arXiv subjects

Sathwik Bharadwaj

Publications and source records attributed to Sathwik Bharadwaj.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Hybrid Ferromagnet-SNSPDs: Single photon induced order-to-disorder transition in ferromagnets coupled to thin film superconductors

The development of midwave and longwave infrared single photon detectors is crucial for their emerging applications in spectroscopy, remote sensing, exoplanet detection, and free space quantum communications. However, existing sensors need to be operated at extremely low temperatures (0.08-0.9K) to reduce dark noise and hence require the use of advanced cryogenics such as dilution refrigerators or $^3$He cryogens, significantly limiting applications. Here we propose a vortex-engineering approach based on a hybrid phase transition in a ferromagnet/superconductor bilayer to increase the operating temperature of infrared single photon detectors up to 3.75K. We show that the introduction of a ferromagnetic layer produces a local magnetic field which impedes vortex crossing in the superconductor, reducing dark noise. When a single photon is incident, the photon-induced hotspot causes an order-to-disorder transition in the ferromagnet, leading to a vortex-induced phase transition in the superconducting layer. By engineering the ferromagnet's Curie temperature to be close to the device's operating temperature, single photon sensitivity can be achieved at increased operating temperatures. We predict at midwave/longwave infrared wavelengths (3-14$μ$m) the operating temperature can be raised to 3.25-3.75K, enabling significantly simpler cooling systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Observation of Crystalline Nonlocal Volume Plasmon Waves

In plasmonics, nonlocal effects arise when the material response to optical excitations is strongly dependent on the spatial correlations of the excitation. It is well known that a classical free electron gas system supports local Drude volume plasmon waves. Whereas a compressible quantum electron gas system sustains hydrodynamic volume plasmons with nonlocal dispersion isotropic across all high-symmetry directions. Here, distinct from Drude and Hydrodynamic plasmon waves, we present the first observation of crystalline nonlocal volume plasmon waves. We use transmission-based momentum-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy to measure the volume plasmon dispersion of silicon along all the fundamental symmetry axes, up to high momentum values ($q \sim 0.7$ reciprocal lattice units). We show that crystalline nonlocal plasmon waves have a prominent anisotropic dispersion with higher curvature along the light-mass ($ΓK$ \& $ΓL$) axes, compared to the heavy-mass ($ΓX$) axis. We unveil the origin of this phenomenon by experimentally extracting the anisotropic Fermi velocities of silicon. Our work highlights an exquisite nonlocality-induced anisotropy of volume plasmon waves, providing pathways for probing many-body quantum effects at extreme momenta.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Quantum Theory of Optical Spin Texture in Chiral Tellurium Lattice

The absence of inversion symmetry in chiral tellurium (Te) creates exotic spin textures within its electron waves. However, understanding textured optical waves within Te remains a challenge due to the semi-classical limitations of long-wavelength approximation. To unveil these textured optical waves, we develop a spin-resolved deep-microscopic optical bandstructure for Te analogous to its electronic counterpart. We demonstrate that the degeneracies in this optical bandstructure is lifted by the twisted lattice of Te, which induces optical gyrotropy. Our theory shows excellent agreement with experimental optical gyrotropy measurements. At the lattice level, we reveal that the chirality of Te manifests as deep-microscopic optical spin texture within the optical wave. Our framework uncovers the finite-momentum origin of optical activity and provides a microscopic basis for light-matter interactions in chiral crystalline materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Unified Theory of Dark Count Rate and System Detection Efficiency for NbN, WSi Based Superconducting Single Photon Detectors

Predicting the behavior of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) is important as their use becomes more widespread in fields ranging from quantum computing to quantum remote sensing. Here, we present a vortex crossing theory of photon detection which provides a unified definition of system detection efficiency and dark count rates. Our approach quantitatively captures the plateau region of system detection efficiency for NbN and WSi based SNSPDs. We concurrently predict the temperature dependence of dark count rates and the intrinsic timing jitter of SNSPDs. We extensively benchmark our model against various experiments to aid in the design of the next generation of SNSPDs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Type-1.5 SNSPD: Interacting vortex theory of two bandgap superconducting single photon detectors

Photon detectors based on type-2 superconductors have found widespread applications from on-chip quantum computing to quantum remote sensing. Here, we develop the theory for a new class of type-1.5 superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on two bandgap superconductors with high transition temperatures such as MgB2 (Tc ~38.6K). We show that vortex-vortex interactions in two component condensates lead to a unique operating regime where single photons can seed multiple vortices within a hotspot. We also show that dark counts are suppressed in the type-1.5 regime compared to the widely studied type-2 SNSPDs. Our work opens the door for exploring the unique vortex physics of two-gap superconductors for quantum device applications.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials

Triggered by the development of exfoliation and the identification of a wide range of extraordinary physical properties in self-standing films consisting of one or few atomic layers, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and other van der Waals (vdW) crystals currently constitute a wide research field protruding in multiple directions in combination with layer stacking and twisting, nanofabrication, surface-science methods, and integration into nanostructured environments. Photonics encompasses a multidisciplinary collection of those directions, where 2D materials contribute with polaritons of unique characteristics such as strong spatial confinement, large optical-field enhancement, long lifetimes, high sensitivity to external stimuli (e.g., electric and magnetic fields, heating, and strain), a broad spectral range from the far infrared to the ultraviolet, and hybridization with spin and momentum textures of electronic band structures. The explosion of photonics with 2D materials as a vibrant research area is producing breakthroughs, including the discovery and design of new materials and metasurfaces with unprecedented properties as well as applications in integrated photonics, light emission, optical sensing, and exciting prospects for applications in quantum information, and nanoscale thermal transport. This Roadmap summarizes the state of the art in the field, identifies challenges and opportunities, and discusses future goals and how to meet them through a wide collection of topical sections prepared by leading practitioners.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Visualization of atomistic optical waves in crystals

The refractive index of a matter is foundational to quantify the light-matter interaction of the medium. However, the classical description of refractive index is based on macroscopic homogenization and is limited to describing the local optical response of materials. A complete quantum description of light-matter interaction should consider nonlocality and multiple-scattering of optical responses at the atomistic lattice level. Recently, the deep microscopic optical band structure was introduced as a quantum generalization of refractive index of a medium. This quantum description unveils multiple optical eigenmodes in crystalline solids and hidden microscopic optical waves at the lattice level. In this work, we unravel the microscopic optical waves in silicon carbide. We predict and visualize hidden microscopic optical eigenwaves, which can be nonplanar and inhomogeneous even near the optical limit. Also, the nonlocal macroscopic dielectric constant of the crystal is analyzed using the microscopic optical waves as the basis. Our work establishes a general framework for picoscale electrodynamics applicable to other materials including two-dimensional materials.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Unraveling Optical Polarization at Deep Microscopic Scales in Crystalline Materials

Nanophotonics, the study of light-matter interaction at scales smaller than the wavelength of radiation, has widespread applications in plasmonic waveguiding, topological photonic crystals, super-lensing, solar absorbers, and infrared imaging. The physical phenomena governing these effects can be described using a macroscopic homogenized refractive index. However, the lattice-level description of optical polarization in a crystalline material using a quantum theory has been unresolved. Inspired by the dynamics of electron waves and their corresponding band structure, we propose a microscopic optical band theory of solids specifically applicable to optical polarization. This framework reveals propagating waves hidden deep within a crystal lattice. These hidden waves arise from crystal-optical-indices, a family of quantum functions obeying crystal symmetries, and cannot be described by the conventional concept of refractive index. We present for the first time - the hidden waves and deep microscopic optical band structure of 14 distinct materials. We choose Si, Ge, InAs, GaAs, CdTe, and others from Group IV, III-V, and II-VI due to their technological relevance but our framework can be extended to a wide range of emerging 2D and 3D materials. In contrast to the macroscopic refractive index of these materials used widely today, this framework shows that hidden waves exist throughout the crystal lattice and have unique optical polarization texture and crowding. We also present an open-source software package, Purdue-Picomax, for the research community to discover hidden waves in new materials like hBN, graphene, and Moire materials. Our work establishes a foundational crystallographic feature to discover novel deep microscopic optical waves in light-matter interaction.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Computational Electromagnetics Meets Spin Qubits: Controlling Noise Effects in Quantum Sensing and Computing

Solid-state spin qubits have emerged as promising platforms for quantum information. Despite extensive efforts in controlling noise in spin qubit quantum applications, one important but less controlled noise source is near-field electromagnetic fluctuations. Low-frequency (MHz and GHz) electromagnetic fluctuations are significantly enhanced near lossy material components in quantum applications, including metallic/superconducting gates necessary for controlling spin qubits in quantum computing devices and materials/nanostructures to be probed in quantum sensing. Although controlling this low-frequency electromagnetic fluctuation noise is crucial for improving the performance of quantum devices, current efforts are hindered by computational challenges. In this paper, we leverage advanced computational electromagnetics techniques, especially fast and accurate volume integral equation based solvers, to overcome the computational obstacle. We introduce a quantum computational electromagnetics framework to control low-frequency magnetic fluctuation noise and enhance spin qubit device performance. Our framework extends the application of computational electromagnetics to spin qubit quantum devices. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of our framework in realistic quantum devices. Our work paves the way for device engineering to control magnetic fluctuations and improve the performance of spin qubit quantum sensing and computing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Quantum theory of orbital angular momentum in spatiotemporal optical vortices

Spatiotemporal Optical Vortices (STOVs) are structured electromagnetic fields propagating in free space with phase singularities in the space-time domain. Depending on the tilt of the helical phase front, STOVs can carry both longitudinal and transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM). Although STOVs have gained significant interest in the recent years, the current understanding is limited to the semi-classical picture. Here, we develop a quantum theory for STOVs with an arbitrary tilt, extending beyond the paraxial limit. We demonstrate that quantum STOV states, such as Fock and coherent twisted photon pulses, display non-vanishing longitudinal OAM fluctuations that are absent in conventional monochromatic twisted pulses. We show that these quantum fluctuations exhibit a unique texture, i.e. a spatial distribution which can be used to experimentally isolate these quantum effects. Our findings represent a step towards the exploitation of quantum effects of structured light for various applications such as OAM-based encoding protocols and platforms to explore novel light-matter interaction in 2D material systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Optical N-plasmon: Topological hydrodynamic excitations in Graphene from repulsive Hall viscosity

Edge states occurring in Chern and quantum spin-Hall phases are signatures of the topological electronic band structure in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Recently, a new topological electromagnetic phase of graphene characterized by the optical N-invariant has been proposed. Optical N-invariant arises from repulsive Hall viscosity in hydrodynamic many-body electron systems, fundamentally different from the Chern and Z2 invariants. In this paper, we introduce the topologically protected edge excitation -- optical N-plasmon of interacting many-body electron systems in the topological optical N-phase. These optical N-plasmons are signatures of the topological plasmonic band structure in 2D materials. We demonstrate that optical N-plasmons exhibit fundamentally different dispersion relations, stability, and edge profiles from the topologically trivial edge magneto plasmons. Based on the optical N-plasmon, we design an ultra sub-wavelength broadband topological hydrodynamic circulator, which is a chiral quantum radio-frequency circuit component crucial for information routing and interfacing quantum-classical computing systems. Furthermore, we reveal that optical N-plasmons can be effectively tuned by the neighboring dielectric environment without breaking the topological properties. Our work provides a smoking gun signature of repulsive Hall viscosity and opens practical applications of topological electromagnetic phases of two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

First-Principles Study of Large Gyrotropy in MnBi for Infrared Thermal Photonics

Nonreciprocal gyrotropic materials have attracted significant interest recently in material physics, nanophotonics, and topological physics. Most of the well-known nonreciprocal materials, however, only show nonreciprocity under a strong external magnetic field and within a small segment of the electromagnetic spectrum. Here, through first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that due to strong spin-orbit coupling manganese-bismuth (MnBi) exhibits nonreciprocity without any external magnetic field and a large gyrotropy in a broadband long-wavelength infrared regime (LWIR). Further, we design a multi-layer structure based on MnBi to obtain a maximum degree of spin-polarized thermal emission at 7 $μ$m. The connection established here between large gyrotropy and the spin-polarized thermal emission points to a potential use of MnBi to develop spin-controlled thermal photonics platforms.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Limits to Quantum Gate Fidelity from Near-Field Thermal and Vacuum Fluctuations

High-fidelity quantum gate operations are essential for achieving scalable quantum circuits. In spin qubit quantum computing systems, metallic gates and antennas which are necessary for qubit operation, initialization, and readout, also cause detriments by enhancing fluctuations of electromagnetic fields. Therefore evanescent wave Johnson noise (EWJN) caused by thermal and vacuum fluctuations becomes an important unmitigated noise, which induces the decay of spin qubits and limits the quantum gate operation fidelity. Here, we first develop a quantum electrodynamics theory of EWJN. Then we propose a numerical technique based on volume integral equations to quantify EWJN strength in the vicinity of nanofabricated metallic gates with arbitrary geometry. We study the limits to two spin-qubit gate fidelity from EWJN-induced relaxation processes in two experimentally relevant quantum computing platforms: (a) silicon quantum dot system and (b) NV centers in diamond. Finally, we introduce the Lindbladian engineering method to optimize the control pulse sequence design and show its enhanced performance over Hamiltonian engineering in mitigating the influence of thermal and vacuum fluctuations. Our work leverages advances in computational electromagnetics, fluctuational electrodynamics and open quantum systems to suppress the effects of thermal and vacuum fluctuations and reach the limits of two-spin-qubit gate fidelity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Observation of Non-Vanishing Optical Helicity in Thermal Radiation from Symmetry-Broken Metasurfaces

Spinning thermal radiation is a unique phenomenon observed in condensed astronomical objects including the Wolf-Rayet star EZ-CMa and the red degenerate star G99-47, due to existence of strong magnetic fields. Here, by designing symmetry-broken metasurfaces, we demonstrate that spinning thermal radiation with a non-vanishing optical helicity can be realized even without applying a magnetic field. We design non-vanishing optical helicity by engineering a dispersionless band which emits omnidirectional spinning thermal radiation, where our design reaches 39% of the fundamental limit. Our results firmly suggest metasurfaces can impart spin coherence in the incoherent radiation excited by thermal fluctuations. The symmetry-based design strategy also provides a general pathway for comprehensively controlling thermal radiation in its temporal and spin coherence.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Pico-photonics: Anomalous Atomistic Waves in Silicon

The concept of photonic frequency $(ω)$ - momentum $(q)$ dispersion has been extensively studied in artificial dielectric structures such as photonic crystals and metamaterials. However, the $ω-q$ dispersion of electrodynamic excitations hosted in natural materials at the atomistic level is far less explored. Here, we develop a Maxwell Hamiltonian theory of matter combined with the quantum theory of atomistic polarization to obtain the electrodynamic dispersion of natural materials interacting with the photon field. We apply this theory to silicon and discover the existence of anomalous atomistic waves. These waves occur in the spectral region where propagating waves are conventionally forbidden in a macroscopic theory. Our findings demonstrate that natural media can host a variety of yet to be discovered waves with sub-nano-meter effective wavelengths in the pico-photonics regime.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

Optical $N$-insulators: topological obstructions in the atomistic susceptibility tensor

A powerful result of topological band theory is that nontrivial phases manifest obstructions to constructing localized Wannier functions. In Chern insulators, it is impossible to construct Wannier functions that respect translational symmetry in both directions. Similarly, Wannier functions that respect time-reversal symmetry cannot be formed in quantum spin Hall insulators. This molecular orbital interpretation of topology has been enlightening and was recently extended to topological crystalline insulators which include obstructions tied to space group symmetries. In this article, we introduce a new class of two-dimensional topological materials known as optical $N$-insulators that possess obstructions to constructing localized molecular polarizabilities. The optical $N$-invariant $N\in\mathbb{Z}$ is the winding number of the atomistic susceptibility tensor $χ$ and counts the number of singularities in the electromagnetic linear response theory. We decipher these singularities by analyzing the optical band structure of the material -- the eigenvectors of the susceptibility tensor -- which constitutes the collection of optical Bloch functions. The localized basis of these eigenvectors are optical Wannier functions which represent the molecular polarizabilities at different lattice sites. We prove that in a nontrivial optical phase $N\neq 0$, such a localized polarization basis is impossible to construct. Utilizing the mathematical machinery of $K$-theory, these optical $N$-phases are refined further to account for the underlying crystalline symmetries of the material, generating a classification of the topological electromagnetic phase of matter.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Scalable first-principles-informed quantum transport theory in two-dimensional materials

Accurate determination of carrier transport properties in two-dimensional (2D) materials is critical for designing high-performance nano-electronic devices and quantum information platforms. While first-principles calculations effectively determine the atomistic potentials associated with defects and impurities, they are ineffective for direct modeling of carrier transport properties at length scales relevant for device applications. Here, we develop a scalable first-principles-informed quantum transport theory to investigate the carrier transport properties of 2D materials. We derive a non-asymptotic quantum scattering framework to obtain transport properties in proximity to scattering centers. We then bridge our scattering framework with $\textit{k}\cdot\textit{p}$ perturbation theory, with inputs from first-principles electronic structure calculations, to construct a versatile multiscale formalism that enables modeling of realistic devices at the mesoscale. Our formalism also accounts for the crucial contributions of decaying evanescent modes across heterointerfaces. We apply this formalism to study electron transport in lateral transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) heterostructures and show that material inclusions can lead to an enhancement in electron mobility by an order of magnitude larger than pristine TMDCs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Lateral transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures for high efficiency thermoelectric devices

Increasing demands for renewable sources of energy has been a major driving force for developing efficient thermoelectric materials. Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) have emerged as promising candidates for thermoelectric applications due to their large effective mass and low thermal conductivity. In this article, we study the thermoelectric performance of lateral TMDC heterostructures within a multiscale quantum transport framework. Both $n$-type and $p$-type lateral heterostructures are considered for all possible combinations of semiconducting TMDCs: MoS$_2$, MoSe$_2$, WS$_2$, and WSe$_2$. The band alignment between these materials is found to play a crucial in enhancing the thermoelectric figure-of-merit ($ZT$) and power factor far beyond those of pristine TMDCs. In particular, we show that the room-temperature $ZT$ value of $n$-type WS$_2$ with WSe$_2$ triangular inclusions, is five times larger than the pristine WS$_2$ monolayer. $p$-type MoSe$_2$ with WSe$_2$ inclusions is also shown to have a room-temperature $ZT$ value about two times larger than the pristine MoSe$_2$ monolayer. The peak power factor values calculated here, are the highest reported amongst gapped 2D monolayers at room temperature. Hence, 2D lateral TMDC heterostructures open new avenues to develop ultra-efficient, planar thermoelectric devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗