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Naoto Nagaosa

Publications and source records attributed to Naoto Nagaosa.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Topological protection of bound states against the hybridization

Topological invariants are conventionally known to be responsible for protection of extended states against disorder. A prominent example is the presence of topologically protected extended-states in two-dimensional (2D) quantum Hall systems as well as on the surface of three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators. Distinct from such cases, here we introduce a new concept, that is, the topological protection of bound states against hybridization. This situation is shown to be realizable in a 2D quantum Hall insulator put on a 3D trivial insulator. In such a configuration, there exist topologically protected bound states, localized along the normal direction of 2D plane, in spite of hybridization with the continuum of extended states. The one-dimensional edge states are also localized along the same direction as long as their energies are within the band gap. This finding demonstrates the dual role of topological invariants, as they can also protect bound states against hybridization in a continuum.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Majorana bound states and non-local spin correlations in a quantum wire on an unconventional superconductor

We study theoretically the proximity effect of a one-dimensional metallic quantum wire (in the absence of spin-orbit interaction) lying on top of an unconventional superconductor. Three different material classes are considered as a substrate: (i) a chiral superconductor in class D with broken time-reversal symmetry; a class DIII superconductor (ii) with and (iii) without a nontrivial Z2 number. Interestingly, we find degenerate zero energy Majorana bound states at both ends of the wire for all three cases. They are unstable against spin-orbit interaction in case (i) while they are topologically protected by time-reversal symmetry in cases (ii) and (iii). Remarkably, we show that non-local spin correlations between the two ends of the wire can be simply controlled by a gate potential in our setup.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Electromagnetic and thermal responses in topological matter: topological terms, quantum anomalies and D-branes

We discuss the thermal (or gravitational) responses in topological superconductors and in topological phases in general. Such thermal responses (as well as electromagnetic responses for conserved charge) provide a definition of topological insulators and superconductors beyond the single-particle picture. In two-dimensional topological phases, the Strěda formula for the electric Hall conductivity is generalized to the thermal Hall conductivity. Applying this formula to the Majorana surface states of three-dimensional topological superconductors predicts cross-correlated responses between the angular momentum and thermal polarization (entropy polarization). We also discuss a use of D-branes in string theory as a systematic tool to derive all such topological terms and topological responses. In particular, we relate the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ index of topological insulators introduced by Kane and Mele (and its generalization to other symmetry classes and to arbitrary dimensions) to the K-theory charge of non-BPS D-branes, and vice versa. We thus establish a link between the stability of non-BPS D-branes and the topological stability of topological insulators.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Theory of a quantum critical phenomenon in a topological insulator: (3+1)-dimensional quantum electrodynamics in solids

We study theoretically the quantum critical phenomenon of the phase transition between the trivial insulator and the topological insulator in (3+1) dimensions, which is described by a Dirac fermion coupled to the electromagnetic field. The renormalization group (RG) equations for the running coupling constant α, the speed of light c and electron v are derived. The almost exact analytic solutions to these RG equations are obtained to reveal that (i) c and v approach to the common value with combination c^2v being almost unrenormalized, (ii) the RG flow of αis the same as that of usual QED with c^3 being replaced by c^2v, and (iii) there are two crossover momentum/energy scales separating three regions of different scaling behaviors. The dielectric and magnetic susceptibilities, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and the behavior of the gap are discussed from this viewpoint.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Renormalization Effects on Quasi-Two-Dimensional Organic Conductor α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3

The quasi-two-dimensional organic semiconductor α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 [BEDT-TTF=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene] has an anisotropic linear dispersion with a zero energy gap near the Fermi level. Owing to the vanishing density of states at the Fermi level, the Coulomb interaction is unscreened in this material. We theoretically study the effect of the long-range Coulomb interaction and the low-energy/long-wavelength behavior of α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 using the renormalization group analysis. The nearly logarithmic enhancement of the velocity reshapes tilted Dirac cones, and changes the low-temperature behavior. We also show the theoretical calculation for the site-selective spin susceptibility, which can be measured in an NMR experiment.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Anomalous Hall Effect in Ferromagnetic Metals: Role of Phonons at Finite Temperature

The anomalous Hall effect in a multiband tight-binding model is numerically studied taking into account both elastic scattering by disorder and inelastic scattering by the electron-phonon interaction. The Hall conductivity is obtained as a function of temperature $T$, inelastic scattering rate $γ$, chemical potential $μ$, and impurity concentration $x_{\rm imp}$. We find that the new scaling law holds over a wide range of these parameters; $-σ_{xy}= (ασ_{xx0}^{-1} + βσ_{xx0}^{-2}) σ_{xx}^2 + b$, with $σ_{μν}$ ($σ_{μν0}$) being the conductivity tensor (with only elastic scattering), which corresponds to the recent experimental observation [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 103} (2009) 087206]. The condition of this scaling is examined. Also, it is found that the intrinsic mechanism depends on temperature under a resonance condition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Theory of current-driven motion of Skyrmions and spirals in helical magnets

We study theoretically the dynamics of the spin textures, i.e., Skyrmion crystal (SkX) and spiral structure (SS), in two-dimensional helical magnets under external current. By numerically solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation, it is found that (i) the critical current density of the motion is much lower for SkX compared with SS in agreement with the recent experiment, (ii) there is no intrinsic pinning effect for SkX and the deformation of the internal structure of Skyrmion reduces the pinning effect dramatically, (iii) the Bragg intensity of SkX shows strong time-dependence as can be observed by neutron scattering experiment.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Theory of Raman Scattering in One-Dimensional Quantum Spin-1/2 Antiferromagnets

We study theoretically the Raman scattering spectra in the one-dimensional (1D) quantum spin-1/2 antiferromagnets. The analysis reveals that their low-energy dynamics is exquisitely sensitive to various perturbations to the Heisenberg chain with nearest-neighbor exchange interactions, such as magnetic anisotropy, longer-range exchange interactions, and bond dimerization. These weak interactions are mainly responsible for the Raman scattering and give rise to different types of spectra as functions of frequency, temperature, and external field. In contrast to the Raman spectra in higher dimensions in which the two-magnon process is dominant, those in 1D antiferromagnets provide much richer information on these perturbations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Topological superconductivity in bilayer Rashba system

We theoretically study a possible topological superconductivity in the interacting two layers of Rashba systems, which can be fabricated by the hetero-structures of semiconductors and oxides. The hybridization, which induces the gap in the single particle dispersion, and the electron-electron interaction between the two layers leads to the novel phase diagram of the superconductivity. It is found that the topological superconductivity {\it without breaking time-reversal symmetry} is realized when (i) the Fermi energy is within the hybridization gap, and (ii) the inter-layer interaction is repulsive, both of which can be satisfied in realistic systems. Edge channels are studied in a tight-binding model numerically, and the several predictions on experiments are also given.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Topological indices, defects and Majorana fermion in chiral superconductors

We study theoretically the role of topological invariants to protect the Majorana fermions in a model of two-dimensional chiral superconductors which belong to class D of topological periodic table. A rich phase diagram is revealed. Each phase is characterized by the topological invariants for 2d (Z) and 1d (Z2), which lead to the Majorana fermion at the edge of the dislocation and the core of the vortex. Interference of the Majorana fermions originated from the different topological invariants is studied. The stability of the Majorana fermion with respect to the interlayer coupling, i.e., in 3d, is also examined.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Spin-transfer torque and spin-polarization in topological-insulator/ferromagnet vertical heterostructures

We predict an unconventional spin-transfer torque (STT) acting on the magnetization of a free ferromagnetic (F) layer within N/TI/F vertical heterostructures which originates from strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI), as well as from charge current becoming spin-polarized in the direction of transport as it flows from the normal metal (N) across the bulk of the TI slab. Unlike conventional STT in symmetric F'/I/F magnetic tunnel junctions, where only the in-plane STT component is non-zero in the linear response, both the in-plane and perpendicular torque are sizable in N/TI/F junctions while not requiring fixed F' layer as spin-polarizer which is advantageous for spintronic applications. Using the nonequilibrium Born-Oppenheimer treatment of interaction between fast conduction electrons and slow magnetization, we derive a general Keldysh Green function-based STT formula which makes it possible to analyze torque in the presence of SOC either in the bulk or at the interface of the free F layer.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Evolution of Edge States and Critical Phenomena in the Rashba Superconductor with Magnetization

We study Andreev bound states (ABS) and resulting charge transport of Rashba superconductor (RSC) where two-dimensional semiconductor (2DSM) heterostructures is sandwiched by spin-singlet s-wave superconductor and ferromagnet insulator. ABS becomes a chiral Majorana edge mode similar to that in spinless chiral p-wave pairing in topological phase (TP). We clarify that two types of quantum criticality about the topological change of ABS near a quantum critical point (QCP), whether ABS exists at QCP or not. In the former type, ABS has a energy gap and does not cross at zero energy in non-topological phase (NTP). These complex properties can be detected by tunneling conductance between normal metal / RSC junctions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Interface engineering of quantum Hall effects in digital transition metal oxide heterostructures

Topological insulators are characterized by a nontrivial band topology driven by the spin-orbit coupling. To fully explore the fundamental science and application of topological insulators, material realization is indispensable. Here we predict, based on tight-binding modeling and first-principles calculations, that bilayers of perovskite-type transition-metal oxides grown along the [111] crystallographic axis are potential candidates for two-dimensional topological insulators. The topological band structure of these materials can be fine-tuned by changing dopant ions, substrates, and external gate voltages. We predict that LaAuO$_3$ bilayers have a topologically-nontrivial energy gap of about 0.15 eV, which is sufficiently large to realize the quantum spin-Hall effect at room temperature. Intriguing phenomena, such as fractional quantum Hall effect, associated with the nearly-flat topologically-nontrivial bands found in $e_g$ systems are also discussed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Skyrmion quantum numbers and quantized pumping in two dimensional topological chiral magnets

We investigate the general conditions to achieve the adiabatic charge and spin polarizations and quantized pumping in 2D magnetic insulators possessing inhomogeneous spin structures. In particular, we focus on the chiral ferrimagnetic insulators which are generated via spontaneous symmetry breaking from correlated two dimensional topological insulators. Adiabatic deformation of the inhomogeneous spin structure generates the spin gauge flux, which induces adiabatic charge and spin polarization currents. The unit pumped charge/spin are determined by the product of two topological invariants which are defined in momentum and real spaces, respectively. The same topological invariants determine the charge and spin quantum numbers of skyrmion textures. It is found that in noncentrosymmetric systems, a new topological phase, dubbed the topological chiral magnetic insulator, exists in which a skyrmion defect is a spin-1/2 fermion with electric charge $e$. Considering the adiabatic current responses of generic inhomogeneous systems, it is shown that the quantized topological response of chiral magnetic insulators is endowed with the second Chern number.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Charge pumping by magnetization dynamics in magnetic and semi-magnetic tunnel junctions with interfacial Rashba or bulk extrinsic spin-orbit couplings

We develop a time-dependent nonequilibrium Green function (NEGF) approach to the problem of spin pumping by precessing magnetization in one of the ferromagnetic layers within F/I/F magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) or F/I/N semi-MTJs in the presence of intrinsic Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) at the F/I interface or the extrinsic SOC in the bulk of F layers of finite thickness (F-ferromagnet; N-normal metal; I-insulating barrier). To express the time-averaged pumped charge current, or the corresponding dc voltage signal in open circuits that was measured in recent experiments on semi-MTJs [T. Moriyama et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 067602 (2008)], we construct a novel solution for the double-time-Fourier-transformed NEGFs. The two energy arguments of NEGFs in this representation are connected by the Floquet theorem describing multiphoton emission and absorption processes. Within this fully quantum-mechanical treatment of the conduction electrons, we find that: (i) only in the presence of the interfacial Rashba SOC the non-zero dc pumping voltage in F/I/N semi-MTJ can emerge at the adiabatic level (i.e., proportional to microwave frequency); (ii) a unique signature of this charge pumping phenomenon, which disappears if Rashba SOC is not located with the precessing F layer, is dc pumping voltage that changes sign as the function of the precession cone angle; (iii) unlike standard spin pumping in the absence of SOCs, where one emitted or absorbed microwave photon is sufficient to match the exact solution in the frame rotating with the magnetization, the presence of the Rashba SOC requires to take into account up to ten photons in order to reach the asymptotic value of pumped charge current; (iv) disorder within F/I/F MTJs can enhance the dc pumping voltage in the quasiballistic transport regime; ...

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Cross-Correlated Responses of Topological Superconductors and Superfluids

We study nontrivial responses of topological superconductors and superfluids to the temperature gradient and rotation of the system. In two-dimensional gapped systems, the Strěda formula for the electric Hall conductivity is generalized to the thermal Hall conductivity. Applying this formula to the Majorana surface states of three-dimensional topological superconductors predicts cross-correlated responses between the orbital angular momentum and thermal polarization (entropy polarization). These results can be naturally related to the gravitoelectromagnetism description of three-dimensional topological superconductors and superfluids, analogous to the topological magnetoelectric effect in ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ topological insulators.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Emergent electromagnetism in solids

Electromagnetic field (EMF) is the most fundamental field in condensed-matter physics. Interaction between electrons, electron-ion interaction, and ion-ion interaction are all of the electromagnetic origin, while the other 3 fundamental forces, i.e., gravitational force, weak and strong interactions are irrelevant in the energy/length scales of condensed-matter physics. Also the physical properties of condensed-matters such as transport, optical, magnetic and dielectric properties, are almost described as their electromagnetic responses. In addition to this EMF in the low energy sector, it often happens that the gauge fields appear as the emergent phenomenon due to the projection of the electronic wavefunctions onto the curved manifold of the Hilbert sub-space. These emergent electromagnetic fields (EEMF's) play important roles in many places in condensed-matter physics including the quantum Hall effect, strongly correlated electrons, and also in non-interacting electron systems. In this article, we describe its fundamental idea and some of the applications recently studied.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗