(Press-News.org) Physicists from India have shed new light on a long-unanswered question related to superconductivity in so-called transition metal binary alloys. The team revealed that the local magnetic fluctuations, or spin fluctuations, an intrinsic property of Titanium-Vanadium (Ti-V) alloys, influence superconductivity in a way that is more widespread than previously thought. They found that it is the competition between these local magnetic fluctuations and the interaction between electrons and collective excitations, referred to as phonons, which determine the superconductivity. Dr. Matin, from the Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology, Indore, India, and colleagues published their findings in a study in EPJ B.
The authors investigated the underlying mechanisms responsible for the variation of superconducting temperature threshold TC in Ti-V alloys, which can be used in thermonuclear reactors. They measured the temperature and magnetic field dependency of several physical characteristics including resistivity, heat capacity and magnetisation. They also used a microscopic theoretical technique—called density functional theory—to study the density of states at each energy level available for electrons to occupy.
Theoretical predictions provided by the Bardeen Cooper Schrieffer (BCS) theory suggest a high TC on the order of 20 Kelvin (K) for these alloys. By comparison, the authors' experimental value of TC was less than 10 K. They attribute the difference to spin fluctuations in these alloys, which, the authors found, are inherent to the Ti-V alloys.
The authors deduced that these spin fluctuations are reflected in the properties of the normal state of electrons. They therefore influence the superconductivity of the alloys in a similar way to that observed in high-temperature oxide and iron-based superconductors; as such, the influence of spin fluctuations on superconductivity is not necessarily confined to certain classes of exotic compounds, as previously thought.
INFORMATION:
Reference: M. Matin, L. S. Sharath Chandra, S. K. Pandey, M. K. Chattopadhyay and S. B. Roy (2014), The influence of electron-phonon coupling and spin fluctuations on the superconductivity of the Ti-V alloys, European Physical Journal B, DOI 10.1140/epjb/e2014-50036-2
For more information visit: http://www.epj.org
The full-text article is available to journalists on request.
Ti-V alloys' superconductivity: Inherent, not accidental
All of the Ti-V alloys could display a relatively high superconducting transition temperature
2014-06-23
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Remarkable white dwarf star possibly coldest, dimmest ever detected
2014-06-23
A team of astronomers has identified possibly the coldest, faintest white dwarf star ever detected. This ancient stellar remnant is so cool that its carbon has crystallized, forming -- in effect -- an Earth-size diamond in space.
"It's a really remarkable object," said David Kaplan, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. "These things should be out there, but because they are so dim they are very hard to find."
Kaplan and his colleagues found this stellar gem using the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's (NRAO) Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and Very ...
African American women more resistant anti-inflammatory effect aspirin than white women
2014-06-23
CHICAGO, IL — African American women respond differently to the anti-inflammatory effect of aspirin than do white American women, new research finds. The results were presented Monday, June 23 at ICE/ENDO 2014, the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society in Chicago.
"African American women appear to be more resistant than white American women to the anti-inflammatory benefits of aspirin in reducing cardiovascular disease and its risk factors," said lead study author Nora Alghothani, MD, MPH, endocrinology fellow in the Division ...
Among weight loss methods, surgery and drugs achieve highest patient satisfaction
2014-06-23
CHICAGO, IL — Obese and overweight Americans who have tried losing weight report far greater overall satisfaction with weight loss surgery and prescription weight loss medications than with diet, exercise and other self-modification methods, an Internet survey finds. The results were presented Saturday at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society: ICE/ENDO 2014 in Chicago.
"This finding may mean that diet and exercise alone just don't work for a lot of people," said Z. Jason Wang, PhD, the study's principal investigator ...
Survey reveals consumers' pecan preferences
2014-06-23
LAS CRUCES, NM – High-profile marketing campaigns for nuts such as pistachios and almonds have become familiar to consumers throughout the United States. Shining a spotlight on these products has increased public awareness and boosted sales. For example, domestic per-capita almond consumption has increased five-fold since 1976, thanks in part to savvy marketing efforts. In contrast, the pecan industry been successful in focusing their efforts on expanding pecan export markets, but pecan consumption in the U.S. has remained relatively flat over the past 35 years. A new survey ...
Physical fitness level affects kidney function in type 2 diabetes
2014-06-23
CHICAGO, IL — Adults with Type 2 diabetes who improve their physical fitness lower their chances of getting chronic kidney disease (CKD), and if they already have kidney damage, they can improve their kidney function. These findings come from a new study presented Monday at the joint meeting in Chicago of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society: ICE/ENDO 2014.
Health care providers have long known that exercise has a beneficial impact on overall health and wellness in both the general public and people with Type 2 diabetes. This study, though, ...
Light-emitting diode treatments outperform traditional lighting methods
2014-06-23
QUEBEC – In Canada, where outdoor growing seasons are limited, sales from greenhouse fruit and vegetable production operations still surpass $1.1 billion annually. Finding more efficient methods for providing lighting in greenhouse production is a key component to support these high levels of production and increase revenues. "Light irradiance is the limiting factor for increasing production in greenhouses, when all other factors (temperature, nutrient levels, and water availability) are adequately maintained," said the authors of a new study. McGill University researchers ...
Cancer chain in the membrane
2014-06-23
Supercomputer simulations have shown that clusters of a protein linked to cancer warp cell membranes, according to scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School. This research on these protein clusters, or aggregates as scientists call them, could help guide design of new anticancer drugs.
"The aggregate is a large substructure that imposes some kind of curvature on the membrane — that's really the major observation," said Alemayehu Gorfe, assistant professor of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at the UTHealth Medical ...
Working parents resort to emergency or urgent care visits to get kids back into child care
2014-06-23
Ann Arbor, Mich. — Substantial proportions of parents chose urgent care or emergency department visits when their sick children were excluded from attending child care, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers.
The study, published today in Pediatrics, also found that use of the emergency department or urgent care was significantly higher among parents who are single or divorced, African American, have job concerns or needed a doctor's note for the child to return.
Previous studies have shown children in child care are frequently ill with mild ...
Fungal infection control methods for lucky bamboo
2014-06-23
GAINESVILLE, FL – The popularity of ornamental plants imported to the United States from China is accompanied by concerns about the potential to introduce pathogens into the market. Dracaena, a genus consisting of approximately 40 different species, including the widely recognized "lucky bamboo," is among the most frequently imported group of ornamentals to enter the U.S. for domestic sale and eventual export to Canada. The authors of a new research study say it is crucial to be vigilant about potential pests and pathogens on imported cuttings of Dracaena. "Pests and pathogens ...
Cautionary tales: Mustaches, home oxygen therapy, sparks do not mix
2014-06-23
Rochester, Minn. — Facial hair and home oxygen therapy can prove a dangerously combustible combination, a Mayo Clinic report published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings finds. To reach that conclusion, researchers reviewed home oxygen therapy-related burn cases and experimented with a mustachioed mannequin, a facial hair-free mannequin, nasal oxygen tubes and sparks. They found that facial hair raises the risk of home oxygen therapy-related burns, and encourage health care providers to counsel patients about the risk.
MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
New method improves the accuracy of machine-learned potentials for simulating catalysts
Astronomers discover rare Einstein cross with fifth image, revealing hidden dark matter
UCalgary researchers show brain shunts significantly benefit older adults with hydrocephalus
UCalgary researchers pursue new approach to manage deadly lung scarring
Psychotherapy can be readily integrated into brief “med-check” psychiatry visits
‘Wiggling’ atoms may lead to smaller, more efficient electronics
Alliance webinar highlights latest advances in cancer treatment
Climate change could drastically reduce aquifer recharge in Brazil
$1.7M DOD grant funds virtual cancer center to support research into military health
Brain organoids could unlock energy-efficient AI
AI-powered CRISPR could lead to faster gene therapies, Stanford Medicine study finds
Shared genetic mechanisms underpin social life in bees and humans
Prescribed opioid pain medications during pregnancy likely aren’t associated with increased risk of autism, ADHD
Sustainable, plant-based diet benefits both human and planetary health
IU researchers find that opioid pain meds prescribed during pregnancy do not cause increased risk of autism or ADHD
Holocaust testimony is AI litmus test, and it fails
Preventing corruption in the lymph nodes
Older adults with hydrocephalus benefit from shunt surgery
Strong-confinement low-index-rib-loaded waveguide structure for etchless thin-film integrated photonics
Kidney transplant rejection associated with changes in lymphatic vessels, new research shows
EWRR becomes an official EULAR Congress
How HIV enters the genome – Researchers identify previously unknown mechanism
Scientists create a mathematical model that explains esophageal motility disorders
As pesticides and wildfires rise, kids with cancer need resources
New research suggests integrating behavioral health services in pediatric primary care can reduce symptoms
Monitoring underwater bridge tunnels with the help of high-energy muons
Fast traffic algorithm could improve real-time traffic forecasts
Integrated behavioral health services and psychosocial symptoms in children
Disparities in utilization of uterine fibroid embolization
Chapman University research reveals tropical rainforest soils may fuel climate change as the Earth warms – Accelerating global warming
[Press-News.org] Ti-V alloys' superconductivity: Inherent, not accidentalAll of the Ti-V alloys could display a relatively high superconducting transition temperature