A density-wave-like transition in the polycrystalline V3Sb2 sample with bilayer kagome lattice

Recently,transition-metal-based kagome metals have aroused much research interest as a novel platform to explore exotic topological quantum phenomena.Here we report on the synthesis,structure,and physical properties of a bilayer kagome lattice compound V₃Sb₂.The polycrystalline V₃Sb₂ samples were synthesized by conventional solid-state-reaction method in a sealed quartz tube at temperatures below 850℃.Measurements of magnetic susceptibility and resistivity revealed consistently a density-wave-like transition at Tdw≈160 K with a large thermal hysteresis,even though some sample-dependent behaviors were observed presumably due to the different preparation conditions.Upon cooling through Tdw,no strong anomaly in lattice parameters and no indication of symmetry lowering were detected in powder x-ray diffraction measurements.This transition can be suppressed completely by applying hydrostatic pressures of about 1.8 GPa,around which no sign of superconductivity was observed down to 1.5 K.Specific-heat measurements revealed a relatively large Sommerfeld coefficientγ=18.5 mJ·mol^-1·K^-2,confirming the metallic ground state with moderate electronic correlations.Density functional theory calculations indicate that V₃Sb₂ shows a non-trivial topological crystalline property.Thus,our study makes V₃Sb₂ a new candidate of metallic kagome compound to study the interplay between density-wave-order,nontrivial band topology,and possible superconductivity.     

Surface-induced orbital-selective band reconstruction in kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5

The two-dimensional (2D) kagome superconductor CsV₃Sb₅ has attracted much recent attention due to the coexistence of superconductivity, charge orders, topology and kagome physics, which manifest themselves as distinct electronic structures in both bulk and surface states of the material. An interesting next step is to manipulate the electronic states in this system. Here, we report angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) evidence for a surface-induced orbital-selective band reconstruction in CsV₃Sb₅. A significant energy shift of the electron-like band around Γ and a moderate energy shift of the hole-like band around M are observed as a function of time. This evolution is reproduced in a much shorter time scale by in-situ annealing of the CsV₃Sb₅ sample. Orbital-resolved density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the momentum-dependent band reconstruction is associated with different orbitals for the bands around Γ and M, and the time-dependent evolution points to the change of sample surface that is likely caused by the formation of Cs vacancies on the surface. Our results indicate the possibility of orbital-selective control of the band structure via surface modification, which may open a new avenue for manipulating exotic phenomena in this material system, including superconductivity.     

Robustness of the unidirectional stripe order in the kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5

V-based kagome materials AV₃Sb₅ (A=K, Rb, Cs) have attracted much attention due to their novel properties such as unconventional superconductivity, giant anomalous Hall effect, charge density wave (CDW) and pair density wave. Except for the 2a₀×2a₀ CDW (charge density wave with in-plane 2×2 superlattice modulation) in AV₃Sb₅, an additional 1×4 (4a₀) unidirectional stripe order has been observed at the Sb surface of RbV₃Sb₅ and CsV₃Sb₅. However, the stability and electronic nature of the 4a₀ stripe order remain controversial and unclear. Here, by using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S), we systematically study the 4a₀ stripe order on the Sb-terminated surface of CsV₃Sb₅. We find that the 4a₀ stripe order is visible in a large energy range. The STM images with positive and negative bias show contrast inversion, which is the hallmark for the Peierls-type CDW. In addition, below the critical temperature about 60 K, the 4a₀ stripe order keeps unaffected against the topmost Cs atoms, point defects, step edges and magnetic field up to 8 T. Our results provide experimental evidences on the existence of unidirectional CDW in CsV₃Sb₅.     

Pressure tuning of the anomalous Hall effect in the kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5

Controlling the anomalous Hall effect(AHE)inspires potential applications of quantum materials in the next generation of electronics.The recently discovered quasi-2D kagome superconductor CsV₃Sb₅ exhibits large AHE accompanying with the charge-density-wave(CDW)order which provides us an ideal platform to study the interplay among nontrivial band topology,CDW,and unconventional superconductivity.Here,we systematically investigated the pressure effect of the AHE in CsV₃Sb₅.Our high-pressure transport measurements confirm the concurrence of AHE and CDW in the compressed CsV₃Sb₅.Remarkably,distinct from the negative AHE at ambient pressure,a positive anomalous Hall resistivity sets in below 35 K with pressure around 0.75 GPa,which can be attributed to the Fermi surface reconstruction and/or Fermi energy shift in the new CDW phase under pressure.Our work indicates that the anomalous Hall effect in CsV₃Sb₅ is tunable and highly related to the band structure.     

铜氧化物高温超导体中的电子有序态

铜氧化物高温超导现象自30年前被发现以来,对现代凝聚态物理的发展产生了极其重要的影响,然而其微观机制至今依然是一个谜。近年来,多种实验手段的研究结果发现,在铜氧化物高温超导体中电子除了形成库珀对,还可能形成多种其他新奇的有序态,例如自旋有序态、电荷有序态以及库珀对密度波等。这些有序态的起源及其与赝能隙态和超导态的关联对于理解高温超导机理可能具有重要的意义。文章将主要从实验的角度对铜氧化物超导体中的电子有序态做一个概述。     

Evolution of superconductivity and charge order in pressurized RbV3Sb5

The kagome metals AV₃Sb₅(A=K,Rb,Cs)under ambient pressure exhibit an unusual charge order,from which superconductivity emerges.In this work,by applying hydrostatic pressure using a liquid pressure medium and carrying out electrical resistance measurements for RbV₃Sb₅,we find that the charge order becomes suppressed under a modest pressure pc(1.4 GPa3Sb₅.Our findings point to qualitatively similar temperature-pressure phase diagrams in KV₃Sb₅ and RbV₃Sb₅,{and suggest a close link}between the second superconducting dome and the high-pressure resistance anomalies.     

Proximity-Effect-Induced Superconductivity in Nb/Sb2Te3-Nanoribbon/Nb Junctions

Nanohybrid superconducting junctions using antimony telluride (Sb₂Te₃) topological insulator nanoribbons and Nb superconducting electrodes are fabricated using electron beam lithography and magnetron sputtering. The effects of bias current, temperature, and magnetic field on the transport properties of the junctions in a four-terminal measurement configuration are investigated. Two features are observed. First, the formation of a Josephson weak-link junction. The junction is formed by proximity-induced areas in the nanoribbon right underneath the inner Nb electrodes which are connected by the few tens of nanometers short Sb₂Te₃ bridge. At 0.5 K a critical current of 0.15 µA is observed. The decrease of the supercurrent with temperature is explained in the framework of a diffusive junction. Furthermore, the Josephson supercurrent is found to decrease monotonously with the magnetic field indicating that the structure is in the small-junction limit. As a second feature, a transition is also observed in the differential resistance at larger bias currents and larger magnetic fields, which is attributed to the suppression of the proximity-induced superconductive state in the nanoribbon area underneath the Nb electrodes.     

Tri-hexagonal charge order in kagome metal CsV3Sb5 revealed by 121Sb nuclear quadrupole resonance

We report ¹²¹Sb nuclear quadrupole resonance(NQR)measurements on kagome superconductor CsV₃Sb₅ with Tc=2.5 K.¹²¹Sb NQR spectra split after a charge density wave(CDW)transition at 94 K,which demonstrates a commensurate CDW state.The coexistence of the high temperature phase and the CDW phase between 91 K and 94 K manifests that it is a first order phase transition.The CDW order exhibits tri-hexagonal deformation with a lateral shift between the adjacent kagome layers,which is consistent with 2×2×2 superlattice modulation.The superconducting state coexists with CDW order and shows a conventional s-wave behavior in the bulk state.     

Charge density wave states in phase-engineered monolayer VTe2

Charge density wave (CDW) strongly affects the electronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials and can be tuned by phase engineering. Among 2D transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), VTe$_{2}$ was predicted to require small energy for its phase transition and shows unexpected CDW states in its T-phase. However, the CDW state of H-VTe$_{2}$ has been barely reported. Here, we investigate the CDW states in monolayer (ML) H-VTe$_{2}$, induced by phase-engineering from T-phase VTe$_{2}$. The phase transition between T- and H-VTe$_{2}$ is revealed with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) measurements. For H-VTe$_{2}$, scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) results show a robust $2sqrt 3 times 2sqrt 3 $ CDW superlattice with a transition temperature above 450 K. Our findings provide a promising way for manipulating the CDWs in 2D materials and show great potential in its application of nanoelectronics.     

Tunable charge density wave in TiS_3 nanoribbons

Recently, modifications of charge density wave(CDW) in two-dimensional(2D) show intriguing properties in quasi-2D materials such as layered transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDCs). Optical, electrical transport measurements and scanning tunneling microscopy uncover the enormous difference on the many-body states when the thickness is reduced down to monolayer. However, the CDW in quasi-one-dimensional(1D) materials like transition metal trichalcogenides(TMTCs) is yet to be explored in low dimension whose mechanism is likely distinct from their quasi-2D counterparts.Here, we report a systematic study on the CDW properties of titanium trisulfide(TiS_3). Two phase transition temperatures were observed to decrease from 53 K(103 K) to 46 K(85 K) for the bulk and 15-nm thick nanoribbon, respectively,which arises from the increased fluctuation effect across the chain in the nanoribbon structure, thereby destroying the CDW coherence. It also suggests a strong anisotropy of CDW states in quasi-1D TMTCs which is different from that in TMDCs.Remarkably, by using back gate of-30 V ～ 70 V in 15-nm device, we can tune the second transition temperature from110 K(at-30 V) to 93 K(at 70 V) owing to the altered electron concentration. Finally, the optical approach through the impinging of laser beams on the sample surface is exploited to manipulate the CDW transition, where the melting of the CDW states shows a strong dependence on the excitation energy. Our results demonstrate TiS_3 as a promising quasi-1D CDW material and open up a new window for the study of collective phases in TMTCs.     

中国科学技术大学高温超导物理研究新进展

在中国科学技术大学（以下简称中国科大）建校50周年之际,文章作者对近年来中国科大在高温超导物理方面的最新研究进展情况作一介绍,包括新型高温超导材料探索研究和高温超导机理实验研究.在新型高温超导材料探索研究方面,文章作者首次发现了除高温超导铜基化合物以外第一个超导温度突破麦克米兰极限（39 K）的非铜基超导体——铁基砷化物SmO1-xFxFeAs,该类材料的最高超导转变温度可达到55K;中国科大还成功地制备出大量高质量的超导化合物单晶,包括Nd2-xCexCuO4,NaxCoO2,CuxTiSe2等.在高温超导机理实验研究方面,中国科大系统地研究了SmO1-xFxFeAs体系的电输运性质给出了该体系的电子相图;发现了在电子型高温超导体中存在反常的热滞现象和电荷-自旋强烈耦合作用;在NaxCoO2体系中也开展了系列的工作,并且首次明确了电荷有序态中小自旋的磁结构问题;此外,还系统地研究了CuxTiSe2体系中电荷密度波与超导的相互关系.     

Novel charge density wave transition in crystals of R5Ir4Si10

We review the observation of novel charge density wave (CDW) transitions in ternary R₅Ir₄Si₁₀ compounds. A high quality single crystal of Lu₅Ir₄Si₁₀ shows the formation of a commensurate CDW along c-axis below 80 K in the (h, 0, l) plane that coexists with BCS type superconductivity below 3.9 K. However, in a single crystal of Er₅Ir₄Si₁₀, one observes the development of a 1D-incommensurate CDW at 155 K, which then locks into a purely commensurate state below 55 K. The well-localized Er³ moments are antiferromagnetically ordered below 2.8 K which results in the coexistence of strongly coupled CDW with local moment antiferromagnetism in Er₅Ir₄Si₁₀. Unlike conventional CDW systems, extremely sharp transition (width ∼ 1.5 K) in all bulk properties along with huge heat capacity anomalies in these compounds makes this CDW transition an interesting one.     

Superconductivity in a new NdBa2Ca3Sr4Cu5Ox system

A new compound, NdBa₂Ca₃Sr₄Cu₅O_x, has been synthesised using the conventional solid state reaction technique. The material was characterised by powder XRD, electrical resistivity, ac susceptibility and dc magnetisation studies. The results of powder X-ray diffraction show that the structure is pseudo orthorhombic, having unit cell dimensions a = 5.47 Å, b = 5.46 Å and c = 14.58 Å. Magnetisation studies on a SQUID magnetometer showed a superconducting transition at 52 K. This was confirmed by the measurements of electrical resistance and ac susceptibility of this sample, which also showed superconductivity at 52 K. Details of preparation and characterisation are discussed.     

Quasiparticle density of states of 2H-NbSe2 single crystals revealed by low-temperature specific heat measurements according to a two-component model

Low-temperature specific heat in a dichalcogenide superconductor 2H-NbSe2 is measured in various magnetic fields. It is found that the specific heat can be described very well by a simple model concerning two components corresponding to vortex normal core and ambient superconducting region, separately. For calculating the specific heat outside the vortex core region, we use the Bardeen-Cooper Schrieffer （BCS） formalism under the assumption of a narrow distribution of the superconducting gaps. The field-dependent vortex core size in the mixed state of 2H-NbSe2, determined by using this model, can explain the nonlinear field dependence of specific heat coefficient γ（H）, which is in good agreement with the previous experimental results and more formal calculations. With the high-temperature specific heat data, we can find that, in the multi-band superconductor 2H-NbSe2, the recovered density of states （or Fermi surface） below Tc under a magnetic field seems not to be gapped again by the charge density wave （CDW） gap, which suggests that the superconducting gap and the CDW gap may open on different Fermi surface sheets.     

Metastable states and defect density waves in modulated ferroelectrics

The influence of defects on the phase behaviour of Rb-doped K₂ZnCl₄-single crystals is studied using high-resolution gamma-ray diffractions in combination with in situ dielectric impedance spectroscopy. It is shown that the interaction between strain fields near discommensurations within the incommensurate phase and impurity ions lead to the formation of defect density waves. On rapid cooling, these are unable to relax and persist within the commensurate phase thus acting as an intrinsic memory. Hence, a metastable re-entrant incommensurate phase is observed on heating at temperatures well below the normal lock-in temperature that is found in equilibrium studies.     

Analysis of the stability and density waves for traffic flow

In this paper, the optimal velocity model of traffic is extended to take into account the relative velocity. The stability and density waves for traffic flow are investigated analytically with the perturbation method. The stability criterion is derived by the linear stability analysis. It is shown that the triangular shock wave, soliton wave and kink wave appear respectively in our model for density waves in the three regions: stable, metastable and unstable regions. These correspond to the solutions of the Burgers equation, Korteweg－de Vries equation and modified Korteweg－de Vries equation. The analytical results are confirmed to be in good agreement with those of numerical simulation. All the results indicate that the interaction of a car with relative velocity can affect the stability of the traffic flow and raise critical density.     

The role of CDW gap on the magnetic phase transition in CMR materials

We propose a model to study the magnetic phase transition in the Colossal-Magneto-Resistance (CMR) material of general type R_1−x A _x MnO₃ (R = La, Sm, Nd; A = Ca, Sr, Ba). The model Hamiltonian consists of a Charge Density Wave (CDW) gap in the e _g -band and the strong magnetic field due to the spin ordering in the localized t _g core electrons. The Hamiltonian is solved by using Zubarev’s Green’s function technique to calculate CDW gap (Δ) and magnetization (M ^d ) in t _2g band. Both of them are solved self-consistently. Their combined effect on the temperature dependent magnetization (M ^c ) due to the e _g band electrons is investigated. Both the magnitude and the transition temperature of (M ^c ) are strongly influenced by both Δ and M ^d . Hence the hopping of the band electrons are strongly controlled by these two long range interactions. The results are discussed by varying the model parameters of the manganite system.      

电荷密度波材料K0.3MoO3及W掺杂样品的红外光学响应的研究

研究了准一维材料K03MoO3以及掺杂了3%和15%的W的样品在TCDW=180K以上和以下的温度时的光反射谱和电导率谱.在此基础上讨论了伴随着Peierls相变产生的相声子和单粒子能隙,以及W掺杂对CDW凝聚的影响 关键词： 电荷密度波 Peierls相变     

Superconductivity in self-flux-synthesized single crystalline R_2Pt_3Ge_5(R=La,Ce,Pr)

In order to study the basic superconductivity properties of R_2Pt_3Ge_5, we synthesized the single crystalline samples by the Pt–Ge self-flux method. R_2Pt_3Ge_5(R = La, Ce) were also grown for a systematic study. Zero-resistivity was observed in both the La-and Pr-based samples below the reported superconducting transition temperatures. However, magnetic susceptibility measurements showed low superconductivity volume fractions in both La_2Pt_3Ge_5 and R_2Pt_3Ge_5(less than2%). Ce_2Pt_3Ge_5 did not show any signature of superconductivity. From the specific heat measurements, we did not observe a superconducting transition peak in R_2Pt_3Ge_5, suggesting that it is not a bulk superconductor. The magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements revealed two antiferromagnetic(AFM) orders in R_2Pt_3Ge_5 at T_(N1)= 4.2 K and T_(N2)= 3.5K, as well as a single AFM transition at TN= 3.8 K in Ce_2Pt_3Ge_5.     

The control of gap width in the low-dimensional systems with charge density waves instability

The strong photoeffect was discovered experimentally in InSe crystals at temperature 4.2 K as a result of laser radiation action at fixed wavelengths of 337 and 195 micron. Effect was explained with appearance of the gap in the continuum of conduction band. The photoeffect value was found to depend strongly on electric current through the crystal.