arXiv subjects

Hiroshi Eisaki

Publications and source records attributed to Hiroshi Eisaki.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Effect of the sample work function on alkali metal dosing induced electronic structure change

Alkali metal dosing (AMD) has been widely used as a way to control doping without chemical substitution. This technique, in combination with angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), often provides an opportunity to observe unexpected phenomena. However, the amount of transferred charge and the corresponding change in the electronic structure vary significantly depending on the material. Here, we report study on the correlation between the sample work function and alkali metal induced electronic structure change for three iron-based superconductors: FeSe, Ba(Fe$_{0.94}$Co$_{0.06}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ and NaFeAs which share a similar Fermi surface topology. Electronic structure change upon monolayer of alkali metal dosing and the sample work function were measured by ARPES. Our results show that the degree of electronic structure change is proportional to the difference between the work function of the sample and Mulliken's absolute electronegativity of the dosed alkali metal. This finding provides a possible way to estimate the AMD induced electronic structure change.

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arXiv2020

Anisotropic Time-Domain Electronic Response in Cuprates

Superconductivity in the cuprates is characterized by spatial inhomogeneity and an anisotropic electronic gap of d-wave symmetry. The aim of this work is to understand how this anisotropy affects the non-equilibrium electronic response of high-Tc superconductors. We compare the nodal and antinodal non-equilibrium response to photo-excitations with photon energy comparable to the superconducting gap and polarization along the Cu-Cu axis of the sample. The data are supported by an effective d-wave BCS model indicating that the observed enhancement of the superconducting transient signal mostly involves an increase of pair coherence in the antinodal region, which is not induced at the node.

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arXiv2020

Observation of broken inversion and chiral symmetries in the pseudogap phase in single and double layer bismuth-based cuprates

We deduce the symmetry of the pseudogap state in the single and double layer bismuth-based cuprate superconductors by measuring and analyzing their circular and linear photogalvanic responses, which are related linearly to the chirality and inversion breaking respectively of the order parameter. After separating out the trivial contribution arising from the surface where inversion symmetry is already broken, we show that both responses start below the pseudogap temperature $T^*$ and grow below it to a sizable magnitude, revealing the broken symmetries in the bulk of the crystal. Through a detailed analysis of the dependence of the signals on the angle of incidence, the polarization of the light, and the orientation of the crystal, we are able to discover that the point group symmetry below $T^*$ is limited to $mm2$ or $mm2\underline{1}$ groups. Taking into account formation of domains and previous measurements, our results narrow down the possible symmetries of the microscopic origin of the phase transition(s) at $T^*$.

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arXiv2020

How 'pairons' are revealed in the electronic specific heat of cuprates

Understanding the thermodynamic properties of high-$T_c$ cuprate superconductors is a key step to establish a satisfactory theory of these materials. The electronic specific heat is highly unconventional, distinctly non-BCS, with remarkable doping-dependent features extending well beyond $T_c$. The pairon concept, bound holes in their local antiferromagnetic environment, has successfully described the tunneling and photoemission spectra. In this article, we show that the model explains the distinctive features of the entropy and specific heat throughout the temperature-doping phase diagram. Their interpretation connects unambiguously the pseudogap, existing up to $T^*$, to the superconducting state below $T_c$. In the underdoped case, the specific heat is dominated by pairon excitations, following Bose statistics, while with increasing doping, both bosonic excitations and fermionic quasiparticles coexist.

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arXiv2020

Superconducting mechanism for the cuprate Ba$_2$CuO$_{3+δ}$ based on a multiorbital Lieb lattice model

For the recently discovered cuprate superconductor $\mathrm{Ba_{2}CuO_{3+δ}}$, we propose a lattice structure which resembles the model considered by Lieb to represent the vastly oxygen-deficient material. We first investigate the stability of the Lieb-lattice structure, and then construct a multiorbital Hubbard model based on first-principles calculation. By applying the fluctuation-exchange approximation to the model and solving the linearized Eliashberg equation, we show that $s$-wave and $d$-wave pairings closely compete with each other, and, more interestingly, that the intra-orbital and inter-orbital pairings coexist. We further show that, if the energy of the $d_{3z^2-r^2}$ band is raised to make it "incipient" with the lower edge of the band close to the Fermi level within a realistic band filling regime, $s\pm$-wave superconductivity is strongly enhanced. We reveal an intriguing relation between the Lieb model and the two-orbital model for the usual K$_2$NiF$_4$ structure where a close competition between $s-$ and $d-$wave pairings is known to occur. The enhanced superconductivity in the present model is further shown to be related to an enhancement found previously in the bilayer Hubbard model with an incipient band.

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arXiv2020

Experimental and Computational Determination of Optimal Boron Content in Layered Superconductor Sc$_{20}$C$_{8-x}$B$_x$C$_{20}$

It is generally difficult to quantify the amounts of light elements in materials because of their low X-ray-scattering power, as this means that they cannot be easily estimated via X-ray analyses. Meanwhile, the recently reported layered superconductor, Sc$_{20}$C$_{8-x}$B$_x$C$_{20}$, requires a small amount of boron, which is a light element, for its structural stability. In this context, here, we quantitatively evaluate the optimal $x$ value using both the experimental and computational approaches. Using the high-pressure synthesis approach that can maintain the starting composition even after sintering, we obtain the Sc$_{20}$(C,B)$_{8}$C$_{20}$ phase by the reaction of the previously reported Sc$_{15}$C$_{19}$ and B (Sc$_{15}$B$_y$C$_{19}$). Our experiments demonstrate that an increase in $y$ values promotes the phase formation of the Sc$_{20}$(C,B)$_{8}$C$_{20}$ structure; however, there appears to be an upper limit to the nominal $y$ value to form this phase. The maximum $T_\mathrm{c}$ $(=7.6\text{ K})$ is found to correspond with the actual $x$ value of $x \sim 5$ under the assumption that the sample with the same $T_\mathrm{c}$ as the reported value $(=7.7\text{ K})$ possesses the optimal $x$ amount. Moreover, we construct the energy convex hull diagram by calculating the formation enthalpy based on first principles. Our computational results indicate that the composition of Sc$_{20}$C$_4$B$_4$C$_{20}$ $(x=4)$ is the most thermodynamically stable, which is reasonably consistent with the experimentally obtained value.

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arXiv2020

Elastoresistance measurements on CaKFe$_4$As$_4$ and KCa$_2$Fe$_4$As$_4$F$_2$ with the Fe site of $C_{2v}$ symmetry

We report resistance and elastoresistance measurements on (Ba$_{0.5}$K$_{0.5}$)Fe$_2$As$_2$, CaKFe$_4$As$_4$, and KCa$_2$Fe$_4$As$_4$F$_2$. The Fe-site symmetry is $D_{2d}$ in the first compound but $C_{2v}$ in the latter two, which lifts the degeneracy of the Fe $d_{xz}$ and $d_{yz}$ orbitals. The temperature dependence of the resistance and elastoresistance is similar between the three compounds. Especially, the [110] elastoresistance is enhanced with decreasing temperature irrespective of the Fe-site symmetry. This appears to be in conflict with recent Raman scattering studies on CaKFe$_4$As$_4$, which suggest the absence of nematic fluctuations. We consider possible ways of reconciliation and suggest that the present result is important in elucidating the origin of in-plane resistivity anisotropy in iron-based superconductors.

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arXiv2020

Structural phase transitions and superconductivity induced in antiperovskite phosphide CaPd$_3$P

In this study, we succeeded in synthesizing new antiperovskite phosphides $M$Pd$_3$P ($M$ = Ca, Sr, Ba) and discovered the appearance of a superconducting phase (0.17 $\leq$ $x$ $\leq$ 0.55) in a solid solution (Ca$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$)Pd$_3$P. Three perovskite-related crystal structures were identified in (Ca$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$)Pd$_3$P and a phase diagram was built on the basis of experimental results. The first phase transition from centrosymmetric ($Pnma$) to non-centrosymmetric orthorhombic ($Aba$2) occurred in CaPd$_3$P near room temperature. The phase transition temperature decreased as Ca$^{2+}$ was replaced with a larger-sized isovalent Sr$^{2+}$. Bulk superconductivity at a critical temperature ($T$$_c$) of approximately 3.5 K was observed in a range of $x$ = 0.17 - 0.55; this was associated with the centrosymmetric orthorhombic phase. Thereafter, a non-centrosymmetric tetragonal phase ($I$41$md$) remained stable for 0.6 $\leq$ $x$ $\leq$ 1.0, and superconductivity was significantly suppressed as samples with $x$ = 0.75 and 1.0 showed ($T$$_c$) values as low as 0.32 K and 57 mK, respectively. For further substitution with a larger-sized isovalent Ba$^{2+}$, namely (Sr$_{1-y}$Ba$_y$)Pd$_3$P, the tetragonal phase continued throughout the composition range. BaPd$_3$P no longer showed superconductivity down to 20 mK. Since the inversion symmetry of structure and superconductivity can be precisely controlled in (Ca$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$)Pd$_3$P, this material may offer a unique opportunity to study the relationship between inversion symmetry and superconductivity.

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arXiv2020

Multi-orbital charge density wave excitations and concomitant phonon anomalies in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$LaCuO$_{6+δ}$

Charge density waves (CDWs) are ubiquitous in under-doped cuprate superconductors. As a modulation of the valence electron density, CDWs in hole-doped cuprates possess both Cu-3d and O-2p orbital character owing to the strong hybridization of these orbitals near the Fermi level. Here, we investigate under-doped Bi$_2$Sr$_{1.4}$La$_{0.6}$CuO$_{6+δ}$ using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) and find that a short-range CDW exists at both Cu and O sublattices in the copper-oxide (CuO2) planes with a comparable periodicity and correlation length. Furthermore, we uncover bond-stretching and bond-buckling phonon anomalies concomitant to the CDWs. Comparing to slightly over-doped Bi$_2$Sr$_{1.8}$La$_{0.2}$CuO$_{6+δ}$, where neither CDWs nor phonon anomalies appear, we highlight that a sharp intensity anomaly is induced in the proximity of the CDW wavevector (QCDW) for the bond-buckling phonon, in concert with the diffused intensity enhancement of the bond-stretching phonon at wavevectors much greater than QCDW. Our results provide a comprehensive picture of the quasi-static CDWs, their dispersive excitations, and associated electron-phonon anomalies, which are key for understanding the competing electronic instabilities in cuprates.

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arXiv2019

Superconductivity in a Scandium Borocarbide with a Layered Crystal Structure

The discovery of nearly room-temperature superconductivity in superhydrides has motivated further materials research for conventional superconductors. To realize the moderately high critical temperature $(T_\mathrm{c})$ in materials containing light elements, we explored new superconducting phases in a scandium borocarbide system. Here, we report the observation of superconductivity in a new ternary Sc-B-C compound. The crystal structure, which was determined through a Rietveld analysis, belongs to tetragonal space group $P4/ncc$. By complementarily using the density functional theory calculations, a chemical formula of the compound was found to be expressed as Sc$_{20}$C$_{8-x}$B$_x$C$_{20}$($x=1\:\mathrm{or}\:2$). Interestingly, a small amount of B is essential to stabilize the present structure. Our experiments revealed the typical type-II superconductivity at $T_\mathrm{c}=7.7\:\mathrm{K}$. Additionally, we calculated the density of states within a first-principles approach and found that the contribution of the Sc-3d orbital was mainly responsible for the superconductivity.

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arXiv2019

Superconductivity induced by Mg deficiency in non-centrosymmetric phosphide Mg$_2$Rh$_3$P

The search for non-centrosymmetric superconductors that may exhibit unusual physical properties and unconventional superconductivity has yielded the synthesis of a non-centrosymmetric phosphide Mg$_2$Rh$_3$P with an Al$_2$Mo$_3$C-type structure. Although stoichiometric Mg$_2$Rh$_3$P does not exhibit superconductivity at temperatures above 2 K, we found that an Mg deficiency of approximately 5 at.% in the Mg$_2$Rh$_3$P induced superconductivity at 3.9 K. Physical properties such as the lattice parameter a = 0.70881 nm, Sommerfeld constant $γ_n$ = 5.36 mJ mol$^{-1}$ K$^{-2}$, specific heat jump $Δ$C$_{el}$/$γ_n$Tc = 0.72, electron-phonon coupling constant $λ$$_{e-p}$ = 0.58, upper critical field H$_{c2}$(0) = 24.3 kOe, and pressure effect dTc/dP = -0.34 K/GPa were measured for the superconducting Mg$_{2-δ}$Rh$_3$P ($δ$ $\sim$ 0.1). Band-structure calculations indicate that exotic fermions, which are not present in high-energy physics, exist in Mg$_2$Rh$_3$P. Since Mg, Rh, and P are the first elements used at each crystal site of Al$_2$Mo$_3$C-type compounds, the discovery of Mg$_2$Rh$_3$P may guide the search for new related materials.

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arXiv2019

Unique defect structure and advantageous vortex pinning properties in superconducting CaKFe4As4

The lossless current-carrying capacity of a superconductor is limited by its critical current density (Jc). A key to enhance Jc towards real-life applications is engineering defect structures to optimize the pinning landscape. For iron-based superconductors (IBSs) considered as candidate materials for high-field applications, high Jc values have been achieved by various techniques to introduce artificial pinning centres. Here we report extraordinary vortex pinning properties in CaKFe4As4 (CaK1144) arising from the inherent defect structure. Scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed the existence of nanoscale intergrowths of the CaFe2As2 phase, which is unique to CaK1144 formed as a line compound. The Jc properties in CaK1144 are found to be distinct from other IBSs characterized by a significant anisotropy with respect to the magnetic field orientation as well as a remarkable pinning mechanism significantly enhanced with increasing temperature. We propose a comprehensive explanation of the Jc properties based on the unique intergrowths acting as pinning centres.

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arXiv2019

Superconductivity in Uncollapsed Tetragonal LaFe2As2

We report synthesis, crystal structure and superconductivity in ThCr2Si2-type LaFe2As2 (La122). La122 was synthesized at 960°C for 1.5 h under a pressure of 3.4 GPa. An as-synthesized La122 (non-superconductor) had a collapsed tetragonal structure with a short c-axis length of 11.0144(4) Å as observed in CaFe2As2 under pressure. The collapsed tetragonal transformed into an uncollapsed tetragonal by annealing the as-synthesized La122 at 500°C. The c-axis length remarkably extended to 11.7317(4) Å and superconductivity emerged at 12.1 K in the uncollapsed tetragonal La122. A cylindrical hole-like Fermi-surface around the Γ point that plays an important role for an s+-wave paring in iron-based superconductors was missing in the uncollapsed tetragonal La122 due to heavily electron-doping. Superconductivity in La122 may be closely related to that induced in CaFe2As2 under pressure.

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arXiv2019

Evidence for a Vestigial Nematic State in the Cuprate Pseudogap Phase

The CuO$_2$ antiferromagnetic insulator is transformed by hole-doping into an exotic quantum fluid usually referred to as the pseudogap (PG) phase. Its defining characteristic is a strong suppression of the electronic density-of-states D(E) for energies |E|<$Δ^*$, where $Δ^*$ is the pseudogap energy. Unanticipated broken-symmetry phases have been detected by a wide variety of techniques in the PG regime, most significantly a finite Q density-wave (DW) state and a Q=0 nematic (NE) state. Sublattice-phase-resolved imaging of electronic structure allows the doping and energy dependence of these distinct broken symmetry states to be visualized simultaneously. Using this approach, we show that, even though their reported ordering temperatures T$_{DW}$ and T$_{NE}$ are unrelated to each other, both the DW and NE states always exhibit their maximum spectral intensity at the same energy, and using independent measurements that this is the pseudogap energy $Δ^*$. Moreover, no new energy-gap opening coincides with the appearance of the DW state (which should theoretically open an energy gap on the Fermi-surface), while the observed pseudogap opening coincides with the appearance of the NE state (which should theoretically be incapable of opening a Fermi-surface gap). We demonstrate how this perplexing phenomenology of thermal transitions and energy-gap opening at the breaking of two highly distinct symmetries can be understood as the natural consequence of a vestigial nematic state , within the pseudogap phase of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_8$.

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arXiv2019

Light-induced nonequilibrium response of the superconducting cuprate La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_4$

We report the dynamics of the cuprate superconductor La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_4$ ($x = 0.14$) after intense photoexcitation utilizing near-infrared (800 nm) optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy. In the superconducting state at 5 K, we observed a redshift of the Josephson plasma resonance that sustains for hundreds of picoseconds after the photoexcitation, indicating the destruction of the $c$-axis superconducting coherence. We show that the metastable spectral features can be described by the photoinduced surface heating of the sample. We also demonstrate that the conventional analysis used to extract the spectra of the photoexcited surface region can give rise to artifacts in the nonequilibrium response.

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arXiv2019

Anomalous peak effect in iron-based superconductors Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ ($x \approx$ 0.69 and 0.76) for magnetic-field directions close to the $ab$ plane and its possible relation to the spin paramagnetic effect

We report magnetic torque measurements on iron-pnictide superconductors Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ ($x \approx$ 0.69 and 0.76) up to an applied field of $B_a$ = 45 T. The peak effect is observed in torque-vs-field curves below the irreversibility field. It is enhanced and becomes asymmetric as the field is tilted from the $c$ axis. For field directions close to the $ab$ plane, increasing- and decreasing-field curves peak at markedly different fields, and exhibit a sharp jump, suggestive of a first-order phase transition, on the high- and the low-field side of the peak, respectively. Complicated history dependence of the torque is observed in the peak-effect region. We construct and discuss the temperature ($T$)--applied-magnetic-field ($B_a$) phase diagram. Since the upper critical field for the $ab$-plane direction is comparable to the Pauli limit, we also consider possible influence of the spin paramagnetic effect on the anomalous peak effect.

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arXiv2019

Large and significantly anisotropic critical current density induced by planar defects in CaKFe4As4 single crystals

Three independent components of critical current density, one for the H//c axis and the other two for the H//ab plane, have been studied in CaKFe4As4 single crystals. When the magnetic field is applied along the c axis, we observed fish-tail-like peaks in the M-H hysteresis loop, and the magnetization at higher temperatures exceeds that at lower temperatures at high fields. When the field is applied parallel to the ab plane, a dip structure is observed in the M-H hysteresis loop near the self-field. In addition, for the H//ab plane, we succeeded in separately evaluating the large and significantly anisotropic in-plane and out-of-plane Jc. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of planar defects parallel to the ab plane in CaKFe4As4, which have not been observed in any other iron-based superconductors. We discuss the possible relationship between the anomalous Jc behavior and the planar defects.

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arXiv2018

Rapid change of superconductivity and electron-phonon coupling through 19% doping in Bi2212

Electron-boson coupling plays a key role in superconductivity for many systems. However, in copper-based high-temperature ($T_c$) superconductors, its relation to superconductivity remains controversial despite strong spectroscopic fingerprints. Here we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to find a striking correlation between the superconducting gap and the bosonic coupling strength near the Brillouin zone boundary in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$. The bosonic coupling strength rapidly increases from the overdoped Fermi-liquid regime to the optimally doped strange metal, concomitant with the quadrupled superconducting gap and the doubled gap-to-Tc ratio across the pseudogap boundary. This synchronized lattice and electronic response suggests that the effects of electronic interaction and the electron-phonon coupling become intimately entangled upon entering the strange metal regime, which may in turn drive a stronger superconductivity.

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