The coexistence and competition between superconductivity and electronic orders, such as spin or charge density waves, have been a central issue in high transition-temperature (Tc) superconductors. ...Unlike other iron-based superconductors, FeSe exhibits nematic ordering without magnetism whose relationship with its superconductivity remains unclear. Moreover, a pressure-induced fourfold increase of Tc has been reported, which poses a profound mystery. Here we report high-pressure magnetotransport measurements in FeSe up to ∼15 GPa, which uncover the dome shape of magnetic phase superseding the nematic order. Above ∼6 GPa the sudden enhancement of superconductivity (Tc≤38.3 K) accompanies a suppression of magnetic order, demonstrating their competing nature with very similar energy scales. Above the magnetic dome, we find anomalous transport properties suggesting a possible pseudogap formation, whereas linear-in-temperature resistivity is observed in the normal states of the high-Tc phase above 6 GPa. The obtained phase diagram highlights unique features of FeSe among iron-based superconductors, but bears some resemblance to that of high-Tc cuprates.
Abstract
The electronic instabilities in CsV
3
Sb
5
are believed to originate from the V 3
d
-electrons on the kagome plane, however the role of Sb 5
p
-electrons for 3-dimensional orders is largely ...unexplored. Here, using resonant tender X-ray scattering and high-pressure X-ray scattering, we report a rare realization of conjoined charge density waves (CDWs) in CsV
3
Sb
5
, where a 2 × 2 × 1 CDW in the kagome sublattice and a Sb 5
p
-electron assisted 2 × 2 × 2 CDW coexist. At ambient pressure, we discover a resonant enhancement on Sb
L
1
-edge (2
s
→5
p
) at the 2 × 2 × 2 CDW wavevectors. The resonance, however, is absent at the 2 × 2 × 1 CDW wavevectors. Applying hydrostatic pressure, CDW transition temperatures are separated, where the 2 × 2 × 2 CDW emerges 4 K above the 2 × 2 × 1 CDW at 1 GPa. These observations demonstrate that symmetry-breaking phases in CsV
3
Sb
5
go beyond the minimal framework of kagome electronic bands near van Hove filling.
Nickel–cobalt oxides were prepared by coprecipitation of their hydroxides precursors and a following thermal treatment under a moderate temperature. The preformed nickel-cobalt bimetallic hydroxide ...exhibited a flower-like morphology with single crystalline nature and composed of many interconnected nanosheets. The ratio of Ni to Co in the oxides could easily be controlled by adjusting the composition of the original reactants for the preparation of hydroxide precursors. It was found that both the molecular ratio of Ni to Co and the annealing temperature had significant effects on their porous structure and electrochemical properties. The effect of the Ni/Co ratio on the pseudocapacitive properties of the binary oxide was investigated in this work. The binary metal oxide with the exact molar ratio of Ni:Co = 0.8:1 annealed at 300 °C, showing an optimum specific capacitance of 750 F/g. However, too high an annealing temperature would lead to a large crystal size, a low specific surface area, as well as a much lower pore volume. With the use of the binary metal oxide with Ni:Co = 0.8:1 and activated carbon as the positive and negative electrode, respectively, the assembled hybrid capacitor could exhibit a high-energy density of 34.9 Wh/kg at the power density of 875 W/kg and long cycling life (86.4% retention of the initial value after 10000 cycles).
Abstract
A recent focus of quantum spin liquid (QSL) studies is how disorder/randomness in a QSL candidate affects its true magnetic ground state. The ultimate question is whether the QSL survives ...disorder or the disorder leads to a “spin-liquid-like” state, such as the proposed random-singlet (RS) state. Since disorder is a standard feature of most QSL candidates, this question represents a major challenge for QSL candidates. YbMgGaO
4
, a triangular lattice antiferromagnet with effective spin-1/2 Yb
3+
ions, is an ideal system to address this question, since it shows no long-range magnetic ordering with Mg/Ga site disorder. Despite the intensive study, it remains unresolved as to whether YbMgGaO
4
is a QSL or in the RS state. Here, through ultralow-temperature thermal conductivity and magnetic torque measurements, plus specific heat and DC magnetization data, we observed a residual
κ
0
/
T
term and series of quantum spin state transitions in the zero temperature limit for YbMgGaO
4
. These observations strongly suggest that a QSL state with itinerant excitations and quantum spin fluctuations survives disorder in YbMgGaO
4
.
We use the Nernst effect to delineate the boundary of the pseudogap phase in the temperature-doping phase diagram of hole-doped cuprate superconductors. New data for the Nernst coefficient ν(T) of ...YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO), La1.8−xEu0.2SrxCuO4 (Eu-LSCO), and La1.6−xNd0.4SrxCuO4 (Nd-LSCO) are presented and compared with previously published data on YBCO, Eu-LSCO, Nd-LSCO, and La2−xSrxCuO4 (LSCO). The temperature Tν at which ν/T deviates from its high-temperature linear behavior is found to coincide with the temperature at which the resistivity ρ(T) deviates from its linear-T dependence, which we take as the definition of the pseudogap temperature T★-in agreement with the temperature at which the antinodal spectral gap detected in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) opens. We track T★ as a function of doping and find that it decreases linearly vs p in all four materials, having the same value in the three LSCO-based cuprates, irrespective of their different crystal structures. At low p,T★ is higher than the onset temperature of the various orders observed in underdoped cuprates, suggesting that these orders are secondary instabilities of the pseudogap phase. A linear extrapolation of T★(p) to p=0 yields T★(p→0)≃TN(0), the Néel temperature for the onset of antiferromagnetic order at p=0, suggesting that there is a link between pseudogap and antiferromagnetism. With increasing p,T★(p) extrapolates linearly to zero at p≃pc2, the critical doping below which superconductivity emerges at high doping, suggesting that the conditions which favor pseudogap formation also favor pairing. We also use the Nernst effect to investigate how far superconducting fluctuations extend above the critical temperature Tc, as a function of doping, and find that a narrow fluctuation regime tracks Tc, and not T★. This confirms that the pseudogap phase is not a form of precursor superconductivity, and fluctuations in the phase of the superconducting order parameter are not what causes Tc to fall on the underdoped side of the Tc dome.
Ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials provides an alternative energy production system. Rye and bermudagrass that are used in hog farms for nutrient uptake from swine wastewater have the ...potential for fuel ethanol production because they have a relative high cellulose and hemicellulose content. Dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment of rye straw and bermudagrass before enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose was investigated in this study. The biomass at a solid loading rate of 10% was pretreated at 121
°C with different sulfuric acid concentrations (0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5%, w/w) and residence times (30, 60, and 90
min). Total reducing sugars, arabinose, galactose, glucose, and xylose in the prehydrolyzate were analyzed. In addition, the solid residues were hydrolyzed by cellulases to investigate the enzymatic digestibility. With the increasing acid concentration and residence time, the amount of arabinose and galactose in the filtrates increased. The glucose concentration in the prehydrolyzate of rye straw was not significantly influenced by the sulfuric acid concentration and residence time, but it increased in the prehydrolyzate of bermudagrass with the increase of pretreatment severity. The xylose concentration in the filtrates increased with the increase of sulfuric acid concentration and residence time. Most of the arabinan, galactan and xylan in the biomass were hydrolyzed during the acid pretreatment. Cellulose remaining in the pretreated feedstock was highly digestible by cellulases from
Trichoderma reesei.
Duckweed can be utilised to produce ethanol, butanol and biogas, which are promising alternative energy sources to minimise dependence on limited crude oil and natural gas. The advantages of this ...aquatic plant include high rate of nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) uptake, high biomass yield and great potential as an alternative feedstock for the production of fuel ethanol, butanol and biogas. The objective of this article is to review the published research on growing duckweed for the production of the biofuels, especially starch enrichment in duckweed plants. There are mainly two processes affecting the accumulation of starch in duckweed biomass: photosynthesis for starch generation and metabolism‐related starch consumption. The cost of stimulating photosynthesis is relatively high based on current technologies. Considerable research efforts have been made to inhibit starch degradation. Future research need in this area includes duckweed selection, optimisation of duckweed biomass production, enhancement of starch accumulation in duckweeds and use of duckweeds for production of various biofuels.
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