arXiv subjects

Haiwen Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Haiwen Liu.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Multi-orbital model reveals second-order topological insulator in 1H-transition metal dichalcogenide

Recently, a new class of second-order topological insulators (SOTIs) characterized by an electronic dipole has been theoretically introduced and proposed to host topological corner states. As a novel topological state, it has been attracting great interest and experimentally realized in artificial systems of various fields of physics based on multi-sublattice models, e.g., breathing kagome lattice. In order to realize such kind of SOTI in natural materials, we proposed a symmetry-faithful multi-orbital model. Then, we reveal several familiar transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers as a material family of two-dimensional SOTI with large bulk gaps. The topologically protected corner state with fractional charge is pinned at Fermi level due to the charge neutrality and filling anomaly. Additionally, we propose that the zero-energy corner state preserves in the heterostructure composed of a topological nontrivial flake embedded in a trivial material. The novel second-order corner states in familiar TMD materials hold promise for revealing unexpected quantum properties and applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Non-Abelian braiding in spin superconductors utilizing the Aharonov-Casher effect

Spin superconductor (SSC) is an exciton condensate state where the spin-triplet exciton superfluidity is charge neutral while spin $2(\hbar/2)$. In analogy to the Majorana zero mode (MZM) in topological superconductors, the interplay between SSC and band topology will also give rise to a specific kind of topological boundary state obeying non-Abelian braiding statistics. Remarkably, the non-Abelian geometric phase here originates from the Aharonov-Casher effect of the "half-charge" other than the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Such topological boundary state of SSC is bound with the vortex of electric flux gradient and can be experimentally more distinct than the MZM for being electrically charged. This theoretical proposal provides a new avenue investigating the non-Abelian braiding physics without the assistance of MZM and charge superconductor.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

The observation of in-plane quantum Griffiths singularity in two-dimensional crystalline superconductors

Quantum Griffiths singularity (QGS) reveals the profound influence of quenched disorder on the quantum phase transitions, characterized by the divergence of the dynamical critical exponent at the boundary of the vortex glass-like phase, named as quantum Griffiths phase. However, in the absence of vortices, whether the QGS can exist under parallel magnetic field remains a puzzle. Here we study the magnetic field induced superconductor-metal transition in ultrathin crystalline PdTe2 films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Remarkably, the QGS emerges under both perpendicular and parallel magnetic field in 4-monolayer PdTe2 films. The direct activated scaling analysis with a new irrelevant correction has been proposed, providing important evidence of QGS. With increasing film thickness to 6 monolayers, the QGS disappears under perpendicular field but persists under parallel field, and this discordance may originate from the differences in microscopic processes. Our work demonstrates the universality of parallel field induced QGS and can stimulate further investigations on novel quantum phase transitions under parallel magnetic field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Valley-selective Floquet Chern Flat Bands in Twisted Multilayer Graphene

We show that Floquet engineering with circularly polarized light (CPL) can selectively split the valley degeneracy of a twisted multilayer graphene (TMG), and thus generate a controlled valley-polarized Floquet Chern flat band with tunable large Chern number. It offers a feasible optical way to manipulate the valley degree of freedom in moiré flat bands, and hence opens new opportunities to study the valleytronics of morié flat band systems. We thus expect that many of the valley-related properties of TMG, e.g. orbital ferromagnetism, can be switched by CPL with proper doping. We reveal a Chern number hierarchy rule for the Floquet flat bands in a generic (M+N)-layer TMG. We also illustrate that the CPL effects on TMG strongly rely on the stacking chirality, which is an unique feature of TMG. All these phenomena could be tested in the twisted double bilayer graphene systems, which is the simplest example of TMG and has already been realized in experiment.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

A strange metal in a bosonic system

Fermi liquid theory forms the basis for our understanding of the majority of metals, which is manifested in the description of transport properties that the electrical resistivity goes as temperature squared in the limit of zero temperature. However, the observations of strange metal states in various quantum materials, notably high-temperature superconductors, bring this spectacularly successful theoretical framework into crisis. When electron scattering rate 1/τ hits its limit, kBT/{\hbar} where {\hbar} is the reduced Planck's constant, T represents absolute temperature and kB denotes Boltzmann's constant, Planckian dissipation occurs and lends strange metals a surprising link to black holes, gravity, and quantum information theory. Here, we show the characteristic signature of strange metallicity arising unprecedentedly in a bosonic system. Our nanopatterned YBa2Cu3O7-δ(YBCO) film arrays reveal T-linear resistance as well as B-linear magnetoresistance over an extended temperature and magnetic field range in a quantum critical region in the phase diagram. Moreover, the slope of the T-linear resistance α_cp appears bounded by α_cp {\approx} h/2e^2 [1/T]_c^onset where T_c^onset is the temperature at which Cooper pairs form, intimating a common scale-invariant transport mechanism corresponding to Planckian dissipation.In contrast to fermionic systems where the temperature and magnetic field dependent scattering rates combine in quadrature of {\hbar}/τ {\approx} {\sqrt} (((k_B T)^2+(μ_B B)^2)), both terms linearly combine in the present bosonic system, i.e. {\hbar}/τ {\approx} (k_B T+[γμ]_B B), where γ is a constant. By extending the reach of strange metal phenomenology to a bosonic system, our results suggest that there is a fundamental principle governing their transport which transcends particle statistics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Realistic flat-band model based on degenerate $p$-orbitals in two-dimensional ionic materials

Though several theoretical models have been proposed to design electronic flat-bands, the definite experimental realization in two-dimensional atomic crystal is still lacking. Here we propose a novel and realistic flat-band model based on threefold degenerate $p$-orbitals in two-dimensional ionic materials. Our theoretical analysis and first-principles calculations show that the proposed flat-band can be realized in 1T layered materials of alkali-metal chalogenides and metal-carbon group compounds. Some of the former are theoretically predicted to be stable as layered materials (e.g., K$_2$S), and some of the latter have been experimentally fabricated in previous works (e.g., Gd$_2$CCl$_2$). More interestingly, the flat-band is partially filled in the heterostructure of a K$_2$S monolayer and graphene layers. The spin polarized nearly flat-band can be realized in the ferromagnetic state of a Gd$_2$CCl$_2$ monolayer, which has been fabricated in experiments. Our theoretical model together with the material predictions provide a realistic platform for the study of flat-bands and related exotic quantum phases.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

The Discovery of Tunable Universality Class in Superconducting $β$-W Thin Films

The interplay between quenched disorder and critical behavior in quantum phase transitions is conceptually fascinating and of fundamental importance for understanding phase transitions. However, it is still unclear whether or not the quenched disorder influences the universality class of quantum phase transitions. More crucially, the absence of superconducting-metal transitions under in-plane magnetic fields in 2D superconductors imposes constraints on the universality of quantum criticality. Here, we discover the tunable universality class of superconductor-metal transition by changing the disorder strength in $β$-W films with varying thickness. The finite-size scaling uncovers the switch of universality class: quantum Griffiths singularity to multiple quantum criticality at a critical thickness of $t_{c \perp 1}\sim 8 nm$ and then from multiple quantum criticality to single criticality at $t_{c\perp 2}\sim 16 nm$. Moreover, the superconducting-metal transition is observed for the first time under in-plane magnetic fields and the universality class is changed at $t_{c \parallel }\sim 8 nm$. The discovery of tunable universality class under both out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic fields provides broad information for the disorder effect on superconducting-metal transitions and quantum criticality.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Noise signatures for determining chiral Majorana fermion modes

The conductance measurement of a half quantized plateau in a quantum anomalous Hall insulator-superconductor structure is reported by a recent experiment [Q. L. He \textit{et al.}, Science 357, 294-299 (2017)], which suggests the existence of the chiral Majorana fermion modes. However, such half quantized conductance plateau may also originates from a disorder-induced metallic phase. To identify the exact mechanism, we study the transport properties of such a system in the presence of strong disorders. Our results show that the local current density distributions of these two mechanisms are different. In particular, the current noises measurement can be used to distinguish them without any further fabrication of current experimental setup.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Unconventional Hall Effect induced by Berry Curvature

Berry phase and Berry curvature play a key role in the development of topology in physics and do contribute to the transport properties in solid state systems. In this paper, we report the finding of novel nonzero Hall effect in topological material ZrTe5 flakes when in-plane magnetic field is parallel and perpendicular to the current. Surprisingly, both symmetric and antisymmetric components with respect to magnetic field are detected in the in-plane Hall resistivity. Further theoretical analysis suggests that the magnetotransport properties originate from the anomalous velocity induced by Berry curvature in a tilted Weyl semimetal. Our work not only enriches the Hall family but also provides new insights into the Berry phase effect in topological materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Type-II Ising superconductivity and anomalous metallic state in macro-size ambient-stable ultrathin crystalline films

Recent emergence of two-dimensional (2D) crystalline superconductors has provided a promising platform to investigate novel quantum physics and potential applications. To reveal essential quantum phenomena therein, ultralow temperature transport investigation on high quality ultrathin superconducting films is critically required, although it has been quite challenging experimentally. Here we report a systematic transport study on the ultrathin crystalline PdTe2 films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Interestingly, a new type of Ising superconductivity in 2D centrosymmetric materials is revealed by the detection of large in-plane critical field more than 7 times Pauli limit. Remarkably, in perpendicular magnetic field, we provide solid evidence of anomalous metallic state characterized by the resistance saturation at low temperatures with high quality filters. The robust superconductivity with intriguing quantum phenomena in the macro-size ambient-stable ultrathin PdTe2 films remains almost the same for 20 months, showing great potentials in electronic and spintronic applications.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Transport study of the wormhole effect in three-dimensional topological insulators

Inside a three-dimensional strong topological insulator, a tube with $h/2e$ magnetic flux carries a pair of protected one-dimensional linear fermionic modes. This phenomenon is known as the "wormhole effect". In this work, we find that the "wormhole effect", as a unique degree of freedom, introduces exotic transport phenomena and thus manipulates the transport properties of topological insulators. Our numerical results demonstrate that the transport properties of a double-wormhole system can be manipulated by the wormhole interference. Specifically, the conductance and local density of states both oscillate with the Fermi energy due to the interference between the wormholes. Furthermore, by studying the multi-wormhole systems, we find that the number of wormholes can also modulate the differential conductance through a $\mathbb{Z}$$_{2}$ mechanism. Finally, we propose two types of topological devices in real applications, the "wormhole switch" device and the "traversable wormhole" device, which can be finely tuned by controlling the wormhole degree of freedom.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

3D Quantum Hall Effect Manipulated by Chiral Landau Levels in Weyl Semimetals

We investigate the 3D quantum Hall effect in Weyl semimetals and elucidate a global picture of the edge states. The edge states hosting 3D quantum Hall effect are combinations of Fermi arcs and chiral bulk Landau levels parallel to the magnetic field. The Hall conductance, $σ_{xz}^H$, shows quantized plateaus at Weyl nodes while tuning the magnetic field. However, the chiral Landau levels manipulate the quantization of Weyl orbits, especially under a tilted magnetic field, and the resulting edge states lead to distinctive Hall transport phenomena. A tilted magnetic field contributes an intrinsic initial value to $σ_{xz}^H$ and such initial value is determined by the tilting angle $θ$. Particularly, even if the perpendicular magnetic field is fixed, $σ_{xz}^H$ will change its sign with an abrupt spatial shift of edge states when $θ$ exceeds a critical angle $θ_c$ in an experiment. Our work uncovers the unique edge-state nature of 3D quantum Hall effect in Weyl semimetals.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Non-Abelian braiding of Dirac fermionic modes using topological corner states in higher-order topological insulator

We numerically demonstrate that the topological corner states residing in the corners of higher-order topological insulator possess non-Abelian braiding properties. Such topological corner states are Dirac fermionic modes other than Majorana zero-modes. We claim that Dirac fermionic modes protected by nontrivial topology also support non-Abelian braiding. An analytical description on such non-Abelian braiding is conducted based on the vortex-induced Dirac-type fermionic modes. The braiding operator for Dirac fermionic modes is also analytically derivated and compared with the Majorana zero-modes. Experimentally, such non-Abelian braiding operation on Dirac fermionic modes is proposed to be testified through topological electric circuit.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Numerical study of the negative nonlocal resistance and the backflow current in a ballistic graphene system

Besides the giant peak of the nonlocal resistance $R_{NL}$, an anomalous negative value of $R_{NL}$ has been observed in graphene systems, while its formation mechanism is not quite understood yet. In this work, utilizing the non-equilibrium Green's function method, we calculate the local-current flow in an H-shaped non-interacting graphene system locating in the ballistic regime. Similar to the previous conclusions made from the viscous regime, the numerical results show that a local-current vortex appears between the nonlocal measuring terminals, which induces a backflow current and a remarkable negative voltage drop at the probe. Specifically, the stronger the vortex exhibits, the more negative $R_{NL}$ manifests. Besides, a spin-orbital coupling is added as an additional tool to study this exotic vortex, which is not a driving force for the arising vortex at all. Moreover, a breakdown of the nonlocal Wiedemann-Franz law is obtained in this ballistic system, and two experimental criteria are further provided to confirm the existence of this exotic vortex. Notably, a discussion is made that the vortex actually originates from the collision between the flowing current and the boundaries, due to the long electron mean free path and the consequent ballistic transport caused by the specific linear spectrum of graphene.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Andreev spectroscopy of the triplet superconductivity state in Bi/Ni bilayer system

We calculate the Andreev spectroscopy between a ferromagnetic lead and Bi/Ni bilayer system for three types of superconducting states, including ABM state, ABM state mixing with S-wave state, ABM state mixing with pz-wave state. Among them, ABM state and ABM state mixing with S- wave state can obtain the Andreev conductance consistent with the point contact experiment[G. J. Zhao,et al, arXiv:1810.10403], but failed to explain the experiment of time-domain THz spectroscopy experiment[Prashant Chauhan,et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 017002(2019)]. Only the ABM state mixing with pz-wave state can explain both experiments. Besides, we reveal the conductance peak near the zero energy is induced by the surface state of the ABM phase. Our work may provides helpful clarification for understanding of recent experiments.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

3/2 Fractional Quantum Hall Plateau in Confined Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

Even-denominator fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states, such as 5/2 and 7/2, have been well known in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) for decades and are still investigated as candidates of non-Abelian statistics. In this paper, we present the observation of a 3/2 FQH plateau in a single-layer 2DEG with lateral confinement at a bulk filling factor of 5/3. The 3/2 FQH plateau is quantized at (h/e^2 )/(3/2) within 0.02%, and can survive up to 300 mK. This even-denominator FQH plateau may imply intriguing edge structure and excitation in FQH system with lateral confinement. The observations in this work demonstrate that understanding the effect of the lateral confinement on the many-body system is critical in the pursuit of important theoretical proposals involving edge physics, such as the demonstration of non-Abelian statistics and the realization of braiding for fault-tolerant quantum computation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Microscopic theory of in-plane critical field in two-dimensional Ising superconducting systems

We study the in-plane critical magnetic field of two-dimensional Ising superconducting systems, and propose the microscopic theory for these systems with or without inversion symmetry. Protected by certain specific spin-orbit interaction which polarizes the electron spin to the out-of-plane direction, the in-plane critical fields largely surpass the Pauli limit and show remarkable upturn in the zero temperature limit. The impurity scattering and Rashba spin-orbit coupling, treated on equal-footing in the microscopic framework, both weaken the critical field but in qualitatively different manners. The microscopic theory is consistent with recent experimental results in stanene and Pb superconducting ultra-thin films.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Majorana zero modes by engineering topological kink states in two dimensional electron gas

Majorana zero modes (MZMs)--bearing potential applications for topological quantum computing--are verified in quasi-one-dimensional (1D) Fermion systems, including semiconductor nanowires, magnetic atomic chains, planar Josephson junctions. However, the existence of multi-bands in these systems makes the MZMs fragile to the influence of disorder. Moreover, in practical perspective, the proximity induced superconductivity may be difficult and restricted for 1D systems. Here, we propose a flexible route to realize MZMs through 1D topological kink states by engineering a 2D electron gas with antidot lattices, in which both the aforementioned issues can be avoided owing to the robustness of kink states and the intrinsically attainable superconductivity in high-dimensional systems. The MZMs are verified to be quite robust against disorders and the bending of kink states, and can be conveniently tuned by varying the Rashba spin-orbit coupling strength. Our proposal provides an experimental feasible platform for MZMs with systematic manipulability and assembleability based on the present techniques in 2D electron gas system.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗