arXiv subjects

V. P. S. Awana

Publications and source records attributed to V. P. S. Awana.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Ferromagnetic Spin Glass State and Anomalous Hall Effect in Topological Semimetal Candidate Mn2Sb2Te5

Materials that intrinsically possess both magnetism and topological states represent a key frontier of quantum materials research. Recently, Mn2(Bi/Sb)2Te5 has emerged as a promising candidate for hosting topological surface states coupled with intrinsic magnetic order, making it a potential magnetic Weyl semimetal. In this study, we investigate the magnetic and transport properties of Mn2Sb2Te5 single crystals. The magnetization measurements reveal a spin glass state with field-induced ferromagnetism. Although heat capacity measurement indicates the absence of long-range order, the intrinsic magnetization in Mn2Sb2Te5 significantly affects its electrical properties, as demonstrated by the anomalous Hall effect. This work provides valuable insights into the magnetism and the electronic properties of Mn2Sb2Te5, establishing Mn2(Bi/Sb)2Te5 system as a compelling platform for exploring the interplay between magnetism and non-trivial band topology, enabling emergent quantum phases and novel transport responses not accessible in non-magnetic systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Field driven Metal-Insulator transition in rhombohedral Bismuth and Arsenic crystals

The metal to insulator (MIT) transition is accompanied by huge changes in physical responses by the control and tuning of experimental parameters like doping, pressure, chemical composition, and magnetic field. Here, we study the magnetic field-driven MIT for two pnictides in their elemental form, namely Arsenic and Bismuth. At low temperatures, Bismuth shows an unusual behaviour of a re-entrant IMT at high fields in addition to a higher temperature MIT at smaller fields. However, Arsenic shows the commonly observed single MIT. The Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) oscillations are observed for both As and Bi below 10 K. Giant magneto-resistance of the order of ~105 (MR%) is observed for both crystals at 2 K and 14 Tesla transverse magnetic field. The unusual Kohler scaling behaviour of MR at low temperature indicate the presence of increased carrier density attributed to the melting of excitons. Based on a microscopic model, the microscopic processes underpinning the unusual features of a field-driven MIT and re-entrant IMT, along with the relevance of both excitonic and Bose metal correlations near these incipient instabilities, are qualitatively described in the framework of field-driven excitonic condensate and Das-Doniach preformed pair scenarios in one single picture.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Crystal Growth & Physical Property Characterization of Mixed Topological Insulator BiSbTe$_3$

This article reports the synthesis of a single crystalline mixed topological insulator (TI) BiSbTe$_3$ and its detailed structural and magneto-transport properties. The single crystalline samples of BiSbTe$_3$ are grown by the melt-growth process and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and Raman spectroscopy. The single crystal XRD peaks dictated the growth direction along the c-axis. The Raman spectrum elucidated the characteristic peaks of the mixed topological insulator. The broadening of Raman peaks exhibited the formation of Te-Bi-Te and Te-Sb-Te bonds and associated vibrational modes. The single crystals are characterized by magneto-transport measurements down to 2 K and up to 14 Tesla transverse magnetic field. The residual resistance ratio (R200 K/R0 K) is found to be 3.64, which endorses the metallic nature of the synthesized crystal. The relative resistance turns out to be higher for the mixed TI than the pure TIs i.e., Bi$_2$Te$_3$ or Sb$_2$Te$_3$. The lower Debye temperature (82.64 K) of BiSbTe$_3$ connotes the presence of effective electron-phonon interaction at quite low temperatures in comparison to pure TI, which explains the observed suppression in magnetoresistance (MR) for the mixed TI. At 2 K, an MR of 150 percent is observed for BiSbTe$_3$, which is suppressed in contrast to the pure TIs i.e., Bi$_2$Te$_3$ or Sb$_2$Te$_3$. Though the MR% is suppressed significantly, its non-saturating linear behavior indicates the topological nature of the studied mixed TI. The modified Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka (HLN) equation analysis of magneto-conductivity of mixed TI revealed that the conductivity has not only a surface states driven 2D component but also contributions from the bulk charge carriers and quantum scattering.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Magneto transport and first principle study of strong topological insulator gray Arsenic

This article reports the synthesis of a single crystalline gray Arsenic (As) via the Bismuth flux method. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed the single phase of the grown crystal, which crystallized in the rhombohedral structure with the space group R3m. The sharp XRD peaks observed on mechanically exfoliated thin flakes of the same ensured high crystallinity of the same with growth direction along the c-axis. The resistivity measurements illustrated its metallic nature throughout, right from 300K down to 2K. The measured residual resistivity ratio of the sample is 180, which endorses the high metallic nature of the as-synthesized As single crystal. The transverse magnetic field-dependent resistivity (RH) measurements elucidated huge magneto-resistance (MR) at 2K and 14Tesla transverse magnetic fields. Also seen are the SDH oscillations, indicating the presence of topological surface states. The non-trivial band topology and edge states in As are confirmed by first principle calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Electronic Transport and Fermi Surface Topology of Zintl Phase Compound SrZn2Ge2

We report a comprehensive study on the electronic transport properties of SrZn2Ge2 single crystals. The electrical resistivity of the compound exhibits metallic behavior, following a T^2 dependence below 35 K, consistent with the Fermi liquid behavior. However, a notable deviation is observed from this behavior at lower temperatures as a pronounced resistivity plateau emerges below 10 K. This plateau is remarkably robust, and persists under the magnetic fields of up to 10 T. Both the transverse and longitudinal magnetoresistance exhibit a crossover at critical field B* from weak-field quadratic-like to high-field unsaturated linear field dependence at low temperatures (T \leq 50 K). Possible sources of linear magnetoresistance are discussed based on the Fermi surface topology, classical and quantum transport models. The Hall resistivity data establish SrZn2Ge2 as a multiband system with contributions from both the electrons and holes. The Hall coefficient is observed to decrease with increasing temperature and magnetic field, changing its sign from positive to negative. The negative Hall coefficient observed at low temperatures in high fields and at high temperatures over the entire field range suggests that the highly mobile electron charge carriers dominate the electronic transport. Our first-principles calculations show that nontrivial topological surface states exist in SrZn2Ge2 within the bulk gap along the Gamma-M path. Notably, these surface states extend from the valence to conduction band with their number varying based on the Sr and Ge termination plane. The Fermi surface of the compound exhibits a distinct tetragonal petal-like structure, with one open and several closed surfaces. Overall, these findings offer crucial insights into the mechanisms underlying the electronic transport of the compound.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Normal state magneto transport properties of FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ superconductor: The role of topological surface states

Doped Iron Chalcogenide (FeCh) superconductors are extensively studied in the context of topological superconductivity. However, the evidence of topological surface states in electrical transport measurements of the doped FeCh system is yet warranted. In the present letter, we performed angle-dependent magneto transport measurements on a single crystal of a doped FeCh system, i.e., FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$. A non-saturating linear magnetoresistance (MR) has been observed under the magnetic field up to 14 T in the normal state of FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$. The MR is shown to possess anisotropy, which indicates the presence of topological surface states in FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$. Angle-dependent Magneto-conductivity (MC) at low magnetic fields has been modelled by Hikami Larkin Nagaoka (HLN) formalism, which shows the presence of weak antilocalization (WAL) effect in FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$. The observed WAL effect is found to be 2D in nature through angle-dependent magneto transport measurements. Theoretical calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) are also performed to get more confidence on the presence of topological surface states in FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Investigation of Angle dependent SdH oscillations in Topological Insulator Bismuth

The current article investigated the band structure in the presence and absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC), examined the Z2 invariants, and investigated the detailed angle-dependent magneto-transport of up to 10 T (Tesla) and down to 2 K for the Bismuth crystal. The out-of-plane field-dependent magnetoresistance (MR) is positive and is huge to the order of ~104% at 2 K and 10 T. On the other hand, the longitudinal (in-plane) field-dependent MR is relatively small and is negative. The thermal activation energy is also estimated by using the Boltzmann formula from resistivity vs temperature measurement under applied transverse magnetic fields. The topological nature of Bi is confirmed by Z2 invariant calculation using Density functional theory. PBESol bands show trivial but Hybrid functional (HSE) bands show non-trivial topology being present in Bismuth. This article comprehensively studies the dependence of MR oscillations upon the angle between the applied field and the current. The observed oscillations fade away as the angle is increased. This article is an extension of our previous work on Bismuth [1], in which we conducted a comprehensive analysis of its structural and micro-structural properties along with its transport behavior in an applied transverse magnetic field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Superconductivity at 9 K in Pb-Bi Alloy

In the present work, we report the synthesis of Pb-Bi alloy with enhanced Tc of up to 9K, which is higher than that of Pb. The alloy is synthesized via a solid-state reaction route in the vacuum-encapsulated quartz tube at 7000C in an automated furnace. The synthesized sample is characterized by X-ray Diffraction(XRD) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis(EDAX) for its phase purity and elemental composition. Rietveld refinement of XRD reveals that the end product is a majority hexagonal Pb7Bi3, with minor rhombohedral Bi. The electronic transport measurement shows metallic behavior with the Debye temperature of 108K and a superconductivity transition temperature (Tc) below 9K, which is the maximum to date for any reported Pb-Bi alloy, Pb or Bi at ambient pressure. Partial substitution of Bi at the Pb site may modify the free density of electronic states within the BCS model to attain the optimum Tc, which is higher by around 2K from the reported Tc of Pb. The superconductor phase diagram derived from magneto-transport measurements reveals that the synthesized alloy is a conventional superconductor with an upper critical field (Hc2) of 3.9 Tesla, which lies well within the Pauli paramagnetic limit. The magnetization measurements carried out following ZFC(Zero Field Cool) protocols infer that the synthesized alloy is a bulk superconductor below 9K. The isothermal M-H(Magnetization vs. Field) measurements performed below Tc establish it as a type-II superconductor. The specific heat capacity measurements show that the Pb-Bi alloy is a strongly coupled bulk superconductor below around 9K with possibly two superconducting gaps.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Anisotropy in Electronic and Magneto-transport of 2D superconductor NbSe$_2$

This article reports the successful synthesis of single crystalline two-dimensional thin flakes of NbSe$_2$. The XRD pattern of the grown crystal ensured its crystallization in a single phase with a hexagonal structure. The EDAX endorsed the stoichiometry of the as grown sample. To study the vibrational modes, the Raman spectra were recorded, which exhibited the expected four Raman active modes. The resistance vs temperature measurement showed a well-established superconducting transition (Tc) at 7.3 K. The ZFC (Zero-Field Cooled) & FC (Field Cooled) magnetization curves, as well as the isothermal MH (Magnetization vs. field) measurements, have been performed for both in plane and out-of-plane H directions. Distinct anisotropy is observed in both magnetization and magneto-transport measurements with field direction, leading to different critical fields (Hc). Out-of-plane magneto-transport data hints towards the existence of a filamentary state. The density functional theory (DFT) has been used to study the band structure of NbSe$_2$. Although the bulk band structure confirmed metallic behavior, the same for mono-layers of NbSe$_2$ within the GGA+U framework showed a band gap of 1.17eV. The article addresses the anisotropy in the electronic and magneto-transport of 2D superconductor NbSe$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Aging Effects on Superconducting Properties of BiS2-Based Compounds: First-12-Year Restudy

Decomposition of superconductors sometimes becomes crucial when studying essential physical properties of the superconductors. For example, the cuprate superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-d decomposes by long-time air exposure. In this study, we investigate the aging effects on superconducting properties of BiS2-based superconductors Bi4O4S3 and LaO0.5F0.5BiS2, both were first synthesized in 2012, using their polycrystalline samples synthesized several years ago. We find that 12-year-old Bi4O4S3 samples exhibit bulk superconductivity with a slight degradation of the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of 0.2 K. For a high-pressure-synthesized LaO0.5F0.5BiS2 sample, clear decrease in Tc is observed, which suggests that high-pressure strain is reduced by aging.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Weak Anti-Localization Effect in Topological Ni$_3$In$_2$S$_2$ Single Crystal

Ni$_3$In$_2$S$_2$ is the most recent entrant into the family of topological insulator (TI) materials, the same exhibits very high MR in a low-temperature regime. Here, we report the crystal growth, the structural, micro-structural, and magneto-transport study of Ni$_3$In$_2$S$_2$ down to 2.5K under an applied field of up to 14Tesla. The phase purity and growth direction of a single crystal is studied by performing XRD on both powder and flake and further Rietveld analysis is also carried out. The electrical transport measurements are studied and the grown crystal showed metallic behaviour down to 2.5K, with an R300K/R2K ratio of around 7. A significant variation in magnetoresistance (MR) values is observed as the temperature is increased from 2.5K to 200K under an applied field of up to 14 Tesla. Interestingly the low T (2.5K), MR shows a clear V-type characteristic TI cusp. Magnetoconductivity data at low fields (1Tesla) is fitted with the Hikami Larkin Nagaoka (HLN) model, which showed the presence of a weak anti-localization effect in the synthesized Ni$_3$In$_2$S$_2$ crystal at low temperatures. We have successfully grown near single-phase Ni$_3$In$_2$S$_2$ and its TI behavior is demonstrated by magneto-transport measurements.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Valence band electronic structure of Nb2Pd1.2Se5 and Nb2Pd0.95S5 superconductors

We present a comparative study of our valence band photoemission results on Nb2Pd1.2Se5 and Nb2Pd0.95S5 superconductors which is supported by our DFT based electronic structure calculations. We observe that the VB spectra of both the compounds are qualitatively similar, except slight difference in the binding energy position of all features between the two compounds which could be the result of different electronegativity of Se and S atom. The calculated density of states reveal that the VB features are mainly composed of Pd Se S hybridized states. The nature of DOS originating from the distinctly coordinated Pd atoms is different. Further, the involvement of the various Pd 4d and Nb 4d states in crossing of Fermi level signifies the multiband character of these compounds. In addition, we find a temperature dependent pseudogap in Nb2Pd0.95S5 which is absent in Nb2Pd1.2Se5.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Valence band electronic structure of Pd based ternary chalcogenide superconductors

We present a comparative study of the valence band electronic structure of Pd based ternary chalcogenide superconductors Nb2Pd0.95S5, Ta2Pd0.97S6 and Ta2Pd0.97Te6 using experimental photoemission spectroscopy and density functional based theoretical calculations. We observe a qualitatively similarity between valence band (VB) spectra of Nb2Pd0.95S5 and Ta2Pd0.97S6. Further, we find a pseudogap feature in Nb2Pd0.95S5 at low temperature, unlike other two compounds. We have correlated the structural geometry with the differences in VB spectra of these compounds. The different atomic packing in these compounds could vary the strength of inter-orbital hybridization among various atoms which leads to difference in their electronic structure as clearly observed in our DOS calculations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Fermi surface and band structure of BiPd from ARPES studies

We present a detailed electronic structure study of the non-centrosymmetric superconductor BiPd based on our angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements and Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations. We observe a high intensity distribution on the Fermi surface (FS) of this compound resulting from various electron and hole like bands which are present in the vicinity of the Fermi energy (E$_f$). The near E$_f$ states are primarily composed of Bi-6p with a little admixture of Pd-4d$_{x^2-y^2/zy}$ orbitals. There are various spin-orbit split bands involved in the crossing of E$_f$ making a complex FS. The FS mainly consists of multi sheets of three dimensions which disfavor the nesting between different sheets of the FS. Our comprehensive study elucidates that BiPd could be a s-wave multiband superconductor.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Electromagnetic properties of copper doped lead apatite Pb9Cu(PO4)6O

We report on the structural, electrical and magnetic measurements in as-grown polycrystalline samples of Pb10-xCux(PO4)6O. This compound has been recently reported to be a room temperature superconductor. Our as-grown specimen has excellent XRD matching with the original submission of Lee et al. This sample has 1.5% of Cu2S as an impurity phase. A resistive transition around 380 K, possibly corresponding to structural transitions of Cu2S, is observed. No evidence of superconducting to normal state transitions in I-V characteristics at room temperature is obtained. Magnetization measurements show linear diamagnetic behavior that cannot be associated to the superconducting state. Hall measurements provide evidence of hole doping through Cu substitution. In summary, we find no evidence for room temperature ambient pressure superconductivity in Cu doped lead apatite Pb9Cu(PO4)6O.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Growth and characterization of the magnetic topological insulator candidate Mn$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$

We report a new member of topological insulator (TI) family i.e., Mn$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$, which belongs to MnSb$_2$Te$_4$ family and is a sister compound of Mn$_2$Bi$_2$Te$_5$. An antiferromagnetic layer of (MnTe)$_2$ has been inserted between quintuple layers of Sb$_2$Te$_3$. The crystal structure and chemical composition of as grown Mn$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$ crystal is experimentally visualized by single crystal XRD (SCXRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The valence states of individual constituents i.e., Mn, Sb and Te are ascertained through X ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS). Different vibrational modes of Mn$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$ are elucidated through Raman spectroscopy. Temperature-dependent resistivity of Mn$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$ resulted in metallic behaviour of the same with an up-turn at below around 20K. Further, the magneto-transport R(T) vs H of the same exhibited negative magneto-resistance (MR) at low temperatures below 20K and small positive at higher temperatures. The low Temperature -ve MR starts decreasing at higher fields. The magnetic moment as a function of temperature at 100Oe and 1kOe showed AFM like down turn cusps at around 20K and 10K. The isothermal magnetization (MH) showed AFM like loops with some embedded FM/PM domains at 5K and purely paramagnetic (PM) like at 100K. The studied Mn$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$ clearly exhibited the characteristics of a magnetic TI (MTI).

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Synthesis of possible room temperature superconductor LK-99:Pb$_9$Cu(PO$_4$)$_6$O

The quest for room-temperature superconductors has been teasing scientists and physicists, since its inception in 1911 itself. Several assertions have already been made about room temperature superconductivity but were never verified or reproduced across the labs. The cuprates were the earliest high transition temperature superconductors, and it seems that copper has done the magic once again. Last week, a Korean group synthesized a Lead Apatite-based compound LK-99, showing a T$_c$ of above 400$^\circ$K. The signatures of superconductivity in the compound are very promising, in terms of resistivity (R = 0) and diamagnetism at T$_c$. Although, the heat capacity (C$_p$) did not show the obvious transition at T$_c$. Inspired by the interesting claims of above room temperature superconductivity in LK-99, in this article, we report the synthesis of polycrystalline samples of LK-99, by following the same heat treatment as reported in [1,2] by the two-step precursor method. The phase is confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, performed after each heat treatment. The room temperature diamagnetism is not evidenced by the levitation of a permanent magnet over the sample or vice versa. Further measurements for the confirmation of bulk superconductivity on variously synthesized samples are underway. Our results on the present LK-99 sample, being synthesized at 925$^\circ$C, as of now do not approve the appearance of bulk superconductivity at room temperature. Further studies with different heat treatments are though, yet underway.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Absence of superconductivity in LK-99 at ambient conditions

The report of synthesis of modified Lead apatite (LK-99) with evidence of superconductivity at more than boiling water temperature has steered the whole scientific community. There have been several failures to reproduce superconductivity in LK-99 including partial successes. Here, we have continued our efforts to synthesize phase pure LK-99 with improved precursors. The process has been followed as suggested by Sukbae Lee et. al., [1,2]. The phase purity of each precursor is evidenced by Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and well fitted by Rietveld refinement. The PXRD confirms the synthesis of phase pure polycrystalline LK-99 with apatite structure. The freshly synthesized sample does not show any signature of superconductivity levitation on a magnet (diamagnetism). The magnetization measurements on SQUID also show that LK-99 is diamagnetic at 280 K, there is no sign of superconductivity in LK-99 at room temperature. Moreover, we have also performed first principle calculations to investigate the electronic band structure of the LK-99 near Fermi level. Our study verifies that the Cu doped lead apatite (LK-99) has bands crossing at Fermi level, indicating generation of strong correlation in the system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗