[en] The topics covered in the symposium include phase transitions, soft condensed matter including biological systems, nano materials, experimental techniques-instrumentation and solid state devices, superconductivity, magnetism, electronic structure and phonons, semiconductor physics, transport properties, surface-interface and thin films, liquids, glasses and amorphous systems, etc. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

[en] The normal state transport properties i.e., resistivity, optical conductivity, thermal conductivity and heat capacity have been theoretically analysed for copper oxide superconductors. The transport parameters are then used to predict the superconducting state properties namely superconducting transition temperature, pressure and volume effect on transition temperature and isotope effect exponent. For this purpose, we deduce various physical parameters as the electron-phonon coupling strength, the Coulomb repulsive parameter, the electron-phonon scattering rate, the magnon scattering rate, the lattice thermal conductivity and constant characterise the scattering of charge and heat carriers with various disorders in the crystal. (author)

[en] An effective 2D interaction is developed which incorporates screening of holes by charge density fluctuations and by optical phonons to discuss pairing mechanism. The MgB₂ is treated as an ionic solid containing layers of carriers and a model dielectric function is set up which fulfills the appropriate sum rules on polarizabilities. Values of electron-phonon coupling strength and of Coulomb screening parameter indicate that MgB₂ is in strong coupling regime with effective screening of carriers. Within strong coupling theory, T_c of about 43 K is estimated. Isotope exponent and pressure derivative are also estimated to be consistent with the earlier results. (author)

[en] We investigate thin films of Mn intermetallic compounds by density-functional calculations using the FP-LAPW or APW+lo method, with the goal to identify materials of possible use for spin injection on Si(001). One very promising candidate is the ferromagnetic half-metal Co₂MnSi, which, in its bulk phase, has T_c=985 K and displays a gap at the Fermi level in the minority spin channel. To investigate if electronic states in the gap arise at the surface, electronic structure calculations for a Co₂MnSi(00l) film have been performed. We conclude from our calculated surface energies that terminations by only Mn atoms, only Si atoms, or a mixture of both are thermodynamically stable, depending on chemical environment. According to our calculations, the surface electronic structure is strongly affected by the type of termination; in particular, the Mn adlayer preserves the half-metallic gap, whereas surface states at the Fermi level occur for other terminations. Next, we investigate the properties of ultra-thin films of Co₂MnSi on Si(00l). We find Mn magnetic moments between 2.7 and 3.5 μ_B, and strong ferromagnetic coupling both within and between layers. (author)

[en] We have developed an axisymmetric, time-dependent, two-dimensional, MHD, elastic-plastic computer code for modelling Z-pinch metallic liner acceleration. Suitable models have been used for the EOS and dynamic material strength. The electrical resistivity allows for melting and vapourization. The code has been validated against experimental and simulation results for quasi-spherical implosion of an, aluminium liner reported by Degnan and others. We obtain a total implosion time of 14.8 μs and peak inner-surface implosion velocity of 24 km/sec. These are close to the 15 μs and 25-30 km/sec mentioned in that paper. Simulation results are reported in this paper. (author)

[en] n-type crystalline silicon samples were exposed with 6 MeV electrons, gamma rays and thermal neutrons. Transport property like minority carrier lifetime was measured with PCD method. It is observed that the lifetime decrease as the 6 MeV electron fluence increases. In the case of gamma ray and thermal neutrons, the lifetime of the minority carriers was found to be decreased initially and then further increased as increase in the dose/fluence of gamma rays and thermal neutrons. This may be due to the excessive defects production in MeV electrons, while in the case of gamma rays and thermal neutrons, the subsequent decrease and increase in the lifetime is mainly due to the defect generation and impurity doping phenomenon. (author)

[en] We bring out a new feature in the magnetization vs. temperature plot of RuSr₂GdCu₂0_8-δ system. This feature is seen both in field-cooled as well as in zero-field-cooled state. This could be considered as a witness to Meissner's signal and hence to the presence of superconductivity in this magnetically ordered system. However, it is absent in oxygen non-deficient system. (author)

[en] The irreversibility field (H_irr) behaviour of (Nd_1/3Sm_1/3 Gd_1/3)Ba₂Cu₃O_7-δ(NSG) superconductors with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 wt % Gd₂BaCuO₅ (SP) was studied using resistivity data collected in the presence of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8T magnetic fields. The 20 wt % SP doped NSG sample displays highest value of H_irr of 8T at T_c 91.2K. (author)

[en] The classical peak effect (CPE) and the second magnetization peak (SMP) are two distinct anomalies in critical current of superconductors. A nascent pinned single crystal sample of 2HNbSe₂ (T_c (0) ∼7.2 K) shows only the sharp CPE. In a moderately pinned sample (T_c(0) ∼6 K), the sharp CPE broadens with the addition of characteristic structure (stepwise amorphization) between the onset and the peak positions of the CPE. Also, there emerges another anomalous peak akin to SMP prior to the CPE. We have looked at samples of 2H-NbSe₂ with intermediate levels of quenched random pinning (T_c(0) ∼ 7.1 K) and successfully explored the two peaks down to 50 mK. (author)

[en] Ce doped La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ (LCMO) bulk ceramic samples were processed by solid-state reaction route using melt processing technique and performed magnetization measurement by SQUID down to 5K. It is interesting that ferromagnetic transition temperature (Tc) decreases with increase in doping level that may be due to induction of competition between magnetic phase boundary of AFM and FM phases. (author)