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At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Mesoscopic finite-size effects of unconventional electron transport in PdCoO 2

A wide range of unconventional transport phenomena has recently been observed in single-crystal delafossite metals. Here, we present a theoretical framework to elucidate electron transport using a combination of first-principles calculations and numerical modeling of the anisotropic Boltzmann transport equation. Using PdCoO 2 as a model system, we study different microscopic electron and phonon scattering mechanisms and establish the mean free path hierarchy of quasiparticles at different temperatures. We treat the anisotropic Fermi surface explicitly to numerically obtain experimentally-accessible transport observables, which bridge between the “diffusive,” “ballistic,” and “hydrodynamic” transport regime limits. Further, we illustrate that the distinction between the “quasiballistic” and “quasihydrodynamic” regimes is challenging and often needs to be quantitative in nature. From first-principles calculations, we populate the resulting transport regime plots and demonstrate how the Fermi surface orientation adds complexity to the observed transport signatures in micrometer-scale devices. Our work provides key insights into microscopic interaction mechanisms on open hexagonal Fermi surfaces and establishes their connection to the macroscopic electron transport in finite-size channels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Role of generic scale invariance in a Mott transition from a U(1) spin-liquid insulator to a Landau Fermi-liquid metal

Highlights: • We look at the role played by generic scale invariance (GSI) in the phase transition between a U(1) spin liquid and a Fermi liquid. • We identify dangerously irrelevant operators in the renormalization group transformation, involved with the GSI. • We highlight novel mean-field dynamics of this Mott quantum criticality, resulting from the GSI. We investigate the role of generic scale invariance in a Mott transition from a U(1) spin-liquid insulator to a Landau Fermi-liquid metal, where there exist massless degrees of freedom in addition to quantum critical fluctuations. Here, the Mott quantum criticality is described by critical charge fluctuations, and additional gapless excitations are U(1) gauge-field fluctuations coupled to a spinon Fermi surface in the spin-liquid state, which turn out to play a central role in the Mott transition. An interesting feature of this problem is that the scaling dimension of effective leading local interactions between critical charge fluctuations differs from that of the coupling constant between U(1) gauge fields and matter-field fluctuations in the presence of a Fermi surface. As a result, there appear dangerously irrelevant operators, which can cause conceptual difficulty in the implementation of renormalization group (RG) transformations. Indeed, we find that the curvature term along the angular direction of the spinon Fermi surface is dangerously irrelevant at this spin-liquid Mott quantum criticality, responsible for divergence of the self-energy correction term in U(1) gauge-field fluctuations. Performing the RG analysis in the one-loop level based on the dimensional regularization method, we reveal that such extremely overdamped dynamics of U(1) gauge-field fluctuations, which originates from the emergent one-dimensional dynamics of spinons, does not cause any renormalization effects to the effective dynamics of both critical charge fluctuations and spinon excitations. However, it turns out that the coupling between U(1) gauge-field fluctuations and both matter-field excitations still persists at this Mott transition, which results in novel mean-field dynamics to explain the nature of the spin-liquid Mott quantum criticality. We discuss physical implications of effective one-dimensional spin dynamics and extremely overdamped gauge dynamics at the Mott quantum criticality.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Electronic Structure and Linhard Function of Iron-Based Superconductor La{sub 0.5−x}Na{sub 0.5 + x}Fe{sub 2}As{sub 2}

We perform theoretical studies of the iron-based superconductor La{sub 0.5−x}Na{sub 0.5 + x}Fe{sub 2}As{sub 2}. Using density functional calculation with virtual crystal approximation, band structures, density of states, and Fermi surfaces are obtained for different La/Na composition by varying x value. Furthermore, the nesting property is also investigated using the Linhard function. Our main findings are as follows: For undoped (x = 0.0) case, the magnetic and electronic structure share great similarities with extensively studied BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2}. Upon hole doping (x = 0.3), the Q = (π,π) nesting property are preserved. However, upon electron doping (x = -0.3), the Fermi surfaces undergo a dramastic change into 3D and complex structure. We find this change is attributed to the comprehensive influence of band filling and chemical pressure of La{sup 3+}. We propose the asymmetric change of Fermi surfaces upon doping may in some sense explain the electron-hole asymmetry in phase diagram.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thermoelectric, electronic, optical and chemical bonding properties of Ba{sub 2}PrRuO{sub 6}: At temperature 7 K and 150 K

Highlights: • DFT-FPLAPW method used for calculating the electronic structure. • The Fermi surface of BPRO (7 K and 150 K) is also calculated. • The complex dielectric function has been calculated. • Thermoelectric properties were also calculated using BoltzTraP code. • Power factor shows that both compounds are good thermoelectric materials at 600 K. - Abstract: We present first principles calculations of the band structure, density of states, electronic charge density, Fermi surface and optical properties of Ba{sub 2}PrRuO{sub 6} single crystals at two different temperatures. The atomic positions were optimized by minimizing the forces acting on the atoms. We have employed the full potential linear augmented plane wave method within local density approximation, generalized gradient approximation and Engel–Vosko generalized gradient approximation to treat the exchange correlation potential. The calculation shows that the compound is superconductor with strong hybridization near the Fermi energy level. Fermi surface is composed of two sheets. The calculated electronic specific heat capacities indicate, very close agreement with the experimental one. The bonding features of the compounds are analyzed using the electronic charge density in the (1 0 0) and (0–10) crystallographic planes. The dispersion of the optical constants was calculated and discussed. The thermoelectric properties are also calculated using the BoltzTrap code.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hot-lines topology and the fate of the spin resonance mode in three-dimensional unconventional superconductors

In the quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) copper- and iron-based superconductors, the onset of superconductivity is accompanied by a prominent peak in the magnetic spectrum at momenta close to the wave-vector of the nearby antiferromagnetic state. Such a peak is well described in terms of a spin resonance mode, i.e., a spin-1 exciton theoretically predicted for quasi-2D superconductors with a sign-changing gap. The same theories, however, indicate that such a resonance mode should be absent in a three-dimensional (3D) system with a spherical Fermi surface. This raises the question of the fate of the spin resonance mode in layered unconventional superconductors that are not strongly anisotropic, such as certain heavy-fermion compounds and potentially the newly discovered nickelate superconductor NdNiO 2 . Here, we use the random phase approximation to calculate the dynamical spin susceptibility of 3D superconductors with a d x 2 –y 2 -wave gap symmetry and corrugated cylindrical-like Fermi surfaces. By varying the out-of-plane hopping anisotropy t z /t, we demonstrate that the appearance of a spin resonance mode is determined by the topology of the hot lines, i.e., lines on the Fermi surface that are connected by the magnetic wave vector. For an in-plane antiferromagnetic wave vector, the hot lines undergo a topological transition from open lines to closed loops at a critical t z /t value. The closed hot lines cross the nodal superconducting lines, making the spin resonance mode overdamped and incoherent. In contrast, for an out-of-plane antiferromagnetic wave vector, the hot lines remain open and the spin resonance mode remains sharp. We discuss the experimental implications of our results for the out-of-plane dispersion of the spin resonance mode and, more generally, for inelastic neutron scattering experiments on unconventional superconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Observation of universal strong orbital-dependent correlation effects in iron chalcogenides

Establishing the appropriate theoretical framework for unconventional superconductivity in the iron-based materials requires correct understanding of both the electron correlation strength and the role of Fermi surfaces. This fundamental issue becomes especially relevant with the discovery of the iron chalcogenide superconductors. Here, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to measure three representative iron chalcogenides, FeTe 0.56 Se 0.44 , monolayer FeSe grown on SrTiO 3 and K 0.76 Fe 1.72 Se 2 . We show that these superconductors are all strongly correlated, with an orbital-selective strong renormalization in the dxy bands despite having drastically different Fermi surface topologies. Furthermore, raising temperature brings all three compounds from a metallic state to a phase where the dxy orbital loses all spectral weight while other orbitals remain itinerant. As a result, these observations establish that iron chalcogenides display universal orbital-selective strong correlations that are insensitive to the Fermi surface topology, and are close to an orbital-selective Mott phase, hence placing strong constraints for theoretical understanding of iron-based superconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

de Haas–van Alphen study of role of 4 f electrons in antiferromagnetic CeZn 11 as compared to its nonmagnetic analog LaZn 11

Here we present a de Haas–van Alphen study of the Fermi surface of the low-temperature antiferromagnet CeZn 11 and its nonmagnetic analog LaZn 11 , measured by torque magnetometry up to fields of 33T and at temperatures down to 320 mK . Both systems possess similar de Haas–van Alphen frequencies, with three clear sets of features—ranging from 50 T to 4 kT —corresponding to three bands of a complex Fermi surface, with an expected fourth band also seen weakly in CeZn 11 . The effective masses of the charge carriers are very light (<1 m e ) in LaZn 11 but a factor of 2–4 larger in CeZn 11 , indicative of stronger electronic correlations. We perform detailed density functional theory (DFT) calculations for CeZn 11 and find that only DFT+ U calculations with U = 1.5 eV , which localize the 4 f states, provide a good match to the measured de Haas–van Alphen frequencies, once the presence of magnetic breakdown orbits is also considered. Finally, our study suggests that the Fermi surface of CeZn 11 is very close to that of LaZn 11 being dominated by Zn 3d , as the Ce 4 f states are localized and have little influence on its electronic structure, however, they are responsible for its magnetic order and contribute to enhance electronic correlations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Interaction-enhanced nesting in spin-fermion and Fermi-Hubbard models

The spin-fermion (SF) model postulates that the dominant coupling between low-energy fermions in near critical metals is mediated by collective spin fluctuations (paramagnons) peaked at the Néel wave vector, Q N , connecting hot spots on opposite sides of the Fermi surface. It has been argued that strong correlations at hot spots lead to a Fermi surface deformation (FSD) featuring flat regions and increased nesting. This conjecture was confirmed in the perturbative self-consistent calculations when the paramagnon propagator dependence on momentum deviation from Q N is given by χ − 1 ∝ | Δ q | . Using diagrammatic Monte Carlo (diagMC) technique we show that such a dependence holds only at temperatures orders of magnitude smaller than any other energy scale in the problem, indicating that a different mechanism may be at play. Instead, we find that a χ − 1 ∝ | Δ q | 2 dependence yields a robust finite- T scenario for achieving FSD. To link phenomenological and microscopic descriptions, we applied the connected determinant diagMC method to the ( t − t ′ ) Hubbard model and found that at large U / t > 5.5 before the formation of electron and hole pockets (i) the FSD defined as a maximum of the spectral function is not very pronounced; instead, it is the lines of zeros of the renormalized dispersion relation that deforms toward nesting, and (ii) the static spin susceptibility is well described by χ − 1 ∝ | Δ q | 2 . Flat FS regions yield a nontrivial scenario for realizing a non-Fermi liquid state. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Identifying topological superconductivity in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides

Here we study the superconducting pairing instabilities and gap functions for prototypical two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) WS 2 , MoTe 2 , and MoS 2 in the 2H phase under both hole and electron doping at 10 K. Our first-principles quantum many-body Green's function approach allows us to treat the full d and p manifold of orbitals with strong spin-orbit coupling, yielding pairing predictions with material-specific detail. The resulting gap functions exhibit a variety of mixed-parity superconducting states, including s, p, d, f, d ± id, and p ± ip pairing modes. In particular, we predict 3% and 4% hole-doped WS 2 to be a chiral p ± ip topological superconductor. For 1% hole-doped MoS 2 , we find a competition between three doubly degenerate chiral and nonchiral instabilities. Overall, the relative pairing strengths are found to follow the Fermi-surface topology, due to nesting between the Fermi-surface sheets. Finally, we discuss our predictions in relation to available experimental data and classify the topology of the predicted superconducting pairing symmetries.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Pressure effect on Kohn anomaly and electronic topological transition in single-crystal tantalum

The Kohn anomaly and topological change of the Fermi surface in d -block metals can occur under high pressure with affiliated significant changes in elastic, mechanical, and transport properties. However, our understanding of their origin and associated physical phenomena remains limited both experimentally and theoretically. In this paper, we study the pressure effect on the Kohn anomaly, electronic topological transition (ETT), and the associated anomalies in physical properties of body-centered cubic (bcc) single-crystal tantalum (Ta). The phonon dispersions of Ta crystal were directly measured up to ~47 GPa using high-energy resolution inelastic x-ray scattering in a diamond anvil cell with hydrostatic helium medium. A Kohn anomaly in Ta was observed and became significantly stronger at 47.0 GPa at the reduced wave vector of ~0.7 in the longitudinal acoustic mode along the [ξ ,0,0] direction. Our theoretical and experimental results indicate that the electron-phonon coupling and Fermi surface nesting mainly contribute to the Kohn anomaly, and the latter plays a dominant role at high pressures of 17–47 GPa. First-principles calculations further reveal an ETT with a topology change of the Fermi surface to occur at ~100 GPa in Ta, which causes a softening in the elastic constants ( C 11 and C 44 ) and mechanical properties (shear, Young’s, and bulk moduli). Our study shows that the d-orbital electrons in Ta play a key role in the stability of its electronic topological structure, where electron doping in Ta could significantly depress its ETT and elastic anomaly at high pressures. Finally, it is conceivable that our observed Kohn anomaly and ETT in a representative bcc Ta are much more prevalent in d-block transition metals under compression than previously thought.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Theory of anomalous magnetotransport from mass anisotropy

In underdoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+ x , there is evidence of a small Fermi surface pocket subject to substantial mass enhancement in the doping regime 0.12<p<0.16. This mass enhancement may vary substantially over the Fermi surface, due to “hot spot” or other relevant physics. We therefore examine the magnetotransport of an electronlike Fermi pocket with large effective mass anisotropy. Within the relaxation time approximation, we show that even for a pocket with a fixed shape, the magnitude and sign of the Hall effect may change as the mass anisotropy changes (except at very large, likely inaccessible magnetic fields). We discuss implications for recent Hall measurements in near optimally doped cuprates in high fields. In addition we identify a novel intermediate asymptotic regime of magnetic field, characterized by B-linear magnetoresistance. Similar phenomena should occur in a variety of other experimental systems with anisotropic mass enhancement.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Magnetic excitation linking quasi-one-dimensional Chevrel-type selenide and arsenide superconductors

The quasi-one-dimensional Chevrel phases, A 2 M o6 Se 6 (A=Tl, In, K, Rb, Cs), are of interest due to their atypical electronic properties. The Tl and In analogs undergo a superconducting transition whereas the alkali metal analogs show charge gapping of another, not well understood type. Here we report the results of inelastic neutron scattering on polycrystalline In 2 Mo 6 Se 6 (T c =2.85 K) and Rb 2 Mo 6 Se 6 (nonsuperconducting) samples, which reveal a column of intensity with linear dispersion from [0 0 1/2] to [0 0 1] in both compounds. The observed temperature and |Q| independence together suggest the presence of unconventional carriers with a spin contribution to the excitation. This is contrary to the prevailing model for these materials, which is that they are nonmagnetic. The excitation has similar dispersion and S(Q,E,T) behavior as one observed in the structurally related superconducting compounds A 2 Cr 3 As 3 and A 2 Mo 3 As 3 (A=K, Rb, Cs), which has been interpreted as magnetic in origin and related to Fermi surface nesting. The connection is unexpected because the calculated Fermi surface of the arsenides differs substantially from the A 2 Mo 6 Se 6 compounds, and many consider them distinct classes of materials. This observation suggests a hidden link in the physics between both classes of superconductors, perhaps originating from their quasi-low-dimensional character.

1-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2020

Intrinsic Bulk Quantum Oscillations in a Bulk Unconventional Insulator SmB 6

The finding of bulk quantum oscillations in the Kondo insulator SmB 6 proved a considerable surprise. Subsequent measurements of bulk quantum oscillations in other correlated insulators including YbB 12 lent support to our discovery of a class of bulk unconventional insulators that host bulk quantum oscillations. Here we perform a series of experiments to examine evidence for the intrinsic character of bulk quantum oscillations in floating zone-grown single crystals of SmB 6 that have been the subject of our quantum oscillation studies. We present results of thermodynamic, transport, and composition analysis experiments on pristine floating zone-grown single crystals of SmB 6 and compare quantum oscillations with metallic LaB 6 and elemental aluminum. These results establish the intrinsic origin of quantum oscillations from the insulating bulk of floating zone-grown SmB 6 . The similarity of the Fermi surface in insulating SmB 6 with the conduction-electron Fermi surface in metallic hexaborides is at the heart of a theoretical mystery.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Directional ballistic transport in the two-dimensional metal PdCoO2

Abstract In an idealized infinite crystal, the material properties are constrained by the symmetries of the unit cell. The point-group symmetry is broken by the sample shape of any finite crystal, but this is commonly unobservable in macroscopic metals. To sense the shape-induced symmetry lowering in such metals, long-lived bulk states originating from an anisotropic Fermi surface are needed. Here we show how a strongly facetted Fermi surface and the long quasiparticle mean free path present in microstructures of PdCoO 2 yield an in-plane resistivity anisotropy that is forbidden by symmetry on an infinite hexagonal lattice. We fabricate bar-shaped transport devices narrower than the mean free path from single crystals using focused ion beam milling, such that the ballistic charge carriers at low temperatures frequently collide with both of the side walls that define the channel. Two symmetry-forbidden transport signatures appear: the in-plane resistivity anisotropy exceeds a factor of 2, and a transverse voltage appears in zero magnetic field. Using ballistic Monte Carlo simulations and a numerical solution of the Boltzmann equation, we identify the orientation of the narrow channel as the source of symmetry breaking.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Theory of nodal s ± -wave pairing symmetry in the Pu-based 115 superconductor family

The spin-fluctuation mechanism of superconductivity usually results in the presence of gapless or nodal quasiparticle states in the excitation spectrum. Nodal quasiparticle states are well established in copper-oxide, and heavy-fermion superconductors, but not in iron-based superconductors. Here, we study the pairing symmetry and mechanism of a new class of plutonium-based high-T c superconductors and predict the presence of a nodal s⁺⁻ wave pairing symmetry in this family. Starting from a density-functional theory (DFT) based electronic structure calculation we predict several three-dimensional (3D) Fermi surfaces in this 115 superconductor family. We identify the dominant Fermi surface “hot-spots” in the inter-band scattering channel, which are aligned along the wavevector Q = (π, π, π), where degeneracy could induce sign-reversal of the pairing symmetry. Our calculation demonstrates that the s⁺⁻ wave pairing strength is stronger than the previously thought d-wave pairing; and more importantly, this pairing state allows for the existence of nodal quasiparticles. Finally, we predict the shape of the momentum- and energy-dependent magnetic resonance spectrum for the identification of this pairing symmetry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evolution of the superconducting properties in FeSe 1–x S x

We present scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy measurements on FeSe 1–x S x single crystals with x = 0, 0.04, and 0.09. The S substitution into the Se site is equivalent to a positive chemical pressure, since S and Se have the same valence and S has a smaller ionic radius than Se. Here, the subsequent changes in the electronic structure of FeSe induce a decrease of the structural transition temperature and a small increase in the superconducting critical temperature. The evolution of the gaps with increasing S concentration suggests an increase of the hole Fermi surface. Moreover, the vortex core anisotropy, that likely reflects the Fermi surface anisotropy, is strongly suppressed by the S substitution.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Signatures of an annular Fermi sea

The concept of a Fermi surface, the constant-energy surface containing all the occupied electron states in momentum, or wave-vector (k), space plays a key role in determining electronic properties of conductors. In two-dimensional (2D) carrier systems, the Fermi surface becomes a contour which, in the simplest case, encircles the occupied states. In this case, the area enclosed by the contour, which we refer to as the Fermi sea (FS), is a simple disk. In this work, we report the observation of an FS with a new topology, namely, an FS in the shape of an annulus. Such an FS is expected in a variety of 2D systems where the energy band dispersion supports a ring of extrema at finite k, but its experimental observation has been elusive. Our study provides (1) theoretical evidence for the presence of an annular FS in 2D hole systems confined to wide GaAs quantum wells and (2) experimental signatures of the onset of its occupation as an abrupt rise in the sample resistance, accompanied by a sudden appearance of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations at an unexpectedly high frequency whose value does not simply correspond to the (negligible) density of holes contained within the annular FS.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Current algebra approach to two-dimensional interacting chiral metals

In this study, we reinterpret the chiral U(N) Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model at level k>1 in (1+1) dimensions as an interacting chiral metal in two space dimensions. In this reinterpretation, spatial translations along one of the spatial dimensions in the two-dimensional chiral metal arise from a generator of the U(N) symmetry of the WZW model. The WZW model at k=1 is equivalent to Balents and Fisher's free chiral metal. Here, the U(N) symmetry corresponds to the IR symmetry of a chiral Fermi gas with (half of a) Fermi surface, with N equal to the number of points on the Fermi surface. We argue that exactly solvable interacting generalizations occur for levels k>1. Importantly, these interacting chiral metals maintain the U(N) symmetry of the free system. We calculate two-point correlation functions of the single-particle fermion operator, the U⁡(1) number density, and current operators in these theories for general k. We find that interactions (k>1) produce 1/N corrections to scaling of the single-particle fermion operator as N→∞ and renormalize the amplitudes of the density and current two-point functions. This construction illustrates the ersatz Fermi liquid proposal of Else et al.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗