| 1. |
- Belopolski, Ilya, et al.
(författare)
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Observation of a linked-loop quantum state in a topological magnet
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 604:7907, s. 647-652
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Quantum phases can be classified by topological invariants, which take on discrete values capturing global information about the quantum state1–13. Over the past decades, these invariants have come to play a central role in describing matter, providing the foundation for understanding superfluids5, magnets6,7, the quantum Hall effect3,8, topological insulators9,10, Weyl semimetals11–13 and other phenomena. Here we report an unusual linking-number (knot theory) invariant associated with loops of electronic band crossings in a mirror-symmetric ferromagnet14–20. Using state-of-the-art spectroscopic methods, we directly observe three intertwined degeneracy loops in the material’s three-torus, T3, bulk Brillouin zone. We find that each loop links each other loop twice. Through systematic spectroscopic investigation of this linked-loop quantum state, we explicitly draw its link diagram and conclude, in analogy with knot theory, that it exhibits the linking number (2, 2, 2), providing a direct determination of the invariant structure from the experimental data. We further predict and observe, on the surface of our samples, Seifert boundary states protected by the bulk linked loops, suggestive of a remarkable Seifert bulk–boundary correspondence. Our observation of a quantum loop link motivates the application of knot theory to the exploration of magnetic and superconducting quantum matter.
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| 2. |
- Chikina, Alla, et al.
(författare)
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Band-Order Anomaly at the gamma-Al2O3/SrTiO3 Interface Drives the Electron-Mobility Boost
- 2021
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Ingår i: ACS Nano. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1936-0851 .- 1936-086X. ; 15:3, s. 4347-4356
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rich functionalities of transition-metal oxides and their interfaces bear an enormous technological potential. Its realization in practical devices requires, however, a significant improvement of yet relatively low electron mobility in oxide materials. Recently, a mobility boost of about 2 orders of magnitude has been demonstrated at the spinel-perovskite gamma-Al2O3/SrTiO3 interface compared to the paradigm perovskite-perovskite LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface. We explore the fundamental physics behind this phenomenon from direct measurements of the momentum-resolved electronic structure of this interface using resonant soft-X-ray angle-resolved photoemission. We find an anomaly in orbital ordering of the mobile electrons in gamma-Al2O3/SrTiO3 which depopulates electron states in the top SrTiO3 layer. This rearrangement of the mobile electron system pushes the electron density away from the interface, which reduces its overlap with the interfacial defects and weakens the electron-phonon interaction, both effects contributing to the mobility boost. A crystal-field analysis shows that the band order alters owing to the symmetry breaking between the spinel gamma-Al2O3 and perovskite SrTiO3. Band-order engineering, exploiting the fundamental symmetry properties, emerges as another route to boost the performance of oxide devices.
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| 3. |
- Ertan, Emelie, et al.
(författare)
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Theoretical simulations of oxygen K-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering of kaolinite
- 2017
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Ingår i: Physical Review B. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9950 .- 2469-9969. ; 95:14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) measurements at the oxygen K edge were combined with theoretical spectrum simulations, based on periodic density functional theory and nuclear quantum dynamics, to investigate the electronic structure and chemical bonding in kaolinite Al2Si2O5(OH)(4). We simulated NEXAFS spectra of all crystallographically inequivalent oxygen atoms in the crystal and RIXS spectra of the hydroxyl groups. Detailed insight into the ground-state potential energy surface of the electronic states involved in the RIXS process were accessed by analyzing the vibrational excitations, induced by the core excitation, in quasielastic scattering back to the electronic ground state. In particular, we find that the NEXAFS pre-edge is dominated by features related to OH groups within the silica and alumina sheets, and that the vibrational progression in RIXS can be used to selectively probe vibrational modes of this subclass of OH groups. The signal is dominated by the OH stretching mode, but also other lower vibrational degrees of freedom, mainly hindered rotational modes, contribute to the RIXS signal.
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| 4. |
- Krieger, Jonas A., et al.
(författare)
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Weyl spin-momentum locking in a chiral topological semimetal
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - 2041-1723. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spin-orbit coupling in noncentrosymmetric crystals leads to spin-momentum locking – a directional relationship between an electron’s spin angular momentum and its linear momentum. Isotropic orthogonal Rashba spin-momentum locking has been studied for decades, while its counterpart, isotropic parallel Weyl spin-momentum locking has remained elusive in experiments. Theory predicts that Weyl spin-momentum locking can only be realized in structurally chiral cubic crystals in the vicinity of Kramers-Weyl or multifold fermions. Here, we use spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to evidence Weyl spin-momentum locking of multifold fermions in the chiral topological semimetal PtGa. We find that the electron spin of the Fermi arc surface states is orthogonal to their Fermi surface contour for momenta close to the projection of the bulk multifold fermion at the Γ point, which is consistent with Weyl spin-momentum locking of the latter. The direct measurement of the bulk spin texture of the multifold fermion at the R point also displays Weyl spin-momentum locking. The discovery of Weyl spin-momentum locking may lead to energy-efficient memory devices and Josephson diodes based on chiral topological semimetals.
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| 5. |
- Magnuson, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Self-doping processes between planes and chains in the metal-to-superconductor transition of YBa2Cu3O6.9
- 2014
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 4, s. 7017-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The interplay between the quasi 1-dimensional CuO-chains and the 2-dimensional CuO2 planes of YBa2Cu3O61x (YBCO) has been in focus for a long time. Although the CuO-chains are known to be important as charge reservoirs that enable superconductivity for a range of oxygen doping levels in YBCO, the understanding of the dynamics of its temperature-driven metal-superconductor transition (MST) remains a challenge. We present a combined study using x-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) revealing how a reconstruction of the apical O(4)-derived interplanar orbitals during the MST of optimally doped YBCO leads to substantial hole-transfer from the chains into the planes, i.e. self-doping. Our ionic model calculations show that localized divalent charge-transfer configurations are expected to be abundant in the chains of YBCO. While these indeed appear in the RIXS spectra from YBCO in the normal, metallic, state, they are largely suppressed in the superconducting state and, instead, signatures of Cu trivalent charge-transfer configurations in the planes become enhanced. In the quest for understanding the fundamental mechanism for high-Tc-superconductivity (HTSC) in perovskite cuprate materials, the observation of such an interplanar self-doping process in YBCO opens a unique novel channel for studying the dynamics of HTSC.
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| 6. |
- Schreck, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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Ground state potential energy surfaces around selected atoms from resonant inelastic x-ray scattering.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thermally driven chemistry as well as materials' functionality are determined by the potential energy surface of a systems electronic ground state. This makes the potential energy surface a central and powerful concept in physics, chemistry and materials science. However, direct experimental access to the potential energy surface locally around atomic centers and to its long-range structure are lacking. Here we demonstrate how sub-natural linewidth resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering at vibrational resolution is utilized to determine ground state potential energy surfaces locally and detect long-range changes of the potentials that are driven by local modifications. We show how the general concept is applicable not only to small isolated molecules such as O2 but also to strongly interacting systems such as the hydrogen bond network in liquid water. The weak perturbation to the potential energy surface through hydrogen bonding is observed as a trend towards softening of the ground state potential around the coordinating atom. The instrumental developments in high resolution resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering are currently accelerating and will enable broad application of the presented approach. With this multidimensional potential energy surfaces that characterize collective phenomena such as (bio)molecular function or high-temperature superconductivity will become accessible in near future.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Sun, Yu-Ping, et al.
(författare)
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Interference between Resonant and Nonresonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 110:22, s. 223001-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A detailed study of inelastic x-ray scattering from the ground state to the Σg3(3σg-13sg1) state of the O2 molecule is presented. The observed angular anisotropy shows that the vibrational excitations within this final state are strongly dependent on the polarization of the incident radiation. The analysis demonstrates that this is a manifestation of interference between resonant and direct nonresonant inelastic x-ray scattering. This interference provides a new tool to monitor nuclear dynamics by relative rotation of the polarization vectors of the incident and scattered photons.
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| 9. |
- Söderström, Johan, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering on CO2 : Parity conservation in inversion-symmetric polyatomics
- 2020
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Ingår i: Physical Review A. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. - 1050-2947 .- 1094-1622. ; 101:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra excited at the oxygen K edge of CO2 are presented and discussed. Although excitation from a gerade initial state to the intermediate 1s-1π* state breaks the inversion symmetry due to strong vibronic coupling, RIXS excited at the corresponding resonance exclusively populates gerade vibrations in the gerade electronic ground state. This observation constitutes an experimental confirmation of the prediction that the parity selection rule applies in RIXS on an inversion-symmetric polyatomic system, provided that the total electronic-vibronic wave function is considered. Parity selectivity is used for assigning spectra to the population of electronically excited final states, a procedure hampered only when symmetry-breaking vibronic coupling in the final states is prominent. A RIXS spectrum excited in the Rydberg region is tentatively assigned using a simplified quasi-two-step model in which it is assumed that the electron in the Rydberg orbital excited in the first step remains as a spectator during the second decay step.
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| 10. |
- Århammar, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Unveiling the complex electronic structure of amorphous metal oxides
- 2011
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 108:16, s. 6355-6360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amorphous materials represent a large and important emerging area of material's science. Amorphous oxides are key technological oxides in applications such as a gate dielectric in Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor devices and in Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon and TANOS (TaN-Al2O3-Si3N4-SiO2-Silicon) flash memories. These technologies are required for the high packing density of today's integrated circuits. Therefore the investigation of defect states in these structures is crucial. In this work we present X-ray synchrotron measurements, with an energy resolution which is about 5-10 times higher than is attainable with standard spectrometers, of amorphous alumina. We demonstrate that our experimental results are in agreement with calculated spectra of amorphous alumina which we have generated by stochastic quenching. This first principles method, which we have recently developed, is found to be superior to molecular dynamics in simulating the rapid gas to solid transition that takes place as this material is deposited for thin film applications. We detect and analyze in detail states in the band gap that originate from oxygen pairs. Similar states were previously found in amorphous alumina by other spectroscopic methods and were assigned to oxygen vacancies claimed to act mutually as electron and hole traps. The oxygen pairs which we probe in this work act as hole traps only and will influence the information retention in electronic devices. In amorphous silica oxygen pairs have already been found, thus they may be a feature which is characteristic also of other amorphous metal oxides.
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