arXiv subjects

Shaffique Adam

Publications and source records attributed to Shaffique Adam.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Quantum Transport in Air-stable Na3Bi Thin Films

Na3Bi has attracted significant interest in both bulk form as a three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetal and in ultra-thin form as a wide-bandgap two-dimensional topological insulator. Its extreme air sensitivity has limited experimental efforts on thin- and ultra-thin films grown via molecular beam epitaxy to ultra-high vacuum environments. Here we demonstrate air-stable Na3Bi thin films passivated with magnesium difluoride (MgF2) or silicon (Si) capping layers. Electrical measurements show that deposition of MgF2 or Si has minimal impact on the transport properties of Na3Bi whilst in ultra-high vacuum. Importantly, the MgF2-passivated Na3Bi films are air-stable and remain metallic for over 100 hours after exposure to air, as compared to near instantaneous degradation when they are unpassivated. Air stability enables transfer of films to a conventional high-magnetic field cryostat, enabling quantum transport measurements which verify that the Dirac semimetal character of Na3Bi films is retained after air exposure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Origin of the Temperature Collapse of the Electric Conductivity in Bilayer Graphene

Recent experiments have reported evidence of dominant electron-hole scattering in the electric conductivity of suspended bilayer graphene near charge neutrality. According to these experiments, plots of the electric conductivity as a function of $μ/k_BT$ (chemical potential scaled with temperature) obtained for different temperatures in the range of $12\rm{K}\lesssim T \lesssim 40\rm{K}$ collapse on a single curve independent of $T$. In a recent theory, this observation has been taken as an indication that the main sub-dominant scattering process is not electron-impurity but electron-phonon. Here we demonstrate that the collapse of the data on a single curve can be explained without invoking electron-phonon scattering, but assuming that the suspended bilayer graphene is not a truly gapless system. With a gap of $\sim 5$ meV, our theory produces excellent agreement with the observed conductivity over the full reported range of temperatures. These results are based on the hydrodynamic theory of conductivity, which thus emerges as a solid foundation for the analysis of experiments and the estimation of the band-gap in multiband systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Carrier transport theory for twisted bilayer graphene in the metallic regime

Understanding the normal-metal state transport in twisted bilayer graphene near magic angle is of fundamental importance as it provides insights into the mechanisms responsible for the observed strongly correlated insulating and superconducting phases. Here we provide a rigorous theory for phonon-dominated transport in twisted bilayer graphene describing its unusual signatures in the resistivity (including the variation with electron density, temperature, and twist angle) showing good quantitative agreement with recent experiments. We contrast this with the alternative Planckian dissipation mechanism that we show is incompatible with available experimental data. An accurate treatment of the electron-phonon scattering requires us to go well beyond the usual treatment, including both interband and intraband processes, considering the finite-temperature dynamical screening of the electron-phonon matrix element, and going beyond the linear Dirac dispersion. In addition to explaining the observations in currently available experimental data, we make concrete predictions that can be tested in ongoing experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Enhanced hydrodynamic transport in near magic angle twisted bilayer graphene

Using the semiclassical quantum Boltzmann theory and employing the Dirac model with twist angle-dependent Fermi velocity we obtain results for the electrical resistivity, the electronic thermal resistivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and the Wiedemann-Franz ratio in near magic angle twisted bilayer graphene, as functions of doping density (around the charge-neutrality-point) and modified Fermi velocity $\tilde v$. The $\tilde v$-dependence of the relevant scattering mechanisms, i.e. electron-hole Coulomb, long-ranged impurities, and acoustic gauge phonons, is considered in detail. We find a range of twist angles and temperatures, where the combined effect of momentum-non-conserving collisions (long-ranged impurities and phonons) is minimal, opening a window for the observation of strong hydrodynamic transport. Several experimental signatures are identified, such as a sharp dependence of the electric resistivity on doping density and a large enhancement of the Wiedemann-Franz ratio and the Seebeck coefficient.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Superconductivity from collective excitations in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene

A purely electronic mechanism is proposed for the unconventional superconductivity recently observed in twisted bilayer graphene (tBG) close to the magic angle. Using the Migdal-Eliashberg framework on a one parameter effective lattice model for tBG we show that a superconducting state can be achieved by means of collective electronic modes in tBG. We posit robust features of the theory, including an asymmetrical superconducting dome and the magnitude of the critical temperature that are in agreement with experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Universal Fermi-surface anisotropy renormalization for interacting Dirac fermions with long-range interactions

Recent experimental and numerical evidence suggest an intriguing universal relationship between the Fermi surface anisotropy of the non-interacting parent two-dimensional electron gas and the strongly correlated composite Fermi liquid formed in a strong magnetic field close to half-filing. Inspired by these observations, we explore more generally the question of anisotropy renormalization in interacting 2D Fermi systems. Using a recently developed non-perturbative and numerically-exact projective quantum Monte Carlo simulation as well as other numerical and analytic techniques, only for Dirac fermions with long-range Coulomb interactions do we find a universal square-root decrease of the Fermi-surface anisotropy. For the half-filled composite Fermi liquid, this result is surprising since a Dirac fermion ground state was only recently proposed as an alternative to the usual HLR state. The importance of the long-range interaction, expected for Dirac systems, is also consistent with recent transport measurements. Our proposed universality can be tested in several anisotropic Dirac materials including graphene, topological insulators organic conductors, and magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

First-principles quantum corrections for carrier correlations in double-layer two-dimensional heterostructures

We present systematic ab initio calculations of the charge carrier correlations between adjacent layers of two-dimensional materials in the presence of both charged impurity and strain disorder potentials using the examples of monolayer and bilayer graphene. For the first time, our analysis yields unambiguous first-principles quantum corrections to the Thomas--Fermi densities for interacting two-dimensional systems described by orbital-free density functional theory. Specifically, using density-potential functional theory, we find that quantum corrections to the quasi-classical Thomas-Fermi approximation have to be taken into account even for heterostructures of mesoscopic size. In order for the disorder-induced puddles of electrons and holes to be anti-correlated at zero average carrier density for both layers, the strength of the strain potential has to exceed that of the impurity potential by at least a factor of ten, with this number increasing for smaller impurity densities. Furthermore, our results show that quantum corrections have a larger impact on puddle correlations than exchange does, and they are necessary for properly predicting the experimentally observed Gaussian energy distribution at charge neutrality.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Phase coherent transport in bilayer and trilayer MoS2

Bilayer MoS2 is a centrosymmetric semiconductor with degenerate spin states in the six valleys at the corners of the Brillouin zone. It has been proposed that breaking of this inversion symmetry by an out-of-plane electric field breaks this degeneracy, allowing for spin and valley lifetimes to be manipulated electrically in bilayer MoS2 with an electric field. In this work, we report phase-coherent transport properties of double-gated mono-, bi-, and tri-layer MoS2. We observe a similar crossover from weak localization to weak anti-localization, from which we extract the spin relaxation time as a function of both electric field and temperature. We find that the spin relaxation time is inversely proportional to momentum relaxation time, indicating that D'yakonov-Perel mechanism is dominant in all devices despite its centrosymmetry. Further, we found no evidence of electric-field induced changes in spin-orbit coupling strength. This suggests that the interlayer coupling is sufficiently weak and that electron-doped dichalcogenide multilayers behave electrically as decoupled monolayers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Absence of strong localization at low conductivity in the topological surface state of low disorder Sb2Te3

We present low-temperature transport measurements of a gate-tunable thin film topological insulator system that features high mobility and low carrier density. Upon gate tuning to a regime around the charge neutrality point, we infer an absence of strong localization even at conductivities well below $e^2/h$, where two dimensional electron systems should conventionally scale to an insulating state. Oddly, in this regime the localization coherence peak lacks conventional temperature broadening, though its tails do change dramatically with temperature. Using a model with electron-impurity scattering, we extract values for the disorder potential and the hybridization of the top and bottom surface states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Electronic Ground State in Bilayer Graphene with Realistic Coulomb Interactions

Both insulating and conducting electronic behaviors have been experimentally seen in clean bilayer graphene samples at low temperature, and there is still no consensus on the nature of the interacting ground state at half-filling and in the absence of a magnetic field. Theoretically, several possibilities for the insulating ground states have been predicted for weak interaction strength. However, a recent renormalization-group calculation on a Hubbard model for charge-neutral bilayer graphene with short-range interactions suggests the emergence of low-energy Dirac fermions that would stabilize the metallic phase for weak interactions. Using a non-perturbative projective quantum Monte Carlo, we calculate the ground state for bilayer graphene using a realistic model for the Coulomb interaction that includes both short-range and long-range contributions. We find that a finite critical onsite interaction is needed to gap bilayer graphene, thereby confirming the Hubbard model expectations even in the presence of a long-range Coulomb potential, in agreement with our theoretical renormalization group analysis. In addition, we also find that the critical onsite interactions necessary to destabilize the metallic ground state decreases with increasing interlayer coupling.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Electric Field-Tuned Topological Phase Transition in Ultra-Thin Na3Bi - Towards a Topological Transistor

The electric field induced quantum phase transition from topological to conventional insulator has been proposed as the basis of a topological field effect transistor [1-4]. In this scheme an electric field can switch 'on' the ballistic flow of charge and spin along dissipationless edges of the two-dimensional (2D) quantum spin Hall insulator [5-9], and when 'off' is a conventional insulator with no conductive channels. Such as topological transistor is promising for low-energy logic circuits [4], which would necessitate electric field-switched materials with conventional and topological bandgaps much greater than room temperature, significantly greater than proposed to date [6-8]. Topological Dirac semimetals(TDS) are promising systems in which to look for topological field-effect switching, as they lie at the boundary between conventional and topological phases [3,10-16]. Here we use scanning probe microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) to show that mono- and bilayer films of TDS Na3Bi [3,17] are 2D topological insulators with bulk bandgaps >400 meV in the absence of electric field. Upon application of electric field by doping with potassium or by close approach of the STM tip, the bandgap can be completely closed then re-opened with conventional gap greater than 100 meV. The large bandgaps in both the conventional and quantum spin Hall phases, much greater than the thermal energy kT = 25 meV at room temperature, suggest that ultrathin Na3Bi is suitable for room temperature topological transistor operation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Antiferromagnetism and chiral d-wave superconductivity from an effective $t-J-D$ model for twisted bilayer graphene

Starting from the strong-coupling limit of an extended Hubbard model, we develop a spin-fermion theory to study the insulating phase and pairing symmetry of the superconducting phase in twisted bilayer graphene. Assuming that the insulating phase is an anti-ferromagnetic insulator, we show that fluctuations of the anti-ferromagnetic order in the conducting phase can mediate superconducting pairing. Using a self-consistent mean-field analysis, we find that the pairing wave function has a chiral d-wave symmetry. Consistent with this observation, we show explicitly the existence of chiral Majorana edge modes by diagonalizing our proposed Hamiltonian on a finite-sized system. These results establish twisted bilayer graphene as a promising platform to realize topological superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Singlet superconductivity enhanced by charge order in nested twisted bilayer graphene Fermi surfaces

Using the continuum model for low energy non-interacting electronic structure of moiré van der Waals heterostructures developed by Bistritzer and MacDonald [1], we study the competition between spin, charge, and superconducting order in twisted bilayer graphene. Surprisingly, we find that for a range of small angles inclusive of the so-called magic angle, this model features robust Fermi pockets that preclude any Mott insulating phase at weak coupling. However, a Fermi surface reconstruction at $θ\gtrsim 1.2^{\circ}$ gives emergent van Hove singularities without any Fermi pockets. Using a hot-spot model for Fermi surface patches around these emergent saddle points, we develop a random-phase approximation from which we obtain a phase diagram very similar to that obtained recently by Isobe, Yuan, and Fu using the parquet renormalization group [2] but with additional insights. For example, our model shows strong nesting around time-reversal symmetric points at a moderate doping of $\sim 2 \times 10^{11} \text{cm}^{-2}$ away from the van Hove singularity. When this nesting dominates, we predict that charge-order enhances singlet superconductivity, while spin-order suppresses superconductivity. Our theory also provides additional possibilities for the case of unnested Fermi surfaces.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Microscopic theory for electron hydrodynamics in monolayer and bilayer graphene

Electrons behave like a classical fluid with a momentum distribution function that varies slowly in space and time when the quantum mechanical carrier-carrier scattering dominates over all other scattering processes. Recent experiments in monolayer and bilayer graphene have reported signatures of such hydrodynamic electron behavior in ultra-clean devices. In this theoretical work, starting from a microscopic treatment of electron-electron, electron-phonon and electron-impurity interactions within the Random Phase Approximation, we demonstrate that monolayer and bilayer graphene both host two different hydrodynamic regimes. We predict that the hydrodynamic window in bilayer graphene is stronger than in monolayer graphene, and has a characteristic `v-shape' as opposed to a `lung-shape'. Finally, we collapse experimental data onto a universal disorder-limited theory, thereby proving that the observed violation of Wiedemann-Franz law in monolayers occurs in a regime dominated by impurity-induced electron-hole puddles.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Dynamic band structure tuning of graphene moiré superlattices with pressure

Heterostructures of atomically-thin materials have attracted significant interest owing to their ability to host novel electronic properties fundamentally distinct from their constituent layers. In the case of graphene on boron nitride, the closely-matched lattices yield a moiré superlattice that modifies the graphene electron dispersion and opens gaps both at the primary Dirac point (DP) and the moiré-induced secondary Dirac point (SDP) in the valence band. While significant effort has focused on controlling the superlattice period via the rotational stacking order, the role played by the magnitude of the interlayer coupling has received comparatively little attention. Here, we modify the interaction between graphene and boron nitride by tuning their separation with hydrostatic pressure. We observe a dramatic enhancement of the DP gap with increasing pressure, but little change in the SDP gap. Our surprising results identify the critical role played by atomic-scale structural deformations of the graphene lattice and reveal new opportunities for band structure engineering in van der Waals heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Electrostatic Modulation of the Electronic Properties of Dirac Semimetal Na3Bi

Large-area thin films of topological Dirac semimetal Na$_3$Bi are grown on amorphous SiO$_2$:Si substrates to realise a field-effect transistor with the doped Si acting as back gate. As-grown films show charge carrier mobilities exceeding 7,000 cm$^2$/Vs and carrier densities below 3 $\times $10$^{18}$ cm$^{-3}$, comparable to the best thin-film Na$_3$Bi. An ambipolar field effect and minimum conductivity are observed, characteristic of Dirac electronic systems. The results are quantitatively understood within a model of disorder-induced charge inhomogeneity in topological Dirac semimetals. Due to the inverted band structure, the hole mobility is significantly larger than the electron mobility in Na$_3$Bi, and when present, these holes dominate the transport properties.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Non-divergent Fermi velocity for interacting graphene at the Dirac point

Recent experiments reveal a significant increase in the graphene Fermi velocity close to charge neutrality. This has widely been interpreted as a confirmation of the logarithmic divergence of the graphene Fermi velocity predicted by a perturbative approach. In this work, we reconsider this problem using functional bosonization techniques calculating the effects of electron interactions on the density of states non-perturbatively. We find that the renormalized velocity is {\it finite} and independent of the high energy cut-off, and we argue that the experimental observations are better understood in terms of an anomalous dimension. Our results also represent a bosonized solution for interacting Weyl fermions in (2+1) dimensions at half-filing.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Moiré band model and band gaps of graphene on hexagonal boron nitride

Nearly aligned graphene on hexagonal boron nitride (G/BN) can be accurately modeled by a Dirac Hamiltonian perturbed by smoothly varying moiré pattern pseudospin fields. Here, we present the moiré-band model of G/BN for arbitrary small twist angles under a framework that combines symmetry considerations with input from ab-initio calculations. Our analysis of the band gaps at the primary and secondary Dirac points highlights the role of inversion symmetry breaking contributions of the moiré patterns, leading to primary Dirac point gaps when the moiré strains give rise to a finite average mass, and to secondary gaps when the moiré pseudospin components are mixed appropriately. The pseudomagnetic strain fields which can reach values of up to $\sim$40 Tesla near symmetry points in the moiré cell stem almost entirely from virtual hopping and dominate over the contributions arising from bond length distortions due to the moiré strains.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗