arXiv subjects

H. Bentmann

Publications and source records attributed to H. Bentmann.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Anomalous 4$f$ fine structure in TmSe$_{1-x}$Te$_x$ across the metal-insulator transition

Hybridization between localized 4$f$ and itinerant 5$d$6$s$ states in heavy fermion compounds is a well-studied phenomenon and commonly captured by the paradigmatic Anderson model. However, the investigation of additional electronic interactions, beyond the standard Anderson model, has been limited, despite their predicted important role in the exotic quasiparticle formation in mixed-valence systems. We investigate the 4$f$ states in TmSe$_{1-x}$Te$_x$ throughout a semimetal-insulator phase transition, which drastically varies the interactions related to the 4$f$ states. Using synchrotron-based hard x-ray and extreme ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, we resolve subtle peak splitting in the 4$f$ peaks near the Fermi level in the mixed-valent semimetal phase. The separation is enhanced by several tens of meV by increasing the lattice parameter by a few percent. Our results elucidate the evolving nature of the 4$f$ state across the phase transition, and provide direct experimental evidence for electronic interactions beyond the standard Anderson model in mixed-valence systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Tomographic Imaging of Orbital Vortex Lines in Three-Dimensional Momentum Space

We report the experimental discovery of orbital vortex lines in the three-dimensional (3D) band structure of a topological semimetal. Combining linear and circular dichroism in soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission (SX-ARPES) with first-principles theory, we image the winding of atomic orbital angular momentum, thereby revealing - and determining the location of - lines of vorticity in full 3D momentum space. Our observation of momentum-space vortex lines with quantized winding number establishes an analogue to real-space quantum vortices, for instance, in type-II superconductors and certain non-collinear magnets. These results establish multimodal dichroism in SX-ARPES as an approach to trace 3D orbital textures. Our present findings particularly constitute the first imaging of non-trivial quantum-phase winding at line nodes and may pave the way to new orbitronic phenomena in quantum materials

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Strongly Anisotropic Spin and Orbital Rashba Effect at a Tellurium - Noble Metal Interface

We study the interplay of lattice, spin and orbital degrees of freedom in a two-dimensional model system: a flat square lattice of Te atoms on a Au(100) surface. The atomic structure of the Te monolayer is determined by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and quantitative low-energy electron diffraction (LEED-IV). Using spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT), we observe a Te-Au interface state with highly anisotropic Rashba-type spin-orbit splitting at the X point of the Brillouin zone. Based on a profound symmetry and tight-binding analysis, we show how in-plane square lattice symmetry and broken inversion symmetry at the Te-Au interface together enforce a remarkably anisotropic orbital Rashba effect which strongly modulates the spin splitting.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Two-dimensional ferromagnetic extension of a topological insulator

Inducing a magnetic gap at the Dirac point of the topological surface state (TSS) in a 3D topological insulator (TI) is a route to dissipationless charge and spin currents. Ideally, magnetic order is present only at the surface and not in the bulk, e.g. through proximity of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer. However, such a proximity-induced Dirac mass gap has not been observed, likely due to insufficient overlap of TSS and the FM subsystem. Here, we take a different approach, namely FM extension, using a thin film of the 3D TI Bi$_2$Te$_3$, interfaced with a monolayer of the lattice-matched van der Waals ferromagnet MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. Robust 2D ferromagnetism with out-of-plane anisotropy and a critical temperature of $\text{T}_\text{c}\approx$~15 K is demonstrated by X-ray magnetic dichroism and electrical transport measurements. Using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we observe the opening of a sizable magnetic gap in the 2D FM phase, while the surface remains gapless in the paramagnetic phase above T$_c$. This sizable gap indicates a relocation of the TSS to the FM ordered Mn moments near the surface, which leads to a large mutual overlap.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Momentum-space signatures of Berry flux monopoles in a Weyl semimetal

Since the early days of Dirac flux quantization, magnetic monopoles have been sought after as a potential corollary of quantized electric charge. As opposed to magnetic monopoles embedded into the theory of electromagnetism, Weyl crystals exhibit Berry flux monopoles in reciprocal parameter space. As a function of crystal momentum, such monopoles locate at the degeneracy point of the Weyl cone. Here, we report momentum-resolved spectroscopic signatures of Berry flux monopoles in TaAs as a paradigmatic Weyl semimetal. We have probed the orbital and spin angular momentum (OAM and SAM) of the Weyl-fermion states by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy at bulk-sensitive soft X-ray energies (SX-ARPES) combined with photoelectron spin detection and circular dichroism. Supported by first-principles calculations, our measurements image characteristics of a topologically non-trivial winding of the OAM at the Weyl nodes and unveil a chirality-dependent SAM of the Weyl bands. Our results experimentally visualize the non-trivial momentum-space topology in a Weyl semimetal, promising to have profound implications for the study of quantum-geometric effects in solids.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Orbital Complexity in Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Insulators MnBi$_4$Te$_7$ and MnBi$_6$Te$_{10}$

Using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES), we investigate the surface electronic structure of the magnetic van der Waals compounds MnBi$_4$Te$_7$ and MnBi$_6$Te$_{10}$, the $n=$~1 and 2 members of a modular (Bi$_2$Te$_3$)$_n$(MnBi$_2$Te$_4$) series, which have attracted recent interest as intrinsic magnetic topological insulators. Combining circular dichroic, spin-resolved and photon-energy-dependent ARPES measurements with calculations based on density functional theory, we unveil complex momentum-dependent orbital and spin textures in the surface electronic structure and disentangle topological from trivial surface bands. We find that the Dirac-cone dispersion of the topologial surface state is strongly perturbed by hybridization with valence-band states for Bi$_2$Te$_3$-terminated surfaces but remains preserved for MnBi$_2$Te$_4$-terminated surfaces. Our results firmly establish the topologically non-trivial nature of these magnetic van der Waals materials and indicate that the possibility of realizing a quantized anomalous Hall conductivity depends on surface termination.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Oxide Fermi liquid universality revealed by electron spectroscopy

We present a combined soft x-ray and high-resolution vacuum-ultraviolet angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of the electron-overdoped cuprate Pr$_{1.3-x}$La$_{0.7}$Ce$_{x}$CuO$_4$ (PLCCO). Demonstration of its highly two-dimensional band structure enabled precise determination of the in-plane self-energy dominated by electron-electron scattering. Through analysis of this self-energy and the Fermi-liquid cut-off energy scale, we find -- in contrast to hole-doped cuprates -- a momentum isotropic and comparatively weak electron correlation in PLCCO. Yet, the self-energies extracted from multiple oxide systems combine to demonstrate a logarithmic divergent relation between the quasiparticle scattering rate and mass. This constitutes a spectroscopic version of the Kadowaki-Woods relation with an important merit -- the demonstration of Fermi liquid quasiparticle lifetime and mass being set by a single energy scale.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Surface states and Rashba-type spin polarization in antiferromagnetic MnBi$_2$Te$_4$

The layered van der Waals antiferromagnet MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ has been predicted to combine the band ordering of archetypical topological insulators such as Bi$_2$Te$_3$ with the magnetism of Mn, making this material a viable candidate for the realization of various magnetic topological states. We have systematically investigated the surface electronic structure of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$(0001) single crystals by use of spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy experiments. In line with theoretical predictions, the results reveal a surface state in the bulk band gap and they provide evidence for the influence of exchange interaction and spin-orbit coupling on the surface electronic structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Systematics of electronic and magnetic properties in the transition metal doped Sb$_2$Te$_3$ quantum anomalous Hall platform

The quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) has recently been reported to emerge in magnetically-doped topological insulators. Although its general phenomenology is well established, the microscopic origin is far from being properly understood and controlled. Here we report on a detailed and systematic investigation of transition-metal (TM)-doped Sb$_2$Te$_3$. By combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations with complementary experimental techniques, i.e., scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), resonant photoemission (resPES), and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), we provide a complete spectroscopic characterization of both electronic and magnetic properties. Our results reveal that the TM dopants not only affect the magnetic state of the host material, but also significantly alter the electronic structure by generating impurity-derived energy bands. Our findings demonstrate the existence of a delicate interplay between electronic and magnetic properties in TM-doped TIs. In particular, we find that the fate of the topological surface states critically depends on the specific character of the TM impurity: while V- and Fe-doped Sb$_2$Te$_3$ display resonant impurity states in the vicinity of the Dirac point, Cr and Mn impurities leave the energy gap unaffected. The single-ion magnetic anisotropy energy and easy axis, which control the magnetic gap opening and its stability, are also found to be strongly TM impurity-dependent and can vary from in-plane to out-of-plane depending on the impurity and its distance from the surface. Overall, our results provide general guidelines for the realization of a robust QAHE in TM-doped Sb$_2$Te$_3$ in the ferromagnetic state.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Universal properties of the near-gap spectra of SmB6: dynamical mean-field calculations and photoemission experiments

Samarium hexaboride (SmB6) has been presumed to show a topological Kondo insulating state consisting of fully occupied quasiparticle bands in the concept of a Fermi liquid. This gap emerging below a small coherence temperature is the ultimate sign of coherence for a many-body system, which in addition induces a non-trivial topology. Here, we demonstrate that just one energy scale governs the gap formation in SmB6, which supports the Fermi liquid description. The temperature dependence of the gap formation in the mixed valence regime is captured within the dynamical mean field (DMFT) approximation to the periodic Anderson model (PAM). The scaling property of the model with the topological coherence temperature provides a strong connection to the photoemission spectra of SmB6. Our results suggest a simple way to compare a model study and an experiment result for heavy fermion insulators.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Quantized electronic fine structure with large anisotropy in ferromagnetic Fe films

We report on the spectroscopic observation of a quantized electronic fine structure near the Fermi energy in thin Fe films grown on W(110). The quantum well states are detected down to binding energies of $\sim$10 meV by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The band dispersion of these states is found to feature a pronounced anisotropy within the surface plane: It is free-electron like along the $\bar{Γ\rm{H}}$-direction while it becomes heavy along $\bar{Γ\rm{N}}$. Density functional theory calculations identify the observed states to have both majority and minority spin character and indicate that the large anisotropy can be dependent on the number of Fe-layers and coupling to the substrate.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

The importance of Charge Fluctuations for the Topological Phase in SmB$_6$

The discovery of topologically non-trivial states in band insulators has induced an extensive search for topological phase in strongly correlated electron systems. In particular, samarium hexaboride (SmB$_6$) has drawn much attention as it might represent a new class of condensed matter called topological Kondo insulator. Kondo insulators (KI) can have non-trivial Z$_2$ topology because the energy gap opens at the Fermi energy ($E_F$) by hybridization between an odd- parity renormalized $f$ band and an even- parity conduction $d$ band. However, the characteristics of SmB$_6$ deviate from the conventional KI because its gap is insensitive to doping and pressure. Thus, it is unclear what makes the gap of SmB$_6$ different from that of KI, and how the band inversion features occur. In this manuscript, we demonstrate the importance of charge fluctuations in SmB$_6$. Our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) results reveal that with decreasing temperature the bottom of the $d$-$f$ hybridized band at the $\bar{\text{X}}$ point gradually shifts from below to above $E_F$. This shift accompanies a redistribution of spectral weight from the upper to the lower quasiparticle band, and reflects the change in both carrier density and the number of localized $f$ electron. Moreover, because this hybridized band is predicted to have odd parity and to induce a non-trivial $Z_{2}$ topology, we compare our ARPES spectra with theoretical surface band structures and find signatures of topological surface states. Therefore, our results indicate that SmB$_6$ is a charge fluctuating topological insulator having the odd-parity hybridized band above $E_F$ at the $X$ point. This demonstrates that the charge fluctuations do not only drive the insulating bulk phase but also the non-trivial topological phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗