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Liqin Ke

Publications and source records attributed to Liqin Ke.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

High-throughput Discovery of Magnetic Rare Earth Transition Metal Alloys

We present an accelerated materials discovery framework that combines diffusion-based crystal structure generation with hierarchical screening to identify new rare-earth--transition-metal magnets simultaneously achieving high magnetization and thermodynamic stability. Using this workflow, we systematically explored over 3000 binary (R-T) and ternary (R-T-T$'$) compositions spanning R~$\in \{\text{Y, Sm}\}$, T~$\in \{\text{Fe, Co, Ni}\}$, and T$' \in \{\text{Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn}\}$, and filtered approximately 240{,}000 generated crystal structures through machine-learning interatomic potential prescreening and spin-polarized density functional theory validation. We identify 300+ low-energy magnetic candidates within 0.1~eV/atom above the convex hull at the DFT level, including 5 thermodynamically stable phases. The highest saturation magnetization reaches ${\sim}1.8$~T in Fe-rich binary and ternary phases (SmFe$_{12}$, YFe$_{12}$, YFe$_{18}$Ti and Sm$_2$Fe$_{16}$Mn). Symmetry analysis reveals that the majority of ternary candidates are subgroup derivatives of known binary prototypes through Wyckoff site splitting that accommodates T$'$ substitution. Site-resolved magnetic moment analysis further shows that Mn aligns ferromagnetically with the Fe sublattice with minimal magnetization loss, whereas Cr couples antiferromagnetically, providing systematic guidance for dopant selection. These findings demonstrate a generalizable strategy for targeted magnetic materials discovery and suggest that extending generative searches to larger unit cells ($>$20 atoms) with higher Fe fractions is a promising route toward stable phases with saturation magnetization exceeding 1.8~T.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Anisotropy, frustration and saddle point in the twisted Kagome antiferromagnet ErPdPb

The kagome lattice, with its inherent geometric frustration, provides a rich platform for exploring intriguing magnetic phenomena and topological electronic structures. In reduced-symmetry structures, such as twisted kagome systems involving rare earth elements, additional anisotropy can arise, enabling intriguing properties including spin-ice states, magnetocaloric effects, noncollinear magnetic ordering, and anomalous Hall effect. Here, we report the synthesis of single crystals of ErPdPb, which features a twisted kagome lattice net of Er atoms within the hexagonal ZrNiAl-type structure, and we investigate its magnetic, electronic, and thermal properties. The material exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering below 2.2 K, consistently observed in magnetic, transport, and heat capacity measurements. Magnetization measurements reveal 1/3 metamagnetic steps along the c-axis below the Néel temperature, suggesting an Ising-spin-like state on the twisted kagome lattice. A pronounced anisotropy between in-plane and out-of-plane resistivity is observed throughout the temperature range of 1.8-300 K, and the compound exhibits a significant frustration index of 13.6 (12.7) along the c-axis (ab-plane). Heat capacity measurements show a broad hump at 2.2 K, with an additional increase below 0.5 K. The anisotropic magnetic properties are further explored through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which suggest strong easy-axis anisotropy, consistent with experimental magnetic measurements and crystal-field model expectations, and quasi-one-dimensional bands and a spin-split saddle point at the zone center.

cond-mat.str-el

Controlling Skyrmion Lattices via Strain: Elongation, Tilting, and Collapse Mechanisms

This study establishes a comprehensive framework for the three-dimensional strain control of magnetic skyrmion strings. We integrate analytical modeling, micromagnetic simulations, and \textit{in situ} Lorentz transmission electron microscopy experiments to demonstrate that externally applied strain is a powerful stimuli for manipulating three-dimensional magnetic skyrmion strings. Analytical models predict that strain induces both elongation and bidirectional tilting of skyrmion strings in bulk systems, a finding corroborated by numerical simulations. These simulations further reveal that strain drives the system from fragmented multi-domain states toward unified single-domain configurations and facilitates skyrmion string rupture via bobber formation at critical strain levels. The collapse of the skyrmion lattice exhibits a temperature-dependent character, shifting from first-order to second-order behavior near the critical temperature $T_c$. Reducing sample thickness significantly increases the critical strain required for annihilation due to the suppression of tilting. Experimental validation on a $\text{Co}_8\text{Zn}_{8.5}\text{Mn}_{3.5}$ sample confirms strain-induced elongation and subsequent collapse into a conical phase via anti-cluster formation, directly implicating strain-modulated Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) as the primary mechanism in this system, over magnetocrystalline anisotropy. These findings provide a mechanistic understanding of strain-mediated control in three-dimensional magnetic systems, demonstrating its feasibility for energy-efficient spintronic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Phase-Factor-Controlled Surface Spirals in the Magnetic Conical Phase: The Role of In-Plane Directionality

In chiral magnets, the magnetic textures surrounding domain walls exhibit a rich variety of structures, offering insights into fundamental physics and potential applications in spintronic devices. Conical spirals and related structures possess intrinsic in-plane directionalities governed by phase factors $ϕ_0$, which are often obscured in long spirals due to cylindrical symmetry but become prominent in short spirals or thin films. Using micromagnetic simulations, we systematically studied magnetic textures at ferromagnetic-conical interfaces (FCI), including 1D and 2D FCIs with various shapes. Surface spirals (SS) emerge adjacent to these FCIs, closely linked to the cone's in-plane reorientation. In 1D FCIs, reorientation controls the presence, shape, and topological charge of the SS, with a discontinuity point observed where spirals with opposite charges form on opposite sides. In 2D FCIs, eyebrow-like SS are evident. The reorientation angle between top and bottom SS is controlled by the film thickness, similar to stacked spirals reported previously. We further demonstrate that SSs form at the facets of skyrmion clusters within the conical phase, as confirmed by both simulations and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy observations in Co$_8$Zn$_{10}$Mn$_2$ thin films. The experiments specifically reveal two distinct formation pathways: thermally activated co-growth and field-driven transformation from residual helices. These findings establish $ϕ_0$ as a fundamental control parameter for magnetic states, enabling promising spintronic functionalities such as multi-state memory through SS polymorphism and energy-efficient neuromorphic computing via controlled topological transitions.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Topological Defect Mediated Helical Phase Reorientation by Uniaxial Stress

Strain engineering enables precise, energy-efficient control of nanoscale magnetism. However, unlike well-studied strain-dislocation interactions in mechanical deformation, the spatial evolution of strain-induced spin rearrangement remains poorly understood. Using \emph{in situ} Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, we manipulate and observe helical domain reorientation under quantitatively applied uniaxial tensile stress. Our findings reveal striking similarity to plastic deformation in metals, where the critical stress for propagation vector (\emph{\textbf{Q}}) reorientation depends on its angle with the stress direction. Magnetic defects mediate reorientation via "break-and-reconnect" or "dislocation gliding-annihilation" processes. Simulations confirm that strain-induced anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction may play a key role. These insights advance strain-driven magnetism and offer a promising route for energy-efficient magnetic nanophase control in next-generation information technology.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Hidden symmetry-breaking in a kagome Ising ferromagnet

Kagome metals can host unconventional electronic phenomena that emerge from their frustrated lattice geometry and associated band topology. Correlated electronic orders, such as charge-density waves and superconductivity, are observed to intertwine with subtle time-reversal symmetry breaking whose microscopic origin is not currently understood. Here, we provide evidence for such time-reversal symmetry breaking in the kagome metal TbV$_6$Sn$_6$ arising from staggered magnetic moments within the kagome layers. TbV$_6$Sn$_6$ consists of metallic V kagome layers separated by Tb triangular layers that host Ising ferromagnetic order. Deep in the ferromagnetic state, the Tb Ising doublet ground state should display a single, dispersionless spin-flip excitation. Instead, inelastic neutron scattering reveals two sharp excitations associated with inequivalent Tb sites, demonstrating that a symmetry-broken phase coexists with Ising ferromagnetism. No additional structural or magnetic phase transitions are detected, and first-principles calculations rule out lattice distortions as the origin of the splitting. We attribute this effect to time-reversal symmetry breaking encoded by small V moments that couple to the Tb sublattice and leave a measurable spectral fingerprint. Our results establish rare-earth local moment spectroscopy as a sensitive probe of subtle broken symmetries and highlight an unexpected interplay between kagome magnetism and rare-earth local moment magnetism.

cond-mat.str-el

Nature of quantum criticality in the Ising ferromagnet TbV$_6$Sn$_6$

TbV$_6$Sn$_6$ is a topological metal where ferromagnetic Tb ions with strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy interact with V kagome layers. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements show that the Tb ions adopt an Ising doublet ground state. Here, we consider whether a transverse magnetic field can drive TbV$_6$Sn$_6$ toward a quantum critical point, providing a rare example of transverse-field Ising criticality in a metallic compound. High-field magnetization measurements reveal a first-order-like spin-reorientation transition at 25.6 T. Our INS-based magnetic model finds that this is caused by an avoided crossing of an excited-state singlet with the ground-state doublet. Surprisingly, our model predicts that quantum critical and tricritical points are accessible within the range of experimentally determined model parameters and may be reached by varying the direction of an applied magnetic field.

cond-mat.str-el

Accurate calculation of light rare-earth magnetic anisotropy with density functional theory

Density functional theory (DFT) has long struggled to treat light rare-earth magnetism. We show that this difficulty arises from an overestimate of the $4f$ charge asphericity, and thus the magnetic anisotropy energy, due to the inadequacy of single Slater-determinant representations. We propose an effective solution by combining constrained DFT+U with crystal field theory and a systematic many-body correction to the charge asphericity. We confirm the validity of this combination on TbV$_6$Sn$_6$ and TbCo$_5$, and then show how the many-body correction adjusts the calculated magnetic anisotropy energy of SmCo$_5$ to match experiment. Our method is an efficient DFT-based approach to address light-rare-earth magnetism.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Doping-induced Spin Reorientation in Kagome Magnet TmMn6Sn6

The kagome-lattice compounds RMn6Sn6 (R is a rare earth element), where the Mn atoms form a kagome net in the basal plane, are currently attracting a great deal of attention as they have been shown to host complex magnetic textures and electronic topological states strongly sensitive to the choice of the R atom. Among the magnetic R atoms, TmMn6Sn6 orders with the easy-plane magnetization forming a complex magnetic spiral along the c-axis. Previous neutron studies, carried on polycrystalline, samples found that Ga doping changes the magnetic anisotropy from easy-plane to easy-axis. Here we present magnetic and magnetotransport measurements on a single crystal and first principles calculations in the doping series of TmMn6Sn6-xGax. We find that the magnetic properties are highly sensitive even to a small concentration of Ga. With minimal Ga substitution, the easy-plane anisotropy is maintained, which gradually changes to the easy-axis anisotropy with increasing Ga. We discuss these observations with respect to the effect of Ga doping on magnetocrystalline anisotropy and Tm crystal field

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Spin dynamics in itinerant antiferromagnet SrCr$_2$As$_2$

SrCr$_2$As$_2$ is an itinerant antiferromagnet in the same structural family as the SrFe$_2$As$_2$ high-temperature superconductors. We report our calculations of exchange-coupling parameters $J_{ij}$ for SrCr$_2$As$_2$ using a static linear-response method based on first-principles electronic-structure calculations. We find that the dominant nearest-neighbor exchange coupling $J_{\rm{1}} > 0$ is antiferromagnetic whereas the next-nearest-neighbor interaction $J_{\rm{2}} < 0$ is ferromagnetic with $J_{\rm{2}}$/$J_{\rm{1}}$~=~$-0.68$, reinforcing the checkerboard in-plane magnetic structure. Thus, unlike other transition-metal arsenides based on Mn, Fe, or Co, we find no competing magnetic interactions in SrCr$_2$As$_2$, which aligns with experimental findings. Moreover, the orbital resolution of exchange interactions shows that $J_1$ and $J_2$ are dominated by direct exchange mediated by the Cr $d$ orbitals. To validate the calculations we conduct inelastic neutron-scattering measurements on powder samples that show steeply dispersive magnetic excitations arising from the magnetic $Γ$ points and persisting up to energies of at least 175 meV. The spin-wave spectra are then modeled using the Heisenberg Hamiltonian with the theoretically-calculated exchange couplings. The calculated neutron-scattering spectra are in good agreement with the experimental data.

cond-mat.supr-con

Machine learning accelerated prediction of Ce-based ternary compounds involving antagonistic pairs

The discovery of novel quantum materials within ternary phase spaces containing antagonistic pair such as Fe with Bi, Pb, In, and Ag, presents significant challenges yet holds great potential. In this work, we investigate the stabilization of these immiscible pairs through the integration of Cerium (Ce), an abundant rare-earth and cost-effective element. By employing a machine learning (ML)-guided framework, particularly crystal graph convolutional neural networks (CGCNN), combined with first-principles calculations, we efficiently explore the composition/structure space and predict 9 stable and 37 metastable Ce-Fe-X (X=Bi, Pb, In and Ag) ternary compounds. Our findings include the identification of multiple new stable and metastable phases, which are evaluated for their structural and energetic properties. These discoveries not only contribute to the advancement of quantum materials but also offer viable alternatives to critical rare earth elements, underscoring the importance of Ce-based intermetallic compounds in technological applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Giant coercivity and enhanced intrinsic anomalous Hall effect at vanishing magnetization in a compensated kagome ferrimagnet

Ferrimagnets that can be driven to magnetic compensation show promise for use in spintronics as they exhibit a finite anomalous Hall effect at zero magnetic field without having a significant magnetic moment. Compensated ferrimagnet spintronic devices with both a large anomalous Hall effect and a high coercivity would be simultaneously easy to read and difficult to erase. The kagome ferrimagnet TbMn$_6$Sn$_6$ has been reported to host a large intrinsic anomalous Hall effect. Here, we demonstrate that doping the Mn sites with Cr drives the system towards magnetic compensation. For nearly compensated compositions at low temperatures, giant coercive fields exceeding 14 T are observed. Additionally, Cr doping significantly enhances the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect, which can be attributed to a shift in the Fermi level. Our results extend the range of unique magnetic states observed in kagome materials, demonstrating that chemical doping is an effective strategy to tune and realize these states.

cond-mat.str-el

Three-dimensional nature of anomalous Hall conductivity in YMn6Sn6-xGax, x ~ 0.55

The unique connectivity of kagome lattices gives rise to topological properties, such as flat bands and Dirac cones. When combined with ferromagnetism and a chemical potential near the 2D Dirac points, this structure offers the potential to realize the highly sought-after topological Chern magnetotransport. Recently, there was considerable excitement surrounding this possibility in the ferrimagnetic kagome metal TbMn$_\mathbf{6}$Sn$_\mathbf{6}$. However, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the 2D Chern gap lies well above the Fermi energy, challenging its relevance in the observed anomalous Hall conductivity. Here, we investigate YMn$_\mathbf{6}$Sn$_\mathbf{5.45}$Ga$_\mathbf{0.55}$, a compound with similar crystallographic, magnetic, and electronic properties to TbMn$_\mathbf{6}$Sn$_\mathbf{6}$. Our findings show that the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity in this material, while comparable in magnitude to that in TbMn$_\mathbf{6}$Sn$_\mathbf{6}$, is fully three-dimensional, thus providing experimental evidence that Hall conductivity in this class of materials does not originate from 2D Chern gaps. Additionally, we confirm that the newly proposed empirical scaling relation for extrinsic Hall conductivity is universally governed by spin fluctuations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Giant Uniaxial Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy in SmCrGe$_3$

Magnetic anisotropy is a crucial characteristic for enhancing spintronic device performance. The synthesis of SmCrGe$_3$ single crystals through a high-temperature solution method has led to the determination of uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Phase verification was achieved using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), powder, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Electrical transport and specific heat measurements indicate a Curie temperature ($T_C$) of approximately 160 K, while magnetization measurements were utilized to determine the anisotropy fields and constants. Curie-Weiss fitting applied to magnetization data suggests the contribution of both Sm and Cr in the paramagnetic phase. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) calculations explored the electronic structures and magnetic properties of SmCrGe$_3$, revealing a significant easy-axis single-ion Sm magnetocrystalline anisotropy of 16 meV/f.u.. Based on the magnetization measurements, easy-axis magnetocrystalline anisotropy at 20 K is 13 meV/f.u..

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Toward a first-principles theory of rare-earth ions in crystals

Density functional theory (DFT), including its extensions designed to treat strongly correlated localized electron systems such as DFT+$U$ and DFT+dynamical mean field theory, has proven exceedingly useful in studying the magnetic properties of solids. However, materials with rare earths ($R$) have remained a notable exception. The most vital rare-earth magnetic properties, such as magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MA), have been notoriously elusive due to the ubiquitous self-interaction error present in nearly all available DFT flavors. In this work, we show explicitly how the orbital dependence of self-interaction error may contradict Hund's rules and plague MA calculations, and how analyzing DFT metastable states that respect Hund's rules can alleviate the problem. We systematically investigate and discuss several rare-earth-containing families, $R$Co$_5$, $R_2$Fe$_{14}$B, $R$Fe$_{12}$, and $R$Mn$_6$Sn$_6$, to benchmark the MA calculations in DFT+$U$. For all compounds we investigated, we found that our methodology reproduces the magnetic easy-axis, easy-plane, and non-trivial easy-cone anisotropies in full agreement with low-temperature experimental measurements. Besides the fully-numerical ab initio approach, we further illustrate an efficient semi-analytical perturbation method that treats the crystal field as a perturbation in the limit of large spin-orbit coupling. This approach evaluates the rare-earth anisotropy by assessing the dependence of crystal-field energy on spin-quantization axis rotation using $4f$ crystal-field levels obtained from non-spin-orbit calculations. Our analytical method provides a quantitative microscopic understanding of the factors that control MA and can be used for predicting new high-MA materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Magnetic interactions and excitations in SrMnSb$_2$

The magnetic interactions in the antiferromagnetic (AFM) Dirac semimetal candidate SrMnSb$_2$ are investigated using \textit{ab initio} linear response theory and inelastic neutron scattering (INS). Our calculations reveal that the first two nearest in-plane couplings ($J_1$ and $J_2$) are both AFM in nature, indicating a significant degree of spin frustration, which aligns with experimental observations. The orbital resolution of exchange interactions shows that $J_1$ and $J_2$ are dominated by direct and superexchange, respectively. In a broader context, a rigid-band model suggests that electron doping fills the minority spin channel and results in a decrease in the AFM coupling strength for both $J_1$ and $J_2$. To better compare with INS measurements, we calculate the spin wave spectra within a linear spin wave theory, utilizing the computed exchange parameters. Although the calculated spin wave spectra somewhat overestimate the magnon bandwidth, they exhibit overall good agreement with measurements from INS experiments.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Coexistence of Ferromagnetism and Antiferromagnetic Dimers in Topological Insulators

The addition of magnetic impurities in topological insulators can drive ferromagnetic order that leads to novel quantum anomalous Hall transport well below the Curie temperature. The fragility of the quantized regime has been ascribed to the random nature of the magnetic moment distribution. Here, we refine this hypothesis by using inelastic neutron scattering and density-functional theory calculations to show that two antagonistic components define the magnetism in Mn-substituted SnTe, thereby limiting the effectiveness of dilute magnetic TIs. One component is strongly bound antiferromagnetic dimers that compete with ferromagnetic order. The other component consists of undimerized moments where ferromagnetic order develops via long-range interactions.

cond-mat.str-el

Quantum Oscillations Measurement of the Heavy Electron Mass near the van Hove Singularity in a Kagome Metal

Kagome metals with the Fermi energy tuned near the van Hove singularities (vHss) have shown to host exotic phases including unconventional superconductivity and a chiral flux phase arising from a charge density wave. However, most quantum oscillations studies of the electronic structure of kagome metals focus on compounds which electronically or magnetically order, obscuring the unperturbed vHs. Here we present quantum oscillation measurements of YV$_6$Sn$_6$ which contains a pristine kagome lattice free from long range order. We discovered quantum oscillations corresponding to a large orbit ($\approx$70% of the Brillouin Zone area) with the heaviest mass ever observed in vanadium based kagome metals ($\approx3.3 m_e$), consistent with a Fermi pocket whose Fermi level is near the vHs. Comparing with first principles calculations suggests that the effective mass of this pocket is highly sensitive to the position of Fermi level. Our study establishes the enhanced density of states associated with a vHs in a kagome metal, allowing further insight into a potential driving mechanism for the unconventional electronic orderings in this class of materials.

cond-mat.str-el