arXiv subjects

H. Ochoa

Publications and source records attributed to H. Ochoa.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Flat bands and chiral optical response of moiré insulators

We present a low-energy model describing the reconstruction of the electronic spectrum in twisted bilayers of honeycomb crystals with broken sublattice symmetry. The resulting moiré patterns are classified into two families with different symmetry. In both cases, flat bands appear at relatively large angles, without any magic angle condition. Transitions between them give rise to sharp resonances in the optical absorption spectrum at frequencies well below the gap of the monolayer. Owing to their chiral symmetry, twisted bilayers display circular dichroism, i.e., different absorption of left and right circularly-polarized light. This optical activity is a nonlocal property determined by the stacking. In hexagonal boron nitride, sensitivity to the stacking leads to strikingly different circular dichroism in the two types of moirés. Our calculations exemplify how subtle properties of the electronic wavefunctions encoded in current correlations between the layers control physical observables of moiré materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Colloquium: Spintronics in graphene and other two-dimensional materials

After the first unequivocal demonstration of spin transport in graphene (Tombros et al., 2007), surprisingly at room temperature, it was quickly realized that this novel material was relevant for both fundamental spintronics and future applications. Over the decade since, exciting results have made the field of graphene spintronics blossom, and a second generation of studies has extended to new two-dimensional (2D) compounds. This Colloquium reviews recent theoretical and experimental advances on electronic spin transport in graphene and related 2D materials, focusing on emergent phenomena in van der Waals heterostructures and the new perspectives provided by them. These phenomena include proximity-enabled spin-orbit effects, the coupling of electronic spin to light, electrical tunability, and 2D magnetism.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Operation and performance of microhexcavity pixel detector in gas discharge and avalanche mode

The Microhexcavity Panel ( muHex) is a novel gaseous micropattern particle detector comprised of a dense array of close-packed hexagonal pixels, each operating as an independent detection unit for ionizing radiation. It is a second generation detector derived from plasma panel detectors and microcavity detectors. The muHex is under development to be deployed as a scalable, fast timing (ns) and hermetically sealed gaseous tracking detector with high rate ( > 100 KHz/cm^2 ) capability. The devices reported here were fabricated as 16 x 16 pixel arrays of 2 mm edge-to-edge, 1 mm deep hexagonal cells embedded in a thin, 1.4 mm glass-ceramic wafer. Cell walls are metalized cathodes, connected to high voltage bus lines through conductive vias. Anodes are small, 457 micron diameter metal discs screen printed on the upper substrate. The detectors are filled with an operating gas to near 1 atm and then closed with a shut-off valve. They have been operated in both avalanche mode and gas discharge devices, producing mV to volt level signals with about 1 to 3 ns rise times. Operation in discharge mode is enabled by high impedance quench resistors on the high voltage bus at each pixel site. Results indicate that each individual pixel behaves as an isolated detection unit with high single pixel intrinsic efficiency to both beta's from radioactive sources and to cosmic ray muons. Continuous avalanche mode operation over several days at hit rates over 300 KHz/cm^2 with no gas flow have been observed. Measurements of pixel isolation, timing response, efficiency, hit rate and rate stability are reported.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Dynamic imaging of an antiferromagnetic domain wall via quantum-impurity relaxometry

While spin textures in materials exhibiting zero net magnetization, such as antiferromagnetic domain walls (DWs), have attracted much interest lately due to their robustness against external magnetic noise, their generic detection via conventional magnetometry remains a challenging task. Here, we propose quantum relaxometry as a new route to image spin textures by probing the collective spin modes harbored by them. We investigate the Goldstone modes hosted by an antiferromagnetic domain wall and assess the relaxation rate of a quantum-spin sensor interacting with them. We show that such modes can be detected via relaxometry in some common antiferromagnets. Moreover, based on symmetry considerations, we propose a simple protocol to probe the individual dynamics of each mode.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Spin relaxation in corrugated graphene

In graphene, out-of-plane (flexural) vibrations and static ripples imposed by the substrate relax the electron spin, intrinsically protected by mirror symmetry. We calculate the relaxation times in different scenarios, accounting for all the possible spin-phonon couplings allowed by the hexagonal symmetry of the lattice. Scattering by flexural phonons imposes the ultimate bound to the spin lifetimes, in the ballpark of hundreds of nano-seconds at room temperature. This estimate and the behavior as a function of the carrier concentration are substantially altered by the presence of tensions or the pinning with the substrate. Static ripples also influence the spin transport in the diffusive regime, dominated by motional narrowing. We find that the D'yakonov-Perel' mechanism saturates when the mean free path is comparable to the correlation length of the heights profile. In this regime, the spin-relaxation times are exclusively determined by the geometry of the corrugations. Simple models for typical corrugations lead to lifetimes of the order of tens of micro-seconds.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Novel effects of strains in graphene and other two dimensional materials

The analysis of the electronic properties of strained or lattice deformed graphene combines ideas from classical condensed matter physics, soft matter, and geometrical aspects of quantum field theory (QFT) in curved spaces. Recent theoretical and experimental work shows the influence of strains in many properties of graphene not considered before, such as electronic transport, spin-orbit coupling, the formation of Moiré patterns, optics, ... There is also significant evidence of anharmonic effects, which can modify the structural properties of graphene. These phenomena are not restricted to graphene, and they are being intensively studied in other two dimensional materials, such as the metallic dichalcogenides. We review here recent developments related to the role of strains in the structural and electronic properties of graphene and other two dimensional compounds.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Quantum Spin Hall Effect in Two-dimensional Crystals of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

We propose to engineer time-reversal-invariant topological insulators in two-dimensional (2D) crystals of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). We note that, at low doping, semiconducting TMDCs under shear strain will develop spin-polarized Landau levels residing in different valleys. We argue that gaps between Landau levels in the range of $10-100$ Kelvin are within experimental reach. In addition, we point out that a superlattice arising from a Moiré pattern can lead to topologically non-trivial subbands. As a result, the edge transport becomes quantized, which can be probed in multi-terminal devices made using strained 2D crystals and/or heterostructures. The strong $d$ character of valence and conduction bands may also allow for the investigation of the effects of electron correlations on the topological phases.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Spin memory and spin-lattice relaxation in two-dimensional hexagonal crystals

We propose a theory of spin relaxation of electrons and holes in two-dimensional hexagonal crystals such as atomic layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (MoS2, WSe2, etc). We show that even in intrinsically defectless crystals, their flexural deformations are able to generate spin relaxation of carriers. Based on symmetry analysis, we formulate a generic model for spin-lattice coupling between electrons and flexural deformations, and use it to determine temperature and material-dependent spin lifetimes in atomic crystals in ambient conditions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Spin-Orbit mediated spin relaxation in monolayer MoS2

We study the intra-valley spin-orbit mediated spin relaxation in monolayers of MoS2 within a two bands effective Hamiltonian. The intrinsic spin splitting of the valence band as well as a Rashba-like coupling due to the breaking of the out-of-plane inversion symmetry are considered. We show that, in the hole doped regime, the out-of-plane spin relaxation is not very efficient since the spin splitting of the valence band tends to stabilize the spin polarization in this direction. We obtain spin lifetimes larger than nanoseconds, in agreement with recent valley polarization experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Spin-orbit coupling assisted by flexural phonons in graphene

We analyze the couplings between spins and phonons in graphene. We present a complete analysis of the possible couplings between spins and flexural, out of plane, vibrations. From tight-binding models we obtain analytical and numerical estimates of their strength. We show that dynamical effects, induced by quantum and thermal fluctuations, significantly enhance the spin-orbit gap.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Elliot-Yafet mechanism in graphene

The differences between spin relaxation in graphene and in other materials are discussed. For relaxation by scattering processes, the Elliot-Yafet mechanism, the relation between the spin and the momentum scattering times acquires a dependence on the carrier density, which is independent of the scattering mechanism and the relation between mobility and carrier concentration. This dependence puts severe restrictions on the origin of the spin relaxation in graphene. The density dependence of the spin relaxation allows us to distinguish between ordinary impurities and defects which modify locally the spin-orbit interaction.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Interactions and magnetic moments near vacancies and resonant impurities in graphene

The effect of electronic interactions in graphene with vacancies or resonant scatterers is investigated. We apply dynamical mean-field theory in combination with quantum Monte Carlo simulations, which allow us to treat non-perturbatively quantum fluctuations beyond Hartree-Fock approximations. The interactions narrow the width of the resonance and induce a Curie magnetic susceptibility, signaling the formation of local moments. The absence of saturation of the susceptibility at low temperatures suggests that the coupling between the local moment and the conduction electrons is ferromagnetic.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Temperature dependent resistivity in bilayer graphene due to flexural phonons

We have studied electron scattering by out-of-plane (flexural) phonons in doped suspended bilayer graphene. We have found the bilayer membrane to follow the qualitative behavior of the monolayer cousin. In the bilayer, different electronic structure combine with different electron-phonon coupling to give the same parametric dependence in resistivity, and in particular the same temperature $T$ behavior. In parallel with the single layer, flexural phonons dominate the phonon contribution to resistivity in the absence of strain, where a density independent mobility is obtained. This contribution is strongly suppressed by tension, and in-plane phonons become the dominant contribution in strained samples. Among the quantitative differences an important one has been identified: room $T$ mobility in bilayer graphene is substantially higher than in monolayer. The origin of quantitative differences has been unveiled.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2010

Limits on electron quality in suspended graphene due to flexural phonons

The temperature dependence of the mobility in suspended graphene samples is investigated. In clean samples, flexural phonons become the leading scattering mechanism at temperature $T \gtrsim 10\,\,$K, and the resistivity increases quadratically with $T$. Flexural phonons limit the intrinsic mobility down to a few $\text{m}^2/\text{Vs}$ at room $T$. Their effect can be eliminated by applying strain or placing graphene on a substrate.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗