Showing 1–50 of 65 results for author: Qiu, G

Mechanically Exfoliated Metallic Delafossite PdCoO2 Nanomembranes: Quantum Transport and Electrical Evaluation Toward Interconnect Applications

Authors: Chengyu Zhu, Pahuni Jain, Yi Zhang, Junghyun Koo, Weideng Sun, Yaotian Li, Alexander McLeod, Chris Leighton, Gang Qiu

Abstract: Metallic delafossite oxides have drawn attention for their ultralow resistivity and coherent electronic transport. However, mesoscopic transport studies are hindered by the limited access to high quality nanoscale devices. Here, we report single crystalline PdCoO2 nanomembranes, enabling exploration of quasi two dimensional (2D) transport. Shubnikov de Haas and Aharonov Bohm oscillations under dif… ▽ More Metallic delafossite oxides have drawn attention for their ultralow resistivity and coherent electronic transport. However, mesoscopic transport studies are hindered by the limited access to high quality nanoscale devices. Here, we report single crystalline PdCoO2 nanomembranes, enabling exploration of quasi two dimensional (2D) transport. Shubnikov de Haas and Aharonov Bohm oscillations under different magnetic field orientations are observed at low temperatures, from which the electron effective mass and electron phase coherence length are extracted. Beyond quantum transport, the electrical performance of PdCoO2 toward interconnect applications is evaluated. A nearly thickness independent room temperature resistivity is observed for flakes down to 40 nm thickness. The nanomembranes exhibit a breakdown current density up to 113 MA cm-2, with excellent thermal stability and electromigration resistance. These results demonstrate that mechanically exfoliated PdCoO2 flakes preserve the high crystalline and electronic quality of bulk crystals in the quasi-2D limit, providing a useful platform for mesoscopic transport studies and interconnect applications. △ Less

Submitted 18 June, 2026; originally announced June 2026.

Comments: 5 figures

Demonstration of High-Performance Ultra-Wide Bandgap SrSnO$_3$ Top-Gated MOSFETs

Authors: Junghyun Koo, Weideng Sun, Donghwan Kim, Hongseung Lee, Chengyu Zhu, Kiyoung Lee, Hagyoul Bae, Bharat Jalan, Gang Qiu

Abstract: We report the demonstration of high-performance top-gated metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) based on the ultra-wide bandgap perovskite oxide SrSnO$_3$ (SSO). Using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy-grown SSO channels and ALD-deposited HfO$_2$ gate dielectrics, the devices exhibit field-effect mobility exceeding 65 cm$^2$/V$\cdot$s, an on-state current up to 194 mA/mm, an on/… ▽ More We report the demonstration of high-performance top-gated metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) based on the ultra-wide bandgap perovskite oxide SrSnO$_3$ (SSO). Using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy-grown SSO channels and ALD-deposited HfO$_2$ gate dielectrics, the devices exhibit field-effect mobility exceeding 65 cm$^2$/V$\cdot$s, an on-state current up to 194 mA/mm, an on/off current ratio above $10^8$, and a contact resistance of 0.66 $Ω\cdot$mm. The devices also show a near-ideal subthreshold slope of 68 mV/dec and negligible hysteresis, indicating a high-quality dielectric/semiconductor interface. These results establish SrSnO$_3$ as a promising ultra-wide bandgap oxide semiconductor platform for high-performance power electronic applications. △ Less

Submitted 23 February, 2026; originally announced February 2026.

In-Plane Field induced Quantized Longitudinal Conductivity in Magnetic Topological Insulators

Authors: Ting-Hsun Yang, Yaochen Li, Peng Zhang, Penghao Zhu, Hung-Yu Yang, Eun Sang Choi, Kaiwei Chen, Wenqiang Cui, Kin Wong, Peng Deng, Gang Qiu, Kang L. Wang

Abstract: We report the discovery of an in plane quantization (IPQ) state in trilayer magnetic topological insulators, characterized by a quantized longitudinal conductivity of e2/h under strong in-plane magnetic fields. This state emerges at a quantum critical point separating quantum anomalous Hall phases tuned by field angle and orientation, directly linking gap-closing behavior to quantized criticality.… ▽ More We report the discovery of an in plane quantization (IPQ) state in trilayer magnetic topological insulators, characterized by a quantized longitudinal conductivity of e2/h under strong in-plane magnetic fields. This state emerges at a quantum critical point separating quantum anomalous Hall phases tuned by field angle and orientation, directly linking gap-closing behavior to quantized criticality. Temperature and gate dependent transport measurements, supported by a self consistent approximation model, reveal that electron hole puddles dominate charge transport in this regime, highlighting the essential role of impurity disorder in stabilizing quantized critical transport. These findings establish a tunable experimental framework that connects gap-closing physics with universal conductivity, offering both microscopic insight into critical transport in magnetic topological insulators and a robust platform for probing quantum criticality in topological systems. △ Less

Submitted 6 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Tunable Colloidal Synthesis Enabling μ-ARPES on Individual Two-dimensional Bismuth Nanocrystals

Authors: Fagui He, Yan Yan Grisan Qiu, Simone Mearini, Vitaliy Feyer, Kevin Oldenburg, Rostyslav Lesyuk, Christian Klinke

Abstract: Two-dimensional bismuth (Bi) is a promising platform for quantum and energy technologies due to strong spin-orbit coupling, high thermoelectric efficiency, and magnetoresistance. However, scalable and flexible synthesis of high-quality Bi with fast research turnaround remains challenging. We report a controlled colloidal synthesis of Bi nanosheets with tunable lateral sizes (0.6 - 4.1 um), hexagon… ▽ More Two-dimensional bismuth (Bi) is a promising platform for quantum and energy technologies due to strong spin-orbit coupling, high thermoelectric efficiency, and magnetoresistance. However, scalable and flexible synthesis of high-quality Bi with fast research turnaround remains challenging. We report a controlled colloidal synthesis of Bi nanosheets with tunable lateral sizes (0.6 - 4.1 um), hexagonal shape, and a layered single-crystalline structure along the {00l} planes. The nanosheets exhibit excellent oxidation resistance and ambient stability. ARPES measurements on individual nanosheets reveal a band structure in excellent agreement with DFT calculations, confirming high crystal quality and uniformity. Our findings enable fast production and characterization of two-dimensional Bi, paving the way for fundamental studies and integration into next-generation quantum and energy devices. △ Less

Submitted 30 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 14 pages, 4 figures

High-Performance Ultra-Wide-Bandgap CaSnO3 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors

Authors: Weideng Sun, Junghyun Koo, Donghwan Kim, Hongseung Lee, Rishi Raj, Chengyu Zhu, Kiyoung Lee, Andre Mkhoyan, Hagyoul Bae, Bharat Jalan, Gang Qiu

Abstract: The increasing demand for high-voltage and high-power electronic applications has intensified the search for novel ultrawide bandgap (UWB) semiconductors. Alkaline earth stannates possess wide band gaps and exhibit the highest room-temperature electron mobilities among all perovskite oxides. Among this family, Calcium stannate (CaSnO3) has the largest band gap of ~4.7 eV, holding great promise for… ▽ More The increasing demand for high-voltage and high-power electronic applications has intensified the search for novel ultrawide bandgap (UWB) semiconductors. Alkaline earth stannates possess wide band gaps and exhibit the highest room-temperature electron mobilities among all perovskite oxides. Among this family, Calcium stannate (CaSnO3) has the largest band gap of ~4.7 eV, holding great promise for high-power applications. However, the demonstration of CaSnO3 power electronic devices is so far limited. In this work, high-performance metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) devices based on La-doped CaSnO3 are demonstrated for the first time. The MOSFETs exhibit an on/off ratio exceeding 10^8, along with field-effect mobility of 8.4 cm2 V-1 s-1 and on-state current of 30 mA mm-1. The high performance of the CaSnO3 MOSFET devices can be ascribed to the excellent metal-to-semiconductor contact resistance of 0.73 kΩμm. The devices also show great potential for harsh environment operations, as high-temperature operations up to 400 K have been demonstrated. An off-state breakdown voltage of 1660 V is achieved, with a breakdown field of ~8.3 MV cm-1 among the highest reported for all UWB semiconductors. This work represents significant progress toward realizing the practical application of CaSnO3 in future high-voltage power electronic technologies. △ Less

Submitted 30 June, 2025; originally announced June 2025.

Circulators Based on Coupled Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulators and Resonators

Authors: Luis A. Martinez, Nick Du, Nicholas Materise, Sean O' Kelley, Xian Wu, Gang Qiu, Kang L. Wang, Gianpaolo P. Carosi, Tony Low, Dong-Xia Qu

Abstract: Integrated plasmonics is advancing rapidly, enabling a wide range of functionalities to be incorporated onto a single chip. Applications span information processing, computation, quantum sensing, and dark-matter detection. This progress has driven the development of integrated non-reciprocal devices, which are essential for preventing unwanted feedback that can degrade system performance. While no… ▽ More Integrated plasmonics is advancing rapidly, enabling a wide range of functionalities to be incorporated onto a single chip. Applications span information processing, computation, quantum sensing, and dark-matter detection. This progress has driven the development of integrated non-reciprocal devices, which are essential for preventing unwanted feedback that can degrade system performance. While non-reciprocal devices have been realized in edge magnetoplasmon materials via classical interference effects, their operation is often limited by the input power range. Here, we demonstrate that topological circulators utilizing asymmetric coupling offer improved input power range, isolation, and insertion loss. In this configuration, we demonstrate the coupling between a chiral edge magnetoplasmonic resonator and a pair of LC resonators is well described by an effective non-Hermitian two-site Hatano-Nelson model with asymmetric directional couplings, resulting in nonreciprocal behavior. The coherent photon-plasmon interaction enables a circulator with up to 50 dB of isolation across a broad range of excitation power. These results suggest that magnetic topological insulators provide a promising platform for realizing asymmetric non-Hermitian couplings at radio frequencies and for exploring regimes of strong directional suppression and possible exceptional-point physics. More broadly, they highlight the potential of topological-material-based microwave devices for future integration with superconducting quantum information platforms. △ Less

Submitted 9 June, 2026; v1 submitted 12 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Anomalous vortex Hall effect in a ferromagnet/superconductor heterostructure

Authors: Weideng Sun, Przemyslaw Swatek, Yihong Fan, Hwanhui Yun, Deyuan Lyu, K. Andre Mkhoyan, Jian-Ping Wang, Gang Qiu

Abstract: The coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism is a fascinating and complex phenomenon in condensed matter physics, as these two states are typically mutually exclusive due to their competing spin configurations. However, the interplay between these two orders through the proximity effect has been a subject of intense research as it opens up possibilities for novel technological applicati… ▽ More The coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism is a fascinating and complex phenomenon in condensed matter physics, as these two states are typically mutually exclusive due to their competing spin configurations. However, the interplay between these two orders through the proximity effect has been a subject of intense research as it opens up possibilities for novel technological applications. Here, we report the coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in superconducting δ-TaN/ferromagnetic CoFeB heterostructures grown by facing-target sputtering. Superconducting states are comprehensively investigated, with evidence of strong correlation between the superconducting and ferromagnetic order parameters. In particular, we observed an anomalous Hall signal without the presence of the magnetic field in the mixed state of the superconducting transition near the critical temperature. Systematic characterizations of the Hall resistance under varying temperatures and magnetic fields attribute this behavior to the vortex Hall effect (VHE), whereby superconducting vortices in the mixed state undergo transverse motions near the critical temperature. Unlike previously reported VHEs in conventional type-II superconductors, the anomalous VHE in TaN is induced by the stray field in the underlying CoFeB layers. The concurrency of strong spin-orbit coupling, the superconductivity in the TaN layer, and the highly spin-polarized ferromagnetic ordering in the CoFeB layer offers new insights into proximity-induced vortex dynamics and the design of novel superconducting spintronic devices. △ Less

Submitted 3 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Field-Resilient Supercurrent Diode in a Multiferroic Josephson Junction

Authors: Hung-Yu Yang, Joseph J. Cuozzo, Anand Johnson Bokka, Gang Qiu, Christopher Eckberg, Yanfeng Lyu, Shuyuan Huyan, Ching-Wu Chu, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Kang L. Wang

Abstract: The research on supercurrent diodes has surged rapidly due to their potential applications in electronic circuits at cryogenic temperatures. To unlock this functionality, it is essential to find supercurrent diodes that can work consistently at zero magnetic field and under ubiquitous stray fields generated in electronic circuits. However, a supercurrent diode with robust field tolerance is curren… ▽ More The research on supercurrent diodes has surged rapidly due to their potential applications in electronic circuits at cryogenic temperatures. To unlock this functionality, it is essential to find supercurrent diodes that can work consistently at zero magnetic field and under ubiquitous stray fields generated in electronic circuits. However, a supercurrent diode with robust field tolerance is currently lacking. Here, we demonstrate a field-resilient supercurrent diode by incorporating a multiferroic material into a Josephson junction. We first observed a pronounced supercurrent diode effect at zero magnetic field. More importantly, the supercurrent rectification persists over a wide and bipolar magnetic field range beyond industrial standards for field tolerance. By theoretically modeling a multiferroic Josephson junction, we unveil that the interplay between spin-orbit coupling and multiferroicity underlies the unusual field resilience of the observed diode effect. This work introduces multiferroic Josephson junctions as a new field-resilient superconducting device for cryogenic electronics. △ Less

Submitted 16 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Comments: Preprint, 33 pages, 4 main figures, 10 extended data figures

Journal ref: Nat. Commun. 16, 9287 (2025)

Visualization of Skyrmion-Superconducting Vortex Pairs in a Chiral-Magnet-Superconductor Heterostructure

Authors: Yong-Jie Xie, Ang Qian, Bin He, Yu-Biao Wu, Sheng Wang, Bing Xu, Guoqiang Yu, Xiufeng Han, X. G. Qiu

Abstract: Magnetic skyrmions, the topological states possessing chiral magnetic structure with nontrivial topology, have been widely investigated as a promising candidate for spintronic devices. They can also couple with superconducting vortices to form skyrmion-vortex pairs, hosting Majorana zero mode, which is a potential candidate for topological quantum computing. Many theoretical proposals have been pu… ▽ More Magnetic skyrmions, the topological states possessing chiral magnetic structure with nontrivial topology, have been widely investigated as a promising candidate for spintronic devices. They can also couple with superconducting vortices to form skyrmion-vortex pairs, hosting Majorana zero mode, which is a potential candidate for topological quantum computing. Many theoretical proposals have been put forward on constructing skyrmion-vortex pairs in heterostructures of chiral magnets and superconductors. Nevertheless, how to generate skyrmion-vortex pairs in a controllable way experimentally remains a significant challenge. We have designed a heterostructure of a chiral magnet and superconductor [Ta/Ir/CoFeB/MgO]7/Nb in which zero field Néel-type skyrmions can be stabilized and the superconducting vortices can couple with the skyrmions when Nb is in the superconducting state. We have directly observed the formation of skyrmion-superconducting vortex pairs that is dependent on the direction of the applied magnetic field. Our results provide an effective method to manipulate the quantum states of skyrmions with the help of superconducting vortices, which can be used to explore new routines to control the skyrmions for spintronics devices. △ Less

Submitted 20 October, 2024; v1 submitted 20 October, 2023; originally announced October 2023.

Comments: 6 pages, 3 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 166706(2024)

Edge Magnetoplasmon Dispersion and Time-Resolved Plasmon Transport in a Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulator

Authors: Luis A. Martinez, Gang Qiu, Peng Deng, Peng Zhang, Keith G. Ray, Lixuan Tai, Ming-Tso Wei, Haoran He, Kang L. Wang, Jonathan L DuBois, Dong-Xia Qu

Abstract: A quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulator breaks reciprocity by combining magnetic polarization and spin-orbit coupling to generate a unidirectional transmission of signals in the absence of an external magnetic field. Such behavior makes QAH materials a good platform for the innovation of circulator technologies. However, it remains elusive as to how the wavelength of the chiral edge plasmon relat… ▽ More A quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulator breaks reciprocity by combining magnetic polarization and spin-orbit coupling to generate a unidirectional transmission of signals in the absence of an external magnetic field. Such behavior makes QAH materials a good platform for the innovation of circulator technologies. However, it remains elusive as to how the wavelength of the chiral edge plasmon relates to its frequency and how the plasmon wave packet is excited in the time domain in a QAH insulator. Here, we investigate the edge magnetoplasmon (EMP) resonances in Cr-(Bi,Sb)$_2$Te$_3$ by frequency and time domain measurements. From disk shaped samples with various dimensions, we obtain the dispersion relation of EMPs and extract the drift velocity of the chiral edge state. From the time-resolved transport measurements, we identify the velocity of the plasmon wave packet and observe a transition from the edge to bulk transport at an elevated temperature. We show that the frequency and time domain measurements are well modeled by loss from the microwave induced dissipative channels in the bulk area. Our results demonstrate that the EMP decay rate can be significantly reduced by applying a low microwave power and fabricating devices of larger diameter $\ge100~μ$m. In a $R=125~μ$m sample, a non-reciprocity of 20 dB has been realized at 1.3 GHz, shining light on using QAH insulators to develop on-chip non-reciprocal devices. △ Less

Submitted 29 August, 2023; originally announced August 2023.

Giant Hall Switching by Surface-State-Mediated Spin-Orbit Torque in a Hard Ferromagnetic Topological Insulator

Authors: Lixuan Tai, Haoran He, Su Kong Chong, Huairuo Zhang, Hanshen Huang, Gang Qiu, Yaochen Li, Hung-Yu Yang, Ting-Hsun Yang, Xiang Dong, Yuxing Ren, Bingqian Dai, Tao Qu, Qingyuan Shu, Quanjun Pan, Peng Zhang, Fei Xue, Jie Li, Albert V. Davydov, Kang L. Wang

Abstract: Topological insulators (TI) and magnetic topological insulators (MTI) can apply highly efficient spin-orbit torque (SOT) and manipulate the magnetization with their unique topological surface states with ultra-high efficiency. Here, we demonstrate efficient SOT switching of a hard MTI, V-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 (VBST) with a large coercive field that can prevent the influence of an external magnetic fie… ▽ More Topological insulators (TI) and magnetic topological insulators (MTI) can apply highly efficient spin-orbit torque (SOT) and manipulate the magnetization with their unique topological surface states with ultra-high efficiency. Here, we demonstrate efficient SOT switching of a hard MTI, V-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 (VBST) with a large coercive field that can prevent the influence of an external magnetic field. A giant switched anomalous Hall resistance of 9.2 $kΩ$ is realized, among the largest of all SOT systems, which makes the Hall channel a good readout and eliminates the need to fabricate complicated magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures. The SOT switching current density can be reduced to $2.8\times10^5 A/cm^2$. Moreover, as the Fermi level is moved away from the Dirac point by both gate and composition tuning, VBST exhibits a transition from edge-state-mediated to surface-state-mediated transport, thus enhancing the SOT effective field to $1.56\pm 0.12 T/ (10^6 A/cm^2)$ and the interfacial charge-to-spin conversion efficiency to $3.9\pm 0.3 nm^{-1}$. The findings establish VBST as an extraordinary candidate for energy-efficient magnetic memory devices. △ Less

Submitted 13 August, 2024; v1 submitted 8 June, 2023; originally announced June 2023.

Concurrent Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity in Fe(Te,Se) van der Waals Josephson Junctions

Authors: Gang Qiu, Hung-Yu Yang, Lunhui Hu, Huairuo Zhang, Chih-Yen Chen, Yanfeng Lyu, Christopher Eckberg, Peng Deng, Sergiy Krylyuk, Albert V. Davydov, Ruixing Zhang, Kang L. Wang

Abstract: Ferromagnetism and superconductivity are two key ingredients to create non-Abelian quasiparticle excitations that are expected as building blocks to construct topological quantum computers. Adversely, ferromagnetism and superconductivity are typically also two hostile orderings competing to align spins in different configurations, making the material design and experimental implementation extremel… ▽ More Ferromagnetism and superconductivity are two key ingredients to create non-Abelian quasiparticle excitations that are expected as building blocks to construct topological quantum computers. Adversely, ferromagnetism and superconductivity are typically also two hostile orderings competing to align spins in different configurations, making the material design and experimental implementation extremely challenging. Recently, iron-based superconductor Fe(Te,Se) has emerged as a connate topological superconductor (TSC), which differentiates itself from other hybrid TSCs by self-proximitizing its Dirac surface states with bulk superconductivity. So far, the efforts to search for Majorana states in this material are prevalently focused on spectroscopy techniques. In this paper, we present the global transport signature of interfacial magnetism coexisting with superconductivity. Time-reversal symmetry breaking superconducting states are confirmed through device level transport measurements for the first time in a van der Waals (vdW) Josephson junction structure. Magnetic hysteresis is observed in this device scheme, which only appears below the superconducting critical temperature, leading to potential Fulde-Ferrell (FF) superconducting pairing mechanisms. The 0-π phase mixing in the Fraunhofer patterns pinpoints the ferromagnetic state dwelling on the surface. Furthermore, a stochastic field-free superconducting diode effect also confirms the spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking which reflects the behavior of the ferromagnetism. Our work paves a new way to explore topological superconductivity in iron-based superconductors for future high Tc fault-tolerant qubit implementations from a device perspective. △ Less

Submitted 11 October, 2023; v1 submitted 1 March, 2023; originally announced March 2023.

Comments: 23 pages, 5 figures

Signatures of Chiral Superconductivity in Chiral Molecule Intercalated Tantalum Disulfide

Authors: Zhong Wan, Gang Qiu, Huaying Ren, Qi Qian, Dong Xu, Jingyuan Zhou, Jingxuan Zhou, Boxuan Zhou, Laiyuan Wang, Yu Huang, Kang L. Wang, Xiangfeng Duan

Abstract: Chiral superconductors, a unique class of unconventional superconductors in which the complex superconducting order parameter winds clockwise or counter-clockwise in the momentum space, represent a topologically non-trivial system with direct implications for topological quantum computing. Intrinsic chiral superconductors are extremely rare, with only a few arguable examples including heavy fermio… ▽ More Chiral superconductors, a unique class of unconventional superconductors in which the complex superconducting order parameter winds clockwise or counter-clockwise in the momentum space, represent a topologically non-trivial system with direct implications for topological quantum computing. Intrinsic chiral superconductors are extremely rare, with only a few arguable examples including heavy fermion metals (UTe$_2$, UPt$_3$) and perovskite superconductor Sr$_2$RuO$_4$. Chiral molecules with neither mirror nor inversion symmetry have been widely investigated, in which the spin degeneracy may be lifted by the molecular chirality. Thus, a combination of superconductivity with chiral molecules may lead to a spin-polarized ground state for realizing chiral superconductivity. Herein we report the first investigation of unconventional superconductivity in chiral molecule intercalated tantalum disulfide (TaS$_2$) and reveal key signatures of chiral superconductivity. Little-Parks measurements demonstrate a robust and reproducible half-flux quantum phase shift in both left- and right-handed chiral molecule intercalated TaS$_2$, which is absent in pristine TaS$_2$ or achiral molecule intercalated TaS$_2$, highlighting the essential role of molecular chirality in inducing unconventional superconductivity. The robust half-flux quantum phase shift demonstrates unconventional superconductivity and constitutes strong evidence supporting a chiral superconducting ordering parameter. Critical current measurements at lower temperature reveal a peculiar asymmetric phase shift under opposite supercurrent, with a relative phase difference approaching the unity of π at below 0.5 K, further supporting topologically non-trivial superconductivity. Our study signifies the potential of hybrid superlattices with intriguing coupling between the crystalline atomic layers and the self-assembled molecular layers. △ Less

Submitted 10 February, 2023; originally announced February 2023.

Comments: 22 Pages, 5 figures, 6 Extended Data figures

Structural tuning magnetism and topology in a magnetic topological insulator

Authors: Christopher Eckberg, Gang Qiu, Tao Qu, Sohee Kwon, Yuhang Liu, Lixuan Tai, David Graf, Su Kong Chong, Peng Zhang, Kin L. Wong, Roger K. Lake, Mahesh R. Neupane, Kang L. Wang

Abstract: To date, the most widely-studied quantum anomalous Hall insulator (QAHI) platform is achieved by dilute doping of magnetic ions into thin films of the alloyed tetradymite topological insulator (TI) (Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$)$_2$Te$_3$ (BST). In these films, long-range magnetic ordering of the transition metal substituants opens an exchange gap $Δ$ in the topological surface states, stabilizing spin-polari… ▽ More To date, the most widely-studied quantum anomalous Hall insulator (QAHI) platform is achieved by dilute doping of magnetic ions into thin films of the alloyed tetradymite topological insulator (TI) (Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$)$_2$Te$_3$ (BST). In these films, long-range magnetic ordering of the transition metal substituants opens an exchange gap $Δ$ in the topological surface states, stabilizing spin-polarized, dissipationless edge channels with a nonzero Chern number $\mathcal{C}$. The long-range ordering of the spatially separated magnetic ions is itself mediated by electronic states in the host TI, leading to a sophisticated feedback between magnetic and electronic properties. Here we present a study of the electronic and magnetic response of a BST-based QAHI system to structural tuning via hydrostatic pressure. We identify a systematic closure of the topological gap under compressive strain accompanied by a simultaneous enhancement in the magnetic ordering strength. Combining these experimental results with first-principle calculations we identify structural deformation as a strong tuning parameter to traverse a rich topological phase space and modify magnetism in the magnetically doped BST system. △ Less

Submitted 8 January, 2023; originally announced January 2023.

Comments: 15 pages, 5 figures

Tunable Chirality-dependent Nonlinear Electrical Responses in 2D Tellurium

Authors: Chang Niu, Gang Qiu, Yixiu Wang, Pukun Tan, Mingyi Wang, Jie Jian, Haiyan Wang, Wenzhuo Wu, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Tellurium (Te) is an elemental semiconductor with a simple chiral crystal structure. Te in a two-dimensional (2D) form synthesized by solution-based method shows excellent electrical, optical, and thermal properties. In this work, the chirality of hydrothermally grown 2D Te is identified and analyzed by hot sulfuric acid etching and high-angle tilted high-resolution scanning transmission electron… ▽ More Tellurium (Te) is an elemental semiconductor with a simple chiral crystal structure. Te in a two-dimensional (2D) form synthesized by solution-based method shows excellent electrical, optical, and thermal properties. In this work, the chirality of hydrothermally grown 2D Te is identified and analyzed by hot sulfuric acid etching and high-angle tilted high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. The gate-tunable nonlinear electrical responses, including the nonreciprocal electrical transport in the longitudinal direction and the nonlinear planar Hall effect in the transverse direction, are observed in 2D Te under a magnetic field. Moreover, the nonlinear electrical responses have opposite signs in left- and right-handed 2D Te due to the opposite spin polarizations ensured by the chiral symmetry. The fundamental relationship between the spin-orbit coupling and the crystal symmetry in two enantiomers provides a viable platform for realizing chirality-based electronic devices by introducing the chirality degree of freedom into electron transport. △ Less

Submitted 12 September, 2023; v1 submitted 21 January, 2022; originally announced January 2022.

Comments: 44 pages, Nano Letters (2023)

Inhomogeneous superconducting states in two weakly linked superconducting ultra thin films

Authors: Gao-Wei Qiu, Yi Zhou

Abstract: A sufficiently large parallel magnetic field will generate staggered supercurrent loops and superfluid density wave in two weakly linked superconducting (SC) ultrathin films, resulting in an inhomogeneous Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. The SC order parameter of such an FFLO state is characterized by Bloch wave functions, called the "Bloch SC state". The staggered supercurrent loops… ▽ More A sufficiently large parallel magnetic field will generate staggered supercurrent loops and superfluid density wave in two weakly linked superconducting (SC) ultrathin films, resulting in an inhomogeneous Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. The SC order parameter of such an FFLO state is characterized by Bloch wave functions, called the "Bloch SC state". The staggered supercurrent loops form an array of Josephson vortex-antivortex pairs, instead of the usual Josephson vortex lattice. Enclosing a unit cell of the array, the London's fluxoid is quantized as $Φ^{\prime}=Φ_0=hc/2e$, while the net orbital magnetization caused by the staggered supercurrent is zero. Meanwhile, a small parallel magnetic field gives rise to an Fulde-Ferrell (FF) state that has uniform superfluid density. The phase transition between the Bloch SC state and the FF state belongs to the universality class of two-dimensional commensurate-incommensurate transitions. An analytical solution in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions is found to be an excellent approximation to the Bloch SC order parameter. △ Less

Submitted 18 March, 2022; v1 submitted 15 December, 2021; originally announced December 2021.

Comments: 4.5 pages of main text + 13 pages of appendices

Journal ref: Phys Rev B 105 L100506 (2022)

Mesoscopic Transport of Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Sub-Micron Size Regime

Authors: Gang Qiu, Peng Zhang, Peng Deng, Su Kong Chong, Lixuan Tai, Christopher Eckberg, Kang L. Wang

Abstract: The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect has been demonstrated in two-dimensional topological insulator systems incorporated with ferromagnetism. However, a comprehensive understanding of mesoscopic transport in sub-micron QAH devices has yet been established. Here we fabricated miniaturized QAH devices with channel widths down to 600 nm, where the QAH features are still preserved. A back-scatterin… ▽ More The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect has been demonstrated in two-dimensional topological insulator systems incorporated with ferromagnetism. However, a comprehensive understanding of mesoscopic transport in sub-micron QAH devices has yet been established. Here we fabricated miniaturized QAH devices with channel widths down to 600 nm, where the QAH features are still preserved. A back-scattering channel is formed in narrow QAH devices through percolative hopping between 2D compressible puddles. Large resistance fluctuations are observed in narrow devices near the coercive field, which is associated with collective interference between intersecting paths along domain walls when the device geometry is smaller than the phase coherence length $L_φ$. Through measurement of size-dependent breakdown current, we confirmed that the chiral edge states are confined at the physical boundary with its width on the order of Fermi wavelength. △ Less

Submitted 14 December, 2021; originally announced December 2021.

Comments: 7 pages, 5 figures

Bilayer Quantum Hall States in an n-type Wide Tellurium Quantum Well

Authors: Chang Niu, Gang Qiu, Yixiu Wang, Mengwei Si, Wenzhuo Wu, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Tellurium (Te) is a narrow bandgap semiconductor with a unique chiral crystal structure. The topological nature of electrons in the Te conduction band can be studied by realizing n-type doping using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique on two-dimensional (2D) Te film. In this work, we fabricated and measured the double-gated n-type Te Hall-bar devices, which can operate as two separate or coupl… ▽ More Tellurium (Te) is a narrow bandgap semiconductor with a unique chiral crystal structure. The topological nature of electrons in the Te conduction band can be studied by realizing n-type doping using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique on two-dimensional (2D) Te film. In this work, we fabricated and measured the double-gated n-type Te Hall-bar devices, which can operate as two separate or coupled electron layers controlled by the top gate and back gate. Profound Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations are observed in both top and bottom electron layers. Landau level hybridization between two layers, compound and charge-transferable bilayer quantum Hall states at filling factor 4, 6, and 8 are analyzed. Our work opens the door for the study of Weyl physics in coupled bilayer systems of 2D materials. △ Less

Submitted 18 July, 2021; originally announced July 2021.

Comments: Submitted to Nano Letters

Distinguishing two-component anomalous Hall effect from topological Hall effect

Authors: Lixuan Tai, Bingqian Dai, Jie Li, Hanshen Huang, Su Kong Chong, Kin Wong, Huairuo Zhang, Peng Zhang, Peng Deng, Christopher Eckberg, Gang Qiu, Haoran He, Di Wu, Shijie Xu, Albert V. Davydov, Ruqian Wu, Kang L. Wang

Abstract: In transport, the topological Hall effect (THE) presents itself as non-monotonic features (or humps and dips) in the Hall signal and is widely interpreted as a sign of chiral spin textures, like magnetic skyrmions. However, when anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is also present, the co-existence of two AHEs could give rise to similar artifacts, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine THE with… ▽ More In transport, the topological Hall effect (THE) presents itself as non-monotonic features (or humps and dips) in the Hall signal and is widely interpreted as a sign of chiral spin textures, like magnetic skyrmions. However, when anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is also present, the co-existence of two AHEs could give rise to similar artifacts, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine THE with AHE and two-component AHE. Here we confirm genuine THE with AHE by means of transport and magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) microscopy, in which magnetic skyrmions are directly observed, and find that genuine THE occurs in the transition region of the AHE. In sharp contrast, the artifact "THE", or two-component AHE occurs well beyond the saturation of the "AHE component" (under the false assumption of THE+AHE). Furthermore, we distinguish artifact "THE" from genuine THE by three methods: 1. Minor loops, 2. Temperature dependence, 3. Gate dependence. Minor loops of genuine THE with AHE are always within the full loop, while minor loops of the artifact "THE" may reveal a single loop that cannot fit into the "AHE component". Besides, the temperature or gate dependence of the artifact "THE" may also be accompanied by a polarity change of the "AHE component", as the non-monotonic features vanish, while the temperature dependence of genuine THE with AHE reveals no such change. Our work may help future researchers to exercise cautions and use these methods to examine carefully in order to ascertain genuine THE. △ Less

Submitted 15 August, 2022; v1 submitted 17 March, 2021; originally announced March 2021.

Direct Observation of Coherent Longitudinal and Shear Acoustic Phonons in TaAs Using Ultrafast X-ray Diffraction

Authors: Min-Cheol Lee, N. Sirica, S. W. Teitelbaum, A. Maznev, T. Pezeril, R. Tutchton, V. Krapivin, G. A. de la Pena, Y. Huang, L. X. Zhao, G. F. Chen, B. Xu, R. Yang, J. Shi, J. Zhu, D. A. Yarotski, X. G. Qiu, K. A. Nelson, M. Trigo, D. A. Reis, R. P. Prasankumar

Abstract: Using femtosecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction, we investigated optically excited coherent acoustic phonons in the Weyl semimetal TaAs. The low symmetry of the (112) surface probed in our experiment enables the simultaneous excitation of longitudinal and shear acoustic modes, whose dispersion closely matches our simulations. We observed an asymmetry in the spectral lineshape of the longitudinal… ▽ More Using femtosecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction, we investigated optically excited coherent acoustic phonons in the Weyl semimetal TaAs. The low symmetry of the (112) surface probed in our experiment enables the simultaneous excitation of longitudinal and shear acoustic modes, whose dispersion closely matches our simulations. We observed an asymmetry in the spectral lineshape of the longitudinal mode that is notably absent from the shear mode, suggesting a time-dependent frequency chirp that is likely driven by photoinduced carrier diffusion. We argue on the basis of symmetry that these acoustic deformations can transiently alter the electronic structure near the Weyl points and support this with model calculations. Our study underscores the benefit of using off-axis crystal orientations when optically exciting acoustic deformations in topological semimetals, allowing one to transiently change their crystal and electronic structures. △ Less

Submitted 28 February, 2022; v1 submitted 13 November, 2020; originally announced November 2020.

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures for manuscript, and 15 pages and 11 figures for supplemental materials

Report number: LA-UR-20-29013

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 155301 (2022)

Photocurrent-driven transient symmetry breaking in the Weyl semimetal TaAs

Authors: N Sirica, P. P. Orth, M. S. Scheurer, Y. M. Dai, M. -C. Lee, P. Padmanabhan, L. T. Mix, S. W. Teitelbaum, M. Trigo, L. X. Zhao, G. F. Chen, B. Xu, R. Yang, B. Shen, C. Hu, C. -C. Lee, H. Lin, T. A. Cochran, S. A. Trugman, J. -X. Zhu, M. Z. Hasan, N. Ni, X. G. Qiu, A. J. Taylor, D. A. Yarotski , et al. (1 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Symmetry plays a central role in conventional and topological phases of matter, making the ability to optically drive symmetry change a critical step in developing future technologies that rely on such control. Topological materials, like the newly discovered topological semimetals, are particularly sensitive to a breaking or restoring of time-reversal and crystalline symmetries, which affect both… ▽ More Symmetry plays a central role in conventional and topological phases of matter, making the ability to optically drive symmetry change a critical step in developing future technologies that rely on such control. Topological materials, like the newly discovered topological semimetals, are particularly sensitive to a breaking or restoring of time-reversal and crystalline symmetries, which affect both bulk and surface electronic states. While previous studies have focused on controlling symmetry via coupling to the crystal lattice, we demonstrate here an all-electronic mechanism based on photocurrent generation. Using second-harmonic generation spectroscopy as a sensitive probe of symmetry change, we observe an ultrafast breaking of time-reversal and spatial symmetries following femtosecond optical excitation in the prototypical type-I Weyl semimetal TaAs. Our results show that optically driven photocurrents can be tailored to explicitly break electronic symmetry in a generic fashion, opening up the possibility of driving phase transitions between symmetry-protected states on ultrafast time scales. △ Less

Submitted 9 November, 2021; v1 submitted 20 May, 2020; originally announced May 2020.

Comments: 28 pages, 15 figures, 4 Tables

Journal ref: Nat. Mater. (2021)

Raman Response and Transport Properties of One-Dimensional van der Waals Tellurium Nanowires

Authors: Jing-Kai Qin, Pai-Ying Liao, Mengwei Si, Shiyuan Gao, Gang Qiu, Jie Jian, Qingxiao Wang, Si-Qi Zhang, Shouyuan Huang, Adam Charnas, Yixiu Wang, Moon J. Kim, Wenzhuo Wu, Xianfan Xu, Hai-Yan Wang, Li Yang, Yoke Khin Yap, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Tellurium can form nanowires of helical atomic chains. Given their unique one-dimensional van der Waals structure, these nanowires are expected to show remarkably different physical and electronic properties than bulk tellurium. Here we show that few-chain and single-chain van der Waals tellurium nanowires can be isolated using carbon nanotube and boron nitride nanotube encapsulation. With the app… ▽ More Tellurium can form nanowires of helical atomic chains. Given their unique one-dimensional van der Waals structure, these nanowires are expected to show remarkably different physical and electronic properties than bulk tellurium. Here we show that few-chain and single-chain van der Waals tellurium nanowires can be isolated using carbon nanotube and boron nitride nanotube encapsulation. With the approach, the number of atomic chains can be controlled by the inner diameter of the nanotube. The Raman response of the structures suggests that the interaction between a single-atomic tellurium chain and a carbon nanotube is weak, and that the inter-chain interaction becomes stronger as the number of chains increases. Compared with bare tellurium nanowires on SiO2, nanowires encapsulated in boron nitride nanotubes exhibit a dramatically enhanced current-carrying capacity, with a current density of 1.5*10^8 A cm-2, which exceeds that of most semiconducting nanowires. We also use our tellurium nanowires encapsulated in boron nitride nanotubes to create field-effect transistors that have a diameter of only 2 nm. △ Less

Submitted 15 January, 2020; originally announced January 2020.

Comments: 45 pages, 23 figures. Nature Electronics, to be published

Ultrafast Photoinduced Band Splitting and Carrier Dynamics in Chiral Tellurium Nanosheets

Authors: Giriraj Jnawali, Yuan Xiang, Samuel M. Linser, Iraj Abbasian Shojaei, Ruoxing Wang, Gang Qiu, Chao Lian, Bryan M. Wong, Wu Wenzhuo, Peide D. Ye, Yongsheng Leng, Howard E. Jackson, Leigh M. Smith

Abstract: Trigonal tellurium (Te) is a chiral semiconductor that lacks both mirror and inversion symmetries, resulting in complex band structures with Weyl crossings and unique spin textures. Detailed time-resolved polarized reflectance spectroscopy is used to investigate its band structure and carrier dynamics. The polarized transient spectra reveal optical transitions between the uppermost spin-split H4 a… ▽ More Trigonal tellurium (Te) is a chiral semiconductor that lacks both mirror and inversion symmetries, resulting in complex band structures with Weyl crossings and unique spin textures. Detailed time-resolved polarized reflectance spectroscopy is used to investigate its band structure and carrier dynamics. The polarized transient spectra reveal optical transitions between the uppermost spin-split H4 and H5 and the degenerate H6 valence bands (VB) and the lowest degenerate H6 conduction band (CB) as well as a higher energy transition at the L-point. Surprisingly, the degeneracy of the H6 CB (a proposed Weyl node) is lifted and the spin-split VB gap is reduced upon photoexcitation before relaxing to equilibrium as the carriers decay. Using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations we conclude that the dynamic band structure is caused by a photoinduced shear strain in the Te film that breaks the screw symmetry of the crystal. The band-edge anisotropy is also reflected in the hot carrier decay rate, which is a factor of two slower along c-axis than perpendicular to it. The majority of photoexcited carriers near the band-edge are seen to recombine within 30 ps while higher lying transitions observed near 1.2 eV appear to have substantially longer lifetimes, potentially due to contributions of intervalley processes in the recombination rate. These new findings shed light on the strong correlation between photoinduced carriers and electronic structure in anisotropic crystals, which opens a potential pathway for designing novel Te-based devices that take advantage of the topological structures as well as strong spin-related properties. △ Less

Submitted 20 July, 2020; v1 submitted 22 October, 2019; originally announced October 2019.

Comments: 42 pages, 13 figures

Optical and photoemission investigation of structural and magnetic transitions in the iron-based superconductor Sr$_\mathbf{0.67}$Na$_\mathbf{0.33}$Fe$_\mathbf{2}$As$_\mathbf{2}$

Authors: R. Yang, J. W. Huang, N. Zaki, I. Pletikosic, Y. M. Dai, H. Xiao, T. Valla, P. D. Johnson, X. J. Zhou, X. G. Qiu, C. C. Homes

Abstract: We report the temperature-dependent optical conductivity and ARPES studies of the iron-based superconductor (SC) Sr$_{0.67}$Na$_{0.33}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ in the high-temperature tetragonal paramagnetic phase; below the structural and magnetic transitions at $T_{\rm N}\simeq$125 K in the orthorhombic spin-density-wave (SDW)-like phase, and $T_r\simeq$42 K in the reentrant tetragonal double-Q magnetic pha… ▽ More We report the temperature-dependent optical conductivity and ARPES studies of the iron-based superconductor (SC) Sr$_{0.67}$Na$_{0.33}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ in the high-temperature tetragonal paramagnetic phase; below the structural and magnetic transitions at $T_{\rm N}\simeq$125 K in the orthorhombic spin-density-wave (SDW)-like phase, and $T_r\simeq$42 K in the reentrant tetragonal double-Q magnetic phase where both charge and SDW order exist; and below the SC transition at $T_c\simeq$10 K. The free-carrier component in the optical conductivity is described by two Drude contributions; one strong and broad, the other weak and narrow. The broad Drude component decreases dramatically below $T_{\rm N}$ and $T_r$, with much of its strength being transferred to a bound excitation in the mid-infrared, while the narrow Drude component shows no anomalies at either of the transitions, actually increasing in strength at low temperature while narrowing dramatically. The behavior of an infrared-active mode suggests zone-folding below $T_r$. Below $T_c$ the dramatic decrease in the low-frequency optical conductivity signals the formation of a SC energy gap. ARPES reveals hole-like bands at the center of the Brillouin zone (BZ), with both electron- and hole-like bands at the corners. Below $T_{\rm N}$, the hole pockets at the center of the BZ decrease in size, consistent with the behavior of the broad Drude component; while below $T_r$ the electron-like bands shift and split, giving rise to a low-energy excitation in the optical conductivity at ~20 meV. The magnetic states, with resulting SDW and charge-SDW order, respectively, lead to a significant reconstruction of the Fermi surface that has profound implications for the transport originating from the electron and hole pockets, but appears to have relatively little impact on the SC in this material. △ Less

Submitted 30 December, 2019; v1 submitted 7 October, 2019; originally announced October 2019.

Comments: 11 pages with 6 figures; 7 pages of supplementary material

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 100, 235132 (2019)

Gate-tunable Strong Spin-orbit Interaction in Two-dimensional Tellurium Probed by Weak-antilocalization

Authors: Chang Niu, Gang Qiu, Yixiu Wang, Zhuocheng Zhang, Mengwei Si, Wenzhuo Wu, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Tellurium (Te) has attracted great research interest due to its unique crystal structure since 1970s. However, the conduction band of Te is rarely studied experimentally because of the intrinsic p-type nature of Te crystal. By atomic layer deposited dielectric doping technique, we are able to access the conduction band transport properties of Te in a controlled fashion. In this paper, we report on… ▽ More Tellurium (Te) has attracted great research interest due to its unique crystal structure since 1970s. However, the conduction band of Te is rarely studied experimentally because of the intrinsic p-type nature of Te crystal. By atomic layer deposited dielectric doping technique, we are able to access the conduction band transport properties of Te in a controlled fashion. In this paper, we report on a systematic study of weak-antilocalization (WAL) effect in n-type two-dimensional (2D) Te films. We find that the WAL agrees well with Iordanskii, Lyanda-Geller, and Pikus (ILP) theory. The gate and temperature dependent WAL reveals that Dyakonov-Perel (DP) mechanism is dominant for spin relaxation and phase relaxation is governed by electron-electron (e-e) interaction. Large phase coherence length near 600nm at T=1K is obtained, together with gate tunable spin-orbit interaction (SOI). Transition from weak-localization (WL) to weak-antilocalization (WAL) depending on gate bias is also observed. These results demonstrate that newly developed solution-based synthesized Te films provide a new controllable strong SOI 2D semiconductor with high potential for spintronic applications. △ Less

Submitted 14 September, 2019; originally announced September 2019.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 101, 205414 (2020)

Quantum Hall Effect of Weyl Fermions in Semiconducting n-type Tellurene

Authors: Gang Qiu, Chang Niu, Yixiu Wang, Mengwei Si, Zhuocheng Zhang, Wenzhuo Wu, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Dirac and Weyl nodal materials can host low-energy relativistic quasiparticles. Under strong magnetic fields, the topological properties of Dirac/Weyl materials can directly manifest through quantum Hall states. However, most Dirac/Weyl nodes generically exist in semimetals without exploitable bandgaps due to their accidental band-crossing origin. Here we report the first experimental observation… ▽ More Dirac and Weyl nodal materials can host low-energy relativistic quasiparticles. Under strong magnetic fields, the topological properties of Dirac/Weyl materials can directly manifest through quantum Hall states. However, most Dirac/Weyl nodes generically exist in semimetals without exploitable bandgaps due to their accidental band-crossing origin. Here we report the first experimental observation of Weyl fermions in a semiconductor. Tellurene, the 2D form of tellurium, possesses chiral crystal structure which induces unconventional Weyl nodes with a hedgehog-like radial spin texture near the conduction band edge. We synthesize high-quality n-type tellurene by a hydrothermal method with subsequent dielectric doping and detect a topologically non-trivial pi Berry phase in quantum Hall sequences. Our work expands the spectrum of Weyl matter into semiconductors and offers a new platform to design novel quantum devices by marrying the advantages of topological materials to versatile semiconductors. △ Less

Submitted 26 April, 2020; v1 submitted 29 August, 2019; originally announced August 2019.

Comments: 5 figures for main text; 8 figures for supporting information

Thermoelectric Performance of 2D Tellurium with Accumulation Contacts

Authors: Gang Qiu, Shouyuan Huang, Mauricio Segovia, Prabhu K. Venuthurumilli, Yixiu Wang, Wenzhuo Wu, Xianfan Xu, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Tellurium (Te) is an intrinsically p-type doped narrow bandgap semiconductor with excellent electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity. Bulk trigonal Te has been theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated to be an outstanding thermoelectric material with high value of thermoelectric figure-of-merit ZT. In view of the recent progress in developing synthesis route of two-dimen… ▽ More Tellurium (Te) is an intrinsically p-type doped narrow bandgap semiconductor with excellent electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity. Bulk trigonal Te has been theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated to be an outstanding thermoelectric material with high value of thermoelectric figure-of-merit ZT. In view of the recent progress in developing synthesis route of two-dimensional (2D) tellurium thin films as well as the growing trend of exploiting nanostructures as thermoelectric devices, here for the first time we report excellent thermoelectric performance of tellurium nanofilms, with room temperature power factor of 31.7 μWcm-1K-2 and ZT value of 0.63. To further enhance the efficiency of harvesting thermoelectric power in nanofilm devices, thermoelectrical current mapping was performed with a laser as a heating source, and we found high work function metals such as palladium can form rare accumulation-type metal-to-semiconductor contacts to 2D Te, which allows thermoelectrically generated carriers to be collected more efficiently. High-performance thermoelectric 2D Te devices have broad applications as energy harvesting devices or nanoscale Peltier coolers in microsystems. △ Less

Submitted 26 December, 2018; originally announced December 2018.

Comments: manuscript+SI, 30 pages

A Ferroelectric Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor

Authors: Mengwei Si, Atanu K. Saha, Shengjie Gao, Gang Qiu, Jingkai Qin, Yuqin Duan, Jie Jian, Chang Niu, Haiyan Wang, Wenzhuo Wu, Sumeet K. Gupta, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Ferroelectric field-effect transistors employ a ferroelectric material as a gate insulator, the polarization state of which can be detected using the channel conductance of the device. As a result, the devices are of potential to use in non-volatile memory technology, but suffer from short retention times, which limits their wider application. Here we report a ferroelectric semiconductor field-eff… ▽ More Ferroelectric field-effect transistors employ a ferroelectric material as a gate insulator, the polarization state of which can be detected using the channel conductance of the device. As a result, the devices are of potential to use in non-volatile memory technology, but suffer from short retention times, which limits their wider application. Here we report a ferroelectric semiconductor field-effect transistor in which a two-dimensional ferroelectric semiconductor, indium selenide (α-In2Se3), is used as the channel material in the device. α-In2Se3 was chosen due to its appropriate bandgap, room temperature ferroelectricity, ability to maintain ferroelectricity down to a few atomic layers, and potential for large-area growth. A passivation method based on the atomic-layer deposition of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) was developed to protect and enhance the performance of the transistors. With 15-nm-thick hafnium oxide (HfO2) as a scaled gate dielectric, the resulting devices offer high performance with a large memory window, a high on/off ratio of over 108, a maximum on-current of 862 μA μm-1, and a low supply voltage. △ Less

Submitted 9 January, 2020; v1 submitted 7 December, 2018; originally announced December 2018.

Comments: 44 pages, 16 figures

Journal ref: Nat. Electron. 2, 580-586 (2019)

Tracking ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs using THz emission spectroscopy

Authors: N. Sirica, R. I. Tobey, L. X. Zhao, G. F. Chen, B. Xu, R. Yang, B. Shen, D. A. Yarotski, P. Bowlan, S. A. Trugman, J. -X. Zhu, Y. M. Dai, A. K. Azad, N. Ni, X. G. Qiu, A. J. Taylor, R. P. Prasankumar

Abstract: We investigate polarization-dependent ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs using terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy. Our results reveal that highly directional, transient photocurrents are generated along the non-centrosymmetric c-axis regardless of incident light polarization, while helicity-dependent photocurrents are excited within the ab-plane. This is consistent with earlier… ▽ More We investigate polarization-dependent ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs using terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy. Our results reveal that highly directional, transient photocurrents are generated along the non-centrosymmetric c-axis regardless of incident light polarization, while helicity-dependent photocurrents are excited within the ab-plane. This is consistent with earlier static photocurrent experiments, and demonstrates on the basis of both the physical constraints imposed by symmetry and the temporal dynamics intrinsic to current generation and decay that optically induced photocurrents in TaAs are inherent to the underlying crystal symmetry of the transition metal monopnictide family of Weyl semimetals. △ Less

Submitted 6 February, 2019; v1 submitted 6 November, 2018; originally announced November 2018.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 197401 (2019)

Imaging Carrier Inhomogeneities in Ambipolar Tellurene Field Effect Transistors

Authors: Samuel Berweger, Gang Qiu, Yixiu Wang, Benjamin Pollard, Kristen L. Genter, Robert Tyrell-Ead, T. Mitch Wallis, Wenzhuo Wu, Peide D. Ye, Pavel Kabos

Abstract: Developing van der Waals (vdW) homojunction devices requires materials with narrow bandgaps and simultaneously high hole and electron mobilities for bipolar transport, as well as methods to image and study spatial variations in carrier type and associated conductivity with nanometer spatial resolution. Here we demonstrate the general capability of near-field scanning microwave microscopy (SMM) to… ▽ More Developing van der Waals (vdW) homojunction devices requires materials with narrow bandgaps and simultaneously high hole and electron mobilities for bipolar transport, as well as methods to image and study spatial variations in carrier type and associated conductivity with nanometer spatial resolution. Here we demonstrate the general capability of near-field scanning microwave microscopy (SMM) to image and study the local carrier type and associated conductivity in operando by studying ambiploar field effect transistors (FETs) of the 1D vdW material tellurium in 2D form. To quantitatively understand electronic variations across the device, we produce nanometer resolved maps of the local carrier equivalence backgate voltage. We show that the global device conductivity minimum determined from transport measurements does not arise from uniform carrier neutrality, but rather from the continued coexistence of p-type regions at the device edge and n-type regions in the interior of our micron-scale devices. This work both underscores and addresses the need to image and understand spatial variations in the electronic properties of nanoscale devices. △ Less

Submitted 3 November, 2018; originally announced November 2018.

Comments: 15 pages, 4 figures

Temperature-driven Topological Phase Transition and Intermediate Dirac Semimetal Phase in ZrTe$_5$

Authors: B. Xu, L. X. Zhao, P. Marsik, E. Sheveleva, F. Lyzwa, Y. M. Dai, G. F. Chen, X. G. Qiu, C. Bernhard

Abstract: We present an infrared spectroscopy study of ZrTe$_5$, which confirms a recent theoretical proposal that this material exhibits a temperature-driven topological quantum phase transition from a weak to a strong topological insulating state with an intermediate Dirac semimetal state around $T_p \simeq$ 138K. Our study details the temperature evolution of the energy gap in the bulk electronic structu… ▽ More We present an infrared spectroscopy study of ZrTe$_5$, which confirms a recent theoretical proposal that this material exhibits a temperature-driven topological quantum phase transition from a weak to a strong topological insulating state with an intermediate Dirac semimetal state around $T_p \simeq$ 138K. Our study details the temperature evolution of the energy gap in the bulk electronic structure. We found that the energy gap closes around $T_p$ where the optical response exhibits characteristic signatures of a Dirac semimetal state, i.e. a linear frequency-dependent optical conductivity extrapolating to the origin (after subtracting a weak Drude response). This finding allows us to reconcile previous diverging reports about the topological nature of ZrTe$_5$ in terms of a variation of $T_p$ that depends on the crystal growth condition. △ Less

Submitted 2 November, 2018; originally announced November 2018.

Comments: 6 pages 3 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 187401 (2018)

Scaling of the Fano effect of the in-plane Fe-As phonon and the superconducting critical temperature in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$

Authors: B. Xu, E. Cappelluti, L. Benfatto, B. P. P. Mallett, P. Marsik, E. Sheveleva, F. Lyzwa, Th. Wolf, R. Yang, X. G. Qiu, Y. M. Dai, H. H. Wen, R. P. S. M. Lobo, C. Bernhard

Abstract: By means of infrared spectroscopy we determine the temperature-doping phase diagram of the Fano effect for the in-plane Fe-As stretching mode in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$. The Fano parameter $1/q^2$, which is a measure of the phonon coupling to the electronic particle-hole continuum, shows a remarkable sensitivity to the magnetic/structural orderings at low temperatures. More strikingly, a… ▽ More By means of infrared spectroscopy we determine the temperature-doping phase diagram of the Fano effect for the in-plane Fe-As stretching mode in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$. The Fano parameter $1/q^2$, which is a measure of the phonon coupling to the electronic particle-hole continuum, shows a remarkable sensitivity to the magnetic/structural orderings at low temperatures. More strikingly, at elevated temperatures in the paramagnetic/tetragonal state we find a linear correlation between $1/q^2$ and the superconducting critical temperature $T_c$. Based on theoretical calculations and symmetry considerations, we identify the relevant interband transitions that are coupled to the Fe-As mode. In particular, we show that a sizable $xy$ orbital component at the Fermi level is fundamental for the Fano effect and possibly also for the superconducting pairing. △ Less

Submitted 24 October, 2018; originally announced October 2018.

Comments: Supplemental materials are available upon request

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 217002 (2019)

Quantum Transport and Band Structure Evolution under High Magnetic Field in Few-Layer Tellurene

Authors: Gang Qiu, Yixiu Wang, Yifan Nie, Yongping Zheng, Kyeongjae Cho, Wenzhuo Wu, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Quantum Hall effect (QHE) is a macroscopic manifestation of quantized states which only occurs in confined two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) systems. Experimentally, QHE is hosted in high mobility 2DEG with large external magnetic field at low temperature. Two-dimensional van der Waals materials, such as graphene and black phosphorus, are considered interesting material systems to study quantum… ▽ More Quantum Hall effect (QHE) is a macroscopic manifestation of quantized states which only occurs in confined two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) systems. Experimentally, QHE is hosted in high mobility 2DEG with large external magnetic field at low temperature. Two-dimensional van der Waals materials, such as graphene and black phosphorus, are considered interesting material systems to study quantum transport, because it could unveil unique host material properties due to its easy accessibility of monolayer or few-layer thin films at 2D quantum limit. Here for the first time, we report direct observation of QHE in a novel low-dimensional material system: tellurene.High-quality 2D tellurene thin films were acquired from recently reported hydrothermal method with high hole mobility of nearly 3,000 cm2/Vs at low temperatures, which allows the observation of well-developed Shubnikov-de-Haas (SdH) oscillations and QHE. A four-fold degeneracy of Landau levels in SdH oscillations and QHE was revealed. Quantum oscillations were investigated under different gate biases, tilted magnetic fields and various temperatures, and the results manifest the inherent information of the electronic structure of Te. Anomalies in both temperature-dependent oscillation amplitudes and transport characteristics were observed which are ascribed to the interplay between Zeeman effect and spin-orbit coupling as depicted by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. △ Less

Submitted 21 June, 2018; originally announced June 2018.

Controlled Growth of a Large-Size 2D Selenium Nanosheet and Its Electronic and Optoelectronic Applications

Authors: Jingkai Qin, Gang Qiu, Jie Jian, Hong Zhou, Lingming Yang, Adam Charnas, Dmitry Y Zemlyanov, Cheng-Yan Xu, Xianfan Xu, Wenzhuo Wu, Haiyan Wang, Peide D Ye

Abstract: Selenium has attracted intensive attention as a promising material candidate for future optoelectronic applications. However, selenium has a strong tendency to grow into nanowire forms due to its anisotropic atomic structure, which has largely hindered the exploration of its potential applications. In this work, using a physical vapor deposition method, we have demonstrated the synthesis of large-… ▽ More Selenium has attracted intensive attention as a promising material candidate for future optoelectronic applications. However, selenium has a strong tendency to grow into nanowire forms due to its anisotropic atomic structure, which has largely hindered the exploration of its potential applications. In this work, using a physical vapor deposition method, we have demonstrated the synthesis of large-size, high-quality 2D selenium nanosheets, the minimum thickness of which could be as thin as 5 nm. The Se nanosheet exhibits a strong in-plane anisotropic property, which is determined by angle-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Back-gating field-effect transistors based on a Se nanosheet exhibit p-type transport behaviors with on-state current density around 20 mA/mm at Vds = 3 V. Four-terminal field effect devices are also fabricated to evaluate the intrinsic hole mobility of the selenium nanosheet, and the value is determined to be 0.26 cm2 Vs at 300 K. The selenium nanosheet phototransistors show an excellent photoresponsivity of up to 263 A/W, with a rise time of 0.1 s and fall time of 0.12 s. These results suggest that crystal selenium as a 2D form of a 1D van der Waals solid opens up the possibility to explore device applications. △ Less

Submitted 2 November, 2017; originally announced November 2017.

Comments: ACS Nano, 2017, 11 (10), pp 10222

Journal ref: ACS Nano, 2017, 11 (10), pp 10222

Infrared probe of the gap evolution across the phase diagram of Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$

Authors: B. Xu, Y. M. Dai, H. Xiao, B. Shen, H. H. Wen, X. G. Qiu, R. P. S. M. Lobo

Abstract: We measured the optical conductivity of superconducting single crystals of Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ with $x$ ranging from 0.40 (optimal doping, $T_c = 39$ K) down to 0.20 (underdoped, $T_c = 16$ K), where a magnetic order coexists with superconductivity. In the normal state, the low-frequency optical conductivity can be described by an incoherent broad Drude component and a coherent narro… ▽ More We measured the optical conductivity of superconducting single crystals of Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ with $x$ ranging from 0.40 (optimal doping, $T_c = 39$ K) down to 0.20 (underdoped, $T_c = 16$ K), where a magnetic order coexists with superconductivity. In the normal state, the low-frequency optical conductivity can be described by an incoherent broad Drude component and a coherent narrow Drude component: the broad one is doping-independent, while the narrow one shows strong scattering in the heavily underdoped compound. In the superconducting state, the formation of the condensate leads to a low-frequency suppression of the optical conductivity spectral weight. In the heavily underdoped region, the superfluid density is significantly suppressed, and the weight of unpaired carriers rapidly increases. We attribute these results to changes in the superconducting gap across the phase diagram, which could show a nodal-to-nodeless transition due to the strong interplay between magnetism and superconductivity in underdoped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$. △ Less

Submitted 16 September, 2017; originally announced September 2017.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 96, 115125 (2017)

1D van der Waals Material Tellurium: Raman Spectroscopy under Strain and Magneto-transport

Authors: Yuchen Du, Gang Qiu, Yixiu Wang, Mengwei Si, Xianfan Xu, Wenzhuo Wu, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Experimental demonstrations of 1D van der Waals material tellurium have been presented by Raman spectroscopy under strain and magneto-transport. Raman spectroscopy measurements have been performed under strains along different principle axes. Pronounced strain response along c-axis is observed due to the strong intra-chain covalent bonds, while no strain response is obtained along a-axis due to th… ▽ More Experimental demonstrations of 1D van der Waals material tellurium have been presented by Raman spectroscopy under strain and magneto-transport. Raman spectroscopy measurements have been performed under strains along different principle axes. Pronounced strain response along c-axis is observed due to the strong intra-chain covalent bonds, while no strain response is obtained along a-axis due to the weak inter-chain van der Waals interaction. Magneto-transport results further verify its anisotropic property, resulting in dramatically distinct magneto-resistance behaviors in terms of three different magnetic field directions. Specifically, phase coherence length extracted from weak antilocalization effect, L$_Φ$ ~ T$^{-0.5}$, claims its 2D transport characteristics when an applied magnetic field is perpendicular to the thin film. In contrast, L$_Φ$ ~ T$^{-0.33}$ is obtained from universal conductance fluctuations once the magnetic field is along c-axis of Te, indicating its nature of 1D transport along the helical atomic chains. Our studies, which are obtained on high quality single crystal tellurium thin film, appear to serve as strong evidences of its 1D van der Waals structure from experimental perspectives. It is the aim of this paper to address this special concept that differs from the previous well-studied 1D nanowires or 2D van der Waals materials. △ Less

Submitted 23 April, 2017; originally announced April 2017.

Journal ref: Nano Letters, 17, 3965-3973 (2017)

Steep-slope Hysteresis-free Negative Capacitance MoS2 Transistors

Authors: Mengwei Si, Chun-Jung Su, Chunsheng Jiang, Nathan J. Conrad, Hong Zhou, Kerry D. Maize, Gang Qiu, Chien-Ting Wu, Ali Shakouri, Muhammad A. Alam, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: The so-called Boltzmann Tyranny defines the fundamental thermionic limit of the subthreshold slope (SS) of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) at 60 mV/dec at room temperature and, therefore, precludes the lowering of the supply voltage and the overall power consumption. Adding a ferroelectric negative capacitor to the gate stack of a MOSFET may offer a promising solution… ▽ More The so-called Boltzmann Tyranny defines the fundamental thermionic limit of the subthreshold slope (SS) of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) at 60 mV/dec at room temperature and, therefore, precludes the lowering of the supply voltage and the overall power consumption. Adding a ferroelectric negative capacitor to the gate stack of a MOSFET may offer a promising solution to bypassing this fundamental barrier. Meanwhile, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) due to their low dielectric constant, and ease of integration in a junctionless transistor topology, offer enhanced electrostatic control of the channel. Here, we combine these two advantages and demonstrate for the first time a molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) 2D steep slope transistor with a ferroelectric hafnium zirconium oxide layer (HZO) in the gate dielectric stack. This device exhibits excellent performance in both on- and off-states, with maximum drain current of 510 μA/μm, sub-thermionic subthreshold slope and is essentially hysteresis-free. Negative differential resistance (NDR) was observed at room temperature in the MoS2 negative capacitance field-effect-transistors (NC-FETs) as the result of negative capacitance due to the negative drain-induced-barrier-lowering (DIBL). High on-current induced self-heating effect was also observed and studied. △ Less

Submitted 29 January, 2018; v1 submitted 22 April, 2017; originally announced April 2017.

Comments: 23 pages, 14 figures

Journal ref: Nature Nanotechnology 13, 24-28 (2018)

Field-effect transistors made from solution-grown two-dimensional tellurene

Authors: Yixiu Wang, Gang Qiu, Ruoxing Wang, Shouyuan Huang, Qingxiao Wang, Yuanyue Liu, Yuchen Du, William A. Goddard III, Moon J. Kim, Xianfan Xu, Peide D. Ye, Wenzhuo Wu

Abstract: The reliable production of two-dimensional crystals is essential for the development of new technologies based on 2D materials. However, current synthesis methods suffer from a variety of drawbacks, including limitations in crystal size and stability. Here, we report the fabrication of large-area, high-quality 2D tellurium (tellurene) using a substrate-free solution process. Our approach can creat… ▽ More The reliable production of two-dimensional crystals is essential for the development of new technologies based on 2D materials. However, current synthesis methods suffer from a variety of drawbacks, including limitations in crystal size and stability. Here, we report the fabrication of large-area, high-quality 2D tellurium (tellurene) using a substrate-free solution process. Our approach can create crystals with a process-tunable thickness, from monolayer to tens of nanometres, and with lateral sizes of up to 100 um. The chiral-chain van der Waals structure of tellurene gives rise to strong in-plane anisotropic properties and large thickness dependent shifts in Raman vibrational modes, which is not observed in other 2D layered materials. We also fabricate tellurene field-effect transistors, which exhibit air-stable performance at room temperature for over two months, on off ratios on the order of 106 and field-effect mobilities of around 700 cm2 per Vs. Furthermore, by scaling down the channel length and integrating with high-k dielectrics, transistors with a significant on-state current density of 1 A mm-1 are demonstrated. △ Less

Submitted 24 April, 2018; v1 submitted 20 April, 2017; originally announced April 2017.

Journal ref: Nature Electronics, volume 1, page 228, 2018

\b{eta}-Ga2O3 on Insulator Field-effect Transistors with Drain Currents Exceeding 1.5 A/mm and Their Self-heating Effect

Authors: Hong Zhou, Kerry Maize, Gang Qiu, Ali Shakouri, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: We have demonstrated that depletion/enhancement-mode b-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistors can achieve a record high drain current density of 1.5/1.0 A/mm by utilizing a highly doped b-Ga2O3 nano-membrane as the channel. b-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistor (GOOI FET) shows a high on/off ratio of 1010 and low subthreshold slope of 150 mV/dec even with 300 nm thick SiO2. The enhance… ▽ More We have demonstrated that depletion/enhancement-mode b-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistors can achieve a record high drain current density of 1.5/1.0 A/mm by utilizing a highly doped b-Ga2O3 nano-membrane as the channel. b-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistor (GOOI FET) shows a high on/off ratio of 1010 and low subthreshold slope of 150 mV/dec even with 300 nm thick SiO2. The enhancement-mode GOOI FET is achieved through surface depletion. An ultra-fast, high resolution thermo-reflectance imaging technique is applied to study the self-heating effect by directly measuring the local surface temperature. High drain current, low Rc, and wide bandgap make the b-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistor a promising candidate for future power electronics applications. △ Less

Submitted 9 November, 2017; v1 submitted 17 March, 2017; originally announced March 2017.

Journal ref: Applied Physics Letters, 111, 092102 (2017)

High Performance Depletion/Enhancement-Mode beta-Ga2O3 on Insulator (GOOI) Field-effect Transistors with Record Drain Currents of 600/450 mA/mm

Authors: Hong Zhou, Mengwei Si, Sami Alghmadi, Gang Qiu, Lingming Yang, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: In this letter, we report on high performance depletion/enhancement (D/E)-mode beta-Ga2O3 on insulator (GOOI) field-effect transistors (FETs) with record high drain currents (ID) of 600/450 mA/mm, which are nearly one order of magnitude higher than any other reported ID values. The threshold voltage (VT) can be modulated by varying the thickness of the beta-Ga2O3 films and the E-mode GOOI FET can… ▽ More In this letter, we report on high performance depletion/enhancement (D/E)-mode beta-Ga2O3 on insulator (GOOI) field-effect transistors (FETs) with record high drain currents (ID) of 600/450 mA/mm, which are nearly one order of magnitude higher than any other reported ID values. The threshold voltage (VT) can be modulated by varying the thickness of the beta-Ga2O3 films and the E-mode GOOI FET can be simply achieved by shrinking the beta-Ga2O3 film thickness. Benefiting from the good interface between beta-Ga2O3 and SiO2 and wide bandgap of beta-Ga2O3, a negligible transfer characteristic hysteresis, high ID on/off ratio of 10^10, and low subthreshold swing of 140 mV/dec for a 300 nm thick SiO2 are observed. E-mode GOOI FET with source to drain spacing of 0.9 um demonstrates a breakdown voltage of 185 V and an average electric field (E) of 2 MV/cm, showing the great promise of GOOI FET for future power devices. △ Less

Submitted 6 February, 2018; v1 submitted 16 December, 2016; originally announced December 2016.

Journal ref: IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2017

Temperature-tunable Fano resonance induced by strong coupling between Weyl fermions and phonons in TaAs

Authors: B. Xu, Y. M. Dai, L. X. Zhao, K. Wang, R. Yang, W. Zhang, J. Y. Liu, H. Xiao, G. F. Chen, S. A. Trugman, J. -X. Zhu, A. J. Taylor, D. A. Yarotski, R. P. Prasankumar, X. G. Qiu

Abstract: Strong coupling between discrete phonon and continuous electron-hole pair excitations can give rise to a pronounced asymmetry in the phonon line shape, known as the Fano resonance. This effect has been observed in a variety of systems, such as stripe-phase nickelates, graphene and high-$T_{c}$ superconductors. Here, we reveal explicit evidence for strong coupling between an infrared-active $A_1$ p… ▽ More Strong coupling between discrete phonon and continuous electron-hole pair excitations can give rise to a pronounced asymmetry in the phonon line shape, known as the Fano resonance. This effect has been observed in a variety of systems, such as stripe-phase nickelates, graphene and high-$T_{c}$ superconductors. Here, we reveal explicit evidence for strong coupling between an infrared-active $A_1$ phonon and electronic transitions near the Weyl points (Weyl fermions) through the observation of a Fano resonance in the recently discovered Weyl semimetal TaAs. The resultant asymmetry in the phonon line shape, conspicuous at low temperatures, diminishes continuously as the temperature increases. This anomalous behavior originates from the suppression of the electronic transitions near the Weyl points due to the decreasing occupation of electronic states below the Fermi level ($E_{F}$) with increasing temperature, as well as Pauli blocking caused by thermally excited electrons above $E_{F}$. Our findings not only elucidate the underlying mechanism governing the tunable Fano resonance, but also open a new route for exploring exotic physical phenomena through the properties of phonons in Weyl semimetals. △ Less

Submitted 29 August, 2016; originally announced August 2016.

Comments: 16 pages, 3 figures

Journal ref: Nat. Comm. 8, 14933 (2017)

Optical observation of spin-density-wave fluctuations in Ba122 iron-based superconductors

Authors: B. Xu, Y. M. Dai, H. Xiao, B. Shen, Z. R. Ye, A. Forget, D. Colson, D. L. Feng, H. H. Wen, X. G. Qiu, R. P. S. M. Lobo

Abstract: In iron-based superconductors, a spin-density-wave (SDW) magnetic order is suppressed with doping and unconventional superconductivity appears in close proximity to the SDW instability. The optical response of the SDW order shows clear gap features: substantial suppression in the low-frequency optical conductivity, alongside a spectral weight transfer from low to high frequencies. Here, we study t… ▽ More In iron-based superconductors, a spin-density-wave (SDW) magnetic order is suppressed with doping and unconventional superconductivity appears in close proximity to the SDW instability. The optical response of the SDW order shows clear gap features: substantial suppression in the low-frequency optical conductivity, alongside a spectral weight transfer from low to high frequencies. Here, we study the detailed temperature dependence of the optical response in three different series of the Ba122 system [Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$, Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ and BaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$]. Intriguingly, we found that the suppression of the low-frequency optical conductivity and spectral weight transfer appear at a temperature $T^{\ast}$ much higher than the SDW transition temperature $T_{SDW}$. Since this behavior has the same optical feature and energy scale as the SDW order, we attribute it to SDW fluctuations. Furthermore, $T^{\ast}$ is suppressed with doping, closely following the doping dependence of the nematic fluctuations detected by other techniques. These results suggest that the magnetic and nematic orders have an intimate relationship, in favor of the magnetic-fluctuation-driven nematicity scenario in iron-based superconductors. △ Less

Submitted 18 August, 2016; originally announced August 2016.

Comments: 6 pages 5 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 94, 085147 (2016)

Observation of Optical and Electrical In-plane Anisotropy in High-mobility Few-layer ZrTe5

Authors: Gang Qiu, Yuchen Du, Adam Charnas, Hong Zhou, Shengyu Jin, Zhe Luo, Dmitry Zemlyanov, Xianfan Xu, Gary Cheng, Peide D. Ye

Abstract: Transition metal pentatelluride ZrTe5 is a versatile material in condensed-matter physics and has been intensively studied since the 1980s. The most fascinating feature of ZrTe5 is that it is a 3D Dirac semimetal which has linear energy dispersion in all three dimensions in momentum space. Structure-wise, ZrTe5 is a layered material held together by weak interlayer van der Waals force. The combina… ▽ More Transition metal pentatelluride ZrTe5 is a versatile material in condensed-matter physics and has been intensively studied since the 1980s. The most fascinating feature of ZrTe5 is that it is a 3D Dirac semimetal which has linear energy dispersion in all three dimensions in momentum space. Structure-wise, ZrTe5 is a layered material held together by weak interlayer van der Waals force. The combination of its unique band structure and 2D atomic structure provides a fertile ground for more potential exotic physical phenomena in ZrTe5 related to 3D Dirac semimentals. However the physical properties of its few-layer form have yet to be thoroughly explored. Here we report strong optical and electrical in-plane anisotropy of mechanically exfoliated few-layer ZrTe5. Raman spectroscopy shows significant intensity change with sample orientations, and the behavior of angle-resolved phonon modes at the gamma point is explained by theoretical calculation. DC conductance measurement indicates a 50% of difference along different in-plane directions. The diminishing of resistivity anomaly in few-layer samples indicates the evolution of band structure with reduced thickness. Low-temperature Hall experiment sheds lights on more intrinsic anisotropic electrical transport, with hole mobility of 3,000 and 1,500 cm2/Vs along a-axis and c-axis respectively. Pronounced quantum oscillations in magneto-resistance are observed at low temperatures with highest electron mobility up to 44,000 cm2/Vs. △ Less

Submitted 30 November, 2016; v1 submitted 25 June, 2016; originally announced June 2016.

Journal ref: Qiu, Gang, et al. "Observation of Optical and Electrical In-plane Anisotropy in High-mobility Few-layer ZrTe5." Nano Letters (2016)

Spin-flop transition and magnetic phase diagram in CaCo$_{2}$As$_{2}$ revealed by torque measurements

Authors: W. Zhang, K. Nadeem, H. Xiao, R. Yang, B. Xu, H. Yang, X. G. Qiu

Abstract: The magnetic properties of CaCo$_{2}$As$_{2}$ single crystal was systematically studied by using dc magnetization and magnetic torque measurements. A paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition occurs at $T_N$ = 74 K with Co spins being aligned parallel to the c axis. For $H \parallel c$, a field-induced spin-flop transition was observed below $T_N$ and a magnetic transition from antiferromagneti… ▽ More The magnetic properties of CaCo$_{2}$As$_{2}$ single crystal was systematically studied by using dc magnetization and magnetic torque measurements. A paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition occurs at $T_N$ = 74 K with Co spins being aligned parallel to the c axis. For $H \parallel c$, a field-induced spin-flop transition was observed below $T_N$ and a magnetic transition from antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic was inferred from the detailed analysis of magnetization and magnetic torque. Finally, we summarize the magnetic phase diagram of CaCo$_{2}$As$_{2}$ based on our results in the \emph{H-T} plane. △ Less

Submitted 12 October, 2015; originally announced October 2015.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 92, 144416 (2015)

Optical Signatures of Weyl Points in TaAs

Authors: B. Xu, Y. M. Dai, L. X. Zhao, K. Wang, R. Yang, W. Zhang, J. Y. Liu, H. Xiao, G. F. Chen, A. J. Taylor, D. A. Yarotski, R. P. Prasankumar, X. G. Qiu

Abstract: We present a systematic study of both the temperature and frequency dependence of the optical response in TaAs, a material that has recently been realized to host the Weyl semimetal state. Our study reveals that the optical conductivity of TaAs features a narrow Drude response alongside a conspicuous linear dependence on frequency. The width of the Drude peak decreases upon cooling, following a… ▽ More We present a systematic study of both the temperature and frequency dependence of the optical response in TaAs, a material that has recently been realized to host the Weyl semimetal state. Our study reveals that the optical conductivity of TaAs features a narrow Drude response alongside a conspicuous linear dependence on frequency. The width of the Drude peak decreases upon cooling, following a $T^{2}$ temperature dependence which is expected for Weyl semimetals. Two linear components with distinct slopes dominate the 5-K optical conductivity. A comparison between our experimental results and theoretical calculations suggests that the linear conductivity below $\sim$230~cm$^{-1}$ is a clear signature of the Weyl points lying in very close proximity to the Fermi energy. △ Less

Submitted 1 October, 2015; originally announced October 2015.

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 93, 121110 (2016)

Spin-Fluctuation-Induced Non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior with suppressed superconductivity in LiFe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$As

Authors: Y. M. Dai, H. Miao, L. Y. Xing, X. C. Wang, P. S. Wang, H. Xiao, T. Qian, P. Richard, X. G. Qiu, W. Yu, C. Q. Jin, Z. Wang, P. D. Johnson, C. C. Homes, H. Ding

Abstract: A series of LiFe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$As compounds with different Co concentrations have been studied by transport, optical spectroscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. We observed a Fermi liquid to non-Fermi liquid to Fermi liquid (FL-NFL-FL) crossover alongside a monotonic suppression of the superconductivity with increasing Co content. In parallel to the FL-… ▽ More A series of LiFe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$As compounds with different Co concentrations have been studied by transport, optical spectroscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. We observed a Fermi liquid to non-Fermi liquid to Fermi liquid (FL-NFL-FL) crossover alongside a monotonic suppression of the superconductivity with increasing Co content. In parallel to the FL-NFL-FL crossover, we found that both the low-energy spin fluctuations and Fermi surface nesting are enhanced and then diminished, strongly suggesting that the NFL behavior in LiFe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$As is induced by low-energy spin fluctuations which are very likely tuned by Fermi surface nesting. Our study reveals a unique phase diagram of LiFe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$As where the region of NFL is moved to the boundary of the superconducting phase, implying that they are probably governed by different mechanisms. △ Less

Submitted 16 September, 2015; v1 submitted 3 May, 2015; originally announced May 2015.

Comments: 10 pages, 11 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. X 5, 031035 (2015)

Anomalous phonon redshift in K-doped BaFe2As2 iron pnictides

Authors: B. Xu, Y. M. Dai, B. Shen, H. Xiao, Z. R. Ye, A. Forget, D. Colson, D. L. Feng, H. H. Wen, C. C. Homes, X. G. Qiu, R. P. S. M. Lobo

Abstract: The effect of K, Co and P dopings on the lattice dynamics in the BaFe$_2$As$_2$ system is studied by infrared spectroscopy. We focus on the phonon at $\sim$ 253 cm$^{-1}$, the highest energy in-plane infrared-active Fe-As mode in BaFe$_2$As$_2$. Our studies show that the Co and P dopings lead to a blue shift of this phonon in frequency, which can be simply interpreted by the change of lattice para… ▽ More The effect of K, Co and P dopings on the lattice dynamics in the BaFe$_2$As$_2$ system is studied by infrared spectroscopy. We focus on the phonon at $\sim$ 253 cm$^{-1}$, the highest energy in-plane infrared-active Fe-As mode in BaFe$_2$As$_2$. Our studies show that the Co and P dopings lead to a blue shift of this phonon in frequency, which can be simply interpreted by the change of lattice parameters induced by doping. In sharp contrast, an unusual red shift of the same mode was observed in the K-doped compound, at odds with the above explanation. This anomalous behavior in K-doped BaFe$_2$As$_2$ is more likely associated with the coupling between lattice vibrations and other channels, such as charge or spin. This coupling scenario is also supported by the asymmetric line shape and intensity growth of the phonon in the K-doped compound. △ Less

Submitted 12 March, 2015; originally announced March 2015.

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures

Journal ref: Physical Review B 91, 104510 (2015)

Electron-phonon coupling in the superconducting single crystal Rb$_{0.8}$Fe$_{1.68}$Se$_2$

Authors: B. Xu, Y. M. Dai, J. Han, K. Wang, R. Yang, Y. X. Yang, W. Zhang, H. Xiao, X. G. Qiu

Abstract: The optical properties of the superconducting single crystal Rb$_{0.8}$Fe$_{1.68}$Se$_2$ with $T_{c}$ $\simeq$ 31 K have been measured over a wide frequency range in the $ab$ plane. We found that the optical conductivity is dominated by a series of infrared-active phonon modes at low-frequency region as well as several other high-frequency bound excitations. The low-frequency optical conductivity… ▽ More The optical properties of the superconducting single crystal Rb$_{0.8}$Fe$_{1.68}$Se$_2$ with $T_{c}$ $\simeq$ 31 K have been measured over a wide frequency range in the $ab$ plane. We found that the optical conductivity is dominated by a series of infrared-active phonon modes at low-frequency region as well as several other high-frequency bound excitations. The low-frequency optical conductivity has rather low value and shows quite small Drude-like response, indicating low carriers density in this material. Furthermore, the phonon modes increase continuously in frequency with decreasing temperature; specifically, the phonon mode around 200 cm$^{-1}$ shows an enhanced asymmetry effect at low temperatures, suggesting an increasing electron-phonon coupling in this system. △ Less

Submitted 26 May, 2014; originally announced May 2014.

Comments: 12 pages, 3 figures

Hidden $T$-Linear Scattering Rate in Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ Revealed by Optical Spectroscopy

Authors: Y. M. Dai, B. Xu, B. Shen, H. Xiao, H. H. Wen, X. G. Qiu, C. C. Homes, R. P. S. M. Lobo

Abstract: The optical properties of Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ have been determined in the normal state for a number of temperatures over a wide frequency range. Two Drude terms, representing two groups of carriers with different scattering rates ($1/τ$), well describe the real part of the optical conductivity, $σ_{1}(ω)$. A "broad" Drude component results in an incoherent background with a $T$-ind… ▽ More The optical properties of Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ have been determined in the normal state for a number of temperatures over a wide frequency range. Two Drude terms, representing two groups of carriers with different scattering rates ($1/τ$), well describe the real part of the optical conductivity, $σ_{1}(ω)$. A "broad" Drude component results in an incoherent background with a $T$-independent $1/τ_b$, while a "narrow" Drude component reveals a $T$-linear $1/τ_n$ resulting in a resistivity $ρ_n \equiv 1/σ_{1n}(ω\rightarrow 0)$ also linear in temperature. An arctan($T$) low-frequency spectral weight is also a strong evidence for a $T$-linear 1/$τ$. Comparison to other materials with similar behavior suggests that the $T$-linear $1/τ_n$ and $ρ_n$ in Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ originate from scattering from spin fluctuations and hence that an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point is likely to exist in the superconducting dome. △ Less

Submitted 11 September, 2013; originally announced September 2013.

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 117001 (2013)

Filamentary superconductivity across the phase diagram of Ba(Fe,Co)$_2$As$_2$

Authors: H. Xiao, T. Hu, S. K. He, B. Shen, W. J. Zhang, B. Xu, K. F. He, J. Han, Y. P. Singh, H. H. Wen, X. G. Qiu, C. Panagopoulos, C. C. Almasan

Abstract: We show magnetotransport results on Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ ($0.0 \leq x \leq 0.13$) single crystals. We identify the low temperature resistance step at 23 K in the parent compound with the onset of filamentary superconductivity (FLSC), which is suppressed by an applied magnetic field in a similar manner to the suppression of bulk superconductivity (SC) in doped samples. FLSC is found to pe… ▽ More We show magnetotransport results on Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ ($0.0 \leq x \leq 0.13$) single crystals. We identify the low temperature resistance step at 23 K in the parent compound with the onset of filamentary superconductivity (FLSC), which is suppressed by an applied magnetic field in a similar manner to the suppression of bulk superconductivity (SC) in doped samples. FLSC is found to persist across the phase diagram until the long range antiferromagnetic order is completely suppressed. A significant suppression of FLSC occurs for $0.02<x<0.04$, the doping concentration where bulk SC emerges. Based on these results and the recent report of an electronic anisotropy maximum for 0.02 $\leq x \leq$ 0.04 [Science 329, 824 (2010)], we speculate that, besides spin fluctuations, orbital fluctuations may also play an important role in the emergence of SC in iron-based superconductors. △ Less

Submitted 16 August, 2012; originally announced August 2012.

Comments: 5 pages, 3 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 86, 064521 (2012)