arXiv subjects

A. D. S. Richards

Publications and source records attributed to A. D. S. Richards.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Evidence for conventional superconductivity in Bi$_2$PdPt and prediction of topological superconductivity in disorder-free $γ$-BiPd

We present comprehensive investigations into the structural, superconducting, and topological properties of Bi$_2$PdPt. Magnetization and heat capacity measurements performed on polycrystalline Bi$_2$PdPt demonstrate a superconducting transition at $\approx$ 0.8 K. Moreover, muon spin relaxation/rotation ($μ$SR) measurements present evidence for a time reversal symmetry preserving, isotropically gapped superconducting state in Bi$_2$PdPt. We have also performed density-functional theory (DFT) calculations on Bi$_2$PdPt alongside the more general isostructural systems, BiPd$_{x}$Pt$_{1-x}$, of which Bi$_2$PdPt and $γ$-BiPd are special cases for $x=0.5$ and $x=1$ respectively. We have calculated the $Z_2$ topological index from our DFT calculations for a range of substitution fractions, $x$, between $x=0$ and $x=1$ characterizing the topology of the band structure. We find a non-trivial topological state when $x>0.75$ and a trivial topological state when $x<0.75$. Therefore our results indicate that BiPd$_{x}$Pt$_{1-x}$ could be a topological superconductor for $x>0.75$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Evidence for non-unitary triplet-pairing superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric TaRuSi and comparison with isostructural TaReSi

We have studied the superconducting properties of the isostructural ternary noncentrosymmetric superconductors TaXSi (X = Re, Ru) with the help of muon spin rotation/relaxation ($μ$SR) and density functional theory calculations. Our transverse-field $μ$SR measurements indicate isotropic s-wave superconductivity in TaReSi and multi-gap superconductivity in TaRuSi. Zero-field $μ$SR measurements, highly sensitive to very small magnetic fields, and no evidence for spontaneous fields in the superconducting state of TaReSi, whereas we observe small spontaneous fields that onset with superconductivity indicating broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) superconductivity in TaRuSi. Using density functional theory calculations, we find that spin-orbit coupling is relatively weak in TaRuSi and strong in TaReSi. Using symmetry analysis, we attribute the broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in TaRuSi to a non-unitary triplet pairing state. Such a state is not allowed in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling: our finding of no evidence for broken TRS in TaReSi is consistent with this expectation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Exact Ground States and Phase Diagram of the Quantum Compass Model under an in-plane Field

We consider the square lattice $S$=1/2 quantum compass model (QCM) parameterized by $J_x, J_z$, under a field, $\mathbf{h}$, in the $x$-$z$ plane. At the special field value, $(h_x^\star,h_z^\star)$=$2S(J_x,J_z)$, we show that the QCM Hamiltonian may be written in a form such that two simple product states can be identified as exact ground-states, below a gap. Exact excited states can also be found. The exact product states are characterized by a staggered vector chirality, attaining a non-zero value in the surrounding phase. The resulting gapped phase, which we denote by $SVC$ occupies most of the in-plane field phase diagram. For some values of $h_x>h_z$ and $h_z>h_x$ at the edges of the phase diagram, we have found transitions between the $SVC$ phase and phases of weakly-coupled Ising-chain states, $Z$ and $X$. In zero field, the QCM is known to have an emergent sub-extensive ground-state degeneracy. As the field is increased from zero, we find that this degeneracy is partially lifted, resulting in bond-oriented spin-stripe states, $L$ and $R$, which are each separated from one another and the $SVC$ phase by first-order transitions. Our findings are important for understanding the field dependent phase diagram of materials with predominantly directionally-dependent Ising interactions.

cond-mat.str-el↗