arXiv subjects

Jennifer Cano

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer Cano.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Dirac zeros in an orbital selective Mott phase: Green's function Berry curvature and flux quantization

How electronic topology develops in strongly correlated systems represents a fundamental challenge in the field of quantum materials. Recent studies have advanced the characterization and diagnosis of topology in Mott insulators whose underlying electronic structure is topologically nontrivial, through ``Green's function zeros". However, their counterparts in metallic systems have yet to be explored. Here, we address this problem in an orbital-selective Mott phase (OSMP), which is of extensive interest to a variety of strongly correlated systems with a short-range Coulomb repulsion. We demonstrate symmetry protected crossing of the zeros in an OSMP. Utilizing the concept of Green's function Berry curvature, we show that the zero crossing has a quantized Berry flux. The resulting notion of Dirac zeros provides a window into the largely hidden landscape of topological zeros in strongly correlated metallic systems and, moreover, opens up a means to diagnose strongly correlated topology in new materials classes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Gate-tunable topological phases in superlattice modulated bilayer graphene

Superlattice potential modulation can produce flat minibands in Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene. In this work we study how band topology and interaction-induced symmetry-broken phases in this system are controlled by tuning the displacement field and the shape and strength of the superlattice potential. We use an analytic perturbative analysis to demonstrate that topological flat bands are favored by a honeycomb-lattice-shaped potential, and numerics to show that the robustness of topological bands depends on both the displacement field strength and the periodicity of the superlattice potential. At integer fillings of the topological flat bands, the strength of the displacement field and the superlattice potential tune phase transitions between quantum anomalous Hall insulator, trivial insulator, and metallic states. We present mean-field phase diagrams in a gate voltage parameter space at filling factor $ν=1$, and discuss the prospects of realizing quantum anomalous Hall insulators and fractional Chern insulators when the superlattice potential modulation is produced by dielectric patterning or adjacent moiré materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Topological Diagnosis of Strongly Correlated Electron Systems

The intersection of electronic topology and strong correlations offers a rich platform to discover exotic quantum phases of matter and unusual materials. An overarching challenge that impedes the discovery is how to diagnose topology in strongly correlated settings, as exemplified by Mott insulators. Here, we develop a general framework to address this outstanding question and illustrate its power in the case of Mott insulators. The concept of Green's function Berry curvature -- which is frequency dependent -- is introduced. We apply this notion in a system that contains symmetry-protected nodes in its noninteracting bandstructure; strong correlations drive the system into a Mott insulating state, creating contours in frequency-momentum space where the Green's function vanishes. The Green's function Berry flux of such zeros is found to be quantized, and is as such direct probe of the system's topology. Our framework allows for a comprehensive search of strongly correlated topological materials with Green's function topology.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Mott insulators with boundary zeros

The topological classification of electronic band structures is based on symmetry properties of Bloch eigenstates of single-particle Hamiltonians. In parallel, topological field theory has opened the doors to the formulation and characterization of non-trivial phases of matter driven by strong electron-electron interaction. Even though important examples of topological Mott insulators have been constructed, the relevance of the underlying non-interacting band topology to the physics of the Mott phase has remained unexplored. Here, we show that the momentum structure of the Green's function zeros defining the ``Luttinger surface" provides a topological characterization of the Mott phase related, in the simplest description, to the one of the single-particle electronic dispersion. Considerations on the zeros lead to the prediction of new phenomena: a topological Mott insulator with an inverted gap for the bulk zeros must possess gapless zeros at the boundary, which behave as a form of ``topological antimatter'' annihilating conventional edge states. Placing band and Mott topological insulators in contact produces distinctive observable signatures at the interface, revealing the otherwise spectroscopically elusive Green's function zeros.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Quantum geometry induced nonlinear transport in altermagnets

Quantum geometry plays a pivotal role in the second-order response of $\cal PT$-symmetric antiferromagnets. Here we study the nonlinear response of 2D altermagnets protected by $C_n\cal T$ symmetry and show that their leading nonlinear response is third-order. Furthermore, we show that the contributions from the quantum metric and Berry curvature enter separately: the longitudinal response for all planar altermagnets \emph{only} has a contribution from the quantum metric quadrupole (QMQ), while transverse responses in general have contributions from both the Berry curvature quadrupole (BCQ) and QMQ. We show that for the well-known example of $d$-wave altermagnets the Hall response is dominated by the BCQ. Both longitudinal and transverse responses are strongly dependent on the crystalline anisotropy. While altermagnets are strictly defined in the limit of vanishing SOC, real altermagnets exhibit weak SOC, which is essential to observe this response. Specifically, SOC gaps the spin-group protected nodal line, generating a response peak that is sharpest when SOC is weak. Two Dirac nodes also contribute a divergence to the nonlinear response, whose scaling changes as a function of SOC. Finally, we apply our results to thin films of the 3D altermagnet RuO$_2$. Our work uncovers distinct features of altermagnets in nonlinear transport, providing experimental signatures as well as a guide to disentangling the different components of their quantum geometry.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Strong and Fragile Topological Dirac Semimetals with Higher-Order Fermi Arcs

Dirac and Weyl semimetals both exhibit arc-like surface states. However, whereas the surface Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetals are topological consequences of the Weyl points themselves, the surface Fermi arcs in Dirac semimetals are not directly related to the bulk Dirac points, raising the question of whether there exists a topological bulk-boundary correspondence for Dirac semimetals. In this work, we discover that strong and fragile topological Dirac semimetals exhibit 1D higher-order hinge Fermi arcs (HOFAs) as universal, direct consequences of their bulk 3D Dirac points. To predict HOFAs coexisting with topological surface states in solid-state Dirac semimetals, we introduce and layer a spinful model of an $s-d$-hybridized quadrupole insulator (QI). We develop a rigorous nested Jackiw-Rebbi formulation of QIs and HOFA states. Employing $ab\ initio$ calculations, we demonstrate HOFAs in both the room- ($α$) and intermediate-temperature ($α''$) phases of Cd$_{3}$As$_2$, KMgBi, and rutile-structure ($β'$-) PtO$_2$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Classification of Classical Spin Liquids: Topological Quantum Chemistry and Crystalline Symmetry

Frustrated magnetic systems can host highly interesting phases known as classical spin liquids (CSLs), which feature {extensive} ground state degeneracy and lack long-range magnetic order. Recently, Yan and Benton et al. proposed a classification scheme of CSLs in the large-$\mathcal{N}$ (soft spin) limit [arXiv.2305.00155], [arXiv:2305.19189]. This scheme classifies CSLs into two categories: the algebraic CSLs and the fragile topological CSLs, each with their own correlation properties, low energy effective description, and finer classification frameworks. In this work, we further develop the classification scheme by considering the role of crystalline symmetry. We present a mathematical framework for computing the band representation of the flat bands in the spectrum of these CSLs, which extends beyond the conventional representation analysis. It allows one to determine whether the algebraic CSLs, which features gapless points on their bottom flat bands, are protected by symmetry or not. It also provides more information on the finer classifications of algebraic and fragile topological CSLs. We demonstrate this framework via concrete examples and showcase its power by constructing a pinch-line algebraic CSL protected by symmetry.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Symmetry indicators in commensurate magnetic flux

We derive a framework to apply topological quantum chemistry in systems subject to magnetic flux. We start by deriving the action of spatial symmetry operators in a uniform magnetic field, which extends Zak's magnetic translation groups to all crystal symmetry groups. Ultimately, the magnetic symmetries form a projective representation of the crystal symmetry group. As a consequence, band representations acquire an extra gauge invariant phase compared to the non-magnetic theory. Thus, the theory of symmetry indicators is distinct from the non-magnetic case. We give examples of new symmetry indicators that appear at $π$ flux. Finally, we apply our results to an obstructed atomic insulator with corner states in a magnetic field. The symmetry indicators reveal a topological-to-trivial phase transition at finite flux, which is confirmed by a Hofstadter butterfly calculation. The bulk phase transition provides a new probe of higher order topology in certain obstructed atomic insulators.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Altermagnetic Routes to Majorana Modes in Zero Net Magnetization

We propose heterostructures that realize first and second order topological superconductivity with vanishing net magnetization by utilizing altermagnetism. Such platforms may offer a significant improvement over conventional platforms with uniform magnetization since the latter suppresses the superconducting gap. We first introduce a 1D semiconductor-superconductor structure in proximity to an altermagnet which realizes end Majorana zero modes (MZMs) with vanishing net magnetization. Additionally, a coexisting Zeeman term provides a tuning knob to distinguish topological and trivial zero modes. We then propose 2D altermagnetic platforms that can realize chiral Majorana fermions or higher order corner MZMs. Our work paves the way towards realizing Majorana boundary states with an alternative source of time-reversal breaking and zero net magnetization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Topological and stacked flat bands in bilayer graphene with a superlattice potential

We show that bilayer graphene in the presence of a 2D superlattice potential provides a highly tunable setup that can realize a variety of flat band phenomena. We focus on two regimes: (i) topological flat bands with non-zero Chern numbers, C, including bands with higher Chern numbers |C| > 1; and (ii) an unprecedented phase consisting of a stack of nearly perfect flat bands with C = 0. For realistic values of the potential and superlattice periodicity, this stack can span nearly 100 meV, encompassing nearly all of the low-energy spectrum. We further show that in the topological regime, the topological flat band has a favorable band geometry for realizing a fractional Chern insulator (FCI) and use exact diagonalization to show that the FCI is in fact the ground state at 1/3 filling. Our results provide a realistic guide for future experiments to realize a new platform for flat band phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Signature of Correlated Insulator in Electric Field Controlled Superlattice

The Bloch electron energy spectrum of a crystalline solid is determined by the underlying lattice structure at the atomic level. In a 2-dimensional (2d) crystal it is possible to impose a superlattice with nanometer-scale periodicity, allowing to tune the fundamental Bloch electron spectrum, and enabling novel physical properties which are not accessible in the original crystal. In recent years, a top-down approach for creating 2d superlattices on monolayer graphene by means of nanopatterned electric gates has been studied, which allows the formation of isolated energy bands and Hofstadter Butterfly physics in quantizing magnetic fields. Within this approach, however, evidence of electron correlations which drive many problems at the forefront of physics research remains to be uncovered. In this work we demonstrate signatures of a correlated insulator phase in Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) modulated by a gate-defined superlattice potential, manifested as a set of resistance peaks centered at carrier densities of integer multiples of a single electron per unit cell of the superlattice potential. We associate the correlated insulator phase to the formation of flat energy bands due to the superlattice potential combined with inversion symmetry breaking. Inducing correlated electron phases with nanopatterning defined electric gates paves the way to custom-designed superlattices with arbitrary geometries and symmetries for studying band structure engineering and strongly correlated electrons in 2d materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Chiral model of twisted bilayer graphene realized in a monolayer

We demonstrate that a single layer of graphene subject to a superlattice potential nearly commensurate to a $\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3}$ supercell exactly maps to the chiral model of twisted bilayer graphene, albeit with half as many degrees of freedom. We comprehensively review the properties of this ``half-chiral model,'' including the interacting phases stabilized at integer fillings and the effects of substrate-induced symmetry breaking. We list candidate substrates that could produce a superlattice potential on graphene with the correct periodicity to access the flat band limit. Experimental measurements on a half-chiral moire heterostructure, in which valley-skyrmions cannot form, could yield insights on the physics they mediate in twisted bilayer graphene.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Chiral Kondo Lattice in Doped MoTe$_2$/WSe$_2$ Bilayers

We theoretically study the interplay between magnetism and a heavy Fermi liquid in the AB stacked transition metal dichalcogenide bilayer system MoTe$_2$/WSe$_2$ in the regime in which the Mo layer supports localized magnetic moments coupled by interlayer electron tunnelling to a weakly correlated band of itinerant electrons in the W layer. We show that the interlayer electron transfer leads to a chiral Kondo exchange, with consequences including a strong dependence of the Kondo temperature on carrier concentration, a topological hybridization gap and an anomalous Hall effect. The theoretical model exhibits two phases, a small Fermi surface magnet and a large Fermi surface heavy Fermi liquid; the transition between them is first order. A low-energy theory is developed for the the transport properties of the two states. Implications of our results for present and future experiments on MoTe$_2$/WSe$_2$ bilayer heterostructures are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Pressure--enhanced fractional Chern insulators in moiré transition metal dichalcogenides along a magic line

We show that pressure applied to twisted WSe$_2$ can enhance the many-body gap and region of stability of a fractional Chern insulator at filling $ν= 1/3$. Our results are based on exact diagonalization of a continuum model, whose pressure-dependence is obtained through {\it ab initio} methods. We interpret our results in terms of a {\it magic line} in the pressure-{\it vs}-twist angle phase diagram: along the magic line, the bandwidth of the topmost moiré valence band is minimized while simultaneously its quantum geometry nearly resembles that of an ideal Chern band. We expect our results to generalize to other twisted transition metal dichalcogenide homobilayers.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Topological superconductivity in doped magnetic moiré semiconductors

We show that topological superconductivity may emerge upon doping of transition metal dichalcogenide heterobilayers above an integer-filling magnetic state of the topmost valence moiré band. The effective attraction between charge carriers is generated by an electric p-wave Feshbach resonance arising from interlayer excitonic physics and has a tuanble strength, which may be large. Together with the low moiré carrier densities reachable by gating, this robust attraction enables access to the long-sought p-wave BEC-BCS transition. The topological protection arises from an emergent time reversal symmetry occurring when the magnetic order and long wavelength magnetic fluctuations do not couple different valleys. The resulting topological superconductor features helical Majorana edge modes, leading to half-integer quantized spin-thermal Hall conductivity and to charge currents induced by circularly polarized light or other time-reversal symmetry-breaking fields.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Magic angle conditions for twisted 3D topological insulators

We derive a general low-energy theory for twisted moiré heterostructures comprised of Dirac materials. We apply our theory to heterostructures on the surface of a three dimensional topological insulator (3D TI). First, we consider the interface between two 3D TIs arranged with a relative twist angle. We prove that if the two TIs are identical, then a necessary condition for a magic angle where the Dirac cone velocity vanishes is to have an interlayer spin-flipping hopping term. Without this term, the Dirac cone velocities can still be significantly renormalized, decreasing to less than half of their original values, but they will not vanish. Second, we consider graphene on the surface of a TI arranged with a small twist angle. Again, a magic angle is only achievable with a spin-flipping hopping term. Without this term, the Dirac cone is renormalized, but not significantly. In both cases, our perturbative results are verified by computing the band structure of the continuum model. The enhanced density of states that results from decreasing the surface Dirac cone velocity provides a tunable route to realizing interacting topological phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Intrinsically-multilayer moiré heterostructures

We introduce trilayer and multilayer moiré heterostructures that cannot be viewed from the ``moiré-of-moiré" perspective of helically-twisted trilayer graphene. These ``intrinsically trilayer" moiré systems feature periodic modulation of a local quasicrystalline structure. They open the door to realizing moiré heterostructures with vastly more material constituents because they do not constrain the lattice constants of the layers. In this manuscript, we define intrinsically multilayer patterns, provide a recipe for their construction, derive their local configuration space, and connect the visual patterns to physical observables in material systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Atomically Sharp Internal Interface in a Chiral Weyl Semimetal Nanowire

Internal interfaces in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) are predicted to host distinct topological features that are different from the commonly studied external interfaces (crystal-to-vacuum boundaries). However, the lack of atomically sharp and crystallographically oriented internal interfaces in WSMs makes it difficult to experimentally investigate hidden topological states buried inside the material. Here, we study a unique internal interface known as merohedral twin boundary in chemically synthesized single-crystal nanowires (NWs) of CoSi, a chiral WSM of space group P213 (No. 198). High resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals that this internal interface is (001) twin plane and connects two enantiomeric counterparts at an atomically sharp interface with inversion twinning. Ab-initio calculations show localized internal Fermi arcs at the (001) twin boundary that can be clearly distinguished from both external Fermi arcs and bulk states. These merohedrally twinned CoSi NWs provide an ideal material system to probe unexplored topological properties associated with internal interfaces in WSMs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗