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Claudia Felser

Publications and source records attributed to Claudia Felser.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Role of Chalcogen-p States in the Optical Response of Bulk PtSe2 and PtTe2

The type-II Dirac semimetals PtSe$_2$ and PtTe$_2$ are isostructural and isovalent layered compounds but exhibit distinct electronic properties. We measure the in-plane infrared reflectivity of bulk crystals between 10 and 300 K and compare the interband contribution to the optical conductivity with band-resolved density-functional calculations. At low temperature, the Drude spectral weight of PtTe$_2$ is an order of magnitude larger than that of PtSe$_2$. PtTe$_2$ also shows a broad mid-infrared absorption continuum, whereas the absorption of PtSe$_2$ remains weak. The calculations attribute this continuum to transitions from a predominantly chalcogen-$p$ band into a Pt-$d$ band. In PtTe$_2$, the chalcogen-$p$ band lies higher in energy, which lowers the onset of these transitions and increases the semimetallic band overlap, in line with the larger Drude spectral weight. The type-II Dirac points lie far below the Fermi level, so that transitions between the bands forming the Dirac cones do not contribute appreciably to the interband conductivity.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2026

Dipole chains of Bloch point singularities revealed by X-ray magnetic tomography

Bloch point singularities play an important role in magnetic systems, mediating changes in topology in three dimensional configurations. However, until now they have only been observed as isolated objects or as part of individual topological textures. Here we present the experimental observation of a 1D dipole chain of Bloch points in an anisotropic chiral magnet using soft X-ray magnetic vector tomography. We identify that the chain of Bloch point singularities lies along a boundary between regions of opposite chirality and that neighbouring Bloch and anti-Bloch points are stable at separations down to 60 nm. The stability of the Bloch points is determined to be closely related to the surrounding topology of the magnetisation configuration and a threshold separation for the spontaneous annihilation of Bloch point-anti-Bloch point pairs within chiral domain walls is identified to be approximately 90 nm in distance. This observation of a chain of Bloch points and the insight into their stability, offers a route to explore the correlative behaviour of such topological point defects. The behaviour and control of such point defects is of relevance for the control of 3D magnetisation configurations, and provides a new route towards the creation of correlated configurations of singularities in a magnetic system.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

Spin polarization in a chiral ladder: elastic and inelastic environments

We study how the transport window and environmental reinjection determine the spin polarization transmitted through a minimal two-leg chiral ladder. The model contains time-reversal-invariant helical spin--orbit coupling, spin-independent interchain hopping, and nonmagnetic contacts with two orbital modes per lead. Sublattice symmetry makes the coherent spin-transmission kernel exactly odd in energy. A window centered on the symmetry point therefore gives zero integrated spin current, whereas a displaced window selects an uncanceled spectral interval. The resulting polarization reverses between enantiomers and vanishes in the decoupled-chain, zero-spin--orbit, and equivalent-strand limits of this model. We compare uniform absorption, energy-resolved elastic probes, and thermalized voltage probes at the same finite bias, including reinjection whenever probes are present. Charge conservation alone does not prohibit enhancement of the integrated spin signal: the elastic-probe response can increase at finite bias even where its linear-response counterpart decreases. Thermalized probes can also lift the centered-window zero that elastic probes preserve. Absorption and reinjection also change the transmitted charge, so enhancement of spin current and enhancement of normalized polarization must be distinguished. Static onsite disorder produces sample-dependent fluctuations; its signed ensemble mean is reported with uncertainty and is not forced to vanish in a displaced window. These results identify the energy interval and reservoir prescription that must be controlled when interpreting dephasing trends in minimal models relevant to chirality-induced spin selectivity.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

A Chiral Superlattice Route to Spin-Split Topological Antiferromagnetism

The interplay between chirality and magnetism is a profound topic, spanning particle physics, condensed matter, chemistry and origin of life. In this paper, we study this interplay in the new antiferromagnet (AFM) UOTe, and we report a chiral superlattice route to spin-split topological phenomena from collinear antiferromagnetism. Pristine UOTe is a collinear AFM without Berry curvature or spin-split bands. However, we identify the spontaneous formation of a chiral superlattice in UOTe, which can be viewed as frozen chiral phonons at finite wave vector. When electrons move through the chiral superlattice, their orbital Bloch wavefunction and quantum geometry are modulated by the strong chiral superlattice potential, generating large Berry curvature in the chiral superlattice, which we detect by the nonlinear Hall effect. At 150 K, the chiral superlattice induced Berry curvature couples to the collinear AFM order, generating a giant anomalous Hall angle ~0.14 abruptly near $T_N$ that is among the largest in bulk magnets. Moreover, our spin Hanle precession measurement shows that the chiral superlattice also generates spin-polarized current from the collinear AFM, a long-standing goal in spintronics. We shed light on the supermodulation formation mechanism based on chemical ion size and physical interlayer-intralayer energy competitions, using which we propose a design principle to discover similar bond-mismatch superlattices, providing a chiral superlattice pathway through real space engineering of quantum geometry.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

Imaging atomic-scale surface structure and superconducting gap of the misfit layered compound (SnS)1.17NbS2

Superlattices of van der Waals-coupled two-dimensional materials offer a platform for engineering electronic band structure and fostering emergent quantum states. Misfit layered compounds provide naturally assembled superlattices, in which crystallographically distinct two-dimensional subsystems coexist within a single bulk crystal. Therein, the presence of both commensurate and incommensurate lattice directions introduces structural modulation, which might alter real-space electronic orders such as superconductivity. Here, we investigate the atomic-scale surface structure and local superconductivity of the misfit layered compound (SnS)1.17NbS2 using structural characterization, electrical transport, and low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). While X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy confirm the bulk misfit structure, STM resolves large SnS- and NbS2-terminated terraces, where the surface atomic registry differs from the bulk misfit structure. Furthermore, tunnelling spectroscopy at 2 K reveals nearly identical superconducting gaps on both terminations, and the spatial variation of the gap shows no visible modulation that corresponds to the misfit lattice. These results establish an atomic-scale picture of the surface structure and superconducting states of this naturally assembled misfit heterostructure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2026

Geometry-Controlled Chern transfer and Flat Band Reconstruction in distorted kagome lattices

Flat band formation and nontrivial topology are central manifestations of kagome electronic structure, yet they are commonly discussed in idealized lattice geometries. In distorted kagome materials, structural deformation reorganizes electronic propagation pathways, but a microscopic understanding of how such distortions govern flat band dispersion and band topology is still lacking. Using a distorted kagome tight-binding model with rotated angle dependent long-range hopping and intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, we show that distortion reconstructs both the dispersion and topology of the kagome band manifold. The flat band descendant develops distinct bandwidth regimes associated with a redistribution of its extrema in momentum space. Simultaneously, symmetry-related band inversions generate quantized Chern number transfer whose parity is fixed by the multiplicity of the touching points, thereby determining the gap-resolved Z2 topology. The accompanying Berry curvature evolution produces characteristic anomalous Hall and Nernst responses. These results identify geometric deformation as a common microscopic origin of flat band and topological reconstruction in kagome systems.

physics.comp-ph↗
arXiv2026

2D Theoretically Twistable Material Database

The study of twisted two-dimensional (2D) materials, where twisting layers create moiré superlattices, has created opportunities for investigating topological phases and strongly correlated physics. The broader potential of a seemingly infinite set of twistable 2D materials remains largely unexplored. Here, we define ''theoretically twistable materials'' as single- or multi-layer structures that allow for the construction of simple continuum models of their moiré structures. Our high-throughput algorithm systematically searches for theoretically twistable semimetals and insulators based on the Topological 2D Materials Database (2D-TQCDB). By analyzing key electronic properties, we identify thousands of candidate materials, propose representative twistable materials, and provide examples of crystal growth and exfoliation for several of them. Our results provide a resource for future experimental and theoretical studies of moiré systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2026

Extraordinary Lifetime Enhancement of Coherent Phonon-Amplitude Modes in the Excitonic Insulator Phase of Ta2Pd3Te5

The excitonic insulator (EI) is an electronic phase of condensed excitons. However, in many prototypical materials the presence of a concurrent structural transition complicates the identification of a purely electronic origin of the ordered state. Here, we investigate Ta2Pd3Te5, in which an EI phase develops below TC ~ 100 K in the absence of a detectable structural transition. We characterize the excitonic condensate via its coherent phonon-amplitude response. Most strikingly, an extraordinarily strong lifetime enhancement of these modes sets in below TC which we establish as a new and robust fingerprint linked to exciton condensation. We discuss possibilities to capture the enhancement when taking into account a coupling of excitonic and lattice effects in line with the coupled phonon-amplitude response. Within an order-parameter polaron picture coupling to the excitonic state may dress the phonon mode and thereby suppress its relaxation and a phenomenological model combines the anharmonic phonon response and a reduced electronic scattering due to the gap opening in the EI phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2026

Plasmon-driven electron-hole pair formation in a non-equilibrium Fermi liquid

Collective modes in Fermi liquids are usually regarded as dissipation channels that relax electronic excitations through Landau damping. Whether such modes can instead mediate the formation of correlated electronic states under non-equilibrium conditions remains an open question. Here, we show that under optical photo-doping, a bulk plasmon can drive correlated inter-band transfer within a transient electronic continuum. Using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (Tr-ARPES) on EuCd$_2$As$_2$ supported by electronic structure calculations, we observe that at high excitation density, plasmons transfer energy from a weakly dispersing bulk band into unoccupied surface states. This bulk-to-surface redistribution stabilizes a long-lived, energy-localized spectral feature consistent with a Mahan exciton. Our results reveal a non-equilibrium regime of Fermi-liquid physics in which collective modes do not merely dissipate energy, but also stabilize correlated bound states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

Carrier duality from the convergence of Dirac fermions and high-order van Hove singularities

The convergence of highly mobile Dirac fermions and flat-band heavy electrons offers a paradigm for emergent quantum phenomena. However, experimental realization of such intriguing state remains elusive. In this study, we report a dual carrier regime in the kagome metal Co3In2S2, wherein the charge transport is governed by high-mobility electrons while the thermodynamic responses exhibit heavy-electron behavior. This exotic duality arises from the coexistence of topological Dirac fermions and flat-band high-order (4th-order) Van Hove singularities (HOVHSs) at the Fermi surface, as revealed by magnetic-torque quantum oscillation and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The interaction between Dirac and HOVHS-derived carriers can be captured by a minimal two-pocket model, manifesting as sublinear resistivity above ~100 K and field-induced non-Fermi-liquid behavior at low temperatures. Our study establishes Co3In2S2 as a model platform for exploring many-body physics at the intersection of topology and correlation effects, and provides a foundational framework for designing quantum materials hosting diverse emergent states.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2026

Electronic correlations shape the low-energy optical response of the kagome antiferromagnets Mn$_3$Sn and Mn$_3$Ge

Using optical spectroscopy and density functional theory, we provide evidence that electron-electron interactions strongly affect the properties of the kagome antiferromagnet Mn$_3$Sn, since its low-energy optical interband transitions arise exclusively from the correlation-modified electronic band structure. Mn$_3$Sn possesses an optical effective mass about three times larger than that of its isostructural analog Mn$_3$Ge. The DFT+$U$ treatment in the Lichtenstein formulation, with an on-site Coulomb repulsion $U = 4$~eV and Hund's coupling $J = 0.25$~eV, accounts for the optical transitions in Mn$_3$Sn, whereas those in Mn$_3$Ge are already reproduced without Hubbard corrections ($U, J = 0$). The near-isotropic electronic structure of Mn$_3$Sn reveals a three-dimensional metal whose electronic response is shaped prominently by the Mn $d$-states. The apparent linear regime in $σ_1(ω)$ observed in Mn$_3$Sn and Mn$_3$Ge arises from several overlapping interband transitions and therefore should not be interpreted as the optical signature of the Weyl cones. The optical response does not alter with magnetic field up to 17 T, consistent with strong free-carrier screening. Our findings establish a comprehensive-correlated picture of Mn$_3$Sn and Mn$_3$Ge that offers a template for other correlated topological metals.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2026

Resolving unconventional gap structure in kagome superconductors with hybrid microwave circuits

Unconventional superconductivity is a hallmark of exotic quantum matter, where determining the pairing symmetry is essential for uncovering its microscopic origin. Kagome superconductors provide a fertile landscape for emergent phenomena arising from strong electronic correlations and nontrivial band topology, yet their superconducting pairing symmetry remains elusive. The superconducting gap structure is commonly probed via electrodynamic response, but such measurements are inapplicable to thin flakes due to their small volume and delicate nature. Superconducting microwave resonators offer a coherent and highly sensitive platform for probing electrodynamic responses, with versatile designs that enable incorporation of diverse materials and geometries. Here, we integrate flakes into microwave circuits, enabling noninvasive access to the superfluid response through contactless coupling that preserves structural integrity. By engineering the device geometry to suppress parasitic two-level-system losses that dominate dissipation in microwave circuits, we isolate the intrinsic material response. Remarkably, the temperature-dependent superfluid density exhibits linear behavior at low temperatures, consistent with a nodal gap structure. Our approach establishes a noninvasive platform for probing electrodynamic response of fragile superconducting flakes while advancing hybrid microwave architectures for quantum technologies.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2026

Bonding Signatures of Incipient Electron Localization in Topological Chiral Semimetals Near the Metal-Insulator Transition

How do electronic localization and delocalization compete in solids beyond the traditional limiting cases of metals and iono-covalent insulators? Topological chiral semimetals (TCSMs), characterized by their unique crystal symmetry, offer an intriguing platform to explore this question. Here, we systematically compare TCSMs with covalent compounds, ordinary metals, and metavalent solids (incipient metals), and show that TCSMs occupy a distinct region in a multidimensional property fingerprint. Atom probe tomography reveals an unusual bond-rupture signature, consistent with a bonding regime intermediate between electron localization and delocalization. This interpretation is supported by measurements of optical properties showing a transfer of spectral weight from interband to intraband transitions. For highly conductive TCSMs, this transition is accompanied by the disappearance of the Born effective charge, a measure of chemical bond polarizability, while less conductive TCSMs retain a nonzero value. Together, these results identify a property based bonding perspective on TCSMs that distinguishes them from metals, covalent solids, and metavalent compounds. Although metavalent solids and TCSMs both lie near the metal-insulator transition and exhibit distorted crystal structures, ultrafast coherent phonon spectroscopy reveals fundamentally different lattice-dynamical responses: a phonon-driven Peierls-like instability in metavalent solids versus a robust chiral B20 bonding motif in TCSMs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2026

Second Harmonic Generation Spectroscopy of the Surface Charge Density Wave in the Weyl Semimetal CoSi

Using temperature-dependent rotational anisotropy second harmonic generation (RA-SHG), we identify a charge density wave (CDW) instability on the CoSi (001) face with an onset temperature at $90.0 \pm 0.8$ K. The SHG response tracks the order parameter amplitude, dominated by two nonlinear tensor elements, whose background-subtracted intensity evolves with temperature as a power law. The extracted critical exponent $β= 0.30 \pm 0.03$ is consistent with the 3D XY universality class, an unexpected result for a nominally two-dimensional surface layer. No corresponding anomaly is observed in the bulk response, establishing the transition as a purely surface-driven phase transition. We attribute this unexpected scaling to the coupling between surface Fermi-arc states and the bulk topology they are tied to, grounded in a previously observed intra-unit-cell phase relationship between surface sublayers that gives the order parameter intrinsic three-dimensional structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2026

Dynamics of Charge-Density-Wave puddles in 2$H$-NbSe$_2$

Electronic phases in quantum materials are often governed by nanoscale inhomogeneity, where local order develops within spatially confined regions or puddles. A prominent example is an incommensurate charge-density-wave (I-CDW) that comprises locally commensurate domains. In 2$H$-NbSe$_2$, such an I-CDW state persists alongside lattice anharmonicity and superconductivity, raising fundamental questions about the dynamical stabilization of CDW order in puddles. Here, we probe the puddle-dynamics in 2$H$-NbSe$_2$. Raman scattering reveals a strong Fano-coupling between the interlayer shear vibration and the CDW amplitude mode. Time-resolved reflectivity measurement shows a low-frequency ~0.15 THz coherent overdamped oscillation onsetting within the CDW regime at ~17 K, pointing towards a so far unexplored transition. This we identify as a Fano-coupled phonon-CDW hybrid emerging from the collective dynamics of CDW puddles. We establish a framework for capturing intertwinned glassy dynamics with an overdamped oscillatory model. Such dynamics in 2H-NbSe2 highlight how lattice pinning and electronic correlations in layered materials affect the CDW order, which is crucial for the design of novel Van der Waals devices.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2026

Spin nematic liquid crystal and scalar spin chirality in tetragonal lattice YbMnBi$_2$

A spin nematic order, analogous to the nematic liquid crystal, characterizes the spontaneous breaking of spin-space rotational symmetry while preserving time-reversal ($T$) symmetry. In contrast, scalar spin chirality (SSC), a composite three-spin order, breaks $T$ symmetry and is known to induce an anomalous Hall effect (AHE). Although a spin nematic phase has been suggested in frustrated magnets and the square-lattice iridate, how it might affect magnetotransport properties is unknown. Here we use polarized neutron scattering to show that tetragonal $A$MnBi$_2$ ($A$ = Ca, Yb) is a strictly $c$-axis-aligned collinear antiferromagnet (C-type), with $T_N \approx 270$ K and 290 K, respectively. On cooling from 450 K to $T_N$, low-energy spin excitations in YbMnBi$_2$ spontaneously change from isotropic to anisotropic in spin space within the tetragonal plane, forming a dynamic spin nematic phase around 400 K due to heavy Yb-induced spin-orbit coupling, before gapping out below $T_N$. Similar measurements on CaMnBi$_2$ reveal isotropic paramagnetic scattering without a spin nematic phase above $T_N$. Under an in-plane magnetic field, the Yb$^{3+}$ moments may interact with the dynamic spin nematic phase to induce nonzero SSC, giving rise to AHE and an anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) in YbMnBi$_2$ that are absent in CaMnBi$_2$ above $T_N$. A symmetry-based Ginzburg-Landau analysis shows that coupling terms between the nematic order and SSC are allowed under an external magnetic field, which could explain the rapid increase of AHE with field in YbMnBi$_2$. Our results provide compelling evidence for dynamic SSC-induced AHE and ANE in the paramagnetic phase of a compensated collinear antiferromagnet, opening a new avenue for the physics of composite spin orders and room-temperature spintronics without magnetic order.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2026

Momentum Structure of Superconductivity and Sublattice Effects from Quasiparticle Interference in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$

Quantum interference encoded in the sublattice texture of kagome Bloch wavefunctions has been widely invoked as a route to correlated states, including chiral charge order, unconventional superconductivity, and their possible intertwining in pair-density-wave (PDW) states. Using sub-Kelvin scanning tunneling microscopy, we conducted spectroscopic mapping of the kagome material CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ with high energy resolution and dense energy sampling through the superconducting gap. Quasiparticle interference (QPI) analysis, aided by ab initio and symmetry calculations, reveals an isotropic superconducting gap on the Fermi surfaces derived from V $M_z$-even ($M_z^+$) $d$ orbitals, thereby constraining possible gap symmetries and limiting any gap anisotropy to the remaining V $M_z$-odd ($M_z^-$) and Sb $p_z$ bands. Meanwhile, the CDW-peak-selected d$I$/d$V$ spectra closely track the spatially averaged density of states and show no distinct enhancement restricted to subgap energies, which do not support an additional PDW modulation within our sensitivity. Finally, the selective absence of specific QPI scattering vectors points to a spectroscopic sensitivity to sublattice character on the Fermi surface. Together, these results provide a clearer experimental picture of the low-energy electronic structure relevant to kagome superconductivity in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2026

Quantum geometry and critical temperature enhancement in MgB$_2$ superconductivity

MgB$_2$, a phonon-mediated superconductor with record-high critical temperature $T_c\simeq 39$ K, is revisited to obtain a comprehensive theory of electrons, phonons, and their coupling with minimal ab initio input. We construct compact analytic models for the electronic structure, phonons, and electron-phonon coupling (EPC) of MgB$_2$. We show that strong in-plane B $sp^2$ bonding realizes an obstructed band structure whose natural description is a bond-centered kagome lattice, yielding small quasi-2D $σ$-band Fermi-surface cylinders and pronounced quantum-geometric effects. The phonon spectrum is found to closely track that of a graphene-like boron layer, but the heavy intercalated Mg atoms dominate the three acoustic branches and rigidly lift the boron modes into the optical sector, while the in-plane B-B bond-stretching mode exhibits a pronounced softening along $Γ$-A. By symmetry, this $Γ$-point bond-stretching mode is the only $Γ$ phonon that can couple to the $σ$ Fermi surface, explaining its dominant contribution to the EPC. Upon electron doping toward the doubly degenerate band edge of the $σ$ sheets, we find that a reduced density of states competes with enhanced EPC matrix elements. At light electron doping, ab initio calculations show that the EPC enhancement dominates, leading to an increase in $T_c$ (within the clean doping limit without disorder effects). Using the Gaussian approximation for the EPC tensor, we further show that this enhancement is overwhelmingly quantum geometric in origin, arising from a geometric EPC contribution of the small $σ$ Fermi surface peaked at $Γ$. Overall, our results provide a transparent, symmetry-based account of superconductivity in MgB$_2$ and suggest that quantum-geometric effects can be essential for shaping doping trends in phonon-mediated superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗