arXiv subjects

Z. Hu

Publications and source records attributed to Z. Hu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Ionization Suppression of Diatomic Molecules in Intense Midinfrared Laser Field

Diatomic molecules (e.g., O$_2$) in intense laser field exhibit a peculiar suppressed ionization behavior compared to their companion atoms. Several physical models have been proposed to account for this suppression while no consensus has been achieved. In this letter, we aim to clarify the underlying mechanisms behind this molecular ionization suppression. Experimental data recorded at midinfrared laser wavelength and its comparison with that at near-infrared wavelength revealed a peculiar wavelength and intensity dependence of the suppressed ionization of O$_2$ with respect to its companion atom of Xe, while N$_2$ behaves like a structureless atom. It is found that the S-matrix theory calculation can reproduce well the experimental observations and unambiguously identifies the significant role of two-center interference effect in the ionization suppression of O$_2$.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2011

From antiferromagnetic insulator to correlated metal in pressurized and doped LaMnPO

Widespread adoption of superconducting technologies requires the discovery of new materials with enhanced properties, especially higher superconducting transition temperatures T$_{c}$. The unexpected discovery of high T$_{c}$ superconductivity in cuprates and in materials as diverse as heavy fermions, organic conductors, and endohedrally-doped fullerenes suggests that the highest T$_{c}$s occur when pressure or doping transform the localized and moment-bearing electrons in antiferromagnetic insulators into itinerant and weakly magnetic metals. The absence of this delocalization transition in Fe-based superconductors may limit their T$_{c}$s, but even larger T$_{c}$s may be possible in their isostructural Mn analogs, which are antiferromagnetic insulators like the cuprates. It is generally believed that prohibitively large pressures would be required to suppress the strong Hund's rule coupling in these Mn-based compounds, collapsing the insulating gap and enabling superconductivity. Indeed, no Mn-based compounds are known to be superconductors. The electronic structure calculations and x-ray diffraction measurements presented here challenge these long held beliefs, finding that only modest pressures are required to transform LaMnPO, isostructural to superconducting host LaFeAsO, from an insulating tetragonal structure with a large Mn moment to a gapless orthorhombic structure with a small Mn moment. Proximity to this electronic delocalization transition in LaMnPO results in a highly interacting metallic state, the familiar breeding ground of superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Orbital order in La0.5Sr1.5MnO4: beyond a common local Jahn-Teller picture

The standard way to find the orbital occupation of Jahn-Teller (JT) ions is to use structural data, with the assumption of a one-to-one correspondence between the orbital occupation and the associated JT distortion, e.g. in O6 octahedron. We show, however, that this approach in principle does not work for layered systems. Specifically, using the layered manganite La0.5Sr1.5MnO4 as an example, we found from our x-ray absorption measurements and theoretical calculations, that the type of orbital ordering strongly contradicts the standard local distortion approach for the Mn3+O6 octahedra, and that the generally ignored long-range crystal field effect and anisotropic hopping integrals are actually crucial to determine the orbital occupation. Our findings may open a pathway to control of the orbital state in multilayer systems and thus of their physical properties.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Orbital occupation and magnetic moments of tetrahedrally coordinated iron in CaBaFe4O7

CaBaFe4O7 is a mixed-valent transition metal oxide having both Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in tetrahedral coordination. Here we characterize its magnetic properties by magnetization measurements and investigate its local electronic structure using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Fe L2,3 edges, in combination with multiplet cluster and spin-resolved band structure calculations. We found that the Fe2+ ion in the unusual tetrahedral coordination is Jahn-Teller active with the high-spin e^2 (up) t2^3 (up) e^1 (down) configuration having a x^2-y^2-like electron for the minority spin. We deduce that there is an appreciable orbital moment of about L_z=0.36 caused by multiplet interactions, thereby explaining the observed magnetic anisotropy. CaBaFe4O7, a member of the '114' oxide family, offers new opportunities to explore charge, orbital and spin physics in transition metal oxides.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Local electronic structure of Fe$^{2+}$ impurities in MgO thin films: Temperature-dependent soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy study

We report on the local electronic structure of Fe impurities in MgO thin films. Using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) we verified that the Fe impurities are all in the 2+ valence state. The fine details in the line shape of the Fe $L_{2,3}$ edges provide direct evidence for the presence of a dynamical Jahn-Teller distortion. We are able to determine the magnitude of the effective $D_{4h}$ crystal field energies. We also observed a strong temperature dependence in the spectra which we can attribute to the thermal population of low-lying excited states that are present due to the spin-orbit coupling in the Fe 3d. Using this Fe$^{2+}$ impurity system as an example, we show that an accurate measurement of the orbital moment in Fe$_3$O$_4$ will provide a direct estimate for the effective local low-symmetry crystal fields on the Fe$^{2+}$ sites, important for the theoretical modeling of the formation of orbital ordering.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Local symmetry and magnetic anisotropy in multiferroic MnWO4 and antiferromagnetic CoWO4 studied by soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Soft x-ray absorption experiments on the transition metal L2,3 edge of multiferroic MnWO4 and antiferromagnetic CoWO4 are presented. The observed linear polarization dependence, analyzed by full-multiplet calculations, is used to determine the ground state wave function of the magnetic Mn2+ and Co2+ ions. The impact of the local structure and the spin-orbit coupling on the orbital moment is discussed in terms of the single-ion anisotropy. It is shown that the orbital moment in CoWO4 is responsible for the collinear antiferromagnetism, while the small size of spin-orbit coupling effects make spiral magnetic order in MnWO4 possible, enabling the material to be multiferroic.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Crystal-field and Kondo scale investigation of CeMIn5 (M=Co, Ir and Rh): a combined x-ray absorption and inelastic neutron study

Linear polarized soft-x ray absorption (XAS) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments have been performed on CeMIn5 with M = Rh, Ir, and Co to determine the crystal-field scheme and characteristic Kondo temperatures T* for the hybridization between 4f and conduction electrons. The ground state wave functions are determined from the polarization dependent soft-XAS data at the cerium M4,5 edge and the crystal-field splittings from INS. The characteristic temperature T* has been determined from the line widths of the neutron scattering data. We find that the quasielastic line widths of the superconducting compounds CeCoIn5 and CeIrIn5 are comparable with the low energy crystal-field splitting.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Epitaxy, stoichiometry, and magnetic properties of Gd-doped EuO films on YSZ (001)

We have succeeded in preparing high-quality Gd-doped single-crystalline EuO films. Using Eu-distillation-assisted molecular beam epitaxy and a systematic variation in the Gd and oxygen deposition rates, we have been able to observe sustained layer-by-layer epitaxial growth on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (001). The presence of Gd helps to stabilize the layer-by-layer growth mode. We used soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Eu and Gd M4,5 edges to confirm the absence of Eu3+ contaminants and to determine the actual Gd concentration. The distillation process ensures the absence of oxygen vacancies in the films. From magnetization measurements we found the Curie temperature to increase smoothly as a function of doping from 70 K up to a maximum of 125 K. A threshold behavior was not observed for concentrations as low as 0.2%.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Electronic and magnetic properties of the kagome systems YBaCo4O7 and YBaCo3MO7 (M=Al, Fe)

We present a combined experimental and theoretical x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) study of the new class of cobaltates YBaCo4O7 and YBaCo3MO7 (M= Al, Fe). The focus is on the local electronic and magnetic properties of the transition metal ions in these geometrically frustrated kagome compounds. For the mixed valence cobaltate YBaCo4O7, both the Co2+ and Co3+ are found to be in the high spin state. The stability of these high spin states in tetrahedral coordination is compared with those in the more studied case of octahedral coordination. For the new compound YBaCo3FeO7, we find exclusively Co2+ and Fe3+ as charge states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Epitaxial and layer-by-layer growth of EuO thin films on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (001) using MBE distillation

We have succeeded in growing epitaxial and highly stoichiometric films of EuO on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) (001). The use of the Eu-distillation process during the molecular beam epitaxy assisted growth enables the consistent achievement of stoichiometry. We have also succeeded in growing the films in a layer-by-layer fashion by fine tuning the Eu vs. oxygen deposition rates. The initial stages of growth involve the limited supply of oxygen from the YSZ substrate, but the EuO stoichiometry can still be well maintained. The films grown were sufficiently smooth so that the capping with a thin layer of aluminum was leak tight and enabled ex situ experiments free from trivalent Eu species. The findings were used to obtain recipes for better epitaxial growth of EuO on MgO (001).

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Crystal-field ground state of the non-centrosymmetric superconductor CePt3Si: a combined polarized soft X-ray absorption and polarized neutron study

We determined the crystal-field split Hund's rule ground state of the non-centrosymmetric heavy fermion superconductor CePt3Si with polarization dependent soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and polarized neutron scattering. We are also able to give the sequence of the crystal-field states from the temperature evolution of the linear dichroic signal in the XAS. The quantitative analysis of the XAS temperature dependence together with the neutron transition energies complete the identification of the crystal-field level scheme.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Static and fluctuating stripe order observed by resonant soft x-ray diffraction in La1.8Sr0.2NiO4

We studied the stripe phase of La1.8Sr0.2NiO4 using neutron diffraction, resonant soft x-ray diffraction (RSXD) at the Ni L2,3 edges, and resonant x-ray diffraction (RXD) at the Ni K threshold. Differences in the q-space resolution of the different techniques have to be taken into account for a proper evaluation of diffraction intensities associated with the spin and charge order superstructures. We find that in the RSXD experiment the spin and charge order peaks show the same temperature dependence. In the neutron experiment by contrast, the spin and charge signals follow quite different temperature behaviors. We infer that fluctuating magnetic order contributes considerably to the magnetic RSXD signal and we suggest that this result may open an interesting experimental approach to search for fluctuating order in other systems by comparing RSXD and neutron diffraction data.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Spin blockade, orbital occupation and charge ordering in La_(1.5)Sr_(0.5)CoO4

Using Co-L_(2,3) and O-K x-ray absorption spectroscopy, we reveal that the charge ordering in La_(1.5)Sr_(0.5)CoO4 involves high spin (S=3/2) Co^2+ and low spin (S=0) Co^3+ ions. This provides evidence for the spin blockade phenomenon as a source for the extremely insulating nature of the La_(2-x)Sr_(x)CoO4 series. The associated e_g^2 and e_g^0 orbital occupation accounts for the large contrast in the Co-O bond lengths, and in turn, the high charge ordering temperature. Yet, the low magnetic ordering temperature is naturally explained by the presence of the non-magnetic (S=0) Co^3+ ions. From the identification of the bands we infer that La_(1.5)Sr_(0.5)CoO4 is a narrow band material.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Ising magnetism and ferroelectricity in Ca$_3$CoMnO$_6$

The origin of both the Ising chain magnetism and ferroelectricity in Ca$_3$CoMnO$_6$ is studied by $ab$ $initio$ electronic structure calculations and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. We find that Ca$_3$CoMnO$_6$ has the alternate trigonal prismatic Co$^{2+}$ and octahedral Mn$^{4+}$ sites in the spin chain. Both the Co$^{2+}$ and Mn$^{4+}$ are in the high spin state. In addition, the Co$^{2+}$ has a huge orbital moment of 1.7 $μ_B$ which is responsible for the significant Ising magnetism. The centrosymmetric crystal structure known so far is calculated to be unstable with respect to exchange striction in the experimentally observed $\uparrow\uparrow\downarrow\downarrow$ antiferromagnetic structure for the Ising chain. The calculated inequivalence of the Co-Mn distances accounts for the ferroelectricity.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2008

Low energy excitations in CoO studied by temperature dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy

We have measured the intricate temperature dependence of the Co L2,3 x-ray absorption spectra (2p-3d excitations) of CoO. To allow for accurate total electron yield measurements, the material has been grown in thin film form on a metallic substrate in order to avoid charging problems usually encountered during electron spectroscopic studies on bulk CoO samples. The changes in spectra due to temperature are in good agreement with detailed ligand-field calculations indicating that these changes are mostly due to thermal population of closely lying excited states, originating from degenerate t2g levels lifted by the spin-orbit coupling. Magnetic coupling in the ordered phase, modeled as a mean-field exchange field, mixes in excited states inducing a tetragonal charge density. The spin-orbit coupling induced splitting of the low energy states results in a non-trivial temperature dependence for the magnetic susceptibility.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Crystal-field level inversion in lightly Mn-doped Sr3Ru2O7

Sr3(Ru1-xMnx)2O7, in which 4d-Ru is substituted by the more localized 3d-Mn, is studied by x-ray dichroism and spin-resolved density functional theory. We find that Mn impurities do not exhibit the same 4+ valence of Ru, but act as 3+ acceptors; the extra eg electron occupies the in-plane 3dx2-y2 orbital instead of the expected out-of-plane 3d3z2-r2. We propose that the 3d-4d interplay, via the ligand oxygen orbitals, is responsible for this crystal-field level inversion and the material's transition to an antiferromagnetic, possibly orbitally-ordered, low-temperature state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Aligning spins in antiferromagnetic films using antiferromagnets

We have explored the possibility to orient spins in antiferromagnetic thin films with low magnetocrystalline anisotropy via the exchange coupling to adjacent antiferromagnetic films with high magnetocrystalline anisotropy. We have used MnO as a prototype for a system with negligible single-ion anisotropy. We were able to control its spin direction very effectively by growing it as a film on antiferromagnetic CoO films with different predetermined spin orientations. This result may pave the way for tailoring antiferromagnets with low magnetocrystalline anistropy for applications in exchange bias systems. Very detailed information concerning the exchange coupling and strain effects was obtained from the Mn $L_{2,3}$ soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Resonant soft x-ray scattering from stepped surfaces of SrTiO3

We studied the resonant diffraction signal from stepped surfaces of SrTiO3 at the Ti 2p -> 3d (L2,3) resonance in comparison with x-ray absorption (XAS) and specular reflectivity data. The steps on the surface form an artificial superstructure suited as a model system for resonant soft x-ray diffraction. A small step density on the surface is sufficient to produce a well defined diffraction peak, showing the high sensitivity of the method. At larger incidence angles, the resonant diffraction spectrum from the steps on the surface resembles the spectrum for specular reflectivity. Both deviate from the XAS data in the relative peak intensities and positions of the peak maxima. We determined the optical parameters of the sample across the resonance and found that the differences between the XAS and scattering spectra reflect the different quantities probed in the different signals. When recorded at low incidence or detection angles, XAS and specular reflectivity spectra are distorted by the changes of the angle of total reflection with energy. Also the step peak spectra, though less affected, show an energy shift of the peak maxima in grazing incidence geometry.

cond-mat.str-el↗