arXiv subjects

Nitin Samarth

Publications and source records attributed to Nitin Samarth.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Characterization of switching field distributions in Ising-like magnetic arrays

The switching field distribution within arrays of single-domain ferromagnetic islands incorpo- rates both island-island interactions and quenched disorder in island geometry. Separating these two contributions is important for disentangling the effects of disorder and interactions in the magnetization dynamics of island arrays. Using sub-micron, spatially resolved Kerr imaging in an external magnetic field for islands with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, we map out the evolution of island arrays during hysteresis loops. Resolving and tracking individual islands across four different lattice types and a range of inter-island spacings, we extract the individual switching fields of every island and thereby determine the relative contributions of interactions and quenched disorder in the arrays. The width of the switching field distribution is well explained by a simple model comprising the sum of an array-independent contribution (interpreted as disorder-induced), and a term proportional to the maximum field the fully polarized array could exert on a single island. We conclude that disorder in these arrays is primarily a single-island property.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Large discrete jumps observed in the transition between Chern states in a ferromagnetic Topological Insulator

A striking prediction in topological insulators is the appearance of the quantized Hall resistance when the surface states are magnetized. The surface Dirac states become gapped everywhere on the surface, but chiral edge states remain on the edges. In an applied current, the edge states produce a quantized Hall resistance that equals the Chern number C = +1 or -1 (in natural units), even in zero magnetic field. This quantum anomalous Hall effect was observed by Chang et al. With reversal of the magnetic field, the system is trapped in a metastable state because of magnetic anisotropy. Here we investigate how the system escapes the metastable state at low temperatures (10-200 mK). When the dissipation (measured by the longitudinal resistance) is ultralow, we find that the system escapes by making a few, very rapid transitions, as detected by large jumps in the Hall and longitudinal resistances. Using the field at which the initial jump occurs to estimate the escape rate, we find that raising the temperature strongly suppresses the rate. From a detailed map of the resistance vs. gate voltage and temperature, we show that dissipation strongly affects the escape rate. We compare the observations with dissipative quantum tunneling predictions. In the ultralow dissipation regime, there exist two temperature scales T1 = 70 mK and T2 = 145 mK between which jumps can be observed. The jumps display a spatial correlation that extends over a large fraction of the sample.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Mapping the chemical potential dependence of current-induced spin polarization in a topological insulator

We report electrical measurements of the current-induced spin polarization of the surface current in topological insulator devices where contributions from bulk and surface conduction can be disen- tangled by electrical gating. The devices use a ferromagnetic tunnel junction (permalloy/Al2O3) as a spin detector on a back-gated (Bi,Sb)2Te3 channel. We observe hysteretic voltage signals as the magnetization of the detector ferromagnet is switched parallel or anti-parallel to the spin polariza- tion of the surface current. The amplitude of the detected voltage change is linearly proportional to the applied DC bias current in the (Bi,Sb)2Te3 channel. As the chemical potential is tuned from the bulk bands into the surface state band, we observe an enhancement of the spin-dependent voltages up to 300% within the range of the electrostatic gating. Using a simple model, we extract the spin polarization near charge neutrality (i.e. the Dirac point).

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arXiv2015

Characterizing the Structure of Topological Insulator Thin Films

We describe the characterization of structural defects that occur during molecular beam epitaxy of topological insulator thin films on commonly used substrates. Twinned domains are ubiquitous but can be reduced by growth on smooth InP (111)A substrates, depending on details of the oxide desorption. Even with a low density of twins, the lattice mismatch between (Bi,Sb)2Te3 and InP can cause tilts in the film with respect to the substrate. We also briefly discuss transport in simultaneously top and back electrically gated devices using SrTiO3 and the use of capping layers to protect topological insulator films from oxidation and exposure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Persistent Optical Gating of a Topological Insulator

Topological insulators (TIs) have attracted much attention due to their spin-polarized surface and edge states, whose origin in symmetry gives them intriguing quantum-mechanical properties. Robust control over the chemical potential of TI materials is important if these states are to become useful in new technologies, or as a venue for exotic physics. Unfortunately, chemical potential tuning is challenging in TIs in part because the fabrication of electrostatic top-gates tends to degrade material properties and the addition of chemical dopants or adsorbates can cause unwanted disorder. Here, we present an all-optical technique which allows persistent, bidirectional gating of a (Bi,Sb)2Te3 channel by optically manipulating the distribution of electric charge below its interface with an insulating SrTiO3 substrate. In this fashion we optically pattern p-n junctions in a TI material, which we subsequently image using scanning photocurrent microscopy. The ability to dynamically write and re-write mesoscopic electronic structures in a TI may aid in the investigation of the unique properties of the topological insulating phase. The optical gating effect may be adaptable to other material systems, providing a more general mechanism for reconfigurable electronics.

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arXiv2014

Momentum space imaging of Cooper pairing in a half-Dirac-gas topological superconductor (a helical 2D topological superconductor)

Superconductivity in Dirac electrons has recently been proposed as a new platform between novel concepts in high-energy and condensed matter physics. It has been proposed that supersymmetry and exotic quasiparticles, both of which remain elusive in particle physics, may be realized as emergent particles in superconducting Dirac electron systems. Using artificially fabricated topological insulator-superconductor heterostructures, we present direct spectroscopic evidence for the existence of Cooper pairing in a half Dirac gas 2D topological superconductor. Our studies reveal that superconductivity in a helical Dirac gas is distinctly different from that of in an ordinary two-dimensional superconductor while considering the spin degrees of freedom of electrons. We further show that the pairing of Dirac electrons can be suppressed by time-reversal symmetry breaking impurities removing the distinction. Our demonstration and momentum-space imaging of Cooper pairing in a half Dirac gas and its magnetic behavior taken together serve as a critically important 2D topological superconductor platform for future testing of novel fundamental physics predictions such as emergent supersymmetry and quantum criticality in topological systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Room Temperature Spin Pumping in Topological Insulator Bi2Se3

Three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators are known for their strong spin-orbit coupling and the existence of spin-textured topological surface states which could be potentially exploited for spintronics. Here, we investigate spin pumping from a metallic ferromagnet (CoFeB) into a 3D topological insulator (Bi2Se3) and demonstrate successful spin injection from CoFeB into Bi2Se3 and the direct detection of the electromotive force generated by the inverse spin Hal effect (ISHE) at room temperature. The spin pumping, driven by the magnetization dynamics of the metallic ferromagnet, introduces a spin current into the topological insulator layer, resulting in a broadening of the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidth. We find that the FMR linewidth more than quintuples, the spin mixing conductance can be as large as 3.4*10^20m^-2 and the spin Hall angle can be as large as 0.23 in the Bi2Se3 layer.

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arXiv2014

Observation of Quantum-Tunneling Modulated Spin Texture in Ultrathin Topological Insulator Bi2Se3 Films

Understanding the spin-texture behavior of boundary modes in ultrathin topological insulator films is critically essential for the design and fabrication of functional nano-devices. Here by using spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with p-polarized light in topological insulator Bi2Se3 thin films, we report tunneling-dependent evolution of spin configuration in topological insulator thin films across the metal-to-insulator transition. We observe strongly binding energy- and wavevector-dependent spin polarization for the topological surface electrons in the ultra-thin gapped-Dirac-cone limit. The polarization decreases significantly with enhanced tunneling realized systematically in thin insulating films, whereas magnitude of the polarization saturates to the bulk limit faster at larger wavevectors in thicker metallic films. We present a theoretical model which captures this delicate relationship between quantum tunneling and Fermi surface spin polarization. Our high-resolution spin-based spectroscopic results suggest that the polarization current can be tuned to zero in thin insulating films forming the basis for a future spin-switch nano-device.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Search for superconducting proximity effect in a topological insulator and high temperature superconductor heterostructure Bi2Se3/Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+

Understanding the superconducting proximity effect on the surface of a topological insulator is of critical importance in realizing topological superconductivity and Majorana fermions in solid state settings. We fabricate delicate heterostructure samples between topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 thin film and high temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ (Tc ~ 91 K). Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we probe the electronic structure and the possible existence of superconducting gap on the top surface of Bi2Se3 thin films. Our systematic data show no significant proximity-induced superconducting gap in the topological surface states with sample temperature down to 10 K (<<91 K) and with a confidence level of sub 5 meV, much smaller than what have been claimed previously, which indicates the near absence of the proximity-induced superconductivity on the TI surface. Our momentum space imaging provides evidence for the coexistence of two crystalline phases in Bi2Se3/Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ samples, which we argue to be due to the strong mismatch of lattice crystalline symmetries. Our data identify the major contributors in reducing the proximity-induced superconducting gap below the meV range, including the lack of momentum space overlap between the Bi2Se3 and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ Fermi surfaces, the strong mismatch of lattice crystalline symmetries and superconducting pairing symmetries, as well as the very short superconducting coherence length in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+. Our ARPES studies not only provide critical momentum space insights into the Bi2Se3/Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ heterostructure, but also set an upper bound on the proximity induced gap for realizing a Majorana fermion condition in this system, which may be further destabilized by the d-wave nodes dominated in a cuprate superconductor.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Ferromagnetism and Spin-dependent Transport in n-type Mn-Bi2Te3 Thin Films

We describe a detailed study of the structural, magnetic, and magneto-transport properties of single-crystal, n-type, Mn-doped Bi2Te3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. With increasing Mn concentration, the crystal structure changes from the tetradymite structure of the Bi2Te3 parent crystal at low Mn concentrations towards a BiTe phase in the (Bi2Te3)m(Bi2)n homologous series. Magnetization measurements reveal the onset of ferromagnetism with a Curie temperature in the range 13.8 K - 17 K in films with 2 % - 10 % Mn concentration. Magnetization hysteresis loops reveal that the magnetic easy axis is along the c-axis of the crystal (perpendicular to the plane). Polarized neutron reflectivity measurements of a 68 nm-thick sample show that the magnetization is uniform through the film. The presence of ferromagnetism is also manifest in a strong anomalous Hall effect and a hysteretic magnetoresistance arising from domain wall scattering. Ordinary Hall effect measurements show that the carrier density is n-type, increases with Mn doping, and is high enough (> 2.8 x 10^{13} cm^{-2}) to place the chemical potential in the conduction band. Thus, the observed ferromagnetism is likely associated with both bulk and surface states. Surprisingly, the Curie temperature does not show any clear dependence on the carrier density but does increase with Mn concentration. Our results suggest that the ferromagnetism probed in these Mn-doped Bi2Te3 films is not mediated by carriers in the conduction band or in an impurity band.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Magnetically Doped InAs/GaSb Quantum Wells

The quantum anomalous Hall effect has recently been observed experimentally in thin films of Cr doped (Bi,Sb)$_2$Te$_3$ at a low temperature ($\sim$ 30mK). In this work, we propose realizing the quantum anomalous Hall effect in more conventional diluted magnetic semiconductors with doped InAs/GaSb type II quantum wells. Based on a four band model, we find an enhancement of the Curie temperature of ferromagnetism due to band edge singularities in the inverted regime of InAs/GaSb quantum wells. Below the Curie temperature, the quantum anomalous Hall effect is confirmed by the direct calculation of Hall conductance. The parameter regime for the quantum anomalous Hall phase is identified based on the eight-band Kane model. The high sample quality and strong exchange coupling make magnetically doped InAs/GaSb quantum wells good candidates for realizing the quantum anomalous Hall insulator at a high temperature.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Hedgehog Spin-texture and Berry's Phase tuning in a Magnetic Topological Insulator

Understanding and control of spin degrees of freedom on the surfaces of topological materials are key to future applications as well as for realizing novel physics such as the axion electrodynamics associated with time-reversal (TR) symmetry breaking on the surface. We experimentally demonstrate magnetically induced spin reorientation phenomena simultaneous with a Dirac-metal to gapped-insulator transition on the surfaces of manganese-doped Bi2Se3 thin films. The resulting electronic groundstate exhibits unique hedgehog-like spin textures at low energies, which directly demonstrate the mechanics of TR symmetry breaking on the surface. We further show that an insulating gap induced by quantum tunnelling between surfaces exhibits spin texture modulation at low energies but respects TR invariance. These spin phenomena and the control of their Fermi surface geometrical phase first demonstrated in our experiments pave the way for the future realization of many predicted exotic magnetic phenomena of topological origin.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Magnetically induced spin reorientation on the surface of a topological insulator (a surface magnetic topological insulator MBE film)

The surface of topological insulators is proposed as a promising platform for spintronics and quantum information applications. In particular, when time- reversal symmetry is broken, topological surface states are expected to exhibit a wide range of exotic spin phenomena for potential implementation in electronics. Such devices need to be fabricated using nanoscale artificial thin films. It is of critical importance to study the spin behavior of artificial topological MBE thin films associated with magnetic dopants, and with regards to quantum size effects related to surface-to-surface tunneling as well as experimentally isolate time-reversal breaking from non-intrinsic surface electronic gaps. Here we present observation of the first (and thorough) study of magnetically induced spin reorientation phenomena on the surface of a topological insulator. Our results reveal dramatic rearrangements of the spin configuration upon magnetic doping contrasted with chemically similar nonmagnetic doping as well as with quantum tunneling phenomena in ultra-thin high quality MBE films. While we observe that the spin rearrangement induced by quantum tunneling occurs in a time-reversal invariant fashion, we present critical and systematic observation of an out-of-plane spin texture evolution correlated with magnetic interactions, which breaks time-reversal symmetry, demonstrating microscopic TRB at a Kramers' point on the surface.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Interplay between ferromagnetism, surface states, and quantum corrections in a magnetically doped topological insulator

The breaking of time-reversal symmetry by ferromagnetism is predicted to yield profound changes to the electronic surface states of a topological insulator. Here, we report on a concerted set of structural, magnetic, electrical and spectroscopic measurements of \MBS thin films wherein photoemission and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism studies have recently shown surface ferromagnetism in the temperature range 15 K $\leq T \leq 100$ K, accompanied by a suppressed density of surface states at the Dirac point. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy reveal an inhomogeneous distribution of Mn atoms, with a tendency to segregate towards the sample surface. Magnetometry and anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements are insensitive to the high temperature ferromagnetism seen in surface studies, revealing instead a low temperature ferromagnetic phase at $T \lesssim 5$ K. The absence of both a magneto-optical Kerr effect and anomalous Hall effect suggests that this low temperature ferromagnetism is unlikely to be a homogeneous bulk phase but likely originates in nanoscale near-surface regions of the bulk where magnetic atoms segregate during sample growth. Although the samples are not ideal, with both bulk and surface contributions to electron transport, we measure a magnetoconductance whose behavior is qualitatively consistent with predictions that the opening of a gap in the Dirac spectrum drives quantum corrections to the conductance in topological insulators from the symplectic to the orthogonal class.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

Perpendicular Magnetization and Generic Realization of the Ising Model in Artificial Spin Ice

We have studied frustrated kagome arrays and unfrustrated honeycomb arrays of magnetostatically-interacting single-domain ferromagnetic islands with magnetization normal to the plane. The measured pairwise spin correlations of both lattices can be reproduced by models based solely on nearest-neighbor correlations. The kagome array has qualitatively different magnetostatics but identical lattice topology to previously-studied 'artificial spin ice' systems composed of in-plane moments. The two systems show striking similarities in the development of moment pair correlations, demonstrating a universality in artificial spin ice behavior independent of specific realization in a particular material system.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Interplay between topological insulators and superconductors

Topological insulators are insulating in the bulk but possess metallic surface states protected by time-reversal symmetry. Here, we report a detailed electronic transport study in high quality Bi2Se3 topological insulator thin films contacted by superconducting (In, Al and W) electrodes. The resistance of the film shows an abrupt and significant upturn when the electrodes become superconducting. In turn, the Bi2Se3 film strongly weakens the superconductivity of the electrodes, significantly reducing both their transition temperatures and critical fields. A possible interpretation of these results is that the superconducting electrodes are accessing the surface states and the experimental results are the consequence of the interplay between the Cooper pairs of the electrodes and the spin polarized current of the surface states in Bi2Se3.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Magneto-optical Kerr Effect Studies of Square Artificial Spin Ice

We report a magneto-optical Kerr effect study of the collective magnetic response of artificial square spin ice, a lithographically-defined array of single-domain ferromagnetic islands. We find that the anisotropic inter-island interactions lead to a non-monotonic angular dependence of the array coercive field. Comparisons with micromagnetic simulations indicate that the two perpendicular sublattices exhibit distinct responses to island edge roughness, which clearly influence the magnetization reversal process. Furthermore, such comparisons demonstrate that disorder associated with roughness in the island edges plays a hitherto unrecognized but essential role in the collective behavior of these systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Observation of the superconducting proximity effect and possible evidence for Pearl vortices in a candidate topological insulator

We report the observation of the superconducting proximity effect in nanoribbons of a candidate topological insulator (Bi2Se3) which is interfaced with superconducting (tungsten) contacts. We observe a supercurrent and multiple Andreev reflections for channel lengths that are much longer than the inelastic and diffusive thermal lengths deduced from normal state transport. This suggests that the proximity effect couples preferentially to a ballistic surface transport channel, even in the presence of a coexisting diffusive bulk channel. When a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the plane of the nanoribbon, we observe magnetoresistance oscillations that are periodic in magnetic field. Quantitative comparison with a model of vortex blockade relates the occurrence of these oscillations to the formation of Pearl vortices in the region of proximity induced superconductivity.

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