arXiv subjects

A. A. Taskin

Publications and source records attributed to A. A. Taskin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Magnetic-field-induced nonlocal transport in the topological semimetal ZrTe$_5$

Nonlocal transport, which goes beyond the Ohm's law, can be a key in understanding systems with topological order or edge states. Here we report an unusual nonlocal charge transport in the nodal-line semimetal ZrTe$_5$ that occurs in the ultra-quantum limit driven by the magnetic field applied along the $a$-axis. Surprisingly, the observed decay length of the nonlocality exceeds 100 $\mu$m and it increases linearly with the sample width. This nonlocal transport is detected not only in the longitudinal configuration, but also in the transverse one as an unusual nonlocal Hall effect. Our findings demonstrate that the nonlocal response can offer unprecedented insights into topological quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Generic Chiral Anomaly and Planar Hall Effect in a Non-Weyl System

The condensed-matter version of the chiral anomaly describes how electrons are pumped from a Weyl node with negative chirality to a Weyl node with positive chirality using parallel electric and magnetic fields. Key experimental signatures are a negative longitudinal magnetoresistance (LMR) and the planar Hall effect (PHE), both of which have been experimentally observed. Here, we show that the chiral anomaly explains key features of magnetotransport in the nodal-line semimetal ZrTe$_5$ despite the absence of Weyl points. The anomaly physics applies generically to materials in the quantum limit, when electron transport becomes quasi-one-dimensional, provided that Fermi velocities remain sufficiently large. This explains not only the negative LMR but also the PHE with a gigantic Hall angle and a highly unusual magnetic-field-angle dependence in ZrTe$_5$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Parallel-Field Hall effect in ZrTe$_5$

Parallel-field Hall effect is the appearance of a Hall voltage $V_{\rm H}$ that is transverse to the current $I$ when the magnetic field $B$ is applied parallel to $I$ (i.e. $B \parallel I \perp V_{\rm H}$). Such an effect is symmetry forbidden in most cases and hence is very unusual. Interestingly, the existence of a finite parallel-field Hall effect was reported for the layered topological semimetal ZrTe$_5$ and was proposed to be due to Berry curvature. However, it is forbidden for the known symmetry of ZrTe$_5$ and the possible existence of a misaligned out-of-plane magnetic field was not completely ruled out. Here, we elucidate the existence of the parallel-field Hall effect in ZrTe$_5$ with careful magnetic-field alignment. We interpret this result to originate from symmetry breaking and quantitatively explain the observed parallel-field Hall signal by considering a tilting of the Fermi surface allowed by broken symmetry.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Induced superconducting correlations in the quantum anomalous Hall insulator

Inducing Cooper pairing in a thin ferromagnetic topological insulator in the quantum anomalous Hall state (called quantum anomalous Hall insulator, QAHI) is a promising way to realize topological superconductivity with associated chiral Majorana edge states. However, finding evidence of superconducting proximity effect in a QAHI has proven to be a considerable challenge due to inherent experimental difficulties. Here we report the observation of crossed Andreev reflection (CAR) across a narrow superconducting Nb electrode contacting the chiral edge state of a QAHI, evinced by a negative nonlocal voltage measured downstream from the grounded Nb electrode. This is an unambiguous signature of induced superconducting pair correlation in the chiral edge state. Our theoretical analysis demonstrates that CAR processes of the chiral edge are not strongly dependent on the nature of the superconductivity that mediates them. Nevertheless, the characteristic length of the CAR process is found to be much longer than the superconducting correlation length in Nb, which suggests that the CAR is in fact mediated by superconductivity induced on the QAHI surface. The approach and results presented here provide a foundation for future studies of topological superconductivity and Majorana physics, as well as for the search for non-Abelian zero modes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Nonlinear transport due to magnetic-field-induced flat bands in the nodal-line semimetal ZrTe5

The Dirac material ZrTe$_5$ at very low carrier density was recently found to be a nodal-line semimetal, where ultra-flat bands are expected to emerge in magnetic fields parallel to the nodal-line plane. Here we report that in very low carrier-density samples of ZrTe$_5$, when the current and the magnetic field are both along the crystallographic $a$ axis, the current-voltage characteristics presents a pronounced nonlinearity which tends to saturate in the ultra quantum limit. The magnetic-field dependence of the nonlinear coefficient is well explained by the Boltzmann theory for flat-band transport, and we argue that this nonlinear transport is likely due to the combined effect of flat bands and charge puddles, the latter appear due to very low carrier densities.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Giant magnetochiral anisotropy from quantum confined surface states of topological insulator nanowires

Wireless technology relies on the conversion of alternating electromagnetic fields to direct currents, a process known as rectification. While rectifiers are normally based on semiconductor diodes, quantum mechanical non-reciprocal transport effects that enable highly controllable rectification have recently been discovered. One such effect is magnetochiral anisotropy (MCA), where the resistance of a material or a device depends on both the direction of current flow and an applied magnetic field. However, the size of rectification possible due to MCA is usually extremely small, because MCA relies on inversion symmetry breaking leading to the manifestation of spin-orbit coupling, which is a relativistic effect. In typical materials the rectification coefficient $γ$ due to MCA is usually $|γ| \lesssim 1$ ${\rm A^{-1} T^{-1}}$ and the maximum values reported so far are $|γ| \sim 100$ ${\rm A^{-1} T^{-1}}$ in carbon nanotubes and ZrTe$_5$. Here, to overcome this limitation, we artificially break inversion symmetry via an applied gate voltage in thin topological insulator (TI) nanowire heterostructures and theoretically predict that such a symmetry breaking can lead to a giant MCA effect. Our prediction is confirmed via experiments on thin bulk-insulating (Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$)$_2$Te$_3$ TI nanowires, in which we observe an MCA consistent with theory and $|γ| \sim 100000$ ${\rm A^{-1} T^{-1}}$, the largest ever reported MCA rectification coefficient in a normal conductor.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Gigantic magnetochiral anisotropy in the topological semimetal ZrTe5

Topological materials with broken inversion symmetry can give rise to nonreciprocal responses, such as the current rectification controlled by magnetic fields via magnetochiral anisotropy. Bulk nonreciprocal responses usually stem from relativistic corrections and are always very small. Here we report our discovery that ZrTe5 crystals in proximity to a topological quantum phase transition present gigantic magnetochiral anisotropy, which is the largest ever observed to date. We argue that a very low carrier density, inhomogeneities, and a torus-shaped Fermi surface induced by breaking of inversion symmetry in a Dirac material are central to explain this extraordinary property.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Current-induced breakdown of the quantum anomalous Hall effect

The quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) realizes dissipationless longitudinal resistivity and quantized Hall resistance without the need of an external magnetic field. However, when reducing the device dimensions or increasing the current density, an abrupt breakdown of the dissipationless state occurs with a relatively small critical current, limiting the applications of the QAHE. We investigate the mechanism of this breakdown by studying multi-terminal devices and identified that the electric field created between opposing chiral edge states lies at the origin. We propose that electric-field-driven percolation of two-dimensional charge puddles in the gapped surface states of compensated topological-insulator films is the most likely cause of the breakdown.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Relaxation dynamics of the optically driven nonequilibrium states in the electron- and hole-doped topological-insulator materials $(Bi_{1-x}Sb_{x})_{2}Te_{3}$

We report on time-resolved mid-infrared-pump terahertz-transmission-probe studies of the topological-insulator materials $(Bi_{1-x}Sb_{x})_{2}Te_{3}$, in which by varying x charge carriers are chemically tuned to be of n-type or p-type. Relaxation dynamics is found to be different in various aspects for transitions below or above the bandgap, which are selectively excited by changing the pump-pulse energy. For the below-bandgap excitation, an exponential decay of the pump-probe signals is observed, which exhibits linear dependence on the pump-pulse fluence. In contrast, the relaxation dynamics for the above-bandgap excitation is characterized by a compressed exponential decay and nonlinear fluence dependence at high pump flunences, which reflects interaction of the excited nonequilibrium states.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Novel self-epitaxy for inducing superconductivity in the topological insulator (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3

Using the superconducting proximity effect for engineering a topological superconducting state in a topological insulator (TI) is a promising route to realize Majorana fermions. However, epitaxial growth of a superconductor on the TI surface to achieve a good proximity effect has been a challenge. We discovered that simply depositing Pd on thin films of the TI material (Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$)$_2$Te$_3$ leads to an epitaxial self-formation of PdTe$_2$ superconductor having the superconducting transition temperature of ~1 K. This self-formed superconductor proximitizes the TI, which is confirmed by the appearance of a supercurrent in Josephson-junction devices made on (Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$)$_2$Te$_3$. This self-epitaxy phenomenon can be conveniently used for fabricating TI-based superconducting nanodevices to address the superconducting proximity effect in TIs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Superconductivity in Sn$_{1-x}$In$_{x}$Te thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The superconductor Sn$_{1-x}$In$_{x}$Te is derived from the topological crystalline insulator SnTe and is a candidate topological superconductor. So far, high-quality thin films of this material have not been available, even though such samples would be useful for addressing the nature of its superconductivity. Here we report the successful molecular beam epitaxy growth of superconducting Sn$_{1-x}$In$_{x}$Te films by using Bi$_2$Te$_3$ as a buffer layer. The data obtained from tunnel junctions made on such films show the appearance of two superconducting gaps, which points to the coexistence of bulk and surface superconductivity. Given the spin-momentum locking of the surface states, the surface superconductivity is expected to be topological with an effective $p$-wave character. Since the topological surface states of SnTe consist of four Dirac cones, this platform offers an interesting playground for studying topological surface superconductivity with additional degrees of freedom.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Anomalous Fraunhofer patterns in gated Josephson junctions based on the bulk-insulating topological insulator BiSbTeSe2

One-dimensional Majorana modes are predicated to form in Josephson junctions based on three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs). While observations of supercurrents in Josephson junctions made on bulk-insulating TI samples are recently reported, the Fraunhofer patters observed in such TI-based Josephson junctions, which sometimes present anomalous features, are still not well understood. Here we report our study of highly gate-tunable TI-based Josephson junctions made of one of the most bulk-insulating TI materials, BiSbTeSe2, and Al. The Fermi level can be tuned by gating across the Dirac point, and the high transparency of the Al/BiSbTeSe2 interface is evinced by a high characteristic voltage and multiple Andreev reflections with peak indices reaching 12. Anomalous Fraunhofer patterns with missing lobes were observed in the entire range of gate voltage. We found that, by employing an advanced fitting procedure to use the maximum entropy method in a Monte Carlo algorithm, the anomalous Fraunhofer patterns are explained as a result of inhomogeneous supercurrent distributions on the TI surface in the junction. Besides establishing a highly promising fabrication technology, this work clarifies one of the important open issues regarding TI-based Josephson junctions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Gigantic negative magnetoresistance in a disordered topological insulator

With the recent discovery of Weyl semimetals, the phenomenon of negative magnetoresistance (MR) is attracting renewed interest. While small negative MR can occur due to the suppression of spin scattering or weak localization, large negative MR is rare in materials, and when it happens, it is usually related to magnetism. The large negative MR in Weyl semimetals is peculiar in that it is unrelated to magnetism and comes from chiral anomaly. Here we report that there is a new mechanism for large negative MR which is not related to magnetism but is related to disorder. In the newly-synthesized bulk-insulating topological insulator TlBi$_{0.15}$Sb$_{0.85}$Te$_2$, we observed gigantic negative MR reaching 98% in 14 T at 10 K, which is unprecedented in a nonmagnetic system. Supported by numerical simulations, we argue that this phenomenon is likely due to the Zeeman effect on a barely percolating current path formed in the disordered bulk. Since disorder can also lead to non-saturating linear MR in Ag$_{2+δ}$Se, the present finding suggests that disorder engineering in narrow-gap systems is useful for realizing gigantic MR in both positive and negative directions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Planar Hall effect from the surface of topological insulators

A prominent feature of topological insulators (TIs) is the surface states comprising of spin-nondegenerate massless Dirac fermions. Recent technical advances have made it possible to address the surface transport properties of TI thin films while tuning the Fermi levels of both top and bottom surfaces across the Dirac point by electrostatic gating. This opened the window for studying the spin-nondegenerate Dirac physics peculiar to TIs. Here we report our discovery of a novel planar Hall effect (PHE) from the TI surface, which results from a hitherto-unknown resistivity anisotropy induced by an in-plane magnetic field. This effect is observed in dual-gated devices of bulk-insulating Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_{x}$Te$_{3}$ thin films, in which both top and bottom surfaces are gated. The origin of PHE is the peculiar time-reversal-breaking effect of an in-plane magnetic field, which anisotropically lifts the protection of surface Dirac fermions from back-scattering. The key signature of the field-induced anisotropy is a strong dependence on the gate voltage with a characteristic two-peak structure near the Dirac point which is explained theoretically using a self-consistent T-matrix approximation. The observed PHE provides a new tool to analyze and manipulate the topological protection of the TI surface in future experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Switching of Charge-Current-Induced Spin Polarization in the Topological Insulator BiSbTeSe2

The charge-current-induced spin polarization is a key property of topological insulators for their applications in spintronics. However, topological surface states are expected to give rise to only one type of spin polarization for a given current direction, which has been a limiting factor for spin manipulations. Here we report that in devices based on the bulk-insulating topological insulator BiSbTeSe2, an unexpected switching of spin polarization was observed upon changing the chemical potential. The spin polarization expected from the topological surface states was detected in a heavily electron-doped device, whereas the opposite polarization was reproducibly observed in devices with low carrier densities. We propose that the latter type of spin polarization stems from topologically-trivial two-dimensional states with a large Rashba spin splitting, which are caused by a strong band bending at the surface of BiSbTeSe2 beneath the ferromagnetic electrode used as a spin detector. This finding paves the way for realizing the "spin transistor" operation in future topological spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Fermiology of possible topological superconductor Tl0.5Bi2Te3 derived from hole-doped topological insulator

We have performed angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on Tl0.5Bi2Te3, a possible topological superconductor derived from Bi2Te3. We found that the bulk Fermi surface consists of multiple three-dimensional hole pockets surrounding the Z point, produced by the direct hole doping into the valence band. The Dirac-cone surface state is well isolated from the bulk bands, and the surface chemical potential is variable in the entire band-gap range. Tl0.5Bi2Te3 thus provides an excellent platform to realize two-dimensional topological superconductivity through a proximity effect from the superconducting bulk. Also, the observed Fermi-surface topology provides a concrete basis for constructing theoretical models for bulk topological superconductivity in hole-doped topological insulators.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Superconductivity in Tl_{0.6}Bi_{2}Te_{3} Derived from a Topological Insulator

Bulk superconductivity has been discovered in Tl_{0.6}Bi_{2}Te_{3}, which is derived from the topological insulator Bi2Te3. The superconducting volume fraction of up to 95% (determined from specific heat) with Tc of 2.28 K was observed. The carriers are p-type with the density of ~1.8 x 10^{20} cm^{-3}. Resistive transitions under magnetic fields point to an unconventional temperature dependence of the upper critical field B_{c2}. The crystal structure appears to be unchanged from Bi2Te3 with a shorter c-lattice parameter, which, together with the Rietveld analysis, suggests that Tl ions are incorporated but not intercalated. This material is an interesting candidate of a topological superconductor which may be realized by the strong spin-orbit coupling inherent to topological insulators.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Revealing puddles of electrons and holes in compensated topological insulators

Three-dimensional topological insulators harbour metallic surface states with exotic properties. In transport or optics, these properties are typically masked by defect-induced bulk carriers. Compensation of donors and acceptors reduces the carrier density, but the bulk resistivity remains disappointingly small. We show that measurements of the optical conductivity in BiSbTeSe$_2$ pinpoint the presence of electron-hole puddles in the bulk at low temperatures, which is essential for understanding DC bulk transport. The puddles arise from large fluctuations of the Coulomb potential of donors and acceptors, even in the case of full compensation. Surprisingly, the number of carriers appearing within puddles drops rapidly with increasing temperature and almost vanishes around 40 K. Monte Carlo simulations show that a highly non-linear screening effect arising from thermally activated carriers destroys the puddles at a temperature scale set by the Coulomb interaction between neighbouring dopants, explaining the experimental observation semi-quantitatively. This mechanism remains valid if donors and acceptors do not compensate perfectly.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗