The scaled-invariant Planckian metal and quantum criticality in Ce1-xNdxCoIn5.

The mysterious Planckian metal state, showing perfect T-linear resistivity associated with universal scattering rate, 1/τ = αkBT/ℏ with α ~ 1, has been observed in the normal state of various strongly correlated superconductors close to a quantum critical point. However, its microscopic origin and link to quantum criticality remains an outstanding open problem. Here, we observe quantum-critical T/B-scaling of the Planckian metal state in resistivity and heat capacity of heavy-electron superconductor Ce1-xNdxCoIn5 in magnetic fields near the edge of antiferromagnetism at the critical doping xc ~ 0.03. We present clear experimental evidences of Kondo hybridization being quantum critical at xc. We provide a generic microscopic mechanism to qualitatively account for this quantum critical Planckian state within the quasi-two dimensional Kondo-Heisenberg lattice model near Kondo breakdown transition. We find α is a non-universal constant and depends inversely on the square of Kondo hybridization strength.

Topological Hall Effect Anisotropy in Kagome Bilayer Metal Fe_{3}Sn_{2}.

Kagome lattice materials have attracted growing interest for their topological properties and flatbands in electronic structure. We present a comprehensive study on the anisotropy and out-of-plane electric transport in Fe_{3}Sn_{2}, a metal with bilayer of Fe kagome planes and with massive Dirac fermions that features high-temperature noncollinear magnetic structure and magnetic skyrmions. For the electrical current path along the c axis, in micron-size crystals, we found a large topological Hall effect over a wide temperature range down to spin-glass state. Twofold and fourfold angular magnetoresistance are observed for different magnetic phases, reflecting the competition of magnetic interactions and magnetic anisotropy in kagome lattice that preserve robust topological Hall effect for inter-kagome bilayer currents. This provides new insight into the anisotropy in Fe_{3}Sn_{2}, of interest in skyrmionic-bubble application-related micron-size devices.

Valence band electronic structure of the van der Waals ferromagnetic insulators: VI[Formula: see text] and CrI[Formula: see text].

Ferromagnetic van der Waals (vdW) insulators are of great scientific interest for their promising applications in spintronics. It has been indicated that in the two materials within this class, CrI[Formula: see text] and VI[Formula: see text], the magnetic ground state, the band gap, and the Fermi level could be manipulated by varying the layer thickness, strain or doping. To understand how these factors impact the properties, a detailed understanding of the electronic structure would be required. However, the experimental studies of the electronic structure of these materials are still very sparse. Here, we present the detailed electronic structure of CrI[Formula: see text] and VI[Formula: see text] measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Our results show a band-gap of the order of 1 eV, sharply contrasting some theoretical predictions such as Dirac half-metallicity and metallic phases, indicating that the intra-atomic interaction parameter (U) and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) were not properly accounted for in the calculations. We also find significant differences in the electronic properties of these two materials, in spite of similarities in their crystal structure. In CrI[Formula: see text], the valence band maximum is dominated by the I 5p, whereas in VI[Formula: see text] it is dominated by the V 3d derived states. Our results represent valuable input for further improvements in the theoretical modeling of these systems.

Spin-Canting-Induced Band Reconstruction in the Dirac Material Ca_{1-x}Na_{x}MnBi_{2}.

The ternary AMnBi_{2} (A is alkaline as well as rare-earth atom) materials provide an arena for investigating the interplay between low-dimensional magnetism of the antiferromagnetic MnBi layers and the electronic states in the intercalated Bi layers, which harbor relativistic fermions. Here, we report on a comprehensive study of the optical properties and magnetic torque response of Ca_{1-x}Na_{x}MnBi_{2}. Our findings give evidence for a spin canting occurring at T_{s}∼50-100 K. With the support of first-principles calculations we establish a direct link between the spin canting and the reconstruction of the electronic band structure, having immediate implications for the spectral weight reshuffling in the optical response, signaling a partial gapping of the Fermi surface, and the dc transport properties below T_{s}.

Author Correction: Thickness-dependent magnetic order in CrI3 single crystals.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Thickness-dependent magnetic order in CrI3 single crystals.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with intrinsic ferromagnetism provide unique opportunity to engineer new functionalities in nano-spintronics. One such material is CrI3, showing long-range magnetic order in monolayer with the Curie temperature (Tc) of 45 K. Here we study detailed evolution of magnetic transition and magnetic critical properties in response to systematic reduction in crystal thickness down to 50 nm. Bulk Tc of 61 K is gradually suppressed to 57 K, however, the satellite transition at T * = 45 K is observed layer-independent at fixed magnetic field of 1 kOe. The origin of T * is proposed to be a crossover from pinning to depinning of magnetic domain walls. The reduction of thickness facilitates a field-driven metamagnetic transition around 20 kOe with out-of-plane field, in contrast to the continuous changes with in-plane field. The critical analysis around Tc elucidates the mean-field type interactions in microscale-thick CrI3.

Low-Temperature Thermopower in CoSbS.

We report on giant thermopower of S=2.5 mV/K in CoSbS single crystals: a material that shows strong high-temperature thermoelectric performance when doped with Ni or Se. Changes of low-temperature thermopower induced by a magnetic field point to the mechanism of electronic diffusion of carriers in the heavy valence band. Intrinsic magnetic susceptibility is consistent with the Kondo-insulatorlike accumulation of electronic states around the gap edges. This suggests that giant thermopower stems from temperature-dependent renormalization of the noninteracting bands and buildup of the electronic correlations on cooling.

Local orbital degeneracy lifting as a precursor to an orbital-selective Peierls transition.

Fundamental electronic principles underlying all transition metal compounds are the symmetry and filling of the d-electron orbitals and the influence of this filling on structural configurations and responses. Here we use a sensitive local structural technique, x-ray atomic pair distribution function analysis, to reveal the presence of fluctuating local-structural distortions at high temperature in one such compound, CuIr2S4. We show that this hitherto overlooked fluctuating symmetry-lowering is electronic in origin and will modify the energy-level spectrum and electronic and magnetic properties. The explanation is a local, fluctuating, orbital-degeneracy-lifted state. The natural extension of our result would be that this phenomenon is likely to be widespread amongst diverse classes of partially filled nominally degenerate d-electron systems, with potentially broad implications for our understanding of their properties.

Intertwined Magnetic and Nematic Orders in Semiconducting KFe_{0.8}Ag_{1.2}Te_{2}.

Superconductivity in the iron pnictides emerges from metallic parent compounds exhibiting intertwined stripe-type magnetic order and nematic order, with itinerant electrons suggested to be essential for both. Here we use x-ray and neutron scattering to show that a similar intertwined state is realized in semiconducting KFe_{0.8}Ag_{1.2}Te_{2} (K_{5}Fe_{4}Ag_{6}Te_{10}) without itinerant electrons. We find that Fe atoms in KFe_{0.8}Ag_{1.2}Te_{2} form isolated 2×2 blocks, separated by nonmagnetic Ag atoms. Long-range magnetic order sets in below T_{N}≈35 K, with magnetic moments within the 2×2 Fe blocks ordering into the stripe-type configuration. A nematic order accompanies the magnetic transition, manifest as a structural distortion that breaks the fourfold rotational symmetry of the lattice. The nematic orders in KFe_{0.8}Ag_{1.2}Te_{2} and iron pnictide parent compounds are similar in magnitude and in how they relate to the magnetic order, indicating a common origin. Since KFe_{0.8}Ag_{1.2}Te_{2} is a semiconductor without itinerant electrons, this indicates that local-moment magnetic interactions are integral to its magnetic and nematic orders, and such interactions may play a key role in iron-based superconductivity.

Unusual electronic and vibrational properties in the colossal thermopower material FeSb2.

The iron antimonide FeSb2 possesses an extraordinarily high thermoelectric power factor at low temperature, making it a leading candidate for cryogenic thermoelectric cooling devices. However, the origin of this unusual behavior is controversial, having been variously attributed to electronic correlations as well as the phonon-drag effect. The optical properties of a material provide information on both the electronic and vibrational properties. The optical conductivity reveals an anisotropic response at room temperature; the low-frequency optical conductivity decreases rapidly with temperature, signalling a metal-insulator transition. One-dimensional semiconducting behavior is observed along the b axis at low temperature, in agreement with first-principle calculations. The infrared-active lattice vibrations are also symmetric and extremely narrow, indicating long phonon relaxation times and a lack of electron-phonon coupling. Surprisingly, there are more lattice modes along the a axis than are predicted from group theory; several of these modes undergo significant changes below about 100 K, hinting at a weak structural distortion or phase transition. While the extremely narrow phonon line shapes favor the phonon-drag effect, the one-dimensional behavior of this system at low temperature may also contribute to the extraordinarily high thermopower observed in this material.

Magnetic-field-tuned charge density wave in SmNiC2 and NdNiC2.

We report magnetic field tuned competition between magnetic order and charge density wave (CDW) states in SmNiC2 and NdNiC2 polycrystals. The destruction of CDW can be observed not only in SmNiC2 below ferromagnetic (FM) but also in NdNiC2 below antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition temperature. Moreover, the CDW states near magnetic transition temperatures can be tuned by the magnetic field for both compounds. Magnetic-field induced FM state in NdNiC2 is more effective in weakening the CDW than the AFM state at temperatures near Neel temperature T N but both ordering states have the same effect on CDW below T N. The interplay between magnetic and CDW states in SmNiC2 and NdNiC2 may be different, suggesting that these materials are good models to study correlations between magnetic and CDW wave order.

Raman spectroscopy of K x Co2-y Se2 single crystals near the ferromagnet-paramagnet transition.

Polarized Raman scattering spectra of the K x Co2-y Se2 single crystals reveal the presence of two phonon modes, assigned as of the A 1g and B 1g symmetry. The absence of additional modes excludes the possibility of vacancy ordering, unlike in K x Fe2-y Se2. The ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition at [Formula: see text] K leaves a clear fingerprint on the temperature dependence of the Raman mode energy and linewidth. For [Formula: see text] the temperature dependence looks conventional, driven by the thermal expansion and anharmonicity. The Raman modes are rather broad due to the electron-phonon coupling increased by the disorder and spin fluctuation effects. In the FM phase the phonon frequency of both modes increases, while an opposite trend is seen in their linewidth: the A 1g mode narrows in the FM phase, whereas the B 1g mode broadens. We argue that the large asymmetry and anomalous frequency shift of the B 1g mode is due to the coupling of spin fluctuations and vibration. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the phonon frequencies agree rather well with the Raman measurements, with some discrepancy being expected since the DFT calculations neglect the spin fluctuations.

Multiband electronic transport in α-Yb1-x Sr x AlB4 [x = 0, 0.19(3)] single crystals.

We report on the evidence for the multiband electronic transport in α-YbAlB4 and α-Yb0.81(2)Sr0.19(3)AlB4. Multiband transport reveals itself below 10 K in both compounds via Hall effect measurements, whereas anisotropic magnetic ground state sets in below 3 K in α-Yb0.81(2)Sr0.19(3)AlB4. Our results show that Sr(2+) substitution enhances conductivity, but does not change the quasiparticle mass of bands induced by heavy fermion hybridization.

Quantum Critical Quasiparticle Scattering within the Superconducting State of CeCoIn_{5}.

The thermal conductivity κ of the heavy-fermion metal CeCoIn_{5} was measured in the normal and superconducting states as a function of temperature T and magnetic field H, for a current and field parallel to the [100] direction. Inside the superconducting state, when the field is lower than the upper critical field H_{c2}, κ/T is found to increase as T→0, just as in a metal and in contrast to the behavior of all known superconductors. This is due to unpaired electrons on part of the Fermi surface, which dominate the transport above a certain field. The evolution of κ/T with field reveals that the electron-electron scattering (or transport mass m^{⋆}) of those unpaired electrons diverges as H→H_{c2} from below, in the same way that it does in the normal state as H→H_{c2} from above. This shows that the unpaired electrons sense the proximity of the field-tuned quantum critical point of CeCoIn_{5} at H^{⋆}=H_{c2} even from inside the superconducting state. The fact that the quantum critical scattering of the unpaired electrons is much weaker than the average scattering of all electrons in the normal state reveals a k-space correlation between the strength of pairing and the strength of scattering, pointing to a common mechanism, presumably antiferromagnetic fluctuations.

Fano q-reversal in topological insulator Bi2Se3.

We studied the magneto-optical response of a canonical topological insulator Bi2Se3 with the goal of addressing a controversial issue of electron-phonon coupling. Magnetic-field induced modifications of reflectance are very pronounced in the infrared part of the spectrum, indicating strong electron-phonon coupling. This coupling causes an asymmetric line-shape of the 60 cm(-1) phonon mode, and is analyzed within the Fano formalism. The analysis reveals that the Fano asymmetry parameter (q) changes sign when the cyclotron resonance is degenerate with the phonon mode. To the best of our knowledge this is the first example of magnetic field driven q-reversal.

Evidence of superconductivity-induced phonon spectra renormalization in alkali-doped iron selenides.

Polarized Raman scattering spectra of superconducting K(x)Fe(2-y)Se2 and non-superconducting K0.8Fe1.8Co0.2Se2 single crystals were measured in the temperature range from 10 K up to 300 K. Two Raman active modes from the I4/mmm phase and seven from the I4/m phase are observed in the frequency range from 150 to 325 cm(-1) in both compounds, suggesting that the K0.8Fe1.8Co0.2Se2 single crystal also has a two-phase nature. The temperature dependence of the Raman mode energy is analyzed in terms of lattice thermal expansion and phonon-phonon interaction. The temperature dependence of the Raman mode linewidth is dominated by temperature-induced anharmonic effects. It is shown that the change in Raman mode energy with temperature is dominantly driven by thermal expansion of the crystal lattice. An abrupt change of the A1g mode energy near T(C) was observed in K(x)Fe(2-y) Se2, whereas it is absent in non-superconducting K0.8Fe1.8Co0.2Se2. Phonon energy hardening at low temperatures in the superconducting sample is a consequence of superconductivity-induced redistribution of the electronic states below the critical temperature.

Single to Multiquasiparticle Excitations in the Itinerant Helical Magnet CeRhIn(5).

CeRhIn(5) is an itinerant magnet where the Ce(3+) spins order in a simple helical phase. We investigate the spin excitations and observe sharp spin waves parameterized by a nearest-neighbor exchange, J(RKKY)=0.88±0.05 meV. At higher energies, the spin fluctuations are heavily damped, where single-quasiparticle excitations are replaced by a momentum- and energy-broadened continuum constrained by kinematics of energy and momentum conservation. The delicate energy balance between localized and itinerant characters results in the breakdown of the single-quasiparticle picture in CeRhIn(5).

Nodal to nodeless superconducting energy-gap structure change concomitant with fermi-surface reconstruction in the heavy-fermion compound CeCoIn(5).

The London penetration depth λ(T) was measured in single crystals of Ce_{1-x}R_{x}CoIn_{5}, R=La, Nd, and Yb down to T_{min}≈50 mK (T_{c}/T_{min}∼50) using a tunnel-diode resonator. In the cleanest samples Δλ(T) is best described by the power law Δλ(T)∝T^{n}, with n∼1, consistent with the existence of line nodes in the superconducting gap. Substitutions of Ce with La, Nd, and Yb lead to similar monotonic suppressions of T_{c}; however, the effects on Δλ(T) differ. While La and Nd substitution leads to an increase in the exponent n and saturation at n∼2, as expected for a dirty nodal superconductor, Yb substitution leads to n>3, suggesting a change from nodal to nodeless superconductivity. This superconducting gap structure change happens in the same doping range where changes of the Fermi-surface topology were reported, implying that the nodal structure and Fermi-surface topology are closely linked.

Anisotropic giant magnetoresistance in NbSb2.

The magnetic field response of the transport properties of novel materials and then the large magnetoresistance effects are of broad importance in both science and application. We report large transverse magnetoreistance (the magnetoresistant ratio ~ 1.3 × 10(5)% in 2 K and 9 T field, and 4.3 × 10(6)% in 0.4 K and 32 T field, without saturation) and field-induced metal-semiconductor-like transition, in NbSb2 single crystal. Magnetoresistance is significantly suppressed but the metal-semiconductor-like transition persists when the current is along the ac-plane. The sign reversal of the Hall resistivity and Seebeck coefficient in the field, plus the electronic structure reveal the coexistence of a small number of holes with very high mobility and a large number of electrons with low mobility. The large MR is attributed to the change of the Fermi surface induced by the magnetic field which is related to the Dirac-like point, in addition to orbital MR expected for high mobility metals.

Direct determination of exchange parameters in Cs2CuBr4 and Cs2CuCl4: high-field electron-spin-resonance studies.

Spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnets Cs2CuCl4 and Cs2CuBr4 with distorted triangular-lattice structures are studied by means of electron spin resonance spectroscopy in magnetic fields up to the saturation field and above. In the magnetically saturated phase, quantum fluctuations are fully suppressed, and the spin dynamics is defined by ordinary magnons. This allows us to accurately describe the magnetic excitation spectra in both materials and, using the harmonic spin-wave theory, to determine their exchange parameters. The viability of the proposed method was proven by applying it to Cs2CuCl4, yielding J/kB=4.7(2) K, J'/kB=1.42(7) K, [J'/J≃0.30] and revealing good agreement with inelastic neutron-scattering results. For the isostructural Cs2CuBr4, we obtain J/kB=14.9(7) K, J'/kB=6.1(3) K, [J'/J≃0.41], providing exact and conclusive information on the exchange couplings in this frustrated spin system.