arXiv subjects

B. Xu

Publications and source records attributed to B. Xu.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Optical Signatures of Weyl Points in TaAs

We present a systematic study of both the temperature and frequency dependence of the optical response in TaAs, a material that has recently been realized to host the Weyl semimetal state. Our study reveals that the optical conductivity of TaAs features a narrow Drude response alongside a conspicuous linear dependence on frequency. The width of the Drude peak decreases upon cooling, following a $T^{2}$ temperature dependence which is expected for Weyl semimetals. Two linear components with distinct slopes dominate the 5-K optical conductivity. A comparison between our experimental results and theoretical calculations suggests that the linear conductivity below $\sim$230~cm$^{-1}$ is a clear signature of the Weyl points lying in very close proximity to the Fermi energy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Anomalous phonon redshift in K-doped BaFe2As2 iron pnictides

The effect of K, Co and P dopings on the lattice dynamics in the BaFe$_2$As$_2$ system is studied by infrared spectroscopy. We focus on the phonon at $\sim$ 253 cm$^{-1}$, the highest energy in-plane infrared-active Fe-As mode in BaFe$_2$As$_2$. Our studies show that the Co and P dopings lead to a blue shift of this phonon in frequency, which can be simply interpreted by the change of lattice parameters induced by doping. In sharp contrast, an unusual red shift of the same mode was observed in the K-doped compound, at odds with the above explanation. This anomalous behavior in K-doped BaFe$_2$As$_2$ is more likely associated with the coupling between lattice vibrations and other channels, such as charge or spin. This coupling scenario is also supported by the asymmetric line shape and intensity growth of the phonon in the K-doped compound.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Optical conductivity of Ba0.6 K0.4 Fe2 As2 : The effect of in-plane and out-of-plane doping in the superconducting gap

We measured the in-plane optical conductivity of a nearly optimally doped (Ba,K)Fe2As2 single crystal with Tc = 39.1 K. Upon entering the superconducting state the optical conductivity below ~20 meV vanishes, strongly suggesting a fully gapped system. A BCS-like fit requires two different isotropic gaps to describe the optical response of this material. The temperature dependence of the gaps and the penetration depth suggest a strong interband coupling, but no impurity scattering induced pair breaking is present. This contrasts to the large residual conductivity observed in optimally doped Ba(Fe,Co)2As2 and strongly supports an s(+/-) gap symmetry for these compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

First-principles study of the stability of free-standing germanene in oxygen

The O2 dissociation and O atoms adsorption on free-standing germanene are studied by using first-principles calculations in this letter. Compared with the spontaneous dissociation of oxygen molecule on free-standing silicene in air, germanene is more stable than silicene from kinetic point of view, with overcoming energy barrier of about 0.55 eV. Especially, in contrast with the unique chemical adsorption of O2-dissociation-induced O atoms on silicene, oxygen molecule can behave a correspondingly stable adsorption on germanene surface. Moreover, single O atom adsorption on germanene is also different to that on silicene, resulting in two opposite migration pathways on germanene surface. Furthermore, once the oxygen molecule dissociates into O atoms on germanene surface, the migration and desorption of O atoms are relatively difficult under room temperature due to the strong Ge-O bonds in the O-adsorbed germanene, in favor of forming germanium oxides. The results provide compelling evidence to show that free-standing gemanene is relatively stable in oxygen,which is different to silicene essentially.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Statistical study of conductance properties in one-dimensional quantum wires focussing on the 0.7 anomaly

The properties of conductance in one-dimensional (1D) quantum wires are statistically investigated using an array of 256 lithographically-identical split gates, fabricated on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. All the split gates are measured during a single cooldown under the same conditions. Electron many-body effects give rise to an anomalous feature in the conductance of a one-dimensional quantum wire, known as the `0.7 structure' (or `0.7 anomaly'). To handle the large data set, a method of automatically estimating the conductance value of the 0.7 structure is developed. Large differences are observed in the strength and value of the 0.7 structure [from $0.63$ to $0.84\times (2e^2/h)$], despite the constant temperature and identical device design. Variations in the 1D potential profile are quantified by estimating the curvature of the barrier in the direction of electron transport, following a saddle-point model. The 0.7 structure appears to be highly sensitive to the specific confining potential within individual devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

A low-temperature device architecture for the statistical study of electrical characteristics of 256 quantum devices

Research in the field of low-temperature electronics is limited by the small number of electrical contacts available on cryogenic set ups. This not only restricts the number of devices that can be fabricated, but also the device and circuit complexity. We present an on-chip multiplexing technique which significantly increases the number of devices locally measurable on a single chip, without the modification of existing fabrication or experimental set-ups. We demonstrate the operation of the multiplexer by performing electrical measurements of 256 quantum wires formed by split-gate devices using only 19 electrical contacts on a cryogenic set-up. The multiplexer allows the measurement of many devices and enables us to perform statistical analyses of various electrical features which exist in quantum wires. We use this architecture to investigate spatial variations of electrical characteristics, and reproducibility on two separate cooldowns. These statistical analyses are necessary to study device yield and manufacturability, in order for such devices to form the building blocks for the realisation of quantum integrated circuits. The multiplexer provides a scalable architecture which makes a whole series of further investigations into more complex devices possible.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

The Increase of the Functional Entropy of the Human Brain with Age

We use entropy to characterize intrinsic ageing properties of the human brain. Analysis of fMRI data from a large dataset of individuals, using resting state BOLD signals, demonstrated that a functional entropy associated with brain activity increases with age. During an average lifespan, the entropy, which was calculated from a population of individuals, increased by approximately 0.1 bits, due to correlations in BOLD activity becoming more widely distributed. We attribute this to the number of excitatory neurons and the excitatory conductance decreasing with age. Incorporating these properties into a computational model leads to quantitatively similar results to the fMRI data. Our dataset involved males and females and we found significant differences between them. The entropy of males at birth was lower than that of females. However, the entropies of the two sexes increase at different rates, and intersect at approximately 50 years; after this age, males have a larger entropy.

q-bio.QM↗

arXiv2014

Electron-phonon coupling in the superconducting single crystal Rb$_{0.8}$Fe$_{1.68}$Se$_2$

The optical properties of the superconducting single crystal Rb$_{0.8}$Fe$_{1.68}$Se$_2$ with $T_{c}$ $\simeq$ 31 K have been measured over a wide frequency range in the $ab$ plane. We found that the optical conductivity is dominated by a series of infrared-active phonon modes at low-frequency region as well as several other high-frequency bound excitations. The low-frequency optical conductivity has rather low value and shows quite small Drude-like response, indicating low carriers density in this material. Furthermore, the phonon modes increase continuously in frequency with decreasing temperature; specifically, the phonon mode around 200 cm$^{-1}$ shows an enhanced asymmetry effect at low temperatures, suggesting an increasing electron-phonon coupling in this system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Large and robust electrical spin injection into GaAs at zero magnetic field using an ultrathin CoFeB/MgO injector

We demonstrate a large electrical spin injection into GaAs at zero magnetic field thanks to an ultrathin perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB contact of a few atomic planes (1.2 nm). The spin-polarization of electrons injected into GaAs was examined by the circular polarization of electroluminescence from a Spin Light Emitting Diode with embedded InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells. The electroluminescence polarization as a function of the magnetic field closely traces the out-of-plane magnetization of the CoFeB/MgO injector. A circular polarization degree of the emitted light as large as 20% at 25 K is achieved at zero magnetic field. Moreover the electroluminescence circular polarization is still about 8% at room temperature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

TeV gamma-ray survey of the Northern sky using the ARGO-YBJ detector

The ARGO-YBJ detector is an extensive air shower array that has been used to monitor the northern $γ$-ray sky at energies above 0.3 TeV from 2007 November to 2013 January. In this paper, we present the results of a sky survey in the declination band from $-10^{\circ}$ to $70^{\circ}$, using data recorded over the past five years. With an integrated sensitivity ranging from 0.24 to $\sim$1 Crab units depending on the declination, six sources have been detected with a statistical significance greater than 5 standard deviations. Several excesses are also reported as potential $γ$-ray emitters. The features of each source are presented and discussed. Additionally, $95\%$ confidence level upper limits of the flux from the investigated sky region are shown. Specific upper limits for 663 GeV $γ$-ray AGNs inside the ARGO-YBJ field of view are reported. The effect of the absorption of $γ$-rays due to the interaction with extragalactic background light is estimated.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Is silicene stable in air? -- First principles study of oxygen adsorption and dissociation on silicene

The oxygen adsorption and dissociation on pristine silicene surface are studied by use of first-principles in this letter. The oxygen adsorption and dissociation on pristine silicene surface are studied by use of first-principles in this letter. It is found that the pristine silicene is not stable in air because the oxygen molecule can be easily adsorbed and dissociated into two O atoms without overcoming any energy barrier on pristine silicene surface. In addition, dissociated oxygen atoms are relatively difficult to migrate on or desorbed from pristine silicene surface, leading to poor mobility of oxygen atom. As a result, silicene would be changed into Si-O compounds in air. The work will be helpful to reveal the detail of the interaction between oxygen molecules and pristine silicene surface, especially helpful to understand the stability of silicene in air.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Pseudogap in underdoped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ as seen via optical conductivity

We report the observation of a pseudogap in the \emph{ab}-plane optical conductivity of underdoped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ ($x = 0.2$ and 0.12) single crystals. Both samples show prominent gaps opened by a spin density wave (SDW) order and superconductivity at the transition temperatures $T_{\it SDW}$ and $T_c$, respectively. In addition, we observe an evident pseudogap below $T^{\ast} \sim$ 75 K, a temperature much lower than $T_{\it SDW}$ but much higher than $T_{c}$. A spectral weight analysis shows that the pseudogap is closely connected to the superconducting gap, indicating the possibility of its being a precursor of superconductivity. The doping dependence of the gaps is also supportive of such a scenario.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Hidden $T$-Linear Scattering Rate in Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ Revealed by Optical Spectroscopy

The optical properties of Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ have been determined in the normal state for a number of temperatures over a wide frequency range. Two Drude terms, representing two groups of carriers with different scattering rates ($1/τ$), well describe the real part of the optical conductivity, $σ_{1}(ω)$. A "broad" Drude component results in an incoherent background with a $T$-independent $1/τ_b$, while a "narrow" Drude component reveals a $T$-linear $1/τ_n$ resulting in a resistivity $ρ_n \equiv 1/σ_{1n}(ω\rightarrow 0)$ also linear in temperature. An arctan($T$) low-frequency spectral weight is also a strong evidence for a $T$-linear 1/$τ$. Comparison to other materials with similar behavior suggests that the $T$-linear $1/τ_n$ and $ρ_n$ in Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ originate from scattering from spin fluctuations and hence that an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point is likely to exist in the superconducting dome.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Cryogenic on-chip multiplexer for the study of quantum transport in 256 split-gate devices

We present a multiplexing scheme for the measurement of large numbers of mesoscopic devices in cryogenic systems. The multiplexer is used to contact an array of 256 split gates on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure, in which each split gate can be measured individually. The low-temperature conductance of split-gate devices is governed by quantum mechanics, leading to the appearance of conductance plateaux at intervals of 2e^2/h. A fabrication-limited yield of 94% is achieved for the array, and a "quantum yield" is also defined, to account for disorder affecting the quantum behaviour of the devices. The quantum yield rose from 55% to 86% after illuminating the sample, explained by the corresponding increase in carrier density and mobility of the two-dimensional electron gas. The multiplexer is a scalable architecture, and can be extended to other forms of mesoscopic devices. It overcomes previous limits on the number of devices that can be fabricated on a single chip due to the number of electrical contacts available, without the need to alter existing experimental set ups.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Observation of TeV gamma-rays from the unidentified source HESS J1841-055 with the ARGO-YBJ experiment

We report the observation of a very high energy γ-ray source, whose position is coincident with HESS J1841-055. This source has been observed for 4.5 years by the ARGO-YBJ experiment from November 2007 to July 2012. Its emission is detected with a statistical significance of 5.3 standard deviations. Parameterizing the source shape with a two-dimensional Gaussian function we estimate an extension σ=(0.40(+0.32,-0.22}) degree, consistent with the HESS measurement. The observed energy spectrum is dN/dE =(9.0-+1.6) x 10^{-13}(E/5 TeV)^{-2.32-+0.23} photons cm^{-2} s^{-1} TeV^{-1}, in the energy range 0.9-50 TeV. The integral γ-ray flux above 1 TeV is 1.3-+0.4 Crab units, which is 3.2-+1.0 times the flux derived by HESS. The differences in the flux determination between HESS and ARGO-YBJ, and possible counterparts at other wavelengths are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Long-term Monitoring on Mrk 501 for Its VHE gamma Emission and a Flare in October 2011

As one of the brightest active blazars in both X-ray and very high energy $γ$-ray bands, Mrk 501 is very useful for physics associated with jets from AGNs. The ARGO-YBJ experiment is monitoring it for $γ$-rays above 0.3 TeV since November 2007. Starting from October 2011 the largest flare since 2005 is observed, which lasts to about April 2012. In this paper, a detailed analysis is reported. During the brightest $γ$-rays flaring episodes from October 17 to November 22, 2011, an excess of the event rate over 6 $σ$ is detected by ARGO-YBJ in the direction of Mrk 501, corresponding to an increase of the $γ$-ray flux above 1 TeV by a factor of 6.6$\pm$2.2 from its steady emission. In particular, the $γ$-ray flux above 8 TeV is detected with a significance better than 4 $σ$. Based on time-dependent synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) processes, the broad-band energy spectrum is interpreted as the emission from an electron energy distribution parameterized with a single power-law function with an exponential cutoff at its high energy end. The average spectral energy distribution for the steady emission is well described by this simple one-zone SSC model. However, the detection of $γ$-rays above 8 TeV during the flare challenges this model due to the hardness of the spectra. Correlations between X-rays and $γ$-rays are also investigated.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Filamentary superconductivity across the phase diagram of Ba(Fe,Co)$_2$As$_2$

We show magnetotransport results on Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ ($0.0 \leq x \leq 0.13$) single crystals. We identify the low temperature resistance step at 23 K in the parent compound with the onset of filamentary superconductivity (FLSC), which is suppressed by an applied magnetic field in a similar manner to the suppression of bulk superconductivity (SC) in doped samples. FLSC is found to persist across the phase diagram until the long range antiferromagnetic order is completely suppressed. A significant suppression of FLSC occurs for $0.02<x<0.04$, the doping concentration where bulk SC emerges. Based on these results and the recent report of an electronic anisotropy maximum for 0.02 $\leq x \leq$ 0.04 [Science 329, 824 (2010)], we speculate that, besides spin fluctuations, orbital fluctuations may also play an important role in the emergence of SC in iron-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Observation of TeV gamma rays from the Cygnus region with the ARGO-YBJ experiment

We report the observation of TeV gamma-rays from the Cygnus region using the ARGO-YBJ data collected from 2007 November to 2011 August. Several TeV sources are located in this region including the two bright extended MGRO J2019+37 and MGRO J2031+41. According to the Milagro data set, at 20 TeV MGRO J2019+37 is the most significant source apart from the Crab Nebula. No signal from MGRO J2019+37 is detected by the ARGO-YBJ experiment, and the derived flux upper limits at 90% confidence level for all the events above 600 GeV with medium energy of 3 TeV are lower than the Milagro flux, implying that the source might be variable and hard to be identified as a pulsar wind nebula. The only statistically significant (6.4 standard deviations) gamma-ray signal is found from MGRO J2031+41, with a flux consistent with the measurement by Milagro.

astro-ph.HE↗