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Hengyang Zhong

Publications and source records attributed to Hengyang Zhong.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Twinning of domains and spin anisotropy in K$_5$Fe$_4$Ag$_6$Te$_{10}$

The Fe-based superconductors are derived from metallic parent compounds with nematic and stripe magnetic orders, which lead to two types of magnetic domains. Recently it was found that K$_5$Fe$_4$Ag$_6$Te$_{10}$ (KFAT), an Fe-based semiconductor, exhibits similar nematic and stripe magnetic orders, and is thus an analogue to the Fe-based superconductors in the limit of localized electrons. In this work, the superstructure and magnetic domains of KFAT are elucidated by fully mapping the reciprocal space using time-of-flight single crystal neutron diffraction. In KFAT, Fe and Ag atoms order to form a $\sqrt{5}\times\sqrt{5}$ superstructure containing $2\times2$ Fe blocks, which leads to two superstructure domains with identical main Bragg peaks but distinct superstructure peaks. Below $T_{\rm N}\approx35$~K, magnetic and nematic orders break in-plane rotational symmetry of the tetragonal $\sqrt{5}\times\sqrt{5}$ superstructure, and further give rise to two magnetic domains. These four equally populated domains account for the complex scattering pattern observed in our time-of-flight elastic neutron scattering measurements. Using polarized neutron scattering, we demonstrate a prominent spin anisotropy with an easy-plane spanned by the $c$-axis and the intra-block antiferromagnetic Fe-Fe bond direction. Such an anisotropy at ${\bf q}\neq0$ persists well above $T_{\rm N}$, accounts for the in-plane ${\bf q}=0$ magnetic anisotropy observed in uniaxial-strained KFAT, and offers an indicator for discovering similar piezomagnetic effects in other materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Spin correlations in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ thin films

The discovery of ambient-pressure superconductivity with $T_{c,\text{onset}} > 40$ K in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ (LNO) thin films grown on the SrLaAlO$_4$ (SLAO) substrate with compressive ($\varepsilon\approx-2\%$) epitaxial strain provides a unique platform for investigating the superconducting mechanism in nickelate superconductors. Here, we use resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) to unveil the dispersive spin excitations in the LNO/SLAO thin film and establish the strain dependence of the electronic and spin excitations in LNO thin films with strain ranging from $\varepsilon\approx-2\%$ to $+1.9\%$. Compared with bulk LNO, LNO/SLAO exhibits similar $dd$ excitations and spin dynamics, but with a larger spin-excitation bandwidth, whereas tensile-strained LNO/SrTiO$_3$ exhibits a marked suppression of both the spin excitations and the Ni $3d_{z^2}$-derived $dd$ excitations. This evolution reflects a strain-tuned interlayer exchange interaction $J_z$ and Ni $3d_{z^2}$-O 2$p_z$ hybridization. Our results demonstrate how epitaxial strain modulates the interlayer magnetic coupling and are consistent with scenarios in which the interlayer antiferromagnetic superexchange interaction promotes interlayer pairing in bilayer nickelates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Doping evolution of spin excitations in La$_{3-x}$Sr$_{x}$Ni$_2$O$_7$/SrLaAlO$_4$ superconducting thin films

Ambient-pressure superconductivity in compressively strained bilayer nickelate films provides a unique platform to test pairing scenarios, yet the evolution of magnetism with carrier doping remains largely unexplored. Here, we utilize Ni $L_3$-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to systematically track the evolution of spin and electronic excitations in coherently strained La$_{3-x}$Sr$_x$Ni$_2$O$_7$/SrLaAlO$_4$ thin films, spanning the superconducting ($x \le 0.21$) and overdoped non-superconducting ($x = 0.38$) regimes. We reveal that dispersive spin excitations, characterized by double-stripe correlations and nearly doping-independent exchange scales, persist robustly throughout the entire superconducting dome. In stark contrast, upon entering the overdoped non-superconducting state, this coherent magnetic framework undergoes an abrupt collapse, melting into a heavily damped, low-spectral-weight continuum. We show that this magnetic breakdown is fundamentally driven by a selective doping-induced orbital reconstruction. While the invariant $\sim\!1.0$~eV intra-atomic $dd$ peak confirms an intact local octahedral crystal field, the concurrent quenching of the $\sim\!0.4$~eV and $\sim\!1.6$~eV features signifies a severe degradation of the apical-oxygen-mediated $d_{z^2}$--$p_z$--$d_{z^2}$ singlet sector and bilayer charge-transfer coherence. The synchronized demise of coherent spin excitations and macroscopic pairing establishes a direct, doping-controlled link, underscoring that maintaining the localized $d_{z^2}$ magnetic framework and robust apical-oxygen coupling is the fundamental prerequisite for high-$T_c$ superconductivity in bilayer nickelates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

C-type antiferromagnetic structure of topological semimetal CaMnSb$_2$

Determination of the magnetic structure and confirmation of the presence or absence of inversion ($\mathcal{P}$) and time reversal ($\mathcal{T}$) symmetry is imperative for correctly understanding the topological magnetic materials. Here high-quality single crystals of the layered manganese pnictide CaMnSb$_2$ are synthesized using the self-flux method. De Haas-van Alphen oscillations indicate a nontrivial Berry phase of $\sim$ $π$ and a notably small cyclotron effective mass, supporting the Dirac semimetal nature of CaMnSb$_2$. Neutron diffraction measurements identify a C-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure below $T\rm_{N}$ = 303(1) K with the Mn moments aligned along the $a$ axis, which is well supported by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The corresponding magnetic space group is $Pn'm'a'$, preserving a $\mathcal{P}\times\mathcal{T}$ symmetry. Adopting the experimentally determined magnetic structure, band crossings near the Y point in momentum space and linear dispersions of the Sb $5p_{y,z}$ bands are revealed by the DFT calculations. Furthermore, our study predicts the possible existence of an intrinsic second-order nonlinear Hall effect in CaMnSb$_2$, offering a promising platform to study the impact of topological properties on nonlinear electrical transports in antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗