Superconductivity in kagome metal ThRu_(3)Si_(2)

We report the physical properties of ThRu_(3)Si_(2)featured with distorted Ru kagome lattice.The combined experiments of resistivity,magnetization and specific heat reveal bulk superconductivity with T_(c)=3.8 K.The specific heat jump and calculated electron–phonon coupling indicate a moderate coupled BCS superconductor.In comparison with LaRu_(3)Si_(2),the calculated electronic structure in ThRu_(3)Si_(2)shows an electron-doping effect with electron filling lifted from 100 meV below flat bands to 300 meV above it.This explains the lower superconducting transition temperature and weaker electron correlations observed in ThRu_(3)Si_(2).Our work suggests the Tc and electronic correlations in the kagome superconductor could have an intimate connection with the flat bands.

Direct Observation of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides in Liquid with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

We present atomic-resolution images of TiSe2,MoTe2 and TaS2 single crystals in liquid condition using our home-built scanning tunneling microscopy(STM).By facilely cleaving of single crystals in liquid,we were able to keep the fresh surface not oxidized within a few hours.Using the high-stable home-built STM,we have obtained atomic resolution images of TiSe2 accompanied with the single atom defects as well as the triangle defects in solution for the first time.Besides,the superstructure of MoTe2 and hexagonal chargedensity wave domain structure in nearly commensurate phase of TaS2 were also obtained at room temperature(295 K).Our results provide a more efficient method in investigating the lively surface of transition metal dichalcogenides.Besides,the high stable liquid-phase STM will support the further investigations in liquid-phase catalysis or electrochemistry.

Neutron Powder Diffraction Study on the Non-Superconducting Phases of ThFeAsN1-xOx（x=0.15,0.6）Iron Pnictide

We use neutron powder diffraction to study the non-superconducting phases of ThFeAsN1-xOx with x = 0.15,0.6.In our previous results of the superconducting phase ThFeAsN with Tc = 30 K,no magnetic transition is observed by cooling down to 6 K,and possible oxygen occupancy at the nitrogen site is shown in the refinement[Europhys.Lett.117(2017)57005].Here in the oxygen doped system ThFeAsN1-xOx,two superconducting regions(0≤x≤0.1 and 0.25≤x≤0.55)are identified by transport experiments[J.Phys.:Condens.Matter30(2018)255602].However,within the resolution of our neutron powder diffraction experiment,neither the intermediate doping x= 0.15 nor the heavily overdoped compound x = 0.6 shows any magnetic order from 300 K to 4 K.Therefore,while it shares the common phenomenon of two superconducting domes as most 1111-type iron-based superconductors,the magneticall.y ordered parent compound may not exist in this nitride family.

Observation of Fermi Arcs in Non-Centrosymmetric Weyl Semi-Metal Candidate NbP

We report the surface electronic structure of niobium phosphide NbP single crystal on （001） surface by vacuum ultraviolet angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Combining with our first principle calculations, we identify the existence of the Fermi arcs originated from topological surface states. Furthermore, the surface states exhibit circular dichroism pattern, which may correlate with its non-trivial spin texture. Our results provide critical evidence for the existence of the Weyl Fermions in NbP, which lays the foundation for further research.

Gas-Phase Deposited Plasmonic Nanoparticles Supported on 3D-Graphene/Nickel Foam for Highly SERS Detection

In this work, we proposed a novel three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic nanostructure based on porous graphene/nickel foam (GNF) and gas-phase deposited Ag nanoparticles (NPs). Ag NPs with high density were directly deposited on the surface of 3D GNF by performing a novel cluster beam deposition approach. In comparison with traditional Ag substrate (SiO2/Ag), such hot-spots enriched 3D nanostructure showed extremely high electromag-netic field enhancement under incident light irradiation which could be used as a sensitive chemical sensor based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed nanostructure showed superior SERS performance in terms of Raman signal reproducibility and sensitivity for the probe molecules. 3D full-wave simulation showed that the enhanced SERS performance in this 3D hierarchical plasmonic nanostructure was mainly obtained from the hot-spots between Ag NPs and the near-field coupling between Ag NPs and GNF sca olds. This work can provide a novel assembled SERS substrate as a SERS-based chemical sensor in practical applications.

Palladium-Carbon Composite Nanoparticle Films with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensors

A nanocomposite electrocatalyst was prepared with the method of cluster beam deposition of palladium nanoparticle thin lms on carbon nanoparticle supporting layers and used as sensitive nonenzyme hydrogen peroxide sensors. An enhancement on the electrocatalytic activity of the palladium nanoparticles toward H2O2 reduction was observed, which was related to the coverage of the carbon nanoparticles. With one monolayer of carbon nanoparticles, the H2O2 detection sensitivity reached the maximum, which was more than twice of that of the pure Pd nanoparticles.

Epitaxial Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CuO_(y) thin films as p-type transparent conductors

Development of p-type transparent conducting thin films is tireless due to the trade-off issue between optical transparency and conductivity. The rarely concerned low normal state resistance makes Bi-based superconducting cuprates the potential hole-type transparent conductors, which have been realized in Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(y) thin films. In this study, epitaxial superconducting Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CuO_(y) and Bi_(2)Sr_(1.8)Nd_(0.2)CuO_(y) thin films with superior normal state conductivity are proposed as ptype transparent conductors. It is found that the Bi_(2)Sr_(1.8)Nd_(0.2)CuO_(y) thin film with thickness 15 nm shows an average visible transmittance of 65% and room-temperature sheet resistance of 650 Ω/sq. The results further demonstrate that Bi-based cuprate superconductors can be regarded as potential p-type transparent conductors for future optoelectronic applications.

Effect of impurity scattering on superconductivity in K2Cr3As3

Impurity scattering in a superconductor may serve as an important probe for the nature of superconducting pairing state. Here we re- port the impurity effect on superconducting transition temperature Te in the newly discovered Cr-based superconductor K2Cr3As3. The resistivity measurements show that the crystals prepared using high-purity Cr metal （≥99.99%） have an electron mean free path much larger than the superconducting coherence length. For the crystals prepared using impure Cr that contains various non- magnetic impurities, however, the Tc decreases significantly, in accordance with the generalized Abrikosov-Gor＇kov pair-breaking theory. This finding supports a non-s-wave superconductivity in K2Cr3As3.

Synthesis, crystal structure and physical properties of quasi-one-dimensional ACr_3As_3(A = Rb, Cs)

Recently, new Cr-based superconductors, A2Cr3As3(A = K, Rb, Cs), have gained intense interest because of their one-dimensional crystal structures and electron correlations. Here we report the crystal structure and physical properties of two related materials ACr3As3(A = Rb, Cs) which are synthesized via a soft-chemical A+ deintercalation in A2Cr3As3. The new compounds remain one-dimensional(Cr3As3)∞ linear chains, and the interchain distance can be tuned by the incorporation of the alkali-metal cations with different sizes. The physical property measurements indicate a local-moment behavior at high temperatures, and the moments freeze into a cluster spin-glass state below 5–6 K. No superconductivity was observed in both materials. We also found that, with increasing the interchain distance, the Cr effective moments increase monotonically, accompanied with the enhancement of semi-conductivity. Our results shed light on the understanding of occurrence of superconductivity in A2Cr3As3.

Ferroelectric control of single-molecule magnetism in 2D limit

The electric control of magnetic properties based on magnetoelectric effect is crucial for the development of future data storage devices.Here,based on first-principles calculations,a strong magnetoelectric effect is proposed to effectively switch on/off the magnetic states as well as alter the in-plane/perpendicular easy axes of metal-phthalocyanine molecules(MPc)by reversing the electric polarization of the underlying two-dimensional(2D)ferroelectric a-In2Se3 substrate with the application of an external electric field.The mechanism originates from the different hybridization between the molecule and the ferroelectric substrate in which the different electronic states of surface Se layer play a dominant role.Moreover,the magnetic moments and magnetic anisotropy energies(MAE)of OsPc/In2Se3 can be further largely enhanced by a functionalized atom atop the OsPc molecule.The I-OsPc/In2Se3 system possesses large MAE up to 30 meV at both polarization directions,which is sufficient for room-temperature applications.These findings provide a feasible scheme to realize ferroelectric control of magnetic states in 2D limit,which have great potential for applications in nanoscale electronics and spintronics.

Vapor phase fabrication of three-dimensional arrayed BiI3 nanosheets for cost-effective solar cells

Multilayered photovoltaic absorbers have triggered widespread attention for their unique structure and properties.However,multilayered materials in the randomly oriented polycrystalline thin-film lead to ineffective carrier transport and collection,which hinders the process of achieving high-performance solar cells.Herein,this issue is tackled by producing the three-dimensional(3D)heterojunction BiI3 nanosheets(NSs)solar cells,which embed vertically aligned monocrystalline BiI3 NSs into spiro-OMeTAD.The preferred orientation of BiI3 NSs and large p-n junction areas of 3D heterojunction structure enable a strong light absorption and effective carrier transport and collection,and thus a power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 1.45%was achieved.Moreover,this PCE is the highest ever reported for BiI3 based solar cells to our best knowledge.Moreover,the nonencapsulated device remained 96%of the initial PCE after 24 h continuous one sun illumination at^70%humidity condition,and 82%of the initial PCE after 1-month storage at^30%humidity condition.

Observation of topological phase with critical localization in a quasi-periodic lattice

Disorder and localization have dramatic influence on the topological properties of a quantum system.While strong disorder can close the band gap thus depriving topological materials of topological features,disorder may also induce topology from trivial band structures,wherein topological invariants are shared by completely localized states.Here we experimentally investigate a fundamentally distinct scenario where topology is identified in a critically localized regime,with eigenstates neither fully extended nor completely localized.Adopting the technique of momentum-lattice engineering for ultracold atoms,we implement a one-dimensional,generalized Aubry-Andrémodel with both diagonal and off-diagonal quasi-periodic disorder in momentum space,and characterize its localization and topological properties through dynamic observables.We then demonstrate the impact of interactions on the critically localized topological state,as a first experimental endeavor toward the clarification of many-body critical phase,the critical analogue of the many-body localized state.

Anisotropic gapping of topological Weyl rings in the charge-density-wave superconductor In_(x)TaSe_(2)

Topological materials and topological phases have recently become a hot topic in condensed matter physics.In this work,we report an In-intercalated transition-metal dichalcogenide In_(x)TaSe_(2)(named 112 system),a topological nodal-line semimetal in the prep seffiffinffi ce of both charge density wave(CDW)and superconductivity.In the x=0.58 sample,the 2×√3 commensurate CDW(CCDW)and the 2×2 CCDW are observed below 116 and 77 K,respectively.Consistent with theoretical calculations,the spin–orbital coupling gives rise to two twofold-degenerate nodal rings(Weyl rings)connected by drumhead surface states,confirmed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.Our results suggest that the 2×2 CCDW ordering gaps out one Weyl ring in accordance with the CDW band folding,while the other Weyl ring remains gapless with intact surface states.In addition,superconductivity emerges at 0.91 K,with the upper critical field deviating from the s-wave behavior at low temperature,implying possibly unconventional superconductivity.Therefore,we think this type of the 112 system may possess abundant physical states and offer a platform to investigate the interplay between CDW,nontrivial band topology and superconductivity.

Atomic scale electronic structure of the ferromagnetic semiconductor Cr2Ge2Te6

Cr_2Ge_2Te_6is an intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductor with van der Waals type layered structure,thus represents a promising material for novel electronic and spintronic devices.Here we combine scanning tunneling microscopy and first-principles calculations to investigate the electronic structure of Cr_2Ge_2Te_6.Tunneling spectroscopy reveals a surprising large energy level shift and change of energy gap size across the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition,as well as a peculiar double-peak electronic state on the Cr-site defect.These features can be quantitatively explained by density functional theory calculations,which uncover a close relationship between the electronic structure and magnetic order.These findings shed important new lights on the microscopic electronic structure and origin of magnetic order in Cr_2Ge_2Te_6.

Synthesis,Structure and Properties of Layered Phosphide Nitrides AkTh_(2)Mn_(4)P_(4)N_(2)(Ak=Rb,Cs)

Main observation and conclusion We report the design,synthesis,structure,and properties of two complex layered phosphide nitrides,AkTh_(2)Mn_(4)P_(4)N_(2)(Ak=Rb,Cs),which contain anti-fluorite-type[Mn_(2)P_(2)]bilayers separated by fluorite-type[Th_(2)N_(2)]layers as a result of the intergrowth between AkMn2P2 and ThMnPN.The new compounds are featured with an intrinsic hole doping associated with the interlayer charge transfer and a built-in chemical pressure from the[Th_(2)N_(2)]layers,both of which are reflected by the changes in the lattice and the atomic position of phosphorus.The measurements of magnetic susceptibility,electrical resistivity,and specific heat indicate existence of local moments as well as itinerant electrons in relation with d-p hybridizations.The expected dominant antiferromagnetic interactions with enhanced d-p hybridizations were demonstrated by the first-principles calculations only when additional Coulomb repulsions are included.The density of states at the Fermi level derived from the specific-heat analysis are 3.5 and 7.5 times of the calculated ones for Ak=Rb and Cs,respectively,suggesting strong electron correlations in the title compounds.

Bessel-beam-based side-view measurement of seven-core fibre internal core distribution

Accurate knowledge of the internal core distribution of multicore fibres(MCFs)is essential,given their widespread application,including in fibre splicing,bundle fan-in/fan-out,mode coupling,writing gratings,and fibre drawing.However,the extensive use of MCFs is restricted by the limited methods available to precisely measure the fibre core distribution,as the measurement accuracy determines the performance of the product.In this study,a side-view and nondestructive scheme based on Bessel beam illumination was proposed for measuring the internal core distribution of a seven-core fibre.Bessel beams offer a large focal length in a scattering medium,and exhibit a unique pattern when propagating in an off-axis medium with a spatially varying refractive index.The results revealed that a long focal length and unique pattern influence the image contrast in the case of Bessel beams,which differs from a typical Gaussian beam.Further,high-precision measurement of a seven-core fibre core distribution based on a Bessel beam was demonstrated using a digital correlation method.A deep learning approach was used to improve the measurement precision to 0.2°with an accuracy of 96.8%.The proposed side-view Bessel-beam-based method has the potential to handle more complex MCFs and photonic crystal fibres.

Superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional Cs_2Cr_3As_3 with large interchain distance

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity(SC) in quasi-two-dimensional copper oxides,a few layered compounds,which bear similarities to the cuprates,have also been found to host the unconventional SC. Our recent observation of SC at 6.1 K in correlated electron material K2Cr3As3 represents an obviously different paradigm,primarily because of its quasi-one-dimensional(Q1D) nature. The new material is structurally featured by the [(Cr3As3)2-]∞ double-walled subnano-tubes composed of face-sharing Cr6/2(As6/2) octahedron linear chains,which are well separated by the columns of K+ counterions. Later,an isostructural superconducting Rb2Cr3As3 was synthesized,thus forming a new superconducting family. Here we report the third member,Cs2Cr3As3,which possesses the largest interchain distance. SC appears below 2.2 K. Similar to the former two sister compounds,Cs2Cr3As3 exhibits a non-Fermi liquid behavior with a linear temperature dependence of resistivity in the normal state,and a high upper critical field beyond the Pauli limit as well,suggesting a common unconventional SC in the Q1 D Cr-based material.

Chiral metal phosphonates: assembly, structures and functions

As an important class of inorganic-organic hybrid materials, metal phosphonates can exhibit versatile structures, interesting functions and high water and thermal stabilities. Despite a large number of metal phosphonates reported in the past two decades,the development of chiral metal phosphonates is still in its infancy. This review summarizes the current status in this topical field including the synthetic strategies, the crystal structures of chiral metal phosphonates reported thus far, and their physical and chemical properties. Future challenges in this promising field are also discussed.

Crystal structure and superconductivity at about 30 K in ACa_2Fe_4As_4F_2(A = Rb,Cs)

We have synthesized two iron fluo-arsenides ACa2Fe4As4Fz with A = Rb and Cs, analogous to the newly discovered superconductor KCazFe4As4F2. The quinary inor- ganic compounds crystallize in a body-centered tetragonal lattice with space group I4/mmm, which contain double Fe2As2 layers that are separated by insulating Ca2F2 layers. The electrical and magnetic measurements on the polycrys- talline samples demonstrate that the new materials undergo superconducting transitions at Tc = 30.5 and 28.2 K, respec- tively, without extrinsic doping. The correlations between Tc and structural parameters are discussed.

Negative magnetoresistance in Weyl semimetals NbAs and NbP： Intrinsic chiral anomaly and extrinsic effects

Chiral anomaly-induced negative magnetoresistance （NMR） has been widely used as critical transport evidence for the existence of Weyl fermions in topological semimetals. In this mini-review, we discuss the general observation of NMR phenomena in non-centrosymmetric NbP and NbAs. We show that NMR can arise from the intrinsic chiral anomaly of Weyl fermions and/or extrinsic effects, such as the superimposition of Hall signals; field-dependent inhomogeneous current flow in the bulk, i.e., current jetting; and weak localization （WL） of coexistent trivial carriers. The WLmcontrolled NMR is heavily dependent on sample quality and is characterized by a pronounced crossover from positive to negative MR growth at elevated temperatures, resulting from the competition between the phase coherence time and the spin-orbital scattering constant of the bulk trivial pockets. Thus, the correlation between the NMR and the chiral anomaly need to be scrutinized without the support of complimentary techniques. Because of the lifting of spin degeneracy, the spin orientations of Weyl fermions are either parallel or antiparallel to the momentum, which is a unique physical property known as helicity. The conservation of helicity provides strong protection for the transport of Weyl fermions, which can only be effectively scattered by magnetic impurities. Chemical doping with magnetic and non-magnetic impurities is thus more convincing than the NMR method for detecting the existence of Weyl fermions.