arXiv subjects

L. Shu

Publications and source records attributed to L. Shu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Type-I/Type-II superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric compound Ir$_2$Ga$_9$

We have performed magnetization, specific heat, and muon spin relaxation ($\mu$SR) measurements on single crystals of the noncentrosymmetric superconductor Ir$_{2}$Ga$_{9}$. The isothermal magnetization measurements show that there is a crossover from Type-I to Type-II superconductivity with decreasing temperature. Potential multi-band superconductivity of Ir$_{2}$Ga$_{9}$~is observed in the specific heat data. $\mu$SR~measurement is performed to map the phase diagram of Ir$_{2}$Ga$_{9}$, and both Type-I and Type-II superconductivity characteristics are obtained. Most importantly, a more unique region with the coexistence of Type-I and Type-II $\mu$SR signals is observed. In addition, time reversal symmetry is found to be preserved in Ir$_{2}$Ga$_{9}$ by zero field $\mu$SR measurement.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

$\mu$SR study on noncentrosymmetric superconductor NbGe$_{\mathbf{2}}$

We report a muon spin relaxation ($\mu$SR) study on polycrystalline noncentrosymmetric superconductor NbGe$_2$~with the superconducting transition temperature $T_c=2.0\sim2.1$~K. Zero-field $\mu$SR~experiment indicates the absence of spontaneous magnetic field in the superconducting state, showing the preservation of time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. Transverse-field $\mu$SR~experiment is performed to map the phase diagram of NbGe$_2$, from which clear evidence of both type-I and type-II superconductivity is obtained. More importantly, we clearly delineate the region in the phase diagram where type-I and type-II superconductivity coexist.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Evolution of magnetism in Ruddlesden-Popper bilayer nickelate revealed by muon spin relaxation

Here we report the positive muon spin relaxation study on Pr-doped La$_{1.9}$Pr$_{1.1}$Ni$_2$O$_{6.97}$ and oxygen-deficient La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_{6.63}$ polycrystalline under ambient pressure. Zero-field $\mu^+$SR experiments reveal the existence of bulk long-range magnetic order in La$_{1.9}$Pr$_{1.1}$Ni$_2$O$_{6.97}$ with $T_{N}=161\ \rm{K}$, while La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_{6.63}$ exhibits a short-range magnetic ground state with $T_N=30\ \rm{K}$. The magnetic transition width of La$_{1.9}$Pr$_{1.1}$Ni$_2$O$_{6.97}$ revealed by weak-transverse-field $\mu^+$SR is narrower compared to La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_{6.92}$. Our $\mu^+$SR experiment results provide a comprehensive view on the correlation between magnetism and structure perfection in Ruddlesden-Popper bilayer nickelates under ambient pressure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Persistent Spin Dynamics in the Ising Triangular-lattice Antiferromagnet Ba$_6$Nd$_2$Ti$_4$O$_{17}$

We report results of magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and muon spin relaxation ($\mu$SR) measurements on the polycrystalline Ba$_6$Nd$_2$Ti$_4$O$_{17}$, a disorder-free triangular-lattice antiferromagnet. The absence of long-range magnetic order or spin freezing is confirmed down to 30~mK, much less than the Curie-Weiss temperature -1.8~K. The magnetic and specific heat measurements reveal the effective-1/2 spins are Ising-like. The persistent spin dynamics is determined down to 37~mK. Our study present a remarkable example of Ising spins on the triangular lattice, which remains magnetically disordered at low temperatures and potentially hosts a quantum spin liquid ground state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Spin excitations in the quantum dipolar magnet Yb(BaBO$_3$)$_3$

We report results of magnetization, specific-heat and muon-spin relaxation measurements on single crystals of disorder-free Yb$^{3+}$ triangular lattice Yb(BaBO$_3$)$_3$. The magnetization experiments show anisotropic magnetic properties with Curie-Weiss temperatures $\theta_{\perp}=-1.40$~K ($H \perp c$) and $\theta_{\parallel}=-1.16$~K ($H \parallel c$) determined from low temperature data. The absence of both long-range antiferromagnetic order and spin freezing is confirmed down to 0.27 K at zero field. A two-level Schottky anomaly due to the opening of the ground-state Kramers doublet is observed from the low-temperature specific-heat measurements when the applied magnetic fields $\mu_0H >0.7$~T. At zero field, the increase of both $C_{\rm mag}/T$ and the muon spin relaxation rate $\lambda$ below 1~K is due to the electronic spin excitations, which often exist in quantum magnets where dipole-dipole interaction creates an anisotropy of magnetic properties. The spin excitation is also supported by the unusual maximum of field dependence of $\lambda$ due to the field-induced increase of the density of excitations. We argue that dipolar interaction is dominant and induces the spin dynamics in the quantum magnet Yb(BaBO$_3$)$_3$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Fluctuating magnetic droplets immersed in a sea of quantum spin liquid

The search of quantum spin liquid (QSL), an exotic magnetic state with strongly-fluctuating and highly-entangled spins down to zero temperature, is a main theme in current condensed matter physics. However, there is no smoking-gun evidence for deconfined spinons in any QSL candidate so far. The disorders and competing exchange interactions may prevent the formation of an ideal QSL state on frustrated spin lattices. Here we report comprehensive and systematic measurements of the magnetic susceptibility, ultra-low temperature specific heat, muon spin relaxation (muSR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and thermal conductivity for NaYbSe2 single crystals, in which Yb3+ ions with effective spin-1/2 form a perfect triangular lattice. All these complementary techniques find no evidence of long-range magnetic order down to their respective base temperatures. Instead, specific heat, muSR and NMR measurements suggest the coexistence of quasi-static and dynamic spins in NaYbSe2. The scattering from these quasi-static spins may cause the absence of magnetic thermal conductivity. Thus, we propose a scenario of fluctuating ferrimagnetic droplets immersed in a sea of QSL. This may be quite common on the way pursuing an ideal QSL, and provides a brand-new platform to study how a QSL state survives impurities and coexists with other magnetically ordered states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Muon spin rotation and relaxation study on topological noncentrosymmetric superconductor PbTaSe$_2$

Topological superconductivity is an exotic phenomenon due to the symmetry-protected topological surface state, in which a quantum system has an energy gap in the bulk but supports gapless excitations confined to its boundary. Symmetries including central and time-reversal (TRS), along with their relations with topology, are crucial for topological superconductivity. We report muon spin relaxation/rotation ($\mu$SR) experiments on a topological noncentrosymmetric superconductor PbTaSe$_2$ to study its TRS and gap symmetry. Zero-field $\mu$SR experiments indicate the absence of internal magnetic field in the superconducting state, consistent with previous $\mu$SR results. Furthermore, transverse-field $\mu$SR measurements reveals that the superconducting gap of PbTaSe$_2$ is an isotropic three-dimensional fully-gapped single-band. The fully-gapped results can help understand the pairing mechanism and further classify the topological superconductivity in this system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Distinct Kondo Screening Behaviors in Heavy Fermion Filled Skutterudites with 4f1 and 4f2 Configurations

Filled-skutterudite heavy fermion (HF) compounds host rich ground states depending on the f electron configurations. CeOs4Sb12 (COS) with Ce 4f1, and PrOs4Sb12 (POS) with Pr 4f2 configurations show distinct properties of Kondo insulating and HF superconductivity, respectivity. We unveiled the underlying microscopic origin by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies. Their eV-scale band structure matches well, representing the common characters of conduction electrons in ROs4Sb12 systems (R = rare earth). However, f electrons interact differently with conduction electrons in them. Strong hybridization between conduction electrons and f electrons is observed in COS with band dependent hybridization gaps, and the development of Kondo insulating state is directly revealed. Although the ground state of POS is a singlet, finite but incoherent hybridization exists due to Kondo scattering with the thermally excited triplet crystalline electric field (CEF) state. Our results help to understand the intriguing properties in COS and POS, and provide a clean demonstration of the microscopic differences in HF systems with 4f1 and 4f2 configurations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Unusual slow magnetic fluctuations and critical slowing down in Sr$_{2}$Ir$_{1-x}$Rh$_{x}$O$_{4}$

Hidden magnetic order of Sr$_2$Ir$_{1-x}$Rh$_x$O$_4$, $x = 0.05$ and 0.1, has been studied using muon spin relaxation spectroscopy. In zero applied field and weak longitudinal fields ($\mu_0H_L \lesssim 2$~mT), muon spin relaxation data can be well described by exponentially-damped static Lorentzian Kubo-Toyabe functions, indicating that static and dynamic local fields coexist at each muon site. For $\mu_0H_L \gtrsim 2$~mT, the static rate is completely decoupled, and the exponential decay is due to dynamic spin fluctuations. In both zero field and $\mu_0H_L = 1$--2~mT, the temperature dependencies of the exponential muon spin relaxation rate exhibit maxima at 215~K for $x = 0.05$ and 175~K for $x = 0.1$, suggesting critical slowing down of electronic spin fluctuations. The field dependencies of the dynamic spin fluctuation rates can be well described by the Redfield relation. The correlation time of this electronic spin fluctuation is in the range of~2--5~ns for Sr$_2$Ir$_{0.9}$Rh$_{0.1}$O$_4$, and shorter than 2~ns for Sr$_2$Ir$_{0.95}$Rh$_{0.05}$O$_4$. The rms fluctuating field is on the order of 1 mT, which is consistent with the polarized neutron diffraction cross-section.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Quantum criticality of the Ising-like screw chain antiferromagnet SrCo2V2O8 in a transverse magnetic field

The quantum criticality of an Ising-like screw chain antiferromagnet SrCo$_2$V$_2$O$_8$, with a transverse magnetic field applied along the crystalline $a$-axis, is investigated by ultra-low temperature NMR measurements. The N\'{e}el temperature is rapidly and continuously suppressed by the field, giving rise to a quantum critical point (QCP) at $H_{C{_1}}$$\approx$~7.0~T. Surprisingly, a second QCP at $H_{C{_2}}\approx$~7.7~T featured with gapless excitations is resolved from both the double-peak structure of the field dependent spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/^{51}T_1$ at low temperatures and the weakly temperature-dependent $1/^{51}T_1$ at this field. Our data, combined with numerical calculations, suggest that the induced effective staggered transverse field significantly lowers the critical fields, and leads to an exposed QCP at $H_{C{_2}}$, which belongs to the one-dimensional transverse-field Ising universality.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Tracing crystal-field splittings in the rare earth-based intermetallic CeIrIn$_5$

Crystal electric field states in rare earth intermetallics show an intricate entanglement with the many-body physics that occurs in these systems and that is known to lead to a plethora of electronic phases. Here, we attempt to trace different contributions to the crystal electric field (CEF) splittings in CeIrIn$_5$, a heavy-fermion compound and member of the Ce$M$In$_5$ ($M$= Co, Rh, Ir) family. To this end, we utilize high-resolution resonant angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and present a spectroscopic study of the electronic structure of this unconventional superconductor over a wide temperature range. As a result, we show how ARPES can be used in combination with thermodynamic measurements or neutron scattering to disentangle different contributions to the CEF splitting in rare earth intermetallics. We also find that the hybridization is stronger in CeIrIn$_5$ than CeCoIn$_5$ and the effects of the hybridization on the Fermi volume increase is much smaller than predicted. By providing the first experimental evidence for $4f_{7/2}^{1}$ splittings which, in CeIrIn$_5$, split the octet into four doublets, we clearly demonstrate the many-body origin of the so-called $4f_{7/2}^{1}$ state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Band dependent inter-layer $f$-electron hybridization in CeRhIn$_5$

A key issue in heavy fermion research is how subtle changes in the hybridization between the 4$f$ (5$f$) and conduction electrons can result in fundamentally different ground states. CeRhIn$_5$ stands out as a particularly notable example: replacing Rh by either Co or Ir, located above or below Rh in the periodic table, antiferromagnetism gives way to superconductivity. In this photoemission study of CeRhIn$_5$, we demonstrate that the use of resonant ARPES with polarized light allows to extract detailed information on the 4$f$ crystal field states and details on the 4$f$ and conduction electron hybridization which together determine the ground state. We directly observe weakly dispersive Kondo resonances of $f$-electrons and identify two of the three Ce $4f_{5/2}^{1}$ crystal-electric-field levels and band-dependent hybridization, which signals that the hybridization occurs primarily between the Ce $4f$ states in the CeIn$_3$ layer and two more three-dimensional bands composed of the Rh $4d$ and In $5p$ orbitals in the RhIn$_2$ layer. Our results allow to connect the properties observed at elevated temperatures with the unusual low-temperature properties of this enigmatic heavy fermion compound.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Direct observation of how the heavy fermion state develops in CeCoIn5

Heavy fermion materials gain high electronic masses and expand Fermi surfaces when the high-temperature localized f electrons become itinerant and hybridize with the conduction band at low temperatures. However, despite the common application of this model, direct microscopic verification remains lacking. Here we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements on CeCoIn5, a prototypical heavy fermion compound, and reveal the long-sought band hybridization and Fermi surface expansion. Unexpectedly, the localized-to-itinerant transition occurs at surprisingly high temperatures, yet f electrons are still largely localized at the lowest temperature. Moreover, crystal field excitations likely play an important role in the anomalous temperature dependence. Our results paint an comprehensive unanticipated experimental picture of the heavy fermion formation in a periodic multi-level Anderson/Kondo lattice, and set the stage for understanding the emergent properties in related materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Robust Upward Dispersion of the Neutron Spin Resonance in the Heavy Fermion Superconductor Ce$_{1-x}$Yb$_{x}$CoIn$_5$

The neutron spin resonance is a collective magnetic excitation that appears in copper oxide, iron pnictide, and heavy fermion unconventional superconductors. Although the resonance is commonly associated with a spin-exciton due to the $d$($s^{\pm}$)-wave symmetry of the superconducting order parameter, it has also been proposed to be a magnon-like excitation appearing in the superconducting state. Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to demonstrate that the resonance in the heavy fermion superconductor Ce$_{1-x}$Yb$_{x}$CoIn$_5$ with $x=0,0.05,0.3$ has a ring-like upward dispersion that is robust against Yb-doping. By comparing our experimental data with random phase approximation calculation using the electronic structure and the momentum dependence of the $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconducting gap determined from scanning tunneling microscopy for CeCoIn$_5$, we conclude the robust upward dispersing resonance mode in Ce$_{1-x}$Yb$_{x}$CoIn$_5$ is inconsistent with the downward dispersion predicted within the spin-exciton scenario.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Direct evidence of superconductivity and determination of the superfluid density in buried ultrathin FeSe grown on SrTiO$_3$

Bulk FeSe is superconducting with a critical temperature $T_c$ $\cong$ 8 K and SrTiO$_3$ is insulating in nature, yet high-temperature superconductivity has been reported at the interface between a single-layer FeSe and SrTiO$_3$. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy measurements observe a gap opening at the Fermi surface below $\approx$ 60 K. Elucidating the microscopic properties and understanding the pairing mechanism of single-layer FeSe is of utmost importance as it is a basic building block of iron-based superconductors. Here, we use the low-energy muon spin rotation/relaxation technique (LE-$\mu$SR) to detect and quantify the supercarrier density and determine the gap symmetry in FeSe grown on SrTiO$_3$ (100). Measurements in applied field show a temperature dependent broadening of the field distribution below $\sim$ 60 K, reflecting the superconducting transition and formation of a vortex state. Zero field measurements rule out the presence of magnetism of static or fluctuating origin. From the inhomogeneous field distribution, we determine an effective sheet supercarrier density $n_s^{2D} \simeq 6 \times 10^{14}$ cm$^{-2}$ at $T \rightarrow 0$ K, which is a factor of 4 larger than expected from ARPES measurements of the excess electron count per Fe of 1 monolayer (ML) FeSe. The temperature dependence of the superfluid density $n_s(T)$ can be well described down to $\sim$ 10 K by simple s-wave BCS, indicating a rather clean superconducting phase with a gap of 10.2(1.1) meV. The result is a clear indication of the gradual formation of a two dimensional vortex lattice existing over the entire large FeSe/STO interface and provides unambiguous evidence for robust superconductivity below 60 K in ultrathin FeSe.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Universal Heat Conduction in Ce1-xYbxCoIn5: Evidence for Robust Nodal d-wave Superconducting Gap

In heavy-fermion superconductor Ce$_{1-x}$Yb$_x$CoIn$_5$ system, Yb doping was reported to cause a possible change from nodal $d$-wave superconductivity to a fully gapped $d$-wave molecular superfluid of composite pairs near $x \approx$ 0.07 (nominal value $x_{nom}$ = 0.2). Here we present systematic thermal conductivity measurements on Ce$_{1-x}$Yb$_x$CoIn$_5$ ($x$ = 0.013, 0.084, and 0.163) single crystals. The observed finite residual linear term $κ_0/T$ is insensitive to Yb doping, verifying the universal heat conduction of nodal $d$-wave superconducting gap in Ce$_{1-x}$Yb$_x$CoIn$_5$. Similar universal heat conduction is also observed in CeCo(In$_{1-y}$Cd$_y$)$_5$ system. These results reveal robust nodal $d$-wave gap in CeCoIn$_5$ upon Yb or Cd doping.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Resolution of the discrepancy between the variation of the physical properties of Ce1-xYbxCoIn5 single crystals and thin films with Yb composition

Measurements of physical properties show that Yb enters the single crystals systematically and in registry with the nominal Yb concentration x of the starting material dissolved in the molten indium flux.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Magnetic domain-wall motion twisted by nanoscale probe-induced spin transfer

A method for deterministic control of the magnetic order parameter using an electrical stimulus is highly desired for the new generation of spintronic and magnetoelectronic devices. Much effort has been focused on magnetic domain-wall motion manipulated by a successive injection of spin-polarized current into a magnetic nanostructure. However, an integrant high-threshold current density of 107~108 A/cm2 inhibits the integration of those nanostructures with low-energy-cost technology. In addition, a precise determination of the location of domain walls at nanoscale seems difficult in artificially manufactured nanostructures. Here we report an approach to manipulate a single magnetic domain wall with a perpendicular anisotropy in a manganite/dielectric/metal capacitor using a probe-induced spin displacement. A spin angular momentum transfer torque occurs in the strongly correlated manganite film during the spin injection into the capacitor from the nanoscale magnetized tip with an ultralow voltage of 0.1 V, where the threshold spin-polarized current density is ~104 A/cm2 at the tip/manganite interface. The probe-voltage-controlled domain wall motion in the capacitor demonstrates a critical framework for the fundamental understanding of the manipulation of the nano-magnet systems with low energy consumption.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗