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We study single crystals of the magnetic superconductor EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$ by magnetization, electron spin resonance (ESR), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and electrical resistance in pulsed magnetic fields up to 630 kOe. The superconducting state below 36.5 K is almost isotropic and only weakly affected by the development of Eu$^{2+}$ magnetic order at 15 K. On the other hand, for the external magnetic field applied along the c-axis the temperature dependence of the ESR linewidth reveals a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless topological transition below 15 K. This indicates that Eu$^{2+}$-planes are a good realization of a two-dimensional XY-magnet, which reflects the decoupling of the Eu$^{2+}$ magnetic moments from superconducting FeAs-layers.

The research effort prompted by the prediction that SmB$_6$ could be the first topological Kondo insulator has produced a wealth of new results, though not all of these seem compatible. A major discrepancy exists between scanning tunneling microscopy / spectroscopy (STM/S) and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), because the two experimental methods suggest a very different number of terminations of the (100) surface with different properties. Here we tackle this issue in a combined STM/S and ARPES study. We find that two of the well-ordered topographies reported in earlier STM studies can be associated with the crystal terminations identified using photoemission. We further observe a reversal of the STM contrast with bias voltage for one of the topographies. We ascribe this result to a different energy dependence of Sm and B-derived states, and show that it can be used to obtain element specific images of SmB$_6$ and identify which topography belongs to which termination. We finally find STS results to support a modification of the low-energy electronic structure at the surface that has been proposed as the trivial origin of surface metallicity in this material., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

Using spin- and angle-resolved spectroscopy and relativistic many-body calculations, we investigate the evolution of the electronic structure of (Bi$_{1-x}$In$_x$)$_2$Se$_3$ bulk single crystals around the critical point of the trivial to topological insulator quantum-phase transition. By increasing $x$, we observe how a surface gap opens at the Dirac point of the initially gapless topological surface state of Bi$_2$Se$_3$, leading to the existence of massive fermions. The surface gap monotonically increases for a wide range of $x$ values across the topological and trivial sides of the quantum-phase transition. By means of photon-energy dependent measurements, we demonstrate that the gapped surface state survives the inversion of the bulk bands which occurs at a critical point near $x=0.055$. The surface state exhibits a non-zero in-plane spin polarization which decays exponentially with increasing $x$, and that persists on both the topological and trivial insulator phases. Its out-of-plane spin polarization remains zero demonstrating the absence of a hedgehog spin texture expected from broken time-reversal symmetry. Our calculations reveal qualitative agreement with the experimental results all across the quantum-phase transition upon the systematic variation of the spin-orbit coupling strength. A non-time reversal symmetry breaking mechanism of bulk-mediated scattering processes that increase with decreasing spin-orbit coupling strength is proposed as explanation., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

Magnetically doped topological insulators enable the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) which provides quantized edge states for lossless charge transport applications. The edge states are hosted by a magnetic energy gap at the Dirac point but all attempts to observe it directly have been unsuccessful. The gap size is considered crucial to overcoming the present limitations of the QAHE, which so far occurs only at temperatures one to two orders of magnitude below its principle limit set by the ferromagnetic Curie temperature $T_C$. Here, we use low temperature photoelectron spectroscopy to unambiguously reveal the magnetic gap of Mn-doped Bi$_2$Te$_3$ films, which is present only below $T_C$. Surprisingly, the gap turns out to be $\sim$90 meV wide, which not only exceeds $k_BT$ at room temperature but is also 5 times larger than predicted by density functional theory. By an exhaustive multiscale structure characterization we show that this enhancement is due to a remarkable structure modification induced by Mn doping. Instead of a disordered impurity system, it forms an alternating sequence of septuple and quintuple layer blocks, where Mn is predominantly incorporated in the septuple layers. This self-organized heterostructure substantially enhances the wave-function overlap and the size of the magnetic gap at the Dirac point, as recently predicted. Mn-doped Bi$_2$Se$_3$ forms a similar heterostructure, however, only a large, nonmagnetic gap is formed. We explain both differences based on the higher spin-orbit interaction in Bi$_2$Te$_3$ with the most important consequence of a magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the films, whereas for Bi$_2$Se$_3$ the spin-orbit interaction it is too weak to overcome the dipole-dipole interaction. Our findings provide crucial insights for pushing the lossless transport properties of topological insulators towards room-temperature applications., Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures

The nonmagnetic compounds showing extremely large magnetoresistance are attracting a great deal of research interests due to their potential applications in the field of spintronics. PtBi$_2$ is one of such interesting compounds showing large linear magnetoresistance (MR) in its both the hexagonal and pyrite crystal structure. We use angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand the mechanism of liner MR observed in the hexagonal PtBi$_2$. Our results uncover for the first time linear dispersive surface Dirac states at the $\bar{\Gamma}$-point, crossing Fermi level with node at a binding energy of $\approx$ 900 meV, in addition to the previously reported Dirac states at the $\bar{M}$-point in the same compound. We further notice from our dichroic measurements that these surface states show an asymmetric spectral intensity when measured with left and right circularly polarized light, hinting at a substantial spin polarization of the bands. Following these observations, we suggest that the linear dispersive Dirac states at the $\bar{\Gamma}$ and $\bar{M}$-points are likely to play a crucial role for the linear field dependent magnetoresistance recorded in this compound.

In this article we review our angle- and time-resolved photoemission studies (ARPES and trARPES) on various ferropnictides.

Combining multiple emergent correlated properties such as superconductivity and magnetism within the topological matrix can have exceptional consequences in garnering new and exotic physics. Here, we study the topological surface states from a noncentrosymmetric $��$-BiPd superconductor by employing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and first principle calculations. We observe that the Dirac surface states of this system have several interesting and unusual properties, compared to other topological surface states. The surface state is strongly anisotropic and the in-plane Fermi velocity varies rigorously on rotating the crystal about the $y$-axis. Moreover, it acquires an unusual band gap as a function of $k_y$, possibly due to hybridization with bulk bands, detected upon varying the excitation energy. Coexistence of all the functional properties, in addition to the unusual surface state characteristics make this an interesting material., submitted on 26th April, 2016; to appear in PRL

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we studied the effect of the impurity potential on the electronic structure of FeTe$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$ superconductor by substituting 10\% of Ni for Fe which leads to an electron doping of the system. We could resolve three hole pockets near the zone center and an electron pocket near the zone corner in the case of FeTe$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$, whereas only two hole pockets near the zone center and an electron pocket near the zone corner are resolved in the case of Fe$_{0.9}$Ni$_{0.1}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$, suggesting that the hole pocket having predominantly the $xy$ orbital character is very sensitive to the impurity scattering. Upon electron doping, the size of the hole pockets decrease and the size of the electron pockets increase as compared to the host compound. However, the observed changes in the size of the electron and hole pockets are not consistent with the rigid-band model. Moreover, the effective mass of the hole pockets is reduced near the zone center and of the electron pockets is increased near the zone corner in the doped Fe$_{0.9}$Ni$_{0.1}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$ as compared to FeTe$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$. We refer these observations to the changes of the spectral function due to the effect of the impurity potential of the dopants., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures

We report an angle-resolved photoemission investigation of optimally-doped Ca$_{0.33}$Na$_{0.67}$Fe$_2$As$_2$. The Fermi surface topology of this compound is similar to that of the well-studied Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ material, except for larger hole pockets resulting from a higher hole concentration per Fe atoms. We find that the quasi-nesting conditions are weakened in this compound as compared to Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$. As with Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ though, we observe nearly isotropic superconducting gaps with Fermi surface-dependent magnitudes. A small variation in the gap size along the momentum direction perpendicular to the surface is found for one of the Fermi surfaces. Our superconducting gap results on all Fermi surface sheets fit simultaneously very well to a global gap function derived from a strong coupling approach, which contains only 2 global parameters., 5 pages, 4 figures

We used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory calculations to study the electronic structure of Ba(Fe1-x-yCoxMny)2As2 for x=0.06 and 0, Revised version 5 pages, 3 figures

We report the observation by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of an impurity state located inside the superconducting gap of Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ and vanishing above the superconducting critical temperature, for which the spectral weight is confined in momentum space near the Fermi wave vector positions. We demonstrate, supported by theoretical simulations, that this in-gap state originates from weak non-magnetic scattering between bands with opposite sign of the superconducting gap phase. This weak scattering, likely due to off-plane Ba/K disorders, occurs mostly among neighboring Fermi surfaces, suggesting that the superconducting gap phase changes sign within holelike (and electronlike) bands. Our results impose severe restrictions on the models promoted to explain high-temperature superconductivity in these materials., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review X

We used polarization-dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to study the high-energy anomaly (HEA) in the dispersion of Nd2-xCexCuO4, (x=0.123). We have found that at particular photon energies the anomalous, waterfalllike dispersion gives way to a broad, continuous band. This suggests that the HEA is a matrix element effect: it arises due to a suppression of the intensity of the broadened quasi-particle band in a narrow momentum range. We confirm this interpretation experimentally, by showing that the HEA appears when the matrix element is suppressed deliberately by changing the light polarization. Calculations of the matrix element using atomic wave functions and simulation of the ARPES intensity with one-step model calculations provide further proof for this scenario. The possibility to detect the full quasi-particle dispersion further allows us to extract the high-energy self-energy function near the center and at the edge of the Brillouin zone., Comment: 5 pages 2 figures, corrected typos

The electronic structure of the iron chalcogenide superconductor FeSe_{1-x} was investigated by high- resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The results were compared to DFT calculations showing some significant differences between the experimental electronic structure of FeSe_{1-x}, DFT calculations and existing data on FeSe_{x}Te_{1-x}. The bands undergo a pronounced orbital dependent renormalization, different from what was observed for FeSe_{x}Te_{1-x} and any other pnictides.

We performed a high energy resolution ARPES investigation of over-doped Ba0.1K0.9Fe2As2 with T_c= 9 K. The Fermi surface topology of this material is similar to that of KFe2As2 and differs from that of slightly less doped Ba0.3K0.7Fe2As2, implying that a Lifshitz transition occurred between x=0.7 and x=0.9. Albeit for a vertical node found at the tip of the emerging off-M-centered Fermi surface pocket lobes, the superconducting gap structure is similar to that of Ba0.3K0.7Fe2As2, suggesting that the paring interaction is not driven by the Fermi surface topology., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We used high-energy resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to extract the momentum dependence of the superconducting gap of Ru-substituted Ba(Fe$_{0.75}$Ru$_{0.25}$)$_2$As$_2$ ($T_c = 15$ K). Despite a strong out-of-plane warping of the Fermi surface, the magnitude of the superconducting gap observed experimentally is nearly isotropic and independent of the out-of-plane momentum. More precisely, we respectively observed 5.7 meV and 4.5 meV superconducting gaps on the inner and outer $\Gamma$-centered hole Fermi surface pockets, whereas a 4.8 meV gap is recorded on the M-centered electron Fermi surface pockets. Our results are consistent with the $J_1-J_2$ model with a dominant antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between the next-nearest Fe neighbors., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We performed a high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study on superconducting (SC) Tl$_{0.63}$K$_{0.37}$Fe$_{1.78}$Se$_2$ ($T_c=29$ K) in the whole Brillouin zone (BZ). In addition to a nearly isotropic $\sim$ 8.2 meV 2-dimensional (2D) SC gap ($2\Delta/k_BT_c\sim7$) on quasi-2D electron Fermi surfaces (FSs) located around M$(\pi,0,0)$-A$(\pi,0,\pi)$, we observe a $\sim 6.2$ meV isotropic SC gap ($2\Delta/k_BT_c\sim5$) on the Z-centered electron FS that rules out any d-wave pairing symmetry and rather favors an s-wave symmetry. All isotropic SC gap amplitudes can be fit by a single gap function derived from a local strong coupling approach suggesting an enhancement of the next-next neighbor exchange interaction in the ferrochalcogenide superconductors., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

Electronic structure of newly synthesized single crystals of calcium iron arsenide doped with sodium with Tc ranging from 33 to 14 K has been determined by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The measured band dispersion is in general agreement with theoretical calculations, nonetheless implies absence of Fermi surface nesting at antiferromagnetic vector. A clearly developing below Tc strongly band-dependant superconducting gap has been revealed for samples with various doping levels. BCS ratio for optimal doping, $2\Delta/k_{\rm B}T_{\rm c}=5.5$, is substantially smaller than the numbers reported for related compounds, implying a non-trivial relation between electronic dispersion and superconducting gap in iron arsenides., Comment: first ARPES on CNFA

We report angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of the quantum critical metal Sr3Ru2O7 revealing itinerant Ru 4d-states confined over large parts of the Brillouin zone to an energy range of < 6 meV, nearly three orders of magnitude lower than the bare band width. We show that this energy scale agrees quantitatively with a characteristic thermodynamic energy scale associated with quantum criticality and illustrate how it arises from the hybridization of light and strongly renormalized, heavy quasiparticle bands. For the largest Fermi surface sheet we find a marked k-dependence of the renormalization and show that it correlates with the Ru 4d - O 2p hybridization.

Recently discovered A-Fe-Se (A - alkali metal) materials have questioned the most popular theories of iron-based superconductors because of their unusual electronic structure [1]. Controversial photoemission data taken in the superconducting state [2-7] are in conflict with highly magnetic state seen by neutron-, muSR-spectroscopies and transport/thermodynamic probes [8-10]. These results lead to suggestions to consider all iron-based materials as originating from Mott-insulators or semiconductors, thus once again raising the question of close relation between the cuprates and Fe-based superconductors [e.g. 2]. Here we study electronic and magnetic properties of Rb0.77Fe1.61Se2 (Tc = 32.6 K) in normal and superconducting states by means of photoemission and muSR spectroscopies as well as band structure calculations. We demonstrate that the puzzling behavior of these novel materials is the result of separation into metallic (~12%) and insulating (~ 88%) phases. Only the former becomes superconducting and has a usual electronic structure of electron-doped FeSe-slabs. Our results thus imply that the antiferromagnetic insulating phase is just a byproduct of Rb-intercalation and its magnetic properties have hardly any relation to the superconductivity. Instead, we find that also in this, already third class of iron-based compounds, the key ingredient for superconductivity is a certain proximity of a van Hove singularity to the Fermi level. These findings set the direction for effective search of new superconducting materials., Comment: 11 pages, PDF format, Related work: http://www.ifw-dresden.de/institutes/iff/research/SC/arpes

We report a Rashba spin splitting of a two-dimensional electron gas in the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We further demonstrate its electrostatic control, and show that spin splittings can be achieved which are at least an order-of-magnitude larger than in other semiconductors. Together these results show promise for the miniaturization of spintronic devices to the nanoscale and their operation at room temperature., 5 pages, 4 figures. Substantially revised

Spin currents which allow for a dissipationless transport of information can be generated by electric fields in semiconductor heterostructures in the presence of a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. The largest Rashba effects occur for electronic surface states of metals but these cannot exist but under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Here, we reveal a giant Rashba effect ({\alpha}_R ~ 1.5E-10 eVm) on a surface state of Ir(111). We demonstrate that its spin splitting and spin polarization remain unaffected when Ir is covered with graphene. The graphene protection is, in turn, sufficient for the spin-split surface state to survive in ambient atmosphere. We discuss this result along with evidences for a topological protection of the surface state., Comment: includes supplementary information

We present a comprehensive angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of Ca$_{1.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$RuO$_4$. Four distinct bands are revealed and along the Ru-O bond direction their orbital characters are identified through a light polarization analysis and comparison to dynamical mean-field theory calculations. Bands assigned to $d_{xz}, d_{yz}$ orbitals display Fermi liquid behavior with fourfold quasiparticle mass renormalization. Extremely heavy fermions - associated with a predominantly $d_{xy}$ band character - are shown to display non-Fermi-liquid behavior. We thus demonstrate that Ca$_{1.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$RuO$_4$ is a hybrid metal with an orbitally selective Fermi liquid quasiparticle breakdown.

Chemical bonding in molecules and solids arises from the overlap of valence electron wave functions, forming extended molecular orbitals and dispersing Bloch states, respectively. Core electrons with high binding energies, on the other hand, are localized to their respective atoms and their wave functions do not overlap significantly. Here we report the observation of band formation and considerable dispersion (up to 60 meV) in the $1s$ core level of the carbon atoms forming graphene, despite the high C $1s$ binding energy of $\approx$ 284 eV. Due to a Young's double slit-like interference effect, a situation arises in which only the bonding or only the anti-bonding states is observed for a given photoemission geometry., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, including supplementary material

The electron-phonon coupling in potassium-doped graphene on Ir(111) is studied via the renormalization of the pi* band near the Fermi level, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The renormalization is found to be fairly weak and almost isotropic, with a mass enhancement parameter of lambda= 0.28(6) for both the K-M and the K-G direction. These results are found to agree well with recent first principles calculations., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures