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S. Y. Li

Publications and source records attributed to S. Y. Li.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

Anderson localization of spinons in a spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain

Anderson localization is a general phenomenon of wave physics, which stems from the interference between multiple scattering paths1,2. It was originally proposed for electrons in a crystal, but later was also observed for light3-5, microwaves6, ultrasound7,8, and ultracold atoms9-12. Actually, in a crystal, besides electrons there may exist other quasiparticles such as magnons and spinons. However the search for Anderson localization of these magnetic excitations is rare so far. Here we report the first observation of spinon localization in copper benzoate, an ideal compound of spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain, by ultra-low-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements. We find that while the spinon specific heat Cs displays linear temperature dependence down to 50 mK, the spinons thermal conductivity ks only manifests the linear temperature dependence down to 300 mK. Below 300 mK, ks/T decreases rapidly and vanishes at about 100 mK, which is a clear evidence for Anderson localization. Our finding opens a new window for studying such a fundamental phenomenon in condensed matter physics.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2012

Nodeless superconductivity in Ca3Ir4Sn13: evidence from quasiparticle heat transport

We report resistivity $ρ$ and thermal conductivity $κ$ measurements on Ca$_3$Ir$_4$Sn$_{13}$ single crystals, in which superconductivity with $T_c \approx 7$ K was claimed to coexist with ferromagnetic spin-fluctuations. Among three crystals, only one crystal shows a small hump in resistivity near 20 K, which was previously attributed to the ferromagnetic spin-fluctuations. Other two crystals show the $ρ\sim T^2$ Fermi-liquid behavior at low temperature. For both single crystals with and without the resistivity anomaly, the residual linear term $κ_0/T$ is negligible in zero magnetic field. In low fields, $κ_0(H)/T$ shows a slow field dependence. These results demonstrate that the superconducting gap of Ca$_3$Ir$_4$Sn$_{13}$ is nodeless, thus rule out nodal gap caused by ferromagnetic spin-fluctuations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2012

Evidence for nodeless superconducting gap in NaFe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$As from low-temperature thermal conductivity measurements

The thermal conductivity of optimally doped NaFe$_{0.972}$Co$_{0.028}$As ($T_c \sim$ 20 K) and overdoped NaFe$_{0.925}$Co$_{0.075}$As ($T_c \sim$ 11 K) single crystals were measured down to 50 mK. No residual linear term $κ_0/T$ is found in zero magnetic field for both compounds, which is an evidence for nodeless superconducting gap. Applying field up to $H$ = 9 T ($\approx H_{c2}/4$) does not noticeably increase $κ_0/T$ in NaFe$_{1.972}$Co$_{0.028}$As, which is consistent with multiple isotropic gaps with similar magnitudes. The $κ_0/T$ of overdoped NaFe$_{1.925}$Co$_{0.075}$As shows a relatively faster field dependence, indicating the increase of the ratio between the magnitudes of different gaps, or the enhancement of gap anisotropy upon increasing doping.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

Robust nodal superconductivity induced by isovalent doping in Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ru$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ and BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$

We present the ultra-low-temperature heat transport study of iron-based superconductors Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ru$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ and BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$. For optimally doped Ba(Fe$_{0.64}$Ru$_{0.36}$)$_2$As$_2$, a large residual linear term $κ_0/T$ at zero field and a $\sqrt{H}$ dependence of $κ_0(H)/T$ are observed, which provide strong evidences for nodes in the superconducting gap. This result demonstrates that the isovalent Ru doping can also induce nodal superconductivity, as P does in BaFe$_2$(As$_{0.67}$P$_{0.33}$)$_2$. Furthermore, in underdoped Ba(Fe$_{0.77}$Ru$_{0.23}$)$_2$As$_2$ and heavily underdoped BaFe$_2$(As$_{0.82}$P$_{0.18}$)$_2$, $κ_0/T$ manifests similar nodal behavior, which shows the robustness of nodal superconductivity in the underdoped regime and puts constraint on theoretical models.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

Nodal superconductivity in Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ru$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ induced by isovalent Ru substitution

We present the ultra-low-temperature heat transport study of an iron-based superconductor Ba(Fe$_{0.64}$Ru$_{0.36}$)$_2$As$_2$ ($T_c$ = 20.2 K), in which the superconductivity is induced by isovalent Ru substitution. In zero field we find a large residual linear term $κ_0/T$, more than 40% of the normal-state value. At low field, the $κ_0/T$ shows an $H^{1/2}$ dependence. These provide strong evidences for nodes in the superconducting gap of Ba(Fe$_{0.64}$Ru$_{0.36}$)$_2$As$_2$, which mimics that in another isovalently substituted superconductor BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$. Our results show that the isovalent Ru substitution can also induce nodal superconductivity in BaFe$_2$As$_2$, as P does, and they may have the same origin. We further compare them with other two nodal superconductors LaFePO and LiFeP.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

Field-induced quantum critical point and nodal superconductivity in the heavy-fermion superconductor Ce2PdIn8

The interplay between magnetism and superconductivity has been a central issue in unconventional superconductors. While the dynamic magnetism could be the source of electron pairing, the static magnetism is generally believed to compete with superconductivity. In this sense, the observation of Q phase, the coupled spin-density wave order and superconductivity, in the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn5 is very puzzling. Whether this Q phase origins from the novel Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state is under hot debate. Here we report the resistivity and thermal conductivity study of a newly discovered heavy-fermion superconductor Ce2PdIn8 down to 50 mK. We find an unusual field-induced quantum critical point at the upper critical field Hc2 and unconventional nodal superconductivity in Ce2PdIn8. The jump of thermal conductivity k(H)/T near Hc2 suggests a first-order-like phase transition at low temperatures. These results mimic the features of the Q phase in CeCoIn5, implying that Ce2PdIn8 is another promising compound to investigate the exotic Q phase and FFLO state. The comparison between CeCoIn5 and Ce2PdIn8 may help to clarify the origin of the Q phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

Unveiling the quantum critical point of an Ising chain

Quantum phase transitions occur at zero temperature upon variation of some nonthermal control parameters. The Ising chain in a transverse field is probably the most-studied model undergoing such a transition, from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic state1,2. This model can be exactly solved by using a Jordan-Wigner transformation, which transforms the spins into noninteracting spinless fermions1. At the quantum critical point, the magnetic excitations can carry arbitrarily low energy and dominate the low temperature properties. Here we report the unveiling of such quantum critical point in quasi-one-dimensional Ising ferromagnet CoNb2O6 by ultra-low-temperature thermal conductivity measurements. We find that in the paramagnetic state, phonons are scattered by the magnetic excitations above certain temperature Ts, which corresponds to a gap. As predicted by the theoretical model1, this gap linearly goes to zero with decreasing the transverse field, thus determining the quantum critical point of the Ising chain.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2010

Thermal conductivity of overdoped BaFe$_{1.73}$Co$_{0.27}$As$_2$ single crystal: Evidence for nodeless multiple superconducting gaps and interband interactions

The in-plane thermal conductivity $κ$ of overdoped FeAs-based superconductor BaFe$_{1.73}$Co$_{0.27}$As$_2$ ($T_c$ = 8.1 K) single crystal was measured down to 80 mK. In zero field, the residual linear term $κ_0/T$ is negligible, suggesting a nodeless superconducting gap in the $ab$-plane. In magnetic field, $κ_0/T$ increases rapidly, very different from that of conventional s-wave superconductors. This anomalous $κ_0/T(H)$ may reveal an exotic superconducting gap structure in overdoped BaFe$_{1.73}$Co$_{0.27}$As$_2$: the vanishing hole ($β$) pocket has a much larger gap than the electron ($γ$ and $δ$) pockets which contain most of the carriers. Such an exotic gap structure is an evidence for superconducting state induced by interband interactions, in which the band with the {\it smaller} density of states has a {\it larger} gap.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2010

Quantum criticality and nodal superconductivity in the FeAs-based superconductor KFe2As2

The in-plane resistivity $ρ$ and thermal conductivity $κ$ of FeAs-based superconductor KFe$_2$As$_2$ single crystal were measured down to 50 mK. We observe non-Fermi-liquid behavior $ρ(T) \sim T^{1.5}$ at $H_{c_2}$ = 5 T, and the development of a Fermi liquid state with $ρ(T) \sim T^2$ when further increasing field. This suggests a field-induced quantum critical point, occurring at the superconducting upper critical field $H_{c_2}$. In zero field there is a large residual linear term $κ_0/T$, and the field dependence of $κ_0/T$ mimics that in d-wave cuprate superconductors. This indicates that the superconducting gaps in KFe$_2$As$_2$ have nodes, likely d-wave symmetry. Such a nodal superconductivity is attributed to the antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations near the quantum critical point.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Thermal conductivity study of KFe$_2$As$_2$ single crystal: clear evidence for unconventional superconducting gap with nodes

The in-plane resistivity $ρ$ and thermal conductivity $κ$ of extremely overdoped KFe$_2$As$_2$ ($T_c$ = 3.0 K) single crystal were studied. It is found that $ρ\sim T^{1.5}$ at low temperature, a typical non-Fermi liquid behavior of electrons scattered by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations. In zero field, we observed a large residual linear term $κ_0/T$, about one third of the normal-state value. In low magnetic fields, $κ_0/T(H)$ increases very fast. Such a behavior of $κ_0/T$ mimics the d-wave cuprate superconductors, therefore provides clear evidence for nodes in the superconducting gap of KFe$_2$As$_2$. Based on the Fermi surface topology of KFe$_2$As$_2$, it is believed that the dominant intraband pairing via antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations results in the unconventional superconducting gap with nodes.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Nodeless superconducting gap in electron-doped BaFe$_{1.9}$Ni$_{0.1}$As$_2$ probed by quasiparticle heat transport

The in-plane thermal conductivity $κ$ of electron-doped iron-arsenide superconductor BaFe$_{1.9}$Ni$_{0.1}$As$_2$ ($T_c$ = 20.3 K) single crystal was measured down to 70 mK. In zero field, the absence of a residual linear term $κ_0/T$ at $ T \to 0$ is strong evidence for nodeless superconducting gap. In magnetic field, $κ_0/T$ shows a slow field dependence up to $H$ = 14.5 T ($\approx$ 30% $H_{c_2}$). This is consistent with the superconducting gap structure demonstrated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments in BaFe$_{1.85}$Co$_{0.15}$As$_2$ ($T_c$ = 25.5 K), where isotropic superconducting gaps with similar size on hole and electron pockets were observed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Multi-gap nodeless superconductivity in iron selenide FeSe$_x$: evident from quasiparticle heat transport

The in-plane thermal conductivity $κ$ of the iron selenide superconductor FeSe$_x$ ($T_c$ = 8.8 K) were measured down to 120 mK and up to 14.5 T ($\simeq 3/4 H_{c2}$). In zero field, the residual linear term $κ_0/T$ at $ T \to 0$ is only about 16 $μ$W K$^{-2}$ cm$^{-1}$, less than 4% of its normal state value. Such a small $κ_0/T$ does not support the existence of nodes in the superconducting gap. More importantly, the field dependence of $κ_0/T$ in FeSe$_x$ is very similar to that in NbSe$_2$, a typical multi-gap s-wave superconductor. We consider our data as strong evidence for multi-gap nodeless superconductivity in FeSe$_x$. This kind of superconducting gap structure may be generic for all Fe-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Reply to "Comment on `Low-temperature phonon thermal conductivity of single-crystalline Nd$_2$CuO$_4$: Effects of sample size and surface roughness' " by Sun et al

In their comment \cite{Sun} on our study of phonon heat transport in Nd$_2$CuO$_4$ \cite{Li}, Sun and Ando estimate that the phonon mean free path at low temperature is roughly half the width of the single crystal used in our study, from which they argue that phonon scattering cannot be dominated by sample boundaries. Here we show that their use of specific heat data on Nd$_2$CuO$_4$, which contains a large magnetic contribution at low temperature that is difficult to reliably extract, leads to an underestimate of the mean free path by a factor two compared to an estimate based on the specific heat data of the non-magnetic isostructural analog Pr$_2$CuO$_4$. This removes the apparent contradiction raised by Sun and Ando.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2008

Linear-T resistivity and change in Fermi surface at the pseudogap critical point of a high-Tc superconductor

A fundamental question of high-temperature superconductors is the nature of the pseudogap phase which lies between the Mott insulator at zero doping and the Fermi liquid at high doping p. Here we report on the behaviour of charge carriers near the zero-temperature onset of that phase, namely at the critical doping p* where the pseudogap temperature T* goes to zero, accessed by investigating a material in which superconductivity can be fully suppressed by a steady magnetic field. Just below p*, the normal-state resistivity and Hall coefficient of La1.6-xNd0.4SrxCuO4 are found to rise simultaneously as the temperature drops below T*, revealing a change in the Fermi surface with a large associated drop in conductivity. At p*, the resistivity shows a linear temperature dependence as T goes to zero, a typical signature of a quantum critical point. These findings impose new constraints on the mechanisms responsible for inelastic scattering and Fermi surface transformation in theories of the pseudogap phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2008

Propagation of field disturbances in the Yang-Mills theory

The propagation of field disturbances is examined in the context of the effective Yang-Mills Lagrangian, which is intended to be applied to QCD systems. It is shown that birefringence phenomena can occur in such systems provided some restrictive conditions, as causality, are fulfilled. Possible applications to phenomenology are addressed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Thermodynamic properties of Ba1-xMxFe2As2 (M = La and K)

The specific heat $C(T)$ of BaFe$_2$As$_2$ single crystal, electron-doped Ba$_{0.7}$La$_{0.3}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ and hole-doped Ba$_{0.5}$K$_{0.5}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ polycrystals were measured. For undoped BaFe$_2$As$_2$ single crystal, a very sharp specific heat peak was observed at 136 K. This is attributed to the structural and antiferromagnetic transitions occurring at the same temperature. $C(T)$ of the electron-doped non-superconducting Ba$_{0.7}$La$_{0.3}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ also shows a small peak at 120 K, indicating a similar but weaker structural/antiferromagnetic transition. For the hole-doped superconducting Ba$_{0.5}$K$_{0.5}$Fe$_2$As$_2$, a clear peak of $C/T$ was observed at $T_c$ = 36 K, which is the highest peak seen at superconducting transition for iron-based high-$T_c$ superconductors so far. The electronic specific heat coefficient $γ$ and Debye temperature $Θ_D$ of these compounds were obtained from the low temperature data.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2008

Specific heat of the iron-based high-$T_c$ superconductor SmO$_{1-x}$F$_x$FeAs

The specific heat $C(T)$ of new iron-based high-$T_c$ superconductor SmO$_{1-x}$F$_x$FeAs ($0 \leq x \leq 0.2$) was systematically studied. For undoped $x$ = 0 sample, a specific heat jump was observed at 130 K. This is attributed to the structural or spin-density-wave (SDW) transition, which also manifests on resistivity as a rapid drop. However, this jump disappears with slight F doping in $x$ = 0.05 sample, although the resistivity drop still exists. The specific heat $C/T$ shows clear anomaly near $T_c$ for $x$ = 0.15 and 0.20 superconducting samples. Such anomaly has been absent in LaO$_{1-x}$F$_x$FeAs. For the parent compound SmOFeAs, $C(T)$ shows a sharp peak at 4.6 K, and with electron doping in $x$ = 0.15 sample, this peak shifts to 3.7 K. It is interpreted that such a sharp peak results from the antiferromagnetic ordering of Sm$^{3+}$ ions in this system, which mimics the electron-doped high-$T_c$ cuprate Sm$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$CuO$_{4-δ}$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗