arXiv subjects

Dongwook Go

Publications and source records attributed to Dongwook Go.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Modern Approach to Orbital Hall Effect Based on Wannier Picture of Solids

The orbital Hall effect (OHE) and its key figure of merit, the orbital Hall conductivity (OHC), are central to the emerging field of orbitronics. The OHC is conventionally computed via Kubo linear response theory, where the orbital angular momentum (OAM) operator is approximated through atom-centered projections that retain only local contributions, discarding physically important itinerant components. Here, we present a rigorous framework for the OAM operator grounded in the modern theory of orbital magnetization, formulated in a Wannier function basis. Critically, this naturally introduces a hierarchy of non-local contributions to the OAM operator. In turn, this gives rise to an additional non-Kubo contribution to the OHC of purely geometric origin, absent in all atom-centered treatments. First-principles calculations across a diverse set of materials demonstrate that this term can constitute a significant fraction of the total OHC, with its omission leading to qualitatively incorrect predictions. Our framework provides a unified and numerically tractable approach to orbital transport and improves our understanding of the OAM in solids, allowing for a more precise estimation of various orbital effects in complex materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Anatomy of the modern theory of orbital magnetism from first-principles: term-by-term analysis in the gauge-covariant formalism

We present an in-depth analysis of the orbital magnetism by means of the so-called modern theory based on the Berry phase across distinct classes of materials-d transition metals, sp metals, and transition metal dichalcogenides-highlighting the microscopic nature of band structure characteristics. We adopt a gauge-covariant formulation of the modern theory proposed in [Lopez et al. Phys. Rev. B 85, 014435 (2012)], which enables the calculation of orbital magnetism in a controlled manner in any chosen gauge of Wannier functions and gives the total contribution as a gauge-invariant measurable. This captures consistently the contributions due to the anomalous position, velocity, and orbital angular momentum of Wannier basis, as well as the contributions due to Hamiltonian such that their sum is gauge-invariant. For d transition metals, we find that the atom-centered approximation captures the majority of the total contribution given by modern theory, which we attribute to localized nature of d electrons. However, 5d metals tend to exhibit larger deviation between the two methods than 3d metals do, as 5d electrons are more delocalized than 3d electrons. On the other hand, sp metals exhibit a strong deviation between the two methods, where large kinetic energy of sp electrons is important. Finally, in 1H-MoS2, we find that the valley orbital moment far exceeds the atomic limit of d electrons due to coherent hybridization between valence and conduction bands in direct band gaps. Our work elucidates the interplay of the chemical nature of electronic orbitals and the effect of band structures in a consistent manner and highlights the role of Berry phase in orbital magnetism. The results suggest a promising direction of orbitronics beyond controlling atomic orbitals, in which the orbital magnetism can be greatly enhanced by exploiting Berry phase.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Interfacial orbital transmission, conversion, and mechanical torque in metals

Interfacial orbital transport remains far less understood than its bulk counterpart despite its central role in orbitronic experiments. Here, we theoretically investigate the transmission and conversion of orbital angular momentum across a metallic interface using a model Hamiltonian incorporating crystal-field effects. We show that an injected orbital dipole moment undergoes pronounced oscillations driven by the crystal field and generates characteristic quadrupole moments determined by the orbital orientation relative to the interface. Unlike spin precession, the dipole relaxes toward a finite value away from the interface. We further quantify interfacial orbital memory loss and demonstrate that orbital absorption produces a sizable mechanical torque obtained from the orbital continuity equation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Dynamical Orbital Angular Momentum Induced by Circularly Polarized Phonons

We show that the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of electrons is dynamically induced by circularly polarized phonons. The induced OAM originates from the adiabatic evolution in which electrons acquire Berry phase formulated in terms of the Berry curvature encoded in phonon displacement space. By introducing a tight-binding model with $p$ orbitals on a honeycomb lattice, we show a microscopic picture that ionic rotations modulate orbital overlaps of electrons, and calculate the generated OAM, whose sign depends on phonon chirality. We then construct an effective model for valley phonons with different phonon pseudoangular momenta (PAM) and identity their distinct intervalley-scattering channels. Our model obeys the selection rule between phonons and electrons with the orbital degree of freedom. Extending this framework to $d$-orbital electrons, our model is applied to describe the induced OAM in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides. Our results reveal a direct orbital generation mechanism that emerges even in materials with weak spin-orbital coupling, opening a new promising way for orbitronics applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Giant orbital Zeeman effects in a magnetic topological van der Waals interphase

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures allow the engineering of electronic and magnetic properties by the stacking different two-dimensional vdW materials. For example, orbital hybridisation and charge transfer at a vdW interface may result in electric fields across the interface that give rise to Rashba spin-orbit coupling. In magnetic vdW heterostructures, this in turn can drive the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction which leads to a canting of local magnetic moments at the vdW interface and may thus stabilise novel 2D magnetic phases. While such emergent magnetic "interphases" offer a promising platform for spin-based electronics, direct spectroscopic evidence for them is still lacking. Here, we report Zeeman effects with Land\'e $g$-factors up to $\approx230$ at the interface of graphene and the vdW ferromagnet Fe$_3$GeTe$_2$. They arise from a magnetic interphase in which local-moment canting and itinerant orbital moments generated by the non-trivial band topology of Fe$_3$GeTe$_2$ conspire to cause a giant asymmetric level splitting when a magnetic field is applied. Exploiting the inelastic phonon gap of graphene, we can directly access the buried vdW interface to the Fe$_3$GeTe$_2$ by scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. Systematically analyzing the Faraday-like screening of the tip electric field by the graphene, we demonstrate the tunability of the constitutional interface dipole, as well as the Zeeman effect, by tip gating. Our findings are supported by density functional theory and electrostatic modelling.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Itinerant Orbital Hall Effect Mechanism Leading to Large Negative Orbital Torques from Light Metal Vanadium

The orbital Hall effect (OHE) has attracted significant attention for developing energy-efficient electronic devices. However, utilizing it in fast, low-power devices requires an enhanced understanding of underlying extrinsic and intrinsic contributions to OHE at timescales ranging from quasi-static to picoseconds. Here, we investigate OHE in light metal vanadium (V) using a combination of selected measurement schemes, spanning the full frequency range. We observe a negative damping-like torque efficiency from V, opposite to conventional theoretical predictions, with a magnitude that depends on the adjacent ferromagnet, a dependence that indicates orbital effects. These results, with consistent torque efficiencies across all frequencies, corroborate a negative and intrinsic OHE in V with a large effective orbital Hall conductivity of $-(1.44 \pm 0.34)\,\frac{\hbar}{2e}\,\times 10^{5}\,\Omega^{-1}\,\mathrm{m}^{-1}$ and a long orbital diffusion length of $(15.0 \pm 2.5)\,\mathrm{nm}$. To explain the observed OHE, we develop a theoretical model incorporating both local and itinerant circulation contributions to OHE. The model agrees excellently with the experimental results, demonstrating that itinerant contributions are essential for a complete physical understanding of intrinsic OHE. Our consistent experimental and theoretical data highlight the importance of itinerant contributions governing the fundamental understanding of intrinsic OHE and the large effects found open pathways for energy-efficient orbitronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Coexistence and tunability of orbital and spin Hall effects in RuO$_2$

Altermagnetic materials, especially RuO$_2$, have recently attracted considerable attention for their unique magnetic properties and energy-efficient spintronic applications. However, recent experimental studies have reported highly conflicting signatures regarding altermagnetic spin splitting and charge--spin interconversion (CSI) in RuO$_2$. While some experiments link efficient CSI to non-relativistic altermagnetic spin-splitting effects, others observe large CSI signals in non-spin-splitting RuO$_2$, which are instead explained by relativistic inverse spin Hall effects. In this work, based on first-principles calculations, we reveal that these controversial experimental results originate from a phase-dependent coexistence and relative dominance of the orbital Hall effect (OHE) and spin Hall effect (SHE) in RuO$_2$. We systematically investigate the OHE and SHE in both altermagnetic and nonmagnetic phases of RuO$_2$. Our results show that the altermagnetic state hosts a giant OHE that exceeds the SHE by two orders of magnitude and carries an opposite sign. This dominant OHE can generate experimentally observed "SHE-like" voltages through orbital-to-spin conversion, explaining previously reported altermagnetic CSI signals. In contrast, OHE of nonmagnetic RuO$_2$ is suppressed and a large relativistic SHE emerges, in agreement with recent angle-resolved photoemission and spin-pumping experiments. Finally, we demonstrate that the coexistence of OHE and SHE is tunable via chemical doping, enabling on-demand modulation of CSI in in RuO$_2$. Our work provides a new physical mechanism for understanding CSI in RuO$_2$ and highlights the central role of orbital transport.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Violation of local reciprocity in charge-orbital interconversion

We demonstrate a violation of local reciprocity in the interconversion between charge and orbital currents. By investigating orbital torque and orbital pumping in W/Ni bilayers, we show that the charge-orbital interconversion in the bulk of the W layer exhibits opposite signs in the direct and inverse processes -- the direct and inverse orbital Hall effects being positive and negative, respectively. This finding provides direct evidence of local nonreciprocity in the charge-orbital interconversion, in agreement with a theoretical prediction. These results highlight the unique characteristics of charge-orbital coupled transport and offer fundamental insights into the mechanisms underlying orbital-current-driven phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Manipulating magnetization by orbital current from a light metal Ti

The orbital Hall effect, which does not rely on the spin-orbit coupling, has recently emerged as a promising mechanism for electrically manipulating magnetization in thin-film ferromagnets. Despite its potential, direct experimental observation of magnetization switching driven by orbital currents has been challenging, primarily because there is no direct exchange coupling between orbital angular momentum and local spin based magnetic moments. In this study, we present a compensated design to directly probe the contribution of orbital currents in the most promising light metal titanium (Ti), where symmetric layer structures allow zeroing out of the net spin current. By varying the thickness of the Ti layer in Ti(t)/Pt/Co/Pt/Co/Pt multilayers, we demonstrate the ability to control the magnetization switching polarity. We deduce the orbital charge conversion efficiency of the Ti layer to be approximately 0.17. These findings not only confirm the presence of the orbital Hall effect in Ti but also suggest that orbital currents may be promising candidates for developing energy-efficient magnetic devices with enhanced performance and scalability.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Triplet superconductivity by the orbital Rashba effect at surfaces of elemental superconductors

It is often assumed that in a superconductor without spin-triplet pairing, the formation of unconventional spin-triplet densities requires the spin-orbit interaction in combination with either broken inversion symmetry or broken time-reversal symmetry. Here, we show from first principles the existence of supercurrent-driven spin triplet densities on the surface of a variety of simple superconducting materials without spin-orbit coupling. We are able to attribute this phenomenon to the superconducting non-relativistic orbital Rashba Edelstein effect. Furthermore, we find that the spin-orbit induced spin moment is one order of magnitude smaller than the orbital moment, and has a vanishing effect on the total magnitude of the induced triplet density. Our findings imply the existence of a route to generate spin-currents without the use of heavy metals. Additionally, as an orbital moment can couple directly to a magnetic field, it shows that orbital physics is the dominant term that drives the superconducting diode effect.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Nonlocal Electrical Detection of Reciprocal Orbital Edelstein Effect

Spin-Orbitronics leverages the spin and orbital degrees of freedom in solids for information processing. The orbital Edelstein effect and orbital Hall effect, where the charge current induces a nonequilibrium orbital angular momentum, offer a promising method to manipulate nanomagnets efficiently using light elements. Despite extensive research, understanding the Onsager reciprocity of orbital transport, fundamentally rooted in the second law of thermodynamics and time-reversal symmetry, remains elusive. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate the Onsager reciprocity of orbital transport in an orbital Edelstein system by utilizing nonlocal measurements. This method enables the precise identification of the chemical potential generated by orbital accumulation, avoiding the limitations associated with local measurements. Remarkably, we observe that the direct and inverse orbital-charge conversion processes produce identical electric voltages, confirming Onsager reciprocity in orbital transport. Additionally, we find that the orbital decay length, approximately 100 nm at room temperature, is independent of Cu thickness and decreases with lowering temperature, revealing a distinct contrast to spin transport behavior. Our findings provide valuable insights into both the reciprocity of the charge-orbital interconversion and the nonlocal correlation of orbital degree of freedom, laying the ground for orbitronics devices with long-range interconnections.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Orbital torques and orbital pumping in two-dimensional rare-earth dichalcogenides

The design of spin-orbit torque properties in two-dimensional (2D) materials presents one of the challenges of modern spintronics. In this context, 2D layers involving rare-earth ions $-$ which give rise to robust magnetism, exhibit pronounced orbital polarization of the states, and carry strong spin-orbit interaction $-$ hold particular promise. Here, we investigate ferromagnetic Janus H-phase monolayers of 4$f$-Eu rare-earth dichalcogenides EuSP, EuSSe, and EuSCl using first-principles calculations. We demonstrate that all compounds exhibit significant spin-orbit torques which originate predominantly in the colossal current-induced orbital response on the Eu $f$-electrons. Moreover, we demonstrate that the corresponding orbital torques can be used to drive strong in-plane currents of orbital angular momentum with non-trivial direction of orbital polarization. Our findings promote $f$-orbital-based 2D materials as a promising platform for in-plane orbital pumping and spin-orbit torque applications, and motivate further research on educated design of orbital properties for orbitronics with 2D materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Detection and control of electronic orbital magnetism by spin waves in honeycomb ferromagnets

Exploring and manipulating the orbital degrees of freedom in solids has become a fascinating research topic in modern magnetism. Here, we demonstrate that spin waves can provide a way to control electronic orbital magnetism by the mechanism of scalar spin chirality, allowing for experimental detection using techniques such as the magneto-optical Kerr effect and scanning transmission electron microscopy. By applying linear spin wave theory, we uncover that electronic magnon-driven orbital magnetization is extremely sensitive to the character of the magnonic excitations. Furthermore, we show that both the induced electronic orbital magnetism and the Nernst transport properties of the orbital angular momentum can be regulated by the strength of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, Kitaev interaction, as well as the direction and magnitude of the external magnetic field. We argue that magnon-mediated electronic orbital magnetism presents an emergent variable which has to be taken into account when considering the physics of coupling magnonic excitiations to phonons and light.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Light-induced Orbital and Spin Magnetism in $3d$, $4d$, and $5d$ Transition Metals

Understanding the coherent interplay of light with the magnetization in metals has been a long-standing problem in ultrafast magnetism. While it is known that when laser light acts on a metal it can induce magnetization via the process known as the inverse Faraday effect (IFE), the most basic ingredients of this phenomenon are still largely unexplored. In particular, given a strong recent interest in orbital non-equilibrium dynamics and its role in mediating THz emission in transition metals, the exploration of distinct features in spin and orbital IFE is pertinent. Here, we present a first complete study of the spin and orbital IFE in $3d$, $4d$ and $5d$ transition metals of groups IV$-$XI from first-principles. By examining the dependence on the light polarization and frequency, we show that the laser-induced spin and orbital moments may vary significantly both in magnitude and sign. We underpin the interplay between the crystal field splitting and spin-orbit interaction as the key factor which determines the magnitude and key differences between the spin and orbital response. Additionally, we highlight the anisotropy of the effect with respect to the ferromagnetic magnetization and to the crystal structure. The provided complete map of IFE in transition metals is a key reference point in the field of optical magnetism.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Adiabatic Spin and Orbital Pumping in Metallic Heterostructures

In this study, we investigate the spin and orbital densities induced by magnetization dynamics in a planar bilayer heterostructure. To do this, we employed a theory of adiabatic pumping using the Keldysh formalism and Wigner expansion. We first conduct simulations on a model system to determine the parameters that control the spin and orbital pumping into an adjacent non-magnetic metal. We conclude that, in principle, the orbital pumping can be as significant as spin pumping when the spin-orbit coupling is present in the ferromagnet. We extend the study to realistic heterostructures involving heavy metals (W, Pt, Au) and light metals (Ti, Cu) by using first-principles calculations. We demonstrate that orbital pumping is favored in metals with $d$ states close to the Fermi level, such as Ti, Pt, and W, but is quenched in materials lacking such states, such as Cu and Au. Orbital injection is also favored in materials with strong spin-orbit coupling, leading to large orbital pumping in Ni/(Pt, W) bilayers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Non-reciprocity in magnon mediated charge-spin-orbital current interconversion

In magnetic systems, angular momentum is carried by spin and orbital degrees of freedom. Nonlocal devices, comprising heavy-metal nanowires on magnetic insulators like yttrium iron garnet (YIG), enable angular momentum transport via magnons. These magnons are polarized by spin accumulation at the interface through the spin Hall effect (SHE) and detected via the inverse SHE (iSHE). The processes are generally reciprocal, as demonstrated by comparable efficiencies when reversing injector and detector roles. However, introducing Ru, which enables the orbital Hall effect (OHE), disrupts this reciprocity. In our system, magnons polarized through combined SHE and OHE and detected via iSHE are 35% more efficient than the reverse process. We attribute this nonreciprocity to nonzero spin vorticity, resulting from varying electron drift velocities across the Pt/Ru interface. This study highlights the potential of orbital transport mechanisms in influencing angular momentum transport and efficiency in nonlocal spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Orbital Topology of Chiral Crystals for Orbitronics

Chirality is ubiquitous in nature and manifests in a wide range of phenomena including chemical reactions, biological processes, and quantum transport of electrons. In quantum materials, the chirality of fermions, given by the relative directions between the electron spin and momentum, is connected to the band topology of electronic states. Here, we show that in structurally chiral materials like CoSi, the orbital angular momentum (OAM) serves as the main driver of a nontrivial band topology in this new class of unconventional topological semimetals, even when spin-orbit coupling is negligible. A nontrivial orbital-momentum locking of multifold chiral fermions in the bulk leads to a pronounced OAM texture of the helicoid Fermi arcs at the surface. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of the orbital degree of freedom for the chirality and topology of electron states, in general, and pave the way towards the application of topological chiral semimetals in orbitronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Weak Ferromagnetism in Altermagnets from Alternating $g$-Tensor Anisotropy

Altermagnets are magnetic materials with antiferromagnetic spin ordering but exhibit ferromagnetic properties. Understanding the microscopic origin of the latter is a central problem. Ferromagnet-like properties such as the anomalous Hall effect are linked with weak ferromagnetism, whose microscopic origin in altermagnets remains unclear however. We show theoretically that the alternating $g$-tensor anisotropy in altermagnets can induce weak ferromagnetism even when the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is forbidden. We demonstrate this mechanism to explain weak ferromagnetism for both collinear and noncollinear spin altermagnets. Our findings provide new insights into the origin of weak ferromagnetism and suggest orbital-based ways for manipulating magnetic configurations in altermagnets.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗