arXiv subjects

Z. -X. Shen

Publications and source records attributed to Z. -X. Shen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Symmetry breaking orbital anisotropy on detwinned Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 above the spin density wave transition

Nematicity, defined as broken rotational symmetry, has recently been observed in competing phases proximate to the superconducting phase in the cuprate high temperature superconductors. Similarly, the new iron-based high temperature superconductors exhibit a tetragonal to orthorhombic structural transition (i.e. a broken C4 symmetry) that either precedes or is coincident with a collinear spin density wave (SDW) transition in undoped parent compounds, and superconductivity arises when both transitions are suppressed via doping. Evidence for strong in-plane anisotropy in the SDW state in this family of compounds has been reported by neutron scattering, scanning tunneling microscopy, and transport measurements. Here we present an angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of detwinned single crystals of a representative family of electron-doped iron-arsenide superconductors, Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 in the underdoped region. The crystals were detwinned via application of in-plane uniaxial stress, enabling measurements of single domain electronic structure in the orthorhombic state. At low temperatures, our results clearly demonstrate an in-plane electronic anisotropy characterized by a large energy splitting of two orthogonal bands with dominant dxz and dyz character, which is consistent with anisotropy observed by other probes. For compositions x>0, for which the structural transition (TS) precedes the magnetic transition (TSDW), an anisotropic splitting is observed to develop above TSDW, indicating that it is specifically associated with TS. For unstressed crystals, the band splitting is observed close to TS, whereas for stressed crystals the splitting is observed to considerably higher temperatures, revealing the presence of a surprisingly large in-plane nematic susceptibility in the electronic structure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

An energy scale directly related to superconductivity in the high-$T_c$ cuprate superconductors: Universality from the Fermi arc picture

We have performed a temperature dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of the tri-layer high-$T_c$ cuprate superconductor (HTSC) Bi$_2$Sr$_2$Ca$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{10+δ}$ (Bi2223), and have shown that the \textquotedblleft effective\textquotedblright superconducting (SC) gap $Δ_{\rm{sc}}$ defined at the end point of the Fermi arc and the $T_c$ (= 110 K) approximately satisfies the weak-coupling BCS-relationship 2$Δ_{\rm{sc}}$ = 4.3$k_{\rm{B}}T_c$. Combining this result with previous ARPES results on single- and double-layer cuprates, we show that the relationship between 2$Δ_{\rm{sc}}$ = 4.3$k_{\rm{B}}T_c$ holds for various HTSCs. Furthermore, at $T$ $\sim$ $T_c$, the quasi-patricle width at the end point of the Fermi arc is found to coincide with $Δ_{\rm{sc}}$, consistent with the context of Planckian dissipation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

From a single-band metal to a high-temperature superconductor via two thermal phase transitions

The nature of the pseudogap phase of cuprate high-temperature superconductors is a major unsolved problem in condensed matter physics. We studied the commencement of the pseudogap state at temperature T* using three different techniques (angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, polar Kerr effect, and time-resolved reflectivity) on the same optimally-doped Bi2201 crystals. We observed the coincident, abrupt onset at T* of a particle-hole asymmetric antinodal gap in the electronic spectrum, a Kerr rotation in the reflected light polarization, and a change in the ultrafast relaxational dynamics, consistent with a phase transition. Upon further cooling, spectroscopic signatures of superconductivity begin to grow close to the superconducting transition temperature (Tc), entangled in an energy-momentum-dependent fashion with the pre-existing pseudogap features, ushering in a ground state with coexisting orders.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Energy-Dependent Enhancement of the Electron-Coupling Spectrum of the Underdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d Superconductor

We have determined the electron-coupling spectrum of superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d from high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectra by two deconvolution-free robust methods. As hole concentration decreases, the coupling spectral weight at low energies ~<15 meV shows a twofold and nearly band-independent enhancement, while that around ~65 meV increases moderately, and that in ~>130 meV decreases leading to a crossover of dominant coupling excitation between them. Our results suggest the competition among multiple screening effects, and provide important clues to the source of sufficiently strong low-energy coupling, λLE ~ 1, in underdoped system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of PrFeAsO_{0.7}: Dependence of the electronic structure on the pnictogen height

We have performed an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of the iron-based superconductor PrFeAsO_{0.7} and examined the Fermi surfaces and band dispersions near the Fermi level. Heavily hole-doped electronic states have been observed due to the polar nature of the cleaved surfaces. Nevertheless, we have found that the ARPES spectra basically agree with band dispersions calculated in the local density approximation (LDA) if the bandwidth is reduced by a factor of ~2.5 and then the chemical potential is lowered by ~70 meV. Comparison with previous ARPES results on LaFePO reveals that the energy positions of the d_{3z^2-r^2}- and d_{yz,zx}-derived bands are considerably different between the two materials, which we attribute to the different pnictogen height as predicted by the LDA calculation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Doping dependence of the $(π,π)$ shadow band in La-based cuprates studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

The $(π,π)$ shadow band (SB) in La-based cuprate family (La214) was studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) over a wide doping range from $x=0.01$ to $x=0.25$. Unlike the well-studied case of the Bi-based cuprate family, an overall strong, monotonic doping dependence of the SB intensity at the Fermi level ($E_F$) was observed. In contrast to a previous report for the presence of the SB only close to $x=1/8$, we found it exists in a wide doping range, associated with a doping-independent $(π,π)$ wave vector but strongly doping-dependent intensity: It is the strongest at $x\sim 0.03$ and systematically diminishes as the doping increases until it becomes negligible in the overdoped regime. This SB with the observed doping dependence of intensity can in principle be caused by the antiferromagnetic fluctuations or a particular form of low-temperature orthorhombic lattice distortion known to persist up to $x\sim 0.21$ in the system, with both being weakened with increasing doping. However, a detailed binding energy dependent analysis of the SB at $x=0.07$ does not appear to support the former interpretation, leaving the latter as a more plausible candidate, despite a challenge in quantitatively linking the doping dependences of the SB intensity and the magnitude of the lattice distortion. Our finding highlights the necessity of a careful and global consideration of the inherent structural complications for correctly understanding the cuprate Fermiology and its microscopic implication.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Li - O anti-correlation in NGC 6752: evidence for Li-enriched polluting gas

Elemental correlations and anti-correlations are known to be present in globular clusters (GCs) owing to pollution by CNO cycled gas. Because of its fragility Li is destroyed at the temperature at which the CNO cycling occurs, and this makes Li a crucial study for the nature of the contaminating stars. We observed 112 un-evolved stars at the Turnoff of the NGC6752 cluster with FLAMES at the VLT to investigate the presence and the extent of a Li-O correlation. This correlation is expected if there is a simple pollution scenario. Li (670.8 nm) and O triplet (771 nm) abundances are derived in NLTE. All stars belong to a very narrow region of the color-magnitude diagram, so they have similar stellar parameters (Teff, log g). We find that O and Li correlate, with a high statistical significance that confirms the early results for this cluster. At first glance this is what is expected if a simple pollution of pristine gas with CNO cycled gas (O-poor, Li-poor) occurred. The slope of the relationship, however, is about 0.4, and differs from unity by over 7 Sigma. A slope of one is the value predicted for a pure contamination model. We confirm an extended Li-O correlation in non evolved stars of NGC 6752. At the same time the characteristic of the correlation shows that a simple pollution scenario is not sufficient to explain the observations. Within this scenario the contaminant gas must have been enriched in Li. This would rule out massive stars as main polluters, and favor the hypothesis that the polluting gas was enriched by intermediate or high-mass AGB stars, unless the former can be shown to be able to produce Li. According to our observations, the fraction of polluting gas contained in the stars observed is a considerable fraction of the stellar mass of the cluster.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2010

ARPES studies of cuprate Fermiology: superconductivity, pseudogap, and quasiparticle dynamics

We present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies of the cuprate high-temperature superconductors which elucidate the relation between superconductivity and the pseudogap and highlight low-energy quasiparticle dynamics in the superconducting state. Our experiments suggest that the pseudogap and superconducting gap represent distinct states, which coexist below T$_c$. Studies on Bi-2212 demonstrate that the near-nodal and near-antinodal regions behave differently as a function of temperature and doping, implying that different orders dominate in different momentum-space regions. However, the ubiquity of sharp quasiparticles all around the Fermi surface in Bi-2212 indicates that superconductivity extends into the momentum-space region dominated by the pseudogap, revealing subtlety in this dichotomy. In Bi-2201, the temperature dependence of antinodal spectra reveals particle-hole asymmetry and anomalous spectral broadening, which may constrain the explanation for the pseudogap. Recognizing that electron-boson coupling is an important aspect of cuprate physics, we close with a discussion of the multiple 'kinks' in the nodal dispersion. Understanding these may be important to establishing which excitations are important to superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Fermi surfaces and quasi-particle band dispersions of the iron pnictides superconductor KFe2As2 observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We have performed an angle-resolved photoemission study of the iron pnictide superconductor KFe2As2 with Tc 4 K. Most of the observed Fermi surfaces show almost two-dimensional shapes, while one of the quasi-particle bands near the Fermi level has a strong dispersion along the kz direction, consistent with the result of a band-structure calculation. However, hole Fermi surfaces αand ζare smaller than those predicted by the calculation while other Fermi surfaces are larger. These observations are consistent with the result of a de Haas-van Alphen study and a theoretical prediction on inter-band scattering, possibly indicating many body effects on the electronic structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

A Systematic Study of Electron-Phonon Coupling to Oxygen Modes Across the Cuprates

The large variations of T$_c$ across the cuprate families is one of the major unsolved puzzles in condensed matter physics, and is poorly understood. Although there appears to be a great deal of universality in the cuprates, several orders of magnitude changes in T$_c$ can be achieved through changes in the chemical composition and structure of the unit cell. In this paper we formulate a systematic examination of the variations in electron-phonon coupling to oxygen phonons in the cuprates, incorporating a number of effects arising from several aspects of chemical composition and doping across cuprate families. It is argued that the electron-phonon coupling is a very sensitive probe of the material-dependent variations of chemical structure, affecting the orbital character of the band crossing the Fermi level, the strength of local electric fields arising from structural-induced symmetry breaking, doping dependent changes in the underlying band structure, and ionicity of the crystal governing the ability of the material to screen $c$-axis perturbations. Using electrostatic Ewald calculations and known experimental structural data, we establish a connection between the material's maximal T$_c$ at optimal doping and the strength of coupling to $c$-axis modes. We demonstrate that materials with the largest coupling to the out-of-phase bond-buckling (``$B_{1g}$") oxygen phonon branch also have the largest T$_c$'s. In light of this observation we present model T$_c$ calculations using a two-well model where phonons work in conjunction with a dominant pairing interaction, presumably due to spin fluctuations, indicating how phonons can generate sizeable enhancements to T$_c$ despite the relatively small coupling strengths. Combined, these results can provide a natural framework for understanding the doping and material dependence of T$_c$ across the cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Observation of Single Dirac Cone Topological Surface State in Compounds TlBiTe2 and TlBiSe2 from a New Topological Insulator Family

Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies were performed on two compounds (TlBiTe$_2$ and TlBiSe$_2$) from a recently proposed three dimensional topological insulator family in Thallium-based III-V-VI$_2$ ternary chalcogenides. For both materials, we show that the electronic band structures are in broad agreement with the $ab$ $initio$ calculations; by surveying over the entire surface Brillouin zone (BZ), we demonstrate that there is a single Dirac cone reside at the center of BZ, indicating its topological non-triviality. For TlBiSe$_2$, the observed Dirac point resides at the top of the bulk valance band, making it a large gap ($\geq$200$meV$) topological insulator; while for TlBiTe$_2$, we found there exist a negative indirect gap between the bulk conduction band at $M$ point and the bulk valance band near $Γ$, making it a semi-metal at proper doping. Interestingly, the unique band structures of TlBiTe$_2$ we observed further suggest TlBiTe$_2$ may be a candidate for topological superconductors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2010

Particle-Hole Symmetry Breaking in the Pseudogap State of Bi2201

In conventional superconductors, a gap exists in the energy absorption spectrum only below the transition temperature (Tc), corresponding to the energy price to pay for breaking a Cooper pair of electrons. In high-Tc cuprate superconductors above Tc, an energy gap called the pseudogap exists, and is controversially attributed either to pre-formed superconducting pairs, which would exhibit particle-hole symmetry, or to competing phases which would typically break it. Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies suggest that the pseudogap stems from lattice translational symmetry breaking and is associated with a different characteristic spectrum for adding or removing electrons (particle-hole asymmetry). However, no signature of either spatial or energy symmetry breaking of the pseudogap has previously been observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Here we report ARPES data from Bi2201 which reveals both particle-hole symmetry breaking and dramatic spectral broadening indicative of spatial symmetry breaking without long range order, upon crossing through T* into the pseudogap state. This symmetry breaking is found in the dominant region of the momentum space for the pseudogap, around the so-called anti-node near the Brillouin zone boundary. Our finding supports the STM conclusion that the pseudogap state is a broken-symmetry state that is distinct from homogeneous superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Doping-dependent nodal Fermi velocity in Bi-2212 revealed by high-resolution ARPES

The improved resolution of laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) allows reliable access to fine structures in the spectrum. We present a systematic, doping-dependent study of a recently discovered low-energy kink in the nodal dispersion of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d (Bi-2212), which demonstrates the ubiquity and robustness of this kink in underdoped Bi-2212. The renormalization of the nodal velocity due to this kink becomes stronger with underdoping, revealing that the nodal Fermi velocity is non-universal, in contrast to assumed phenomenology. This is used together with laser-ARPES measurements of the gap velocity, v2, to resolve discrepancies with thermal conductivity measurements.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Zn-impurity effects on quasi-particle scattering in La2-xSrxCuO4 studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

Angle-resolved photoemission measurements were performed on Zn-doped La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) to investigate the effects of Zn impurities on the low energy electronic structure. The Zn-impurity-induced increase in the quasi-particle (QP) width in momentum distribution curves (MDC) is approximately isotropic on the entire Fermi surface and energy-independent near the Fermi level (EF). The increase in the MDC width is consistent with the increase in the residual resistivity due to the Zn impurities if we assume the carrier number to be 1-x for x=0.17 and the Zn impurity to be a potential scatterer close to the unitarity limit. For x=0.03, the residual resistivity is found to be higher than that expected from the MDC width, and the effects of antifferomagnetic fluctuations induced around the Zn impurities are discussed. The leading edges of the spectra near (pi,0) for x=0.17 are shifted toward higher energies relative to EF with Zn substitution, indicating a reduction of the superconducting gap.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Signatures of pressure induced superconductivity in insulating Bi2212

We have performed several high pressure electrical resistance experiments on Bi1.98Sr2.06Y0.68Cu2O8, an insulating parent compound of the high-Tc Bi2212 family of copper oxide superconductors. We find a resistive anomaly, a downturn at low temperature, that onsets with applied pressure in the 20-40 kbar range. Through both resistance and magnetoresistance measurements, we identify this anomaly as a signature of induced superconductivity. Resistance to higher pressures decreases Tc, giving a maximum of 10 K. The higher pressure measurements exhibit a strong sensitivity to the hydrostaticity of the pressure environment. We make comparisons to the pressure induced superconductivity now ubiquitous in the iron arsenides.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Evolution of the electronic structure from the insulator to the superconductor in Bi2Sr2-xLax(Ca,Y)Cu2O8+d

La-doped and Y-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d (Bi2212) compounds Bi2Sr2-xLax(Ca,Y)Cu2O8+d, which range from the insulator to the deeply underdoped superconductor, have been studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We have observed that the lower Hubbard band (LHB) of the parent insulator is gradually shifted upward with doping without significantly changing the band dispersions, which implies a downward shift of the chemical potential with hole doping. This behaviour is analogous to Bi2Sr2-xLaxCuO6+d (Bi2201) and Ca2-xNaxCuO2Cl2 (Na-CCOC) but is different from La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO), where the LHB stays well below the chemical potential and does not move while its intensity quickly diminishes in the underdoped region.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Strong energy-momentum dispersion of phonon-dressed carriers in the lightly doped band insulator SrTiO$_3$

Much progress has been made recently in the study of the effects of electron-phonon (el-ph) coupling in doped insulators using angle resolved photoemission (ARPES), yielding evidence for the dominant role of el-ph interactions in underdoped cuprates. As these studies have been limited to doped Mott insulators, the important question arises how this compares with doped band insulators where similar el-ph couplings should be at work. The archetypical case is the perovskite SrTiO$_3$ (STO), well known for its giant dielectric constant of 10000 at low temperature, exceeding that of La$_2$CuO$_4$ by a factor of 500. Based on this fact, it has been suggested that doped STO should be the archetypical bipolaron superconductor. Here we report an ARPES study from high-quality surfaces of lightly doped SrTiO$_3$. Comparing to lightly doped Mott insulators, we find the signatures of only moderate electron-phonon coupling: a dispersion anomaly associated with the low frequency optical phonon with a $λ'\sim0.3$ and an overall bandwidth renormalization suggesting an overall $λ'\sim0.7$ coming from the higher frequency phonons. Further, we find no clear signatures of the large pseudogap or small polaron phenomena. These findings demonstrate that a large dielectric constant itself is not a good indicator of el-ph coupling and highlight the unusually strong effects of the el-ph coupling in doped Mott insulators.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Characteristic electronic structure and its doping evolution in lightly-doped to underdoped YBa2Cu3Oy

We have performed an angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of lightly-doped to underdoped YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) untwinned single crystals and a core-level x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) study of YBCO single and polycrystals. In the zone diagonal (nodal) direction, dispersive quasi-particle (QP) features crossing the Fermi level were observed down to the hole concentration of ~ 4%, which explains the metallic transport of the lightly-doped YBCO. The chemical potential shift estimated from XPS was more rapid than in the Bi2212 cuprates. Upon hole doping, very rapid spectral weight transfer from high binding energies to the QP feature, even faster than La2-xSrxCuO4, was observed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗