Andrew Boothroyd

Abstract:

We report crystal growth of several rare-earth stannates RE 2 Sn 2 O 7 (RE=Pr, Tb, Ho, Dy, Yb and Lu) using the flux technique. Different combinations of flux were tried, and a Na 2 B 4 O 7 -NaF (1.2:1) mixture was found to be suitable for crystal growth. X-ray diffraction and thermal characterisation data are presented, as well as some initial measurements of magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the crystals. Little effect was observed with changing oxygen content by Sc substitution for Sn.

Abstract:

We have performed inelastic neutron-scattering measurements on a powder sample of the superconductor lithium iron selenide hydroxide Li1−xFexODFe1−ySe (x ≈ 0.16, y ≈ 0.02, Tc = 41 K). The spectrum shows an enhanced intensity below Tc over an energy range of 0.64 × 2Δ < E < 2Δ, where Δ is the superconducting gap, and has maxima at the wave vectors Q1 ≈ 1.46 and Q2 ≈ 1.97 °A−1. The behavior of this feature is consistent with the spin-resonance mode found in other unconventional superconductors, and in particular strongly resembles the spin resonance observed in the spectrum of another molecular-intercalated iron selenide Li0.6(ND2)0.2(ND3)0.8Fe2Se2. The signal can be described with a characteristic two-dimensional wave-vector (π,0.67π) in the Brillouin zone of the iron square lattice, consistent with the nesting vector between electron Fermi sheets.

Abstract:

We report growth of large single crystals of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnetic compound Ba3CoSb2O9 by the floating-zone technique in an image furnace. Evaporation of Sb due to its high volatility was controlled by high pressure and addition of excess Sb in the starting materials to compensate for the losses. The crystal quality was analysed using different X-ray techniques, and the magnetic transition temperature was confirmed by magnetization and heat capacity measurements.

Abstract:

We report single-crystal x-ray-diffraction measurements on Na2Ti2Pn2O (Pn = As,Sb) which reveal a charge superstructure that appears below the density wave transitions previously observed in bulk data. From symmetry-constrained structure refinements we establish that the associated distortion mode can be described by two propagation vectors q1 = (1/2,0,l) and q2 = (0,1/2,l) with l = 0 (Sb) or l = 1/2 (As) and primarily involves in-plane displacements of the Ti atoms perpendicular to the Ti-O bonds.We also present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, which show band folding and backbending consistent with a density wave with the samewave-vectors q1 and q2 associated with Fermi-surface nesting, and muon-spin relaxation data, which show no indication of spin density wave order. The results provide direct evidence for phonon-assisted charge density wave order in Na2Ti2Pn2O and fully characterize a proximate ordered phase that could compete with superconductivity in doped BaTi2Sb2O.