arXiv subjects

Elena Gati

Publications and source records attributed to Elena Gati.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Magnetic order in van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS4: anisotropic H-T phase diagrams and effects of pressure

Single crystalline samples of the van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS4 were studied by measurements of specific heat and comprehensive anisotropic temperature- and magnetic field-dependent magnetization. In addition, measurements of the heat capacity and magnetization were performed under pressures of up to ~21 kbar and ~14 kbar respectively. At ambient pressure, two magnetic transitions are observed, second order from a paramagnetic to an antiferromagnetic state at TN ~ 37 K, and a first-order spin reorientation transition at T* ~ 34 K. Anisotropic H - T phase diagrams were constructed using the M(T,H) data. As pressure is increased, TN is weakly suppressed with dTN/dP ~ -0.1 K/kbar. T*, on the other hand, is suppressed quite rapidly, with dT*/dP ~ -2 K/kbar, extrapolating to a possible quantum phase transition at Pc ~ 15 kbar.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Lattice dynamics coupled to charge and spin degrees of freedom in the molecular dimer-Mott insulator $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_{2}$Cu[N(CN)$_{2}$]Cl

Inelastic neutron scattering measurements on the molecular dimer-Mott insulator $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_{2}$Cu[N(CN)$_{2}$]Cl reveal a phonon anomaly in a wide temperature range. Starting from $T_{\rm ins}\sim50$-$60$ K where the charge gap opens, the low-lying optical phonon modes become overdamped upon cooling towards the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature $T_\mathrm{N} = 27$ K, where also a ferroelectric ordering at $T_{\rm FE} \approx T_{\rm N}$ occurs. Conversely, the phonon damping becomes small again when spins and charges are ordered below $T_\mathrm{N}$, while no change of the lattice symmetry is observed across $T_\mathrm{N}$ in neutron diffraction measurements. We assign the phonon anomalies to structural fluctuations coupled to charge and spin degrees of freedom in the BEDT-TTF molecules.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Formation of short-range magnetic order and avoided ferromagnetic quantum criticality in pressurized LaCrGe$_3$

LaCrGe$_3$ has attracted attention as a paradigm example of the avoidance of ferromagnetic (FM) quantum criticality in an itinerant magnet. By combining thermodynamic, transport, x-ray and neutron scattering as well as $μ$SR measurements, we refined the temperature-pressure phase diagram of LaCrGe$_3$. We provide thermodynamic evidence (i) for the first-order character of the FM transition when it is suppressed to low temperatures and (ii) for the formation of new phases at high pressures. From our microscopic data, we infer that short-range FM ordered clusters exist in these high-pressure phases. These results suggest that LaCrGe$_3$ is a rare example, which fills the gap between the two extreme limits of avoided FM quantum criticality in clean and strongly disordered metals.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Avoided ferromagnetic quantum critical point in pressurized La$_5$Co$_2$Ge$_3$

We present the pressure-temperature phase diagram La$_5$Co$_2$Ge$_3$ up to $\sim$ 5\,GPa, which was constructed from magnetization, resistivity and specific heat measurements. At ambient pressure, La$_5$Co$_2$Ge$_3$ is an itinerant ferromagnet with a Curie temperature $T_\textrm C\sim$ 4\,K. Upon increasing pressure up to $\sim$ 1.7\,GPa, $T_\textrm C$ is suppressed down to $\sim$ 3\,K. Upon further increasing pressure, our results suggest that La$_5$Co$_2$Ge$_3$ enters a different low-temperature ground state. The corresponding transition temperature, $T^*$, has a nonmonotonic pressure dependence up to $\sim$ 5\,GPa. Our results demonstrate that the ferromagnetic quantum critical point in La$_5$Co$_2$Ge$_3$ is avoided by the appearance of a different, likely magnetically ordered state that has an antiferromagnetic component.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Characterization of the pressure coefficient of manganin and temperature evolution of pressure in piston-cylinder cells

We report measurements of the temperature- and pressure-dependent resistance, $R(T,p)$, of a manganin manometer in a $^4$He-gas pressure setup from room temperature down to the solidification temperature of $^4$He ($T_\textrm {solid}\sim$ 50 K at 0.8 GPa) for pressures, $p$, between 0 GPa and $\sim$0.8 GPa. The same manganin wire manometer was also measured in a piston-cylinder cell from 300 K down to 1.8 K and for pressures between 0 GPa to $\sim$2 GPa. From these data, we infer the temperature and pressure dependence of the pressure coefficient of manganin, $α(T,p)$, defined by the equation $R_p = (1+αp) R_0$ where $R_0$ and $R_p$ are the resistance of manganin at ambient pressure and finite pressure, respectively. Our results indicate that upon cooling $α$ first decreases, then goes through a broad minimum at $\sim$120 K and increases again towards lower temperatures. In addition, we find that $α$ is almost pressure-independent for $T\gtrsim$60 K up to $p\sim$2 GPa, but shows a pronounced $p$ dependence for $T\lesssim$60K. Using this manganin manometer, we demonstrate that $p$ overall decreases with decreasing temperature in the piston-cylinder cell for the full pressure range and that the size of the pressure difference between room temperature and low temperatures ($T=1.8$ K), $Δp$, decreases with increasing pressure. We also compare the pressure values inferred from the magnanin manometer with the low-temperature pressure, determined from the superconducting transition temperature of elemental lead (Pb). As a result of these data and analysis we propose a practical algorithm to infer the evolution of pressure with temperature in a piston-cylinder cell.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Hydrostatic and uniaxial pressure tuning of iron-based superconductors: Insights into superconductivity, magnetism, nematicity and collapsed tetragonal transitions

Iron-based superconductors are well-known for their intriguing phase diagrams, which manifest a complex interplay of electronic, magnetic and structural degrees of freedom. Among the phase transitions observed are superconducting, magnetic, and several types of structural transitions, including a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic and a collapsed-tetragonal transition. In particular, the widely-observed tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transition is believed to be a result of an electronic order that is coupled to the crystalline lattice and is, thus, referred to as nematic transition. Nematicity is therefore a prominent feature of these materials, which signals the importance of the coupling of electronic and lattice properties. Correspondingly, these systems are particularly susceptible to tuning via pressure (hydrostatic, uniaxial, or some combination). We review efforts to probe the phase diagrams of pressure-tuned iron-based superconductors, with a strong focus on our own recent insights into the phase diagrams of several members of this material class under hydrostatic pressure. These studies on FeSe, Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$, Ca(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ and CaK(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_4$As$_4$ were, to a significant extent, made possible by advances of what measurements can be adapted to the use under differing pressure environments. We point out the potential impact of these tools for the study of the wider class of strongly correlated electron systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Measurements of elastoresistance under pressure by combining in-situ tunable quasi-uniaxial stress with hydrostatic pressure

Uniaxial stress, as well as hydrostatic pressure are often used to tune material properties in condensed matter physics. Here, we present a setup which allows for the study of the combined effects of quasi-uniaxial stress and hydrostatic pressure. Following earlier designs for measurements under finite stress at ambient pressure (e.g., Chu et al., Science 337, 710 (2012)), the present setup utilizes a piezoelectric actuator to change stress in situ inside the piston-cylinder pressure cell. We show that the actuator can be operated over the full temperature (from 30K up to 260 K) and pressure range (up to ~2GPa), resulting in a clear and measurable quasi-uniaxial strain. To demonstrate functionality, measurements of the elastoresistance (i.e., the change of resistance of a sample as a response to quasi-uniaxial strain) under finite hydrostatic pressure on the iron-based compound BaFe$_2$As$_2$ are presented as a proof-of-principle example, and discussed in the framework of electronic nematicity. Overall, this work introduces the combination of in situ tunable quasi-uniaxial stress and large (up to ~2GPa) hydrostatic pressure as a powerful combination in the study of novel electronic phases. In addition, it also points towards further technical advancements which can be made in the future.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Role of Fermi surface for the pressure-tuned nematic transition in the BaFe$_2$As$_2$ family

The tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition at $T_s$, which precedes the antiferromagnetic phase transition at $T_N$ in many iron-based superconductors, is considered as one of the manifestations of electronic \textit{nematic} order. By constructing temperature-pressure phase diagrams of pure and Co-doped BaFe$_2$As$_2$, we study the relation of $T_s$ and $T_N$ under pressure $p$. Our data disclose two qualitatively different regimes in which $ΔT\,=\,T_s-T_N$ either increases or decreases with $p$. We provide experimental evidence that the transition between the two regimes may be associated with sudden changes of the Fermi surface topology. Therefore, our results not only support the electronic origin of the structural order, but also emphasize the importance of details of the Fermi surface for the evolution of nematic order under pressure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Multiple ferromagnetic transitions and structural distortion in the van-der-Waals ferromagnet VI$_3$ at ambient and finite pressures

We present a combined study of zero-field $^{51}$V and $^{127}$I NMR at ambient pressure and specific heat and magnetization measurements under pressure up to 2.08 GPa on bulk single crystals of the van-der-Waals ferromagnet VI$_3$. At ambient pressure, our results consistently demonstrate that VI$_3$ undergoes a structural transition at $T_s \approx $78 K, followed by two subsequent ferromagnetic transitions at $T_{FM1} \approx $50 K and $T_{FM2} \approx $36 K upon cooling. At lowest temperature ($T < T_{FM2}$), two magnetically-ordered V sites exist, whereas only one magnetically-ordered V site is observed for $T_{FM1} < T\,< T_{FM2}$. Whereas $T_{FM1}$ is almost unaffected by external pressure, $T_{FM2}$ is highly responsive to pressure and merges with the $T_{FM1}$ line at $p \approx 0.6 $GPa. At even higher pressures ($p \approx $1.25\,GPa), the $T_{FM2}$ line merges with the structural transition at $T_s$ which becomes moderately suppressed with $p$ for $p < 1.25$ GPa. Taken together, our data point towards a complex magnetic structure and an interesting interplay of magnetic and structural degrees of freedom in VI$_3$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Bulk superconductivity and role of fluctuations in the iron-based superconductor FeSe at high pressures

The iron-based superconductor FeSe offers a unique possibility to study the interplay of superconductivity with purely nematic as well magnetic-nematic order by pressure (p) tuning. By measuring specific heat under p up to 2.36GPa, we study the multiple phases in FeSe using a thermodynamic probe. We conclude that superconductivity is bulk across the entire p range and competes with magnetism. Our analysis suggests that superconducting and magnetic fluctuations exist over a wide temperature range above the respective bulk transition temperatures, whenever magnetism is present. These observations highlight similarities between FeSe and underdoped cuprate superconductors where fluctuations play a crucial role.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Physical properties of $R$Bi$_2$ ($R=$La, Ce) under pressure

We present a study of electrical transport properties of $R$Bi$_2$ ($R$ = La, Ce) under hydrostatic pressure up to $\sim$ 2.5 GPa. These measurements are complemented by thermodynamic measurements of the specific heat on CeBi$_2$ at different pressures up to 2.55 GPa. For CeBi$_2$, we find a moderate increase of the antiferromagnetic transition, $T_\text N$, from 3.3 K to 4.4 K by pressures up to 2.55 GPa. Notably, resistance measurements for both CeBi$_2$ and LaBi$_2$ show signatures of superconductivity for pressures above $\sim$ 1.7 GPa. However, the absence of superconducting feature in specific heat measurements for CeBi$_2$ indicates that superconductivity in CeBi$_2$ (and most likely LaBi$_2$ as well) is not bulk and likely originates from traces of Bi flux, either on the surface of the plate-like samples, or trapped inside the sample as laminar inclusions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Use of Cernox thermometers in AC specific heat measurements under pressure

We report on the resistance behavior of bare-chip Cernox thermometers under pressures up to 2 GPa, generated in a piston-cylinder pressure cell. Our results clearly show that Cernox thermometers, frequently used in low-temperature experiments due to their high sensitivity, remain highly sensitive even under applied pressure. We show that these thermometers are therefore ideally suited for measurements of heat capacity under pressure utilizing an ac oscillation technique up to at least 150 K. Our Cernox-based system is very accurate in determining changes of the specific heat as a function of pressure as demonstrated by measurements of the heat capacity on three different test cases: (i) the superconducting transition in elemental Pb (T_{c} = 7.2 K), (ii) the antiferromagnetic transition in the rare-earth compound GdNiGe3 (T_{N} = 26 K) and (iii) the structural/magnetic transition in the iron-pnictide BaFe2As2 (T_{s,N} = 130 K). The chosen examples demonstrate the versatility of our technique for measuring the specific heat under pressure of various condensed matter systems with very different transition temperatures as well as amounts of removed entropy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Effect of pressure on the physical properties of the superconductor NiBi3

We present an experimental study of the superconducting properties of NiBi3 as a function of pressure by means of resistivity and magnetization measurements and combine our results with DFT calculations of the band structure under pressure. We find a moderate suppression of the critical temperature Tc from ~ 4.1K to ~ 3K by pressures up to 2GPa. By taking into account the change of the band structure as a function of pressure, we argue that the decrease in Tc is consistent with conventional, electron-phonon-mediated BCS-type superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Pressure-induced multiple phase transformations of the BaBi$_3$ superconductor

Measurements of temperature-dependent resistance and magnetization under hydrostatic pressures up to 2.13 GPa are reported for single-crystalline, superconducting BaBi$_3$. A temperature - pressure phase diagram is determined and the results suggest three different superconducting phases $α$, $β$, and $γ$ in the studied pressure range. We further show that occurrence of the three superconducting phases is intuitively linked to phase transitions at higher temperature which are likely first order in nature. $T_p$, which separates phase $α$ from $β$ and $γ$, is associated with an abrupt resistance change as pressure is increased from 0.27 GPa to 0.33 GPa. Above 0.33 GPa, an "S-shape" anomaly in the temperature-dependent resistance curve, $T_\text S$, is observed and associated with the transition between the $β$ and $γ$ phases. Further increasing of pressure above 1.05 GPa suppresses this transition and BaBi$_3$ stays in $γ$ phase over the whole investigated temperature range. These high-temperature anomalies are likely related to structural degrees of freedom. With the $α$ phase being the ambient-pressure tetragonal structure ($P4/mmm$), our first-principle calculations suggest the $β$ phase to be cubic structure ($Pm-3m$) and the $γ$ phase to be a distorted tetragonal structure where the Bi atoms are moved out of the face-centered position. Finally, an analysis of the evolution of the superconducting upper critical field with pressure further confirms these transitions in the superconducting state and suggests a possible change of band structure or a Lifshitz transition near 1.54 GPa in $γ$ phase. Given the large atomic numbers of both Ba and Bi, our results establish BaBi$_3$ as a good candidate for the study of the interplay of structure with superconductivity in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Evidence for electronically-driven ferroelectricity in the family of strongly correlated dimerized BEDT-TTF molecular conductors

By applying measurements of the dielectric constants and relative length changes to the dimerized molecular conductor $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Hg(SCN)$_2$Cl, we provide evidence for order-disorder type electronic ferroelectricity which is driven by charge order within the (BEDT-TTF)$_2$ dimers and stabilized by a coupling to the anions. According to our density functional theory calculations, this material is characterized by a moderate strength of dimerization. This system thus bridges the gap between strongly dimerized materials, often approximated as dimer-Mott systems at 1/2 filling, and non- or weakly dimerized systems at 1/4 filling exhibiting charge order. Our results indicate that intra-dimer charge degrees of freedom are of particular importance in correlated $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$X salts and can create novel states, such as electronically-driven multiferroicity or charge-order-induced quasi-1D spin liquids.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Insights from experiment and $ab\,initio$ calculations into the glass-like transition in the molecular conductor $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Hg(SCN)$_2$Cl

We present high-resolution measurements of the relative length change as a function of temperature of the organic charge-transfer salt $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Hg(SCN)$_2$Cl. We identify anomalous features at $T_g \approx\,63$ K which can be assigned to a kinetic glass-like ordering transition. By determining the activation energy $E_A$, this glass-like transition can be related to conformational degrees of freedom of the ethylene endgroups of the organic building block BEDT-TTF. As opposed to other $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2X$ salts, we identify a peculiar ethylene endgroup ordering in the present material in which only one of the two crystallographically inequivalent ethylene endgroups is subject to glass-like ordering. This experimental finding is fully consistent with our predictions from $ab\,initio$ calculations from which we estimate the energy differences $ΔE$ and the activation energies $E_A$ between different conformations. The present results indicate that the specific interaction between the ethylene endgroups and the nearby anion layers leads to different energetics of the inequivalent ethylene endgroups, as evidenced by different ratios $E_A/ΔE$. We infer that the ratio $E_A/ΔE$ is a suitable parameter to identify the tendency of ethylene endgroups towards glass-like freezing.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Effects of Disorder on the Pressure-Induced Mott Transition in $κ$-BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu[N(CN)$_2$]Cl

We present a study of the influence of disorder on the Mott metal-insulator transition for the organic charge-transfer salt $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu[N(CN)$_2$]Cl. To this end, disorder was introduced into the system in a controlled way by exposing the single crystals to x-ray irradiation. The crystals were then fine-tuned across the Mott transition by the application of continuously controllable He-gas pressure at low temperatures. Measurements of the thermal expansion and resistance show that the first-order character of the Mott transition prevails for low irradiation doses achieved by irradiation times up to 100 h. For these crystals with a moderate degree of disorder, we find a first-order transition line which ends in a second-order critical endpoint, akin to the pristine crystals. Compared to the latter, however, we observe a significant reduction of both, the critical pressure $p_c$ and the critical temperature $T_c$. This result is consistent with the theoretically-predicted formation of a soft Coulomb gap in the presence of strong correlations and small disorder. Furthermore, we demonstrate, similar to the observation for the pristine sample, that the Mott transition after 50 h of irradiation is accompanied by sizable lattice effects, the critical behavior of which can be well described by mean-field theory. Our results demonstrate that the character of the Mott transition remains essentially unchanged at a low disorder level. However, after an irradiation time of 150 h, no clear signatures of a discontinuous metal-insulator transition could be revealed anymore. These results suggest that, above a certain disorder level, the metal-insulator transition becomes a smeared first-order transition with some residual hysteresis.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Low-temperature lattice effects in the spin-liquid candidate $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu$_2$(CN)$_3$

The quasi-two-dimensional organic charge-transfer salt $κ$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu$_2$(CN)$_3$ is one of the prime candidates for a quantum spin-liquid due the strong spin frustration of its anisotropic triangular lattice in combination with its proximity to the Mott transition. Despite intensive investigations of the material's low-temperature properties, several important questions remain to be answered. Particularly puzzling are the 6\,K anomaly and the enigmatic effects observed in magnetic fields. Here we report on low-temperature measurements of lattice effects which were shown to be particularly strongly pronounced in this material (R. S. Manna \emph{et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{104}, 016403 (2010)). A special focus of our study lies on sample-to-sample variations of these effects and their implications on the interpretation of experimental data. By investigating overall nine single crystals from two different batches, we can state that there are considerable differences in the size of the second-order phase transition anomaly around 6\,K, varying within a factor of 3. In addition, we find field-induced anomalies giving rise to pronounced features in the sample length for two out of these nine crystals for temperatures $T <$ 9 K. We tentatively assign the latter effects to $B$-induced magnetic clusters suspected to nucleate around crystal imperfections. These $B$-induced effects are absent for the crystals where the 6\,K anomaly is most strongly pronounced. The large lattice effects observed at 6\,K are consistent with proposed pairing instabilities of fermionic excitations breaking the lattice symmetry. The strong sample-to-sample variation in the size of the phase transition anomaly suggests that the conversion of the fermions to bosons at the instability is only partial and to some extent influenced by not yet identified sample-specific parameters.

cond-mat.str-el↗