SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

Xinze Yang

Publications and source records attributed to Xinze Yang.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Momentum Structure of Superconductivity and Sublattice Effects from Quasiparticle Interference in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$

Quantum interference encoded in the sublattice texture of kagome Bloch wavefunctions has been widely invoked as a route to correlated states, including chiral charge order, unconventional superconductivity, and their possible intertwining in pair-density-wave (PDW) states. Using sub-Kelvin scanning tunneling microscopy, we conducted spectroscopic mapping of the kagome material CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ with high energy resolution and dense energy sampling through the superconducting gap. Quasiparticle interference (QPI) analysis, aided by ab initio and symmetry calculations, reveals an isotropic superconducting gap on the Fermi surfaces derived from V $M_z$-even ($M_z^+$) $d$ orbitals, thereby constraining possible gap symmetries and limiting any gap anisotropy to the remaining V $M_z$-odd ($M_z^-$) and Sb $p_z$ bands. Meanwhile, the CDW-peak-selected d$I$/d$V$ spectra closely track the spatially averaged density of states and show no distinct enhancement restricted to subgap energies, which do not support an additional PDW modulation within our sensitivity. Finally, the selective absence of specific QPI scattering vectors points to a spectroscopic sensitivity to sublattice character on the Fermi surface. Together, these results provide a clearer experimental picture of the low-energy electronic structure relevant to kagome superconductivity in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$.

cond-mat.supr-con

Stacking-tuned superconductivity and competing charge-density-wave states in NbSe$_2$

Layer stacking provides a powerful yet underexplored route for reshaping collective quantum order in van der Waals materials. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to show that the stacking sequence alone can qualitatively transform the charge density and superconducting orders in NbSe$_2$, while preserving the same in-plane atomic structure. Comparing the 4Ha and 2H polytypes, we find that, unlike the ubiquitous triangular incommensurate $3Q^\mathrm{I}$ order of 2H-NbSe$_2$, 4Ha-NbSe$_2$ hosts two competing CDW states with no measurable correlation with local strain: a unidirectional commensurate $1Q^\mathrm{C}$ phase and a triangular incommensurate $3Q^\mathrm{I}$ phase, with $Q^\mathrm{I}=Q^\mathrm{C}+\delta$. We introduce a phase-resolved analysis that directly maps the gradient of the CDW phases and reveals vortices bound to the $1Q^\mathrm{C}$ - $3Q^\mathrm{I}$ phase boundaries. These vortices accommodate the momentum mismatch $\delta$ through abrupt $2\pi$ phase slips, providing a mechanism by which distinct charge orders coexist. Superconductivity is also reshaped by stacking, while both polytypes exhibit multiband pairing.

cond-mat.supr-con

Intermediate band analysis in Green's functions calculations of quasiparticle interference

The measurement of quasiparticle scattering patterns on material surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is now an established technique for accessing the momentum-resolved electronic band structure of solids. However, since these quasiparticle interference (QPI) patterns reflect spatial variations related to differences in the band momenta rather than the momenta themselves, their interpretation often relies on comparisons with simple geometrical models such as the joint density of states (JDOS) or with the convolution of Green's functions. In this paper, we highlight non-intuitive differences between Green's function and JDOS results. To understand the origin of these discrepancies, we analyze the convolution of Green's functions using the Feynman parametrization technique and introduce a framework that we call the intermediate band analysis. This approach allows us to derive simple selection rules for interband QPI, based on electron group velocities. Connecting the intermediate band analysis with the experiment, we consider experimental Bogoliubov QPI patterns measured for FeSe1-xSx, which were recently used to demonstrate a highly anisotropic superconducting gap, indicating superconductivity mediated by nematic fluctuations [1]. The calculated Green's functions convolutions reproduce the particle-hole asymmetry in the intensity of QPI patterns across the Fermi level observed in experiments. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of intermediate band analysis in tracing the origin of this asymmetry to a coherence factor effect of the superconducting state.

cond-mat.str-el

Superconductivity Mediated by Nematic Fluctuations in Tetragonal $\textrm{Fe}\textrm{Se}_{1-x}\textrm{S}_{x}$

Nematic phases, where electrons in a solid spontaneously break rotational symmetry while preserving the translational symmetry, exist in several families of unconventional superconductors [1, 2]. Although superconductivity mediated by nematic fluctuations is well established theoretically [3-7], it has yet to be unambiguously identified experimentally [8, 9]. A major challenge is that nematicity is often intertwined with other degrees of freedom, such as magnetism and charge order. The FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_x$ family of iron based superconductors provides a unique opportunity to explore this concept, as it features an isolated nematic phase that can be suppressed by sulfur substitution at a quantum critical point (QCP) near $x_c = 0.17$, where nematic fluctuations are the largest [10-12]. Here, we performed scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements to visualize Boguliubov quasiparticle interference patterns, from which we determined the momentum structure of the superconducting gap near the Brillouin zone $\Gamma$ point of FeSe$_{0.81}$S$_{0.19}$. The results reveal an anisotropic, near nodal gap with minima that are $45^\circ$ rotated with respect to the Fe-Fe direction, characteristic of a nematic pairing interaction, contrary to the usual isotropic gaps due to spin mediated pairing in other tetragonal Fe-based superconductors. The results are also in contrast with pristine FeSe, where the pairing is mediated by spin fluctuations and the gap minima are aligned with the Fe-Fe direction. Therefore, the measured gap structure demonstrates not only a fundamental change of the pairing mechanism across the phase diagram of FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_x$, but it also indicates the existence of superconductivity mediated by nematic fluctuations in FeSe$_{0.81}$S$_{0.19}$.

cond-mat.supr-con