arXiv subjects

Mansoor B. A. Jalil

Publications and source records attributed to Mansoor B. A. Jalil.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

System size dependent topological zero modes in coupled topolectrical chains

In this paper, we demonstrate the emergence and disappearance of topological zero modes (TZMs) in a coupled topolectrical (TE) circuit lattice. Specifically, we consider non-Hermitian TE chains in which TZMs do not occur in the individual uncoupled chains, but emerge when these chains are coupled by inter-chain capacitors. The coupled system hosts TZMs which show size-dependent behaviours and vanish beyond a certain critical size. In addition, the emergence or disappearance of the TZMs in the open boundary condition (OBC) spectra for a given size of the coupled system can be controlled by modulating the signs of its inverse decay length. Analytically, trivial and non-trivial phases of the coupled system can be distinguished by the differing ranks of their corresponding Laplacian matrix. The TE circuit framework enables the physical detection of the TZMs via electrical impedance measurements. Our work establishes the conditions for inducing TZMs and modulating their behavior in coupled TE chains.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Giant anisotropic photocurrent modulated by strain in type-II Weyl semimetal Td-MoTe2

We build a Cu-MoTe2-Cu device model and use first-principles density functional theory to study the transport properties of single-layer Td-MoTe2. We obtained the effect of strain on the energy band structure, transport properties, and photocurrent. The strain-induced photocurrent shows an anisotropy that reflects the modulation of the energy bands, including the Weyl point, by strain. The photocurrent can be suppressed to almost zero when the strain is applied along the vacuum direction. In contrast, the photocurrent can be significantly increased when the strain is applied along the transport direction. The transport properties and magnitude of the photocurrent in the MoTe2-based device can be effectively modulated by adjusting the strength and direction of the strain.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Valley-dependent transport in strain engineering graphene heterojunctions

We study the effect of the strain on the band structure and the valley-dependent transport property of graphene heterojunctions. It is found that valley-dependent separation of electrons can be achieved by utilizing the strain and on-site energies. In the presence of the strain, the values of the transmission can be effectively adjusted by changing the strengths of the strain, while the transport angle basically keeps unchanged. When an extra on-site energy is simultaneously applied to the central scattering region, not only are the electrons of valleys K and K' separated into two distinct transmission lobes in opposite transverse directions, but the transport angles of two valleys can be significantly changed. Therefore, one can realize an effective modulation of valley-dependent transport by changing the strength and stretch angle of the strain and on-site energies, which can be exploited for graphene-based valleytronics devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Higher Chern Number States in Curved Periodic Nanowires

The coupling between the spin and momentum degrees of freedom due to spin-orbit interactions (SOI) suggests that the strength of the latter can be modified by controlling the motion of the charge carriers. In this paper, we investigate how the effective SOI can be modulated by constraining the motion of charge carriers to curved waveguides thereby introducing real-space geometric curvature in their motion. The change in the SOI can in turn induce topological phase transitions in the system. Specifically, we study how the introduction of periodic sinusoidal curvature in nanowires with intrinsic SOC can induce the onset of mid-gap topologically protected edge states, which can be characterized by a topological invariant or Chern number. The Chern number corresponds to the number of discrete charges that would be pumped across the length of the nanowire when the phase of a sliding gate potential relative to that of the sinusoidal curvature is varied adiabatically over a complete period. In addition, coupling to an external magnetization can be utilized as an experimental knob to modify the Chern number by changing the ordering of the nanowire energy bands. The magnetization can be tuned to achieve large discrete jumps in the number of pump charges per phase period.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Critical hybridization of skin modes in coupled non-Hermitian chains

Non-Hermitian topological systems exhibit a plethora of unusual topological phenomena that are absent in the Hermitian systems. One of these key features is the extreme eigenstate localization of eigenstates, also known as non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE), which occurs in open chains. However, many new and peculiar non-Hermitian characteristics of the eigenstates and eigenvlaues that emerge when two such non-Hermitian chains are coupled together remain largely unexplored. Here, we report various new avenues of eigenstate localization in coupled non-Hermitian chains with dissimilar inverse skin lengths in which the NHSE can be switched on and off by the inter-chain coupling amplitude. A very small inter-chain strength causes the NHSE to be present at both ends of an anti-symmetric coupled system because of the weak hybridization of the eigenstates of the individual chains. The eigenspectrum under open boundary conditions (OBC) exhibits a discontinuous jump known as the critical NHSE (CNHSE) as its size increases. However, when the hybridization between eigenstates becomes significant in a system with strong inter-chain coupling, the NHSE and CNHSE vanish. Moreover, a peculiar "half-half skin localization" occurs in composite chains with opposite signs of inverse decay lengths, where half of the eigenstates are exponentially localized at one chain and the remainder of the eigenstates on the other chain. Our results provide a new twist and insights for non-Hermitian phenomena in coupled non-Hermitian systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Unconventional node voltage accumulation in generalized topolectrical circuits with multiple asymmetric couplings

A non-Hermitian system is characterized by the violation of energy conservation. As a result of unbalanced gain or loss in the forward and backward directions due to non-reciprocal couplings, the eigenmodes of such systems exhibit extreme localization, also known as non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE). This work explores unconventional scenarios where the interplay of multiple asymmetric couplings can cause the NHSE to vanish, with the admittance spectra taking identical dispersion under open boundary conditions (OBC) and periodic boundary conditions (PBC). This is unlike known non-Hermitian models where the NHSE vanishes only when the non-Hermiticity is turned off. We derive general conditions for the NHSE, with the overall eigenmode localization determined by the geometric mean of the cumulative contributions of all asymmetric coupling segments. In the limit of large unit cells, our results provide a route towards the NHSE caused by asymmetric hopping textures, rather than single asymmetric hoppings alone. Furthermore, our generalized model can be transformed into a square-root lattice simply by tuning the coupling capacitors, where the topological edge states occur at a non-zero admittance, in contrast to the zero-admittance states of conventional topological insulators. We provide explicit electrical circuit setups for realizing our observations, which also extend to other established platforms such as photonics, mechanics, optics and quantum circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Non-Hermitian topological phases and exceptional lines in topolectrical circuits

We propose a scheme to realize various non-Hermitian topological phases in a topolectrical (TE) circuit network consisting of resistors, inductors, and capacitors. These phases are characterized by topologically protected exceptional points and lines. The positive and negative resistive couplings Rg in the circuit provide loss and gain factors which break the Hermiticity of the circuit Laplacian. By controlling Rg, the exceptional lines of the circuit can be modulated, e.g., from open curves to closed ellipses in the Brillouin zone. In practice, the topology of the exceptional lines can be detected by the impedance spectra of the circuit. We also considered finite TE systems with open boundary conditions, the admittance spectrum of which exhibits highly tunable zero-admittance states demarcated by boundary points (BPs). The phase diagram of the system shows topological phases which are characterized by the number of their BPs. The transition between different phases can be controlled by varying the circuit parameters and tracked via impedance readout between the terminal nodes. Our TE model offers an accessible and tunable means of realizing different topological phases in a non-Hermitian framework, and characterizing them based on their boundary point and exceptional line configurations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Sustainable spin current in the time-dependent Rashba system

The generation of spin current and spin polarization in 2DEG Rashba system is considered, in which the spin-orbital coupling (SOC) is modulated by an ac gate voltage. By using non-Abelian gauge field method, we show the presence of an additional electric field. This field induces a spin current generated even in the presence of impurity scattering and is related to the time-modulation of the Rashba SOC strength. In addition, the spin precession can be controlled by modulating the modulation frequency of the Rashba SOC strength. It is shown that at high modulation frequency, the precessional motion is suppressed so that the electron spin polarization can be sustained in the 2DEG

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Tunable spin and orbital polarization in SrTiO3-based heterostructures

We formulate the effective Hamiltonian of Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) in $\mathrm{LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3}$ (LAO/STO) heterostructures. We derive analytical expressions of properties, e.g., Rashba parameter, effective mass, band edge energy and orbital occupancy, as functions of material and tunable heterostructure parameters. While linear RSOC is dominant around the $Γ$-point, cubic RSOC becomes significant at the higher-energy anti-crossing region. We find that linear RSOC stems from the structural inversion asymmetry (SIA), while the cubic term is induced by both SIA and bulk asymmetry. Furthermore, the SOC strength shows a striking dependence on the tunable heterostructure parameters such as STO thickness and the interfacial electric field which is ascribed to the quantum confinement effect near the LAO/STO interface. The calculated values of the linear and cubic RSOC are in agreement with previous experimental results.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Zitterbewegung-mediated RKKY coupling in topological insulator thin films

The dynamics of itinerant electrons in topological insulator (TI) thin films is investigated using a multi-band decomposition approach. We show that the electron trajectory in the 2D film is anisotropic and confined within a characteristic region. Remarkably, the confinement and anisotropy of the electron trajectory are associated with the topological phase transition of the TI system, which can be controlled by tuning the film thickness and/or applying an in-plane magnetic field. Moreover, persistent electron wavepacket oscillation can be achieved in the TI thin film system at the phase transition point, which may assist in the experimental detection of the jitter motion (Zitterbewegung). The implications of the microscopic picture of electron motion in explaining other transport-related effects, e.g., electron-mediated RKKY coupling in the TI thin film system, are also discussed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Controllable p$-$n junctions in three$-$dimensional Dirac semimetal Cd$_3$As$_2$ nanowires

We demonstrate a controllable p$-$n junction in a three$-$dimensional Dirac semimetal (DSM) Cd$_3$As$_2$ nanowire with two recessed bottom gates. The device exhibits four different conductance regimes with gate voltages, the unipolar (n$-$n and p$-$p) regime and the bipolar (n$-$p and n$-$p) one, where p$-$n junctions are formed. The conductance in the p$-$n junction regime decreases drastically when a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the nanowire, which is due to the suppression of Klein tunneling. In this regime, the device shows quantum dot behavior. On the other hand, clear conductance plateaus are observed in the n$-$n regime likely owing to the cyclotron motion of carriers at high magnetic fields. Our experiment shows that the ambipolar tunability of DSM nanowires can enable the realization of quantum devices based on quantum dots and electron optics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Resilience of the Spin-Orbit Torque against Geometrical Backscattering

We show in this paper that the technologically relevant field-like spin-orbit torque shows resilience against the geometrical effect of electron backscattering. As device grows smaller in sizes, the effect of geometry on physical properties like spin torque, and hence switching current could place a physical limit on the continued shrinkage of such device -- a necessary trend of all memory devices (MRAM). The geometrical effect of curves has been shown to impact quantum transport and topological transition of Dirac and topological systems. In our work, we have ruled out the potential threat of line-curves degrading the effectiveness of spin-orbit torque switching. In other words, spin-orbit torque switching will be resilient against the influence of curves that line the circumferences of defects in the events of electron backscattering, which commonly happen in the channel of modern electronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Transport across a topoelectrical Weyl semimetal heterojunction

We propose a general method to realize and calculate the transmission in a Weyl semimetal (WSM) heterostructure by employing a periodic three-dimensional topoelectrical (TE) circuit network. By drawing the analogy between inductor-capacitor circuit lattices and quantum mechanical tight-binding (TB) models, we show that the energy flux in a TE network is analogous to the probability flux in a TB Hamiltonian. TE systems offer a key advantage in that they can be easily tuned to achieve different topological WSM phases simply by varying the capacitances and inductances. The above analogy opens the way to the study of tunneling across heterojunctions separating different types of WSMs in TE circuits, a situation which is virtually impossible to realize in physical WSM materials. We show that the energy flux transmission in a WSM heterostructure depends highly on the relative orientation of the transport direction and the $k$-space tilt direction. For the transmission from a Type I WSM source lead to a Type II WSM drain lead, all valleys transmit equally when the tilt and transmission directions are perpendicular to each other. In contrast, large inter-valley scattering is required for transmission when the tilt and transport directions are parallel to each other, leading to valley-dependent transmission. We describe a Type III WSM phase intermediate between the Type I and Type II phases. An `anti-Klein' tunneling occurs between a Type I source and Type III drain where the transmission is totally suppressed for some valleys at normal incidence. This is in direct contrast to the usual Klein tunneling in Dirac materials where normally incident flux is perfectly transmitted. Owing to the ease of fabrication and experimental accessibility, TE circuits offer an excellent testbed to study the extraordinary transport phenomena in WSM based heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Quantum dots formed in three-dimensional Dirac semimetal Cd$_3$As$_2$ nanowires

We demonstrate quantum dot (QD) formation in three-dimensional Dirac semimetal Cd$_{3}$As$_{2}$ nanowires using two electrostatically tuned p$-$n junctions with a gate and magnetic fields. The linear conductance measured as a function of gate voltage under high magnetic fields is strongly suppressed at the Dirac point close to zero conductance, showing strong conductance oscillations. Remarkably, in this regime, the Cd$_{3}$As$_{2}$ nanowire device exhibits Coulomb diamond features, indicating that a clean single QD forms in the Dirac semimetal nanowire. Our results show that a p$-$type QD can be formed between two n$-$type leads underneath metal contacts in the nanowire by applying gate voltages under strong magnetic fields. Analysis of the quantum confinement in the gapless band structure confirms that p$-$n junctions formed between the p$-$type QD and two neighboring n$-$type leads under high magnetic fields behave as resistive tunnel barriers due to cyclotron motion, resulting in the suppression of Klein tunneling. The p$-$type QD with magnetic field-induced confinement shows a single hole filling. Our results will open up a route to quantum devices such as QDs or quantum point contacts based on Dirac and Weyl semimetals.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Newton's second law in spin-orbit torque

Spin-orbit torque (SOT) refers to the excitation of magnetization dynamics via spin-orbit coupling under the application of a charged current. In this work, we introduce a simple and intuitive description of the SOT in terms of spin force. In Rashba spin-orbit coupling system, the damping-like SOT can be expressed as ${\mathbf T}^\mathrm{so}={\mathbf R}_c\times {\mathbf F}^{\mathrm {so}}$, in analogy to the classical torque-force relation, where $R_c$ is the effective radius characterizing the Rashba splitting in the momentum space. As a consequence, the magnetic energy is transferred to the conduction electrons, which dissipates through Joule heating at a rate of $({\mathbf j}_e\cdot {\mathbf F}^{\mathrm {so}})$, with $j_e$ being the applied current. Finally, we propose an experimental verification of our findings via measurement of the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Effect of capping layer on spin-orbit torques

In order to enhance the magnitude of spin-orbit torque (SOT), considerable experimental works have been devoted to studying the thickness dependence of the different layers in multilayers consisting of heavy metal (HM), ferromagnet (FM) and capping layers. Here we present a theoretical model based on the spin-drift-diffusion (SDD) formalism to investigate the effect of the capping layer properties such as its thickness on the SOT observed in experiments. It is found that the spin Hall-induced SOT can be significantly enhanced by incorporating a capping layer with opposite spin Hall angle to that of the HM layer. The spin Hall torque can be maximized by tuning the capping layer thickness. However, in the absence of the spin Hall effect (SHE) in the capping layer, the torque decreases monotonically with capping layer thickness. Conversely, the spin Hall torque is found to decrease monotonically with the FM layer thickness, irrespective of the presence or absence of SHE in the capping layer. All these trends are in correspondence with experimental observations. Finally, our model suggests that capping layers with long spin diffusion length and high resistivity would also enhance the spin Hall torque.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

Electrically tunable valley polarization in Weyl semimetals with tilted energy dispersion

Tunneling transport across the p-n-p junction of Weyl semimetal with tilted energy dispersion is investigated. We report that the electrons around different valleys experience opposite direction refractions at the barrier interface when the energy dispersion is tilted along one of the transverse directions. Chirality dependent refractions at the barrier interface polarize the Weyl fermions in angle-space according to their valley index. A real magnetic barrier configuration is used to select allowed transmission angles, which results in electrically controllable and switchable valley polarization. Our findings may pave the way for experimental investigation of valley polarization, as well as valleytronic and electron optic applications in Weyl semimetals.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Anomalous tunneling characteristic of Weyl semimetals with tilted energy dispersion

Weyl semimetal is a recently discovered state of quantum matter, which generally possesses tilted energy dispersion. Here, we investigate the electron tunneling through a Weyl semimetal p-n-p junction. The angular dependence of electron tunneling exhibits an anomalous profile such that perfect transmission angles are shifted along the direction of the tilt. Coupling of the tilted dispersion and electrical potential within the barrier region gives rise to a transverse momentum shift, which is analogous to the transverse Lorentz displacement induced by magnetic barriers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗