Recent experiments in multiband Fe-based and heavy-fermion superconductors have challenged the long-held dichotomy between simple $s$- and $d$-wave spin-singlet pairing states. Here, we advance several time-reversal-invariant irreducible pairings that go beyond the standard singlet functions through a matrix structure in the band/orbital space, and elucidate their naturalness in multiband systems. We consider the $s\tau_{3}$ multiorbital superconducting state for Fe-chalcogenide superconductors. This state, corresponding to a $d+d$ intra- and inter-band pairing, is shown to contrast with the more familiar $d +\text{i}d$ state in a way analogous to how the B- triplet pairing phase of \enhe superfluid differs from its A- phase counterpart. In addition, we construct an analogue of the $s\tau_{3}$ pairing for the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCu$_{2}$Si$_{2}$, using degrees-of-freedom that incorporate spin-orbit coupling. Our results lead to the proposition that $d$-wave superconductors in correlated multiband systems will generically have a fully-gapped Fermi surface when they are examined at sufficiently low energies.
We present low-temperature volume thermal expansion, beta, and specific heat, C, measurements on high-quality single crystals of CeNi2Ge2 and YbRh2(Si0.95Ge0.05)(2) which are located very near to quantum critical points. For both systems, beta shows a more singular temperature dependence than C, and thus the Grüneisen ratio Gamma proportional to beta/C diverges as T-->0. For CeNi2Ge2, our results are in accordance with the spin-density wave (SDW) scenario for three-dimensional critical spin fluctuations. By contrast, the observed singularity in YbRh2(Si0.95Ge0.05)(2) cannot be explained by the itinerant SDW theory but is qualitatively consistent with a locally quantum critical picture.
Shot noise measures out-of-equilibrium current fluctuations and is a powerful tool to probe the nature of current-carrying excitations in quantum systems. Recent shot noise measurements in the heavy fermion strange metal YbRh$_2$Si$_2$ exhibit a strong suppression of the Fano factor ($F$) -- the ratio of the current noise to the average current in the DC limit. This system is representative of metals in which electron correlations are extremely strong. Here we carry out the first theoretical study on the shot noise of diffusive metals in the regime of strong correlations. A Boltzmann-Langevin equation formulation is constructed in a quasiparticle description in the presence of strong correlations. We find that $F = \sqrt{ 3}/{4}$ in such a correlation regime. Hence, the Fano factor suppression observed in experiments on YbRh$_2$Si$_2$ necessitates a loss of the quasiparticles. Our work opens the door to systematic theoretical studies of shot noise as a means of characterizing strongly correlated metallic phases and materials.
We study the $\tau_1$-impurity induced $\mathbf{q}$-space pattern of the energy derivative local density of states (LDOS) in a d-wave superconductor. We are motivated in part by the recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observation of strong gap inhomogeneity with weak charge density variation in Bi$_{2}$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ (BSCCO). The hypothesis is that the gap inhomogeneity might be triggered by the disorder in pair potential. We focus on the effects of electron coupling to various bosonic modes, at the mode energy shifted by the d-wave superconducting gap. The pattern due to a highly anisotropic coupling of electrons to the $B_{1g}$ phonon mode is similar to preliminary results from the Fourier transformed inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (FT-IETS) STM experiment in BSCCO. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of band renormalization effects seen in the ARPES experiments, and suggest means to further explore the electron-boson coupling in the high-$T_c$ cuprates.
There is considerable interest in the intersection of correlations and topology, especially in metallic systems. Among the outstanding questions are how strong correlations drive novel topological states and whether such states can be readily controlled. Here we study the effect of a Zeeman coupling on a Weyl-Kondo semimetal in a nonsymmorphic and noncentrosymmetric Kondo-lattice model. A sequence of distinct and topologically nontrivial semimetal regimes are found, each containing Kondo-driven and Fermi-energy-bound Weyl nodes. The nodes annihilate at a magnetic field that is smaller than what it takes to suppress the Kondo effect. As such, we demonstrate an extreme topological tunability that is isolated from the tuning of the strong correlations per se. Our results are important for experiments in strongly correlated systems, and set the stage for mapping out a global phase diagram for strongly correlated topology.
In the quest for novel quantum states driven by topology and correlation, kagome lattice materials have garnered significant interest due to their distinctive electronic band structures, featuring flat bands (FBs) arising from the quantum destructive interference of the electronic wave function. The tuning of the FBs to the chemical potential would lead to the possibility of liberating electronic instabilities that lead to emergent electronic orders. Despite extensive studies, direct evidence of FBs tuned to the chemical potential and their participation in emergent electronic orders have been lacking in bulk quantum materials. Here using a combination of Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) and Density Functional Theory (DFT), we reveal that the low-energy electronic structure of the recently discovered Cr-based kagome metal superconductor {\Cr} is dominated by a pervasive FB in close proximity to, and below the Fermi level. A comparative analysis with orbital-projected DFT and polarization dependence measurement uncovers that an orbital-selective renormalization mechanism is needed to reconcile the discrepancy with the DFT calculations, which predict the FB to appear 200 meV above the Fermi level. Furthermore, we observe the FB to shift away from the Fermi level by 20 meV in the low-temperature density wave-ordered phase, highlighting the role of the FB in the emergent electronic order. Our results reveal {\Cr} to stand out as a promising platform for further exploration into the effects of FBs near the Fermi level on kagome lattices, and their role in emergent orders in bulk quantum materials.
Flat bands amplify correlation effects and are of extensive current interest. They provide a platform to explore both topology in correlated settings and correlation physics enriched by topology. Recent experiments in correlated kagome metals have found evidence for strange-metal behavior. A major theoretical challenge is to study the effect of local Coulomb repulsion when the band topology obstructs a real-space description. In a variant to the kagome lattice, we identify an orbital-selective Mott transition in any system of coupled topological flat and wide bands. This was made possible by the construction of exponentially localized and Kramers-doublet Wannier functions, which, in turn, leads to an effective Kondo-lattice description. Our findings show how quasiparticles are formed in such coupled topological flat-wide band systems and, equally important, how they are destroyed. Our work provides a conceptual framework for the understanding of the existing and emerging strange-metal properties in kagome metals and beyond.
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