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At least 577 records · Page 32

Two-Dimensional Superconducting Fluctuations Associated with Charge-Density-Wave Stripes in La 1.87 ⁢Sr 0.13 ⁢Cu 0.99 ⁢Fe 0.01 ⁢O 4

The presence of a small concentration of in-plane Fe dopants in La 1.87 Sr 0.13 Cu 0.99 Fe 0.01 O 4 is known to enhance stripelike spin and charge density wave (SDW and CDW) order and suppress the superconducting T c . Here, we show that it also induces highly two-dimensional superconducting correlations that have been argued to be the signatures of a new form of superconducting order, the so-called pair density wave (PDW) order. In addition, using resonant soft x-ray scattering, we find that the two-dimensional superconducting fluctuation is strongly associated with the CDW stripe. In particular, the PDW signature first appears when the correlation length of the CDW stripe grows over eight times the lattice unit (~8 a). In conclusion, these results provide critical conditions for the formation of the PDW order.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Multiple Charge Density Waves and Superconductivity Nucleation at Antiphase Domain Walls in the Nematic Pnictide Ba 1– x Sr x Ni 2 As 2

How superconductivity interacts with charge or nematic order is one of the great unresolved issues at the center of research in quantum materials. Ba 1– x Sr x Ni 2 As 2 (BSNA) is a charge ordered pnictide superconductor recently shown to exhibit a sixfold enhancement of superconductivity due to nematic fluctuations near a quantum phase transition (at $x_c$ = 0.7). The superconductivity is, however, anomalous, with the resistive transition for $0.4 < x < x_c$ occurring at a higher temperature than the specific heat anomaly. Here, using x-ray scattering, we discovered a new charge density wave (CDW) in BSNA in this composition range. The CDWis commensurate with a period of two lattice parameters, and is distinct from the two CDWs previously reported in this material. We argue that the anomalous transport behavior arises from heterogeneous superconductivity nucleating at antiphase domain walls in this CDW. We also present new data on the incommensurate CDW, previously identified as being unidirectional, showing that it is a rotationally symmetric “4$\textit{Q}$” state with $C_4$ symmetry. Our study establishes BSNA as a rare material containing three distinct CDWs, and an exciting test bed for studying coupling between CDW, nematic, and SC orders.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Hybridization of Bogoliubov Quasiparticles between Adjacent CuO 2 Layers in the Triple-Layer Cuprate Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 + δ Studied by Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

Hybridization of Bogoliubov quasiparticles (BQPs) between the CuO 2 layers in the triple-layer cuprate high-temperature superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 Cu 2 Cu 3 O 10+δ is studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). In the superconducting state, an anticrossing gap opens between the outer- and inner-BQP bands, which we attribute primarily to interlayer single-particle hopping with possible contributions from interlayer Cooper pairing. We find that the d-wave superconducting gap of both BQP bands smoothly develops with momentum without an abrupt jump in contrast to a previous ARPES study. Hybridization between the BQPs also gradually increases in going from the off nodal to the antinodal region, which is explained by the momentum dependence of the interlayer single-particle hopping. As possible mechanisms for the enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature, the hybridization between the BQPs as well as the combination of phonon modes of the triple CuO 2 layers and spin fluctuations represented by a four-well model are discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Order-Disorder Transitions in ( Ca x Sr 1 - x ) 3 Rh 4 Sn 13

The classification of structural phase transitions as displacive or order-disorder in character is usually based on spectroscopic data above the transition. Here, we use single crystal x-ray diffraction to investigate structural correlations in the quasiskutterudites, (Ca x Sr 1-x ) 3 Rh 4 Sn 13 , which have a quantum phase transition at x ~ 0.9. Three-dimensional pair distribution functions show that the amplitudes of local atomic displacements are temperature independent below the transition and persist to well above the transition, a signature of order-disorder behavior. The implications for the associated electronic transitions are discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Controllable Emergent Spatial Spin Modulation in Sr 2 IrO 4 by In Situ Shear Strain

Symmetric anisotropic interaction can be ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic at the same time but for different crystallographic axes. We show that the competition of anisotropic interactions of orthogonal irreducible representations can be a general route to obtain new exotic magnetic states. We demonstrate it here by observing the emergence of a continuously tunable 12-layer spatial spin modulation when distorting the square-lattice planes in the quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnetic Sr 2 IrO 4 under in situ shear strain. Furthermore, this translation-symmetry-breaking phase is a result of an unusual strain-activated anisotropic interaction which is at the fourth order and competing with the inherent quadratic anisotropic interaction. Such a mechanism of competing anisotropy is distinct from that among the ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and/or the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, and it could be widely applicable and highly controllable in low-dimensional magnets.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Suppressed Fluctuations as the Origin of the Static Magnetic Order in Strained Sr 2 RuO 4

Combining first-principles density-functional calculations and Moriya's self-consistent renormalization theory, we explain the recently reported counterintuitive appearance of an ordered magnetic state in uniaxially strained Sr 2 RuO 4 beyond the Lifshitz transition. We show that strain weakens the quantum spin fluctuations, which destroy the static order, more strongly than the tendency to magnetism. Furthermore, a different rate of decrease of the spin fluctuations vs magnetic stabilization energy promotes the onset of a static magnetic order beyond a critical strain.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Prevailing Charge Order in Overdoped La 2 – x Sr x CuO 4 beyond the Superconducting Dome

The extremely overdoped cuprates are generally considered to be Fermi liquid metals without exotic orders, whereas the underdoped cuprates harbor intertwined states. Contrary to this conventional wisdom, using Cu L 3 -edge and O K-edge resonant x-ray scattering, we reveal a charge order (CO) correlation in overdoped La 2–x⁢ Sr x ⁢CuO 4 (0.35 ≤ x ≤0.6) beyond the superconducting dome. This CO has a periodicity of ~6 lattice units with correlation lengths of ~20 lattice units. It shows similar in-plane momentum and polarization dependence and dispersive excitations as the CO of underdoped cuprates, but its maximum intensity differs along the c direction and persists up to 300 K. This CO correlation cannot be explained by the Fermi surface instability and its origin remains to be understood. Finally, our results suggest that CO is prevailing in the overdoped metallic regime and requires a reassessment of the picture of overdoped cuprates as weakly correlated Fermi liquids.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Spin-Orbit-Lattice Entangled State in A 2 ⁢MgReO 6 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) Revealed by Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering

The 5d 1 ordered double perovskites present an exotic playground for studying novel multipolar physics due to large spin-orbit coupling. Here, we present Re L 3 edge resonant inelastic Xray scattering (RIXS) results that reveal the presence of the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in the A 2 MgReO 6 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) family of 5d 1 double perovskites. The spin-orbit excitations in these materials show a strongly asymmetric lineshape and exhibit substantial temperature dependence, indicating that they are dressed with lattice vibrations. Our experimental results are explained quantitatively through a RIXS calculation based on a spin-orbit-lattice entangled electronic ground state with the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect taken into consideration. We find that the spin-orbitlattice entangled state is robust against magnetic and structural phase transitions as well as against significant static Jahn-Teller distortions. Our results illustrate the importance of including vibroniccoupling for a complete description of the ground state physics of 5d 1 double perovskites.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Spin Waves in Dirac Semimetal Ca 0.6⁢ Sr 0.4⁢ MnSb 2 Investigated with Neutrons by the Diffraction Method

The tunability of Dirac semimetals with antiferromagnetic Mn layers is of great interest. The observed sign change of interlayer magnetic coupling between CaMnBi 2 and SrMnBi 2 suggests ionic substitution as a potential tuning mechanism. If so, novel behavior near the compensation point could be expected. Here, to explore this, we study a mixed-cation analog, Ca 0.6⁢ Sr 0.4⁢ MnSb 2 , where Bi is replaced by Sb. Conventional inelastic neutron scattering is impractical due to the small crystal size (m ≈ 0.28 g) available for compositional studies; however, we find that using a neutron diffractometer with a wide-angle area detector we can obtain a good quality spin-wave signal, which is shaped by energy-momentum conservation and retains spectroscopic information even without direct energy analysis. Spin-wave modeling reveals an interlayer coupling quantitatively similar to SrMnSb 2 , indicating it is not directly tuned by ionic size and that the sign change in Bi-based compounds likely arises from the observed change in lattice symmetry. Beyond this key insight, our results present an efficient method for parametric and compositional studies of spin dynamics in small crystals.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Temperature-induced valence-state transition in double perovskite Ba 2 - x Sr x TbIrO 6

In this paper, a temperature-induced valence-state transition is studied in a narrow composition range 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.375 of Ba 2 - x Sr x TbIrO 6 by means of x-ray and neutron powder diffraction, resonant inelastic x-ray scattering, magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements. The valence-state transition involves an electron transfer between Tb and Ir leading to the valence-state change between Tb 3 + / Ir 5 + and Tb 4 + / Ir 4 + phases. This first-order transition has a dramatic effect on the lattice, transport properties, and the long-range magnetic order at low temperatures for both Tb and Ir ions. Ir 5 + ion has an electronic configuration of 5 d 4 ( J eff = 0 ), which is expected to be nonmagnetic. In contrast, Ir 4 + ion with a configuration of 5 d 5 ( J eff = 1/2) favors a long-range magnetic order. For x = 0.1 with Tb 3 + / Ir 5 + configuration to the lowest temperature (2 K) investigated in this paper, a spin-glass behavior is observed around 5 K indicating Ir 5 + ( J eff = 0 ) ions act as a spacer reducing the magnetic interactions between Tb 3 + ions. For x = 0.5 with Tb 4 + / Ir 4 + configuration below the highest temperature 400 K of this paper, a long-range antiferromagnetic order at T N = 40 K is observed highlighting the importance of Ir 4 + ( J eff = 1/2) ions in promoting the long-range magnetic order of both Tb and Ir ions. For 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.375, a temperature-induced valence-state transition from high-temperature Tb 3 + / Ir 5 + phase to low-temperature Tb 4 + / Ir 4 + phase occurs in the temperature range 180 K ≤ T ≤ 325 K and the transition temperature increases with x . The compositional dependence demonstrates the ability to tune the the valence state for a critical region of x that leads to a concurrent change in magnetism and structure. Furthermore, this tuning ability could be employed with suitable strain in thin films to act as a switch as the magnetism is manipulated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Observation of van der Waals phonons in the single-layer cuprate ( Bi , Pb ) 2 ( Sr , La ) 2 CuO 6 + δ

Interlayer van der Waals (vdW) coupling is generic in two-dimensional materials such as graphene and transition-metal dichalcogenides, which can induce very low-energy phonon modes. Using high-resolution inelastic hard x-ray scattering, we uncover the ultralow energy phonon mode along the Cu-O bond direction in the high- T c cuprate (Bi,Pb) 2 (Sr,La) 2 ⁢CuO 6+$\delta$ (Bi2201). The energy and full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of these modes are independent of temperature, while their intensity decreases with doping in accordance with an increasing c -axis lattice parameter. Here, we compare the experimental results to first-principles density functional theory simulations and identify the observed mode as a van der Waals phonon, which arises from the shear motion of the adjacent Bi-O layers. This shows that Bi-based cuprate has vibrational properties similar to graphene and transition-metal dichalcogenides, which can be exploited to engineer novel heterostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tuning the interlayer coupling in La 0.7 Sr 0.3 Mn 0.95 Ru 0.05 O 3 / LaNiO 3 multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

In ferromagnetic oxide epitaxial multilayers, magnetic properties and interlayer coupling are determined by a variety of factors. Beyond the contribution of interlayer exchange coupling, strain and interfacial effects, such as structural reconstructions or charge transfer, play significant roles, resulting in complex magnetic behavior. In this study, the interlayer coupling of ferromagnetic La 0.7 ⁢Sr 0.3⁢ Mn 0.95 ⁢Ru 0.05 ⁢O 3 (LSMRO) layers (8 nm thick) was investigated, when separated by epitaxial spacers of paramagnetic metallic LaNiO 3 (LNO), in stacks exhibiting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. By varying the thickness of the spacer, it was found that the coupling between two LSMRO layers changes from antiferromagnetic (with a 4-unit-cell-thick LNO spacer) to ferromagnetic (with a 6-unit-cell-thick LNO spacer). For multilayers comprising five LSMRO layers and a 4-unit-cell-thick LNO spacer, the antiferromagnetic coupling was preserved. However, the effective magnetic anisotropy changed, causing the magnetization to cant more towards the in-plane direction. Further, this behavior was corroborated by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) investigations at the Mn and Ni L 3 edges. The XMCD results indicated that the 4-unit-cell-thick LNO spacer in the multilayer become magnetically ordered, closely following the magnetization of adjacent LSMRO layers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Large response of charge stripes to uniaxial stress in La 1.475 Nd 0.4 Sr 0.125 CuO 4

The La-based "214"cuprates host several symmetry-breaking phases, including superconductivity, charge and spin order in the form of stripes, and a structural orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transition. Therefore these materials are an ideal system to study the effects of uniaxial stress onto the various correlations that pervade the cuprate phase diagram. We report resonant x-ray scattering experiments on La 1.475 Nd 0.4 Sr 0.125 CuO 4 (LNSCO-125) that reveal a significant response of charge stripes to uniaxial tensile stress of ~0.1GPa. These effects include a reduction of the onset temperature of stripes by ~50K, a 29-K reduction of the low-temperature orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition, competition between charge order and superconductivity, and a preference for stripes to form along the direction of applied stress. Altogether, we observe a dramatic response of the electronic properties of LNSCO-125 to a modest amount of uniaxial stress.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Predicting Thermochemical Equilibria with Interacting Defects: Sr 1 − x Ce x Mn O 3 − δ Alloys for Water Splitting

Solar thermochemical hydrogen is one of the few potential routes towards direct fuel production from renewable energy sources, but the thermodynamic boundary conditions for efficient and economic energy conversion are challenging. Success or failure of a given oxide working material depends on the subtle balance between enthalpy and entropy contributions in the redox processes. Developing a mechanistic understanding of the behavior of materials on the basis of atomistic models and first-principles calculations is an important part of advancing the technology. One challenge is to quantitatively predict thermochemical equilibria at high concentrations when the redox-active defects start to interact with each other, thereby impeding the formation of additional defects. This problem is of more general importance to applications that rely on high levels of off-stoichiometry or doping, including, for example, batteries, thermoelectrics, and ceramic fuel cells. To account for such repulsive defect interactions, we introduce a statistical mechanics approach, defining an expression for the free energy of defect interaction based on limited sampling of defect configurations in density functional theory supercell calculations. The parameterization of this energy contribution as a function of defect concentration and temperature allows on-the-fly simulation of thermochemical equilibria. The approach consistently incorporates finite temperature effects by including the leading contributions to the temperature-dependent free energy for the case at hand, i.e., the ideal gas and configurational enthalpies and entropies. We demonstrate the capability and utility of the approach by simulating the water splitting redox processes for Sr 1 − x Ce x Mn O 3 − δ alloys. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

08 HYDROGEN↗

Ultrafast Raman probe of the photoinduced superconducting to normal state transition in the cuprate Bi 2 ⁢Sr 2 ⁢CaCu 2 ⁢O 8+𝛿

Here, we report an ultrafast Time-Resolved Raman scattering study of the out-of-equilibrium photoinduced dynamics across the superconducting to normal state phase transition of the cuprate Bi 2 ⁢Sr 2⁢ CaCu 2 ⁢O 8+𝛿 . Using the polarization-resolved momentum space selectivity of Raman scattering, we track the superconducting condensate destruction and recovery dynamics with subpicoseconds time resolution in the antinodal region of the Fermi surface where the superconducting gap is maximum. Leveraging ultrafast Raman thermometry, we find a significant dichotomy between the superconducting condensate and the quasiparticle temperature dynamics near the antinodes, which cannot be framed in terms of a single effective electron temperature. The present work demonstrates the ability of Time-Resolved Raman scattering to selectively probe out-of-equilibrium pathways of different electronic subdegrees of freedom during a photoinduced phase transition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magnetoelastic-coupling-assisted first-order antiferromagnetic transitions in the corrugated honeycomb-lattice compounds (Ca, Sr) ⁢Mn 2 ⁢ P 2

Understanding the origin of unconventional magnetic order is a central theme in the research field of functional quantum materials for spin-dependent applications. In general, a paramagnetic (PM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition is of thermodynamically second order in nature in the absence of a magnetic field. In the magnetically frustrated corrugated-honeycomb lattice compounds (Ca, Sr) ⁢Mn 2 ⁢ P 2 , electrical resistivity 𝜌 measurements in the 𝑎⁢𝑏 plane are reported to exhibit sharp discontinuities at the respective PM to AFM ordering temperatures 𝑇 N = 69.5 and 53 K, respectively, signifying the unusual first-order nature of the AFM transition. To reveal the origin of such anomalous transitions, high-resolution linear thermal-expansion measurements are reported for both CaMn 2 ⁢P 2 and SrMn 2 ⁢ P 2 in the 𝑎⁢𝑏 plane and along the 𝑐 axis using capacitance dilatometry. The thermal expansion measurements show a sharp discontinuity in Δ⁢𝐿/𝐿 at 𝑇 N , yielding a diverging behavior in the thermal expansion coefficient 𝛼⁡(𝑇) associated with strong magnetoelastic coupling, driving the first-order AFM transition in CaMn 2 ⁢P 2 . However, this effect is weaker in SrMn 2 ⁢P 2 , consistent with the magnetic entropy changes 𝑆⁡(𝑇) obtained from the heat-capacity measurements. Temperature-dependent 𝑎⁢𝑏-plane x-ray diffraction measurements for CaMn 2 ⁢ P 2 near its 𝑇 N yield a volume thermal expansion coefficient consistent with literature data for other materials. The uniaxial pressure derivatives of 𝑇 N in the two compounds are found to be respectively opposite in sign, presumably due to the different magnetic structures.

Pakhira, Santanu [Maulana Azad National Institute ↗

The varying temperature- and pressure-induced phase transition pathways in hybrid improper ferroelectric Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7

A variable-temperature and pressure single-crystal diffraction study of hybrid improper ferroelectric Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 is reported. In combination with symmetry analysis, we reveal that the application of pressure and temperature induce distinct phase transition pathways, driven by a differing response of the octahedral rotations to these stimuli. Contrary to what has been previously predicted, we observe the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition between 10.17(18) and 12.13(14) GPa, meaning the hybrid improper ferroelectric phase remains stable to significantly higher pressures than expected.

Ferroelectrics↗

Surface deposition of nanometer scale carbon structures on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ using a low-cost scanning electron microscope

In this work, we investigate optically active nanostructures on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ (BSCCO). The nanostructures are constructed from carbon nanocrystals formed using the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope to locally decompose residual hydrocarbons at the BSCCO surface. Atomic force microscopy is used to characterize the dimensions of these structures as a function of beam exposure time. This technique has been used to induce localized intercalation to form carbon nanoparticles up to tens of nanometers into a variety of 2D materials. Cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy in BSCCO shows the presence of these carbon deposits on the surface, but there is no evidence they penetrate into the BSCCO substrate. Therefore, this technique is not suitable for localized intercalation in BSCCO, and it does have promise as a cost-effective approach to pattern nanometer scale etch stops.

2D materials↗