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At least 127 records · Page 7

Line coupling and line mixing effects on calculated widths of symmetric-top molecules with the k-degeneracy: A theoretical study of N 2 -, O 2 -, and air-broadened lines of CH 3 I

Calculations of the N 2 -, O 2 -, and air-broadened widths, together with their temperature dependence exponents have been made for transitions of CH 3 I in the ν 5 and ν 6 bands. The calculations are based on a semi-classical line shape formalism developed by the current authors through modifying and refining the Robert-Bonamy formalism. In recent years, we have applied this formalism for linear molecules, symmetric-top molecules with inversion symmetry, and asymmetric-top molecules. For symmetric-top molecules with the k degeneracy such as CH 3 I, the formalism has a new feature. In this case, one should consider each of the CH 3 I transitions labeled by k i or f ≠ 0 as a doublet. Then, one needs to consider the effects of the line mixing process between these two components. Furthermore, comparisons of our theoretical predictions with some data available demonstrate a very reasonable agreement. Finally, we propose new experiments at higher perturber pressures that would enable one to check the theoretically calculated relaxation matrices and to extend the analysis to the inter-doublet mixing effects.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Observation of large Rashba spin–orbit coupling at room temperature in compositionally engineered perovskite single crystals and application in high performance photodetectors

Indirect absorption extended below the direct transition edge and increase in carrier lifetime derived from Rashba spin–orbit coupling may advance the optoelectronic applications of metal halide perovskites. Spin-orbit coupling in halide perovskites is due to the presence of heavy elements in their structure. However, when these materials lack an inversion symmetry, for example by the application of strain, spin–orbit coupling becomes odd in the electron’s momentum giving rise to a splitting in the electronic energy bands. Here we report on the observation of a large Rashba splitting of 117 meV at room temperature, as predicted by relativistic first-principles calculations, in halide perovskite single crystals through a facile compositional engineering approach. Partial substitution of organic cations by rubidium in single crystals induces significant indirect absorption and dual peak photoluminescence as a result of a large Rashba splitting. We measured circularly polarized photoluminescence and magneto-photoluminescence in perovskite films printed by single crystals as well as magneto-electroluminescence and magneto-photocurrent in spin-LEDs based on perovskite single crystals. They indicated significant spin-momentum locking due to the large Rashba effect. A hybrid perovskite single crystal photodetector achieved record figures of merit, including detectivity of more than 1.3 × 10 18 Jones which represents a three orders of magnitude improvement compared to the to date record. Furthermore, these findings show that facile compositional engineering of perovskite single crystals holds great promise for further advancing the optoelectronic properties of existing materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

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. Additionally, 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.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Topological band gap in intercalated epitaxial graphene

The study of functional manipulation of graphene is a critical subject, both for fundamental research and practical applications. In this study, we present that the intercalation of 5d transition metals into epitaxial graphene on SiC is a promising strategy for the realization of topologically nontrivial phases with a finite band gap in graphene. Employing first-principles calculations, grounded in density functional theory, we demonstrate that Re- and Ta-intercalated graphene evolve into two-dimensional topological insulators. These exhibit linear Dirac cones and quadratic bands with topological band gaps, respectively. The emergence of these topological states is attributed to the strong spin–orbit coupling strength of the intercalants. We show that the corresponding topological edge states persist within the finite bulk band gap, aligning with the bulk-boundary correspondence. Furthermore, we explore the spin splitting of the band structure, brought about by the inversion symmetry breaking and the spin–orbit coupling. Finally, our study underscores that the intercalation of graphene is an effective and a feasible approach for manipulating the band gap and the topological nature of graphene. Such intercalated graphene systems hold potential utility for spintronics and low-dimensional quantum device applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Optimization of the Growth of the Van der Waals Materials Bi 2 Se 3 and (Bi 0.5 In 0.5 ) 2 Se 3 by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

The naturally existing chalcogenide Bi 2 Se 3 is topologically nontrivial due to the band inversion caused by the strong spin-orbit coupling inside the bulk of the material. Here, the surface states are spin polarized, protected by the time-inversion symmetry, and thus robust to the scattering caused by nonmagnetic defects. A high-purity topological insulator thin film can be easily grown via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on various substrates to enable novel electronics, optics, and spintronics applications. However, the unique surface state properties have historically been limited by the film quality, which is evaluated by crystallinity, surface morphology, and transport data. Here we propose and investigate different MBE growth strategies to improve the quality of Bi 2 Se 3 thin films grown by MBE. Based on the surface passivation status, we have classified the substrates into two categories, self-passivated or unpassivated, and determine the optimal growth mechanisms on the representative sapphire and GaAs, respectively. For Bi 2 Se 3 on GaAs, the surface passivation status determines the dominant growth mechanism. In the end, growths of the topological trivial insulator (Bi 0.5 In 0.5 ) 2 Se 3 (BIS) on GaAs are investigated following the protocols proposed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Noncentrosymmetric Nowotny Chimney Ladder Ferromagnet Cr 4 Ge 7 with a High Curie Temperature of ~207 K

Noncentrosymmetric magnets usually host intriguing magnetic interactions inherent in the crystal structure with broken inversion symmetry, which can give rise to rich magnetic behaviors. Here, we report herein the high-pressure synthesis, crystal structure, magnetizations, and magnetic structure of a so-called Nowotny chimney ladder compound Cr 4 Ge 7 . Our analysis on the powder neutron diffraction data revises the crystal structure as a noncentrosymmetric space group (P4̅c2, No. 116). It exhibits two magnetic orders within the temperature range of 2–400 K. The first order at ~207 K associated with a small magnetic moment of ~0.75 μ B is assigned to a commensurate ferromagnetic structure with a propagation vector k = (0, 0, 0). The weak itinerant ferromagnet nature should be caused by the complex Cr spin orders from different Wyckoff positions. The second order-like behavior at ~18 K is assumed to arise from a competition between the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya and Heisenberg interactions. The results provide an excellent platform for the study of intricate interactions among various magnetic exchanges as well as for the exploration of high-temperature exotic magnetic properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Peculiar Magnetic and Magneto-Transport Properties in a Noncentrosymmetric Self-Intercalated van der Waals Ferromagnet Cr 5 Te 8

Trigonal Cr 5 Te 8 , a self-intercalated van der Waals ferromagnet with an out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy, has long been known to crystallize in a centrosymmetric structure. However, optical second harmonic generation experiments, together with comprehensive structural analysis, indicate that this compound rather adopts a noncentrosymmetric structure. Lorentz transmission electron microscopy reveals the presence of Néel-type skyrmions, consistent with its noncentrosymmetric structure. A large anomalous Hall conductivity of 102 Ω –1 cm –1 at low temperature stems from intrinsic origin, which is larger than any previously reported values in the bulk Cr–Te system. Notably, spontaneous topological Hall resistivity arising from the skyrmionic phase has been observed. Here, our findings not only elucidate the unique magnetic and magneto-transport properties of noncentrosymmetric trigonal Cr 5 Te 8 , but also open new avenues for investigating the effects of broken inversion symmetry on material properties and their potential applications.

crystal structure↗

Spin and Orbital Effects on Asymmetric Exchange Interaction in Polar Magnets: M(IO 3 ) 2 (M = Cu and Mn)

We report magnetic polar materials feature an astonishing range of physical properties, such as magnetoelectric coupling, chiral spin textures, and related new spin topology physics. This is primarily attributable to their lack of space inversion symmetry in conjunction with unpaired electrons, potentially facilitating an asymmetric Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) exchange interaction supported by spin–orbital and electron–lattice coupling. However, engineering the appropriate ensemble of coupled degrees of freedom necessary for enhanced DM exchange has remained elusive for polar magnets. Here, we study how spin and orbital components influence the capability of promoting the magnetic interaction by studying two magnetic polar materials, α-Cu(IO 3 ) 2 ( 2 D) and Mn(IO 3 ) 2 ( 6 S), and connecting their electronic and magnetic properties with their structures. The chemically controlled low-temperature synthesis of these complexes resulted in pure polycrystalline samples, providing a viable pathway to prepare bulk forms of transition-metal iodates. Rietveld refinements of the powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction data reveal that these materials exhibit different crystal structures but crystallize in the same polar and chiral P2 1 space group, giving rise to an electric polarization along the b-axis direction. The presence and absence of an evident phase transition to a possible topologically distinct state observed in α-Cu(IO 3 ) 2 and Mn(IO 3 ) 2 , respectively, imply the important role of spin–orbit coupling. Neutron diffraction experiments reveal helpful insights into the magnetic ground state of these materials. While the long-wavelength incommensurability of α-Cu(IO 3 ) 2 is in harmony with sizable asymmetric DM interaction and low dimensionality of the electronic structure, the commensurate stripe AFM ground state of Mn(IO 3 ) 2 is attributed to negligible DM exchange and isotropic orbital overlapping. The work demonstrates connections between combined spin and orbital effects, magnetic coupling dimensionality, and DM exchange, providing a worthwhile approach for tuning asymmetric interaction, which promotes evolution of topologically distinct spin phases.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

High-Field Magnetoelectric and Spin-Phonon Coupling in Multiferroic (NH 4 ) 2 [FeCl 5 ·(H 2 O)]

We combine high field polarization, magneto-infrared spectroscopy, and lattice dynamics calculations with prior magnetization to explore the properties of (NH 4 ) 2 [FeCl 5 ·(H 2 O)]-a type II molecular multiferroic in which the mixing between charge, structure, and magnetism is controlled by intermolecular hydrogen and halogen bonds. Electric polarization is sensitive to the series of field-induced spin reorientations, increasing linearly with the field and reaching a maximum before collapsing to zero across the quasi-collinear to collinear-sinusoidal reorientation due to the restoration of inversion symmetry. Magnetoelectric coupling is on the order of 1.2 ps/m for the P∥c, H∥c configuration between 5 and 25 T at 1.5 K. In this range, the coupling takes place via an orbital hybridization mechanism. Other forms of mixing are active in (NH 4 ) 2 [FeCl 5 ·(H 2 O)] as well. Magneto-infrared spectroscopy reveals that all of the vibrational modes below 600 cm –1 are sensitive to the field-induced transition to the fully saturated magnetic state at 30 T. We analyze these local lattice distortions and use frequency shifts to extract spin-phonon coupling constants for the Fe–O stretch, Fe–OH 2 rock, and NH 4 + libration. Inspection also reveals subtle symmetry breaking of the ammonium counterions across the ferroelectric transition. Here, the coexistence of such varied mixing processes in a platform with intermolecular hydrogen- and halogen-bonding opens the door to greater understanding of multiferroics and magnetoelectrics governed by through-space interactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Non-Centrosymmetric Sr 2 IrO 4 Obtained Under High Pressure

Sr 2 IrO 4 with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and Hubbard repulsion (U) hosts Mott insulating states. The similar crystal structure, magnetic and electronic properties, particularly the d-wave gap observed in Sr 2 IrO 4 enhanced the analogies to cuprate high-$T_c$ superconductor, La 2 CuO 4 . The incomplete analogy was due to the lack of broken inversion symmetry phases observed in Sr 2 IrO 4 . Here, under high pressure and high temperature conditions, we report a non-centrosymmetric Sr 2 IrO 4 . The crystal structure and its noncentrosymmetric character were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM). The magnetic characterization confirms the Ir 4+ with $\textit{S}$ = 1/2 at low temperature in Sr 2 IrO 4 with magnetic ordering occurred at around 86 K, where a larger moment is observed than the ambient pressure Sr 2 IrO 4 . Moreover, the resistivity measurement shows three-dimensional Mott variable-range hopping existed in the system. Further, this non-centrosymmetric Sr 2 IrO 4 phase appears to be a unique material to offer further understanding of high-$T_c$ superconductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Theoretical Study of High Harmonic Generation in Monolayer NbSe 2

High harmonic generation (HHG) is a powerful probe of electron dynamics on attosecond to femtosecond time scales and has been successfully used to detect electronic and structural changes in solid-state quantum materials, including transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Among TMDs, bulk NbSe 2 exhibits charge density wave (CDW) order below 33 K and becomes superconducting below 7.3 K. Monolayer NbSe 2 also has superconducting and CDW behavior and is therefore interesting as a material whose different structural and electronic properties could be probed via HHG. Here, we predict the HHG response of the pristine 2H and CDW phases of monolayer NbSe 2 using real-time time-dependent density functional theory under the application of a simulated laser pulse excitation. We find that due to the lack of inversion symmetry in both monolayer phases, it is possible to excite even harmonics and that the even harmonics appear as the transverse components of the current response under excitations polarized along the zigzag direction of the monolayer, while odd harmonics arise from the longitudinal current response in all excitation directions. This suggests that the even and odd harmonic responses can be controlled via the polarization of the probing field, opening an avenue for potentially useful applications in optoelectronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Signature of Correlated Insulator in Electric Field Controlled Superlattice

On a two-dimensional crystal, a “superlattice” with nanometer-scale periodicity can be imposed to tune the Bloch electron spectrum, enabling novel physical properties inaccessible in the original crystal. While creating 2D superlattices by means of nanopatterned electric gates has been studied for band structure engineering in recent years, evidence of electron correlations-which drive many problems at the forefront of physics research-remains to be uncovered. Here, in this work, we demonstrate signatures of a correlated insulator phase in Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene modulated by a gate-defined superlattice potential, manifested as resistance peaks centered at integer multiples of single electron per superlattice unit cell carrier densities. The observation is consistent with the formation of a stack of flat low-energy bands due to the superlattice potential combined with inversion symmetry breaking. Our work paves the way to custom-designed superlattices for studying band structure engineering and strongly correlated electrons in 2D materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Strong NIR II Chiroptical Response and Magnetic Anisotropy via Modular Installation of Chiral Capping Ligands on a Light-Emitting Diradicaloid Scaffold

Low-energy molecular lumiphores have seen increased interest due to potential imaging and communications applications. Specifically, molecules that emit in the near-infrared (NIR, 700–1700 nm) or telecom (∼1260–1625 nm) regions, where attenuation is minimized in biological tissue and optical fibers, respectively, can drastically improve image resolution and depth penetration; however, bright low-energy emission is rare due to exponentially decreasing quantum yields in this region. Chiral molecules exhibiting strong NIR or telecom absorption/emission would be of particular interest due to advanced security and spintronics applications, but these compounds remain scarce and are currently restricted to lanthanide or nanoparticle-based systems. Here, we report the synthesis of a chiral organic-based NIR emitter, enabled by simple peripheral installation of chiral capping ligands. These ligands twist the achiral NIR-emissive core, breaking inversion symmetry. Furthermore, this twisting enables strong chiroptical responses observed via static and transient circular dichroism and increased magnetic anisotropy through electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements, establishing this strategy as a promising method for the development of new chiral emitters and sensors.

Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy↗

Kβ X-ray Emission Spectroscopy of Cu(I)-Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase: Direct Observation of the Frontier Molecular Orbital for H 2 O 2 Activation

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) catalyze the degradation of recalcitrant carbohydrate polysaccharide substrates. These enzymes are characterized by a mononuclear Cu(I) active site with a three-coordinate T-shaped “His-brace” configuration including the N-terminal histidine and its amine group as ligands. Here, this study explicitly investigates the electronic structure of the d 10 Cu(I) active site in a LPMO using Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES). The lack of inversion symmetry in the His-brace site enables the 3d/p mixing required for intensity in the Kβ valence-to-core (VtC) XES spectrum of Cu(I)-LPMO. These Kβ XES data are correlated to density functional theory (DFT) calculations to define the bonding, and in particular, the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) of the Cu(I) site. These experimentally validated DFT calculations are used to evaluate the reaction coordinate for homolytic cleavage of the H 2 O 2 O–O bond and understand the contribution of this FMO to the low barrier of this reaction and how the geometric and electronic structure of the Cu(I)-LPMO site is activated for rapid reactivity with H 2 O 2 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Nanoengineering room temperature ferroelectricity into orthorhombic SmMnO 3 films

Orthorhombic R MnO 3 ( R = rare-earth cation) compounds are type-II multiferroics induced by inversion-symmetry-breaking of spin order. They hold promise for magneto-electric devices. However, no spontaneous room-temperature ferroic property has been observed to date in orthorhombic R MnO 3 . Here, using 3D straining in nanocomposite films of (SmMnO 3 ) 0.5 ((Bi,Sm) 2 O 3 ) 0.5 , we demonstrate room temperature ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism with T C,FM ~ 90 K, matching exactly with theoretical predictions for the induced strain levels. Large in-plane compressive and out-of-plane tensile strains (-3.6% and +4.9%, respectively) were induced by the stiff (Bi,Sm) 2 O 3 nanopillars embedded. The room temperature electric polarization is comparable to other spin-driven ferroelectric R MnO 3 films. Also, while bulk SmMnO 3 is antiferromagnetic, ferromagnetism was induced in the composite films. The Mn-O bond angles and lengths determined from density functional theory explain the origin of the ferroelectricity, i.e. modification of the exchange coupling. Our structural tuning method gives a route to designing multiferroics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Observation of Weyl fermions in a magnetic non-centrosymmetric crystal

The absence of inversion symmetry in non-centrosymmetric materials has a fundamental role in the emergence of a vast number of fascinating phenomena, like ferroelectricity, second harmonic generation, and Weyl fermions. The removal of time-reversal symmetry in such systems further extends the variety of observable magneto-electric and topological effects. Here we report the striking topological properties in the non-centrosymmetric spin-orbit magnet PrAlGe by combining spectroscopy and transport measurements. By photoemission spectroscopy below the Curie temperature, we observe topological Fermi arcs that correspond to projected topological charges of ±1 in the surface Brillouin zone. In the bulk, we observe the linear energy-dispersion of the Weyl fermions. We further observe a large anomalous Hall response in our magneto-transport measurements, which is understood to arise from diverging bulk Berry curvature fields associated with the Weyl band structure. These results establish a novel Weyl semimetal phase in magnetic non-centrosymmetric PrAlGe.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Ultrafast photoinduced band splitting and carrier dynamics in chiral tellurium nanosheets

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

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Superconducting diode effect via conformal-mapped nanoholes

A superconducting diode is an electronic device that conducts supercurrent and exhibits zero resistance primarily for one direction of applied current. Such a dissipationless diode is a desirable unit for constructing electronic circuits with ultralow power consumption. However, realizing a superconducting diode is fundamentally and technologically challenging, as it usually requires a material structure without a centre of inversion, which is scarce among superconducting materials. Here, we demonstrate a superconducting diode achieved in a conventional superconducting film patterned with a conformal array of nanoscale holes, which breaks the spatial inversion symmetry. We showcase the superconducting diode effect through switchable and reversible rectification signals, which can be three orders of magnitude larger than that from a flux-quantum diode. The introduction of conformal potential landscapes for creating a superconducting diode is thereby proven as a convenient, tunable, yet vastly advantageous tool for superconducting electronics. This could be readily applicable to any superconducting materials, including cuprates and iron-based superconductors that have higher transition temperatures and are desirable in device applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗