Jinwon Jeong

Direct Observation of Localized Spin Antiferromagnetic Transition in PdCrO2 by Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

We report the first case of the successful measurements of a localized spin antiferromagnetic transition in delafossite-type PdCrO2 by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). This demonstrates how to circumvent the shortcomings of ARPES for investigation of magnetism involved with localized spins in limited size of two-dimensional crystals or multi-layer thin films that neutron scattering can hardly study due to lack of bulk compared to surface. Also, our observations give direct evidence for the spin ordering pattern of Cr3+ ions in PdCrO2 suggested by neutron diffraction and quantum oscillation measurements, and provide a strong constraint that has to be satisfied by a microscopic mechanism for the unconventional anomalous Hall effect recently reported in this system.

Controlling the evolution of two-dimensional electron gas states at ametal/Bi2Se3interface

We have demonstrated that the evolution of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) system at an interface of metal and the model topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 can be controlled by choosing an appropriate kind of metal elements and by applying a low temperature evaporation procedure. In particular, we have found that only topological surface states (TSSs) can exist at a Mn/Bi2Se3 interface, which would be useful for implementing an electric contact with surface current channels only. The existence of the TSSs alone at the interface was confirmed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Based on the ARPES and core-level x-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements, we propose a cation intercalation model to explain our findings. *E-mail: ffnhj@chonnam.ac.kr

Persistence of surface states despite impurities in the surface of topological insulators

We have experimentally demonstrated the robustness and immunity of the surface states to surface impurities and disorder in topological insulator (TI) Bi0.9Sb0.1 in comparison with those of semi-metallic Sb(111) surface by measuring the scattering rates of the quasiparticles (QP) via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The surface impurities on TIs increase the scattering rate of the QPs but their effects are extrinsic and limited regardless of their magnetic properties, while in the semimetallic Sb case they open new scattering channels making the surface states fragile.

Electronic structure change of NiS 2− x Se x in the metal-insulator transition probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The electronic structure change of NiS2−xSex as a function of Se concentration x has been studied by Ni L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The XAS spectra show distinct features in Ni L3 edge, indicating whether the system is insulating or metallic. These features can be semi-quantitatively explained within the framework of the configurational interaction cluster model (CICM). In the S-rich region, relatively large charge-transfer energy (Δ ~ 5 eV) from ligand p to Ni 3d states and a little small p-d hybridization strength (Vpdσ ~ 1.1 eV) can reproduce the experimental spectra in the CICM calculation, and vice versa in the Se-rich region. Our analysis result is consistent with the Zaanen-Sawatzky-Allen scheme that the systems in S-rich side (x ≤ 0.5) are a charge transfer insulator. However, it also requires that the Δ value must change abruptly in spite of the small change of x near x = 0.5. As a possible microscopic origin, we propose a percolation scenario where a long range connection of Ni[(S,Se)2]6 octahedra with Se-Se dimers plays a key role to gap closure.

Effects of structural distortion induced by Sc substitution in LuFe2O4

We have studied the correlation between the structural distortion and the electronic/magnetic properties in single-crystalline (Lu,Sc)Fe2O4 (Sc = 0.05 and 0.3) by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetic susceptibility, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)/X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements. The Rietveld structure analysis of the XRD patterns revealed that the Sc substitution induced an elongation of the FeO5 bipyramidal cages in LuFe2O4 and increased the Fe2O4 bilayer thickness. A non-negligible decrease in the ferrimagnetic transition temperature TC is observed in the magnetic susceptibility curve of the Sc = 0.3 sample, but the XAS/XMCD spectra do not show any difference except for a small reduction of dichroism signals at the Fe3+absorption edge. We interpret this suppression of TC to be the result of a decreased spin-orbit coupling effect in the Fe2+e1g doublet under D3h symmetry, which is induced by the weakened structural asymmetry of the FeO5 bipyramids.