The 50 most-cited articles in Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 2016

Topological superconductors are novel classes of quantum condensed phases, characterized by topologically nontrivial structures of Cooper pairing states. On the surfaces of samples and in vortex cores of topological superconductors, Majorana fermions, which are particles identified with their own anti-particles, appear as Bogoliubov quasiparticles. The existence and stability of Majorana fermions are ensured by bulk topological invariants constrained by the symmetries of the systems. Majorana fermions in topological superconductors obey a new type of quantum statistics referred to as non-Abelian statistics, which is distinct from bose and fermi statistics, and can be utilized for application to topological quantum computation. Also, Majorana fermions give rise to various exotic phenomena such as "fractionalization", non-local correlation, and "teleportation". A pedagogical review of these subjects is presented. We also discuss interaction effects on topological classification of superconductors, and the basic properties of Weyl superconductors.

Nontrivial spin orders with magnetic chirality emerge in a particular class of magnetic materials with structural chirality, which are frequently referred to as chiral magnets. Various interesting physical properties are expected to be induced in chiral magnets through the coupling of chiral magnetic orders with conduction electrons and electromagnetic fields. One promising candidate for achieving these couplings is a chiral spin soliton lattice. Here, we review recent experimental observations mainly carried out on the monoaxial chiral magnetic crystal CrNb3S6 via magnetic imaging using electron, neutron, and X-ray beams and magnetoresistance measurements, together with the strategy for synthesizing chiral magnetic materials and underlying theoretical backgrounds. The chiral soliton lattice appears under a magnetic field perpendicular to the chiral helical axis and is very robust and stable with phase coherence on a macroscopic length scale. The tunable and topological nature of the chiral soliton lattice gives rise to nontrivial physical properties. Indeed, it is demonstrated that…

This paper reviews experimental evidence and the related theoretical background on exotic phenomena arising from local quadrupolar degrees of freedom. Recent extensive studies on praseodymium-based cubic systems, PrT2X20, have revealed that the active quadrupoles in the non-Kramers doublet ground state play a vital role in exhibiting quadrupole orders and superconductivity with underlying peculiar normal paramagnetic electronic states. We focus on four prototype compounds of PrT2X20 (T = Ir, Rh, X = Zn; T = V, Ti, X = Al). Detailed comprehensive comparisons of these compounds have revealed a universal feature of the non-Fermi liquid state emerging from a lattice quadrupolar Kondo effect, and the commonality and individuality of the quadrupolar and superconducting phases. It may be possible to develop a new class of heavy-fermion systems beyond the classic view of heavy fermions on the basis of a concrete understanding of these phenomena.

In this article, we give a comprehensive review of recent progress in research on symmetry-protected topological superfluids and topological crystalline superconductors, and their physical consequences such as helical and chiral Majorana fermions. We start this review article with the minimal model that captures the essence of such topological materials. The central part of this article is devoted to the superfluid $^3$He, which serves as a rich repository of novel topological quantum phenomena originating from the intertwining of symmetries and topologies. In particular, it is emphasized that the quantum fluid confined to nanofabricated geometries possesses multiple superfluid phases composed of the symmetry-protected topological superfluid B-phase, the A-phase as a Weyl superfluid, the nodal planar and polar phases, and the crystalline ordered stripe phase. All these phases generate noteworthy topological phenomena, including topological phase transitions concomitant with spontaneous symmetry breaking, Majorana fermions, Weyl superfluidity, emergent supersymmetry, spontaneous edge…

Random electron systems show rich phases such as Anderson insulator, diffusive metal, quantum and anomalous quantum Hall insulator, Weyl semimetal, as well as strong/weak topological insulators. Eigenfunctions of each matter phase have specific features, but due to the random nature of systems, judging the matter phase from eigenfunctions is difficult. Here we propose the deep learning algorithm to capture the features of eigenfunctions. Localization-delocalization transition as well as disordered Chern insulator-Anderson insulator transition is discussed.

Motivated by the recent experiments [H. Kadau et al., Nature (London) 530, 194 (2016); I. Ferrier-Barbut et al., arXiv:1601.03318] and theoretical prediction (F. Wächtler and L. Santos, arXiv:1601.04501), the ground state of a dysprosium Bose-Einstein condensate with strong dipole-dipole interaction is studied using the path-integral Monte Carlo method. It is shown that quantum fluctuation can stabilize the condensate against dipolar collapse.

In this paper, via the generalized Darboux transformation, rational soliton solutions are derived for the parity-time-symmetric nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) model with the defocusing-type nonlinearity. We find that the first-order solution can exhibit the elastic interactions of rational antidark-antidark, dark-antidark, and antidark-dark soliton pairs on a continuous wave background, but there is no phase shift for the interacting solitons. Also, we discuss the degenerate case in which only one rational dark or antidark soliton survives. Moreover, we reveal that the second-order rational solution displays the interactions between two solitons with combined-peak-valley structures in the near-field regions, but each interacting soliton vanishes or evolves into a rational dark or antidark soliton as $|z|\ra \infty$. In addition, we numerically examine the stability of the first- and second-order rational soliton solutions.

Here, we study noncoplanar magnetic ordering in frustrated itinerant magnets. For a family of Kondo square lattice models with classical local moments, we find that a double-Q noncoplanar vortex crystal has lower energy than the single-Q helical order expected from the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction when the lattice symmetry dictates four global maxima in the bare magnetic susceptibility. By expanding in the small Kondo exchange and the degree of noncoplanarity, we demonstrate that this noncoplanar state arises from a Fermi surface instability occurring in independent sections connected by two ordering wave vectors.

We review recent developments in theories and experiments on the magnon Hall effect. We derive the thermal Hall conductivity of magnons in terms of the Berry curvature of magnonic bands. In addition to the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction, we show that the dipolar interaction can make the Berry curvature nonzero. We mainly discuss theoretical aspects of the magnon Hall effect and related theoretical works. Experimental progress in this field is also mentioned.

Conversions between spin and charge currents are core technologies in recent spintronics. In this article, we provide methods for estimating inverse spin Hall effects (ISHEs) induced by using microwave-driven spin pumping (SP) as a spin-current generator. ISHE and SP induce an electromotive force at the ferromagnetic or spin-wave resonance, which offers a valuable electric way to study spin physics in materials. At the resonance, a microwave for exciting the magnetization dynamics induces an additional electromotive force via rf-current rectification and thermoelectric effects. We discuss methods to separate the signals generated from such extrinsic microwave effects by controlling sample structures and configurations. These methods are helpful in performing accurate measurements on ISHE induced by SP, enabling quantitative studies on the conversion between spin and charge currents on various kinds of materials.

We report the discovery of a novel Fe-based superconductor EuAFe4As4 (A = Rb, Cs) and describe its superconducting properties. EuAFe4As4 has a tetragonal unit cell with a P4/mmm (No. 123) space group, indicating that this material is an 1144-type compound. The magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity indicate superconducting transitions at approximately 36 and 35 K for EuRbFe4As4 and EuCsFe4As4, respectively. Moreover, an anomalous magnetic transition appears at approximately 15 K, suggesting the coexistence of superconductivity and a magnetic ordered state formed by the Eu2+ ions. The determined upper critical magnetic fields and coherence lengths are approximately 920 kOe and 1.8 nm for EuRbFe4As4 and 875 kOe and 1.9 nm for EuCsFe4As4, respectively.

A three-dimensional chiral helimagnet is analyzed using a mean-field (MF) analysis and a classical Monte Carlo (MC) simulation at finite temperatures. We consider a Hamiltonian containing Heisenberg exchange and uni-axial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions on a simple cubic lattice. Magnetization curves calculated by the MF theory are qualitatively consistent with those observed in experiments. A comparison between lattice and continuum models clarifies the region where the continuum approximation can be applied. By combining the MF theory with the classical MC method, it is also clarified that results are quantitatively much improved by including spin correlations in the layer perpendicular to the helical axis. On the basis of our simple model, interaction parameters in $CrNb_3S_6$ are estimated. These values of exchange interactions justify a physical picture that the spins are strongly coupled in the two-dimensional layer and are weakly interacted with those in the helical chain.

Effects of spontaneous toroidal ordering on magnetic excitation are theoretically investigated for a localized spin model that includes a staggered Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction and anisotropic exchange interactions, which arise from the antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling and the multi-orbital correlation effect. We show that the model exhibits a Neel-type antiferromagnetic order, which simultaneously accompanies a ferroic toroidal order. We find that the occurrence of toroidal order modulates the magnon dispersion in an asymmetric way with respect to the wave number: a toroidal dipole order on the zigzag chain leads to a band-bottom shift, while a toroidal octupole order on the honeycomb lattice gives rise to a valley splitting. These asymmetric magnon excitations could be a source of unusual magnetic responses, such as nonreciprocal magnon transport. A variety of modulations are discussed while changing the lattice and magnetic symmetries. Implications of candidate materials for asymmetric magnon excitations are presented.

Recent experimental efforts to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions in the anomalous Hall effect are reviewed. Benefited from the experimental control of artificial impurity density in single crystalline magnetic thin films, a comprehensive physical picture of the anomalous Hall effect involving multiple competing scattering processes has been established. Some new insights into the microscopic mechanisms of the anomalous Hall effect are discussed.

Experimental and theoretical aspects of Hall-type transport of spins in magnetic insulators are reviewed, with emphasis on their spin chirality origin. A general formalism for linear response theory of thermal Hall transport in the spin model is developed, which can be applied to both the magnon and the paramagnetic, spin-liquid regimes. Recent experiments on magnon-mediated thermal Hall transport in the two-dimensional kagome, and three-dimensional pyrochlore ferromagnetic insulators are reviewed in light of the multi-band magnon theory of Hall transport, and compared to the more mysterious thermal Hall transport found in the putative quantum spin ice material. As realizations of spin-chirality driven magnon transport in the real space, we review the general theory of emergent gauge fields governing the magnon dynamics in the textured magnet, and discuss its application to the magnon-Skyrmion scattering problem. Topological magnon Hall effect driven by the Skyrmion texture is discussed.

We study polycrystalline samples of the hexagonal pnictides, CaAgP and CaAgAs, both of which are ideal candidates for line-node Dirac semimetals. The polycrystalline samples of CaAgP and CaAgAs obtained in this study are low-carrier metals, where hole carriers are dominant. By combining the hole carrier densities estimated from Hall coefficients and the electronic structures calculated by first principles calculations, both samples are found to have a ring-torus Fermi surface, derived from a ring-shaped Dirac line node. In the phosphide sample, the Fermi energy EF is located at around the end of the linear dispersion region of the electronic bands, while the EF in the arsenide sample exists in the middle of this region, suggesting that the arsenide is a more promising system for uncovering the physics of line-node Dirac semimetals.

The heuristic identification of peaks from noisy complex spectra often leads to misunderstanding of the physical and chemical properties of matter. In this paper, we propose a framework based on Bayesian inference, which enables us to separate multipeak spectra into single peaks statistically and consists of two steps. The first step is estimating both the noise variance and the number of peaks as hyperparameters based on Bayes free energy, which generally is not analytically tractable. The second step is fitting the parameters of each peak function to the given spectrum by calculating the posterior density, which has a problem of local minima and saddles since multipeak models are nonlinear and hierarchical. Our framework enables the escape from local minima or saddles by using the exchange Monte Carlo method and calculates Bayes free energy via the multiple histogram method. We discuss a simulation demonstrating how efficient our framework is and show that estimating both the noise variance and the number of peaks prevents overfitting, overpenalizing, and misunderstanding the…

In 1985, Johnson and Silsbee realized the creation of a spin current in nonmagnetic metals, which inspired a vast number of studies related to the spin current until now. Creation of the spin current has been realized in metals, semiconductors, and insulators to date and has provided a fruitful research field. Spin-dependent conductance and spin torque paved a new way for spintronic application, and highly efficient interconversion between spin information and an industrially used one, such as charge current, light, magnetic moment and heat current, became a central topic. In the early stage, the main field of such interconversion was bulk materials; the focus then gradually shifted to surface and interface states. The properties of surface and interface states became pronounced in nanoscale spintronics devices, and a variety of functions have been realized at the interface between two materials, enabling limitless possibilities for spin functions. This review provides an overview of the recent progress of the spin-charge interconversion in the surface and interface states. We also…

We investigate the interconversion phenomena between spin and mechanical angular momentum in moving objects. In particular, the recent results on spin manipulation and spin-current generation by mechanical motion are examined. In accelerating systems, spin-dependent gauge fields emerge, which enable the conversion from mechanical angular momentum into spins. Such a spin-mechanical effect is predicted by quantum theory in a non-inertial frame. Experiments which confirm the effect, i.e., the resonance frequency shift in nuclear magnetic resonance, the stray field measurement of rotating metals, and electric voltage generation in liquid metals, are discussed.

The electronic structures of uranium-based compounds have been studied by photoelectron spectroscopy with soft X-ray synchrotron radiation. Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy with soft X-rays has made it possible to directly observe their bulk band structures and Fermi surfaces. It has been shown that the band structures and Fermi surfaces of itinerant compounds such as UB2, UN, and UFeGa5 are quantitatively described by a band-structure calculation treating all U 5f electrons as itinerant. Furthermore, the overall electronic structures of heavy-fermion compounds such as UPd2Al3, UNi2Al3, and URu2Si2 are also explained by a band-structure calculation, although some disagreements exist, which might originate from the electron correlation effect. This suggests that the itinerant description of U 5f states is an appropriate starting point for the description of their electronic structures. The situation is similar for ferromagnetic superconductors such as UGe2, URhGe, UCoGe, and UIr, although the complications from their low-symmetry crystal structures make it more difficult to…

The dielectric constants of the quantum paraelectrics SrTiO3 and KTaO3 are measured between 4 and 325 K. Their temperature dependences are analyzed on the basis of the Barrett and Vendik models. The former model deals with a ferroelectric optical mode coupled with other optical modes, whereas the latter deals with the mode coupled with acoustic modes. In addition, the latter contains a measure of the density of defects and inhomogeneity. The dielectric constants at low temperatures can be accurately described using Vendik’s formula; however, they cannot be accurately described using Barrett’s formula, even after the introduction of a measure of the density of defects and inhomogeneity. A critical quantum paraelectric region has been introduced recently between a classical region and a quantum paraelectric one. We point out that the critical region is where a low-temperature approximation is well realized for the model with the coupling between the ferroelectric and acoustic modes.

The structural and elastic properties of MgAl2O4 spinel under high pressure are investigated through the first-principles calculations. The lattice parameters and elastic constants are in good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical results. The polycrystalline elastic moduli of MgAl2O4 spinel are calculated using the Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximation. By the elastic stability criteria, the MgAl2O4 spinel is mechanically stable within 80 GPa. MgAl2O4 possesses ductile nature, and the ductility is enhanced with the increase of pressure. The sound velocities over a wide range of pressures are also obtained. Furthermore, the elastic anisotropies of MgAl2O4 are investigated via the various anisotropic indexes and the 3D surface constructions. It is found that MgAl2O4 is isotropic for bulk modulus, while is anisotropic for shear modulus and Young's modulus, and the elastic anisotropy of MgAl2O4 increases due to the applying pressure. Besides, the directions with smaller values of shear modulus for MgAl2O4 will deform preferentially under high hydrostatic pressure. Through…

Low-energy quasiparticle (QP) excitations in the heavy-fermion superconductor URu$_2$Si$_2$ were investigated by specific-heat $C(T, H, ϕ, θ)$ measurements of a high-quality single crystal. The occurrence of QP excitations due to the Doppler-shift effect was detected regardless of the field direction in $C(H)$ of the present clean sample, which is in sharp contrast to a previous report. Furthermore, the polar-angle-dependent $C(θ)$ measured under a rotating magnetic field within the ac plane exhibits a shoulder-like anomaly at $θ\sim 45$ deg and a sharp dip at $θ= 90$ deg ($H \parallel a$) in the moderate-field region. These features are supported by theoretical analyses based on microscopic calculations assuming the gap symmetry of $k_z(k_x+ik_y)$, whose gap structure is characterized by a combination of a horizontal line node at the equator and point nodes at the poles. The present results have settled the previous controversy over the gap structure of URu$_2$Si$_2$ and have authenticated its chiral $d$-wave superconductivity.

Magnetic field (H) effects on a correlated electron system with the spin-state degree of freedom are examined. The effective Hamiltonian derived from the two-orbital Hubbard model is analyzed by the mean-field approximation. Applying H to the low-spin (LS) phase induces the excitonic insulating phase, as well as the spin-state ordered phase where the LS and high-spin (HS) states are ordered alternately. In the case where H is applied to the HS phase, a reentrant transition for the HS phase appears. A rich variety of the phase diagrams are attributed to the spin-state degree of freedom and their combinations in the wave function as well as in the real-space configuration.

EuRh2Si2 is well known to show a valence transition at a pressure of about 1 GPa from a Eu-divalent (antiferromagnetic) state to a nearly Eu-trivalent (paramagnetic) state, which was clarified using polycrystalline samples. We have succeeded in growing single crystals of EuRh2Si2 by the Bridgman method and studied their electronic properties measuring the electrical resistivity under pressure. EuRh2Si2 indicates a first-order valence transition in the pressure range from 1 to 2 GPa, distinguished by a sharp transition and a prominent hysteresis in the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity. A critical end point in the valence transition is estimated as \(P_{\text{CEP}} \simeq 2.05\) GPa and \(T_{\text{CEP}} \simeq 170\) K. In the pressure range from 2 to 3 GPa, the electrical resistivity is found to exhibit a characteristic behavior for a moderately heavy-fermion compound such as EuIr2Si2. At pressures higher than 3 GPa, the resistivity reveals a normal metallic behavior in a nearly trivalent electronic state. This is the first report on the pressure evolution of the…

The spin structure in BiFe1−xCoxO3 (\(x = 0.05,0.10,0.15,0.20\)) was investigated as a function of Co substitution, temperature, and magnetic field. It was found that the cycloidal spin structure of BiFeO3 changed to a collinear one with spin canting and composition-independent spontaneous magnetization of ∼0.25 μB/f.u. for the Co substituted samples on heating. The collinear phase was stabilized under magnetic fields. The spin structure change was clarified also by the temperature dependence of 57Fe Mössbauer spectra, and the results indicated the first order nature of this transition.

Spintronics is used as the standard for the readout of magnetically stored data and also has commercial applications for writing data.The generation, control and detection of spin-polarized currents, spin-dependent electric transport, and pure spin currents on the subpicosecond (10 -12 s) timescale are the next challenges in spintronics.Terahertz (THz, 10 12 Hz) emission spectroscopy has proven to be an excellent tool for investigating these challenges.In this short review, we outline the functioning of this spectroscopic technique and its recent applications to spintronics.

In order to investigate the electronic state of Ce-free and Ce-underdoped high-Tc cuprates with the so-called T' structure, we have performed muon-spin-relaxation (muSR) and specific-heat measurements of Ce-free T'-La_1.8_Eu_0.2_CuO_4+d_ (T'-LECO) polycrystals and Ce-underdoped T'-Pr_1.3-x_La_0.7_Ce_x_CuO_4+d_ (T'-PLCCO) single crystals with x=0.10. The muSR spectra of the reduced superconducting samples of both T'-LECO with Tc=15K and T'-PLCCO with x=0.10 and Tc=27K have revealed that a short-range magnetic order coexists with the superconductivity in the ground state. The formation of a short-range magnetic order due to a tiny amount of excess oxygen in the reduced superconducting samples strongly suggest that the Ce-free and Ce-underdoped T'-cuprates are regarded as strongly correlated electron systems.

Thermal properties of the $S=1/2$ kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet at low temperatures are investigated by means of the Hams-de Raedt method for clusters of up to 36 sites possessing a full symmetry of the lattice. The specific heat exhibits, in addition to the double peaks, the third and the forth peaks at lower temperatures. With decreasing the temperature, the type of the magnetic short-range order (SRO) changes around the third-peak temperature from the $\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3}$ to the $q$=0 states, suggesting that the third peak of the specific heat is associated with a crossover phenomenon between the spin-liquid states with distinct magnetic SRO. Experimental implications are discussed.

The rapid developments of computational quantum chemistry methods and supercomputing facilities motivate the renewed interest in the analysis of the muon/electron interactions in $μ$SR experiments with \emph{ab initio} approaches. Modern simulation methods seem to be able to provide the answers to the frequently asked questions of many $μ$SR experiments: where is the muon? Is it a passive probe? What are the interaction parameters governing the muon-sample interaction? In this review we describe some of the approaches used to provide quantitative estimations of the aforementioned quantities and we provide the reader with a short discussion on the current developments in this field.

The principle of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator for state transition and for determining critical value is described, which has been studied to indicate that the application of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator in weak signal detection is feasible. On the basis of this principle, an improved two-coupled differential Van der Pol Duffing oscillator is proposed which can identify signals under any frequency and ameliorate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The analytical methods of the proposed model and the construction of the proposed oscillator are introduced in detail. Numerical experiments on the properties of the proposed oscillator compared with those of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator are carried out. Our numerical simulations have confirmed the analytical treatment. The results demonstrate that this novel oscillator has better detection performance than the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator.

To study the superconducting gap structure of BiS$_2$-based layered compound NdO$_{0.71}$F$_{0.29}$BiS$_{2}$ ($T$$_{\rm c}$ = 5 K), we measured the thermal conductivity $κ$, which is a sensitive probe of the low-energy quasiparticle spectrum. In the absence of a magnetic field, there is only a very small residual linear term in the thermal conductivity $κ_{0}$/$T$ at $T$ $\rightarrow$ 0, indicating the absence of a residual normal fluid, expected for nodal superconductors. Moreover, the applied magnetic field hardly affects the thermal conductivity in the wide range of the vortex state, indicating the absence of Doppler shifted quasiparticles. These results provide evidence that NdO$_{0.71}$F$_{0.29}$BiS$_{2}$ is fully gapped superconductor. The obtained gap structure, along with the robustness of the superconductivity against the impurity, suggest a conventional $s$-wave superconducting state in NdO$_{0.71}$F$_{0.29}$BiS$_{2}$.

We report on ac magnetic susceptibility measurements under pressure of the Au-Al-Yb alloy, a crystalline approximant to the icosahedral quasicrystal that shows unconventional quantum criticality. In describing the susceptibility as $χ(T)^{-1} - χ(0)^{-1} \propto T^γ$, we find that $χ(0)^{-1}$ decreases with increasing pressure and vanishes to zero at the critical pressure $P_{\rm c} \simeq 2$ GPa, with $γ~ (\simeq 0.5)$ unchanged. We suggest that this quantum criticality emerges owing to critical valence fluctuations. Above $P_{\rm c}$, the approximant undergoes a magnetic transition at $T \simeq 100$ mK. These results are contrasted with the fact that, in the quasicrystal, the quantum criticality is robust against the application of pressure. The applicability of the so-called $T/H$ scaling to the approximant is also discussed.

We report the results of 27Al-NMR measurements on a single crystal of PrTi2Al20. This compound shows a phase transition near 2 K associated with the quadrupole degree of freedom of Pr ions, for which the ground state of the crystalline electric field is a nonmagnetic doublet. When a magnetic field is applied along the <111> direction, the NMR lines split upon entering the low-temperature phase, indicating the breaking of the three fold rotation symmetry due to the field-induced magnetic dipole perpendicular to the field. This provides microscopic evidence for a ferro order of the O20 quadrupole. Although a first-order transition is expected theoretically, the line splitting evolves continuously within the experimental resolution.

The ground state of the two-dimensional (2D) Hubbard model is investigated by adopting improved wave functions that take into account intersite electron correlation beyond the Gutzwiller ansatz. The ground-state energy is lowered considerably, giving the best estimate of the ground-state energy for the 2D Hubbard model. There is a crossover from weakly to strongly correlated regions as the on-site Coulomb interaction $U$ increases. The antiferromagnetic correlation induced by $U$ is reduced for hole doping when $U$ is large, being greater than the bandwidth, thus increasing the kinetic energy gain. The spin and charge fluctuations are induced in the strongly correlated region. These antiferromagnetic and kinetic charge fluctuations induce electron pairings, which would result in high-temperature superconductivity.

Single crystals of Ba1−xKxFe2As2 with 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 1 have been successfully synthesized by a KAs self-flux method. The potassium (K) concentration x of the grown crystals was systematically changed by changing the mixing ratio of Ba to Fe in the starting materials. The crystals have flat surfaces corresponding to the crystallographic (001) planes, whose planar dimensions increase with decreasing thickness when x increases. The superconducting transition temperature systematically changes with x, ranging from 38 K at x = 0.4 to 3.4 K at x = 1.0, in good agreement with the results for polycrystalline samples.

Laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen atoms, μp, has revealed a proton root-mean-square (rms) charge radius rE that is an order of magnitude more accurate than the CODATA world average from elastic electron–proton scattering and precision spectroscopy of regular (electronic) hydrogen. Interestingly, though, the value of rE from μp is 4%, or 7 combined standard deviations smaller than the CODATA value of rE. This discrepancy has been coined “proton radius puzzle”. We summarize the experiment and give a brief overview of the theory in muonic hydrogen. Finally we discuss some possible scenarios for the resolution of the “proton radius puzzle”.

We report quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) itinerant electron magnetism in the layered Co-based shandites. Comprehensive magnetization measurements were performed using single crystals of Co3Sn2−xInxS2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) and Co3−yFeySn2S2 (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.5). The magnetic parameters of both systems; the Curie temperature TC, effective moment peff and spontaneous moment ps; exhibit almost identical variations against the In- and Fe-concentrations, indicating significance of the electron count on the magnetism in the Co-based shandite. The ferromagnetic–nonmagnetic quantum phase transition is found around xc ∼ 0.8. Analysis based on the extended Q2D spin fluctuation theory clearly reveals the highly Q2D itinerant electron character of the ferromagnetism in the Co-based shandites.

We have investigated Se substitution effect to superconductivity of an optimally-doped BiS2-based superconductor Eu0.5La0.5FBiS2. Eu0.5La0.5FBiS2-xSex samples with x = 0-1 were synthesized. With increasing x, in-plane chemical pressure is enhanced. For x = 0.6, 0.8, and 1, superconducting transitions with a large shielding volume fraction are observed in magnetic susceptibility measurements, and the highest Tc is 3.8 K for x = 0.8. From low-temperature electrical resistivity measurements, a zero-resistivity state is observed for all the samples, and the highest Tc is observed for x = 0.8. With increasing Se concentration, characteristics of electrical resistivity changes from semiconducting-like to metallic, suggesting that the emergence of bulk superconductivity is linked with the enhanced metallicity. A superconductivity phase diagram of the Eu0.5La0.5FBiS2-xSex superconductor is established. Temperature dependences of electrical resistivity show an anomalous two-step transition under high magnetic fields. Hence, the resistivity data are analyzed with assuming in-plane anisotropy…

The structure and the magnetic properties of layered Li3Cu2SbO6 are investigated by powder X-ray diffraction, static susceptibility, and electron spin resonance studies up to 330 GHz. The XRD data experimentally verify the space group C2/m with halved unit cell volume in contrast to previously reported C2/c. In addition, the data show significant Li/Cu-intersite exchange. Static magnetic susceptibility and ESR measurements show two magnetic contributions, i.e. quasi-free spins at low-temperature and a spin-gapped magnetic subsystem, with about half of the spins being associated to each subsystem. The data suggest ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic alternating chains with JFM = -285 K and JAFM = 160 K with a significant amount of Li-defects in the chains. The results are discussed in the scenario of fragmented 1D S = 1 AFM chains with a rather high defect concentration of about 17% and associated S = 1/2 edge states of the resulting finite Haldane chains.

Table-top high-power terahertz (THz) pulse sources based on the femtosecond lasers are able to reveal fascinating nonlinear transport phenomena in materials and coherently drive low-energy transitions into the nonperturbative nonlinear regime. This article summarizes recent studies on THz nonlinear interactions with solid materials as follows. The tilted-pump-intensity-front scheme uses a LiNbO3 crystal to generate high-field single-cycle THz pulses with a 1 MV/cm amplitude. Such a high amplitude pulse can cause impact ionization in GaAs that excites electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, leading to exciton luminescence. A narrow-bandwidth THz pulse can be generated by using a chirped-pulse-beating method; this scheme has been used to show that resonant intraexcitonic excitation in GaAs induces a large Autler–Townes splitting. Moreover, nonlinear dynamics of magnetism can be studied by using a metallic split ring resonator to enhance the THz magnetic field.

The odd-parity multipole is an emergent degree of freedom, leading to spontaneous inversion symmetry breaking. The odd-parity multipole order may occur by forming staggered even-parity multipoles in a unit cell. We focus on a locally noncentrosymmetric bilayer Rashba system, and study an odd-parity electric octupole order caused by the antiferro stacking of local electric quadrupoles. Analyzing the forward scattering model, we show that the electric octupole order is stabilized by a layer-dependent Rashba spin-orbit coupling. The roles of the spin-orbit coupling are clarified on the basis of the analytic formula of multipole susceptibility. The spin texture allowed in the D_2d point group symmetry and its magnetic response are revealed. Furthermore, we show that the parity-breaking quantum critical point appears in the magnetic field. The possible realization of the electric octupole order in bilayer high-T_c cuprate superconductors is discussed.

New FeSe-based intercalation superconductors, $A_x$(C$_8$H$_{11}$N)$_y$Fe$_{1-z}$Se ($A$ = Li, Na), with $T_\mathrm{c}$ = 39-44 K have been successfully synthesized via the intercalation of alkali metals and 2-phenethylamine into FeSe. The interlayer spacings, namely, the distances between neighboring Fe layers, $d$, of $A_x$(C$_8$H$_{11}$N)$_y$Fe$_{1-z}$Se ($A$ = Li, Na) are 19.04(6) and 18.0(1) Å, respectively. These $d$ values are the largest among those of the FeSe-based intercalation compounds and are understood to be due to the intercalation of two molecules of 2-phenethylamine in series perpendicular to the FeSe layers. It appears that the relationship between $T_\mathrm{c}$ and $d$ in the FeSe-based intercalation superconductors is not domic but $T_\mathrm{c}$ is saturated at ~ 45 K, which is comparable to the $T_\mathrm{c}$ values of single-layer FeSe films, for $d$ $\geq$ 9 Å.

The electronic structure of the divalent Eu compound EuAl4, which shows a charge density wave transition at TCDW = 140 K, was studied by hard X-ray angle-integrated photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and soft X-ray angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). The valence band and core-level spectra obtained by HAXPES are consistent with the divalent nature of Eu atoms in EuAl4. From the ARPES results, the Fermi surface as well as band structure in the vicinity of the Fermi energy (EF) of EuAl4 are very similar to those of its isostructural divalent Sr compound SrAl4, which has no 4f electrons. This suggests that the Eu atoms are divalent in EuAl4, and the 4f electrons are localized below 1.8 eV with the Eu 4f7 electronic configuration in the ground state. The ARPES spectra measured along the Γ–(Σ)–Z high-symmetry line did not show significant temperature dependences above and below TCDW within the energy resolution of 80–90 meV. Moreover, the Fermi surface mapping along the kz direction showed that both EuAl4 and SrAl4 have mostly three-dimensional electronic structures,…

Low-temperature heat capacity of the organic superconductor λ-(BETS)2GaCl4 in a temperature range between 0.6 and 10 K was measured for a single crystal sample by relaxation calorimetry technique. The contribution of electronic heat capacity in the superconducting state shows T2 dependence at lower temperature that indicates the existence of quasi-particle excitations from the line-nodal gap structure of d-wave pairing. The recovery of the electronic heat capacity coefficient, γ by magnetic field shows H1/2 dependence that is consistent with the picture of line-nodal superconductor. In spite of the different packing from typical organic superconductors κ-(BEDT-TTF)2X, the λ-type BETS salt also shows a feature of d-wave symmetry pairing.

Dielectric and X-ray diffraction measurements of [[email protected]60](PF6) single crystals reveal the motion of the Li+ cations inside the C60 cages at low temperature. An increase in the dielectric permittivity below 100 K is consistent with a combined tunneling and hopping motion of the Li+ cation between two positions inside the C60 cage. A phase transition accompanied by a decrease in the dielectric permittivity at TC = 24 K is explained by an antiferroelectric ordering of the Li+ cations. The Li+ ordering is caused by interactions among electric dipole moments formed between the Li+ cations inside and the PF6− anions outside the C60 cages. The electric dipole moments that are switched by the Li+ tunneling and interact with each other are potential qubits in a quantum computer using electric dipole moments.

We examined the electrical transport properties of densified LaOBiS2-xSex, which constitutes a new family of thermoelectric materials. The power factor increased with increasing concentration of Se, i.e., Se substitution led to an enhanced electrical conductivity, without suppression of the Seebeck coefficient. Hall measurements indicated that the low electrical resistivity resulted from increases in the carrier mobility, and the decrease in carrier concentration led to large absolute values of the Seebeck coefficient of the system.

There is growing evidence that the superconducting semimetal FeSe ($T_c\sim8$ K) is in the crossover regime between weak-coupling Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) and strong-coupling Bose-Einstein-condensate (BEC) limits. We report on longitudinal and transverse thermal conductivities, $κ_{xx}$ and $κ_{xy}$, respectively, in magnetic fields up to 20 T. The field dependences of $κ_{xx}$ and $κ_{xy}$ imply that a highly anisotropic small superconducting gap forms at the electron Fermi-surface pocket whereas a more isotropic and larger gap forms at the hole pocket. Below $\sim1.0$ K, both $κ_{xx}$ and $κ_{xy}$ exhibit distinct anomalies (kinks) at the upper critical field $H_{c2}$ and at a field $H^*$ slightly below $H_{c2}$. The analysis of the thermal Hall angle ($κ_{xy}/κ_{xx}$) indicates a change of the quasiparticle scattering rate at $H^*$. These results provide strong support to the previous suggestion that above $H^*$ a distinct field-induced superconducting phase emerges with an unprecedented large spin imbalance.

A quantum critical behavior of the magnetic susceptibility was observed in a quasicrystal containing ytterbium. At the same time, a mixed-valence feature of Yb ions was reported, which appears to be incompatible with the magnetic instability. We derive the magnetic susceptibility by expressing the quasiperiodicity as the distributed hybridization strength between Yb 4f and conduction electrons. Assuming a wide distribution of the hybridization strength, the most f electrons behave as renormalized paramagnetic states in the Kondo or mixed-valence regime, but a small number of f moments remain unscreened. As a result, the bulk magnetic susceptibility exhibits a nontrivial power-law-like behavior, while the average f-electron occupation is that of mixed-valence systems. This model thus resolves two contradictory properties of Yb quasicrystals.

The three-chain Hubbard model for Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$ known as a candidate material for the excitonic insulator is investigated over the wide range of energy gap $D$ between the two-fold degenerate conduction bands and the nondegenerate valence band including both semiconducting ($D>0$) and semimetallic ($D<0$) cases. In the semimetallic case, the difference of the band degeneracy inevitably causes the imbalance of each Fermi wavenumber, resulting in a remarkable excitonic state characterized by the condensation of excitons with finite center-of-mass momentum $q$, the so-called Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) excitonic state. With decreasing $D$ corresponding to increasing pressure, the obtained excitonic phase diagram shows a crossover from BEC ($D\simg 0$) to BCS ($D\siml 0$) regime, and then shows a distinct phase transition at a certain critical value $D_c(<0)$ from the uniform ($q=0$) to the FFLO ($q\ne 0$) excitonic state, as expected to be observed in Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$ under high pressure.