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Masanori Nagao

Publications and source records attributed to Masanori Nagao.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Growth and physical properties of Ce(O,F)Sb(S,Se)2 single crystals with site-selected chalcogen atoms

Ce(O,F)Sb(S,Se)2 single crystals were successfully grown using a CsCl/KCl flux method. The obtained crystals have a plate-like shape with the typical size of 1-2 mm and well-developed ab-plane, which enables X-ray single crystal structural analysis. The Ce(O,F)Sb(S,Se)2 crystallizes in a monoclinic space group, P21/m, with lattice parameters of a = 4.121(7) A, b = 4.109(7) A, c = 13.233(15) A, beta = 97.94(7) deg. It is composed of alternate stacking of Ce-(O,F) and Sb-SSe layers, and the Sb-SSe layer includes selective occupation of Se atoms in its in-plane site. The valence state of Ce is estimated to be Ce3+ by X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy analysis. The single crystals show an insulating behavior, and a magnetic ordering around 6 K.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Pressure-induced Insulator to Metal Transition of Mixed Valence Compound Ce(O,F)SbS$_{2}$

Transport properties of Ce$_{0.85}$F0.15SbS$_{2}$ and undoped CeOSbS$_{2}$ under high pressure were investigated experimentally and theoretically. Electrical resistivity measurements of the Ce$_{0.85}$F0.15SbS$_{2}$ single crystals were performed under various high pressures using a diamond anvil cell with boron-doped diamond electrodes. The samples showed the insulator to metal transition by applying high pressure up to 30-40 GPa. On the other hand, the undoped CeOSbS$_{2}$ showed almost same transport property with the F-doped sample under high pressure. The valence state analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed a simple valence state of Ce3+ in Ce$_{0.85}$F0.15SbS$_{2}$ and mixed valence state between Ce3+ and Ce4+ in undoped CeOSbS$_{2}$. The valence fluctuation in Ce carried out the comparable transport nature in the both samples. A band calculation suggests that the undoped CeOSbS$_{2}$ could be metallic under high pressure of 30 GPa in accordance with the experimental results. A superior thermoelectric property of power factor in CeOSbS$_{2}$ was estimated under high pressure around 20 GPa in comparison with that of ambient pressure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Data-driven Exploration of New Pressure-induced Superconductivity in PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ with Two Transition Temperatures

Candidates compounds for new thermoelectric and superconducting materials, which have narrow band gap and flat bands near band edges, were exhaustively searched by the high-throughput first-principles calculation from an inorganic materials database named AtomWork. We focused on PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ which has the similar electronic band structure and the same crystal structure with those of a pressure-induced superconductor SnBi2Se4 explored by the same data-driven approach. The PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ was successfully synthesized as single crystals using a melt and slow cooling method. The core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed Pb2+, Bi3+ and Te2- valence states in PbBi$_2$Te$_4$. The thermoelectric properties of the PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ sample were measured at ambient pressure and the electrical resistivity was also evaluated under high pressure using a diamond anvil cell with boron-doped diamond electrodes. The resistivity decreased with increase of the pressure, and two pressure-induced superconducting transitions were discovered at 3.4 K under 13.3 GPa and at 8.4 K under 21.7 GPa. The data-driven approach shows promising power to accelerate the discovery of new thermoelectric and superconducting materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Coexistence of superconductivity and charge-density wave in the quasi-one-dimensional material HfTe3

We present the first experimental evidence for metallicity, superconductivity (SC) and the co-existence of charge density waves (CDW) in the quasi-one-dimensional material HfTe3. The existence of such phenomena is a typical characteristic of the transition metal chalcogenides however, without the application of hydrostatic pressure/chemical doping, it is rare for a material to exhibit the co-existence of both states. Materials such as HfTe3 can therefore provide us with a unique insight into the relationship between these multiple ordered states. By improving on the original synthesis conditions, we have successfully synthesised single phase HfTe3 and confirmed the resultant structure by performing Rietveld refinement. Using low temperature resistivity measurements, we provide the first experimental evidence of SC at ~1.4 K as well as a resistive anomaly indicative of a CDW formation at ~82 K. By the application of hydrostatic-pressure, the resistivity anomaly shifts to higher temperature. The results show that HfTe3 is a promising new material to help study the relationship between SC and CDW.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Charge Fluctuations in the NdO$_{1-x}$F$_{x}$BiS$_{2}$ Superconductors

The local atomic structure of superconducting NdO$_{1-x}$F$_{x}$BiS$_{2}$ ($x$=0.2 and 0.4) is investigated using neutron diffraction and the pair density function analysis technique. In the non-superconducting $x$=0.2 composition, ferrodistortive displacements of the pyramidal sulfur ions break the tetragonal symmetry and a superlattice structure emerges with peaks appearing at $h+k$ odd reflections superimposed on the even reflections of the $P4/nmm$ symmetry. In the superconducting $x$=0.4 composition, similar ferrodistortive displacements are observed but with different magnitudes coupled with in-plane Bi distortions. The distortions are indicative of charge fluctuations that may lead to charge localization and suppression of superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Superconductivity and its Enhancement under High Pressure in "F-free" Single Crystals of CeOBiS$_2$

"F-free" CeOBiS$_2$ single crystals have successfully grown, thoroughly eliminating a concern about F-contamination by using a high-purity CsCl flux. The obtained crystals have a plate-like shape with a size of 1.0-3.0 mm in the well-developed plane. Single crystal X-ray structural analysis clearly revealed that the CeOBiS$_2$ crystallizes with a space group $P4/nmm$ (with lattice parameters of $a$ = 4.0189(6) Å, $c$ = 13.573(2) Å). The bond valence sum estimation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the chemical state of Ce was in the mixed valence of Ce$^{3+}$ and Ce$^{4+}$. The single crystals show superconductivity with zero resistivity at $\sim$1.3 K. This is the first conclusive evidence of superconductivity driven by Ce valence fluctuation in surely non-doped CeOBiS$_2$. The superconducting transition temperature was enhanced up to $\sim$3.8 K by applying hydrostatic pressure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Growth and superconducting properties of Cd-doped La(O,F)BiS2 single crystals

Cd-doped La(O,F)BiS2 single crystals were grown using a CsCl/KCl flux. The grown crystals have a plate-like shape with ~1-2 mm square size in a well-developed ab-plane. The Cd doping in the crystals was successfully characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis techniques. The superconductivity of La(O,F)BiS2 was gradually suppressed with Cd doping. The superconducting transition temperature with zero resistivity of La(O0.54F0.46)(Bi0.92Cd0.08)S2 was 2.3 K. The Cd doping does not change the superconducting anisotropy so much, albeit the considerable suppression of Tc.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Direct evidence of hidden local spin polarization in a centrosymmetric superconductor LaO$_{0.55}$F$_{0.45}$BiS$_2$

Conventional Rashba spin polarization is caused by the combination of strong spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and spatial inversion asymmetry. However, Rashba- and Dresselhaus-type spin-split states are predicted in LaOBiS$_2$ system by recent theory even though the crystal structure is centrosymmetric, which stem from the local inversion asymmetry of active BiS$_2$ layer. By performing high-resolution spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we have investigated the electronic band structure and spin texture of superconductor LaO$_{0.55}$F$_{0.45}$BiS$_2$. Our studies present direct spectroscopic evidence for the local spin polarization in the vicinity of X point of both valence band and conduction band. Especially the coexistence of Rashba-like and Dresselhaus-like spin textures has been observed in the conduction band for the first time. The finding is of key importance for fabrication of proposed dual-gated spin-field effect transistor (SFET). Moreover, the spin-split band leads to a spin-momentum locking Fermi surface from which novel superconductivity emerges. Our demonstration not only expands the scope of spintronic materials but also enhances the understanding of SOI related superconductivity.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Unconventional superconductivity in the BiS$_2$-based layered superconductor NdO$_{0.71}$F$_{0.29}$BiS$_2$

We investigate the superconducting-gap anisotropy in one of the recently discovered BiS$_2$-based superconductors, NdO$_{0.71}$F$_{0.29}$BiS$_2$ ($T_c$ $\sim$ 5 K), using laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Whereas the previously discovered high-$T_c$ superconductors such as copper oxides and iron-based superconductors, which are believed to have unconventional superconducting mechanisms, have $3d$ electrons in their conduction bands, the conduction band of BiS$_2$-based superconductors mainly consists of Bi 6$p$ electrons, and hence the conventional superconducting mechanism might be expected. Contrary to this expectation, we observe a strongly anisotropic superconducting gap. This result strongly suggests that the pairing mechanism for NdO$_{0.71}$F$_{0.29}$BiS$_2$ is unconventional one and we attribute the observed anisotropy to competitive or cooperative multiple paring interactions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Bulk Superconductivity Induced by In-plane Chemical Pressure Effect in Eu0.5La0.5FBiS2-xSex

We have investigated Se substitution effect to superconductivity of an optimally-doped BiS2-based superconductor Eu0.5La0.5FBiS2. Eu0.5La0.5FBiS2-xSex samples with x = 0-1 were synthesized. With increasing x, in-plane chemical pressure is enhanced. For x = 0.6, 0.8, and 1, superconducting transitions with a large shielding volume fraction are observed in magnetic susceptibility measurements, and the highest Tc is 3.8 K for x = 0.8. From low-temperature electrical resistivity measurements, a zero-resistivity state is observed for all the samples, and the highest Tc is observed for x = 0.8. With increasing Se concentration, characteristics of electrical resistivity changes from semiconducting-like to metallic, suggesting that the emergence of bulk superconductivity is linked with the enhanced metallicity. A superconductivity phase diagram of the Eu0.5La0.5FBiS2-xSex superconductor is established. Temperature dependences of electrical resistivity show an anomalous two-step transition under high magnetic fields. Hence, the resistivity data are analyzed with assuming in-plane anisotropy of upper critical field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Superconductivity in CeOBiS2 with cerium valence fluctuation

Resistivities of single-crystalline as well as poly-crystalline samples of CeOBiS2 without fluorine doping were measured at temperatures down to 0.13 K, and were compared with those of poly-crystalline LaOBiS2 and PrOBiS2. Both poly-crystalline and single-crystalline CeOBiS2 exhibited zero resistivity below 1.2 K while poly-crystalline LaOBiS2 and PrOBiS2 did not show zero resistivity down to 0.13 K. Superconducting transition temperature of CeOBiS2 was reduced by increasing the applied current density. The superconductivity of CeOBiS2 without chemical doping is likely triggered by the carriers induced by the valence fluctuation between Ce3+ and Ce4+.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Specific Heat and Electrical Transport Properties of Sn0.8Ag0.2Te Superconductor

Sn0.8Ag0.2Te is a new superconductor with Tc ~ 2.4 K. The superconducting properties of Sn0.8Ag0.2Te have been investigated by specific heat measurements under magnetic fields. Bulk nature of superconductivity was confirmed from the amplitude of the specific heat jump at the superconducting transition, and the amplitude is consistent with fully-gapped superconductivity. Upper critical field was estimated from specific heat and electrical resistivity measurements under magnetic fields. The Hall coefficient was positive, suggesting that the Ag acts as a p-type dopant in Sn0.8Ag0.2Te.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Growth and characterization of R(O,F)BiS2 (R = La, Ce, Pr, Nd) superconducting single crystals

R(O,F)BiS2 (R: La, Ce, Pr, Nd) superconducting single crystals with different F concentrations are grown using a CsCl/KCl flux. The obtained 1-2 mm-sized single crystals have a plate-like shape and are cleavable along the ab-plane. The crystal structure is tetragonal of space group P4/nmm (#129). The as-grown single crystals exhibit superconductivity at around 3-5 K. The superconducting transition temperature increases with decreasing the ionic radius of the R element. The superconducting anisotropies of the R(O,F)BiS2 single crystals are estimated to be 30-60 according to the effective mass model, whereas the anisotropies for Ce(O,F)BiS2 single crystals are 13-21. The c-axis transport measurements of a single crystal of Pr(O,F)BiS2 under a magnetic field parallel to the ab-plane reveal a "lock-in" state attributed to the Josephson vortex flow. Furthermore, the Ce(O,F)BiS2 single crystals exhibit a magnetic order at the temperature range of 5-7 K that apparently coexist with superconductivity below approximately 3 K.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

C-axis electrical resistivity of PrO$_{1-a}$F$_a$BiS$_2$ single crystals

The high anisotropy in RO1-aFaBiS2 (R denotes a rare-earth element) superconductors demonstrates their potential use as intrinsic Josephson junctions, considering the weak coupling among BiS2-PrO(F)-BiS2 (superconducting-normal-superconducting) layers along the c-axis. We grew PrO1-aFaBiS2 single crystals using CsCl/KCl flux. The superconducting anisotropies of the grown single crystals were estimated to be approximately 40-50 from the effective mass model. The c-axis transport properties were characterized using single-crystal s-shaped intrinsic Josephson junctions with a focused ion beam. Along the c-axis, the crystals showed zero resistivity at 2.7 K and a critical current density of 1.33*10^3 A/cm2 at 2.0 K. The current-voltage curve along the c-axis displayed hysteresis. The c-axis transport measurements under a magnetic field parallel to the ab-plane revealed a "lock-in" state due to the Josephson vortex flow, indicating that BiS2 superconductors are promising candidates for intrinsic Josephson junctions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

High-Tc Phase of PrO0.5F0.5BiS2 single crystal induced by uniaxial pressure

We demonstrated a pressure-induced phase transition from a low-Tc phase (3.5 K) to a high-Tc phase (8.7 K) in single crystalline PrO0.5F0.5BiS2. The high-Tc phase is easily observed even at 0.7 GPa by uniaxial pressure obtained from a geometric effect of a single crystal with an extremely-thin thickness. For this phase transition, superconducting anisotropy and the coherence length along the c axis change from γ = 20 to 9.3 and from ξc = 0.56 to 0.71 nm respectively. It is suggested that a shrinkage in the c lattice constant by applied uniaxial pressure enhances the three dimensionality in the superconducting state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Growth and superconducting anisotropies of F-substituted LaOBiSe2 single crystals

F-substituted LaOBiSe2 single crystals were grown using CsCl flux. The obtained single crystals showed a plate-like shape with a size of about 1.0 mm square. The c-axis lattice constant of the grown crystals was determined to be 14.114(3) Å. The superconducting critical temperature of the single crystal was approximately 3.5 K. The superconducting anisotropies were determined to be 49 and 24 using the upper critical field and the effective mass model, respectively.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

First single crystal growth and structural analysis of superconducting layered bismuth oxyselenide; La(O,F)BiSe2

Single crystal of La(O,F)BiSe2 was successfully grown for the first time by the CsCl flux method. Single crystal X-ray structural analysis clearly showed that La(O,F)BiSe2 crystalizes with space group P4/nmm (lattice parameters a = 4.1408(2) Å, c = 14.1096(6) Å). The structure is composed of alternating BiSe2 and LaO layers. Magnetic susceptibility and resistivity measurements showed the superconducting transition at 3.6 K, which is higher than that of as-grown La(O,F)BiS2. The structural analysis implies that La(O,F)BiSe2 is potential superconductor having higher Tc under high pressure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Crystal structures of LaO1-xFxBiS2 (x~0.23, 0.46): effect of F doping on distortion of Bi-S plane

The crystal structures of superconducting LaO1-xFxBiS2 (x ~ 0.23, 0.46) were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Their space group was P4/nmm. Distortion of the Bi-S plane changed when the F content was increased from 0.23 to 0.46, and a nearly flat Bi-S plane was formed at x ~ 0.46. Computational calculations supported this effect of F doping on distortion of Bi-S plane. LaO1-xFxBiS2 with higher F contents were computationally predicted to be thermodynamically more unstable under ambient pressure. We discussed the bonding, conductivities, and synthetic routes of LaO1-xFxBiS2.

cond-mat.supr-con↗