arXiv subjects

L. Balents

Publications and source records attributed to L. Balents.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Giant modulation of optical nonlinearity by Floquet engineering

Strong periodic driving with light offers the potential to coherently manipulate the properties of quantum materials on ultrafast timescales. Recently, strategies have emerged to drastically alter electronic and magnetic properties by optically inducing non-trivial band topologies, emergent spin interactions and even superconductivity. However, the prospects and methods of coherently engineering optical properties on demand are far less understood. Here we demonstrate coherent control and giant modulation of optical nonlinearity in a van der Waals layered magnetic insulator, manganese phosphorus trisulfide (MnPS$_3$). By driving far off-resonance from the lowest on-site manganese $d$-$d$ transition, we observe a coherent on-off switching of its optical second harmonic generation efficiency on the timescale of 100 femtoseconds with no measurable dissipation. At driving electric fields of the order of 10$^9$ volts per metre, the on-off ratio exceeds 10, which is limited only by the sample damage threshold. Floquet theory calculations based on a single-ion model of MnPS$_3$ are able to reproduce the measured driving field amplitude and polarization dependence of the effect. Our approach can be applied to a broad range of insulating materials and could lead to dynamically designed nonlinear optical elements.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Intrinsic quantized anomalous Hall effect in a moiré heterostructure

We report the observation of a quantum anomalous Hall effect in twisted bilayer graphene showing Hall resistance quantized to within .1\% of the von Klitzing constant $h/e^2$ at zero magnetic field.The effect is driven by intrinsic strong correlations, which polarize the electron system into a single spin and valley resolved moiré miniband with Chern number $C=1$. In contrast to extrinsic, magnetically doped systems, the measured transport energy gap $Δ/k_B\approx 27$~K is larger than the Curie temperature for magnetic ordering $T_C\approx 9$~K, and Hall quantization persists to temperatures of several Kelvin. Remarkably, we find that electrical currents as small as 1~nA can be used to controllably switch the magnetic order between states of opposite polarization, forming an electrically rewritable magnetic memory.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Dimensional crossover in a layered ferromagnet detected by spin correlation driven distortions

Magneto-elastic distortions are commonly detected across magnetic long-range ordering (LRO) transitions. In principle, they are also induced by the magnetic short-range ordering (SRO) that precedes a LRO transition, which contains information about short-range correlations and energetics that are essential for understanding how LRO is established. However these distortions are difficult to resolve because the associated atomic displacements are exceedingly small and do not break symmetry. Here we demonstrate high-multipole nonlinear optical polarimetry as a sensitive and mode selective probe of SRO induced distortions using CrSiTe$_3$ as a testbed. This compound is composed of weakly bonded sheets of nearly isotropic ferromagnetically interacting spins that, in the Heisenberg limit, would individually be impeded from LRO by the Mermin-Wagner theorem. Our results show that CrSiTe$_3$ evades this law via a two-step crossover from two- to three-dimensional magnetic SRO, manifested through two successive and previously undetected totally symmetric distortions above its Curie temperature.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Spin liquid and quantum phase transition without symmetry breaking in a frustrated three-dimensional Ising model

We show that the highly frustrated transverse-field Ising model on the three-dimensional pyrochlore lattice realizes a first-order phase transition without symmetry breaking between the low-field Coulomb quantum spin liquid and the high-field polarized phase. The quantum phase transition is located quantitively by comparing low- and high-field series expansions. Furthermore, the intriguing properties of the elementary excitations in the polarized phase are investigated. We argue that this model can be achieved experimentally by applying mechanical strain to a classical spin ice material comprised of non-Kramers spins such as Ho_2Ti_2O_7. Taken together with our results, this provides a new experimental platform to study quantum spin liquid physics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Slater to Mott crossover in the metal to insulator transition of Nd2Ir2O7

We present an angle-resolved photoemission study of the electronic structure of the three-dimensional pyrochlore iridate Nd2Ir2O7 through its magnetic metal-insulator transition. Our data reveal that metallic Nd2Ir2O7 has a quadratic band, touching the Fermi level at the Gamma point, similarly to that of Pr2Ir2O7. The Fermi node state is, therefore, a common feature of the metallic phase of the pyrochlore iridates. Upon cooling below the transition temperature, this compound exhibits a gap opening with an energy shift of quasiparticle peaks like a band gap insulator. The quasiparticle peaks are strongly suppressed, however, with further decrease of temperature, and eventually vanish at the lowest temperature, leaving a non-dispersive flat band lacking long-lived electrons. We thereby identify a remarkable crossover from Slater to Mott insulators with decreasing temperature. These observations explain the puzzling absence of Weyl points in this material, despite its proximity to the zero temperature metal-insulator transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Energetic, spatial and momentum character of a buried interface: the two-dimensional electron gas between two metal oxides

The interfaces between two condensed phases often exhibit emergent physical properties that can lead to new physics and novel device applications, and are the subject of intense study in many disciplines. We here apply novel experimental and theoretical techniques to the characterization of one such interesting interface system: the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed in multilayers consisting of SrTiO$_3$ (STO) and GdTiO$_3$ (GTO). This system has been the subject of multiple studies recently and shown to exhibit very high carrier charge densities and ferromagnetic effects, among other intriguing properties. We have studied a 2DEG-forming multilayer of the form [6 unit cells STO/3 unit cells of GTO]$_{20}$ using a unique array of photoemission techniques including soft and hard x-ray excitation, soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission, core-level spectroscopy, resonant excitation, and standing-wave effects, as well as theoretical calculations of the electronic structure at several levels and of the actual photoemission process. Standing-wave measurements below and above a strong resonance have been introduced as a powerful method for studying the 2DEG depth distribution. We have thus characterized the spatial and momentum properties of this 2DEG with unprecedented detail, determining via depth-distribution measurements that it is spread throughout the 6 u.c. layer of STO, and measuring the momentum dispersion of its states. The experimental results are supported in several ways by theory, leading to a much more complete picture of the nature of this 2DEG, and suggesting that oxygen vacancies are not the origin of it. Similar multi-technique photoemission studies of such states at buried interfaces, combined with comparable theory, will be a very fruitful future approach for exploring and modifying the fascinating world of buried-interface physics and chemistry.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Quadratic Fermi Node in a 3D Strongly Correlated Semimetal

Strong spin-orbit coupling fosters exotic electronic states such as topological insulators and superconductors, but the combination of strong spin-orbit and strong electron-electron interactions is just beginning to be understood. Central to this emerging area are the 5d transition metal iridium oxides. Here, in the pyrochlore iridate Pr2Ir2O7, we identify a nontrivial state with a single point Fermi node protected by cubic and time-reversal symmetries, using a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first principles calculations. Owing to its quadratic dispersion, the unique coincidence of four degenerate states at the Fermi energy, and strong Coulomb interactions, non-Fermi liquid behavior is predicted, for which we observe some evidence. Our discovery implies that Pr2Ir2O7 is a parent state that can be manipulated to produce other strongly correlated topological phases, such as topological Mott insulator, Weyl semi-metal, and quantum spin and anomalous Hall states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Observation by resonant angle-resolved photoemission of a critical thickness for 2-dimensional electron gas formation in SrTiO$_3$ embedded in GdTiO$_3$

For certain conditions of layer thickness, the interface between GdTiO$_3$ (GTO) and SrTiO$_3$ (STO) in multilayer samples has been found to form a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with very interesting properties including high mobilities and ferromagnetism. We have here studied two trilayer samples of the form [2 nm GTO/1.0 or 1.5 unit cells STO/10 nm GTO] as grown on (001) (LaAlO$_3$)$_{0.3}$(Sr$_2$AlTaO$_6$)$_{0.7}$ (LSAT), with the STO layer thicknesses being at what has been suggested is the critical thickness for 2DEG formation. We have studied these with Ti-resonant angle-resolved (ARPES) and angle-integrated photoemission and find that the spectral feature in the spectra associated with the 2DEG is present in the 1.5 unit cell sample, but not in the 1.0 unit cell sample. We also observe through core-level spectra additional states in Ti and Sr, with the strength of a low-binding-energy state for Sr being associated with the appearance of the 2DEG, and we suggest it to have an origin in final-state core-hole screening.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Spin-orbiton and quantum criticality in FeSc2S4

In FeSc2S4 spin-orbital exchange competes with strong spin-orbit coupling, suppressing long-range spin and orbital order and, hence, this material represents one of the rare examples of a spin-orbital liquid ground state. Moreover, it is close to a quantum-critical point separating the ordered and disordered regimes. Using THz and FIR spectroscopy we study low-lying excitations in FeSc2S4 and provide clear evidence for a spin-orbiton, an excitation of strongly entangled spins and orbitals. It becomes particularly well pronounced upon cooling, when advancing deep into the quantum-critical regime. Moreover, indications of an underlying structureless excitation continuum are found, a possible signature of quantum criticality.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Supersolid Order of Frustrated Hard-Core Bosons in a Triangular Lattice System

We numerically demonstrate that a supersolid phase exists in a frustrated hard-core boson system on a triangular lattice over a wide range of interaction strength. In the infinite repulsion (Ising) limit, we establish a mapping to the same problem with unfrustrated hopping, which connects the supersolid to the known results in that case. The weak superfluidity can be destroyed or strongly enhanced by a next nearest neighbor hopping term, which provides valuable information for experimental realization of a supersolid phase on optical lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Topological invariants of time-reversal-invariant band structures

The topological invariants of a time-reversal-invariant band structure in two dimensions are multiple copies of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariant found by Kane and Mele. Such invariants protect the topological insulator and give rise to a spin Hall effect carried by edge states. Each pair of bands related by time reversal is described by a single $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariant, up to one less than half the dimension of the Bloch Hamiltonians. In three dimensions, there are four such invariants per band. The $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariants of a crystal determine the transitions between ordinary and topological insulators as its bands are occupied by electrons. We derive these invariants using maps from the Brillouin zone to the space of Bloch Hamiltonians and clarify the connections between $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariants, the integer invariants that underlie the integer quantum Hall effect, and previous invariants of ${\cal T}$-invariant Fermi systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2005

Supersolid Order from Disorder: Hard-Core Bosons on the Triangular Lattice

We study the interplay of Mott localization, geometric frustration, and superfluidity for hard-core bosons with nearest-neighbor repulsion on the triangular lattice. For this model at half-filling, we demonstrate that superfluidity survives for arbitrarily large repulsion, and that diagonal solid order emerges in the strongly correlated regime from an order-by-disorder mechanism. This is thus an unusual example of a stable supersolid phase of hard-core lattice bosons at a commensurate filling.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Transition to zero resistance in a two dimensional electron gas driven with microwaves

High-mobility 2D electron systems in a perpendicular magnetic field exhibit zero resistance states (ZRS) when driven with microwave radiation. We study the nonequilibrium phase transition into this ZRS using phenomenological equations of motion to describe the current and density fluctuations. We focus on two models for the transition into a time-independent steady state. Model-I assumes rotational invariance, density conservation, and symmetry under shifting the density globally by a constant. This model is argued to describe physics on small length scales where the density does not vary appreciably from its mean. The ordered state that arises in this case breaks rotational invariance and consists of a uniform current and transverse Hall field. We discuss some properties of this state, such as stability to fluctuations and the appearance of a Goldstone mode associated with the continuous symmetry breaking. Using dynamical renormalization group techniques, we find that with short-range interactions this model can admit a continuous transition described by mean-field theory, whereas with long-range interactions the transition is driven first-order. Model-II, which assumes only rotational invariance and density conservation and is argued to be appropriate on longer length scales, is shown to predict a first-order transition with either short- or long-range interactions. We discuss implications for experiments, including scaling relations and a possible way to detect the Goldstone mode in the case of a continuous transition into the ZRS, as well as possible signatures of a first-order transition in larger samples. We also point out the connection of our work to the well-studied phenomenon of `flocking'.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Quantum Criticality and Deconfinement in Phase Transitions Between Valence Bond Solids

We consider spin-half quantum antiferromagnets in two spatial dimensions in the quantum limit, where the spins are in a valence bond solid (VBS) phase. The transitions between two such VBS phases is studied. In some cases, an interesting second order transition controlled by a fixed line with varying critical exponents if found. A specific example is provided by an antiferromagnetically coupled bilayer system on the honeycomb lattice where a continuous quantum phase transition can generically exist between two VBS phases. Furthermore, these critical points are deconfined, in the sense that gapped spin-1/2 spinon excitations emerge right at the transition. The low energy physics of this critical point (upto marginally irrelevant interactions) contains just a free quadratically dispersing `photon'. The phase structure on one side of this continuous transition is very intricate consisting of a series of infinitely closely spaced further transitions in a `devil's staircase' form. Analogies with previous examples of deconfined quantum criticality are emphasized. Closely related transitions in single layer systems are explored. These are second order only at some multicritical points. The solvable Rokshar-Kivelson point of quantum dimer models of single layer systems is found to correspond to a very special non-generic multicritical point

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Ground state phases of the Half-Filled One-Dimensional Extended Hubbard Model

Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, results of a strong-coupling expansion, and Luttinger liquid theory, we determine quantitatively the ground state phase diagram of the one-dimensional extended Hubbard model with on-site and nearest-neighbor repulsions U and V. We show that spin frustration stabilizes a bond-ordered (dimerized) state for U appr. V/2 up to U/t appr. 9, where t is the nearest-neighbor hopping. The transition from the dimerized state to the staggered charge-density-wave state for large V/U is continuous for U up to appr. 5.5 and first-order for higher U.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Fractionalization in an Easy-axis Kagome Antiferromagnet

We study an antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 model with up to third nearest-neighbor couplings on the Kagome lattice in the easy-axis limit, and show that its low-energy dynamics are governed by a four site XY ring exchange Hamiltonian. Simple ``vortex pairing'' arguments suggest that the model sustains a novel fractionalized phase, which we confirm by exactly solving a modification of the Hamiltonian including a further four-site interaction. In this limit, the system is a featureless ``spin liquid'', with gaps to all excitations, in particular: deconfined S^z=1/2 bosonic ``spinons'' and Ising vortices or ``visons''. We use an Ising duality transformation to express vison correlators as non-local strings in terms of the spin operators, and calculate the string correlators using the ground state wavefunction of the modified Hamiltonian. Remarkably, this wavefunction is exactly given by a kind of Gutzwiller projection of an XY ferromagnet. Finally, we show that the deconfined spin liquid state persists over a finite range as the additional four-spin interaction is reduced, and study the effect of this reduction on the dynamics of spinons and visons.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Weak Ferromagnetism and Excitonic Condensates

We investigate a model of excitonic ordering (i.e electron-hole pair condensation) appropriate for the divalent hexaborides. We show that the inclusion of imperfectly nested electron hole Fermi surfaces can lead to the formation of an undoped excitonic metal phase. In addition, we find that weak ferromagnetism with compensated moments arises as a result of gapless excitations. We study the effect of the low lying excitations on the density of states, Fermi surface topology and optical conductivity and compare to available experimental data.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Quasiparticles in the 111 state and its compressible ancestors

We investigate the relationship of the spontaneously inter-layer coherent ``111''state of quantum Hall bilayers at total filling factor ν=1 to ``mutual'' composite fermions, in which vortices in one layer are bound to electrons in the other. Pairing of the mutual composite fermions leads to the low-energy properties of the 111 state, as we explicitly demonstrate using field-theoretic techniques. Interpreting this relationship as a mechanism for inter-layer coherence leads naturally to two candidate states with non-quantized Hall conductance: the mutual composite Fermi liquid, and an inter-layer coherent charge e Wigner crystal. The experimental behavior of the interlayer tunneling conductance and resistivity tensors are discussed for these states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗