arXiv subjects

Goutam Sheet

Publications and source records attributed to Goutam Sheet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Nucleation and Enhancement of Superconductivity under Tip-Induced Strain Fields

A metallic point contact formed on a non-superconducting or weakly superconducting material often nucleates or enhances superconductivity confined under the contact. However, no unified theoretical description of the phenomenon exists. We show that the spatially inhomogeneous, predominantly uniaxial nature of the stress field under a point contact is fundamental for such tip-induced and tip-enhanced superconductivity (TISC/TESC). We also show that the coupling of such a stress field to the electronic structure can be estimated through an experimentally measurable uniaxial coupling scale $C^{\mathrm{exp}}$. Combining Hertzian contact mechanics with a Ginzburg-Landau variational analysis, we derive a criterion for the nucleation of TISC/TESC and determine $C^{\mathrm{exp}}$ for twenty-one materials. For topological semimetals with ungapped band crossings, the framework explains observed critical temperatures with no free parameters and for all others, $C^{\mathrm{exp}}$ provides a direct experimental determination of the uniaxial strain sensitivity and a target scale for microscopic theories.The work predicts TISC in elemental Sb and Y with $T_c \approx 2.8$\,K and $T_c \approx 12$\,K respectively.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

A Top-Loading Point-Contact Spectroscopy Probe with In-Situ Sample Exchange for Dilution Refrigerators

We report the design and implementation of a point-contact spectroscopy (PCS) system integrated with a dilution refrigerator, enabling measurements down to 30 mK. The setup employs a needle-anvil geometry with a cryogenic piezo-driven nanopositioner for in-situ formation of mesoscopic point contacts. We discuss the thermal anchoring strategies that enable efficient cooling of the probe to ultra-low temperatures and reliable measurements. We also address positioner-related challenges and the solutions implemented to ensure stable operation at millikelvin temperatures. The performance of the probe is demonstrated through point contact spectroscopy on Ta-doped TiSe$_2$ (Ta$_x$Ti$_{1-x}$Se$_2$, $x = 0.2$), a superconductor with $T_c \approx 2.3$ K. The spectra exhibit well-defined superconducting features that systematically diminish with increasing temperature and magnetic field. The platform provides a robust and versatile tool for spectroscopic investigations of superconductors and other quantum materials at millikelvin temperatures and high magnetic fields.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Quantum Interference Breaks Bias Symmetry at Extended Superconducting Interfaces

Particle-hole symmetry of the Bogoliubov-de~Gennes Hamiltonian is widely assumed to enforce bias-symmetric transport at superconducting interfaces. We show that this expectation fails generically for interfaces with finite spatial extent due to quantum interference. Using a tight-binding scattering formalism that preserves exact particle-hole symmetry, we demonstrate that propagation through an extended interface causes electrons and holes to accumulate unequal phases, leading to intrinsic bias-asymmetric conductance. The interface thereby acts as an effective Andreev interferometer with characteristic damped oscillations arising from coherent multiple reflections within the barrier. While the asymmetry originates from normal-state interference, its bias dependence is governed by the superconducting gap, which emerges as a sharp crossover scale that can be clearly resolved even when conventional coherence peaks are weak or absent. Thus we present bias asymmetry as an interferometric, spectroscopic probe of nonlocal interface physics and superconducting energy scales in hybrid and topological systems where extended interfaces are unavoidable.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Magnetic field decouples nodeless surface and nodal bulk orders in PdTe

Selective spectroscopic disentanglement of surface and bulk quantum orders remains an outstanding challenge in condensed matter physics. The candidate topological superconductor PdTe has recently been proposed to host a nodeless surface gap on top of a nodal bulk state, but their direct identification and mutual coupling remained experimentally elusive. Here, we employ magnetic-field-dependent Andreev reflection spectroscopy to spectroscopically disentangle these components. At zero magnetic field, the spectra exhibit a BCS-like gap structure, consistent with dominant transport through a fully gapped surface superconducting state. Strikingly, even a weak magnetic field leads to an abrupt suppression of the Andreev-enhanced conductance (AEC), while a residual AEC, attributable to the nodal bulk state, persists to much higher magnetic fields. The transition is accompanied by pronounced magnetic hysteresis pointing to the existence of vortex dynamics at low fields. Our findings suggest that the nodal bulk gap facilitates early vortex entry, which in turn disrupts the fragile surface superconductivity. These results establish a field-tunable decoupling of surface and bulk superconductivity and illustrate how distinct gap topologies can shape the global superconducting order in multichannel systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Topological polar textures on CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets

Polar topological textures like the bubble domains, flux--closures, and labyrinth etc., unlock functional responses in ferroic systems but are difficult to stabilize and control in chemically simple, solution--grown materials. Here we show that ultra--thin, large--area CsPbBr$_3$ nanoplatelets host room--temperature ferroelectric bubble domains whose characteristic size is tunable by thickness. Using contact--resonance piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) across 125\~nm--2\~$\mu$m, we observe a systematic decrease in domain size with decreasing thickness, consistent with a depolarization--field controlled stability window. Repeated scanning transforms bubbles into labyrinthine patterns, indicating metastability under weak mechanical/electrical perturbations. Upon heating, bubbles evolve into labyrinths and vanish at $T_C\!\approx\!90^\circ$C, with domain nucleation recovered on cooling. These results establish a controllable platform for polar topology in a stable, stochiometric perovskite grown via a solvothermal route, and clarify how electrical boundary conditions (set by thickness and temperature) govern texture selection. The thickness--tunable polar textures identified here offer a route to engineer domain--wall--mediated functionalities in halide perovskites.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Above 20K conventional superconductivity in Cerium

A high superconducting critical temperature (Tc) under normal laboratory conditions in a material that is chemically simple and stable, like an elemental metal, is a hitherto unattained goal of modern science and technology. Certain elemental metals are known to display reasonably high Tc only under extraordinarily high pressures where their spectroscopic characterization and application are tightly restricted. Here we show that a Tc exceeding 20 K can be realized on pure elemental Ce under uniaxial pressure created simply by pressing a sharp metallic needle on the metal. This is a breakthrough because pure Ce does not superconduct under ambient conditions and the application of 54 GPa of hydrostatic pressure yields only a low Tc of 1.8 K in the metal. In addition, by driving the area under the needle in a mechanically controlled way to the ballistic transport regime, for the first time, we spectroscopically characterized the superconducting energy gap in a high-pressure superconducting phase and found that superconducting Ce respects the conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Shrieffer (BCS) theory.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Incommensurate Moir\'e Stacking and Landau Quantization Without External Magnetic Field in Turbostratic Graphene

Turbostratic multilayer graphene, composed of randomly twisted and stacked graphene sheets, offers a naturally disordered yet tunable platform for exploring moir\'e physics beyond tedious artificial stacking. Using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and Raman analysis, we uncover a wide distribution of twist angles and stacking configurations spontaneously formed across large-area turbostratic films. In several regions, we identify overlapping incommensurate moir\'e patterns consistent with locally chiral trilayer stacking. We observe van Hove singularities and reconstructed Dirac-like spectra whose angle dependence supports strong interlayer electronic coherence. In the highly strained trilayered regions, we observe peaks in the local density-of states with characteristic scaling of the quantized Landau levels strikingly even in the absence of a magnetic field. They arise from the strain-induced pseudo-magnetic fields (~ 26 T), making turbostratic graphene a single natural platform to explore the physics of moir\'e structures as well as of the pseudo-electromagnetic fields.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Spectroscopic signature of anisotropic order parameter in Kagome lattice superconductor LaRh$_3$B$_2$

The physics of the Kagome metal LaRh$_3$B$_2$ along with its superconductivity below 2.6 K, unlike other popular Kagome metals, is not known to be significantly influenced by the electron correlations. While the indirect techniques to probe the bulk superconducting properties of LaRh$_3$B$_2$ indicate a conventional isotropic order parameter, we show that the direct spectroscopic determination of the superconducting energy gap reveals an anomalous suppression of Andreev reflection between LaRh$_3$B$_2$ and a normal metal. This observation hints to the presence of incomplete superconducting gap formation, at least along certain momentum directions, and consequent low-lying quasiparticle states. An analysis of multiple Andreev reflection spectra captured at different points on the surface of LaRh$_3$B$_2$ reveals a distribution of the superconducting energy gap which is consistent with an anisotropic superconducting order parameter.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Emergent inhomogeneity and non-locality in a graphene field-effect transistor on a near-parallel moire superlattice of transition metal dichalcogenides

At near-parallel orientation, twisted bilayer of transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit inter-layer charge transfer-driven out-of-plane ferroelectricity that may lead to unique electronic device architectures. Here we report detailed electrical transport in a dual-gated graphene field-effect transistor placed on 3R stacked twisted bilayer of WSe2 at a twist angle of 2.1 degree. We observe hysteretic transfer characteristics and an emergent charge inhomogeneity with multiple local Dirac points as the electric displacement field (D) is increased. Concomitantly, we also observe a strong non-local voltage signal at D = 0 V/nm that decreases rapidly with increasing D. A linear scaling of the non-local signal with longitudinal resistance suggests edge mode transport, which we attribute to the breaking of valley symmetry of the graphene channel due to the spatially fluctuating electric field from the moire domains of the underlying twisted WSe2. A quantitative analysis connecting the non-locality and channel inhomogeneity suggests emergence of finite-size domains in the graphene channel that modulate the charge and the valley currents simultaneously. This work underlines efficient control and impact of interfacial ferroelectricity that can trigger a new genre of devices for twistronic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Topological surface states host superconductivity induced by the bulk condensate in YRuB$_2$

While the possibility of topological superconductivity (TSC) in hybrid heterostructures involving topologically nontrivial band structure and superconductors has been proposed, the realization of TSC in a single stoichiometric material is most desired for fundamental experimental investigation of TSC and its device applications. Bulk measurements on YRuB$_2$ detect a single superconducting gap of $\sim$ 1 meV. This is supported by our electronic structure calculations which also reveal the existence of topological surface states in the system. We performed surface-sensitive Andreev reflection spectroscopy on YRuB$_2$ and detected the bulk superconducting gap as well as another superconducting gap of $\sim$ 0.5 meV. From our analysis of electronic structure, we show that the smaller gap is formed in the topological surface states in YRuB$_2$ due to the proximity of the bulk superconducting condensate. Thus, in agreement with the past theoretical predictions, we present YRuB$_2$ as a unique system that hosts superconducting topological surface states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Switchable Photovoltaic Effect in Ferroelectric CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals

Ferroelectric all-inorganic halide perovskites nanocrystals with both spontaneous polarizations and visible light absorption are promising candidates for designing functional ferroelectric photovoltaic devices. Three dimensional halide perovskite nanocrystals have the potential of being ferroelectric, yet it remains a challenge to realize ferroelectric photovoltaic devices which can be operated in absence of an external electric field. Here we report that a popular all-inorganic halide perovskite nanocrystal, CsPbBr3, exhibits ferroelectricity driven photovoltaic effect under visible light in absence of an external electric field. The ferroelectricity in CsPbBr3 nanocrystals originates from the stereochemical activity in Pb (II) lone pair that promotes the distortion of PbBr6 octahedra. Furthermore, application of an external electric field allows the photovoltaic effect to be enhanced and the spontaneous polarization to be switched with the direction of the electric field. Robust fatigue performance, flexibility and prolonged photoresponse under continuous illumination are potentially realized in the zero-bias conditions. These finding establishes all-inorganic halide perovskites nanocrystals as potential candidates for designing novel photoferroelectric devices by coupling optical functionalities and ferroelectric responses.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Skyrmions and magnetic bubbles in spin-orbit coupled metallic magnets

Motivated by the observation of Skyrmion-like magnetic textures in 2D itinerant ferromagnets Fe$_n$GeTe$_2$ ($n \geq3$), we develop a microscopic model combining itinerant magnetism and spin-orbit coupling on a triangular lattice. The ground state of the model in the absence of magnetic field consists of filamentary magnetic domain walls revealing a striking similarity with our magnetic force microscopy experiments on Fe$_3$GeTe$_2$. In the presence of magnetic field, these filaments were found to break into large size magnetic bubbles in our experiments. We identify uniaxial magnetic anisotropy as an important parameter in the model that interpolates between magnetic Skyrmions and ferromagnetic bubbles. Consequently, our work uncovers new topological magnetic textures that merge properties of Skyrmions and ferromagnetic bubbles.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Electrically controlled quantum transition to an anomalous metal in 2D

The mechanism through which superconductivity is destroyed upon controlled disordering often holds the key to understanding the mechanism of emergence of superconductivity. Here we demonstrate an $in$-$situ$ mechanism to control the fraction of disorder in a 2D superconductor. By controlling an electric field V$_G$, we created an assembly of segregated superconducting nano-islands and varied the inter-island distance to accomplish a quantum phase transition from a superconducting phase to a strange quantum anomalous metallic (QAM) phase at LaVO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interfaces. In the QAM phase, the resistivity dropped below a critical temperature (T$_{CM}$) as if the system was approaching superconductivity, and then saturated, indicating the destruction of global phase coherence and the emergence of a phase where metal-like transport of Bosons (a Bose metal) becomes a possibility. The unprecedented control over the island size is obtained through the control of nanometer scale ferroelectric domains formed in the SrTiO$_3$ side of the interface due to a low-temperature structural phase transition.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

High transport spin polarization in the van der Waals ferromagnet Fe$_4$GeTe$_2$

The challenging task of scaling-down the size of the power saving electronic devices can be accomplished by exploiting the spin degree of freedom of the conduction electrons in van der Waals (vdW) spintronic architectures built with 2D materials. One of the key components of such a device is a near-room temperature 2D ferromagnet with good metallicity that can generate a highly spin-polarized electronic transport current. However, most of the known 2D ferromagnets have either a very low temperature ordering, poor conductivity, or low spin polarization. In this context, the Fe$_n$GeTe$_2$ (with $n\geq3$) family of ferromagnets stand out due to their near-room temperature ferromagnetism and good metallicity. We have performed spin-resolved Andreev reflection spectroscopy on Fe$_4$GeTe$_2$ ($T_{Curie} \sim$ 273 K) and demonstrated that the ferromagnet is capable of generating a very high transport spin polarization, exceeding 50$\%$. This makes Fe$_4$GeTe$_2$ a strong candidate for application in all-vdW power-saving spintronic devices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Spin-polarized supercurrent through the van der Waals Kondo lattice ferromagnet Fe$_3$GeTe$_2$

In the new van der Waals Kondo-lattice Fe$_3$GeTe$_2$, itinerant ferromagnetism and heavy fermionic behaviour coexist. Both the key properties of such a system namely a spin-polarized Fermi surface and a low Fermi momentum are expected to significantly alter Andreev reflection dominated transport at a contact with a superconducting electrode, and display unconventional proximity-induced superconductivity. We observed interplay between Andreev reflection and Kondo resonance at mesoscopic interfaces between superconducting Nb and Fe$_3$GeTe$_2$. Above the critical temperature ($T_c$) of Nb, the recorded differential conductance ($dI/dV$) spectra display a robust zero-bias anomaly which is described well by a characteristic Fano line shape arising from Kondo resonance. Below $T_c$, the Fano line mixes with Andreev reflection dominated $dI/dV$ leading to a dramatic, unconventional suppression of conductance at zero bias. As a consequence, an analysis of the Andreev reflection spectra within a spin-polarized model yields an anomalously large spin-polarization which is not explained by the density of states of the spin-split bands at the Fermi surface alone. The results open up the possibilities of fascinating interplay between various quantum phenomena that may potentially emerge at the mesoscopic superconducting interfaces involving Kondo lattice systems hosting spin-polarized conduction electrons.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Unusual Magnetotransport from two dimensional Dirac Fermions in Pd$_{3}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{2}$

Pd$_{3}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ has been proposed to be topologically non-trivial in nature. However, evidence of its non-trivial behavior is still unexplored. We report the growth and magneto-transport study of Pd$_{3}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ thin films, revealing for the first time the contribution of two-dimensional (2D) topological surface states. We observe exceptional non-saturated linear magnetoresistance which results from Dirac fermions inhabiting the lowest Landau level in the quantum limit. The transverse magnetoresistance changes from a semi-classical weak-field $B^{2}$ dependence to a high-field $B$ dependence at a critical field $B^{\star}$. It is found that $B^{\star} \propto T^2$, which is expected from the Landau level splitting of a linear energy dispersion. In addition, the magnetoconductivity shows signatures of 2D weak anti-localization (WAL). These novel magnetotransport signatures evince the presence of 2D Dirac fermions in Pd$_{3}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ thin films.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Spectroscopic evidence of multi-gap superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric AuBe

AuBe is a chiral, non-centrosymmetric superconductor with transition temperature $T_C$ $\simeq$ 3.25 K. The broken inversion symmetry in its crystal structure makes AuBe a possible candidate to host a mixed singlet-triplet pairing symmetry in its superconducting order parameter ($Δ$). This possibility was investigated by transport, thermodynamic, and muon-spin rotation/relaxation experiments in AuBe. However, this issue was not addressed using direct spectroscopic probes so far. In addition, certain ambiguities exist in the description of superconductivity in AuBe based on $μ$SR experiments reported earlier. Here we report scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) on AuBe down to 300 mK. We found a signature of two superconducting gaps (with 2$Δ_1/k_{B}T_{C}$ = 4.37 and 2$Δ_2/k_{B}T_{C}$ = 2.46 respectively) and a clean BCS-like temperature dependence of both the gaps. We have also performed band structure calculations to identify the different bands that might give rise to the observed two-gap superconductivity in AuBe.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Anisotropic superconductivity in ZrB$_{12}$ near critical Bogomolnyi point

The superconductors with the Ginzburg-Landau (G-L) parameter ($κ$) $\sim1/\sqrt{2}$ exist near a critical Bogolomonyi (B) point where they show inter-type domains between type-I and type-II superconductivity. While such physics is well understood for isotropic superconductors, the experimental investigation of the physics of anisotropic superconductors near a critical B-point remains an unattained goal mainly due to the unavailability of model material systems. Theoretically, such superconductors are expected to show type-I or type-II behaviour for definite directions of an applied magnetic field. Here, from directional point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy and field-angle dependent ac magnetic susceptibility measurements, we show that ZrB$_{12}$ is an anisotropic superconductor, and it exhibits field-direction dependent type-I and type-II behaviour. These observations match remarkably well with the theoretical expectations for an anisotropic superconductor near a critical B-point. Therefore, our results project ZrB$_{12}$ as a model material system where the physics of inter-type anisotropic superconductivity can be explored experimentally.

cond-mat.supr-con↗