arXiv subjects

Junzhang Ma

Publications and source records attributed to Junzhang Ma.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Strain-tunable charge localization coupled to complex magnetic orders in EuAl$_4$

Charge localization is particularly interesting when coupled to antiferromagnetic spin structures. Coupled spin-charge orders are well established in elemental chromium and correlated oxide superconductors, yet the interplay between charge order and more complex magnetic textures -- such as skyrmion lattices and chiral spin structures -- remains largely unexplored. Here we report a comprehensive study of how charge localization couples to the unusually rich sequence of magnetic phases in EuAl$_4$. Using x-ray diffraction under applied magnetic field and uniaxial pressure, we demonstrate a direct coupling between the charge and spin order parameters. In the absence of external stimuli, charge localization is markedly enhanced upon entering the magnetically ordered phases. Strikingly, this effect is highly susceptible to strain: uniaxial pressure applied along the charge-order propagation direction further enhances localization, whereas pressure applied perpendicular to it weakens it. Application of magnetic field reveals both competitive and possible collaborative interactions between spin and charge ordering.This flexible coupling between spin and charge ordering opens a new route to designing symmetry-breaking states. Chiral charge order may for example be patterned from spin structures with that symmetry.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Spectroscopic fingerprints of a ferroaxial charge density wave

Unconventional charge density waves (CDWs) with complex order parameters can host exotic collective modes and non-trivial topologies. They have emerged as a new frontier in the study of quantum matter. Recent experiments on rare-earth tritellurides have reported evidence for a ferroaxial CDW through the detection of characteristic Raman modes. This phase, often regarded as a hidden order, has been recognized to arise from the coupling between charge and orbital degrees of freedom in these materials. Yet, spectroscopic insight into its underlying electronic structure and the explicit form of its order parameter symmetry has remained elusive. Here, we present results from linearly polarized angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements of the CDW phase in LaTe$_3$. Our ARPES measurements reveal a complex landscape of spectral gaps across the reconstructed Fermi surface, while our STM-based quasiparticle interference (QPI) mapping, enhanced through the selective deposition of atomic scattering centers, directly reveals an inter-orbital CDW with mixed $p_x$-$p_z$ orbital character. The detailed analysis of the QPI characteristics in terms of the order parameter symmetry within the orbital subspace of the Fermi surface suggests a mixed CDW phase with substantial ferroaxial component, which breaks all vertical mirror symmetries. More broadly, our work establishes a powerful spectroscopic pathway, based on scattering off individual atoms, for identifying and characterizing hidden, multi-component electronic orders in quantum materials using STM and ARPES measurements.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Discovery of an odd-parity f-wave charge order in a kagome metal

The spontaneous breaking of symmetries is a cornerstone of physics, defining the phases of matter from the cosmological scale to the quantum realm. In condensed matter, electronic orders are classified by their behavior under fundamental symmetries like spatial inversion (parity). While even-parity orders, such as conventional superconductivity and charge density waves, are ubiquitous, their odd-parity counterparts--predicted to host exotic phenomena such as gapless quasiparticle excitations and novel collective modes--are comparatively elusive states of quantum matter. Here, using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on the kagome metal CsV$_3$Sb$_5$, we report the discovery of an inversion symmetry-breaking $f$-wave charge bond order. We show that this phase, which preserves translation symmetry, is stabilized by the spontaneous opening of a spectral gap at a previously overlooked Dirac point, providing a textbook condensed-matter realization of the Gross-Neveu model for dynamical mass generation and parity breaking. Intriguingly, this $f$-wave order is itself a intervening phase, vanishing abruptly below a temperature of 10\,K and pointing to a subsequent transition into a `hidden' electronic state that is invisible to local STM probes. Our findings establish odd-parity charge order as a novel phase of matter, here, embedded within the intricate hierarchy of correlated electronic orders on the kagome lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Broadband nonlinear Hall response and multiple wave mixing in a room temperature altermagnet

Crystalline symmetries determine the linear and nonlinear response of materials to external stimuli such as mechanical pressure and electromagnetic fields, governing phenomena such as piezoelectricity, optical activity, and multiple wave mixing with wide ranging technological applications. Altermagnets present a new class of materials with magnetic crystalline order where specific crystal symmetry operations connect antiferromagnetic sublattices, leading to non-relativistic spin-splitting of the electronic band structure. Hence, the electric material properties of altermagnets should uniquely mirror these underlying symmetry properties, potentially giving rise to novel phenomena in response to external driving fields. Here, we report the discovery of a broadband third-order nonlinear anomalous Hall effect in altermagnetic CrSb at room temperature. The comparison of our observations with symmetry analyses and model calculations shows that this nonlinear Hall response is induced by the nonlinear electric susceptibility of a Berry curvature quadrupole, which exists within the spin-split band structure of CrSb and is characterized by the underlying crystalline and magnetic symmetries. We then utilize this third-order nonlinear electric susceptibility of CrSb to realize a multiple wave mixing device with pronounced four wave mixing output, which could, in principle, be extended to THz frequencies. Our study discovers that the crystalline magnetic order of altermagnets determines their nonlinear electric material properties, which could facilitate applications in high-frequency electronics, THz generation, communication networks, and energy harvesting.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Observation of surface Fermi arcs in altermagnetic Weyl semimetal CrSb

As a special type of collinear antiferromagnetism (AFM), altermagnetism has garnered significant research interest recently. Altermagnets exhibit broken parity-time symmetry and zero net magnetization in real space, leading to substantial band splitting in momentum space even in the absence of spin-orbit coupling. Meanwhile, parity-time symmetry breaking always induce nontrivial band topology such as Weyl nodes. While Weyl semimetal states and nodal lines have been theoretically proposed in altermagnets, rare reports of experimental observation have been made up to this point. Using ARPES and first-principles calculations, we systematically studied the electronic structure of the room-temperature altermagnet candidate CrSb. At generic locations in momentum space, we clearly observed band spin splitting. Furthermore, we identified discrete surface Fermi arcs on the (100) cleaved side surface close to the Fermi level originating from bulk band topology. Our results imply that CrSb contains interesting nontrivial topological Weyl physics, in addition to being an excellent room temperature altermagnet.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Observation of Giant Spin Splitting and d-wave Spin Texture in Room Temperature Altermagnet RuO2

Recently, a novel magnetic phase called altermagnetism has been proposed, ushering in a third distinct magnetic phase beyond ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. It is expected that this groundbreaking phase exhibits unique physical properties such as C-paired spin-valley locking, anomalous Hall effect, nontrivial Berry phase, and giant magnetoresistance, etc. Among all the predicted candidates, several room temperature altermagnets are suggested to host significant potential applications in the near future. Nevertheless, direct evidence about the spin pattern of the room temperature altermagnet is still unrevealed. Previous studies found that RuO2 is identified as the most promising candidate for room temperature d-wave altermagnetism, exhibiting a substantial spin splitting of up to 1.4 eV. In this study, utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we report experimental observation of the spin splitting in RuO2. Furthermore, employing spin-ARPES, we directly observed the d-wave spin pattern. Our results unequivocally show that RuO2 is a perfect d-wave altermagnet with great potential for upcoming spintronic applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Observation of Flat Band and Van Hove Singularity in Non-superconducting Nitrogen-doped Lutetium Hydride

Hydrogen-rich materials offer a compelling avenue towards room temperature superconductivity, albeit under ultra-high pressure. However, the experimental investigation of the electronic band structure remains elusive, due to the inherent instability of most of the hydrogen-rich materials upon pressure release. Very recently, nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride was claimed to host room temperature superconductivity under near ambient pressure but was disproven by following works. Upon decompression, nitrogen doped lutetium hydride manifests a stable metallic phase with dark blue color. Moreover, high temperature superconductivity has been reported in lutetium hydrides Lu4H23 (~71 K) under around 200 GPa. These properties engender an unprecedented opportunity, allowing for the experimental investigation of the electronic band structure intrinsic to hydrogen-rich material. In this work, using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy to investigate the non-superconducting nitrogen doped lutetium hydride, we observed significant flat band and Van Hove singularity marginally below the Fermi level. These salient features, identified as critical elements, proffer potential amplifiers for the realization of heightened superconductivity, as evidenced by prior research. Our results not only unveil a confluence of potent strong correlation effects and anisotropy within the Lu-H-N compound, but also provide a prospect for engineering high temperature superconductivity through the strategic manipulation of flat band and the VHS, effectively tailoring their alignment with the Fermi energy.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Phonon promoted charge density wave in topological kagome metal ScV$_{6}$Sn$_{6}$

Charge density wave (CDW) orders in vanadium-based kagome metals have recently received tremendous attention due to their unique properties and intricate interplay with exotic correlated phenomena, topological and symmetry-breaking states. However, the origin of the CDW order remains a topic of debate. The discovery of ScV$_{6}$Sn$_{6}$, a vanadium-based bilayer kagome metal exhibiting an in-plane $\sqrt{3}$ x $\sqrt{3} $ $\textit{R}$30$°$ CDW order with time-reversal symmetry breaking, provides a novel platform to explore the underlying mechanism behind the unconventional CDW. Here, we combine high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, Raman scattering measurements and density functional theory to investigate the electronic structures and phonon modes of ScV$_{6}$Sn$_{6}$ and their evolution with temperature. We identify topologically nontrivial Dirac surface states and multiple van Hove singularities (VHSs) in the vicinity of the Fermi level, with one VHS near the K point exhibiting nesting wave vectors in proximity to the $\sqrt{3}$ x $\sqrt{3}$ $\textit{R}$30$°$ CDW wave vector. Additionally, Raman measurements indicate a strong intrinsic electron-phonon coupling in ScV$_{6}$Sn$_{6}$, as evidenced by the presence of a two-phonon mode and a large frequency amplitude mode. Our findings highlight the fundamental role of lattice degrees of freedom in promoting the CDW in ScV$_{6}$Sn$_{6}$ and provide important insights into the fascinating correlation phenomena observed in kagome metals.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Non-trivial band topology and orbital-selective electronic nematicity in a new titanium-based kagome superconductor

Electronic nematicity that spontaneously breaks rotational symmetry has been shown as a generic phenomenon in correlated quantum systems including high-temperature superconductors and the AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) family with a kagome network. Identifying the driving force has been a central challenge for understanding nematicity. In iron-based superconductors, the problem is complicated because the spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom are intimately coupled. In vanadium-based kagome superconductors AV3Sb5, the electronic nematicity exhibits an intriguing entanglement with the charge density wave order (CDW), making understanding its origin difficult. Recently, a new family of titanium-based kagome superconductors ATi3Bi5 has been synthesized. In sharp contrast to its vanadium-based counterpart, the electronic nematicity occurs in the absence of CDW. ATi3Bi5 provides a new window to explore the mechanism of electronic nematicity and its interplay with the orbital degree of freedom. Here, we combine polarization-dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with density functional theory to directly reveal the band topology and orbital characters of the multi-orbital RbTi3Bi5. The promising coexistence of flat bands, type-II Dirac nodal line and nontrivial Z2 topological states is identified in RbTi3Bi5. Remarkably, our study clearly unveils the orbital character change along the G-M and G-K directions, implying a strong intrinsic inter-orbital coupling in the Ti-based kagome metals, reminiscent of iron-based superconductors. Furthermore, doping-dependent measurements directly uncover the orbital-selective features in the kagome bands, which can be well explained by the d-p hybridization. The suggested d-p hybridization, in collaboration with the inter-orbital coupling, could account for the electronic nematicity in ATi3Bi5.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Tunable Topological Dirac Surface States and Van Hove Singularities in Kagome Metal GdV${_6}$Sn${_6}$

Transition-metal-based kagome materials at van Hove filling are a rich frontier for the investigation of novel topological electronic states and correlated phenomena. To date, in the idealized two-dimensional kagome lattice, topologically nontrivial Dirac surface states (TDSSs) have not been unambiguously observed, and the manipulation of TDSSs and van Hove singularities (VHSs) remains largely unexplored. Here, we reveal TDSSs originating from a Z${_2}$ bulk topology and identify multiple VHSs near the Fermi level ($\textit{E}$${_F}$) in magnetic kagome material GdV${_6}$Sn${_6}$. Using in-situ surface potassium deposition, we successfully realize manipulation of the TDSSs and VHSs. The Dirac point of the TDSSs can be tuned from above to below ($\textit{E}$${_F}$), which reverses the chirality of the spin texture at the Fermi surface. These results establish GdV${_6}$Sn${_6}$ as a fascinating platform for studying the nontrivial topology, magnetism and correlation effects native to kagome lattices. They also suggest potential application of spintronic devices based on kagome materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Anomalous quasiparticles in the zone center electron pocket of the kagomé ferromagnet Fe3Sn2

One material containing kagome bilayers and featuring both exceptional magnetism and electron transport is the ferromagnetic metal Fe3Sn2. Notwithstanding the widespread interest in Fe3Sn2, crystal twinning, difficulties in distinguishing surface from bulk states, and a large unit cell have until now prevented the synchrotron-based spectroscopic observation of sharply resolved quasiparticles near the Fermi surface which could be responsible for the anomalous properties appearing at low temperatures for the material. Here we report microfocused laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (micro-ARPES), which offers the first look at such quasiparticles. The high spatial resolution allows individual crystal twin domains to be examined in isolation, resulting in the discovery of three-fold symmetric electron pockets at the Brillouin zone (BZ) center, not predicted by early tight-binding descriptions but in agreement with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which also feature Weyl nodes. The quasiparticles in these pockets have remarkably long mean free paths, and their Fermi surface area is consistent with reported quantum oscillations. At the same time, though, the best-defined Fermi surface is reduced at low temperature, and the quasiparticles generally are marginal in the sense that their wavelength uncertainty is of order the deviation of the quasiparticle wavelength from the Fermi vector. We attribute these manifestations of strong electron-electron interactions to a flat band predicted by our DFT to lie just above the dispersive bands seen in this experiment. Thus, beyond demonstrating the impact of twin averaging for ARPES measurements of band structures, our experiments reveal many-body physics unaccounted for by current theories of metallic kagome ferromagnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Giant Chern number of a Weyl nodal surface without upper limit

Weyl nodes can be classified into zero-dimensional (0D) Weyl points (WPs), 1D Weyl nodal lines (WNL) and 2D Weyl nodal surfaces (WNS), which possess finite Chern numbers. Up to date, the largest Chern number of WPs identified in Weyl semimetals is 4, which is thought to be a maximal value for linearly crossing points in solids. On the other hand, whether the Chern numbers of nonzero-dimensional linear crossing Weyl nodal objects have one upper limit is still an open question. In this work, combining angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with density functional theory calculations, we show that the chiral crystal AlPt hosts a cube-shaped charged Weyl nodal surface which is formed by the linear crossings of two singly-degenerate bands. Different to conventional Weyl nodes, the cube-shaped nodal surface in AlPt is enforced by nonsymmorphic chiral symmetries and time reversal symmetry rather than accidental band crossings, and it possesses a giant Chern number |C| = 26. Moreover, our results and analysis prove that there is no upper limit for the Chern numbers of such kind 2D Weyl nodal object.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Multiple mobile excitons manifested as sidebands in quasi-one-dimensional metallic TaSe3

Charge neutrality and their expected itinerant nature makes excitons potential transmitters of information. However, exciton mobility remains inaccessible to traditional optical experiments that only create and detect excitons with negligible momentum. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we detect dispersing excitons in the quasi-one-dimensional metallic trichalcogenide, TaSe3. The low density of conduction electrons and the low dimensionality in TaSe3 combined with a polaronic renormalization of the conduction band and the poorly screened interaction between these polarons and photo-induced valence holes leads to various excitonic bound states that we interpret as intrachain and interchain excitons, and possibly trions. The thresholds for the formation of a photo-hole together with an exciton appear as side valence bands with dispersions nearly parallel to the main valence band, but shifted to lower excitation energies. The energy separation between side and main valence bands can be controlled by surface doping, enabling the tuning of certain exciton properties.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Discovery of Ĉ$_2$ rotation anomaly in topological crystalline insulator SrPb

Topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) are insulating electronic states with nontrivial topology protected by crystalline symmetries. Recently, theory has proposed new classes of TCIs protected by rotation symmetries Ĉ$_n$, which have surface rotation anomaly evading the fermion doubling theorem, i.e. n instead of 2n Dirac cones on the surface preserving the rotation symmetry. Here, we report the first realization of the Ĉ$_2$ rotation anomaly in a binary compound SrPb. Our first-principles calculations reveal two massless Dirac fermions protected by the combination of time-reversal symmetry T and Ĉ$_{2y}$ on the (010) surface. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we identify two Dirac surface states inside the bulk band gap of SrPb, confirming the Ĉ$_2$ rotation anomaly in the new classes of TCIs. The findings enrich the classification of topological phases, which pave the way for exploring exotic behaviour of the new classes of TCIs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Metal-to-insulator transition in Pt-doped TiSe$_2$ driven by emergent network of narrow transport channels

Metal-to-insulator transitions (MIT) can be driven by a number of different mechanisms, each resulting in a different type of insulator -- Change in chemical potential can induce a transition from a metal to a band insulator; strong correlations can drive a metal into a Mott insulator with an energy gap; an Anderson transition, on the other hand, due to disorder leads to a localized insulator without a gap in the spectrum. Here we report the discovery of an alternative route for MIT driven by the creation of a network of narrow channels. Transport data on Pt substituted for Ti in TiSe$_2$ shows a dramatic increase of resistivity by five orders of magnitude for few % of Pt substitution, with a power-law dependence of the temperature-dependent resistivity $ρ(T)$. Our scanning tunneling microscopy data show that Pt induces an irregular network of nanometer-thick domain walls (DWs) of charge density wave (CDW) order, which pull charge carriers out of the bulk and into the DWs. While the CDW domains are gapped, the charges confined to the narrow DWs interact strongly, with pseudogap-like suppression in the local density of states, even when they were weakly interacting in the bulk, and scatter at the DW network interconnects thereby generating the highly resistive state. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy spectra exhibit pseudogap behavior corroborating the spatial coexistence of gapped domains and narrow domain walls with excess charge carriers.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Surface Conductivity in Antiferromagnetic Semiconductor CrSb$_2$

The contribution of bulk and surface to the electrical resistance along crystallographic \textit{b}- and \textit{c}-axes as a function of crystal thickness gives evidence for a temperature independent surface states in an antiferromagnetic narrow-gap semiconductor CrSb$_{2}$. ARPES shows a clear electron-like pocket at $Γ$-$Z$ direction which is absent in the bulk band structure. First-principles calculations also confirm the existence of metallic surface states inside the bulk gap. Whereas combined experimental probes point to enhanced surface conduction similar to topological insulators, surface states are trivial since CrSb$_2$ exhibits no band inversion.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Anisotropic gapping of topological Weyl rings in the charge-density-wave superconductor InxTaSe2

Topological materials and topological phases have recently become a hot topic in condensed matter physics. In this work, we report a topological nodal-line semimetal InxTaSe2, in the presence of both charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity. In the x = 0.58 samples, the 2 * /3 commensurate CDW (CCDW) and the 2 * 2 CCDW are observed below 116 K and 77 K, respectively. Consistent with theoretical calculations, the spin-orbital coupling gives rise to two two-fold-degenerate nodal rings (Weyl rings) connected by drumhead surface states, confirmed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results suggest that the 2 * 2 CCDW ordering gaps out one Weyl ring in accordance with the CDW band folding, while the other Weyl ring remains gapless with intact surface states. In addition, superconductivity emerges at 0.91 K, with the upper critical field deviating from the s-wave behavior at low temperature, implying possibly unconventional superconductivity. Therefore, InxTaSe2 represents an interesting material system to study the interplay between CDW, nontrivial band topology and superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

Observation of bulk nodal lines in topological semimetal ZrSiS

ZrSiS is the most intensively studied topological nodal-line semimetal candidate, which is proposed to host multiple nodal lines in its bulk electronic structure. However, previous angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments with vacuum ultraviolet lights mainly probed the surface states. Here using bulk-sensitive soft X-ray ARPES, we acquire the bulk electronic states of ZrSiS without any interference from surface states. Our results clearly show two groups of three-dimensional bulk nodal lines located on high-symmetry planes and along high-symmetry lines in the bulk Brillouin zone, respectively. The nodal lines on high-symmetry planes are enforced to pin at the Fermi level by carrier compensation and constitute the whole Fermi surfaces. This means that the carriers in ZrSiS are entirely contributed by nodal-line fermions, suggesting that ZrSiS is a remarkable platform for studying physical properties related to nodal lines.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗