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Ronny Thomale

Publications and source records attributed to Ronny Thomale.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Altermagnons at the metal-insulator transition

By means of slave-boson theory for the Hubbard model on the checkerboard lattice, we calculate dynamical altermagnetic spin susceptibilities from the metallic to the Mott-insulating regime. We track magnon dispersion and lifetime renormalization, allowing us to uncover a crossover from a chirality-selective dissipation of magnon modes to coherent yet strongly deformed chiral magnon branches across the metal insulator transition. Our formalism lends itself to a quantitative description of collective spin dynamics in correlated altermagnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Nonlinear Hall Effect in Metal-Organic Frameworks

We propose metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as tunable platforms for nonlinear Hall responses. A universal analytical downfolding scheme maps $C_3$-symmetric frameworks onto star- and honeycomb-lattice models, reproducing first-principles Dirac features. Spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry gap the Dirac cones, generating Berry-curvature hot spots. Symmetry analysis identifies tailored synthetic pathways, including linker design, as intrinsic routes to engineer nonlinear Hall transport beyond strain and substrate control.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Momentum-Space Entanglement Signatures and Spinon Breakdown in the $J_1$-$J_2$ Zig-Zag Heisenberg Chain

We investigate the resilience of spinon quasiparticles in the $J_1$-$J_2$ zig-zag spin chain ($J_2>0$) from the viewpoint of momentum-space entanglement. For small $J_2$, we show that deconfined spinons survive well past the liquid-dimer transition before eventually collapsing towards the Majumdar-Ghosh point. In the highly frustrated zig-zag regime ($J_2 \gg |J_1|$), we model the system as two coupled Heisenberg chains and by Fourier transforming each subchain individually, a framework we dub the double-spinon description. While continuum field theories predict that this decoupled phase is strictly unstable to any finite inter-chain coupling, our analysis reveals that the double-spinon description remains robust over an extensive parameter regime. Notably, we find a stark asymmetry in spinon stability reflecting the underlying renormalization group flow: ferromagnetic coupling ($J_{1} < 0$) is marginally irrelevant and sustains fractionalization deep into the spiral phase, whereas antiferromagnetic coupling ($J_{1} > 0$) is marginally relevant and drives confinement much earlier. The ultimate breakdown of this fractionalized description is driven by a continuum of inter-chain excitations which manifests itself as a sharp ground-state momentum shift distinct from macroscopic thermodynamic phase boundaries. Our results establish momentum cut entanglement analysis as a tool to trace the quasiparticle resilience of spinons, as we show that treating the zig-zag Heisenberg chain as two coupled SU(2)$_1$ Wess-Zumino-Witten models provides a theoretical framework for strongly frustrated quantum magnets applicable beyond the decoupled limit.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Exotic charge density waves and superconductivity on the Kagome Lattice

Recent experiments have identified fascinating electronic orders in kagome materials, including intriguing superconductivity, charge density wave (CDW) and nematicity. In particular, some experimental evidence for AV$_3$Sb$_5$ (A = K,Rb,Cs) and related kagome metals hints at the formation of orbital currents in the charge density wave ordered regime, providing a mechanism for spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking in the absence of local moments. In this work, we comprehensively explore the competitive charge instabilities of the spinless kagome lattice with inter-site Coulomb interactions at the pure-sublattice van Hove filling. From the analysis of the charge susceptibility, we find that, at the nesting vectors, while the onsite charge order is dramatically suppressed, the bond charge orders are substantially enhanced owing to the sublattice texture on the hexagonal Fermi surface. Furthermore, we demonstrate that nearest-neighbor and next nearest-neighbor bonds are characterized by significant intrinsic real and imaginary bond fluctuations, respectively. The 2$\times$2 loop current order is thus favored by the next nearest-neighbor Coulomb repulsion. Interestingly, increasing interactions further leads to a nematic state with intra-cell sublattice density modulation that breaks the $C_6$ rotational symmetry. We further explore superconducting orders descending from onsite and bond charge fluctuations, and discuss our model's implications on the experimental status quo.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Loop Current Order on the Kagome Lattice

Recent discoveries in kagome materials have unveiled their capacity to harbor exotic quantum states, including intriguing charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity. Notably, accumulating experimental evidence suggests time-reversal symmetry breaking within the CDW, hinting at the long-pursued loop current order (LCO). Despite extensive research efforts, achieving its model realization and understanding the mechanism through unbiased many-body simulations have remained both elusive and challenging. In this Letter, we develop a microscopic model for LCO on the spinless kagome lattice with nonlocal interactions, utilizing unbiased functional renormalization group calculations to explore ordering tendencies across all two-particle scattering channels. At the Van Hove filling, we identify sublattice interference to suppress onsite CDW order, leaving LCO, charge bond order, and nematic CDW state as the main competitors. Remarkably, a $2\times2$ LCO emerges as the many-body ground state over a significant parameter space with strong second nearest-neighbor repulsion, stemming from the unique interplay between sublattice characters and lattice geometry. The resulting electronic model with LCO bears similarities to the Haldane model and culminates in a quantum anomalous Hall state. We also discuss potential experimental implications for kagome metals.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Unified gauge-theory description of quantum spin liquids on square-based frustrated lattices

Quantum spin liquids are commonly thought to be highly sensitive to lattice geometry, symmetry, and microscopic exchange patterns, leading to a proliferation of seemingly distinct phases across frustrated magnets. Here, we provide a framework that unifies phases that appear distinct from the viewpoint of this intuition. We postulate that the spin-$\tfrac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg antiferromagnets on the square, Shastry-Sutherland, and checkerboard lattices can realize a single unified quantum phase: a gapless $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Dirac quantum spin liquid, despite their markedly different lattice symmetries. Using a systematic projective symmetry group analysis, we identify a checkerboard spin-liquid state that completes a closed set of adiabatically connected phases linking the well-established square-lattice and Shastry-Sutherland spin liquids. Crucially, we show that this lattice-level unification is mirrored exactly in the continuum description. In all three cases, the spin liquids descend from a common SU(2) $π$-flux parent state and are governed by the same gauge theory, QED$_3$ with two Dirac fermion flavors coupled to two adjoint Higgs fields. As a result, we postulate that the surrounding Néel and valence-bond-solid phases and their confinement transitions admit a unified interpretation within the framework of deconfined quantum criticality. More broadly, our results suggest that quantum spin liquids are most fundamentally classified not by lattice geometry or microscopic couplings, but by the emergent gauge theory and its Higgs structure. Distinct frustrated lattices can thus host the same quantum phase and exhibit the same confinement mechanisms, despite substantial differences in their microscopic symmetries.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Altermagnetic phase transition in a Lieb metal

We analyze the phase transition between a symmetric metallic parent state and itinerant altermagnetic order. The underlying mechanism we reveal in our microscopic model of electrons on a Lieb lattice does not involve orbital ordering, but derives from sublattice interference.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Kekulé order from diffuse nesting near higher-order Van Hove points

Translation symmetry-breaking order is assumed to be suppressed by the lack of Fermi surface nesting near certain higher-order Van Hove singularities (HOVHS). We show the anisotropic band-flattening inherent to such HOVHS, combined with broadening of the Fermi surface due to elevated critical temperatures, results in the Fermi surface becoming approximately nested at a wavevector unrelated to the precise shape of the Fermi surface - leading to a $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ Kekulé density wave formation. The effect is demonstrated using unbiased renormalization group calculations for a model of the breathing kagome lattice. Our mechanism - termed diffuse nesting - represents an entirely new notion in the study of Fermi surface instabilities.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Engineering altermagnetic orders on the square-kagome lattice through sublattice interference

We investigate the emergence of altermagnetic (AM) phases on the square-kagome lattice. Our analysis reveals that matrix element effects due to an orthogonal sublattice weight decomposition of Fermi level eigenstates known as sublattice interference enable decoupled magnetic ordering tendencies on distinct sublattices. Depending on which sublattice undergoes a magnetic instability, we identify a $d_{xy}$-type AM phase and a $d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$-type AM phase originating from different sublattice polarization patterns. Using the Kotliar-Ruckenstein slave boson formalism we explore the stability of these AM phases as a function of interaction strength. Our findings demonstrate that sublattice-selective magnetic instabilities provide a versatile route to engineer the nature of AM order.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Semi-Dirac spin liquids and frustrated quantum magnetism on the trellis lattice

Geometrical frustration in quantum magnets provides a fertile setting for unconventional phases of matter, including quantum spin liquids (QSLs). The trellis lattice, with its complex site arrangements and edge-sharing triangular motifs, presents a promising platform for such physics. In this work, we undertake a comprehensive classification of all fully symmetric QSLs on the trellis lattice using the projective symmetry group approach within the Abrikosov-fermion representation. We find 7 U(1) and 25 $Z_2$ short-ranged Ansätze and analyze the phase diagram in the mean-field parameter space, uncovering both gapped and Dirac QSLs as well as a semi-Dirac spin liquid that emerges at the level of projective symmetry group classification and mean-field band structure, in which the spinon dispersion is linear along one momentum direction but quadratic along the orthogonal one. We demonstrate that such dispersions can occur only at high-symmetry points in the Brillouin zone with $C_{2v}$ little groups and analyze their characteristic correlation signatures. Moreover, by optimizing over all symmetry-allowed mean-field states, we map out a phase diagram -- featuring six distinct phases -- of the nearest-neighbor Heisenberg Hamiltonian on the trellis lattice. Among these, we find four quasi-one-dimensional QSL phases, one dimer phase, and one Dirac QSL phase. Going beyond mean field, we also assess equal-time and dynamical spin structure factors of these phases using density-matrix renormalization group and Keldysh pseudofermion functional renormalization group calculations and compare qualitative momentum-space features of these spectra with those obtained at the mean-field level. Finally, we identify four cuprate and vanadate compounds as promising experimental realizations and provide spectroscopic predictions, based on first-principles Hamiltonians, as a guide for neutron-scattering studies.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Wide-angle emission in cylindrical moiré lattices enabled by rolling origami

Twisted photonic lattices that form moiré superlattices have attracted significant attention owing to their unique properties, such as strong field confinement and high-quality factors, in which the localized optical modes can serve as efficient light sources. However, in conventional moiré lattices, the emission direction of confined modes is typically fixed, and achieving a broad range of emission angles through simple modulation remains a significant challenge. Here, we design and fabricate single-layer moiré photonic lattices into cylindrical geometries using a nanomembrane origami technique. This approach enables wide-angle localized-mode emission while maintaining stable single-mode operation and excellent spectral uniformity. The moiré supercells support localized flat-band modes under various effective twist angles, resulting in the observation of periodic localized-mode emission over a wide range of azimuthal angles. Our research provides an approach for developing moiré light sources on curved surfaces, offering significant potential in applications that demand spatial light control, including three dimensional imaging, light detection and ranging, and topological states manipulation.

physics.optics↗

Unifying Dirac Spin Liquids on Square and Shastry-Sutherland Lattices via Fermionic Deconfined Criticality

We present a fermionic gauge theory for deconfined quantum criticality on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice and reveal its shared low-energy field-theoretic structure with the square lattice. Starting from an SU(2) $π$-flux parent state, we construct a continuum theory of Dirac spinons coupled to an SU(2) gauge field and adjoint Higgs fields whose condensates drive transitions to a staggered-flux U(1) spin liquid and a gapless $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ Dirac spin liquid. While the Shastry-Sutherland lattice permits additional symmetry-allowed fermion bilinears compared to the square lattice, the quantum field theories are identical up to additional irrelevant terms. Consequently, the Higgs potential structure and the leading low-energy theory coincide with the square-lattice case at the quantum critical point. The SO(5) critical point is expected to realize conformal deconfined criticality: we analyze it in a large flavor expansion, calculate its critical exponents, and identify the Yukawa coupling between the fermions and Higgs fields as the relevant perturbation that destabilizes it, consistent with pseudocritical behavior observed in recent Monte Carlo studies. We show that the emergent SO(5) order parameter acquires a large anomalous dimension at the critical point, leading to strongly enhanced Néel and VBS susceptibilities-a hallmark of fermionic deconfined quantum criticality consistent with numerical studies. Our results place recent numerical evidence for a gapless $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ Dirac spin liquid on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice within a controlled field-theoretic framework and demonstrate that fermionic deconfined criticality on the square lattice-including critical exponents and stability-extends to frustrated lattices with reduced symmetry.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Zoology of Altermagnetic-type Non-collinear Magnets on the Maple Leaf Lattice

We define unconventional non-collinear magnetic ground states on the maple leaf lattice (MLL) distinguished by the selective breaking or preservation of time reversal ($\mathcal{T}$) and parity ($\mathcal{P}$). Depending on the nature of $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-breaking, linear spin-wave theory reveals momentum-dependent non-relativistic magnon spin splitting at different high symmetry points in the Brillouin zone. From a mean-field analysis of the Hubbard model at weak coupling, we reveal itinerant $\mathcal{P}$-preserving $q=0$ altermagnetic (A$l$M)-type order, while we expect $\mathcal{P}$-broken canted-$120^\circ$ A$l$M-type order at strong coupling. Our findings establish the MLL as a prime platform for exploring phase transitions and frustration phenomena emanating from competing non-collinear A$l$M-type orders.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Keldysh pseudo-fermion functional renormalization group for quantum magnetism

The functional renormalization group (FRG) approach for spin models relying on a pseudo-fermionic description has proven to be a powerful technique in simulating ground state properties of strongly frustrated magnetic lattices. A drawback of the FRG framework is that it is formulated in the imaginary-time Matsubara formalism and thus only able to access static correlations, a limitation shared with most other many-body approaches. A description of the dynamical properties of magnetic systems is the key to bridging the gap between theory and neutron scattering spectra. We take the decisive step of expanding the scope of pseudo-fermion FRG to the Keldysh formalism, which, while originally developed to address non-equilibrium phenomena, enables a direct calculation of the equilibrium dynamical spin structure factors on generic lattices in arbitrary dimension. We identify the principal features characterizing the low-energy spectra of exemplary zero-, one- and two-dimensional spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg models as well as the Kitaev honeycomb model while identifying current limitations of the method that have to be improved upon.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Probing Local Topology in a Disordered Higher-Order Topological Insulator

Higher-order topology is prized for its ability to realize lower-dimensional boundary states which are stable beyond fine-tuning. However, disorder presents a failure mechanism that can destroy topological in-gap states. Here, we investigate a disordered two-dimensional polariton lattice and employ the spectral localizer framework to define a real-space topological index rooted in crystalline spatial symmetries. This framework enables direct real-space mapping of topology beyond conventional momentum-space classifications, confirming the presence of corner and edge modes in this generalized Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. Furthermore, it can directly quantify topological protection of a state. We leverage the versatility of our platform to experimentally realize normally distributed, random disorder and find that the corner states persist until the spectral gap closes. Experimentally, this corresponds to a disorder strength of approximately one quarter of the spectral gap. The spectral localizer accurately identifies the disorder strength at which the bandgap closes, establishing the framework as a predictive tool for every finite size system. Our results broaden the design principles for higher-order topological insulators and open the way towards imple menting disorder-resilient devices for robust lasing, light-routing, and quantum computation.

physics.optics↗

Kagome metals

Three important driving forces for creating qualitatively new phases in quantum materials are the topology of the materials' electronic band structures, frustration in the electrons' motion or magnetic interactions, and strong correlations between their charge, spin, and orbital degrees of freedom. In very few material systems do all of these aspects come together to contribute on an equal footing to stabilize new electronic states with unprecedented properties; however the search for such systems can be guided by models of configurational motifs or key sublattices that can host such physics. One of the most fascinating structural motifs for realizing this rich interplay of frustration, electronic topology, and electron correlation effects is the kagome lattice. In this review, we provide an overview of the theoretical underpinnings driving the physics of kagome lattices, and we then discuss experimental progress in realizing novel states enabled by kagome networks in crystalline materials. Different material classes are discussed with an emphasis on the phenomenologies of their electronic states and how they map to interactions arising from their kagome lattices.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Theory of unconventional magnetism in a Cu-based kagome metal

Kagome metals have established a new arena for correlated electron physics. To date, the predominant experimental evidence centers around unconventional charge order, nematicity, and superconductivity, while magnetic fluctuations due to electronic interactions, i.e., beyond local atomic magnetism, have largely been elusive. We find the challenge of locating the appropriate parameter regime for such exotic order to center around two aspects. First, the correlations implied by low-energy orbitals have to be sufficiently large to yield a dominance of magnetic fluctuations and weak to retain an itinerant parent state. Second, the kinematic kagome profile at the Fermi level demands an efficient mitigation of sublattice interference causing the suppression of magnetic fluctuations descending from electronic on-site repulsion. We elucidate our methodology by analyzing the potential copper-based kagome compound CsCu$_3$Cl$_5$: From ab initio design and many-body analysis, we develop a model framework of realistic Cu-based kagome materials the simulations of which reveal unconventional magnetic order in a kagome metal.

cond-mat.str-el↗

A Scalable Superconducting Circuit Framework for Emulating Physics in Hyperbolic Space

Theoretical studies and experiments in the last six years have revealed the potential for novel behaviours and functionalities in device physics through the synthetic engineering of negatively-curved spaces. For instance, recent developments in hyperbolic band theory have unveiled the emergence of higher-dimensional eigenstates -- features fundamentally absent in conventional Euclidean systems. At the same time, superconducting quantum circuits have emerged as a leading platform for quantum analogue emulations and digital simulations in scalable architectures. Here, we introduce a scalable superconducting circuit framework for the analogue quantum emulation of tight-binding models on hyperbolic and kagome-like lattices. Using this approach, we experimentally realize three distinct lattices, including, for the first time to our knowledge, a hyperbolic lattice whose unit cell resides on a genus-3 Riemann surface. Our method encodes the hyperbolic metric directly into capacitive couplings between high-quality superconducting resonators, enabling tenable reproduction of spectral and localization properties while overcoming major scalability and spectral resolution limitations of previous designs. These results set the stage for large-scale experimental studies of hyperbolic materials in condensed matter physics and lay the groundwork for realizing hyperbolic quantum processors, with potential implications for both fundamental physics and quantum computing

quant-ph↗