arXiv subjects

Sang-Wook Cheong

Publications and source records attributed to Sang-Wook Cheong.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Field-induced spin level crossings within a quasi-XY antiferromagnetic state in Ba$_{2}$FeSi$_{2}$O$_{7}$

We present a high-field study of the strongly anisotropic easy-plane square lattice $S$ = 2 quantum magnet Ba$_{2}$FeSi$_{2}$O$_{7}$. This compound is a rare high-spin antiferromagnetic system with very strong easy-plane anisotropy, such that the interplay between spin level crossings and antiferromagnetic order can be studied. We observe a magnetic field-induced spin level crossing occurring within an ordered state. This spin level crossing appears to preserve the magnetic symmetry while producing a non-monotonic dependence the order parameter magnitude. The resulting temperature-magnetic field phase diagram exhibits two dome-shaped regions of magnetic order overlapping around 30 T. The ground state of the lower-field dome is predominantly a linear combination of $| S^{z} = 0 \rangle$ and $ |S^{z} = 1 \rangle$ states, while the ground state of the higher-field dome can be approximated by a linear combination of $| S^{z} = 1 \rangle $ and $ | S^{z} = 2\rangle$ states. At 30 T, where the spin levels cross, the magnetization exhibits a slanted plateau, {\color {black}the magnetocaloric effect shows a broad hump, and the electric polarization shows a weak slope change}. We determined the detailed magnetic phase boundaries and the spin level crossings using measurements of magnetization, electric polarization, and the magnetocaloric effect in pulsed magnetic fields to 60 T. We calculate these properties using a mean field theory based on direct products of SU(5) coherent states and find good agreement. Finally, we measure and calculate the magnetically-induced electric polarization that reflects magnetic ordering and spin level crossings. This multiferroic behavior provides another avenue for detecting phase boundaries and symmetry changes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Dimensional crossover of charge order in IrTe$_2$ with strong interlayer coupling

Tuning dimensionality in van der Waals materials with finite interlayer coupling has introduced various electronic phase transitions by conventional mechanical exfoliation. Particularly when the electronic order is tied to the modulation of the interlayer coupling, such dimensional tunability has a strong impact on its stability and properties, which has rarely been investigated experimentally. Here, we demonstrate a dimensional crossover of charge order in IrTe$_2$ from genuine two- to quasi-three-dimension using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Employing atomically thin IrTe$_2$ flakes ranging from monolayer to multilayer, we observe a gradual phase transition of charge order and exponential decay of Coulomb gap with increasing thickness. Moreover, we find a suppression of the density of states emerging at an abrupt lateral interface between two- and three-dimension. These findings are attributed to the interplay between the strongly coupled layers and substrate-driven perturbation, which can provide a new insight into the dimensional crossover of strongly coupled layered materials with hidden electronic phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Cascadable in-memory computing based on symmetric writing and read out

The building block of in-memory computing with spintronic devices is mainly based on the magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular interfacial anisotropy (p-MTJ). The resulting asymmetric write and read-out operations impose challenges in downscaling and direct cascadability of p-MTJ devices. Here, we propose that a new symmetric write and read-out mechanism can be realized in perpendicular-anisotropy spin-orbit (PASO) quantum materials based on Fe3GeTe2 and WTe2. We demonstrate that field-free and deterministic reversal of the perpendicular magnetization can be achieved by employing unconventional charge to z-spin conversion. The resulting magnetic state can be readily probed with its intrinsic inverse process, i.e., z-spin to charge conversion. Using the PASO quantum material as a fundamental building block, we implement the functionally complete set of logic-in-memory operations and a more complex nonvolatile half-adder logic function. Our work highlights the potential of PASO quantum materials for the development of scalable energy-efficient and ultrafast spintronic computing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Diagonal and off-diagonal thermal conduction with resonant phonon scattering in $Ni_3TeO_6$

The coupling between phonon and magnon is ubiquitous in magnetic materials and plays a crucial role in many aspects of magnetic properties, most notably in spintronics. Yet, this academically and technologically interesting problem still poses a severe challenge to a general understanding of the issue in certain materials. We report that Ni3TeO6 exhibits clear evidence of significant magnon-phonon coupling in both longitudinal thermal conductivity ($κ_{xx}$) and thermal Hall coefficient ($κ_{xy}$). The Debye-Callaway model, a phenomenological description for phonon heat conduction, can explain the measured magnetic field dependence of $κ_{xx}(H)$: phonon scattering from spin fluctuation in the paramagnetic phase and additional scattering due to magnon-phonon coupling in the collinear antiferromagnetic phase. We further suggest that a similar approach could be applied to understand the finite $κ_{xy}$ values in $Ni_3TeO_6$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Linking emergent phenomena and broken symmetries through one-dimensional objects and their dot/cross products

The symmetry of the whole experimental setups, including specific sample environments and measurables, can be compared with that of specimens for observable physical phenomena. We, first, focus on one-dimensional (1D) experimental setups, independent from any spatial rotation around one direction, and show that eight kinds of 1D objects (four; vectorlike, the other four; director-like), defined in terms of symmetry, and their dot and cross products are an effective way for the symmetry consideration. The dot products form a Z2xZ2xZ2 group with Abelian additive operation, and the cross products form a Z2xZ2 group with Abelian additive operation or Q8, a non-abelian group of order eight, depending on their signs. Those 1D objects are associated with characteristic physical phenomena. When a 3D specimen has Symmetry Operational Similarity (SOS) with (identical or lower, but not higher, symmetries than) an 1D object with a particular phenomenon, the 3D specimen can exhibit the phenomenon. This SOS approach can be a transformative and unconventional avenue for symmetry-guided materials designs and discoveries.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Magnetic field effects in an octupolar quantum spin liquid candidate

Quantum spin liquid (QSL) is a disordered state of quantum-mechanically entangled spins commonly arising from frustrated magnetic dipolar interactions. However, QSL in some pyrochlore magnets can also come from frustrated magnetic octupolar interactions. Although the key signature for both dipolar and octupolar interaction-driven QSL is the presence of a spin excitation continuum (spinons) arising from the spin quantum number fractionalization, an external magnetic field-induced ferromagnetic order will transform the spinons into conventional spin waves in a dipolar QSL. By contrast, in an octupole QSL, the spin waves carry octupole moments that do not couple, in the leading order, to the external magnetic field or to neutron moments but will contribute to the field dependence of the heat capacity. Here we use neutron scattering to show that the application of a large external magnetic field to Ce2Zr2O7, an octupolar QSL candidate, induces an Anderson-Higgs transition by condensing the spinons into a static ferromagnetic ordered state with octupolar spin waves invisible to neutrons but contributing to the heat capacity. Our theoretical calculations also provide a microscopic, qualitative understanding for the presence of octupole scattering at large wavevectors in Ce2Sn2O7 pyrochlore, and its absence in Ce2Zr2O7. Therefore, our results identify Ce2Zr2O7 as a strong candidate for an octupolar U (1) QSL, establishing that frustrated magnetic octupolar interactions are responsible for QSL properties in Ce-based pyrochlore magnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Ferro-rotational domain walls revealed by electric quadrupole second harmonic generation microscopy

Domain walls are ubiquitous in materials that undergo phase transitions driven by spontaneous symmetry breaking. Domain walls in ferroics and multiferroics have received tremendous attention recently due to their emergent properties distinct from their domain counterparts, for example, their high mobility and controllability, as well as their potential applications in nanoelectronics. However, it is extremely challenging to detect, visualize and study the ferro-rotational (FR) domain walls because the FR order, in contrast to ferromagnetism (FM) and ferroelectricity (FE), is invariant under both the spatial-inversion and the time-reversal operations and thus hardly couple with conventional experimental probes. Here, an FR candidate $\mathrm{NiTiO_{3}}$ is investigated by ultrasensitive electric quadrupole (EQ) second harmonic generation rotational anisotropy (SHG RA) to probe the point symmetries of the two degenerate FR domain states, showing their relation by the vertical mirror operations that are broken below the FR critical temperature. We then visualize the real-space FR domains by scanning EQ SHG microscopy, and further resolve the FR domain walls by revealing a suppressed SHG intensity at domain walls. By taking local EQ SHG RA measurements, we show the restoration of the mirror symmetry at FR domain walls and prove their unconventional nonpolar nature. Our findings not only provide a comprehensive insight into FR domain walls, but also demonstrate a unique and powerful tool for future studies on domain walls of unconventional ferroics, both of which pave the way towards future manipulations and applications of FR domain walls.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Simultaneous imaging of dopants and free charge carriers by STEM-EELS

Doping inhomogeneities in solids are not uncommon, but their microscopic observation and understanding are limited due to the lack of bulk-sensitive experimental techniques with high-enough spatial and spectral resolution. Here, we demonstrate nanoscale imaging of both dopants and free charge carriers in La-doped BaSnO3 (BLSO) using high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). By analyzing both high- and low-energy excitations in EELS, we reveal chemical and electronic inhomogeneities within a single BLSO nanocrystal. The inhomogeneous doping leads to distinctive localized infrared surface plasmons, including a novel plasmon mode that is highly confined between high- and low-doping regions. We further quantify the carrier density, effective mass, and dopant activation percentage from EELS data and transport measurements on the bulk single crystals of BLSO. These results represent a unique way of studying heterogeneities in solids, understanding structure-property relationships at the nanoscale, and opening the way to leveraging nanoscale doping texture in the design of nanophotonic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Understanding temperature-dependent SU($3$) spin dynamics in the $S=1$ antiferromagnet Ba$_2$FeSi$_2$O$_7$

Quantum magnets admit more than one classical limit and $N$-level systems with strong single-ion anisotropy are expected to be described by a classical approximation based on SU($N$) coherent states. Here we test this hypothesis by modeling finite temperature inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data of the effective spin-one antiferromagnet \bfso{}. The measured dynamic structure factor is calculated with a generalized Landau-Lifshitz dynamics for SU($3$) spins. Unlike the traditional classical limit based on SU($2$) coherent states, the results obtained with classical SU($3$) spins are in good agreement with the measured temperature-dependent spectrum. The SU($3$) approach developed here provides a general framework to understand the broad class of materials comprising weakly coupled antiferromagnetic dimers, trimers, or tetramers, and magnets with strong single-ion anisotropy.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Angularly quantized spin rotations in hexagonal LuMnO3

Optical control of the spin degree of freedom is often desired in application of the spin technology. Here we report spin-rotational excitations observed through inelastic light scattering of the hexagonal LuMnO3 in the antiferromagnetically (AFM) ordered state. We propose a model based on the spin-spin interaction Hamiltonian associated with the spin rotation of the Mn ions, and find that the spin rotations are angularly quantized by 60, 120, and 180 degrees. Angular quantization is considered to be a consequence of the symmetry of the triangular lattice of the Mn-ion plane in the hexagonal LuMnO3. These angularly-quantized spin excitations may be pictured as isolated flat bubbles in the sea of the ground state, which may lead to high-density information storage if applied to spin devices. Optically pumped and detected spin-excitation bubbles would bring about the advanced technology of optical control of the spin degree of freedom in multiferroic materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Vibrational properties of CuInP2S6 across the ferroelectric transition

In order to explore the properties of a two-sublattice ferroelectric, we measured the infrared and Raman scattering response of CuInP2S6 across the ferroelectric and glassy transitions and compared our findings to a symmetry analysis, calculations of phase stability, and lattice dynamics. In addition to uncovering displacive character and a large hysteresis region surrounding the ferroelectric transition temperature T_C, we identify the vibrational modes that stabilize the polar phase and confirm the presence of two ferroelectric variants with opposite polarizations. Below TC, a poorly understood relaxational or glassy transition at Tg is characterized by local structure changes in the form of subtle peak shifting and activation of low frequency out-of-plane Cu- and In-containing modes. The latter are due to changes in the Cu/In coordination environments and associated order-disorder processes. Moreover, Tg takes place in two steps with another large hysteresis region and significant underlying scattering. Combined with imaging of the room temperature phase separation, this effort lays the groundwork for studying CuInP2S6 under external stimuli and in the ultra-thin limit.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Revealing the Charge Density Wave Proximity Effect in Graphene on 1T-TaS2

Proximity effect is a very powerful approach and has been widely applied to induce electron correlations such as: superconductivity, magnetism and spin-orbit effects at the interface of heterostructure quantum materials. However, proximity induced charge density wave (CDW) state has remained elusive. We report the first observation of a novel proximity induced CDW within a graphene layer that is deposited on 1T-TaS2 crystal. By using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to probe the interface of the graphene/1T-TaS2 heterostructure together with theoretical modeling, we show that the interactions between the Dirac-like carriers in graphene and the correlated electrons in 1T-TaS2 induce a periodic charge density modulation within graphene and modify the band structure at the surface of 1T-TaS2, resulting in a 7.5% reduction of its gap size. Our results provide a new platform to manipulate the electron charge correlations in heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Stabilization of layered perovskite structures via strontium substitution in Ca$_3$Ti$_2$O$_7$ revealed via elemental mapping

Extensive studies have been performed on layered compounds, ranging from layered cuprates to van der Waals materials with critical issues of intergrowths and stacking faults. However, such structures have been studied less because of experimental difficulty. We present characteristic defect structures of intergrowths in the Ruddlesden-Popper Ca$_{2.46}$Sr$_{0.54}$Ti$_2$O$_7$, which is known to exhibit hybrid improper ferroelectricity. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that numerous intergrowths composed of 7 and 15 layers are introduced in the ferroelectric domains. Elemental maps demonstrate that Sr ions are selectively substituted into the perovskite layers of intergrowths. Density functional theory calculations support the site-selective substitution of Sr ions, favorably located in the intergrowths. The stabilization of the Ruddlesden-Popper phase and intergrowths via Sr substitution can be explained by the ionic-radius difference between Ca and Sr ions. The study reveals detailed defect structures originating from the layered perovskite structure of Ca$_{2.46}$Sr$_{0.54}$Ti$_2$O$_7$, and shows the usefulness of elemental mapping in probing the substitution effects in oxides.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Reaching the equilibrium state of frustrated triangular Ising magnet Ca3Co2O6

Ca3Co2O6 is a frustrated magnet consisting of a triangular arrangement of chains of Ising spins. It shows regular magnetization steps vs magnetic field every 1.2 T that are metastable with very slow dynamics. This has puzzled the community for many years and given rise to numerous potential theories. Here we approach the problem by seeking the elusive magnetic equilibrium state at T = 2 K. To this end, we explore two approaches: (1) bypassing the slow dynamics produced by changing fields by instead field-cooling directly to the target temperature, and (2) quantum annealing in transverse magnetic fields. While we observe no measurable effect of the quantum annealing in fields up to 7 T, which is likely due to the large Ising anisotropy of Co spins in this material, we find that for the field cooling in longitudinal fields we achieve the predicted equilibrium 1/3 magnetization. We perform Monte Carlo simulations of the ground state phase diagram and we also simulate the quantum annealing process and find good agreement between experiment and theory. Thus we present an investigation of the elusive ground state properties of the canonical frustrated triangular system Ca3Co2O6.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Low-loss tunable infrared plasmons in the high-mobility perovskite (Ba,La)SnO$_3$

BaSnO$_3$ exhibits the highest carrier mobility among perovskite oxides, making it ideal for oxide electronics. Collective charge carrier oscillations, plasmons, are expected to arise in this material, thus providing a tool to control the nanoscale optical field for optoelectronics applications. Here, we demonstrate the existence of relatively long-lived plasmons supported by high-mobility charge carriers in La-doped BaSnO$_3$ (BLSO). By exploiting the high spatial and energy resolution of electron energy-loss spectroscopy with a focused beam in a scanning transmission electron microscope, we systematically investigate the dispersion, confinement ratio, and damping of infrared localized surface plasmons (LSP) in BLSO nanoparticles. We find that the LSPs in BLSO are highly spatially confined compared to those sustained by noble metals and have relatively low loss and high quality factor compared to other doped oxides. Further analysis clarifies the relation between plasmon damping and carrier mobility in BLSO. Our results support the use of nanostructured degenerate semiconductors for plasmonic applications in the infrared region and establish a relevant alternative to more traditional plasmonic materials.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Quadrupolar magnetic excitations in an isotropic spin-1 antiferromagnet

The microscopic origins of emergent behaviours in condensed matter systems are encoded in their excitations. In ordinary magnetic materials, single spin-flips give rise to collective dipolar magnetic excitations called magnons. Likewise, multiple spin-flips can give rise to multipolar magnetic excitations in magnetic materials with spin $\mathbf{S} \boldsymbol{\ge} \mathbf{1}$. Unfortunately, since most experimental probes are governed by dipolar selection rules, collective multipolar excitations have generally remained elusive. For instance, only dipolar magnetic excitations have been observed in isotropic $\mathbf{S}\boldsymbol{=}\mathbf{1}$ Haldane spin systems. Here, we unveil a hidden quadrupolar constituent of the spin dynamics in antiferromagnetic $\mathbf{S}\boldsymbol{=}\mathbf{1}$ Haldane chain material Y$_\mathbf{2}$BaNiO$_\mathbf{5}$ using Ni $\mathbf{L_3}$-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. Our results demonstrate that pure quadrupolar magnetic excitations can be probed without direct interactions with dipolar excitations or anisotropic perturbations. Originating from on-site double spin-flip processes, the quadrupolar magnetic excitations in Y$_\mathbf{2}$BaNiO$_\mathbf{5}$ show a remarkable dual nature of collective dispersion. While one component propagates as non-interacting entities, the other behaves as a bound quadrupolar magnetic wave. This result highlights the rich and largely unexplored physics of higher-order magnetic excitations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Visualizing 1D zigzag Wigner crystallization at domain walls in the Mott insulator TaS$_2$

In a certain regime of low carrier densities and strong correlations, electrons can crystallize into a periodic arrangement of charge known as Wigner crystal. Such phases are particularly interesting in one dimension (1D) as they display a variety of charge and spin ground states which may be harnessed in quantum devices as high-fidelity transmitters of spin information. Recent theoretical studies suggest that the strong Coulomb interactions in Mott insulators and other flat band systems, may provide an attractive higher temperature platform for Wigner crystallization, but due to materials and device constraints experimental realization has proven difficult. In this work we use scanning tunneling microscopy at liquid helium temperatures to directly image the formation of a 1D Wigner crystal in a Mott insulator, TaS$_2$. Charge density wave domain walls in TaS$_2$ create band bending and provide ideal conditions of low densities and strong interactions in 1D. STM spectroscopic maps show that once the lower Hubbard band crosses the Fermi energy, the charges rearrange to minimize Coulomb energy, forming zigzag patterns expected for a 1D Wigner crystal. The zigzag charge patterns show characteristic noise signatures signifying charge or spin fluctuations induced by the tunneling electrons, which is expected for this more fragile condensed state. The observation of a Wigner crystal at orders of magnitude higher temperatures enabled by the large Coulomb energy scales combined with the low density of electrons, makes TaS$_2$ a promising system for exploiting the charge and spin order in 1D Wigner crystals.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Selective observation of surface and bulk bands in polar WTe2 by laser-based spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

The electronic state of WTe2, a candidate of type-II Weyl semimetal, is investigated by using laser-based spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (SARPES). We prepare the pair of WTe2 samples, one with (001) surface and the other with (00-1) surface, by "sandwich method", and measure the band structures of each surface separately. The Fermi arcs are observed on both surfaces. We identify that the Fermi arcs on the two surfaces are both originating from surface states. We further find a surface resonance band, which connects with the Fermi-arc band, forming a Dirac-cone-like band dispersion. Our results indicate that the bulk electron and hole bands are much closer in momentum space than band calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗