arXiv subjects

Matthew Staab

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew Staab.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Electronic and chemical phase identification in photoemission experiments using unsupervised machine learning

Vacuum ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopies are very information-rich experiments, but due to their surface sensitivity, data are often collected on an initially uncharacterized surface. Traditional raster-grid approaches for locating optimal measurement regions can be time-consuming. In this work, we introduce AARDVARK, a generalizable framework for sample exploration that leverages dimensionality reduction and Gaussian process regression to guide initial sample searches in spatially-resolved photoemission experiments. By utilizing UMAP as a target for a Gaussian process, the algorithm efficiently identifies boundaries of spectroscopically distinct regions, dynamically adapting to variations in sample characteristics. The algorithm enables real-time decision making in measurement selection, optimizes data acquisition, and presents a robust framework for future autonomous sample exploration in photoemission experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Measurements of electronic band structure in CeCoGe$_3$ by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We report a comprehensive study of the electronic structure of CeCoGe$_3$ throughout the entire Brillouin zone in the non-magnetic regime using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The electronic structure agrees in large part with first principles calculations, including predicted topological nodal lines. Two new features in the band structure are also observed: a surface state and folded bands, the latter which is argued to originate from a unit cell reconstruction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Mesoscale variations of chemical and electronic landscape on the surface of Weyl semimetal Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$ visualized by ARPES and XPS

The multiple crystalline terminations in magnetic Weyl semimetal Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$ display distinct topological and trivial surface states, which have successfully been distinguished experimentally. However, a model of pure terminations is known to be inadequate because these surfaces exhibit a high degree of spatial heterogeneity and point disorder. Here we perform a spectromicroscopy study of the surface chemistry and surface electronic structure using photoemission measurements in combination with first-principles calculations of core levels. We identify an intermediate region with properties distinct from both the sulfur and tin terminations, and demonstrate that the spectral features in this region can be associated with a disordered termination with a varying density of surface tin vacancies. This work establishes heuristics for identifying variable surface disorder using photoemission, an important prerequisite to experimentally establishing the behavior of momentum-space topological surface features subject to variable surface disorder on a single cleave.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Symmetry Enforced Fermi Surface Degeneracies Observed in Time-Reversal Symmetry-Breaking Superconductor LaNiGa$_2$

LaNiGa$_2$ is superconductor that breaks time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state without any known nearby magnetism. Recently, single crystals of LaNiGa$_2$ have been synthesized, revealing a nonsymmorphic Cmcm space group. Here, we report measurements of the electronic structure of LaNiGa$_2$ throughout the three-dimensional Brillouin zone (BZ) using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Our findings show broad consistency with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and provide evidence for degeneracies in the electronic structure that are predicted from the space group. The calculations also predict four Fermi surfaces which cross the purported nodal plane and should therefore form two degenerate pairs. We report evidence for those predicted symmetry enforced degeneracies as well as accidental near degeneracies throughout the BZ. These degeneracies and near-degeneracies may play a role in the pairing mechanism of LaNiGa$_2$. Our results provide insight into the interplay between structure, Fermiology, and superconductivity in unconventional superconductors with nonsymmorphic space group.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Unveiling Defect-Mediated Carrier Dynamics in Monolayer Semiconductors by Spatiotemporal Microwave Imaging

The optoelectronic properties of atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides are strongly correlated with the presence of defects in the materials, which are not necessarily detrimental for certain applications. For instance, defects can lead to an enhanced photoconduction, a complicated process involving charge generation and recombination in the time domain and carrier transport in the spatial domain. Here, we report the simultaneous spatial and temporal photoconductivity imaging in two types of WS2 monolayers by laser-illuminated microwave impedance microscopy. The diffusion length and carrier lifetime were directly extracted from the spatial profile and temporal relaxation of microwave signals respectively. Time-resolved experiments indicate that the critical process for photo-excited carriers is the escape of holes from trap states, which prolongs the apparent lifetime of mobile electrons in the conduction band. As a result, counterintuitively, the photoconductivity is stronger in CVD samples than exfoliated monolayers with a lower defect density. Our work reveals the intrinsic time and length scales of electrical response to photo-excitation in van der Waals materials, which is essential for their applications in novel optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Moir\'e Potential Impedes Interlayer Exciton Diffusion in van der Waals Heterostructures

The properties of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are drastically altered by a tunable moir\'e superlattice arising from periodic variations of atomic alignment between the layers. Exciton diffusion represents an important channel of energy transport in semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). While early studies performed on TMD heterobilayers have suggested that carriers and excitons exhibit long diffusion lengths, a rich variety of scenarios can exist. In a moir\'e crystal with a large supercell size and deep potential, interlayer excitons may be completely localized. As the moir\'e period reduces at a larger twist angle, excitons can tunnel between supercells and diffuse over a longer lifetime. The diffusion length should be the longest in commensurate heterostructures where the moir\'e superlattice is completely absent. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate that the moir\'e potential impedes interlayer exciton diffusion by comparing a number of WSe2/MoSe2 heterostructures prepared with chemical vapor deposition and mechanical stacking with accurately controlled twist angles. Our results provide critical guidance to developing 'twistronic' devices that explore the moir\'e superlattice to engineer material properties.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗