arXiv subjects

J. Mesot

Publications and source records attributed to J. Mesot.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Dynamic Competition between Cooper-Pair and Spin-Density-Wave Condensation

Quantum matter phases may co-exist microscopically even when they display competing tendencies. A fundamental question is whether such a competition can be avoided through the elimination of one phase while the other one condenses into the ground state. Here, we present a high-resolution neutron spectroscopy study of the low-energy spin excitations in the high-temperature superconductor La1.855Sr0.145CuO4. In the normal state, we find low-energy magnetic fluctuations at incommensurate reciprocal lattice positions where spin-density-wave order emerges at lower Sr concentration or at high magnetic fields. While these spin excitations are largely suppressed by the emergence of the superconducting spin gap, some low-energy magnetic fluctuations persist deep inside the superconducting state. We interpret this result in terms of a dynamic competition between superconductivity and magnetism, where superconductivity impedes the condensation of low-energy magnetic fluctuations through the formation of magnetically-mediated Cooper pairs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Evolution of the SrTiO$_3$ surface electronic state as a function of LaAlO$_3$ overlayer thickness

The novel electronic properties emerging at interfaces between transition metal oxides, and in particular the discovery of conductivity in heterostructures composed of LaAlO$_3$ (LAO) and SrTiO$_3$ (STO) band insulators, have generated new challenges and opportunities in condensed matter physics. Although the interface conductivity is stabilized when LAO matches or exceeds a critical thickness of 4 unit cells (u.c.), other phenomena such as a universal metallic state found on the bare surface of STO single crystals and persistent photon-triggered conductivity in otherwise insulating STO-based interfaces raise important questions about the role of the LAO overlayer and the possible relations between vacuum/STO and LAO/STO interfaces. Here, we study how the metallic STO surface state evolves using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) in situ prepared samples complemented by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) during the growth of a crystalline LAO overlayer. In all the studied samples, the character of the conduction bands, their carrier densities, the Ti3+ crystal field, and the response to photon irradiation bear strong similarities. Nevertheless, we report here that studied LAO/STO interfaces exhibit an instability toward an apparent 2 x 1 folding of the Fermi surface at and above 4 u.c. thickness threshold, which distinguishes these heterostructures from bare STO and sub-critical-thickness LAO/STO.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Two Coupled Chains are Simpler than One: Field-induced Chirality in a Frustrated Quantum Spin Ladder

Although the frustrated spin chain (zigzag chain) is a Drosophila of frustrated magnetism, the understanding of a pair of coupled zigzag chains (frustrated spin ladder) in a magnetic field is incomplete. We address this problem through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on $\text{BiCu}_2\text{PO}_6$ in magnetic fields up to 45 T, revealing a field-induced spiral magnetic structure. Conjointly, we present advanced numerical calculations showing that even moderate rung coupling dramatically simplifies the phase diagram below half-saturation magnetization by stabilizing a field-induced chiral phase. Surprisingly for a one-dimensional model, this phase and its response to Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions adhere to classical expectations. While explaining the behavior at the highest accessible magnetic fields, our results imply a different origin for the solitonic phases occurring at lower fields in $\text{BiCu}_2\text{PO}_6$. An exciting possibility is that the known, DM-mediated coupling between chirality and crystal lattice gives rise to a new kind of spin-Peierls instability.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Spin fluctuation induced Weyl semimetal state in the paramagnetic phase of EuCd$_2$As$_2$

Weyl fermions as emergent quasiparticles can arise in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) in which the energy bands are nondegenerate, resulting from inversion or time-reversal symmetry breaking. Nevertheless, experimental evidence for magnetically induced WSMs is scarce. Here, using photoemission spectroscopy, we observe that the degeneracy of Bloch bands is already lifted in the paramagnetic phase of EuCd$_2$As$_2$. We attribute this effect to the itinerant electrons experiencing quasistatic and quasi-long-range ferromagnetic fluctuations. Moreover, the spin nondegenerate band structure harbors a pair of ideal Weyl nodes near the Fermi level. Hence, we show that long-range magnetic order and the spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry are not an essential requirement for WSM states in centrosymmetric systems, and that WSM states can emerge in a wider range of condensed-matter systems than previously thought.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Room-temperature structural phase transition in the quasi-2D spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet Cu(pz)$_2$(ClO$_4$)$_2$

Cu(pz)$_2$(ClO$_4$)$_2$ (with pz denoting pyrazine C$_4$H$_4$N$_2$) is a two-dimensional spin-1/2 square-lattice antiferromagnet with $T_{\mathrm{N}}$ = 4.24 K. Due to a persisting focus on the low-temperature magnetic properties, its room-temperature structural and physical properties caught no attention up to now. Here we report a study of the structural features of Cu(pz)$_2$(ClO$_4$)$_2$ in the paramagnetic phase, up to 330 K. By employing magnetization, specific heat, $^{35}$Cl nuclear magnetic resonance, and neutron diffraction measurements, we provide evidence of a second-order phase transition at $T^{\star}$ = 294 K, not reported before. The absence of a magnetic ordering across $T^{\star}$ in the magnetization data, yet the presence of a sizable anomaly in the specific heat, suggest a structural order-to-disorder type transition. NMR and neutron-diffraction data corroborate our conjecture, by revealing subtle angular distortions of the pyrazine rings and of ClO$^-_4$ counteranion tetrahedra, shown to adopt a configuration of higher symmetry above the transition temperature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Observation of Weyl nodes in robust type-II Weyl semimetal WP2

Distinct to type-I Weyl semimetals (WSMs) that host quasiparticles described by the Weyl equation, the energy dispersion of quasiparticles in type-II WSMs violates Lorentz invariance and the Weyl cones in the momentum space are tilted. Since it was proposed that type-II Weyl fermions could emerge from (W,Mo)Te2 and (W,Mo)P2 families of materials, a large numbers of experiments have been dedicated to unveil the possible manifestation of type-II WSM, e.g. the surface-state Fermi arcs. However, the interpretations of the experimental results are very controversial. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy supported by the first-principles calculations, we probe the tilted Weyl cone bands in the bulk electronic structure of WP2 directly, which are at the origin of Fermi arcs at the surfaces and transport properties related to the chiral anomaly in type-II WSMs. Our results ascertain that due to the spin-orbit coupling the Weyl nodes originate from the splitting of 4-fold degenerate band-crossing points with Chern numbers C = $\pm$2 induced by the crystal symmetries of WP2, which is unique among all the discovered WSMs. Our finding also provides a guiding line to observe the chiral anomaly which could manifest in novel transport properties.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Structure and superconductivity in the binary Re$_{1-x}$Mo$_x$ alloys

The binary Re$_{1-x}$Mo$_x$ alloys, known to cover the full range of solid solutions, were successfully synthesized and their crystal structures and physical properties investigated via powder x-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity. By varying the Re/Mo ratio we explore the full Re$_{1-x}$Mo$_x$ binary phase diagram, in all its four different solid phases: hcp-Mg ($P6_3/mmc$), $α$-Mn ($I\overline{4}3m$), $β$-CrFe ($P4_2/mnm$), and bcc-W ($Im\overline{3}m$), of which the second is non-centrosymmetric with the rest being centrosymmetric. All Re$_{1-x}$Mo$_x$ alloys are superconductors, whose critical temperatures exhibit a peculiar phase diagram, characterized by three different superconducting regions. In most alloys the $T_c$ is almost an order of magnitude higher than in pure Re and Mo. Low-temperature electronic specific-heat data evidence a fully-gapped superconducting state, whose enhanced gap magnitude and specific-heat discontinuity suggest a moderately strong electron-phonon coupling across the series. Considering that several $α$-Mn-type Re$T$ alloys ($T$ = transition metal) show time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) in the superconducting state, while TRS is preserved in the isostructural Mg$_{10}$Ir$_{19}$B$_{16}$ or Nb$_{0.5}$Os$_{0.5}$, the Re$_{1-x}$Mo$_x$ alloys represent another suitable system for studying the interplay of space-inversion, gauge, and time-reversal symmetries in future experiments expected to probe TRSB in the Re$T$ family.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

From order to randomness: Onset and evolution of the random-singlet state in bond-disordered BaCu$_2$(Si$_{1-x}$Ge$_x$)$_2$O$_7$ spin-chain compounds

Heisenberg-type spin-chain materials have been extensively studied over the years, yet not much is known about their behavior in the presence of disorder. Starting from BaCu$_2$Si$_2$O$_7$, a typical spin-1/2 chain system, we investigate a series of compounds with different degrees of bond disorder, where the systematic replacement of Si with Ge results in a re-modulation of the Cu$^{2+}$ exchange interactions. By combining magnetometry measurements with nuclear magnetic resonance studies we follow the evolution of the disorder-related properties from the well-ordered BaCu$_2$Si$_2$O$_7$ to the maximally disordered BaCu$_2$SiGeO$_7$. Our data indicate that already a weak degree of disorder of only 5% Ge, apart from reducing the 3D magnetic ordering temperature $T_\mathrm{N}$ quite effectively, induces a qualitatively different state in the paramagnetic regime. At maximum disorder our data indicate that this state may be identified with the theoretically predicted random singlet (RS) state. With decreasing disorder the extension of the RS regime at temperatures above $T_\mathrm{N}$ is reduced, yet its influence is clearly manifest, particularly in the features of NMR relaxation data.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Time-reversal symmetry breaking in Re-based superconductors

To trace the origin of time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) in Re-based superconductors, we performed comparative muon-spin rotation/relaxation ($μ$SR) studies of superconducting noncentrosymmetric Re$_{0.82}$Nb$_{0.18}$ ($T_c = 8.8$ K) and centrosymmetric Re ($T_c = 2.7$ K). In Re$_{0.82}$Nb$_{0.18}$, the low temperature superfluid density and the electronic specific heat evidence a fully-gapped superconducting state, whose enhanced gap magnitude and specific-heat discontinuity suggest a moderately strong electron-phonon coupling. In both Re$_{0.82}$Nb$_{0.18}$ and pure Re, the spontaneous magnetic fields revealed by zero-field $μ$SR below $T_c$ indicate time-reversal symmetry breaking and thus unconventional superconductivity. The concomitant occurrence of TRSB in centrosymmetric Re and noncentrosymmetric Re$T$ ($T$ = transition metal), yet its preservation in the isostructural noncentrosymmetric superconductors Mg$_{10}$Ir$_{19}$B$_{16}$ and Nb$_{0.5}$Os$_{0.5}$, strongly suggests that the local electronic structure of Re is crucial for understanding the TRSB superconducting state in Re and Re$T$. We discuss the superconducting order parameter symmetries that are compatible with the observations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Nodeless superconductivity in the noncentrosymmetric Mo$_3$Rh$_2$N superconductor: a $μ$SR study

The noncentrosymmetric superconductor Mo$_3$Rh$_2$N, with $T_c = 4.6$ K, adopts a $β$-Mn-type structure (space group $P$4$_1$32), similar to that of Mo$_3$Al$_2$C. Its bulk superconductivity was characterized by magnetization and heat-capacity measurements, while its microscopic electronic properties were investigated by means of muon-spin rotation and relaxation ($μ$SR). The low-temperature superfluid density, measured via transverse-field (TF)-$μ$SR, evidences a fully-gapped superconducting state with $Δ_0 = 1.73 k_\mathrm{B}T_c$, very close to 1.76 $k_\mathrm{B}T_c$ - the BCS gap value for the weak coupling case, and a magnetic penetration depth $λ_0 = 586$ nm. The absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below the onset of superconductivity, as determined by zero-field (ZF)-$μ$SR measurements, hints at a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. Both TF-and ZF-$μ$SR results evidence a spin-singlet pairing in Mo$_3$Rh$_2$N.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Chemical- and hydrostatic-pressure effects on the Kitaev honeycomb material Na$_2$IrO$_3$

The low-temperature magnetic properties of \tcr{polycrystalline} Na$_2$IrO$_3$, a candidate material for the realization of a quantum spin-liquid state, were investigated by means of muon-spin relaxation and nuclear magnetic resonance methods under chemical and hydrostatic pressure. The Li-for-Na chemical substitution promotes an inhomogeneous magnetic order, whereas hydrostatic pressure (up to 3.9\,GPa) results in an enhancement of the ordering temperature $T_\mathrm{N}$. In the first case, the inhomogeneous magnetic order suggests either short- or long-range correlations of broadly distributed $j=\,$\textonehalf\ Ir$^{4+}$ magnetic moments, reflecting local disorder. The increase of $T_\mathrm{N}$ under applied pressure points at an increased strength of three dimensional interactions arising from interlayer compression.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Evidence of Coulomb interaction induced Lifshitz transition and robust hybrid Weyl semimetal in Td MoTe2

Using soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy we probed the bulk electronic structure of Td MoTe2. We found that on-site Coulomb interaction leads to a Lifshitz transition, which is essential for a precise description of the electronic structure. A hybrid Weyl semimetal state with a pair of energy bands touching at both type-I and type-II Weyl nodes is indicated by comparing the experimental data with theoretical calculations. Unveiling the importance of Coulomb interaction opens up a new route to comprehend the unique properties of MoTe2, and is significant for understanding the interplay between correlation effects, strong spin-orbit coupling and superconductivity in this van der Waals material.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Cooling a polaronic liquid: Phase mixture and pseudogap-like spectra in superconducting $Ba_{1-x}K_{x}BiO_{3}$

Many complex electronic systems exhibit so-called pseudogaps, which are poorly-understood suppression of low-energy spectral intensity in the absence of an obvious gap-inducing symmetry. Here we investigate the superconductor $Ba_{1-x}K_{x}BiO_{3}$ near optimal doping, where unconventional transport behavior and evidence of pseudogap(s) have been observed above the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}$, and near an insulating phase with long-range lattice distortions. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) reveals a dispersive band with vanishing quasiparticle weight and "tails" of deep-energy intensity that strongly decay approaching the Fermi level. Upon cooling below a transition temperature $T_{p} > T_{c}$, which correlates with a change in the slope of the resistivity vs. temperature, a partial transfer of spectral weight near $E_{F}$ into the deep-binding energy tails is found to result from metal-insulator phase separation. Combined with simulations and Raman scattering, our results signal that insulating islands of ordered bipolarons precipitate out of a disordered polaronic liquid and provide evidence that this process is regulated by a crossover in the electronic mean free path.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Trivial topological phase of CaAgP and the topological nodal-line transition in CaAg(P1-xAsx)

By performing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we address the topological phase of CaAgP and investigate the topological phase transition in CaAg(P1-xAsx). We reveal that in CaAgP, the bulk band gap and surface states with a large bandwidth are topologically trivial, in agreement with hybrid density functional theory calculations. The calculations also indicate that application of "negative" hydrostatic pressure can transform trivial semiconducting CaAgP into an ideal topological nodal-line semimetal phase. The topological transition can be realized by partial isovalent P/As substitution at x = 0.38.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Pressure effects on the electronic properties of the undoped superconductor ThFeAsN

The recently synthesized ThFeAsN iron-pnictide superconductor exhibits a $T_c$ of 30 K, the highest of the 1111-type series in absence of chemical doping. To understand how pressure affects its electronic properties, we carried out microscopic investigations up to 3 GPa via magnetization, nuclear magnetic resonance, and muon-spin rotation experiments. The temperature dependence of the ${}^{75}$As Knight shift, the spin-lattice relaxation rates, and the magnetic penetration depth suggest a multi-band $s^{\pm}$-wave gap symmetry in the dirty limit, while the gap-to-$T_c$ ratio $Δ/k_\mathrm{B}T_c$ hints at a strong-coupling scenario. Pressure modulates the geometrical parameters, thus reducing $T_c$, as well as $T_m$, the temperature where magnetic-relaxation rates are maximized, both at the same rate of approximately -1.1 K/GPa. This decrease of $T_c$ with pressure is consistent with band-structure calculations, which relate it to the deformation of the Fe 3$d_{z^2}$ orbitals.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Nodal-to-nodeless superconducting order parameter in LaFeAs$_{1-x}$P$_x$O synthesized under high pressure

Similar to chemical doping, pressure produces and stabilizes new phases of known materials, whose properties may differ greatly from those of their standard counterparts. Here, by considering a series of LaFeAs$_{1-x}$P$_x$O iron-pnictides synthesized under high-pressure high-temperature conditions, we investigate the simultaneous effects of pressure and isoelectronic doping in the 1111 family. Results of numerous macro- and microscopic technique measurements, unambiguously show a radically different phase diagram for the pressure-grown materials, characterized by the lack of magnetic order and the persistence of superconductivity across the whole $0.3 \leq x \leq 0.7$ doping range. This unexpected scenario is accompanied by a branching in the electronic properties across $x = 0.5$, involving both the normal and superconducting phases. Most notably, the superconducting order parameter evolves from nodal (for $x < 0.5$) to nodeless (for $x \geq 0.5$), in clear contrast to other 1111 and 122 iron-based materials grown under ambient-pressure conditions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Microscopic investigation of the weakly correlated noncentrosymmetric superconductor SrAuSi$_3$

SrAuSi$_3$ is a noncentrosymmetric superconductor (NCS) with $T_c$ = 1.54 K, which to date has been studied only via macroscopic techniques. By combining nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and muon-spin rotation ($μ$SR) measurements we investigate both the normal and the superconducting phase of SrAuSi$_3$ at a local level. In the normal phase, our data indicate a standard metallic behavior with weak electron correlations and a Korringa constant $S_\mathrm{exp} = 1.31 \times 10^{-5}$ sK. The latter, twice the theoretical value, can be justified by the Moriya theory of exchange enhancement. In the superconducting phase, the material exhibits conventional BCS-type superconductivity with a weak-coupling s-wave pairing, a gap value $Δ(0)$ = 0.213(2) meV, and a magnetic penetration depth $λ(0)$ = 398(2) nm. The experimental proof of weak correlations in SrAuSi$_{3}$ implies that correlation effects can be decoupled from those of antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling (ASOC), thus enabling accurate band-structure calculations in the weakly-correlated NCSs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Nodeless superconductivity and time-reversal symmetry breaking in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor Re24Ti5

The noncentrosymmetric superconductor Re$_{24}$Ti$_{5}$, a time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking candidate with $T_c = 6$\,K, was studied by means of muon-spin rotation/relaxation ($μ$SR) and tunnel-diode oscillator (TDO) techniques. At a macroscopic level, its bulk superconductivity was investigated via electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements. The low-temperature penetration depth, superfluid density and electronic heat capacity all evidence an $s$-wave coupling with an enhanced superconducting gap. The spontaneous magnetic fields revealed by zero-field $μ$SR below $T_c$ indicate a time-reversal symmetry breaking and thus the unconventional nature of superconductivity in Re$_{24}$Ti$_{5}$. The concomitant occurrence of TRS breaking also in the isostructural Re$_6$(Zr,Hf) compounds, hints at its common origin in this superconducting family and that an enhanced spin-orbital coupling does not affect pairing symmetry.

cond-mat.str-el↗