scholarly journals On the Remarkable Superconductivity of FeSe and Its Close Cousins

Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Kreisel ◽  
Peter J. Hirschfeld ◽  
Brian M. Andersen

Emergent electronic phenomena in iron-based superconductors have been at the forefront of condensed matter physics for more than a decade. Much has been learned about the origins and intertwined roles of ordered phases, including nematicity, magnetism, and superconductivity, in this fascinating class of materials. In recent years, focus has been centered on the peculiar and highly unusual properties of FeSe and its close cousins. This family of materials has attracted considerable attention due to the discovery of unexpected superconducting gap structures, a wide range of superconducting critical temperatures, and evidence for nontrivial band topology, including associated spin-helical surface states and vortex-induced Majorana bound states. Here, we review superconductivity in iron chalcogenide superconductors, including bulk FeSe, doped bulk FeSe, FeTe1−xSex, intercalated FeSe materials, and monolayer FeSe and FeTe1−xSex on SrTiO3. We focus on the superconducting properties, including a survey of the relevant experimental studies, and a discussion of the different proposed theoretical pairing scenarios. In the last part of the paper, we review the growing recent evidence for nontrivial topological effects in FeSe-related materials, focusing again on interesting implications for superconductivity.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyao Liu ◽  
Lu Cao ◽  
Shiyu Zhu ◽  
Lingyuan Kong ◽  
Guangwei Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Iron-chalcogenide superconductors have emerged as a promising Majorana platform for topological quantum computation. By combining topological band and superconductivity in a single material, they provide significant advantage to realize isolated Majorana zero modes. However, iron-chalcogenide superconductors, especially Fe(Te,Se), suffer from strong inhomogeneity which may hamper their practical application. In addition, some iron-pnictide superconductors have been demonstrated to have topological surface states, yet no Majorana zero mode has been observed inside their vortices, raising a question of universality about this new Majorana platform. In this work, through angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy measurement, we identify Dirac surface states and Majorana zero modes, respectively, for the first time in an iron-pnictide superconductor, CaKFe4As4. More strikingly, the multiple vortex bound states with integer-quantization sequences can be accurately reproduced by our model calculation, firmly establishing Majorana nature of the zero mode.


Author(s):  
A.V. Voitsekhovskii ◽  
◽  
S.N. Nesmelov ◽  
S.M. Dzyadukh ◽  
T.N. Kopylova ◽  
...  

Experimental studies of the admittance of MIS structures based on pentacene with a two-layer dielectric SiO2-Al2O3 and various materials for backward contact (Au, Al, In, Ag) have been carried out in a wide range of frequencies, temperatures, and biases. The concentration of holes in the organic film of pentacene, found from the capacitance-voltage characteristics, took rather high values (in the range (4-40)×1017 cm-3). The magnitude of the hysteresis of the electrophysical characteristics turned out to be minimal for structures with Ag and In reverse contacts. Significant hysteresis was found for structures with reverse contacts made of Au and Al at 300 K. For a structure with a reverse contact made of Al, with a forward voltage sweep in a weak accumulation mode, a maximum capacitance was observed, which can be associated with a recharge of the level of surface states at the interface between the inorganic insulator and pentacene. An equivalent circuit of a pentacene-based MIS structure is proposed, which allows one to calculate the frequency dependences of the impedance under various conditions. The values of the elements of the equivalent circuit are found at various biases and temperatures. For structures with backward contacts made of Au and Ag, maxima on the temperature dependence of the conductance associated with the recharge of bulk traps in the organic pentacene film were found.


2013 ◽  
Vol 88 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shantanu Mukherjee ◽  
Maria N. Gastiasoro ◽  
Brian M. Andersen

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsuyoshi Kawashima ◽  
Shigeki Miyasaka ◽  
Hirokazu Tsuji ◽  
Takahiro Yamamoto ◽  
Masahiro Uekubo ◽  
...  

AbstractThe structural flexibility at three substitution sites in LaFeAsO enabled investigation of the relation between superconductivity and structural parameters over a wide range of crystal compositions. Substitutions of Nd for La, Sb or P for As, and F or H for O were performed. All these substitutions modify the local structural parameters, while the F/H-substitution also changes band filling. It was found that the superconducting transition temperature $$T_{\text{c}}$$ T c is strongly affected by the pnictogen height $$h_{Pn}$$ h Pn from the Fe-plane that controls the electron correlation strength and the size of the $$d_{xy}$$ d xy hole Fermi surface (FS). With increasing $$h_{Pn}$$ h Pn , weak coupling BCS superconductivity switches to the strong coupling non-BCS one where electron correlations and the $$d_{xy}$$ d xy hole FS may be important.


Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 421
Author(s):  
Dariusz Puchala ◽  
Kamil Stokfiszewski ◽  
Mykhaylo Yatsymirskyy

In this paper, the authors analyze in more details an image encryption scheme, proposed by the authors in their earlier work, which preserves input image statistics and can be used in connection with the JPEG compression standard. The image encryption process takes advantage of fast linear transforms parametrized with private keys and is carried out prior to the compression stage in a way that does not alter those statistical characteristics of the input image that are crucial from the point of view of the subsequent compression. This feature makes the encryption process transparent to the compression stage and enables the JPEG algorithm to maintain its full compression capabilities even though it operates on the encrypted image data. The main advantage of the considered approach is the fact that the JPEG algorithm can be used without any modifications as a part of the encrypt-then-compress image processing framework. The paper includes a detailed mathematical model of the examined scheme allowing for theoretical analysis of the impact of the image encryption step on the effectiveness of the compression process. The combinatorial and statistical analysis of the encryption process is also included and it allows to evaluate its cryptographic strength. In addition, the paper considers several practical use-case scenarios with different characteristics of the compression and encryption stages. The final part of the paper contains the additional results of the experimental studies regarding general effectiveness of the presented scheme. The results show that for a wide range of compression ratios the considered scheme performs comparably to the JPEG algorithm alone, that is, without the encryption stage, in terms of the quality measures of reconstructed images. Moreover, the results of statistical analysis as well as those obtained with generally approved quality measures of image cryptographic systems, prove high strength and efficiency of the scheme’s encryption stage.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1350 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Konopko ◽  
T. E. Huber ◽  
A. A. Nikolaeva

ABSTRACTIn this work, we report the results of studies of the transverse magnetoresistance (MR) of single-crystal Bi nanowires with diameter d<80 nm. The single-crystal nanowire samples were prepared by the Taylor-Ulitovsky technique. Due to the semimetal-to-semiconductor transformation and high density of surface states with strong spin-orbit interactions, the charge carriers are confined to the conducting tube made of surface states. The non monotonic changes of transverse MR that are equidistant in a direct magnetic field were observed at low temperatures in a wide range of magnetic fields up to 14 T. The period of oscillations depends on the wire diameter d as for the case of longitudinal MR. An interpretation of transverse MR oscillations is presented.


2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (4) ◽  
pp. G672-G680 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Du ◽  
S. Li ◽  
G. O'Grady ◽  
L. K. Cheng ◽  
A. J. Pullan ◽  
...  

Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) involves the delivery of electrical impulses to the stomach for therapeutic purposes. New GES protocols are needed that are optimized for improved motility outcomes and energy efficiency. In this study, a biophysically based smooth muscle cell (SMC) model was modified on the basis of experimental data and employed in conjunction with experimental studies to define the effects of a large range of GES protocols on individual SMCs. For the validation studies, rat gastric SMCs were isolated and subjected to patch-clamp analysis during stimulation. Experimental results were in satisfactory agreement with simulation results. The results define the effects of a wide range of GES parameters (pulse width, amplitude, and pulse-train frequency) on isolated SMCs. The minimum pulse width required to invoke a supramechanical threshold response from SMCs (defined at −30 mV) was 65 ms (at 250-pA amplitude). The minimum amplitude required to invoke this threshold was 75 pA (at 1,000-ms pulse width). The amplitude of the invoked response beyond this threshold was proportional to the stimulation amplitude. A high-frequency train of stimuli (40 Hz; 10 ms, 150 pA) could invoke and maintain the SMC plateau phase while requiring 60% less power and accruing ∼30% less intracellular Ca2+ concentration during the plateau phase than a comparable single-pulse protocol could in a demonstrated example. Validated computational simulations are an effective strategy for efficiently identifying effective minimum-energy GES protocols, and pulse-train protocols may also help to reduce the power consumption of future GES devices.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Charpentier ◽  
Luca Galletti ◽  
Gunta Kunakova ◽  
Riccardo Arpaia ◽  
Yuxin Song ◽  
...  

Abstract Topological superconductivity is central to a variety of novel phenomena involving the interplay between topologically ordered phases and broken-symmetry states. The key ingredient is an unconventional order parameter, with an orbital component containing a chiral p x  + ip y wave term. Here we present phase-sensitive measurements, based on the quantum interference in nanoscale Josephson junctions, realized by using Bi2Te3 topological insulator. We demonstrate that the induced superconductivity is unconventional and consistent with a sign-changing order parameter, such as a chiral p x  + ip y component. The magnetic field pattern of the junctions shows a dip at zero externally applied magnetic field, which is an incontrovertible signature of the simultaneous existence of 0 and π coupling within the junction, inherent to a non trivial order parameter phase. The nano-textured morphology of the Bi2Te3 flakes, and the dramatic role played by thermal strain are the surprising key factors for the display of an unconventional induced order parameter.


1992 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Molinàs-Mata ◽  
J. Zegenhagen ◽  
M. Böhringer ◽  
N. Takeuchi ◽  
A. Selloni

AbstractWe report on new experimental studies of the Ge(111)-c(2×8) reconstruction performed with low-energy electron diffraction. (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Weak quarter-order reflections are present in the c(2 × 8) LEED pattern in agreement with previous observations and results of ab initio calculations. In order to gain insight into the predicted splitting of dangling bond states, we compare constant current topographs (CCT's) performed at high-tunneling currents (40.nA) with first-principles calculations of the local density of states (LDOS) 1Å above the surface adatoms and obtain good qualitative agreement. We finally discuss to what extent the STM CCT's at high tunneling currents (small sample-tip distances (STD)) are sensitive to surface states outside the Г point.


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