arXiv subjects

Hou-Jian Duan

Publications and source records attributed to Hou-Jian Duan.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

RKKY interaction as a probe of valley-dependent spin splitting and odd-parity nature in Floquet collinear magnets

Odd-parity magnets were recently proposed to emerge in collinear antiferromagnets (AFMs) via Floquet engineering, with valley-dependent spin splitting underlying the odd-parity spin polarization. This proposal brings about two key challenges: detecting the spin splitting to verify the generation mechanism of these magnets, and identifying such polarization to confirm the odd-parity nature. Here, we show that the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction provides a unified magnetic probe for both tasks. Taking collinear $f$-wave magnets as a representative example, we find that the RKKY interaction yields distinct magnetic signals of the spin splitting---including a magnetism reversal in the Heisenberg/Ising terms and a sign alternation of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) term---that enable clear discrimination of collinear $f$-wave magnets from other related AFMs. Moreover, the DM term exhibits an $f$-wave shape with odd-parity symmetry, satisfying $J^{αβ}_{DM}(\mathbf{R}) = -J^{αβ}_{DM}(C_{2q}\mathbf{R})$ ($q=3$), which directly reflects the odd-parity spin polarization $S_z(\mathbf{k}) = -S_z(C_{2q}\mathbf{k})$ in momentum space. This behavior persists in $p$-wave magnets ($q=1$), demonstrating the generality of our approach. Our work establishes the RKKY interaction as a versatile probe for detecting band features of collinear odd-parity magnets, with predictions accessible to existing experimental techniques such as spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

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arXiv2026

RKKY signatures as a probe for intrinsic magnetism and AI/QAH phase discrimination in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ films

We present a systematic study of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ films under both dark and illuminated conditions. In the dark, the intrinsic magnetism of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ is shown to yield a stronger anisotropic RKKY spin model compared to nonmagnetic topological insulators, providing a clear signature for differentiating these systems. Furthermore, key band properties -- such as energy gap, band degeneracy/splitting, and topological deformations of the Fermi surface -- imprint distinct signatures on the RKKY interaction, enabling clear discrimination between axion insulators (AI) and quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators in even- and odd-septuple-layer (SL) films. This discrimination manifests in multiple ways: through the Fermi-energy dependence or spatial oscillations of the interaction for impurities on the same surface, or via the presence versus absence of spin-frustrated terms for those on different surfaces. Under off-resonant circularly polarized light, additional phase-transition-related fingerprints also emerge to distinguish these two phases, such as sign reversals of spin-frustrated terms in even-SL films versus chirality-selective double-dip structures of collinear RKKY components in odd-SL films. Overall, this work establishes RKKY interactions as a sensitive magnetic probe for distinguishing between AI phase (even-SL) and QAH phase (odd-SL), thereby complementing conventional electrical measurements while providing new insights into the influence of intrinsic magnetism on the surface-state band structure.

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arXiv2026

Néel vector and Rashba SOC effects on RKKY interaction in 2D $d$-wave altermagnets

Altermagnets possess two key features: non-relativistic alternating spin splitting (i.e., altermagnetism) and a material-dependent Néel vector. The former naturally coexists with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in real materials on substrates, prompting the question of how SOC affects the magnetic properties of altermagnets. The latter is crucial for information storage, making it essential to determine its orientation. To address these issues, we study the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction in two-dimensional (2D) $d$-wave altermagnets by independently varying the Néel vector orientation and the SOC strength. Our results demonstrate that the Néel vector orientation can be accurately determined via the Ising term without SOC, or qualitatively inferred via the DM terms with SOC. Moreover, we observe a novel Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) component distinct from previous reports, whose emergence is attributed to the synergy between altermagnetism and SOC. Additionally, through tuning SOC strength, we reveal the evolution of the RKKY spin models governed by five distinct mechanisms: the spin model may be determined solely by altermagnetism, solely by SOC, or solely by the kinetic term; alternatively, altermagnetism may coincidentally yield the same moderately anisotropic spin model as SOC, or compete with SOC to produce a spin model with maximal anisotropy. Beyond SOC strength, which mechanism operates also relies on the Néel vector orientation and impurity configurations. All results are numerically verified. These findings -- which were inaccessible in prior studies due to the limitations of first-order SOC expansion and fixed Néel vector orientation -- provide important new insights into the magnetic properties of altermagnets.

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arXiv2025

Nonlinear Layer Hall Effect and Detection of the Hidden Berry Curvature Dipole in $\mathcal{PT}$-Symmetric Antiferromagnetic Insulators

Recent experimental and theoretical studies have revealed the emergence of a linear layer Hall effect (LHE) induced by hidden Berry curvature in \textrm{MnBi}$_{2}$\textrm{Te}$_{4}$ thin films. This phenomenon underscores the layer degree of freedom as a novel mechanism for generating Hall transport in layered materials, providing a new pathway to probe and manipulate the internal structure of fully compensated topological antiferromagnets (AFMs). In this work, we predict a nonlinear LHE in $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric layered AFMs, which manifests as a detectable nonlinear Hall conductivity even with respect to the AFM order and odd with respect to the vertical electric field, in contrast to the linear LHE. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the nonlinear Hall currents induced by the hidden BCD and quantum metric dipole (QMD) obey distinct symmetries and flow in different directions. Our proposed nonlinear LHE establishes an experimentally advantageous framework for exclusively probing the hidden BCD quantum geometry.

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arXiv2025

Anisotropy-induced collapse of Landau levels in Weyl semimetals and its detection via the planar Hall effect

The planar Hall effect (PHE) is a powerful tool for characterizing Weyl semimetals (WSMs). Here, we inves- tigate the PHE in general anisotropic WSMs under strong magnetic fields. We analytically derive the Landau levels (LLs) and their wavefunctions using the Bogoliubov transformation, where the tilt vector, anisotropic axis of the Fermi velocity, and the magnetic field can be oriented in arbitrary directions. Notably, due to the interaction with the magnetic field and the anisotropy of the Fermi velocity, the component of the tilt vector perpendicular to the magnetic field can induce a tilt in the LLs parallel to the magnetic field. Our analytical re- sults show that the LLs do not collapse in type-I WSMs but must collapse in type-II WSMs when the magnetic field is vertical to the tilt vector. More importantly, we demonstrate that the magnetotransport signal of the LL collapse, which manifests as significant enhancement and quantum oscillations in the longitudinal and planar Hall conductivities simultaneously, can be used to identify the phase transition from type-I to type-II WSMs.

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arXiv2024

Modulation of chiral anomaly and bilinear magnetoconductivity in Weyl semimetals by impurity-resonance states

The phenomenon of nonlinear transport has attracted tremendous interest within the condensed matter community. We present a theoretical framework for nonlinear transport based on the nonequilibrium retarded Green's function, and examine the impact of disorder on nonlinear magnetotransport in Weyl semimetals (WSMs). It is demonstrated that bilinear magnetoconductivity can be induced in disordered WSMs by several mechanisms, including impurity-induced tilting of the Weyl cones, Lorentz-force-induced normal orbital magnetic moment, and chiral anomaly arising from the Berry-curvature-induced anomalous orbital magnetic moment. Additionally, we observe that the localization of Weyl fermions by impurity scattering will lead to resonant dips in both the chiral chemical potential and magnetoconductivity when the Fermi energy approaches the impurity resonance states. Our findings offer a theoretical proposition for modulating nonreciprocal transport in topological semimetals.

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arXiv2024

RKKY signals characterizing the topological phase transitions in Floquet Dirac semimetals

Recently, the Floquet ${\rm Na_3Bi}$-type material has been proposed as an ideal platform for realizing various phases, i.e., the spin-degenerate Dirac semimetal (DSM) can be turned into the Weyl semimetal (WSM), and even to the Weyl half-metal (WHM). Instead of the conventional electrical methods, we use the RKKY interaction to characterize the topological phase transitions in this paper. It is found that detecting the Ising term $J_I$ is feasible for distinguishing the phase transition of DSM/WSM, since the emergence of $J_I$ is induced by the broken spin degeneracy. For the case with impurities deposited on $z$ axis (the line connecting the Weyl points), the Heisenberg term $J_H$ coexists with $J_I$ in the WSM, while $J_H$ is filtered out and only $J_I$ survives in the WHM. This magnetic filtering effect is a reflection of the fully spin-polarized property (one spin band is in the WSM phase while the other is gapped) of the WHM, and it can act a signal to capture the phase transition of WSM/WHM. This signal can not be disturbed unless the direction of the impurities greatly deviates from $z$ axis. Interestingly, as the impurities are moved into the $x$-$y$ plane, there arises another signal (a dip structure for $J_H$ at the phase boundary), which can also identify the phase transition of WSM/WHM. Furthermore, we have verified that all magnetic signals are robust to the term that breaks the electron-hole symmetry. Besides characterizing the phase transitions, our results also suggest that the Floquet DSMs are power platforms for controlling the magnetic interaction.

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arXiv2023

Quantum Hall effect in topological Dirac semimetals modulated by the Lifshitz transition of the Fermi arc surface states

We investigate the magnetotransport of topological Dirac semimetals (DSMs) by taking into account the Lifshitz transition of the Fermi arc surface states. We demonstrate that a bulk momentum-dependent gap term, which is usually neglected in study of the bulk energy-band topology, can cause the Lifshitz transition by developing an additional Dirac cone for the surface to prevent the Fermi arcs from connecting the bulk Dirac points. As a result, the Weyl orbits can be turned off by the surface Dirac cone without destroying the bulk Dirac points. In response to the surface Lifshitz transition, the Weyl-orbit mechanism for the 3D quantum Hall effect (QHE) in topological DSMs will break down. The resulting quantized Hall plateaus can be thickness-dependent, similar to the Weyl-orbit mechanism, but their widths and quantized values become irregular. Accordingly, we propose that apart from the bulk Weyl nodes and Fermi arcs, the surface Lifshitz transition is also crucial for realizing stable Weyl orbits and 3D QHE in real materials.

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arXiv2022

Indirect magnetic signals mediated by a single surface band in Weyl semimetals

Recently, abundant transport phenomena characterizing the surface states of Weyl semimetals (WSMs) have been reported. To generate these phenomena, electrons have to complete a closed intersurface orbit. Due to the unavoidable impurities in real materials, this orbit would be destroyed by the impurity scattering, which limits the detection of the surface states in WSMs. Here, we investigate the RKKY interaction between magnetic impurities, solely mediated by a single surface band, in semi-infinite WSMs. It is found that peculiar oscillations and slowly decaying laws of the RKKY interaction can act as the signals to capture the dispersive nature of the surface states of WSMs. The underlying physics is attributed to two effects: the band-edge effect and the bending effect of the surface band, which can control the RKKY interaction individually or compete with each other to produce more complex magnetic behaviors. In addition, the band-edge effect together with the finite Fermi energy would result in another interesting oscillation with battering pattern. All the results are significantly different from that in previous literatures where surface states have to couple with bulk states (or other surface states of different spins) to generate nonzero magnetic interaction. Compared to the previous models of surface states, the model here is more practical and is helpful for the deeper understanding of the surface magnetic properties in WSMs.

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arXiv2022

The prolonged decay of RKKY interactions by interplay of relativistic and non-relativistic electrons in semi-Dirac semimetals

The Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction has been extensively explored in isotropic Dirac systems with linear dispersion, which typically follows an exponent decaying rate with the impurity distance $R$, i.e., $J\propto 1/R^d$ ($1/R^{2d-1}$) in $d$-dimensional systems at finite (zero) Fermi energy. This fast decay makes it rather difficult to be detected and limits its application in spintronics. Here, we theoretically investigate the influence of anisotropic dispersion on the RKKY interaction, and find that the introduction of non-relativistic dispersion in semi-Dirac semimetals (S-DSMs) can significantly prolong the decay of the RKKY interaction and can remarkably enhance the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction around the relativistic direction. The underlying physics is attributed to the highly increased density of states in the linear-momentum direction as a result of the interplay of relativistic and non-relativistic electrons. Furthermore, we propose a general formula to determine the decaying rate of the RKKY interaction, extending the typical formula for isotropic DSMs. Our results suggest that the S-DSM materials are a powerful platform to detect and control the magnetic exchange interaction, superior to extensively adopted isotropic Dirac systems.

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arXiv2021

Non-linear antidamping spin-orbit torque originating from intra-band transport on the warped surface of a topological insulator

Motivated by recent experiments observing a large antidamping spin-orbit torque (SOT) on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator, we investigate the origin of the current-induced SOT beyond linear-response theory. We find that a strong antidamping SOT arises from intraband transitions in non-linear response, and does not require interband transitions as is the case in linear transport mechanisms. The joint effect of warping and an in-plane magnetization generates a non-linear antidamping SOT which can exceed the intrinsic one by several orders of magnitude, depending on warping parameter and the position of Fermi energy, and exhibits a complex dependence on the azimuthal angle of the magnetization. This nonlinear SOT provides an alternative explanation of the observed giant SOT in recent experiments.

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arXiv2020

Electrically tunable Kondo effect as a direct measurement of the chiral anomaly in disorder Weyl semimetals

We propose a mechanism to directly measure the chiral anomaly in disorder Weyl semimetals (WSMs) by the Kondo effect. We find that in a magnetic and electric field driven WSM, the locations of the Kondo peaks can be modulated by the chiral chemical potential, which is proportional to $\mathbf{E}\cdot \mathbf{B}$. The Kondo peaks come from spin fluctuations within the impurities, which apart from the temperature, relate closely to the host's Fermi level. In WSMs, the chiral-anomaly-induced chirality population imbalance will shift the local Fermi levels of the paired Weyl valleys toward opposite directions in energy, and then affects the Kondo effect. Consequently, the Kondo effect can be tunable by an external electric field via the chiral chemical potential. This is unique to the chiral anomaly. Base on this, we argue that the electrically tunable Kondo effect can serve as a direct measurement of the chiral anomaly in WSMs. The Kondo peaks are robust against the disorder effect and therefore, the signal of the chiral anomaly survives for a relatively weak magnetic field.

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arXiv2019

Photoninduced Weyl half-metal phase and spin filter effect from topological Dirac semimetals

Recently discovered Dirac semimetals (DSMs) with two Dirac nodes, such as Na$_{3}$Bi and Cd$_{2}$As$_{3}$, are regarded to carry the $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ topological charge in addition to the chiral charge. Here, we study the Floquet phase transition of $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ topological DSMs subjected to a beam of circularly polarized light. Due to the resulting interplay of the chiral and $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ charges, the Weyl nodes are not only chirality-dependent but also spin-dependent, which constrains the behaviors in creation and annihilation of the Weyl nodes in pair. Interestingly, we find a novel phase: One spinband is in Weyl semimetal phase while the other spinband is in insulator phase, and we dub it Weyl half-metal (WHM) phase. We further study the spin-dependent transport in a Dirac-Weyl semimetal junction and find a spin filter effect as a fingerprint of existence of the WHM phase. The proposed spin filter effect, based on the WHM bulk band, is highly tunable in a broad parameter regime and robust against magnetic disorder, which is expected to overcome the shortcomings of the previously proposed spin filter based on the topological edge/surface states. Our results offer a unique opportunity to explore the potential applications of topological DSMs in spintronics.

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arXiv2019

Quantum-oscillation-modulated angular dependences of the positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity and planar Hall effect in Weyl semimetals

We study the positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC) and planar Hall effect as emergent effects of the chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals, following a recent-developed theory by integrating the Landau quantization with Boltzmann equation. It is found that, in the weak magnetic field regime, the LMC and planar Hall conductivity (PHC) obey $\cos^{6}θ$ and $\cos^{5}θ\sin θ$ dependences on the angle $θ$ between the magnetic and electric fields. For higher magnetic fields, the LMC and PHC cross over to $\cos^{2}θ$ and $\cosθ\sinθ$ dependences, respectively. Interestingly, the PHC could exhibit quantum oscillations with varying $θ$, due to the periodic-in-$1/B$ oscillations of the chiral chemical potential. When the magnetic and electric fields are noncollinear, the LMC and PHC will deviate from the classical $B$-quadratic dependence, even in the weak magnetic field regime.

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arXiv2017

Transport theory for electrical detection of the spin texture and spin-momentum locking of topological surface states

The surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators exhibit a helical spin texture with spin locked to momentum. To date, however, the direct all-electrical detection of the helical spin texture has remained elusive owing to the lack of necessary spin-sensitive measurements. We here provide a general theory for spin polarized transports of helical Dirac electrons through spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). It is found that different from conventional magnetic materials, the tunneling conductance through the TI surface acquires an extra component determined by the in-plane spin texture, exclusively associated with spin momentum locking. Importantly, this extra conductance unconventionally depends on the spatial azimuthal angle of the magnetized STM tip, which is never carried out in previous STM theory. By magnetically doping to break the symmetry of rotation and time reversal of the TI surface, we find that the measurement of the spatial resolved conductance can reconstruct the helical structure of spin texture. Furthermore, one can extract the SML angle if the in-plane magnetization is induced purely by the spin-orbit coupling of surface Dirac elections. Our theory offers an alternative way, rather than using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy, to electrical identify the helical spin texture on TI surfaces.

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arXiv2017

Signature of topological phase transition in the RKKY interaction of silicene

Silicene offers an ideal platform for exploring the phase transition due to strong spin-orbit interaction and its unique structure with strong tunability. With applied electric field and circularly polarized light, siliccene is predicted to exhibit rich phases. We propose that these intricate phase transitions can be detected by measuring the bulk Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction. We have in detail analyzed the dependence of RKKY interaction on phase parameters for different impurity configurations along zigzag direction. Importantly, we present an interesting comparison between different terms of RKKY interaction with phase diagram. It is found that the in-plane and out-of-plane terms can exhibit the local extreme value or change of sign at the phase critical point and remarkable difference in magnitude for different phase regions. Consequently, the magnetic measurement provides unambiguous signatures to identify various types of phase transition simultaneously, which can be carried out with present technique.

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