arXiv subjects

Binghai Yan

Publications and source records attributed to Binghai Yan.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Theory of Chirality Induced Spin Selectivity: Progress and Challenges

We provide a critical overview of the theory of the chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, i.e., phenomena in which the chirality of molecular species imparts significant spin selectivity to various electron processes. Based on discussions in a recently held workshop, and further work published since, we review the status of CISS effects - in electron transmission, electron transport, and chemical reactions. For each, we provide a detailed discussion of the state-of-the-art in theoretical understanding and identify remaining challenges and research opportunities.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Origins of electronic bands in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$

Despite the rapid progress in understanding the first intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$, its electronic structure remains a topic under debates. Here we perform a thorough spectroscopic investigation into the electronic structure of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ via laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Through quantitative analysis, we estimate an upper bound of 3 meV for the gap size of the topological surface state. Furthermore, our circular dichroism measurements reveal band chiralities for both the topological surface state and quasi-2D bands, which can be well reproduced in a band hybridization model. A numerical simulation of energy-momentum dispersions based on a four-band model with an additional step potential near the surface provides a promising explanation for the origin of the quasi-2D bands. Our study represents a solid step forward in reconciling the existing controversies in the electronic structure of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$, and provides an important framework to understand the electronic structures of other relevant topological materials MnBi$_{2n}$Te$_{3n+1}$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Spin Hall effect emerging from a chiral magnetic lattice without spin-orbit coupling

The spin Hall effect (SHE), which converts a charge current into a transverse spin current, has long been believed to be a phenomenon induced by the spin--orbit coupling. Here, we propose an alternative mechanism to realize the intrinsic SHE through a chiral magnetic structure that breaks the spin rotation symmetry. No spin--orbit coupling is needed even when the scalar spin chirality vanishes, different from the case of the topological Hall effect. In known chiral antiferromagnetic compounds Mn$_3X$ ($X=$ Ga, Ge, and Sn), for example, we indeed obtain large spin Hall conductivities based on \textit{ab initio} calculations. Apart further developing the conceptual understanding of the SHE, our work suggests an alternative strategy to design spin Hall materials without involving heavy elements, which may be advantageous for technological applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Quantum oscillations, Magnetic breakdown and thermal Hall effect in Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$

Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$ is a ferromagnetic semi-metal with Weyl nodes in its band structure and a large anomalous Hall effect below its Curie temperature of 177 K. We present a detailed study of its Fermi surface and examine the relevance of the anomalous transverse Wiedemann Franz law to it. We studied Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations along two orientations in single crystals with a mobility as high as $2.7\times$10$^3$ cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ subject to a magnetic field as large as $\sim$ 60 T. The angle dependence of the frequencies is in agreement with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and reveals two types of hole pockets (H1, H2) and two types of electron pockets (E1, E2). An additional unexpected frequency emerges at high magnetic field. We attribute it to magnetic breakdown between the hole pocket H2 and the electron pocket E2, since it is close to the sum of the E2 and H2 fundamental frequencies. By measuring the anomalous thermal and electrical Hall conductivities, we quantified the anomalous transverse Lorenz ratio, which is close to the Sommerfeld ratio ($L_0=\frac{π^2}{3}\frac{k_B^2}{e^2}$) below 100 K and deviates downwards at higher temperatures. This finite temperature deviation from the anomalous Wiedemann-Franz law is a source of information on the distance between the sources and sinks of the Berry curvature and the chemical potential.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Charge density waves and electronic properties of superconducting kagome metals

Kagome metals $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($A=$ K, Rb, and Cs) exhibit intriguing superconductivity below $0.9 \sim 2.5 $ K, a charge density wave (CDW) transition around $80\sim 100 $ K, and $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ topological surface states. The nature of the CDW phase and its relation to superconductivity remains elusive. In this work, we investigate the electronic and structural properties of CDW by first-principles calculations. We reveal an inverse Star of David deformation as the $2\times2\times2$ CDW ground state of the kagome lattice. The kagome lattice shows softening breathing-phonon modes, indicating the structural instability. However, electrons play an essential role in the CDW transition via Fermi surface nesting and van Hove singularity. The inverse Star of David structure agrees with recent experiments by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The CDW phase inherits the nontrivial $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-type topological band structure. Further, we find that the electron-phonon coupling is too weak to account for the superconductivity $T_c$ in all three materials. It implies the existence of unconventional pairing of these kagome metals. Our results provide essential knowledge toward understanding the superconductivity and topology in kagome metals.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Robust Weyl Semimetal and Pressure-induced Superconductivity in Quasi-One-Dimensional (NbSe4)2I

A search for the single material system that simultaneously exhibits topological phase and intrinsic superconductivity has been largely limited, although such a system is far more favorable especially for the quantum device applications. Except artificially engineered topological superconductivity in heterostructure systems, another alternative is to have superconductivity arising from the topological materials by pressure or other clean technology. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we first show that quasi-one-dimensional compound (NbSe4)2I represents a rare example of a chiral Weyl semimetal in which the set of symmetry-related Weyl points (WPs) exhibit the same chiral charge at a certain energy. The net chiral charge (NCC) of the below Fermi level EF (or a certain energy) can be tuned by pressure. In addition, a partial disorder induced by pressure accompanied with superconductivity emerges. Although amorphization of the iodine sub-lattice under high pressure, the one-dimensional NbSe4 chains in (NbSe4)2I remain intact and provide a superconducting channel in one dimension. Our combined theoretical and experimental research provide critical insight into a new phase of the one-dimensional system, in which distinctive phase transitions and correlated topological states emerge upon compression.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Unconventional anomalous Hall effect from magnetization parallel to the electric field

In the anomalous Hall effect (AHE), the magnetization, electric field and the Hall current are presumed to be mutually vertical to each other. In this work, we propose an unconventional AHE where the magnetization, the electric field and Hall current stay inside the same plane. Such an AHE is odd under time-reversal and exists even when the magnetization is parallel to the electric field or Hall current, different from the planar Hall effect which is even under time-reversal. Here, we term it parallel anomalous Hall effect (PAHE). We reveal that the PAHE exists when all the point group rotational and reflection symmetries are broken where the Berry curvature field is not necessarily parallel to the magnetization axis. We further demonstrate the PAHE in a ferrimagnetic Weyl semimetal FeCr$_2$Te$_4$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Giant $c$-axis nonlinear anomalous Hall effect in T$_d$-MoTe$_2$ and WTe$_2$

While the anomalous Hall effect can manifest even without an external magnetic field, time reversal symmetry is nonetheless still broken by the internal magnetization of the sample. Recently, it has been shown that certain materials without an inversion center allow for a nonlinear type of anomalous Hall effect whilst retaining time reversal symmetry. The effect may arise from either Berry curvature or through various asymmetric scattering mechanisms. Here, we report the observation of an extremely large $c$-axis nonlinear anomalous Hall effect in the non-centrosymmetric T$_d$ phase of MoTe$_2$ and WTe$_2$ without intrinsic magnetic order. We find that the effect is dominated by skew-scattering at higher temperatures combined with another scattering process active at low temperatures. Application of higher bias yields an extremely large Hall ratio of $E_\perp /E_\parallel$=2.47 and corresponding anomalous Hall conductivity of order 8x10$^7$S/m.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

First Principles Calculations for Topological Quantum Materials

Discoveries of topological states and topological materials reshape our understanding of physics and materials over the last 15 years. First-principles calculations have been playing a significant role in bridging the theory of topology and experiments by predicting realistic topological materials. In this article, we overview the first-principles methodology on topological quantum materials. First, we unify different concepts of topological states in the same band inversion scenario. Then, we discuss the topology using first-principles band structures and newly-established topological materials databases. We stress challenges in characterizing symmetry-independent Weyl semimetals and calculating topological surface states, closing with an outlook on the exciting transport and optical phenomena induced by the topology.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Spin and charge interconversion in Dirac semimetal thin films

We report spin-to-charge and charge-to-spin conversion at room temperature in heterostructure devices that interface an archetypal Dirac semimetal, Cd3As2, with a metallic ferromagnet, Ni0.80Fe0.20 (permalloy). The spin-charge interconversion is detected by both spin torque ferromagnetic resonance and ferromagnetic resonance driven spin pumping. Analysis of the symmetric and anti-symmetric components of the mixing voltage in spin torque ferromagnetic resonance and the frequency and power dependence of the spin pumping signal show that the behavior of these processes is consistent with previously reported spin-charge interconversion mechanisms in heavy metals, topological insulators, and Weyl semimetals. We find that the efficiency of spin-charge interconversion in Cd3As2/permalloy bilayers can be comparable to that in heavy metals. We discuss the underlying mechanisms by comparing our results with first principles calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Chirality induced Giant Unidirectional Magnetoresistance in Twisted Bilayer Graphene

Twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) exhibits fascinating correlation-driven phenomena like the superconductivity and Mott insulating state, with flat bands and a chiral lattice structure. We find by quantum transport calculations that the chirality leads to a giant unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR) in TBG, where the unidirectionality refers to the resistance change under the reversal of the direction of the current or magnetic field. We point out that flat bands significantly enhance this effect. The UMR increases quickly upon reducing the twist angle and reaches about 20\% for an angle of 1.5$^\circ$ in a 10 T in-plane magnetic field. We propose the band structure topology (asymmetry), which leads to a direction-sensitive mean free path, as a useful way to anticipate the UMR effect. The UMR provides a probe for chirality and band flatness in the twisted bilayers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Anomalous Hall effect in weak-itinerant ferrimagnet FeCr$_2$Te$_4$

We carried out a comprehensive study of electronic transport, thermal and thermodynamic properties in FeCr$_2$Te$_4$ single crystals. It exhibits bad-metallic behavior and anomalous Hall effect (AHE) below a weak-itinerant paramagentic-to-ferrimagnetic transition $T_c$ $\sim$ 123 K. The linear scaling between the anomalous Hall resistivity $ρ_{xy}$ and the longitudinal resistivity $ρ_{xx}$ implies that the AHE in FeCr$_2$Te$_4$ is most likely dominated by extrinsic skew-scattering mechanism rather than intrinsic KL or extrinsic side-jump mechanism, which is supported by our Berry phase calculations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Chirality driven topological electronic structure of DNA-like materials

Topological aspects of the geometry of DNA and similar chiral molecules have received a lot of attention, while the topology of their electronic structure is less explored. Previous experiments have revealed that DNA can efficiently filter spin-polarized electrons between metal contacts, a process called chiral-induced spin-selectivity (CISS). However, the underlying correlation between chiral structure and electronic spin remains elusive. In this work, we reveal an orbital texture in the band structure, a topological characteristic induced by the chirality. We find that this orbital texture enables the chiral molecule to polarize the quantum orbital. This orbital polarization effect (OPE) induces spin polarization assisted by the spin-orbit interaction from a metal contact and leads to magnetorestistance and chiral separation. The orbital angular momentum of photoelectrons also plays an essential role in related photoemission experiments. Beyond CISS, we predict that OPE can induce spin-selective phenomena even in achiral but inversion-breaking materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Induced anomalous Hall effect of massive Dirac fermions in ZrTe5 and HfTe5 thin flakes

Researches on anomalous Hall effect (AHE) have been lasting for a century to make clear the underlying physical mechanism. Generally, the AHE appears in magnetic materials, in which extrinsic process related to scattering effects and intrinsic contribution connected with Berry curvature are crucial. Recently, AHE has been counterintuitively observed in non-magnetic topological materials and attributed to the existence of Weyl points. However, the Weyl point scenario would lead to unsaturated AHE even in large magnetic fields and contradicts the saturation of AHE in several tesla (T) in experiments. In this work, we investigate the Hall effect of ZrTe5 and HfTe5 thin flakes in static ultrahigh magnetic fields up to 33 T. We find the AHE saturates to 55 (70) Ohm^-1*cm^-1 for ZrTe5 (HfTe5) thin flakes above ~ 10 T. Combining detailed magnetotransport experiments and Berry curvature calculations, we clarify that the splitting of massive Dirac bands without Weyl points can be responsible for AHE in non-magnetic topological materials ZrTe5 and HfTe5 thin flakes. This model can identify our thin flake samples to be weak topological insulators and serve as a new tool to probe the band structure topology in topological materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Nonvanishing sub-gap photocurrent as a probe of lifetime effects

For semiconductors and insulators, it is commonly believed that in-gap transitions into non-localized states are smoothly suppressed in the clean limit, i.e. at zero temperature their contribution vanishes due to the unavailability of states. We present a novel type of sub-gap response which shows that this intuition does not generalize beyond linear response. Namely, we find that the dc current due to the bulk photovoltaic effect can be finite and mostly temperature independent in an allowed window of sub-gap transitions. We expect that a moderate range of excitation energies lies between the bulk energy gap and the mobility edge where this effect is observable. Using a simplified relaxation time model for the band broadening, we find the sub-gap dc-current to be temperature-independent for non-interacting systems but temperature-dependent for strongly interacting systems. Thus, the sub-gap response may be used to distinguish whether a state is single-particle localized or many-body localized.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Giant nonlinear Hall effect in strained twisted bilayer graphene

Recent studies have shown that moiré flat bands in a twisted bilayer graphene(TBG) can acquire nontrivial Berry curvatures when aligned with hexagonal boron nitride substrate [1, 2], which can be manifested as a correlated Chern insulator near the 3/4 filling [3, 4]. In this work, we show that the large Berry curvatures in the moiré bands lead to strong nonlinear Hall(NLH) effect in a strained TBG with general filling factors. Under a weak uniaxial strain $\sim 0.1\%$, the Berry curvature dipole which characterizes the nonlinear Hall response can be as large as $\sim$ 200Å, exceeding the values of all previously known nonlinear Hall materials [5-14] by two orders of magnitude. The dependence of the giant NLH effect as a function of electric gating, strain and twist angle is further investigated systematically. Importantly, we point out that the giant NLH effect appears generically for twist angle near the magic angle due to the strong susceptibility of nearly flat moiré bands to symmetry breaking induced by strains. Our results establish TBG as a practical platform for tunable NLH effect and novel transport phenomena driven by nontrivial Berry phases.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Detection of the Orbital Hall Effect by the Orbital-Spin Conversion

The intrinsic orbital Hall effect (OHE), the orbital counterpart of the spin Hall effect, was predicted and studied theoretically for more than one decade, yet to be observed in experiments. Here we propose a strategy to convert the orbital current in OHE to the spin current via the spin-orbit coupling from the contact. Furthermore, we find that OHE can induce large nonreciprocal magnetoresistance when employing magnetic contact. Both the generated spin current and the orbital Hall magnetoresistance can be applied to probe the OHE in experiments and design orbitronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Induced Half-Metallicity and Gapless Topological Superconductivity in the CrI$_3$-Pb Interface

We study a two-dimensional heterostructure comprised of a monolayer of the magnetic insulator chromium triiodide (CrI$_3$) on a superconducting lead (Pb) substrate. Through first-principles computation and a tight-binding model, we demonstrate that charge transfer from the Pb substrate dopes the CrI$_3$ into an effective half-metal, allowing for the onset of a gapless topological superconductivity phase via the proximity effect. This phase, in which there exists a superconducting gap only in part of the Fermi surface, is shown to occur generically in 2D half-metal-superconductor heterostructures which lack two-fold in-plane rotational symmetry. However, a sufficiently large proximity-induced pairing amplitude can bring such a system into a fully-gapped topological superconducting phase. As such, these results are expected to better define the optimal 2D component materials for future proposed TSC heterostructures.

cond-mat.supr-con↗