arXiv subjects

Huakun Zuo

Publications and source records attributed to Huakun Zuo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Evolution from Landau Quantization to Discrete Scale Invariance Revealed by Quantum Oscillations in Topological Materials

Dirac materials have been a unique solid state platform for exploring relativistic quantum phenomena including supercritical atomic collapse, which leads to emergent discrete scale symmetry and logperiodic quantum oscillations. In the relativistic regime, the fundamental effect in quantum electrodynamics, vacuum polarization, can further modulate the atomic collapselike state by screening bare charges but is rarely harnessed in condensed matter system. Here, we report a continuous progression from low field Shubnikov de Haas oscillations to high field log periodic oscillations in the Dirac material HfTe5, with both phenomena modulated by Fermi surface anisotropy. This maps the transition from single particle Landau levels to an interaction-driven, discrete scale invariant energy spectrum of quasi-bound states. Crucially, our findings suggest vacuum polarization provides a compelling mechanism for renormalizing the effective impurity charge, quantitatively explaining the carrier-density dependent scale factor. By revealing the intricate interplay between Landau quantization, many body electronic screening, and scale-symmetry breaking, our results establish Dirac solids as a controllable platform for exploring relativistic vacuum effects and emergent novel symmetry.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Phonon-scattering-induced quantum linear magnetoresistance up to room temperature

The realization of quantum transport effects at elevated temperatures has long intrigued researchers due to the implications for unveiling novel physics and developing quantum devices. In this work, we report remarkable quantum linear magnetoresistance (LMR) in the Weyl semiconductor tellurium at high temperatures of 40-300 K under strong magnetic fields up to 60 T. At high fields, the Weyl band features a large energy gap between the lowest and first Landau levels, which suppresses thermal excitation and preserves Landau quantization at high temperatures. The LMR is observed as long as majority carriers remain in the lowest Landau level without requiring monochromaticity, allowing it to persist up to room temperature. The inverse relationship between the LMR slope and temperature provides clear evidence that quantum LMR originates from high-temperature phonon scattering in the quantum limit, firstly demonstrating a theoretical prediction made nearly fifty years ago. This study highlights the key role of electron-phonon interaction and reveals an innovative quantum mechanism for achieving high-temperature LMR, fundamentally distinct from previous findings. Our results bridge a gap in the understanding of phonon-mediated quantum-limit physics and establish strong magnetic fields at high temperatures as a promising platform for exploring novel quantum phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and planar Hall effect in HfTe2

Layered transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) HfTe2 is a topological semimetal candidate with increasing attentions recently. The map of the Fermi surface is of interest and importance to understand its properties. Here we present a study of Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations and planar Hall effect (PHE) in HfTe2. The single crystals grown by flux method show the largest unsaturated magnetoresistance (MR) effect of 1.1*104 % at 14 T and 2 K. The angle-resolved SdH oscillations reveal that the Fermi surface consists of three pockets with different anisotropy. In addition, we observe PHE and anisotropic MR (AMR) effect in the material for a wide temperature range. The effective mass, carrier density and quantum transport mobility are quantified in the system, and the Berry phase is discussed. Our work provides crucial insights into the electronic structure and the Fermi surface of the semimetal.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2025

Exceedingly large in-plane critical field of finite-momentum pairing state in bulk superlattices

Magnetic flux profoundly influences the phase factor of charge particles, leading to exotic quantum phenomena. A recent example is that the orbital effect of magnetic field could induce finite-momentum pairing state in nanoflakes, which offers a new pathway to realize the spatially modulated superconductivity distinct from the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state induced by Zeeman effect. However, whether such intriguing state can exist in the bulk materials under extremely large magnetic field remains elusive. Here we report the orbital effect induced finite-momentum pairing state with exceedingly large in-plane critical field in a bulk superconducting superlattice. Remarkably, the in-plane critical field shows a pronounced upturn behavior, exceeding eight times the Pauli limit which is comparable to monolayer Ising superconductor. Under high in-plane magnetic fields, significant anisotropic transport behavior between the interlayer and intralayer directions is detected, highlighting the critical role of suppressed interlayer coherence in the orbital effect induced finite-momentum pairing state. Crucially, this finite-momentum pairing state remains robust against moderate disorder. Our findings suggest that van der Waals superlattices, with strong Ising spin-orbit coupling and tunable interlayer coherence, offer new avenues for constructing and modulating unconventional superconducting states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Metamagnetic ripples in the UTe2 high magnetic field phase diagram

The heavy fermion metamagnet uranium ditelluride possesses two distinct magnetic field--induced superconducting states. One of these superconductive phases resides at magnetic fields immediately below a first-order metamagnetic transition to a field--polarized paramagnetic state at a field strength $H_m$, while the other exists predominantly above $H_m$. However, little is known about the microscopic properties of this polarized paramagnetic state. Here we report pulsed magnetic field measurements tracking the evolution of $H_m$ for polar and azimuthal inclinations in the vicinity of the crystallographic $b-a$ plane. We uncover a region of the phase diagram at high fields $>$ 50 T with a ripple-like non-monotonic dependence of $H_m$ on the orientation of field. Within this ripple in the metamagnetic transition surface, $H_m$ exhibits an anomalous temperature dependence. Our results point towards the presence of complex magnetic interactions and possible magnetic sub-phases at high magnetic fields in UTe$_2$, which may have important implications for the manifestation of exotic field-induced superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Magnetostriction, piezomagnetism and domain nucleation in a kagome antiferromagnet

Whenever the elastic energy of a solid depends on magnetic field, there is a magnetostrictive response. Field-linear magnetostriction implies piezomagnetism and vice versa. Here, we show that Mn$_3$Sn, a non-collinear antiferromanget with Weyl nodes, hosts a large and almost perfectly linear magnetostriction even at room temperature. The longitudinal and transverse magnetostriction, with opposite signs and similar amplitude are restricted to the kagome planes and the out-of-plane response is negligibly small. By studying four different samples with different Mn:Sn ratios, we find a clear correlation between the linear magnetostriction, the spontaneous magnetization and the concentration of Sn vacancies. The recently reported piezomagnetic data fits in our picture. We show that linear magnetostriction and piezomagnetism are both driven by the field-induced in-plane twist of spins. A quantitative account of the experimental data requires the distortion of the spin texture by Sn vacancies. We find that the field-induced domain nucleation within the hysteresis loop corresponds to a phase transition. Within the hysteresis loop, a concomitant mesoscopic modulation of local strain and spin twist angles, leading to twisto-magnetic stripes, arises as a result of the competition between elastic and magnetic energies.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Phase engineering of giant second harmonic generation in Bi$_2$O$_2$Se

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with remarkable second-harmonic generation (SHG) hold promise for future on-chip nonlinear optics. Relevant materials with both giant SHG response and environmental stability are long-sought targets. Here, we demonstrate the enormous SHG from the phase engineering of a high-performance semiconductor, Bi$_2$O$_2$Se (BOS), under uniaxial strain. SHG signals captured in strained 20 nm-BOS films exceed those of NbOI$_2$ and NbOCl$_2$ of similar thickness by a factor of 10, and are four orders of magnitude higher than monolayer-MoS$_2$, resulting in a significant second-order nonlinear susceptibility on the order of 1 nm V$^{-1}$. Intriguingly, the strain enables continuous adjustment of the ferroelectric phase transition across room temperature. Consequently, an exceptionally large tunability of SHG, approximately six orders of magnitude, is achieved through strain or thermal modulation. This colossal SHG, originating from the geometric phase of Bloch wave functions and coupled with sensitive tunability through multiple approaches in this air-stable 2D semiconductor, opens new possibilities for designing chip-scale, switchable nonlinear optical devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Even-integer Quantum Hall Effect in an Oxide Caused by Hidden Rashba Effect

In the presence of high magnetic field, quantum Hall systems usually host both even- and odd-integer quantized states because of lifted band degeneracies. Selective control of these quantized states is challenging but essential to understand the exotic ground states and manipulate the spin textures. Here, we study the quantum Hall effect in Bi2O2Se thin films. In magnetic fields as high as 50 T, we observe only even-integer quantum Hall states, but no sign of odd-integer states. However, when reducing the thickness of the epitaxial Bi2O2Se film to one unit cell, we observe both odd- and even-integer states in this Janus (asymmetric) film grown on SrTiO3. By means of a Rashba bilayer model based on ab initio band structures of Bi2O2Se thin films, we can ascribe the absence of odd-integer states in thicker films to the hidden Rasbha effect, where the local inversion symmetry breaking in two sectors of the [Bi2O2]2+ layer yields opposite Rashba spin polarizations, which compensate with each other. In the one unit cell Bi2O2Se film grown on SrTiO3, the asymmetry introduced by top surface and bottom interface induces a net polar field. The resulting global Rashba effect lifts the band degeneracies present in the symmetric case of thicker films.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Tuning the BCS-BEC crossover of electron-hole pairing with pressure

In graphite, a moderate magnetic field confines electrons and holes into their lowest Landau levels. In the extreme quantum limit, two insulating states with a dome-like field dependence of the their critical temperatures are induced by the magnetic field. Here, we study the evolution of the first dome (below 60 T) under hydrostatic pressure up to 1.7 GPa. With increasing pressure, the field-temperature phase boundary shifts towards higher magnetic fields, yet the maximum critical temperature remains unchanged. According to our fermiology data, pressure amplifies the density and the effective mass of hole-like and electron-like carriers. Thanks to this information, we verify the persistent relevance of the BCS relation between the critical temperature and the density of states in the weak-coupling boundary of the dome. In contrast, the strong-coupling summit of the dome does not show any detectable change with pressure. We argue that this is because the out-of-plane BCS coherence length approaches the interplane distance that shows little change with pressure. Thus, the BCS-BEC crossover is tunable by magnetic field and pressure, but with a locked summit.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

High-field immiscibility of electrons belonging to adjacent twinned bismuth crystals

Bulk bismuth has a complex Landau spectrum. The small effective masses and the large g-factors are anisotropic. The chemical potential drifts at high magnetic fields. Moreover, twin boundaries further complexify the interpretation of the data by producing extra anomalies in the extreme quantum limit. Here, we present a study of angle dependence of magnetoresistance up to 65 T in bismuth complemented with Nernst, ultrasound, and magneto-optic data. All observed anomalies can be explained in a single-particle picture of a sample consisting of two twinned crystals tilted by 108$^{\circ}$ and with two adjacent crystals keeping their own chemical potentials despite a shift between chemical potentials as large as 68 meV at 65 T. This implies an energy barrier between adjacent twinned crystals reminiscent of a metal-semiconductor Schottky barrier or a p-n junction. We argue that this barrier is built by accumulating charge carriers of opposite signs across a twin boundary.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Constructing the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in antiferromagnetic insulator CrOCl

Time reversal symmetry breaking in superconductors, resulting from external magnetic fields or spontaneous magnetization, often leads to unconventional superconducting properties. In this way, a conventional Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state, characterized by the Cooper pairs with nonzero total momentum, may be realized by the Zeeman effect caused from external magnetic fields. Here, we report the observation of superconductivity in a few-layer antiferromagnetic insulator CrOCl by utilizing superconducting proximity effect with NbSe2 flakes. The superconductivity demonstrates a considerably weak gap of about 0.12 meV and the in-plane upper critical field reveals as behavior of the FFLO state at low temperature. Our first-principles calculations indicate that the proximitized superconductivity may exist in the CrOCl layer with Cr vacancies or line-defects. Moreover, the FFLO state could be induced by the inherent larger spin splitting in the CrOCl layer. Our findings not only demonstrate the fascinating interaction between superconductivity and magnetism, but also provide a possible path to construct FFLO state by intrinsic time reversal symmetry breaking and superconducting proximity effect.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Field-Induced Lifshitz Transition in the Magnetic Weyl Semimetal Candidate PrAlSi

Lifshitz transition (LT) refers to an abrupt change in the electronic structure and Fermi surface, and is associated to a variety of emergent quantum phenomena. Amongst the LTs observed in known materials, the field-induced LT has been rare and its origin remains elusive. To understand the origin of field-induced LT, it is important to extend the material basis beyond the usual setting of heavy fermion metals. Here, we report on a field-induced LT in PrAlSi, a magnetic Weyl semimetal candidate with localized 4$f$ electrons, through a study of magnetotransport up to 55 T. The quantum oscillation analysis reveals that across a threshold field $B^*\approx$14.5 T the oscillation frequency ($F_1$ = 43 T) is replaced by two new frequencies ($F_2$ = 62 T and $F_3$ = 103 T). Strikingly, the LT occurs well below quantum limit, with obvious temperature-dependent oscillation frequency and field-dependent cyclotron mass. Our work not only enriches the rare examples of field-induced LTs, but also paves the way for further investigation on the interplay among topology, magnetism and electronic correlation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

The free energy of twisting spins in Mn$_3$Sn

The magnetic free energy is usually quadratic in magnetic field and depends on the mutual orientation of the magnetic field and the crystalline axes. Tiny in magnitude, this magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE) is nevertheless indispensable for the existence of permanent magnets. Here, we show that in Mn$_3$Sn, a non-collinear antiferromagnet attracting much attention following the discovery of its large anomalous Hall effect, the free energy of spins has superquadratic components, which drive the MAE. We experimentally demonstrate that the thermodynamic free energy includes terms odd in magnetic field ($\mathcal{O}(H^3)+\mathcal{O}(H^5)$) and generating sixfold and twelve-fold angular oscillations in the torque response. We show that they are quantitatively explained by theory, which can be used to quantify relevant energy scales (Heisenberg, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya, Zeeman and single-ion anisotropy) of the system. Based on the theory, we conclude that, in contrast with common magnets, what drives the MAE in Mn$_3$Sn is the field-induced deformation of the spin texture.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Quantum oscillations, Magnetic breakdown and thermal Hall effect in Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$

Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$ is a ferromagnetic semi-metal with Weyl nodes in its band structure and a large anomalous Hall effect below its Curie temperature of 177 K. We present a detailed study of its Fermi surface and examine the relevance of the anomalous transverse Wiedemann Franz law to it. We studied Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations along two orientations in single crystals with a mobility as high as $2.7\times$10$^3$ cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ subject to a magnetic field as large as $\sim$ 60 T. The angle dependence of the frequencies is in agreement with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and reveals two types of hole pockets (H1, H2) and two types of electron pockets (E1, E2). An additional unexpected frequency emerges at high magnetic field. We attribute it to magnetic breakdown between the hole pocket H2 and the electron pocket E2, since it is close to the sum of the E2 and H2 fundamental frequencies. By measuring the anomalous thermal and electrical Hall conductivities, we quantified the anomalous transverse Lorenz ratio, which is close to the Sommerfeld ratio ($L_0=\frac{π^2}{3}\frac{k_B^2}{e^2}$) below 100 K and deviates downwards at higher temperatures. This finite temperature deviation from the anomalous Wiedemann-Franz law is a source of information on the distance between the sources and sinks of the Berry curvature and the chemical potential.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Unconventional quantum vortex matter state hosts quantum oscillations in the underdoped high-temperature cuprate superconductors

A central question in the underdoped cuprates pertains to the nature of the pseudogap ground state. A conventional metallic ground state of the pseudogap region has been argued to host quantum oscillations upon destruction of the superconducting order parameter by modest magnetic fields. Here we use low applied measurement currents and millikelvin temperatures on ultra-pure single crystals of underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ to unearth an unconventional quantum vortex matter ground state characterized by vanishing electrical resistivity, magnetic hysteresis, and non-ohmic electrical transport characteristics beyond the highest laboratory accessible static fields. A new model of the pseudogap ground state is now required to explain quantum oscillations that are hosted by the bulk quantum vortex matter state without experiencing sizeable additional damping in the presence of a large maximum superconducting gap; possibilities include a pair density wave.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Critical point for Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons in graphite

An exciton is an electron-hole pair bound by attractive Coulomb interaction. Short-lived excitons have been detected by a variety of experimental probes in numerous contexts. An excitonic insulator, a collective state of such excitons, has been more elusive. Here, thanks to Nernst measurements in pulsed magnetic fields, we show that in graphite there is a critical temperature (T = 9.2 K) and a critical magnetic field (B = 47 T) for Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons. At this critical field, hole and electron Landau sub-bands simultaneously cross the Fermi level and allow exciton formation. By quantifying the effective mass and the spatial separation of the excitons in the basal plane, we show that the degeneracy temperature of the excitonic fluid corresponds to this critical temperature. This identification would explain why the field-induced transition observed in graphite is not a universal feature of three-dimensional electron systems pushed beyond the quantum limit.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Hard antinodal gap revealed by quantum oscillations in the pseudogap regime of underdoped high-$T_{\rm c}$ superconductors

An understanding of the missing antinodal electronic excitations in the pseudogap state is essential for uncovering the physics of the underdoped cuprate high temperature superconductors. The majority of high temperature experiments performed thus far, however, have been unable to discern whether the antinodal states are rendered unobservable due to their damping, or whether they vanish due to their gapping. Here we distinguish between these two scenarios by using quantum oscillations to examine whether the small Fermi surface pocket, found to occupy only 2% of the Brillouin zone in the underdoped cuprates, exists in isolation against a majority of completely gapped density of states spanning the antinodes, or whether it is thermodynamically coupled to a background of ungapped antinodal states. We find that quantum oscillations associated with the small Fermi surface pocket exhibit a signature sawtooth waveform characteristic of an isolated two-dimensional Fermi surface pocket. This finding reveals that the antinodal states are destroyed by a hard gap that extends over the majority of the Brillouin zone, placing strong constraints on a drastic underlying origin of quasiparticle disappearance over almost the entire Brillouin zone in the pseudogap regime.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Chiral domain walls of Mn$_3$Sn and their memory

Magnetic domain walls are topological solitons whose internal structure is set by competing energies which sculpt them. In common ferromagnets, domain walls are known to be of either Bloch or Néel types. Little is established in the case of Mn$_3$Sn, a triangular antiferromagnet with a large room-temperature anomalous Hall effect, where domain nucleation is triggered by a well-defined threshold magnetic field. Here, we show that the domain walls of this system generate an additional contribution to the Hall conductivity tensor and a transverse magnetization. The former is an electric field lying in the same plane with the magnetic field and electric current and therefore a planar Hall effect. We demonstrate that in-plane rotation of spins inside the domain wall would explain both observations and the clockwise or anticlockwise chirality of the walls depends on the history of the field orientation and can be controlled.

cond-mat.str-el↗