arXiv subjects

Shengxi Huang

Publications and source records attributed to Shengxi Huang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Terahertz anomalous Hall effect in magnetic Weyl semimetal Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$

Time-reversal-symmetry-broken Weyl semimetals are known to have at least two nodes in their electronic band structure, separated in momentum space and acting as sources and sinks of Berry curvature. This gives rise to a transverse Hall conductivity, known as the anomalous Hall effect (AHE), which, in the simplest two-node picture, is proportional to the momentum-space separation between the nodes in the zero frequency limit. In the recently discovered Weyl semimetal $\mathrm{Co_3Sn_2S_2}$, a giant AHE has been observed. However, experimental investigations in the low-energy regime, which directly probe quasiparticle excitations near the Weyl nodes, remain limited. Here, we present a systematic study of the intrinsic low-energy gyrotropic optical response of $\mathrm{Co_3Sn_2S_2}$ using terahertz spectroscopy combined with semianalytical calculations based on a physically intuitive effective model. Our results provide a robust and transparent explanation of the observed magnetooptical phenomena in terms of intrinsic gyrotropy arising from momentum-space separation of the Weyl nodes. Furthermore, quantitative comparison between experiment and theory places stringent constraints on the material parameters.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Quantum Dot Moir\'e from Crossed MoS2 Nanoribbons

Twisted atomically thin layers have attracted much attention for Moir\'e potential and correlated quantum phenomena. However, existing Moir\'e superlattices have largely been limited to extensive wavefunction without lateral confinement. Here we introduce a new platform where 1D nanoribbons of 2D MoS2 grown by vapor deposition can be easily superposed at various angles from stacking and transferring, to form Moir\'e quantum dots at their intersections with unique exciton physics. Angle-dependent Moir\'e intersections show enhanced exciton emission at commensurate angle 22 deg, which demonstrates faster relaxation at the cryogenic temperature. A size-dependent study further exhibits a reduced exciton energy and soften out-of-plane interlayer coupling for smaller Moir\'e areas. Our results reveal exciton physics turnability via precise overlapping of 1D nanoribbons.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Optical Signature of Moir\'e Superlattices Formed by Twisted SrTiO$_3$ Membranes

Moir\'e superlattices formed at the interfaces of mismatched lattices have attracted significant interest over the past decade due to their large tunability of band parameters and interactions among electrons, spins, and lattices. Superlattices made from twisted perovskite oxides may have strong structure and potential modulation, but evidence of such modulation over macroscopic areas, particularly at large twisting angles, has not been clearly demonstrated so far. Here, we fabricated millimeter-scale twisted oxide bilayers at $36^\circ$ angle, close to the simple coincidence site lattice condition $\Sigma5$, from freestanding SrTiO$_3$ membranes. We discovered new low-frequency vibrational modes whose Raman activity, according to molecular dynamics simulations, is greatly enhanced by an asymmetric, twisted interface between the SrO and TiO$_2$ layers. Such an interface is energetically favorable from first-principles calculations and is corroborated by the observation of strong second harmonic generation from the interface comparable to that from the SrTiO$_3$ surface throughout the bilayer region. The results are consistent with interlayer coupling enhanced by high-temperature annealing and confirmed by cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging. Our work sheds light on the structural behavior of twisted oxides and provides directions for tuning their phononic and nonlinear optical properties in future studies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Hot biexcitons driven by extreme optical confinement

A powerful means to understanding condensed matter that possesses a multi-constituent, non-isolated, and complex nature, with a preeminent example being two-dimensional (2D) materials, is studying many-body interactions. However, experimentally observing high-order many-body interactions is a daunting task due to its heavy reliance on the abundance of low-order complexes. Here, we report the observation of four-body hot biexcitons in an energetically unfavorable bilayer of tungsten disulfide (WS2) through creating extreme optical confinement. Specifically, we integrate a non-radiative bound state in the continuum (BIC) into a photonic crystal (PhC) defect cavity, forming a quasi-three-dimensional (q-3D) but open confinement for photons at the driving frequency. The extremely confined photons in both reciprocal and physical spaces then excite inherently unproductive two-body hot excitons situated slightly above the indirect bandgap so efficiently that they form overwhelmed higher-order four-body hot biexcitons. Distinctively, these hot biexcitons exhibit substantial valley polarization and coherence at room temperature, which we attribute to the topological nature of BICs and the associated q-3D confinement with an orbital angular momentum. Besides achieving room-temperature biexcitons, the q-3D confinement could be valuable for higher-order interactions, such as triexcitons, and many other many-body phenomena, including Bose-Einstein condensation.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Defect-Mediated Phase Engineering of 2D Ag at the Graphene/SiC Interface

Atomically thin silver (Ag) films offer unique opportunities in plasmonic, quantum optics, and energy harvesting, yet conventional growth methods struggle to achieve structural control at the monolayer limit. Here, we demonstrate phase-selective synthesis of large-area, crystalline 2D Ag films via defect-engineered confinement heteroepitaxy (CHet) at the epitaxial graphene/silicon carbide (EG/SiC) interface. By tuning graphene growth and post-growth defect introduction, two distinct Ag phases are achieved with disparate properties: a nearly commensurate Ag(1) lattice stabilized by vacancy and line defects in epitaxial graphene, and a denser Ag(2) phase preferentially grown with sp3-rich zero-layer graphene. Structural and spectroscopic characterization confirm lattice registry with the SiC substrate, while theoretical calculations reveal a thermodynamic preference for Ag(2) but an easier nucleation for Ag(1). Both phases are found to be semiconducting, with the Ag(2) phase exhibiting slightly enhanced n-doping of graphene. Notably, nonlinear optical measurements reveal a three-order magnitude difference in second-order susceptibility between the two phases, demonstrating promise for phase-tunable 2D metals in reconfigurable optoelectronic and metamaterial platforms.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Multimode Phonon-Polaritons in Lead-Halide Perovskites in the Ultrastrong Coupling Regime

Phonons play a central role in fundamental solid-state phenomena, including superconductivity, Raman scattering, and symmetry-breaking phases. Harnessing phonons to control these effects and enable quantum technologies is therefore of great interest. However, most existing phonon control strategies rely on external driving fields or anharmonic interactions, limiting their applicability. Here, we realize multimode ultrastrong light--matter coupling and theoretically show the modulation of phonon emission. This regime is realized by coupling two optical phonon modes in lead halide perovskites to a nanoslot array functioning as a single-mode cavity. The small mode volume of the nanoslots enables high coupling strengths in the phonon-polariton system. We show theoretically that the nanoslot resonator mediates an effective interaction between phonon modes, leading to superthermal phonon bunching in thermal equilibrium between distinct modes. Our findings are well described by a multimode Hopfield model. This work establishes a pathway for engineering phononic properties for light-harvesting and light-emitting technologies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum Semiconductor Heterostructures for meV Axion Dark Matter Detection

We propose a novel strategy and a new class of detectors for the direct detection of axion dark matter in the meV mass range, based on resonantly enhanced axion-photon conversion through the inverse Primakoff effect in engineered radiometers composed of quantum semiconductor heterostructures. Semiconductor-Quantum-Well Axion Radiometer Experiments (SQWAREs) are multiple quantum well structures forming magnetoplasmonic cavities, containing high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases, realizing tunable epsilon-near-zero resonances in the terahertz frequency range. By controlling the orientation of the cavity within a strong external magnetic field, both the resonance frequency and the axion-induced current are optimized $\it{in\,situ}$, enabling efficient scanning across a broad mass range without the need for complex mechanical adjustments. The axion-induced electromagnetic signal radiatively emitted from the cavity is then detected by a photodetector. We present the theoretical basis for resonant enhancement, detail the experimental design and benchmarks through extensive simulations, project the sensitivity of an example SQWARE for several realistic configurations, and demonstrate the modularity and flexibility of the design to fit reasonably with any lab's existing capabilities and target unique axion mass ranges. Our results demonstrate that the SQWAREs can probe the well-motivated quantum chromodynamics axion parameter space and close a critical gap in direct searches at meV masses.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Machine Learning Integrated Near-Infrared Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Accurate Strain-Level Virus Identification

Strain-level identification of viruses is critical for effective public health responses to potential outbreaks, yet current diagnostic methods often lack the necessary speed or sensitivity. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers great potential for fast and precise virus clarification through unique vibrational fingerprints of biological components. However, existing protocols typically operate outside of the tissue's transparent near-infrared (NIR) window, and are further limited by the intrinsic complexity of clinical viral samples, which complicates spectral analysis and recognition. Here, we report an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered NIR-SERS platform that integrates machine learning with a rationally designed hybrid substrate: gold nanostars (AuNSt) coupled with gold-coated carbon nanotube arrays (AuCNT). This architecture generates highly localized plasmonic hot spots resonant tuned to NIR excitation, as confirmed by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), enabling effective signal amplification from viral components. Our system and protocols provide accurate classification of respiratory viruses, including influenza viruses and coronaviruses, not only at the type and subtype levels, but also the more challenging strain level. This approach overcomes the plasmonic mismatch in conventional SERS and the lack of generalizability in AI-driven diagnostics. It shows promise for enhancing rapid virus detection and identification of novel strains and outbreak response capabilities, thus potentially addressing critical challenges in global public health preparedness.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2025

Room-Temperature High-Purity Single Photon Emission from Carbon-Doped Boron Nitride Thin Films

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as an excellent host material for generating room temperature single photons exhibiting high brightness and spin-photon entanglement. However, challenges in improving purity, stability, and scalability limit its use in quantum technologies. Here, we demonstrate highly pure and stable single photon emitters (SPEs) in hBN by directly growing carbon-doped, centimeter-scale hBN thin films using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. These SPEs exhibit room temperature operation with polarized emission, achieving a g(2)(0) value of 0.015, which is among the lowest reported for room temperature SPEs and the lowest achieved for hBN SPEs. It also exhibits high brightness ( around 0.5 million counts per second), remarkable stability during continuous operation (> 15 minutes), and a Debye-Waller factor of 45%. First-principles calculations reveal unique carbon defects responsible for these properties, enabled by PLD's low-temperature synthesis and in-situ doping. Our results demonstrate an effective method for large-scale production of high-purity, stable SPEs in hBN, enabling robust quantum optical sources for various applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2024

Giant and Tunable Bosonic Quantum Interference Induced by Two-Dimensional Metals

Harnessing quantum interference among bosons provides significant opportunities as bosons often carry longer coherence time than fermions. As an example of quantum interference, Fano resonance involving phonons or photons describes the coupling between discrete and continuous states, signified by an asymmetric spectral lineshape. Utilizing photon-based Fano resonance, molecule sensing with ultra-high sensitivity and ultrafast optical switching has been realized. However, phonon-based Fano resonance, which would expand the application space to a vaster regime, has been less exploited because of the weak coupling between discrete phonons with continuous states such as electronic continuum. In this work, we report the discovery of giant phonon-based Fano resonance in a graphene/2D Ag/SiC heterostructure. The Fano asymmetry, being proportional to the coupling strength, exceeds prior reports by two orders of magnitude. This Fano asymmetry arises from simultaneous frequency and lifetime matching between discrete and continuous phonons of SiC. The introduction of 2D Ag layers restructures SiC at the interface and facilitates resonant scattering to further enhance the Fano asymmetry, which is not achievable with conventional Ag thin films. With these unique properties, we demonstrated that the phonon-based Fano resonance can be used for ultrasensitive molecule detection at the single-molecule level. Our work highlights strong Fano resonance in the phononic system, opening avenues for engineering quantum interference based on bosons. Further, our findings provide opportunities for advancing phonon-related applications, including biochemical sensing, quantum transduction, and superconductor-based quantum computing.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Thickness-Dependent Polaron Crossover in Tellurene

Polarons, quasiparticles arising from electron-phonon coupling, are crucial in understanding material properties such as high-temperature superconductivity and colossal magnetoresistance. However, scarce studies have been performed to investigate the formation of polarons in low-dimensional materials with phonon polarity and electronic structure transitions. In this work, we studied polarons of tellurene that are composed of chiral chains of tellurium atoms. The frequency and linewidth of the A1 phonon, which becomes increasingly polar for thinner tellurene, exhibit an abrupt change when the thickness of tellurene is below 10 nm. Meanwhile, the field effect mobility of tellurene drops rapidly as the thickness is smaller than 10 nm. These phonon and transport signatures, combined with the calculated phonon polarity and band structure, suggest a crossover from large polarons for bulk tellurium to small polarons for few-layer tellurene. Effective field theory considers the phonon renormalization in the strong coupling (small polaron) regime, and semi-quantitatively reproduces the observed phonon hardening and broadening effects in few-layer tellurene. This polaron crossover stems from the quasi-1D nature of tellurene where modulation of the interchain distance reduces the dielectric screening and promotes electron-phonon coupling. Our work provides valuable insights into the influence of polarons on phononic, electronic, and structural properties in low-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Defects Vibrations Engineering for Enhancing Interfacial Thermal Transport

To push upper boundaries of effective thermal conductivity in polymer composites, a fundamental understanding of thermal transport mechanisms is crucial. Although there is intensive simulation research, systematic experimental investigation on thermal transport in polymer composites is limited. To better understand thermal transport processes, we design polymer composites with perfect fillers (graphite) and defective fillers (graphite oxide); we choose polar polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a matrix model; and we identify how thermal transport occurs across heterogeneous interfaces. Measured thermal conductivities of in PVA/defective filler composites is higher than those of PVA/perfect filler composites, while measured thermal conductivities in defective fillers are lower than those of perfect fillers. An effective quantum mechanical model is developed, showing that the vibrational state of the defective level plays a critical role in enhancing the thermal conductivity with increased defect concentration. Our experimental and model results have suggested that defects in polymer composites may enhance thermal transport in polymer composites by promoting vibrational resonant couplings.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Fluctuation-driven, topology-stabilized order in a correlated nodal semimetal

The interplay between strong electron correlation and band topology is at the forefront of condensed matter research. As a direct consequence of correlation, magnetism enriches topological phases and also has promising functional applications. However, the influence of topology on magnetism remains unclear, and the main research effort has been limited to ground state magnetic orders. Here we report a novel order above the magnetic transition temperature in magnetic Weyl semimetal (WSM) CeAlGe. Such order shows a number of anomalies in electrical and thermal transport, and neutron scattering measurements. We attribute this order to the coupling of Weyl fermions and magnetic fluctuations originating from a three-dimensional Seiberg-Witten monopole, which qualitatively agrees well with the observations. Our work reveals a prominent role topology may play in tailoring electron correlation beyond ground state ordering, and offers a new avenue to investigate emergent electronic properties in magnetic topological materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

EllipsoNet: Deep-learning-enabled optical ellipsometry for complex thin films

Optical spectroscopy is indispensable for research and development in nanoscience and nanotechnology, microelectronics, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Advanced optical spectroscopy tools often require both specifically designed high-end instrumentation and intricate data analysis techniques. Beyond the common analytical tools, deep learning methods are well suited for interpreting high-dimensional and complicated spectroscopy data. They offer great opportunities to extract subtle and deep information about optical properties of materials with simpler optical setups, which would otherwise require sophisticated instrumentation. In this work, we propose a computational ellipsometry approach based on a conventional tabletop optical microscope and a deep learning model called EllipsoNet. Without any prior knowledge about the multilayer substrates, EllipsoNet can predict the complex refractive indices of thin films on top of these nontrivial substrates from experimentally measured optical reflectance spectra with high accuracies. This task was not feasible previously with traditional reflectometry or ellipsometry methods. Fundamental physical principles, such as the Kramers-Kronig relations, are spontaneously learned by the model without any further training. This approach enables in-operando optical characterization of functional materials within complex photonic structures or optoelectronic devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Accurate Virus Identification with Interpretable Raman Signatures by Machine Learning

Rapid identification of newly emerging or circulating viruses is an important first step toward managing the public health response to potential outbreaks. A portable virus capture device coupled with label-free Raman Spectroscopy holds the promise of fast detection by rapidly obtaining the Raman signature of a virus followed by a machine learning approach applied to recognize the virus based on its Raman spectrum, which is used as a fingerprint. We present such a machine learning approach for analyzing Raman spectra of human and avian viruses. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifier specifically designed for spectral data achieves very high accuracy for a variety of virus type or subtype identification tasks. In particular, it achieves 99% accuracy for classifying influenza virus type A vs. type B, 96% accuracy for classifying four subtypes of influenza A, 95% accuracy for differentiating enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, and 99% accuracy for differentiating avian coronavirus (infectious bronchitis virus, IBV) from other avian viruses. Furthermore, interpretation of neural net responses in the trained CNN model using a full-gradient algorithm highlights Raman spectral ranges that are most important to virus identification. By correlating ML-selected salient Raman ranges with the signature ranges of known biomolecules and chemical functional groups (for example, amide, amino acid, carboxylic acid), we verify that our ML model effectively recognizes the Raman signatures of proteins, lipids and other vital functional groups present in different viruses and uses a weighted combination of these signatures to identify viruses.

q-bio.QM↗

arXiv2021

Signature of Many-Body Localization of Phonons in Strongly Disordered Superlattices

Many-body localization (MBL) has attracted significant attention due to its immunity to thermalization, role in logarithmic entanglement entropy growth, and opportunities to reach exotic quantum orders. However, experimental realization of MBL in solid-state systems has remained challenging. Here we report evidence of a possible phonon MBL phase in disordered GaAs/AlAs superlattices. Through grazing-incidence inelastic X-ray scattering, we observe a strong deviation of the phonon population from equilibrium in samples doped with ErAs nanodots at low temperature, signaling a departure from thermalization. This behavior occurs within finite phonon energy and wavevector windows, suggesting a localization-thermalization crossover. We support our observation by proposing a theoretical model for the effective phonon Hamiltonian in disordered superlattices, and showing that it can be mapped exactly to a disordered 1D Bose-Hubbard model with a known MBL phase. Our work provides momentum-resolved experimental evidence of phonon localization, extending the scope of MBL to disordered solid-state systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Spectroscopic Signatures of Interlayer Coupling in Janus MoSSe/MoS2 Heterostructures

The interlayer coupling in van der Waals heterostructures governs a variety of optical and electronic properties. The intrinsic dipole moment of Janus transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offers a simple and versatile approach to tune the interlayer interactions. In this work, we demonstrate how the van der Waals interlayer coupling and charge transfer of Janus MoSSe/MoS2 heterobilayers can be tuned by the twist angle and interface composition. Specifically, the Janus heterostructures with a sulfur/sulfur (S/S) interface display stronger interlayer coupling than the heterostructures with a selenium/sulfur (Se/S) interface as shown by the low-frequency Raman modes. The differences in interlayer interactions are explained by the interlayer distance computed by density-functional theory (DFT). More intriguingly, the built-in electric field contributed by the charge density redistribution and interlayer coupling also play important roles in the interfacial charge transfer. Namely, the S/S and Se/S interfaces exhibit different levels of PL quenching of MoS2 A exciton, suggesting the enhanced and reduced charge transfer at the S/S and Se/S interface, respectively. Our work demonstrates how the asymmetry of Janus TMDs can be used to tailor the interfacial interactions in van der Waals heterostructures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Designing Artificial Two-Dimensional Landscapes via Room-Temperature Atomic-Layer Substitution

Manipulating materials with atomic-scale precision is essential for the development of next-generation material design toolbox. Tremendous efforts have been made to advance the compositional, structural, and spatial accuracy of material deposition and patterning. The family of 2D materials provides an ideal platform to realize atomic-level material architectures. The wide and rich physics of these materials have led to fabrication of heterostructures, superlattices, and twisted structures with breakthrough discoveries and applications. Here, we report a novel atomic-scale material design tool that selectively breaks and forms chemical bonds of 2D materials at room temperature, called atomic-layer substitution (ALS), through which we can substitute the top layer chalcogen atoms within the 3-atom-thick transition-metal dichalcogenides using arbitrary patterns. Flipping the layer via transfer allows us to perform the same procedure on the other side, yielding programmable in-plane multi-heterostructures with different out-of-plane crystal symmetry and electric polarization. First-principle calculations elucidate how the ALS process is overall exothermic in energy and only has a small reaction barrier, facilitating the reaction to occur at room temperature. Optical characterizations confirm the fidelity of this design approach, while TEM shows the direct evidence of Janus structure and suggests the atomic transition at the interface of designed heterostructure. Finally, transport and Kelvin probe measurements on MoXY (X,Y=S,Se; X and Y corresponding to the bottom and top layers) lateral multi-heterostructures reveal the surface potential and dipole orientation of each region, and the barrier height between them. Our approach for designing artificial 2D landscape down to a single layer of atoms can lead to unique electronic, photonic and mechanical properties previously not found in nature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗