NMR and NQR studies on transition-metal arsenide superconductors LaRu_2As_2,KCa_2Fe_4As_4F_2,and A_2Cr_3As_3

We report ~(75)As-nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance(NQR) measurements on transition-metal arsenides LaRu_2As_2, KCa_2Fe_4As_4F_2, and A_2Cr_3As_3. In the superconducting state of La Ru_2As_2, a Hebel–Slichter coherence peak is found in the temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 just below Tc, which indicates that LaRu_2As_2 is a full-gap superperconducor. For KCa_2Fe_4As_4F_2, antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations are observed in the normal state. We further find that the anisotropy rate RAF= Tc1/Tab1 is small and temperature independent,implying that the low energy spin fluctuations are isotropic in spin space. Our results indicate that KCa_2Fe_4As_4F_2 is a moderately overdoped iron-arsenide high-temperature superconductor with a stoichiometric composition. For A_2Cr_3As_3(A = Na, K, Rb, Cs), we calculate the electric field gradient by first-principle method and assign the ~(75)As-NQR peaks to two crystallographically different As sites, paving the way for further NMR investigation.     

Metamagnetic transitions and anomalous magnetoresistance in EuAg_4As_2 crystals

In this work,we systematically studied the magnetic and transport properties of EuAg4As2 single crystals.It was found that the two antiferromagnetic transitions(TN1=10 K and TN2=15 K)were driven to lower temperatures by an applied magnetic field.Below TN1,two successive metamagnetic transitions were observed when a magnetic field was applied in the ab plane(H//abplane).For both H//ab and H//c,EuAg4As2 showed a positive,unexpectedly large magnetoresistance(up to 202%)in lower magnetic fields below TN1,and a large negative magnetoresistance(up to-78%)at high fields/intermediate temperatures,thus presenting potential applications in magnetic sensors.Finally,the magnetic phase diagrams of EuAg4As2 were constructed for both H//ab and H//c using the resistivity and magnetisation data.     

Low temperature specific heat of 12442-type KCa_2Fe_4As_4F_2 single crystals

Low-temperature specific heat(SH) is measured for the 12442-type KCa_2Fe_4As_4F_2 single crystal under different magnetic fields.A clear SH jump with the height of ?C/T|_(T_c)= 130 mJ mol~(-1) K~(-2) is observed at the superconducting transition temperature T_c.It is found that the electronic SH coefficient ?γ(H) quickly increases when the field is in the low-field region below 3T and then considerably slows down the increase with a further increase in the field, which indicates a rather strong anisotropy or multi-gap feature with a small minimum in the superconducting gap(s). The temperature-dependent SH data indicate the presence of the T~2 term, which supplies further information and supports the picture with a line-nodal gap structure. Moreover, the onset point of the SH transition remains almost unchanged under the field as high as 9 T, which is similar to that observed in cuprates, and places this system in the middle between the BCS limit and the Bose-Einstein condensation.     

Coexistence of Polaronic States and Superconductivity in Iron-Pnictide Compound Ba_2Ti_2Fe_2As_4O

The electronic structure of iron-pnictide compound superconductor Ba_2Ti_2Fe_2As_4O, which has metallic intermediate Ti_2O layers, is studied using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The Ti-related bands show a‘peak-dip-hump' line shape with two branches of dispersion associated with the polaronic states at temperatures below around 120 K. This change in the spectra occurs along with the resistivity anomaly that was not clearly understood in a previous study. Moreover, an energy gap induced by the superconducting proximity effect opens in the polaronic bands at temperatures below T_c(~21 K). Our study provides the spectroscopic evidence that superconductivity coexists with polarons in the same bands near the Fermi level, which provides a suitable platform to study interactions between charge, lattice and spin freedoms in a correlated system.     

Magnetoresistivity and filamentary superconductivity in nickel-doped BaFe_2As_2

We present magnetotransport studies on a series of BaFe_(2-x)Ni_xAs_2(0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) single crystals. In the underdoped(x = 0.03) non-superconducting sample, the temperature-dependent resistivity exhibits a peak at 22 K, which is associated with the onset of filamentary superconductivity(FLSC). FLSC is suppressed by an external magnetic field in a manner similar to the suppression of bulk superconductivity in an optimally-doped(x = 0.10) compound, suggesting the same possible origin as the bulk superconductivity. Our magnetoresistivity measurements reveal that FLSC persists up to the optimal doping and disappears in the overdoped regime where the long-range antiferromagnetic order is completely suppressed, pointing to a close relation between FLSC and the magnetic order.     

Study of glass transition kinetics of As_2S_3 and As_2Se_3 by ultrafast differential scanning calorimetry

Ultrafast differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) was employed to investigate the glass transition kinetics of As_2S_3 and As_2Se_3 . By using the Arrhenius method, a fragility index of～22 can be estimated in both As_2S_3 and As_2Se_3 .However, when the scanning rate is more than 200 K·s~(-1), non-Arrhenius behavior can be observed in such "strong" liquids where the Vogel–Fulcher method is more accurate to describe the glass transition kinetics. The fragilities of As_2S_3 and As_2Se_3 glasses are thus extrapolated as 28.3±1.94 and 23.7±1.80, respectively. This indicates that, As_2Se_3 glass has a better structural stability and it is a better candidate for device applications.     

Tip-Pressure-Induced Incoherent Energy Gap in CaFe_2As_2

In CaFe_2As_2,superconductivity can be achieved by applying a modest c-axis pressure of several kbar.Here we use scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy(STM/S) to explore the STM tip pressure effect on single crystals of CaFe_2As_2.When performing STM/S measurements,the tip-sample interaction can be controlled to act repulsive with reduction of the junction resistance,thus to apply a tip pressure on the sample.We End that an incoherent energy gap emerges at the Fermi level in the differential conductance spectrum when the tip pressure is increased.This energy gap is of the similar order of magnitude as the superconducting gap in the chemical doped compound Ca_(0.4)Na_(0.6)Fe_2As_2 and disappears at the temperature well below that of the bulk magnetic ordering.Moreover,we also observe the rhombic distortion of the As lattice,which agrees with the orthorhombic distortion of the underlying Fe lattice.These Endings suggest that the STM tip pressure can induce the local Cooper pairing in the orthorhombic phase of CaFe_2As_2.     

Superconductivity in Undoped CaFe_2As_2 Single Crystals

Single crystals of undoped CaFe_2As_2 are grown by an FeAs self-flux method,and the crystals are quenched in ice-water rapidly after high-temperature growth.The quenched crystal undergoes a collapsed tetragonal structural phase transition around 80 K revealed by the temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction measurements.Superconductivity below 25 K is observed in the collapsed phase by resistivity and magnetization measurements.The isothermal magnetization curve measured at 2K indicates that this is a typical type-Ⅱ superconductor.For comparison,we systematically characterize the properties of the furnace-cooled,quenched,and post-annealed single crystals,and find strong internal crystallographic strain existing in the quenched samples,which is the key for the occurrence of superconductivity in the undoped CaFe_2As_2 single crystals.     

Ultra-broadband modulation instability gain characteristics in As_2S_3 and As_2Se_3 chalcogenide glass photonic crystal fiber

Based on the designed As_2Se_3 and As_2S_3 chalcogenide glass photonic crystal fiber(PCF) and the scalar nonlinear Schrdinger equation,the effects of pump power and wavelength on modulation instability(MI) gain are comprehensively studied in the abnormal dispersion regime of chalcogenide glass PCF.Owing to high Raman effect and high nonlinearity,ultra-broadband MI gain is obtained in chalcogenide glass PCF.By choosing the appropriate pump parameter,the MI gain bandwidth reaches 2738 nm for the As_2Se_3 glass PCF in the abnormal-dispersion region,while it is 1961 nm for the As_2S_3 glass PCF.     

Optical study of charge dynamics in CaCo_2As_2

We present an infrared spectroscopy study of charge dynamics in CaCo_2As_2 single crystal. In this material, the optical conductivity can be described by two Drude components with different scattering rates(1/τ): a broad incoherent background and a narrow Drude component. By monitoring the temperature dependence, we find that only the narrow Drude component is temperature-dependent and determines the transport properties. Especially a Fermi liquid behavior of carriers is revealed by the T~2 behavior in the dc resistivity ρ_n and scattering rate 1/τ_n, indicating a coherent nature of quasiparticles in the narrow Drude subsystem.     

Superconductivity in Sm-doped CaFe_2As_2 single crystals

In this article,the Sm-doping single crystals Ca_(1-x)Sm_xFe_2As_2(x = 0 ~0.2) were prepared by the Ca As flux method,and followed by a rapid quenching treatment after the high temperature growth.The samples were characterized by structural,resistive,and magnetic measurements.The successful Sm-substitution was revealed by the reduction of the lattice parameter c,due to the smaller ionic radius of Sm~(3+)than Ca~(2+).Superconductivity was observed in all samples with onset T_c varying from 27 K to 44 K upon Sm-doping.The coexistence of a collapsed phase transition and the superconducting transition was found for the lower Sm-doping samples.Zero resistivity and substantial superconducting volume fraction only happen in higher Sm-doping crystals with the nominal x 0.10.The doping dependences of the c-axis length and onset T_c were summarized.The high-T_c observed in these quenched crystals may be attributed to simultaneous tuning of electron carriers doping and strain effect caused by lattice reduction of Sm-substitution.     

Negative Magnetoresistance in Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator EuSn_2As_2

The measurements of magnetization,longitudinal and Hall resistivities are carried out on the intrinsic antiferromagnetic(AFM) topological insulator ElSn_2 As_2.It is confirmed that our ElSn_2 As_2 crystal is a heavily hole doping A-type AFM metal with the Neel temperature T_N=24 K,with a metamagnetic transition from an AFM to a ferromagnetic(FIM) phase occurring at a certain critical magnetic Held for the different Held orientations.Meanwhile,we also find that the carrier concentration does not change with the evolution of magnetic order,indicating that the weak interaction between the localized magnetic moments from Eu~(2+)4f~7 orbits and the electronic states near the Fermi level.Although the quantum anomalous Hall effect(AHE) is not observed in our crystals,it is found that a relatively large negative magnetoresistance (-13%) emerges in the AFM phase,and exhibits an exponential dependence upon magnetic Held,whose microscopic origin is waiting to be clarified in future research.     

Raman scattering studies on the collapsed phase of CaCo_2As_2

In this work,Raman scattering measurements have been performed on the collapsed phase CaCo_2As_2 crystals.At least 8 Raman modes were observed at room temperature though CaCo_2As_2 is structurally similar to other 122 compounds like BaFe_2As_2.Two Raman modes are assigned to the intrinsic A_(1g)and B_(1g)of this material system respectively.The other ones are considered to originate from the local vibrations relevant to cobalt vacancies.Careful polarized measurements allow us to clearly resolve the four-fold symmetry of the B_(1g)mode,which put strong constraints on possible point group symmetries of the system with Co vacancies.The temperature-dependent measurements demonstrate that the anomalies in both frequency and width of the B_(1g)mode occur around Neel temperature T_N.The anomalies are considered to be related to the gap opening near the magnetic transition.The study may shed light on the structural and magnetic changes and their correlations with superconductivity in 122 systems.     

Long-Time Magnetic Relaxation in Antiferromagnetic Topological Material EuCd_2As_2

Magnetic topological materials have attracted much attention due to the correlation between topology and magnetism. Recent studies suggest that EuCd_2As_2 is an antiferromagnetic topological material. Here by carrying out thorough magnetic, electrical and thermodynamic property measurements, we discover a long-time relaxation of the magnetic susceptibility in EuCd_2As_2. The(001) in-plane magnetic susceptibility at 5 K is found to continuously increase up to ~10% over the time of ~14 hours. The magnetic relaxation is anisotropic and strongly depends on the temperature and the applied magnetic field. These results will stimulate further theoretical and experimental studies to understand the origin of the relaxation process and its effect on the electronic structure and physical properties of the magnetic topological materials.     

Magnetism variation of the compressed antiferromagnetic topological insulator EuSn_2As_2

We report a comprehensive high-pressure study,up to 21.1 GPa,on the antiferromagnetic topological insulator EuSn_2As_2 achieved through synchrotron X-ray diffraction,Raman scattering,electrical resistance,magnetic resistance,and Hall transport measurements in combination with first-principles calculations.The Néel temperatures determined from resistance are increased from (24±1) to (77±8) K under pressure,which is a result of enhanced magnetic exchange couplings between Eu~(2+)ions yielded by our first-principles calculations.The negative magnetoresistance of EuSn_2As_2 persists to higher temperatures accordingly.However,the enhancement of the observed Néel temperatures deviates from the calculations above 10.0 GPa.In addition,the magnitude of the magnetoresistance,Hall coefficients,and charge carrier densities show abrupt changes between 6.9 and 10.0 GPa.The abrupt changes likely originate from a pressure-induced valence change of Eu ions from a divalent state to a divalent and trivalent mixed state or are related to the structural transition revealed by Raman scattering measurements.Our results provide insight into magnetism variation in EuSn_2As_2 and similar antiferromagnetic topological insulators under pressure.     

Two-coupled structural modulations in charge-density-wave state of SrPt_2As_2 superconductor

Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) study of SrPt2As2 reveals two incommensurate modulations appearing in the charge-density-wave(CDW) state below TCDW≈ 470 K. These two structural modulations can be well explained in terms of condensations of two-coupled phonon modes with wave vectors of q1= 0.62a*on the a*–b*plane and q2=0.23a*on the a*–c*plane. The atomic displacements occur along the b-axis direction for q1and along the c-axis direction for q2, respectively. Moreover, the correlation between q1and q2can be generally written as q1=(q2+ a*)/2 in the CDW state, suggesting the presence of essential coupling between q1and q2. A small fraction of Ir doping on the Pt site in Sr(Pt1-xIrx)2As2(x ≤ 0.06) could moderately change these CDW modulations and also affect their superconductivities.     

Electrical transport and optical properties of Cd_3As_2 thin films

Cd_3As_2, as a three-dimensional(3D) topological Dirac semimetal, has attracted wide attention due to its unique physical properties originating from the 3D massless Dirac fermions. While many efforts have been devoted to the exploration of novel physical phenomena such as chiral anomaly and phase transitions by using bulk crystals, the development of high-quality and large-scale thin films becomes necessary for practical electronic and optical applications. Here, we report our recent progress in developing single-crystalline thin films with improved quality and their optical devices including Cd_3As_2-based heterojunctions and ultrafast optical switches. We find that a post-annealing process can significantly enhance the crystallinity of Cd_3As_2 in both intrinsic and Zn-doped thin films. With excellent characteristics of high mobility and linear band dispersion, Cd_3As_2 exhibits a good optical response in the visible-to-mid-infrared range due to an advantageous optical absorption, which is reminiscent of 3D graphene. It also behaves as an excellent saturable absorber in the mid-infrared regime. Through the delicate doping process in this material system, it may further open up the long-sought parameter space crucial for the development of compact and high-performance mid-infrared ultrafast sources.     

Coherent Acoustic Phonon and Its Chirping in Dirac Semimetal Cd_3As_2

Ultrafast optical spectroscopy of a single crystal of a Dirac semimetal Cd_3As_(2 )is carried out.An acoustic phonon(AP)mode with central frequency f=0.037 THz(i.e.,1.23 cm~(-1)or 0.153 meV)is unambiguously generated and detected,which we attribute to laser-induced thermal strain.An AP chirping(i.e.,variation of the phonon frequency)is clearly detected,which is ascribed to heat capacity variation with time.By comparing our experimental results and the theoretical model,we obtain a chirping time constant,which is 31.2 ps at 6 K and 19.8 ps at 300 K,respectively.Significantly,we identify an asymmetry in the AP frequency domain peak and find that it is caused by the chirping,instead of a Fano resonance.Moreover,we experimentally demonstrate that the central frequency of AP is extremely stable with varying laser fluence,as well as temperature,which endows Cd_3As_2application potentials in thermoelectric devices.     

Electrical transport and photoresponse properties of single-crystalline p-type Cd3As2 nanowires

Cd3As2 is an important II–V group semiconductor with excellent electrical and optoelectronic properties. In this work, we report the large scale growth of single-crystalline Cd3As2 nanowires via a simple chemical vapor deposition method. Single nanowire field-effect transistors were fabricated with the as-grown Cd3As2 nanowires, which exhibited a high I on/I off of 104 with a hole mobility of 6.02 cm2V-1s-1. Photoresponse properties of the Cd3As2 nanowires were also investigated by illuminating the nanowires with white light by varying intensities. Besides, flexible photodetectors were also fabricated on flexible PET substrate, showing excellent mechanical stablility and flexible electro-optical properties under various bending states and bending cycles. Our results indicate that Cd3As2 nanowires can be the basic material of next generation electronic and optoelectronic devices.     

Large and anisotropic linear magnetoresistance in bulk stoichiometric Cd3As2 crystals

Cd3As2 was recently identified as a novel three-dimensional(3D)topological semimetal hosting the long-pursuing 3D Dirac Fermion.Crystals of Cd3As2 grown preferentially along the[100]and[112]directions were obtained through the modified chemical vapor transfer growth method,thus allowing the examination of transport anisotropy.The resistivity and magnetoresistance(MR)are basically linear with respect to magnetic field(H)in the measured temperature range of 2–300 K irrespective of the directions.The linear resistivity and MR are significantly anisotropic not only along[100]and[112]directions but also with respect to tilt angle between the growth directions and H,thus providing transport signatures of the 3D Dirac Fermion as well as the possible linear and anisotropic change of Weyl Fermi surface in H.Very large MR along the[100]direction is observed,even approaching 3100%at 2 K and 14 k Oe(1 Oe=79.5775 A m-1).The results would be helpful in renewing interest in studying emergent phenomena arising from bulk 3D Dirac Fermion as well as in paving the way for Cd3As2 to be used in magnetoelectronic sensors.