arXiv subjects

David Goldhaber-Gordon

Publications and source records attributed to David Goldhaber-Gordon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Fermiology and the Candidate Chiral Superconductor in Rhombohedral Tetralayer Graphene

Chiral superconductivity, in which the phase of the superconducting order parameter winds in momentum space, has long been sought for its close link to topological superconductivity. Recent work reported a superconductor in rhombohedral multilayer graphene emerging from a time-reversal symmetry broken normal state, suggesting that it could be a chiral superconductor. However, the possibility of chirality depends on the symmetry and structure of the normal-state Fermi surface, which have not been directly measured. Here we measure quantum oscillations in rhombohedral tetralayer graphene over a broad range of the phase diagram, including the superconducting region. At densities well above the onset of superconductivity, we reproduce previously-reported oscillations consistent with a spin- and valley-polarized quarter metal with a single simply-connected Fermi pocket. As the carrier density is reduced, we find a transition to a complex "multitone" state that persists through the superconducting region. This state's spectrum of quantum oscillations is incompatible with a simply-connected quarter metal. The next-simplest candidate normal states suggested by our microscopic modeling (fully-polarized annular, nematic, and three-pocket states) are inconsistent with our measurements, albeit difficult to rule out entirely. The normal state is thus seen to be richer than previously envisaged, reshaping the search for the superconducting mechanism and the possible chirality of the pairing channel.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Superconducting Dome in Ionic Liquid Gated Homoepitaxial Strontium Titanate Thin Films

In this work, we patterned a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) on the surface of a SrTiO$_3$ thin film grown homoepitaxially on SrTiO$_3$ by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (hMBE). We explored the superconducting dome in this material system by tuning electron density with ionic liquid gating. We found superconducting transitions up to 503 mK near an optimal electron density of approximately 3 $\times$ 10$^{13}$ cm$^{-2}$. This is a meaningful increase from the typical optimal transition near 350 mK in similar 2DEGs on SrTiO$_3$ single crystal substrate surfaces. Systematic tuning of 2DEG electron density revealed a consistent BCS scaling between superconducting critical temperature, coherence length, and electron mean free path. Substantial variation of transition width across the dome was described by a paraconductivity model combining Aslamazov-Larkin and Maki-Thompson contributions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Directional ballistic magnetotransport in the delafossite metals PdCoO$_2$ and PtCoO$_2$

Studies of electronic transport in width-restricted channels of PdCoO$_2$ have recently revealed a novel `directional ballistic' regime, in which ballistic propagation of electrons on an anisotropic Fermi surface breaks the symmetries of bulk transport. Here we introduce a magnetic field to this regime, in channels of PdCoO$_2$ and PtCoO$_2$ along two crystallographically distinct directions and over a wide range of widths. We observe magnetoresistance distinct from that in the bulk, with features strongly dependent on channel orientation and becoming more pronounced the narrower the channel. Comparison to semi-classical theory establishes that magnetoresistance arises from field-induced modification of boundary scattering, and helps connect features in the data with specific electronic trajectories. However, the role of bulk scattering in our measurements is yet to be fully understood. Our results demonstrate that finite-size magnetotransport is sensitive to the anisotropy of Fermi surface properties, motivating future work to fully understand and exploit this sensitivity.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Microwave spin resonance in epitaxial thin films of spin liquid candidate TbInO3

Minimizing the energy of a many body system tends to favor order, but classical frustration and quantum fluctuations destabilize that order. The tension between these effects can produce exotic quantum states of matter. Quantum spin liquid (QSL) states emerge in models of localized magnetic moments where the crystal lattice connectivity frustrates ordering, and the exchange interaction of neighboring spins strengthens quantum fluctuations. Experimentally identifying a QSL in a real material is challenging from the lack of an order parameter. Piecing together evidence from varied techniques is necessary for diagnosing the nature of the ground state -- QSL or otherwise -- of a frustrated spin system. In this work, we use coplanar superconducting resonators to probe magnetic excitations in epitaxially grown thin films of a spin liquid candidate TbInO3. Adapting microwave techniques from the field of circuit quantum electrodynamics, we measure responses of these thin films whose volume is too low for applying conventional bulk techniques. In-plane susceptibility extracted from the spin resonance signal indicates extreme frustration of magnetic order down to 20 mK, over two orders of magnitude lower than the Curie-Weiss energy scale. Through a crystal field analysis, we identify the doublet eigenstates comprising the ground state. As a consequence of improper ferroelectricity, Tb moments split into two flavors with distinct g-factors reflecting the local crystal field environment of each site. Spin-orbit coupling, crystal fields, magnetic frustration and improper ferroelectricity distinctively combine to shape the magnetic ground state of TbInO3. This work establishes a measurement technique using superconducting resonators to probe thin films of frustrated magnets, and applies this technique towards building a coherent understanding of the magnetic properties of TbInO3.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

A unified realization of electrical quantities from the quantum International System of Units

In the revised International System of Units (SI), the ohm and the volt are realized from the von Klitzing constant and the Josephson constant, and a practical realization of the ampere is possible by applying Ohm's law directly to the quantum Hall and Josephson effects. As a result, it is possible to create an instrument capable of realizing all three primary electrical units, but the development of such a system remains challenging. Here we report a unified realization of the volt, ohm, and ampere by integrating a quantum anomalous Hall resistor (QAHR) and a programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) in a single cryostat. Our system has a quantum voltage output that ranges from 0.24 mV to 6.5 mV with combined relative uncertainties down to 3 $μ$V/V. The QAHR provides a realization of the ohm at zero magnetic field with uncertainties near 1 $μΩ$/$Ω$. We use the QAHR to convert a longitudinal current to a quantized Hall voltage and then directly compare that against the PJVS to realize the ampere. We determine currents in the range of 9.33 nA to 252 nA, and our lowest uncertainty is 4.3 $μ$A/A at 83.9 nA. For other current values, a systematic error that ranges from -10 $μ$A/A to -30 $μ$A/A is present due to the imperfect isolation of the PJVS microwave bias.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Hybrid metal-semiconductor quantum dots in InAs as a platform for quantum simulation

Arrays of hybrid metal-semiconductor islands offer a new approach to quantum simulation, with key advantages over arrays of conventional quantum dots. Because the metallic component of these hybrid islands has a quasi-continuous level spectrum, each site in an array can be effectively electronically identical; in contrast, each conventional semiconductor quantum dot has its own spectral fingerprint. Meanwhile, the semiconductor component retains gate-tunability of intersite coupling. This combination creates a scalable platform for simulating correlated ground states driven by Coulomb interactions. We report the fabrication and characterization of hybrid metal-semiconductor islands, featuring a submicron metallic component transparently contacting a gate-confined region of an InAs quantum well with tunable couplings to macroscopic leads. Tuning to the weak-coupling limit forms a single-electron transistor with highly-uniform Coulomb peaks, with no resolvable excitation spectrum in the Coulomb diamonds. Upon increasing the transmissions toward the ballistic regime we observe an evolution to dynamical Coulomb blockade.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Extended Fractional Chern Insulators Near Half Flux in Twisted Bilayer Graphene Above the Magic Angle

Fractional Chern insulators (FCIs) -- the lattice analog of fractional quantum Hall states -- form as fractionalized quasiparticles emerge in a partially-filled Chern band. This fractionalization is driven by the interplay of electronic interaction and quantum geometry of the underlying wavefunctions. Bilayer graphene with an interlayer twist near the magic angle of 1.1\textdegree\ hosts diverse correlated electronic states at zero magnetic field. When the twist angle exceeds 1.3\textdegree, the electronic bandwidth is sufficient to suppress the zero-field correlated states. Yet applying a magnetic field can restore the importance of electron-electron interactions. Here, we report strongly-correlated phases when a 1.37\textdegree\ twisted bilayer graphene sample is tuned to near half a magnetic flux quantum per moiré cell, deep into the Hofstadter regime. Most notably, well-quantized odd-denominator FCI states appear in multiple Hofstadter subbands over unusually large ranges of density. We also observe a bending and resetting of the Landau minifan reminiscent of behavior commonly seen in magic-angle samples near integer filling at low magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Automated Tabletop Exfoliation and Identification of Monolayer Graphene Flakes

Over the past two decades, graphene has been intensively studied because of its remarkable mechanical, optical, and electronic properties. Initial studies were enabled by manual ``Scotch Tape'' exfoliation; nearly two decades later, this method is still widely used to obtain chemically-pristine flakes of graphene and other 2D van der Waals materials. Unfortunately, the yield of large, pristine flakes with uniform thickness is inconsistent. Thus, significant time and effort are required to exfoliate and locate flakes suitable for fabricating multilayer van der Waals heterostructures. Here, we describe a relatively affordable tabletop device (the ``eXfoliator'') that can reproducibly control key parameters and largely automate the exfoliation process. In a typical exfoliation run, the eXfoliator produces 3 or more large ($\ge400\ μ$m$^2$) high-quality graphene monolayer flakes, allowing new users to produce such flakes at a rate comparable to manual exfoliation by an experienced user. We use an automated mapping system and a computer vision algorithm to locate candidate flakes. Our results provide a starting point for future research efforts to more precisely identify which parameters matter for the success of exfoliation, and to optimize them.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Fractional AC Josephson effect in a topological insulator proximitized by a self-formed superconductor

A lateral Josephson junction in which the surface of a 3D topological insulator serves as the weak link should support topologically protected excitations related to Majorana fermions. The resulting $4π$-periodic current-phase relationship could be detected under high-frequency excitation by the suppression of odd Shapiro steps. Here, we demonstrate such devices through the self-formation of a Pd-Te superconducting layer from a telluride topological insulator, and observe suppressed first and third Shapiro steps. Other devices, including those where the Pd-Te layer is bolstered by an additional Al layer, show no suppression of Shapiro steps, a difference supported by simulations. Though we rule out the known trivial causes of suppressed Shapiro steps in our devices, we nevertheless argue that corroborating measurements and disorder-aware theoretical descriptions of these systems are needed before confidently claiming the observation of Majorana states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Quantitative determination of twist angle and strain in Van der Waals moiré superlattices

Scanning probe techniques are popular, non-destructive ways to visualize the real space structure of Van der Waals moirés. The high lateral spatial resolution provided by these techniques enables extracting the moiré lattice vectors from a scanning probe image. We have found that the extracted values, while precise, are not necessarily accurate. Scan-to-scan variations in the behavior of the piezos which drive the scanning probe, and thermally-driven slow relative drift between probe and sample, produce systematic errors in the extraction of lattice vectors. In this Letter, we identify the errors and provide a protocol to correct for them. Applying this protocol to an ensemble of ten successive scans of near-magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, we are able to reduce our errors in extracting lattice vectors to less than 1%. This translates to extracting twist angles with a statistical uncertainty less than 0.001° and uniaxial heterostrain with uncertainty on the order of 0.002%.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Deterministic fabrication of graphene hexagonal boron nitride moiré superlattices

The electronic properties of moiré heterostructures depend sensitively on the relative orientation between layers of the stack. For example, near-magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) commonly shows superconductivity, yet a TBG sample with one of the graphene layers rotationally aligned to a hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) cladding layer provided the first experimental observation of orbital ferromagnetism. To create samples with aligned graphene/hBN, researchers often align edges of exfoliated flakes that appear straight in optical micrographs. However, graphene or hBN can cleave along either zig-zag or armchair lattice directions, introducing a 30 degree ambiguity in the relative orientation of two flakes. By characterizing the crystal lattice orientation of exfoliated flakes prior to stacking using Raman and second-harmonic generation for graphene and hBN, respectively, we unambiguously align monolayer graphene to hBN at a near-0 degree, not 30 degree, relative twist angle. We confirm this alignment by torsional force microscopy (TFM) of the graphene/hBN moiré on an open-face stack, and then by cryogenic transport measurements, after full encapsulation with a second, non-aligned hBN layer. This work demonstrates a key step toward systematically exploring the effects of the relative twist angle between dissimilar materials within moiré heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Thermal relaxation of strain and twist in ferroelectric hexagonal boron nitride moiré interfaces

New properties can arise at van der Waals (vdW) interfaces hosting a moiré pattern generated by interlayer twist and strain. However, achieving precise control of interlayer twist/strain remains an ongoing challenge in vdW heterostructure assembly, and even subtle variation in these structural parameters can create significant changes in the moiré period and emergent properties. Characterizing the rate of interlayer twist/strain relaxation during thermal annealing is critical to establish a thermal budget for vdW heterostructure construction and may provide a route to improve the homogeneity of the interface or to control its final state. Here, we characterize the spatial and temporal dependence of interfacial twist and strain relaxation in marginally-twisted hBN/hBN interfaces heated under conditions relevant to vdW heterostructure assembly and typical sample annealing. We find that the ferroelectric hBN/hBN moiré relaxes minimally during annealing in air at typical assembly temperatures of 170°C. However, at 400°C, twist angle relaxes significantly, accompanied by a decrease in spatial uniformity. Uniaxial heterostrain initially increases and then decreases over time, becoming increasingly non-uniform in direction. Structural irregularities such as step edges, contamination bubbles, or contact with the underlying substrate result in local inhomogeneity in the rate of relaxation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Chemically Tailored Growth of 2D Semiconductors via Hybrid Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are an exciting platform for new excitonic physics and next-generation electronics, creating a strong demand to understand their growth, doping, and heterostructures. Despite significant progress in solid-source (SS-) and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), further optimization is necessary to grow highly crystalline 2D TMDCs with controlled doping. Here, we report a hybrid MOCVD growth method that combines liquid-phase metal precursor deposition and vapor-phase organo-chalcogen delivery to leverage the advantages of both MOCVD and SS-CVD. Using our hybrid approach, we demonstrate WS$_2$ growth with tunable morphologies - from separated single-crystal domains to continuous monolayer films - on a variety of substrates, including sapphire, SiO$_2$, and Au. These WS$_2$ films exhibit narrow neutral exciton photoluminescence linewidths down to 33 meV and room-temperature mobility up to 34 - 36 cm$^2$V$^-$$^1$s$^-$$^1$). Through simple modifications to the liquid precursor composition, we demonstrate the growth of V-doped WS$_2$, MoxW$_1$$_-$$_x$S$_2$ alloys, and in-plane WS$_2$-MoS$_2$ heterostructures. This work presents an efficient approach for addressing a variety of TMDC synthesis needs on a laboratory scale.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Torsional Force Microscopy of Van der Waals Moirés and Atomic Lattices

In a stack of atomically-thin Van der Waals layers, introducing interlayer twist creates a moiré superlattice whose period is a function of twist angle. Changes in that twist angle of even hundredths of a degree can dramatically transform the system's electronic properties. Setting a precise and uniform twist angle for a stack remains difficult, hence determining that twist angle and mapping its spatial variation is very important. Techniques have emerged to do this by imaging the moiré, but most of these require sophisticated infrastructure, time-consuming sample preparation beyond stack synthesis, or both. In this work, we show that Torsional Force Microscopy (TFM), a scanning probe technique sensitive to dynamic friction, can reveal surface and shallow subsurface structure of Van der Waals stacks on multiple length scales: the moirés formed between bi-layers of graphene and between graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and also the atomic crystal lattices of graphene and hBN. In TFM, torsional motion of an AFM cantilever is monitored as it is actively driven at a torsional resonance while a feedback loop maintains contact at a set force with the sample surface. TFM works at room temperature in air, with no need for an electrical bias between the tip and the sample, making it applicable to a wide array of samples. It should enable determination of precise structural information including twist angles and strain in moiré superlattices and crystallographic orientation of VdW flakes to support predictable moiré heterostructure fabrication.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Helical trilayer graphene: a moiré platform for strongly-interacting topological bands

Quantum geometry of electronic wavefunctions results in fascinating topological phenomena. A prominent example is the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in which a Hall voltage arises in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The AHE requires a coexistence of Berry curvature and spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking. These conditions can be realized in two-dimensional moiré systems with broken $xy$-inversion symmetry ($C_{2z}$) that host flat electronic bands. Here, we explore helical trilayer graphene (HTG), three graphene layers twisted sequentially by the same angle forming two misoriented moiré patterns. Although HTG is globally $C_{2z}$-symmetric, surprisingly we observe clear signatures of topological bands. At a magic angle $θ_\mathrm{m}\approx 1.8^\circ$, we uncover a robust phase diagram of correlated and magnetic states using magnetotransport measurements. Lattice relaxation leads to large periodic domains in which $C_{2z}$ is broken on the moiré scale. Each domain harbors flat topological bands with valley-contrasting Chern numbers $\pm(1,-2)$. We find correlated states at integer electron fillings per moiré unit cell $ν=1,2,3$ and fractional fillings $2/3,7/2$ with the AHE arising at $ν=1,3$ and $2/3,7/2$. At $ν=1$, a time-reversal symmetric phase appears beyond a critical electric displacement field, indicating a topological phase transition. Finally, hysteresis upon sweeping $ν$ points to first-order phase transitions across a spatial mosaic of Chern domains separated by a network of topological gapless edge states. We establish HTG as an important platform that realizes ideal conditions for exploring strongly interacting topological phases and, due to its emergent moiré-scale symmetries, demonstrates a novel way to engineer topology.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Universal conductance fluctuations in a MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ thin film

Quantum coherence of electrons can produce striking behaviors in mesoscopic conductors, including weak localization and the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Although magnetic order can also strongly affect transport, the combination of coherence and magnetic order has been largely unexplored. Here, we examine quantum coherence-driven universal conductance fluctuations in the antiferromagnetic, canted antiferromagnetic, and ferromagnetic phases of a thin film of the topological material MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. In each magnetic phase we extract a charge carrier phase coherence length of about 100 nm. The conductance magnetofingerprint is repeatable when sweeping applied magnetic field within one magnetic phase, but changes when the applied magnetic field crosses the antiferromagnetic/canted antiferromagnetic magnetic phase boundary. Surprisingly, in the antiferromagnetic and canted antiferromagnetic phase, but not in the ferromagnetic phase, the magnetofingerprint depends on the direction of the field sweep. To explain these observations, we suggest that conductance fluctuation measurements are sensitive to the motion and nucleation of magnetic domain walls in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Magnetic field stabilized Wigner crystal states in a graphene moiré superlattice

Wigner crystals are predicted as the crystallization of the dilute electron gas moving in a uniform background when the electron-electron Coulomb energy dominates the kinetic energy. The Wigner crystal has previously been observed in the ultraclean two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) present on the surface of liquid helium and in semiconductor quantum wells at high magnetic field. More recently, Wigner crystals have also been reported in WS2/WSe2 moiré heterostructures. ABC-stacked trilayer graphene on boron nitride (ABC-TLG/hBN) moiré superlattices provide a unique tunable platform to explore Wigner crystal states where the electron correlation can be controlled by electric and magnetic field. Here we report the observation of magnetic field stabilized Wigner crystal states in a ABC-TLG/hBN moiré superlattice. We show that correlated insulating states emerge at multiple fractional and integer fillings corresponding to v = 1/3, 2/3, 1, 4/3, 5/3 and 2 electrons per moiré lattice site under a magnetic field. These correlated insulating states can be attributed to generalized Mott states for the integer fillings (v = 1, 2) and generalized Wigner crystal states for the fractional fillings (v = 1/3, 2/3, 4/3, 5/3). The generalized Wigner crystal states are stabilized by a vertical magnetic field, and they are strongest at one magnetic flux quantum per three moiré superlattices. The correlated insulating states at v = 2 persists up to 30 Tesla, which can be described by a Mott-Hofstadter transition at high magnetic field. The tunable Mott and Wigner crystal states in the ABC-TLG/hBN highlight the opportunities to discover new correlated quantum phases due to the interplay between the magnetic field and moiré flatbands.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

$\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermion in the double charge-Kondo model

Quantum impurity models with frustrated Kondo interactions can support quantum critical points with fractionalized excitations. Recent experiments [arXiv:2108.12691] on a circuit containing two coupled metal-semiconductor islands exhibit transport signatures of such a critical point. Here we show using bosonization that the double charge-Kondo model describing the device can be mapped in the Toulouse limit to a sine-Gordon model. Its Bethe-ansatz solution shows that a $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermion emerges at the critical point, characterized by a fractional $\tfrac{1}{2}\ln(3)$ residual entropy, and scattering fractional charges $e/3$. We also present full numerical renormalization group calculations for the model and show that the predicted behavior of conductance is consistent with experimental results.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗