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As compressed hydrides constantly refresh the records of superconducting critical temperatures (Tc) in the vicinity of room temperature, this further reinforces the confidence to find more high-temperature superconducting hydrides. In this process, metastable phases of superhydrides offer enough possibilities to access superior superconducting properties. Here we report a metastable hexagonal lanthanum superhydride (P63/mmc-LaH10) stabilized at 146 GPa by introducing an appropriate proportion of Al, which exhibits high-temperature superconductivity with Tc ∼ 178 K, and this value is enhanced to a maximum Tc ∼ 223 K at 164 GPa. A huge upper critical magnetic field value Hc2(0) reaches 223 T at 146 GPa. The small volume expansion of P63/mmc-(La, Al) H10 compared with the binary LaH10 indicates the possible interstitial sites of Al atoms filling into the La-H lattice, instead of forming conventional ternary alloy-based superhydrides. This work provides a new strategy for metastable high-temperature superconductors through the multiple-element system.

The presence of the van der Waals gap in layered materials creates a wealth of intriguing phenomena different to their counterparts in conventional materials. For example, pressurization can generate a large anisotropic lattice shrinkage along the stacking orientation and/or a significant interlayer sliding, and many of the exotic pressure-dependent properties derive from these mechanisms. Here we report a giant piezoresistivity in pressurized β′-In2Se3. Upon compression, a six-orders-of-magnitude drop of electrical resistivity is obtained below 1.2 GPa in β′-In2Se3 flakes, yielding a giant piezoresistive gauge πp of −5.33 GPa−1. Simultaneously, the sample undergoes a semiconductor-to-semimetal transition without a structural phase transition. Surprisingly, linear dichroism study and theoretical first principles modelling show that these phenomena arise not due to shrinkage or sliding at the van der Waals gap, but rather are dominated by the layer-dependent atomic motions inside the quintuple layer, mainly from the shifting of middle Se atoms to their high-symmetric location. The atomic motions link to both the band structure modulation and the in-plane ferroelectric dipoles. Our work not only provides a prominent piezoresistive material but also points out the importance of intralayer atomic motions beyond van der Waals gap.

CaSb2 is a topological nodal-line semimetal that becomes superconducting below 1.6 K, providing an ideal platform to investigate the interplay between topologically nontrivial electronic bands and superconductivity. In this work, we investigated the superconducting order parameter of CaSb2 by measuring its magnetic penetration depth change {\Delta}{\lambda}(T) down to 0.07 K, using a tunneling diode oscillator (TDO) based technique. Well inside the superconducting state, {\Delta}{\lambda}(T) shows an exponential activated behavior, and provides direct evidence for a nodeless superconducting gap. By analyzing the temperature dependence of the superfluid density and the electronic specific heat, we find both can be consistently described by a two-gap s-wave model, in line with the presence of multiple Fermi surfaces associated with distinct Sb sites in this compound. These results demonstrate fully-gapped superconductivity in CaSb2 and constrain the allowed pairing symmetry.

The ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ topological metals $R$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($R$ = K, Rb, Cs) with a layered kagome structure provide a unique opportunity to investigate the interplay between charge order, superconductivity and topology. Here, we report muon-spin relaxation/rotation ($\mu$SR) measurements performed on CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ across a broad temperature range, in order to uncover the nature of the charge-density wave order and superconductivity in this material. From zero-field $\mu$SR, we find that spontaneous magnetic fields appear below 50 K which is well below the charge-density wave transition ($T^* \sim 93$ K). We show that these spontaneous fields are dynamic in nature making it difficult to associate them with a hidden static order. The superconducting state of CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ is found to preserve time-reversal symmetry and the transverse-field $\mu$SR results are consistent with a superconducting state that has two fully open gaps., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures

The 4f-electron delocalization plays a key role in the low-temperature properties of rare-earth metals and intermetallics, and it is normally realized by the Kondo coupling between 4f and conduction electrons. Due to the large Coulomb repulsion of 4f electrons, the bandwidth-control Mott-type delocalization, commonly observed in d-electron systems, is difficult in 4f-electron systems and remains elusive in spectroscopic experiments. Here we demonstrate that the bandwidth-control orbital-selective delocalization of 4f electrons can be realized in epitaxial Ce films by thermal annealing, which results in a metastable surface phase with reduced layer spacing. The quasiparticle bands exhibit large dispersion with exclusive 4f character near \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\bar{{{\Gamma }}}$$\end{document}Γ¯ and extend reasonably far below the Fermi energy, which can be explained from the Mott physics. The experimental quasiparticle dispersion agrees well with density-functional theory calculation and also exhibits unusual temperature dependence, which could arise from the delicate interplay between the bandwidth-control Mott physics and the coexisting Kondo hybridization. Our work opens up the opportunity to study the interaction between two well-known localization-delocalization mechanisms in correlation physics, i.e., Kondo vs Mott, which can be important for a fundamental understanding of 4f-electron systems., The mechanism of the delocalization transition of 4f electrons in closely-packed Ce metal has been debated. Here, the authors present photoemission evidence for bandwidth-controlled Mott delocalization in a previously unreported structural phase of thin epitaxial Ce films obtained by thermal annealing.

The presence of the van der Waals (vdW) gap in layered materials creates a wealth of intriguing phenomena different to their counterparts in conventional materials. For example, pressurization can generate a large anisotropic lattice shrinkage along the vdW stacking orientation and/or a significant interlayer sliding, and many of the exotic pressure-dependent properties derive from these mechanisms. Here we report a giant piezoresistivity in pressurized \(\beta \text{’}\)-In2Se3. Upon compression, a six-orders-of-magnitude drop of electrical resistivity is obtained below 1.2 GPa in \(\beta \text{’}\)-In2Se3 flakes, yielding a giant piezoresistive gauge \({\pi }_{P}\) of -5.33 GPa− 1. Simultaneously, the sample undergoes a semiconductor-to-semimetal transition without a structural phase transition. Surprisingly, linear dichroism study and theoretical first principles modelling show that these phenomena arise not due to shrinkage or sliding at the vdW gap, but rather are dominated by the layer-dependent atomic motions inside the quintuple layer, mainly from the shifting of middle Se atoms to their high-symmetric location. Our work not only provides a prominent piezoresistive material but also points out the importance of intralayer atomic motions beyond vdW gap.

Topologically nontrivial electronic states are recently found in a family of noncentrosymmetric transition metal pnictides TRuX ( T = Zr, Hf; X = P, As), presenting a unique platform for superconductivity to interplay with topological electronic states and asymmetric spin–orbit coupling. Here, we investigate the superconducting order parameter of HfRuP and ZrRuAs by measuring the magnetic penetration depth change Δ λ ( T ) using a method based on the tunnel-diode oscillator. Both compounds show clear exponential temperature dependence in Δ λ ( T ) at low temperatures, suggesting fully-gapped superconductivity. Moreover, the superfluid densities in both HfRuP and ZrRuAs can be reasonably described by an s-wave superconducting model.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking has been a paradigm to describe the phase transitions in condensed matter physics. In addition to the continuous electromagnetic gauge symmetry, an unconventional superconductor can break discrete symmetries simultaneously, such as time reversal and lattice rotational symmetry. In this work we report a characteristic in-plane 2-fold behaviour of the resistive upper critical field and point-contact spectra on the superconducting semimetal PbTaSe2 with topological nodal-rings, despite its hexagonal lattice symmetry (or D_3h in bulk while C_3v on surface, to be precise). However, we do not observe any lattice rotational symmetry breaking signal from field-angle-dependent specific heat. It is worth noting that such surface-only electronic nematicity is in sharp contrast to the observation in the topological superconductor candidate, CuxBi2Se3, where the nematicity occurs in various bulk measurements. In combination with theory, superconducting nematicity is likely to emerge from the topological surface states of PbTaSe2, rather than the proximity effect. The issue of time reversal symmetry breaking is also addressed. Thus, our results on PbTaSe2 shed new light on possible routes to realize nematic superconductivity with nontrivial topology., Comment: 3 figures

The combination of magnetic symmetries and electronic band topology provides a promising route for realizing topologically nontrivial quasiparticles, and the manipulation of magnetic structures may enable the switching between topological phases, with the potential for achieving functional physical properties. Here, we report measurements of the electrical resistivity of EuCd2As2 under pressure, which show an intriguing insulating dome at pressures between pc1 ~ 1.0 GPa and pc2 ~ 2.0 GPa, situated between two regimes with metallic transport. The insulating state can be fully suppressed by a small magnetic field, leading to a colossal negative magnetoresistance on the order of 105%, accessible via a modest field of ~ 0.2 T. First-principles calculations reveal that the dramatic evolution of the resistivity under pressure can be attributed to consecutive transitions of EuCd2As2 from a magnetic topological insulator to a trivial insulator, and then to a Weyl semimetal, with the latter resulting from a pressure-induced change in the magnetic ground state. Similarly, the colossal magnetoresistance results from a field-induced polarization of the magnetic moments, transforming EuCd2As2 from a trivial insulator to a Weyl semimetal. These findings underscore weak exchange couplings and weak magnetic anisotropy as ingredients for discovering tunable magnetic topological materials with desirable functionalities.

The kagome lattice is host to flat bands, topological electronic structures, Van Hove singularities, and diverse electronic instabilities, providing an ideal platform for realizing highly tunable electronic states. Here, we report soft and mechanical point-contact spectroscopy (SPCS and MPCS) studies of the kagome superconductors ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ and $\mathrm{Cs}{\mathrm{V}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$. Compared to the superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ from specific heat and electrical resistance measurements, significantly enhanced values of ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ are observed via the zero-bias conductance of SPCS, which become further enhanced in MPCS measurements. While the differential conductance curves from SPCS can be described by a two-gap $s$-wave model, a single $s$-wave gap reasonably captures the MPCS data, likely due to a diminishing spectral weight of the other gap. The enhanced superconductivity probably arises from local strain caused by the point contact, which also leads to two-gap or single-gap behaviors observed in different point contacts. Our results demonstrate highly strain-sensitive superconductivity in kagome metals $\mathrm{Cs}{\mathrm{V}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ and ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$, which may be harnessed in the manipulation of possible Majorana zero modes.

$\mathrm{Ce}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{6}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{4}$ is an unusual example of a stoichiometric heavy fermion ferromagnet, which can be cleanly tuned by hydrostatic pressure to a quantum critical point. To understand the origin of this anomalous behavior, we have characterized the magnetic ordering and crystalline electric field (CEF) scheme of this system. While magnetic Bragg peaks are not resolved in neutron powder diffraction, coherent oscillations are observed in zero-field $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{SR}$ below ${T}_{\mathrm{C}}$, which are consistent with in-plane ferromagnetic ordering consisting of reduced Ce moments. From analyzing the magnetic susceptibility and inelastic neutron scattering, we propose a CEF-level scheme which accounts for the easy-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy, where the low lying first excited CEF exhibits significantly stronger hybridization than the ground state. These results suggest that the orbital anisotropy of the ground state and low-lying excited state doublets are important for realizing anisotropic electronic coupling between the $f$ and conduction electrons, which gives rise to the highly anisotropic hybridization observed in photoemission experiments.

The superconducting order parameter of the first heavy-fermion superconductor ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ is currently under debate. A key ingredient to understand its superconductivity and physical properties is the quasiparticle dispersion and Fermi surface, which remains elusive experimentally. Here, we present measurements from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results emphasize the key role played by the Ce $4f$ electrons for the low-temperature Fermi surface, highlighting a band-dependent conduction-$f$ electron hybridization. In particular, we find a very heavy quasi-two-dimensional electron band near the bulk $X$ point and moderately heavy three-dimensional hole pockets near the $Z$ point. Comparison with theoretical calculations reveals the strong local correlation in this compound, calling for further theoretical studies. Our results provide the electronic basis to understand the heavy-fermion behavior and superconductivity; implications for the enigmatic superconductivity of this compound are also discussed.

We report an investigation of the superconducting properties of the hexagonal noncentrosymmetric compound LaPdIn. Electrical resistivity, specific heat and ac susceptibility measurements demonstrate the presence of bulk superconductivity below $T_c$ = 1.6 K. The specific heat, together with the penetration depth measured using transverse-field muon spin rotation and the tunnel diode oscillator based method, are well described by single gap $s$-wave superconductivity, with a gap magnitude of 1.8$k_BT_c$. From zero-field muon spin relaxation results no evidence is found for the spontaneous emergence of magnetic fields in the superconducting state, indicating that time-reversal symmetry is preserved. Band structure calculations reveal that there is a relatively weak effect of antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling on the electronic bands near the Fermi level, which is consistent with there being negligible singlet-triplet mixing due to broken inversion symmetry. On the other hand, isostructural LuPdIn and LaPtIn do not exhibit superconductivity down to 0.4 K, which may be due to these systems having a smaller density of states at the Fermi level., 9 pages, 9 figures

The kagome metal ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ hosts charge order, topologically nontrivial Dirac band crossings, and a superconducting ground state with unconventional characteristics, providing an ideal platform to investigate the interplay between different electronic states on the kagome lattice. Here we study the evolution of charge order and superconductivity in ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ under hydrostatic pressure using electrical resistivity measurements. With the application of pressure, the superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}=0.9$ K under ambient pressure quickly increases to 3.1 K at $p=0.4$ GPa, as charge order progressively weakens. Upon further increasing pressure, signatures of charge order disappear at ${p}_{\mathrm{c}1}\ensuremath{\approx}0.5$ GPa and ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ is gradually suppressed, forming a superconducting dome that terminates at $p\ensuremath{\approx}10$ GPa. Beyond $p\ensuremath{\approx}10$ GPa, a second superconducting dome emerges with maximum ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}\ensuremath{\approx}1.0$ K at ${p}_{\mathrm{c}2}\ensuremath{\approx}22$ GPa, which becomes fully suppressed at $p\ensuremath{\approx}28$ GPa. The suppression of superconductivity for the second superconducting dome is associated with the appearance of a unique high-pressure phase, possibly a distinct charge order.

Heavy fermion compounds exhibiting a ferromagnetic quantum critical point have attracted considerable interest. Common to two known cases, i.e., CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} and YbNi_{4}P_{2}, is that the 4f moments reside along chains with a large interchain distance, exhibiting strong magnetic anisotropy that was proposed to be vital for the ferromagnetic quantum criticality. Here, we report an angle-resolved photoemission study on CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} in which we observe sharp momentum-dependent 4f bands and clear bending of the conduction bands near the Fermi level, indicating considerable hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons. The extracted hybridization strength is anisotropic in momentum space and is obviously stronger along the Ce chain direction.The hybridized 4f bands persist up to high temperatures, and the evolution of their intensity shows clear band dependence. Our results provide spectroscopic evidence for anisotropic hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons in CeRh_{6}Ge_{4}, which could be important for understanding the electronic origin of the ferromagnetic quantum criticality.

We report a comprehensive study of the centrosymmetric ${\mathrm{Re}}_{3}\mathrm{B}$ and noncentrosymmetric ${\mathrm{Re}}_{7}{\mathrm{B}}_{3}$ superconductors. At a macroscopic level, their bulk superconductivity (SC), with ${T}_{c}=5.1\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ (${\mathrm{Re}}_{3}\mathrm{B}$) and 3.3 K (${\mathrm{Re}}_{7}{\mathrm{B}}_{3}$), was characterized via electrical-resistivity, magnetization, and heat-capacity measurements, while their microscopic superconducting properties were investigated by means of muon-spin rotation and relaxation ($\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{SR}$). In both ${\mathrm{Re}}_{3}\mathrm{B}$ and ${\mathrm{Re}}_{7}{\mathrm{B}}_{3}$ the low-$T$ zero-field electronic specific heat and the superfluid density (determined via transverse-field $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{SR}$) suggest a nodeless SC. Both compounds exhibit some features of multigap SC, as evidenced by the temperature-dependent upper critical fields ${H}_{\mathrm{c}2}(T)$, as well as by electronic band-structure calculations. The absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below the onset of SC, as determined from zero-field $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{SR}$ measurements, indicates a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state of both ${\mathrm{Re}}_{3}\mathrm{B}$ and ${\mathrm{Re}}_{7}{\mathrm{B}}_{3}$. Our results suggest that a lack of inversion symmetry and the accompanying antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling effects are not essential for the occurrence of multigap SC in these rhenium-boron compounds.

The recently discovered kagome metal series $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($A$=K, Rb, Cs) exhibits topologically nontrivial band structures, chiral charge order and superconductivity, presenting a unique platform for realizing exotic electronic states. The nature of the superconducting state and the corresponding pairing symmetry are key questions that demand experimental clarification. Here, using a technique based on the tunneling diode oscillator, the magnetic penetration depth $\Delta\lambda(T)$ of CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ was measured down to 0.07 K. A clear exponential behavior in $\Delta\lambda(T)$ with marked deviations from a $T$ or $T^2$ temperature dependence is observed at low temperatures, indicating a deficiency of nodal quasiparticles. Temperature dependence of the superfluid density and electronic specific heat can be described by two-gap $s$-wave superconductivity, consistent with the presence of multiple Fermi surfaces in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. These results evidence nodeless superconductivity in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ under ambient pressure, and constrain the allowed pairing symmetry.

We have studied the superconducting gap structure of LaPt$_2$Si$_2$ by measuring the temperature dependence of the London penetration depth shift $\Delta\lambda(T)$ and point contact spectroscopy of single crystals. $\Delta\lambda(T)$ shows an exponential temperature dependence at low temperatures, and the derived normalized superfluid density $\rho_{s}(T)$ can be well described by a single-gap s-wave model. The point-contact conductance spectra can also be well fitted by an s-wave Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model, where the gap value shows a typical BCS temperature and magnetic field dependence consistent with type-II superconductivity. These results suggest fully gapped superconductivity in LaPt$_2$Si$_2$, with moderately strong electron-phonon coupling., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

Evidence for broken time reversal symmetry (TRS) has been found in the superconducting states of the ${R}_{5}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{6}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{18}$ ($R=\text{Sc}$, Y, Lu) compounds with a centrosymmetric caged crystal structure, but the origin of this phenomenon is unresolved. Here, we report neutron diffraction measurements of single crystals with $R=\text{Lu}$, as well as measurements of the temperature dependence of the magnetic penetration depth using a self-induced tunnel-diode-oscillator (TDO)-based technique, together with band structure calculations using density functional theory. Neutron diffraction measurements reveal that the system crystallizes in a tetragonal caged structure, and that one of the nominal Lu sites in the ${\mathrm{Lu}}_{5}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{6}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{18}$ structure is occupied by Sn, yielding a composition ${\mathrm{Lu}}_{5\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{6}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{18+x}$ ($x=1$). The low temperature penetration depth shift $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\lambda}(T)$ exhibits an exponential temperature dependence below around $0.3{T}_{c}$, giving clear evidence for fully gapped superconductivity. The derived superfluid density is reasonably well accounted for by a single-gap $s$-wave model, whereas agreement cannot be found for models of TRS breaking states with two-component order parameters. Moreover, band structure calculations reveal multiple bands crossing the Fermi level, and indicate that the aforementioned TRS breaking states would be expected to have nodes on the Fermi surface, in contrast to the observations.

Physical review / B 104(17), 174425 (2021). doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.104.174425, We report the observation of multiple magnetic transitions in single crystals of EuPtAs using magnetization, transport, and thermodynamic measurements. EuPtAs crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric tetragonal LaPtSi-type structure (space group I41md) and undergoes a second-order antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at 14.8 K, which is followed by a first-order transition at about 7.5 K. Both transitions are suppressed by magnetic fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the c axis, and multiple field-induced transitions are observed for both field directions, leading to complex temperature-field diagrams with a domelike magnetic phase for fields parallel to the c axis. Moreover, the dependence of the low-temperature resistivity on the application of a training field, together with a lack of remanent magnetization, suggests the presence of multiple AFM domains in zero field., Published by Inst., Woodbury, NY

We report the discovery of superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric NbReSi, which crystallizes in a hexagonal ZrNiAl-type crystal structure with space group $P\bar{6}2m$ (No.~189). Bulk superconductivity, with $T_c$ = 6.5 K was characterized via electrical-resistivity, magnetization, and heat-capacity measurements. The low-temperature electronic specific heat suggests a fully gapped superconducting state in NbReSi, while a large upper critical field of $\mu_0H_\mathrm{c2}(0)$ $\sim$ 12.6 T is obtained, which is comparable to the weak-coupling Pauli limit. The electronic band-structure calculations show that the density of states at the Fermi level are dominated by Re and Nb $d$-orbitals, with a sizeable band splitting induced by the antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling. NbReSi represents another candidate material for revealing the puzzle of time-reversal symmetry breaking observed in some Re-based superconductors and its relation to the lack of inversion symmetry., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures; accepted by Phys. Rev. Materials

We report a mechanical point-contact spectroscopy study on the single crystalline NbGe$_2$ with a superconducting transition temperature $T\rm_c$ = 2.0 - 2.1 K. The differential conductance curves at 0.3 K can be well fitted by a single gap s-wave Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model and the temperature dependent gap follows a standard Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer behavior, yielding $\Delta_0 \sim$ 0.32 meV and 2$\Delta_0$/$k\rm_{B}$$T\rm_{c}$ = 3.62 in the weak coupling limit. In magnetic field, the superconducting gap at 0.3 K keeps constant up to $H_{c1}\sim$150 Oe and gradually decreases until $H_{c2}\sim$350 Oe, indicating NbGe$_2$ going through a transition from type-I to type-II (possible type-II/1) superconductor at low temperature., Comment: 6 pages and 4 figures

Ferromagnetic quantum critical points were predicted to be prohibited in clean itinerant ferromagnetic systems, yet such a phenomenon was recently revealed in CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$, where the Curie temperature can be continuously suppressed to zero under a moderate hydrostatic pressure. Here we report the observation of quantum oscillations in CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$ from measurements using the cantilever and tunnel-diode oscillator methods in fields up to 45 T, clearly demonstrating that the ferromagnetic quantum criticality occurs in a clean system. In order to map the Fermi surface of CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$, we performed angle-dependent measurements of quantum oscillations at ambient pressure, and compared the results to density functional theory calculations. The results are consistent with the Ce 4f electrons remaining localized, and not contributing to the Fermi surface, suggesting that localized ferromagnetism is a key factor for the occurrence of a ferromagnetic quantum critical point in CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures

We report the ultrafast optical pump-probe spectroscopy measurements on the recently discovered quantum critical ferromagnet ${\mathrm{CeRh}}_{6}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{4}$. Our experimental results reveal the two-stage development of the hybridization between localized $f$ moments and conduction electrons with lowering temperature, as evidenced by (1) the presence of hybridization fluctuation for temperatures from $\ensuremath{\sim}85\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ (${T}^{*}$) to $\ensuremath{\sim}140\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ (${T}^{\ifmmode\dagger\else\textdagger\fi{}}$), and (2) the emergence of collective hybridization below the coherence temperature, ${T}^{*}$, marked by the opening of an indirect gap of $2\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\approx}12\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$. We also observe three coherent phonon modes being softened anomalously below ${T}^{*}$, reflecting directly their coupling with the emergent coherent heavy electrons. Our findings establish the universal nature of fluctuation and coherence during the hybridization process in heavy fermion systems.

The interplay of superconductivity with electronic and structural instabilities on the kagome lattice provides a fertile ground for the emergence of unusual phenomena. The vanadium-based kagome metals AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) exhibit superconductivity on an almost ideal kagome lattice, with the superconducting transition temperature Tc forming two domes upon pressure-tuning. The first dome arises from the competition between superconductivity and a charge-density-wave, whereas the origin for the second dome remains unclear. Herein, we show that the appearance of the second superconducting dome in KV3Sb5 and RbV3Sb5 is associated with transitions from hexagonal P6/mmm to monoclinic P2/m structures, evidenced by splitting of structural peaks from synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction experiments and imaginary phonon frequencies in first-principles calculations. In KV3Sb5, transition to an orthorhombic Pmmm structure is further observed for pressure p≥20 GPa, and is correlated with the strong suppression of Tc in the second superconducting dome. Our findings indicate distortions of the crystal structure modulates superconductivity in AV3Sb5 under pressure, providing a platform to study the emergence of superconductivity in the presence of multiple structural instabilities.

Heavy fermion compounds exhibiting a ferromagnetic quantum critical point have attracted considerable interest. Common to two known cases, i.e., CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} and YbNi_{4}P_{2}, is that the 4f moments reside along chains with a large interchain distance, exhibiting strong magnetic anisotropy that was proposed to be vital for the ferromagnetic quantum criticality. Here, we report an angle-resolved photoemission study on CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} in which we observe sharp momentum-dependent 4f bands and clear bending of the conduction bands near the Fermi level, indicating considerable hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons. The extracted hybridization strength is anisotropic in momentum space and is obviously stronger along the Ce chain direction.The hybridized 4f bands persist up to high temperatures, and the evolution of their intensity shows clear band dependence. Our results provide spectroscopic evidence for anisotropic hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons in CeRh_{6}Ge_{4}, which could be important for understanding the electronic origin of the ferromagnetic quantum criticality.

Superconductivity and magnetism are antagonistic states of matter. The presence of spontaneous magnetic fields inside the superconducting state is, therefore, an intriguing phenomenon prompting extensive experimental and theoretical research. In this review, we discuss recent experimental discoveries of unconventional superconductors which spontaneously break time-reversal symmetry and theoretical efforts in understanding their properties. We discuss the main experimental probes and give an extensive account of theoretical approaches to understand the order parameter symmetries and the corresponding pairing mechanisms including the importance of multiple bands., 29 pages, 10 figures

The superconducting order parameter of the first heavy-fermion superconductor CeCu_{2}Si_{2} is currently under debate. A key ingredient to understand its superconductivity and physical properties is the quasiparticle dispersion and Fermi surface, which remains elusive experimentally. Here, we present measurements from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results emphasize the key role played by the Ce 4f electrons for the low-temperature Fermi surface, highlighting a band-dependent conduction-f electron hybridization. In particular, we find a very heavy quasi-two-dimensional electron band near the bulk X point and moderately heavy three-dimensional hole pockets near the Z point. Comparison with theoretical calculations reveals the strong local correlation in this compound, calling for further theoretical studies. Our results provide the electronic basis to understand the heavy-fermion behavior and superconductivity; implications for the enigmatic superconductivity of this compound are also discussed.

The electronic structure and phonon properties of LaNiSi, LaPtSi, and LaPtGe have been studied using the first-principles density functional calculations. The electronic density of states near Fermi level of these compounds are dominated by the transition metal $d$ orbitals and Si/Ge $p$ orbitals, forming six sheets of Fermi surfaces. The asymmetric spin-orbit coupling lifts the spin degeneracies and creates four topological Weyl nodal rings around $X$ points, protected by the nonsymmorphic symmetry and time-reversal symmetry. The bare-electron susceptibility does not show a prominent feature, and electron-phonon coupling is sufficient to explain the observed superconductivity.

The superconducting gap symmetry of $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{PdBi}}_{2}$ is studied by measuring the London penetration depth $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\lambda}(T)$ as well as the heat capacity ${C}_{P}(T,B)$. In the low temperature limit, both the penetration depth $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\lambda}(T)$ and the electronic specific heat ${C}_{e}(T)/T$ follow exponential-type temperature dependence, providing evidence for fully gapped superconductivity in this compound. Analysis of the superfluid density ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}(T)$ suggests single-gap $s$-wave superconductivity for $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{PdBi}}_{2}$, which is further supported by the linear field dependence of the Sommerfeld coefficient ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0}(B)$ determined in the superconducting state.

Author(s): Xie, W; Wu, Y; Du, F; Wang, A; Su, H; Chen, Y; Nie, ZY; Mo, SK; Smidman, M; Cao, C; Liu, Y; Takabatake, T; Yuan, HQ | Abstract: A number of rare-earth monopnictides have topologically nontrivial band structures together with magnetism and strong electronic correlations. In order to examine whether the antiferromagnetic (AFM) semimetal YbAs (TN=0.5 K) exhibits such a scenario, we have grown high-quality single crystals using a flux method, and characterized the magnetic properties and electronic structure using specific heat, magnetotransport, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements, together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Both ARPES and DFT calculations find no evidence for band inversions in YbAs, indicating a topologically trivial electronic structure. From low-temperature magnetotransport measurements, we map the field-temperature phase diagram, where we find the presence of a field stabilized phase distinct from the AFM phase at low temperatures. An extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) for both YbAs and the nonmagnetic counterpart LuAs is also observed, which can consistently be accounted for by the presence of electron-hole compensation. Moreover, an angle-dependent study of the Shubnikov-de Haas effect oscillations reveals very similar Fermi surfaces between YbAs and LuAs, with light effective masses down to at least 0.5 K, indicating that the Yb-4f electrons are well localized, and do not contribute to the Fermi surface. However, the influence of the localized Yb-4f electrons on the magnetotransport of YbAs can be discerned from the distinct temperature dependence of the XMR compared to that of LuAs, which we attribute to the influence of short-ranged spin correlations that appear well above TN.

We investigate the quasiparticle dynamics in the prototypical heavy fermion ${\mathrm{CeCoIn}}_{5}$ using ultrafast optical pump-probe spectroscopy. Our results indicate that this material system undergoes hybridization fluctuations before the establishment of heavy electron coherence, as the temperature decreases from $\ensuremath{\sim}120\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$ (${T}^{\ifmmode\dagger\else\textdagger\fi{}}$) to $\ensuremath{\sim}55\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$ (${T}^{*}$). We reveal that the anomalous coherent phonon softening and damping reduction below ${T}^{*}$ are directly associated with the emergence of collective hybridization. We also discover a distinct collective mode with an energy of $\ensuremath{\sim}8\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{meV}$, which may be experimental evidence of the predicted unconventional density wave. Our findings provide important information for understanding the hybridization dynamics in heavy fermion systems.

We have performed systematic first principles study of the electronic structure and band topology properties of $LnPn$ compounds ($Ln$=Ce, Pr, Gd, Sm, Yb; $Pn$=Sb, Bi). Assuming the $f$-electrons are well localized in these materials, both hybrid functional and modified Becke-Johnson calculations yield electronic structure in good agreement with experimental observations, while generalized gradient approximation calculations severely overestimate the band inversions. From Ce to Yb, a systematic reduction of band inversion with respect to the increasing $Ln$ atomic number is observed, and $\mathcal{Z}_2$ for Ce$Pn$ and Yb$Pn$ are [1;000] and [0;000], respectively. In both hybrid functional and modified Becke-Johns calculations, a topologically nontrivial to trivial transition is expected around SmSb for the antimonides and around DyBi for the bismuthides. Such variation is related with lanthanide contraction, but is different from simple pressure effect., Updated version

The heavy fermion ferromagnet CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$ is the first example of a clean stoichiometric system where the ferromagnetic transition can be continuously suppressed by hydrostatic pressure to a quantum critical point. In order to reveal the outcome when the magnetic lattice of CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$ is diluted with non-magnetic atoms, this study reports comprehensive measurements of the physical properties of both single crystal and polycrystalline samples of La$_x$Ce$_{1-x}$Rh$_6$Ge$_4$. With increasing $x$, the Curie temperature decreases, and no transition is observed for $x$ $>$ 0.25, while the system evolves from exhibiting coherent Kondo lattice behaviors at low $x$, to the Kondo impurity scenario at large $x$. Moreover, non-Fermi liquid behavior (NFL) is observed over a wide doping range, which agrees well with the disordered Kondo model for 0.52 $\leq$ $x$ $\leq$ 0.66, while strange metal behavior is revealed in the vicinity of $x_c$ = 0.26., 6 pages, 5 figures

Materials where the electronic bands have unusual topologies allow for the realization of novel physics and have a wide range of potential applications. When two electronic bands with linear dispersions intersect at a point, the excitations could be described as Weyl fermions which are massless particles with a particular chirality. Here we report evidence for the presence of Weyl fermions in the ferromagnetic state of the low-carrier density, strongly correlated Kondo lattice system CeSb, from electronic structure calculations and angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements. When the applied magnetic field is parallel to the electric current, a pronounced negative magnetoresistance is observed within the ferromagnetic state, which is destroyed upon slightly rotating the field away. These results give evidence for CeSb belonging to a new class of Kondo lattice materials with Weyl fermions in the ferromagnetic state., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary Information available from journal link (open access)

We present detailed results of the field evolution of the de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) effect in . A magnetic field-induced reconstruction of the Fermi surface is clearly shown to occur inside the antiferromagnetic state, in an applied field of around T, which is evidenced by the appearance of several new dHvA branches. The angular dependence of the dHvA frequencies reveals that the Fermi surfaces of at and are similar. The results suggest that the Ce-4f electrons in become itinerant at due to the Kondo effect, prior to the field-induced quantum critical point (QCP) at T. The electronic states at the field-induced QCP are therefore different from that of the pressure-induced QCP where a dramatic Fermi surface reconstruction occurs exactly at the critical pressure, indicating that multiple types of QCP may exist in .

We report a study of the structural and magnetic properties of single crystals of Ce$_2$IrGa$_{12}$. Ce$_2$IrGa$_{12}$ crystallizes in a layered tetragonal structure, and undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition below 3.1 K. We characterize the temperature-field phase diagrams of Ce$_2$IrGa$_{12}$ for fields both within the $ab$-plane and along the $c$-axis, where the presence of a field-induced magnetic phase is found for in-plane fields. The ordering temperature is moderately enhanced upon the application of pressures up to 2.3~GPa, suggesting that Ce$_2$IrGa$_{12}$ corresponds to the well localized region of the Doniach phase diagram.

We report the discovery of a new noncentrosymmetric superconductor CaPtAs. It crystallizes in a tetragonal structure (space group $I4_1md$, No.109), featuring three dimensional honeycomb networks of Pt-As and a much elongated $c$-axis ($a = b = 4.18 $ \AA, and $c = 43.70 $ \AA). The superconductivity of CaPtAs with $T_c$ = 1.47 K was characterized by means of electrical resistivity, specific heat, and ac magnetic susceptibility. The electronic specific heat $C_\mathrm{e}(T)/T$ shows evidence for a deviation from the behavior of a conventional BCS superconductor, and can be reasonably fitted by a $p$-wave model. The upper critical field $\mu_0H_{c2}$ of CaPtAs exhibits a relatively large anisotropy, with an in-plane value of around 204 mT and an out-of-plane value of 148 mT. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Pt-5$d$ and As-4$p$ orbitals mainly contribute to the density of states near the Fermi level, showing that the Pt-As honeycomb networks may significantly influence the superconducting properties., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy

We report measurements of the electrical resistivity and ac magnetic susceptibility of single crystalline LaPt$_2$Si$_2$ under pressure, in order to investigate the interplay of superconductivity and CDW order. LaPt$_2$Si$_2$ exhibits a first order phase transition from a tetragonal to orthorhombic structure, accompanied by the onset of CDW order below $T_{\rm{CDW}}$ = 76 K, while superconductivity occurs at a lower temperature of $T_{\rm{c}}$ = 1.87 K. We find that the application of pressure initially suppresses the CDW transition, but enhances $T_{\rm{c}}$. At pressures above 2.4 GPa, CDW order vanishes, while both $T_{\rm{c}}$ and the resistivity $A$-coefficient reach a maximum value around this pressure. Our results suggest that the occurrence of a superconducting dome can be accounted for within the framework of BCS theory, where there is a maximum in the density of states upon the closure of the CDW gap., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

By employing a series of experimental techniques, we provide clear evidence that CaPtAs represents a rare example of a noncentrosymmetric superconductor which simultaneously exhibits nodes in the superconducting gap and broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in its superconducting state (below $T_c$ $\approx$ 1.5 K). Unlike in fully-gapped superconductors, the magnetic penetration depth $\lambda(T)$ does not saturate at low temperatures, but instead it shows a $T^2$-dependence, characteristic of gap nodes. Both the superfluid density and the electronic specific heat are best described by a two-gap model comprising of a nodeless gap and a gap with nodes, rather than by single-band models. At the same time, zero-field muon-spin spectra exhibit increased relaxation rates below the onset of superconductivity, implying that TRS is broken in the superconducting state of CaPtAs, hence indicating its unconventional nature. Our observations suggest CaPtAs to be a new remarkable material which links two apparently disparate classes, that of TRS-breaking correlated magnetic superconductors with nodal gaps and the weakly-correlated noncentrosymmetric superconductors with broken TRS, normally exhibiting only a fully-gapped behavior., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. Lett

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and resonant ARPES, we report evidence of strong anisotropic conduction-$f$ electron mixing ($c\text{\ensuremath{-}}f$ mixing) in CeBi by observing a largely expanded Ce $5d$ pocket at low temperature, with no change in the Bi $6p$ bands. The anisotropic Fermi surface (FS) expansion is accompanied by a pronounced spectral weight transfer from the local $4{f}^{0}$ peak of Ce (corresponding to $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{e}}^{3+}$) to the itinerant conduction bands near the Fermi level. Careful analysis suggests that the observed large FS change (with a volume expansion of the electron pocket up to 40%) can most naturally be explained by a small valence change $(\ensuremath{\sim}1%)$ of Ce, which coexists with a very weak Kondo screening. Our work therefore provides evidence for a FS change driven by real charge fluctuations deep in the Kondo limit, which is highly dependent on the orbital character and momentum and is made possible by the low carrier density.

The strange metal phases found to develop in a wide range of materials near a quantum critical point (QCP), have posed a long-standing mystery. The frequent association of strange metals with unconventional superconductivity and antiferromagnetic QCPs has led to a belief that they are highly entangled quantum states. Ferromagnets, by contrast are regarded as an unlikely setting for strange metals, for they are weakly entangled and their QCPs are often interrupted by competing phases or first order phase transitions. Here, we provide compelling evidence that the stoichiometric heavy fermion ferromagnet CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$ becomes a strange metal at a pressure-induced QCP: specific heat and resistivity measurements demonstrate that the FM transition is continuously suppressed to zero temperature revealing a strange metal phase. We argue that strong magnetic anisotropy plays a key role in this process,injecting entanglement, in the form of triplet resonating valence bonds (tRVBs) into the ordered ferromagnet. We show that the singular transformation from tRVBs into Kondo singlets that occurs at the QCP causes a jump in the Fermi surface volume: a key driver of strange metallic behavior. Our results open up a new direction for research into FM quantum criticality, while also establishing an important new setting for the strange metal problem. Most importantly, strange metallic behavior at a FM quantum critical point suggests that it is quantum entanglement rather than the destruction of antiferromagnetism that is the common driver of the many varied examples of strange metallic behavior., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, Supplementary Information available upon request. The manuscript is the original submitted version, the revised version is accepted by Nature

We present a detailed investigation of the physical properties of ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{2}\mathrm{Sb}$ and ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{2}\mathrm{Bi}$ single crystals, which undergo antiferromagnetic transitions at around 8.2 and 10 K, respectively. When magnetic fields are applied parallel to the $c$ axis, metamagnetic transitions are observed at low temperatures, corresponding to a magnetic field induced phase transition. It is found that the field induced transition changes from second order at higher temperatures, to first order at low temperatures, suggesting the existence of tricritical points (TCPs) in both compounds. Since replacing Bi with Sb suppresses the TCP to lower temperatures and corresponds to a positive chemical pressure, these results suggest that applying pressure to ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{2}\mathrm{Sb}$ may suppress the TCP to lower temperatures, potentially to zero temperature at a quantum tricritical point.

Combining angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and magneto-transport measurements, we systematically investigated the possible origin of the extreme magnetoresistance in Pr/Sm mono-antimonides/bismuthides (PrSb, SmSb, PrBi, SmBi). Our photoemission measurements reveal that the bulk band inversion and surface states are absent (present) in Pr/Sm antimonides (bismuthides), implying that topological surface states are unlikely to play an important role for the observed extreme magnetoresistance. We found that the electron-hole compensation is well satisfied in all these compounds and the bulk band structure exhibits no obvious temperature dependence from 10 K up to 150 K. Simultaneous fittings of the magnetoresistance and Hall coefficient reveal that the carrier mobility is dramatically enhanced at low temperature, which naturally explains the suppression of extreme magnetoresistance at high temperatures. Our results therefore show that the extreme magnetoresistance in these compounds can be well accounted for by the two-band model with good electron-hole compensation. Finally, we found that both PrSb and SmSb exhibit highly linear bulk bands near the X point and lie close to the transition point between a topologically trivial and nontrivial phase, which might be relevant for the observed anomalous quantum oscillations., 6 figures