arXiv subjects

Hong-Jun Gao

Publications and source records attributed to Hong-Jun Gao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Decoupled domain-texture switching from magnetic easy axis in kagome ferromagnet EuTi3Bi4

Magnetic anisotropy defines the easy axis of a magnetic material and governs the spatial arrangement of its domains. To date, anisotropy engineering has focused on reorienting the easy axis or tuning the anisotropy energy, both of which demand substantial energy input. Here, we demonstrate that magnetic domain textures can be switched without reorienting the easy axis, as observed in a kagome ferromagnet EuTi3Bi4 crystal. Using low-temperature magnetic force microscopy, we observe that the preferred orientation of magnetic domains switches from the a-axis to the b-axis upon temperature variation, and that this switching can also be triggered by an out-of-plane magnetic-field reset. Magnetization measurements and density functional theory calculations confirm a robust c-axis easy magnetization, ruling out a conventional spin-reorientation transition. Instead, the texture switching is governed by the temperature dependence of the in-plane variation of the Magnetic anisotropy energy landscape, which arises from two competing interactions with different decay rates: single-ion anisotropy favors a-oriented spin components, while nearest-neighbor anisotropic exchange favors b-oriented ones. Furthermore, the critical switching temperature is substantially elevated in a mechanically exfoliated EuTi3Bi4 flake. Our findings establish that macroscopic magnetic textures can be effectively manipulated by tuning the competition between in-plane anisotropic interactions, without the energy cost of reorienting the easy axis.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Realization of Air-Stable Two-Dimensional Superconductor Nb2Pd3Te5 With Quasi-One-Dimensional Pair Density Modulation

Two-dimensional (2D) superconductors provide a fertile platform for exploring reduced-dimensional superconductivity and emergent quantum phenomena. Incorporating quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) structural motifs into 2D superconductors offers a powerful route to engineer strong electronic anisotropy, enabling unconventional superconducting states and anisotropic superconducting transport functionalities. However, such systems remain rarely realized. Here we report the realization of a 2D superconductor Nb2Pd3Te5, exhibiting an intrinsic quasi-1D pair density modulation. Monolayer and bilayer Nb2Pd3Te5 is synthesized via van-der-Waals epitaxy. Using ultralow-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, we observe the quasi-1D crystal structure and superconductivity below ~0.6 K with a pronounced quasi-1D pair density modulation. Remarkably, both monolayer and bilayer Nb2Pd3Te5 show strong air stability. Our findings establish atomically 2D Nb2Pd3Te5 as a robust and promising platform for exploring novel low-dimensional quantum phenomena and anisotropy-enabled superconducting devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Simultaneous nanoscale imaging of local conductivity and chemical potential in a quantum Hall isospin ferromagnet

Quantum Hall isospin ferromagnetism in multilayer graphene offers a versatile playground for exploring flat band correlated physics, driven by the intricate coupling of spin, valley, orbital, and layer degrees of freedom. However, a nanoscale probe capable of simultaneously mapping local conductivity and chemical potential in these exotic phases has yet to be realized. Here, we introduce scanning conductivity and chemical potential microscopy (SCCM), a technique integrating scanning microwave impedance microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy. We demonstrate SCCM by probing the quantum Hall states and many-body Landau level energy spectrum in bilayer graphene. Applied to marginally twisted double bilayer graphene, SCCM then reveals a cascade of quantum Hall isospin ferromagnetic states with unexpected re-emergence behaviors. Significantly, experimental many-body Landau level energy spectrum further uncovers the intricate connections of these complex phenomena to inter-subband Landau level crossings and Landau level single-particle wavefunctions. These insights enable the construction of a comprehensive quantum Hall phase diagram. Our results demonstrate SCCM's capability in decoding complex quantum phenomena, establishing it as a versatile nanoscale probe for electron correlation and topology.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Curvature-driven revival of charge density waves in non-Euclidean space

Strongly correlated quantum states, such as charge density waves (CDWs), are exquisitely sensitive to Fermi surface topology and lattice symmetry, and are typically quenched by heavy carrier doping. In two-dimensional (2D) systems, however, macroscopic geometric curvature emerges as a novel structural degree of freedom to modulate microscopic quantum coherence. This raises a compelling physical question: can non-Euclidean geometric deformations compete with extreme electronic perturbations to reshape, or even revive, a quenched macroscopic quantum order? Here, by constructing monolayer TiSe$_2$-NbSe$_2$ heterostructure on a BLG/SiC substrate for the first time, we report the curvature-driven revival of a frustrated charge order in a non-Euclidean space. Low-temperature angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) reveals a massive interfacial charge transfer, which destroys the global Fermi surface nesting and completely suppresses the long-range CDW order in Euclidean flat regions. Strikingly, high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals that a novel, non-linear CDW state miraculously survives, remaining strictly localized within morphologically distorted, non-Euclidean nanoscale curved regions. Atomistic simulations unravel the structural origin of this phenomenon, demonstrating that interfacial twist and lattice mismatch spontaneously generate a corrugated superlattice.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Modulation of charge density waves in a twisted vortex moire superlattice

Twisted moire superlattices in van-der-Waals heterostructures provide a powerful platform for engineering correlated states through moire-band reconstruction. However, whether globally coherent electronic orders can be continuously manipulated at the nanoscale remains largely unexplored. Reconstructed moire structures in small-angle and near-commensurate regime feature continuously varying local environments, offering new opportunities for nanoscale manipulation of correlated phases. Here, we report the modulation of charge density wave (CDW) states in a twisted vortex moire superlattice formed between monolayer VTe2 and superconducting NbSe2. Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy reveals that the intrinsic long-range CDW of monolayer VTe2 is reconstructed into inequivalent local phases with distinct stability and coherence within a single moire unit cell, including suppressed CDW order and enhanced short-range CDW correlations persisting to room temperature. First-principles calculations show that the reconstructed CDW landscape originates from strong local strain variation, where compressive strain substantially stabilizes the charge order. Furthermore, the modulated CDW states exhibit competing interplay with proximity-induced superconductivity. Our results establish vortex moire superlattices as a versatile platform for nanoscale manipulation of correlated electronic orders in low-dimensional quantum materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Discovery of a nonsymmorphic superconductor with spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking and nontrivial zero modes

Topological superconductivity has attracted great interest due to its fundamental significance for realizing Majorana quasiparticles and fault-tolerant quantum computation. Nonsymmorphic superconductors, with symmetry-protected nontrivial electronic structures, offer a promising route to exotic topological superconducting states, yet experimental realizations remain scarce. Here we identify nonsymmorphic compound PtPb4 as a robust platform hosting superconductivity with spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking and nontrivial zero-energy modes. PtPb4 crystallizes in a frustrated Shastry-Sutherland lattice and exhibits nontrivial band topology. By combining in-plane and out-of-plane resistivity measurements, pronounced twofold anisotropy is observed in both the superconducting state and the upper critical field, evidencing spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking. Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy further reveal twofold-symmetric magnetic vortices, providing direct real-space evidence for the symmetry-broken superconducting state. Notably, a robust zero-energy vortex bound state emerges and persists without spatial splitting over extended distances, consistent with the characteristics expected for Majorana bound state. These findings uncover an exotic superconducting state in PtPb4 and establish a promising platform for exploring topological superconductivity and superconducting quantum devices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Discovery of parity-violating chiral polar-nematic charge density wave and superconductivity in kagome metals

Nonmagnetic kagome metals and superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) host unconventional charge density wave (CDW) and superconducting (SC) phases accompanied by multiple electronic symmetry breaking. Due to the centrosymmetric crystal structure, inversion symmetry has generally been assumed to hold. Here, using scanning tunneling microscopy complemented by atomic force microscopy and optical second-harmonic generation, we directly reveal that inversion symmetry in the kagome plane is spontaneously broken in the CDW state. The mixed-parity CDW state exhibits ferroelectric dipolar and nematic quadrupolar ordered moments. The coexistence and coupling between the dipole and quadrupole favor noncollinear ferro-polar and nematic alignment that breaks all mirror symmetries and gives rise to robust electronic chirality in the 3Q CDW. The multipolar coupling to in-plane electric field enables electric field control and manipulation of the chiral polar-nematic CDW state, including its chirality. Below the SC transition, we observe parity-violating pair density modulations at both the original and the CDW lattice wavevectors. Our findings of parity-violating electronic chiral multipolar order provide microscopic insights into the magnetoelectric and nonreciprocal transport, loop current order, pairing density waves, and unconventional superconductivity in kagome metals and related quantum materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

AngstromPro: A software platform for STM data management, visualization and analysis

Modern scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments increasingly generate multidimensional datasets that require coordinated data management, visualization, and analysis. We present AngstromPro, an open-source Python-based software platform designed to support these activities within a common interactive environment. Its application architecture organizes inapplication data through independent module instances, each combining a Workspace with a common structure and module-specific visualization and interaction. Scientific processing methods are registered independently of individual modules and operate on explicitly selected inputs through common execution services. A unified I/O subsystem maps heterogeneous ondisk formats to supported in-application data types. The plugin subsystem can add new modules, processing methods, I/O handlers, and in-application data types without modifying the core package. Representative workflows demonstrate the integration of established methods. In the registration example, the normalized cross-correlation maximum increases from 0.855 to 0.966. AngstromPro therefore provides an integrated software architecture for organizing, visualizing, processing, and extending STM data-analysis workflows.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Controllable highly oriented skyrmion track array in Fe3GaTe2

Magnetic skyrmions are emerging as promising candidates for next-generation information technologies, while the realization of scalable skyrmion lattices with tailored configurations is essential for advancing fundamental skyrmion physics and developing future applications. Here we achieved the controllable generation and regulation of a large-area, highly oriented skyrmion track array (STA) in ferromagnetic Fe3GaTe2 using a vector magnetic field manipulation technique. The orientation and ordering of STA, along with the types and density of skyrmions, are precisely controlled by modulating parameters during the manipulation. The critical roles of in-plane magnetic fields and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in STA generation is further confirmed by micromagnetic simulation. Our findings develop a strategy for engineering large-area and highly-oriented skyrmion configurations, offering a new pathway for the future application of next-generation spintronic and information technologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Spin-mediated hysteretic switching of unidirectional charge density waves by rotating magnetic fields

Charge density waves (CDWs) are a widespread collective electronic order in quantum materials, furnishing key insights into symmetry breaking and competing phases. However, their dynamic control with external fields remains a pivotal challenge. Here, we report deterministic and hysteretic switching of unidirectional CDW orientation via in-plane magnetic field rotation in magnetic kagome metal GdTi3Bi4. Atomically resolved spectroscopy shows two types of 3a0*1a0 CDW domains, Q1 and Q2 oriented 60 degree apart along two distinct crystallographic directions and separated by atomically sharp domain walls. Rotating the magnetic field drives reversible transitions between these CDW configurations, exhibiting a robust C2-symmetric phase diagram with pronounced hysteresis. This hysteretic switching is mediated by a field-dependent reorientation of underlying antiferromagnetic spins, revealing a tunable energy landscape with stable and metastable states and modulates the electronic charge order via spin-lattice coupling. Our findings not only demonstrate the switching of CDW configurations by in-plane magnetic field but also reveal the mechanism of coupling between CDW and magnetic fields, offering new insights into CDW manipulation and versatile platform for developing a spin-mediated multistate spin-charge coupling memory and programmable quantum devices.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Tunable bifurcation of magnetic anisotropy and bi-oriented antiferromagnetic order in kagome metal GdTi3Bi4

The novel kagome family RTi3Bi4 (R: rare-earth) offers a unique platform for exploring distinctive physical phenomena such as anisotropy, spin density wave, and anomalous Hall effect. In particular, the magnetic frustration and behavior of magnetic anisotropy in antiferromagnetic (AFM) kagome materials are of great interest for the fundamental studies and hold promise for next-generation device applications. Here, we report a tunable bifurcation of magnetic anisotropic and bi-oriented AFM order observed in the quasi-1D kagome antiferromagnet GdTi3Bi4. The magnetic domain evolutions during two plateau transition processes are directly visualized, unveiling a pronounced in-plane anisotropy along the a-axis. Temperature-dependent characterization reveals a bifurcation transition of anisotropy at approximately 2 K, where the a-axis anisotropy splits into two special orientations, revealing a hidden bi-oriented in-plane AFM order deviating from the high-symmetry direction by 7 degree. More intriguingly, the characteristics of the bifurcated anisotropy are clearly illustrated through vector magnetic field modulation, revealing three distinct in-plane domain phases in the transverse magnetic field phase diagram. Our results not only provide valuable insights into the tunable bifurcation of magnetic anisotropic in GdTi3Bi4, but also pave a novel pathway for AFM spintronics development.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Cs$_4$Cr$_7$Te$_{10}$: Interwoven Reconstructed Archimedean and Kagome Lattices with a Possible Phase Transition near 130 K

Chromium-based materials with complex lattice geometries provide an important platform for investigating correlated electronic and magnetic states. However, Cr-based compounds with unusual crystal geometries are still rarely reported. Here, we report a new Cr-based compound, Cs$_4$Cr$_7$Te$_{10}$, featuring interwoven Cr and Te sublattices that can be viewed as reconstructed networks derived from Archimedean (3.4.6.4) tiling and the kagome lattice, respectively. Transport measurements reveal the semiconducting nature in Cs$_4$Cr$_7$Te$_{10}$. Magnetization measurements show a weak anisotropy between H//b and H//ac planes, and uncover an anomaly near 130 K that is insensitive to the applied magnetic fields. Specific-heat measurements further confirm this transition, indicating its bulk thermodynamic nature. The associated entropy change is as small as 0.41 J mol^-1 K^-1, ruling out a structural phase transition and pointing to a possible electronic and/or magnetic phase transition. These results provide a new route for designing complex crystal geometries and exploring their associated emergent phenomena.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

$\mathrm{Cs_3V_9Te_{13}}$: A New Vanadium-Based Material with a Reuleaux-Triangle-Like Lattice and a Possible Phase Transition near 48 K

Exploring and synthesizing materials with new crystal structures provides an important route to discovering exotic quantum phenomena. However, materials with unconventional lattice geometries remain largely unexplored. Here, we report the discovery of a new vanadium-based material, $\mathrm{Cs_3V_9Te_{13}}$, featuring a Reuleaux-triangle-like lattice. Electrical transport and magnetic measurements consistently reveal an anomaly near 48 K, and this feature shows little sensitivity to the applied magnetic field. A corresponding anomaly is also observed in the Hall coefficient near 48 K, indicating a marked change in the carrier response. In addition, temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction results indicate no obvious structural change across 48 K. Taken together, these results suggest that the anomaly is not induced by the structural transition, but associated to a possible electronic and/or magnetic phase transition. High-pressure transport measurements and first-principles calculations further reveal a highly tunable electronic state in $\mathrm{Cs_3V_9Te_{13}}$, with the kagome-like electronic feature and pressure-suppressed antiferromagnetism. These results demonstrate this material, with its structurally novel Reuleaux-triangle-like lattice, as a new platform for exploring the interplay between nontrivial lattice geometry and emergent physical phenomena.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Realization of a Wigner-Mott insulator in 6R-TaS$_2$ superconductor

Wigner-Mott insulating states represent a paradigmatic manifestation of strong electronic correlations, in which long-range Coulomb interactions drive spontaneous charge ordering and enable Mott localization at fractional electronic fillings. Such states have been theoretically proposed to arise from the cooperative interplay between onsite and inter-site Coulomb interactions. However, experimental realizations of the simultaneous microscopic observation of interaction-driven charge order and genuine Mott localization, which are the defining hallmarks of a Wigner-Mott insulator, have remained elusive. Here we report the observation of a Wigner-Mott insulating state in 6R-TaS$_2$ using scanning tunneling microscopy. By locally injecting electrons into the depleted 1T layer, we induce distinct Star-of-David charge-ordered superstructures and realize a cascade of insulating phases. In particular, a $\sqrt{3}\times \sqrt{3}$ charge-ordered superstructure at one-third filling hosts a robust Mott gap despite fractional filling. The spontaneous relaxation from excited states back to the ground state demonstrates that this Wigner-Mott phase is stabilized by the cooperative effects of onsite and inter-site Coulomb interactions. Our results provide direct microscopic evidence for a Wigner-Mott mechanism and establish 6R-TaS$_2$ as a platform for the controlled realization and investigation of Wigner-Mott insulating states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Electronic procrystalline state in moire structures

Solid state materials can display varieties of atomic structural orders ranging from crystalline to amorphous, underlying their properties and diverse functionalities. Procrystal has emerged as a new category of solids, featuring a long-range ordered lattice framework tiled with disordered atomic or molecular structures on the lattice sites, arousing great interest due to its novel structural and physical properties. However, the electronic analogue of a procrystal, dubbed as an electronic procrystalline (EPC) state, has never been experimentally observed. Here, we report the observation of an EPC state in a moire superstructure formed between a monolayer metallic NiTe2 and a superconductor NbSe2 with incommensurate lattice wavevectors. The observed EPC state exhibits a long-range periodic charge modulation at the moire scale inlaid with short-range irregular orders within each moire cell. Strikingly, the short-range charge orders inside the moire unit cells have proximately root3*root3 quasi-period, which is absent in pristine NiTe2. Intriguingly, the EPC order is also observed in the superconducting state of the moire superstructure. Furthermore, the emergent EPC state and short-range charge order, coexisting with the proximity induced superconductivity, can be precisely modulated with the thickness of NiTe2. Our findings uncover the potential of moire platform for understanding and tuning novel correlated quantum phases with this exotic procrystalline order.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Evolution from three-dimensional charge density wave to one-dimensional stripe order in CsV$_{3-x}$Ti$_x$Sb$_5$

Understanding intertwined phases near quantum criticality is a central challenge in correlated electron systems. The kagome metal CsV$_{3-x}$Ti$_x$Sb$_5$ provides a fertile platform to investigate the interplay between charge-density-wave (CDW) and superconductivity. Here, combining x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we uncover a dimensional evolution of the CDW upon Ti substitution. We find that even infinitesimal Ti doping (x = 0.009) completely suppresses the three-dimensional 2 $\times$ 2 $\times$ 4 CDW present in pristine CsV3Sb5, while reducing the remaining 2 $\times$ 2 $\times$ 2 CDW to a quasi-two-dimensional order. With further Ti substitution, although no CDW transition is discernible in resistivity measurements, our XRD and STM data reveal the emergence of a (quasi-)one-dimensional CDW with a short correlation length of $\sim$ 20 $\AA$ at x = 0.2. The stripelike CDW undergoes a continuous second-order phase transition, characterized by a gradual increase in intensity and correlation length below $\sim$ 56 K. Our results elucidate the dimensional evolution of CDW order in CsV$_{3-x}$Ti$_x$Sb$_5$ and provide new insight into understanding the unconventional CDWs and their role in kagome superconductors.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Intertwined atomic-nanoscale-microscale structures via intralayer anisotropic Fe-chains in the layered ferromagnet FePd2Te2

Controlling mesoscale and nanoscale material structures and properties through self-organized atomic behavior is essential for atomic-scale manufacturing. However, direct and visual studies on the cross-scale effects of such atomic self-organization on mesoscopic structures remain scarce. Here, we report the intertwined atomic-nanoscale-mesoscale structures via the intralayer Fe-chains in the sandwich-like layered FePd2Te2 crystal by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The hierarchical orthogonal corrugated morphologies are directly revealed and attributed to its chain-orientation-determined twinning-domain effect. Both Fe-chains of middle-sublayer and two kinds of Te atoms of top-sublayer are further atomically resolved at the sub-Å level, indicating the critical effects of Pd-atoms/voids on the intra-layer anisotropic Fe-chains and the interlayer structural alignment. The thermal-induced and strain-related structural transitions of surface layer are further investigated and discussed based on the proposed filling model of Pd-voids by the intralayer Pd-atoms. Our work not only provides deep understanding of this exotic layered magnetic material, and will inspire more perspectives for tailoring its anisotropic atomic-to-mesoscale structures and properties.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Atomically-precise synthesis and simultaneous integration of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides enabled by nano-confinement

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and hBN, exhibit intriguing properties that are sensitive to their atomic-scale structures and can be further enriched through van der Waals (vdW) integration. However, the precise synthesis and clean integration of 2D materials remain challenging. Here, using graphene or hBN as a vdW capping layer, we create a nano-confined environment that directs the growth kinetics of 2D TMDs (e.g., NbSe2 and MoS2), enabling precise formation of TMD monolayers with tailored morphologies, from isolated monolayer domains to large-scale continuous films and intrinsically-patterned rings. Moreover, Janus S-Mo-Se monolayers are synthesized with atomic precision via vdW-protected bottom-plane chalcogen substitution. Importantly, our approach simultaneously produces ultraclean vdW interfaces. This in situ encapsulation reliably preserves air-sensitive materials, as evidenced by the enhanced superconductivity of nano-confined NbSe2 monolayers. Altogether, our study establishes a versatile platform for the controlled synthesis and integration of 2D TMDs for advanced applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗