arXiv subjects

Genda Gu

Publications and source records attributed to Genda Gu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{x}$Se$_{1-x}$: a delicate and tunable Majorana material

We report the observation for the p$_{z}$ electron band and the band inversion in Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{x}$Se$_{1-x}$ with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Furthermore, we found that excess Fe (y>0) inhibits the topological band inversion in Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{x}$Se$_{1-x}$, which explains the absence of Majorana zero modes in previous reports for Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{x}$Se$_{1-x}$ with excess Fe. Based on our analysis of different amounts of Te doping and excess Fe, we propose a delicate topological phase in this material. Thanks to this delicate phase, one may be able to tune the topological transition via applying lattice strain or carrier doping.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Two types of superconducting pairs in stripe-ordered La$_{2-x}$Ba$_{x}$CuO$_4$ ($x=1/8$): evidence from the resistivity measurements

Recent angle-resolved $c$-axis resistivity measurements of the stripe-ordered La$_{2-x}$Ba$_x$CuO$_4$ (LBCO) with $x=1/8$ revealed an unexpected dependence on the direction of the in-plane magnetic field. We argue that these and other available data for the $c$-axis transport point to the existence of superconducting pairs of two different types in the $x=1/8$ LBCO below the stripe ordering temperature. The pairs of one type carry finite momentum and are confined to the Cu-O planes; the pairs of other type (probably the conventional $d$-wave with zero momentum) propagate along narrow conducting channels traversing the sample in the $c$-axis direction. The evidence for this comes from the observed exponential temperature dependence of the $c$-axis resistivity $ρ_c(T)$ which we attribute to the thermally excited slips of the superconducting phase and flux flows. We present a simple theory to fit the observed $π/2$-periodic dependence of $ρ_c$ on the direction of the in-plane magnetic field and the other data.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Persistent Josephson tunneling between Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ flakes twisted by 45$^\circ$ across the superconducting dome

There is a heated debate on the Josephson effect in twisted Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ flakes. Recent experimental results suggest the presence of either anomalously isotropic pairing or exotic $d$+i$d$-wave pairing, in addition to the commonly believed $d$-wave one. Here, we address this controversy by fabricating ultraclean junctions with uncompromised crystalline quality and stoichiometry at the junction interfaces. In the optimally doped regime, we obtain prominent Josephson coupling (2-4 mV) in multiple junctions with the twist angle of 45$^\circ$, in sharp contrast to a recent report that shows two orders of magnitude suppression around 45$^\circ$ from the value at 0$^\circ$. We further extend this study to the previously unexplored overdoped regime and observe pronounced Josephson tunneling at 45$^\circ$ together with Josephson diode effect up to 50 K. Our work helps establish the persistent presence of an isotropic pairing component across the entire superconducting phase diagram.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Revealing the Origin of Time-reversal Symmetry Breaking in Fe-chalcogenide Superconductor FeTe1-xSex

Recently evidence has emerged in the topological superconductor Fe-chalcogenide FeTe1-xSex for time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB), the nature of which has strong implications on the Majorana zero modes (MZM) discovered in this system. It remains unclear however whether the TRSB resides in the topological surface state (TSS) or in the bulk, and whether it is due to an unconventional TRSB superconducting order parameter or an intertwined order. Here by performing in superconducting FeTe1-xSex crystals both surface-magneto-optic-Kerr effect (SMOKE) measurements using a Sagnac interferometer and bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements, we pinpoint the TRSB to the TSS, where we also detect a Dirac gap. Further, we observe surface TRSB in non-superconducting FeTe1-xSex of nominally identical composition, indicating that TRSB arises from an intertwined surface ferromagnetic (FM) order. The observed surface FM bears striking similarities to the two-dimensional (2D) FM found in 2D van der Waals crystals, and is highly sensitive to the exact chemical composition, thereby providing a means for optimizing the conditions for Majorana particles that are useful for robust quantum computing.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Engineering a pure Dirac regime in ZrTe$_5$

Real-world topological semimetals typically exhibit Dirac and Weyl nodes that coexist with trivial Fermi pockets. This tends to mask the physics of the relativistic quasiparticles. Using the example of ZrTe5, we show that strain provides a powerful tool for in-situ tuning of the band structure such that all trivial pockets are pushed far away from the Fermi energy, but only for a certain range of Van der Waals gaps. Our results naturally reconcile contradicting reports on the presence or absence of additional pockets in ZrTe$_5$, and provide a clear map of where to find a pure three-dimensional Dirac semimetallic phase in the structural parameter space of the material.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Ultrafast Melting of Superconductivity in an Iron-Based Superconductor

Intense debate has recently arisen regarding the photoinduced changes to the iron-chalcogenide superconductors, including the enhancement of superconductivity and a metastable state. Here, by employing high energy resolution, we directly observe the melting of superconductivity on ultrafast timescales. We demonstrate a distinctly nonequilibrium response on short timescales, where the gap fills in prior to the destruction of the superconducting peak, followed by a metastable response. We propose that the former is due to pair phase decoherence and speculate that the latter is due to the increase in double stripe correlations that are known to compete with superconductivity. Our results add to exciting new developments on the iron-based superconductors, indicating that the photoinduced metastable state possibly competes with superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Tracking the nematicity in cuprate superconductors: a resistivity study under uniaxial pressure

Overshadowing the superconducting dome in hole-doped cuprates, the pseudogap state is still one of the mysteries that no consensus can be achieved. It has been suggested that the rotational symmetry is broken in this state and may result in a nematic phase transition, whose temperature seems to coincide with the onset temperature of the pseudogap state $T^*$ around optimal doping level, raising the question whether the pseudogap results from the establishment of the nematic order. Here we report results of resistivity measurements under uniaxial pressure on several hole-doped cuprates, where the normalized slope of the elastoresistivity $ζ$ can be obtained as illustrated in iron-based superconductors. The temperature dependence of $ζ$ along particular lattice axis exhibits kink feature at $T_{k}$ and shows Curie-Weiss-like behavior above it, which may suggest a spontaneous nematic transition. While $T_{k}$ seems to be the same as $T^*$ around the optimal doping and in the overdoped region, they become very different in underdoped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_4$. Our results suggest that the nematic order, if indeed existing, is an electronic phase within the pseudogap state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Enhanced low-energy magnetic excitations evidencing the Cu-induced localization in an Fe-based superconductor Fe$_{0.98}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$

We have performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements on optimally-doped Fe$_{0.98}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$ and 10% Cu-doped Fe$_{0.88}$Cu$_{0.1}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$ to investigate the substitution effects on the spin excitations in the whole energy range up to 300 meV. It is found that substitution of Cu for Fe enhances the low-energy spin excitations ($\le$ 100 meV), especially around the (0.5, 0.5) point, and leaves the high-energy magnetic excitations intact. In contrast to the expectation that Cu with spin 1/2 will dilute the magnetic moments contributed by Fe with a larger spin, we find that the 10% Cu doping enlarges the effective fluctuating moment from 2.85 to 3.13 $μ_{\rm B}$/Fe, although there is no long- or short-range magnetic order around (0.5, 0.5) and (0.5, 0). The presence of enhanced magnetic excitations in the 10% Cu doped sample which is in the insulating state indicates that the magnetic excitations must have some contributions from the local moments, reflecting the dual nature of the magnetism in iron-based superconductors. We attribute the substitution effects to the localization of the itinerant electrons induced by Cu dopants. These results also indicate that the Cu doping does not act as electron donor as in a rigid-band shift model, but more as scattering centers that localize the system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Coupled electronic and magnetic excitations in the cuprates and their role in the superconducting transition

The formation of Cooper pairs, a bound state of two electrons of opposite spin and momenta by exchange of a phonon [1], is a defining feature of conventional superconductivity. In the cuprate high temperature superconductors, even though it has been established that the superconducting state also consists of Cooper pairs, the pairing mechanism remains intensely debated. Here we investigate superconducting pairing in the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ(Bi2212) cuprate by employing spectral functions obtained directly from angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) experiments as input to the Bethe-Salpeter gap equation. Assuming that Cooper pairing is driven solely by spin fluctuations, we construct the single-loop spin-fluctuation-mediated pairing interaction, and use it to compute the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the Bethe-Salpeter equation in the particle-particle channel for multiple Bi2212 samples. The key point of our results is that, as the temperature is reduced, the leading eigenvalue increases upon approaching Tc, reaching a value of approximately 1 at the Tc corresponding to each doping value, indicating a superconducting transition with d-wave eigenfunctions. This suggests that spin fluctuations can approximately account for Tc and, consequently, mediate pairing in the cuprate high temperature superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Little-Parks like oscillations in lightly doped cuprate superconductors

Understanding the rich and competing electronic orders in cuprate superconductors may provide important insight into the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. Here, by measuring Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x in the extremely underdoped regime, we obtain evidence for a distinct type of ordering, which manifests itself as resistance oscillations at low magnetic fields (<10 T) and at temperatures around the superconducting transition. By tuning the doping level p continuously, we reveal that these low-field oscillations occur only when p<0.1. The oscillation amplitude increases with decreasing p but the oscillation period stays almost constant. We show that these low-field oscillations can be well described by assuming a periodic superconducting structure with a mesh size of about 50 nm. Such a charge order, which is distinctly different from the well-established charge density wave and pair density wave, seems to be an unexpected piece of the puzzle on the correlated physics in cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Thermal transport properties and some hydrodynamic-like behavior in 3D topological semimetal ZrTe5

Hydrodynamic fluidity in condensed matter physics has been experimentally demonstrated only in a limited number of compounds due to the stringent conditions that must be met. Herein, we performed thermal and electrical transport experiments in three-dimensional topological semimetal ZrTe5. By measuring the thermal properties in a wide temperature range, two representative experimental evidences of the hydrodynamics are observed in temperature window between the ballistic and diffusive regimes: a faster evolution of the thermal conductivity than in the ballistic regime and the non-monotonic temperature-dependent effective quasiparticle mean-free-path. In addition, magneto-thermal conductivity results indicate that charged quasiparticles, as well as phonons, may also play an important role in this hydrodynamic-like flow in ZrTe5.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Ubiquitous Coexisting Electron-Mode Couplings in High Temperature Cuprate Superconductors

In conventional superconductors, the electron-phonon coupling plays a dominant role in pairing the electrons and generating superconductivity. In high temperature cuprate superconductors, the existence of the electron coupling with phonons and other boson modes and its role in producing high temperature superconductivity remain unclear. The evidence of the electron-boson coupling mainly comes from the angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) observations of the ~70meV nodal dispersion kink and the ~40meV antinodal kink. However, the reported results are sporadic and the nature of the involved bosons are still under debate. Here we report new findings of ubiquitous two coexisting electron-mode couplings in cuprate superconductors. By taking ultra-high resolution laser-based ARPES measurements, combined with the improved second derivative analysis method, we discovered that the electrons are coupled simultaneously with two sharp phonon modes with energies of ~70meV and ~40meV in different superconductors with different doping levels, over the entire momentum space and at different temperatures above and below the superconducting transition temperature. The observed electron-phonon couplings are unusual because the associated energy scales do not exhibit an obvious change across the superconducting transition. We further find that the well-known "peak-dip-hump" structure, which has long been considered as a hallmark of superconductivity, is also omnipresent and consists of finer structures that originates from electron coupling with two sharp phonon modes. These comprehensive results provide a unified picture to reconcile all the reported observations and pinpoint the origin of the electron-mode couplings in cuprate superconductors. They provide key information to understand the role of the electron-phonon coupling in generating high temperature superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Anomalous Hall effect at the Lifshitz transition in ZrTe5

Zirconium pentatelluride ZrTe5 is a topological semimetal. The presence of a temperature induced Lifshitz transition, in which the Fermi level goes from the conduction band to the valence band with increasing temperature, provides unique opportunities to study the interplay between Fermi-surface topology, dynamics of Dirac fermions, and Berry curvature in one system. Here we present a combined experimental and theoretical study and show that a low energy model can be used to understand the complicated Hall response and large anomalous Hall effect observed in ZrTe5 over a wide range of temperature and magnetic field. We found that the anomalous Hall contribution dominates the Hall response in a narrow temperature window around the Lifshitz transition, away from which the orbital contribution dominates. Moreover, our results indicate that a topological phase transition coexists with the Lifshitz transition. Our model provides a unifying framework to understand the Hall effect in semimetals with large Zeeman splitting and non-trivial topology.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Twisted van der Waals Josephson junction based on high-Tc superconductor

Stacking two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) materials rotated with respect to each other show versatility for the study of exotic quantum phenomena. Especially, anisotropic layered materials have great potential for such twistronics applications, providing high tunability. Here, we report anisotropic superconducting order parameters in twisted Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x (Bi-2212) vdW junctions with an atomically clean vdW interface, achieved using the microcleave-and-stack technique. The vdW Josephson junctions with twist angles of 0° and 90° showed the maximum Josephson coupling, which was comparable to that of intrinsic Josephson (IJ) junctions in the bulk crystal. As the twist angle approaches 45°, Josephson coupling is suppressed, and eventually disappears at 45°. The observed twist angle dependence of the Josephson coupling can be explained quantitatively by theoretical calculation with the d-wave superconducting order parameter of Bi-2212 and finite tunneling incoherence of the junction. Our results revealed the anisotropic nature of Bi-2212 and provided a novel fabrication technique for vdW-based twistronics platforms compatible with air-sensitive vdW materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Doping-dependence of the electron-phonon coupling in two families of bilayer superconducting cuprates

While electron-phonon coupling (EPC) is crucial for Cooper pairing in conventional superconductors, its role in high-$T_c$ superconducting cuprates is debated. Using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at the oxygen $K$-edge, we studied the EPC in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi2212) and Nd$_{1+x}$Ba$_{2-x}$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ (NBCO) at different doping levels ranging from heavily underdoped ($p =0.07$) to overdoped ($p=0.21$). We analyze the data with a localized Lang-Firsov model that allows for the coherent excitations of two phonon modes. While electronic band dispersion effects are non-negligible, we are able to perform a study of the relative values of EPC matrix elements in these cuprate families. In the case of NBCO, the choice of the excitation energy allows us to disentangle modes related to the CuO$_3$ chains and the CuO$_2$ planes. Combining the results from the two families, we find the EPC strength decreases with doping at $\mathbf{q_\parallel}=(-0.25, 0)$ r.l.u., but has a non-monotonic trend as a function of doping at smaller momenta. This behavior is attributed to the screening effect of charge carriers. We also find that the phonon intensity is enhanced in the vicinity of the charge-density-wave (CDW) excitations while the extracted EPC strength appears to be less sensitive to their proximity. By performing a comparative study of two cuprate families, we are able to identify general trends in the EPC for the cuprates and provide experimental input to theories invoking a synergistic role for this interaction in $d$-wave pairing.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Visualizing the Energy-gap Modulations of the Cuprate Pair Density Wave State

When Cooper pairs are formed with finite center-of-mass momentum, the defining characteristic is a spatially modulating superconducting energy gap $Δ(r)$. Recently, this concept has been generalized to the pair density wave (PDW) state predicted to exist in a variety of strongly correlated electronic materials such as the cuprates. Although the signature of a cuprate PDW has been detected in Cooper-pair tunnelling, the distinctive signature in single-electron tunneling of a periodic $Δ(r)$ modulation has never been observed. Here, using a new approach, we discover strong $Δ(r)$ modulations in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_8$+$δ$ that have eight-unit-cell periodicity or wavevectors $Q=2π/a_0(1/8,0)$; $2π/a_0(0,1/8)$. This constitutes the first energy-resolved spectroscopic evidence for the cuprate PDW state. An analysis of spatial arrangements of $Δ(r)$ modulations then reveals that this PDW is predominantly unidirectional, but with an arrangement of nanoscale domains indicative of a vestigial PDW. Simultaneous imaging of the local-density-of-states $N(r,E)$ reveals electronic modulations with wavevectors $Q$ and $2Q$, as anticipated when the PDW coexists with superconductivity. Finally, by visualizing the topological defects in these $N(r,E)$ density waves at $2Q$, we discover them to be concentrated in areas where the PDW spatial phase changes by $π$, as predicted by the theory of half-vortices in a PDW state. Overall, this is a compelling demonstration, from multiple single-electron signatures, of a PDW state coexisting with superconductivity at zero magnetic field, in the canonical cuprate Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_8$+$δ$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Emergent Interfacial Superconductivity between Twisted Cuprate Superconductors

Twisted interfaces between stacked van der Waals cuprate crystals enable tunable Josephson coupling between in-plane anisotropic superconducting order parameters. Employing a novel cryogenic assembly technique, we fabricate Josephson junctions with an atomically sharp twisted interface between Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x crystals. The Josephson critical current density sensitively depends on the twist angle, reaching the maximum value comparable to that of the intrinsic junctions at small twisting angles, and is suppressed by almost 2 orders of magnitude yet remains finite close to 45 degree twist angle. Through the observation of fractional Shapiro steps and the analysis of Fraunhofer patterns we show that the remaining superconducting coherence near 45 degree is due to the co-tunneling of Cooper pairs, a necessary ingredient for high-temperature topological superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Presence of $s$-wave pairing in Josephson junctions made of twisted ultrathin Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ flakes

Since the discovery of high temperature superconductivity in cuprates, Josephson junction based phase-sensitive experiments are believed and used to provide the most convincing evidence for determining the pairing symmetry. Regardless of different junction materials and geometries used, quantum tunneling involved in these experiments is essentially a nanoscale process, and thus, actual experimental results are extremely sensitive to atomic details of the junction structures. The situation has led to controversial results as to the nature of the pairing symmetry of cuprates: while in-plane junction experiments generally support $d$-wave pairing symmetry, those based on out-of-plane ($c$-axis) Josephson junctions between two rotated cuprate blocks favor $s$-wave pairing. In this work, we revisit the $c$-axis experiment by fabricating Josephson junctions with atomic-level control in their interface structure. We fabricate over 90 junctions of ultrathin Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ (BSCCO) flakes by state-of-the-art exfoliation technique and obtain atomically flat junction interfaces in the whole junction regions as characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Notably, the resultant uniform junctions at various twist angles all exhibit a single tunneling branch behavior, suggesting that only the first half a unit cell on both sides of the twisted flakes is involved in Josephson tunneling process. With such well-defined geometry/structure and the characteristic single tunneling branch, we repeatedly observe Josephson tunneling at a nominal twist angle of 45 degrees, which is against the expectation from a purely $d$-wave pairing scenario. Our results strongly favor the scenario of a persistent $s$-wave order parameter in the junction.

cond-mat.supr-con↗