Coherent organization of electronic correlations as a mechanism to enhance and stabilize high-T C cuprate superconductivity.

Strong diffusive or incoherent electronic correlations are the signature of the strange-metal normal state of the cuprate superconductors, with these correlations considered to be undressed or removed in the superconducting state. A critical question is if these correlations are responsible for the high-temperature superconductivity. Here, utilizing a development in the analysis of angle-resolved photoemission data, we show that the strange-metal correlations don't simply disappear in the superconducting state, but are instead converted into a strongly renormalized coherent state, with stronger normal state correlations leading to stronger superconducting state renormalization. This conversion begins well above T C at the onset of superconducting fluctuations and it greatly increases the number of states that can pair. Therefore, there is positive feedback--the superconductive pairing creates the conversion that in turn strengthens the pairing. Although such positive feedback should enhance a conventional pairing mechanism, it could potentially also sustain an electronic pairing mechanism.

Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopic Study of the Potential Dependence of Germanene Growth on Au(111) at pH 9.0.

Germanene is a 2D material whose structure and properties are of great interest for integration with Si technology. Preparation of germanene experimentally remains a challenge because, unlike graphene, bulk germanene does not exist. Thus, germanene cannot be directly exfoliated and is mostly grown in ultrahigh vacuum. The present report uses electrodeposition in an aqueous HGeO3- solution at pH 9. Germanene deposition has been limited to 2-3 monolayers, thus greatly restricting many applicable characterization methods. The in situ technique of electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy was used to follow Ge deposition on Au(111) as a function of potential. Previous work by this group at pH 4.5 suggested germanene growth, but no buffer was used, resulting in change in surface pH. The addition of borate buffer to create pH 9.0 solution has reduced hydrogen formation and stabilized the surface pH, allowing systematic characterization of germanene growth versus potential. Initial germanene nucleated at defects in the Au(111) herringbone (HB) reconstruction. Subsequent growth proceeded down the face-centered cubic troughs, slowly relaxing the HB. The resulting honeycomb (HC) structure displayed an average lattice constant of 0.41 ± 0.06 nm. Continued growth resulted in the addition of a second layer on top, formed initially by nucleating around small islands and subsequent lateral 2D growth. Near atomic resolution of the germanene layers displayed small coherent domains, 2-3 nm, of the HC structure composed of six-membered rings. Domain walls were based on defective, five- and seven-membered rings, which resulted in small rotations between adjacent HC domains.

Hallmarks of the Mott-metal crossover in the hole-doped pseudospin-1/2 Mott insulator Sr2IrO4.

The physics of doped Mott insulators remains controversial after decades of active research, hindered by the interplay among competing orders and fluctuations. It is thus highly desired to distinguish the intrinsic characters of the Mott-metal crossover from those of other origins. Here we investigate the evolution of electronic structure and dynamics of the hole-doped pseudospin-1/2 Mott insulator Sr2IrO4. The effective hole doping is achieved by replacing Ir with Rh atoms, with the chemical potential immediately jumping to or near the top of the lower Hubbard band. The doped iridates exhibit multiple iconic low-energy features previously observed in doped cuprates-pseudogaps, Fermi arcs and marginal-Fermi-liquid-like electronic scattering rates. We suggest these signatures are most likely an integral part of the material's proximity to the Mott state, rather than from many of the most claimed mechanisms, including preformed electron pairing, quantum criticality or density-wave formation.

Computer-generated volume holograms fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining.

We define computer-generated volume holograms (CGVHs) as arbitrary 3D refractive index modulations designed to perform optical functions based on diffraction, scattering, and interference phenomena. CGVHs can differ dramatically from classical volume holograms in terms of coding possibilities, and from thin computer-generated holograms in terms of efficiency and selectivity. We propose an encoding technique for designing such holograms and demonstrate the concept by scanning focused femtosecond laser pulses to produce localized refractive index modifications in glass. These CGVHs show a significant increase in efficiency with thickness. Consequently, they are attractive for photonic integration with free-space and guided-wave devices, as well as for encoding spatial and temporal information.