arXiv subjects

Ni Ni

Publications and source records attributed to Ni Ni.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Magneto-transport properties of the "hydrogen atom" nodal-line semimetal candidates CaTX (T=Ag, Cd, X=As, Ge)

Topological semimetals are characterized by protected crossings between conduction and valence bands. These materials have recently attracted significant interest because of the deep connections to high-energy physics, the novel topological surface states, and the unusual transport phenomena. While Dirac and Weyl semimetals have been extensively studied, the nodal-line semimetal remains largely unexplored due to the lack of an ideal material platform. In this paper, we report the magneto-transport properties of two nodal-line semimetal candidates CaAgAs and CaCdGe. First, our single crystalline CaAgAs supports the first "hydrogen atom" nodal-line semimetal, where only the topological nodal-line is present at the Fermi level. Second, our CaCdGe sample provides an ideal platform to perform comparative studies because it features the same topological nodal line but has a more complicated Fermiology with irrelevant Fermi pockets. As a result, the magnetoresistance of our CaCdGe sample is more than 100 times larger than that of CaAgAs. Through our systematic magneto-transport and first-principles band structure calculations, we show that our CaTX compounds can be used to study, isolate, and control the novel topological nodal-line physics in real materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Discovery of a bi-critical point between antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases in pressurized single crystal Ca0.73La0.27FeAs2

One of the most strikingly universal features of the high temperature superconductors is that the superconducting phase emerges in the close proximity of the antiferromagnetic phase, and the interplay between these two phases poses a long standing challenge. It is commonly believed that,as the antiferromagnetic transition temperature is continuously suppressed to zero, there appears a quantum critical point, around which the existence of antiferromagnetic fluctuation is responsible for the development of the superconductivity. In contrast to this scenario, we report the discovery of a bi-critical point identified at 2.88 GPa and 26.02 K in the pressurized high quality single crystal Ca0.73La0.27FeAs2 by complementary in situ high pressure measurements. At the critical pressure, we find that the antiferromagnetism suddenly disappears and superconductivity simultaneously emerges at almost the same temperature, and that the external magnetic field suppresses the superconducting transition temperature but hardly affects the antiferromagnetic transition temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Imaging electronic states on topological semimetals using scanning tunneling microscopy

Following the intense studies on topological insulators, significant efforts have recently been devoted to the search for gapless topological systems. These materials not only broaden the topological classification of matter but also provide a condensed matter realization of various relativistic particles and phenomena previously discussed mainly in high energy physics. Weyl semimetals host massless, chiral, low-energy excitations in the bulk electronic band structure, whereas a symmetry protected pair of Weyl fermions gives rise to massless Dirac fermions. We employed scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy to explore the behavior of electronic states both on the surface and in the bulk of topological semimetal phases. By mapping the quasiparticle interference and emerging Landau levels at high magnetic field in Dirac semimetals Cd$_3$As$_2$ and Na$_3$Bi, we observed extended Dirac-like bulk electronic bands. Quasiparticle interference imaged on Weyl semimetal TaAs demonstrated the predicted momentum dependent delocalization of Fermi arc surface states in the vicinity of the surface-projected Weyl nodes.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in Ca$_{0.74(1)}$La$_{0.26(1)}$(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)As$_{2}$ single crystals

We report the transport, thermodynamic, $μ$SR and neutron study of the Ca$_{0.74(1)}$La$_{0.26(1)}$(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)As$_{2}$ single crystals, mapping out the temperature-doping level phase diagram. Upon Co substitution on the Fe site, the structural/magnetic phase transitions in this 112 compound are suppressed and superconductivity up to 20 K occurs. Our measurements of the superconducting and magnetic volume fractions show that these two phases coexist microscopically in the underdoped region, in contrast to the related 10-3-8 Ca$_{10}$(Pt$_{3}$As$_{8}$)((Fe$_{1-x}$Pt$_x$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$)$_{5}$ compound, where coexistence is absent. Supported by model calculations, we discuss the differences in the phase diagrams of the 112 and 10-3-8 compounds in terms of the FeAs interlayer coupling, whose strength is affected by the character of the spacer layer, which is metallic in the 112 and insulating in the 10-3-8.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Structural and magnetic phase transitions in Ca$_{0.73}$La$_{0.27}$FeAs$_2$ with electron overdoped FeAs layers

We report a study of the Ca$_{0.73}$La$_{0.27}$FeAs$_2$ single crystals. We unravel a monoclinic to triclinic phase transition at 58 K, and a paramagnetic to stripe antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase transition at 54 K, below which spins order 45$^\circ$ away from the stripe direction. Furthermore, we demonstrate this material is substantially structurally untwinned at ambient pressure with the formation of spin rotation walls (S-walls). Finally, in addition to the central-hole and corner-electron Fermi pockets usually appearing in Fe pnictide superconductors, angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) measurements resolve a Fermiology where an extra electron pocket of mainly As chain character exists at the Brillouin zone edge.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Fermi surface topology and negative longitudinal magnetoresistance observed in centrosymmetric NbAs2 semimetal

We report transverse and longitudinal magneto-transport properties of NbAs2 single crystals. Attributing to the electron-hole compensation, non-saturating large transverse magnetoresistance reaches up to 8000 at 9 T at 1.8 K with mobility around 1 to 2 m^2V^-1S^-1. We present a thorough study of angular-dependent Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) quantum oscillations of NbAs2. Three distinct oscillation frequencies are identified. First-principles calculations reveal four types of Fermi pockets: electron alpha pocket, hole beta pocket, hole gamma pocket and small electron delta pocket. Although the angular dependence of alpha, beta and delta agree well with the SdH data, it is unclear why the gamma pocket is missing in SdH. Negative longitudinal magnetoresistance is observed which may be linked to novel topological states in this material, although systematic study is necessary to ascertain its origin.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Quasiparticle interference of the Fermi arcs and surface-bulk connectivity of a Weyl semimetal

Weyl semimetals host topologically protected surface states, with arced Fermi surface contours that are predicted to propagate through the bulk when their momentum matches that of the surface projections of the bulk's Weyl nodes. We use spectroscopic mapping with a scanning tunneling microscope to visualize quasi-particle scattering and interference at the surface of the Weyl semimetal TaAs. Our measurements reveal 10 different scattering wave vectors, which can be understood and precisely reproduced with a theory that takes into account the shape, spin texture, and momentum-dependent propagation of the Fermi arc surface states into the bulk. Our findings provide evidence that Weyl nodes act as sinks for electron transport on the surface of these materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Scanned probe imaging of nanoscale magnetism at cryogenic temperatures with a single-spin quantum sensor

High spatial resolution magnetic imaging has driven important developments in fields ranging from materials science to biology. However, to uncover finer details approaching the nanoscale with greater sensitivity requires the development of a radically new sensor technology. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect in diamond has emerged as a promising candidate for such a sensor based on its atomic size and quantum-limited sensing capabilities afforded by long spin coherence times. Although the NV center has been successfully implemented as a nanoscale scanning magnetic probe at room temperature, it has remained an outstanding challenge to extend this capability to cryogenic temperatures, where many solid-state systems exhibit non-trivial magnetic order. Here we present NV magnetic imaging down to 6 K with 6 nm spatial resolution and 3 μT/$\sqrt{\mbox{Hz}}$ field sensitivity, first benchmarking the technique with a magnetic hard disk sample, then utilizing the technique to image vortices in the iron pnictide superconductor BaFe$_2$(As$_{0.7}$P$_{0.3}$)$_2$ with $T_c$ = 30 K. The expansion of NV-based magnetic imaging to cryogenic temperatures represents an important advance in state-of-the-art magnetometry, which will enable future studies of heretofore inaccessible nanoscale magnetism in condensed matter systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Breakdown of Three-dimensional Dirac Semimetal State in pressurized Cd3As2

We report the first observation of a pressure-induced breakdown of the 3D-DSM state in Cd3As2, evidenced by a series of in-situ high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and single crystal transport measurements. We find that Cd3As2 undergoes a structural phase transition from a metallic tetragonal (T) phase in space group I41/acd to a semiconducting monoclinic (M) phase in space group P21/c at critical pressure 2.57 GPa, above this pressure, an activation energy gap appears, accompanied by distinct switches in Hall resistivity slope and electron mobility. These changes of crystal symmetry and corresponding transport properties manifest the breakdown of the 3D-DSM state in pressurized Cd3As2.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Magnetism and superconductivity in U_2Pt_xRh_(1-x)C_2

We report the phase diagram of the doping series U_2Pt_xRh_(1-x)C_2, studied through measurements of resistivity, specific heat and magnetic susceptibility. The Neel temperature of U_2RhC_2 of ~ 22 K is suppressed with increasing Pt content, reaching zero temperature close to x=0.7, where we observed signatures of increased quantum fluctuations. In addition, evidence is presented that the antiferromagnetic state undergoes a spin-reorientation transition upon application of an applied magnetic field. This transition shows non-monotonic behaviour as a function of x, peaking at around x=0.3. Superconductivity is observed for x>=0.9, with T_c increasing with increasing x. The reduction in T_c and increase in residual resistivity with decreasing Pt content is inconsistent with the extension of the Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory to unconventional superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Magnetoelastic coupling and charge correlation lengths in a twin domain of Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ ($x=0.047$): A high-resolution X-ray diffraction study

The interplay between structure, magnetism and superconductivity in single crystal Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ (x=0.047) has been studied using high-resolution X-ray diffraction by monitoring charge Bragg reflections in each twin domain separately. The emergence of the superconducting state is correlated with the suppression of the orthorhombic distortion around \emph{T}$_\texttt{C}$, exhibiting competition between orthorhombicity and superconductivity. Above \emph{T}$_\texttt{S}$, the in-plane charge correlation length increases with the decrease of temperature, possibly induced by nematic fluctuations in the paramagnetic tetragonal phase. Upon cooling, anomalies in the in-plane charge correlation lengths along $a$ ($ξ_{a}$) and $b$ axes ($ξ_{b}$) are observed at \emph{T}$_\texttt{S}$ and also at \emph{T}$_\texttt{N}$ indicative of strong magnetoelastic coupling. The in-plane charge correlation lengths are found to exhibit anisotropic behavior along and perpendicular to the in-plane component of stripe-type AFM wave vector (101)$_{\rm O}$ below around \emph{T}$_\texttt{N}$. The temperature dependence of the out-of-plane charge correlation length shows a single anomaly at \emph{T}$_\texttt{N}$, reflecting the connection between Fe-As distance and Fe local moment. The origin of the anisotropic in-plane charge correlation lengths $ξ_{a}$ and $ξ_{b}$ is discussed on the basis of the antiphase magnetic domains and their dynamic fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Antiferromagnetic order in Ca$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$)(Fe$_2$As$_2$)$_5$ observed by $^{75}$As NMR

$^{75}$As nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements carried out on underdoped, non-superconducting Ca$_{10}$(Pt$_3$As$_8$)(Fe$_2$As$_2$)$_5$ reveal physical properties that are similar but not identical to the 122 superconductor parent compounds such as BaFe$_2$As$_2$. Results from the single crystal study indicate a phase transition to an antiferromagnetic (AF) state on cooling through T~100K, albeit nonuniformly. Specifically, the NMR lineshape reflects the presence of staggered hyperfine fields on the As sites associated with a striped AF order. The variation of the internal hyperfine field with temperature suggests that the phase transition to the AF state is discontinuous, and therefore likely coincident with the structural transition inferred from transport experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Anisotropic Impurity-States, Quasiparticle Scattering and Nematic Transport in Underdoped Ca(Fe1-xCox)2As2

Iron-based high temperature superconductivity develops when the `parent' antiferromagnetic/orthorhombic phase is suppressed, typically by introduction of dopant atoms. But their impact on atomic-scale electronic structure, while in theory quite complex, is unknown experimentally. What is known is that a strong transport anisotropy with its resistivity maximum along the crystal b-axis, develops with increasing concentration of dopant atoms; this `nematicity' vanishes when the `parent' phase disappears near the maximum superconducting Tc. The interplay between the electronic structure surrounding each dopant atom, quasiparticle scattering therefrom, and the transport nematicity has therefore become a pivotal focus of research into these materials. Here, by directly visualizing the atomic-scale electronic structure, we show that substituting Co for Fe atoms in underdoped Ca(Fe1-xCox)2As2 generates a dense population of identical anisotropic impurity states. Each is ~8 Fe-Fe unit cells in length, and all are distributed randomly but aligned with the antiferromagnetic a-axis. By imaging their surrounding interference patterns, we further demonstrate that these impurity states scatter quasiparticles in a highly anisotropic manner, with the maximum scattering rate concentrated along the b-axis. These data provide direct support for the recent proposals that it is primarily anisotropic scattering by dopant-induced impurity states that generates the transport nematicity; they also yield simple explanations for the enhancement of the nematicity proportional to the dopant density and for the occurrence of the highest resistivity along the b-axis.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Large magnetic penetration depth and thermal fluctuations in a Ca$_{10}$(Pt$_{3}$As$_{8}$)[(Fe$_{1-x}$Pt$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$]$_{5}$ (x=0.097) single crystal

We have measured the temperature dependence of the absolute value of the magnetic penetration depth $λ(T)$ in a Ca$_{10}$(Pt$_{3}$As$_{8}$)[(Fe$_{1-x}$Pt$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$]$_{5}$ (x=0.097) single crystal using a low-temperature magnetic force microscope (MFM). We obtain $λ_{ab}$(0)$\approx$1000 nm via extrapolating the data to $T = 0$. This large $λ$ and pronounced anisotropy in this system are responsible for large thermal fluctuations and the presence of a liquid vortex phase in this low-temperature superconductor with critical temperature of 11 K, consistent with the interpretation of the electrical transport data. The superconducting parameters obtained from $λ$ and coherence length $ξ$ place this compound in the extreme type \MakeUppercase{\romannumeral 2} regime. Meissner responses (via MFM) at different locations across the sample are similar to each other, indicating good homogeneity of the superconducting state on a sub-micron scale.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Anisotropic $H_{c2}$ determined up to 92 T and the signature of multi-band superconductivity in Ca$_{10}$(Pt$_{4}$As$_{8}$)((Fe$_{1-x}$Pt$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$)$_{5}$ superconductor

The upper critical fields, $H_{c2}$($T$), of single crystals of the superconductor Ca$_{10}$(Pt$_{4-δ}$As$_{8}$)((Fe$_{0.97}$Pt$_{0.03}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$)$_{5}$ ($δ$ $\approx$ 0.246) are determined over a wide range of temperatures down to $T$ = 1.42 K and magnetic fields of up to $μ_{0}H$ $\simeq$ 92 T. The measurements of anisotropic $H_{c2}$($T$) curves are performed in pulsed magnetic fields using radio-frequency contactless penetration depth measurements for magnetic field applied both parallel and perpendicular to the \textbf{ab}-plane. Whereas a clear upward curvature in $H_{c2}^{\parallel\textbf{c}}$($T$) along \textbf{H}$\parallel$\textbf{c} is observed with decreasing temperature, the $H_{c2}^{\parallel\textbf{ab}}$($T$) along \textbf{H}$\parallel$\textbf{ab} shows a flattening at low temperatures. The rapid increase of the $H_{c2}^{\parallel\textbf{c}}$($T$) at low temperatures suggests that the superconductivity can be described by two dominating bands. The anisotropy parameter, $γ_{H}$ $\equiv$ $H_{c2}^{\parallel\textbf{ab}}/H_{c2}^{\parallel\textbf{c}}$, is $\sim$7 close to $T_{c}$ and decreases considerably to $\sim$1 with decreasing temperature, showing rather weak anisotropy at low temperatures.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Bulk Intergrowth of a Topological Insulator with a Room Temperature Ferromagnet

We demonstrate that the layered room temperature ferromagnet Fe7Se8 and the topological insulator Bi2Se3 form crystallographically oriented bulk composite intergrowth crystals. The morphology of the intergrowth in real space and reciprocal space is described. Critically, the basal planes of Bi2Se3 and Fe7Se8 are parallel and hence the good cleavage inherent in the bulk phases is retained. The intergrowth is on the micron scale. Both phases in the intergrowth crystals display their intrinsic bulk properties: the ferromagnetism of the Fe7Se8 is anisotropic, with magnetization easy axis in the plane of the crystals, and ARPES characterization shows that the topological surface states remain present on the Bi2Se3. Analogous behavior is found for what has been called "Fe-doped Bi2Se3."

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Electron doped Ca10(Pt3As8)(Fe2As2)5 and Ca10(Pt4As8)(Fe2As2)5 - High Tc superconductors with skutterudite intermediary layers

It has been argued that the very high transition temperatures of the highest Tc cuprate superconductors are facilitated by enhanced CuO2 plane coupling through the (Bi,Tl,Hg)-O intermediary layers. Whether enhanced coupling through intermediary layers can also influence Tc in the iron arsenide superconductors has never been tested due the lack of appropriate systems for study. Here we report the crystal structures and properties of two iron arsenide superconductors, Ca10(Pt3As8)(Fe2As2)5 (the 10-3-8 phase) and Ca10(Pt4As8)(Fe2As2)5 (the 10-4-8 phase). Based on -Ca-(PtnAs8)-Ca-Fe2As2- layer stacking, the most important difference in the structures lies in the structural and electronic characters of the intermediary platinum arsenide layers. Electron doping through partial substitution of Pt for Fe in the Fe2As2 layers leads to Tc of 11 K in the 10-3-8 phase and 25 K in the 10-4-8 phase. Using the chemical concepts of Zintl ion electron counting and the stability of Pt in the 5d8 configuration we argue that the dramatic difference in Tc arises because the intermediary layer is semiconducting in the 10-3-8 phase but metallic in the 10-4-8 phase, leading to enhanced interlayer coupling in the 10-4-8 phase. The results suggest that metallic intermediary layers may offer a new road to higher Tc in iron arsenide superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Local magnetic inhomogeneities observed via 75As NMR in Ba(Fe1-xNix)2As2 with H0 {\perp} c-axis

We present field-swept 75As Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements in the spin-density wave (SDW) state of Ba(Fe1-xNix)2As2 for x=0.0072. The large single crystals were aligned with the external field H0 perpendicular to the c axis. The spectra are increasingly broadened as a function of doping, and are well fit by a model of a commensurate SDW with local impurities.

cond-mat.str-el↗