arXiv subjects

Takao Sasagawa

Publications and source records attributed to Takao Sasagawa.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Unusual Superconducting Proximity Effect in Magnetically Doped Topological Josephson Junctions

The transport properties of a topological Josephson junction fabricated from a magnetically doped topological insulator (TI) were investigated. The conductance spectra of the Nb/Fe-Bi$_2$Te$_2$Se/Nb junction below 1 K showed an unusual trident-shaped zero-bias conductance peak with a tiny peak width of $\sim$ 6 $μ$V. The central peak of the trident peak presents the dc-Josephson current, and the side peaks may reflect an induced unconventional Cooper pairing. Additionally, the critical currents followed inverse to temperature, which may also reflect the presence of an unconventional proximity effect. Furthermore, microwave irradiation derived a drastic change in the conductance spectra from the peak structure into oscillatory ones, a hallmark of the ac-Josephson supercurrent. The current-phase relation of the ac-Josephson effect under high power radiofrequency-irradiation was found to be 4$π$-periodic. The results suggest that the junction based on magnetically doped 3D TIs may realize an unconventional Cooper pairing, thus enabling access to the basic physics of Majorana bound states and unconventional superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Deep-Learning-Based Image Segmentation Integrated with Optical Microscopy for Automatically Searching for Two-Dimensional Materials

Deep-learning algorithms enable precise image recognition based on high-dimensional hierarchical image features. Here, we report the development and implementation of a deep-learning-based image segmentation algorithm in an autonomous robotic system to search for two-dimensional (2D) materials. We trained the neural network based on Mask-RCNN on annotated optical microscope images of 2D materials (graphene, hBN, MoS2, and WTe2). The inference algorithm is run on a 1024 x 1024 px2 optical microscope images for 200 ms, enabling the real-time detection of 2D materials. The detection process is robust against changes in the microscopy conditions, such as illumination and color balance, which obviates the parameter-tuning process required for conventional rule-based detection algorithms. Integrating the algorithm with a motorized optical microscope enables the automated searching and cataloging of 2D materials. This development will allow researchers to utilize unlimited amounts of 2D materials simply by exfoliating and running the automated searching process.

eess.IV↗

arXiv2019

Pressure-induced topological phase transition in noncentrosymmetric elemental Tellurium

Recent progress in understanding the electronic band topology and emergent topological properties encourage us to reconsider the band structure of well-known materials including elemental substances. Controlling such a band topology by external field is of particular interest from both fundamental and technological view point. Here we report the pressure-induced topological phase transition from a semiconductor to a Weyl semimetal in elemental tellurium probed by transport measurements. Pressure variation of the periods of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, as well as oscillations phases, shows an anomaly around the pressure theoretically predicted for topological phase transition. This behavior can be well understood by the pressure-induced band deformation and resultant band crossing effect. Moreover, effective cyclotron mass is reduced toward the critical pressure, potentially reflecting the emergence of massless linear dispersion. The present result paves the way for studying the electronic band topology in well-known compounds and topological phase transition by the external field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Quantitative Comparison between Electronic Raman Scattering and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectra in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ Superconductors: Doping Dependence of Nodal and Antinodal Superconducting Gaps

Both electronic Raman scattering (ERS) and angle-resolved photoemission spectra (ARPES) revealed two energy scales for the gap in different momentum spaces in the cuprates. However, the interpretations were different, and the gap values were also different in two experiments. In order to clarify the origin of these discrepancies, we directly compared ERS and ARPES by calculating ERS from the experimental data of ARPES through the Kubo formula. The calculated ERS spectra were in good agreement with the experimental results except for the B$_{1g}$ peak energies. The doping-dependent B$_{2g}$ peak energy was well reproduced from a doping-independent d-wave gap deduced from ARPES, by assuming a particular spectral weight distribution along the Fermi surface. The B$_{1g}$ peak energies could not be reproduced by the ARPES data. The difference between B$_{1g}$ ERS and antinodal ARPES became larger with underdoping, which implies that the effect of the pseudogap is different in these two techniques.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Local Magnetic States of the Weakly Ferromagnetic Iron-Based Superconductor Sr$_2$VFeAsO$_{3-δ}$ Studied by X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism

We have performed x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements on the iron-based superconductor Sr$_2$VFeAsO$_{3-δ}$ to study the origin of weak ferromagnetism (WFM) reported for this compound. While Fe 3$d$ electrons show a magnetic response similar to the other iron pnictides, signals from V 3$d$ electrons remain finite at zero magnetic field and may be responsible for the WFM.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Decomposition of La2-xSrxCuO4 into Several La2O3 Phases at Elevated Temperatures in Ultra-High Vacuum inside a Transmission Electron Microscope

We report the decomposition of La2-xSrxCuO4 into La2O3 and Cu nanoparticles in ultra-high vacuum, observed by in-situ heating experiments in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The analysis of electron diffraction data reveals that the phase decomposition process starts at about 150 °C and is considerably expedited in the temperature range of 350-450 °C. Two major resultant solid phases are identified as metallic Cu and La2O3 by electron diffraction, simulation, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) analyses. With the aid of calculations, La2O3 phases are further identified to be derivatives of a fluorite structure - fluorite, pyrochlore, and (distorted) bixbyite - characterized by different oxygen-vacancy order. Additionally, the bulk plasmon energy and the fine structures of the O K and La M4,5 EELS edges are reported for these structures, along with simulated O K X-ray absorption near-edge structure. The resultant Cu nanoparticles and La2O3 phases remain unchanged after cooling to room temperature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Terahertz radiation by subpicosecond spin-polarized photocurrent originating from Dirac electrons in a Rashba-type polar semiconductor

The spin-splitting energy bands induced by the relativistic spin-orbit interaction in solids provide a new opportunity to manipulate the spin-polarized electrons on the sub-picosecond time scale. Here, we report one such example in a bulk Rashba-type polar semiconductor BiTeBr. Strong terahertz electromagnetic waves are emitted after the resonant excitation of the interband transition between the Rashba-type spin-splitting energy bands with a femtosecond laser pulse circularly polarized. The phase of the emitted terahertz waves is reversed by switching the circular polarization. This suggests that the observed terahertz radiation originates from the subpicosecond spin-polarized photocurrents, which are generated by the asymmetric depopulation of the Dirac state. Our result provides a new way for the current-induced terahertz radiation and its phase control by the circular polarization of incident light without external electric fields.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Femtosecond study of A1g phonons in the strong 3D topological insulators: From pump-probe to coherent control

Fully symmetric A1g phonons are expected to play a dominant role in electron scattering in strong topological insulators (TIs), thus limiting the ballistic transport of future electronic devices. Here, we report on femtosecond time-resolved observation of a pair of A1g coherent phonons and their optical control in two strong 3D TIs, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3, by using a second pump pulse in ultrafast spectroscopy measurements. Along with well-defined phonon properties such as frequency and lifetime, an obvious phonon chirp has been observed, implying a strong coupling between photo-carriers and lattices. The coherent phonon manipulation, on the other hand, allows us to change the phonon amplitude selectively but does not affect either the frequency or coherence lifetime of the chosen mode.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Ultrafast Dynamics of Vibrational Symmetry Breaking in a Charge-ordered Nickelate

The ability to probe symmetry breaking transitions on their natural time scales is one of the key challenges in nonequilibrium physics. Stripe ordering represents an intriguing type of broken symmetry, where complex interactions result in atomic-scale lines of charge and spin density. Although phonon anomalies and periodic distortions attest the importance of electron-phonon coupling in the formation of stripe phases, a direct time-domain view of vibrational symmetry breaking is lacking. We report experiments that track the transient multi-THz response of the model stripe compound La$_{1.75}$Sr$_{0.25}$NiO$_{4}$, yielding novel insight into its electronic and structural dynamics following an ultrafast optical quench. We find that although electronic carriers are immediately delocalized, the crystal symmetry remains initially frozen - as witnessed by time-delayed suppression of zone-folded Ni-O bending modes acting as a fingerprint of lattice symmetry. Longitudinal and transverse vibrations react with different speeds, indicating a strong directionality and an important role of polar interactions. The hidden complexity of electronic and structural coupling during stripe melting and formation, captured here within a single terahertz spectrum, opens new paths to understanding symmetry breaking dynamics in solids.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Emergence of superconductivity in the cuprates via a universal percolation process

A pivotal step toward understanding unconventional superconductors would be to decipher how superconductivity emerges from the unusual normal state upon cooling. In the cuprates, traces of superconducting pairing appear above the macroscopic transition temperature $T_c$, yet extensive investigation has led to disparate conclusions. The main difficulty has been the separation of superconducting contributions from complex normal state behaviour. Here we avoid this problem by measuring the nonlinear conductivity, an observable that is zero in the normal state. We uncover for several representative cuprates that the nonlinear conductivity vanishes exponentially above $T_c$, both with temperature and magnetic field, and exhibits temperature-scaling characterized by a nearly universal scale $T_0$. Attempts to model the response with the frequently evoked Ginzburg-Landau theory are unsuccessful. Instead, our findings are captured by a simple percolation model that can also explain other properties of the cuprates. We thus resolve a long-standing conundrum by showing that the emergence of superconductivity in the cuprates is dominated by their inherent inhomogeneity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Pressure-induced topological phase transition in polar semiconductor BiTeBr

We performed X-ray diffraction and electrical resistivity measurement up to pressures of 5 GPa and the first-principles calculations utilizing experimental structural parameters to investigate the pressure-induced topological phase transition in BiTeBr having a noncentrosymmetric layered structure (space group P3m1). The P3m1 structure remains stable up to pressures of 5 GPa; the ratio of lattice constants, c/a, has a minimum at pressures of 2.5 - 3 GPa. In the same range, the temperature dependence of resistivity changes from metallic to semiconducting at 3 GPa and has a plateau region between 50 and 150 K in the semiconducting state. Meanwhile, the pressure variation of band structure shows that the bulk band-gap energy closes at 2.9 GPa and re-opens at higher pressures. Furthermore, according to the Wilson loop analysis, the topological nature of electronic states in noncentrosymmetric BiTeBr at 0 and 5 GPa are explicitly revealed to be trivial and non-trivial, respectively. These results strongly suggest that pressure-induced topological phase transition in BiTeBr occurs at the pressures of 2.9 GPa.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Direct spectroscopic evidence for phase competition between the pseudogap and superconductivity in Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$

In the high-temperature ($T_{c}$) cuprate superconductors, increasing evidence suggests that the pseudogap, existing below the pseudogap temperature $T$*, has a distinct broken electronic symmetry from that of superconductivity. Particularly, recent scattering experiments on the underdoped cuprates have suggested that a charge ordering competes with superconductivity. However, no direct link of this physics and the important low-energy excitations has been identified. Here we report an antagonistic singularity at $T_{c}$ in the spectral weight of Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$ as a compelling evidence for phase competition, which persists up to a high hole concentration $p$ ~ 0.22. Comparison with a theoretical calculation confirms that the singularity is a signature of competition between the order parameters for the pseudogap and superconductivity. The observation of the spectroscopic singularity at finite temperatures over a wide doping range provides new insights into the nature of the competitive interplay between the two intertwined phases and the complex phase diagram near the pseudogap critical point.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Crystal growth and electronic properties of a 3D Rashba material, BiTeI, with adjusted carrier concentrations

3D Rashba materials can be a leading player in spin-related novel phenomena, ranging from the metallic extreme (unconventional superconductivity) to the transport intermediate (spin Hall effects) to the novel insulating variant (3D topological insulating states). As the essential backbone for both fundamental and applied research of such a 3D Rashba material, this study established the growth of sizeable single crystals of a candidate compound BiTeI with adjusted carrier concentrations. Three techniques (standard vertical Bridgman, modified horizontal Bridgman, and vapour transport) were employed, and BiTeI crystals (> 1 * 1 * 0.2 mm3) with fundamentally different electronic states from metallic to insulating were successfully grown by the chosen techniques. The 3D Rashba electronic states, including the Fermi surface topology, for the corresponding carrier concentrations of the obtained BiTeI crystals were revealed by relativistic first-principles calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Suppression of geometrical barrier in $Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+δ}$ crystals by Josephson vortex stacks

Differential magneto-optics are used to study the effect of dc in-plane magnetic field on hysteretic behavior due to geometrical barriers in $Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+δ}$ crystals. In absence of in-plane field a vortex dome is visualized in the sample center surrounded by barrier-dominated flux-free regions. With in-plane field, stacks of Josephson vortices form vortex chains which are surprisingly found to protrude out of the dome into the vortex-free regions. The chains are imaged to extend up to the sample edges, thus providing easy channels for vortex entry and for drain of the dome through geometrical barrier, suppressing the magnetic hysteresis. Reduction of the vortex energy due to crossing with Josephson vortices is evaluated to be about two orders of magnitude too small to account for the formation of the protruding chains. We present a model and numerical calculations that qualitatively describe the observed phenomena by taking into account the demagnetization effects in which flux expulsion from the pristine regions results in vortex focusing and in the chain protrusion. Comparative measurements on a sample with narrow etched grooves provide further support to the proposed model.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Energy gaps in the failed high-Tc superconductor La1.875Ba0.125CuO4

A central issue on high-Tc superconductivity is the nature of the normal-state gap (pseudogap) in the underdoped regime and its relationship with superconductivity. Despite persistent efforts, theoretical ideas for the pseudogap evolve around fluctuating superconductivity, competing order and spectral weight suppression due to many-body effects. Recently, while some experiments in the superconducting state indicate a distinction between the superconducting gap and pseudogap, others in the normal state, either by extrapolation from high-temperature data or directly from La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 (LBCO-1/8) at low temperature, suggest the ground-state pseudogap is a single gap of d-wave form. Here we report angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) data from LBCO-1/8, collected with improved experimental conditions, that reveal the ground-state pseudogap has a pronounced deviation from the simple d-wave form. It contains two distinct components: a d-wave component within an extended region around the node and the other abruptly enhanced close to the antinode, pointing to a dual nature of the pseudogap in this failed high-Tc superconductor which involves a possible precursor pairing energy scale around the node and another of different but unknown origin near the antinode.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Flux line lattice state versus magnetism in electron-doped cuprate superconductor Sr_{1-x}La_{x}CuO_{2}

The microscopic details of flux line lattice state studied by muon spin rotation is reported in an electron-doped high-$T_{\rm c}$ cuprate superconductor, Sr$_{1-x}$La$_{x}$CuO$_{2}$ (SLCO, $x=0.10$--0.15). A clear sign of phase separation between magnetic and non-magnetic phases is observed, where the effective magnetic penetration depth [$λ\equivλ(T,H)$] is determined selectively for the latter phase. The extremely small value of $λ(0,0)$ %versus $T_{\rm c}$ and corresponding large superfluid density ($n_s \propto λ^{-2}$) is consistent with presence of a large Fermi surface with carrier density of $1+x$, which suggests the breakdown of the "doped Mott insulator" even at the "optimal doping" in SLCO. Moreover, a relatively weak anisotropy in the superconducting order parameter is suggested by the field dependence of $λ(0,H)$. These observations strongly suggest that the superconductivity in SLCO is of a different class from hole-doped cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2006

Absence of long-ranged charge order in $\rm Na_{x}Ca_{2-x}CuO_{2}Cl_{2}$ at x=0.08

A periodic $4a \times 4a$ density of states (DOS) modulation (a "checkerboard pattern") was observed with STM in $\rm Na_{x}Ca_{2-x}CuO_2Cl_2$ (NCCOC) [T. Hanaguri \emph{et al.}, Nature \textbf{430}, 1001 (2004)]. Its periodicity is the same as that of the "stripe" charge order observed with neutron scattering in $\rm La_{1.875}Ba_{0.125}CuO_4$ (LBCO) [J. M. Tranquada \emph{et al.}, Nature \textbf{429}, 534 (2004)] and $\rm La_{1.48}Nd_{0.4}Sr_{0.12}CuO_4$ (LNSCO) [J. M. Tranquada \emph{et al.}, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{54}, 7489 (1996)]. An obvious question is whether the "stripes" are actually "checkers". Unfortunately, because NCCOC samples are small and LBCO samples do not cleave, neutron and STM measurements cannot be carried out on the same system. To determine the relationship between stripes and checkers we used resonant soft x-ray scattering (RSXS), previously applied to LBCO [P. Abbamonte \emph{et al.}, Nature Physics \textbf{1}, 155 (2005)], to study single crystals of NCCOC. No evidence was seen for a $4a \times 4a$ DOS modulation, indicating that the checkerboard effect is not directly related to the stripe modulation in LBCO. Our measurements suggest either glassy electronic behavior or the existence of a surface-nucleated phase transition in NCCOC [S. E. Brown \emph{et al.}, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{71}, 224512 (2005)].

cond-mat.str-el↗