High-field State Research Articles

Gd substitution induced incommensurate antiferromagnetism in B20 noncentrosymmetric CoSi

Rare-earth element Gd doped CoSi, Co 1−x Gd x Si (x = 0.01), is investigated using x-ray diffraction and magnetization. It crystallizes in B20 cubic structure with lattice parameter of a = 4.4429 Å. The alloy exhibits two antiferromagnetic transitions AFM-I at 38.44 K and AFM-II at 21.87 K followed by an upturn of magnetization below Tut = 9.79 K as illustrated through the temperature-magnetic field T-H phase diagram. AFM-I state is incommensurate. AFM-II state is weakly correlated as inferred from field-induced transition to AFM-I state. Further, AFM-I state is reported to transform to ferromagnetic state in high magnetic fields. The present study stimulates an approach to derive novel and exotic magnetic materials by substituting rare-earth in transition metal monosilicides.

Evidence for a finite-momentum Cooper pair in tricolor d-wave superconducting superlattices

Fermionic superfluidity with a nontrivial Cooper-pairing, beyond the conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer state, is a captivating field of study in quantum many-body systems. In particular, the search for superconducting states with finite-momentum pairs has long been a challenge, but establishing its existence has long suffered from the lack of an appropriate probe to reveal its momentum. Recently, it has been proposed that the nonreciprocal electron transport is the most powerful probe for the finite-momentum pairs, because it directly couples to the supercurrents. Here we reveal such a pairing state by the non-reciprocal transport on tricolor superlattices with strong spin-orbit coupling combined with broken inversion-symmetry consisting of atomically thin d-wave superconductor CeCoIn5. We find that while the second-harmonic resistance exhibits a distinct dip anomaly at the low-temperature (T)/high-magnetic field (H) corner in the HT-plane for H applied to the antinodal direction of the d-wave gap, such an anomaly is absent for H along the nodal direction. By carefully isolating extrinsic effects due to vortex dynamics, we reveal the presence of a non-reciprocal response originating from intrinsic superconducting properties characterized by finite-momentum pairs. We attribute the high-field state to the helical superconducting state, wherein the phase of the order parameter is spontaneously spatially modulated.

Non-utopian optical properties computed of a tomographically reconstructed real photonic nanostructure.

State-of-the-art computational methods combined with common idealized structural models provide an incomplete understanding of experimental observations on real nanostructures, since manufacturing introduces unavoidable deviations from the design. We propose to close this knowledge gap by using the real structure of a manufactured nanostructure as input in computations to obtain a realistic comparison with measurements on the same nanostructure. We demonstrate this approach on the structure of a real inverse woodpile photonic bandgap crystal made from silicon, as previously obtained by synchrotron X-ray imaging. A 2D part of the dataset is selected and processed into a computational mesh suitable for a Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method (DGFEM) to compute broadband optical transmission. We compare this to the transmission of a utopian crystal: a hypothetical model crystal with the same filling fraction where all pores are taken to be identical and circular. The shapes of the nanopores in the real crystal differ in a complex way from utopian pores due to scallops, tapering, or roughness. Hence, the transmission spectrum is complex with significant frequency speckle both outside and inside the main gap. The utopian model provides only limited understanding of the spectrum: while it accurately predicts low frequency finite-size fringes and the lower band edge, the upper band edge is off, it completely misses the presence of speckle, the domination of speckle above the gap, and possible Anderson localized states in the gap. Moreover, unlike experiments where one can only probe from the outside of a real crystal, the use of a numerical method allows us to study all fields everywhere. While at low frequencies the effect of the pore shapes is minimal on the fields, major differences occur at higher frequencies including the gap such as high-field states localized deep inside the real crystal. We conclude that using only external measurements and utopian models may give an erroneous picture of the fields and the local density of states (LDOS) inside a real crystal, while this is remedied by our new approach.

Defect-Induced Low-Energy Majorana Excitations in the Kitaev Magnet α−RuCl3

The excitations in the Kitaev spin liquid (KSL) can be described by Majorana fermions, which have characteristic field dependence of bulk gap and topological edge modes. In the high-field state of layered honeycomb magnet α−RuCl3, experimental results supporting these Majorana features have been reported recently. However, there are challenges due to sample dependence, and the impact of inevitable disorder on the KSL is poorly understood. Here, we study how low-energy excitations are modified by introducing point defects in α−RuCl3 using electron irradiation, which induces site vacancies and exchange randomness. High-resolution measurements of the temperature dependence of specific heat C(T) under in-plane fields H reveal that, while the field-dependent Majorana gap is almost intact, additional low-energy states with C/T=A(H)T are induced by introduced defects. At low temperatures, we obtain the data collapse of C/T∼H−γ(T/H) expected for a disordered quantum spin system but with an anomalously large exponent γ. This leads us to find a power-law relationship between the coefficient A(H) and the field-sensitive Majorana gap. These results are consistent with the picture that the disorder induces low-energy linear Majorana excitations, which may be considered as a weak localization effect of Majorana fermions in the KSL. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Quantum Liquid States of Spin Solitons in a Ferroelectric Spin-Peierls State.

In this study, we performed high-magnetic-field magnetization, dielectric, and ultrasound measurements on an organic salt showing a ferroelectric spin-Peierls (FSP) state, which is in close proximity to a quantum critical point. In contrast to the sparsely distributed gaslike spin solitons typically observed in conventional spin-Peierls (SP) states, the FSP state exhibits dense liquidlike spin solitons resulting from strong quantum fluctuations, even at low fields. Nevertheless, akin to conventional SP systems, a magnetic-field-induced transition is observed in the FSP state. In conventional high-field SP states, an emergent wave vector results in the formation of a spin-soliton lattice. However, in the present high-field FSP state, the strong quantum fluctuations preclude the formation of such a soliton lattice, causing the dense solitons to remain in a quantum-mechanically melted state. This observation implies the realization of a quantum liquid-liquid transition of topological particles carrying spin and charge in a ferroelectric insulator.

Disorder-Enriched Magnetic Excitations in a Heisenberg-Kitaev Quantum Magnet Na_{2}Co_{2}TeO_{6}.

Using optical magnetospectroscopy, we investigate the magnetic excitations of Na_{2}Co_{2}TeO_{6} in a broad magnetic field range (0 T≤B≤17.5 T) at low temperature. Our measurements reveal rich spectra of in-plane magnetic excitations with a surprisingly large number of modes, even in the high-field spin-polarized state. Theoretical calculations find that the Na-occupation disorder in Na_{2}Co_{2}TeO_{6} plays a crucial role in generating these modes. Our Letter demonstrates the necessity to consider disorder in the spin environment in the search for Kitaev quantum spin liquid states in practicable materials.

Impact of counter anions on structural and magnetic properties of iron(III) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin tetrahydrofurane solvates

Intensively researched iron meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (FeTPP) complexes are central to the functionalities of many biological systems while at the same time they possess intriguing magnetic properties. Here we report on the synthesis and structural characterization of FeTPP complexes with axial tetrahydrofuran (THF) ligand and different non-coordinating counter anions. Structurally, the most interesting feature of these complexes is the stretching of the distance between the iron(III) and the oxygen atom of the THF ligand for different counter anions. This parameter affects the magnetic anisotropy of FeTPP as studied here with magnetic susceptibility, χm, and X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Both magnetic probes are consistent with the iron(III) in its high-field state S = 5/2. Simulations of temperature dependencies of χm and EPR spectra show that the zero-field splitting magnetic anisotropy parameter D decreases with the tetragonal elongation of the hexa-coordinated iron(III) geometry, which is qualitatively discussed within the ligand field theory.

Thermal transport of fractionalized antiferromagnetic and field-induced states in the Kitaev material Na2Co2TeO6

We report an in-plane thermal transport study of the honeycomb Kitaev material Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ at subKelvin temperatures. In zero field, the $\kappa(T)$ displays a rather weak $T$-dependence but has a non-zero residual term $\kappa_0/T$, indicating strong phonon scattering by magnetic excitation and the possibility of itinerant spinon-like excitations coexisting with an antiferromagnetic order below 27 K. We propose the zero-field ground state is a novel fractionalized antiferromagnetic (AF*) state with both magnetic order and fractionalized excitations. With both the heat current and external field along the $a*$ (Co-Co bond) direction, the $\kappa_{a*}$ exhibits two sharp minima at 7.5 T and 10 T, and its value at 8.5 T is almost the same as the pure phononic transport for the high-field polarized state. This confirms the phase boundaries of the reported field-induced intermediate state and suggest its gapless continuum excitations possibly transport heat. No such intermediate phase was found in the $\kappa_a$ for the current and field along the $a$ (zigzag chain) direction. Finally, Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ displays a strongly anisotropic magneto-thermal conductivity since the in-plane (out-of-plane) field strongly enhances (suppresses) the $\kappa_{a*}$ and $\kappa_a$.

Parity Transition of Spin-Singlet Superconductivity Using Sublattice Degrees of Freedom.

Recently, a superconducting (SC) transition from low-field (LF) to high-field (HF) SC states was reported in CeRh_{2}As_{2}, indicating the existence of multiple SC states. It has been theoretically noted that the existence of two Ce sites in the unit cell, the so-called sublattice degrees of freedom owing to the local inversion symmetry breaking at the Ce sites, can lead to the appearance of multiple SC phases even under an interaction inducing spin-singlet superconductivity. CeRh_{2}As_{2} is considered as the first example of multiple SC phases owing to this sublattice degree of freedom. However, microscopic information about the SC states has not yet been reported. In this study, we measured the SC spin susceptibility at two crystallographically inequivalent As sites using nuclear magnetic resonance for various magnetic fields. Our experimental results strongly indicate a spin-singlet state in both SC phases. In addition, the antiferromagnetic phase, which appears within the SC phase, only coexists with the LF SC phase; there is no sign of magnetic ordering in the HF SC phase. The present Letter reveals unique SC properties originating from the locally noncentrosymmetric characteristics.

Anisotropic enhancement of lower critical field in ultraclean crystals of spin-triplet superconductor candidate UTe2

The paramagnetic spin-triplet superconductor UTe$_2$ has attracted significant attention because of its exotic superconducting properties including an extremely high upper critical field and possible chiral superconducting states. Recently, ultraclean single crystals of UTe$_2$ have become available, and thus measurements on these crystals are crucial to elucidate the intrinsic superconducting properties. Here, we report the thermodynamic critical field $H_{\rm c}$, the lower critical field $H_{\rm c1}$, and the upper critical field $H_{\rm c2}$ at low fields of these high-quality single crystals. From the comparison of the anisotropies in $H_{\rm c1}$ and $H_{\rm c2}$, we find that the experimental $H_{\rm c1}$ values with the magnetic field along $b$- and $c$-axes are anomalously enhanced, showing unusual low-temperature upturns. We propose an effect of the strong Ising-like ferromagnetic fluctuations on the vortex line energy as the origin of the anisotropic enhancement of $H_{\rm c1}$.

Giant Angular Nernst Effect in the Organic Metal α-(BEDT-TTF)2KHg(SCN)4

We have detected a large Nernst effect in the charge density wave state of the multiband organic metal α-(BEDT-TTF)2KHg(SCN)4. We find that apart from the phonon drag effect, the energy relaxation processes that govern the electron–phonon interactions and the momentum relaxation processes that determine the mobility of the q1D charge carriers have a significant role in observing the large Nernst signal in the CDW state in this organic metal. The emphasised momentum relaxation dynamics in the low field CDW state (CDW0) is a clear indicator of the presence of a significant carrier mobility that might be the main source for observation of the largest Nernst signal. The momentum relaxation is absent with increasing angle and magnetic field, i.e., in the high-field CDW state (CDWx) as evident from the much smaller Nernst effect amplitude in this state. In this case, only the phonon drag effect and electron–phonon interactions are contributing to the transverse thermoelectric signal. Our findings advance and change previous observations on the complex properties of this organic metal.

Geometrical frustration versus Kitaev interactions in BaCo2(AsO4)2.

Recently, Co-based honeycomb magnets have been proposed as promising candidate materials to host the Kitaev spin liquid (KSL) state. One of the front-runners is BaCo2(AsO4)2 (BCAO), where it was suggested that the exchange processes between Co2+ ions via the surrounding edge-sharing oxygen octahedra could give rise to bond-dependent Kitaev interactions. In this work, we present and analyze a comprehensive inelastic neutron scattering (INS) study of BCAO with fields in the honeycomb plane. Combining the constraints from the magnon excitations in the high-field polarized state and the inelastic spin structure factor measured in zero magnetic field, we examine two leading theoretical models: the Kitaev-type [Formula: see text] model and the XXZ[Formula: see text]model. We show that the existing experimental data can be consistently accounted for by the XXZ[Formula: see text]model but not by the [Formula: see text] model, and we discuss the implications of these results for the realization of a spin liquid phase in BCAO and more generally for the realization of the Kitaev model in cobaltates.

Two-dimensional quantum universality in the spin-1/2 triangular-lattice quantum antiferromagnet Na2BaCo(PO4)2.

An interplay of geometrical frustration and strong quantum fluctuations in a spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TAF) can lead to exotic quantum states. Here, we report the neutron-scattering, magnetization, specific heat, and magnetocaloric studies of the recently discovered spin-1/2 TAF Na2BaCo(PO4)2, which can be described by a spin-1/2 easy axis XXZ model. The zero-field neutron diffraction experiment reveals an incommensurate antiferromagnetic ground state with a significantly reduced ordered moment of about 0.54(2) μB/Co. Different magnetic phase diagrams with magnetic fields in the ab plane and along the easy c-axis were extracted based on the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and elastic neutron-scattering results. In addition, two-dimensional (2D) spin dispersion in the triangular plane was observed in the high-field polarized state, and microscopic exchange parameters of the spin Hamiltonian have been determined through the linear spin wave theory. Consistently, quantum critical behaviors with the universality class of d = 2 and νz = 1 were established in the vicinity of the saturation field, where a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of diluted magnons occurs. The newly discovered quantum criticality and fractional magnetization phase in this ideal spin-1/2 TAF present exciting opportunities for exploring exotic quantum phenomena.

Temperature- and field angular-dependent helical spin period characterized by magnetic dynamics in a chiral helimagnet MnNb3S6

The chiral magnets with topological spin textures provide a rare platform to explore topology and magnetism for potential application implementation. Here, we study the magnetic dynamics of several spin configurations on the monoaxial chiral magnetic crystal MnNb3S6 via broadband ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) technique at cryogenic temperature. In the high-field forced ferromagnetic state (FFM) regime, the obtained frequency f vs. resonance field Hres dispersion curve follows the well-known Kittel formula for a single FFM, while in the low-field chiral magnetic soliton lattice (CSL) regime, the dependence of Hres on magnetic field angle can be well-described by our modified Kittel formula including the mixture of a helical spin segment and the FFM phase. Furthermore, compared with the sophisticated Lorentz micrograph technique, the observed magnetic dynamics corresponding to different spin configurations allow us to obtain temperature- and field-dependent proportion of helical spin texture and helical spin period ratio L(H)/L(0) via our modified Kittel formula. Our results demonstrated that field- and temperature-dependent nontrivial magnetic structures and corresponding distinct spin dynamics in chiral magnets can be an alternative and efficient approach to uncovering and controlling nontrivial topological magnetic dynamics.

Supercritical Relaxor Nanograined Ferroelectrics for Ultrahigh-Energy-Storage Capacitors.

Supercritical relaxor nanograined ferroelectrics are demonstrated for high-performance dielectric capacitors, showing record-high overall properties of energy density ≈13.1 J cm-3 and field-insensitive efficiency ≈90% at ≈74kV mm-1 and superior charge-discharge performances of high power density ≈700 MW cm-3 , high discharge energy density ≈6.67 J cm-3 , and ultrashort discharge time <40ns at 55kV mm-1 . Ex/in situ transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction provide clear evidence of the supercritical behavior in (Na,K)(Sb,Nb)O3 -SrZrO3 -(Bi0.5 Na0.5 )ZrO3 ceramics, being achieved by engineering the coexistence of multiple local symmetries within the ergodic relaxor zone. The vanished difference between the ground relaxor state and the high-field supercritical state eliminates polarization hysteresis. The supercritical evolution with electric field enables a highly delayed polarization saturation with continuously increased polarization magnitudes. The results demonstrate that such a design strategy of compositionally induced and field-manipulated supercritical behavior can be generalizable for developing desirable energy-storage dielectrics for applications in ceramic/film capacitors.

Field-Angle Dependence Reveals Odd-Parity Superconductivity in CeRh2As2

CeRh2As2 is an unconventional superconductor with multiple superconducting phases and Tc=0.26 K. When H∥c, it shows a field-induced transition at μ0H*=4 T from a low-field superconducting state SC1 to a high-field state SC2 with a large critical field of μ0Hc2=14 T. In contrast, for H⊥c, only the SC1 with μ0Hc2=2 T is observed. A simple model based on the crystal symmetry was able to reproduce the phase diagrams and their anisotropy, identifying SC1 and SC2 with even and odd parity superconducting states, respectively. However, additional orders were observed in the normal state which might have an influence on the change of the superconducting state at H*. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the angle dependence of the upper critical fields using magnetic ac susceptibility, specific heat, and torque on single crystals of CeRh2As2. The experiments show that the state SC2 is strongly suppressed when rotating the magnetic field away from the c axis and it disappears for an angle of 35°. This behavior agrees perfectly with our extended model of a pseudospin triplet state with d→ vector in the plane and hence allows us to conclude that SC2 is indeed the suggested odd-parity state.Received 11 January 2022Revised 13 April 2022Accepted 5 May 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.12.031001Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasPhase diagramsQuantum phase transitionsSuperconductivityPhysical SystemsHeavy-fermion systemsLow-temperature superconductorsStrongly correlated systemsTechniquesAC susceptibility measurementsMagnetization measurementsSpecific heat measurementsCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Topological d-wave superconductivity in two dimensions

Despite intensive searches for topological superconductors, the realization of topological superconductivity remains under debate. Previous proposals for the topological $s$-wave, $p$-wave, and chiral $d$-wave superconductivity have both advantages and disadvantages. In this review, we discuss two-dimensional topological superconductivity based on the non-chiral $d$-wave superconductors. It is shown that the noncentrosymmetric $d$-wave superconductors become topological superconductors under an infinitesimal Zeeman field without fine-tuning of parameters. Floquet engineering for introducing the Zeeman field in a controllable way is also proposed. When the two-dimensional noncentrosymmetric superconductors are stacked to recover the global inversion symmetry, the field-induced parity transition may occur, and the high-field odd-parity superconducting state realizes various topological phases depending on the stacking structures. Two-dimensional heterostructures of strongly correlated electron systems, which have been developed by recent experiments, are proposed as a platform of the high-temperature topological superconductivity and the interplay of topology and strong correlations in superconductors.

Thermodynamic evidence for a field-angle-dependent Majorana gap in a Kitaev spin liquid

The exactly-solvable Kitaev model of two-dimensional honeycomb magnet leads to a quantum spin liquid (QSL) characterized by Majorana fermions, relevant for fault-tolerant topological quantum computations. In the high-field paramagnetic state of $\alpha$-RuCl3, half-integer quantization of thermal Hall conductivity has been reported as a signature of edge current, but the bulk nature of this state remains elusive. Here, from high-resolution heat capacity measurements under in-plane field rotation, we find strongly angle-dependent low-energy excitations in bulk $\alpha$-RuCl3. The excitation gap has a sextuple node structure, and the gap amplitude increases with field, exactly as expected for itinerant Majorana fermions in the Kitaev model. Our thermodynamic results are fully linked with the transport quantization properties, providing the first demonstration of the bulk-edge correspondence in a Kitaev QSL. Moreover, at higher fields where the quantum thermal Hall effect vanishes, we find the possible emergence of a novel nematic QSL state with two-fold rotational symmetry.

Energy of low-temperature plasma in the processes of thermal conversions of carbon-containing medium

One alternative for solving negative environmental impact is to use alternative renewable energy sources. However, technology is evolving and nowadays it cannot meet the needs of emerging economies. A promising direction in the field of clean technologies is the preliminary preparation of carbon-containing media of various origins by thermoconverting them into a gaseous state in high temperature fields. The analysis of the existing autothermal and allottermic technologies of gasification of carbonaceous media is given in the work. The advantages of allottermic technologies of high-temperature transformations under the action of arc plasma with steam oxidizing medium are presented. This method includes plasma formation processes, which combine in time and space thermal transformations and the generation of oxidant from water. The results of theoretical studies of the carbon-containing media plasma transformation process is presented in the article. The regularities of the temperature of steam-plasma transformation process influence on the qualitative and quantitative indicators of the obtained gas phase taking into account the medium elemental composition are established. Comparison of the cost indicators of production of synthetic motor fuel from natural gas by the known companies and from coal by steam-plasma conversion to gas is carried out.

Magnetic field dependence of the copper charge density wave order in a YBa2Cu3O7/Nd0.65(Ca0.7Sr0.3)0.35MnO3 superlattice

For a ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}/{\mathrm{Nd}}_{0.65}{({\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.7}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.3})}_{0.35}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ (YBCO/NCSMO) superlattice, we studied with resonant elastic x-ray scattering (REXS) at the Cu ${L}_{3}$ edge how the copper sublattice charge density wave (Cu-CDW) order in YBCO is affected by a large magnetic field up to 6.9 T that weakens the CE-type antiferromagnetic (AF) and the charge/orbital (Mn-CO) orders of the manganite in favor of a ferromagnetic state. While a field of only 2 T induces a strong ferromagnetic moment in the manganite, we find that the Bragg peak of the Cu-CDW hardly changes up to 6 T. Moreover, as the magnetic field is further increased to 6.9 T, the Cu-CDW Bragg peak gets suddenly enhanced and broadened, whereas the ferromagnetic moment of the manganite is already saturated. The observed uncorrelated magnetic field dependence of the charge orders in the cuprate and manganite layers suggests that these orders are not directly coupled across the interface. We rather interpret our data in terms of an indirect coupling via the domain boundaries of the Mn-CO and the related disorder and lattice strain. This interpretation is supported by additional studies of the magnetoelectric response, which provide evidence for a crossover in the dynamics of the Mn-CO in the range between 6 and 7 T, from a low-field state with pinned domains to a high-field state with more mobile and flexible domain boundaries. We attribute the concomitant enhancement and broadening of the Cu-CDW Bragg peak to this crossover.