arXiv subjects

Dung-Hai Lee

Publications and source records attributed to Dung-Hai Lee.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Emergent normal fluid in the superconducting ground state of overdoped cuprates

The microscopic mechanism for the disappearance of superconductivity in overdoped cuprates is still under heated debate. Here we use scanning tunneling spectroscopy to investigate the evolution of quasiparticle interference phenomenon in $\rm Bi_2Sr_2CuO_{6+δ}$ over a wide range of hole densities. We find that when the system enters the overdoped regime, a peculiar quasiparticle interference wavevector with quarter-circle pattern starts to emerge even at zero bias, and its intensity grows with increasing doping level. Its energy dispersion is incompatible with the octet model for d-wave superconductivity, but is highly consistent with the scattering interference of gapless normal carriers. The weight of the gapless quasiparticle interference is mainly located at the antinodes and is independent of temperature. We propose that the normal fluid emerges from the pair-breaking scattering between flat antinodal bands in the quantum ground state, which is the primary cause for the reduction of superfluid density and suppression of superconductivity in overdoped cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Superconducting valence bond fluid in lightly doped 8-leg $t$-$J$ cylinders

Superconductivity in doped quantum paramagnets has been a subject of long theoretical inquiry. In this work we report a density matrix renormalization group study of lightly doped $t$-$J$ models on the square lattice (doped hole densities $δ= 1/12$ and 1/8) with parameters for which previous studies have suggested that the undoped system in 2D is either a quantum spin liquid or a valence bond crystal. Our studies are performed on cylinders with width up to 8. Ground-state correlations are found to be nearly identical for the ``doped quantum spin liquid'' and ``doped valence bond crystal''. Upon increasing the cylinder width from 4 to 8, we observed a significant strengthening of the quasi-long-range superconducting correlations, and a dramatic suppression of any ``competing'' charge-density-wave order. Extrapolating from the observed behavior of the width 8 cylinders, we speculate that the system has a nodeless d-wave superconducting ground-state in the 2D limit.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Fractional Vortices, $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Gauge Theory, and the Confinement-Deconfinement Transition

In this paper we discuss the classical 3D XY model whose nearest-neighbor interaction is a mixture of $\cos(θ_i-θ_j)$ (ferromagnetic) and $\cos2(θ_i-θ_j)$ (nematic). This model is dual to a theory with integer and half-integer vortices. While both types of vortices interact with a non-compact $U(1)$ gauge field (the "EM" interaction), the half-vortices interact with an extra interaction mediated by a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge field. We shall discuss the confinement-deconfinement transition of the half-integer vortices, the Wilson and the 't Hooft loops and their mutual statistics in path integral language. In addition, we shall present a quantum version of the classical model which exhibits these physics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Non-abelian bosonization of fermion symmetry-protected topological states

Applying the results of Ref.[1], we carry out the non-abelian bosonization for a class of free fermion symmetry-protected topological states (SPTs). The resulting boson theories are non-linear sigma models with topological $θ$ term, thus unifying the field theory description of the (free) fermionic and bosonic SPTs. Tuning $θ$ from $0$ to $2π$ triggers the topological trivial to non-trivial phase transitions. In addition, applying the same idea to the symmetry-protected critical spin liquids, we obtain the NL$\s$ models for spin SPTs living in one spatial dimension higher.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

The electromagnetic duality and the 3+1D O(6) non-linear sigma model with a level-1 Wess-Zumino-Witten term

We show that in (3+1)-D space-time dimensions, the O(6) non-linear sigma model, with a level-1 Wess-Zumino-Witten term, exhibits the electromagnetic duality. If we name the six components of the sigma field as the Neel and valence-bond-solid (VBS) order parameters, the hedgehogs of the Neel and VBS order play the role of monopole and charge. The duality corresponds to the exchange of monopole and charge hence the exchange of the Neel and VBS order. The condensation of monopole can trigger a direct Neel $\leftrightarrow$ VBS phase transition. We conjecture that the critical point is self-dual, which is a generalization of the deconfined quantum critical point in (2+1)-D. In this theory, there exist two deconfined phases where the Neel/VBS hedgehogs are massive but cost finite energy. This leads to two fractionalized phases with particles carrying fractional spin or VBS quantum numbers and gapless gauge bosons.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Competing orders, the Wess-Zumino-Witten term, and spin liquids

In this paper, we demonstrate that in frustrated magnets when several conventional (i.e., symmetry-breaking) orders compete, and are "intertwined" by a Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) term, the possibility of spin liquid arises. The resulting spin liquid could have excitations which carry fractional spins and obey non-trivial self/mutual statistics. As a concrete example, we consider the case where the competing orders are the Néel and valence-bond solid (VBS) order on square lattice. Examining different scenarios of vortex condensation from the VBS side, we show that the intermediate phases, including spin liquids, between the Néel and VBS order always break certain symmetry. Remarkably, our starting theory, without fractionalized particles (partons) and guage field, predicts results agreeing with those derived from a parton theory. This suggests that the missing link between the Ginzberg-Landau-Wilson action of competing order and the physics of spin liquid is the WZW term.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Superconductor to metal transition in overdoped cuprates

We present a theoretical framework for understanding the behavior of the normal and superconducting states of overdoped cuprate high temperature superconductors in the vicinity of the doping-tuned quantum superconductor-to-metal transition. The key ingredients on which we focus are d-wave pairing, a flat antinodal dispersion, and disorder. Even for homogeneous disorder, these lead to effectively granular superconducting correlations and a superconducting transition temperature determined in large part by the superfluid stiffness rather than the pairing scale.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Non-abelian bosonization in two and three spatial dimensions and applications

In this paper, we generalize Witten's non-abelian bosonization in $(1+1)$-D to two and three spatial dimensions. Our theory applies to fermions with relativistic dispersion. The bosonized theories are non-linear sigma models with level-1 Wess-Zumino-Witten terms. We apply the bosonization results to the $SU(2)$ gauge theory of the $π$-flux phase, critical spin liquids in 1,2,3 spatial dimensions, and twisted bilayer graphene.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Superconducting fluctuations in overdoped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$

Fluctuating superconductivity - vestigial Cooper pairing in the resistive state of a material - is usually associated with low dimensionality, strong disorder or low carrier density. Here, we report single particle spectroscopic, thermodynamic and magnetic evidence for persistent superconducting fluctuations in heavily hole-doped cuprate superconductor Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ ($T_c$ = 66~K) despite the high carrier density. With a sign-problem free quantum Monte Carlo calculation, we show how a partially flat band at ($π$,0) can help enhance superconducting phase fluctuations. Finally, we discuss the implications of an anisotropic band structure on the phase-coherence-limited superconductivity in overdoped cuprates and other superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Particle-hole asymmetric superconducting coherence peaks in overdoped cuprates

To elucidate the superconductor to metal transition at the end of superconducting dome, the overdoped regime has stepped onto the center stage of cuprate research recently. Here, we use scanning tunneling microscopy to investigate the atomic-scale electronic structure of overdoped trilayer Bi-2223 and bilayer Bi-2212 cuprates. At low energies the spectroscopic maps are well described by dispersive quasiparticle interference patterns. However, as the bias increases to the superconducting coherence peak energy, a virtually non-dispersive pattern with sqrt(2)*sqrt(2) periodicity emerges. Remarkably, the position of the coherence peaks exhibits evident particle-hole asymmetry which also modulates with the same period. We propose that this is an extreme quasiparticle interference phenomenon, caused by pairing-breaking scattering between flat anti-nodal Bogoliubov bands, which is ultimately responsible for the superconductor to metal transition.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Magic Doping and Robust Superconductivity in Monolayer FeSe on Titanates

The enhanced superconductivity in monolayer FeSe on titanates opens a fascinating pathway towards the rational design of high-temperature superconductors. Utilizing the state-of-the-art oxide plus chalcogenide molecular beam epitaxy systems in situ connected to a synchrotron angle-resolved photoemission spectroscope, epitaxial LaTiO3 layers with varied atomic thicknesses are inserted between monolayer FeSe and SrTiO3, for systematic modulation of interfacial chemical potential.With the dramatic increase of electron accumulation at the LaTiO3-SrTiO3 surface, providing a substantial surge of work function mismatch across the FeSe-oxide interface, the charge transfer and the superconducting gap in the monolayer FeSe are found to remain markedly robust. This unexpected finding indicates the existence of an intrinsically anchored magic doping within the monolayer FeSe systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

The "non-regularizability" of gapless free fermion Hamiltonian protected by on-site symmetries

The non-regularizability of free fermion field theories, which is the root of various quantum anomalies, plays a central role in particle physics and modern condensed matter physics. In this paper, we generalize the Nielsen-Ninomiya theorem to all minimal nodal free fermion field theories protected by the time reversal, charge conservation, and charge conjugation symmetries. We prove that these massless field theories cannot be regularized on a lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

The Nematic Energy Scale and the Missing Electron Pocket in FeSe

Superconductivity emerges in proximity to a nematic phase in most iron-based superconductors. It is therefore important to understand the impact of nematicity on the electronic structure. Orbital assignment and tracking across the nematic phase transition prove to be challenging due to the multiband nature of iron-based superconductors and twinning effects. Here, we report a detailed study of the electronic structure of fully detwinned FeSe across the nematic phase transition using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We clearly observe a nematicity-driven band reconstruction involving dxz, dyz, and dxy orbitals. The nematic energy scale between dxz and dyz bands reaches a maximum of 50 meV at the Brillouin zone corner. We are also able to track the dxz electron pocket across the nematic transition and explain its absence in the nematic state. Our comprehensive data of the electronic structure provide an accurate basis for theoretical models of the superconducting pairing in FeSe.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

The thermal Hall conductance of two doped symmetry-breaking topological insulators

In this paper we study two models of symmetry-breaking topological insulators. They are the variants of the d-density wave Hamiltonian proposed by Chakravarty, Laughlin, Morr and Nyack[1] to explain the pseudogap of the cuprates. After doping, both models exhibit an anomalous thermal Hall effect similar to that reported in Ref.[2]. Moreover, they also possess hole pockets centered along the Brillouin zone diagonals consistent with the Hall coefficient measured in Ref.[3].

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Visualizing the periodic modulation of Cooper pairing in a severely underdoped cuprate

A major obstacle in understanding the mechanism of Cooper pairing in the cuprates is the existence of various intertwined orders associated with spin, charge, and Cooper pairs. Of particular importance is the ubiquitous charge order features that have been observed in a variety of cuprates, especially in the underdoped regime of the phase diagram. To explain the origin of the charge order and its implication to the superconducting phase, many theoretical models have been proposed, such as charge stripes, electronic nematicity, and Fermi surface instability. A highly appealing physical picture is the so-called pair density wave (PDW), a periodic modulation of Cooper paring in space, which may also induce a charge order. To elucidate the existence and nature of the PDW order, here we use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to investigate a severely underdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, in which superconductivity just emerges on top of a pronounced checkerboard charge order. By analyzing the spatial distribution of the spectral features characteristic of superconductivity, we observe a periodic modulation of both the superconducting coherence peak and gap depth, demonstrating the existence of a density wave order of Cooper pairing. The PDW order has the same spatial periodicity as the charge order, and the amplitudes of the two orders exhibit clear positive correlation. These results shed important new lights on the origin of and interplay between the charge order and Cooper pairing modulation in the cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

A Holographic Theory for the Phase Transitions Between Fermionic Symmetry-protected Topological States

In an earlier work we developed a holographic theory for the phase transition between bosonic symmetry-protected topological (SPT) states. This paper is a continuation of it. Here we present the holographic theory for fermionic SPT phase transitions. We show that in any dimension $ d $, the critical states of fermionic SPT phase transitions has an emergent $Z_2^T$ symmetry and can be realized on the boundary of a $ d+1 $-dimensional bulk SPT with an extra $Z_2^T$ symmetry.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Does the existence of Majorana zero mode in superconducting vortices imply the superconductivity is topologically non-trivial?

We show that the presence of Majorana zero modes (2D), and chiral-dispersing Majorana modes (3D), in the vortex cores of superconductors are neither sufficient nor necessary conditions for one to conclude the superconductivity is topologically non-trivial. We discuss the relevance of this result to the proximity-induced superconductivity, in the presence of magnetic field, on the surface of topological insulators.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Electronic and phononic properties of a two dimensional electron gas coupled to dipolar phonons via small-momentum-transfer scattering

We study the electron and phonon spectral functions as well as superconductivity for a two dimensional electron gas couped to dipolar phonons via small-momentum transfer scattering. The results reported here are obtained through sign-problem-free quantum Monte-Carlo simulation. Hence aside from modeling there is no further approximations. Our results can be relevant to the high-temperature superconductor at the interface between a unit-cell-thick FeSe and SrTiO3.

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