arXiv subjects

Zhaoming Tian

Publications and source records attributed to Zhaoming Tian.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Giant magnetocaloric effect at low fields in triangular-lattice NdMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$

Magnetic refrigeration in the sub-Kelvin regime requires refrigerant materials to retain a large magnetic entropy at low temperatures by suppressing magnetic ordering. Quantum spin liquids (QSLs), which evade long-range magnetic ordering while retaining strong quantum fluctuations to the lowest temperatures, therefore provide a promising platform for realizing high-performance magnetic refrigerants. Here, we investigate the magnetic ground state and the magnetocaloric effect of the hexaaluminate, NdMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$, in which the Nd$^{3+}$ ions form a network of triangular lattices. Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements indicate a magnetically dynamic state down to 50~mK, consistent with a QSL state. Specific heat measurements further reveal substantial magnetic entropy retained below 50~mK. Quasi-adiabatic demagnetization measurements demonstrate a superior cooling performance of NdMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$, which can be cooled to 113~mK from 1.9~K by only a small magnetic field change of 2~T. The outstanding refrigeration performance is attributed to the persistent spin fluctuations associated with the QSL-like ground state, together with a large effective \textit{g} factor and the smallness of the exchange interactions along the easy-axis direction. This study demonstrates that frustration, combined with strong spin-orbit coupling and crystal-electric-field effect in the rare earth magnets provides a promising design principle for next-generation cryogenic magnetic refrigerants.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Soft point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy in a palm-type cubic anvil-pressure cell

We have implemented soft point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy (PCARS) in a palm-type cubic anvil pressure cell by combining a substrate anchoring strategy with an external wire-splitting technique. This design enables the stable formation of multiple point contact junctions under hydrostatic pressures up to 15 GPa. Benchmark measurements on the elemental superconductor Nb demonstrate high reproducibility and yield a zero-temperature superconducting gap with a gap ratio of 3.3. We further apply this technique to the Kagome metal superconductor CsCr3Sb5 and the bilayer nickelate superconductor La2PrNi2O7. Pronounced zero-bias conductance peaks are observed, and their evolution with temperature, magnetic field and applied pressure is investigated, together with the superconducting gap magnitude and possible pairing symmetries. These measurements provide spectroscopic evidence consistent with unconventional superconductivity in these materials. Our work establishes a robust experimental platform that bridges macroscopic electrical transport and microscopic spectroscopic probes, opening a new avenue for investigating pairing symmetry in a wide range of pressure-induced unconventional superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Anomalous Structural Response of Quasi-One-Dimensional Antiferromagnetic Metal KMn6Bi5 under high pressure

We report high-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements on the quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) antiferromagnetic metal KMn6Bi5 up to 12.5 GPa, revealing the detailed pressure evolution of its atomic coordination environment. We find that the lattice exhibits pronounced anisotropic compressibility-the relative changes in the a and b lattice parameters reach a/a0=0.91 and b/b0 = 0.94 at 12.5 GPa-and a distinct structural anomaly emerges near 11 GPa without any symmetry-breaking. Detailed structural analysis further uncovers an anomalous hardening of the Mn nanotubes between 5 and 11 GPa, followed by a configuration optimization of the Mn/Bi nanotubes around 11 GPa. These features correlate closely with the reported pressure-temperature phase diagram of KMn6Bi5 and compare favorably with the chemical pressure effects induced by substituting K with Na, Rb, or Cs. Our findings provide key microscopic insights into how coordination environment modulation governs the stability of electronic orders in low-dimensional systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Ising Supercriticality and Universal Magnetocalorics in Spiral Antiferromagnet Nd$_3$BWO$_9$

The celebrated analogy between the pressure-temperature phase diagram of a liquid-gas system and the field-temperature phase diagram of a ferromagnet has long been a cornerstone for understanding universality of phase transitions and critical phenomena. Here we extend this analogy to a highly frustrated antiferromagnet, the spiral Ising compound Nd$_3$BWO$_9$ with kagome layers. In its phase diagram, we identify a metamagnetic transition line with a critical endpoint (CEP) located at $μ_0H_{\mathrm{c}} \simeq 1.04$ T and $T_{\mathrm{c}} \simeq 0.3$ K. Above the CEP, an Ising supercritical regime emerges with crossover lines that follow a universal scaling law, as evidenced by the specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and magnetocaloric measurements. Remarkably, we observe highly sensitive magnetic cooling near the emergent CEP, characterized by a divergent magnetic Grüneisen ratio $Γ_H \propto 1/t^{β+γ-1}$, with $β+ γ\simeq 1.563$ the sum of critical exponents of the 3D Ising universality class and $t \equiv (T-T_{\rm c})/T_{\rm c}$ the reduced temperature. Adiabatic demagnetization from 2 K and 4 T reaches a minimum temperature of 195 mK, via a self-cascading process that combines supercritical and topological cooling. Our findings open a new avenue for studying supercritical phenomena and magnetic refrigeration with the frustrated rare-earth compounds RE$_3$BWO$_9$ and, more broadly, in Ising-anisotropic antiferromagnets such as spin ices.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Structural responses incipient to pressure-driven antiferromagnetic quantum critical point of van der Waals heavy-fermion metal CeSiI

CeSiI is a van der Waals heavy-fermion metal recently found to exhibit unconventional superconductivity near a pressure-induced antiferromagnetic quantum critical point (QCP) at Pc =6 GPa. Here, we report a comprehensive single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of CeSiI under high pressures up to 8.3 GPa at room temperature, revealing subtle structural responses that precede pressure-driven QCP. We find that the unit-cell volume decreases smoothly upon compression without showing any structural phase transition in the investigated pressure range. Intriguingly, we observe abrupt and concurrent anisotropic responses of the lattice parameters around Pc =6 GPa, i.e., the a-axis contracts while the c-axis enlongated suddenly, with the unit-cell volume smoothily varies with pressure. Structural refinements further show that these lattice anomalies primarily originate from changes of Ce-Ce and Ce-Si bond lengths, as well as a flattening of the inner honeycomb Si layer within the CeSiI monolayer around Pc. Our findings establish an interesting case linking pressure-driven electronic transition of QCP at low temperatures to incipient structural responses at room temperature, thereby providing fresh insight into the pressure-temperature phase diagram of CeSiI.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Discovery of hidden order in the Shastry-Sutherland magnet Nd2Be2GeO7

Hidden order typically manifests as a thermodynamic phase transition without a conventional order parameter, leaving its true nature concealed even at the lowest temperatures. In the frustrated Shastry-Sutherland magnet Nd$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$, we observe a related yet fundamentally distinct phenomenon. A sharp specific-heat anomaly appears at 250 mK, but zero-field neutron diffraction and muon spin relaxation detect no static magnetism down to 100 and 30 mK, respectively, pointing to a hidden-order state. Remarkably, this hidden order does not emerge under an applied magnetic field, but instead reveals itself only after the field is applied and subsequently removed where magnetic Bragg peaks appear, albeit with strongly suppressed moments. A glassy state is ruled out by ac susceptibility and specific heat measurements. Complementary $μ$SR measurements reveal coherent spin fluctuations at a rate on the order of gigahertz. Taken together, these results suggest that the system lies in close proximity to the quantum spin liquid and long-range magnetic order state such that a small perturbation can effectively drive the system towards distinct ground states. These findings also distinguish Nd$_2$Be$_2$GeO$_7$ from known frustrated systems, establishing it as a unique platform where the synergistic interplay among the spin-orbit coupling, crystal field, and magnetic frustration leads to unexpected quantum states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Directional selection of field-induced phases by weak anisotropy in triangular-lattice K$_2$Mn(SeO$_3$)$_2$

Triangular-lattice systems host a variety of ground states, ranging from quantum spin liquids to magnetically ordered phases, the latter of which can exhibit a sequence of magnetic phase transitions under applied magnetic fields. Here, we report magnetic and thermodynamic measurements, combined with powder and single-crystal neutron diffraction, on a high-spin, nearly isotropic Mn$^{2+}$ triangular-lattice system K$_2$Mn(SeO$_3$)$_2$. The compound undergoes long-range magnetic ordering below $T_\mathrm{N} \sim 4$~K in zero field. Contrary to expectations for an ideal Heisenberg system, the compound adopts an up-down-zero (UD0) magnetic structure down to the lowest temperature (0.05 K), rather than the commonly expected Y-type structure. This UD0 state is, however, highly sensitive to external magnetic fields. For fields applied along the $c$ axis, it is readily destabilized and replaced by the Y-type structure, followed by an up-up-down (UUD) phase corresponding to the 1/3 magnetization plateau. In contrast, when the field is applied within the triangular plane, the system evolves into a canted Y state at a higher critical field. These results reveal that weak anisotropy, though small in magnitude, exerts a strongly orientation-dependent influence, playing a key role in selecting the field-induced phases in this frustrated magnet.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Superconductivity under pressure in the two-dimensional van der Waals heavy-fermion metal CeSiI

CeSiI is a newly discovered exfoliable van der Waals (vdW) heavy-fermion metal featured by a long-range antiferromagnetic (AF) order (TN =7.5 K) inside the Kondo coherent state below T* = 50 K. To gain a more profound understanding of the intriguing physics of this material and to uncover novel phenomena driven by quantum criticality, it is imperative to construct the phase diagram of CeSiI detailing the evolutions of T* and TN as a function of external tuning parameters such as pressure (P).In this study, we employ high pressure as an effective tuning knob to investigate this system, thereby generating a comprehensive T-P phase diagram of CeSiI. This diagram is characterized by an unusual V-shaped nonmonotonic evolution of T*(P) and the emergence of a superconducting dome with Tcmax = 240 mK upon suppression of AF order at Pc = 6 GPa, coinciding with the minimum of T*(P).The close proximity of the superconductivity (SC) to the AF instability and an unusually large upper critical field Bc2(0) exceeding 4-7 times the Pauli paramagnetic limit, suggests an unconventional pairing mechanism in CeSiI. Further analyses of normal-state transport properties provide evidence of quantum criticality, i.e., non-Fermi-liquid behavior and divergence of quasiparticle effective mass near Pc = 7 GPa. Our findings not only establish CeSiI as the first vdW heavy-fermion superconductor but also highlight an unconventional nature for the Kondo coherent state at T* at ambient pressure, hence opening a new avenue to study the interplay of strong electron correlation, Kondo hybridization, magnetism, and unconventional SC in the vdW heavy-fermion systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Many-body electronic structure in pyrochlore superconductor CsBi2 and spin liquid Pr2Ir2O7

The pyrochlore lattice materials can exhibit geometrical frustration, while the related many-body electronic states remain elusive. In this work, we performed scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on the pyrochlore superconductor CsBi2 and spin liquid Pr2Ir2O7 at 0.3 K. For the first time, we obtained atomically resolved images of their (111) surfaces, revealing a hexagonal lattice or a kagome lattice. Tunneling spectroscopy in CsBi2 reveals a nearly fully opened superconductivity gap. The ratio of 2Δ/kBTC = 4.7 suggests relatively strong coupling superconductivity, as compared with that in kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs). In contrast to the previous study categorizing CsBi2 as a type-I superconductor, the applied magnetic field induces a hexagonal vortex lattice in which each vortex core exhibits an intriguing three-fold symmetry state. In Pr2Ir2O7, we observed a spatially homogeneous Kondo-lattice resonance, which is compared with that in the kagome Kondo-lattice material CsCr6Sb6. We further discover that the Kondo resonance exhibits a spatial modulation with three-fold symmetry, and the applied magnetic field induces a Zeeman splitting of the Kondo resonance with intriguing atomic site dependence. We discuss the relations of these many-body electronic phenomena with the pyrochlore lattice geometry and its charge or spin frustration. Our systematic observations offer atomic-scale insights into the many-body electronic structures of the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore superconductors and spin liquids.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Realization of large magnetocaloric effect in the Kagome antiferromagnet Gd3BWO9 for Sub-Kelvin cryogenic refrigeration

Rare-earth (RE) based frustrated magnets have attracted great attention as excellent candidates for magnetic refrigeration at sub-Kelvin temperatures, while the experimental identification on systems exhibiting both large volumetric cooling capacity and reduced working temperatures far below 1 K remain to be a challenge. Here, through the ultra-low temperature magnetism and thermodynamic characterizations, we unveil the large magnetocaloric effect (MCE) realized at sub-Kelvin temperatures in the frustrated Kagome antiferromagnet Gd3BWO9 with TN~1.0 K. The isothermal magnetization curves indicate the existence of field (B) induced anisotropic magnetic phase diagrams, where four distinct magnetic phases for B // c-axis and five magnetic phases for B // ab-plane are identified at T< TN. The analysis of magnetic entropy S(B, T) data and direct adiabatic demagnetization tests reveal a remarkable cooling performance at sub-Kelvin temperatures featured by a large volumetric entropy density 502.2 mJ/K/cm3 and a low attainable minimal temperature Tmin~168 mK from the initial cooling condition of 2 K and 6 T, surpassing most of Gd-based refrigerants previously documented in temperature ranges of 0.25-4 K. The realized Tmin~168 mK far below TN ~ 1.0 K in Gd3BWO9 is related to the combined effects of magnetic frustration and criticality-enhanced MCE, which together leave a substantial magnetic entropy at reduced temperatures by enhancing spin fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Magnetic ground state and persistent spin fluctuations in triangular-lattice antiferromagnet NdZnAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$

Rare-earth triangular-lattice magnets serve as an excellent platform for investigating exotic quantum magnetic phenomena. Recently, the hexaaluminate \cmao\ has been proposed to host a $U(1)$ Dirac quantum spin liquid state with dominant Ising anisotropy. Here, we report a systematic study of its analogue, \nzao, employing ac susceptibility, inelastic neutron scattering, and muon spin relaxation measurements. Inelastic neutron scattering measurements establish a well-defined $J_\mathrm{eff}$ = 1/2 ground state with moderate Ising anisotropy ($g_c$ = 4.54, $g_\mathrm{ab}$ = 1.42). Muon spin relaxation measurements reveal persistent fluctuations emerging below $\sim$15\,K, and extending down to at least 0.28 K. AC susceptibility data further indicate an absence of magnetic ordering or spin freezing down to 50\,mK, despite an overall antiferromagnetic interaction with the Curie-Weiss temprature of $-0.42$\,K. These results suggest that \nzao\ is a good candidate material for realizing a quantum spin liquid state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

U(1) Dirac quantum spin liquid candidate in triangular-lattice antiferromagnet CeMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$

Quantum spin liquid represents an intriguing state where electron spins are highly entangled yet spin fluctuation persists even at 0 K. Recently, the hexaaluminates \textit{R}MgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$ (\textit{R} = rare earth) have been proposed to be a platform for realizing the quantum spin liquid state with dominant Ising anisotropic correlations. Here, we report detailed low-temperature magnetic susceptibility, muon spin relaxation, and thermodynamic studies on the CeMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$ single crystal. Ising anisotropy is revealed by magnetic susceptibility measurements. Muon spin relaxation and ac susceptibility measurements rule out any long-range magnetic ordering or spin freezing down to 50 mK despite the onset of spin correlations below $\sim$0.8 K. Instead, the spins keep fluctuating at a rate of 1.0(2) MHz at 50 mK. Specific heat results indicate a gapless excitation with a power-law dependence on temperature, $C_m(T) \propto T^α$. The quasi-quadratic temperature dependence with $α$ = 2.28(4) in zero field and linear temperature dependence in 0.25 T support the possible realization of the U(1) Dirac quantum spin liquid state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Strong superconducting pairing strength and pseudogap features in a putative multiphase heavy-fermion superconductor CeRh2As2 by soft point-contact spectroscopy

CeRh2As2 is a newly discovered candidate of multiphase heavy-fermion superconductor (Tc=0.3 K) with intriguing physical properties. Here, we employ soft point-contact spectroscopy to investigate its energy gap behaviors in both the normal and superconducting states. The differential conductance below Tc reveals an estimated superconducting energy gap of 2ΔSC=0.24 meV and thus an extremely strong superconducting pairing strength 2ΔSC/kBTc=8.8, which is comparable to those of cuprates and iron-based high-Tc superconductors as well as infinite-layer nickelates. Above Tc, a well-defined pseudogap feature is manifested as a V-shaped dip in the differential conductance spanning an energy scale of 2Δg=0.95-3.0 meV. The pseudogap feature persists to the highest characteristic temperature of Tg=8-9 K and is gradually suppressed by magnetic field of Bg=9.0T regardless of its direction relative to the crystallographic axes. The observation of pseudogap features prior to the superconducting phase transition enriches the phase diagram of CeRh2As2 and provides a novel platform to study the interplay of unconventional superconductivity and pseudogap phenomena.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Simultaneous achievement of record-breaking colossal magnetoresistance and angular magnetoresistance in an antiferromagnetic semiconductor EuSe2

Magnetoresistance effect lays the foundation for spintronics, magnetic sensors and hard drives. The pursuit of magnetic materials with colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and/or angular magnetoresistance (AMR) has attracted enduring research interest and extensive investigations over past decades. Here we report on the discovery of field-induced record-breaking CMR of ~ -10^14 % and AMR ~ 10^14% achieved simultaneously in an antiferromagnetic rare-earth dichalcogenide EuSe2. Such intriguing observations are attributed to strong magnetic anisotropy and magnetic-field induced antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition of the localized Eu2+ spins, which in turn closes the bandgap by lifting the degeneracy of Se-5p bands near Fermi level. Our DFT calculations perfectly replicate the experimental findings based on the Brillouin function and carries transport model. The present work provides a potential simple antiferromagnetic material for achieving angle-sensitive spintronic devices.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Structure and magnetic properties of a family of two-leg spin ladder compounds Ba2RE2Ge4O13 (RE = Pr, Nd, and Gd-Ho) with strong rung interaction

Compared to the intensive investigation on the 3d transition-metal (TM)-based spin ladder compounds, less attention has been paid to the ones constructed by the rare-earth (RE) ions. Herein, we report a family of RE-based spin ladder compounds Ba2RE2Ge4O13 (RE = Pr, Nd, Gd-Ho) crystallized into the monoclinic structure with the space group C2/c. The RE ions are arranged on a two-leg spin ladder motif along the b-axis, where the rung and leg exchange interactions are bridged via the RE-O-RE pathways and RE-O-Ge-O-RE routes, respectively. Moreover, the much shorter rung distance in the RE2O12 dimer units than the leg distance suggests Ba2RE2Ge4O13 to be a strong-rung spin ladder system. All the synthesized Ba2RE2Ge4O13 (RE = Pr, Nd, Gd-Ho) compounds exhibit the dominant antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions and absence of magnetic order down to 1.8 K. Among the family members, Ba2Dy2Ge4O13 can be described by Jeff = 1/2 Kramers doublet states, the low temperature specific heat indicates the coexistence of spin dimerized state with broad maximum at ~ 2.4 K and long-range AFM order with TN = 0.81 K. This family of Ba2RE2Ge4O13 compounds thereby provides a rare platform to investigate the novel spin ladder physics constructed by 4f electrons.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

A topological Hund nodal line antiferromagnet

The interplay of topology, magnetism, and correlations gives rise to intriguing phases of matter. In this study, through state-of-the-art angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, density functional theory and dynamical mean-field theory calculations, we visualize a fourfold degenerate Dirac nodal line at the boundary of the bulk Brillouin zone in the antiferromagnet YMn2Ge2. We further demonstrate that this gapless, antiferromagnetic Dirac nodal line is enforced by the combination of magnetism, space-time inversion symmetry and nonsymmorphic lattice symmetry. The corresponding drumhead surface states traverse the whole surface Brillouin zone. YMn2Ge2 thus serves as a platform to exhibit the interplay of multiple degenerate nodal physics and antiferromagnetism. Interestingly, the magnetic nodal line displays a d-orbital dependent renormalization along its trajectory in momentum space, thereby manifesting Hund coupling. Our findings offer insights into the effect of electronic correlations on magnetic Dirac nodal lines, leading to an antiferromagnetic Hund nodal line.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Synthesis, disorder and Ising anisotropy in a new spin liquid candidate PrMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$

Here we report the successful synthesis of large single crystals of triangular frustrated PrMgAl$_{11}$O$_{19}$ using the optical floating zone technique. Single crystal X-ray diffraction measurements unveiled the presence of quenched disorder within the mirror plane, specifically $\sim$7\% of Pr ions deviating from the ideal 2\textit{d} site towards the 6\textit{h} site. Magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed an Ising anisotropy with the \textit{c}-axis being the easy axis. Despite a large spin-spin interaction that develops below $\sim$10~K and considerable site disorder, the spins do not order or freeze down to at least 50 mK. The availability of large single crystals offers a distinct opportunity to investigate the exotic magnetic state on a triangular lattice with an easy axis out of the plane.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Ba6RE2Ti4O17 (RE= Nd, Sm,Gd, Dy-Yb): A family of Rare-earth based layered triangular lattice magnets

Rare-earth-based triangular-lattice magnets provide the fertile ground to explore the exotic quantum magnetic state. Herein, we report a new family of RE-based triangular-lattice magnets Ba6RE2Ti4O17(RE= rare earth ions) crystallized into the hexagonal structure with space group of P63 mmc, where magnetic rare earth ions form an ideal triangular lattice within the ab-plane and stack in an AA -type fashion along the c-axis. The low-temperature magnetic susceptibility results reveal all the serial compounds have the dominant antiferromagnetic interactions and an absence of magnetic ordering down to 1.8 K. The magnetization and electron spin resonance results indicate distinct magnetic anisotropy for the compounds with different RE ions. Moreover, Ba6Nd2Ti4O17 single crystal is successfully grown and it exhibits strong Ising like anisotropy with magnetic easy-axis perpendicular to the triangle-lattice plane, being a candidate to explore quantum spin liquid state with dominant Ising-type interaction.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗