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Egor Babaev

Publications and source records attributed to Egor Babaev.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Demonstration of a fermion Quadrupling Condensate via Quantum Monte Carlo Simulation

Fermionic condensation typically occurs via pairing. In recent decades, however, a fundamental question has emerged: whether alternative forms of order exist, such as condensates of fermion quadruplets. These states--including ``charge-4e" superconductors and ``charge-0" counterflow condensates--lie beyond the standard Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer framework, and require strong fluctuations and correlation effects that invalidate the BCS mean-field description. This makes the problem notoriously difficult to study numerically at a microscopic level, as it involves both strong interactions and the fermionic sign problem. Here, we present a microscopic fermionic model featuring correlated hopping that significantly mitigates the sign problem, enabling rigorous Monte-Carlo-based analysis. Using large-scale simulations, we demonstrate the existence of a fermion-quadrupling condensate with a transition temperature comparable to the hopping energy scale. These results provide direct numerical evidence for quartic fermionic order in a microscopic system and suggest that these exotic states are also experimentally accessible in ultracold atomic gases.

cond-mat.supr-con

Fractionalized anyons in counterflowing Quantum Hall Liquids

A key property of topologically ordered systems, such as Quantum Hall states, is the existence of excitations obeying fractional quantum statistics - anyons. We develop a theory for multicomponent counterflow states where an ordinary Laughlin quasiparticle can split into fractional vortices carrying fractions of its charge and statistical angle. There are two phases, separated by a quantum phase transition, where in the first, although observable, the fractionalized charges are asymptotically confined. In the second phase, they are unconfined anyons and the topological order is different from that of the Laughlin state.

cond-mat.str-el

Interactions of composite magnetic skyrmion-superconducting vortex pairs in ferromagnetic superconductors

We study composite topological excitations in ferromagnetic superconductors consisting of bound states of magnetic spin textures (skyrmions) and superconducting vortices. Using a Ginzburg--Landau framework with Zeeman coupling between the magnetization and superconducting magnetic field, we demonstrate that skyrmion-vortex pairs (SVPs) form energetically stable bound states. By analyzing their asymptotic interactions, we identify regimes in which SVPs exhibit both short-range repulsion and long-range attraction, leading to clustering phenomena. Our results provide a field-theoretical basis for understanding suggest pathways for controlling hybrid topological matter through long-range interactions.

cond-mat.supr-con

Multiple correlation lengths and type-1.5 superconductivity in $U(1)$ superconductors due to hidden competition between irreducible representations of nonlocal pairing

A fundamental characteristic of a superconducting state is the coherence length $\xi$. Multicomponent superconductors, particularly ones breaking multiple symmetries, are characterized by multiple coherence lengths. Here we show that even, nominally $single$-component superconductors under certain conditions are characterized by multiple coherence lengths. We consider nearest-neighbor pairing interactions on a square lattice that leads to $s$-wave and $d$-wave representations of link superconducting order parameter. We show that even if the subdominant order parameter is completely suppressed in the ground state, it results in multiple correlation lengths with nontrivial hierarchy, resulting in important physical consequences in inhomogeneous solutions. Under certain conditions, this leads to type-1.5 superconductivity, where magnetic field penetration length falls between two coherence lengths, leading to vortex clustering in an external magnetic field.

cond-mat.supr-con

Hund's coupling assisted orbital-selective superconductivity in Ba1-xKxFe2As2

While the superconducting transition temperature of hole-doped Ba_{1-x}K_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2} decreases past optimal doping, superconductivity does not completely disappear even for the fully doped KFe_{2}As_{2} compound. In fact, superconductivity is robust through a Lifshitz transition where electron bands become hole-like around the zone corner at around x=0.7, thus challenging the conventional understanding of superconductivity in iron-based systems. High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy is used to investigate the superconducting gap structure, as well as the normal state electronic structure, around optimal doping and across the Lifshitz transition. Our findings reveal a largely orbital-dependent superconducting gap structure, where the more strongly correlated d_{xy} band has a vanishing superconducting gap at higher doping, aligning with the Hund's metal behavior observed in the normal state. Notably, the superconducting gap on the d_{xy} band disappears before the Lifshitz transition, suggesting that the Fermi surface topology may play a secondary role. We discuss how these results point to orbital-selective superconducting pairing and how strong correlations via Hund's coupling may shape superconducting gap structures in iron-based and other multiorbital superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con

Ultrasound response to time-reversal symmetry breaking below the superconducting phase transition

Ultrasound attenuation is a powerful probe of symmetry-breaking phenomena in superconductors. In this work, we develop a framework to model the ultrasound response of multi-component superconductors undergoing a time-reversal symmetry breaking transition below the superconducting phase transition. By coupling the elastic strain of the crystal lattice to the superconducting order parameters through group-theoretical analysis of tetragonal crystals, we classify how different symmetry channels contribute to the ultrasound signal. Using a two-component Ginzburg--Landau theory, we analyze the temperature dependence of sound velocity across both superconducting and time-reversal symmetry breaking transitions for several cases, including $(A_{1g}, A_{1g})$, $(A_{2g}, B_{1g})$, and $E_g$ representations. Our results demonstrate that ultrasound measurements are highly sensitive to the presence of bilinear Josephson couplings and can distinguish between different realizations of the superconducting state. We further show how external strain can significantly alter the ultrasound response in systems breaking time reversal symmetry.

cond-mat.supr-con

Microscopic theory of strain-controlled split superconducting and time-reversal symmetry-breaking transitions in $s+id$ superconductor

We study conditions of the appearance of $U(1)\times \mathbb{Z}_2$ superconducting states that spontaneously break time-reversal symmetry (BTRS) on a square lattice as a function of applied stress. Calculations show that if critical temperatures coincide at zero stress, they exhibit a linear kink and no kink otherwise for uniaxial and isotropic strain. Linear kink is absent for shear strain. We find that in general, the microscopic calculations show a complex phase diagram, for example, non-monotonic behavior of BTRS transition. Another beyond-Ginzburg-Landau theory result is that $U(1)$ critical temperature can decrease under compressional [100] uniaxial strain for small Poisson ratio materials. In the second part of the paper, we consider the effects of boundaries and finiteness of the sample on the strain-induced splitting of $T_c^{U(1)}$ and $T_c^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ transitions. A finite sample has BTRS boundary states with persistent superconducting currents over a wide range of band filling. Overall, the BTRS dome occupies a larger band filling--temperature phase space region for a mesoscopic sample with [110] surface compared to an infinite system. Hence, the presence of boundaries helps to stabilize the BTRS phase.

cond-mat.supr-con

Microscopic theory of electron quadrupling condensates

Electron pairing at low temperatures leads to superconductivity. A fundamental question is whether more complex states - characterized by order in four-electron composite objects, termed electron quadrupling or composite order - can exist in materials, and if so, under what conditions they emerge and what properties they exhibit. These states lie beyond the scope of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, and a microscopic description of them remained elusive. In the first part of the paper, we provide a general microscopic framework to describe these and the other four-fermion composite states. In the second part of the paper, we derive and solve a specific fermionic model in two and three dimensions that hosts time-reversal symmetry-breaking electron quadrupling order. The fermionic microscopic theory is used to estimate the specific heat and electron density of states.

cond-mat.supr-con

Revisiting vestigial order in nematic superconductors: gauge-field mechanisms and model constraints

An electronic nematic order that originates from superconducting fluctuation but persists above the superconducting transition temperature is often referred to as a vestigial nematic phase. Such a vestigial order belongs to the broader class of composite orders discussed in earlier literature, characterized by ordering in gauge-invariant combinations of superconducting order parameters while the individual superconducting order parameters remain disordered. These states include metallic superfluids, paired phases, and composite (charge-4e) superconductors. Whether and under what conditions such a vestigial phase can emerge in realistic models of nematic superconductors remains an open question. Recent analytical work [P. T. How and S. K. Yip, Phys. Rev. B 107, 104514 (2023)] concluded that vestigial nematic phases--and related mechanisms--do not appear in the widely studied models proposed for, e.g., Bi$_2$Se$_3$-based candidates. To shed light on this question, we perform large-scale Monte Carlo simulations of a three-dimensional Ginzburg-Landau model of a nematic superconductor. Consistent with the findings of How and Yip, our numerical results confirm that commonly considered models do not exhibit vestigial nematic phases or nematic-fluctuation-induced charge-4e superconductivity. Extending the analysis to include coupling to a gauge field, we show that vestigial nematic order can, under restrictive conditions, be stabilized through an alternative mechanism: intercomponent coupling mediated by the gauge field or the effects of strong correlations.

cond-mat.supr-con

Evidence of pseudogap and absence of spin magnetism in the time-reversal-symmetry-breaking state of Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$

Muon-spin-rotation ($\mu$SR) experiments and the observation of a spontaneous Nernst effect indicate time-reversal symmetry breaking (BTRS) at $T_{\rm c}^{\rm Z2}$ above the superconducting transition temperature $T_{\rm c}$ in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$, with $x\approx0.8$. Further studies have pointed out that BTRS is caused by the formation of a new state of matter associated with the condensation of pairs of electron pairs. Despite exhibiting multiple unconventional effects that warrant further investigation, the electronic spectral properties of this electron quadrupling state remain largely unexplored. Here, we present detailed $^{75}$As nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$, with $x = 0.77$, which has $T_{\rm c}^{\rm Z2}$ > $T_{\rm c}$ according to measurements of the spontaneous Nernst effect. The NMR data obtained in this work provide the first direct electronic spectral characteristics of the electron quadrupling state by indicating that it evolves from a pseudogap that sets in at $T^*$ well above $T_{\rm c}^{\rm Z2}$. This pseudogap behavior is consistent with $\mu$SR Knight-shift, specific-heat, and transport data indicating the formation of a bound state of electrons. According to a theory of electron quadrupling condensates, such bound-state formations should precede the onset of BTRS correlations between pairs of electron pairs. The second important insight from NMR data is the absence of spin-related magnetism. The temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1T$ and the evolution of the NMR linewidth prove the absence of a magnetic transition at $T_{\rm c}^{\rm Z2}$ and rule out even a proximity to some magnetic instability. This indicates that the spontaneous magnetic fields detected in this compound are not caused by spin magnetism but are associated with persistent real-space currents.

cond-mat.supr-con

A microscopic approach to the problem of enhancement and suppression of superconductivity on twinning planes

Using a microscopic approach, we revisit the problem of superconducting critical temperature change in the presence of twin boundaries. We show that both critical temperature enhancement and suppression can come purely from geometric effects. These include aspects of scattering of electrons on these crystalline defects even when the coupling constant is unchanged. We consider two dimensional rectangular and three dimensional body centered cubic lattices with onsite s-wave superconducting pairing, nearest and next-to-nearest neighbor hoppings. In the considered two dimensional lattice with twin boundaries, the superconducting critical temperature associated with twinning planes is suppressed for moderate band filling and enhanced for an almost empty/filled band. The superconducting phase diagram is more diverse for the three dimensional lattice, which is caused by the interplay of van Hove singularity, changing coordination number, and modification of distances to nearest and next-to-nearest neighbors.

cond-mat.supr-con

Microscopic properties of fractional vortices and domain walls in three-band $s+is$ superconductors

Several experimental observations of objects carrying fractional flux quanta in superconductors were recently reported. Here, we provide microscopic solutions for vortices carrying a variable fraction of magnetic flux quantum and domain walls in a three-band $s + is$ superconductor and investigate their properties. We obtain solutions in a fully self-consistent treatment of a microscopic three-band Bogoliubov-de-Gennes model. This demonstrates the characteristic patterns for the magnetic field distribution. The microscopic formalism allows for calculating tunneling conductance that may be used to distinguish fractional vortices from conventional single flux quanta vortices in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.

cond-mat.supr-con

Direct observation of quantum vortex fractionalization in multiband superconductors

Magnetic field is expelled from a superconductor, unless it forms quantum vortices, consisting of a core singularity with current circulating around it. The London quantization condition implies that there is one core singularity per quantum of magnetic flux in single-component superconductors, while in multiband materials fractional vortices are possible. Here, we report the first observation of quantum vortex core fractionalization on the potassium terminated surface of multiband superconductor KFe2As2 by scanning tunneling microscopy. We observe splitting of an integer-flux vortex into several fractional vortices, leading to disparity between numbers of flux quanta and vortex cores. Our findings demonstrate that fractionalized core singularities are possible in a multiband superconductor, opening avenue for new experimental platforms with quasiparticles with fractional statistics.

cond-mat.supr-con

Borromean supercounterfluids at finite temperatures

While the properties of standard (single-component) superfluids are well understood, principal differences arise in a special type of multicomponent systems -- the so-called Borromean supercounterfluids -- in which (i) supertransport is possible only in the counterflow regime and (ii) there are three or more counterflowing components. Borromean supercounterfluids's correlation and topological properties distinguish them from their single- and two-component counterparts. The component-symmetric case characterized by a distinctively different universality class of the supercounterfluid-to-normal phase transition is especially interesting. Using the recently introduced concept of compact-gauge invariance as the guiding principle, we develop the finite-temperature description of Borromean supercounterfluids in terms of an asymptotically exact long-wave effective action. We formulate and study Borromean XY and loop statistical models, capturing the universal long-range properties and allowing us to perform efficient worm algorithm simulations. Numeric results demonstrate perfect agreement with analytic predictions. Particularly instructive is the two-dimensional case, where the Borromean nature of the system is strongly manifested while allowing for an asymptotically exact analytic description.

cond-mat.quant-gas

Microscopic solutions for vortex clustering in two-band type-1.5 superconductors

Two-band superconductors exhibit a distinct phase characterized by two correlation lengths, one smaller and the other larger than the magnetic field penetration length. This regime was coined type-1.5 superconductivity, with several unconventional properties, such as vortex clustering. However, a fully microscopic solution for vortex clusters has remained challenging due to computational complexities beyond quasiclassical models. This work presents numerical solutions obtained in a fully self-consistent two-band Bogoliubov-de Gennes model. We show the presence of discrepant correlation lengths leading to vortex clustering in two-band superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con

Ultrasound evidence for multicomponent superconducting order parameter in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ with electron quadrupling phase

Experiments have pointed to the formation of the electron quadrupling condensate in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ at $x \sim 0.8$. The state spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry and is sandwiched between two critical points, separating it from the broken time-reversal symmetry (BTRS) superconducting state at $T_{\rm c}^{U(1)}$ and normal-metal state at $T_{\rm c}^{\rm Z2}$. We report a theory of the acoustic effects spectroscopy of systems with an electron quadrupling phase based on ultrasound-velocity measurements. We show that the experimental results are consistent with BTRS superconductivity at $x \sim 0.8$, fulfilling the necessary condition for the formation of electron quadrupling in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$. We provide the theoretical basis and the experimental strategy to study the order parameter symmetry of emerging quadrupling condensates in superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con

Topological order in higher composites

We introduce the concept of composite topological order in multicomponent systems. In such a state topological order appears only in higher-than-usual composites, with no topological order in elementary fields. We propose that such a state can be realized in Bose-Fermi mixtures in ultracold atoms.

cond-mat.quant-gas

Magneto-Crystalline Composite Topological Defects and Half-Hopfions

We consider a new class of topological defects in chiral magnetic crystals such as FeGe and MnSi. These are composite topological defects that arise when skyrmions in the magnetic order intersect with twin boundaries in the underlying crystalline lattice. We show that the resulting stable configurations are a new type of defect that can be viewed as half-hopfions.

cond-mat.mes-hall