arXiv subjects

Rongying Jin

Publications and source records attributed to Rongying Jin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Topological phases in the TaSe3 compound

Based on first-principles calculations, we show that stoichiometric TaSe3, synthesized in space group P21/m, belongs to a three-dimensional (3D) strong topological insulator (TI) phase with Z2 invariants (1;100). The calculated surface spectrum shows clearly a single Dirac cone on surfaces, with helical spin texture at a constant energy contour. To check the stability of the topological phase, strain effects have been systematically investigated, showing that many topological phases survive in a wide range of the strains along both the a- and c-axes, such as strong TI (STI), weak TI (WTI) and Dirac semimetal phases. TaSe3 provides us an ideal platform for experimental study of topological phase transitions. More interestingly, since superconductivity in TaSe3 has been reported for a long time, the co-existence of topological phases and superconducting phase suggests that TaSe3 is a realistic system to study the interplay between topological and superconducting phases in the future.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Electron Counts, Structural Stability, and Magnetism in BaCuSn$_2$-CeNi$_1$$_-$$_x$Si$_2$-type YT$_x$Ge$_2$ (T= Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni)

Results of crystallographic refinement, the relationship between electron counts and structural stability, and magnetic characterization of YT$_x$Ge$_2$ (T= Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) prepared using the arc melting method are presented. These YT$_x$Ge$_2$ compounds crystallize in the BaCuSn$_2$-CeNi$_1$$_-$$_x$Si$_2$-type structure with space group Cmcm, and the site occupancies of 3d transition metals range from x = 0.22(1) for Cr to x = 0.66(1) for Ni. Based on a combination of single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, the trends are clearly established that the smaller transition metal atoms exhibit larger occupancies on T (Cu) site. Our investigation into the relationship between electron count and site defect reveals that a stable configuration is obtained when reaching 10.3e- per transition metal (Y+T), which strongly correlates with the defect observed in the case of T metals. Magnetic properties measurements indicate paramagnetism for T = Cr, Fe, and Co, but ferromagnetism for T = Mn with a Curie temperature at 293 K and effective moment ~ 3.6 uB/Mn. The absence of superconductivity in this series is surprising because they consist of similar building blocks and electron counts to superconducting YGe$_1$$_.$$_5$$_+$$_d$Si$_2$ except for 3d transition metals. Introducing 3d transition metals into the system plays a critical role in suppressing superconductivity, offering new insights into the interplay between superconductivity and magnetism in layered intermetallics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Pt-Bi Antibonding Interaction: The Key Factor for Superconductivity in Monoclinic BaPt2Bi2

In the search for superconductivity in BaAu2Sb2-type monoclinic structure, we have successfully synthesized a new compound BaPt2Bi2, which crystallizes in the space group P21/m (S.G. 11; Pearson symbol mP10) according to a combination of powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Sharp electrical resistivity drop and large diamagnetic magnetization below 2.0 K indicates it owns the superconducting ground state. This makes BaPt2Bi2 the first reported superconductor in mono-clinic BaAu2Sb2-type structure, a previously unappreciated structure for superconductivity. First-principles calculations considering the spin-orbit coupling indicate that Pt-Bi anti-bonding interaction plays a critical role in inducing superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

Observation of Giant Exchange Bias and Topological Hall Effect in Manganese Nitride Films

Magnetic and magneto-transport properties of manganese nitride films grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been investigated. Due to the mixed ferrimagnetic (FI) phase ($ε$-phase with TFI ~ 738 K) and the antiferromagnetic phase ($ζ$-phase with TN ~ 273 K), we observe magnetization hysteresis loops with non-zero exchange bias below TN, reaching ~ 0.22 T at 5 K. This indicates that noncollinear spins exist at the interfaces between two phases, creating a competition between interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) and exchange interactions. Strikingly, in addition to the normal Hall effect by Lorentz force and anomalous Hall effect by magnetization, we observe new contribution namely topological Hall effect below 75 K. This verifies the existence of topological spin texture, which is the consequence of competing interactions controlled by both applied field and temperature. Our work demonstrates that spintronic devices may be fabricated exploiting rich magnetic properties of different phases.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Nontrivial Berry phase in magnetic BaMnSb2 semimetal

The subject of topological materials has attracted immense attention in condensed-matter physics, because they host new quantum states of matter containing Dirac, Majorana, or Weyl fermions. Although Majorana fermions can only exist on the surface of topological superconductors, Dirac and Weyl fermions can be realized in both 2D and 3D materials. The latter are semimetals with Dirac/Weyl cones either not tilted (type I) or tilted (type II). Although both Dirac and Weyl fermions have massless nature with the nontrivial Berry phase, the formation of Weyl fermions in 3D semimetals require either time-reversal or inversion symmetry breaking to lift degeneracy at Dirac points. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that canted antiferromagnetic BaMnSb2 is a 3D Weyl semimetal with a 2D electronic structure. The Shubnikov-de Hass oscillations of the magnetoresistance give nearly zero effective mass with high mobility and the nontrivial Berry phase. The ordered magnetic arrangement (ferromagnetic ordering in the ab plane and antiferromagnetic ordering along the c axis below 286 K) breaks the time-reversal symmetry, thus offering us an ideal platform to study magnetic Weyl fermions in a centrosymmetric material.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Mn-induced magnetic symmetry breaking and its correlation with the metal-insulator transition in bilayered Sr3(Ru1-xMnx)2O7

Bilayered Sr3Ru2O7 is an unusual metamagnetic metal with inherently antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic (FM) fluctuations. Partial substitution of Ru by Mn results in the establishment of metal-insulator transition (MIT) at TMIT and AFM ordering at TM in Sr3(Ru1-xMnx)2O7. Using elastic neutron scattering we determined the effect of Mn doping on the magnetic structure and in-plane magnetic correlation lengths in Sr3(Ru1-xMnx)2O7 (x = 0.06 and 0.12). With increasing Mn doping (x) from 0.06 to 0.12 or decreasing temperatures for x=0.12, an evolution from an in-plane short-range to long-range double-stripe AFM ground state occurs. For both compounds, the onset of magnetic correlation with an anisotropic behavior coincides with the sharp rise of the electrical resistivity and the specific heat. Since it does not induce measurable lattice distortion, the double-stripe magnetic order with anisotropic spin texture breaks the symmetry from C4v crystal lattice to C2v magnetic sublattice. These observations shed new light on an age-old question of Slater versus Mott-type MIT.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Delicate competing electronic states in ultrathin manganite films

The coupling between the electrical transport properties of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) thin films and structural phase transitions of SrTiO3 (STO) substrates at Ts = 105 K has been investigated. We found that the electrical resistivity of LSMO films exhibit a cusp at Ts, which is greatly amplified by tuning films to the verge of metallic and insulating phases, i.e., to the boundary of two delicate competing electronic states. Our results demonstrate that small amounts of strain can tip the subtle balance of competing interactions and tune the electronic properties in correlated electron materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Surface phases of the transition-metal dichalcogenide IrTe2

Transition-metal dichalcogenide IrTe2 has attracted attention because of striped lattice, charge ordering and superconductivity. We have investigated the surface structure of IrTe2, using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A complex striped lattice modulations as a function of temperature is observed, which shows hysteresis between cooling and warming. While the bulk 5x1 and 8x1 phases appear at high temperatures, the surface ground state has the 6x1 phase, not seen in the bulk, and the surface transition temperatures are distinct from the bulk. The broken symmetry at the surface creates a quite different phase diagram, with the coexistence of several periodicities resembling devil's staircase behavior.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Hidden Phases Revealed at the Surface of Double-Layered Sr3(Ru1-xMnx)2O7

Double-layered Sr3Ru2O7 has received phenomenal consideration because it exhibits a plethora of exotic phases when perturbed. New phases emerge with the application of pressure, magnetic field, or doping. Here we show that creating a surface is an alternative and effective way to reveal hidden phases that are different from those seen in the bulk by investigating the surface properties of Sr3(Ru1-xMnx)2O7. Driven by the tilt distortion of RuO6 octahedra, the surface of Sr3Ru2O7 is less metallic than the bulk. In contrast, because of the vanishing of tilt and enhanced rotation with Mn-doping, the surface of Sr3(Ru0.84Mn0.16)2O7 is metallic while the bulk is insulating. Our result demonstrates that the electronic and structural properties at the surface are intimately coupled and consistent with quasi two-dimensional character.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Interrogating the superconductor Ca10(Pt4As8)(Fe2-xPtxAs2)5 Layer-by-layer

Ever since the discovery of high-Tc superconductivity in layered cuprates, the roles that individual layers play have been debated, due to difficulty in layer-by-layer characterization. While there is similar challenge in many Fe-based layered superconductors, the newly-discovered Ca10(Pt4As8)(Fe2As2)5 provides opportunities to explore superconductivity layer by layer, because it contains both superconducting building blocks (Fe2As2 layers) and intermediate Pt4As8 layers. Cleaving a single crystal under ultra-high vacuum results in multiple terminations: an ordered Pt4As8 layer, two reconstructed Ca layers on the top of a Pt4As8 layer, and disordered Ca layer on the top of Fe2As2 layer. The electronic properties of individual layers are studied using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S), which reveals different spectra for each surface. Remarkably superconducting coherence peaks are seen only on the ordered Ca/Pt4As8 layer. Our results indicate that an ordered structure with proper charge balance is required in order to preserve superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Surface terminations and layer-resolved spectroscopy in 122 iron pnictide superconductors

The surface terminations of 122-type alkaline earth metal iron pnictides AEFe2As2 (AE = Ca, Ba) are investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS). Cleaving these crystals at a cryogenic temperature yields a large majority of terminations with atomically resolved square-root-two (rt2) or 1*2 lattice, as well as the very rare terminations with 1*1 symmetry. By means of lattice alignment and chemical marking, we identify these terminations as rt2-AE, 1*2-As, and rt2-Fe surfaces, respectively. Layer-resolved spectroscopy on these terminating surfaces reveals a well-defined superconducting gap on the As terminations, while the gap features become weaker and absent on AE and Fe terminations respectively. The local gap features are hardly affected by the surface reconstruction on As or AE surface, whereas a suppression of them along with the in-gap states can be induced by As vacancies. The emergence of two impurity resonance peaks at +-2 meV is consistent with the sign-reversal pairing symmetry. The definite identification of surface terminations and their spectroscopic signatures shall provide a more comprehensive understanding of the high-temperature superconductivity in multilayered iron pnictides.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Tuning the magnetic ground state of a triangular lattice system

The anisotropic triangular lattice of the crednerite system Cu(Mn1-xCux)O2 is used as a basic model for studying the influence of spin disorder on the ground state properties of a two-dimensional frustrated antiferromagnet. Neutron diffraction measurements show that the undoped phase (x=0) undergoes a transition to antiferromagnetic long-range order that is stabilized by a frustration-relieving structural distortion. Small deviation from the stoichiometric composition alters the magnetoelastic characteristics and reduces the effective dimensionality of the magnetic lattice. Upon increasing the doping level, the interlayer coupling changes from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic. As the structural distortion is suppressed, the long-range magnetic order is gradually transformed into a two-dimensional order.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Search for pressure induced superconductivity in CeFeAsO and CeFePO iron pnictides

The CeFeAsO and CeFePO iron pnictide compounds were studied via electrical transport measurements under high-pressure. In CeFeAsO polycrystals, the magnetic phases involving the Fe and Ce ions coexist up to 15 GPa, with no signs of pressure-induced superconductivity up to 50 GPa. For the CeFePO single crystals, pressure stabilizes the Kondo screening of the Ce 4f-electron magnetic moments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

BaFe2As2 Surface Domains and Domain Walls: Mirroring the Bulk Spin Structure

High-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements on BaFe2As2-one of the parent compounds of the iron-based superconductors-reveals a (1x1) As-terminated unit cell on the (001) surface. However, there are significant differences of the surface unit cell compared to the bulk: only one of the two As atoms in the unit cell is imaged and domain walls between different (1x1) regions display a C2 symmetry at the surface. It should have been C2v if the STM image reflected the geometric structure of the surface or the orthorhombic bulk. The inequivalent As atoms and the bias dependence of the domain walls indicate that the origin of the STM image is primarily electronic not geometric. We argue that the surface electronic topography mirrors the bulk spin structure of BaFe2As2, via strong orbital-spin coupling.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Doping and dimensionality effects on the core-level spectra of layered ruthenates

Core-level spectra of the Mn-doped Sr3Ru2O7 and Srn+1RunO3n+1 (n = 1, 2 and 3) crystals are investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Doping of Mn to Sr3Ru2O7 considerably affects the distribution of core-level spectral weight. The satellite of Ru 3d core levels exhibits a substantial change with doping, indicating an enhanced electron localization across the doping- induced metal-insulator transition. However, the Ru 3p core levels remain identical with Mn-doping, thus showing no sign of doping-induced multiple Ru valences. In the Srn+1RunO3n+1 (n = 1, 2 and 3), the Ru 3d core-level spectra are similar, indicating that the chemical bonding environment around Ru ions remains the same for different layered compounds. Meanwhile the Sr 3d shallow core levels shift to higher binding energy with increasing n, suggesting their participation in Sr-O bonding with structural evolution.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Unusual Relationship between Magnetism and Superconductivity in FeTe$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$

We use neutron scattering, to study magnetic excitations in crystals near the ideal superconducting composition of FeTe$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$. Two types of excitations are found, a resonance at (0.5, 0.5, 0) and incommensurate fluctuations on either side of this position. We show that the two sets of magnetic excitations behave differently with doping, with the resonance being fixed in position while the incommensurate excitations move as the doping is changed. These unusual results show that a common behavior of the low energy magnetic excitations is not necessary for pairing in these materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2009

Aligned crystallite powder of NdFeAsO$_{0.86}$F$_{0.14}$: magnetic hysteresis and penetration depth

We report the basal-plane critical current and superfluid density of magnetically aligned NdFeAsO$_{0.86}$F$_{0.14}$ powder. This sample has individual crystallite grains permanently oriented with their c axis along the external field. Magnetic irreversibilities at high field suggest strong flux pinning of basal-plane critical currents, with monotonic field dependence and no evidence of the "fishtail" effect. The small particles provide a sensitive indicator of \textit{dc} flux penetration, and allow analysis of the temperature dependence of $ab-$plane London penetration depth $λ_{ab,\mathrm{L}}$, which is quadratic at low $T$. This feature may not necessarily be due to the nodes in the gap, but may be rather a sign of a strong pair-breaking. A quantitative determination of the absolute magnitude of $λ_{ab,\mathrm{L}}$ is hindered by the need for accurate knowledge of the particle size distribution.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2009

Neutron scattering patterns show Superconductivity in FeTe0.5Se0.5 likely results from itinerant electron fluctuations

The discovery of the Fe pnictide superconductors generated great interest as the structure consists of planes of a magnetic material quite similar to the cuprate superconductors. Fe(Te0.5Se0.5) is a particularly simple system whose planes are isostructural to the FeAs layers found in the originally discovered superconductors of this type. We report here neutron scattering measurements on this material that provide an understanding of the superconductivity. Since the information about the Fermi surface is available both from photoemission and band structure calculations for FeTe, FeSe and other related materials the neutron spectra can be used to see if the itinerant electron picture is valid. The results are consistent with a picture where there are both electron and hole Fermi surfaces that make exact (pi,pi) transitions possible. This would normally favor either a spin or charge density wave state. However, our measurements show the extent of the region where (pi,pi) transitions take place and demonstrate that there are a much larger number of transitions near pi,pi). The near (pi,pi) transitions are observed both above and below Tc and are expected to be strongly pairing. The superconductivity can be attributed to these excitations while the exactly (pi,pi) transitions produce the narrow resonance excitation that appears below Tc.

cond-mat.supr-con↗