arXiv subjects

G. Baskaran

Publications and source records attributed to G. Baskaran.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Emergent Mott Insulators and Possibility of High Tc Superconductivity in Pressurized Molecular Solids, H2S, SiH4, H2 etc

Paired valence electrons forming covalent bonds in molecues are confined cooper pair correlations. High pressure dissociates molecules in solid H2S, SiH4, H2 etc. and form extended structures. However, valence electrons are resilient and continue to bond and sometimes resonate. It is suggested that some structures contain emergent Mott insulators (EMI) and support superconductivity and other phases, under special conditions. In pressurized solid H2S, we propose presence of a sublattice of relatively narrow, nearly half filled band of H atoms, trapped in ordered interstitials of colvalently bonded S atom network. EMI offers a high pairing energy scale. A theory for recently claimed superconductivity in solid \hsm (Tc ~ 205 K), Silane (Tc ~ 17 K$), and systems like H2 is presented.

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arXiv2015

Majorana Fermi Sea in Insulating SmB6: A proposal and a Theory of Quantum Oscillations in Kondo Insulators

In an exciting development, SmB6, a Kondo insulator has been shown to exhibit bulk quantum oscillations. We propose that SmB6 is a bulk scalar Majorana Fermi Liquid} (MFL) with a finite gap for charge and spin excitations. In their study of Kondo insulators in 1993, Coleman, Miranda and Tsvelik (CMT) envisaged such a remarkable possibility, using a mean field ansatz. We generalize CMT theory to non-zero magnetic fields and show a counter intuitive result that the scalar Majorana fermi liquid, while remaining electrically insulating, responds to external magnetic field and exhibits Landau diamagnetism and quantum oscillations. Physics of an emergent compactified 2-channel Kondo lattice physics that is behind formation of the novel scalar Majorana fermi liquid phase is discussed. It is also suggested that a known resistivity saturation in SmB6 as well as a new strong deviation of quantum oscillation amplitude from Lifshitz-Kosevich formula in SmB6 at low temperatures are due to a coherent fluctuation of charge of a neutral scalar Majorana fermion. Possible presence of 2-dimensional Majorana fermion excitations in surfaces of SmB6, and other Topological Kondo Insulators (TKI) is pointed out.

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arXiv2015

$d$-wave superconductivity in coupled ladders

We study the one-band Hubbard model on the trellis lattice, a two-dimensional frustrated lattice of coupled two-leg ladders, with hopping amplitude $t$ within ladders and $t'$ between ladders. For large $U/t$ this is a model for the cuprate Sr$_{14-x}$Ca$_x$Cu$_{24}$O$_{41}$. We investigate the phase diagram as a function of doping for $U=10t$ using two quantum cluster methods: The variational cluster approximation (VCA), with clusters of sizes 8 and 12, and Cellular dynamical mean field theory (CDMFT), both at zero temperature. Both methods predict a superconducting dome, ending at roughly 20\% doping in VCA and 15\% in CDMFT. In VCA, the superconducting order parameter is complex in a range of doping centered around 10\%, corresponding to bulk chiral, $T$-violating superconductivity. However, the CDMFT solution is not chiral. We find evidence for a migration of the Cooper pairs from the inter-ladder region towards the plaquettes as doping is increased.

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arXiv2014

Emergence of $p+ip$ superconductivity in $2$D strongly correlated Dirac fermions

Searching for $p+ip$ superconducting(SC) state has become a fascinating subject in condensed matter physics, as a dream application awaiting in topological quantum computation. In this paper, we report a theoretical discovery of a $p+ip$ SC ground state (coexisting with ferromagnetic order) in honeycomb lattice Hubbard model with infinite repulsive interaction at low doping($δ< 0.2$), by using both the state-of-art Grassmann tensor product state(GTPS) approach and a quantum field theory approach. Our discovery suggests a new mechanism for $p+ip$ SC state in generic strongly correlated systems and opens a new door towards experimental realization. The $p+ip$ SC state has an instability towards a potential non-Fermi liquid with a large but finite $U$. However, a small Zeeman field term stabilizes the $p+ip$ SC state. Relevant realistic materials are also proposed.

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arXiv2014

Electronic correlations stabilizing time-reversal broken chiral superconductivity in single-trilayer TiSe$_2$

Bulk TiSe$_2$ is an intrinsically layered transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) hosting both superconducting and charge density wave (CDW) ordering. Motivated by the recent progress in preparing two-dimensional TMDs, we study these frustrated orderings in {\it single} trilayer of TiSe$_2$ within a renormalization group approach. We establish that a novel state with time-reversal symmetry broken chiral superconductivity can emerge from the strong competition between CDW formation and superconductivity. Its stability depends on the precise strength and screening of the electron-electron interactions in two-dimensional TiSe$_2$.

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arXiv2013

A spin ladder compound doubles its superconducting TC under a gentle uniaxial pressure

Discovery of new high TC superconductors, with TC > 23 K, continues to be challenging. We have doubled the existing TC of single crystal Sr3Ca11Cu24O41, a spin ladder cuprate, from 12K to 24K, using a gentle uniaxial pressure ~ 0.06 GPa. In contrast, earlier works used a nearly 100 times larger hydrostatic pressure 5 GPa, only to reach a maximum TC ~ 12K. Our work exposes large and nearly equal, but opposing contributions to changes in TC, arising from compressions along and perpendicular to ladder planes, in hydrostatic pressure experiments. In our resistivity measurements, uniaxial pressure applied along ladder planes increase TC, while that perpendicular to ladder planes decrease TC. Our findings i) offers a new hope for further increase in TC in spin ladder compounds and ii) calls for a large shift in phase boundaries of the currently accepted pressure-temperature phase diagram.

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arXiv2012

Superradiant Superconductivity

We suggest possibility of Dicke superradiance in superconductors. The necessary 2-level atoms are identified with Anderson pseudo spins in k-space, seeing a k-dependent self consistent mean field. A way to couple these 2-level bose atoms to a macroscopically excited coherent boson mode and create a novel nonequilibrium superradiant superconductivity (SRSC) is suggested. Our coherence transfer mechanism offers a hope to realize transient superconductivity, even at room temperatures, in the pseudo gap phase of certain underdoped cuprates. Recent experiments are briefly discussed in the light of our theory. Quantum entanglement, QCP and superfluorescence properties follow.

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arXiv2011

Equations of motion method for triplet excitation operators in graphene

Particle-hole continuum in Dirac sea of graphene has a unique window underneath,which in principle leaves a room for bound state formation in the triplet particle hole channel [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 89}, 016402 (2002)]. In this work, we construct appropriate triplet particle-hole operators, and using a repulsive Hubbard type effective interaction, we employ equations of motions to derive approximate eigen-value equation for such triplet operators. While the secular equation for the spin density fluctuations gives rise to an equation which is second order in the strength of the short range interaction, the explicit construction of the triplet operators obtained here shows that in terms of these operators, the second order can be factorized to two first order equations, one of which gives rise to a solution below the particle-hole continuum of Dirac electrons in undoped graphene.

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arXiv2011

RVB gauge theory and the Topological degeneracy in the Honeycomb Kitaev model

We relate the Z$_2$ gauge theory formalism of the Kitaev model to the SU(2) gauge theory of the resonating valence bond (RVB) physics. Further, we reformulate a known Jordan-Wigner transformation of Kitaev model on a torus in a general way that shows that it can be thought of as a Z$_2$ gauge fixing procedure. The conserved quantities simplify in terms of the gauge invariant Jordan-Wigner fermions, enabling us to construct exact eigen states and calculate physical quantities. We calculate the fermionic spectrum for flux free sector for different gauge field configurations and show that the ground state is four-fold degenerate on a torus in thermodynamic limit. Further on a torus we construct four mutually anti-commuting operators which enable us to prove that all eigenstates of this model are four fold degenerate in thermodynamic limit.

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arXiv2011

Neutral Triplet Collective Mode in Doped Graphene

Particle-hole continuum in Dirac sea of graphene has a unique window underneath, which provides a unique opportunity for emergence of a pole in the susceptibility of the {\em triplet} particle-hole channel in the entire Brillouin zone (BZ). Here we use random phase approximation (RPA) to study such collective mode at zero temperature, in a single layer of doped graphene. We find that due to the chiral nature of one-particle states, in undoped graphene, the wave function overlap factors do not lead to qualitative differences, while in doped graphene they will kill small momentum part of the branch of magnetic excitations by pushing it to touch the lower part of the continuum. The pole corresponding to magnetic excitations survives for for larger momenta in the BZ.

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arXiv2011

Collective Spin and Charge Excitations in Planar Aromatic Molecules

Employing high accuracy fixed node diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) method we calculated the lowest triplet collective excitation (spin gap), as well as an upper bound for the singlet excitations (charge gap) in a series of charge neutral planar non-ladder aromatic compounds. Both excitation energies lie below the continuum of particle-hole excitation energies obtained from Hartree-Fock orbitals. Hence they can be interpreted as genuine bound states in the particle-hole channel. Assuming a resonating valence bond (RVB) ground state which has been recently suggested for $sp^2$ bonded systems [ M. Marchi, {\em et. al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 107}, 086807 (2011)], offers a unified description of both excited states as two-spinon and doublon-holon bound states. We corroborate our interpretation, by Exact diagonalization study of a minimal model on finite honeycomb clusters.

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arXiv2011

Possibility of Skyrmion Superconductivity in Doped Antiferromagnet K$_2$Fe$_4$Se$_5$

Intercalated Fe chalcogenide K$_2$Fe$_4$Se$_5$ family exhibits high Tc ($\sim$ 30 K) superconductivity and spin-8 high T$_{\rm N}$ ($\sim$ 560 K) antiferromagnetism (AFM). We present a model Hamiltonian and suggest \textit{Skyrmion superconductivity}. A doped electron creates an orbitally non degenerate S=7\half state in a F$_4$Se$_9$ cluster and moves in a single correlated band, exchange coupled to a robust S=8 AFM order. Skyrmion, a topological excitation of 2 dimensional AFM order acquires an \textit{induced charge -2e} through a quantum anomaly and becomes a Cooper pair. Superconductivity emerges for a range of doping. Fluctuating superconductivity, arising from preformed Cooper pairs (stable Skyrmions), around room temperatures is predicted. We offer hope for higher Tc's in large-S Mott insulators.

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arXiv2011

Spin correlations and phase diagram of the perturbed Kitaev model

We present a general classification of the perturbations to the Kitaev model on the basis of their effect on it's spin correlation functions. We derive a necessary and sufficient condition for the spin correlators to exhibit a long ranged power-law behavior in the presence of such perturbations. We substantiate our result by a study of the phase diagram of the Kitaev model augmented by a loop term and perturbed by an Ising term, within a RVB mean-field theory. We estimate the stability of the spin-liquid phase against such perturbations and show that this model exhibits both confinement-deconfinement transitions from spin liquid to antiferromagnetic/spin-chain/ferromagnetic phases as well as topological quantum phase transitions between gapped and gapless spin liquid phases.

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arXiv2009

Exact quantum spin liquids with Fermi surfaces in spin-half models

An emergent Fermi surface in a Mott insulator, an exotic quantum spin liquid state, was suggested by Anderson in 1987. After a quick support for its existence in spin-half Heisenberg model in a square lattice in a RVB mean field theory, pseudo Fermi surface was found only recently in an exactly solvable spin-3/2 model by Yao, Zhang and Kivelson. We show that a minimal spin-half Kitaev model on a decorated square lattice exhibits a Fermi surface. Volume and shape of the Fermi surface change with exchange couplings or on addition of a 3 spin interaction terms.

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arXiv2008

Variational RVB wave function for the spin-1/2 Heisenberg Model on honeycomb lattice

In this work, a long-range resonating valence bond state is proposed as a variational wave function for the ground state of the $S=1/2$ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice. Employing Variational Monte Carlo (VMC) method, we show that the ground state energy obtained from such RVB wave function, lies well below the energy of the Néel state and compares very well to the energies evaluated from spin-wave theory and series expansion method. We also obtain the spin-spin correlation function along zig-zag and armchair directions and find that the two correlations are different, which indicates the anisotropic nature of the system. We compare our results with the square lattice and we show that although the quantum fluctuations on honeycomb lattice are much stronger, but do not completely destroy the magnetic order.

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arXiv2008

Spin-S Kitaev model: Classical Ground States, Order by Disorder and Exact Correlation Functions

In the first part of this paper, we study the spin-S Kitaev model using spin wave theory. We discover a remarkable geometry of the minimum energy surface in the N-spin space. The classical ground states, called Cartesian or CN-ground states, whose number grows exponentially with the number of spins N, form a set of points in the N-spin space. These points are connected by a network of flat valleys in the N-spin space, giving rise to a continuous family of classical ground states. Further, the CN-ground states have a correspondence with dimer coverings and with self avoiding walks on a honeycomb lattice. The zero point energy of our spin wave theory picks out a subset from a continuous family of classically degenerate states as the quantum ground states; the number of these states also grows exponentially with N. In the second part, we present some exact results. For arbitrary spin-S, we show that localized Z_2 flux excitations are present by constructing plaquette operators with eigenvalues \pm 1 which commute with the Hamiltonian. This set of commuting plaquette operators leads to an exact vanishing of the spin-spin correlation functions, beyond nearest neighbor separation, found earlier for the spin-1/2 model [G. Baskaran, S. Mandal and R. Shankar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 247201 (2007)]. We introduce a generalized Jordan-Wigner transformation for the case of general spin-S, and find a complete set of commuting link operators, similar to the spin-1/2 model, thereby making the Z_2 gauge structure more manifest. The Jordan-Wigner construction also leads, in a natural fashion, to Majorana fermion operators for half-integer spin cases and hard-core boson operators for integer spin cases, strongly suggesting the presence of Majorana fermion and boson excitations in the respective low energy sectors.

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arXiv2008

Possibility of High Tc Superconductivity in doped Graphene

Graphene is at the forefront of condensed matter sciences, because of a variety of interesting phenomena it supports. If graphene could support high Tc superconductivity, after doping for example, it will make it even more valuable. Some authors have suggested possibility of superconductivity in graphite like systems. However, an early suggestion of one of us (Baskaran) was unique in the sense it combined Pauling's classic idea of resonating valence bond physics with band theory to obtain some exciting results for superconductivity. Black-Schaffer and Doniach took this approach further and found an unconventional d + id order parameter. To sharpen our theory and get more convincing and reliable results for superconductivity, we introduce a correlated variational BCS ground state wavefunction and perform extensive Monte Carlo study of the repulsive Hubbard model on the honeycomb lattice. We find that undoped graphene is not a superconductor, consistent with experiments and also mean field results. Interestingly, an appreciable superconducting order is obtained around an optimal doping. This result and a supportive slave particle analysis together suggest the possibility of high temperature superconductivity in doped graphene.

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arXiv2008

Quantum String Liquid State in LaOFeAs and Superconductivity

Superconducting LaOFeAs family of even electron metallic systems have striking resemblance to odd electron cuprates. We suggest that this resemblance is caused by presence of two coupled 2D resonating valence bond systems in LaOFeAs . Bond charge repulsion and Hund coupling fuse the 2 species of valence bonds into closed strings with a Haldane gap, resulting in a quantum string liquid. A pair of doped holes (electrons) creates an open string and remain at the ends as holon(doublon). Charge -2e spin singlet strings condense to produce high Tc superconductivity. Higher Tc's are likely in our string route to High Tc superconductivity, when competing orders are taken care of.

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