arXiv subjects

Ming Shi

Publications and source records attributed to Ming Shi.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Observation of inverted band structure in topological Dirac-semimetal candidate CaAuAs

We have performed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of ternary pnictide CaAuAs which is predicted to be a three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetal (TDS). By accurately determining the bulk-band structure, we have revealed the coexistence of three-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surfaces with dominant hole carriers. The band structure around the Brillouin-zone center is characterized by an energy overlap between hole and electron pockets, in excellent agreement with first-principles band-structure calculations. This indicates the occurrence of bulk-band inversion, supporting the TDS state in CaAuAs. Because of the high tunability in the chemical composition besides the TDS nature, CaAuAs provides a precious opportunity for investigating the quantum phase transition from TDS to other exotic topological phases.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Anisotropic gapping of topological Weyl rings in the charge-density-wave superconductor InxTaSe2

Topological materials and topological phases have recently become a hot topic in condensed matter physics. In this work, we report a topological nodal-line semimetal InxTaSe2, in the presence of both charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity. In the x = 0.58 samples, the 2 * /3 commensurate CDW (CCDW) and the 2 * 2 CCDW are observed below 116 K and 77 K, respectively. Consistent with theoretical calculations, the spin-orbital coupling gives rise to two two-fold-degenerate nodal rings (Weyl rings) connected by drumhead surface states, confirmed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results suggest that the 2 * 2 CCDW ordering gaps out one Weyl ring in accordance with the CDW band folding, while the other Weyl ring remains gapless with intact surface states. In addition, superconductivity emerges at 0.91 K, with the upper critical field deviating from the s-wave behavior at low temperature, implying possibly unconventional superconductivity. Therefore, InxTaSe2 represents an interesting material system to study the interplay between CDW, nontrivial band topology and superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Spin-orbit-controlled metal-insulator transition in Sr$_2$IrO$_4$

In the context of correlated insulators, where electron-electron interactions (U) drive the localization of charge carriers, the metal-insulator transition (MIT) is described as either bandwidth (BC) or filling (FC) controlled. Motivated by the challenge of the insulating phase in Sr$_2$IrO$_4$, a new class of correlated insulators has been proposed, in which spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is believed to renormalize the bandwidth of the half-filled $j_{\mathrm{eff}} = 1/2$ doublet, allowing a modest U to induce a charge-localized phase. Although this framework has been tacitly assumed, a thorough characterization of the ground state has been elusive. Furthermore, direct evidence for the role of SOC in stabilizing the insulating state has not been established, since previous attempts at revealing the role of SOC have been hindered by concurrently occurring changes to the filling. We overcome this challenge by employing multiple substituents that introduce well defined changes to the signatures of SOC and carrier concentration in the electronic structure, as well as a new methodology that allows us to monitor SOC directly. Specifically, we study Sr$_2$Ir$_{1-x}$T$_x$O$_4$ (T = Ru, Rh) by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), combined with ab-initio and supercell tight-binding calculations. This allows us to distinguish relativistic and filling effects, thereby establishing conclusively the central role of SOC in stabilizing the insulating state of Sr$_2$IrO$_4$. Most importantly, we estimate the critical value for spin-orbit coupling in this system to be $λ_c = 0.42 \pm 0.01$ eV, and provide the first demonstration of a spin-orbit-controlled MIT.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Large Fermi Surface Expansion through Anisotropic c-f Mixing in the Semimetallic Kondo Lattice System CeBi

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and resonant ARPES, we report evidence of strong anisotropic conduction-f electron mixing (c-f mixing) in CeBi by observing a largely expanded Ce-5d pocket at low temperature, with no change in the Bi-6p bands. The Fermi surface (FS) expansion is accompanied by a pronounced spectral weight transfer from the local 4f 0 peak of Ce (corresponding to Ce3+) to the itinerant conduction bands near the Fermi level. Careful analysis suggests that the observed large FS change (with a volume expansion of the electron pocket up to 40%) can most naturally be explained by a small valence change (~ 1%) of Ce, which coexists with a very weak Kondo screening. Our work therefore provides evidence for a FS change driven by real charge fluctuations deep in the Kondo limit, which is made possible by the low carrier density.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Orbitally selective breakdown of Fermi liquid quasiparticles in Ca$_{1.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$RuO$_4$

We present a comprehensive angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of Ca$_{1.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$RuO$_4$. Four distinct bands are revealed and along the Ru-O bond direction their orbital characters are identified through a light polarization analysis and comparison to dynamical mean-field theory calculations. Bands assigned to $d_{xz}, d_{yz}$ orbitals display Fermi liquid behavior with fourfold quasiparticle mass renormalization. Extremely heavy fermions - associated with a predominantly $d_{xy}$ band character - are shown to display non-Fermi-liquid behavior. We thus demonstrate that Ca$_{1.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$RuO$_4$ is a hybrid metal with an orbitally selective Fermi liquid quasiparticle breakdown.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Spin-resolved electronic response to the phase transition in MoTe$_2$

The semimetal MoTe$_2$ is studied by spin- and angle- resolved photoemission spectroscopy to probe the detailed electronic structure underlying its broad range of response behavior. A novel spin-texture is uncovered in the bulk Fermi surface of the non-centrosymmetric structural phase that is consistent with first-principles calculations. The spin-texture is three-dimensional, both in terms of momentum dependence and spin-orientation, and is not completely suppressed above the centrosymmetry-breaking transition temperature. Two types of surface Fermi arc are found to persist well above the transition temperature. The appearance of a large Fermi arc depends strongly on thermal history, and the electron quasiparticle lifetimes are greatly enhanced in the initial cooling. The results indicate that polar instability with strong electron-lattice interactions exists near the surface when the bulk is largely in a centrosymmetric phase.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Observation of bulk nodal lines in topological semimetal ZrSiS

ZrSiS is the most intensively studied topological nodal-line semimetal candidate, which is proposed to host multiple nodal lines in its bulk electronic structure. However, previous angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments with vacuum ultraviolet lights mainly probed the surface states. Here using bulk-sensitive soft X-ray ARPES, we acquire the bulk electronic states of ZrSiS without any interference from surface states. Our results clearly show two groups of three-dimensional bulk nodal lines located on high-symmetry planes and along high-symmetry lines in the bulk Brillouin zone, respectively. The nodal lines on high-symmetry planes are enforced to pin at the Fermi level by carrier compensation and constitute the whole Fermi surfaces. This means that the carriers in ZrSiS are entirely contributed by nodal-line fermions, suggesting that ZrSiS is a remarkable platform for studying physical properties related to nodal lines.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Extremely high magnetoresistance and conductivity in the type-II Weyl semimetals WP2 and MoP2

The peculiar band structure of semimetals exhibiting Dirac and Weyl crossings can lead to spectacular electronic properties such as large mobilities accompanied by extremely high magnetoresistance. In particular, two closely neighbouring Weyl points of the same chirality are protected from annihilation by structural distortions or defects, thereby significantly reducing the scattering probability between them. Here we present the electronic properties of the transition metal diphosphides, WP2 and MoP2, that are type-II Weyl semimetals with robust Weyl points. We present transport and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, and first principles calculations. Our single crystals of WP2 display an extremely low residual low-temperature resistivity of 3 nohm-cm accompanied by an enormous and highly anisotropic magnetoresistance above 200 million % at 63 T and 2.5 K. These properties are likely a consequence of the novel Weyl fermions expressed in this compound. We observe a large suppression of charge carrier backscattering in WP2 from transport measurements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Fermi surface and effective masses in photoemission response of the (Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$)Fe$_2$As$_2$ superconductor

The angle-resolved photoemission spectra of the superconductor (Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$)Fe$_2$As$_2$ have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Our results explain the previously obscured origins of all salient features of the ARPES response of this paradigm pnictide compound and reveal the origin of the Lifshitz transition. Comparison of calculated ARPES spectra with the underlying DMFT band structure shows an important impact of final state effects, which results for three-dimensional states in a deviation of the ARPES spectra from the true spectral function. In particular, the apparent effective mass enhancement seen in the ARPES response is not an entirely intrinsic property of the quasiparticle valence bands but may have a significant extrinsic contribution from the photoemission process and thus differ from its true value. Because this effect is more pronounced for low photoexcitation energies, soft-X-ray ARPES delivers more accurate values of the mass enhancement due to a sharp definition of the 3D electron momentum.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

A novel artificial condensed matter lattice and a new platform for one-dimensional topological phases

Engineered lattices in condensed matter physics, such as cold atom optical lattices or photonic crystals, can have fundamentally different properties from naturally-occurring electronic crystals. Here, we report a novel type of artificial quantum matter lattice. Our lattice is a multilayer heterostructure built from alternating thin films of topological and trivial insulators. Each interface within the heterostructure hosts a set of topologically-protected interface states, and by making the layers sufficiently thin, we demonstrate for the first time a hybridization of interface states across layers. In this way, our heterostructure forms an emergent atomic chain, where the interfaces act as lattice sites and the interface states act as atomic orbitals, as seen from our measurements by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). By changing the composition of the heterostructure, we can directly control hopping between lattice sites. We realize a topological and a trivial phase in our superlattice band structure. We argue that the superlattice may be characterized in a significant way by a one-dimensional topological invariant, closely related to the invariant of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. Our topological insulator heterostructure demonstrates a novel experimental platform where we can engineer band structures by directly controlling how electrons hop between lattice sites.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

NaFe$_{0.56}$Cu$_{0.44}$As: A pnictide insulating phase induced by on-site Coulomb interaction

In the studies of iron-pnictides, a key question is whether their bad-metal state from which the superconductivity emerges lies in close proximity with a magnetically ordered insulating phase. Recently it was found that at low temperatures, the heavily Cu-doped NaFe$_{1-x}$Cu$_x$As ($x > 0.3$) iron-pnictide is an insulator with long-range antiferromagnetic order, similar to the parent compound of cuprates but distinct from all other iron-pnictides. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we determined the momentum-resolved electronic structure of NaFe$_{1-x}$Cu$_x$As ($x = 0.44$) and identified that its ground state is a narrow-gap insulator. Combining the experimental results with density functional theory (DFT) and DFT+U calculations, our analysis reveals that the on-site Coulombic (Hubbard) and Hund's coupling energies play crucial roles in formation of the band gap about the chemical potential. We propose that at finite temperatures charge carriers are thermally excited from the Cu-As-like valence band into the conduction band, which is of Fe $3d$-like character. With increasing temperature, the number of electrons in the conduction band becomes larger and the hopping energy between Fe sites increases, and finally the long-range antiferromagnetic order is destroyed at $T > T_\mathrm{N}$. Our study provides a basis for investigating the evolution of the electronic structure of a Mott insulator transforming into a bad metallic phase, and eventually forming a superconducting state in iron-pnictidesa superconducting state in iron-pnictides.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Internal pressure in superconducting Cu intercalated Bi$_2$Se$_3$

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy is used to study the band-structure of superconducting electrochemically intercalated Cu$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$. We find that in these samples the band-gap at the $Γ$ point is much larger than in pristine Bi$_2$Se$_3$. Comparison to the results of band-structure calculations indicates that the origin of this large gap is internal stress caused by disorder created by the Cu intercalation. We suggest that the internal pressure may be necessary for superconductivity in Cu$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Micro-metric electronic patterning of a topological band structure using a photon beam

In an ideal 3D topological insulator (TI), the bulk is insulating and the surface conducting due to the existence of metallic states that are localized on the surface; these are the topological surface states. Quaternary Bi-based compounds of Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_{x}$Te$_{3-y}$Se$_{y}$ with finely-tuned bulk stoichiometries are good candidates for realizing ideal 3D TI behavior due to their bulk insulating character. However, despite its insulating bulk in transport experiments, the surface region of Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_{x}$Te$_{3-y}$Se$_{y}$ crystals cleaved in ultrahigh vacuum also exhibits occupied states originating from the bulk conduction band. This is due to adsorbate-induced downward band-bending, a phenomenon known from other Bi-based 3D TIs. Here we show, using angle-resolved photoemission, how an EUV light beam of moderate flux can be used to exclude these topologically trivial states from the Fermi level of Bi$_{1.46}$Sb$_{0.54}$Te$_{1.7}$Se$_{1.3}$ single crystals, thereby re-establishing the purely topological character of the low lying electronic states of the system. We furthermore prove that this process is highly local in nature in this bulk-insulating TI, and are thus able to imprint structures in the spatial energy landscape at the surface. We illustrate this by `writing' micron-sized letters in the Dirac point energy of the system.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Dirac states with knobs on: interplay of external parameters and the surface electronic properties of 3D topological insulators

Topological insulators are a novel materials platform with high applications potential in fields ranging from spintronics to quantum computation. In the ongoing scientific effort to demonstrate controlled manipulation of their electronic structure by external means, stoichiometric variation and surface decoration are two effective approaches that have been followed. In ARPES experiments, both approaches are seen to lead to electronic band structure changes. Such approaches result in variations of the energy position of bulk and surface-related features and the creation of two-dimensional electron gases.The data presented here demonstrate that a third manipulation handle is accessible by utilizing the amount of illumination a topological insulator surface has been exposed to under typical experimental ARPES conditions. Our results show that this new, third, knob acts on an equal footing with stoichiometry and surface decoration as a modifier of the electronic band structure, and that it is in continuous competition with the latter. The data clearly point towards surface photovoltage and photo-induced desorption as the physical phenomena behind modifications of the electronic band structure under exposure to high-flux photons. We show that the interplay of these phenomena can minimize and even eliminate the adsorbate-related surface band bending on typical binary, ternary and quaternary Bi-based topological insulators. Including the influence of the sample temperature, these data set up a framework for the external control of the electronic band structure in topological insulator compounds in an ARPES setting. Four external knobs are available: bulk stoichiometry, surface decoration, temperature and photon exposure. These knobs can be used in conjunction to tune the band energies near the surface and consequently influence the topological properties of the relevant electronic states.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Correlation-induced self-doping in intercalated iron-pnictide superconductor Ba2Ti2Fe2As4O

The electronic structure of the intercalated iron-based superconductor Ba2Ti2Fe2As4O (Tc - 21.5 K) has been investigated by using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and combined local density approximation and dynamical mean field theory calculations. The electronic states near the Fermi level are dominated by both the Fe 3d and Ti 3d orbitals, indicating that the spacing layers separating different FeAs layers are also metallic. By counting the enclosed volumes of the Fermi surface sheets, we observe a large self-doping effect, i.e. 0.25 electrons per unit cell are transferred from the FeAs layer to the Ti2As2O layer, leaving the FeAs layer in a hole-doped state. This exotic behavior is successfully reproduced by our dynamical mean field calculations, in which the self-doping effect is attributed to the electronic correlations in the Fe 3d shell. Our work provides an alternative route of effective doping without element substitution for iron-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Spin-charge interplay in antiferromagnetic La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ studied by the muons, neutrons, and ARPES techniques

Exploring whether a spin density wave (SDW) is responsible for the charge excitations gap in the high-temperature superconducting cuprates is difficult, since the region of the phase diagram where the magnetic properties are clearly exposed is different from the region where the band dispersion is visible. On the one hand, long range magnetic order disappears as doping approaches 2% from below, hindering our ability to perform elastic neutron scattering (ENS). On the other hand, cuprates become insulating at low temperature when the doping approaches 2% from above, thus restricting angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). In fact, ARPES data for samples with doping lower than 3% are rare and missing the quasiparticle peaks in the energy distribution curves (EDCs). The main problem is the high resistivity of extremely underdoped samples, which is detrimental to ARPES due to charging effects. Nevertheless, the resistivity of La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ as a function of temperature, at 2% doping, has a broad minimum around 100K. This minimum opens a window for both experiments. By preparing a series of LSCO single crystals with $\sim $0.2-0.3% doping steps around 2%, we managed to find one to which both techniques apply. This allows us to explore the cross talk between the magnetic and electronic properties of the material.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Linking Dynamic and Thermodynamic Properties of Cuprates; an ARPES study of (CaLa)(BaLa)$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{y}$

We report angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) on two families of high temperature superconductors (Ca$_{x}$La$_{1-x}$)(Ba$_{1.75-x}$ La $% _{0.25+x}$)Cu$_{3}$O$_{y}$ with $x=0.1$ ($T_{c}^{max}=56$ K) and $x=0.4$ ($% T_{c}^{max}=82$ K). The Fermi surface (FS) is found to be independent of $x$ or $y$, and its size indicates extreme sample-surface overdoping. This universal FS allowes the comparison of dynamical properties between superconductors of similar structure and identical doping, but different $% T_{c}^{max}$. We find that the high-energy ($\left\vert E\right\vert >50$% meV) nodal velocity in the $x=0.4$ family is higher than in the $x=0.1$ family. The implied correlation between $T_{c}^{max}$ and the hopping rate $% t $ supports the notion of kinetic energy driven superconductivity in the cuprates. We also find that the antinodal gap is higher for the $x=0.4$ family.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Three-Dimensional Fermiology by Soft-X-Ray ARPES: Origin of Charge Density Waves in VSe2

Electronic structure of crystalline materials is their fundamental characteristic which is the basis of almost all their physical and chemical properties. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is the main experimental tool to study all electronic structure aspects with resolution in k-space. However, its application to three-dimensional (3D) materials suffers from a fundamental problem of ill-defined surface-perpendicular wavevector kz. Here, we achieve sharp definition of kz to enable precise navigation in 3D k space by pushing ARPES into the soft-X-ray photon energy range. Essential to break through the notorious problem of small photoexcitation cross-section was an advanced photon flux performance of our instrumentation. We explore the electronic structure of a transition metal dichalcogenide VSe2 which develops charge density waves (CDWs) possessing exotic 3D character. We experimentally identify nesting of its 3D Fermi surface (FS) as the precursor for these CDWs. Our study demonstrates an immense potential of soft-X-ray ARPES (SX-ARPES) to resolve various aspects of 3D electronic structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗