arXiv subjects

Han Woong Yeom

Publications and source records attributed to Han Woong Yeom.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bound states of exciton condensate

Quantum condensed states in solids often reveal their fundamental nature via interactions with impurities, as epitomized by Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states at magnetic impurities in superconductors. Although analogous YSR bound states were predicted within quantum condensates of excitons several decades ago, their existence has been elusive. Here, we directly visualize in-gap electronic states bound to impurities inside an exciton condensate phase of a van der Waals crystal Ta2Pd3Te5, utilizing scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. We find that the energies of in-gap states are strongly correlated with the excitonic band gap, which is systematically tuned by local strain and carrier injection. Our theoretical analyses reveal that these in-gap states are induced by charge dipoles associated with Ta vacancies through a charge-exciton version of the YSR mechanism. Our findings establish both the YSR physics in exciton condensates and a novel microscopic tool to probe and control quantum properties in exciton condensates persisting up to room temperature.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Exciton photoemission from a ground state of a solid Ta2Pd3Te5

Excitons are bosonic quasiparticles with a variety of applications in optoelectronics, photosyn thesis, and dissipationless informatics, and their lifetime can become sufficiently long to form a quantum condensate. While exciton condensation has been predicted to occur as a ground state of a solid, so called an excitonic insulator, whose material realization has been elusive. Here we report the observation of direct photoemission signals from excitons in a ground state of a very recent excitonic insulator candidate Ta2Pd3Te5 below its metal-insulator transition temperature using orbital-selective angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. It is confirmed that the excitons have a lower energy than the valence band maximum to possibly drive the phase transition. This measurement further discloses the size and the unusual odd parity of the exciton wave function. The present finding opens an avenue toward applications of coherent excitons in solid systems and searching for exotic quantum phases of exciton condensates.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Chiral Pseudogap Metal Emerging from a Disordered van der Waals Mott Insulator 1T-TaS2-xSex

The emergence of a pseudogap is a hallmark of anomalous electronic states formed through substantial manybody interaction but the mechanism of the pseudogap formation and its role in related emerging quantum states such as unconventional superconductivity remain largely elusive. Here, we report the emergence of an unusual pseudogap in a representative van der Waals chiral charge density wave (CDW) materials with strong electron correlation, 1T-TaS2, through isoelectronic substitute of S. We investigate systematically the evolution of electronic band dispersions of 1T-TaS2-xSex (0=<x=<2) using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Our results show that the Se substitution induces a quantum transition from an insulating to a pseudogap metallic phase with the CDW order preserved. Moreover, the asymmetry of the pseudogap spectral function is found, which reflects the chiral nature of CDW structure. The present observation is contrasted with the previous suggestions of a Mott transition driven by band width control or charge transfer. Instead, we attribute the pseudogap phase to a disordered Mott insulator in line with the recent observation of substantial lateral electronic disorder. These findings provide a unique electronic system with chiral pseudogap, where the complex interplay between CDW, chirality, disorder, and electronic correlation may lead to unconventional emergent physics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Emergent Quantum Phenomena of Noncentrosymmetric Charge-Density Wave in 1T-Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

1T-transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have been an exciting platform for exploring the intertwinement of charge density waves and strong correlation phenomena. While the David star structure has been conventionally considered as the underlying charge order in the literature, recent scanning tunneling probe experiments on several monolayer 1T-TMD materials have motivated a new, alternative structure, namely the anion-centered David star structure. In this Letter, we show that this novel anion-centered David star structure manifestly breaks inversion symmetry, resulting in flat bands with pronounced Rashba spin-orbit couplings. These distinctive features unlock novel possibilities and functionalities for 1T-TMDs, including the giant spin Hall effect, the emergence of Chern bands, and spin liquid that spontaneously breaks crystalline rotational symmetry. Our findings establish promising avenues for exploring emerging quantum phenomena of monolayer 1T-TMDs with this novel noncentrosymmetric structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Microscopic Origin of Chiral Charge Density Wave in TiSe2

Chiral charge density wave (CDW) is widely observed in low dimensional systems to be entangled with various emerging phases but its microscopic origin has been elusive. We reinvestigate the representative but debated chiral CDW of TiSe$_{2}$ using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our STM data reveal unambiguously the chiral distortion of the topmost Se layer in domains of opposite chirality, which are interfaced with a novel domain wall. DFT calculations find the atomic structure of the chiral CDW, which has a $C2$ symmetry with the inversion and reflection symmetry broken. The chirality is determined by the helicity of Se-Ti bond distortions and their translation between neighboring layers. The present structure reproduces well the STM images with lower energy than the prevailing non-chiral $P\bar{3}c1$ structure model. Our result provides the atomistic understanding of the CDW chirality in TiSe$_{2}$, which can be referred to in a wide class of monolayer and layered materials with CDW.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Kinkless electronic junction along one dimensional electronic channel

Here we report the formation of type-A and type-B electronic junctions without any structural discontinuity along a well-defined 1-nm-wide one-dimensional electronic channel within a van der Waals layer. We employ scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to investigate the atomic and electronic structure along peculiar domain walls formed on the charge-density-wave phase of 1T-TaS2. We find distinct kinds of abrupt electronic junctions with discontinuities of the band gap along the domain walls, which do not have any structural kinks and defects. Our density-functional calculations reveal a novel mechanism of the electronic junction formation; they are formed by a kinked domain wall in the layer underneath through substantial electronic interlayer coupling. This work demonstrates that the interlayer electronic coupling can be an effective control knob over several-nanometer-scale electronic property of two-dimensional atomic monolayers.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Robust Luttinger liquid state of 1D Dirac fermions in a van der Waals system Nb$_9$Si$_4$Te$_{18}$

We report on the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) behavior in fully degenerate 1D Dirac fermions. A ternary van der Waals material Nb$_9$Si$_4$Te$_{18}$ incorporates in-plane NbTe$_2$ chains, which produce a 1D Dirac band crossing Fermi energy. Tunneling conductance of electrons confined within NbTe2 chains is found to be substantially suppressed at Fermi energy, which follows a power law with a universal temperature scaling, hallmarking a TLL state. The obtained Luttinger parameter of ~0.15 indicates strong electron-electron interaction. The TLL behavior is found to be robust against atomic-scale defects, which might be related to the Dirac electron nature. These findings, as combined with the tunability of the compound and the merit of a van der Waals material, offer a robust, tunable, and integrable platform to exploit non-Fermi liquid physics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Topological soliton molecule in quasi 1D charge density wave

Soliton molecules, bound states of two solitons, can be important for the informatics using solitons and the quest for exotic particles in a wide range of physical systems from unconventional superconductors to nuclear matter and Higgs field, but have been observed only in temporal dimension for classical wave optical systems. Here, we identify a topological soliton molecule formed spatially in an electronic system, a quasi 1D charge density wave of indium atomic wires. This system is composed of two coupled Peierls chains, which are endowed with a Z$_4$ topology and three distinct, right-chiral, left-chiral, and non-chiral, solitons. Our scanning tunneling microscopy measurements identify a bound state of right- and left-chiral solitons with distinct in-gap states and net zero phase shift. Our density functional theory calculations reveal the attractive interaction of these solitons and the hybridization of their electronic states. This result initiates the study of the interaction between solitons in electronic systems, which can provide novel manybody electronic states and extra data-handling capacity beyond the given soliton topology.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Atomic-Scale Tailoring of Chemisorbed Atomic Oxygen on Epitaxial Graphene for Graphene-Based Electronic Devices

Graphene, with its unique band structure, mechanical stability, and high charge mobility, holds great promise for next-generation electronics. Nevertheless, its zero band gap challenges the control of current flow through electrical gating, consequently limiting its practical applications. Recent research indicates that atomic oxygen can oxidize epitaxial graphene in a vacuum without causing unwanted damage. In this study, we have investigated the effects of chemisorbed atomic oxygen on the electronic properties of epitaxial graphene, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Our findings reveal that oxygen atoms effectively modify the electronic states of graphene, resulting in a band gap at its Dirac point. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is possible to selectively induce desorption or hopping of oxygen atoms with atomic precision by applying appropriate bias sweeps with an STM tip. These results suggest the potential for atomic-scale tailoring of graphene oxide, enabling the development of graphene-based atomic-scale electronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Mobile Kink Solitons in a Van der Waals Charge-Density-Wave Layer

Kinks, point-like geometrical defects along dislocations, domain walls, and DNA, are stable and mobile, as solutions of a sine-Gordon wave equation. While they are widely investigated for crystal deformations and domain wall motions, electronic properties of individual kinks have received little attention. In this work, electronically and topologically distinct kinks are discovered along electronic domain walls in a correlated van der Waals insulator of 1$T$-TaS$_2$. Mobile kinks and antikinks are identified as trapped by pinning defects and imaged in scanning tunneling microscopy. Their atomic structures and in-gap electronic states are unveiled, which are mapped approximately into Su-Schrieffer-Heeger solitons. The twelve-fold degeneracy of the domain walls in the present system guarantees an extraordinarily large number of distinct kinks and antikinks to emerge. Such large degeneracy together with the robust geometrical nature may be useful for handling multilevel information in van der Waals materials architectures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Realizing a Superconducting Square-Lattice Bismuth Monolayer

Interplay of crystal symmetry, strong spin$-$orbit coupling (SOC), and many-body interactions in low dimensional materials provides a fertile ground for the discovery of unconventional electronic and magnetic properties and versatile functionalities. Two-dimensional (2D) allotropes of group 15 elements are appealing due to their structures and controllability over symmetries and topology under strong SOC. Here, we report the heteroepitaxial growth of a proximity-induced superconducting 2D square-lattice bismuth monolayer on superconducting Pb films. The square lattice of monolayer bismuth films in a $C_4$ symmetry together with a stripey moiré structure is clearly resolved by our scanning tunneling microscopy and its atomic structure is revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A Rashba-type spin-split Dirac band is predicted by DFT calculations to exist at the Fermi level and becomes superconducting through the proximity effect from the Pb substrate. We suggest the possibility of a topological superconducting state in this system with magnetic dopants/field. This work introduces an intriguing material platform with 2D Dirac bands, strong SOC, topological superconductivity, and the moiré superstructure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Z3 Charge Density Wave of Silicon Atomic Chains on a Vicinal Silicon Surface

An ideal one-dimensional electronic system is formed along atomic chains on Au-decorated vicinal silicon surfaces but the nature of its low temperature phases has been puzzled for last two decades. Here, we unambiguously identify the low temperature structural distortion of this surface using high resolution atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. The most important structural ingredient of this surface, the step-edge Si chains are found to be strongly buckled, every third atoms down, forming trimer unitcells. This observation is consistent with the recent model of rehybridized dangling bonds and rules out the antiferromagnetic spin ordering proposed earlier. The spectroscopy and electronic structure calculation indicate a charge density wave insulator with a Z3 topology making it possible to exploit topological phases and excitations. Tunneling current was found to substantially lower the energy barrier between three degenerate CDW states, which induces a dynamically fluctuating CDW at very low temperature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Creation and annihilation of mobile fractional solitons in atomic chains

Localized modes in one dimensional topological systems, such as Majonara modes in topological superconductors, are promising platforms for robust information processing. In one dimensional topological insulators, mobile topological solitons are expected but have not been fully realized yet. We discover fractionalized phase defects moving along trimer silicon atomic chains formed along step edges of a vicinal silicon surface. Tunneling microscopy identifies local defects with phase shifts of 2π/3 and 4π/3 with their electronic states within the band gap and with their motions activated above 100 K. Theoretical calculations reveal the topological soliton origin of the phase defects with fractional charges of {\pm}2e/3 and {\pm}4e/3. An individual soliton can be created and annihilated at a desired location by current pulse from the probe tip. Mobile and manipulatable topological solitons discovered here provide a new platform of robustly-protected informatics with extraordinary functionalities.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Atomistic origin of metal versus charge-density-wave phase separation in indium atomic wires on Si(111)

We investigate in atomic scale the electronic phase separation occurring in the well known quasi 1D charge-density wave (CDW) phase of the In atomic wire array on a Si(111) surface. The characteristic atomic scale defects, originated from excess In atoms, are found to be actively involved in the formation of the phase boundary between the metallic and the CDW phases by extensive analysis of scanning tunneling microscopy images at various temperatures. These particular defects flip the phase of the quasi 1D CDW to impose strong local constraints in the CDW correlation. We show that such local constraints and the substantial interwire CDW interaction induce local condensates of CDW and the phase separation between the metallic and the CDW phases. This work unveils the atomistic origin of the electronic phase separation, highlighting the importance of atomic scale structures of defects and their collective interaction in electronically inhomogeneous materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Detecting photoelectrons from spontaneously formed excitons

Excitons, quasiparticles of electrons and holes bound by Coulombic attraction, are created transiently by light and play an important role in optoelectronics, photovoltaics and photosynthesis. While they are also predicted to form spontaneously in a small gap semiconductor or a semimetal, leading to a Bose-Einstein condensate at low temperature, their material realization has been elusive without any direct evidence. Here we detect the direct photoemission signal from spontaneously formed excitons in a debated excitonic insulator candidate Ta2NiSe5. Our symmetry-selective angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals a characteristic excitonic feature above the transition temperature, which provides detailed properties of excitons such as anisotropic Bohr radius. The present result evidences so called preformed excitons and guarantees the excitonic insulator nature of Ta2NiSe5 at low temperature. Direct photoemission can be an important tool to characterize steady-state excitons.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Distinguishing a Mott Insulator from a Trivial Insulator with Atomic Adsorbates

In an electronic system with various interactions intertwined, revealing the origin of its many-body ground state is challenging and a direct experimental way to verify the correlated nature of an insulator has been lacking. Here we demonstrate a way to unambiguously distinguish a paradigmatic correlated insulator, a Mott insulator, from a trivial band insulator based on their distinct chemical behavior for a surface adsorbate using 1T-TaS2, which has been debated between a spin-frustrated Mott insulator or a spin-singlet trivial insulator. We start from the observation of different sizes of spectral gaps on different surface terminations and show that potassium adatoms on these two surface layers behave in totally different ways. This can be straightforwardly understood from distinct properties of a Mott and a band insulators due to the fundamental difference of a half and a full-filled orbital involved respectively. This work not only solves an outstanding problem in this particularly interesting material but also provides a simple touchstone to identify the correlated ground state of electrons experimentally.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Dual nature of localized phase defects in the In/Si(111) atomic wire array: impurities and short topological solitons

We demonstrate the existence of atomically-sized topological solitons in a quasi one-dimensional charge density wave system: indium atomic wires on Si(111). Performing joint scanning tunneling microscopy and density-functional calculations, we show that the Si(111)-(8x2)In surface features two conceptually different types of abrupt phase flip structures. One is caused by In adatoms and is, hence, non-solitonic in nature. The other one is an abrupt left-chiral soliton.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Atomic structures and electronic correlation of monolayer 1T-TaSe2

We investigate atomic and electronic structures of monolayer 1T-TaSe2 using density functional theory calculations. Monolayers of 1T-TaSe2 were recently grown on graphene substrates and suggested as an intriguing Mott insulator [Nat. Phys. 16, 218 (2020)]. However, the prevailing structural model for the model system of 1T-TaS2, the cation-centered cluster of a David-star shape with strong electron correlation, could not explain the characteristic and unusual orbital splitting observed in scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments. We suggest an alternative structure model, an anion-centered cluster structure, which can reproduce most of the unusual spectroscopic characteristics with electron doping from the substrate without electron correlation. The unusual spectroscopic features observed, thus, seems to indicate a simple and usual band insulating state. This work indicates the importance of a large structural degree of freedom given for a cluster Mott insulator.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗