arXiv subjects

James Jun He

Publications and source records attributed to James Jun He.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Nonreciprocal Superconducting Transport from Chiral Edge States

Nonreciprocal superconducting transport enables dissipationless rectification and has attracted considerable interest, yet its microscopic origin is typically sought in bulk electronic states. Here, we show that boundary-controlled chiral edge states in topological systems provide a simple yet largely overlooked mechanism for nonreciprocal superconducting transport. Focusing on chiral kagome antiferromagnets, we demonstrate that out-of-plane spin canting or spin-orbit coupling opens a high-Chern-number bulk gap, giving rise to multiple chiral edge modes. Strikingly, sublattice-dependent boundary termination selects a single-valley character for the edge states, leading to asymmetric edge spectra at opposite edges. This boundary asymmetry directly yields observable nonreciprocal signatures in Josephson junctions oriented transverse to the edges, including asymmetric Andreev spectra, Josephson diode effect, and anomalous Fraunhofer interference patterns. These findings broaden the microscopic understanding of superconducting nonreciprocity and highlight boundary engineering as a tunable route toward superconducting diode devices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Strong Correlation Drives Zero-Field Josephson Diode Effect

The supercurrent diode effect (SDE), characterized by unequal critical currents in opposite directions, has been observed with or without magnetic fields, yet mechanisms enabling zero-field SDE without explicit symmetry breaking remain underexplored. Here we investigate a Josephson junction with strong electron-electron interaction modeled by a Hubbard $U$ term and an odd number of electrons. We find that strong correlations induce spontaneous breaking of time-reversal and mirror symmetries, forming a $φ$-junction with degenerate energy minima at $\pmφ$, resulting in zero-field Josephson diode effect (JDE) without magnetic order. Spin-orbit coupling breaks SU(2) symmetry but does not determine diode polarity, contrasting with magneto-chiral mechanisms. We further show that applying a tiny Zeeman field enables controllable JDE with sizable efficiency due to the enhancement by the strong magnetic correlation, and the JDE strength peaks when the field induces a level-crossing transition. These findings establish strong electron correlation as a distinct mechanism for nonreciprocal superconducting transport, broadening the understanding of SDE origins.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Directional-dependent Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition at EuO/KTaO$_3$(111) interfaces

In two dimensions, a phase-coherent superconducting state is established via a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition, whose critical temperature $T_{\rm BKT}$ is determined by the global superfluid stiffness in uniform superconducting systems. We report that at the interface between (111)-oriented KTaO$_3$ and ferromagnetic EuO, the two-dimensional superconducting state exhibits a BKT transition relying on the direction of in-plane bias current. The highest $T_{\rm BKT}$ occurs when current is applied along one of the [11$\bar{2}$] axes of KTaO$_3$, underscoring a spontaneous breaking of the threefold lattice rotational symmetry. Such directional dependence of $T_{\rm BKT}$ is consistently reflected in the nonreciprocal signals stemming from superconducting fluctuations above the transition. We attribute this phenomenon to an interfacial phase segregation; the phase with higher $T_{\rm BKT}$ self-organizes into quasi-one-dimensional textures that stretch along one of the [11$\bar{2}$] directions. Our results point toward the emergence of exotic phases of matter beyond the description of conventional BKT physics at a superconducting interface that is subjected to ferromagnetic proximity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Dual-mode superconducting diode effect enabled by in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic field

The discovery of the superconducting diode effect (SDE) has been cherished as a milestone in developing superconducting electronics. Tremendous efforts are being dedicated to realizing SDE in a wide variety of material platforms. Despite the diversity in the hosting materials and device designs, SDE is usually operated in a single mode which is enabled by either out-of-plane or in-plane magnetic field/magnetization. In this work, we report the realization of a dual-mode SDE in 2H-$\mathrm{NbS_2}$/2H-$\mathrm{NbSe_2}$ heterostructures where both the out-of-plane magnetic field $B_{\perp}$ and in-plane magnetic field $B_{||}$ can independently generate and manipulate SDE. The two modes share similar diode efficiency but differ in two aspects: 1. $B_{\perp}$-induced SDE is activated by a field on the order of 1 mT while $B_{||}$-induced SDE requires a field on the order of 100 mT; 2. $η$ of $B_{\perp}$-induced SDE exhibits a square-root like temperature dependence while $η$ of $B_{||}$-induced SDE takes a more linear-like one. We demonstrate that the dual-mode SDE is most likely a result of mirror symmetry breaking along multiple orientations. Thanks to the two orders difference in the operational field for the two modes, we propose a dual-functionality device scheme to showcase the potential of the dual-mode SDE in realizing advanced superconducting architecture, where fast polarity-switching functionality is implemented with $B_{\perp}$-induced SDE and high-fidelity functionality is enabled with $B_{\perp}$-induced SDE.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Space-time Supercrystals from Non-Abelian Electric Translation Symmetries

Electronic supercrystals can form in spatial or temporal dimensions where traditional mechanisms usually require many-body interactions, such as Wigner crystals or discrete time crystals. We propose a novel approach for electronic supercrystals in 1+1D without requiring many-body interactions, but arising from the competition between characteristic space-time areas in periodically driven Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattices under electric fields. Utilizing the non-Abelian dynamical symmetries described by the electric translation group, the area competition is characterized by fractal spectra and replicated bands, furnished with eigenstates crystallized in enlarged space-time unit cells forming space-time supercrystals under perturbations. We also report robust dynamical localization of electrons arising from the static topology of the SSH lattice.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2024

Microscopic study of supercurrent diode effect in chiral nanotubes

Nonreciprocity of supercurrents may exist when both spatial inversion and time-reversal symmetries are broken, leading to the supercurrent diode effect (SDE). The spatial inversion symmetry may be broken by chiral structures in nanotubes where the SDE is expected when a magnetic flux passes through the tube. While such an effect has been predicted based on a phenomenological theory, a microscopic and quantitative study with a concrete lattice model is missing. Here, we investigate the SDE in chiral nanotubes made of carbon and those made of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) with tight-binding models. We obtain the SDE efficiency as a function of the nanotube radius, the chiral angle, the magnetic flux, the temperature, the chemical potential, etc., and find that sign flipping happens in various parameter dependencies. In TMD nanotubes, the SDEs with and without the spin-orbit coupling are compared. We also simulate CNTs made from square lattice materials for comparison and discuss the effects of strains. Besides qualitative consistency with previous phenomenological theory, new features are found and the microscopic origins are clarified.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Optical response of edge modes in time-reversal symmetric topological superconductors

Topological superconductors and Majorana edge modes at their boundaries have been theoretically predicted. However, their experimental observation remains controversial. Recent theoretical studies suggest that chiral Majorana edge modes exhibit distinct spatially-resolved optical conductivity compared to chiral Dirac edge modes. In this work, we investigate the optical conductivity and spatially-resolved optical conductivity induced by Majorana edge modes and Dirac edge modes under time-reversal symmetry and crystalline symmetry. We conduct numerical calculations and analytical calculations with edge effective theory for two-dimensional ${\mathbb Z}_2$ topological insulators, strong topological superconductors, and topological crystalline superconductors. Our results show that even under time-reversal symmetry and crystalline symmetry, Majorana edge modes and Dirac edge modes exhibit different optical responses.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Spin Signature of Majorana Fermions in Topological Nodal-Point Superconductors

In two-dimensional topological nodal superconductors, Majorana edge states have been conventionally believed to exhibit only spin-triplet pairing correlations. However, we reveal a substantial spin-singlet pairing component in Majorana edge states of antiferromagnetic topological nodal-point superconductors. This unexpected phenomenon emerges from the interplay between antiferromagnetic order and symmetry, resulting in Majorana edge states with a nearly flat band dispersion, deviating from the strictly flat band. Crucially, this phenomenon is detectable through spin-selective Andreev reflection, where the zero-bias conductance peaks are maximized when the spin of incident electrons is nearly antiparallel to that of Majorana edge excitations. This discovery unveils a unique spin signature for Andreev reflection resonances, advancing our fundamental understanding of spin-dependent mechanisms in topological superconductivity and representing a significant step towards the experimental detection of Majorana fermions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

A phenomenological theory of superconductor diodes

We study theoretically the superconductor diodes, where the magnitude of the critical current changes as the direction is reversed, in terms of a generalized Ginzburg-Landau model with the higher-order terms in the momentum of the order parameter. This theory is applied to Rashba spin-orbit coupled systems, where analytical relations between the nonreciprocal critical currents and the system parameters are achieved. Numerical calculations with mean-field theory are also obtained to study broader parameter regions. These results offer a rather general description and design principles of superconductor diodes.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Inter-band optical transitions of helical Majorana edge modes in topological superconductors

The search for evidence of Majorana states on the edges of topological superconductors (TSCs) is challenging due to the difficulty of detecting such charge-neutral electronic quasiparticles. Local microwave spectroscopy has been shown to be a possible method to detect propagating Majorana modes, where a spatially focused light beam must be used. Here, we show that helical Majorana modes in TSCs allow inter-band transitions and thus contribute to optical conductivity under a spatially uniform light. The existence of such a signal requires the system to break certain symmetries so that the projection of the charge current operator onto helical Majorana edge states leads to inter-band hybridization terms. The general form of this contribution under a tunable time-reversal breaking field is derived, which is valid in the sub-gap low-frequency regime where the edge energy spectrum is linear, and numerical results are obtained in three TSC models, showing remarkable consistency with the analytical prediction. In comparison, the current operator for normal helical edge states, such as in quantum spin Hall insulators, does not cause inter-band transitions and the related optical conductivity vanishes unless the time-reversal symmetry is broken. Our results may help guide feasible experiments to provide evidence of Majorana edge modes in TSCs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

The supercurrent diode effect and nonreciprocal paraconductivity due to the chiral structure of nanotubes

The research interest in the supercurrent diode effect (SDE) has been growing. It has been found in various kinds of systems, in a large part of which it may be understood by combining spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman field. Here, we show that there exists another mechanism of generating SDE in chiral nanotubes that trap magnetic fluxes, without spin-orbit coupling or Zeeman field. We further show that the same generalized Ginzburg-Landau theory leads to nonreciprocal paraconductivity (NPC) near the transition temperature. The main features of both the SDE and the NPC are revealed by their parameter dependence. Our study suggests a new kind of platforms to explore nonreciprocal properties of superconducting materials. It also provides a theoretical link between the SDE and the NPC, which were often studied separately.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Higher-Order Weyl-Exceptional-Ring Semimetals

For first-order topological semimetals, non-Hermitian perturbations can drive the Weyl nodes into Weyl exceptional rings having multiple topological structures and no Hermitian counterparts. Recently, it was discovered that higher-order Weyl semimetals, as a novel class of higher-order topological phases, can uniquely exhibit coexisting surface and hinge Fermi arcs. However, non-Hermitian higher-order topological semimetals have not yet been explored. Here, we identify a new type of topological semimetals, i.e, a higher-order topological semimetal with Weyl exceptional rings. In such a semimetal, these rings are characterized by both a spectral winding number and a Chern number. Moreover, the higher-order Weyl-exceptional-ring semimetal supports both surface and hinge Fermi-arc states, which are bounded by the projection of the Weyl exceptional rings onto the surface and hinge, respectively. Noticeably, the dissipative terms can cause the coupling of two exceptional rings with opposite topological charges, so as to induce topological phase transitions. Our studies open new avenues for exploring novel higher-order topological semimetals in non-Hermitian systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Local Raman Spectroscopy of Chiral Majorana Edge Modes in Kitaev Spin Liquids and Topological Superconductors

The Raman scattering with local optical excitation from the Majorana edge modes of Kitaev spin liquids and topological superconductors is studied theoretically. Although the effective one-dimensional model is common between these two cases, the coupling to the electromagnetic field is different. It is found that the Raman spectrum at low energy scales with $ω^3$ in Kitaev spin liquids while it shows the gap in topological superconductors. This is in sharp contrast to the infrared absorption, where the spectrum shows the gap in Kitaev spin liquids, while it behaves as $\sim ω^2$ in topological superconductors. This indicates that the electrodynamics of Majorana edge modes depends on their higher-dimensional origins. The realistic estimate of the Raman scattering intensity is given for $α$-RuCl$_3$ as the candidate for Kitaev spin liquid.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Optical Responses of Chiral Majorana Edge States in Two-Dimensional Topological Superconductors

Majorana fermions exist on the boundaries of two-dimensional topological superconductors (TSCs) as charge-neutral quasi-particles. The neutrality makes the detection of such states challenging from both experimental and theoretical points of view. Current methods largely rely on transport measurements in which Majorana fermions manifest themselves by inducing electron-pair tunneling at the lead-contacting point. Here we show that chiral Majorana fermions in TSCs generate {enhanced} local optical response. The features of local optical conductivity distinguish them not only from trivial superconductors or insulators but also from normal fermion edge states such as those in quantum Hall systems. Our results provide a new applicable method to detect dispersive Majorana fermions and may lead to a novel direction of this research field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Non-Hermitian topological Mott insulators in one-dimensional fermionic superlattices

We study interaction-induced Mott insulators, and their topological properties in a 1D non-Hermitian strongly-correlated spinful fermionic superlattice system with either nonreciprocal hopping or complex-valued interaction. For the nonreciprocal hopping case, the low-energy neutral excitation spectrum is sensitive to boundary conditions, which is a manifestation of the non-Hermitian skin effect. However, unlike the single-particle case, particle density of strongly correlated system does not suffer from the non-Hermitian skin effect due to the Pauli exclusion principle and repulsive interactions. Moreover, the anomalous boundary effect occurs due to the interplay of nonreciprocal hopping, superlattice potential, and strong correlations, where some in-gap modes, for both the neutral and charge excitation spectra, show no edge excitations defined via only the right eigenvectors. We show that these edge excitations of the in-gap states can be correctly characterized by only biorthogonal eigenvectors. Furthermore, the topological Mott phase, with gapless particle excitations around boundaries, exists even for the purely imaginary-valued interaction, where the continuous quantum Zeno effect leads to the effective on-site repulsion between two-component fermions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Superconductivity beyond Pauli's limit in bulk NbS2: Evidence for the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state

We present magnetic torque, specific heat and thermal expansion measurements combined with a piezo rotary positioner of the bulk transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) superconductor NbS2 in high magnetic fields applied strictly parallel to its layer structure. The upper critical field of superconducting TMDs in the 2D form is known to be dramatically enhanced by a special form of Ising spin orbit coupling. This Ising superconductivity is very robust against the Pauli limit for superconductivity. We find that superconductivity beyond the Pauli limit still exists in bulk single crystals of NbS2. However, the comparison of our upper critical field transition line with numerical simulations rather points to the development of a Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state above the Pauli limit as a cause. This is also consistent with the observation of a magnetic field driven phase transition in the thermodynamic quantities within the superconducting state near the Pauli limit.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Spin supercurrent in two-dimensional superconductors with Rashba spin-orbit interaction

Spin current is a central theme in spintronics, and its generation is a keen issue. The spin-polarized current injection from the ferromagnet, spin battery, and spin Hall effect have been used to generate spin current, but Ohmic currents in the normal state are involved in all of these methods. On the other hand, the spin and spin current manipulation by the supercurrent in superconductors is a promising route for dissipationless spintronics. Here we show theoretically that, in two-dimensional superconductors with Rashba spin-orbit interaction, the generation of dissipationless bulk spin current by charge supercurrent becomes highly efficient, exceeding that in normal states in the dilute limit, i.e. when the chemical potential is close to the band edge, although the spin density becomes small there. This result manifests the possibility of creating new spintronic devices with long-range coherence.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Platform of chiral Majorana edge modes and its quantum transport phenomena

We propose a method to create two-dimensional topological superconductors with a heterostructure of ferromagnet (FM), topological insulator (TI) thin film and superconductor, in which the two surfaces of the TI thin film are treated as a two-dimensional system. One of surfaces is superconducting due to proximity effect and the other feels an exchange field from the FM. We show that there is a topological phase with single chiral Majorana edge mode that exists in readily achievable parameter regions and does not require magnetization to be small. An experimental setup is proposed based on our model to uniquely determine the existence of Majorana chiral modes using a Josephson junction. Also, we show that multiple chiral Majorana edge modes may appear when unconventional superconductors are used.

cond-mat.supr-con↗