Monolayer graphene exhibits many spectacular electronic properties, with superconductivity being arguably the most notable exception. It was theoretically proposed that superconductivity might be induced by enhancing the electron-phonon coupling through the decoration of graphene with an alkali adatom superlattice [Profeta G, Calandra M, Mauri F (2012) Nat Phys 8(2):131-134]. Although experiments have shown an adatom-induced enhancement of the electron-phonon coupling, superconductivity has never been observed. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we show that lithium deposited on graphene at low temperature strongly modifies the phonon density of states, leading to an enhancement of the electron-phonon coupling of up to λ ≃ 0.58. On part of the graphene-derived π*-band Fermi surface, we then observe the opening of a Δ ≃ 0.9-meV temperature-dependent pairing gap. This result suggests for the first time, to our knowledge, that Li-decorated monolayer graphene is indeed superconducting, with T c ≃ 5.9 K.graphene | superconductivity | ARPES
Ultrafast spectroscopies have become an important tool for elucidating the microscopic description and dynamical properties of quantum materials. In particular, by tracking the dynamics of non-thermal electrons, a material's dominant scattering processes -and thus the many-body interactions between electrons and collective excitations -can be revealed. Here we present a new method for extracting the electron-phonon coupling strength in the time domain, by means of time and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TR-ARPES). This method is demonstrated in graphite, where we investigate the 1 arXiv:1902.05572v3 [cond-mat.str-el] 1 Aug 2019 dynamics of photo-injected electrons at the K point, detecting quantized energyloss processes that correspond to the emission of strongly-coupled optical phonons.We show that the observed characteristic timescale for spectral-weight-transfer mediated by phonon-scattering processes allows for the direct quantitative extraction of electron-phonon matrix elements, for specific modes, and with unprecedented sensitivity.The concept of the electronic quasiparticle as proposed by Landau, i.e. the dressing of an electron with many-body and collective excitations (1), is essential to the modern understanding of condensed matter physics. Among the plethora of interactions relevant to solid-state systems, electron-phonon coupling (EPC) has been a persistent subject of great interest, related as it is to the emergence of disparate physical phenomena, from resistivity in normal metals to conventional (BCS) superconductivity and charge-ordered phases (2,3). While strong EPC is desirable in systems like BCS superconductors (4, 5), it is deleterious for conductivity in normal metals, curtailing the application of several compounds as room-temperature electronic devices (6).Given the important role of the electron-phonon interaction in relation to both conventional and quantum materials, extensive theoretical and experimental efforts have been devoted towards determining the strength and anisotropy of EPC. While ab-initio calculations are powerful, they rely on complex approximations which require precise experimental data to benchmark their validity (7). Inelastic scattering experiments -such as Raman spectroscopy (8), electron energy loss spectroscopy (9), inelastic x-ray (10), and neutron scattering (11) -are able to access EPC for specific phonon modes, yet integrated over all electronic states. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), on the converse, can access the strength of EPC via phononmediated renormalization effects for specific momentum-resolved electronic states, as revealed by "kinks" in the electronic band dispersion (12-16). However, extraction of EPC strength from these kinks requires accurate modelling of the bare band dispersion and of the electronic
The possibility of driving phase transitions in low-density condensates through the loss of phase coherence alone has far-reaching implications for the study of quantum phases of matter. This has inspired the development of tools to control and explore the collective properties of condensate phases via phase fluctuations. Electrically gated oxide interfaces, ultracold Fermi atoms and cuprate superconductors, which are characterized by an intrinsically small phase stiffness, are paradigmatic examples where these tools are having a dramatic impact. Here we use light pulses shorter than the internal thermalization time to drive and probe the phase fragility of the BiSrCaCuO cuprate superconductor, completely melting the superconducting condensate without affecting the pairing strength. The resulting ultrafast dynamics of phase fluctuations and charge excitations are captured and disentangled by time-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. This work demonstrates the dominant role of phase coherence in the superconductor-to-normal state phase transition and offers a benchmark for non-equilibrium spectroscopic investigations of the cuprate phase diagram.
We study the manipulation of the spin polarization of photoemitted electrons in Bi2Se3 by spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. General rules are established that enable controlling the photoelectron spin-polarization. We demonstrate the ± 100% reversal of a single component of the measured spin-polarization vector upon the rotation of light polarization, as well as full three-dimensional manipulation by varying experimental configuration and photon energy. While a material-specific density-functional theory analysis is needed for the quantitative description, a minimal yet fully generalized two-atomic-layer model qualitatively accounts for the spin response based on the interplay of optical selection rules, photoelectron interference, and topological surface-state complex structure. It follows that photoelectron spin-polarization control is generically achievable in systems with a layer-dependent, entangled spin-orbital texture.
Strain-induced Landau levels in wafer-scale graphene at room temperature are studied using momentum-resolved spectroscopy.
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