arXiv subjects

Yoshinori Imai

Publications and source records attributed to Yoshinori Imai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Piezomagnetic effect in 5$d$ transition metal oxides Y$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$ and Cd$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$ with all-in/all-out magnetic order

We investigated the piezomagnetic effect in pyrochlore-type oxides Y$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$ and Cd$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$, which show a non-coplanar magnetic structure called the all-in/all-out antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures. The all-in/all-out magnetic order can be viewed as a ferroic order of the $xyz$-type magnetic octupoles. We observed a linear development of magnetization with applying stress for both materials. We then estimated the powder-averaged piezomagnetic tensor at 50 K to be $Q = 5.74 \times 10^{-6}$ $μ_{\text{B}}$/Ir$\cdot$MPa for Y$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$, and $Q = 3.49 \times 10^{-7}$ $μ_{\text{B}}$/Os$\cdot$MPa for Cd$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$. We discuss the microscopic mechanism of the piezomagnetic effect in terms of the stress-induced modification of the g-tensor anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (D-M) interactions. This work paves the way for the further development of piezomagnetic materials using a strategy based on magnetic multipoles.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Strongly electron-correlated semimetal RuI$_3$ with a layered honeycomb structure

A polymorph of RuI$_3$ synthesized under high pressure was found to have a two-layered honeycomb structure. The resistivity of RuI$_3$ exhibits a semimetallic behavior, in contrast to insulating properties in $α$-RuCl$_3$. In addition, Pauli paramagnetic behavior was observed in the temperature dependence of a magnetic susceptibility and a nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/$T_1$. The band structure calculations indicate that contribution of the I 5$p$ components to the low-energy $t_\mathrm{2g}$ bands effectively decreases Coulomb repulsion, leading to semimetallic properties. The physical properties also suggest strong electron correlations in RuI$_3$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Magnetism of Kitaev spin-liquid candidate material RuBr$_3$

The ruthenium halide $α$-RuCl$_{3}$ is a promising candidate for a Kitaev spin liquid. However, the microscopic model describing $α$-RuCl$_{3}$ is still debated partly because of a lack of analogue materials for $α$-RuCl$_{3}$, which prevents tracking of electronic properties as functions of controlled interaction parameters. Here, we report a successful synthesis of RuBr$_{3}$. The material RuBr$_{3}$~possesses BiI$_3$-type structure (space group: $R\overline{3}$) where Ru$^{3+}$ form an ideal honeycomb lattice. Although RuBr$_{3}$ has a negative Weiss temperature, it undergoes a zigzag antiferromagnetic transition at $T_\mathrm{N}=34$ K, as does $α$-RuCl$_{3}$. Our analyses indicate that the Kitaev and non-Kitaev interactions can be modified in ruthenium trihalides by changing the ligand sites, which provides a new platform for exploring Kitaev spin liquids.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Electronic States and Energy Dissipations of Vortex Core in Pure FeSe Single Crystals Investigated by Microwave Surface Impedance Measurements

In order to clarify electronic states and energy dissipations due to a motion of a vortex core in pure FeSe, which is a candidate superconductor possessing a super-clean core, we measured the microwave surface impedance of pure FeSe single crystals under finite magnetic fields. From the magnetic-field dependence of the flux-flow resistivity, we found that a barometer of electronic states inside the vortex core $ω_{0}τ_{\rm core}$ is $1\pm0.5$, suggesting that the vortex core of pure FeSe is in the moderately clean regime contrary to the expectation of the super-clean core. We also found that the mean-free path inside the vortex core is suppressed at the distance of the order of the core radius. Based on observed results and previous reports, we discussed possible origins of rather small $ω_{0}τ_{\rm core}$ value in terms of the multiple-bands nature of FeSe and additional mechanisms producing extra energy dissipations specific to the vortex core in motion.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Atomic Manipulation of In-gap States on the $β$-Bi$_2$Pd Superconductor

Electronic states in the gap of a superconductor inherit intriguing many-body properties from the superconductor. Here, we create these in-gap states by manipulating Cr atomic chains on the $β$-Bi$_2$Pd superconductor. We find that the topological properties of the in-gap states can greatly vary depending on the crafted spin chain. These systems make an ideal platform for non-trivial topological phases because of the large atom-superconductor interactions and the existence of a large Rashba coupling at the Bi-terminated surface. We study two spin chains, one with atoms two-lattice-parameter apart and one with square-root-of-two lattice parameters. Of these, only the second one is in a topologically non-trivial phase, in correspondence with the spin interactions for this geometry.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Dichotomy Between Orbital and Magnetic Nematic Instabilities in BaFe2S3

Nematic orders emerge nearly universally in iron-based superconductors, but elucidating their origins is challenging because of intimate couplings between orbital and magnetic fluctuations. The iron-based ladder material BaFe2S3, which superconducts under pressure, exhibits antiferromagnetic order below TN ~ 117K and a weak resistivity anomaly at T* ~ 180K, whose nature remains elusive. Here we report angle-resolved magnetoresistance (MR) and elastoresistance (ER) measurements in BaFe2S3, which reveal distinct changes at T*. We find that MR anisotropy and ER nematic response are both suppressed near T*, implying that an orbital order promoting isotropic electronic states is stabilized at T*. Such an isotropic state below T* competes with the antiferromagnetic order, which is evidenced by the nonmonotonic temperature dependence of nematic fluctuations. In contrast to the cooperative nematic orders in spin and orbital channels in iron pnictides, the present competing orders can provide a new platform to identify the separate roles of orbital and magnetic fluctuations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Hydrated lithium intercalation into the Kitaev spin liquid candidate material $α-$RuCl$_3$

We study on transport and magnetic properties of hydrated and lithium-intercalated $α$-RuCl$_3$, Li$_x$RuCl$_3 \cdot y$H$_2$O, for investigating the effect on mobile-carrier doping into candidate materials for a realization of a Kitaev model. From thermogravitometoric and one-dimensional electron map analyses, we find two crystal structures of this system, that is, mono-layer hydrated Li$_x$RuCl$_3 \cdot y$H$_2$O~$(x\approx0.56, y\approx1.3)$ and bi-layer hydrated Li$_x$RuCl$_3 \cdot y$H$_2$O~$(x\approx0.56, y\approx3.9)$. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity shows a temperature hysteresis at 200-270 K, which is considered to relate with a formation of a charge order. The antiferromagnetic order at 7-13 K in pristine $α$-RuCl$_3$~ is successfully suppressed down to 2 K in bi-layer hydrated Li$_x$RuCl$_3 \cdot y$H$_2$O, which is sensitive to not only an electronic state of Ru but also an interlayer distance between Ru-Cl planes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Superconductivity at 38 K in an electrochemical interface between ionic liquid and Fe(Se0.8Te0.2) on various substrates

Superconducting FeSe0.8Te0.2 thin films on SrTiO3, LaAlO3 and CaF2 substrates were electrochemically etched in an ionic liquid DEME-TFSI electrolyte with a gate bias of 5 V. Superconductivity at 38 K was commonly observed on all substrates after etching the films with a thickness above 30 nm, in spite of different Tc of 8 K, 12 K and 19 K before the etching on SrTiO3, LaAlO3 and CaF2 substrates, respectively. Tc returned to the original value by removing the gate bias. The Tc enhancement on the thick film indicates no relationship between the Tc enhancement and any interface effects between the film and the substrate. The sheet resistance and the Hall coefficient of the surface conducting layer were estimated from the gate bias dependence of the transport properties. The sheet resistance of the surface conducting layer of the films on LaAlO3 and CaF2 showed an identical temperature dependence, and the Hall coefficient is almost temperature independent and -0.05 to -0.2 m2/C, corresponding to 4-17 electrons per one FeSe0.8Te0.2 unit cell area in two dimension. These common transport properties on various substrates suggest that the superconductivity at 38 K appeared in the surface conducting layer produced by electrochemical reaction between the surface of the FeSe0.8Te0.2 thin film and the ionic liquid electrolyte.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

Orbital order and fluctuations in the two-leg ladder materials BaFe$_2X_3$ ($X$ = S and Se) and CsFe$_2$Se$_3$

The electronic structure of BaFe$_2X_3$ ($X$ = S and Se) and CsFe$_2$Se$_3$ in which two-leg ladders are formed by the Fe sites are studied by means of x-ray absorption and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy. The x-ray absorption spectra at the Fe L edges for BaFe$_2X_3$ exhibit two components, indicating that itinerant and localized Fe 3$d$ sites coexist. Substantial x-ray linear dichroism (XLD) is observed in polarization dependent spectra, indicating the existence of orbital order or fluctuation in the Fe-ladder even above the Néel temperature $T_N$. Direct exchange interaction along the legs of the Fe-ladder stabilizes the orbital and antiferromagnetic orders in BaFe$_2$S$_3$, while the ferromagnetic molecular orbitals are realized between the rungs in CsFe$_2$Se$_3$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

Superconducting fluctuations in FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ thin films probed via microwave spectroscopy

We investigated the microwave conductivity spectrum of FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ epitaxial films on CaF$_2$ in the vicinity of the superconducting transition. We observed the critical behavior of the superconducting fluctuations in these films with a dimensional crossover from two-dimensional to three-dimensional as the film thickness increased. From the temperature dependence of the scaling parameters we conclude that the universality class of the superconducting transition in FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ is that of the 3D-XY model. The lower limit of the onset temperature of the superconducting fluctuations, Tonset, determined by our measurements was 1.1 Tc, suggesting that the superconducting fluctuations of FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ are at least as large as those of optimally- and over-doped cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Investigation of Transport Properties for FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_x$ Thin Films under Magnetic Fields

We investigated the transport properties under magnetic fields of up to 9 T for FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_x$ thin films on CaF$_2$. Measurements of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity revealed that for $x = 0.2 - 0.4$, where $T_{\rm c}$ is the highest, the width of the superconducting transition increased with increasing magnetic field, while the width was almost the same with increasing magnetic field for $x = 0 - 0.1$. In addition, the temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient drastically changed between $x = 0.1$ and $0.2$ at low temperatures. These results indicate that clear differences in the nature of the superconductivity and electronic structure exist between $x=0-0.1$ and $x \ge 0.2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Near-field microwave imaging of inhomogeneous K$_x$Fe$_y$Se$_2$: separation of topographic and electric features

It is important for modern scanning microwave microscopes to overcome the effect of the surface roughness. Here, we report microwave conductivity imaging of the phase-separated iron chalcogenide K$_x$Fe$_y$Se$_2$ ($x=0.8$, $y=1.6$-$2$), in which electric conductivity-induced contrast is distinguished from topography-induced contrast using a combination of a scanning tunneling microscope and a scanning microwave microscope (STM-SMM). We observed the characteristic modulation of the local electric property that originates from the mesoscopic phase separation of the metallic and semiconducting phases in two different scanning modes: constant current (CC) mode and constant $Q$ (CQ) mode. In particular, CQ scanning is useful because we obtain a qualitative image in which the topographic contrast is largely eliminated without degradation of the spatial resolution.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Suppression of phase separation and giant enhancement of superconducting transition temperature in FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_{x}$ thin films

We demonstrate the successful fabrication on CaF$_2$ substrates of FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_{x}$ films with $0 \le x \le 1$, including the region of $0.1 \le x \le 0.4$, which is well known to be the "phase-separation region", via pulsed laser deposition which is a thermodynamically non-equilibrium method. In the resulting films, we observe a giant enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature, $T_\mathrm{c}$, in the region of $0.1 \le x \le 0.4$: the maximum value reaches 23 K, which is approximately 1.5 times as large as the values reported for bulk samples of FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_{x}$. We present a complete phase diagram of FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_{x}$ films. Surprisingly, a sudden suppression of $T_\mathrm{c}$ is observed at $0.1<x<0.2$, while $T_\mathrm{c}$ increases with decreasing $x$ for $0.2 \le x < 1$. Namely, there is a clear difference between superconductivity realized in $x=0-0.1$ and in $x \ge 0.2$. To obtain a film of FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_{x}$ with high $T_\mathrm{c}$, the controls of the Te content $x$ and the in-plane lattice strain are found to be key factors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Exceptional Suppression of Flux-Flow Resistivity in FeSe$_{0.4}$Te$_{0.6}$ by Back-Flow from Excess Fe Atoms and Se/Te Substitutions

We measured the microwave surface impedance of FeSe$_{0.4}$Te$_{0.6}$ single crystals with- and without external magnetic fields. The superfluid density exhibited a quadratic temperature dependence, indicating a strong pair-breaking effect. The flux-flow resistivity behaved as $ρ_f(B\ll B_{\rm c2})/ρ_n=αB/B_{\rm c2}$. The observed $α$ value of $\approx0.66$ was considerably smaller than that of other Fe-based materials ($α\geq1$) and was attributed to a back-flow of superfluids remarkable in disordered superconductors. This is the first-time observation of the back-flow phenomenon caused by an origin other than the vortex pinning in multiple-band systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Enhancement of the Superconducting Transition Temperature in FeSe Epitaxial Thin Films by Anisotropic Compression

In order to investigate the effects of in-plane strain on the superconductivity of FeSe, epitaxial thin films of FeSe were fabricated on CaF$_2$ substrates. The films are compressed along the a-axis and their superconducting transition temperatures $T_{\mathrm c}^{\mathrm {zero}}$ reach 11.4 K, which is approximately 1.5 times higher than that of bulk crystals. The $T_{\mathrm c}$ values are weakly dependent on the ratio of the lattice constants, $c$ / $a$, compared to that of Fe(Se,Te). Our results indicate that even a binary system FeSe has room for improvement, and will open a new route for the application of Fe-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Reproducible synthetic method for the topological superconductor CuxBi2Se3

We report a reproducible synthetic method for superconducting Cu-intercalated Bi2Se3 by an improved melt growth method. Avoiding the production of Cu2Se, which has a higher melting point than that of Bi2Se3, and quenching Cu-Bi-Se mixtures at the liquid phase are keys to obtaining good superconducting samples in a reproducible manner.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Superconductivity at 5.4 K in $β$-Bi$_2$Pd

We investigate bulk superconductivity in a high-quality single crystal of Bi$_2$Pd ($β$-Bi$_2$Pd, space group; I4/mmm) at temperatures less than 5.4 K by exploring its electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity shows convex-upward behaviors at temperatures greater than 40-50 K, which can be explained by a parallel-resistor model. In addition, we demonstrate that this material is a multiple-band/multiple-gap superconductor based on the temperature dependences of the specific heat and the upper critical field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Investigation of the Superconducting Gap Structure in SrFe$_2$(As$_{0.7}$P$_{0.3}$)$_2$ by Magnetic Penetration Depth and Flux Flow Resistivity Analysis

We measured the microwave surface impedances and obtained the superfluid density and flux flow resistivity in single crystals of a phosphor-doped iron-based superconductor SrFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_2$ single crystals ($x=0.30$, $T_c=25 \mathrm{K}$). At low temperatures, the superfluid density, $n_s (T)/n_s(0)$, obeys a power law, $n_s (T)/n_s (0)=1-C(T/T_c)^n$, with a fractional exponent of $n=1.5$-1.6. The flux flow resistivity was significantly enhanced at low magnetic fields. These features are consistent with the presences of both a gap with line nodes and nodeless gaps with a deep minimum. The remarkable difference observed in the superconducting gap structure between SrFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_2$ and BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_2$ in our experiments is important for clarifying the mechanism of iron-based superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗