arXiv subjects

K. Watanabe

Publications and source records attributed to K. Watanabe.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Tunnel spectroscopy of localised electronic states in hexagonal boron nitride

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a large band gap layered crystal, frequently incorporated in van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures as an insulating or tunnel barrier. Localised states with energies within its band gap can emit visible light, relevant to applications in nanophotonics and quantum information processing. However, they also give rise to conducting channels, which can induce electrical breakdown when a large voltage is applied. Here we use gated tunnel transistors to study resonant electron tunnelling through the localised states in few atomic-layer hBN barriers sandwiched between two monolayer graphene electrodes. The measurements are used to determine the energy, linewidth, tunnelling transmission probability, and depth within the barrier of more than 50 distinct localised states. A three-step process of electron percolation through two spatially separated localised states is also investigated.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Resonant Terahertz Detection Using Graphene Plasmons

Plasmons, collective oscillations of electron systems, can efficiently couple light and electric current, and thus can be used to create sub-wavelength photodetectors, radiation mixers, and on-chip spectrometers. Despite considerable effort, it has proven challenging to implement plasmonic devices operating at terahertz frequencies. The material capable to meet this challenge is graphene as it supports long-lived electrically-tunable plasmons. Here we demonstrate plasmon-assisted resonant detection of terahertz radiation by antenna-coupled graphene transistors that act as both plasmonic Fabry-Perot cavities and rectifying elements. By varying the plasmon velocity using gate voltage, we tune our detectors between multiple resonant modes and exploit this functionality to measure plasmon wavelength and lifetime in bilayer graphene as well as to probe collective modes in its moiré minibands. Our devices offer a convenient tool for further plasmonic research that is often exceedingly difficult under non-ambient conditions (e.g. cryogenic temperatures and strong magnetic fields) and promise a viable route for various photonic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

The valley Zeeman effect in inter- and intra-valley trions in monolayer WSe$_2$

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) hold great promise for future information processing applications utilizing a combination of electron spin and valley pseudospin. This unique spin system has led to observation of the valley Zeeman effect in neutral and charged excitonic resonances under applied magnetic fields. However, reported values of the trion valley Zeeman splitting remain highly inconsistent across studies. Here, we utilize high quality hBN encapsulated monolayer WSe$_2$ to enable simultaneous measurement of both intervalley and intravalley trion photoluminescence. We find the valley Zeeman splitting of each trion state to be describable only by a combination of three distinct g-factors, one arising from the exciton-like valley Zeeman effect, the other two, trion specific, g-factors associated with recoil of the excess electron. This complex picture goes significantly beyond the valley Zeeman effect reported for neutral excitons, and eliminates the ambiguity surrounding the magneto-optical response of trions in tungsten based TMD monolayers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Transport through a network of topological states in twisted bilayer graphene

We explore a network of electronic quantum valley Hall (QVH) states in the moiré crystal of minimally twisted bilayer graphene. In our transport measurements we observe Fabry-Pérot and Aharanov-Bohm oscillations which are robust in magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 8T, in strong contrast to more conventional 2D systems where trajectories in the bulk are bent by the Lorentz force. This persistence in magnetic field and the linear spacing in density indicate that charge carriers in the bulk flow in topologically protected, one dimensional channels. With this work we demonstrate coherent electronic transport in a lattice of topologically protected states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Fine structure of $\mathrm{K}$-excitons in multilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides

Reflectance and magneto-reflectance experiments together with theoretical modelling based on the $\mathbf{k\cdot p}$ approach have been employed to study the evolution of direct bandgap excitons in MoS$_2$ layers with a thickness ranging from mono- to trilayer. The extra excitonic resonances observed in MoS$_2$ multilayers emerge as a result of the hybridization of Bloch states of each sub-layer due to the interlayer coupling. The properties of such excitons in bi- and trilayers are classified by the symmetry of corresponding crystals. The inter- and intralayer character of the reported excitonic resonances is fingerprinted with the magneto-optical measurements: the excitonic $g$-factors of opposite sign and of different amplitude are revealed for these two types of resonances. The parameters describing the strength of the spin-orbit interaction are estimated for bi- and trilayer MoS$_2$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Phase change materials for nano-polaritonics: a case study of hBN/VO2 heterostructures

Polaritonic excitation and control in van der Waals (vdW) materials exhibit superior merits than conventional materials and thus hold new promise for exploring light matter interactions. In this work, we created vdW heterostructures combining hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and a representative phase change material - vanadium dioxide (VO2). Using infrared nano-spectroscopy and nano-imaging, we demonstrated the dynamic tunability of hyperbolic phonon polaritons in hBN/VO2 heterostructures by temperature control in a precise and reversible fashion. The dynamic tuning of the polaritons stems from the change of local dielectric properties of the VO2 sublayer through insulator to metal transition by the temperature control. The high susceptibility of polaritons to electronic phase transitions opens possibilities for applications of vdW materials in combination with correlated phase change materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Proximity-Induced Spin-Orbit Coupling in Graphene-Bi$_{1.5}$Sb$_{0.5}$Te$_{1.7}$Se$_{1.3}$ Heterostructures

The weak intrinsic spin-orbit coupling in graphene can be greatly enhanced by proximity coupling. Here we report on the proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling in graphene transferred by hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) onto the topological insulator Bi$_{1.5}$Sb$_{0.5}$Te$_{1.7}$Se$_{1.3}$ (BSTS) which was grown on a hBN substrate by vapor solid synthesis. Phase coherent transport measurements, revealing weak localization, allow us to extract the carrier density-dependent phase coherence length $l_ϕ$. While $l_ϕ$ increases with increasing carrier density in the hBN/graphene/hBN reference sample, it decreases in BSTS/graphene due to the proximity-coupling of BSTS to graphene. The latter behavior results from D'yakonov-Perel-type spin scattering in graphene with a large proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling strength of at least 2.5 meV.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

A compensated multi-gap RPC with 2 m-long strips for the LEPS2 experiment

We have developed multi-gap resistive plate chambers (MRPCs) with 2.5 x 200 cm2 readout strips for the time-of-flight (TOF) detector system of the LEPS2 experiment at SPring-8. These chambers consist of 2 stacks and 5 gas gaps per stack, in a mirrored configuration. A time resolution of sigma ~ 80 ps was achieved for any position within a strip (at above 99% detection efficiency); after performing the time-charge slewing correction, this value could be reduced to 60 ps. A link between the small contribution of the slewing correction to timing and the suppression of modal dispersion in the detector could be established.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

High-Q nanocavities in semiconductor-based three-dimensional photonic crystals

We experimentally demonstrated high quality factors (Q-factors) of nanocavities in three-dimensional photonic crystals by increasing the in-plane area of the structure. Entire structures made of GaAs were fabricated by a micro-manipulation technique, and the nanocavities contained InAs self-assembled quantum dots that emitted near-infrared light. The obtained Q-factor was improved to 93,000, which is 2.4-times larger than that in a previous report of a three-dimensional photonic crystal nanocavity. Due to this large Q-factor, we successfully observed a lasing oscillation from this cavity mode.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Metallic glasses for spintronics: anomalous temperature dependence and giant enhancement of inverse spin Hall effect

Spin-charge conversion via inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) is essential for enabling various applications of spintronics. The spin Hall response usually follows a universal scaling relation with longitudinal electric resistivity and has mild temperature dependence because elementary excitations play only a minor role in resistivity and hence ISHE. Here we report that the ISHE of metallic glasses shows nearly two orders of magnitude enhancements with temperature increase from a threshold of 80-100 K to glass transition points. As electric resistivity changes only marginally in the temperature range, the anomalous temperature dependence is in defiance of the prevailing scaling law. Such a giant temperature enhancement can be well described by a two-level thermal excitation model of glasses and disappears after crystallization, suggesting a new mechanism which involves unique thermal excitations of glasses. This finding may pave new ways to achieve high spin-charge conversion efficiency at room and higher temperatures for spintronic devices and to detect structure and dynamics of glasses using spin currents.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

High quality magnetotransport in graphene using the edge-free Corbino geometry

We report fabrication of graphene devices in a Corbino geometry consisting of concentric circular electrodes with no physical edge connecting the inner and outer electrodes. High device mobility is realized using boron nitride encapsulation together with a dual-graphite gate structure. Bulk conductance measurement in the quantum Hall effect (QHE) regime outperforms previously reported Hall bar measurements, with improved resolution observed for both the integer and fractional QHE states. We identify apparent phase transitions in the fractional sequence in both the lowest and first excited Landau levels (LLs) and observed features consistent with electron solid phases in higher LLs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Tuning superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene

Materials with flat electronic bands often exhibit exotic quantum phenomena owing to strong correlations. Remarkably, an isolated low-energy flat band can be induced in bilayer graphene by simply rotating the layers to 1.1$^{\circ}$, resulting in the appearance of gate-tunable superconducting and correlated insulating phases. Here, we demonstrate that in addition to the twist angle, the interlayer coupling can also be modified to precisely tune these phases. We establish the capability to induce superconductivity at a twist angle larger than 1.1$^{\circ}$ $-$ in which correlated phases are otherwise absent $-$ by varying the interlayer spacing with hydrostatic pressure. Realizing devices with low disorder additionally reveals new details about the superconducting phase diagram and its relationship to the nearby insulator. Our results demonstrate twisted bilayer graphene to be a uniquely tunable platform for exploring novel correlated states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Excess resistivity in graphene superlattices caused by umklapp electron-electron scattering

Umklapp processes play a fundamental role as the only intrinsic mechanism that allows electrons to transfer momentum to the crystal lattice and, therefore, provide a finite electrical resistance in pure metals. However, umklapp scattering has proven to be elusive in experiment as it is easily obscured by other dissipation mechanisms. Here we show that electron-electron umklapp scattering dominates the transport properties of graphene-on-boron-nitride superlattices over a wide range of temperatures and carrier densities. The umklapp processes cause giant excess resistivity that rapidly increases with increasing the superlattice period and are responsible for deterioration of the room-temperature mobility by more than an order of magnitude as compared to standard, non-superlattice graphene devices. The umklapp scattering exhibits a quadratic temperature dependence accompanied by a pronounced electron-hole asymmetry with the effect being much stronger for holes rather than electrons. Aside from fundamental interest, our results have direct implications for design of possible electronic devices based on heterostructures featuring superlattices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

A graphene transmon operating at 1 T

A superconducting transmon qubit resilient to strong magnetic fields is an important component for proposed topological and hybrid quantum computing (QC) schemes. Transmon qubits consist of a Josephson junction (JJ) shunted by a large capacitance, coupled to a high quality factor superconducting resonator. In conventional transmon devices, the JJ is made from an Al/AlO$_x$/Al tunnel junction which ceases operation above the critical magnetic field of Al, 10 mT. Alternative junction technologies are therefore required to push the operation of these qubits into strong magnetic fields. Graphene JJs are one such candidate due to their high quality, ballistic transport and electrically tunable critical current densities. Importantly the monolayer structure of graphene protects the JJ from orbital interference effects that would otherwise inhibit operation at high magnetic field. Here we report the integration of ballistic graphene JJs into microwave frequency superconducting circuits to create the first graphene transmons. The electric tunability allows the characteristic band dispersion of graphene to be resolved via dispersive microwave spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the device is insensitive to the applied field and perform energy level spectroscopy of the transmon at 1 T, more than an order of magnitude higher than previous studies.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Ultra-long wavelength Dirac plasmons in graphene capacitors

Graphene is a valuable 2D platform for plasmonics as illustrated in recent THz and mid-infrared optics experiments. These high-energy plasmons however, couple to the dielectric surface modes giving rise to hybrid plasmon-polariton excitations. Ultra-long-wavelengthes address the low energy end of the plasmon spectrum, in the GHz-THz electronic domain, where intrinsic graphene Dirac plasmons are essentially decoupled from their environment. However experiments are elusive due to the damping by ohmic losses at low frequencies. We demonstrate here a plasma resonance capacitor (PRC) using hexagonal boron-nitride (hBN) encapsulated graphene at cryogenic temperatures in the near ballistic regime. We report on a $100\;\mathrm{μm}$ quarter-wave plasmon mode, at $40\;\mathrm{GHz}$, with a quality factor $Q\simeq2$. The accuracy of the resonant technique yields a precise determination of the electronic compressibility and kinetic inductance, allowing to assess residual deviations from intrinsic Dirac plasmonics. Our capacitor GHz experiment constitutes a first step toward the demonstration of plasma resonance transistors for microwave detection in the sub-THz domain for wireless communications and sensing. It also paves the way to the realization of doping modulated superlattices where plasmon propagation is controlled by Klein tunneling.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Anomalously low dielectric constant of confined water

The dielectric constant of interfacial water has been predicted to be smaller than that of bulk water (= 80) because the rotational freedom of water dipoles is expected to decrease near surfaces, yet experimental evidence is lacking. We report local capacitance measurements for water confined between two atomically-flat walls separated by various distances down to 1 nm. Our experiments reveal the presence of an interfacial layer with vanishingly small polarization such that its out-of-plane dielectric constant is only approximately 2. The electrically dead layer is found to be two to three molecules thick. These results provide much needed feedback for theories describing water-mediated surface interactions and behavior of interfacial water, and show a way to investigate the dielectric properties of other fluids and solids under extreme confinement.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Measuring Hall Viscosity of Graphene's Electron Fluid

Materials subjected to a magnetic field exhibit the Hall effect, a phenomenon studied and understood in fine detail. Here we report a qualitative breach of this classical behavior in electron systems with high viscosity. The viscous fluid in graphene is found to respond to non-quantizing magnetic fields by producing an electric field opposite to that generated by the classical Hall effect. The viscous contribution is large and identified by studying local voltages that arise in the vicinity of current-injecting contacts. We analyze the anomaly over a wide range of temperatures and carrier densities and extract the Hall viscosity, a dissipationless transport coefficient that was long identified theoretically but remained elusive in experiment. Good agreement with theory suggests further opportunities for studying electron magnetohydrodynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Observation of the quantum valley Hall state in ballistic graphene superlattices

In graphene superlattices, bulk topological currents can lead to long-range charge-neutral flow and non-local resistance near Dirac points. A ballistic version of these phenomena has never been explored. Here, we report transport properties of ballistic graphene superlattices. This allows us to study and exploit giant non-local resistances with a large valley Hall angle without a magnetic field. In the low-temperature regime, a crossover occurs toward a new state of matter, referred to as a quantum valley Hall state (qVHS), which is an analog of the quantum Hall state without a magnetic field. Furthermore, a non-local resistance plateau, implying rigidity of the qVHS, emerges as a function of magnetic field, and the collapse of this plateau is observed, which is considered as a manifestation of valley/pseudospin magnetism.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗