arXiv subjects

Jennifer Cano

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer Cano.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Designer Meron Lattice on the Surface of a Topological Insulator

We present a promising route to realize spontaneous magnetic order on the surface of a 3D topological insulator by applying a superlattice potential. The superlattice potential creates tunable van Hove singularities, which, when combined with strong spin-orbit coupling and Coulomb repulsion give rise to a topological meron lattice spin texture. The periodicity of this designer meron lattice can be tuned by varying the periodicity of the superlattice potential. We characterize the magnetic order using Ginzburg-Landau theory and show that the magnetic transition temperature reaches experimentally accessible values. Our work introduces a new direction to realize exotic quantum order by engineering interacting Dirac electrons in a superlattice potential, with promising applications to spintronics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Multilayer graphene with a superlattice potential

Bernal stacked bilayer graphene subject to a superlattice potential can realize topological and stacked flat bands [1]. In the present work, we extend the study of a superlattice potential on graphene heterostructures to trilayer and quadrilayer graphene. Comparing Bernal- and chirally-stacked multilayers reveals that the latter are more suitable for realizing stacks of many flat bands. On the other hand, Bernal-stacked graphene heterostructures can realize topological flat bands. Imposing two simultaneous superlattice potentials enhances the viability of both regimes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Tunable Stripe Order and Weak Superconductivity in the Moiré Hubbard Model

The moiré Hubbard model describes correlations in certain homobilayer twisted transition metal dichalcogenides. Using exact diagonalization and density matrix renormalization group methods, we find magnetic Mott insulating and metallic phases, which, upon doping exhibit intertwined charge and spin ordering and, in some regimes, pair binding of holes. The phases are highly tunable via an interlayer potential difference. Remarkably, the hole binding energy is found to be highly tunable revealing an experimentally accessible regime where holes become attractive. In this attractive regime, we study the superconducting correlation function and point out the possibility of weak superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Higher-Order Nodal Hinge States in Doped Superconducting Topological Insulator

Doped strong topological insulators are one of the most promising candidates to realize a fully gapped three-dimensional topological superconductor (TSC). In this letter, we revisit this system and reveal a possibility for higher-order topology which was previously missed. We find that over a finite-range of doping, the Fu-Berg superconducting pairing can give rise to both Majorana surface states, and nodal hinge states. Interestingly, we observe the coexistence of surface and hinge modes in the superconducting state only when there are both bulk and surface Fermi-surfaces in the normal state. Also, we find that the hinge modes can appear for normal states consisting of doped strong or weak topological insulators. In summary, this work may allow for the discovery of superconducting hinge modes in a well explored class of materials, i.e., doped strong or weak topological insulators.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Real space representation of topological system: twisted bilayer graphene as an example

We construct a Wannier basis for twisted bilayer graphene that is projected only from the Bloch functions of the twisted bilayer flat bands. The $C_3$ and $C_{2} \mathcal{T}$ symmetries act locally on the Wannier functions while the Wannier function charge density is strongly peaked at the triangular sites and becomes fully sublattice-polarized in the chiral limit. The Wannier functions have a power-law tail, due to the topological obstruction, but most of the charge density is concentrated within one unit cell so that the on-site local Coulomb interaction is much larger than the further neighbor interactions and in general the Hamiltonian parameters may be accurately estimated from a modest number of Wannier functions. One exception is the momentum space components of the single-particle Hamiltonian, where because of the topological obstruction convergence is non-uniform across the Brillouin zone. We observe, however, that mixed position and momentum space representations may be used to avoid this difficulty in the context of quantum embedding methods. Our work provides a new route to study systems with topological obstructions and paves the way for the future investigation of correlated states in twisted bilayer graphene, including studies of non-integer fillings and temperature dependence.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Topological semimetals without quasiparticles

The interplay between interactions and topology in quantum materials is of extensive current interest. Strong correlations are known to be important for insulating topological states, as exemplified by the fractional quantum Hall effect. For the metallic case, whether and how they can drive topological states that have no free-electron counterparts is an open and pressing question. We introduce a general framework for lattice symmetries to constrain single-particle excitations even when they are not quasiparticles, and substantiate it in a periodic Anderson model with two channels of conduction electrons. We demonstrate that symmetry constrains correlation-induced emergent excitations to produce non-Fermi liquid topological phases. The loss of quasiparticles in these phases is manifested in a non-Fermi liquid form of spectral and transport properties, whereas its topological nature is characterized by surface states and valley and spin Hall conductivities. We also identify candidate materials to realize the proposed phases. Our work opens a door to a variety of non-Fermi liquid topological phases in a broad range of strongly correlated materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Transport signatures of Fermi arcs at twin boundaries in Weyl materials

One of the most striking signatures of Weyl fermions is their surface Fermi arcs. Less known is that Fermi arcs can also be localized at internal twin boundaries where two Weyl materials of opposite chirality meet. In this work, we derive constraints on the topology and connectivity of these "internal Fermi arcs." We show that internal Fermi arcs can exhibit transport signatures and propose two probes: quantum oscillations and a quantized chiral magnetic current. We propose merohedrally twinned B20 materials as candidates to host internal Fermi arcs, verified through both model and ab initio calculations. Our theoretical investigation sheds lights on the topological features and motivates experimental studies into the intriguing physics of internal Fermi arcs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Topological Semimetal driven by Strong Correlations and Crystalline Symmetry

Electron correlations amplify quantum fluctuations and, as such, they have been recognized as the origin of a rich landscape of quantum phases. Whether and how they lead to gapless topological states is an outstanding question, and a framework that allows for determining novel phases and identifying new materials is in pressing need. Here we advance a general approach, in which strong correlations cooperate with crystalline symmetry to drive gapless topological states. We test this materials design principle by exploring Kondo lattice models and materials whose space group symmetries may promote different kinds of electronic degeneracies, with a particular focus on square-net systems. Weyl-Kondo nodal-line semimetals -- with nodes pinned to the Fermi energy -- are identified. We describe how this approach can be applied to discover strongly correlated topological semimetals, identify three heavy fermion compounds as new candidates, provide first direct experimental evidence for our prediction in Ce$_2$Au$_3$In$_5$, and discuss how our approach may lead to many more. Our findings illustrate the potential of the proposed materials design principle to guide the search for new topological metals in a broad range of strongly correlated systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Recipe for higher-order topology on the triangular lattice

We present a recipe for an electronic 2D higher order topological insulator (HOTI) on the triangular lattice that can be realized in a large family of materials. The essential ingredient is mirror symmetry breaking, which allows for a finite quadrupole moment and trivial $\mathbb{Z}_2$ index. The competition between spin-orbit coupling and the symmetry breaking terms gives rise to four topologically distinct phases; the HOTI phase appears when symmetry breaking dominates, including in the absence of spin-orbit coupling. We identify triangular monolayer adsorbate systems on the (111) surface of zincblende/diamond type substrates as ideal material platforms and predict the HOTI phase for $X=$(Al,B,Ga) on SiC.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Dynamical Mean Field Theory of Moiré Bilayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: Phase Diagram, Resistivity, and Quantum Criticality

We present a comprehensive dynamical mean field study of the triangular lattice moiré Hubbard model, which is believed to represent the physics of moiré bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides. In these materials, important aspects of the band structure including the bandwidth and the order and location of van Hove singularities can be tuned by varying the interlayer potential. We present a magnetic and metal-insulator phase diagram and a detailed study of the dependence of the resistivity on temperature, band filling and interlayer potential. We find that transport displays Fermi liquid, strange metal and quantum critical behaviors in distinct regions of the phase diagram. Specifically, we find that the cube-root van Hove singularity ($ρ(ε) \sim|ε|^{-1 / 3}$) gives a strange metal behavior with a $T$-linear scattering rate and $ω/T$ scaling. We show how magnetic order affects the resistivity. Our results elucidate the physics of the correlated states and the metal-insulator continuous transition recently observed in twisted homobilayer WSe$_2$ and heterobilayer MoTe$_2$/WSe$_2$ experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Quantum embedding methods for correlated excited states of point defects: Case studies and challenges

A quantitative description of the excited electronic states of point defects and impurities is crucial for understanding materials properties, and possible applications of defects in quantum technologies. This is a considerable challenge for computational methods, since Kohn-Sham density-functional theory (DFT) is inherently a ground state theory, while higher-level methods are often too computationally expensive for defect systems. Recently, embedding approaches have been applied that treat defect states with many-body methods, while using DFT to describe the bulk host material. We implement such an embedding method, based on Wannierization of defect orbitals and the constrained random-phase approximation approach, and perform systematic characterization of the method for three distinct systems with current technological relevance: a carbon dimer replacing a B and N pair in bulk hexagonal BN (C$_{\text{B}}$C$_{\text{N}}$), the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond (NV$^-$), and an Fe impurity on the Al site in wurtzite AlN ($\text{Fe}_{\text{Al}}$). For C$_{\text{B}}$C$_{\text{N}}$ we show that the embedding approach gives many-body states in agreement with analytical results on the Hubbard dimer model, which allows us to elucidate the effects of the DFT functional and double-counting correction. For the NV$^-$ center, our method demonstrates good quantitative agreement with experiments for the zero-phonon line of the triplet-triplet transition. Finally, we illustrate challenges associated with this method for determining the energies and orderings of the complex spin multiplets in $\text{Fe}_{\text{Al}}$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Classification of Dirac points with higher-order Fermi arcs

Dirac semimetals lack a simple bulk-boundary correspondence. Recently, Dirac materials with four-fold rotation symmetry have been shown to exhibit a higher order bulk-hinge correspondence: they display "higher order Fermi arcs," which are localized on hinges where two surfaces meet and connect the projections of the bulk Dirac points. In this paper, we classify higher order Fermi arcs for Dirac semimetals protected by a rotation symmetry and the product of time-reversal and inversion. Such Dirac points can be either linear in all directions or linear along the rotation axis and quadratic in other directions. By computing the filling anomaly for momentum-space planes on either side of the Dirac point, we find that all linear Dirac points exhibit higher order Fermi arcs terminating at the projection of the Dirac point, while the Dirac points that are quadratic in two directions lack such higher order Fermi arcs. When higher order Fermi arcs do exist, they obey either a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ (four-fold rotation axis) or $\mathbb{Z}_3$ (three- or six-fold rotation axis) group structure. Finally, we build two models with six-fold symmetry to illustrate the cases with and without higher order Fermi arcs. We predict higher order Fermi arcs in Na$_3$Bi.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Strain-tuned topological phase transition and unconventional Zeeman effect in ZrTe5 microcrystals

The geometric phase (Berry phase) of an electronic wave function is the fundamental basis of the topological properties in solids. Modulating band structure provides a tuning knob for the Berry phase, and in the extreme case drives a topological phase transition. Despite the significant developments in topological materials study, it remains a challenge to tune between different topological phases while tracing the impact of the Berry phase on quantum charge transport, in the same material. Here we report both in a magnetotransport study of ZrTe5. By tuning the band structure with uniaxial strain, we directly map a weak- to strong- topological phase transition through a gapless Dirac semimetal phase via quantum oscillations. Moreover, we demonstrate the impact of the strain-tunable spin-dependent Berry phase on the Zeeman effect through the amplitude of the quantum oscillations. We show that such a spin-dependent Berry phase, largely neglected in solid-state systems, is critical in modeling quantum oscillations in Dirac bands in topological materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Identifying the fingerprints of topological states by tuning magnetoresistance in a semimetal: the case of topological half-Heusler Pt1-xAuxLuSb

Topological materials often exhibit remarkably linear, non-saturating magnetoresistance (LMR), which is both of scientific and technological importance. However, the role of topologically non-trivial states in the emergence of such a behaviour has eluded clear demonstration in experiments. Here, by reducing the coupling between the topological surface states (TSS) and the bulk carriers we controllably tune the LMR behavior in Pt1-xAuxLuSb into distinct plateaus in Hall resistance, which we show arise from a quantum Hall phase. This allowed us to reveal how smearing of the Landau levels, which otherwise give rise to a quantum Hall phase, results in an LMR behavior due to strong interaction between the TSS with a positive g-factor and the bulk carriers. We establish that controlling the coupling strength between the surface and the bulk carriers in topological materials can bring about dramatic changes in their magnetotransport behavior. In addition, our work outlines a strategy to reveal macroscopic physical observables of TSS in compounds with a semi-metallic bulk band structure, as is the case in multi-functional Heusler compounds, thereby opening up opportunities for their utilization in hybrid quantum structures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Band manipulation and spin texture in interacting moiré helical edges

We develop a theory for manipulating the effective band structure of interacting helical edge states realized on the boundary of two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric topological insulators. For sufficiently strong interaction, an interacting edge band gap develops, spontaneously breaking time-reversal symmetry on the edge. The resulting spin texture, as well as the energy of the the time-reversal breaking gaps, can be tuned by an external moiré potential (i.e., a superlattice potential). Remarkably, we establish that by tuning the strength and period of the potential, the interacting gaps can be fully suppressed and interacting Dirac points re-emerge. In addition, nearly flat bands can be created by the moiré potential with a sufficiently long period. Our theory provides an unprecedented way to enhance the coherence length of interacting helical edges by suppressing the interacting gap. The implications of this finding for ongoing experiments on helical edge states is discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Topological Materials Discovery from Crystal Symmetry

Topological materials discovery has evolved at a rapid pace over the past 15 years following the identification of the first nonmagnetic topological insulators (TIs), topological crystalline insulators (TCIs), and 3D topological semimetals (TSMs). Most recently, through complete analyses of symmetry-allowed band structures - including the theory of Topological Quantum Chemistry (TQC) - researchers have determined crystal-symmetry-enhanced Wilson-loop and complete symmetry-based indicators for nonmagnetic topological phases, leading to the discovery of higher-order TCIs and TSMs. The recent application of TQC and related methods to high-throughput materials discovery has revealed that over half of all of the known stoichiometric, solid-state, nonmagnetic materials are topological at the Fermi level, over 85% of the known stoichiometric materials host energetically isolated topological bands, and that just under $2/3$ of the energetically isolated bands in known materials carry the stable topology of a TI or TCI. In this Review, we survey topological electronic materials discovery in nonmagnetic crystalline solids from the prediction of the first 2D and 3D TIs to the recently introduced methods that have facilitated large-scale searches for topological materials. We also discuss future venues for the identification and manipulation of solid-state topological phases, including charge-density-wave compounds, magnetic materials, and 2D few-layer devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Magnetic Photocurrents in Multifold Weyl Fermions

We examine the magneto-optical response of chiral multifold fermions. Specifically, we show that they are ideal candidates for observing the Helical Magnetic Effect (HME) previously predicted for simple Weyl fermions. Unlike Weyl fermions, the HME is present in multifold fermions even in the simplest case where the low-energy dispersion is linear and spherically symmetric. In this ideal case, we derive an analytical expression for the HME and find it is proportional to the circular photogalvanic effect; for realistic parameters and accounting for the geometry of the setup, the HME photocurrent could be roughly the same order of magnitude as the circular photogalvanic effect observed in multifold fermions. Additional non-linear and symmetry-breaking terms will ruin the quantization but not hurt the observation of the HME.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Exact Landau Level Description of Geometry and Interaction in a Flatband

Flatbands appear in many condensed matter systems, such as in high magnetic fields, correlated materials and moire heterostructures. They are characterized by intrinsic geometric properties such as the Berry curvature and Fubini-Study metric. In general the band geometry is nonuniform in momentum space, making its influence on electron-electron interactions a difficult problem to understand analytically. In this work, we study this problem in a topological flatband of Chern number C=1 with the ideal properties that the Berry curvature is positive definite and fluctuates in sync with Fubini-Study metric. We derive an exact correspondence between such ideal flatbands and Landau levels by showing how the band geometry fluctuation in ideal flatbands gives raise to a new type of interaction in Landau levels which depends on the center-of-mass of two particles. We characterize such interaction by generalizing the usual Haldane pseudopotentials. This mapping gives exact zero-energy ground states for short-ranged repulsive generalized pseudopotentials in flatbands, in analogy to fractional quantum Hall systems. Driving the center-of-mass interactions beyond the repulsive regime leads to a dramatic reconstruction of the ground states towards gapless phases. The generalized pseudopotential could be a useful basis for future numerical studies.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗