arXiv subjects

Dong Qian

Publications and source records attributed to Dong Qian.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Coexistence of Ferroelectric-like Polarization and Dirac-like Surface State in TaNiTe5

By combining angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and first-principles calculations, we have studied the low-energy band structure, atomic structure and charge polarization on the surface of a topological semimetal candidate TaNiTe5. Dirac-like surface states were observed on the (010) surface by ARPES, consistent with the first-principles calculations. On the other hand, PFM reveals a switchable ferroelectric-like polarization on the same surface. We propose that the noncentrosymmetric surface reconstruction observed by STM could be the origin of the observed ferroelectric-like state in this novel material. Our findings provide a new platform with the coexistence of ferroelectric-like surface charge distribution and novel surface states.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Topological quantum phase transition in the magnetic semimetal HoSb

Magnetic topological semimetals, a novel state of quantum matter with nontrivial band topology, have emerged as a new frontier in physics and materials science. An external stimulus like temperature or magnetic field could be expected to alter their spin states and thus the Fermi surface anisotropies and topological features. Here, we perform the angular magnetoresistance measurements and electronic band structure calculations to reveal the evolution of HoSb's Fermi surface anisotropies and topological nature in different magnetic states. The angular magnetoresistance results manifest that its Fermi surface anisotropy is robust in the paramagnetic state but is significantly modulated in the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic states. More interestingly, a transition from the trivial (nontrivial) to nontrivial (trivial) topological electronic phase is observed when HoSb undergoes a magnetic transition from the paramagnetic (antiferromagnetic) to antiferromagnetic (ferromagnetic) state induced by temperature (applied magnetic field). Our studying suggests that HoSb provides an archetype platform to study the correlations between magnetism and topological states of matter.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Layer-dependent mechanical properties and enhanced plasticity in the van der Waals chromium trihalide magnets

The mechanical properties of magnetic materials are instrumental for the development of the magnetoelastic theory and the optimization of strain-modulated magnetic devices. In particular, two-dimensional (2D) magnets hold promise to enlarge these concepts into the realm of low-dimensional physics and ultrathin devices. However, no experimental study on the intrinsic mechanical properties of the archetypal 2D magnet family of the chromium trihalides has thus far been performed. Here, we report the room temperature layer-dependent mechanical properties of atomically thin CrI3 and CrCl3, finding that bilayers of CrI3 and CrCl3 have Young's moduli of 62.1 GPa and 43.4 GPa, with the highest sustained strain of 6.09% and 6.49% and breaking strengths of 3.6 GPa and 2.2 GPa, respectively. Both the elasticity and strength of the two materials decrease with increased thickness, which is attributed to a weak interlayer interaction that enables interlayer sliding under low levels of applied load. The mechanical properties observed in the few-layer chromium trihalide crystals provide evidence of outstanding plasticity in these materials, which is qualitatively demonstrated in their bulk counterparts. This study will contribute to various applications of the van der Waals magnetic materials, especially for their use in magnetostrictive and flexible devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Mechanical Properties of Atomically Thin Tungsten Dichalcogenides: WS$_2$, WSe$_2$ and WTe$_2$

Two-dimensional (2D) tungsten disulfide (WS$_2$), tungsten diselenide (WSe$_2$), and tungsten ditelluride (WTe$_2$) draw increasing attention due to their attractive properties deriving from the heavy tungsten and chalcogenide atoms, but their mechanical properties are still mostly unknown. Here, we determine the intrinsic and air-aged mechanical properties of mono-, bi-, and trilayer (1-3L) WS$_2$, WSe$_2$ and WTe$_2$ using a complementary suite of experiments and theoretical calculations. High-quality 1L WS$_2$ has the highest Young's modulus (302.4+-24.1 GPa) and strength (47.0+-8.6 GPa) of the entire family, overpassing those of 1L WSe$_2$ (258.6+-38.3 and 38.0+-6.0 GPa, respectively) and WTe$_2$ (149.1+-9.4 and 6.4+-3.3 GPa, respectively). However, the elasticity and strength of WS$_2$ decrease most dramatically with increased thickness among the three materials. We interpret the phenomenon by the different tendencies for interlayer sliding in equilibrium state and under in-plane strain and out-of-plane compression conditions in the indentation process, revealed by finite element method (FEM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations including van der Waals (vdW) interactions. We also demonstrate that the mechanical properties of the high-quality 1-3L WS$_2$ and WSe$_2$ are largely stable in the air for up to 20 weeks. Intriguingly, the 1-3L WSe$_2$ shows increased modulus and strength values with aging in the air. This is ascribed to oxygen doping, which reinforces the structure. The present study will facilitate the design and use of 2D tungsten dichalcogenides in applications, such as strain engineering and flexible field-effect transistors (FETs).

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Discovery of the Superconductivity in 3d Element Ni doped IrTe$_2$

IrTe$_2$ with large spin-orbital coupling (SOC) shows a CDW-like first order structural phase transition from high-temperature trigonal phase to low-temperature monoclinic phase at 270 K, accompanying with a large jump in transport and magnetic measurement as well as in heat capacity. Here, the 3d element Ni has been doped into IrTe$_2$ by growing Ir$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$Te$_2$ single crystals. Both XRD and XPS results reveal that the Ni atoms have substituted for Ir, which is consistent with the calculation result. Like the CDW behaviour, the structural phase transition shows competition and coexistence with the superconductivity. The monoclinic phase transition has been suppressed gradually with the increase of the doping amount of Ni, at last giving rise to the stabilization of the trigonal phase with superconductivity. Within 0.1$\leq$x$\leq$0.2, Ir$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$Te$_2$ shows the superconductive behaviour with T$_c$ around 2.6K. The superconductivity shows anisotropy with dimensionless anisotropy parameter $γ$=$ξ_{//}$$/$$ξ_{\perp}$$\sim$ 2. Even Ni element shows ferromagnetic behaviour, Ir$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$Te$_2$ only shows weak paramagnetism, no ferromagnetic order is observed in it, which is coincident with the calculation result that their up and down spin density of states compensate each other well. In addition, for other 3d elements Fe, Co and Mn doped IrTe$_2$, only Ir$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$Te$_2$ owns magnetism with magnetic moment of 3.0$μ$$_B$ to the supercell, theoretically.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

The Layer-inserting Growth of Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ Based on Symmetry and Its X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

The antiferromagnetic topological insulator has attracted lots of attention recently, as its intrinsic magnetism and topological property makes it a potential material to realize the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) at relative high temperature. Until now, only MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ is predicted and grown successfully. The other MB$_2$T$_4$-family materials predicted (MB$_2$T$_4$:M=transition-metal or rare-earth element, B=Bi or Sb, T=Te, Se, or S) with not only antiferromagnetic topological property but also rich and exotic topological quantum states and dynamically stable (or metastable) structure have not been realized on experiment completely. Here, MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ single crystals have been grown successfully and tested. It shows typical antiferromagnetic character, with Neel temperature of 24.5K and a spin-flop transition at H$\thickapprox$35000 Oe, 1.8K. After obtaining MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ single crystals, we have tried to synthesize the other members of MB$_2$T$_4$-family materials, but things are not going so well. Then it inspires us to discuss the growth mechanism of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. The growth mode may be the layer-inserting growth mode based on symmetry, which is supported by our X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement. The XPS measurement combing with the $Ar^+$ ion sputtering is done to investigate the chemical state of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. Binding energies (BE) of the MnBi$_2$Te$_4$-related contributions to Mn2p and Te3d spectra agree well with those of inserting material $α$-MnTe. Rising intensity of the Mn2p satellite for divalent Mn (bound to chalcogen) with atomic number of ligand (from MnO to MnBi$_2$Te$_4$) has been observed, thus suggesting classification of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ as the charge-transfer compound. Understanding the growth mode of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ can help us to grow the other members of MB$_2$T$_4$-family materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Mechanical Properties of Atomically Thin Boron Nitride and the Role of Interlayer Interactions

Atomically thin boron nitride (BN) nanosheets are important two-dimensional nanomaterials with many unique properties distinct from those of graphene, but the investigation of their mechanical properties still greatly lacks. Here we report that high-quality single-crystalline mono- and few-layer BN nanosheets are one of the strongest electrically insulating materials. More intriguingly, few-layer BN shows mechanical behaviors quite different from those of few-layer graphene under indentation. In striking contrast to graphene, whose strength decreases by more than 30% when the number of layers increases from 1 to 8, the mechanical strength of BN nanosheets is not sensitive to increasing thickness. We attribute this difference to the distinct interlayer interactions and hence sliding tendencies in these two materials under indentation. The significantly better mechanical integrity of BN nanosheets makes them a more attractive candidate than graphene for several applications, e.g. as mechanical reinforcements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Non-Coulomb strong electron-hole binding in $Ta_2NiSe_5$ revealed by time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We reveal an ultrafast purely electronic phase transition in \TNS, which is a plausible excitonic insulator, after excited by an ultrafast infrared laser pulse. Specifically, the order parameter of the strong electron-hole binding shrinks with enhancing the pump pulse, and above a critical pump fluence, a photo-excited semimetallic state is experimentally identified with the absence of ultrafast structural transition. In addition, the bare valence and conduction bands and also the effective exciton binding energy in \TNS~are determined. These findings and detailed analysis suggest a bare nonequilibrium semimetallic phase in $Ta_2NiSe_5$ and the strong electron-hole binding cannot be exclusively driven by Coulomb interaction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Anisotropic transport and quantum oscillations in the quasi-one-dimensional TaNiTe5: Evidence for the nontrivial band topology

The past decade has witnessed the burgeoning discovery of a variety of topological states of matter with distinct nontrivial band topologies. Thus far, most of materials studied possess two-dimensional or three-dimensional electronic structures, with only a few exceptions that host quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) topological electronic properties. Here we present the clear-cut evidence for Dirac fermions in the quasi-1D telluride TaNiTe5. We show that its transport behaviors are highly anisotropic and we observe nontrivial Berry phases via the quantum oscillation measurements. The nontrivial band topology is further corroborated by first-principles calculations. Our results may help to guide the future quest for topological states in this new family of quasi-1D ternary chalcogenides.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Achieving 50 femtosecond resolution in MeV ultrafast electron diffraction with a double bend achromat compressor

We propose and demonstrate a novel scheme to produce ultrashort and ultrastable MeV electron beam. In this scheme, the electron beam produced in a photocathode radio-frequency (rf) gun first expands under its own Coulomb force with which a positive energy chirp is imprinted in the beam longitudinal phase space. The beam is then sent through a double bend achromat with positive longitudinal dispersion where electrons at the bunch tail with lower energies follow shorter paths and thus catch up with the bunch head, leading to longitudinal bunch compression. We show that with optimized parameter sets, the whole beam path from the electron source to the compression point can be made isochronous such that the time of flight for the electron beam is immune to the fluctuations of rf amplitude. With a laser-driven THz deflector, the bunch length and arrival time jitter for a 20 fC beam after bunch compression are measured to be about 29 fs (FWHM) and 22 fs (FWHM), respectively. Such an ultrashort and ultrastable electron beam allows us to achieve 50 femtosecond (FWHM) resolution in MeV ultrafast electron diffraction where lattice oscillation at 2.6 THz corresponding to Bismuth A1g mode is clearly observed without correcting both the short-term timing jitter and long-term timing drift. Furthermore, oscillating weak diffuse scattering signal related to phonon coupling and decay is also clearly resolved thanks to the improved temporal resolution and increased electron flux. We expect that this technique will have a strong impact in emerging ultrashort electron beam based facilities and applications.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2019

Fermi-crossing Type-II Dirac fermions and topological surface states in NiTe2

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer an ideal platform to experimentally realize Dirac fermions. However, typically these exotic quasiparticles are located far away from the Fermi level, limiting the contribution of Dirac-like carriers to the transport properties. Here we show that NiTe2 hosts both bulk Type-II Dirac points and topological surface states. The underlying mechanism is shared with other TMDs and based on the generic topological character of the Te p-orbital manifold. However, unique to NiTe2, a significant contribution of Ni d orbital states shifts the energy of the Type-II Dirac point close to the Fermi level. In addition, one of the topological surface states intersects the Fermi energy and exhibits a remarkably large spin splitting of 120 meV. Our results establish NiTe2 as an exciting candidate for next-generation spintronics devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Torsional refrigeration by twisted, coiled, and supercoiled fibers

Higher efficiency, lower cost refrigeration is needed for both large and small scale cooling. Refrigerators using entropy changes during cycles of stretching or hydrostatically compression of a solid are possible alternatives to the vapor-compression fridges found in homes. We show that high cooling results from twist changes for twisted, coiled, or supercoiled fibers, including those of natural rubber, NiTi, and polyethylene fishing line. By using opposite chiralities of twist and coiling, supercoiled natural rubber fibers and coiled fishing line fibers result that cool when stretched. A demonstrated twist-based device for cooling flowing water provides a high cooling energy and device efficiency. Theory describes the axial and spring index dependencies of twist-enhanced cooling and its origin in a phase transformation for polyethylene fibers.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2019

Second derivative analysis and alternative data filters for multi-dimensional spectroscopies: a Fourier-space perspective

The second derivative image (SDI) method is widely applied to sharpen dispersive data features in multi-dimensional spectroscopies such as angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Here, the SDI function is represented in Fourier space, where it has the form of a multi-band pass filter. The interplay of the SDI procedure with undesirable noise and background features in ARPES data sets is reviewed, and it is shown that final image quality can be improved by eliminating higher Fourier harmonics of the SDI filter. We then discuss extensions of SDI-like band pass filters to higher dimensional data sets, and how one can create even more effective filters with some a priori knowledge of the spectral features.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2018

Topological Type-II Dirac Fermions Approaching the Fermi Level in a Transition Metal Dichalcogenide NiTe2

Type-II Dirac/Weyl semimetals are characterized by strongly tilted Dirac cones such that the Dirac/Weyl node emerges at the boundary of electron and hole pockets as a new state of quantum matter, distinct from the standard Dirac/Weyl points with a point-like Fermi surface which are referred to as type-I nodes. The type-II Dirac fermions were recently predicted by theory and have since been confirmed in experiments in the PtSe2-class of transition metal dichal-cogenides. However, the Dirac nodes observed in PtSe2, PdTe2 and PtTe2 candidates are quite far away from the Fermi level, making the signature of topological fermions obscure as the physical properties are still dominated by the non-Dirac quasiparticles. Here we report the synthesis of a new type-II Dirac semimetal NiTe2 in which a pair of type-II Dirac nodes are located very close to the Fermi level. The quantum oscillations in this material reveal a nontrivial Berry's phase associated with these Dirac fermions. Our first principles calculations further unveil a topological Dirac cone in its surface states. Therefore, NiTe2 may not only represent an improved system to formulate the theoretical understanding of the exotic consequences of type-II Dirac fermions, it also facilitates possible applications based on these topological carriers.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Possible structural origin of superconductivity in Sr-doped Bi2Se3

Doping bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) with elements such as copper and strontium (Sr) can induce superconductivity, making the doped materials interesting candidates to explore potential topological superconducting behaviors. It was thought that the superconductivity of doped Bi2Se3 was induced by dopant atoms intercalated in van der Waals gaps. However, several experiments have shown that the intercalation of dopant atoms may not necessarily make doped Bi2Se3 superconducting. Thus, the structural origin of superconductivity in doped Bi2Se3 remains an open question. Herein, we combined material synthesis and characterization, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and first-principles calculations to study the doping structure of Sr-doped Bi2Se3. We found that the emergence of superconductivity is strongly related with n-type dopant atoms. Atomic-level energy-dispersive X-ray mapping revealed various n-type Sr dopants that occupy intercalated and interstitial positions. First-principles calculations showed that the formation energy of a specific interstitial Sr doping position depends strongly on Sr doping level. This site changes from a metastable position at low Sr doping level to a stable position at high Sr doping level. The calculation results explain why quenching is necessary to obtain superconducting samples when the Sr doping level is low and also why slow furnace cooling can yield superconducting samples when the Sr doping level is high. Our findings suggest that Sr atoms doped at interstitial locations, instead of those intercalated in van der Waals gaps, are most likely to be responsible for the emergence of superconductivity in Sr-doped Bi2Se3.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Molecule-Induced Conformational Change in Boron Nitride Nanosheets with Enhanced Surface Adsorption

Surface interaction is extremely important to both fundamental research and practical application. Physisorption can induce shape and structural distortion (i.e. conformational changes) in macromolecular and biomolecular adsorbates, but such phenomenon has rarely been observed on adsorbents. Here, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that atomically thin boron nitride (BN) nanosheets as an adsorbent experience conformational changes upon surface adsorption of molecules, increasing adsorption energy and efficiency. The study not only provides new perspectives on the strong adsorption capability of BN nanosheets and many other two-dimensional nanomaterials but also opens up possibilities for many novel applications. For example, we demonstrate that BN nanosheets with the same surface area as bulk hBN particles are more effective in purification and sensing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Observation of Majorana fermions with spin selective Andreev reflection in the vortex of topological superconductor

Majorana fermion (MF) whose antiparticle is itself has been predicted in condensed matter systems. Signatures of the MFs have been reported as zero energy modes in various systems. More definitive evidences are highly desired to verify the existence of the MF. Very recently, theory has predicted MFs to induce spin selective Andreev reflection (SSAR), a novel magnetic property which can be used to detect the MFs. Here we report the first observation of the SSAR from MFs inside vortices in Bi2Te3/NbSe2 hetero-structure, in which topological superconductivity was previously established. By using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), we show that the zero-bias peak of the tunneling differential conductance at the vortex center is substantially higher when the tip polarization and the external magnetic field are parallel than anti-parallel to each other. Such strong spin dependence of the tunneling is absent away from the vortex center, or in a conventional superconductor. The observed spin dependent tunneling effect is a direct evidence for the SSAR from MFs, fully consistent with theoretical analyses. Our work provides definitive evidences of MFs and will stimulate the MFs research on their novel physical properties, hence a step towards their statistics and application in quantum computing.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Electronic structure of a superconducting topological insulator Sr-doped Bi2Se3

Using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, the atomic and low energy electronic structure of the Sr-doped superconducting topological insulators (SrxBi2Se3) was studied. Scanning tunneling microscopy shows that most of the Sr atoms are not in the van der Waals gap. After Sr doping, the Fermi level was found to move further upwards when compared with the parent compound Bi2Se3, which is consistent with the low carrier density in this system. The topological surface state was clearly observed, and the position of the Dirac point was determined in all doped samples. The surface state is well separated from the bulk conduction bands in the momentum space. The persistence of separated topological surface state combined with small Fermi energy makes this superconducting material a very promising candidate for the time reversal invariant topological superconductor

cond-mat.supr-con↗