arXiv subjects

Genda Gu

Publications and source records attributed to Genda Gu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Ultrafast Raman probe of the photoinduced superconducting to normal state transition in the cuprate Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$

We report an ultrafast Time-Resolved Raman scattering study of the out-of-equilibrium photoinduced dynamics across the superconducting to normal state phase transition of the cuprate Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$. Using the polarization-resolved momentum space selectivity of Raman scattering, we track the superconducting condensate destruction and recovery dynamics with sub-picoseconds time resolution in the anti-nodal region of the Fermi surface where the superconducting gap is maximum. Leveraging ultrafast Raman thermometry, we find a significant dichotomy between the superconducting condensate and the quasiparticle temperature dynamics near the anti-nodes, which cannot be framed in terms of a single effective electron temperature. The present work demonstrates the ability of Time-Resolved Raman scattering to selectively probe out-of-equilibrium pathways of different electronic sub-degrees of freedom during a photoinduced phase transition.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Aharonov-Bohm interference from coherent spin-polarized edge transport in Fe(Te,Se) superconducting rings

We report the coexistence of Aharonov-Bohm and Little-Parks oscillations in mesoscopic Fe(Te,Se) rings. The magnetoresistance shows two distinct periodicities: an $h/e$ component from ballistic edge interference and an $h/2e$ component from fluxoid quantization of Cooper pairs. Aharonov-Bohm oscillations persist deep into the superconducting phase, exhibit current-field symmetry, and follow a temperature dependence captured by a helical Luttinger liquid model, consistent with edge states in a topological superconductor.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Electronic mean free path of the cuprate superconductor Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ from thermal Hall conductivity

We use thermal transport to access the electronic mean free path of $d$-wave quasiparticles in one of the most widely studied cuprate superconductors, Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi2212). We have measured the thermal conductivity $κ_{\rm xx}$ and the thermal Hall conductivity $κ_{\rm xy}$ of three single crystals across a range of dopings. In the overdoped and optimally-doped samples, a clear enhancement is observed in both $κ_{\rm xx}$ and $κ_{\rm xy}$ upon cooling below the critical temperature $T_{\rm c}$, due to a suppression of the inelastic electron-electron scattering as electrons condense into pairs. The underdoped sample shows no enhancement in either, pointing to a high degree of disorder in that sample. For the two highest dopings, the magnitude of the enhancement in $κ_{\rm xy}$ is controlled by the strength of the elastic impurity scattering. Using a prior model to estimate the mean free path from $κ_{\rm xy}$ data, we find that the mean free path in Bi2212 is approximately 7 times shorter than in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_7$, considered to be one of the least disordered cuprates. We conclude that the thermal Hall technique is a good way to compare the mean free path of $d$-wave quasiparticles in various cuprate materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

High-resolution Measurements of Thermal Conductivity Matrix and Search for Thermal Hall Effect in La$_2$CuO$_4$

We investigated the longitudinal thermal conductivity $κ_{xx}$ and thermal hall conductivity $κ_{xy}$ in La$_2$CuO$_4$ at temperatures $T$ between 2 and 20 K in magnetic fields $H$ up to 10 T. Within the temperature and field intervals studied, we do not resolve any thermal Hall signal with a conservative upper bound of $|κ_{xy}/T| <1\times10^{-4}$ ${\rm Wm^{-1}K^{-2}}$. The longitudinal thermal conductivity $κ_{xx}/T$ agrees well with previous studies, in both magnitude and $T$ dependence. In both channels, we performed measurements using the field-sweep protocol. To achieve high resolution, we carefully took into account relaxation effects after each step-increase in $H$. At low $T$, we find a linear decrease in $κ/T$ vs. $H$, as well as weak hysteresis near the meta-magnetic transition of the spin degrees.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Weyl-Superconductivity revealed by Edge Mode mediated Nonlocal Transport

Topological superconductivity (TSC) hosts exotic modes enabling error-free quantum computation and low-temperature spintronics. Despite preliminary evidence of edge modes, unambiguous signatures remain undetected. Here, we report the first observation of protected, non-local transport from the edge modes of the potential Weyl-superconductor \ch{FeTe_{0.55}Se_{0.45}}. Namely resonant charge injection, ballistic transport, and extraction via edge modes. An anomalous conductance plateau emerges only when topological, superconducting, and magnetic phases coexist, with source-drain contacts coupled via the edge. Moving the drain to the bulk switches the non-local transport process to a local Andreev process, generating a zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP). The edge mode's topological protection is confirmed by its insensitivity to external magnetic fields and increasing temperatures until the spontaneous magnetization is substantially suppressed. Our findings provide a new methodology to demonstrate TSC edge states in \ch{FeTe_{0.55}Se_{0.45}} via topologically protected non-local transport.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Resolving Phonons in Superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ at Sub-Unit-Cell Resolution

The role of phonons in cuprates remains controversial, with their complex lattice structure complicating the investigation. Here, we identify phonon modes originating from charge reservoir and superconducting layers of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ using sub-unit-cell resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope. We reveal several phonon modes exhibiting layer-specific localization: ~78 meV in-plane modes localized in the CuO2 planes, ~42 meV hybrid (in-plane and out-of-plane) modes in the CuO2 planes, and ~38 meV hybrid modes in the BiO layers. We also observe a periodic modulation of phonon frequencies induced by the superstructure, spatially correlating with the superconducting gap variation. Our findings offer new insights into the electron-phonon coupling in cuprates, fostering deeper exploration of the microscopic linkage between lattice dynamics and superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Revealing Fano Resonance in Dirac Materials ZrTe5 through Raman Scattering

We explore the Fano resonance in ZrTe5, using Raman scattering measurements. We identified two closely spaced B2g phonon modes, B2g I and B2g II, around 9 meV and 10 meV, respectively. Interestingly, only B2g I exhibited the Fano resonance, an outcome of quantum interference between discrete phonon modes and continuous electronic excitations. This is consistent with the much stronger electron-phonon coupling of B2g I mode demonstrated by first-principles calculations. Additionally, temperature-dependent measurements highlight an enhanced Fano asymmetry at elevated temperatures, contributed by the thermal renormalization of the band structure and electron-phonon coupling. This study offers insights into the complex interrelation of electron-phonon coupling, thermal effects, and Fano resonances in ZrTe5.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Anisotropic electron damping and energy gap in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$

The many body electron-electron interaction in cuprates causes the broadening of the electronic bands in \textit{\textbf{k}}-space, leading to a deviation from the standard Fermi liquid. While a \textit{\textbf{k}}-dependent anisotropic electronic scattering (\textit{\textbf{k}}-DAES) has been assessed by photoemission, its fingerprint in \textit{\textbf{Q}}-space has been scarcely considered. Here, we explore the \textit{\textbf{Q}}-dependent electron dynamics in optimally doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ through the evolution of low-energy charge excitations as measured by resonant inelastic x ray scattering (RIXS). In the normal state, the RIXS spectra display a continuum of excitations down to 0~meV, while the superconducting state features a spectral weight suppression below 80 meV without any enhancement at higher energies. To interpret the energy and \textit{\textbf{Q}}-evolution of our data, we introduce a phenomenological expression of the charge susceptibility by including the \textit{\textbf{k}}-DAES. We show that only the charge susceptibility with \textit{\textbf{k}}-DAES captures the RIXS data, highlighting the importance of \textit{\textbf{k}}-DAES when describing the \textit{\textbf{Q}}-dependence of charge excitations from 0 to few eV scale. Furthermore, we also find that the inclusion of \textit{\textbf{k}}-DAES is essential when quantitative parameters such as the electronic energy gap are extracted from RIXS data.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Observation of Half-Quantum Vorticity in an Iron-based Superconductor

Half-quantum vortices -- topological excitations carrying half the superconducting flux quantum -- are predicted to emerge in spin-triplet superconductors, where the spin component of order parameter enables fractional flux quantization. We present direct transport signatures of half-quantum vorticity in single-crystal Fe(Te,Se), an iron-based superconductor with helical Dirac surface states. Using mesoscopic superconducting ring devices, we observe half-integer quantum oscillations arising from the splitting of quantized fluxoid states, further supported by distinct signatures of trapped half-integer fluxoids. The quantum oscillations are modulated by a background symmetry, set by the relative orientation of the DC bias current and perpendicular magnetic field, consistent with strong spin-orbit coupling. These findings demonstrate the long-sought half-quantum vorticity in spin-polarized superconductors and open new directions toward non-Abelian excitations in quantum materials and scalable topological qubits.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Bolometric Superconducting Optical Nanoscopy (BOSON)

Superconducting transition-edge sensors are renowned for their extraordinary photon sensitivity and energy resolution, finding applications spanning quantum information, astronomy, and nanophotonics. Here, we report the development of BOlometric Superconducting Optical Nanoscopy (BOSON), a novel platform that integrates bolometric detection at the superconducting transition edges with near-field optical techniques. BOSON enables the mapping of photoinduced changes in superconductivity with unprecedented spatial resolution and photon sensitivity. By incorporating BOSON with low-dimensional materials, we achieved polariton imaging at nanowatt excitation levels--at least four orders of magnitude lower than the power typically required in prior near-field nanoscopy experiments. Our findings highlight the potential for BOSON to advance scanning probe based optical platforms to enable the detection of photons, polaritons, and Cooper pair dynamics at the nanoscale. This paves the way for quantum sensing applications using single-polariton detection and can offer deeper insights into quasiparticle dynamics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Direct-Write Printed Contacts to Layered and 2D Materials

Advancements in fabrication methods have shaped new computing device technologies. Among these methods, depositing electrical contacts to the channel material is fundamental to device characterization. Novel layered and two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising for next-generation computing electronic channel materials. Direct-write printing of conductive inks is introduced as a surprisingly effective, significantly faster, and cleaner method to contact different classes of layered materials, including graphene (semi-metal), MoS2 (semiconductor), Bi-2212 (superconductor), and Fe5GeTe2 (metallic ferromagnet). Based on the electrical response, the quality of the printed contacts is comparable to what is achievable with resist-based lithography techniques. These devices are tested by sweeping gate voltage, temperature, and magnetic field to show that the materials remain pristine post-processing. This work demonstrates that direct-write printing is an agile method for prototyping and characterizing the electrical properties of novel layered materials.

cs.ET↗

arXiv2025

Revisiting the charge-density-wave superlattice of 1$T$-TiSe$_2$

A number of intriguing phenomena, including exciton condensation, orbital ordering, and emergence of chirality, have been proposed to accompany charge-density-wave (CDW) formation in the layered transition metal dichalcogenide 1$T$-TiSe$_2$. Explaining these effects relies on knowledge of the atomic displacement pattern underlying the CDW, yet structural proposals based on spatially-averaging bulk crystal diffraction and surface-dependent scanning tunneling microscopy have remained inconsistent. Here, we revisit the CDW superlattice structure with selected-area electron diffraction, a bulk-sensitive probe capable of capturing sub-micrometer spatial variations while maintaining high momentum resolution. We resolved two distinct, spatially separated CDW phases characterized by different interlayer ordering. In both phases, previously reported atomic displacement patterns fail to account for the observed extinction rules. Instead, our analysis reveals a new superlattice structure, which features a large number of nearly degenerate CDW domains. These findings not only provide a new basis for understanding the gyrotropic electronic order and metastability in 1$T$-TiSe$_2$, they also underscore the importance of bulk-sensitive mesoscopic techniques in investigating materials that host unconventional superlattices.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Charge density waves and pinning by lattice anisotropy in 214 cuprates

The detection of static charge density waves (CDWs) in La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ (LSCO) with x $\sim$ 0.12 at relatively high temperatures has raised the question of what lattice feature pins the CDWs. Some recent structural studies have concluded that some form of monoclinic distortion, indicated by the appearance of certain weak Bragg peaks (type M peaks) at otherwise forbidden positions, are responsible for CDW pinning. As a test of this idea, we present neutron diffraction results for a single crystal of La$_{2-x}$Ba$_x$CuO$_4$ (LBCO) with x = 1/8, which is known to undergo two structural transitions on cooling, from high-temperature tetragonal (HTT) to low-temperature orthorhombic (LTO) near 240 K, involving a collective tilt pattern of the corner-sharing CuO$_6$ octahedra, and from LTO to low temperature tetragonal (LTT) near 56 K, involving a new tilt pattern and the appearance of intensity at peaks of type T. We observe both type M and type T peaks in the LTT phase, while the type M peaks (but not type T) are still present in the LTO phase. Given that CDW order is observed only in the LTT phase of LBCO, it is apparent that the in-plane Cu-O bond anisotropy associated with the octahedral tilt pattern is responsible for charge pinning. We point out that evidence for a similar, but weaker, bond anisotropy has been observed previously in LSCO and should be responsible for CDW pinning there. In the case of LBCO, the monoclinic distortion may help to explain previously-reported magneto-optical evidence for gyrotropic order.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Exploring van der Waals cuprate superconductors using a hybrid microwave circuit

The advent of two-dimensional van der Waals materials is a frontier of condensed matter physics and quantum devices. However, characterizing such materials remains challenging due to the limitations of bulk material techniques, necessitating the development of specialized methods. In this study, we investigate the superconducting properties of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x flakes by integrating them with a hybrid superconducting microwave resonator. The hybrid resonator is significantly modified by the interaction with the flake while maintaining a high quality factor. We also observe a significant upshift of the resonator frequency with increasing temperature, as well as a positive nonlinearity. These effects originate from a presently unknown microscopic mechanism within the flake, and can be modeled as a two-level system bath interacting with the resonant mode. Our findings open a path for high quality hybrid circuits with van der Waals flakes for exploring novel materials and developing new devices for quantum technology.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Unveiling Symmetry Instability induced by Topological Phase Transitions

The symmetry-topology interplay dictates how to define order parameters and classify material ordered phases. However, current understanding of this interplay has been predominately approached from a one-sided perspective, with topological states being classified within the constraints imposed by specific fixed symmetries. Here we complete this full circle by demonstrating spontaneous symmetry breaking that results from a periodic alteration of topological phases induced by light in a centrosymmetric Dirac material ZrTe$_5$. The distinguishing feature is the observation of robust correlation and striking anomalies in the fluence and temperature dependence of key transport parameters.First, both shift current $J_{\text{s}}$ and displacement current $J_{\text{d}}$, arising from interband transition and infrared phonon driving, respectively, along with charge carrier pumping, exhibit similar behaviors. Second, they all peak at similar low pump fluence, followed by a subsequent reduction as the fluence further increases. This behavior cannot be explained by conventional energetically allowed, direct excitations. Third, all the three observables exhibit anomalies when they approach the topological phase transition temperature. These results highlight the unique low-energy pumping behaviors in ZrTe$_5$, characterized by reversible fluence dependence and a 'hinge-like' interaction that connects various electronic and lattice observables, including phonons, charge carriers, and currents. Our findings, supported by model analysis, provide key insights into the fragility of crystalline (inversion) and time-reversal symmetries during the dynamics of topological phase transitions. This fragility drives spontaneous symmetry breaking, evidenced by the synchronized emergence of off-resonant infrared phonons and broken-symmetry photocurrents.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Conformally invariant charge fluctuations in a strange metal

The strange metal is a peculiar phase of matter in which the electron scattering rate, $τ^{-1} \sim k_B T/\hbar$, which determines the electrical resistance, is universal across a wide family of materials and determined only by fundamental constants. In 1989, theorists hypothesized that this universality would manifest as scale-invariant behavior in the dynamic charge susceptibility, $χ''(q,ω)$. Here, we present momentum-resolved inelastic electron scattering measurements of the strange metal Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ showing that the susceptibility has the scale-invariant form $χ''(q,ω) = T^{-ν} f(ω/T)$, with exponent $ν= 0.93$. We find the response is consistent with conformal invariance, meaning the dynamics may be thought of as occurring on a circle of radius $1/T$ in imaginary time, characterized by conformal dimension $Δ= 0.05$. Our study indicates that the strange metal is a universal phenomenon whose properties are not determined by microscopic properties of a particular material.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Evolution of dissipative regimes in atomically thin $\text{Bi}_{2}\text{Sr}_{2}\text{CaCu}_{2}\text{O}_{8+x}$ superconductor

Thermoelectric transport has been widely used to study Abrikosov vortex dynamics in unconventional superconductors. However, only a few thermoelectric studies have been conducted near the dimensional crossover that occurs when the vortex-vortex interaction length scale becomes comparable to the sample size. Here we report the effects of finite size on the dissipation mechanisms of the Nernst effect in the optimally doped $\text{Bi}_{2}\text{Sr}_{2}\text{CaCu}_{2}\text{O}_{8+x}$ high-temperature superconductor, down to the atomic length limit. To access this regime, we develop a new generation of thermoelectric chips based on silicon nitride microprinted circuit boards. These chips ensure optimized signals while preventing sample deterioration. Our results demonstrate that lateral confinement at the nanoscale can effectively reduce vortex dissipation. Investigating vortex dissipation at the micro- and nano-scale is essential for creating stable, miniaturized superconducting circuits.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Highly anisotropic Drude-weight-reduction and enhanced linear-dichroism in van der Waals Weyl semimetal Td-MoTe2 with coherent interlayer electronic transport

Weyl semimetal (WSM) states can be achieved by breaking spatial-inversion symmetry or time reversal symmetry. However, the anisotropy of the energy reduction contributing to the emergence of WSM states has seldom been investigated by experiments. A van der Waals metal MoTe2 exhibits a type-II WSM phase below the monoclinic-to-orthorhombic-phase-transition temperature Tc ~ 250 K. Here, we report a combined linearly-polarized optical-spectroscopy and electrical-transport study of MoTe2 at different temperatures. The Drude components in the a-axis, b-axis and c-axis optical conductivity spectra, together with the metallic out-of-plane and in-plane electrical resistivities, indicate the coherent inter-layer and in-plane charge transports. Moreover, the Drude weight in σ1a(ω), rather than the Drude weights in σ1b(ω) and σ1c(ω), decreases dramatically below Tc, which exhibits a highly anisotropic decrease in its Drude weight and thus suggests a strongly anisotropic reduction of the electronic kinetic energy in the WSM phase. Furthermore, below Tc, due to the in-plane anisotropic spectral-weight transfer from Drude component to high-energy region, the in-plane inter-band-absorption anisotropy increases remarkably around 770 meV, and has the largest value (~ 0.68) of normalized linear dichroism among the reported type-II WSMs. Our work sheds light on seeking new WSMs and developing novel photonic devices based on WSMs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗