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At least 901 records · Page 50
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DOE OSTI2024

Ultrafast Raman thermometry in driven YBa 2 C u 3 O 6.48

Signatures of photoinduced superconductivity have been reported in cuprate materials subjected to a coherent phonon drive. A “cold” superfluid was extracted from the transient Terahertz conductivity and was seen to coexist with “hot” uncondensed quasiparticles, a hallmark of a driven-dissipative system of which the interplay between coherent and incoherent responses is not well understood. Here, time resolved spontaneous Raman scattering was used to probe the lattice temperature in the photoinduced superconducting state of YBa 2 ⁢C⁢u 3 ⁢O 6.48 . An increase in lattice temperature of up to 140 K was observed by measuring the time dependent Raman scattering intensity of an undriven “spectator” phonon mode. This value is consistent with the estimated increase in quasiparticle temperature measured under the same excitation conditions. These temperature changes provide quantitative information on the nature of the driven state and its decay, and may suggest a strategy to optimize this effect.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electronic structure and magnetic tendencies of trilayer La 4 Ni 3 O 10 under pressure: Structural transition, molecular orbitals, and layer differentiation

Motivated by the recent observation of superconductivity in the pressurized trilayer Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) nickelate La 4 Ni 3 O 10 , we explore its structural, electronic, and magnetic properties as a function of hydrostatic pressure from first-principles calculations. We find that an orthorhombic (monoclinic)-to-tetragonal transition under pressure takes place concomitantly with the onset of superconductivity. The electronic structure of La 4 Ni 3 O 10 can be understood using a molecular trimer basis wherein n molecular subbands arise as the d z 2 orbitals hybridize strongly along the c axis within the trilayer. The magnetic tendencies indicate that the ground state at ambient pressure is formed by nonmagnetic inner planes and stripe-ordered outer planes that are antiferromagnetically coupled along the c axis, resulting in an unusual ↑, 0, ↓ stacking that is consistent with the spin density wave model previously suggested by neutron diffraction. Such a state is destabilized at the pressure where superconductivity arises. Despite the presence of d z 2 states at the Fermi level, the d x 2 –y 2 orbitals also play a key role in the electronic structure of La4Ni3O10. Finally, this active role of the d x 2 –y 2 states in the low-energy physics of the trilayer RP nickelate, together with the distinct electronic behavior of the inner and outer planes, resembles the physics of multilayer cuprates.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Shallow core levels, or how to determine the doping and T c of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 + δ and Bi 2 Sr 2 CuO 6 + δ without cooling

In this study, determining the doping level in high-temperature cuprate superconductors is crucial for understanding the origin of superconductivity in these materials and for unlocking their full potential. However, accurately determining the doping level remains a significant challenge due to a complex interplay of factors and limitations in various measurement techniques. In particular, in Bi 2 Sr 2 CuO 6+δ and Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ , where the mobile carriers are introduced by non-stoichiometric oxygen δ, the determination has been extremely problematic. Here, we study the doping dependence of the electronic structure of these materials in angle-resolved photoemission and find that both the doping level, p, and the superconducting transition temeprature, T c can be precisely determined from the binding energy of the Bi 5d core-levels. The measurements can be performed at room temperature, enabling the determination of p and T c without cooling the samples. This should be very helpful for further studies of these materials

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Principles of two-dimensional terahertz spectroscopy of collective excitations: The case of Josephson plasmons in layered superconductors

Two-dimensional terahertz spectroscopy (2DTS), a terahertz analog of nuclear magnetic resonance, is a new technique poised to address many open questions in complex condensed matter systems. The conventional theoretical framework used ubiquitously for interpreting multidimensional spectra of discrete quantum level systems is, however, insufficient for the continua of collective excitations in strongly correlated materials. Here, in this work, we develop a theory for 2DTS of a model collective excitation, the Josephson plasma resonance in layered superconductors. Starting from a mean-field approach at temperatures well below the superconducting phase transition, we obtain expressions for the multidimensional nonlinear responses that are amenable to intuition derived from the conventional single-mode scenario. We then consider temperatures near the superconducting critical temperature T c , where dynamics beyond mean-field become important and conventional intuition fails. As fluctuations proliferate near T c , the dominant contribution to nonlinear response comes from an optical parametric drive of counterpropagating Josephson plasmons, which gives rise to 2D spectra that are qualitatively different from the mean-field predictions. As such, and in contrast to one-dimensional spectroscopy techniques, such as third harmonic generation, 2DTS can be used to directly probe thermally excited finite-momentum plasmons and their interactions. Our theory can readily be tested in cuprates, and we discuss implications beyond the present context of Josephson plasmons.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pair-breaking scattering interference as a mechanism for superconducting gap modulation

Here we propose the pair-breaking scattering interference as a general source of coherence peak modulations in superconductors. Assuming this mechanism, we present a simple physical picture for the coherence peak modulations in overdoped cuprate Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+δ (Bi-2223), ferromagnetic iron pnictide EuRbFe 4 As 4 (Eu-1144), and kagome metals AV 3 Sb 5 (A = K, Rb, and Cs). Specifically, we explain the wave vectors, the particle-hole symmetry, and the dependence on the internal or external Zeeman-field of the coherence peak modulations. This paper is intended as a cautious reminder to the scientific community when asserting the existence of a pair density wave phenomenon in the absence of tunneling conductance modulations in the normal state.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Second dome of superconductivity in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 at high pressure

Evidence is growing that a second dome of high-T c superconductivity can be accessed in the cuprates by increasing the doping beyond the first dome. Here, in this study, we use ab initio methods without invoking any free parameters, such as the Hubbard U, to reveal that pressure could turn YBa 2 ⁢Cu 3 ⁢O 7 into an ideal candidate for second dome superconductivity, displaying the predicted signature of strongly hybridized d x 2 -y 2 and d z 2 orbitals. Notably, pressure is found to induce a phase transition replacing the antiferromagnetic phases with an orbitally degenerate d-d phase. Our study suggests that the origin of the second dome is correlated with the oxygen-hole fraction in the CuO 2 planes and the collapse of the pseudogap phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Vortex creep and critical current densities in superconducting (Ba,K)Fe 2 As 2 single crystals

We report the surprisingly rapid relaxation of the sustainable current density in the critical state of single-crystalline Ba 1-x K x Fe 2 As 2 is investigated for magnetic fields oriented parallel to the c axis and to the ab plane, respectively. Due to the inadequacy of standard analysis procedures developed for flux creep in the high-temperature superconducting cuprates, we develop a simple, straightforward data treatment technique that reveals the creep mechanism and the creep exponent μ. At low magnetic fields, below the second magnetization peak, μ varies only slightly as a function of temperature and magnetic flux density B. Usin the data, we determine the temperature and field dependencies of the effective activation barrier for creep. At low temperatures, the measured current density approaches the zero-temperature critical current density (in the absence of creep) to within a factor 2, thus lending credence to earlier conclusions drawn with respect to the pinning mechanism. The comparable values of the experimental screening current density and the zero-temperature critical current density reveal the limited usefulness of the widely used “interpolation formula.”

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Determinant quantum Monte Carlo study of the enhancement of d -wave pairing by charge inhomogeneity

Striped phases, in which spin, charge, and pairing correlations vary inhomogeneously in the CuO 2 planes, are a known experimental feature of cuprate superconductors, and are also found in a variety of numerical treatments of the two-dimensional Hubbard Hamiltonian. In this paper, we use determinant quantum Monte Carlo to show that if a stripe density pattern is imposed on the model, the d-wave pairing vertex is significantly enhanced. We attribute this enhancement to an increase in antiferromagnetic order which is caused by the appearance of more nearly half-filled regions when the doped holes are confined to the stripes. Here, we also observe a π-phase shift in the magnetic order.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Magnetic excitations in stripe-ordered La 1.875 Ba 0.125 CuO 4 studied using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

The charge and spin correlations in La 1.875 Ba 0.125 CuO 4 (LBCO 1/8) are studied using Cu L 3 edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS). The static charge order (CO) is observed at a wave vector of ( 0.24 , 0 ) and its charge nature confirmed by measuring the dependence of this peak on the incident x-ray polarization. The damped spin excitation or “paramagnon” in LBCO 1/8 is then measured as it disperses through the CO wave vector. Within the experimental uncertainty no changes are observed in the paramagnon at that wave vector and the paramagnon seems to be similar to that measured in other cuprates, which have no static CO. Given that the stripe correlation modulates both the charge and spin degrees of freedom, it is likely that subtle changes do occur in the paramagnon due to CO. Consequently, we propose that future RIXS measurements, realized with higher-energy resolution and sensitivity, should be performed to test for these effects.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Interplane resistivity of underdoped single crystals (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2(0<= x < 0.34)

The temperature-dependent interplane resistivity ρc(T) was measured in the hole-doped iron arsenide superconductor (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2 over a doping range from parent compound to optimal doping at Tc≈38 K, 0≤x≤0.34. The measurements were undertaken on high-quality single crystals grown from FeAs flux. The coupled magnetic/structural transition at TSM leads to a clear accelerated decrease of ρc(T) on cooling in samples with Tc<26 K (x<0.25). This decrease in the hole-doped material is in notable contrast to the increase in ρc(T) in the electron-doped Ba(Fe1-xCox)Fe 2As2 and isoelectron-substituted BaFe2(As1-xPx)2. TSM decreases very sharply with doping, dropping from Ts=71 K to zero on increase of Tc from approximately 25 to 27 K. ρc(T) becomes linear in T close to optimal doping. The broad crossover maximum in ρc(T), found in the parent BaFe2As2 at around Tmax~200 K, shifts to higher temperature ~250 K with doping of x=0.34. The maximum shows clear correlation with the broad crossover feature found in the temperature-dependent in-plane resistivity ρa(T). The evolution with doping of Tmax in (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2 is in notable contrast with both the rapid suppression of Tmax found in Ba(Fe1-xTx)2As2 (T=Co,Rh,Ni,Pd) and its rapid increase in BaFe2(As1-xPx)2. This observation suggests that pseudogap features are much stronger in hole-doped than in electron-doped iron-based superconductors, revealing significant electron-hole doping asymmetry similar to that in the cuprates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nearly Perfect Fluidity in a High Temperature Superconductor

Perfect fluids are characterized as having the smallest ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density, η/s, consistent with quantum uncertainty and causality. So far, nearly perfect fluids have only been observed in the quark-gluon plasma and in unitary atomic Fermi gases, exotic systems that are amongst the hottest and coldest objects in the known universe, respectively. We use angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy to measure the temperature dependence of an electronic analog of η/s in an optimally doped cuprate high-temperature superconductor, finding it too is a nearly perfect fluid around, and above, its superconducting transition temperature T c .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Strong interaction between electrons and collective excitations in the multiband superconductor MgB 2

We use a tunable laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to study the electronic properties of the prototypical multiband BCS superconductor MgB 2 . Our data reveal a strong renormalization of the dispersion (kink) at ~65meV, which is caused by the coupling of electrons to the E 2g phonon mode. In contrast to cuprates, the 65 meV kink in MgB 2 does not change significantly across T c . More interestingly, we observe strong coupling to a second, lower energy collective mode at a binding energy of 10 meV. As a result, this excitation vanishes above T c and is likely a signature of the elusive Leggett mode.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

High-energy magnetic excitations in overdoped La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 studied by neutron and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

We have performed neutron inelastic scattering and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) at the Cu-L 3 edge to study high-energy magnetic excitations at energy transfers of more than 100 meV for overdoped La 2₋x Sr x CuO 4 with x=0.25 (T c =15 K) and x=0.30 (nonsuperconducting) using identical single-crystal samples for the two techniques. From constant-energy slices of neutron-scattering cross sections, we have identified magnetic excitations up to ~250 meV for x=0.25. Although the width in the momentum direction is large, the peak positions along the (π,π) direction agree with the dispersion relation of the spin wave in the nondoped La 2 CuO 4 (LCO), which is consistent with the previous RIXS results of cuprate superconductors. Using RIXS at the Cu-L 3 edge, we have measured the dispersion relations of the so-called paramagnon mode along both (π,π) and (π,0) directions. Although in both directions the neutron and RIXS data connect with each other and the paramagnon along (π,0) agrees well with the LCO spin-wave dispersion, the paramagnon in the (π,π) direction probed by RIXS appears to be less dispersive and the excitation energy is lower than the spin wave of LCO near (π/2,π/2). Thus, our results indicate consistency between neutron inelastic scattering and RIXS, and elucidate the entire magnetic excitation in the (π,π) direction by the complementary use of two probes. The polarization dependence of the RIXS profiles indicates that appreciable charge excitations exist in the same energy range of magnetic excitations, reflecting the itinerant character of the overdoped sample. Lastly, we find a possible anisotropy in the charge excitation intensity might explain the apparent differences in the paramagnon dispersion in the (π,π) direction as detected by the x-ray scattering.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Specific heat investigation for line nodes in heavily overdoped Ba 1-x K x Fe 2 As 2

Previous research has found that the pairing symmetry in the iron-based superconductor Ba 1-x K x Fe 2 As 2 changes from nodeless s-wave near optimally doped, x≈0.4-0.55 and T c >30 K, to nodal (either d-wave or s-wave) at the pure endpoint, x=1 and T c <4 K. Intense theoretical interest has been focused on this possibility of changing pairing symmetry, where in the transition region both order parameters would be present and time reversal symmetry would be broken. Here we report specific heat measurements in zero and applied magnetic fields down to 0.4 K of three individual single crystals, free of low temperature magnetic anomalies, of heavily overdoped Ba 1-x K x Fe 2 As 2 , x= 0.91, 0.88, and 0.81. The values for T c mid are 5.6, 7.2 and 13 K and for H c2 ≈ 4.5, 6, and 20 T respectively. Furthermore, the data can be analyzed in a two gap scenario, Δ 2 /Δ 1 ≈ 4, with the magnetic field dependence of γ (=C/T as T→0) showing an anisotropic ‘S-shaped’ behavior vs H, with the suppression of the lower gap by 1 T and γ ≈ H 1/2 overall. Although such a non-linear γ vs H is consistent with deep minima or nodes in the gap structure, it is not clear evidence for one, or both, of the gaps being nodal in these overdoped samples. Thus, following the established theoretical analysis of the specific heat of d-wave cuprate superconductors containing line nodes, we present the specific heat normalized by H 1/2 plotted vs T/H 1/2 of these heavily overdoped Ba 1-x K x Fe 2 As 2 samples which – thanks to the absence of magnetic impurities in our sample - convincingly shows the expected scaling for line node behavior for the larger gap for all three compositions. There is however no clear observation of the nodal behavior C ∝ αT 2 in zero field at low temperatures, with α ≤ 2 mJ/molK 3 being consistent with the data. Together with the scaling, this leaves open the possibility of extreme anisotropy in a nodeless larger gap, Δ 2 , such that the scaling works for fields above 0.25 – 0.5 T (0.2 – 0.4 K in temperature units), where this an estimate for the size of the deep minima in the Δ 2 ~ 20-25 K gap. Furthermore, the location of the change from nodeless→nodal gaps between optimally doped and heavily overdoped Ba 1-x K x Fe 2 As 2 based on the present work may be closer to the KFe 2 As 2 endpoint than x=0.91.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Quasi-two-dimensional spin and phonon excitations in La 1.965 Ba 0.035 CuO 4

Here, we present time-of-fight inelastic neutron scattering measurements of La 1.965 Ba 0.035 CuO 4 (LBCO), a lightly doped member of the high temperature superconducting La-based cuprate family. By using time-of-flight neutron instrumentation coupled with single crystal sample rotation we obtain a four-dimensional data set (three Q and one energy) that is both comprehensive and spans a large region of reciprocal space. Our measurements identify rich structure in the energy dependence of the highly dispersive spin excitations, which are centered at equivalent (1/2, 1/2, L) wave-vectors. These structures correlate strongly with several crossings of the spin excitations with the lightly dispersive phonons found in this system. These eects are signicant and account for on the order of 25% of the total inelastic scattering for energies between ≈5 and 40meV at low |Q|. Interestingly, this scattering also presents little or no L-dependence. As the phonons and dispersive spin excitations centred at equivalent (1/2, 1/2, L) wave-vectors are common to all members of La-based 214 copper oxides, we conclude such strong quasi-two dimensional scattering enhancements are likely to occur in all such 214 families of materials, including those concentrations corresponding to superconducting ground states. Such a phenomenon appears to be a fundamental characteristic of these materials and is potentially related to superconducting pairing.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Charge modulation as fingerprints of phase-string triggered interference

Charge order appears to be an ubiquitous phenomenon in doped Mott insulators, which is currently under intense experimental and theoretical investigations particularly in the high T c cuprates. This phenomenon is conventionally understood in terms of Hartree-Fock-type mean-field theory. Here we demonstrate a mechanism for charge modulation which is rooted in the many-particle quantum physics arising in the strong coupling limit. Specifically, we consider the problem of a single hole in a bipartite t - J ladder. As a remnant of the fermion signs, the hopping hole picks up subtle phases pending the fluctuating spins, the so-called phase-string effect. We demonstrate the presence of charge modulations in the density matrix renormalization group solutions which disappear when the phase strings are switched off. This form of charge modulation can be understood analytically in a path-integral language with a mean-field-like approximation adopted, showing that the phase strings give rise to constructive interferences leading to self-localization. When the latter occurs, left- and right-moving propagating modes emerge inside the localization volume and their interference is responsible for the real space charge modulation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗