We have investigated doping effects on the transition temperature (T_c) of La_{2 −x}M_xCuO₄ (M=Ca, Na and K) by incorporating the effects of two-dimensional (2D) acoustic plasmons in the framework of the strong coupling theory. The contributions from 2D acoustic plasmon mechanism toT_c have been obtained from a Fourier-transformed effective potential, which has been earlier found to be successful in predicting the composition dependence ofT_c in La_{2 −x}(Ba, Sr)_xCuO₄. The results obtained by us on the variation of transition temperature with composition (x) in La_2−xM_xCuO₄ superconductors are in reasonably good agreement with the available experimental data. This success has led to the conclusion that 2D acoustic plasmons are adequate to explain the pairing mechanism and the variation ofT_c with composition (x) in cuprate superconductors.

The specific heats of superconducting HoBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (T_c≅ 92 K) have been theoretically investigated in the temperature domain 70 ≤T ≤110 K. The bosonic (phonons) contribution to the specific heat is estimated from Debye model in the harmonic approximation for high temperature expansion (T > θ_D/2π) using the moments of the phonon density of states. The fermionic constituent as the electronic specific heat is deduced using a suitable trial function above and belowT_c. As a next step the contribution of specific heat by charge oscillations (plasmons) are obtained. The theoretical results from bosonic and fermionic terms are then compared with the experimental results. We find that the specific heats from electronic as well as plasmon term are only a fraction of lattice specific heat and in particular, plasmons do not influence the thermal conduction significantly. The implications of the above analysis are discussed.

We consider a two-peak model for the phonon density of states to investigate the nature of electron pairing mechanism for superconducting state in fullerides. We first study the intercage interactions between the adjacent C₆₀ cages and expansion of lattice due to the intercalation of alkali atoms based on the spring model to estimate phonon frequencies from the dynamical matrix for the intermolecular alkali-C₆₀ phonons. Electronic parameter as repulsive parameter and the attractive coupling strength are obtained within the random phase approximation. Transition temperature, 𝑇_c, is obtained in a situation when the free electrons in lowest molecular orbital are coupled with alkali-C₆₀ phonons as 5 K, which is much lower as compared to reported 𝑇_c (≈ 20 K). The superconducting pairing is mainly driven by the high frequency intramolecular phonons and their effects enhance it to 22 K. To illustrate the usefulness of the above approach, the carbon isotope exponent and the pressure effect are also estimated. Temperature dependence of electrical resistivity is then analysed within the same model phonon spectrum. It is inferred from the two-peak model for phonon density of states that high frequency intramolecular phonon modes play a major role in pairing mechanism with possibly some contribution from alkali-C₆₀ phonon to describe most of the superconducting and normal state properties of doped fullerides.

An effective interaction potential (EIOP) is developed to invoke the pressure induced phase transition from zinc blende (𝐵3) to rocksalt (𝐵1) structure and anharmonic properties in ZnX (X = Se, S, Te) semiconductors. The effective interaction potential incorporates the long range Coulomb interaction, van der Waals interaction and short-range repulsive interaction up to second neighbour ions within the Hafemeister and Flygare approach as well as the charge transfer effects caused by the electron-shell deformation of the overlapping ions. The van der Waals coefficients are computed by the Slater Kirkwood variation method as a first step. Later on, we evaluate volume collapse, second order and third order elastic constants with pressure pointing to the systematic trends in all compounds of zinc blende structure and their thermal properties such as force constant, Gruneisen parameter, compressibility, Debye temperature etc. The vast volume discontinuity in pressure–volume (PV) phase diagram identifies the structural phase transition from zinc blende (𝐵3) to rock salt (𝐵1) structure and is consistent with those revealed from earlier reports.