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K Neumaier

Publications and source records attributed to K Neumaier.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Divergence of the grüneisen ratio at quantum critical points in heavy fermion metals.

We present low-temperature volume thermal expansion, beta, and specific heat, C, measurements on high-quality single crystals of CeNi2Ge2 and YbRh2(Si0.95Ge0.05)(2) which are located very near to quantum critical points. For both systems, beta shows a more singular temperature dependence than C, and thus the Grüneisen ratio Gamma proportional to beta/C diverges as T-->0. For CeNi2Ge2, our results are in accordance with the spin-density wave (SDW) scenario for three-dimensional critical spin fluctuations. By contrast, the observed singularity in YbRh2(Si0.95Ge0.05)(2) cannot be explained by the itinerant SDW theory but is qualitatively consistent with a locally quantum critical picture.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

The break-up of heavy electrons at a quantum critical point.

The point at absolute zero where matter becomes unstable to new forms of order is called a quantum critical point (QCP). The quantum fluctuations between order and disorder that develop at this point induce profound transformations in the finite temperature electronic properties of the material. Magnetic fields are ideal for tuning a material as close as possible to a QCP, where the most intense effects of criticality can be studied. A previous study on the heavy-electron material YbRh2Si2 found that near a field-induced QCP electrons move ever more slowly and scatter off one another with ever increasing probability, as indicated by a divergence to infinity of the electron effective mass and scattering cross-section. But these studies could not shed light on whether these properties were an artefact of the applied field, or a more general feature of field-free QCPs. Here we report that, when germanium-doped YbRh2Si2 is tuned away from a chemically induced QCP by magnetic fields, there is a universal behaviour in the temperature dependence of the specific heat and resistivity: the characteristic kinetic energy of electrons is directly proportional to the strength of the applied field. We infer that all ballistic motion of electrons vanishes at a QCP, forming a new class of conductor in which individual electrons decay into collective current-carrying motions of the electron fluid.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Magnetic-field induced quantum critical point in YbRh(2)Si(2).

We report low-temperature calorimetric, magnetic, and resistivity measurements on the antiferromagnetic (AF) heavy-fermion metal YbRh(2)Si(2) ( T(N)=70 mK) as a function of magnetic field B. While for fields exceeding the critical value B(c0) at which T(N)-->0 the low-temperature resistivity shows an AT2 dependence, a 1/(B-B(c0)) divergence of A(B) upon reducing B to B(c0) suggests singular scattering at the whole Fermi surface and a divergence of the heavy quasiparticle mass. The observations are interpreted in terms of a new type of quantum critical point separating a weakly AF ordered from a weakly polarized heavy Landau-Fermi liquid state.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Engineered fusion molecules at chelator lipid interfaces imaged by reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM).

In molecular biology, biotechnology, and protein-engineering, the expression of histidine fusion proteins is a very powerful technique for the identification and one-step purification based on the interaction of the histidine stretch with immobilized metal complexes. By synthesis of a novel class of chelator lipids, this technique was combined with the concept of self-assembly leading to interfaces for immobilization and orientation of histidine-tagged biomolecules (Schmitt et al., 1994). Here, the chelator lipid layers were transferred onto solid substrate by vesicle fusion and Langmuir-Blodgett-techniques. Specific binding of a peptide containing an oligohistidine sequence to these functionalized interfaces was demonstrated by reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM). Due to the phase separation behaviour of lipid mixtures, the chelator lipid interface could be further structured in two dimensions. Binding and organization of histidine-tagged molecules at these two-dimensional recognition arrays was imaged by RICM with a layer thickness resolution of 0.2 nm, and 0.5 microm laterally. Specific docking can be triggered by adding nickel ions and disrupted by EDTA. This concept opens up possibilities for reversible immobilization, enrichment and organization of histidine fusion proteins at interfaces and their application in biosensing.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

[Rapid production of non-porous shielding blocks in radiotherapy].

The production of shielding blocks nearly free from air inclusions (pipes), as they are necessary for example in case of mantle field irradiations, is often not possible in a satisfactory manner by means of conventional techniques; furthermore it is time-consuming. The authors present a new method for a fast production of shielding blocks without pipes for radiotherapy.

Humans↗