arXiv subjects

Zhuying Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Zhuying Wang.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Visualizing the interplay of dual electronic nematicities in kagome superconductors

Kagome superconductor AV$_3$Sb$_5$ (A stands for K, Rb, and Cs) hosts a wealth of intertwined electronic orders driven by geometric frustration and electron correlations. Among them, the breaking of rotational and/or time-reversal symmetry, observed within the triple-$Q$ charge density wave (CDW) phase yet exhibiting a more complex temperature dependence, remains a central puzzle. Here, by using scanning tunneling microscopy to study the electronic structures of CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ as a function of temperature and Ti doping, we disentangle the interrelation between two distinct nematic order parameters, one associated with the CDW and the other manifested as $C_2$ distortion of the V-$d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$ Fermi pockets without breaking transition symmetry. The latter persists to high doping levels and high temperatures where the long-range CDW is fully suppressed. Moreover, its nematic director is oriented in a lattice direction distinct from that of the CDW-induced nematicity at intermediate doping, and eventually aligns with the strong nematic CDW order in the pristine compound where the quasiparticles of vanadium orbitals become coherent below a lower characteristic temperature. These observations, combined with Ginzburg-Landau analysis, reveal a rich interplay between two nematic orders that can be assigned to distinct kagome-lattice orbitals. Our results shed new light on the enigmatic intertwined orders in this family and establish a rare material platform in which dual nematic orders coexist and couple to give rise to unusual correlated phenomena.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Observation of robust one-dimensional edge channels in a three-dimensional quantum spin Hall insulator

Topologically protected edge channels show prospects for quantum devices. They have been found experimentally in two-dimensional (2D) quantum spin Hall insulators (QSHIs), weak topological insulators and higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs), but the number of materials realizing these topologies is still quite limited. Here, we provide evidence for topological edge states within a novel topology named three-dimensional (3D) QSHIs. Its topology originates solely from a nonzero $S_z$ spin Chern number for each $k_z$ plane of the crystal and is realized in bulk $α$-Bi$_4$I$_4$ with trivial symmetry indicators, as we show by density functional theory calculations. We experimentally observe the related edge states at each type of monolayer and bilayer step of this material by scanning tunneling microscopy. Consistently, the edge states are neither interrupted, nor backscattered by defects at the step edges corroborating their helical character as expected from the nontrivial topology. Furthermore, two individual edge channels are directly observed at bilayer steps without visible interaction gap opening, demonstrating the robustness of these edge modes against vertical stacking. Our results establish $α$-Bi$_4$I$_4$ as the first material realization of a 3D QSHI whose definition goes beyond the scope of topological symmetry indicators, and provide a pathway for realizing nearly-quantized spin Hall conductivity per unit cell in a bulk crystal.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Atomic-scale spin sensing of a 2D $d$-wave altermagnet via helical tunneling

Altermagnetism simultaneously possesses nonrelativistic spin responses and zero net magnetization, thus combining advantages of ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. This superiority originates from its unique dual feature, i.e., opposite-magnetic sublattices in real space and alternating spin polarization in momentum space enforced by the same crystal symmetry. Therefore, the determination of an altermagnetic order and its unique spin response inherently necessitates atomic-scale spin-resolved measurements in real and momentum spaces, an experimental milestone yet to be achieved. Here, via utilizing the helical edge (hinge) modes of a higher order topological insulator as the spin sensor, we realize spin-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy which enables us to pin down the dual-space feature of a layered $d$-wave altermagnet, KV$_2$Se$_2$O. In real space, atomic-registered mapping demonstrates the checkerboard antiferromagnetic order together with density-wave lattice modulation, and in momentum space, spin-resolved spectroscopic imaging provides a direct visualization of d-wave spin splitting of the band structure. Critically, using this new topology-guaranteed spin filter we directly reveal the unidirectional, spin-polarized quasiparticle excitations originating from the crystal symmetry-paired X and Y valleys around opposite magnetic sublattices simultaneously --the unique spin response for $d$-wave altermagnetism. Our experiments establish a solid basis for the exploration and utilization of altermagnetism in layered materials and further facilitate access to atomic-scale spin sensing and manipulating of 2D quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Electronic-correlation-assisted charge stripe order in a Kagome superconductor

A central mystery in high-temperature cuprate superconductors is the coexistence of multiple exotic orders, which is presumably associated with strong electronic correlation. The ongoing interest in this enigmatic phenomenon is further energized when similar electronic orders and states emerge and coexist in less correlated Kagome superconductors. Here, by utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and first-principles calculations, we reveal the sudden emergence of a distinct short-range charge stripe order in Sn-doped CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ Kagome superconductors when the long-range $2 \times 2$ charge density wave order in pristine CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ is suppressed. This short-range stripe order features a modulation vector of approximately 1/3 along one of the three lattice directions, induces remarkable quasiparticle scattering between the original quasi-1D Kagome-d-bands and their replica of folding, and clearly suppresses the electron density of states at the Fermi level. Our first-principles calculations reveal that $3 \times 1$ supermodulation represents a hidden secondary instability in pristine CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. This instability is further enhanced by in-plane chemical pressure induced by Sn substitution, and coupled to the electronic correlation, leading to a unique charge stripe order in the system. As such, our results reveal a new route toward emergent electronic orders via cooperative interactions between the lattice and electronic degrees of freedom.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Unveiling the landscape of Mottness and its proximity to superconductivity in 4Hb-TaS$_2$

Mott physics is at the root of a plethora of many-body quantum phenomena in quantum materials. Recently, the stacked or twisted structures of van der Waals (vdW) materials have emerged as a unique platform for realizing exotic correlated states in the vicinity of the Mott transition. However, the definitive feature of Mottness and how it rules the low-energy electronic state remain elusive and experimentally inaccessible in many interesting regimes. Here, we quantitatively describe a filling-controlled Mott state and its interplay with superconductivity by scanning tunnelling spectroscopy in a vdW bulk heterostructure, 4Hb-TaS$_2$, that interleaves strongly correlated 1T-TaS$_2$ layers with superconducting 1H-Ta$_2$ layers. The fine tunability of electron doping induced by interlayer charge transfer allows us to continuously track the spectral function with unsurpassed energy resolution from a depleted narrow band (0.2 electrons per site) toward a Mott transition at half filling. The gradually emerging Mott-Hubbard bands, followed by the sharpening and vanishing of the central quasiparticle peak as predicted in the Brinkman-Rice scenario, unambiguously demonstrate the Mott physics at play. Importantly, the renormalization of the low-energy electrons acts destructively on the superconducting pairing potential, leaving behind nonsuperconducting, paramagnetic puddles at the nanoscale. Our results reveal a seminal system near the border of the Mott criterion that enables us to illustrate the predictive power of the Hubbard model, and set such heterostructures as promising ground for realizing new correlated states in the heavily doped Mott regime.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Symmetry-Broken Kondo Screening and Zero-Energy Mode in the Kagome Superconductor CsV3Sb5

The quantum states of matter reorganize themselves in response to defects, giving rise to emergent local excitations that imprint unique characteristics of the host states. While magnetic impurities are known to generate Kondo screening in a Fermi liquid and Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states in a conventional superconductor, it remains unclear whether they can evoke distinct phenomena in the kagome superconductor AV3Sb5 (where A is K, Rb or Cs), which may host an orbital-antiferromagnetic charge density wave (CDW) state and an unconventional superconducting state driven by the convergence of topology, geometric frustration and electron correlations. In this work, we visualize the local density of states induced near various types of impurities in both the CDW and superconducting phases of CsV3-xMxSb5 (M = Ta, Cr) using scanning tunneling microscopy. We observe Kondo resonance states near magnetic Cr dopants. Notably, unlike in any known metal or CDW compound, the spatial pattern of Kondo screening breaks all in-plane mirror symmetries of the kagome lattice, suggesting an electronic chirality due to putative orbital loop currents. While Cooper pairs show relative insensitivity to nonmagnetic impurities, native V vacancies with weak magnetic moments induce a pronounced zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP). This ZBCP coexists with trivial YSR states within the superconducting gap and does not split in energy with increasing tunneling transmission, tending instead to saturate. This behavior is reminiscent of signature of Majorana zero modes, which could be trapped by a sign-change boundary in the superconducting order parameter near a V vacancy, consistent with a surface topological superconducting state. Our findings provide a new approach to exploring novel quantum states on kagome lattices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Unidirectional electron-phonon coupling as a "fingerprint'' of the nematic state in a kagome superconductor

Electronic nematicity has been commonly observed in juxtaposition with unconventional superconductivity. Understanding the nature of the nematic state, as well as its consequence on the electronic band structure and superconductivity, has become a pivotal focus in condensed matter physics. Here we use spectroscopic imaging-scanning tunneling microscopy to visualize how the interacting quasiparticles organize themselves in the nematic state of kagome superconductor CsV$_{3-x}$Ti$_x$Sb$_5$, in which twofold symmetric (C$_2$) quasiparticle scattering interference of the vanadium kagome bands emerges below the bulk nematic transition temperature (T$_{nem}$). Surprisingly, we find that the coupling to collective modes, i.e., the phonon, dramatically alters the electrons self-energy and renormalizes the Fermi velocity of the in-plane vanadium d$_{xy/x^2-y^2}$ bands only along the C$_2$ direction, making the low-energy dispersion and electron dynamics highly nonequivalent along the three lattice directions. The anti-correlation between T$_{nem}$ and the superconducting transition temperature upon Ti substitution further suggests a possible competition between superconductivity and electron nematicity in this series, with a principal superconducting gap opening on the same V bands once the nematic state is totally suppressed. The organizing principle of these quasiparticles provides essential information for understanding the interplay between charge density wave and superconductivity in these kagome superconductors, and also reveals a previously unexplored form that expands the landscape for modelling electronic nematicity in systems where electron correlations and lattice degree of freedom act in concert.

cond-mat.supr-con↗