arXiv subjects

Yun-Lei Sun

Publications and source records attributed to Yun-Lei Sun.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid and charge-density wave in a quasi-one-dimensional material

In one-dimensional (1D) electron systems, the Fermi liquid state breaks down due either to electron interactions, which results in a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) state, or to Peierls instability, which leads to an insulating charge-density-wave (CDW) phase. In general, these two phenomena are mutually exclusive, and their coexistence remains elusive in real materials. Here, we report the discovery of a new quasi-1D material, Cs$_{1-δ}$Cr$_3$S$_3$, which unexpectedly exhibits coexistence of the antithetical CDW and TLL states. The CDW state is evidenced by the intra-unit-cell dimerization, and the opening of an optical band gap of $\sim$250 meV. Meanwhile, TLL behaviour is unambiguously demonstrated by the measurements of electrical transport and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, which reveal a power-law scaling with temperature, bias voltage and electron energy. Band structure calculations reveal isolated, linearly dispersive, 1D bands around the Fermi level. For the dimerized CDW phase, the 1D Fermi-surface sheets located at the boundary of the Brillouin zone are gapped from intra-unit-cell bond symmetry breaking. Experimentally, subtle Cs vacancies shift the Fermi level into the linearly dispersive valence band, enabling the observation of TLL behaviour without interrupting the CDW order. This work establishes Cs$_{1-δ}$Cr$_3$S$_3$ as a rare material platform in which the antagonistic Fermi-liquid instabilities coexist and intertwine, opening new avenues for studying emergent quantum phenomena in 1D systems.

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arXiv2025

Quantum Criticality by Interaction Frustration in a Square-Planar Lattice

We report experimental and theoretical investigations on ThCr$_2$Ge$_2$C, a metallic compound in which Cr$_2$C planes form a square-planar lattice. Neutron powder diffraction, magnetization, and specific heat measurements reveal no evidence of long-range magnetic order or short-range spin freezing down to 70~mK. Quantum critical behavior was indicated through logarithmic divergences in both the magnetic susceptibility and the specific heat divided by temperature. Resistivity measurements exhibit non-Fermi-liquid behavior, with a Fermi liquid recovered under magnetic fields or high pressures. First-principles calculations identify competing nearest-neighbor ($J_1$) and next-nearest-neighbor ($J_2$) exchange interactions, with $J_2/J_1 \sim -0.5$, pointing to strong magnetic frustration. The interaction frustration is reduced, and magnetically ordered phases are stabilized upon the application of negative or positive pressures. This work offers a rare example of zero-field, ambient pressure quantum criticality mainly driven by interaction frustration in a square lattice.

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arXiv2024

Superconductivity in kagome metal ThRu3Si2

We report the physical properties of ThRu$_3$Si$_2$ featured with distorted Ru kagome lattice. The combined experiments of resistivity, magnetization and specific heat reveal bulk superconductivity with $T_{\rm{c}}$ = 3.8 K. The specific heat jump and calculated electron-phonon coupling indicate a moderate coupled BCS superconductor. In comparison with LaRu$_3$Si$_2$, the calculated electronic structure in ThRu$_3$Si$_2$ shows an electron-doping effect with electron filling lifted from 100 meV below flat bands to 300 meV above it. This explains the lower superconducting transition temperature and weaker electron correlations observed in ThRu$_3$Si$_2$. Our work suggests the $T_{\rm{c}}$ and electronic correlations in kagome superconductor could have intimate connection with the flat bands.

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arXiv2018

Weak metal-metal transition in the vanadium oxytelluride Rb$_{1-δ}$V$_2$Te$_2$O

We report the synthesis, crystal structure, physical properties, and first-principles calculations of a vanadium-based oxytelluride Rb$_{1-δ}$V$_2$Te$_2$O ($δ\approx0.2$). The crystal structure bears two-dimensional V$_2$O square nets sandwiched with tellurium layers, mimicking the structural motifs of cuprate and iron-based superconductors. The material exhibits metallic conductivity with dominant hole-type charge carriers. A weak metal-to-metal transition takes place at $\sim$100 K, which is conformably characterized by a slight kink/hump in the electrical resistivity, jumps in the Hall and Seebeck coefficients, a minute drop in the magnetic susceptibility, and a small peak in the heat capacity. Neither Bragg-peak splitting nor superlattice reflections can be detected within the resolution of conventional x-ray diffractions. The band-structure calculations show that V-3$d$ orbitals dominate the electronic states at around Fermi energy where a $d_{yz}/d_{xz}$ orbital polarization shows up. There are three Fermi-surface sheets that seem unfavorable for nesting. Our results suggest an orbital or spin-density-wave order for the low-temperature state and, upon suppression of the competing order, emergence of superconductivity could be expected.

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arXiv2016

Crystal Chemistry and Structural Design of Iron-Based Superconductors

The second class of high-temperature superconductors (HTSCs), iron-based pnictides and chalcogenides, necessarily contain Fe$_2$$X_2$ ("$X$" refers to a pnictogen or a chalcogen element) layers, just like the first class of HTSCs which possess the essential CuO$_2$ sheets. So far, dozens of iron-based HTSCs, classified into nine groups, have been discovered. In this article, the crystal-chemistry aspects of the known iron-based superconductors are reviewed and summarized by employing "hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB)" concept. Based on these understandings, we propose an alternative route to exploring new iron-based superconductors via rational structural design.

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arXiv2015

Physical properties and electronic structure of Sr$_2$Cr$_3$As$_2$O$_2$ containing CrO$_2$ and Cr$_2$As$_2$ square-planar lattices

We report the physical properties and electronic structure calculations of a layered chromium oxypnictide, Sr$_2$Cr$_3$As$_2$O$_2$, which crystallizes in a Sr$_2$Mn$_3$As$_2$O$_2$-type structure containing both CrO$_2$ planes and Cr$_2$As$_2$ layers. The newly synthesized material exhibits a metallic conduction with a dominant electron-magnon scattering. Magnetic and specific-heat measurements indicate at least two intrinsic magnetic transitions below room temperature. One is an antiferromagnetic transition at 291 K, probably associated with a spin ordering in the Cr$_2$As$_2$ layers. Another transition is broad, occurring at around 38 K, and possibly due to a short-range spin order in the CrO$_2$ planes. Our first-principles calculations indicate predominant two-dimensional antiferromagnetic exchange couplings, and suggest a KG-type (i.e. K$_2$NiF$_4$ type for CrO$_2$ planes and G type for Cr$_2$As$_2$ layers) magnetic structure, with reduced moments for both Cr sublattices. The corresponding electronic states near the Fermi energy are mostly contributed from Cr-3$d$ orbitals which weakly (modestly) hybridize with the O-2$p$ (As-4$p$) orbitals in the CrO$_2$ (Cr$_2$As$_2$) layers. The bare bandstructure density of states at the Fermi level is only $\sim$1/4 of the experimental value derived from the low-temperature specific-heat data, consistent with the remarkable electron-magnon coupling. The title compound is argued to be a possible candidate to host superconductivity.

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arXiv2015

Unconventional superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional Rb$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$

Following the discovery of superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional K$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$ containing [(Cr$_3$As$_3$)$^{2-}$]$_{\infty}$ chains [J. K. Bao et al., arXiv: 1412.0067 (2014)], we succeeded in synthesizing an analogous compound, Rb$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$, which also crystallizes in a hexagonal lattice. The replacement of K by Rb results in an expansion of $a$ axis by 3\%, indicating a weaker interchain coupling in Rb$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$. Bulk superconductivity emerges at 4.8 K, above which the normal-state resistivity shows a linear temperature dependence up to 35 K. The estimated upper critical field at zero temperature exceeds the Pauli paramagnetic limit by a factor of two. Furthermore, the electronic specific-heat coefficient extrapolated to zero temperature in the mixed state increases with $\sqrt{H}$, suggesting existence of nodes in the superconducting energy gap. Hence Rb$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$ manifests itself as another example of unconventional superconductor in the Cr$_3$As$_3$-chain based system.

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arXiv2015

Superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional K$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$ with significant electron correlations

We report the discovery of bulk superconductivity (SC) at 6.1 K in a quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) chromium pnictide K$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$ which contains [(Cr$_3$As$_3$)$^{2-}$]$_{\infty}$ double-walled subnano-tubes with face-sharing Cr$_{6/2}$ (As$_{6/2}$) octahedron linear chains in the inner (outer) wall. The material has a large electronic specific-heat coefficient of 70$\sim$75 mJ K$^{-2}$ mol$^{-1}$, indicating significantly strong electron correlations. Signature of non-Fermi liquid behavior is shown by the linear temperature dependence of resistivity in a broad temperature range from 7 to 300 K. Unconventional SC is preliminarily manifested by the estimated upper critical field exceeding the Pauli limit by a factor of three to four. The title compound represents a rare example that possibly unconventional SC emerges in a Q1D system with strong electron correlations.

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arXiv2014

Superconductivity in a Layered Ta4Pd3Te16 with PdTe2 Chains

Superconductivity in low-dimensional compounds has long attracted much interest. Here we report superconductivity in a low-dimensional ternary telluride Ta4Pd3Te16 in which the repeating layers contain edge-sharing octahedrally-coordinated PdTe2 chains along the crystallographic b axis. Measurements of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat on the Ta4Pd3Te16 crystals, grown via a self-flux method, consistently demonstrate bulk superconductivity at 4.6 K. Further analyses of the data indicate significant electron-electron interaction, which allows electronic Cooper pairing in the present system.

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arXiv2014

Anomalous Eu Valence State and Superconductivity in Undoped Eu3Bi2S4F4

We have synthesized a novel europium bismuth sulfofluoride, Eu3Bi2S4F4, by solid-state reactions in sealed evacuated quartz ampoules. The compound crystallizes in a tetragonal lattice (space group I4/mmm, a = 4.0771(1) A, c = 32.4330(6) A, and Z = 2), in which CaF2-type Eu3F4 layers and NaCl-like BiS2 bilayers stack alternately along the crystallographic c axis. There are two crystallographically distinct Eu sites, Eu(1) and Eu(2) at the Wyckoff positions 4e and 2a, respectively. Our bond-valence-sum calculation, based on the refined structural data, indicates that Eu(1) is essentially divalent, whilst Eu(2) has an average valence of +2.64(5). This anomalous Eu valence state is further confirmed and supported, respectively, by Mossbauer and magnetization measurements. The Eu3+ components donate electrons into the conduction bands that are mainly composed of Bi- 6px and 6py states. Consequently, the material itself shows metallic conduction, and superconducts at 1.5 K without extrinsic chemical doping.

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arXiv2014

Charge-density wave, superconductivity and $f$-electron valence instability in EuBiS$_2$F

Superconductivity (SC) and charge-density wave (CDW) are two contrasting yet relevant collective electronic states which have received sustained interest for decades. Here we report that, in a layered europium bismuth sulfofluoride, EuBiS$_2$F, a CDW-like transition occurs at 280 K, below which SC emerges at 0.3 K, without any extrinsic doping. The Eu ions were found to exhibit an anomalously temperature-independent mixed valence of about +2.2, associated with the formation of CDW. The mixed valence of Eu gives rise to self electron doping into the conduction bands mainly consisting of the in-plane Bi-6$p$ states, which in turn brings about the CDW and SC. In particular, the electronic specific-heat coefficient is enhanced by ~ 50 times, owing to the significant hybridizations between Eu-4$f$ and Bi-6$p$ electrons, as verified by band-structure calculations. Thus, EuBiS$_2$F manifests itself as an unprecedented material that simultaneously accommodates SC, CDW and $f$-electron valence instability.

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arXiv2013

Superconductivity, charge- or spin-density wave, and metal-nonmetal transition in BaTi$_{2}$(Sb$_{1-x}$Bi$_{x}$)$_{2}$O

We have performed an isovalent substitution study in a layered titanium oxypnictide system BaTi$_{2}$(Sb$_{1-x}$Bi$_{x}$)$_{2}$O (0$\leq x\leq$ 0.40) by the measurements of x-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility. The parent compound BaTi$_{2}$Sb$_{2}$O is confirmed to exhibit superconductivity at 1.5 K as well as charge- or spin-density wave (CDW/SDW) ordering below 55 K. With the partial substitution of Sb by Bi, the lattice parameters $a$, $c$ and $c/a$ all increase monotonically, indicating negative chemical pressure and lattice distortion on the (super)conducting Ti$_2$Sb$_2$O-layers. The Bi doping elevates the superconducting transition temperature to its maximum $T_c$=3.7 K at $x=$0.17, and then $T_c$ decreases gradually with additional Bi doping. A metal-to-nonmetal transition takes place around $x$=0.3, and superconductivity at $\sim$1K exists at the nonmetal side. The CDW/SDW anomaly, in comparison, is rapidly suppressed by the Bi doping, and vanishes for $x\geq$0.17. The results are discussed in terms of negative chemical pressure and disorder effect.

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arXiv2012

Self-doping effect and possible antiferromagnetism at titanium-layers in the iron-based superconductor Ba$_2$Ti$_2$Fe$_2$As$_4$O

The electronic structure of Ba$_2$Ti$_2$Fe$_2$As$_4$O, a newly discovered superconductor, is investigated using first-principles calculations based on local density approximations. Multiple Fermi surface sheets originating from Ti-3$d$ and Fe-3$d$ states are present corresponding to the conducting Ti$_2$As$_2$O and Fe$_2$As$_2$ layers respectively. Compared with BaFe$_2$As$_2$, sizeable changes in the related Fermi surface sheets indicate significant electron transfer (about 0.12$e$) from Ti to Fe, which suppresses the stripe-like antiferromagnetism at the Fe sites and simultaneously induces superconductivity. Our calculations also suggest that an additional Néel-type antiferromagnetic instability at the Ti sites is relatively robust against the electron transfer, which accounts for the anomaly at 125 K in the superconducting Ba$_2$Ti$_2$Fe$_2$As$_4$O.

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arXiv2012

Novel weak-ferromagnetic metallic state in heavily doped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Mn$_{2}$As$_{2}$

Heavily doped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Mn$_{2}$As$_{2}$ ($x$=0.19 and 0.26) single crystals were successfully grown, and investigated by the measurements of resistivity and anisotropic magnetic susceptibility. In contrast to the antiferromagnetic insulating ground state of the undoped BaMn$_{2}$As$_{2}$, the K-doped crystals show metallic conduction with weak ferromagnetism below $\sim$50 K and Curie-Weiss-like in-plane magnetic susceptibility above $\sim$50 K. Under high pressures up to 6 GPa, the low-temperature metallicity changes into a state characterized by a Kondo-like resistivity minimum without any signature of superconductivity above 2.5 K. Electronic structure calculations for $x$=0.25 using $2\times2\times1$ supercell reproduce the hole-doped metallic state. The density of states at Fermi energy have significant As 4$p$ components, suggesting that the 4$p$ holes are mainly responsible for the metallic conduction. Our results suggest that the interplay between itinerant 4$p$ holes and local 3$d$ moments is mostly responsible for the novel metallic state.

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