arXiv subjects

Shekhar Das

Publications and source records attributed to Shekhar Das.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Quantum Sensing of Broadband Spin Dynamics and Magnon Transport in Antiferromagnets

Optical detection of magnetic resonance using quantum spin sensors (QSS) provides a spatially local and sensitive technique to probe spin dynamics in magnets. However, its utility as a probe of antiferromagnetic resonance (AFMR) remains an open question. We report the first experimental demonstration of optically detected AFMR in layered van der Waals antiferromagnets (AF) up to frequencies of 24 GHz. We leverage QSS spin relaxation due to low-frequency magnetic field fluctuations arising from collective dynamics of magnons excited by the uniform AFMR mode. First, through AFMR spectroscopy we characterize the intrinsic exchange fields and magnetic anisotropies of the AF. Second, using the localized sensitivity of the QSS we demonstrate magnon transport over tens of micrometers. Finally, we find that optical detection efficiency increases with increasing frequency. This showcases the dual capabilities of QSS as detectors of high frequency magnetization dynamics and magnon transport, paving the way for understanding and controlling the magnetism of antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Room-Temperature Magnetic Skyrmions in Pt/Co/Cu Multilayers

Magnetic skyrmions are promising for next-generation information storage and processing owing to their potential advantages in data storage density, robustness, and energy efficiency. The magnetic multilayers consisting of Pt, Co, and a third metal element $X$ provide an ideal platform to study the skyrmions due to their highly tunable magnetic properties. Here, we report the observation of room-temperature bubble-like Néel skyrmions in epitaxial Pt/Co/Cu multilayers in samples with multidomain states in zero field. The magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry are applied to investigate the shapes of the hysteresis loops, the magnetic anisotropy, and the saturation magnetization. By tuning the Co thickness and the number of periods, we achieve perpendicular and in-plane magnetized states and multidomain states that are identified by a wasp-waisted hysteresis loop. Skyrmions are directly imaged by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM). The development of room-temperature skyrmions in Pt/Co/Cu multilayers may lead to advances in skyrmion-related research and applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

The pressure-enhanced superconducting phase of Sr$_x$-Bi$_2$Se$_3$ probed by hard point contact spectroscopy

The superconducting systems emerging from topological insulators upon metal ion intercalation or application of high pressure are ideal for investigation of possible topological superconductivity. In this context, Sr-intercalated Bi$_2$Se$_3$ is specially interesting because it displays pressure induced re-entrant superconductivity where the high pressure phase shows almost two times higher $T_c$ than the ambient superconducting phase ( $T_C\sim$ 2.9 K). Interestingly, unlike the ambient phase, the pressure-induced superconducting phase shows strong indication of unconventional superconductivity. However, since the pressure-induced phase remains inaccessible to spectroscopic techniques, the detailed study of the phase remained an unattained goal. Here we show that the high-pressure phase can be realized under a mesoscopic point contact, where transport spectroscopy can be used to probe the spectroscopic properties of the pressure-induced phase. We find that the point contact junctions on the high-pressure phase show unusual response to magnetic field supporting the possibility of unconventional superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Comment on "Perfect Andreev reflection due to the Klein paradox in a topological superconducting state (Nature \textbf{570}, 344 (2019))"

In a recent publication, Lee $et$ $al.$ discussed experimental observation of Klein tunneling into a proximity-induced topological superconducting state of SmB$_{6}$ through the measurement of Andreev reflection with low-bias conductance doubling across point-contact junctions between sharp Pt-Ir tips and SmB$_{6}$/YB$_{6}$ heterostructures. However, the interpretation of the presented point-contact data is rather ambiguous because observing a low-bias conductance enhancement by a factor of 2 is not special for Klein tunneling into topological superconductors. Such an enhanced conductance can be observed in point contacts between all types of superconductors and normal metals when the contacts are neither in the ballistic nor in the diffusive regimes of mesoscopic transport, but in a dissipative thermal regime. The thermal regime is expected for the point contacts presented in Lee $et$ $al.$ primarily because of the anticipated very short electron mean free path of SmB$_6$ -- we will discuss this in more detail here.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

A modular point contact spectroscopy probe for sub-Kelvin applications

We present the construction and performance of a plug-n-play type point contact spectroscopy probe equipped with a piezo-driven coarse approach mechanism for sub-kelvin applications. A modular assembly has been built which can be placed in or taken out from a sub-Kelvin socket mounted inside a He3 cryostat (with a 7 Tesla magnet) using an external manipulator. A simple transfer process using a removable vertical manipulator combined with a load-lock chamber makes the exchange of the sample/tip rig very easy without breaking the vacuum insulation of the sample chamber. We have successfully performed point-contact spectroscopic studies on a few elemental superconductors with low T$_{c}$. We have also used the probe to perform spectroscopic measurements on another low temperature superconductor PdTe$_2$, which is a Dirac semimetal in the normal state. We present such data to demonstrate the functionality of the probe. The probe can also be made adaptable for other transport measurements such as Hall effect, four probe resistivity, scanning tunnelling spectroscopy etc.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Multi-band superconductivity driven by a site-selective mechanism in Mo$_8$Ga$_{41}$

The family of the endohedral gallide cluster compounds recently emerged as a new family of superconductors which is expected to host systems displaying unconventional physics. Mo$_8$Ga$_{41}$ is an important member of this family which shows relatively large $T_c \sim$ 10 K and has shown indications of strong electron-phonon coupling and multi-band superconductivity. Here, through direct measurement of superconducting energy gap by scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) we demonstrate the existence of two distinct superconducting gaps of magnitude 0.85 meV and 1.6 meV respectively in Mo$_8$Ga$_{41}$. Both the gaps are seen to be conventional in nature as they evolve systematically with temperature as per the predictions of BCS theory. Our band structure calculations reveal that only two specific Mo sites in an unit cell contribute to superconductivity where only $d_{xz}$/$d_{yz}$ and $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbitals have strong contributions. Our analysis indicates that the site-elective contribution govern the two-gap nature of superconductivity in Mo$_8$Ga$_{41}$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Suppression of transport spin-polarization of surface states with emergence of ferromagnetism in Mn-doped Bi2Se3

The surface states of topological insulators (TI) are protected by time reversal symmetry and they display intrinsic spin helicity where the momentum of the charge carriers decides their spin states. As a consequence, a current injected through the surface states becomes spin polarized and this transport spin-polarization leads to a proportionate suppression of Andreev reflection in superconductor/TI junctions. Here we show that upon doping Bi2Se3 with Mn, the transport spin-polarization is seen to be monotonically suppressed. The parent compound Bi2Se3 is found to exhibit a transport spin-polarization of about 63% whereas crystals with 10% Mn doping show transport spin-polarization of about 48%. This suppression is accompanied by an increasing ferromagnetic order of the crystals with Mn doping. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy shows that the topological protection of the surface states reduce due to Mn doping. The net measured transport spin-polarization is due to a competition of this effect with the increased magnetization on Mn doping. The present results provide important insights for the choice of magnetic topological insulators for spintronic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Low-energy excitations and non-BCS superconductivity in Nb$_x$-Bi$_2$Se$_3$

When certain elemental metals like Cu, Sr and Nb are intercalated between the layers of Bi$_2$Se$_3$, a topological insulator, the intercalated systems superconduct with critical temperatures around 3 K. Naturally, in all these cases, the possibility of topological superconductivity was suggested and explored. However, in cases of Cu and Sr intercalated systems, the low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments revealed fully formed gaps where no signature of low-energy states, a requisite for topological superconductivity, was found. Here, through STM spectroscopy down to 400 mK we show that in Nb$_x$-Bi$_2$Se$_3$ ($x$ = 0.25), the spectra deviate from a BCS-like behavior and the spectral weight at low-bias is large. Our observations are consistent with the idea that the order parameter of Nb$_x$-Bi$_2$Se$_3$ is nodal. Therefore, our results conclude that compared to other members of the family, Nb$_x$-Bi$_2$Se$_3$ has a stronger possibility of being a topological superconductor.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Mixed type I and type II superconductivity due to intrinsic electronic inhomogeneities in the type II Dirac semimetal PdTe2

The type II Dirac semimetal PdTe$_2$ is unique in the family of topological parent materials because it displays a superconducting ground state below 1.7 K. Despite wide speculations on the possibility of an unconventional topological superconducting phase, tunneling and heat capacity measurements revealed that the superconducting phase of PdTe$_2$ follows predictions of the microscopic theory of Bardeen, Cooper and Shriefer (BCS) for conventional superconductors. The superconducting phase in PdTe$_2$ is further interesting because it also displays properties that are characteristics of type-I superconductors and are generally unexpected for binary compounds. Here, from scanning tunneling spectroscopic measurements we show that the surface of PdTe$_2$ displays intrinsic electronic inhomegenities in the normal state which leads to a mixed type I and type II superconducting behaviour along with a spatial distribution of critical fields in the superconducting state. Understanding of the origin of such inhomogeneities may be important for understanding the topological properties of PdTe$_2$ in the normal state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Conventional Superconductivity in Type II Dirac Semimetal PdTe$_2$

The transition metal dichalcogenide PdTe$_2$ was recently shown to be a unique system where a type II Dirac semimetallic phase and a superconducting phase co-exist. This observation has led to wide speculation on the possibility of the emergence of an unconventional topological superconducting phase in PdTe$_2$. Here, through direct measurement of the superconducting energy gap by scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), and temperature and magnetic field evolution of the same, we show that the superconducting phase in PdTe$_2$ is conventional in nature. The superconducting energy gap is measured to be 326 $μ$eV at 0.38 K and it follows a temperature dependence that is well described within the framework of Bardeen-Cooper-Schriefer's (BCS) theory of conventional superconductivity. This is surprising because our quantum oscillation measurements confirm that at least one of the bands participating in transport has topologically non-trivial character.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Discovery of highly spin-polarized conducting surface states in the strong spin-orbit coupling semiconductor Sb$_2$Se$_3$

Majority of the A$_2$B$_3$ type chalcogenide systems with strong spin-orbit coupling, like Bi$_2$Se$_3$, Bi$_2$Te$_3$ and Sb$_2$Te$_3$ etc., are topological insulators. One important exception is Sb$_2$Se$_3$, where a topological non-trivial phase was argued to be possible under ambient conditions, but such a phase could be detected to exist only under pressure. In this Letter, we show that like Bi$_2$Se$_3$, Sb$_2$Se$_3$, displays generation of highly spin-polarized current under mesoscopic superconducting point contacts as measured by point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy. In addition, we observe a large negative and anisotropic magnetoresistance in Sb$_2$Se$_3$, when the field is rotated in the basal plane. However, unlike in Bi$_2$Se$_3$, in case of Sb$_2$Se$_3$ a prominent quasiparticle interference (QPI) pattern around the defects could be obtained in STM conductance imaging. Thus, our experiments indicate that Sb$_2$Se$_3$ is a regular band insulator under ambient conditions, but due to it's high spin-orbit coupling, non-trivial spin-texture exists on the surface and the system could be on the verge of a topological insulator phase.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Giant Enhancement of Superconductivity in Zr Point Contacts

For certain complex superconducting systems, the superconducting properties get enhanced under mesoscopic point contacts made of elemental non-superconducting metals. However, understanding of the mechanism through which such contact induced local enhancement of superconductivity happens has been limited due to the complex nature of such compounds. In this paper we present giant enhancement of superconducting transition temperature (T$_c$) and superconducting energy gap ($Δ$) in a simple elemental superconductor Zr. While bulk Zr shows a critical temperature around 0.6\,K, superconductivity survives at Ag/Zr and Pt/Zr point contacts up to 3\,K with a corresponding five-fold enhancement of $Δ$. From first principles calculations we show that the enhancement in superconducting properties can be attributed to a modification in the electron-phonon coupling accompanied by an enhancement of the density of states which involves the appearance of a new electron band at the Ag/Zr interfaces.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Enhanced zero-bias conductance peak and splitting at mesoscopic interfaces between an $s$-wave superconductor and a 3D Dirac semimetal

Mesoscopic point contacts between elemental metals and the topological 3D Dirac semimetal Cd$_3$As$_2$ have been recently shown to be superconducting with unconventional pairing while Cd$_3$As$_2$ itself does not superconduct. Here we show that the same superconducting phase at mesoscopic interfaces on Cd$_3$As$_2$ can be induced with a known conventional superconductor Nb where a pronounced zero-bias conductance peak is observed which undergoes splitting in energy under certain conditions. The observations are consistent with the theory of the emergence of Andreev bound states (ABS) due to the presence of a pair potential with broken time reversal symmetry. The data also indicate the possibility of Majorana bound states as expected at the interfaces between $s$-wave superconductors and topologically non-trivial materials with high degree of spin-orbit coupling.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Mesoscopic superconductivity and high spin polarization coexisting at metallic point contacts on the Weyl semimetal TaAs

A Weyl semimetal is a topologically non-trivial phase of matter that hosts mass-less Weyl fermions, the particles that remained elusive for more than 80 years since their theoretical discovery. The Weyl semimetals exhibit unique transport and magneto-transport properties and remarkably high surface spin polarization. Here we show that a unique mesoscopic superconducting phase with a critical temperature up to 7 K can be realized by forming metallic point contacts with silver (Ag) on single crystals of TaAs, while neither Ag nor TaAs are superconductors. The Andreev reflection spectra obtained from such point contacts are fitted well within a modified Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) model with a superconducting energy gap up to 1.2 meV. The analysis within this model also reveals high transport spin polarization up to 60\% indicating a spin polarized supercurrent flowing through the point contacts on TaAs. Such point contacts also show a large anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) originating from the spin polarized current. Therefore, apart from the discovery of a novel mesoscopic superconducting phase and it's coexistence with a large spin polarization, our results also show that the point contacts on Weyl semimetals are potentially important for applications in spintronics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Unexpected superconductivity at nanoscale junctions made on the topological crystalline insulator Pb$_{0.6}$Sn$_{0.4}$Te

Discovery of exotic phases of matter from the topologically non-trivial systems not only makes the research on topological materials more interesting but also enriches our understanding of the fascinating physics of such materials. Pb$_{0.6}$Sn$_{0.4}$Te was recently shown to be a topological crystalline insulator. Here we show that by forming a mesoscopic point-contact using a normal non-superconducting elemental metal on the surface of Pb$_{0.6}$Sn$_{0.4}$Te a novel superconducting phase is created locally in a confined region under the point-contact. This happens while the bulk of the sample remains to be non-superconducting and the superconducting phase emerges as a nano-droplet under the point-contact. The superconducting phase shows a high transition temperature $T_c$ that varies for different point-contacts and falls in a range between 3.7 K and 6.5 K. Therefore, this Letter presents the discovery of a new superconducting phase on the surface of a topological crystalline insulator and the discovery is expected to shed light on the mechanism of induced superconductivity in topologically non-trivial systems in general.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Evidence of a pseudogap driven by competing orders of multi-band origin in the ferromagnetic superconductor Sr$_{0.5}$Ce$_{0.5}$FBiS$_2$

From temperature and magnetic field dependent point-contact spectroscopy on the ferromagnetic superconductor Sr$_{0.5}$Ce$_{0.5}$FBiS$_2$ (bulk superconducting $T_c$ = 2.5 K) we observe (a) a pseudogap in the normal state that sustains to a remarkably high temperature of 40 K and (b) two-fold enhancement of $T_c$ upto 5 K in the point-contact geometry. In addition, Andreev reflection spectroscopy reveals a superconducting gap of 6 meV for certain point-contacts suggesting that the mean field $T_c$ of this system could be approximately 40 K, the onset temperature of pseudo-gap. Our results suggest that quantum fluctuations originating from other competing orders in Sr$_{0.5}$Ce$_{0.5}$FBiS$_2$ forbid a global phase coherence at high temperatures thereby suppressing $T_c$. Apart from the known ordering to a ferromagnetic state, our first-principles calculations reveal nesting of a multi-band Fermi surface and a significant electron-phonon coupling that could result in charge density wave-like instabilities.

cond-mat.supr-con↗