arXiv subjects

J. Q. Li

Publications and source records attributed to J. Q. Li.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

Single crystal growth and optical conductivity of SrPt$_2$As$_2$ superconductors

SrPt$_2$As$_2$ single crystals with CaBe$_2$Ge$_2$-type structure were synthesized by self-melting technique. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, electrical resistivity, specific heat and optical spectroscopy measurements were conducted to elucidate the properties of SrPt$_2$As$_2$. SrPt$_2$As$_2$ single crystals exhibit a superconducting transition at 5.2K, experiencing a structural phase transition well above room temperature (about 455K). The superconducting and structural phase transition temperatures are both reduced by 6% Iridium doping. Both pure SrPt$_2$As$_2$ and the doped single crystals are revealed to be highly metallic with rather high plasma frequencies. In particular, the optical spectroscopy measurement revealed two gap-like suppression features. We elaborated that the one at higher energy scale could be ascribed to the correlation effect, while the other one at lower energy scale is related to the structural phase transition, leading to the removal of a small portion of the Fermi surfaces.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Phase separation and stripe patterns in K0.8Fe1.6+xSe2 superconductors

Structural investigations on the K0.8Fe1.6+xSe2 superconducting materials have revealed remarkable micro-stripes arising evidently from the phase separation. Two coexisted structural phases can be characterized by modulations of q1 = 1/5[a*+3b*], the antiferromagnetic phase K0.8Fe1.6Se2, and q2 = 1/2[a*+b*], the superconducting phase K0.75Fe2Se2, respectively. These stripe patterns likely result from the anisotropic assembly of superconducting particles along the [110] and [1-10] direction. In addition to the notable stripe structures, a nano-scale phase separation also appears in present superconducting system as clearly observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Certain notable experimental data obtained in this heterogenous system can be quantitatively explained by the percolation scenario.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Nanoscale phase separation of antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity in K$_{0.75}$Fe$_{1.75}$Se$_2$

We report an in-plane optical spectroscopy study on the iron-selenide superconductor K$_{0.75}$Fe$_{1.75}$Se$_2$. The measurement revealed the development of a sharp reflectance edge below T$_c$ at frequency much smaller than the superconducting energy gap on a relatively incoherent electronic background, a phenomenon which was not seen in any other Fe-based superconductors so far investigated. Furthermore, the feature could be noticeably suppressed and shifted to lower frequency by a moderate magnetic field. Our analysis indicates that this edge structure arises from the development of a Josephson-coupling plasmon in the superconducting condensate. Together with the transmission electron microscopy analysis, our study yields compelling evidence for the presence of nanoscale phase separation between superconductivity and magnetism. The results also enable us to understand various seemingly controversial experimental data probed from different techniques.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Collapse of the Fe-vacancy order and successive phase transitions in superconducting KxFe2-ySe2 (0.7 \leg x \leg 0.8, 0.2 \leg y \leg 0.3)

The Fe-based superconducting KxFe2-ySe2 (0.6 {\leg} x {\leg} 1, 0.2{\leg} y {\leg} 0.4) compounds, unlike the well-known RFe2As2 (R = Ba, Sr, Ca) superconductors, contain complex structural features and notable physical properties, such as the Fe-vacancy ordering, multi-superconducting transitions and the phase separation[1]. Recent experimental studies also suggested the presence of remarkable interplay among the Fe-vacancy order and the antiferromagnetic structure[2]. Here we demonstrate that the well-characterized superconducting KxFe2-ySe2 (0.6 {\leg} x {\leg} 0.8, 0.2 {\leg} x {\leg} 0.3) samples contain complex microstructure features and undergo successive phase transitions at low temperatures. In-situ TEM observations on a number of the KxFe2-ySe2 superconductors demonstrated the presence of a remarkable collapse of the Fe-vacancy order above the superconducting transition, as a result, the superconducting phase actually adopts a tetragonal structure without the Fe-vacancy ordering. Moreover, our analysis at the low temperatures suggests that the superconductors likely adopt a Fe-deficient structure with composition of K0.75Fe2-ySe2. These results are important not only for the further optimization of superconducting phase in present system but also for understanding the mechanism of the Fe-based superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Electronic and magnetic phase diagram in K$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_2$ superconductors

The correlation and competition between antiferromagnetism and superconductivity are one of the most fundamental issues in all of high temperature superconductors. The superconductivity in high temperature cuprate superconductors arises from suppressing an antiferromagnetic (AFM) Mott insulator phase by doping1 while that in iron-pnictide high temperature superconductors arises from AFM semimetals and can coexist with AFM orders2-9. This key difference marked in their phase diagrams has raised many intriguing debates about whether the two materials can be placed in the same category to understand the mechanism of superconductivity. Recently, superconductivity at 32 K has been reported in iron-chalcogenide superconductors AxFe2-ySe2 (A=K, Rb, and Cs)10-12, which have the same structure as that of iron-pnictide AFe2As2 (A=Ba, Sr, Ca and K)13-15. Here, we report electronic and magnetic phase diagram of KxFe2-ySe2 system as a function of Fe valence. We find two AFM insulating phases and reveal that the superconducting phase is sandwiched between them, and give direct evidence that the superconductivity in AxFe2-ySe2 originates from the AFM insulating parent compounds. The two insulating phases are characterized by two distinct superstructures caused by Fe vacancy orders with modulation wave vectors of q1=(1/5, 3/5, 0) and q2=(1/4, 3/4, 0), respectively. These experimental results strongly indicate that iron-based superconductors and cuprates share a common origin and mechanism of superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Synthesis, Structure and Magnetic Properties of New Layered Iron-Oxychalcogenide Na2Fe2OSe2

A new layered iron-oxychalcogenide Na2Fe2OSe2 has been synthesized and structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. The structure is formed by alternate stacking of the newly discovered [Fe2OSe2] blocks and double layers of Na. Conductivity study shows that Na2Fe2OSe2 is a semiconductor with activation energy of 0.26 eV. Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements reveal an antiferromagnetic phase transition occurs at TN=73 K. A broad maximum of magnetic susceptibility and a slow decay of the specific heat above TN, arises as a result of two-dimensional short-range spin correlation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Phase transition, superstructure and physical properties of K2Fe4Se5

The structural features and physical properties of the antiferromagnetic K0.8Fe1.6Se2 (so called K2Fe4Se5 phase) have been studied in the temperature range from 300K up to 600K. Resistivity measurements on both single crystal and polycrystalline samples reveal a semiconducting behavior. Structural investigations of K2Fe4Se5 by means of transmission electron microscopy and powder x-ray diffraction demonstrate the presence of a well-defined superstructure within the a-b plane originating from a Fe-vacancy order along the [130] direction. Moreover, in-situ heating structural analysis shows that K0.8Fe1.6Se2 undergoes a transition of the Fe-vacancy order to disorder at about 600K. The phase separation and the Fe-vacancy ordering in the superconducting materials of KxFe2-ySe2 (0.2 \leq y \leq 0.3) has been briefly discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Microstructure and Fe-vacancy ordering in the KFexSe2 superconducting system

Structural investigations by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on KFexSe2 with 1.5 \leq x \leq 1.8 have revealed a rich variety of microstructure phenomena, the KFe1.5Se2 crystal often shows a superstructure modulation along the [310] zone-axis direction, this superstructure can be well interpreted by the Fe-vacancy order within the a-b plane. Increase of Fe-concentration in the KFexSe2 materials could not only result in the appearance of superconductivity but also yield clear alternations of microstructure. Structural inhomogeneity, the complex superstructures and defect structures in the superconducting KFe1.8Se2 sample have been investigated based on the high-resolution TEM.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2009

Continuous metal-insulator transition of the antiferromagnetic perovskite NaOsO3

Newly synthesized perovskite NaOsO3 shows Curie-Weiss metallic nature at high temperature and suddenly goes into an antiferromagnetically insulating state at 410 K on cooling. Electronic specific heat at the low temperature limit is absent, indicating that the band gap fully opens. In situ observation in electron microscopy undetected any lattice anomalies in the vicinity of the transition temperature. It is most likely that the antiferromagnetic correlation plays an essential role of the gap opening.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Possible high temperature superconductivity in Ti-doped A-Sc-Fe-As-O (A= Ca, Sr) system

We report a systematic study on the effect of partial substitution of Sc$^{3+}$ by Ti$^{4+}$ in Sr$_{2}$ScFeAsO$_{3}$, Ca$_{2}$ScFeAsO$_{3}$ and Sr$_{3}$Sc$_{2}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$O$_{5}$ on their electrical properties. High level of doping results in an increased carrier concentration and leads to the appearance of superconductivity with the onset of T$_{c}$ up to 45 K.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2009

Phase separation and ferroelectric ordering in charge frustrated LuFe2O4-x

The transmission electron microscopy observations of the charge ordering (CO) which governs the electronic polarization in LuFe2O4-x clearly show the presence of a remarkable phase separation at low temperatures. Two CO ground states are found to adopt the charge modulations of Q1 = (1/3, 1/3, 0) and Q2 = (1/3 + y, 1/3 + y, 3/2), respectively. Our structural study demonstrates that the incommensurately Q2-modulated state is chiefly stable in samples with relatively lower oxygen contents. Data from theoretical simulations of the diffraction suggest that both Q1- and Q2-modulated phases have ferroelectric ordering. The effects of oxygen concentration on the phase separation and electric polarization in this layered system are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Extraordinary Optical Transmission Induced by Excitation of a Magnetic Plasmon Propagation Mode in a Diatomic Chain of Slit-hole Resonators

In this paper, we will propose that magnetic-resonance nanostructures in a metal surface could be used to realize extraordinary optical transmission (EOT). Toward this goal, we designed and fabricated a one dimensional diatomic chain of slit-hole resonator (SHR). Due to the strong exchange current interaction, a type of magnetic plasmon (MP) propagation mode with a broad frequency bandwidth was established in this system. Apparent EOT peaks induced by the MP mode were observed in our measured spectra at infrared frequencies. The strongest EOT peak was obtained at 1.07 eV with an incident angle of 20 degree. The measured dependence of EOT peaks on the incident angle coincided with the theoretical results quite well. This proposed MP propagation mode in SHR structure has good potential applications in multifrequency nonlinear optical processes.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2008

Structural features and tetragonal-orthorhombic phase transition in SrFe2As2 and CaFe2As2

The structural properties of the SrFe2As2 and CaFe2As2 compounds have been extensively analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) from room temperature down to 20K. The experimental results demonstrate that the SrFe2As2 crystal, in consistence with previous x-ray data, has a tetragonal structure at room temperature and undergoes a tetragonal (T)-orthorhombic (O) phase transition at about 210K. Moreover, twinning lamella arising from T-O transition evidently appears in the orthorhombic phase. On the other hand, TEM observations of CaFe2As2 reveal the presence of a pseudo-periodic structural modulation with the periodicity of around 40nm at room temperature. This modulation is likely in connection with the local structural distortions within the Ca layer. In-situ cooling TEM observations of CaFe2As2 reveal the presence of complex domain structures in the low-temperature orthorhombic phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Structural properties, defects and structural phase transition in the ROFeM (R=La, Nd; M=As, P) materials

The structural properties of the ROFeM (R=La, Nd; M=As, P) materials have been analyzed by means of electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission-electron microscopy (TEM) and in-situ cooling TEM observations. The experimental results demonstrate that the layered ROFeM crystals often contain a variety of structural defects, such as stacking faults and small-angle boundaries. The in-situ TEM investigations reveal that, in association with the remarkable spin-density-wave (SDW) instability near 150 K, complex structural transitions can be clearly observed in both crystal symmetry and local microstructure features.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Nonlinear current-voltage behavior and electrically driven phase transition in charge frustrated LuFe2O4

Electric transport measurements of the charge frustrated LuFe2O4, in which the charge ordering (CO) and electronic ferroelectricity are found, reveal strong nonlinear electric conduction upon application of electrical field in both single crystalline and polycrystalline samples. The threshold electric fields (Et) in single crystalline LuFe2O4 are estimated respectively to be about 60V/cm and 10V/cm with E parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis direction. Experimental measurements also demonstrate that the I-V nonlinearity increases quickly with lowering temperature. Furthermore, our in-situ TEM investigations evidently reveal that the nonlinear I-V behavior is intrinsically in correlation with a current driven charge ordering insulator-metal transition, and the applied electrical field triggers a visible CO collapse recognizable as the fading of satellite spots of the CO modulations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Multi-ferroelectricity in charge ordered LuFe2O4(LuFeO3)n with n=1

Electronic ferroelectricity from charge ordering (CO) is currently a significant issue that has been extensively investigated in the charge/spin frustrated LuFe2O4 system. Chemical substitution and structural layer intercalation have been considered as potentially effective approaches in our recent study, and we herein report on the structural and multi-ferromagnetic properties in the layered series of LuFe2O4(LuFeO3)n (n=0, 1, and 2). Experimental investigations reveal that the (RFeO3)-layer intercalation results in notable changes in ferroelectricity, magnetic properties and CO features. These results demonstrate that further exploration of this series of layered members might prove fruitful.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Electronic structure and electron energy-loss spectra of Sr0.35CoO2

The electronic structure of Sr0.35CoO2, structurally analogous to the layered NaxCoO2, has been evaluated using the local spin density approximation (LSDA). We find that evident c-dispersions appear in both the e'g and a1g Co-derived bands, demonstrating the existence of a notable interplanar interaction in Sr0.35CoO2. The LSDA+U calculation reveals that the electronic structure, in particular the band splitting between the spin-up and spin-down electrons, changes evidently along with the increase of the effective on-site Coulomb interaction U. Analysis of theoretical and experimental electron energy-loss spectra (EELS) for the oxygen K-edge and the Co L23-edge suggests that the on-site interaction (U) in Sr0.35CoO2 is less than 3eV which is noticeably weaker than the estimated value (from 5eV to 8eV) in the NaxCoO2 materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Unraveling electronic-structure features for metallic Na0.33CoO2 and charge-ordered Na0.5CoO2 by high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy

Measurements by high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (HREELS) of NaxCoO2 reveal spectral features that differ remarkably between the metallic Na0.33CoO2 and the charge-ordered insulator Na0.5CoO2. Calculations by density functional theory plus Hubbard U (DFT+U) demonstrate that these differences arise essentially from the relatively greater strength of electron correlation in addition to the crystal-field effect in Na0.5CoO2. The effective U values are estimated to be ~3.0eV for x=0.5 and ~1.0eV for x=0.33, respectively. The electronic structures for these correlation strengths give good interpretations for the physical properties observed in the materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗