arXiv subjects

Shichong Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Shichong Wang.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Decoupled interband pairing in a bilayer iron-based superconductor evidenced by ultrahigh-resolution ARPES

We present direct experimental evidence of a weakly coupled multiband superconducting state in the bilayer iron-based superconductor ACa$_2$Fe$_4$As$_4$F$_2$ (A = K, Cs) via ultrahigh-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Remarkably, the K-containing compound exhibits two distinct transition temperatures, corresponding to two separate sets of bilayer-split bands, as evidenced by temperature-dependent superconducting gap and spectral weight near the Fermi energy, while its Cs counterpart displays conventional single transition behavior. These experimental observations are well described by the weakly coupled two-band model of Eilenberger theory, which identifies suppressed interband pairing interactions between the bilayer-split bands as the key mechanism. By exploring quantum phenomena in the weak-coupling limit within a multiband system, our findings pave the way for engineering exotic superconductivity via band-selective pairing control.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Resolving Phonons in Superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ at Sub-Unit-Cell Resolution

The role of phonons in cuprates remains controversial, with their complex lattice structure complicating the investigation. Here, we identify phonon modes originating from charge reservoir and superconducting layers of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ using sub-unit-cell resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope. We reveal several phonon modes exhibiting layer-specific localization: ~78 meV in-plane modes localized in the CuO2 planes, ~42 meV hybrid (in-plane and out-of-plane) modes in the CuO2 planes, and ~38 meV hybrid modes in the BiO layers. We also observe a periodic modulation of phonon frequencies induced by the superstructure, spatially correlating with the superconducting gap variation. Our findings offer new insights into the electron-phonon coupling in cuprates, fostering deeper exploration of the microscopic linkage between lattice dynamics and superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Fluctuated lattice-driven charge density wave far above the condensation temperature in kagome superconductor KV$_3$Sb$_5$

The kagome material AV$_3$Sb$_5$ exhibits multiple exotic orders, including an unconventional charge density wave (CDW). Elucidating the underlying mechanism behind the CDW transition is crucial for unraveling the complex interactions among these phases. However, the driving force of the CDW remains a topic of debate due to the intertwined interactions among the system's various excitations. Here we investigated the CDW transition in KV$_3$Sb$_5$ by isolating the ultrafast electronic phase transition using time- and angleresolved photoemission spectroscopy. An ultrafast electronic phase transition was observed at a critical photoexcitation fluence, F$_c$, without reduction in CDW lattice-distortion-induced band folding. This folded band persisted up to 150 K under equilibrium heating, well above the CDW condensation temperature of T$_c$ = 78 K. Notably, the pump-induced band shifts at F$_c$ were comparable to those caused by thermal effects at T$_c$. These findings suggest that in KV$_3$Sb$_5$, a fluctuating lattice-driven in-plane CDW emerges above 150 K, with out-of-plane electronic correlations leading to the $2\times2 \times 2$ CDW near T$_c$, offering key insights into the interplay between the electronic and structural dynamics in AV$_3$Sb$_5$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Identification of metastable lattice distortion free charge density wave at photoinduced interface via TRARPES

The interplay between different degrees of freedom governs the emergence of correlated electronic states in quantum materials, with charge density waves (CDW) often coexisting with other exotic phases. Under thermal equilibrium, traditional CDW states are consequentially accompanied by structural phase transitions. In contrast, ultrafast photoexcitation allows access to exotic states where a single degree of freedom dominates in the time domain, enabling the study of underlying physics without interference. Here, we report the realization of a long-lived metastable CDW state without lattice distortion at the photoinduced interfaces in GdTe3 using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. After optical excitation above the CDW melting threshold, we identified emerged metastable interfaces through inverting the CDW-coupled lattice distortions, with lifetimes on the order of 10 picoseconds. These photoinduced interfaces represent a novel CDW state lacking the usual amplitude mode and lattice distortions, allowing quantification of the dominant role of electronic instabilities in CDW order. This work provides a new approach to disentangling electronic instabilities from electron-phonon coupling using a nonequilibrium method.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Optical manipulation of the topological phase in ZrTe5 revealed by time- and angle-resolved photoemission

High-resolution time- and angle-resolved photoemission measurements were conducted on the topological insulator ZrTe5. With strong femtosecond photoexcitation, a possible ultrafast phase transition from a weak to a strong topological insulating phase was experimentally realized by recovering the energy gap inversion in a time scale that was shorter than 0.15 ps. This photoinduced transient strong topological phase can last longer than 2 ps at the highest excitation fluence studied, and it cannot be attributed to the photoinduced heating of electrons or modification of the conduction band filling. Additionally, the measured unoccupied electronic states are consistent with the first-principles calculation based on experimental crystal lattice constants, which favor a strong topological insulating phase. These findings provide new insights into the longstanding controversy about the strong and weak topological properties in ZrTe5, and they suggest that many-body effects including electron-electron interactions must be taken into account to understand the equilibrium weak topological insulating phase in ZrTe5.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Ultrafast Switching from the Charge Density Wave Phase to a Metastable Metallic State in 1T-TiSe$_2$

The ultrafast electronic structures of the charge density wave material 1T-TiSe$_2$ were investigated by high-resolution time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We found that the quasiparticle populations drove ultrafast electronic phase transitions in 1T-TiSe$_2$ within 100 fs after photoexcitation, and a metastable metallic state, which was significantly different from the equilibrium normal phase, was evidenced far below the charge density wave transition temperature. Detailed time- and pump-fluence-dependent experiments revealed that the photoinduced metastable metallic state was a result of the halted motion of the atoms through the coherent electron-phonon coupling process, and the lifetime of this state was prolonged to picoseconds with the highest pump fluence used in this study. Ultrafast electronic dynamics were well captured by the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model. Our work demonstrates a mechanism for realizing novel electronic states by photoinducing coherent motion of atoms in the lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

A sample-position-autocorrection system with precision better than 1 \um~in angle-resolved photoemission experiments

We present the development of a high-precision sample-position-autocorrection system for photoemission experiments. A binocular vision method based on image pattern matching calculations was realized to track the sample position with an accuracy better than 1 \um, which was much smaller than the spot size of the incident laser. We illustrate the performance of the sample-position-autocorrection system with representative photoemission data on the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ and an optimally-doped cuprate superconductor \Bi. Our method provides new possibilities for studying the temperature-dependent electronic structures in quantum materials by laser-based or spatially resolved photoemission systems with high precision and efficiency.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Anomalous contribution to the nematic electronic states from the structural transition in FeSe revealed by time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

High-resolution time- and angle-resolved photoemission measurements were made on FeSe superconductors. With ultrafast photoexcitation, two critical excitation fluences that correspond to two ultrafast electronic phase transitions were found only in the $d_{yz}$-orbit-derived band near the Brillouin-zone center within our time and energy resolution. Upon comparison to the detailed temperature dependent measurements, we conclude that there are two equilibrium electronic phase transitions (at approximately 90 and 120 K) above the superconducting transition temperature, and an anomalous contribution on the scale of 10 meV to the nematic states from the structural transition is experimentally determined. Our observations strongly suggest that the electronic phase transition at 120 K must be taken into account in the energy band development of FeSe, and, furthermore, the contribution of the structural transition plays an important role in the nematic phase of iron-based high-temperature superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Unusual band splitting and superconducting gap evolution with sulfur substitution in FeSe

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements were taken on FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_x$ (x=0, 0.04, and 0.08) superconductors. With an ultrahigh energy resolution of 0.4 meV, unusual two hole bands near the Brillouin-zone center, which was possibly a result of additional symmetry breaking, were identified in all the sulfur-substituted samples. In addition, in both of the hole bands highly anisotropic superconducting gaps with resolution limited nodes were evidenced. We find that the larger superconducting gap on the outer hole band is reduced linearly to the nematic transition temperature while the gap on the inner hole is nearly S-substitution independent. Our observations strongly suggest that the superconducting gap increases with enhanced nematicity although the superconducting transition temperature is not only governed by the pairing strength, demonstrating strong constraints on theories in the FeSe family.

cond-mat.supr-con↗