arXiv subjects

S. -F. Wu

Publications and source records attributed to S. -F. Wu.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Quadrupolar charge dynamics in the nonmagnetic FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_x$ superconductors

We use polarization-resolved electronic Raman spectroscopy to study charge dynamics in non-magnetic FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_x$ superconductor. We observe two features of the $XY$ quadrupole symmetry: a low-energy quasi-elastic peak (QEP) and an electronic continuum. The QEP exhibits critical enhancement upon cooling towards the structural transition at $T_S(x)$. Below $T_S(x)$, the QEP diminishes gradually, and a gap with temperature evolution reminiscent of a mean-field order parameter opens in the continuum. The intensity of the QEP develops with increasing sulfur doping $x$ and maximizes at $x\approx$ 0.15, while the gap magnitude decreases with the suppression of $T_S(x)$. We interpret the development of the gap in the quadrupole scattering channel as the formation of a stripe quadrupole order: a wave of quadrupole moment without charge or spin modulation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

High magnetic field ultrasound study of spin freezing in La$_{1.88}$Sr$_{0.12}$CuO$_4$

High-$T_{\rm{c}}$ cuprate superconductors host spin, charge and lattice instabilities. In particular, in the antiferromagnetic glass phase, over a large doping range, lanthanum based cuprates display a glass-like spin freezing with antiferromagnetic correlations. Previously, sound velocity anomalies in La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_4$ (LSCO) for hole doping $p\geq 0.145$ were reported and interpreted as arising from a coupling of the lattice to the magnetic glass [Frachet, Vinograd et al., Nat. Phys. 16, 1064-1068 (2020)]. Here we report both sound velocity and attenuation in LSCO $p=0.12$, i.e. at a doping level for which the spin freezing temperature is the highest. Using high magnetic fields and comparing with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements, we confirm that the anomalies in the low temperature ultrasound properties of LSCO are produced by a coupling between the lattice and the spin glass. Moreover, we show that both sound velocity and attenuation can be simultaneously accounted for by a simple phenomenological model originally developed for canonical spin glasses. Our results point towards a strong competition between superconductivity and spin freezing, tuned by the magnetic field. A comparison of different acoustic modes suggests that the slow spin fluctuations have a nematic character.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Superconductivity and phonon self-energy effects in Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{0.6}$Se$_{0.4}$

We study Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{0.6}$Se$_{0.4}$ multi-band superconductor with $T_c=14$K by polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Deep in the superconducting state, we detect pair-breaking excitation at 45cm$^{-1}$ ($2Δ=5.6$meV) in the $XY$($B_{2g}$) scattering geometry, consistent with twice of the superconducting gap energy (3 meV) revealed by ARPES on the hole-like Fermi pocket with $d_{xz}/d_{yz}$ character. We analyze the superconductivity induced phonon self-energy effects for the $B_{1g}$(Fe) phonon and estimate the electron-phonon coupling constant $λ^Γ\approx 0.026$, which is insufficient to explain superconductivity with $T_c=14$K.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Decoupled Pairing Amplitude and Electronic Coherence in Iron-Based Superconductors

Here we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to study superconductivity that emerges in two extreme cases, from a Fermi liquid phase (LiFeAs) and an incoherent bad-metal phase (FeTe0.55Se0.45). We find that although the electronic coherence can strongly reshape the single-particle spectral function in the superconducting state, it is decoupled from the maximum superconducting pairing amplitude, which shows a universal scaling that is valid for all FeSCs. Our observation excludes pairing scenarios in the BCS and the BEC limit for FeSCs and calls for a universal strong coupling pairing mechanism for the FeSCs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

On the origin of critical nematic fluctuations in pnictide superconductors

We employ polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy to study critical nematic fluctuations in Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Au$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ superconductors above and across well separated tetragonal to orthorhombic phase transition at temperature $T_S(x)$ and the Néel transition at $T_N(x)$. The static Raman susceptibility in $XY$ symmetry channel increases upon cooling from room temperature following the Curie-Weiss law, with Weiss temperature $T_θ(x)$ several tens of degrees lower than $T_S(x)$. Data reveals a hidden nematic quantum critical point at $x_{c} = 0.031$ when the system becomes superconducting, indicating a direct connection between quantum critical nematic fluctuations and unconventional superconductivity. We attribute the origin of the nematicity to charge quadrupole fluctuations due to electron transfer between the nearly degenerate $d_{xz}/d_{yz}$ orbitals.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

Anomalous magneto-elastic coupling in Au-doped BaFe2As2

We used polarization-resolved Raman scattering to study magneto-elastic coupling in Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Au$_{x}$)$_2$As$_2$ crystals as a function of light Au-doping, materials for which temperatures of the structural transition ($T_S$) and of the magnetic ordering transition ($T_N$) split. We study the appearance of the $A_g$(As)phonon intensity in the $XY$ scattering geometry that is very weak just below $T_S$, but for which the intensity is significantly enhanced below $T_N$. In addition, the $A_g$(As) phonon shows an asymmetric line shape below $T_N$ and an anomalous linewidth broadening upon Au-doping in the magnetic phase. We demonstrate that the anomalous behavior of the $A_g$(As) phonon mode in the $XY$ scattering geometry can be consistently described by a Fano model involving the $A_g$(As) phonon mode interacting with the $B_{2g}$ symmetry-like magnetic continuum in which the magneto-elastic coupling constant is proportional to the magnetic order parameter.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

Magneto-elastic coupling in Fe-based superconductors

We used polarization-resolved Raman scattering to study the magneto-elastic coupling in the parent compounds of several families of Fe-based superconductors (BaFe2As2, EuFe2As2, NaFeAs, LiFeAs, FeSe and LaFeAsO). We observe an emergent Ag-symmetry As phonon mode in the XY scattering geometry whose intensity is significantly enhanced below the magneto-structural transition only for compounds showing magnetic ordering. We conclude that the small lattice anisotropy is insufficient to induce the in-plane electronic polarizability anisotropy necessary for the observed phonon intensity enhancement, and interpret this enhancement below the Neel temperature in terms of the anisotropy of the magnetic moment and magneto-elastic coupling. We evidence a Fano line- shape in the XY scattering geometry resulting from a strong coupling between the Ag (As) phonon mode and the B2g symmetry-like electronic continuum. Strong electron-phonon coupling may be relevant to superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Superconductivity and electronic fluctuations in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ studied by Raman scattering

Using polarization-resolved electronic Raman scattering we study under-doped, optimally-doped and over-doped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ samples in the normal and superconducting states. We show that low-energy nematic fluctuations are universal for all studied doping range. In the superconducting state, we observe two distinct superconducting pair breaking peaks corresponding to one large and one small superconducting gaps. In addition, we detect a collective mode below the superconducting transition in the B$_{2g}$ channel and determine the evolution of its binding energy with doping. Possible scenarios are proposed to explain the origin of the in-gap collective mode. In the superconducting state of the under-doped regime, we detect a re-entrance transition below which the spectral background changes and the collective mode vanishes.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

ARPES observation of Mn-pnictide hybridization and negligible band structure renormalization in BaMn$_2$As$_2$ and BaMn$_2$Sb$_2$

We performed an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of BaMn$_2$As$_2$ and BaMn$_2$Sb$_2$, which are isostructural to the parent compound BaFe$_2$As$_2$ of the 122 family of ferropnictide superconductors. We show the existence of a strongly $k_z$-dependent band gap with a minimum at the Brillouin zone center, in agreement with their semiconducting properties. Despite the half-filling of the electronic 3$d$ shell, we show that the band structure in these materials is almost not renormalized from the Kohn-Sham bands of density functional theory. Our photon energy dependent study provides evidence for Mn-pnictide hybridization, which may play a role in tuning the electronic correlations in these compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Angle-resolved spectroscopy study of Ni-based superconductor SrNi$_2$As$_2$

We performed an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of the Ni-based superconductor SrNi$_2$As$_2$. Electron and hole Fermi surface pockets are observed, but their different shapes and sizes lead to very poor nesting conditions. The experimental electronic band structure of SrNi$_2$As$_2$ is in good agreement with first-principles calculations after a slight renormalization (by a factor 1.1), confirming the picture of Hund's exchange-dominated electronic correlations decreasing with increasing filling of the $3d$ shell in the Fe-, Co- and Ni-based compounds. These findings emphasize the importance of Hund's coupling and $3d$-orbital filling as key tuning parameters of electronic correlations in transition metal pnictides.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Collective excitations of dynamic Fermi surface deformations in BaFe$_2$(As$_{0.5}$P$_{0.5}$)$_2$

We use electronic Raman scattering to study the low-energy excitations in BaFe$_2$(As$_{0.5}$P$_{0.5}$)$_2$ ($T_c \approx 16$ K) samples. In addition to a superconducting pair breaking peak (2$Δ=6.7$ meV) in the A$_{1g}$ channel with a linear tail towards zero energy, suggesting a nodal gap structure, we detect spectral features associated to Pomeranchuk oscillations in the A$_{1g}$, B$_{1g}$ and B$_{2g}$ channels. We argue that the small Fermi energy of the system is an essential condition for these Pomeranchuk oscillations to be underdamped. The Pomeranchuk oscillations have the same frequencies in the B$_{1g}$ and B$_{2g}$ channels, which we explain by the mixing of these symmetries resulting from the removal of the $σ_v$ and $σ_v$ symmetry planes due to a large As/P disorder. Interestingly, we show that the temperature at which the peaks corresponding to the Pomeranchuk oscillations get underdamped is consistent with the non-Fermi liquid to Femi liquid crossover determined by transport, suggesting that the Pomeranchuk instability plays an important role in the low-energy physics of the Fe-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Raman scattering investigation of quasi-one-dimensional superconductor Ta$_{4}$Pd$_{3}$Te$_{16}$

We have performed polarized Raman scattering measurements on the newly discovered superconductor Ta$_{4}$Pd$_{3}$Te$_{16}$ ($T_c = 4.6$ K). We observe twenty-eight out of thirty-three Raman active modes, with frequencies in good accordance with first-principles calculations. Although most of the phonons observed vary only slightly with temperature and do not exhibit any asymmetric profile that would suggest strong electron-phonon coupling, the linewidth of the A$_{g}$ phonon mode at 89.9 cm$^{-1}$ shows an unconventional increase with temperature decreasing, which is possibly due to a charge-density-wave transition or the emergence of charge-density-wave fluctuations below a temperature estimated to fall in the 140-200 K range.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Raman scattering investigation of large positive magnetoresistance material WTe$_2$

We have performed polarized Raman scattering measurements on WTe$_2$, for which an extremely large positive magnetoresistance has been reported recently. We observe 5 A$_1$ phonon modes and 2 A$_2$ phonon modes out of 33 Raman active modes, with frequencies in good accordance with first-principles calculations. The angular dependence of the intensity of the peaks observed is consistent with the Raman tensors of the $C_{2v}$ point group symmetry attributed to WTe$_2$. Although the phonon spectra suggest neither strong electron-phonon nor spin-phonon coupling, the intensity of the A$_1$ phonon mode at 160.6 cm$^{-1}$ shows an unconventional decrease with temperature decreasing, for which the origin remains unclear.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Camelback-shaped band reconciles heavy electron behavior with weak electronic Coulomb correlations in superconducting TlNi2Se2

Using high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we characterize superconducting TlNi$_2$Se$_2$ as a material with weak electronic Coulomb correlations leading to a bandwidth renormalization of 1.4. We identify a camelback-shaped band, whose energetic position strongly depends on the selenium height. While this feature is universal in transition metal pnictides, in TlNi$_2$Se$_2$ it lies in the immediate vicinity of the Fermi level, giving rise to a pronounced van Hove singularity. The resulting heavy band mass resolves the apparent puzzle of a large normal-state specific heat coefficient (Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 207001) in this weakly correlated compound.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Raman scattering investigation of superconducting Ba$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{4}$O

We have performed polarized Raman scattering measurements on the newly discovered superconductor Ba$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{4}$O$_{2}$ ($T_c = 21$ K). We observe seven out of eight Raman active modes, with frequencies in good accordance with first-principle calculations. The phonon spectra suggest neither strong electron-phonon nor spin-phonon coupling and vary only slightly with temperature, except for one E$_g$ mode associated with large displacements of As atoms near the Ti$_2$O planes. We also identify a small anomaly around 125 K in the linewidth of a A$_{1g}$ mode involving the same As atoms. Our results suggest that the transition at 125 K is most likely driven by electronic interactions taking place in the Ti$_2$O planes.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Coexistence of orbital degeneracy lifting and superconductivity in iron-based superconductors

In contrast to conventional superconducting (SC) materials, superconductivity in high-temperature superconductors (HTCs) usually emerges in the presence of other fluctuating orders with similar or higher energy scales, thus instigating debates over their relevance for the SC pairing mechanism. In iron-based superconductors (IBSCs), local orbital fluctuations have been proposed to be directly responsible for the structural phase transition and closely related to the observed giant magnetic anisotropy and electronic nematicity. However, whether superconductivity can emerge from, or even coexist with orbital fluctuations, remains unclear. Here we report the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) observation of the lifting of symmetry-protected band degeneracy, and consequently the breakdown of local tetragonal symmetry in the SC state of Li(Fe1-xCox)As. Supported by theoretical simulations, we analyse the doping and temperature dependences of this band-splitting and demonstrate an intimate connection between ferro-orbital correlations and superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗