arXiv subjects

Bernd Büchner

Publications and source records attributed to Bernd Büchner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Room temperature Planar Hall effect in nanostructures of trigonal-PtBi2

Trigonal-PtBi2 has recently garnered significant interest as it exhibits unique superconducting topological surface states due to electron pairing on Fermi arcs connecting bulk Weyl nodes. Furthermore, topological nodal lines have been predicted in trigonal-PtBi2, and their signature was measured in magnetotransport as a dissipationless, i.e. odd under a magnetic field reversal, anomalous planar Hall effect. Understanding the topological superconducting surface state in trigonal-PtBi2 requires unravelling the intrinsic geometric properties of the normal state electronic wavefunctions and further studies of their hallmarks in charge transport characteristics are needed. In this work, we reveal the presence of a strong dissipative, i.e. even under a magnetic field reversal, planar Hall effect in PtBi2 at low magnetic fields and up to room temperature. This robust response can be attributed to the presence of Weyl nodes close to the Fermi energy. While this effect generally follows the theoretical prediction for a planar Hall effect in a Weyl semimetal, we show that it deviates from theoretical expectations at both low fields and high temperatures. We also discuss the origin of the PHE in our material, and the contributions of both the topological features in PtBi2 and its possible trivial origin. Our results strengthen the topological nature of PtBi2 and the strong influence of quantum geometric effects on the electronic transport properties of the low energy normal state.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Ferromagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy on the Kagome Magnet MgMn$_6$Sn$_6$

MgMn$_6$Sn$_6$ is the itinerant ferromagnet on the kagome lattice with high ordering temperature featuring complex electronic properties due to the nontrivial topological electronic band structure, where the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) plays a crucial role. Here, we report a detailed ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopic study of MgMn$_6$Sn$_6$ aimed to elucidate and quantify the intrinsic magnetocrystalline anisotropy that is responsible for the alignment of the Mn magnetic moments in the kagome plane. By analyzing the frequency, magnetic field, and temperature dependences of the FMR modes, we have quantified the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy density that reaches the value of approximately $ 3.5\cdot 10^6$ erg/cm$^3$ at $T = 3$ K and reduces to about $1\cdot 10^6$ erg/cm$^3$ at $T = 300$ K. The revealed significantly strong magnetic anisotropy suggests a sizable contribution of the orbital magnetic moment to the spin magnetic moment of Mn, supporting the scenario of the essential role of SOC for the nontrivial electronic properties of MgMn$_6$Sn$_6$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Nematic Fluctuations and Electronic Correlations in Heavily Hole-Doped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ Probed by Elastoresistance

This work investigates nematic fluctuations and electronic correlations in the hole-doped iron pnictide superconductor Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ by means of longitudinal and transverse elastoresistance measurements over a wide doping range ($0.63 < x < 0.98$). For this purpose, the orbital character of the electronic response was revealed by decomposition of the elastoresistance into the $A_{1g}$ and $B_{2g}$ symmetry channels. It was shown that at lower doping levels nematic fluctuations in the $B_{2g}$ channel dominate, while for $x > 0.68$ the $A_{1g}$ channel becomes dominant and reaches a pronounced maximum at $x \approx 0.8$ which indicates strong orbital-selective electronic correlations. Despite the dominance of the $A_{1g}$ signal at high doping, a weak contribution in the $B_{2g}$ channel persists, which can be interpreted as a remnant of nematic fluctuations. Model calculations based on a five-orbital tight-binding Hamiltonian with interactions attribute the observed enhancement in the $A_{1g}$ channel to an orbital-selective Kondo-like resonance, predominantly involving the $d_{xy}$ orbital. We discuss our results in relation to the evolution of the Sommerfeld coefficient reported in the literature and a reported change of the superconducting order parameter. All this indicates that for $x > 0.68$ qualitatively new physics emerges. Our findings suggest that electronic correlations in the strongly hole-doped regime play an important role in superconductivity, while the detectable weak nematic fluctuations may also be of relevance.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Field-induced magnetic phases in the Kitaev candidate Na$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$

We report a rich anisotropic magnetic phase diagram of Na$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$, a previously proposed cobaltate Kitaev candidate, based on field- and temperature-dependent magnetization, specific heat, and magnetocaloric effect studies. At low temperatures, our experiments uncover a low-lying $j_{\textrm{eff}} = \frac{1}{2}$ state with an antiferromagnetic ground state and pronounced in-plane versus out-of-plane anisotropy. The experimentally identified magnetic phases are theoretically characterized through classical Monte Carlo simulations within an extended Kitaev-Heisenberg model with additional ring exchange interactions. The resulting phase diagram reveals a variety of exotic field-induced magnetic phases, including double-$\textbf{q}$, $\frac{1}{3}$-AFM, zigzag, and vortex phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Spin Hall magnetoresistance at the altermagnetic insulator/Pt interface

The resistance of a heavy metal can be modulated by an adjacent magnetic material through the combined effects of the spin Hall effect, inverse spin Hall effect, and dissipation of the spin accumulation at the interface. This phenomenon is known as the spin Hall magnetoresistance. The dissipation of the spin accumulation can occur via various mechanisms, with spin-transfer torque being the most extensively studied. In this work, we report the observation of spin Hall magnetoresistance at the interface between platinum and an insulating altermagnetic candidate, Ba$_2$CoGe$_2$O$_7$. Our findings reveal that this heterostructure exhibits a relatively large spin Hall magnetoresistance signal, which is anisotropic with respect to the crystal orientation of the current channel. We explore and rule out several potential explanations for this anisotropy and propose that our results may be understood in the context of the anisotropies of the spin current channels across the Pt/altermagnetic Ba$_2$CoGe$_2$O$_7$ interface.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Strongly Entangled Kondo and Kagome Lattices and the Emergent Magnetic Ground State in Heavy-Fermion Kagome Metal YbV$_6$Sn$_6$

Applying angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, we present compelling spectroscopic evidence demonstrating the intertwining and mutual interaction between the Kondo and kagome sublattices in heavy-fermion intermetallic compound YbV$_6$Sn$_6$. We reveal the Yb 4$f$-derived states near the Fermi level, along with the presence of bulk kagome bands and topological surface states. We unveil strong interactions between the 4$f$ and itinerant electrons, where the kagome bands hosting the Dirac fermions and van Hove singularities predominate. Such findings are well described using a $c$-$f$ hybridization model. On the other hand, our systematic characterization of magnetic properties demonstrates an unusually enhanced antiferromagnetic ordering, where the kagome-derived van Hove singularities near $E_F$ play a vital role in determining the unconventional nature of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction and Kondo coupling. These unique kagome-state-mediated exchange interactions have never been reported before and could lead to a novel phase diagram and various quantum critical behaviors in YbV$_6$Sn$_6$ and its siblings. Our results not only expand the family of exotic quantum phases entangled with kagome structure to the strongly correlated regime, but also establish YbV$_6$Sn$_6$ as an unprecedented platform to explore unconventional many-body physics beyond the standard Kondo picture.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Three prerequisites for high-temperature superconductivity in t-PtBi$_2$

Although the generic mechanism behind high-temperature superconductivity remains notoriously elusive, a set of favorable conditions for its occurrence in a given material has emerged: (i) the electronic structure should have a very high density of states near the Fermi level; (ii) electrons need to be susceptible to a sizable interaction with another degree of freedom to ensure pairing themselves; (iii) the ability to fine-tune some of the system properties significantly helps maximising the critical temperature. Here, by means of high-resolution ARPES, we show that all three criteria are remarkably fulfilled in trigonal platinum bismuthide (t-PtBi$_2$). Specifically, this happens on its surface, which hosts topological surface states known as Fermi arcs. Our findings pave the way for the stabilisation and optimisation of high-temperature superconductivity in this topological material.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Direct probe of magnetic field effects on phonons by ultrasound propagation in a quasi-two-dimensional honeycomb magnet Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$

We study the phonon behavior of a Co-based honeycomb frustrated magnet Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ under magnetic field applied perpendicular to the honeycomb plane. The temperature and field dependence of the sound velocity and sound attenuation unveil prominent spin-lattice coupling in this material, promoting ultrasound as a sensitive probe for magnetic properties. An out-of-plane ferrimagnetic order is determined below the Néel temperature $T_N=27$~K. A comprehensive analysis of our data further supports a triple-Q ground state of Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$. Furthermore, the ultrasound data were systematically compared to the thermal transport results from literature, to unveil the importance of phononic contribution to the observed transport behaviors.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Inducing ferromagnetism by structural engineering in a strongly spin-orbit coupled oxide

Magnetic materials with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) are essential for the advancement of spin-orbitronic devices, as they enable efficient spin-charge conversion, complex magnetic structures, spin-valley physics, topological phases and other exotic phenomena. 5d transition-metal oxides such as SrIrO3 feature large SOC, but usually show paramagnetic behavior due to broad bands and a low density of states at the Fermi level, accompanied by a relatively low Coulomb repulsion. Here, we unveil ferromagnetism in 5d SrIrO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 (111). Through substrate-induced structural engineering, a zigzag stacking of three-unit-cell thick layers along the [111] direction is achieved, stabilizing a ferromagnetic state at the interfaces. Magnetotransport measurements reveal an anomalous Hall effect below ~30 K and hysteresis in the Hall conductivity below 7 K, indicating ferromagnetic ordering. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism further supports these results. Theoretical analysis suggests that the structural engineering of the IrO6 octahedral network enhances the density of states at the Fermi level and thus stabilizes Stoner ferromagnetism. This work highlights the potential of structurally engineered 5d oxides for spin-orbitronic devices, where efficient control of SOC-induced magnetic phases by electric currents can lead to lower energy consumption and improved performance in next-generation device technologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Exciton dynamics and exciton-phonon coupling in bulk and thin flakes of layered van der Waals antiferromagnet Ni$_2$P$_2$S$_6$

The Zhang-Rice (ZR) singlet is an intriguing quantum state offering potential to realize a spin-orbit-entangled bosonic quasiparticle, which gives rise to the Zhang-Rice exciton. Its formation is attributed to the correlation between a localized d-orbital of a transition metal and the p-orbitals of the neighbouring ligands. The layered two-dimensional (2D) antiferromagnetic Ni2P2S6 system provide an excellent platform to probe the ZR exciton dynamics along with the role of exciton-phonon coupling. Here, we present a comprehensive study of ZR exciton and coupling with the phonons in bulk and few-layered single crystals of Ni2P2S6 using temperature, polarization and power-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. At cryogenic temperatures, the PL spectra reveal distinct phonon sidebands spaced by an energy difference of nearly 117 cm-1, indicative of exciton-phonon hybridization. Polarization-resolved measurements demonstrate a strong optical anisotropy, with a linear polarization degree of ~ 40 % at 4 K. Excitation power variation highlights linear scaling of PL intensity in the low-power regime, followed by spectral deformation at higher powers attributed to the phonon-assisted recombination and exciton saturation effects. ZR exciton and phonon side bands survival temperature decreases with decreasing flake thickness suggesting their tunability. The emergence and suppression of phonon sidebands with temperature and flake thickness emphasize dimensional sensitivity and coherence limits of excitonic states. Our findings position Ni2P2S6 as a promising candidate for tunable and anisotropic optoelectronic applications, while offering insight into quasiparticle interactions in 2D magnetic systems.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2025

Sizable superconducting gap and anisotropic chiral topological superconductivity in the Weyl semimetal PtBi$_2$

Topological superconductors offer a fertile ground for realizing Majorana zero modes -- topologically protected, zero-energy quasiparticles that are resilient to local perturbations and hold great promise for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Recent studies have presented encouraging evidence for intrinsic topological superconductivity in the Weyl semimetal trigonal PtBi$_2$, hinting at a robust surface phase potentially stable beyond the McMillan limit. However, due to substantial spatial variations in the observed superconducting (SC) gap $Δ$ the nature of the underlying order parameter $Δ$($k$) remained under debate. Here we report the realization of sizable surface SC gaps ($Δ> 10\,\mathrm{meV}$) in PtBi$_2$, exhibiting remarkable spatial uniformity from hundreds of nanometers down to the atomic level, as revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Building on this spatial homogeneity -- indicative of long-range phase coherence -- we uncover previously unobserved low-energy Andreev bound states (ABSs) that ubiquitously emerge within the SC gap across the surface. Theoretical simulations that closely reproduce the experimental spectra, reveal an anisotropic chiral pairing symmetry of $Δ$($k$), and further suggest that the observed ABSs are of topological origin. The combination of a large, nontrivial pairing gap and accessible surface states establishes PtBi$_2$ as a compelling platform for investigating topological superconductivity and its associated Majorana modes.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Temperature dependence of surface superconductivity in t-PtBi$_2$

The Weyl semimetal trigonal PtBi$_2$ has recently been identified as a promising candidate material for intrinsic topological surface superconductivity emerging from the Fermi arc states of the material with a sizeable superconducting gap. We report the temperature evolution of the superconducting excitation spectrum using scanning tunneling spectroscopy in the range of $8-45\,$K. A large low-temperature gap in the order of $Δ\approx 9\,$meV and a closing of the gap around $T_c \approx 45\,$K is observed. Thus, our results confirm the previously indicated high $T_c$-like superconductivity in t-PtBi$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Inhomogeneity-driven multiform Spontaneous Hall Effect in conventional and unconventional superconductors

The spontaneous Hall effect (SHE), a finite voltage occurring transversal to the electrical current in zero-magnetic field, has been observed in both conventional and unconventional superconductors, appearing as a peak near the superconducting transition temperature. The origin of SHE is strongly debated, with proposed explanations ranging from intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms such as spontaneous symmetry breaking and time-reversal symmetry breaking (BTRS), Abrikosov vortex motion, or extrinsic factors like material inhomogeneities, such as non-uniform critical temperature (Tc) distributions or structural asymmetries. This work is an experimental study of the SHE in various superconducting materials. We focused on conventional, low-Tc, sharp transition Nb and unconventional, intermediate-Tc, smeared transition Fe(Se,Te). Our findings show distinct SHE peaks around the superconducting transition, with variations in height, sign and shape, indicating a possible common mechanism independent of the specific material. We propose that spatial inhomogeneities in the critical temperature, caused by local chemical composition variations, disorder, or other forms of electronic spatial inhomogeneities could explain the appearing of the SHE. This hypothesis is supported by comprehensive finite elements simulations of randomly distributed Tc by varying Tc-distribution, spatial scale of disorder and amplitude of the superconducting transition. The comparison between experimental results and simulations suggest a unified origin for the SHE in different superconductors, whereas different phenomenology can be explained in terms of amplitude of the transition temperature in respect to Tc-distribution.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Topological nodal $i$-wave superconductivity in PtBi$_2$

Most superconducting materials are well-understood and conventional in the sense that the pairs of electrons that cause the superconductivity by their condensation have the highest possible symmetry. Famous exceptions are the enigmatic high-$T_c$ cuprate superconductors. Nodes in their superconducting gap are the fingerprint of their unconventional character and imply superconducting pairing of $d$-wave symmetry. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we observe that the Weyl semimetal PtBi$_2$ harbors nodes in its superconducting gap, implying unconventional $i$-wave pairing symmetry. At temperatures below $10\,\mathrm{K}$, the superconductivity in PtBi$_2$ gaps out its topological surface states, the Fermi arcs, while its bulk states remain normal. The nodes in the superconducting gap that we observe are located exactly at the center of the Fermi arcs, and imply the presence of topologically protected Majorana cones around this locus in momentum space. From this, we infer theoretically that robust zero-energy Majorana flat bands emerge at surface step edges. This not only establishes PtBi$_2$ surfaces as unconventional, topological $i$-wave superconductors but also as a promising material platform in the ongoing effort to generate and manipulate Majorana bound states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Unusual Valence of Ru and Prediction of Magnetism, Anomalous Hall Conductivity in a Newly Synthesized Double Perovskite Compound Ca_2CoRuO_6

With a goal to expand on the family of double perovskite compounds, hosting 3d transition metal and 4d or 5d transition metal, two new ordered double perovskite compounds, Ca$_2$FeRuO$_6$ and Ca$_2$CoRuO$_6$ are synthesized following the prediction of a recent high throughput machine-learning study [Phys. Rev. Materials 3, 084418]. Experimentally both compounds are found to stabilize in monoclinic symmetry, which is consistent with the high-throughput prediction for Ca$_2$FeRuO$_6$, but at odd for Ca$_2$CoRuO$_6$. Among the two synthesized compounds, the properties of Ca$_2$CoRuO$_6$, investigated employing the first principles technique and model Hamiltonian calculation, appear promising. The monoclinic structured Ca$_2$CoRuO$_6$ is found to stabilize unusual 6+ valence of Ru, and support a half-metallic ground state with uncompensated net moment. As predicted by our first-principles study, the finite spin-orbit coupling at the Ru site contributes to the non-trivial topology of the band structure of monoclinic Ca$_2$CoRuO$_6$, resulting in a moderately large value of anomalous Hall conductivity. Our theoretical predictions should encourage further experimental investigation of this newly synthesized compound.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Antipolar and short and long-range magnetic ordering in quasi-two-dimensional AgCrP2S6

Within the Landau theoretical framework, the decreased entropy with decreasing the temperature is accompanied by the symmetry breaking and hence a corresponding phase transition. The broken symmetries leave its imprint on the underlying excitations and the same may be gauged using renormalization of these excitations. AgCrP2S6 provides a versatile playground to probe dynamics of the quasiparticle excitations as well as multiple phase transitions with lowering temperature linked with the polar, lattice and spin degrees of freedom. Here, we report an in-depth temperature- and polarization-dependent Raman scattering measurements on single crystals of quasi 2D zigzag antiferromagnet AgCrP2S6 along with the first principle based phonon calculations. We observed multiple phase transitions triggered by the short and long-range ordering of spins at ~ 90 K and 20 K, respectively; within the Cr sublattice where spins are arranged in a 1D chain, evident by the distinct anomalies in the phonon modes self-energy parameters as well as intensity. Contrary to the conventional belief, we uncovered potential quasi-antipolar ordering at ~ 200 K and with further lowering in temperature an antipolar ordering at ~ 140 K attributed to the Ag ions, which is conjectured to be forbidden owing to the heaviness of Ag ions. The quasi-antipolar and antipolar ordering is gauged via the distinct renormalization of the phonon parameters, which survives at all the temperatures. Additionally, large number of modes appears with decreasing the temperature, in the window of ~ 200-140 K, where antipolar ordering starts settling in. The emergence of large number of phonon modes below ~ 200 K, nearly double of those at room temperature, suggests the lowering of symmetry from high temperature C2h to the low temperature C2 or Cs and as a result doubling of the unit cell.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Measuring superconducting arcs by ARPES

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy is the leading tool for studying the symmetry and structure of the order parameter in superconductors. The recent improvement of the technique made it possible to detect the superconducting energy gap at the surface of topological t-PtBi2 via observation of the record-breaking narrow line shapes. The promising new physics uncovered requires further investigation of the spectral and gap functions of t-PtBi2, but the challenging experimental conditions severely limit the application of conventional ARPES setups. In this work, we use synchrotron-based measurements and show that the gap at the surface Fermi arc in t-PtBi2 can be detected even with more relaxed experimental conditions than in our previous laser-based studies. At the same time, using simple model of ARPES spectra, we identify the minimum requirements to detect the gap and consider cases where the gap cannot be resolved.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Orbital-selective band modifications in a charge-ordered kagome metal LuNb$_6$Sn$_6$

The origin of the charge order in kagome lattice materials has attracted great interest due to the unique electronic structure features connected to kagome networks and the interplay between electron and lattice degrees of freedom. Recently, compounds with composition $Ln$Nb$_6$Sn$_6$ ($Ln$ = Ce-Nd, Sm, Gd-Tm, Lu, Y) appear as a new family of kagome metals, structurally analogous to $R$V$_6$Sn$_6$ ($R$ = Sc, Y, or rare earth) systems. Among them, LuNb$_6$Sn$_6$ emerges as a novel material hosting charge density wave (CDW) with a $\sqrt{3}$ $\times$ $\sqrt{3}$ $\times$ $3$ wave vector, akin to that in ScV$_6$Sn$_6$. Here, we employ high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density functional theory calculations to systematically investigate the electronic properties of LuNb$_6$Sn$_6$. Our observation reveals the characteristic band structures of the "166" kagome system. A charge instability driven by Fermi surface nesting is decisively ruled out through an analysis of the interactions between van Hove singularities. Across the CDW transition, we observe orbital-selective band modifications, with noticeable evolutions of Lu 5$d$ and Sn 5$p$ electrons, while Nb 4$d$ electrons exhibit minimal change, suggesting that the Lu and Sn sites other than the Nb kagome lattice play a key role in the formation of CDW. Our findings substantiate a universal lattice-driven CDW mechanism rather than a charge-instability-driven one in the "166" kagome compounds, making it a distinct material class compared to other charge-ordered kagome systems, such as $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($A$ = K, Rb, Cs) and FeGe.

cond-mat.str-el↗