arXiv subjects

Dimitrie Culcer

Publications and source records attributed to Dimitrie Culcer.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Anomalous Hall Coulomb drag of massive Dirac fermions

Dirac fermions are actively investigated, and the discovery of the quantized anomalous Hall effect of massive Dirac fermions has spurred the promise of low-energy electronics. Some materials hosting Dirac fermions are natural platforms for interlayer coherence effects such as Coulomb drag and exciton condensation. Here we determine the role played by the anomalous Hall effect in Coulomb drag in massive Dirac fermion systems. We focus on topological insulator films with out-of plane magnetizations in both the active and passive layers. The transverse response of the active layer is dominated by a topological term arising from the Berry curvature. We show that the topological mechanism does not contribute to Coulomb drag, yet the longitudinal drag force in the passive layer gives rise to a transverse drag current. This anomalous Hall drag current is independent of the active-layer magnetization, a fact that can be verified experimentally. It depends non-monotonically on the passive-layer magnetization, exhibiting a peak that becomes more pronounced at low densities. These findings should stimulate new experiments and quantitative studies of anomalous Hall drag.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Spin blockade as a probe of Zeeman interactions in hole quantum dots

Spin-orbit coupling is key to all-electrical control of quantum-dot spin qubits, and is frequently stronger for holes than for electrons. Here we investigate Pauli spin blockade for two heavy holes in a gated double quantum dot in an in-plane magnetic field. The interplay of the complex Zeeman and spin-orbit couplings causes a blockade leakage current anisotropic in the field direction. The period of the anisotropic leakage is critically dependent on the relative magnitude of Zeeman interaction terms linear and cubic in the magnetic field. The current and singlet-triplet exchange splitting can be effectively adjusted by an appropriate choice of field direction, providing a simple control variable for quantum information processing and a way of tailoring magnetic interactions in hole spin qubits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Quantum Computing with Acceptor Spins in Silicon

The states of a boron acceptor near a Si/SiO2 interface, which bind two low-energy Kramers pairs, have exceptional properties for encoding quantum information and, with the aid of strain, both heavy hole and light hole-based spin qubits can be designed. Whereas a light-hole spin qubit was introduced recently [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 246801 (2016)], here we present analytical and numerical results proving that a heavy-hole spin qubit can be reliably initialised, rotated and entangled by electrical means alone. This is due to strong Rashba-like spin-orbit interaction terms enabled by the interface inversion asymmetry. Single qubit rotations rely on electric-dipole spin resonance (EDSR), which is strongly enhanced by interface-induced spin-orbit terms. Entanglement can be accomplished by Coulomb exchange, coupling to a resonator, or spin-orbit induced dipole-dipole interactions. By analysing the qubit sensitivity to charge noise, we demonstrate that interface-induced spin-orbit terms are responsible for sweet spots in the dephasing time T2* as a function of the top gate electric field, which are close to maxima in the EDSR strength, where the EDSR gate has high fidelity. We show that both qubits can be described using the same starting Hamiltonian, and by comparing their properties we show that the complex interplay of bulk and interface-induced spin-orbit terms allows a high degree of electrical control and makes acceptors potential candidates for scalable quantum computation in Si.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Control of valley dynamics in silicon quantum dots in the presence of an interface step

Recent experiments on silicon nanostructures have seen breakthroughs toward scalable, long-lived quantum information processing. The valley degree of freedom plays a fundamental role in these devices, and the two lowest-energy electronic states of a silicon quantum dot can form a valley qubit. In this work, we show that a single-atom high step at the silicon/barrier interface induces a strong interaction of the qubit and in-plane electric fields, and analyze the consequences of this enhanced interaction on the dynamics of the qubit. The charge densities of the qubit states are deformed differently by the interface step, allowing non-demolition qubit readout via valley-to-charge conversion. A gate-induced in-plane electric field together with the interface step enables fast control of the valley qubit via electrically driven valley resonance. We calculate single- and two-qubit gate times, as well as relaxation and dephasing times, and present predictions for the parameter range where the gate times can be much shorter than the relaxation time and dephasing is reduced.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Coulomb drag in topological insulator films

We study Coulomb drag between the top and bottom surfaces of topological insulator films. We derive a kinetic equation for the thin-film spin density matrix containing the full spin structure of the two-layer system, and analyze the electron-electron interaction in detail in order to recover all terms responsible for Coulomb drag. Focusing on typical topological insulator systems, with film thicknesses d up to 6 nm, we obtain numerical and approximate analytical results for the drag resistivity $ρ_\text{D}$ and find that $ρ_\text{D}$ is proportional to $T^2d^{-4}n^{-3/2}_{\text{a}}n^{-3/2}_{\text{p}}$ at low temperature T and low electron density $n_{\text{a,p}}$, with a denoting the active layer and p the passive layer. In addition, we compare $ρ_{\text{D}}$ with graphene, identifying qualitative and quantitative differences, and we discuss the multi valley case, ultra thin films and electron-hole layers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Do micromagnets expose spin qubits to charge and Johnson noise?

An ideal quantum dot spin qubit architecture requires a local magnetic field for one-qubit rotations. Such an inhomogeneous magnetic field, which could be implemented via a micromagnet, couples the qubit subspace with background charge fluctuations causing dephasing of spin qubits. In addition, a micromagnet generates magnetic field evanescent-wave Johnson noise. We derive an effective Hamiltonian for the combined effect of a slanting magnetic field and charge noise on a single-spin qubit and estimate the free induction decay dephasing times T2* for Si and GaAs. The effect of the micromagnet on Si qubits is comparable in size to that of spin-orbit coupling at an applied field of B=1T, whilst dephasing in GaAs is expected to be dominated by spin-orbit coupling. Tailoring the magnetic field gradient can efficiently reduce T2* in Si. In contrast, the Johnson noise generated by a micromagnet will only be important for highly coherent spin qubits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Charge noise, spin-orbit coupling, and coherence of single-spin qubits

Spin-orbit coupling is ubiquitous in quantum dot quantum computing architectures, and makes spin qubits susceptible to charge noise. We derive a Hamiltonian describing the effect of spin-orbit and noise on a single-spin qubit in a quantum dot. Relaxation is due to noise coupling different orbital levels and is dominated by screened whole charge defects near the dot. Dephasing stems from noise causing relative fluctuations between orbital levels, and is driven by screened whole charge defects and unscreened dipole defects in the substrate. Dephasing times are vastly different between common materials such as Si and GaAs. They can be enhanced by increasing gate fields, choosing materials with weak spin-orbit such as Si, making dots narrower, or using accumulation dots.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Screening, Friedel oscillations and low-temperature conductivity in topological insulator thin films

In thin topological insulator films, the top and bottom surfaces are coupled by tunneling, which restores backscattering and strongly affects screening. We calculate the dielectric function in the random phase approximation obtaining a closed-form result. Unlike independent TI surfaces, the dielectric function of thin films exhibits a valley as a function of wavenumber $q$ and tunneling, as well as a cusp at $q=2k_F$, with $k_F$ the Fermi wave vector. As a result of the cusp, Friedel oscillations decay with distance $r$ as $\sin(2k_Fr)/(2k_Fr)^2$. We determine the longitudinal conductivity $σ$ in the first Born approximation at low temperatures where screened impurities provide the dominant scattering mechanism. At high electron densities $n_e$, $σ\propto n_e$, while at low densities $σ\propto n_e^{3/2}$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Proximity Effects in Topological Insulator Heterostructures

Topological insulators (TIs) are bulk insulators that possess robust helical conducting states along their interfaces with conventional insulators. A tremendous research effort has recently been devoted to TI-based heterostructures, in which conventional proximity effects give rise to a series of exotic physical phenomena. This paper reviews our recent works on the potential existence of topological proximity effects at the interface between a topological insulator and a normal insulator or other topologically trivial systems. Using first-principles approaches, we have established the tunability of the vertical location of the topological helical state via intriguing dual-proximity effects. To further elucidate the control parameters of this effect, we have used the graphene-based heterostructures as prototypical systems to reveal a more complete phase diagram. On the application side of the topological helical states, we have presented a catalysis example, where the topological helical state plays an essential role in facilitating surface reactions by serving as an effective electron bath. These discoveries lay the foundation for accurate manipulation of the real space properties of the topological helical state in TI-based heterostructures and pave the way for realization of the salient functionality of topological insulators in future device applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Topological Proximity Effects in Graphene Nanoribbon Heterostructures

Topological insulators (TI) are bulk insulators that possess robust chiral conducting states along their interfaces with normal insulators. A tremendous research effort has recently been devoted to TI-based heterostructures, in which conventional proximity effects give rise to many exotic physical phenomena. Here we establish the potential existence of "topological proximity effects" at the interface of a topological graphene nanoribbon (GNR) and a normal GNR. Specifically, we show that the location of the topological edge states exhibits versatile tunability as a function of the interface orientation, as well as the strengths of the interface coupling and spin-orbit coupling in the normal GNR. For zigzag and bearded GNRs, the topological edge state can be tuned to be either at the interface or outer edge of the normal ribbon. For armchair GNR, the potential location of the topological edge state can be further enriched to be at the edge of or within the normal ribbon, at the interface, or diving into the topological GNR. We also discuss potential experimental realization of the predicted topological proximity effects, which may pave the way for integrating the salient functionality of TI and graphene in future device applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

NV-Center Based Digital Quantum Simulation of a Quantum Phase Transition in Topological Insulators

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond are ideal platforms for quantum simulation, which allows one to handle problems that are intractable theoretically or experimentally. Here we propose a digital quantum simulation scheme to simulate the quantum phase transition occurring in an ultrathin topological insulator film placed in a parallel magnetic field [Zyuzin \textit{et al.}, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{83}, 245428 (2011)]. The quantum simulator employs high quality spin qubits achievable in nitrogen-vacancy centers and can be realized with existing technology. The problem can be mapped onto the Hamiltonian of two entangled qubits represented by the electron and nuclear spins. The simulation uses the Trotter algorithm, with an operation time of the order of 100 $μ$s for each individual run.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Suppression of the Kondo Resistivity Minimum in Magnetic Topological Insulators

Magnetically-doped topological insulators are intensely studied in the search for exotic phenomena such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect. The interplay of electronic and impurity degrees of freedom leads to the Kondo effect, an increase in the resistivity at temperatures $T < T_K$, the Kondo temperature. We study this effect in chiral surface state transport at $T \ge T_K$ in the metallic regime, starting from the quantum Liouville equation and including Kondo scattering to all orders, as well as phonon and non-magnetic impurity scattering. Unlike spin-orbit coupled metals and semiconductors, $T_K$ is suppressed by spin-momentum locking which prevents the formation of a Kondo screening cloud. We expect a resistivity $ρ_{xx} \propto T^4$ primarily due to phonons.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Coulomb interaction and valley-orbit coupling in Si quantum dots

The valley-orbit coupling in a few-electron Si quantum dot is expected to be a function of its occupation number N. We study the spectrum of multivalley Si quantum dots for 2 <= N <= 4, showing that, counterintuitively, electron-electron interaction effects on the valley-orbit coupling are negligible. For N=2 they are suppressed by valley interference, for N=3 they vanish due to spinor overlaps, and for N = 4 they cancel between different pairs of electrons. To corroborate our theoretical findings, we examine the experimental energy spectrum of a few-electron metal-oxide-semiconductor quantum dot. The measured spin-valley state filling sequence in a magnetic field reveals that the valley-orbit coupling is definitively unaffected by the occupation number.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Anomalous spin precession and spin Hall effect in semiconductor quantum wells

Spin-orbit (SO) interactions give a spin-dependent correction r_so to the position operator, referred to as the anomalous position operator. We study the contributions of r_so to the spin-Hall effect (SHE) in quasi two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor quantum wells with strong band structure SO interactions that cause spin precession. The skew scattering and side-jump scattering terms in the SHE vanish, but we identify two additional terms in the SHE, due to r_so, which have not been considered in the literature so far. One term reflects the modification of the spin precession due to the action of the external electric field (the field drives the current in the quantum well), which produces, via r_so, an effective magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the quantum well. The other term reflects a similar modification of the spin precession due to the action of the electric field created by random impurities, and appears in a careful formulation of the Born approximation. We refer to these two effects collectively as anomalous spin precession and we note that they contribute to the SHE to the first order in the SO coupling constant even though they formally appear to be of second order. In electron systems with weak momentum scattering, the contribution of the anomalous spin precession due to the external electric field equals 1/2 the usual side-jump SHE, while the additional impurity-dependent contribution depends on the form of the band structure SO coupling. For band structure SO linear in wave vector the two additional contributions cancel. For band structure SO cubic in wave vector only the contribution due to external electric field is present, and can be detected through its density dependence. In 2D hole systems both anomalous spin precession contributions vanish identically.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Dephasing of Si singlet-triplet qubits due to charge and spin defects

We study the effect of charge and spin noise on singlet-triplet qubits in Si quantum dots. We set up a theoretical framework aimed at enabling experiment to efficiently identify the most deleterious defects, and complement it with the knowledge of defects gained in decades of industrial and academic work. We relate the dephasing rates $Γ_ϕ$ due to various classes of defects to experimentally measurable parameters such as charge dipole moment, spin dipole moment and fluctuator switching times. We find that charge fluctuators are more efficient in causing dephasing than spin fluctuators.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Electron-electron interactions in non-equilibrium bilayer graphene

Conducting steady-states of doped bilayer graphene have a non-zero sublattice pseudospin polarization. Electron-electron interactions renormalize this polarization even at zero temperature, when the phase space for electron-electron scattering vanishes. We show that because of the strength of interlayer tunneling, electron-electron interactions nevertheless have a negligible influence on the conductivity which vanishes as the carrier number density goes to zero. The influence of interactions is qualitatively weaker than in the comparable cases of single-layer graphene or topological insulators, because the momentum-space layer pseudospin vorticity is 2 rather than 1. Our study relies on the quantum Liouville equation in the first Born approximation with respect to the scattering potential, with electron-electron interactions taken into account self-consistently in the Hartree-Fock approximation and screening in the random phase approximation. Within this framework the result we obtain is exact.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Coherent electrical rotations of valley states in Si quantum dots using the phase of the valley-orbit coupling

A gate electric field has a small but non-negligible effect on the phase of the valley-orbit coupling in Si quantum dots. Finite interdot tunneling between valley eigenstates in a double quantum dot is enabled by a small difference in the phase of the valley-orbit coupling between the two dots, and it in turn allows controllable rotations of two-dot valley eigenstates at a level anticrossing. We present a comprehensive analytical discussion of this process, with estimates for realistic structures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Valley-based noise-resistant quantum computation using Si quantum dots

We devise a platform for noise-resistant quantum computing using the valley degree of freedom of Si quantum dots. The qubit is encoded in two polarized (1,1) spin-triplet states with different valley compositions in a double quantum dot, with a Zeeman field enabling unambiguous initialization. A top gate gives a difference in the valley splitting between the dots, allowing controllable interdot tunneling between opposite valley eigenstates, which enables one-qubit rotations. Two-qubit operations rely on a stripline resonator, and readout on charge sensing. Sensitivity to charge and spin fluctuations is determined by intervalley processes and is greatly reduced as compared to conventional spin and charge qubits. We describe a valley echo for further noise suppression.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗