Pragalv Karki

Date of Award

January 2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Physics & Astrophysics

First Advisor

Yen Lee Loh

Abstract

The first chapter of this book provides a brief history of the important developments in superconductivity. After a general introduction, the superconductor-insulator transition is discussed in regards to open questions in the field and some of the questions tackled in this dissertation. Also, a brief introduction to ferromagnetism and phase transition in ferromagnetic systems is presented.

In the second chapter, the results of simulations of three types of random inductor-capacitor (LC) networks on square lattices are presented [1,2]. The dynamical conductivity was calculated using an equation-of-motion method. The critical exponent was extracted at low frequencies. The results suggest that there are three different universality classes and that classical percolative 2D superconductor-insulator transitions (SITs) generically have sigma(omega)->infinity as omega->0.

The third chapter presents results of simulations of a quantum rotor model describing a Josephson junction array (JJA) in a perpendicular magnetic field B on a square lattice [3]. The SIT is tuned by the ratio of charging energy to Josephson coupling, U/J. Abrupt drops in the magnetization values were observed in the bigger lattices at certain values of B and U/J caused by the formation of vortices. Increasing U/J at a fixed B field causes quantum vortex lattice melting. The magnetization drops to zero around U/J ~ 5 indicating SIT.

In the fourth chapter, results from simulations of anisotropic Ising models are presented. These simulations were performed for a Hf2MnC2O2 monolayer under uniaxial strain [4]. The Curie temperature increases with the increasing strain, which means magnetic ordering survives up to higher temperatures under strain. In the fifth and final chapter, important results accrued over the whole dissertation are presented.

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