arXiv subjects

K. Chang

Publications and source records attributed to K. Chang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Symmetry-Tunable Skyrmions and Merons in Magnetic Nanodisks via Spatially Engineered Anisotropy

We demonstrate that spatially engineered magnetic anisotropy can stabilize skyrmion and meron spin textures in magnetic nanodisks even in the absence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Using a constrained analytical model and micromagnetic simulations, we show that competing perpendicular and in-plane anisotropies can generate non-collinear topological textures in non-chiral magnetic systems. We further show that DMI and dipolar interactions lift the helicity degeneracy and select preferred chiral configurations; micromagnetic simulations were used to identify physically stable states. These results establish anisotropy-patterned nanodisks as a platform for studying DMI-free topological spin textures and their controllable magnetic response. We also show that arrays of anisotropy-engineered skyrmions can control spin-wave transmission by manipulating their vorticity arrangement, pointing to reconfigurable magnonic elements based on non-chiral topological textures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Reversible and irreversible dynamical topological transitions of magnetic Hopfions

Magnetic Hopfions are three-dimensional (3D) topological solitons characterized by a nonzero Hopf invariant and offer a promising platform for 3D spintronics. While their static stabilization has been widely studied, their nonlinear dynamics under alternating magnetic (AM) fields remain largely unexplored. We show, using 3D micromagnetic simulations and analytical mode analysis, that an AM field drives two qualitatively distinct dynamical regimes of a confined magnetic Hopfion. In the weak-field regime, resonant excitation of intrinsic Hopfion modes induces a nonlinear instability and an irreversible topological reconfiguration from a Hopfion to a toron. In contrast, in the strong-field regime, the system undergoes reversible field-locked topological switching at GHz frequencies, with the magnetization periodically alternating between a topologically trivial ferromagnetic configuration and a Hopfion state. The switching pathway is selected by the driving frequency: a 2 GHz field drives a breathing pathway associated with the low-frequency collective response, whereas a 40 GHz field produces a nonresonant rotational pathway governed by strong Zeeman-torque-driven precession and field locking. These results identify field amplitude and frequency as independent control knobs and reveal that reversible Hopfion switching can arise either from nonlinear continuation of low-frequency collective motion or from nonresonant high-frequency field locking.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2022

Theory of Optical Activity in Doped Systems with Application to Twisted Bilayer Graphene

We theoretically study the optical activity in a doped system and derive the optical activity tensor from a light wavevector-dependent linear optical conductivity. Although the light-matter interaction is introduced through the velocity gauge from a minimal coupling Hamiltonian, we find that the well-known ``false divergences'' problem can be avoided in practice if the electronic states are described by a finite band effective Hamiltonian, such as a few-band tight-binding model. The expression we obtain for the optical activity tensor is in good numerical agreement with a recent theory derived for an undoped topologically trivial gapped system. We apply our theory to the optical activity of a gated twisted bilayer graphene, with a detailed discussion of the dependence of the results on twist angle, chemical potential, gate voltage, and location of rotation center forming the twisted bilayer graphene.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Imaging of sub-$\mu$A currents in bilayer graphene using a scanning diamond magnetometer

Nanoscale electronic transport gives rise to a number of intriguing physical phenomena that are accompanied by distinct spatial patterns of current flow. Here, we report on sensitive magnetic imaging of two-dimensional current distributions in bilayer graphene at room temperature. By combining dynamical modulation of the source-drain current with ac quantum sensing of a nitrogen-vacancy center in a diamond probe, we acquire magnetic field and current density maps with excellent sensitivities of 4.6 nT and 20 nA/$\mu$m, respectively. The spatial resolution is 50-100 nm. We further introduce a set of methods for increasing the technique's dynamic range and for mitigating undesired back-action of magnetometry operation on the electronic transport. Current density maps reveal local variations in the flow pattern and global tuning of current flow via the back-gate potential. No signatures of hydrodynamic transport are observed. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility for imaging subtle features of nanoscale transport in two-dimensional materials and conductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

The Nab Experiment: A Precision Measurement of Unpolarized Neutron Beta Decay

Neutron beta decay is one of the most fundamental processes in nuclear physics and provides sensitive means to uncover the details of the weak interaction. Neutron beta decay can evaluate the ratio of axial-vector to vector coupling constants in the standard model, $\lambda = g_A / g_V$, through multiple decay correlations. The Nab experiment will carry out measurements of the electron-neutrino correlation parameter $a$ with a precision of $\delta a / a = 10^{-3}$ and the Fierz interference term $b$ to $\delta b = 3\times10^{-3}$ in unpolarized free neutron beta decay. These results, along with a more precise measurement of the neutron lifetime, aim to deliver an independent determination of the ratio $\lambda$ with a precision of $\delta \lambda / \lambda = 0.03\%$ that will allow an evaluation of $V_{ud}$ and sensitively test CKM unitarity, independent of nuclear models. Nab utilizes a novel, long asymmetric spectrometer that guides the decay electron and proton to two large area silicon detectors in order to precisely determine the electron energy and an estimation of the proton momentum from the proton time of flight. The Nab spectrometer is being commissioned at the Fundamental Neutron Physics Beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Lab. We present an overview of the Nab experiment and recent updates on the spectrometer, analysis, and systematic effects.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

High resolution quantum sensing with shaped control pulses

We investigate the application of amplitude-shaped control pulses for enhancing the time and frequency resolution of multipulse quantum sensing sequences. Using the electronic spin of a single nitrogen vacancy center in diamond and up to 10,000 coherent microwave pulses with a cosine square envelope, we demonstrate 0.6 ps timing resolution for the interpulse delay. This represents a refinement by over 3 orders of magnitude compared to the 2 ns hardware sampling. We apply the method for the detection of external AC magnetic fields and nuclear magnetic resonance signals of carbon-13 spins with high spectral resolution. Our method is simple to implement and especially useful for quantum applications that require fast phase gates, many control pulses, and high fidelity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Optical manipulation for studies of collisional dynamics of micron-sized droplets under gravity

A new experimental technique for creating and imaging collisions of micron-sized droplets settling under gravity is presented. A pair of glycerol droplets is suspended in air by means of two optical traps. The droplet relative velocities are determined by the droplet sizes. The impact parameter is precisely controlled by positioning the droplets using the two optical traps. The droplets are released by turning off the trapping light using electro-optical modulators. The motion of the sedimenting droplets is then captured by two synchronized high-speed cameras, at a frame rate of up to 63 kHz. The method allows the direct imaging of the collision of droplets without the influence of the optical confinement imposed by the trapping force. The method will facilitate efficient studies of the microphysics of neutral, as well as charged, liquid droplets and their interactions with light, electric field and thermodynamic environment, such as temperature or vapor concentration.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Evidence for an excitonic insulator phase in a zero-gap InAs/GaSb bilayer

Many-body interactions can produce novel ground states in a condensed-matter system. For example, interacting electrons and holes can spontaneously form excitons, a neutral bound state, provided that the exciton binding energy exceeds the energy separation between the single particle states. Here we report on electrical transport measurements on spatially separated two-dimensional electron and hole gases with nominally degenerate energy subbands, realized in an InAs(10 nm)/GaSb(5 nm) coupled quantum well. We observe a narrow and intense maximum (~500 k\Omega) in the four-terminal resistivity in the charge neutrality region, separating the electron-like and hole-like regimes, with a strong activated temperature-dependence above T = 7 K and perfect stability against quantizing magnetic fields. By quantitatively comparing our data with early theoretical predictions, we show that such unexpectedly large resistance in our nominally zero-gap semi-metal system is probably due to the formation of an excitonic insulator state.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Probing the semiconductor to semimetal transition in InAs/GaSb double quantum wells by magneto-infrared spectroscopy

We perform a magneto-infrared spectroscopy study of the semiconductor to semimetal transition of InAs/GaSb double quantum wells from the normal to the inverted state. We show that owing to the low carrier density of our samples (approaching the intrinsic limit), the magneto-absorption spectra evolve from a single cyclotron resonance peak in the normal state to multiple absorption peaks in the inverted state with distinct magnetic field dependence. Using an eight-band Pidgeon-Brown model, we explain all the major absorption peaks observed in our experiment. We demonstrate that the semiconductor to semimetal transition can be realized by manipulating the quantum confinement, the strain, and the magnetic field. Our work paves the way for band engineering of optimal InAs/GaSb structures for realizing novel topological states as well as for device applications in the terahertz regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Nanoscale imaging of current density with a single-spin magnetometer

Charge transport in nanostructures and thin films is fundamental to many phenomena and processes in science and technology, ranging from quantum effects and electronic correlations in mesoscopic physics, to integrated charge- or spin-based electronic circuits, to photoactive layers in energy research. Direct visualization of the charge flow in such structures is challenging due to their nanometer size and the itinerant nature of currents. In this work, we demonstrate non-invasive magnetic imaging of current density in two-dimensional conductor networks including metallic nanowires and carbon nanotubes. Our sensor is the electronic spin of a diamond nitrogen-vacancy center attached to a scanning tip. Using a differential measurement technique, we detect DC currents down to a few uA above a baseline current density of 2e4 A/cm2. Reconstructed images have a spatial resolution of typically 50 nm, with a best-effort value of 22 nm. Current density imaging offers a new route for studying electronic transport and conductance variations in two-dimensional materials and devices, with many exciting applications in condensed matter physics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Impurity scattering and Friedel oscillations in mono-layer black phosphorus

We study the effect of impurity scattering effect in black phosphorurene (BP) in this work. For single impurity, we calculate impurity induced local density of states (LDOS) in momentum space numerically based on tight-binding Hamiltonian. In real space, we calculate LDOS and Friedel oscillation analytically. LDOS shows strong anisotropy in BP. Many impurities in BP are investigated using $T$-matrix approximation when the density is low. Midgap states appear in band gap with peaks in DOS. The peaks of midgap states are dependent on impurity potential. For finite positive potential, the impurity tends to bind negative charge carriers and vise versa. The infinite impurity potential problem is related to chiral symmetry in BP.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

One- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with a diamond quantum sensor

We report on Fourier spectroscopy experiments performed with near-surface nitrogen-vacancy centers in a diamond chip. By detecting the free precession of nuclear spins rather than applying a multipulse quantum sensing protocol, we are able to unambiguously identify the NMR species devoid of harmonics. We further show that by engineering different Hamiltonians during free precession, the hyperfine coupling parameters as well as the nuclear Larmor frequency can be selectively measured with high precision (here 5 digits). The protocols can be combined to demonstrate two-dimensional Fourier spectroscopy. The technique will be useful for mapping nuclear coordinates in molecules en route to imaging their atomic structure.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Electronically driven nematicity in FeSe Films on SrTiO3

The intriguing role of nematicity in iron-based superconductors, defined as broken rotational symmetry below a characteristic temperature, is an intensely investigated contemporary subject. Nematicity is closely connected to the structural transition, however, it is highly doubtful that the lattice degree of freedom is responsible for its formation, given the accumulating evidence for the observed large anisotropy. Here we combine molecular beam epitaxy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy together to study the nematicity in multilayer FeSe films on SrTiO3. Our results demonstrate direct connection between electronic anisotropy in momentum space and standing waves in real space at atomic scale. The lifting of orbital degeneracy of dxz/dyz bands gives rise to a pair of Dirac cone structures near the zone corner, which causes energy-independent unidirectional interference fringes, observed in real space as standing waves by scattering electrons off C2 domain walls and Se-defects. On the other hand, the formation of C2 nematic domain walls unexpectedly shows no correlation with lattice strain pattern, which is induced by the lattice mismatch between the film and substrate. Our results establish a clean case that the nematicity is driven by electronic rather than lattice degrees of freedom in FeSe films.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Local dynamics of topological magnetic defects in the itinerant helimagnet FeGe

Chiral magnetic interactions induce complex spin textures including helical and conical spin waves, as well as particle-like objects such as magnetic skyrmions and merons. These spin textures are the basis for innovative device paradigms and give rise to exotic topological phenomena, thus being of interest for both applied and fundamental sciences. Present key questions address the dynamics of the spin system and emergent topological defects. Here we analyze the micromagnetic dynamics in the helimagnetic phase of FeGe. By combining magnetic force microscopy, single-spin magnetometry, and Landau-Lifschitz-Gilbert simulations we show that the nanoscale dynamics are governed by the depinning and subsequent motion of magnetic edge dislocations. The motion of these topologically stable objects triggers perturbations that can propagate over mesoscopic length scales. The observation of stochastic instabilities in the micromagnetic structure provides new insight to the spatio-temporal dynamics of itinerant helimagnets and topological defects, and discloses novel challenges regarding their technological usage.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Nano-Optical Device Design with the Use of Open-Source Parallel Version FDTD and Commercial Finite Element Package

In this paper, the implementation of open-source parallel-version FDTD (Finite-Difference-Time-Domain) software, MEEP, on Texas A&M supercomputers and commercial finite element package, COMSOL, on a single workstation for the design design of nano-optical device is reported. The the computer architecture and performance of both numerical methods on the same design will be briefly described.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2012

Spin Properties of Very Shallow Nitrogen Vacancy Defects in Diamond

We investigate spin and optical properties of individual nitrogen-vacancy centers located within 1-10 nm from the diamond surface. We observe stable defects with a characteristic optically detected magnetic resonance spectrum down to lowest depth. We also find a small, but systematic spectral broadening for defects shallower than about 2 nm. This broadening is consistent with the presence of a surface paramagnetic impurity layer [Tisler et al., ACS Nano 3, 1959 (2009)] largely decoupled by motional averaging. The observation of stable and well-behaved defects very close to the surface is critical for single-spin sensors and devices requiring nanometer proximity to the target.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Polarization-driven topological insulator transition in a GaN/InN/GaN quantum well

Topological insulator (TI) states have been demonstrated in materials with narrow gap and large spin-orbit interactions (SOI). Here we demonstrate that nanoscale engineering can also give rise to a TI state, even in conventional semiconductors with sizable gap and small SOI. Based on advanced first-principles calculations combined with an effective low-energy k*p Hamiltonian, we show that the intrinsic polarization of materials can be utilized to simultaneously reduce the energy gap and enhance the SOI, driving the system to a TI state. The proposed system consists of ultrathin InN layers embedded into GaN, a layer structure that is experimentally achievable.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

The Shear Mode of Multi-Layer Graphene

We uncover the interlayer shear mode of multi-layer graphene samples, ranging from bilayer-graphene (BLG) to bulk graphite, and show that the corresponding Raman peak measures the interlayer coupling. This peak scales from~43cm-1 in bulk graphite to~31cm-1 in BLG. Its low energy makes it a probe of near-Dirac point quasi-particles, with a Breit-Wigner-Fano lineshape due to resonance with electronic transitions. Similar shear modes are expected in all layered materials, providing a direct probe of interlayer interactions

cond-mat.mes-hall↗