arXiv subjects

Ilya Sochnikov

Publications and source records attributed to Ilya Sochnikov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Stripe-Like Superconducting Enhancement and Coexisting Magnetic Texture in an Infinite Layer Nickelate

Despite their promise as structural and electronic analogs to cuprates, nickelate thin films consistently exhibit broadened superconducting transitions in many experiments that remain poorly understood. Local measurements are ideal for revealing the presence of defects or competing phases, which may cause this transition broadening through a phase-separation. Here, we use scanning SQUID microscopy to investigate local superfluid density and magnetic texture of optimally doped $\mathrm{Nd}_{1-x}\mathrm{Eu}_{x}\mathrm{NiO}_{2}$ (NENO) (x=0.25) grown via molecular beam epitaxy. We observed a weakly-magnetic texture coexisting with superconductivity. Spatially resolved susceptibility imaging reveals a highly non-uniform superconducting state, characterized by a robust stripe-like enhancement pattern appearing near the phase transition. By resolving the mesoscopic landscape of electronic and magnetic inhomogeneities, these findings suggest that a competing magnetic phase is a primary contributor to the unusually broad superconducting transitions of these optimally doped NENO samples. Understanding the uncovered superconducting enhancement may provide a path to raising superconducting temperatures in these materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Tunable Resonator Integrated Magnetometry

The quantum-technology revolution is reshaping computing, sensing, and communication. In magnetometry, recent advances leverage precise control of spin qubits and color centers in solid-state crystals for mesoscopic-scale sensing. Yet at very low temperatures, superconducting sensing technology remains unrivaled because of its non-invasiveness and higher sensitivity. Here we describe a class of superconducting sensors that offers low loss and quantum non-demolition measurement characteristics. We designed and fabricated a superconducting flux-tunable resonator (tRes) in a superconducting chip foundry and matured it to a level that combines the speed of an inductor-capacitor circuit with the flux sensitivity of a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) to perform magnetometry at milli-kelvin temperature to investigate targets. We introduce its fundamental functionality readily at MHz magnetic sampling rate, showcase two measurement modalities, and investigate three circuits with gradually increasing complexity to extract target-specific information. The combination of high sensitivity and fast readout characteristics make tRes an attractive and versatile magnetometer.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Mott insulating negative thermal expansion perovskite TiF3

We characterize perovskite TiF_3, a material which displays significant negative thermal expansion at elevated temperatures above its cubic-to-rhombohedral structural phase transition at 330 K. We find the optical response favors an insulating state in both structural phases, which we show can be produced in density functional theory calculations only through the introduction of an on-site Coulomb repulsion. Analysis of the magnetic susceptibility data gives a S=1/2 local moment per Ti+3 ion and an antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. Together, these results show that TiF_3 is a strongly correlated electron system, a fact which constrains possible mechanisms of strong negative thermal expansion in the Sc_1-xTi_xF3 system. We consider the relative strength of the Jahn-Teller and electric dipole interactions in driving the structural transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Multiferroicity in plastically deformed SrTiO$_3$

A major challenge in the development of quantum technologies is to induce additional types of ferroic orders into materials that exhibit other useful quantum properties. Various techniques have been applied to this end, such as elastically straining, doping, or interfacing a compound with other materials. Plastic deformation introduces permanent topological defects and large local strains into a material, which can give rise to qualitatively new functionality. Here we show via local magnetic imaging that plastic deformation induces robust magnetism in the quantum paraelectric SrTiO3, in both conducting and insulating samples. Our analysis indicates that the magnetic order is localized along dislocation walls and coexists with polar order along the walls. The magnetic signals can be switched on and off in a controllable manner with external stress, which demonstrates that plastically deformed SrTiO3 is a quantum multiferroic. These results establish plastic deformation as a versatile platform for quantum materials engineering.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Observation of c-axis Magnetization at Low Temperatures in Weak Ferromagnet FeBO$_3$ Reveals a Spin-Reorientation Transition

The weak ferromagnet FeBO$_3$ is well known for being a unique system for modelling and testing magnetic dynamics primarily due to relatively simple and localized magnetic structure and its interesting spin wave dynamics. At room temperature, it has slightly canted iron moments lying in the a-b plane that result in a strong antiferromagnetic moment and a weak ferromagnetic moment, which results in pronounced ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic spin modes. However, some previous studies have shown unusual low-temperature behavior that suggests a phase transition. By performing low-temperature magnetization measurements, both in bulk and on the mesoscale, we have observed a low temperature magnetic texture in this material in which a large c-axis magnetization occurs. Magnetic fields along the c-axis as high as 1300 Oe were observed close to the sample surface. This presents evidence for the onset of a Morin transition or another type of spin-reorientation phase transition wherein the Fe3+ moments would acquire a c-axis component to their canting below a critical temperature. The observation of this c-axis magnetization suggests that there is a different ground state in this material than has been previously expected and could be due to as yet unexplored intricacies of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Versatile Millikelvin Hybrid Cooling Platform for Superconductivity Research

Closed cycle $He^{3}-He^{4}$ dilution cryostats became the platform of choice in quantum sciences in the era of helium shortage. However, in many experiments, the mechanical vibrations induced by the pulsed cryocoolers present a significant drawback reflected both in electronic and mechanical noises. Here, we present a hybrid dilution cryostat platform; we have automated a commercial closed-cycle system to operate on a cryocooler or on a liquid helium battery. We implemented a scanning SQUID microscope in the hybrid dilution refrigerator. In this work we show the design of the hybrid setup and how its operation eliminates vibration artefacts in magnetic imaging.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Local imaging of diamagnetism in proximity coupled niobium nano-island arrays on gold thin films

In this work we study the effect of engineered disorder on the local magnetic response of proximity coupled superconducting island arrays by comparing scanning Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) susceptibility measurements to a model in which we treat the system as a network of one-dimensional (1D) superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions, each with a Josephson coupling energy $E_J$ determined by the junction length or distance between islands. We find that the disordered arrays exhibit a spatially inhomogeneous diamagnetic response which, for low local applied magnetic fields, is well described by this junction network model, and we discuss these results as they relate to inhomogeneous two-dimensional (2D) superconductors. Our model of the static magnetic response of the arrays does not fully capture the onset of nonlinearity and dissipation with increasing applied field, as these effects are associated with vortex motion due to the dynamic nature of the scanning SQUID susceptometry measurement. This work demonstrates a model 2D superconducting system with engineered disorder and highlights the impact of dissipation on the local magnetic properties of 2D superconductors and Josephson junction arrays.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Directional field-dependence of tunable magnetic domains in noncentrosymmetric ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal CeAlSi

Dynamics and textures of magnetic domain walls (DWs) may largely alter the electronic behaviors in a Weyl semimetal system via emergent gauge fields. However, very little is known about even the basic properties of these domain walls in Weyl materials. In this work, we imaged the spontaneous magnetization and magnetic susceptibility of a ferromagnetic (FM) Weyl semimetal CeAlSi using scanning SQUID microscopy. We observed the ferromagnetic DWs lined-up with the [100] direction (or other degenerate directions). We also discovered the coexistence of stable and metastable domain phases, which arise likely due to magnetoelastic and magnetostriction effects and are expected to be highly tunable with small strains. We applied an in-plane external field as the CeAlSi sample was cooled down to below the magnetic phase transition of 8.3K, showing that the pattern of FM domains is strongly correlated with both the amplitude and the orientation of the external field even for weak fields of a few Gauss. The area of stable domains increases with field and reaches maximum when the field is parallel to the main crystallographic axes of the CeAlSi crystal. Our results suggest that the manipulation of these heterogeneous phases can provide a practical way to study the interplay between magnetism and electronic properties in Weyl systems, and that these systems can even serve as a new platform for magnetic sensors.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

A new noncollinear ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal with anisotropic anomalous Hall effect

A developing frontier in condensed matter physics is the emergence of novel electromagnetic responses, such as topological and anomalous Hall effect (AHE), in ferromagnetic Weyl semimetals (FM-WSMs). Candidates of FM-WSM are limited to materials that preserve inversion symmetry and generate Weyl crossings by breaking time-reversal symmetry. These materials share three common features: a centrosymmetric lattice, a collinear FM ordering, and a large AHE observed when the field is parallel to the magnetic easy-axis. Here, we present CeAlSi as a new type of FM-WSM, where the Weyl nodes are stabilized by breaking inversion symmetry, but their positions are tuned by breaking time-reversal symmetry. Unlike the other FM-WSMs, CeAlSi has a noncentrosymmetric lattice, a noncollinear FM ordering, and a novel AHE that is anisotropic between the easy- and hard-axes. It also exhibits large FM domains that are promising for both device applications and an interplay between the Weyl nodes and FM domain walls.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Colossal Magnetoresistance without Mixed Valence in a Layered Phosphide Crystal

Materials with strong magnetoresistive responses are the backbone of spintronic technology, magnetic sensors, and hard drives. Among them, manganese oxides with a mixed valence and a cubic perovskite structure stand out due to their colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). A double exchange interaction underlies the CMR in manganates, whereby charge transport is enhanced when the spins on neighboring Mn3+ and Mn4+ ions are parallel. Prior efforts to find different materials or mechanisms for CMR resulted in a much smaller effect. Here we show an enormous CMR at low temperatures in EuCd2P2 without manganese, oxygen, mixed valence, or cubic perovskite structure. EuCd2P2 has a layered trigonal lattice and exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering at 11 K. The magnitude of CMR (104 percent) in as-grown crystals of EuCd2P2 rivals the magnitude in optimized thin films of manganates. Our magnetization, transport, and synchrotron X-ray data suggest that strong magnetic fluctuations are responsible for this phenomenon. The realization of CMR at low temperatures without heterovalency leads to a new regime for materials and technologies related to antiferromagnetic spintronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Scanning SQUID characterization of extremely overdoped $La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4}$

Recently, advances in film synthesis methods have enabled a study of extremely overdoped $La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4}$. This has revealed a surprising behavior of the superfluid density as a function of doping and temperature, the explanation of which is vividly debated. One popular class of models posits electronic phase separation, where the superconducting phase fraction decreases with doping, while some competing phase (e.g. ferromagnetic) progressively takes over. A problem with this scenario is that all the way up to the dome edge the superconducting transition remains sharp, according to mutual inductance measurements. However, the physically relevant scale is the Pearl penetration depth, $Λ_{P}$, and this technique probes the sample on a length scale $L$ that is much larger than $Λ_{P}$. In the present paper, we use local scanning SQUID measurements that probe the susceptibility of the sample on the scale $L << Λ_{P}$. Our SQUID maps show uniform landscapes of susceptibility and excellent overall agreement of the local penetration depth data with the bulk measurements. These results contribute an important piece to the puzzle of how high-temperature superconductivity vanishes on the overdoped side of the cuprates phase diagram.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Electron pairing in the pseudogap state revealed by shot noise in copper-oxide junctions

In the quest to understand high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides, a vigorous debate has been focused on the pseudogap - a partial gap that opens over portions of the Fermi surface in the 'normal' state above the bulk critical temperature ($T_{c}$). The pseudogap has been attributed to precursor superconductivity, to the existence of preformed pairs, or to competing orders such as charge-density waves. A direct determination of the charge of carriers as a function of temperature and bias could help resolve among these alternatives. Here, we report measurements of the shot noise of tunneling current in high-quality La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$/La$_{2}$CuO$_{4}$/La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ (LSCO/LCO/LSCO) heterostructures fabricated using atomic-layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy, for several doping levels. The data delineate three distinct regions in the bias voltage-temperature ($V-T$) space. Well outside the superconducting gap region, the shot noise agrees quantitatively with independent tunneling of charge-e carriers. Deep within the gap, shot noise is greatly enhanced, reminiscent of multiple Andreev reflections. Starting above $T_{c}$ and extending to biases much larger than the gap, there is a broad region in which the noise substantially exceeds the expectations of single-charge tunneling, indicating pairing of carriers. Pairs are detectable deep into the pseudogap region of temperature and bias.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Picoscale Magnetoelasticity Governs Heterogeneous Magnetic Domains in a Noncentrosymmetric Ferromagnetic Weyl Semimetal

Magnetic Weyl semimetals are predicted to host emergent electromagnetic fields at heterogeneous strained phases or at the magnetic domain walls. Tunability and control of the topological and magnetic properties is crucial for revealing these phenomena, which are not well understood or fully realized yet. Here, we use a scanning SQUID microscope to image spontaneous magnetization and magnetic susceptibility of CeAlSi, a noncentrosymmetric ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal candidate. We observe large metastable domains alongside stable ferromagnetic domains. The metastable domains most likely embody a type of frustrated or glassy magnetic phase, with excitations that may be of an emergent and exotic nature. We find evidence that the heterogeneity of the two types of domains arises from magnetoelastic or magnetostriction effects. We show how these domains form, how they interact, and how they can be manipulated or stabilized with estimated lattice strains on picometer levels. CeAlSi is a frontier material for straintronics in correlated topological systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

An apparatus for nondestructive and rapid comparison of mask approaches in defense against infected respiratory aerosols

At the front lines of the world's response to the COVID-19 pandemic are hero-clinicians facing a lack of critical supplies including protective medical grade breathing masks and filtering materials. At the same time, the general public is now being advised to wear masks to help stop the spread. As a result, in the absence of centrally coordinated production and distribution efforts, supply chains for masks, respirators, and materials for advanced filtration technology are immensely burdened. Here we describe experimental efforts to nondestructively quantify three vital characteristics of mask approaches: breathability, material filtration effectiveness, and sensitivity to fit. We focus on protection against water aerosols $>$0.3$μ$m using off-the-shelf particulate, flow, and pressure sensors, permitting rapid comparative evaluation of these three properties. We present and discuss both the pressure drop and the particle transmission as a function of flow to permit comparison of relative protection for a set of proposed filter and mask designs. The design considerations of the testing apparatus can be reproduced by university laboratories and medical facilities and used for rapid local quality control of respirator masks which are of uncertified origin, monitoring the long-term effects of various disinfection schemes, and evaluating improvised products not designed or marketed for filtration.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

A femto-Tesla DC SQUID design for quantum-ready readouts

Among some of the current uses of the DC Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) are qubit-readouts and sensors for probing properties of quantum materials. We present a rather unique gradiometric niobium SQUID design with state-of-the-art sensitivity in the femto-Tesla range which can be easily tuned to specific readout requirements. The sensor is a next generation of the fractional SQUIDs with tightly optimized input coil and a combination of all measures known for restraining parasitic resonances and other detrimental effects. Our design combines the practical usefulness of well-defined pickup loops for superior imaging kernel and tunable-probing applications with the fractionalization approach to reduce undesired inductances. In addition, our modeling predicts small dimensions for these planar sensors. These features make them of high relevance for material studies and for detection of magnetic fields in small volumes, e.g. as part of a cryogenic scanning quantum imaging apparatus for efficient diagnostics and quantum device readouts. This manuscript will benefit scientists and engineers working on quantum computing technologies by clarifying potential general misconceptions about DC SQUID optimization alongside the introduction of the novel flexible compact DC SQUID design.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Giant Grüneisen parameter in a strain-tuned superconducting quantum paraelectric: A consequence of the vanishing ferroelectric phonon energy

Superconductivity and ferroelectricity are typically incompatible because the former needs free carriers, but the latter is usually suppressed by free carriers, unless their concentration is low. In the case of strontium titanate with low carrier concentration, unconventional superconductivity and ferroelectricity were shown to be correlated. Here, we report theoretically and experimentally evaluated Grüneisen parameters whose divergence under tensile stress indicates that the dominant phonon mode that enhances the superconducting order is the ferroelectric transverse soft-mode. This finding rules out all other phonon modes as the main contributors to the enhanced superconductivity in strained strontium titanate. This methodology shown here can be applied to many other quantum materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Tunneling spectroscopy of c-axis epitaxial cuprate junctions

Atomically precise epitaxial structures are unique systems for tunneling spectroscopy that minimize extrinsic effects of disorder. We present a systematic tunneling spectroscopy study, over a broad doping, temperature, and bias range, in epitaxial c-axis La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$/La$_{2}$CuO$_{4}$/La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ heterostructures. The behavior of these superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) devices is unusual. Down to 20 mK there is complete suppression of c-axis Josephson critical current with a barrier of only 2 nm of La$_{2}$CuO$_{4}$, and the zero-bias conductance remains at 20-30% of the normal-state conductance, implying a substantial population of in-gap states. Tunneling spectra show greatly suppressed coherence peaks. As the temperature is raised, the superconducting gap fills in rather than closing at $T_{c}$. For all doping levels, the spectra show an inelastic tunneling feature at $\sim$ 80 meV, suppressed as $T$ exceeds $T_{c}$. These nominally simple epitaxial cuprate junctions deviate markedly from expectations based on the standard Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Millikelvin-compatible apparatus for studies of quantum materials under uniaxial stress

Various new phenomena emerge in quantum materials under elastic deformations, such as hydrostatic or uniaxial stresses. In particular, using uniaxial strain or stress can help to tune or uncover specific structural or electronic orders in materials with multiple coexisting phases. Those phases may be associated with a quantum phase transition requiring a millikelvin environment combined with multiple experimental probes. Here, we describe our unique apparatus, which allows in situ tuning of strain in large samples inside a dilution refrigerator while the samples are monitored via an optical microscope. We describe the engineering details and show some typical results of characterizing superconducting strontium titanate under stress. This letter should serve as a practical reference for experts in ultra-low temperature experimental physics involving uniaxial stresses or strains.

physics.app-ph↗