Anomalous Metal Research Articles

Origin of Ca II emission around polluted white dwarfs

Dozens of white dwarfs with anomalous metal polluted atmospheres are currently known to host dust and gas discs. The line profiles of the Ca II triplet emitted by the gas discs show a significant asymmetry. In recent decades, researchers have also discovered several minor planets orbiting such white dwarf stars. The most challenging burden of modelling gas discs around metal polluted white dwarfs is to simultaneously explain the asymmetry and metal pollution of the star's atmosphere over a certain period of time. Furthermore, models should also be consistent with other aspects of the observations, such as the morphology of the emission lines. This paper aims to construct a self-consistent model to explain the simultaneous white dwarf pollution and Ca II line asymmetry over at least three years. In our model, an asteroid disintegrates in an eccentric orbit, periodically entering below the star's Roche limit. The debris resulting from the disintegration sublimates at a temperature of 1500 K, producing gas that viscously spreads to form a disc. The evolution of the disc is studied over a period of 1.2 years (over 21000 orbits) using two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Synthetic Ca II line profiles are calculated using the surface mass density and velocity distributions provided by the simulations, taking into account for the first time the asymmetric velocity distribution in the disc. An asteroid disintegrating on an eccentric orbit gives rise to the formation of an asymmetric disc and asymmetric Ca II triplet emission. Our model can explain the periodic reversal of the redshifted and blueshifted peak of the Ca II lines caused by the precession of the disc on timescales of 10.6 to 177.4 days. Our work suggests that the persistence of Ca II asymmetry over decades and its periodic change in the peaks can be explained by asteroids on eccentric orbits in two scenarios. In the first case, the asteroid disrupts on a short timescale (a couple of orbits), and the gas has a low viscosity range ($0.001< to maintain the Ca II signal for decades. In the other scenario, the asteroid disrupts on a timescale of a year, and the viscosity of the gas is required to be high, $

Coupling mechanism of trace elements and maceral in medium and high sulphur coal in the Jurassic terrestrial environment of Zhongyuan mine in the Hengshan mining area and adjacent areas

ABSTRACT Considering the urgency of resource utilization and environmental protection, the geochemistry of anomalous trace transition metal elements in coal formed in terrestrial environments has been studied using methods such as inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry analysis, electron probe micro-area analysis, sequential chemical extraction procedures, and correlation analysis. The results indicate that minerals in the coal samples included pyrite, kaolinite, quartz, dolomite, calcite, and celestite. Furthermore, compared with the average values of coals in China and the upper continental crust, the coal samples were rich in transition metal trace elements such as Ni, Cr, and Sr and were deficient in Be, Cd, Cu, Co, Ga, Mo, Sb, Tl, V, Zn, and Ti. We found that Ni preferentially occurred in the organic matter over minerals, while Cr primarily bonded with sulfide minerals and to a lesser extent with the iron-manganese oxide minerals. Sr had a low correlation with organic matter but adhered to clay minerals and celestite. Ni enrichment in coal samples was the result of terrigenous input, while the Cr enrichment was related to intrusion of magmatic hydrothermal fluids. Sr enrichment was caused by the presence of SO4 2- in the terrigenous debris and the influence of Sr-rich water underground.

High-Temperature Anomalous Metal States in Iron-Based Interface Superconductors.

The nature of the anomalous metal state has been a major puzzle in condensed matter physics for more than three decades. Here, we report systematic investigation and modulation of the anomalous metal states in high-temperature interface superconductor FeSe films on SrTiO_{3} substrate. Remarkably, under zero magnetic field, the anomalous metal state persists up to 20K in pristine FeSe films, an exceptionally high temperature standing out from previous observations. In stark contrast, for the FeSe films with nanohole arrays, the characteristic temperature of the anomalous metal state is considerably reduced. We demonstrate that the observed anomalous metal states originate from the quantum tunneling of vortices adjusted by the Ohmic dissipation. Our work offers a perspective for understanding the origin and modulation of the anomalous metal states in two-dimensional bosonic systems.

Momentum-dependent scaling exponents of nodal self-energies measured in strange metal cuprates and modelled using semi-holography

The anomalous strange metal phase found in high-Tc cuprates does not follow the conventional condensed-matter principles enshrined in the Fermi liquid and presents a great challenge for theory. Highly precise experimental determination of the electronic self-energy can provide a test bed for theoretical models of strange metals, and angle-resolved photoemission can provide this as a function of frequency, momentum, temperature and doping. Here we show that constant energy cuts through the nodal spectral function in (Pb,Bi)2Sr2−xLaxCuO6+δ have a non-Lorentzian lineshape, consistent with a self-energy that is k dependent. This provides a new test for aspiring theories. Here we show that the experimental data are captured remarkably well by a power law with a k-dependent scaling exponent smoothly evolving with doping, a description that emerges naturally from anti-de Sitter/conformal-field-theory based semi-holography. This puts a spotlight on holographic methods for the quantitative modelling of strongly interacting quantum materials like the cuprate strange metals.

Not so fast: Million-years of metal precipitation in Mississippi Valley type deposits inferred from in-situ petrochronology of hydrothermal carbonates

Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits contain about 20% of global zinc resources and host critical raw materials crucial to the development of green technologies. Despite their economic and strategic importance, there is a lack of consensus on the duration of mineralizing fluid flow events in MVT systems. This study couples in-situ U-Pb dating with Sr-isotope and trace element analysis of syn- and post-ore gangue carbonates to establish: (1) timing and duration, (2) redox evolution, and (3) flow rates of mineralizing fluids in the world-class San Vicente Zn-(Pb) deposit (Peru). New radiometric ages bracket the crystallization of syn-mineralization dolomite, characterized by high Fe and Mn contents and Sr isotopic values overlapping with that of host carbonates, between 103.2 ± 4.1 Ma and 70.6 ± 5.6 Ma. This age interval reveals a direct genetic relationship between flow of mineralizing fluids and late Cretaceous Andean compressional tectonics. Basinal fluid expulsion coeval with known tectonic events continues in the district until Pliocene times, driving episodic crystallization of post-ore hydrothermal carbonates between 61.6 ± 9.3 and 2.7 ± 0.2 Ma. The low Mn and Fe content and high 87Sr/86Sr values characteristic of these post-ore, bedding-parallel and cross-cutting carbonate veins indicate a colder, oxidized environment. Our findings highlight the contribution of paired carbonate geochemistry and U-Pb geochronology in drawing links between tectonic events, fluid expulsion and the waxing and waning of mineralization potential in foreland basins. The results of this study challenge our understanding of timescales in MVT systems and imply that anomalous metal enrichment in basinal fluids over a short temporal interval is not a necessary precondition to form economic-sized, sediment-hosted Zn-Pb deposits. Rather, it is the coexistence of a focused fluid flow in an interconnected aquifer with suitable metal depositional mechanisms over a prolonged period of time (106–107 yr) that allows precipitation of economic amount of base metals at a specific site in the upper crust.

Broadened quantum critical ground state in a disordered superconducting thin film.

A superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in two dimensions is a prototypical quantum phase transition (QPT) with a clear quantum critical point (QCP) at zero temperature (T = 0). The SIT is induced by a field B and observed in disordered thin films. In some of weakly disordered or crystalline thin films, however, an anomalous metallic (AM) ground state emerges over a wide B range between the superconducting and insulating phases. It remains a fundamental open question how the QPT picture of the SIT is modified when the AM state appears. Here we present measurements of the Nernst effect N, which has great sensitivity to the fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter. From a thorough contour map of N in the B-T plane, we found a thermal-to-quantum crossover line of the superconducting fluctuations, a so-called ghost-temperature line associated with the QPT, as well as a ghost-field line associated with a thermal transition. The QCP is identified as a T = 0 intercept of the ghost-temperature line inside the AM state, which verifies that the AM state is a broadened critical state of the SIT.

A newly predicted stable calcium argon compound by ab initio calculations under high pressure

High pressure can change the valence electron arrangement of the elements, and it can be as a new method for the emergence of unexpected new compounds. In this paper, the Ca–Ar compounds at 0–200 GPa are systematically investigated by using CALYPSO structure prediction methods combined with first principles calculations. The study of the Ca–Ar system can provide theoretical guidance for the exploration of new structures of inert elemental Ar compounds under high pressure. A stable structure: P63/mmc-CaAr and six metastable structures: Rm-CaAr2, P4/mmm-CaAr2, Pm1-CaAr3, P4/mmm-CaAr3, P21/m-CaAr4 and Pm1-CaAr5 were obtained. Our calculations show that the only stable phase P63/mmc-CaAr can be synthesized at high pressure of 90 GPa. All the structures are ionic compounds of metallic nature, and surprisingly all Ar atoms attract electrons and act as an oxidant under high pressure conditions. The calculation results of ab initio molecular dynamics show that P63/mmc-CaAr compound maintains significant thermodynamic stability at high temperatures up to 1000 K. The high-pressure structures and electronic behaviors of the Ca–Ar system are expected to expand the understanding of the high-pressure chemical reactivity of compounds containing inert elements, and provide important theoretical support for the search of novel anomalous alkaline-earth metal inert element compounds.

The interplay between anomalous metallic and superconducting states tuned by disorder in thin flakes of Kagome metal KV3Sb5

Recently, V-based Kagome metals have attracted intense attention due to the coexistence of their topological nontrivial electronic structure, charge density wave, and superconductivity. Here, we report the fabrication and physical investigations of single-crystalline thin flakes of the Kagome metal KV3Sb5. For samples with a thickness of , Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless type behavior is revealed by the temperature dependent resistance and voltage–current data, which indicates the presence of two-dimensional superconductivity. Meanwhile, a temperature-independent resistance behavior is observed in a wide field region, supplying the hallmark of the anomalous metallic (AM) state. Importantly, by comparing the interplay between the superconducting and AM states of two samples with different levels of disorder, a striking competitive evolution with the external field between these two states is uncovered.

Electrically Controlled Quantum Transition to an Anomalous Metal in 2D

Electrically Controlled Quantum Transition to an Anomalous Metal in 2D

Quantum phase transition in NbN superconducting thin films

We systematically investigated the low-temperature transport properties of a series of NbN epitaxial films with thickness $t$ ranging from $\sim$2.0 to $\sim$4.0 nm. The films undergo a superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) with decreasing film thickness, and the critical sheet resistance for the SIT is close to the quantum resistance of Cooper pairs $h/4e^2$ (6.45 k$\Omega$). Besides the Berezinski-Koterlitz-Thouless transition, a magnetic-field-driven SIT is observed in those two-dimensional (2D) superconducting films (2.6 nm $\lesssim t \lesssim 4.0$ nm). Interestingly, it is found that the low-temperature magnetoresistance isotherms do not cross at a single fixed point but at a well-distinguished region for these superconducting films. The dynamical critical exponent obtained by analyzing these magnetoresistance isotherms is divergent as the quantum critical point is being approached. The behavior of the dynamical critical exponent, originating from quenched disorder at ultralow temperatures, provides direct evidence for the occurrence of quantum Griffiths singularity in the quantum phase transition process of the films. The field-driven anomalous metal (quantum metal) state does not appear in these films. Our results suggest that the quantum Griffiths singularity not only occurs in the highly crystalline 2D superconductors with superconductor-metal transition but also in those with SIT.

CeFe2Al10 : A correlated metal with a Fermi surface exhibiting nonmetallic conduction

Metals can be defined as materials with a Fermi surface or as materials exhibiting metallic conduction (i.e., $\mathrm{d} \rho / \mathrm{d}T > 0$). Usually, these definitions both hold at low temperatures, such as liquid-helium temperatures, as the Fermi energy is sufficiently larger than the thermal energy. However, they may not both hold in correlated electron systems where the Fermi energy is reduced by renormalization. In this paper, we demonstrate that although the resistivity of CeFe$_2$Al$_{10}$ increases with decreasing temperature below $\sim20$ K, CeFe$_2$Al$_{10}$ is a metal with a Fermi surface. This assertion is based on the observation of Shubnikov--de Haas oscillations and a Hall resistivity that changes sign with the magnetic field, which requires the coexistence of electron and hole carriers. Our analysis of Shubnikov--de Haas and magnetotransport data indicates that the Fermi energies are as small as $\sim$30 K and that, despite the increasing carrier mobility with decreasing temperature as in conventional metals, the loss of thermally excited carriers leads to nonmetallic conduction ($\mathrm{d} \rho / \mathrm{d}T < 0$) below $\sim20$ K. Furthermore, we investigate how this anomalous metal transforms to a more conventional metal with metallic conduction by the application of high pressure and a high magnetic field. This study illustrates the subtle distinction between semimetals and semiconductors in correlated electron systems. This distinction is relevant to investigations of correlated topological insulators and semimetals.

Topological Properties of Floquet Winding Bands in a Photonic Lattice.

The engineering of synthetic materials characterized by more than one class of topological invariants is one of the current challenges of solid-state based and synthetic materials. Using a synthetic photonic lattice implemented in a two-coupled ring system we engineer an anomalous Floquet metal that is gapless in the bulk and shows simultaneously two different topological properties. On the one hand, this synthetic lattice presents bands characterized by a winding number. The winding emerges from the breakup of inversion symmetry, and it directly relates to the appearance of Bloch suboscillations within its bulk. On the other hand, the Floquet nature of the lattice results in well-known anomalous insulating phases with topological edge states. The combination of broken inversion symmetry and periodic time modulation studied here enriches the variety of topological phases available in lattices subject to Floquet driving and suggests the possible emergence of novel phases when periodic modulation is combined with the breakup of spatial symmetries.

A drift isopach model for the southwestern Great Slave Lake region, Northwest Territories, Canada

ABSTRACT This study produced a drift thickness model for the southwestern Great Slave Lake area of northern Canada, using 12,692 lithostratigraphic records (seismic shothole drillers’ logs, diamond drill holes, petroleum wells), and field observations. Numerous algorithms and modelling parameters were tested using 6122 records of absolute drift thickness, and based on a cross-validation analysis, an empirical Bayesian kriging K-Bessel detrended algorithm was found to produce the best fit. The final model, incorporating selected maximum and minimum thickness estimate data, produced a root mean square error of 4.98 m, with 94.8% of the data points within ±2 m of the modelled drift thicknesses. The model identifies widespread areas of drift >10 m thick, and prominent southeast-northwest aligned bedrock ramps. Karst structures buried by ≤73 m of drift were identified southwest of Great Slave Lake and appear to be aligned with regional fault systems like ore-associated karst at Pine Point. These may be the source of anomalous glacial sediment-derived base metal indicators collected proximally to the west. The most striking drift anomaly is in Cameron Hills where the eastern and northern margins are comprised of shale and siltstone bedrock overlain by 20–40 m of glacial sediments, but the central and western uplands have petroleum well logs identifying glacial sediments up to 400 m thick. In addition to mineral exploration, results of this study provide baseline data that can be used predictively by the petroleum industry in designing future seismic and drilling (casing depth) operations, and by those modelling groundwater sources and flow.

Unconventional Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling on the Charge Conductance and Spin Polarization of a Ferromagnetic/Insulator/Ferromagnetic Rashba Metal Junction.

A ferromagnetic/insulator/ferromagnetic Rashba metal junction (FM/I/FRM) with both Rashba spin–orbit coupling (RSOC) and exchange energy splitting was studied theoretically. Two kinds of interactions in FRM generate the three metallic states in a FRM; the Rashba ring metal (RRM) state, the anomalous Rashba metal (ARM) state and the normal Rashba metal (NRM) state. The scattering method and the free-electron model are used to describe the transport properties of particles and to calculate the conductance spectrum and the spin polarization of current in the junction. The conductance spectrum in the applied voltage shows the prominent features at the boundaries not only for the three states of the FRM but also in the ARM state. In addition, the conductance in the RRM and ARM states is strongly influenced by both the thickness and barrier height of the insulator layer. We also found that the spin polarization obtains a high value in the ARM state and is not affected by the qualities of the insulator, unlike the RRM and NRM states. Obtaining high-spin polarization from FRM material can be useful to produce spintronic devices in future devices.

Anomalous metals: From “failed superconductor” to “failed insulator”

Resistivity saturation is found on both superconducting and insulating sides of an "avoided" magnetic-field-tuned superconductor-to-insulator transition (H-SIT) in a two-dimensional In/InOx composite, where the anomalous metallic behavior cuts off conductivity or resistivity divergence in the zero-temperature limit. The granular morphology of the material implies a system of Josephson junctions (JJs) with a broad distribution of Josephson coupling EJ and charging energy EC, with an H-SIT determined by the competition between EJ and EC. By virtue of self-duality across the true H-SIT, we invoke macroscopic quantum tunneling effects to explain the temperature-independent resistance where the "failed superconductor" side is a consequence of phase fluctuations and the "failed insulator" side results from charge fluctuations. While true self-duality is lost in the avoided transition, its vestiges are argued to persist, owing to the incipient duality of the percolative nature of the dissipative path in the underlying random JJ system.

Metal compositions of carbonaceous chondrites

FeNi metals represent an important fraction of chondritic components that remains relatively unexplored within most carbonaceous chondrite groups. The compositions of these metals can place constraints on the nature of their precursor materials as well as the physicochemical conditions of chondrule formation. In this study, we have analyzed the major, minor and trace element compositions of metal grains from relatively unaltered carbonaceous chondrites NWA 801 (CR), Leoville (CV3.1), Paris (CM2.9), Maribo (CM2.8) and Bells (CM-an). We observe a predominant and constant sub-solar Co/Ni ratio of CR, CM and CM-an metal grains. In Ni versus Co space, the metal grains fall below modelled curves for equilibrium condensation of metals from a solar gas. From Ni versus Cr plots, we infer that Paris (and possibly Leoville) metal grains could have maintained a primary condensation signature, although for most grains, condensation must have occurred under disequilibrium conditions. CR and isolated CM-an metals mostly fall outside of the predicted condensation fields. Based on metal-silicate partition coefficients of Ni and Co that vary with pressure, we interpret their Co/Ni signatures as having a planetary origin, with presumable extraction by impact jetting. Considering that almost all CM and CR metal grains have the same Co/Ni ratio, we cannot rule out a planetary origin for CM metal grains. We relate the highly siderophile element (HSE) patterns of carbonaceous chondrite metal to mixing and subsequent equilibration of refractory metal nuggets (RMN), FeNi alloys and silicate chondrule precursors. As with the Co/Ni ratios, the HSE patterns of CM, CM-an, CR and CV metal grains are nearly identical, suggesting that the abundance and nature of the metal precursor materials were similar for carbonaceous chondrites. The overall volatility patterns of CV, CM and CR chondrites, suggest that the latter form under more oxidizing conditions than CV chondrites. The volatility patterns of Paris metal grains overlap with CV and CR chondrule metals, implying variable P-T-fO2 conditions during CM chondrule formation. Finally, we comment on the origin of metal grains in various petrological settings. Chondrule rim and isolated metal grains are likely derived and expelled from the equilibrated core metal and were subsequently altered to include and re-equilibrate with materials from the disk. Trace element analyses of the anomalous CM chondrite Bells metal grains show potential relationships with CM chondrite and CH chondrite metal for the chondrule cores and isolated grains, respectively. Small metal grains from CM chondrite Maribo, which are located in the chondrite matrix, potentially have distinct volatility patterns from CR and Paris isolated grains, hinting at a distinct origin for small metal grains and large chondrule-derived metal. Future work on carbonaceous chondrite metal should include an investigation of small (micron scale) versus large isolated metal grains.

Quantum oscillation phenomena in low-dimensional superconductors

&lt;sec&gt;Low-dimensional superconductor serves as an excellent platform for investigating emergent superconducting quantum oscillation phenomena. The low-dimensional natures of these materials, originating from the finite size which is comparable with the superconducting coherence length, indicate that the corresponding physical properties will be constrained by quantum confinement effects. Importantly, some of the frontiers and hot issues in low-dimensional superconductors, including the anomalous metal state during the superconductor-insulator transition, spin-triplet pairing mechanism in superconductors, thermal-excited and electrical current-excited vortex dynamics in superconductors, and the “charge-vortex duality” in quantum dot materials and superconducting nanowires, are strongly correlated with the superconducting quantum oscillation effects. In recent years, all the above-mentioned topics have achieved breakthroughs based on the studies of superconducting quantum oscillation effects in low-dimensional superconductors. Generally, the periodicity and amplitude of the oscillation can clearly demonstrate the relation between the geometric structure of superconductors and various superconducting mechanisms. In particular, superconducting quantum oscillation phenomena are always correlated with the quantization of magnetic fluxoids and their dynamics, the pairing mechanism of superconducting electrons, and the excitation and fluctuation of superconducting systems.&lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt;In this review article, three types of typical superconducting quantum oscillation effects observed in low-dimensional superconductors will be discussed from the aspects of research methods, theoretical expectations, and experimental results. a) The Little-Parks effect is the superconducting version of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, whose phase, amplitude and period are all helpful in studying superconductivity: the phase reflects the pairing mechanism in superconductors, the amplitude can be used for investigating the anomalous metal state, and the period provides the information about the sample geometry. b) The vortex motion effect is excited by thermal fluctuation or electrical current, and the corresponding oscillation phenomena show distinct temperature-dependent amplitudes compared with the Little-Parks effect. c) The Weber blockade effect originates from the magnetic flux moving across the superconducting nanowire, and such an effect provides a unique nonmonotonic critical current &lt;inline-formula&gt;&lt;tex-math id="M1"&gt;\begin{document}$ {I}_{\mathrm{C}} $\end{document}&lt;/tex-math&gt;&lt;alternatives&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20212289_M1.jpg"/&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20212289_M1.png"/&gt;&lt;/alternatives&gt;&lt;/inline-formula&gt; under a magnetic field in &lt;inline-formula&gt;&lt;tex-math id="M2"&gt;\begin{document}$I\text{-}V$\end{document}&lt;/tex-math&gt;&lt;alternatives&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20212289_M2.jpg"/&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20212289_M2.png"/&gt;&lt;/alternatives&gt;&lt;/inline-formula&gt; characteristics. The prospects of the above-mentioned quantum oscillation effects of low-dimensional superconductors for applications are also discussed at the end of this review, including quantum computing, device physics and low-temperature physics.&lt;/sec&gt;

Deciphering anomalous Ag enrichment recorded by galena in Dayingezhuang Au(-Ag) deposit, Jiaodong Peninsula, Eastern China

Texture, geochemistry, and in-situ Pb isotope of galena were investigated to probe the origin of anomalous Ag enrichment in the DayingezhuangAu(-Ag) deposit. Silver enrichment postdates the main Au mineralization and occurs in the south of the Dayingezhuang deposit. It is primarily associated with galena and the exsolution of Ag-rich sulfosalts (e.g., matildite) in distal vein-ores related to steeply dipping brittle fractures. Silver-rich galena is characterized by the least radiogenic Pb isotope signature (206Pb/204Pb 17.195–17.258 and 208Pb/204Pb 37.706–37.793), possibly indicating a metasomatized lithospheric mantle or modified lower crustal source for Pb and Ag. Both of these mafic and ultramafic source regions have been previously suggested as Au reservoirs for other Jiaodong Au deposits, implying that the metal reservoir has only a weak control on the uneven Ag-enrichment. Since the Ag-enrichment areas are located in the footwalls of both the Dayingezhuang and Zhaoping faults, the enrichment was most likely dominated by local rotational stress during coeval movements of the two faults in a NE–SW compression and NW−SE extension regime. This work highlights the shallow-crust structural deformation responsible for controlling the flow of late ore-forming fluid resulting in local anomalous metal enrichment.

Pressure-induced metal–insulator transition in oxygen-deficient LiNbO3-type ferroelectrics

Hydrostatic pressure and oxygen vacancies usually have deleterious effects on ferroelectric materials because both tend to reduce their polarization. In this work we use first-principles calculations to study an important class of ferroelectric materials—LiNbO3-type ferroelectrics (LiNbO3 as the prototype), and find that in oxygen-deficient LiNbO3−δ , hydrostatic pressure induces an unexpected metal–insulator transition between 8 and 9 GPa. Our calculations also find that strong polar displacements persist in both metallic and insulating oxygen-deficient LiNbO3−δ and the size of polar displacements is comparable to pristine LiNbO3 under the same pressure. These properties are distinct from widely used perovskite ferroelectric oxide BaTiO3, whose polarization is quickly suppressed by hydrostatic pressure and/or oxygen vacancies. The anomalous pressure-driven metal–insulator transition in oxygen-deficient LiNbO3−δ arises from the change of an oxygen vacancy defect state. Hydrostatic pressure increases the polar displacements of oxygen-deficient LiNbO3−δ , which reduces the band width of the defect state and eventually turns it into an in-gap state. In the insulating phase, the in-gap state is further pushed away from the conduction band edge under hydrostatic pressure, which increases the fundamental gap. Our work shows that for LiNbO3-type strong ferroelectrics, oxygen vacancies and hydrostatic pressure combined can lead to new phenomena and potential functions, in contrast to the harmful effects occurring to perovskite ferroelectric oxides such as BaTiO3.

Microscopic evolution of doped Mott insulators from polaronic metal to Fermi liquid.

The competition between antiferromagnetism and hole motion in two-dimensional Mott insulators lies at the heart of a doping-dependent transition from an anomalous metal to a conventional Fermi liquid. We observe such a crossover in Fermi-Hubbard systems on a cold-atom quantum simulator and reveal the transformation of multipoint correlations between spins and holes upon increasing doping at temperatures around the superexchange energy. Conventional observables, such as spin susceptibility, are furthermore computed from the microscopic snapshots of the system. Starting from a magnetic polaron regime, we find the system evolves into a Fermi liquid featuring incommensurate magnetic fluctuations and fundamentally altered correlations. The crossover is completed for hole dopings around 30%. Our work benchmarks theoretical approaches and discusses possible connections to lower-temperature phenomena.