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Investigating the off-diagonal components of the conductivity and thermoelectric tensor of materials hosting complex antiferromagnetic structures has become a viable method to reveal the effects of topology and chirality on the electronic transport in these systems. In this respect, Mn$_5$Si$_3$ is an interesting metallic compound that exhibits several antiferromagnetic phases below 100 K with different collinear and noncollinear arrangements of Mn magnetic moments. Previous investigations have shown that the transitions between the various phases give rise to large changes of the anomalous Hall effect. Here, we report measurements of the anomalous Nernst effect of Mn$_5$Si$_3$ single crystals. Below 25 K we observe a sign change of the zero-field Nernst signal with a concomitant decrease of the Hall signal and a gradual reduction of the remanent magnetization which we attribute to a subtle rearrangement of the magnetic moment configuration at low temperatures., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures

Strain tuning is a powerful experimental method in probing correlated electron systems. Here we study the strain response of the lattice dynamics and electronic structure in semiconductor Ta$_2$NiS$_5$ by polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy. We observe an increase of the size of the direct semiconducting band gap. Although the majority of the optical phonons show only marginal dependence to applied strain, the frequency of the two B$_{2g}$ phonon modes, which have quadrupolar symmetry and already anomalously soften on cooling under zero strain, increases significantly with tensile strain along the $a$ axis. The corresponding Gr\"uneisen parameters are unusually large in magnitude and negative in sign. These effects are well captured by first-principles density functional theory calculations and indicate close proximity of Ta$_2$NiS$_5$ to a structural instability, similar to that encountered in excitonic insulator candidate Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$.

Chirality is a ubiquitous phenomenon in which a symmetry between left- and right-handed objects is broken, examples in nature ranging from subatomic particles and molecules to living organisms. In particle physics, the weak force is responsible for the symmetry breaking and parity violation in beta decay, but in condensed matter systems interactions that lead to chirality remain poorly understood. Here, we unravel the mechanism of chiral charge density wave formation in the transition-metal dichalcogenide 1T-TiSe2. Using representation analysis, we show that charge density modulations and ionic displacements, which transform as a continuous scalar field and a vector field on a discrete lattice, respectively, follow different irreducible representations of the space group, despite the fact that they propagate with the same wave-vectors and are strongly coupled to each other. This charge-lattice symmetry frustration is resolved by further breaking of all symmetries not common to both sectors through induced lattice distortions, thus leading to chirality. Our theory is verified using Raman spectroscopy and inelastic x-ray scattering, which reveal that all but translation symmetries are broken at a level not resolved by state-of-the-art diffraction techniques., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

The kagome materials AV4$_3$Sb$_5$ (A = K, Rb, Cs) host an intriguing interplay between unconventional superconductivity and charge-density-waves. Here, we investigate CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ by combining high-resolution thermal-expansion, heat-capacity and electrical resistance under strain measurements. We directly unveil that the superconducting and charge-ordered states strongly compete, and that this competition is dramatically influenced by tuning the crystallographic c-axis. In addition, we report the absence of additional bulk phase transitions within the charge-ordered state, notably associated with rotational symmetry-breaking within the kagome planes. This suggests that any breaking of the C$_6$ invariance occurs via different stacking of C$_6$-symmetric kagome patterns. Finally, we find that the charge-density-wave phase exhibits an enhanced A$_{1g}$-symmetric elastoresistance coefficient, whose large increase at low temperature is driven by electronic degrees of freedom.

The present work reviews the charge compensation in Ni based layered oxides (LiNi1-xMexO2 with x <= 0.2, Me = Co, Mn, space group R-3m) relating performance parameters to changes in the electronic and crystallographic structure of the cathode materials. Upon charge and discharge two fundamentally different redox mechanisms are observed: At low and medium states of charge (SOCs) charge compensation takes mainly place at oxygen sites while electron density is shifted from the oxygen lattice to nickel (formation of sigma bonds). At high SOCs the shift of electron density from the transition metals to oxygen (formation of pi bonds) enables an additional redox process but also oxygen release from the transition metal host structure and subsequent detrimental reactions. Depending on the Ni:Co:Mn content, both processes lead to characteristic features in the voltage profile of the cathode materials and performance parameters like the capacity, the cycling stability and the open cell voltage become a function of the composition.

Uniaxial pressure provides an efficient approach to control the competition between charge density waves (CDWs) and superconductivity in underdoped YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{\rm{y}}$. It can enhance the correlation volume of ubiquitous short-range 2D CDW correlations, and induces a long-range 3D CDW otherwise only accessible at large magnetic fields. Here, we use x-ray diffraction to study the strain and doping evolution of these CDWs. No signatures of discommensurations nor pair density waves are observed in the investigated strain-temperature parameter space, but direct evidence for a form of competition between 2D and 3D CDWs is uncovered. We show that the interplay between the 3D CDW, the 2D CDWs and superconductivity is qualitatively well described by including strain effects in simulations of a nonlinear sigma model of competing superconducting and CDW orders. From a broader perspective, our results underscore the potential of strain tuning as a powerful tool for probing and manipulating competing orders in quantum materials., Comment: I. Vinograd and S. M. Souliou contributed equally to this work

The unprecedented phenomenon that a charge density wave (CDW) emerges inside the antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase indicates an unusual CDW mechanism associated with magnetism in FeGe. Here, we demonstrate that both the CDW and magnetism of FeGe can be effectively tuned through post-growth annealing treatments. Instead of the short-range CDW reported earlier, a long-range CDW order is realized below 110 K in single crystals annealed at \SI{320}{\degreeCelsius} for over 48 h. The CDW and AFM transition temperatures appear to be inversely correlated with each other. The entrance of the CDW phase significantly reduces the critical field of the spin-flop transition, whereas the CDW transition remains stable against minor variations in magnetic orders such as annealing-induced magnetic clusters and spin-canting transitions. Single-crystal x-ray diffraction measurements reveal substantial disorder on the Ge1 site, which is characterized by displacement of the Ge1 atom from Fe$_3$Ge layer along the $c$ axis and can be reversibly modified by the annealing process. The observed annealing-tunable CDW and magnetic orders can be well understood in terms of disorder on the Ge1 site. Our study provides a vital starting point for the exploration of the unconventional CDW mechanism in FeGe and of kagome materials in general., Comment: Accepted by Physical Review Letters

Structural phase transitions accompanied by incommensurate and commensurate charge density wave (CDW) modulations of unconventional nature have been reported in BaNi$_2$As$_2$, a nonmagnetic cousin of the parent compound of Fe-based superconductors, BaFe$_2$As$_2$. The strong dependence of the structural and CDW transitions of BaNi$_2$As$_2$ on isoelectronic substitutions alongside original dynamical lattice effects suggests strong tunability of the electronic phase of the system through structural effects. Here, we present a comprehensive synchrotron x-ray diffraction and first-principles calculation study of the evolution of the crystal structure and lattice instabilities of BaNi$_2$As$_2$ as a function of temperature and hydrostatic pressure (up to 12 GPa). We report a cascade of pressure-induced structural phase transitions and electronic instabilities up to 10 GPa, above which all CDW superstructures disappear. We reveal that the stable high-pressure phase consists of planar Ni zigzag chains, from which the surrounding As atoms have been pushed away. This yields a strong reduction of the interlayer As-As distance (along the original c axis), akin to what is observed in the collapsed tetragonal structure of other pnictides, albeit here with a monoclinic structure. The discovery of polymorphs in the pressure-temperature phase diagram of BaNi$_2$As$_2$ emphasizes the importance of the relative Ni-Ni and Ni-As bond lengths in controlling the electronic ground state of this compound and increases our understanding of viable electronic phases under extreme conditions., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, published version

EuPd$_2$Si$_2$ is a valence-fluctuating system undergoing a temperature-induced valence crossover at $T'_V\approx160\,$K. We present the successful single crystal growth using the Czochralski method for the substitution series EuPd$_2$(Si$_{1-x}$Ge$_x$)$_2$, with substitution levels $x\leq 0.15$. A careful determination of the germanium content revealed that only half of the nominal concentration is build into the crystal structure. From thermodynamic measurements it is established that $T'_V$ is strongly suppressed for small substitution levels and antiferromagnetic order from stable divalent europium emerges for $x\gtrsim 0.10$. The valence transition is accompanied by a pronounced change of the lattice parameter $a$ of order 1.8%. In the antiferromagnetically ordered state below $T_N = 47$ K, we find sizeable magnetic anisotropy with an easy plane perpendicular to the crystallographic c direction. An entropy analysis revealed that no valence fluctuations are present for the magnetically ordered materials. Combining the obtained thermodynamic and structural data, we construct a concentration-temperature phase diagram demonstrating a rather abrupt change from a valence-fluctuating to a magnetically-ordered state in EuPd$_2$(Si$_{1-x}$Ge$_x$)$_2$.

Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$ is an excitonic insulator candidate showing the semiconductor/semimetal-to-insulator (SI) transition below $T_{\text{c}}$ = 326 K. However, since a structural transition accompanies the SI transition, deciphering the role of electronic and lattice degrees of freedom in driving the SI transition has remained controversial. Here, we investigate the photoexcited nonequilibrium state in Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$ using pump-probe Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The combined nonequilibrium spectroscopic measurements of the lattice and electronic states reveal the presence of a photoexcited metastable state where the insulating gap is suppressed, but the low-temperature structural distortion is preserved. We conclude that electron correlations play a vital role in the SI transition of Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$., Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures

We study the valence crossover and strong electron-phonon coupling of EuPd$_2$Si$_2$ by polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy. The fully-symmetric phonon mode shows strongly asymmetric lineshape at low temperature, indicating Fano-type interaction between this mode and a continuum of electron-hole excitations. Moreover, the frequency and linewidth of the phonon modes exhibit anomalies across the valence-crossover temperature, suggesting the coupling between valence fluctuations and lattice vibration. In particular, two phonon modes show significantly enhanced Gr\"uneisen parameter, suggesting proximity to a critical elasticity regime. The relative contribution of the structural change and valence change to the phonon anomalies is evaluated by density functional theory calculations.

Understanding the organizing principles of interacting electrons and the emergence of novel electronic phases is a central endeavor of condensed matter physics. Electronic nematicity, in which the discrete rotational symmetry in the electron fluid is broken while the translational one remains unaffected, is a prominent example of such a phase. It has proven ubiquitous in correlated electron systems, and is of prime importance to understand Fe-based superconductors. Here, we find that fluctuations of such broken symmetry are exceptionally strong over an extended temperature range above phase transitions in \bnap, the nickel homologue to the Fe-based systems. This provides evidence for a type of electronic nematicity, dynamical in nature, which exhibits an unprecedented coupling to the underlying crystal lattice. Fluctuations between degenerate nematic configurations cause a splitting of phonon lines, without lifting degeneracies nor breaking symmetries, akin to spin liquids in magnetic systems., Comment: Originally submitted version (references have been updated). The version to be published has been significantly revised and is available upon request to MLT

A detailed investigation of BaNi2(As,P)2 single crystals using high-resolution thermal-expansion, heat-capacity,Young-modulus and resistivity measurements is presented. The experimental data are complemented by density-functional calculations. The phase diagram of BaNi2(As,P)2 is shown to be much richer than suggested by the original data of Kudo et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 097002 (2012)]. The transition to the commensurate charge-density-wave (C-CDW) is always preceded by a four-fold symmetry-breaking transition associated with the long-range ordering of a strongly fluctuating unidirectional incommensurate charge-density wave (I-CDW). Significant precursors above the I-CDW and C-CDW transitions are seen in the thermal expansion and resistivity and are particularly evident in the temperature dependence of the $c/a$ ratio of the lattice parameters. Heat-capacity measurements of the crystals with a higher P content and a higher critical temperature of 3.2 K uncover a Debye-like behavior of a soft-phonon mode with a very low Debye temperature of roughly 15 K. Associated with this soft phonon are unusually large thermal-expansion anomalies, resulting in logarithmically diverging uniaxial phonon Grueneisen parameters. Young-modulus data of these higher-Tc crystals exhibit a significant softening in both B1g and B2g channels, which is argued to be incompatible with nematic criticality and is rather associated with a broad phase transition to an hitherto unknown structure. Possible origins of the increase in the superconducting critical temperature with P-substitution are discussed., Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures

Single crystals of intermediate valent EuPd$_2$Si$_2$ were grown from an Eu-rich melt by the Bridgman as well as the Czochralski technique. The chemical and structural characterization of an extracted single crystalline Czochralski-grown specimen yielded a slight variation of the Si-Pd ratio along the growth direction and confirms the existence of a finite Eu(Pd$_{1-m}$Si$_m$)$_2$ homogeneity range. The thorough physical characterization carried out on the same crystal showed that this tiny variation in the composition strongly affects the temperature T$_v$ at which the valence transition occurs. These experiments demonstrate a strong coupling between structural and physical properties in the prototypical valence-fluctuating system EuPd$_2$Si$_2$ and explain the different reported values of T$_v$.

A main difficulty in actuarial claim size modeling is that there is no simple off-the-shelf distribution that simultaneously provides a good distributional model for the main body and the tail of the data. In particular, covariates may have different effects for small and for large claim sizes. To cope with this problem, we introduce a deep composite regression model whose splicing point is given in terms of a quantile of the conditional claim size distribution rather than a constant. To facilitate M-estimation for such models, we introduce and characterize the class of strictly consistent scoring functions for the triplet consisting a quantile, as well as the lower and upper expected shortfall beyond that quantile. In a second step, this elicitability result is applied to fit deep neural network regression models. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach and its superiority over classical approaches on a real accident insurance data set., Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures

We study the temperature dependence of the low energy phonons in the $(H, 0, L)$ reciprocal plane of the highly ordered ortho-II YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.55}$ cuprate high temperature superconductor by means of high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering. Anomalies associated with the emergence of long-range charge density wave (CDW) fluctuations are observed, and are qualitatively similar to those previously observed in the $(0, K, L)$ plane. This confirms the unconventional nature of this bi-dimensional CDW, which is not soft-phonon driven. With the support of first principles calculations, the symmetry of the anomalous phonon is identified and is found to match that of the charge modulation. This suggests in turn that these anomalies originate from a direct coupling between the phonons and the collective CDW excitations., Comment: 10 pages, Invitated paper on a JPSJ Special Issue "Charge orders and fluctuations in high-Tc cuprates"

BaNi$_{2}$As$_{2}$ is a non-magnetic analogue of BaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$, the parent compound of a prototype pnictide high-temperature superconductor, displaying superconductivity already at ambient pressure. Recent diffraction studies demonstrated the existence of two types of periodic lattice distortions above and below the triclinic phase transition, suggesting the existence of an unconventional charge-density-wave (CDW) order. The suppression of CDW order upon doping results in a sixfold increase in the superconducting transition temperature and enhanced nematic fluctuations, suggesting CDW is competing with superconductivity. Here, we apply time-resolved optical spectroscopy to investigate collective dynamics in BaNi$_{2}$As$_{2}$. We demonstrate the existence of several CDW amplitude modes. Their smooth evolution through the structural phase transition implies the commensurate CDW order in the triclinic phase evolves from the high-temperature unidirectional incommensurate CDW, and may indeed trigger the structural phase transition. Excitation density dependence reveals exceptional resilience of CDW against perturbation, implying an unconventional origin of the underlying electronic instability.

Nematic phase transitions in high-temperature superconductors have a strong impact on the electronic properties of these systems. BaFe$_2$As$_2$,\@ with an established nematic transition around 137 K induced by magnetic fluctuations, and BaNi$_2$As$_2$,\@ a non-magnetic analog of BaFe$_2$As$_2$ with a structural transition in the same temperature range,\@ share a common tetragonal aristotype crystal structure with space-group type $I4/mmm$.\@ In contrast to BaFe$_2$As$_2$ where collinear stripe magnetic order is found for the orthorhombic low-$T$ phase, a unidirectional charge density wave together with (distorted) zig-zag chains are observed for the triclinic low-$T$ phase of BaNi$_2$As$_2$.\@ Here we show that between the high- and low-$T$ phases of Ba(Ni,Co)$_2$(As,P)$_2$ an additional phase with broken fourfold symmetry and $d_{xz}$ orbital order exists which is a promising candidate for charge/orbital-fluctuation-induced nematicity. Moreover, our data suggest that the enhanced $T_{\rm c}$ found for Ba(Ni,Co)$_2$(As,P)$_2$ for higher Co or P substitution levels might result from suppression of the (distorted) zig-zag chains by reducing the contribution of the $d_{xy}$ orbitals., Comment: 17 pages, 20 figures, submitted

The CaK(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_{x}$)$_{4}$As$_{4}$ superconductors resemble the archetypal 122-type iron-based materials but have a crystal structure with distinctly lower symmetry. This family hosts one of the few examples of the so-called spin-vortex crystal magnetic order, a non-collinear magnetic configuration that preserves tetragonal symmetry, in contrast to the orthorhombic collinear stripe-type magnetic configuration common to the 122-type systems. Thus, nematic order is completely absent from its phase diagram. To investigate the evolution of nematic fluctuations in such a case, we present elastoresistance and elastic modulus measurements in CaK(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_{x}$)$_{4}$As$_{4}$ ($x = 0-0.05$) combined with phenomenological modeling and density functional theory. We find clear experimental signatures of considerable nematic fluctuations, including softening of the Young's modulus $Y_{[110]}$ and a Curie-Weiss type divergence of the B2g elastoresistance coefficient in CaK(Fe$_{0.951}$Ni$_{0.049}$)$_4$As$_4$. Overall, nematic fluctuations within this series bear strong similarities to the hole-doped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ series, including a substitution-induced sign change. Our theoretical analysis addresses the effect of the specific crystal symmetry of the 1144-type structure in determining its magnetic ground state and on the nematic fluctuations.

Energy density limitations of layered oxides with different Ni contents, i.e., of the conventional cathode materials in Li-ion batteries, are investigated across the first discharge cycle using advanced spectroscopy and state-of-the-art diffraction. For the first time unambiguous experimental evidence is provided, that redox reactions in NCMs proceed via a reversible oxidation of Ni and a hybridization with O, and not, as widely assumed, via pure cationic or more recently discussed, pure anionic redox processes. Once Ni-O hybrid states are formed, the sites cannot be further oxidized. Instead, irreversible reactions set in which lead to a structural collapse and thus, the lack of ionic Ni limits the reversible capacity. Moreover, the degree of hybridization, which varies with the Ni content, triggers the electronic structure and the operation potential of the cathodes. With an increasing amount of Ni, the covalent character of the materials increases and the potential decreases.

Since 2000, the intensive effort in materials research to develop a diluted magnetic semiconductor exhibiting high-temperature (HT) ferromagnetism above room temperature was not successful. Here, the possible first bulk diluted HT-ferromagnetic non-metallic materials, based on the perovskite-type oxynitrides LaTa1-xCox(O,N)3-d (x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) are realized. The Curie temperature of the synthesized powders exceeds 600 K and the sample magnetizations are large enough to be directly attracted by permanent magnets. Cobalt clusters as a possible source for the observed HT-ferromagnetism can be excluded, since all applied characterization methods verify phase purity. Applied conventional and element-specific magnetometry imply ferromagnetic intermediate spin (IS) Co3+ which is included in a ferromagnetic host matrix. This indicates a complex magnetic interplay between the existing crystal structure, the observed anionic vacancies, and the introduced cobalt ions. These results lay the foundation for the experimental investigation and design of further diluted HT-ferromagnetic semiconductors., Comment: submitted to journal

By band engineering the iron chalcogenide Fe(Se,Te) via ab-initio calculations, we search for topological surface states and realizations of Majorana bound states. Proposed topological states are expected to occur for non-stoichiometric compositions on a surface Dirac cone where issues like disorder scattering and charge transfer between relevant electronic states have to be addressed. However, this surface Dirac cone is well above the Fermi-level. Our goal is to theoretically design a substituted crystal in which the surface Dirac cone is shifted towards the Fermi-level by modifying the bulk material without disturbing the surface. Going beyond conventional density functional theory (DFT), we apply the coherent potential approximation (BEB-CPA) in a mixed basis pseudo-potential framework to scan the substitutional phase-space of co-substitutions on the Se-sites. We have identified iodine as a promising candidate for intrinsic doping. Our specific proposal is that FeSe$_{0.325}$I$_{0.175}$Te$_{0.5}$ is a very likely candidate to exhibit a Dirac cone right at the Fermi energy without inducing strong disorder scattering.

We present a combined study from angle-resolved photoemission and density-functional theory calculations of the temperature-dependent electronic structure in the excitonic insulator candidate Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$. Our experimental measurements unambiguously establish the normal state as a semimetal with a significant band overlap of $>$100~meV. Our temperature-dependent measurements indicate how these low-energy states hybridise when cooling through the well-known 327~K phase transition in this system. From our calculations and polarisation-dependent photoemission measurements, we demonstrate the importance of a loss of mirror symmetry in enabling the band hybridisation, driven by a shear-like structural distortion which reduces the crystal symmetry from orthorhombic to monoclinic. Our results thus point to the key role of the lattice distortion in enabling the phase transition of Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

Superconductivity in FeSe has recently attracted a great deal of attention because it emerges out of an electronic nematic state of elusive character. Here we study both the electronic normal state and the superconducting gap structure using heat-capacity measurements on high-quality single crystals. The specific-heat curve, from 0.4 K to Tc = 9.1 K, is found to be consistent with a recent gap determination using Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference [P. O. Sprau et al., Science 357, 75 (2017)], however only if nodes are introduced on either the electron or the hole Fermi-surface sheets. Our analysis, which is consistent with quantum-oscillation measurements, relies on the presence of only two bands, and thus the fate of the theoretically predicted second electron pocket remains mysterious., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

The nematic susceptibility of Ba$_{1-x}$Na$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ single crystals is studied by measuring the Young's modulus using a three-point-bending setup in a capacitance dilatometer over a wide doping range. Particular emphasis is placed on the behavior within the double-Q antiferromagnetic $C_{4}$ re-entrant phase. Here, we surprisingly still observe a sizable nematic susceptibility in spite of the well-developed magnetic order, consistent with recent theoretical calculations. Outside the $C_{4}$ re-entrant region, the behavior is very similar to that of K-doped BaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$. A significant coupling of superconductivity to the shear modulus is observed and is discussed in terms of strong competition between the superconducting and magnetic phases., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures