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The kagome lattice is an intriguing and rich platform for discovering, tuning and understanding the diverse phases of quantum matter, crucial for advancing modern and future electronics. Despite considerable efforts, accessing correlated phases at room temperature has been challenging. Using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, we discovered charge order above room temperature in La(Ru1−xFex)3Si2 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.05), where charge order related to out-of-plane Ru atom displacements appears below TCO,I ≃ 400 K. The secondary charge ordered phase emerges below TCO,II ≃ 80–170 K. Furthermore, first principles calculations reveal both the kagome flat band and the van Hove point near the Fermi energy in LaRu3Si2, driven by Ru-dz2 orbitals. Our results identify LaRu3Si2 as the kagome superconductor with the highest known charge ordering temperature, offering a promising avenue for researching room temperature quantum phases and developing related technologies. The study focuses on the charge order in LaRu3Si2, a material with a kagome lattice structure, discovering a charge-ordered state that persists at or above room temperature. This finding classifies LaRu3Si2 as the kagome superconductor with the highest charge ordering temperature, suggesting potential for applications in devices operating at normal environmental conditions without the need for cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to efficiently control charge and spin in the cuprate high-temperature superconductors is crucial for fundamental research and underpins technological development. Here, we explore the tunability of magnetism, superconductivity, and crystal structure in the stripe phase of the cuprate La2-xBaxCuO4, with x = 0.115 and 0.135, by employing temperature-dependent (down to 400 mK) muon-spin rotation and AC susceptibility, as well as X-ray scattering experiments under compressive uniaxial stress in the CuO2 plane. A sixfold increase of the three-dimensional (3D) superconducting critical temperature Tc and a full recovery of the 3D phase coherence is observed in both samples with the application of extremely low uniaxial stress of ~0.1 GPa. This finding demonstrates the removal of the well-known 1/8-anomaly of cuprates by uniaxial stress. On the other hand, the spin-stripe order temperature as well as the magnetic fraction at 400 mK show only a modest decrease under stress. Moreover, the onset temperatures of 3D superconductivity and spin-stripe order are very similar in the large stress regime. However, strain produces an inhomogeneous suppression of the spin-stripe order at elevated temperatures. Namely, a substantial decrease of the magnetic volume fraction and a full suppression of the low-temperature tetragonal structure is found under stress, which is a necessary condition for the development of the 3D superconducting phase with optimal Tc. Our results evidence a remarkable cooperation between the long-range static spin-stripe order and the underlying crystalline order with the three-dimensional fully coherent superconductivity. Overall, these results suggest that the stripe- and the SC order may have a common physical mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum Hall effect (QHE) is traditionally considered to be a purely two-dimensional (2D) phenomenon. Recently, however, a three-dimensional (3D) version of the QHE was reported in the Dirac semimetal ZrTe5. It was proposed to arise from a magnetic-field-driven Fermi surface instability, transforming the original 3D electron system into a stack of 2D sheets. Here, we report thermodynamic, spectroscopic, thermoelectric and charge transport measurements on such ZrTe5 samples. The measured properties: magnetization, ultrasound propagation, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, show no signatures of a Fermi surface instability, consistent with in-field single crystal X-ray diffraction. Instead, a direct comparison of the experimental data with linear response calculations based on an effective 3D Dirac Hamiltonian suggests that the quasi-quantization of the observed Hall response emerges from the interplay of the intrinsic properties of the ZrTe5 electronic structure and its Dirac-type semi-metallic character. A 3D quantum Hall effect has been reported in Dirac semimetal ZrTe5 due to a magnetic-field-driven Fermi surface instability. Here, the authors show evidence of quasi-quantized Hall response without Fermi surface instability, but they argue that it is due to the interplay of the intrinsic properties of ZrTe5 electronic structure and Dirac semi-metallic character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charge density wave in the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) has two different ordering tendencies differentiated by their c-axis correlations. These correspond to ferro- (F-CDW) and antiferro- (AF-CDW) couplings between CDWs in neighbouring CuO2 bilayers. This discovery has prompted several fundamental questions: how does superconductivity adjust to two competing orders and are either of these orders responsible for the electronic reconstruction? Here we use x-ray diffraction to study YBa2Cu3O6.67 as a function of magnetic field and temperature. We show that regions with F-CDW correlations suppress superconductivity more strongly than those with AF-CDW correlations. This implies that an inhomogeneous superconducting state exists, in which some regions show a fragile form of superconductivity. By comparison of F-CDW and AF-CDW correlation lengths, it is concluded that F-CDW ordering is sufficiently long-range to modify the electronic structure. Our study thus suggests that F-CDW correlations impact both the superconducting and normal state properties of YBCO. Magnetic field induced competing phases in high-temperature superconductors provide a testbed for various theoretical scenarios. Here, Choi et al. report evidence of inhomogeneous superconducting state due to the different competition strength between two charge density wave orders in YBa2Cu3O6.67. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has recently been established that the high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconducting state coexists with short-range charge-density-wave order and quenched disorder arising from dopants and strain. This complex, multiscale phase separation invites the development of theories of high-temperature superconductivity that include complexity. The nature of the spatial interplay between charge and dopant order that provides a basis for nanoscale phase separation remains a key open question, because experiments have yet to probe the unknown spatial distribution at both the nanoscale and mesoscale (between atomic and macroscopic scale). Here we report micro X-ray diffraction imaging of the spatial distribution of both short-range charge-density-wave 'puddles' (domains with only a few wavelengths) and quenched disorder in HgBa2CuO4 + y, the single-layer cuprate with the highest Tc, 95 kelvin (refs 26, 27, 28). We found that the charge-density-wave puddles, like the steam bubbles in boiling water, have a fat-tailed size distribution that is typical of self-organization near a critical point. However, the quenched disorder, which arises from oxygen interstitials, has a distribution that is contrary to the usually assumed random, uncorrelated distribution. The interstitial-oxygen-rich domains are spatially anticorrelated with the charge-density-wave domains, because higher doping does not favour the stripy charge-density-wave puddles, leading to a complex emergent geometry of the spatial landscape for superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-dimensional electron systems, as realized in layered materials, often tend to spontaneously break the symmetry of the underlying nuclear lattice by forming so-called density waves; a state of matter that at present attracts enormous attention. Here we reveal a remarkable and surprising feature of charge density waves, namely their intimate relation to orbital order. For the prototypical material 1T-TaS2 we not only show that the charge density wave within the two-dimensional TaS2 layers involves previously unidentified orbital textures of great complexity. We also demonstrate that two metastable stackings of the orbitally ordered layers allow manipulation of salient features of the electronic structure. Indeed, these orbital effects provide a route to switch 1T-TaS2 nanostructures from metallic to semiconducting with technologically pertinent gaps of the order of 200 meV. This new type of orbitronics is especially relevant for the ongoing development of novel, miniaturized and ultrafast devices based on layered transition metal dichalcogenides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in storage ring technology pioneered by MAX IV (Sweden) allow synchrotron radiation sources to achieve significantly smaller emittances than those currently in operation. This new, multi-bend achromat technology can thus boost spectral brightness, enabling unprecedented experimental possibilities. The high-energy synchrotron radiation facilities ESRF (France), SPring-8 (Japan), and APS (USA) have settled upgrade plans to improve their storage ring emittance by up to two orders of magnitude at 6 GeV electron energy. PETRA III at DESY has the largest circumference with 2.3 km. As the emittance scales favorably with the storage ring size, an upgrade of PETRA III offers the unique potential to reach a diffraction limit up to X-ray energies of 10 keV. Operating at 6 GeV with an emittance of 10 pmrad, this PETRA IV facility would pave the way for new experimental opportunities, especially for those using high photon energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconductivity often emerges in the proximity of, or in competition with, symmetry-breaking ground states such as antiferromagnetism or charge density waves (CDW). A number of materials in the cuprate family, which includes the high transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductors, show spin and charge density wave order. Thus a fundamental question is to what extent do these ordered states exist for compositions close to optimal for superconductivity. Here we use high-energy X-ray diffraction to show that a CDW develops at zero field in the normal state of superconducting YBa2Cu3O6.67 (Tc?=?67?K). This sample has a hole doping of 0.12 per copper and a well-ordered oxygen chain superstructure. Below Tc, the application of a magnetic field suppresses superconductivity and enhances the CDW. Hence, the CDW and superconductivity in this typical high-Tc material are competing orders with similar energy scales, and the high-Tc superconductivity forms from a pre-existing CDW environment. Our results provide a mechanism for the formation of small Fermi surface pockets, which explain the negative Hall and Seebeck effects and the 'Tc plateau' in this material when underdoped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of the FeTe compound from a mixture of Fe and Te powders was studied in situ by means of high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction. FeTe does not form directly from the starting elements; instead, FeTe forms as an intermediate product. During a 2 °C/min heating ramp, Te first reacts between 200 and 350 °C with a part of the Fe powder to form FeTe, which then further reacts between 350 and 530 °C with the remaining Fe to yield FeTe. This phase formation path is simpler than in the case of FeSe and the differences are discussed in terms of the equilibrium phase diagrams of these two systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Zn-doping on the stripe order in LaBaCuO has been studied by means of x-ray and neutron diffraction as well as magnetization measurements. While 1% Zn leads to an increase of the spin stripe order, it unexpectedly causes a wipe out of the visibility of the charge stripe order. A magnetic field of 10 Tesla applied along the c-axis has no reversing effect on the charge order. We compare this observation with the Zn-doping dependence of the crystal structure, superconductivity, and normal state magnetism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a clamp-type pressure cell for high energy x-ray diffraction. The pressure cell was specifically designed for studies of weak superstructure reflections at low temperatures in transition metal oxides, resulting from, e.g., charge density modulations. Using a photon energy of E=100 keV, the bulk properties of single crystals with a volume of typically 2–5 mm3 can be studied in transmission geometry. To demonstrate the performance of the pressure cell, we present data on the charge stripe order in the high-temperature superconductor La1.875Ba0.125CuO4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiferroicity in LiCu2O2 single crystals is studied using resonant soft x-ray magnetic scattering, hard x-ray diffraction, heat capacity, magnetic susceptibility, and electrical polarization. Two magnetic transitions are found at 24.6 K (T1) and 23.2 K (T2). Our data are consistent with a sinusoidal spin structure at T21 and with a helicoidal spin structure at T2, giving rise to ferroelectricity. Surprisingly, above T2, the correlation lengths of the spin structures increase as the temperature increases with dramatic changes of ∼42% occurring along the c axis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition in epitaxial SrTiO[SUB3] films under various biaxial strain conditions using synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Measuring the superlattice peak associated with TiO[SUB6] octahedra rotation in the low-temperature tetragonal phase indicates the presence of a phase transition whose critical temperature is a strong function of strain, with T[SUBC] as much as 50 K above the corresponding bulk temperature. Surprisingly, the lattice constants evolve smoothly through the transition, with no indication of a phase change. This signals an important change in the nature of the phase transition due to the epitaxial strain and substrate clamping effect. The internal degrees of freedom (TiO[SUB6] rotations) evolve independently from the overall lattice shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many transition metal oxides display strongly correlated charge, spin, or orbital ordering resulting in varied phenomena such as colossal magnetoresistance, high temperature superconductivity, metal–insulator transitions etc. X-ray scattering is one of the principle techniques for probing the structural response to such effects. In this paper, we discuss and review the use of synchrotron radiation high energy x-rays (50–200 keV) for the study of transition metal oxides such as nickelates (La2−xSrxNiO4) and manganites (La2−2xSr1+2xMn2O7). High energy x-rays have sufficient penetration to allow us to study large flux-grown single crystals. The huge increase in sample scattering volume means that extremely weak peaks can be observed. This allows us to study very weak charge ordering. Measurements of the intensity, width and position of the charge ordering satellites as a function of temperature provide us with quantitative measures of the charge amplitude, inverse correlation length and wavevector of the charge ordering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many transition metal oxides display strongly correlated charge, spin, or orbital ordering resulting in varied phenomena such as colossal magnetoresistance, high temperature superconductivity, metal–insulator transitions etc. X-ray scattering is one of the principle techniques for probing the structural response to such effects. In this paper, we discuss and review the use of synchrotron radiation high energy x-rays (50–200 keV) for the study of transition metal oxides such as nickelates (La2−xSrxNiO4) and manganites (La2−2xSr1+2xMn2O7). High energy x-rays have sufficient penetration to allow us to study large flux-grown single crystals. The huge increase in sample scattering volume means that extremely weak peaks can be observed. This allows us to study very weak charge ordering. Measurements of the intensity, width and position of the charge ordering satellites as a function of temperature provide us with quantitative measures of the charge amplitude, inverse correlation length and wavevector of the charge ordering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]