arXiv subjects

Carsten Timm

Publications and source records attributed to Carsten Timm.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Symmetry, nodal structure, and Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces for nonlocal pairing

Multiband effects can lead to fundamentally different electronic behavior of solids, as exemplified by the possible emergence of Fermi surfaces of Bogoliubov quasiparticles in centrosymmetric superconductors which break time-reversal symmetry. We extend the analysis of possible pairing symmetries, the corresponding nodal structure, and the Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces in two directions: We include nonlocal pairing and we consider internal degrees of freedom other than the effective angular momentum of length $j=3/2$ examined so far. Since our main focus is on the Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces we concentrate on even-parity pairing. The required symmetry analysis is illustrated for several examples, as a guide for the reader. We find that the inclusion of nonlocal pairing leads to a much larger range of possible pairing symmetries. For infinitesimal pairing strength, we find a simple yet powerful criterion for nodes in terms of a scalar product of form factors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

The relationship between transport anisotropy and nematicity in FeSe

The mechanism behind the nematicity of FeSe is not known. Through elastoresitivity measurements it has been shown to be an electronic instability. However, so far measurements have extended only to small strains, where the response is linear. Here, we apply large elastic strains to FeSe, and perform two types of measurements. (1) Using applied strain to control twinning, the nematic resistive anisotropy at temperatures below the nematic transition temperature Ts is determined. (2) Resistive anisotropy is measured as nematicity is induced through applied strain at fixed temperature above Ts. In both cases, as nematicity strengthens the resistive anisotropy peaks about about 7%, then decreases. Below ~40 K, the nematic resistive anisotropy changes sign. We discuss possible implications of this behaviour for theories of nematicity. We report in addition: (1) Under experimentally accessible conditions with bulk crystals, stress, rather than strain, is the conjugate field to the nematicity of FeSe. (2) At low temperatures the twin boundary resistance is ~10% of the sample resistance, and must be properly subtracted to extract intrinsic resistivities. (3) Biaxial inplane compression increases both in-plane resistivity and the superconducting critical temperature Tc, consistent with a strong role of the yz orbital in the electronic correlations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Distortional weak-coupling instability of Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces

Centrosymmetric multiband superconductors which break time-reversal symmetry generically have two-dimensional nodes, i.e., Fermi surfaces of Bogoliubov quasiparticles. We show that the coupling of the electrons to the lattice always leads to a weak-coupling instability of such a state towards spontaneous breaking of inversion symmetry at low temperatures. This instability is driven by a Cooper logarithm in the internal energy but the order parameter is not superconducting but distortional. We present a comprehensive symmetry analysis and introduce a measure that allows to compare the strengths of competing distortional instabilities. Moreover, we discuss the instability using an effective single-band model. This framework reveals a duality mapping of the effective model which maps the distortional order parameter onto a superconducting one, providing a natural explanation for the Cooper logarithm and the weak-coupling nature of the instability. Finally, we consider the possibility of a pair-density wave state when inversion symmetry is broken. We find that it can indeed exist but does not affect the instability itself.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Entanglement of electrons and the lattice in a Luttinger system

The coupling between electronic and lattice degrees of freedom lies at the core of many important properties of solids. Nevertheless, surprisingly little is know about the entanglement between these degrees of freedom. We here calculate the entanglement entropy at zero temperature as well as the mutual information and the entanglement negativity at finite temperatures between the electrons and the lattice of a one-dimensional chain. The electrons are described within Luttinger-liquid theory. Our results show that the entanglement entropy diverges when one approaches the limit of stability, the so-called Wentzel-Bardeen singularity. We have found that the mutual information and the entanglement negativity decrease with the temperature. The mutual information reaches a finite value in the infinite-temperature limit, which is the consequence of the infinite linear electron spectrum of Luttinger theory. The entanglement negativity becomes exactly zero above a certain temperature, i.e., the lattice and the electrons become non-entangled above this temperature. If the electron-electron interaction is unscreened or weakly screened, this characteristic temperature diverges with the system size. However, if the interaction is strongly screened the characteristic temperature is finite and independent of the system size.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Stabilizing Even-Parity Chiral Superconductivity in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$

Strontium ruthenate (Sr$_2$RuO$_4$) has long been thought to host a spin-triplet chiral $p$-wave superconducting state. However, the singletlike response observed in recent spin-susceptibility measurements casts serious doubts on this pairing state. Together with the evidence for broken time-reversal symmetry and a jump in the shear modulus $c_{66}$ at the superconducting transition temperature, the available experiments point towards an even-parity chiral superconductor with $k_z(k_x\pm ik_y)$-like $E_g$ symmetry, which has consistently been dismissed based on the quasi-two-dimensional electronic structure of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$. Here, we show how the orbital degree of freedom can encode the two-component nature of the $E_g$ order parameter, allowing for a local orbital-antisymmetric spin-triplet state that can be stabilized by on-site Hund's coupling. We find that this exotic $E_g$ state can be energetically stable once a complete, realistic three-dimensional model is considered, within which momentum-dependent spin-orbit coupling terms are key. This state naturally gives rise to Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Negative longitudinal magnetoconductance at weak fields in Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals are topological materials that provide a condensed-matter realization of the chiral anomaly. A positive longitudinal magnetoconductance quadratic in magnetic field has been promoted as a diagnostic for this anomaly. By solving the Boltzmann equation analytically, we show that the magnetoconductance can become negative in the experimentally relevant semiclassical regime of weak magnetic fields. This effect is due to the simultaneous presence of the Berry phase and the orbital magnetic moment of carriers and occurs for sufficiently strong intervalley scattering.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Dynamical density and spin response of Fermi arcs and their consequences for Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals exhibit exotic Fermi-arc surface states, which strongly affect their electromagnetic properties. We derive analytical expressions for all components of the composite density-spin response tensor for the surfaces states of a Weyl-semimetal model obtained by closing the band gap in a topological insulating state and introducing a time-reversal-symmetry-breaking term. Based on the results, we discuss the electromagnetic susceptibilities, the current response, and other physical effects arising from the density-spin response. We find a magnetoelectric effect caused solely by the Fermi arcs. We also discuss the effect of electron-electron interactions within the random phase approximation and investigate the dispersion of surface plasmons formed by Fermi-arc states. Our work is useful for understanding the electromagnetic and optical properties of the Fermi arcs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Interacting Majorana modes at surfaces of noncentrosymmetric superconductors

Noncentrosymmetric superconductors with line nodes are expected to possess topologically protected flat zero-energy bands of surface states, which can be described as Majorana modes. We here investigate their fate if residual interactions beyond BCS theory are included. For a minimal square-lattice model with a plaquette interaction, we find string-like integrals of motion that form Clifford algebras and lead to exact degeneracies. These degeneracies strongly depend on whether the numbers of sites in the $x$ and $y$ directions are even or odd, and are robust against disorder in the interactions. We show that the mapping of the Majorana model onto two decoupled spin compass models [Kamiya et al., Phys. Rev. B 98, 161409 (2018)] and extra spectator degrees of freedom only works for open boundary conditions. The mapping shows that the three-leg and four-leg Majorana ladders are integrable, while systems of larger width are not. In addition, the mapping maximally reduces the effort for exact diagonalization, which is utilized to obtain the gap above the ground states. We find that this gap remains open if one dimension is kept constant and even, while the other is sent to infinity, at least if that dimension is odd. Moreover, we compare the topological properties of the interacting Majorana model to those of the toric-code model. The Majorana model has long-range entangled ground states that differ by $\mathbb{Z}_2$ fluxes through the system on a torus. The ground states exhibit string condensation similar to the toric code but the topological order is not robust. While the spectrum is gapped - due to spontaneous symmetry breaking inherited from the compass models - states with different values of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ fluxes end up in the ground-state sector in the thermodynamic limit. Hence, the gap does not protect these fluxes against weak perturbations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Experimental consequences of Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces

Superconductors involving electrons with internal degrees of freedom beyond spin can have internally anisotropic pairing states that are impossible in single-band superconductors. As a case in point, in even-parity multiband superconductors that break time-reversal symmetry, nodes of the superconducting gap are generically inflated into two-dimensional Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces. The detection and characterization of these quasiparticle Fermi surfaces requires the understanding of their experimental consequences. In this paper, we derive the low-energy density of states for a broad range of possible nodal structures. Based on this, we calculate the low-temperature form of observables that are commonly employed for the characterization of nodal superconductors, i.e., the single-particle tunneling rate, the electronic specific heat and Sommerfeld coefficient, the thermal conductivity, the magnetic penetration depth, and the NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate, in the clean limit. We also address the question whether the topological invariant of the Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces is associated with topologically protected surface states, with negative results. This work is meant to serve as a guide for experimental searches for Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces in time-reversal-symmetry-breaking superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Time-convolutionless master equation: Perturbative expansions to arbitrary order and application to quantum dots

The time-convolutionless quantum master equation is an exact description of the nonequilibrium dynamics of open quantum systems, with the advantage of being local in time. We derive a perturbative expansion to arbitrary order in the system-reservoir coupling for its generator, which contains significantly fewer terms than the ordered-cumulant expansion. We show that the derived expansion also admits a simple recursive formulation. The derived series is then used to describe the nonequilibrium dynamics of a quantum dot, including coherences. We find a relation between the generator and a generalization of the $T$-matrix. Even though the $T$-matrix rate equations are plagued by divergences, we show that these cancel order by order in the generator of the time-convolutionless master equation. This generalizes previous work on the time-convolutionless Pauli master equation, which does not include coherences, and lays the ground for possible numerical evaluations and analytical resummations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Charge-spin response and collective excitations in Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals are characterized by unconventional electromagnetic response. We present analytical expressions for all components of the frequency- and wave-vector-dependent charge-spin linear-response tensor of Weyl fermions. The spin-momentum locking of the Weyl Hamiltonian leads to a coupling between charge and longitudinal spin fluctuations, while transverse spin fluctuations remain decoupled from the charge. A real Weyl semimetal with multiple Weyl nodes can show this charge-spin coupling in equilibrium if its crystal symmetry is sufficiently low. All Weyl semimetals are expected to show this coupling if they are driven into a non-equilibrium stationary state with different occupations of Weyl nodes, for example by exploiting the chiral anomaly. Based on the response tensor, we investigate the low-energy collective excitations of interacting Weyl fermions. For a local Hubbard interaction, the charge-spin coupling leads to a dramatic change of the zero-sound dispersion: its velocity becomes independent of the interaction strength and the chemical potential and is given solely by the Fermi velocity. In the presence of long-range Coulomb interactions, the coupling transforms the plasmon modes into spin plasmons. For real Weyl semimetals with multiple Weyl nodes, the collective modes are strongly affected by the presence of parallel static electric and magnetic fields, due to the chiral anomaly. In particular, the zero-sound frequency at fixed momentum and the spin content of the spin plasmons go through cusp singularities as the chemical potential of one of the Weyl cones is tuned through the Weyl node. We discuss possible experiments that could provide smoking-gun evidence for Weyl physics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Multiband Effects in Equations of Motion of Observables Beyond the Semiclassical Approach

The equations of motion for the position and gauge invariant crystal momentum are considered for multiband wave packets of Bloch electrons. For a localized packet in a subset of bands well-separated from the rest of the band structure of the crystal, one can construct an effective electromagnetic Hamiltonian with respect to the center of the packet. We show that the equations of motion can be obtained via a projection operator procedure, which is derived from the adiabatic approximation within perturbation theory. These relations explicitly contain information from each band captured in the expansion coefficients and energy band structure of the Bloch states as well as non-Abelian features originating from interband Berry phase properties. This general and transparent Hamiltonian-based approach is applied to a wave packet spread over a single band, a set of degenerate bands, and two linear crossing bands. The generalized equations of motion hold promise for novel effects in transport currents and Hall effect phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Stability of the Weyl-semimetal phase on the pyrochlore lattice

Motivated by the proposal of a Weyl-semimetal phase in pyrochlore iridates, we consider a Hubbard-type model on the pyrochlore lattice. To shed light on the question as to why such a state has not been observed experimentally, its robustness is analyzed. On the one hand, we study the possible phases when the system is doped. Magnetic frustration favors several phases with magnetic and charge order that do not occur at half filling, including additional Weyl-semimetal states close to quarter filling. On the other hand, we search for density waves that break translational symmetry and destroy the Weyl-semimetal phase close to half filling. The uniform Weyl semimetal is found to be stable, which we attribute to the low density of states close to the Fermi energy.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Electron-hole pairing of Fermi-arc surface states in a Weyl-semimetal bilayer

The topological nature of Weyl semimetals (WSMs) is corroborated by the presence of chiral surface states, which connect the projections of the bulk Weyl points by Fermi arcs (FAs). We study a bilayer structure realized by introducing a thin insulating spacer into a bulk WSM. Employing a self-consistent mean-field description of the interlayer Coulomb interaction, we propose that this system can develop an interlayer electron-hole pair condensate. The formation of this excitonic condensate leads to partial gapping of the FA dispersion. We obtain the dependence of the energy gap and the critical temperature on the model parameters, finding, in particular, a linear scaling of these quantities with the separation between the Weyl points in momentum space. A detrimental role is played by the curvature of the FAs, although the pairing persists for moderately small curvature. A signature of the condensate is the modification of the quantum oscillations involving the surface FAs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Charge order in an interacting monolayer under transverse bias

A monolayer of molecules or quantum dots sandwiched between electrodes can be driven out of equilibrium by the application of a bias voltage between the electrodes. We study charge ordering, i.e., the spontaneous formation of a charge density wave, and the perpendicular current in such a system within a master-equation approach augmented by mean-field and classical Monte Carlo methods. Our approach is suitable for weak tunneling between the monolayer and the electrodes. For a square lattice with nearest-neighbor Coulomb repulsion, we present a comprehensive study of the zero-temperature phases controlled by the on-site energy, the bias voltage, and the degeneracy of the occupied single-site state. One of the most interesting results is the prediction of a conducting charge-density-wave phase that only occurs at a finite bias voltage. We also study the universality classes of the phase transitions towards charge-ordered states at zero and nonzero temperatures. While all transitions at $T>0$ and some at $T=0$ belong to the two-dimensional Ising universality class, we also find an absorbing-to-active phase transition in the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetric directed percolation (DP2) class at $T=0$.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2016

Interrupted orbital motion in density-wave systems

In conventional metals, electronic transport in a magnetic field is characterized by the motion of electrons along orbits on the Fermi surface, which usually causes an increase in the resistivity through averaging over velocities. Here we show that large deviations from this behavior can arise in density-wave systems close to their ordering temperature. Specifically, enhanced scattering off collective fluctuations can lead to a change of direction of the orbital motion on reconstructed pockets. In weak magnetic fields, this leads to linear magnetoconductivity, the sign of which depends on the electric-field direction. At a critical magnetic field, the conductivity crosses zero for certain directions, signifying a thermodynamic instability of the density-wave state.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Violation of Onsager's theorem in approximate master equation approaches

The consistency with Onsager's theorem is examined for commonly used perturbative approaches, such as the Redfield and second-order von Neumann master equations, for thermoelectric transport through nanostructures. We study a double quantum dot, which requires coherences between states for a correct description, and we find that these perturbative approaches violate Onsager's theorem. We show that the deviations from the theorem scale with the lead-coupling strength in an order beyond the one considered systematically in the respective approach.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Surface instability in nodal noncentrosymmetric superconductors

We study the stability of topologically protected zero-energy flat bands at the surface of nodal noncentrosymmetric superconductors, accounting for the alteration of the gap near the surface. Within a selfconsistent mean-field theory, we show that the flat bands survive in a broad temperature range below the bulk transition temperature. There is a second transition at a lower temperature, however, below which the system spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry. The surface bands are shifted away from zero energy and become weakly dispersive. Simultaneously, a spin polarization and an equilibrium charge current develop in the surface region.

cond-mat.supr-con↗