In this article we present high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) spectra of the heavy-fermion superconductor URu2Si2. Measurements as a function of both excitation energy and temperature allow us to disentangle a variety of spectral features, revealing the evolution of the low energy electronic structure across the hidden order transition. Already above the hidden order transition our measurements reveal the existence of weakly dispersive states below the Fermi level that exhibit a large scattering rate. Upon entering the hidden order phase, these states transform into a coherent heavy fermion liquid that hybridizes with the conduction bands.

We report the discovery of surface states in the perovskite superconductor [Tl4]TlTe3 (Tl5Te3) and its nonsuperconducting tin-doped derivative [Tl4](Tl0.4Sn0.6)Te3 as observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations predict that the surface states are protected by a Z2 topology of the bulk band structure. Specific heat and magnetization measurements show that Tl5Te3 has a superconducting volume fraction in excess of 95%. Thus Tl5Te3 is an ideal material in which to study the interplay of bulk band topology and superconductivity.

In mixed-valent Kondo lattice systems, such as YbAl3, interactions between localized and delocalized electrons can lead to fluctuations between two different valence configurations with changing temperature or pressure. The impact of this change on the momentum-space electronic structure is essential for understanding their emergent properties, but has remained enigmatic. Here, by employing a combination of molecular beam epitaxy and in situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy we show that valence fluctuations can lead to dramatic changes in the Fermi surface topology, even resulting in a Lifshitz transition. As the temperature is lowered, a small electron pocket in YbAl3 becomes completely unoccupied while the low-energy ytterbium (Yb) 4f states become increasingly itinerant, acquiring additional spectral weight, longer lifetimes, and well-defined dispersions. Our work presents a unified picture of how local valence fluctuations connect to momentum-space concepts such as band filling and Fermi surface topology in mixed valence systems.

No abstract

Observation of large nonsaturating magnetoresistance in rare-earth monopnictides has raised enormous interest in understanding the role of its electronic structure. Here, by a combination of molecular-beam epitaxy, low-temperature transport, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and hybrid density functional theory we have unveiled the band structure of LuSb, where electron-hole compensation is identified as a mechanism responsible for large magnetoresistance in this topologically trivial compound. In contrast to bulk single crystal analogues, quasi-two-dimensional behavior is observed in our thin films for both electron and holelike carriers, indicative of dimensional confinement of the electronic states. Introduction of defects through growth parameter tuning results in the appearance of quantum interference effects at low temperatures, which has allowed us to identify the dominant inelastic scattering processes and elucidate the role of spin-orbit coupling. Our findings open up possibilities of band structure engineering and control of transport properties in rare-earth monopnictides via epitaxial synthesis.

No abstract

We describe a tunable low-energy photon source consisting of a laser-driven xenon plasma lamp coupled to a Czerny-Turner monochromator. The combined tunability, brightness, and narrow spectral bandwidth make this light source useful in laboratorybased high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy experiments. The source supplies photons with energies up to ∼7 eV, delivering under typical conditions > 10 12 ph/s within a 10 meV spectral bandwidth, which is comparable to helium plasma lamps and many synchrotron beamlines. We first describe the lamp and monochromator system and then characterize its output, with attention to those parameters which are of interest for photoemission experiments. Finally, we present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy data using the light source and compare its performance to a conventional helium plasma lamp.

We report the growth of thin films of the mixed valence compound YbAl 3 on MgO using molecular-beam epitaxy. Employing an aluminum buffer layer, epitaxial (001) films can be grown with sub-nm surface roughness. Using x-ray diffraction, in situ low-energy electron diffraction and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy we establish that the films are ordered in the bulk as well as at the surface. Our films show a coherence temperature of 37 K, comparable to that reported for bulk single crystals. Photoelectron spectroscopy reveals contributions from both f 13 and f 12 final states establishing that YbAl 3 is a mixed valence compound and shows the presence of a Kondo Resonance peak near the Fermi-level.