A spin-based magnetic scanning microscope for in-situ strain tuning of soft matter

We present a magnetic scanning microscope equipped with a nitrogen-vacancy(NV) center scanning probe that has the ability to mechanically tune the strain of soft matter in-situ. The construction of the microscope and a continuous straintuning sample holder are discussed. An optically detected magnetic resonance protocol utilized in the imaging is described.In order to show the reliability of this microscope, the strain conduction is estimated with finite element simulation, and xray diffraction is required for calibration when freestanding crystal films are under consideration. A magnetic imaging result is displayed to demonstrate the nano-scale imaging capability. The microscope presented in this work is helpful in studying strain-coupled magnetic physics such as magnetic phase transition under strain and strain-tuned cycloidal orientation tilting.

Physical Properties Revealed by Transport Measurements for Superconducting Nd_(0.8)Sr_(0.2)NiO_(2) Thin Films

The newly discovered superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelate superconducting films has attracted much attention,largely because their crystalline and electronic structures are similar to those of high-T_(c) cuprate superconductors.The upper critical field can provide a great deal of information on the subject of superconductivity,but detailed experimental data are still lacking for these films.We present the temperature-and angle-dependence of resistivity,measured under different magnetic fields H in Nd_(0.8)Sr_(0.2)NiO_(2) thin films.The onset superconducting transition occurs at about 16.2 K at 0 T.Temperature-dependent upper critical fields,determined using a criterion very close to the onset transition,show a clear negative curvature near the critical transition temperature,which can be explained as a consequence of the paramagnetically limited effect on superconductivity.The temperaturedependent anisotropy of the upper critical field is obtained from resistivity data,which yields a value decreasing from 3 to 1.2 with a reduction in temperature.This can be explained in terms of the variable contribution from the orbital limit effect on the upper critical field.The angle-dependence of resistivity at a fixed temperature,and at different magnetic fields,cannot be scaled to a curve,which deviates from the prediction of the anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau theory.However,at low temperatures,the resistance difference can be scaled via the parameter H^(β)| cos θ|(β=6-1),with θ being the angle enclosed between the c-axis and the applied magnetic field.As the first detailed study of the upper critical field of nickelate thin films,our results clearly indicate a small anisotropy,and a paramagnetically limited effect,in terms of superconductivity,in nickelate superconductors.

Halide vapor phase epitaxy of monolayer molybdenum diselenide single crystals

Single-crystalline transition metal dichalcogenides(TMD)films are of potential application in future electronics and optoelectronics.In this work,a halide vapor phase epitaxy(HVPE)strategy was proposed and demonstrated for the epitaxy of molybdenum diselenide(MoSe_(2))single crystals,in which metal halide vapors were in-situ produced by the chlorination of molybdenum as sources for the TMD growth.Combined with the epitaxial sapphire substrate,unidirectional domain alignment was successfully achieved and monolayer single-crystal MoSe_(2) films have been demonstrated on a 2-inch wafer for the first time.A series of characterizations ranging from centimeter to nanometer scales have been implemented to demonstrate the high quality and uniformity of the MoSe_(2).This work provides a universal strategy for the growth of TMD single-crystal films.

Charge density wave and weak Kondo effect in a Dirac semimetal CeSbTe

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES) and low-energy electron diffraction(LEED), together with densityfunctional theory(DFT) calculation, we report the formation of charge density wave(CDW) and its interplay with the Kondo effect and topological states in CeSbTe. The observed Fermi surface(FS) exhibits parallel segments that can be well connected by the observed CDWordering vector, indicating that the CDWorder is driven by the electron-phonon coupling(EPC) as a result of the nested FS. The CDW gap is large(~0.3 eV) and momentum-dependent, which naturally explains the robust CDWorder up to high temperatures. The gap opening leads to a reduced density of states(DOS) near the Fermi level(EF), which correspondingly suppresses the many-body Kondo effect, leading to very localized 4 f electrons at 20 K and above. The topological Dirac cone at the X point is found to remain gapless inside the CDW phase. Our results provide evidence for the competition between CDWand the Kondo effect in a Kondo lattice system. The robust CDWorder in CeSbTe and related compounds provide an opportunity to search for the long-sought-after axionic insulator.