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D. A. Zocco

Publications and source records attributed to D. A. Zocco.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2024

Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Ni$_3$ $-$ A large hybridization-gap variant of Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Pt$_3$

The family of cubic noncentrosymmetric 3-4-3 compounds has become a fertile ground for the discovery of novel correlated metallic and insulating phases. Here, we report the synthesis of a new heavy fermion compound, Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Ni$_3$. It is an isoelectronic analog of the prototypical Kondo insulator Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Pt$_3$ and of the recently discovered Weyl-Kondo semimetal Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Pd$_3$. In contrast to the volume-preserving Pt-Pd substitution, structural and chemical analyses reveal a positive chemical pressure effect in Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Ni$_3$ relative to its heavier counterparts. Based on the results of electrical resistivity, Hall effect, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements, we identify an energy gap of 65-70 meV, about eight times larger than that in Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Pt$_3$ and about 45 times larger than that of the Kondo-insulating background hosting the Weyl nodes in Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Pd$_3$. We show that this gap as well as other physical properties do not evolve monotonically with increasing atomic number, i.e., in the sequence Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Ni$_3$-Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Pd$_3$-Ce$_3$Bi$_4$Pt$_3$, but instead with increasing partial electronic density of states of the $d$ orbitals at the Fermi energy. To understand under which condition topological states form in these materials is a topic for future studies.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2024

Emergent Topological Semimetal

A material's electronic topology, which is generally described via its Bloch states and the associated bandstructure, will be enriched by the presence of interactions. In metallic settings, the interactions are usually treated through the concept of quasiparticles. Using the genuinely quantum critical heavy fermion compound CeRu$_4$Sn$_6$, we investigate what happens if no well-defined quasiparticles are present. Surprisingly, we discover a topological semimetal phase that emerges from the material's quantum critical state and exhibits a dome structure as a function of magnetic field and pressure. To understand these results, we study a Weyl-Kondo semimetal model at a Kondo destruction quantum critical point. Indeed, it exhibits features in the spectral function that can define topological crossings beyond the quasiparticle picture. We expect our work to stimulate the search for other emergent topological phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2019

Electron-phonon coupling and superconductivity-induced distortion of the phonon lineshape in V$_3$Si

Phonon measurements in the A15-type superconductors were complicated in the past because of the unavailability of large single crystals for inelastic neutron scattering, e.g., in the case of Nb$_3$Sn, or unfavorable neutron scattering properties in the case of V$_3$Si. Hence, only few studies of the lattice dynamical properties with momentum resolved methods were published, in particular below the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$. Here, we overcome these problems by employing inelastic x-ray scattering and report a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of lattice dynamics in V$_3$Si with the focus on the temperature-dependent properties of low-energy acoustic phonon modes in several high-symmetry directions. We paid particular attention to the evolution of the soft phonon mode of the structural phase transition observed in our sample at $T_s=18.9\,\rm{K}$, i.e., just above the measured superconducting phase transition at $T_c=16.8\,\rm{K}$. Theoretically, we predict lattice dynamics including electron-phonon coupling based on density-functional-perturbation theory and discuss the relevance of the soft phonon mode with regard to the value of $T_c$. Furthermore, we explain superconductivityinduced anomalies in the lineshape of several acoustic phonon modes using a model proposed by Allen et al., [Phys. Rev. B 56, 5552 (1997)].

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2018

Competing soft phonon modes at the charge-density-wave transitions in DyTe$_3$

The family of rare-earth tritellurides RTe$_3$ features charge-density-wave (CDW) order related to strongly momentum-dependent electron-phonon coupling. Similar to other CDW compounds, superconductivity is observed when the CDW order is suppressed via hydrostatic pressure [1]. What sets the heavier members of the RTe3 series apart is the observation of a second CDW transition at lower temperatures having an in-plane ordering wavevector $q_{CDW,2}\parallel [100]$ of almost the same magnitude but orthogonal to the ordering wavevector $q_{CDW,1}\parallel [001]$ observed at higher temperatures [2]. Here, we report an inelastic x-ray scattering investigation of the lattice dynamics of DyTe$_3$. In particular, we show that there are several phonon modes along both in-plane directions, which respond to the onset of the CDW transition at $T_{CDW,1}=308\,\rm{K}$. Surprisingly, these soft modes close to $q_{CDW,2}=(0.68,0,0)$ show strong softening near $T_{CDW,1}$ but do not exhibit any response to the lower-temperature transition at $T_{CDW,2}=68\,\rm{K}$. Our results indicate that the low-temperature CDW order is not just the 90° rotated analogue of the one appearing at high temperatures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2016

Lattice dynamical properties of superconducting SrPt$_3$P studied via inelastic x-ray scattering and density functional perturbation theory

We present a study of the lattice dynamical properties of superconducting SrPt$_3$P ($T_c = 8.4$ K) via high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) and ab initio calculations. Density functional perturbation theory including spin-orbit coupling (SOC) results in enhanced electron-phonon coupling (EPC) for the optic phonon modes originating from the Pt(I) atoms, with energies $\sim 5$ meV, resulting in a large EPC constant $λ\sim 2$. An overall softening of the IXS powder spectra occurs from room to low temperatures, consistent with the predicted strong EPC and with recent specific-heat experiments ($2Δ_0 / k_{\mathrm{B}}T_c \sim 5$). The low-lying phonon modes observed in the experiments are approximately 1.5 meV harder than the corresponding calculated phonon branch. Moreover, we do not find any changes in the spectra upon entering the superconducting phase. We conclude that current theoretical calculations underestimate the energy of the lowest band of phonon modes indicating that the coupling of these modes to the electronic subsystem is overestimated.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2015

Evolution of quasiparticle excitations with critical mass enhancement in superconducting AFe2As2 (A = K, Rb, and Cs)

In the heavily hole-doped iron-based superconductors $A$Fe$_2$As$_2$ ($A=$ K, Rb, and Cs), the electron effective mass increases rapidly with alkali-ion radius. To study how the mass enhancement affects the superconducting state, we measure the London penetration depth $λ(T)$ in clean crystals of $A$Fe$_2$As$_2$ down to low temperature $T\sim0.1$ K. In all systems, the superfluid stiffness $ρ_s(T)=λ^2(0)/λ^2(T)$ can be approximated by a power-law $T$ dependence at low temperatures, indicating the robustness of strong momentum anisotropy in the superconducting gap $Δ(k)$. The power $α$ increases from $\sim1$ with mass enhancement and approaches an unconventional exponent $α\sim 1.5$ in the heaviest CsFe$_2$As$_2$. This appears to be a hallmark of superconductors near antiferromagnetic quantum critical points, where the quasiparticles excited across the anisotropic $Δ(k)$ are significantly influenced by the momentum dependence of quantum critical fluctuations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2015

Pressure dependence of the charge-density-wave and superconducting states in GdTe$_3$, TbTe$_3$ and DyTe$_3$

We present electrical resistivity and ac-susceptibility measurements of GdTe$_3$, TbTe$_3$ and DyTe$_3$ performed under pressure. An upper charge-density-wave (CDW) is suppressed at a rate of $\mathrm{d}T_{\mathrm{CDW,1}}/\mathrm{d}P$ = $-$85 K/GPa. For TbTe$_3$ and DyTe$_3$, a second CDW below $T_{\mathrm{CDW,2}}$ increases with pressure until it reaches the $T_{\mathrm{CDW,1}}$($P$) line. For GdTe$_3$, the lower CDW emerges as pressure is increased above $\sim$ 1 GPa. As these two CDW states are suppressed with pressure, superconductivity (SC) appears in the three compounds at lower temperatures. Ac-susceptibility experiments performed on TbTe$_3$ provide compelling evidence for bulk SC in the low-pressure region of the phase diagram. We provide measurements of superconducting critical fields and discuss the origin of a high-pressure superconducting phase occurring above 5 GPa.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2014

Persistent non-metallic behavior in Sr2IrO4 and Sr3Ir2O7 at high pressures

Iridium-based 5d transition-metal oxides are attractive candidates for the study of correlated electronic states due to the interplay of enhanced crystal-field, Coulomb and spin-orbit interaction energies. At ambient pressure, these conditions promote a novel Jeff = 1/2 Mott insulating state, characterized by a gap of the order of ~0.1 eV. We present high-pressure electrical resistivity measurements of single crystals of Sr2IrO4 and Sr3Ir2O7. While no indications of a pressure-induced metallic state up to 55 GPa were found in Sr2IrO4, a strong decrease of the gap energy and of the resistance of Sr3Ir2O7 between ambient pressure and 104 GPa confirm that this compound is in the proximity of a metal-insulator transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2014

Probing the superconductivity of PrPt4Ge12 through Ce substitution

We report measurements of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and thermoelectric power on the system Pr1-xCexPt4Ge12. Superconductivity is suppressed with increasing Ce concentration up to x = 0.5, above which there is no evidence for superconductivity down to 1.1 K. The Sommerfeld coefficient γ increases with increasing x from 48 mJ/mol K^2 up to 120 mJ/mol K^2 at x = 0.5, indicating an increase in strength of electronic correlations. The temperature dependence of the specific heat at low temperatures evolves from roughly T^3 for x = 0 to e^(-Δ/T) behavior for x = 0.05 and above, suggesting a crossover from a nodal to a nodeless superconducting energy gap or a transition from multiband to single-band superconductivity. Fermi-liquid behavior is observed throughout the series in low-temperature magnetization, specific heat, and electrical resistivity measurements.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2014

Fermi Surface of KFe$_2$As$_2$ from Quantum Oscillations in Magnetostriction

We present a study of the Fermi surface of KFe$_2$As$_2$ single crystals. Quantum oscillations were observed in magnetostriction measured down to 50 mK and in magnetic fields $H$ up to 14 T. For $H \parallel c$, the calculated effective masses are in agreement with recent de Haas-van Alphen and ARPES experiments, showing enhanced values with respect to the ones obtained from previous band calculations. For $H \parallel a$, we observed a small orbit at a cyclotron frequency of 64 T, characterized by an effective mass of $\sim 0.8 m_e$, supporting the presence of a three-dimensional pocket at the Z-point.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2013

Pauli-Limited Multiband Superconductivity in KFe2As2

The upper critical field Hc2(T) of the multiband superconductor KFe2As2 has been studied via low-temperature thermal expansion and magnetostriction measurements. We present compelling evidence for Pauli-limiting effects dominating Hc2(T) for H || a, as revealed by a crossover from second- to first-order phase transitions to the superconducting state in the magnetostriction measurements down to 50 mK. Corresponding features were absent for H || c. To our knowledge, this crossover constitutes the first confirmation of Pauli limiting of the Hc2(T) of a multiband superconductor. The results are supported by modeling Pauli limits for single-band and multiband cases.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2013

Ferromagnetic quantum critical point in UCo1-xFexGe

We have carried out a comprehensive study of the UCo1-xFexGe series across the entire range of compositions 0 <= x <= 1, and report the results of x-ray diffraction, magnetization, specific heat, and electrical resistivity to uncover the T-x phase diagram. Substitution of Fe into UCoGe initially results in an increase in the Curie temperature and a rapid destruction of the superconductivity. Near x = 0.22, the ferromagnetic transition is suppressed to zero temperature at an apparent ferromagnetic itinerant electron quantum critical point, where the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity and specific heat in this region reveal non-Fermi liquid behavior.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2012

High-pressure study of non-Fermi liquid and spin-glass-like behavior in CeRhSn

We present measurements of the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity of CeRhSn up to ~ 27 kbar. At low temperatures, the electrical resistivity varies linearly with temperature for all pressures, indicating non-Fermi liquid behavior. Below a temperature Tf ~ 6 K, the electrical resistivity deviates from a linear dependence. We found that the low-temperature feature centered at T = Tf shows a pressure dependence dTf/dP ~ 30 mK/kbar which is typical of canonical spin glasses. This interplay between spin-glass-like and non-Fermi liquid behavior was observed in both CeRhSn and a Ce0.9La0.1RhSn alloy.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2011

High pressure transport properties of the topological insulator Bi2Se3

We report x-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity, and magnetoresistance measurements on Bi2Se3 under high pressure and low temperature conditions. Pressure induces profound changes in both the room temperature value of the electrical resistivity as well as the temperature dependence of the resistivity. Initially, pressure drives Bi2Se3 towards increasingly insulating behavior and then, at higher pressures, the sample appears to enter a fully metallic state coincident with a change in the crystal structure. Within the low pressure phase, Bi2Se3 exhibits an unusual field dependence of the transverse magnetoresistance that is positive at low fields and becomes negative at higher fields. Our results demonstrate that pressures below 8 GPa provide a non-chemical means to controllably reduce the bulk conductivity of Bi2Se3.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2010

Signatures of pressure induced superconductivity in insulating Bi2212

We have performed several high pressure electrical resistance experiments on Bi1.98Sr2.06Y0.68Cu2O8, an insulating parent compound of the high-Tc Bi2212 family of copper oxide superconductors. We find a resistive anomaly, a downturn at low temperature, that onsets with applied pressure in the 20-40 kbar range. Through both resistance and magnetoresistance measurements, we identify this anomaly as a signature of induced superconductivity. Resistance to higher pressures decreases Tc, giving a maximum of 10 K. The higher pressure measurements exhibit a strong sensitivity to the hydrostaticity of the pressure environment. We make comparisons to the pressure induced superconductivity now ubiquitous in the iron arsenides.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

High-pressure, transport, and thermodynamic properties of CeTe3

We have performed high-pressure, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements on CeTe3 single crystals. Two magnetic phases with nonparallel magnetic easy axes were detected in electrical resistivity and specific heat at low temperatures. We also observed the emergence of an additional phase at high pressures and low temperatures and a possible structural phase transition detected at room temperature and at 45 kbar, which can possibly be related with the lowering of the charge-density wave transition temperature known for this compound.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2008

Superconductivity in LnFePO (Ln = La, Pr, and Nd) single crystals

Single crystals of the compounds LaFePO, PrFePO, and NdFePO have been prepared by means of a flux growth technique and studied by electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements. We have found that PrFePO and NdFePO display superconductivity with values of the superconducting critical temperature T_c of 3.2 K and 3.1 K, respectively. The effect of annealing on the properties of LaFePO, PrFePO, and NdFePO is also reported. The LnFePO (Ln = lanthanide) compounds are isostructural with the LnFeAsO_{1-x}F_x compounds that become superconducting with T_c values as high as 55 K for Ln = Sm. A systematic comparison of the occurrence of superconductivity in the series LnFePO and LnFeAsO_{1-x}F_x points to a possible difference in the origin of the superconductivity in these two series of compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗