arXiv subjects

J. Gautreau

Publications and source records attributed to J. Gautreau.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Conventional superconductivity in single-crystalline BiPt

Binary Bi-Pd/Pt systems have attracted a lot of interest because of their topologically non-trivial nature along with superconductivity. We report the structural and superconducting properties of high-quality single-crystalline BiPt using a comprehensive range of experimental techniques, including X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, muon spin rotation/relaxation ({\mu}SR), magnetization, resistivity, and heat capacity. Our findings establish that BiPt is a weak type-II superconductor with a transition temperature (Tc) of 1.2 K which exhibits pronounced anisotropic superconducting characteristics attributed to its hexagonal crystal structure. Magnetization and electronic transport studies reveal that BiPt lies within the dirty limit, while {\mu}SR and heat capacity data indicate conventional s-wave superconductivity that maintains time-reversal symmetry. This work provides valuable insights into the pairing symmetry and superconducting mechanism of topologically trivial BiPt, a sound comparison system for other Bi-based topologically nontrivial superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Ground-states of the Shastry-Sutherland Lattice Materials Gd$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ and Dy$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$

The recent realization that the rare-earth melilites RE$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ host the Shastry-Sutherland lattice within planes of RE$^{3+}$ ions has sparked a number of studies. This family of materials lacks appreciable site mixing and conductivity, making them promising candidates for the Shastry-Sutherland model. Herein, we present the magnetic ground states of two of these rare-earth melilites: RE = Gd and Dy. We find, through measurements of magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, and specific heat capacity (RE = Dy only), that these two melilites are antiferromagnets (T$_N$ $\sim$~1~K). Gd$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$, in accordance with its electronic configuration, has isotropic single-ion anisotropy but shows a quadratic contribution to its magnetization. Dy$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ has Ising-like single-ion ansiotropy and is likely an effective spin-$1/2$ system. Both materials exhibit metamagnetic transitions. We identify this transition in Dy$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$, occurring at 86(1)~mT for T=500~mK, to likely be a spin-flip transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Fractionalized Magnetization Plateaus in the Shastry-Sutherland Lattice Material Er$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$

The experimental study of magnetism on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice has been ongoing for more than two decades, following the discovery of the first Shastry-Sutherland lattice materials SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$. However, the study of Shastry-Sutherland systems is often complicated by the requirements of high magnetic fields ($>$~20~T SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$) or the presence of itinerate electrons (e.g. REB$_4$). In this paper, we present the magnetic properties of the Shastry-Sutherland lattice material Er$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$. Like SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$, Er$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ exhibits fractionalized magnetization plateaus. Unlike SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$, Er$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ exhibits long-range order below $\sim1~$K, and the plateaus are accessible using commercial laboratory equipment, occurring for fields <~1~T. The fractions of magnetization present are closest to $\frac{1}{4}$ and $\frac{1}{2}$ of the full powder moment; we show that the $\frac{1}{4}$ magnetization plateau in Er$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ has a classical analog, well represented by the magnetic structure (canted antiferromagnetic) observed in powder neutron diffraction. The lack of itinerate electrons, chemical disorder, and the low fields required to access the fractionalized magnetization plateaus promises Er$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ to be a prime candidate for the study of frustrated magnetism on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

A Candidate for the Quantum Spin Liquid Ground-State in the Shastry-Sutherland Lattice Material Yb$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$

The quasi-2D Shastry-Sutherland model has remained topical in the field of condensed matter physics for the last two decades, following the experimental realization of the model in the material SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$. Since then, research into the Shastry-Sutherland system has revealed more nuanced physics than initially predicted; recent theoretical works have even predicted a quantum spin liquid phase may exist. Herein, we report on a new Shastry-Sutherland lattice material, Yb$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$, of the rare-earth melilite family RE$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$. We find, through SQUID magnetometry, powder neutron diffraction, specific heat capacity, and muon spin relaxation, that Yb$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ lacks magnetic order and exhibits persistent spin dynamics to at least 17 mK. We propose the Shastry-Sutherland lattice material Yb$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ as a candidate to host a quantum spin liquid ground-state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Evidence for conventional superconductivity in Bi$_2$PdPt and prediction of topological superconductivity in disorder-free $\gamma$-BiPd

We present comprehensive investigations into the structural, superconducting, and topological properties of Bi$_2$PdPt. Magnetization and heat capacity measurements performed on polycrystalline Bi$_2$PdPt demonstrate a superconducting transition at $\approx$ 0.8 K. Moreover, muon spin relaxation/rotation ($\mu$SR) measurements present evidence for a time reversal symmetry preserving, isotropically gapped superconducting state in Bi$_2$PdPt. We have also performed density-functional theory (DFT) calculations on Bi$_2$PdPt alongside the more general isostructural systems, BiPd$_{x}$Pt$_{1-x}$, of which Bi$_2$PdPt and $\gamma$-BiPd are special cases for $x=0.5$ and $x=1$ respectively. We have calculated the $Z_2$ topological index from our DFT calculations for a range of substitution fractions, $x$, between $x=0$ and $x=1$ characterizing the topology of the band structure. We find a non-trivial topological state when $x>0.75$ and a trivial topological state when $x<0.75$. Therefore our results indicate that BiPd$_{x}$Pt$_{1-x}$ could be a topological superconductor for $x>0.75$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Broken time-reversal symmetry in a new non-centrosymmetric superconductor Re8NbTa

Re-based superconductors provide a rich platform for the study of unconventional superconductivity. We have investigated the superconducting properties of Re$_{8}$NbTa, a new noncentrosymmetric cubic ($\alpha$-Mn structure) rhenium-based ternary superconductor using transport, magnetization, specific heat, and muon spin rotation/relaxation ($\mu$SR) measurements. Specific heat and transverse field $\mu$SR measurements suggest moderately coupled fully gapped superconductivity, well described by BCS theory. However, our zero-field $\mu$SR measurements reveal a small internal field onsetting around the superconducting T$_c$, indicating that the superconducting order parameter breaks the time-reversal symmetry.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Evidence for non-unitary triplet-pairing superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric TaRuSi and comparison with isostructural TaReSi

We have studied the superconducting properties of the isostructural ternary noncentrosymmetric superconductors TaXSi (X = Re, Ru) with the help of muon spin rotation/relaxation ($μ$SR) and density functional theory calculations. Our transverse-field $μ$SR measurements indicate isotropic s-wave superconductivity in TaReSi and multi-gap superconductivity in TaRuSi. Zero-field $μ$SR measurements, highly sensitive to very small magnetic fields, and no evidence for spontaneous fields in the superconducting state of TaReSi, whereas we observe small spontaneous fields that onset with superconductivity indicating broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) superconductivity in TaRuSi. Using density functional theory calculations, we find that spin-orbit coupling is relatively weak in TaRuSi and strong in TaReSi. Using symmetry analysis, we attribute the broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in TaRuSi to a non-unitary triplet pairing state. Such a state is not allowed in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling: our finding of no evidence for broken TRS in TaReSi is consistent with this expectation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Synthesis, physical and magnetic properties of CuAlCr$_4$S$_8$: a new Cr-based breathing pyrochlore

We present the synthesis and physical properties of a new breathing pyrochlore magnet CuAlCr$_4$S$_8$ with the help of synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization under ambient and applied hydrostatic pressure, heat capacity, and muon spin relaxation/rotation ($μ$SR) measurements. CuAlCr$_4$S$_8$ exhibits positive thermal expansion with concave upward temperature dependence. We observed a sharp antiferromagnetic ordering transition of a purely magnetic nature at 20 K, which shifts by as much as 3.2 K on the application of 600 MPa pressure. The breathing factor (B$_f$ = $J'/J$) in breathing pyrochlores can be an important parameter to tune the magnetic ground states of the pyrochlore lattice. The breathing factor can be modulated through breathing ratio, the ratio of sizes of the two tetrahedra, by using different elements at A and A' sites in the breathing pyrochlore structure. We find that CuAlCr$_4$S$_8$ has a breathing ratio of 1.0663(8), which is comparable to other sulfur breathing pyrochlores.

cond-mat.str-el↗