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At least 1,009 records · Page 56

Untangling charge-order dependent bulk states from surface effects in a topological kagome metal ScV 6 Sn 6

Kagome metals with charge density wave (CDW) order exhibit a broad spectrum of intriguing quantum phenomena. The recent discovery of the novel kagome CDW compound ScV 6 Sn 6 has spurred significant interest. However, understanding the interplay between CDW and the bulk electronic structure has been obscured by a profusion of surface states and terminations in this quantum material. Here, in this study, we employ photoemission spectroscopy and potassium dosing to elucidate the complete bulk band structure of ScV 6 Sn 6 , revealing multiple van Hove singularities near the Fermi level. We surprisingly discover a robust spin-polarized topological Dirac surface resonance state at the M point within the twofold van Hove singularities. Assisted by first-principles calculations, the temperature dependence of the k z -resolved angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy spectrum provides unequivocal evidence for the proposed $\sqrt{3}$×$\sqrt{3}$×3 charge order over other candidates. Our work not only enhances the understanding of the CDW-dependent bulk and surface states in ScV 6 Sn 6 , but also establishes an essential foundation for potential manipulation of the CDW order in kagome materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Observation of orbital selective charge transfer in a Fe/BaTi⁢O 3 interfacial two-dimensional electron gas

Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) states at oxide interfaces between two ferroic materials have been fertile ground to realize controllable multiferroicity. Here, in this work, we investigate the 2DEG states at the interface of ferroelectric BaTi⁢O 3 and a magnetic layer of iron using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Orbital-selective charge transfer occurs on the surprisingly robust 2DEG. Based on first-principles calculations, we show how the interfacial hybridization can give rise to the unexpected charge transfer in the magnetic 2DEG. Our study reveals a close interplay on a 2DEG between magnetic and ferroelectric interfaces, which sheds light on future design principles of multiferroic 2DEG states.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

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↗

Three-dimensional superconductivity induced by an extremely small amount of Li in Li x ⁢SnSe 2

Unconventional superconductivity occurs often in materials with low dimensionality. Furthermore, we report superconductivity observed in layered Li x SnSe 2 with the superconducting transition temperature T c ~ 6 K. Through L⁢i + intercalation in semiconducting SnSe 2 via electrochemical process, Li x ⁢SnSe 2 is formed with an extremely small x value as estimated from the c-axis lattice parameter, carrier concentration, and first-principles calculations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Probing the van Hove singularity of the kagome metal YV 6 Sn 6 through quantum oscillations

Kagome metals with the Fermi energy tuned near the van Hove singularities (vHss) have shown to host exotic phases including unconventional superconductivity and a chiral flux phase arising from a charge density wave. However, most quantum oscillations studies of the electronic structure of kagome metals focus on compounds which electronically or magnetically order, obscuring the unperturbed vHs. Here we present quantum oscillation measurements of YV 6 ⁢Sn 6 which contains a pristine kagome lattice free from long-range order. We discovered quantum oscillations corresponding to a large orbit (≈70% of the Brillouin Zone area) with the heaviest mass ever observed in vanadium-based kagome metals (≈3.3⁢m e ), consistent with a Fermi pocket whose Fermi level is near the vHs. Comparing with first-principle calculations suggests that the effective mass of this pocket is highly sensitive to the position of Fermi level. Finally, our study establishes the enhanced density of states associated with a vHs in a kagome metal, allowing further insight into a potential driving mechanism for the unconventional electronic orderings in this class of materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Nodal fermions in the strongly spin-orbit coupled pyrochlore-lattice compound RbBi2

We explore the topological electronic band structure of the pyrochlore lattice in the strong spin-orbit coupling regime. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, first-principles calculations, and symmetry analysis, we have investigated the bulk electronic structure of RbBi2, which has a Bi pyrochlore network. We observe the presence of 3D massless Dirac fermions enforced by nonsymmorphic symmetry, as well as a 3D quadratic band crossing protected by cubic crystalline symmetry. Furthermore, we identify an additional 3D linear Dirac dispersion associated with band inversion protected by threefold rotation symmetry. These observations reveal the rich band topology of itinerant pyrochlore lattice systems in the strong SOC limit and serve as a starting point to explore correlated topological phases in geometrically frustrated lattices.

Oh, Dongjin↗

Highly tunable magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy in Fe3+-doped BaTiO3

Magnetic dopants in ferroelectric oxide host materials provide a platform for electric field control of isolated spins, facilitated by tuning of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MCAE). We present first-principles calculations of the MCAE experienced by isolated Fe3+ dopants in the tetragonal, orthorhombic, and rhombohedral phases of the prototypical ferroelectric BaTiO3. We identify an order-of-magnitude decrease in the MCAE in the rhombohedral phase relative to the tetragonal and orthorhombic phases. We explain this dramatic decrease, as well as the formation of a spin-easy plane in the tetragonal phase and spin-easy axes in the orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases, using crystal field theory arguments. Building a superposition model from crystal field theory, we show how a set of simple criteria based on crystalline environment can be used to estimate the MCAE. We suggest this as a route to rapidly screen candidate ferroelectric hosts and magnetic dopants that possess phases with spin-easy axes and maximal MCAE tunability.

Barker, Bradford A↗

Origin of metal-insulator transitions in the parent compounds of ruthenium-pnictide superconductors

Here we study the interplay of the structural phase transition, flat electronic band dispersion, and metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) in the parent compounds of the Ru-pnictide superconductors by using first-principles calculations. Our electron and phonon calculations reveal that Ru(P,As) undergo MIT accompanied by orthorhombic to monoclinic distortion at low temperature, but RuSb stays orthorhombic and metallic in agreement with the experimental findings. It is demonstrated that electronic correlation, as treated in DFT + U, DFT + Gutzwiller, and dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), cannot induce MIT in the undistorted crystal structure. We find that, although small monoclinic distortion can remove the van Hove singularity at the Fermi level, it does not immediately gap out the Fermi surface and a large value of monoclinic distortion is necessary for a clear MIT, suggesting the possibility of an intermediate pseudogapped monoclinic metallic phase. Furthermore, we predict a light-induced two-step insulator-to-metal and structural transitions in the monoclinic phases of RuP and RuAs, which can be tested in future ultrafast pump-probe experiments as an alternative ideal playground to VO 2 .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Gauge theory of giant phonon magnetic moment in doped Dirac semimetals

Here, we develop a quantitative theory of phonon magnetic moment in doped Dirac semimetals. Our theory is based on an emergent gauge field approach to the electron-phonon coupling, applicable to gapless systems. We find that the magnetic moment is directly proportional to the electrical Hall conductivity through the phonon Hall viscosity. Our theory is combined with the first-principles calculations, allowing us to quantitatively implement it to realistic materials. Magnetic moments are found to be of the order of a Bohr magneton for Raman-active phonon modes in graphene and Cd 3 ⁢As 2 . Our results provide practical guidance for the dynamical generation of large magnetization in quantum materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Electron scattering on A = 3 nuclei from quantum Monte Carlo based approaches

We perform first-principle calculations of electron-nucleus scattering on 3 He and 3 H using the Green's function Monte Carlo method and two approaches based on the factorization of the final hadronic state: the spectral-function formalism and the short-time approximation. These three methods are benchmarked among each other and compared to the experimental data for the longitudinal and transverse electromagnetic response functions of 3 He, and the inclusive cross sections of both 3 He and 3 H. Since these three approaches are based on the same description of nuclear dynamics of the initial target state, comparing their results enables a precise quantification of the uncertainties inherent to factorization schemes. At sufficiently large values of the momentum transfer, we find an excellent agreement of the Green's function Monte Carlo calculation with experimental data and with both the spectral-function formalism and the short-time approximation. Here, we also analyze the relevance of relativistic effects, whose inclusion becomes crucial to explain data at high momentum and energy transfer.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Microscopic optical potentials for medium-mass isotopes derived at the first order of Watson multiple-scattering theory

We perform a first-principles calculation of optical potentials for nucleon elastic scattering off medium-mass isotopes. Fully based on a saturating chiral Hamiltonian, the optical potentials are derived by folding nuclear density distributions computed with self-consistent Green's function theory with a nucleon-nucleon t matrix computed with a consistent chiral interaction. The dependence on the folding interaction as well as the convergence of the target densities are investigated. Numerical results are presented and discussed for differential cross sections and analyzing powers, with focus on elastic proton scattering off calcium and nickel isotopes. Our optical potentials generally show a remarkable agreement with the available experimental data for laboratory energies in the range 65–200 MeV. We study the evolution of the scattering observables with increasing proton-neutron asymmetry by computing theoretical predictions of the cross section and analyzing power over the calcium and nickel isotopic chains. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Physics↗

Impact of the Li 6 asymptotic normalization constant onto α -induced reactions of astrophysical interest

Indirect methods have become the predominant approach in experimental nuclear astrophysics for studying several low-energy nuclear reactions occurring in stars, as direct measurements of many of these relevant reactions are rendered infeasible due to their low reaction probability. Such indirect methods, however, require theoretical input that in turn can have significant poorly quantified uncertainties, which can then be propagated to the reaction rates and have a large effect on our quantitative understanding of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis processes. Here we present two such examples involving α-induced reactions, 13 C (α,n)⁢ 16 O and 12 C (α,γ)⁢ 16 O, for which the low-energy cross sections have been constrained with ( 6 Li,d) transfer data. In this Letter, we discuss how a first-principle calculation of 6 Li leads to a 21% reduction of the 12 C⁡(α,γ) ⁢ 16 O cross sections with respect to a previous estimation. This calculation further resolves the discrepancy between recent measurements of the 13 C (α,n)⁢ 16 O reaction and points to the need for improved theoretical formulations of nuclear reactions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Extraction of low-energy constants of single- and double-β decays from lattice QCD: A sensitivity analysis

Lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) has the promise of constraining low-energy constants (LECs) of nuclear effective field theories (EFTs) from first-principles calculations that incorporate the dynamics of quarks and gluons. Given the Euclidean and finite-volume nature of LQCD outputs, complex mappings are developed in recent years to obtain the Minkowski and infinite-volume counterparts of LQCD observables. In particular, as LQCD is moving toward computing a set of important few-nucleon matrix elements at the physical values of the quark masses, it is important to investigate whether the anticipated precision of LQCD spectra and matrix elements will be sufficient to guarantee tighter constraints on the relevant LECs than those already obtained from phenomenology, considering the nontrivial mappings involved. With a focus on the leading-order LECs of the pionless EFT, L 1,A and $g$$^{NN}_{v}$, which parametrize, respectively, the strength of the isovector axial two-body current in a single-β decay (and other related processes such pp fusion), and of the isotensor contact two-body operator in the neutrinoless double-β decay within the light neutrino exchange scenario, the expected uncertainty on future extractions of L 1,A and $g$$^{NN}_{v}$ are examined using synthetic data at the physical values of the quark masses. It is observed that achieving small uncertainties in L 1,A will be challenging, and (sub)percent-level precision in the two-nucleon spectra and matrix elements is essential in reducing the uncertainty on this LEC compared to the existing constraints. On the other hand, the short-distance coupling of the neutrinoless double-β decay, $g$$^{NN}_{v}$, is shown to be less sensitive to uncertainties on both LQCD energies and the matrix element, and can likely be constrained with percent-level precision in the upcoming LQCD calculations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Renormalization of asymmetric staple-shaped Wilson-line operators in lattice and continuum perturbation theory

In this work, we study the renormalization of nonlocal quark bilinear operators containing an asymmetric staple-shaped Wilson line at the one-loop level in both lattice and continuum perturbation theory. These operators enter the first-principle calculation of transverse momentum-dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs) in lattice QCD using the formulation of large momentum effective theory. We provide appropriate RI ′ -type conditions that address the power and logarithmic divergences, as well as the mixing among staple operators of different Dirac structures, using a number of different possible projectors. A variant of RI ′ , including calculations of rectangular Wilson loops, which cancel the pinch-pole singularities of the staple operators at infinite length and reduce residual power divergences, is also employed. We calculate at one-loop order the conversion matrix, which relates the quasi-TMDPDFs in the RI ′ -type schemes to the reference scheme MS ¯ for arbitrary values of the renormalization momentum scale and of the dimensions of the staple. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Dimensionality-Mediated Semimetal-Semiconductor Transition in Ultrathin PtTe 2 Films

Platinum ditelluride (PtTe2), a type-II Dirac semimetal, remains semimetallic in ultrathin films down to just two tri-atomic layers (TLs) with a negative gap of -0.36 eV. Further reduction of the film thickness to a single TL induces a Lifshitz electronic transition to a semiconductor with a large positive gap of +0.79 eV. This transition is evidenced by experimental band structure mapping of films prepared by layer-resolved molecular beam epitaxy, and by comparing the data to first-principles calculations using a hybrid functional. The results demonstrate a novel electronic transition at the two-dimensional limit through film thickness control.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrical Control of Magnetic Phase Transition in a Type-I Multiferroic Double-Metal Trihalide Monolayer

Controlling magnetism of two-dimensional multiferroics by an external electric field provides special opportunities for both fundamental research and future development of low-cost electronic nanodevices. Here, we report a general scheme for realizing a magnetic phase transition in 2D type-I multiferroic systems through the reversal of ferroelectric polarization. First, based on first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that a single-phase 2D multiferroic, namely, ReWCl 6 monolayer, exhibits two different low-symmetric ($C_2$) phases with opposite in-plane electric polarization and different magnetic order. As a result, an antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition can be realized by reversing the in-plane electric polarization through the application of an external electric field. These findings not only enrich the 2D multiferroic family, but also uncover a unique and general mechanism to control magnetism by electric field, thus stimulating experimental interest.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Nature of Symmetry Breaking at the Excitonic Insulator Transition: Ta 2 NiSe 5

Ta 2 NiSe 5 is one of the most promising materials for hosting an excitonic insulator ground state. While a number of experimental observations have been interpreted in this way, the precise nature of the symmetry breaking occurring in Ta 2 NiSe 5 , the electronic order parameter, and a realistic microscopic description of the transition mechanism are, however, missing. By a symmetry analysis based on first-principles calculations, we uncover the discrete lattice symmetries which are broken at the transition. We identify a purely electronic order parameter of excitonic nature that breaks these discrete crystal symmetries and contributes to the experimentally observed lattice distortion from an orthorombic to a monoclinic phase. Our results provide a theoretical framework to understand and analyze the excitonic transition in Ta 2 NiSe 5 and settle the fundamental questions about symmetry breaking governing the spontaneous formation of excitonic insulating phases in solid-state materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗