Fermi Surface Sections Research Articles

Quantum Interference between Quasi-2D Fermi Surface Sheets in UTe_{2}.

UTe_{2} is a spin-triplet superconductor candidate for which high quality samples with long mean free paths have recently become available, enabling quantum oscillation measurements to probe its Fermi surface and effective carrier masses. It has recently been reported that UTe_{2} possesses a 3D Fermi surface component [Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 036501 (2023)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.131.036501]. The distinction between 2D and 3D Fermi surface sections in triplet superconductors can have important implications regarding the topological properties of the superconductivity. Here we report the observation of oscillatory components in the magnetoconductance of UTe_{2} at high magnetic fields. We find that these oscillations are well described by quantum interference between quasiparticles traversing semiclassical trajectories spanning magnetic breakdown networks. Our observations are consistent with a quasi-2D model of this material's Fermi surface based on prior dHvA-effect measurements. Our results strongly indicate that UTe_{2}-which exhibits a multitude of complex physical phenomena-possesses a remarkably simple Fermi surface consisting exclusively of two quasi-2D cylindrical sections.

Revealing Fermi surface evolution and Berry curvature in an ideal type-II Weyl semimetal

In type-II Weyl semimetals (WSMs), the tilting of the Weyl cones leads to the coexistence of electron and hole pockets that touch at the Weyl nodes. These electrons and holes experience the Berry curvature generated by the Weyl nodes, leading to an anomalous Hall effect that is highly sensitive to the Fermi level position. Here we have identified field-induced ferromagnetic MnBi2-xSbxTe4 as an ideal type-II WSM with a single pair of Weyl nodes. By employing a combination of quantum oscillations and high-field Hall measurements, we have resolved the evolution of Fermi-surface sections as the Fermi level is tuned across the charge neutrality point, precisely matching the band structure of an ideal type-II WSM. Furthermore, the anomalous Hall conductivity exhibits a heartbeat-like behavior as the Fermi level is tuned across the Weyl nodes, a feature of type-II WSMs that was long predicted by theory. Our work uncovers a large free carrier contribution to the anomalous Hall effect resulting from the unique interplay between the Fermi surface and diverging Berry curvature in magnetic type-II WSMs.

Quasi-2D Fermi surface in the anomalous superconductor UTe2

The heavy fermion paramagnet UTe2 exhibits numerous characteristics of spin-triplet superconductivity. Efforts to understand the microscopic details of this exotic superconductivity have been impeded by uncertainty regarding the underlying electronic structure. Here we directly probe the Fermi surface of UTe2 by measuring magnetic quantum oscillations in pristine quality crystals. We find an angular profile of quantum oscillatory frequency and amplitude that is characteristic of a quasi-2D Fermi surface, which we find is well described by two cylindrical Fermi sheets of electron- and hole-type respectively. Additionally, we find that both cylindrical Fermi sheets possess considerable undulation but negligible small-scale corrugation, which may allow for their near-nesting and therefore promote magnetic fluctuations that enhance the triplet pairing mechanism. Importantly, we find no evidence for the presence of any 3D Fermi surface sections. Our results place strong constraints on the possible symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in UTe2.

Magnetic breakdown and spin-zero effect in quantum oscillations in kagome metal CsV3Sb5

In the recently discovered kagome metal CsV3Sb5, an intriguing proposal invoking a doped Chern insulator state suggests the presence of small Chern Fermi pockets hosting spontaneous orbital-currents and large orbital magnetic moments. While the net thermodynamic magnetization is nearly insensitive to these moments, due to their antiferromagnetic alignment, their presence can be revealed by the Zeeman effect, which shifts electron energies in magnetic fields with a proportionality given by the effective g−factor. Here, we determine the g-factor using the spin-zero effect in magnetic quantum oscillations. A large g-factor enhancement is visible only in magnetic breakdown orbits between conventional and concentrated Berry curvature Fermi pockets that host large orbital moments. Such Berry-curvature-generated large orbital moments are almost always concealed by other effects. In this system, however, magnetic breakdown orbits due to the proximity to a conventional Fermi-surface section allow them to be visibly manifested in magnetic quantum oscillations. Our results provide a remarkable example of the interplay between electronic correlations and more conventional electronic bands in quantum materials.

Probing Momentum-Dependent Scattering in Uniaxially Stressed Sr_{2}RuO_{4} through the Hall Effect.

The largest Fermi surface sheet of the correlated metal Sr_{2}RuO_{4} can be driven through a Lifshitz transition between an electronlike and an open geometry by uniaxial stress applied along the [100] lattice direction. Here, we investigate the effect of this transition on the longitudinal resistivity ρ_{xx} and the Hall coefficient R_{H}. ρ_{xx}(T), when Sr_{2}RuO_{4} is tuned to this transition, is found to have a T^{2}logT form, as expected for a Fermi liquid tuned to a Lifshitz transition. R_{H} is found to become more negative as the Fermi surface transitions from an electronlike to an open geometry, opposite to general expectations from this change in topology. The magnitude of the change in R_{H} implies that scattering changes throughout the Brillouin zone, not just at the point in k space where the transition occurs. In a model of orbital-dependent scattering, the electron-electron scattering rate on sections of Fermi surface with xy orbital weight is found to decrease dramatically.

Multiband Superconductivity with Sign-Preserving Order Parameter in Kagome Superconductor CsV_{3}Sb_{5}.

The superconductivity of a kagome superconductor CsV_{3}Sb_{5} is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy at ultralow temperature with high resolution. Two kinds of superconducting gaps with multiple sets of coherent peaks and residual zero-energy density of states (DOS) are observed on both half-Cs and Sb surfaces, implying multiband superconductivity. In addition, in-gap states can be induced by magnetic impurities but not by nonmagnetic impurities, suggesting a sign-preserving or s-wave superconducting order parameter. Moreover, the interplay between charge density waves (CDW) and superconductivity differs on various bands, resulting in different density-of-states distributions. Our results suggest that the superconducting gap is likely isotropic on the sections of Fermi surface that play little roles in CDW, and the superconducting gaps on the sections of Fermi surface with anisotropic CDW gaps are likely anisotropic as well. The residual spectral weights at zero energy are attributed to the extremely small superconducting gap on the tiny oval Fermi pockets. Our study provides critical clues for further understanding the superconductivity and its relation to CDW in CsV_{3}Sb_{5}.

Fermi surfaces in Kondo insulators

We report magnetic quantum oscillations measured using torque magnetisation in the Kondo insulator YbB12 and discuss the potential origin of the underlying Fermi surface. Observed quantum oscillations as well as complementary quantities such as a finite linear specific heat capacity in YbB12 exhibit similarities with the Kondo insulator SmB6, yet also crucial differences. Small heavy Fermi sections are observed in YbB12 with similarities to the neighbouring heavy fermion semimetallic Fermi surface, in contrast to large light Fermi surface sections in SmB6 which are more similar to the conduction electron Fermi surface. A rich spectrum of theoretical models is suggested to explain the origin across different Kondo insulating families of a bulk Fermi surface potentially from novel itinerant quasiparticles that couple to magnetic fields, yet do not couple to weak DC electric fields.

Reply to “Comment on ‘Magnetotransport signatures of a single nodal electron pocket constructed from Fermi arcs' ”

In a recent manuscript, we showed how an electron pocket in the shape of a diamond with concave sides could potentially explain changes in sign of the Hall coefficient R_H in the underdoped high-Tc cuprates as a function of magnetic field and temperature. For simplicity, this Fermi surface is assumed to be constructed from arcs of a circle connected at vertices which is an idea borrowed from Banik and Overhauser. Such a diamond-shaped pocket is proposed to be the product of biaxial charge-density wave order, which was subsequently confirmed in x-ray scattering experiments. Since those x-ray scattering experiments were performed, the biaxial Fermi surface reconstruction scheme has garnered widespread support in the scientific literature. It has been shown to accurately account for the cross-section of the Fermi surface pocket observed in quantum oscillation measurements, the sign and behavior of the Hall coefficient, the size of the high magnetic field electronic contribution to the heat capacity and more recently the form of the angle-dependent magnetoresistance.In their comment, Chakravarty and Wang raise several important questions relating to the validity of the Hall coefficient we calculated for such a diamond-shaped Fermi surface pocket. These questions concern specifically (1) whether a change in sign of the Hall coefficient R_H with magnetic field and temperature is dependent on a `special' form for the rounding of the vertices, (2) whether a pocket of such a geometry can produce quantum oscillations in R_H in the absence of other Fermi surface sections and (3) whether a reconstructed Fermi surface consisting of a single pocket is less `natural' than one consisting of multiple pockets. Below we consider each of these in turn.

Fermi-surface topologies and low-temperature phases of the filled skutterudite compoundsCeOs4Sb12andNdOs4Sb12

MHz conductivity, torque magnetometer and magnetization measurements are reported on single crystals of CeOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ and NdOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ using temperatures down to 0.5~K and magnetic fields of up to 60~tesla. The field-orientation dependence of the de Haas-van Alphen and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations is deduced by rotating the samples about the $[010]$ and $[0\bar{1}1]$ directions. The results indicate that NdOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ has a similar Fermi surface topology to that of the unusual superconductor PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$, but with significantly smaller effective masses, supporting the importance of local phonon modes in contributing to the low-temperature heat capacity of NdOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$. By contrast, CeOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ undergoes a field-induced transition from an unusual semimetal into a high-field, high-temperature state characterized by a single, almost spherical Fermi-surface section. The behavior of the phase boundary and comparisons with models of the bandstructure lead us to propose that the field-induced phase transition in CeOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ is similar in origin to the well-known $\alpha-\gamma$ transition in Ce and its alloys.

Surface electronic structure and evidence of plains-wave superconductivity in(Li0.8Fe0.2)OHFeSe

(Li0.8Fe0.2)OHFeSe is a newly-discovered intercalated iron-selenide superconductor with a Tc above 40 K, which is much higher than the Tc of bulk FeSe (8 K). Here we report a systematic study of (Li0.8Fe0.2)OHFeSe by low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). We observed two kinds of surface terminations, namely FeSe and (Li0.8Fe0.2)OH surfaces. On the FeSe surface, the superconducting state is fully gapped with double coherence peaks, and a vortex core state with split peaks near EF is observed. Through quasi-particle interference (QPI) measurements, we clearly observed intra- and inter-pocket scatterings in between the electron pockets at the M point, as well as some evidence of scattering that connects gamma and M points. Upon applying magnetic field, the QPI intensity of all the scattering channels are found to behave similarly. Furthermore, we studied impurity effects on the superconductivity by investigating intentionally introduced impurities and intrinsic defects. We observed that magnetic impurities such as Cr adatoms can induce in-gap states and suppress superconductivity. However, nonmagnetic impurities such as Zn adatoms do not induce visible in-gap states. Meanwhile, we show that Zn adatoms can induce in-gap states in thick FeSe films, which is believed to have an (s+-)wave pairing symmetry. Our experimental results suggest it is likely that (Li0.8Fe0.2)OHFeSe is a plain s-wave superconductor, whose order parameter has the same sign on all Fermi surface sections.

Plain s-wave superconductivity in single-layer FeSe on SrTiO3 probed by scanning tunnelling microscopy

Single-layer FeSe film on SrTiO3(001) was recently found to be the champion of interfacial superconducting systems, with a much enhanced superconductivity than the bulk iron-based superconductors. Its superconducting mechanism is of great interest. Although the film has a simple Fermi surface topology, its pairing symmetry is unsettled. Here by using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we systematically investigated the superconductivity of single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3(001) films. We observed fully gapped tunneling spectrum and magnetic vortex lattice in the film. Quasi-particle interference (QPI) patterns reveal scatterings between and within the electron pockets, and put constraints on possible pairing symmetries. By introducing impurity atoms onto the sample, we show that the magnetic impurities (Cr, Mn) can locally suppress the superconductivity but the non-magnetic impurities (Zn, Ag and K) cannot. Our results indicate that single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 has a plain s-wave paring symmetry whose order parameter has the same phase on all Fermi surface sections.

On the relationship between charge ordering and the Fermi arcs observed in underdoped high superconductors

We address the origin of the recently discovered close correspondence between the charge ordering wave vectors and the momentum-space separation between the tips of the Fermi arcs seen in angle-resolved photoemission measurements in underdoped high-temperature superconducting cuprates. This observation has been interpreted as a signature of charge order forming as an instability of pre-existing Fermi arcs of a different origin. We calculate the Fermi surface spectral weight for a charge density-wave model, considering a Fermi surface, charge ordering wave vectors and short correlation lengths similar to those found experimentally. We show that the observation of wave vectors spanning the tips of remnant Fermi surface sections is a natural consequence of a Fermi surface having been reconstructed by charge order. The presence of short-range charge order therefore cannot be ruled out as a potential origin of the observed Fermi arcs.

Effect of Re content on elastic properties of B2 NiAl from ab initio calculations

Abstract The effect of substitutional alloying of Re on elastic properties of B2 NiAl has been studied using first-principles electronic-structure calculations by the exact muffin-tin orbitals method and the coherent potential approximation. Our calculations have shown that elastic constants C 12 , C 44 and bulk modulus B of (Ni 1− x Re x )Al alloys increase with Re composition almost linearly, but concentration dependence of elastic constants C 11 , Young modulus E , shear modulus G , G / B ratio and the Cauchy pressure P C is strongly nonmonotonously and has peculiarities near the concentration x = 30 at.% Re. Analyzing the density of states and Fermi surface sections we have a direct connection between the behavior of the elastic constants of (Ni 1− x Re x )Al alloys and changes in the interatomic bonding and Fermi surface topology.

Quantum oscillations in aπ-striped superconductor

Within Bogoliubov--de Gennes theory, a semiclassical approximation is used to study quantum oscillations and to determine the Fermi surface area associated with these oscillations in a model of a $\ensuremath{\pi}$-striped superconductor, where the $d$-wave superconducting order parameter oscillates spatially with period 8 and zero average value. This system has a nonzero density of particle-hole states at the Fermi energy, which form Landau-like levels in the presence of a magnetic field $B$. The Fermi surface is reconstructed via Andreev-Bragg scattering, and the semiclassical motion is along these Fermi surface sections as well as between them via magnetic breakdown. Within the approximation, oscillations periodic in $1/B$ are found in both the positions and widths of the lowest Landau levels. The area corresponding to these quantum oscillations for intermediate pairing interaction strength is similar to that reported for experimental measurements in the cuprates. A comparison is made of this theory to data for quantum oscillations in the specific heat measured by Riggs et al.

Three-Dimensional Spin Rotations at the Fermi Surface of a Strongly Spin-Orbit Coupled Surface System

The spin texture of the metallic two-dimensional electron system (sqrt[3]×sqrt[3])-Au/Ge(111) is revealed by fully three-dimensional spin-resolved photoemission, as well as by density functional calculations. The large hexagonal Fermi surface, generated by the Au atoms, shows a significant splitting due to spin-orbit interactions. The planar components of the spin exhibit a helical character, accompanied by a strong out-of-plane spin component with alternating signs along the six Fermi surface sections. Moreover, in-plane spin rotations toward a radial direction are observed close to the hexagon corners. Such a threefold-symmetric spin pattern is not described by the conventional Rashba model. Instead, it reveals an interplay with Dresselhaus-like spin-orbit effects as a result of the crystalline anisotropies.

The phase diagram for coexisting d-wave superconductivity and charge-density waves: cuprates and beyond

Phase diagrams of d-wave superconductivity characterized by an order parameter Δ coexisting with charge-density waves (CDWs) characterized by an order parameter Σ were constructed for the two-dimensional Fermi surface (FS) appropriate to, e.g., cuprates. CDWs were considered as an origin of the pseudogap appearing at antinodal FS sections of the dx2−y2 superconductor. Two types of the Σ-reentrance were found: with the temperature, T, and with the opening of the CDW sector, 2α. The angular plots in the momentum space for the resulting gap profile over the FS (‘gap roses’) were obtained. The gap patterns are rather involved, giving insight into the difficulties of the interpretation of photoemission spectra. It was shown that the Σ–Δ coexistence region exists even for the complete dielectric gapping due to the distinction between the superconducting and CDW order parameter symmetries. The checkerboard and unidirectional CDW configurations were examined, and both the phase diagrams and the behavior with T and α of the order parameters were found to differ. A more general case with a non-zero mismatch angle β between the superconducting lobes and the CDW sectors was analyzed, the case β = π/4 corresponding to the dxy symmetry of the superconducting order parameter. The phase diagrams were found to be sensitive to β-variations, showing that internal strains and external pressure can drastically affect the behavior of Σ(T) and Δ(T).

Charge density waves in partially dielectrized d-pairing superconductors

A self-consistent theory has been constructed for describing a superconductor with a dx2−y2 charge density wave caused by the appearance of a dielectric gap in antinodal sections of the two-dimensional Fermi surface. The theory explains some key features of high-temperature oxides. In particular, it has been shown that the observed large values of the ratio 2Δ(T = 0)/Tc are associated with the stronger suppression of the critical temperature Tc of the superconducting transition rather than the superconducting gap Δ at low temperatures T under the action of charge density waves. It has been predicted that there can exist two critical temperatures of the appearance and disappearance of the dielectric order parameter Σ(T) in a specific range of bare parameters of the model.

Interplay between charge-density-wave gapping and d-wave superconductivity in high-Tc oxides

A new theory describing the coexistence of d-wave superconductivity and charge density waves (CDWs) has been developed. Calculations were carried out for cuprates, in the case when the CDW gap Σ emerges on the nested antinodal sections of two-dimensional Fermi surface. It is shown that Σ(T) is temperature (T)-reentrant for certain ranges of model parameters. The superconducting energy gap Δ(T) deviates substantially from the canonical dx2-y2-one. The values of 2Δ(0)/Tc are shown to fall into the range from 5 to 8 and even more, which is well-known for high-Tc oxides and has not been explained yet.

Valence Bond Glass Theory of Electronic Disorder and the Pseudogap State of High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductors

We show that the low-energy fluctuations of the valence bond due to the superexchange are pinned by the electronic disorder from off-stoichiometric dopants, leading to a valence bond glass (VBG) pseudogap phase in underdoped high-T_{c} cuprates. The antinodal Fermi surface sections are gapped out, giving rise to a normal state Fermi arc whose length shrinks with underdoping. Below T_{c}, the superexchange interaction induces a d-wave superconducting gap that coexists with the VBG pseudogap. The evolution of the local and momentum-space spectroscopy with doping and temperature captures the salient properties of the pseudogap phenomena and the electronic disorder.

Fermi momentum resolved charge order for spin-disordered stripes

For a doped antiferromagnet with short-range spin-stripe correlations and long-range charge-stripe order, we find that the manifestation of charge order abruptly changes as a function of momentum along the Fermi surface. The disorder averaged local density of states is almost perfectly homogeneous when integrated only over states that contribute to the ``nodal'' spectral weight, whereas it displays long-range charge-stripe order when integrated only over states that contribute to the ``antinodal'' spectral weight. An effectively two dimensional isotropic nodal liquid can thus coexist with static charge stripes provided there is no static spin order. We also study commensurate spin- and charge-stripe ordered systems wherein the Fermi surface consists of a nodal hole pocket and an open ``stripe band'' section. Due to the stripe order, the relation between hole density and size of a pocket will be reduced compared to that of a paramagnet by factors of 2 for even charge period and 4 for odd charge period, and we find an estimated upper limit on the area fraction of a hole pocket of 1.6% for charge-period four and 4% for charge-period five. We also discuss why electron pockets are not expected for a stripe ordered system and show that the open Fermi surface section may be electronlike with a negative Hall coefficient.