Search

The electronic structure inhomogeneities in Co, Ni, and Cr doped BaFe2As2 122 single crystals are compared using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S) at the nanoscale within three bulk property regions in the phase diagram: a pure superconducting (SC) dome region (Co-122), a coexisting SC and antiferromagnetic (AFM) region (Ni-122), and a non-SC region (Cr-122). Machine learning is utilized to categorize the various nanometer scale inhomogeneous electronic states, described here as in-gap, L-shape and S-shape states immersed into the SC matrix for Ni-and Co-doped 122, and L-shape and S-shape states into the metallic matrix for Cr-doped 122. Although the relative percentages of in-gap, L-shape and S-shape states vary in the three samples, the total volume fraction of the three electronic states is quite similar. This is coincident with the number of electrons (Ni0.04 and Co0.08) and holes (Cr0.04) doped into the 122 compound. By combining the volume fractions of the three states, the local density of states (LDOS), magnetic field dependent behavior and global properties in these three samples, the in-gap state is confirmed as a magnetic impurity state from the Co or Ni dopants. In addition, the L-shape state is identified as a spin density wave (SDW) which competes with the SC phase, and the S-shape state is found to be another form of magnetic order which constructively cooperates with the SC phase, rather than competing with it. The comparison of the vortex structures indicates that the inhomogeneous electronic states serve as pinning centers for stabilizing the vortex lattice.

Inspired by the profound physical connotations and potential application prospects of the valleytronics, we design a two-dimensional (2D) WS2/h-VN magnetic van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure and study the control of valley degree of freedom through the first-principles calculations. A considerable spin splitting of 627 meV is obtained at the K valley, accompanied with a strong suppression of that at the K' valley. An intrinsic large valley splitting of 376 meV is generated in the valence band, which corresponds to an effective Zeeman magnetic field of 2703 T. Besides of the valence band, the conduction band of WS2 possesses a remarkable spin splitting also, and valley labelled dark exciton states are present at the K' valley. The strengths of spin and valley splitting relied on the interfacial orbital hybridization are further tuned continually by the in-plane strain and interlayer spacing. Maximum spin and valley splitting of 654 and 412 meV are finally achieved, respectively, and the effective Zeeman magnetic field can be enhanced to 2989T with a -3 % strain. Time-reversal symmetry breaking and the sizable Berry curvature in the heterostructure lead to a prominent anomalous Hall conductivity at the K and K' valleys. Based on these finding, a prototype filter device for both the valley and spin is proposed.

Combined scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy and local barrier height (LBH) studies show that low-temperature-cleaved optimally-doped Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 crystals with x=0.06, with Tc = 22 K, have complicated morphologies. Although the cleavage surface and hence the morphologies are variable, the superconducting gap maps show the same gap widths and nanometer size inhomogeneities irrelevant to the morphology. Based on the spectroscopy and LBH maps, the bright patches and dark stripes in the morphologies are identified as Ba and As dominated surface terminations, respectively. Magnetic impurities, possibly due to cobalt or Fe atoms, are believed to create local in-gap state and in addition suppress the superconducting coherence peaks. This study will clarify the confusion on the cleavage surface terminations of the Fe-based superconductors, and its relation with the electronic structures., Comment: Accepted to Nano Letters (5 figures)