic measurements on microcrystals with a mass of ~ 10 microg. The OIE on \lambda_{ab}^{-2}(0) is found to be -10(2)% for x = 0.080 and -8(1)% for x = 0.086. It arises mainly from the oxygen mass dependence of the in-plane effective mass m_{ab}*. The present results suggest that lattice vibrations are important for the occurrence of high temperature superconductivity., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PRL

Recently a growing number of experiments have provided indications of the key role of polarons (composite particles formed by a charge strongly coupled with a local lattice deformation) in doped perovskites, hosting colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and high Tc superconductivity. While the role of polarons is generally recognized in manganites due to the large amplitude of the local lattice deformation, the scientific debate remains open on the cuprates where the lattice deformation is smaller and the anomalous normal metallic phase becomes complex due to the coexistence of polarons with itinerant carriers. Moreover the segregation of polarons and itinerant charges in different spatial domains forming lattice-charge stripes as well as the slow dynamic 1D spin fluctuations have been observed. The debate on the driving force for the stripe formation remains object of discussion since it could be purely due to electronic interactions and/or due to strong electron-lattice (polaronic) interactions. In order to explore the important role of the latter in stripe charge segregation, we have studied isotope effects on the dynamical lattice fluctuations and polaron ordering temperature. Here we report a compelling evidence for a huge isotope effect on local lattice fluctuations of La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) high Tc superconductor by x-ray absorption spectroscopy, a fast (~10^(-15) sec) and local probe (~5 A). Upon replacing $^{16}$O with $^{18}$O, the characteristic temperature T^{*} for polaron ordering in La(1.94)Sr(0.06)CuO(4) increases from about 110 K to 170 K., Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps figures, removed references in abstract