Mehul Dixit | Searcharxiv

arXiv2014

Realization of One-Way Electromagnetic Modes at the Interface Between Two Dissimilar Metals

We calculate the dispersion relations for electromagnetic waves propagating at the interface between two dissimilar Drude metals in an external magnetic field B parallel to the interface. The propagating modes are bound to the inteface and travel perpendicular to B. In certain frequency ranges, the waves can propagate in one direction only. The frequency range for these one-way modes increases with increasing B. One group of modes occurs at moderate frequencies, between the lower and upper plasma frequencies of the two metals. The other occurs at much lower frequencies, between their lower and upper cyclotron frequencies. We discuss possible ways to realize such modes in real materials, including dissimilar superconductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Quantum phase transition in quantum wires controlled by an external gate

We consider electrons in a quantum wire interacting via a long-range Coulomb potential screened by a nearby gate. We focus on the quantum phase transition from a strictly one-dimensional to a quasi-one-dimensional electron liquid, that is controlled by the dimensionless parameter $n x_0$, where $n$ is the electron density and $x_0$ is the characteristic length of the transverse confining potential. If this transition occurs in the low-density limit, it can be understood as the deformation of the one-dimensional Wigner crystal to a zigzag arrangement of the electrons described by an Ising order parameter. The critical properties are governed by the charge degrees of freedom and the spin sector remains essentially decoupled. At large densities, on the other hand, the transition is triggered by the filling of a second one-dimensional subband of transverse quantization. Electrons at the bottom of the second subband interact strongly due to the diverging density of states and become impenetrable. We argue that this stabilizes the electron liquid as it suppresses pair-tunneling processes between the subbands that would otherwise lead to an instability. However, the impenetrable electrons in the second band are screened by the excitations of the first subband, so that the transition is identified as a Lifshitz transition of impenetrable polarons. We discuss the resulting phase diagram as a function of $n x_0$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗