B. L. Kang

Bio: B. L. Kang is an academic researcher from University of Science and Technology of China. The author has contributed to research in topics: Condensed matter physics & Superconductivity. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 5 publications receiving 51 citations.

Preformed Cooper Pairs in Layered FeSe-Based Superconductors.

Abstract: Superconductivity arises from two distinct quantum phenomena: electron pairing and long-range phase coherence. In conventional superconductors, the two quantum phenomena generally take place simultaneously, while in the underdoped high- ${T}_{c}$ cuprate superconductors, the electron pairing occurs at higher temperature than the long-range phase coherence. Recently, whether electron pairing is also prior to long-range phase coherence in single-layer FeSe film on ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$ substrate is under debate. Here, by measuring Knight shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate, we unambiguously reveal a pseudogap behavior below ${T}_{p}\ensuremath{\sim}60\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$ in two kinds of layered FeSe-based superconductors with quasi2D nature. In the pseudogap regime, a weak diamagnetic signal and a remarkable Nernst effect are also observed, which indicates that the observed pseudogap behavior is related to superconducting fluctuations. These works confirm that strong phase fluctuation is an important character in the 2D iron-based superconductors as widely observed in high-${T}_{c}$ cuprate superconductors.

Spin-Orbital-Intertwined Nematic State in FeSe

Abstract: A new quantum state of matter in an FeSe superconductor arises from the interplay between electron correlation and spin-orbit coupling, cementing this material family as a solid platform for exploring connections between these two fundamental interactions.

Orbital ordering and fluctuations in a kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5

Abstract: Recently, competing electronic instabilities, including superconductivity and density-wave-like order, have been discovered in vanadium-based kagome metals AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) with a nontrivial band topology. This finding stimulates wide interests to study the interplay of these competing electronic orders and possible exotic excitations in the superconducting state. Here, in order to further clarify the nature of density-wave-like transition in these kagome superconductors, we performed 51V and 133Cs nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on the CsV3Sb5 single crystal. A first-order phase transition associated with orbital ordering is revealed by observing a sudden splitting of orbital shift in 51V NMR spectrum at the structural transition temperature Ts ~ 94 K. In contrast, the quadrupole splitting from a charge-density-wave (CDW) order on 51V NMR spectrum only appears gradually below Ts with a typical second-order transition behavior, suggesting that the CDW order is a secondary electronic order. Moreover, combined with 133Cs NMR spectrum, the present result also confirms a three-dimensional structural modulation with a 2ax2ax2c period. Above Ts, the temperature-dependent Knight shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T1) further indicate the existence of remarkable magnetic fluctuations from vanadium 3d orbitals, which are suppressed due to orbital ordering below Ts. The present results strongly support that, besides CDW order, the previously claimed density-wave-like transition also involves a dominant orbital order, suggesting a rich orbital physics in these kagome superconductors.

Observation of topological superconductivity on the surface of iron-based superconductor

Abstract: A topological superconductor A promising path toward topological quantum computing involves exotic quasiparticles called the Majorana bound states (MBSs). MBSs have been observed in heterostructures that require careful nanofabrication, but the complexity of such systems makes further progress tricky. Zhang et al. identified a topological superconductor in which MBSs may be observed in a simpler way by looking into the cores of vortices induced by an external magnetic field. Using angle-resolved photoemission, the researchers found that the surface of the iron superconductor FeTe0.55Se0.45 satisfies the required conditions for topological superconductivity. Science, this issue p. 182 Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy indicates that FeTe0.55Se0.45 harbors Dirac-cone–type spin-helical surface states. Topological superconductors are predicted to host exotic Majorana states that obey non-Abelian statistics and can be used to implement a topological quantum computer. Most of the proposed topological superconductors are realized in difficult-to-fabricate heterostructures at very low temperatures. By using high-resolution spin-resolved and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we find that the iron-based superconductor FeTe1–xSex (x = 0.45; superconducting transition temperature Tc = 14.5 kelvin) hosts Dirac-cone–type spin-helical surface states at the Fermi level; the surface states exhibit an s-wave superconducting gap below Tc. Our study shows that the surface states of FeTe0.55Se0.45 are topologically superconducting, providing a simple and possibly high-temperature platform for realizing Majorana states.

Three-state nematicity and magneto-optical Kerr effect in the charge density waves in kagome superconductors

Abstract: The kagome lattice provides a fascinating playground to study geometrical frustration, topology and strong correlations. The newly discovered kagome metals AV3Sb5 (where A can refer to K, Rb or Cs) exhibit phenomena including topological band structure, symmetry-breaking charge-density waves and superconductivity. Nevertheless, the nature of the symmetry breaking in the charge-density wave phase is not yet clear, despite the fact that it is crucial in order to understand whether the superconductivity is unconventional. In this work, we perform scanning birefringence microscopy on all three members of this family and find that six-fold rotation symmetry is broken at the onset of the charge-density wave transition in all these compounds. We show that the three nematic domains are oriented at 120° to each other and propose that staggered charge-density wave orders with a relative π phase shift between layers is a possibility that can explain these observations. We also perform magneto-optical Kerr effect and circular dichroism measurements. The onset of both signals is at the transition temperature, indicating broken time-reversal symmetry and the existence of the long-sought loop currents in that phase. The interplay between superconductivity that might break time-reversal symmetry and charge order is a key issue in kagome materials. Now, optical measurements show that spatial and time-reversal symmetries are broken at the onset of charge order.

Switchable chiral transport in charge-ordered kagome metal CsV3Sb5

Abstract: Abstract When electric conductors differ from their mirror image, unusual chiral transport coefficients appear that are forbidden in achiral metals, such as a non-linear electric response known as electronic magnetochiral anisotropy (eMChA) 1–6 . Although chiral transport signatures are allowed by symmetry in many conductors without a centre of inversion, they reach appreciable levels only in rare cases in which an exceptionally strong chiral coupling to the itinerant electrons is present. So far, observations of chiral transport have been limited to materials in which the atomic positions strongly break mirror symmetries. Here, we report chiral transport in the centrosymmetric layered kagome metal CsV 3 Sb 5 observed via second-harmonic generation under an in-plane magnetic field. The eMChA signal becomes significant only at temperatures below $${T}^{{\prime} }\approx $$ T ′ ≈ 35 K, deep within the charge-ordered state of CsV 3 Sb 5 ( T CDW ≈ 94 K). This temperature dependence reveals a direct correspondence between electronic chirality, unidirectional charge order 7 and spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking due to putative orbital loop currents 8–10 . We show that the chirality is set by the out-of-plane field component and that a transition from left- to right-handed transport can be induced by changing the field sign. CsV 3 Sb 5 is the first material in which strong chiral transport can be controlled and switched by small magnetic field changes, in stark contrast to structurally chiral materials, which is a prerequisite for applications in chiral electronics.

Possible star-of-David pattern charge density wave with additional modulation in the kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5

Abstract: $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($A$ = K, Rb, Cs) is a novel kagome superconductor coexisting with the charge density wave (CDW) order. Identifying the structure of the CDW order is crucial for understanding the exotic normal state and superconductivity in this system. Here, we report $^{51}$V nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and $^{121/123}$Sb nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) studies on kagome-metal CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. Below the CDW transition temperature $T_\textrm{CDW} \sim$ 98 K, an abrupt change of spectra was observed, indicating that the transition is of the first order. By further analysing the spectra, we find that the CDW order is commensurate. And most remarkably, the obtained experimental results suggest that the charge modulation of the CDW order is of star-of-David pattern and accompanied by an additional charge modulation in bulk below $T^* \sim$ 40 K. Our results revealing the unconventional CDW order provide new insights into $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$.