arXiv subjects

Liucheng Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Liucheng Chen.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Ultrafast decoupling of the pseudogap from superconductivity in a pressurized cuprate

The relationship between the pseudogap and superconductivity remains a central puzzle in the physics of cuprates. Hydrostatic pressure provides a clean tuning parameter free from chemical disorder, yet probing the microscopic energy scales of these phases under compression has remained experimentally challenging. Here, we utilize ultrafast optical spectroscopy to construct the high-pressure phase diagram of the underdoped cuprate Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ up to 37 GPa. Our results reveal a striking dichotomy within the pseudogap state: while the onset temperature $T^*$ rises monotonically with pressure, the energy gap $Δ_{\mathrm{PG}}$ is continuously suppressed. In contrast, the critical temperature $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ and the superconducting gap $Δ_{\mathrm{SC}}$ trace a correlated dome-like trajectory, demonstrating that superconductivity evolves independently from the pseudogap. Furthermore, an abrupt collapse of the gap ratio $2Δ_{\mathrm{SC}}/k_{\mathrm{B}}T_{\mathrm{c}}$ near 8 GPa marks a pressure-driven dimensional crossover, quenching two-dimensional phase fluctuations to stabilize global three-dimensional coherence. Upon reaching 37 GPa, the superconducting condensate is completely quenched into an insulating-like state. By resolving the extended phase evolution, our findings disentangle the pseudogap and superconducting orders, establishing a rigorous experimental basis for the pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Language-Grounded Decoupled Action Representation for Robotic Manipulation

The heterogeneity between high-level vision-language understanding and low-level action control remains a fundamental challenge in robotic manipulation. Although recent methods have advanced task-specific action alignment, they often struggle to generate robust and accurate actions for novel or semantically related tasks. To address this, we propose the Language-Grounded Decoupled Action Representation (LaDA) framework, which leverages natural language as a semantic bridge to connect perception and control. LaDA introduces a fine-grained intermediate layer of three interpretable action primitives--translation, rotation, and gripper control--providing explicit semantic structure for low-level actions. It further employs a semantic-guided soft-label contrastive learning objective to align similar action primitives across tasks, enhancing generalization and motion consistency. An adaptive weighting strategy, inspired by curriculum learning, dynamically balances contrastive and imitation objectives for stable and effective training. Extensive experiments on simulated benchmarks (LIBERO and MimicGen) and real-world demonstrations validate that LaDA achieves strong performance and generalizes effectively to unseen or related tasks.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2025

Compression-induced magnetic obstructed atomic insulator and spin singlet state in antiferromagnetic KV2Se2O

Among the complex many-body systems, the metal-insulator transition stands out as a cornerstone and a particularly fertile ground for scientific inquiry. The established models including Mott insulator, Anderson localization and Peierls transition, are still insufficient to capture the complex and intertwined phenomena observed in certain material systems. KV2Se2O, a newly discovered room-temperature altermagnetic candidate exhibiting a spin-density-wave transition below 100 K, provides a unique platform to investigate the interplay of many-body effects and unconventional magnetism, specifically the anticipated metal-insulator transition under extreme conditions. Here, we report a compression-induced insulator by suppressing the metallic behavior without structural phase transition. The newly opened gap is estimated to be 40 meV at around 43.5 GPa, given direct evidence for the insulating state. A concurrent switching of carrier type demonstrates the large Fermi surface reconstruction crossing the metal-insulator transition. The density functional theory calculations indicate that the discovered V+2.5-based insulator is a magnetic obstructed atomic insulator, being a spin-singlet state with bonding orbital order. This work not only presents an archetype of a pressure-driven metal-insulator transition decoupled from structural change but also delivers fundamental physical insights into the metal-insulator transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Imaging magnetic flux trapping in lanthanum hydride using diamond quantum sensors

Lanthanum hydride has attracted significant attention in recent years due to its signatures of superconductivity at around 250 K (1, 2). However, the megabar pressures required for synthesize and maintain its state present extraordinary challenges for experiments, particularly in characterizing its Meissner effect (3, 4). The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond has emerged as a promising quantum probe to address this problem (5-8), but a gap remains between its working pressure and the pressure required to study the superconducting state of lanthanum hydride (9-12). In this work, using neon gas as the pressure transmitting medium, the working pressure of NV centers is extended to nearly 200 GPa. This quantum probe is then applied to study the Meissner effect of a LaH$_{9.6}$ sample, synthesized by laser heating ammonia borane and lanthanum. A strong magnetic shielding effect is observed, with the transition temperature beginning at around 180 K and completing at 220 K. In addition, magnetic field imaging after field cooling reveals strong flux trapping and significant inhomogeneities within the sample. Our work provides compelling evidence for superconductivity in lanthanum hydride and highlights the importance of spatially resolved techniques in characterizing samples under ultrahigh pressure conditions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Hidden phonon-assisted charge density wave transition in BaFe2Al9 revealed by ultrafast optical spectroscopy

The interplay between electronic and lattice degrees of freedom is fundamental to charge density wave (CDW) formation, yet the microscopic origin often remains elusive. Here, we investigate the transient optical response of the intermetallic compound BaFe2Al9 using polarization-resolved ultrafast optical spectroscopy. We identify a discontinuous sign reversal in the transient reflectivity at Tc ~ 110 K, providing unambiguous evidence for the first-order transition. The anisotropic quasiparticle relaxation establishes the three-dimensional nature of the ordered state. Below Tc, a single coherent 1.6 THz oscillation appears abruptly and remains confined to the CDW phase. This mode exhibits weak temperature dependence with negligible softening and is absent in Raman spectra. First-principles calculations imply that it is a precursor phonon at the CDW wave vector with strong electron-phonon coupling. Our results indicate that the CDW in BaFe2Al9 arises from intertwined electronic and lattice instabilities, assisted by a displacive mechanism mediated by a hidden strongly coupled phonon, distinct from conventional amplitude-mode softening scenarios.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Unconventional charge density wave in Kagome metal BaFe2Al9

The charge density wave (CDW) is a macroscopic quantum state characterized by long-range lattice distortion and modulated charge density. Conventionally, CDWs compete with other electronic orders (e.g. superconductivity) and are suppressed under hydrostatic pressure. Intriguingly, the Kagome-variant metal BaFe2Al9, crystallized in a three-dimensional structure, exhibits pressure-enhanced CDW ordering, where the transition temperature (TCDW) rises from ~110 K to room temperature near 3.6 GPa. The lattice structure was checked by both powder and single crystal x-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD data reveals an abnormal lattice expansion along a axis near 4-5 GPa upon compression. The strongly suppressed diffraction intensity and splitting diffraction spots from single crystal indicates cracking and breakdown to smaller pieces, indicative of an intrinsic first-order transition character. This anomalous response implies a CDW mechanism dominated by electron-electron and/or electron-phonon correlations, distinct from Fermi-surface nesting in conventional systems. Concomitant dome-shaped pressure-dependent resistance suggests competing electronic phases. Our work establishes BaFe2Al9 as a 3D Kagome platform with unconventional CDW behavior and strong electron-phonon coupling, which provides an alternative platform to explore the electron correlation induced exotic electronic states and other potential emergent quantum phenomenon.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Imaging the Meissner effect in pressurized bilayer nickelate with integrated multi-parameter quantum sensor

Recent reports on the signatures of high-temperature superconductivity with a critical temperature Tc close to 80 K have triggered great research interest and extensive follow-up studies. Although the zero resistance has been successfully achieved under improved hydrostatic pressure conditions, the Meissner effect of $\mathrm{La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7-δ}}$ under high pressure remains controversial. Here, using shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers implanted on the culet of diamond anvils as in-situ quantum sensors, we observe compelling evidence for the Meissner effect in polycrystalline bilayer nickelate samples: the magnetic field expulsion during both field cooling and field warming processes. In particular, we explore the multiparameter measurement capacity of the diamond quantum sensors to extract the weak demagnetization signal of $\mathrm{La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7-δ}}$. The correlated measurements of Raman spectra and magnetic imaging indicate an incomplete structural transformation related to the displacement of oxygen ions emerging in the non-superconducting region. Our work clarifies the controversy about the Meissner effect of $\mathrm{La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7-δ}}$ and contributes to the development of quantum sensing of weak signals under high-pressure conditions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Density-wave-like gap evolution in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ under high pressure revealed by ultrafast optical spectroscopy

Density wave (DW) order is believed to be correlated with superconductivity in the recently discovered high-temperature superconductor La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$. However, experimental investigations of its evolution under high pressure are still lacking. Here, we explore the quasiparticle dynamics in bilayer nickelate La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ single crystals using ultrafast optical pump-probe spectroscopy under high pressures up to 34.2 GPa. At ambient pressure, the temperature-dependent relaxation dynamics demonstrate a phonon bottleneck effect due to the opening of an energy gap around 151 K. The energy scale of the DW-like gap is determined to be 66 meV by the Rothwarf-Taylor model. Combined with recent experiential results, we propose that this DW-like transition at ambient pressure and low temperature is spin density wave (SDW). With increasing pressure, this SDW order is significantly suppressed up to 13.3 GPa before it completely disappears around 26 GPa. Remarkably, at pressures above 29.4 GPa, we observe the emergence of another DW-like order with a transition temperature of approximately 135 K, which is probably related to the predicted charge density wave (CDW) order. Our study provides the experimental evidence of the evolution of the DW-like gap under high pressure, offering critical insights into the correlation between DW order and superconductivity in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗