arXiv subjects

Q. -K. Xue

Publications and source records attributed to Q. -K. Xue.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Pomeranchuk instability in the nematic phase of two monolayer FeSe/SrTiO3

Nematicity, where electrons break rotational symmetry while preserving translational symmetry, is ubiquitous in strongly correlated quantum matters, including high-Tc cuprates and iron-based superconductors. A central question in nematicity is whether it is driven by Pomeranchuk instability in momentum space or orbital order (polarization) in real space, especially as nematicity intertwines with superconductivity. FeSe/SrTiO3 (STO), where nematicity occurs without long-range magnetic order, is an ideal platform for studying the nature and origin of the electronic nematicity. Here we present direct evidence of Pomeranchuk nematic order in two monolayer FeSe/STO using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, revealing a remarkable degeneracy of dxz and dyz bands at the Brillouin zone center, but a significant band separation at the zone corner. This momentum-dependent nematicity demonstrates that nematicity in FeSe/STO originates from the Pomeranchuk instability, offering insights into the relationship between nematicity and superconductivity. Our results establish two-dimensional FeSe thin film as a powerful platform for investigating quantum physics under complex intertwinement.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Electronically driven nematicity in FeSe Films on SrTiO3

The intriguing role of nematicity in iron-based superconductors, defined as broken rotational symmetry below a characteristic temperature, is an intensely investigated contemporary subject. Nematicity is closely connected to the structural transition, however, it is highly doubtful that the lattice degree of freedom is responsible for its formation, given the accumulating evidence for the observed large anisotropy. Here we combine molecular beam epitaxy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy together to study the nematicity in multilayer FeSe films on SrTiO3. Our results demonstrate direct connection between electronic anisotropy in momentum space and standing waves in real space at atomic scale. The lifting of orbital degeneracy of dxz/dyz bands gives rise to a pair of Dirac cone structures near the zone corner, which causes energy-independent unidirectional interference fringes, observed in real space as standing waves by scattering electrons off C2 domain walls and Se-defects. On the other hand, the formation of C2 nematic domain walls unexpectedly shows no correlation with lattice strain pattern, which is induced by the lattice mismatch between the film and substrate. Our results establish a clean case that the nematicity is driven by electronic rather than lattice degrees of freedom in FeSe films.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Observation of high-Tc superconductivity in rectangular FeSe/STO(110) monolayer

It is well known that superconductivity in Fe-based materials is favoured under tetragonal symmetry, whereas competing orders such as spin-density-wave (SDW) and nematic orders emerge or are reinforced upon breaking the fourfold (C4) symmetry. Accordingly, suppression of orthorhombicity below the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is found in underdoped compounds. Epitaxial film growth on selected substrates allows the design of crystal specific lattice distortions. Here we show that despite the breakdown of the C4 symmetry induced by a 5% difference in the lattice parameters, monolayers of FeSe grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on the (110) surface of SrTiO3 (STO) substrates [FeSe/STO(110)] exhibit a large nearly isotropic superconducting (SC) gap of 16 meV closing around 60 K. Our results on this new interfacial material, similar to those obtained previously on FeSe/STO(001), contradict the common belief that the C4 symmetry is essential for reaching high Tc's in Fe-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗