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At least 19 records

Real-space atomic dynamics in metallic liquids investigated by inelastic neutron scattering

Understanding the dynamics of liquids at the atomic level remains a major challenge. Even though viscosity is one of the most fundamental properties of liquids, its atomistic origin is not fully elucidated. Through inelastic neutron scattering experiment on levitated metallic liquid droplets, the time-dependent pair correlation function, the Van Hove function, was determined for Z⁢r 50 ⁢C⁢u 50 and Z⁢r 80 ⁢P⁢t 20 liquids at various temperatures. The time for change in local atomic connectivity, τ LC , which is the timescale of atomic bond cutting and forming, is estimated based on the exponential decay of the nearest neighbor peak of the Van Hove function. At high temperatures above the crossover temperature T A , τ LC is equal to the Maxwell relaxation time, τ M =η/G ∞ , where η is the macroscopic shear viscosity and G ∞ is the high-frequency shear modulus. Below T A the ratio of τ M /τ LC increases with decreasing temperature, indicating increased atomic cooperativity as predicted by molecular dynamics simulation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Dynamical correlation between ions in liquid seen in real space and time

Controlling ionic transport in liquids is anticipated to provide new scientific and technological opportunities, but it requires accurate knowledge of atomic-scale dynamics of ions beyond the hydrodynamic description. Atomic dynamics in liquids is characterized by strong and dynamical correlations among atoms, which render a conventional approach to describing the dynamics in reciprocal space challenging. We propose an alternative approach to describe liquid dynamics in real space and time using the time-delayed two-body correlation function, Van Hove correlation function, and discuss recent results on the local dynamics in water and electrolytes.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Real-space local self-motion of protonated and deuterated water

Here, we report on the self-part of the Van Hove correlation function, the correlation function describing the dynamics of a single molecule, of water and deuterated water. The correlation function is determined by transforming inelastic scattering spectra of neutrons or x rays over a wide range of momentum transfer Q and energy transfer E to space R and time t. The short-range diffusivity is estimated from the Van Hove correlation function in the framework of the Gaussian approximation. The diffusivity has been found to be different from the long-range macroscopic diffusivity, providing information about local atomic dynamics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Real-space atomic dynamics in liquid gallium studied by inelastic neutron scattering

Gallium is a prototypical liquid metal and has gained renewed attention because of its unique properties. Characterizing and elucidating its atomic dynamics remains elusive despite numerous studies, primarily because of the challenges in quantifying atomic-scale dynamics in liquids. Recent developments in inelastic neutron scattering enable us to measure the Van Hove correlation function that describes the real-space motion of liquid atoms. Here, in this work, we use this approach to reveal the dynamics in gallium liquids and find the co-existence of two dynamical medium-range orders (MROs), which have a dynamical behavior distinct from that of the short-range order (SRO). We propose that these MROs are driven by global forces in the form of two density waves, as a direct consequence of the underlying competition between ionic core repulsion and valence electron cohesion. We suggest that the density wave approach is not only applicable to other metallic liquids exhibiting similar structural anomalies, but also offers a promising direction for elucidating the dynamics of complex liquids and glasses by linking electronic-state fluctuations to atomic dynamics.

Hua, Chengyun [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL↗

Electronic structure and the van Hove singularity scenario in high-T(sub c)H(g)Ba2CuO(4+delta) superconductors

The electronic structure and the hole concentrations in the high Tc superconductor HgBa2CuO(4+delta) (delta = O, 1) has been investigated by employing a first principles full potential self-consistent LMTO method with the local density functional theory. The scalar relativistic effects have been considered. The hole concentrations of the Cu-d and O-p(x,y) orbitals are seen to be larger for the HgBaCuO5 system than those of the HgBaCuO4 solid. However, the van Hove singularity (vHs) induced Cu-d and O-p peak which is seen to lie comparatively away and above the Fermi level in the delta = 1 system shifts towards the Fermi level in the delta = 0 system. Thus, the superconducting behavior appears to originate from the occurrence of the vHs peak at the Fermi level. The Fermi surface nesting area in the delta = 0 compound is seen to be larger than in the delta = 1 compound. The calculation reveals that the increase in pressure on the crystal enhances the hole concentrations but without showing any optimum value, On the other hand, the vHs peak approaches to-wards the Fermi level with pressure and crosses the Fermi surface near V/Vo approximately equals 0.625 (V and Vo are the crystal volumes at high and normal pressures, respectively). Our calculated value of the bulk modulus equal to 0.626 Mbar predicts the occurrence of this crossover at about 24 GPa which is in complete agreement with the experimental value. At this pressure the compound has maximum nesting area and self-doped behavior.

Agrawal, Bal K.↗

Electronic structure of the kagome metal YbTi 3 Bi 4 studied using torque magnetometry

This study investigates the electronic structure of the kagome metal YbTi 3 ⁢Bi 4 using high-field torque magnetometry. The torque signal measured at a maximum field of 41.5 T reveals clear de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations with a major frequency peak at F δ ~ 130 T. By rotating the sample at various tilt angles Θ, we observed that F δ exhibits a nearly 1/cos⁡Θ dependence, indicating the presence of a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) Fermi surface (FS) in YbTi 3 ⁢Bi 4 . This argument is further supported by the detection of a forward-leaning, sawtoothlike waveform in the dHvA effect, a hallmark of 2D FS characteristics. Notably, we identified two high-frequency peaks near F χ ~ 1900 T and F λ ~ 5600 T; however, these peaks quickly disappear at Θ greater than 21°. To better understand experimental observations, we computed the electronic band structure and FS using ab initio density-functional theory (DFT). The electronic bands reveal the presence of several Dirac points, flat bands, and van Hove singularities near the Fermi level. Five bands cross the Fermi level and contribute to the FS of this material. The FS comprises cylindrical sheets, with theoretical frequencies from the FS pockets aligning well with the experimental dHvA frequencies. Several FS parameters characterizing F δ were determined by analyzing the temperature and field dependence of the dHvA oscillations using the Lifshitz-Kosevich theory. Further, the detailed electronic properties presented in this work provide critical insights into the electronic structure of YbTi 3 ⁢Bi 4 and other titanium-based kagome compounds.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Unusual magnetotransport in twisted bilayer graphene from strain-induced open Fermi surfaces

Anisotropic hopping in a toy Hofstadter model was recently invoked to explain a rich and surprising Landau spectrum measured in twisted bilayer graphene away from the magic angle. Suspecting that such anisotropy could arise from unintended uniaxial strain, we extend the Bistritzer–MacDonald model to include uniaxial heterostrain and present a detailed analysis of its impact on band structure and magnetotransport. We find that such strain strongly influences band structure, shifting the three otherwise-degenerate van Hove points to different energies. Coupled to a Boltzmann magnetotransport calculation, this reproduces previously unexplained nonsaturating B 2 magnetoresistance over broad ranges of density near filling ν = ± 2 and predicts subtler features that had not been noticed in the experimental data. In contrast to these distinctive signatures in longitudinal resistivity, the Hall coefficient is barely influenced by strain, to the extent that it still shows a single sign change on each side of the charge neutrality point—surprisingly, this sign change no longer occurs at a van Hove point. The theory also predicts a marked rotation of the electrical transport principal axes as a function of filling even for fixed strain and for rigid bands. More careful examination of interaction-induced nematic order versus strain effects in twisted bilayer graphene could thus be in order.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Observation of multiple flat bands and Van Hove singularities in the distorted kagome metal NdTi 3 Bi 4

Kagome materials have attracted enormous research interest recently owing to their diverse topological phases and manifestation of electronic correlation. Here, in this study, we present the electronic structure of a distorted ferromagnetic kagome metal, NdTi 3 ⁢Bi 4 , exhibiting a transition temperature of 9 K. Our investigation employs a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We discover the presence of two “flat” bands which are found to originate from the kagome structure formed by Ti atoms with a major contribution from Ti 𝑑 𝑥⁢𝑦 and Ti 𝑑 𝑥 2 −𝑦 2 orbitals. We also observed multiple Van Hove singularities (VHSs) in its electronic structure, with one VHS lying near the Fermi level. The ARPES data reveal the existence of Dirac cone at the $\overline{𝐾}$ point, a finding which is corroborated by our DFT calculations. These findings present a detailed electronic structure capable of hosting correlation-driven phenomenon in this novel ferromagnetic kagome metal.

Fermi surface↗

Diverse electronic topography in a distorted kagome metal LaTi 3 ⁢Bi 4

Recent reports on a family of kagome metals of the form 𝐿⁢𝑛⁢Ti 3 ⁢Bi 4 (𝐿⁢𝑛 = Lanthanide) have stoked interest due to the combination of highly anisotropic magnetism and a rich electronic structure. The electronic structure near the Fermi level is proposed to exhibit Dirac points and van Hove singularities (VHSs). Here, in this manuscript, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements in combination with density functional theory calculations to investigate the electronic structure of an interesting kagome metal LaTi 3 ⁢Bi 4 . Our results reveal multiple VHSs with one VHS located in the vicinity of the Fermi level. We clearly observe two flat bands, which originate from the destructive interference of wave functions within the Ti kagome motif. These flat bands and VHSs originate from Ti 𝑑 orbitals and are very responsive to the polarization of the incident beam. We notice a significant anisotropy in the electronic structure, resulting from the breaking of sixfold rotational symmetry in this material. Our findings demonstrate this member of Ti based kagome materials as a promising platform to explore novel emerging phenomena in the wider 𝐿⁢𝑛⁢Ti 3⁢ Bi 4 (𝐿⁢𝑛 = lanthanide) family.

electronic structure↗

Three-dimensional higher-order saddle-point-induced flatbands in Co-based kagome metals

The saddle point (Van Hove singularity) exhibits a divergent density of states in two-dimensional systems, leading to fascinating phenomena such as strong correlations and unconventional superconductivity, yet it is seldom observed in three-dimensional (3D) systems. In this work we find two types of 3D higher-order saddle points (HOSPs) in emerging 3D kagome metals YbCo 6⁢ Ge 6 and MgCo 6 ⁢Ge 6 . Both HOSPs exhibit a singularity in their density of states, which is significantly enhanced compared to the ordinary saddle point. The HOSP near the Fermi energy generates a flatband extending a large area in the Brillouin zone, potentially amplifying the correlation effect and fostering electronic instabilities. Two types of HOSPs exhibit distinct robustness upon element substitution and lattice distortions in these kagome compounds. Our work paves the way for engineering exotic band structures, such as saddle points and flatbands, and exploring interesting phenomena in Co-based kagome materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electronic structure of the kagome compound CaTi 3⁢ Bi 4 using high-field torque magnetometry and density functional theory

Here, we report systematic torque magnetometry measurements to investigate the electronic properties of the newly discovered kagome compound CaTi 3 ⁢Bi 4 . Electrical transport, magnetic susceptibility, and thermal measurements reveal no evidence of a magnetic ground state in this material. Torque data obtained in magnetic fields up to 41.5 T exhibit clear de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations, with nine distinct frequencies ranging from 13 to 6164 T. Angular-dependent dHvA measurements show that, with the exception of the lowest frequency (13 T), all observed frequencies nearly follow a 1/cos ⁡𝜃 dependence, where 𝜃 is the angle between the crystallographic 𝑐 axis and the magnetic field direction. This behavior is characteristic of quasi-two-dimensional Fermi-surface sheets with nearly circular cross sections. To further elucidate the electronic structure, we performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the band structure and Fermi surface. The calculated bands reveal the presence of multiple Dirac points (DP), flat bands (FB), and van Hove singularities (VHS) near the Fermi level. The resulting Fermi surface consists of several quasi-two-dimensional cylindrical sheets, consistent with the experimentally observed 1/cos⁡ 𝜃 dependence. Notably, the theoretical dHvA frequencies, derived from extremal Fermi-surface cross-sectional areas, agree well with the experimental values and reproduce their angular dependence. Remarkably, all experimentally observed frequencies are captured by the DFT predictions. Pressure-dependent calculations up to 10 GPa show that the electronic features—DP, FB, and VHS—evolve systematically with pressure. In particular, the VHS shifts closer to the Fermi level, demonstrating that pressure acts as an effective tuning parameter in this material. These combined experimental and theoretical results provide a comprehensive understanding of the electronic structure of CaTi 3 ⁢Bi 4 and demonstrate how pressure can be used to tune its key electronic features, offering valuable guidance for exploring related kagome materials.

Shtefiienko, Kyryl [West Texas A & M University, C↗

Electronic Structure and Properties of Deformed Carbon Nanotubes

A theoretical framework based on Huckel tight-binding model has been formulated to analyze the electronic structure of carbon nanotubes under uniform deformation. The model successfully quantifies the dispersion relation, density of states and bandgap change of nanotubes under uniform stretching, compression, torsion and bending. Our analysis shows that the shifting of the Fermi point away from the Brillouin zone vertices is the key reason for these changes. As a result of this shifting, the electronic structure of deformed carbon nanotubes varies dramatically depending on their chirality and deformation mode. Treating the Fermi point as a function of strain and tube chirality, the analytical solution preserves the concise form of undeformed carbon nanotubes. It predicts the shifting, merging and splitting of the Van Hove singularities in the density of states and the zigzag pattern of bandgap change under strains. Four orbital tight-binding simulations of carbon nanotubes under uniform stretching, compression, torsion and bending have been performed to verify the analytical solution. Extension to more complex systems are being performed to relate this analytical solution to the spectroscopic characterization, device performance and proposed quantum structures induced by the deformation. The limitations of this model will also be discussed.

Yang, Liu↗

Large critical fields in superconducting Ti 4 ⁢Ir 2⁢ O from spin-orbit coupling

The recently synthesized 𝜂-carbide-type superconductors exhibit large critical fields. A notable example is Ti 4 ⁢Ir2⁢ O, for which the upper critical field strongly violates the Pauli paramagnetic limit, a behavior that is unusual for cubic materials that preserve inversion symmetry. Here, by combining density functional theory (DFT) and analytic modeling, we provide an explanation for this enhanced Pauli limiting field. We show that the nonsymmorphic Fd⁢-3 ⁢m symmetry implies that the electronic states near the X points exhibit strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which leads to a vanishing effective 𝑔 factor and enables the enhanced Pauli limiting field. Furthermore, our DFT results reveal a Van Hove singularity peak near the X points, accounting for ∼65% of the total density of states (DOS), occurring near the chemical potential. We propose that the strong SOC and enhanced DOS in the vicinity of the X points provide the origin of the observed enhancement of the critical field. This leads to a prediction that the magnetic field will lead to a strongly momentum-dependent gap suppression. As a result, the gap due to electronic states away from (near to) the X points will be rapidly (slowly) suppressed by fields.

Critical field↗

Diverse electronic landscape of the kagome metal YbTi 3 Bi 4

Kagome lattices have emerged as an ideal platform for exploring exotic quantum phenomena in materials. Here, we report the discovery of Ti-based kagome metal YbTi 3 Bi 4 which we characterize using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and magneto-transport, in combination with density functional theory calculations. Our ARPES results reveal the complex fermiology of YbTi 3 Bi 4 and provide spectroscopic evidence of four flat bands. Our measurements also show the presence of multiple van Hove singularities originating from Ti 3d orbitals and a linearly-dispersing gapped Dirac-like bulk state at the $\overline{\text {K}}$ point in accord with our theoretical calculations. Our study establishes YbTi 3 Bi 4 as a platform for exploring exotic phases in the wider LnTi 3 Bi 4 (Ln = lanthanide) family of materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamic magnetic phase transition induced by parametric magnon pumping

Uncovering pathways to optically drive magnetic order-disorder transitions on ultrashort timescales can lead to the realization of novel out-of-equilibrium quantum phenomena. A long-sought pathway is to directly excite a highly nonthermal energy-momentum distribution of magnons, bypassing both charge and lattice degrees of freedom. However, this remains elusive owing to the weak coupling and large momentum mismatch between photons and magnons. Here we demonstrate strong parametric excitation of magnons across the entire Brillouin zone of the antiferromagnetic insulator Sr 2 ⁢Cu 3 ⁢O 4 ⁢Cl 2 by periodically modulating the superexchange interaction with the electric field of light. The excitation efficiency is greatly enhanced by tuning to the van Hove singularity in the magnon spectrum, sufficient to transiently collapse the antiferromagnetic state using a pulsed laser field of 10 9 V/m. The order parameter recovery timescale increases by over 1000 times as a function of excitation density, reflecting a crossover from high- to low-energy magnon dominated decay dynamics. This electric-field induced parametric magnon pumping mechanism is applicable to a broad range of magnetic insulators and opens up the possibility of dynamically engineering magnon distributions by design.

antiferromagnetism↗