arXiv subjects

Sohrab Ismail-Beigi

Publications and source records attributed to Sohrab Ismail-Beigi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Graduate Training in Quantum Information Science and Engineering: Lessons, Challenges, and a Roadmap from the NSF Research Traineeship Programs

Since 2019, eighteen NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) awards in quantum information science and engineering (QISE) and adjacent fields have been funded, constituting the largest NSF-coordinated investment in graduate QISE training in the United States. Synthesizing lessons from our programs, we work through the central tensions that every QISE graduate program must negotiate: between depth in a home discipline and breadth across the field, between structured instruction and open-ended experiential and hands-on learning, and between training individual specialists and cultivating teams that collectively cover all areas of QISE. We describe the structural and pedagogical innovations the NRT programs have developed in response, assess what is working and what remains unresolved, and sketch 12 open problems the community will need to address as QISE graduate education scales beyond the well-resourced research universities where it has up till now been mainly concentrated. Eight concrete recommendations follow: (1) adopt the startup model of team-based training as an organizing philosophy; (2) invest immediately in sensing and communication curriculum development; (3) build student agency into program governance, not just activities; (4) establish structural mechanisms for industrial engagement rather than depending on goodwill; (5) design for sustainability from year one; (6) develop graduate-level textbooks spanning all three QISE pillars: computing, sensing, and communications; (7) establish shared outcome assessment instruments across programs; and (8) develop structured mechanisms for faculty professional development in QISE.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2025

Superconductivity suppression and bilayer decoupling in Pr substituted YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$

The mechanism behind superconductivity suppression induced by Pr substitutions in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ (YBCO) has been a mystery since its discovery: in spite of being isovalent to Y$^{3+}$ with a small magnetic moment, it is the only rare-earth element that has a dramatic impact on YBCO's superconducting properties. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and DFT+$U$ calculations, we uncover how Pr substitution modifies the low-energy electronic structure of YBCO. Contrary to the prevailing Fehrenbacher-Rice (FR) and Liechtenstein-Mazin (LM) models, the low energy electronic structure contains no signature of any $f$-electron hybridization or new states. Yet, strong electron doping is observed primarily on the antibonding Fermi surface. Meanwhile, we reveal major electronic structure modifications to Cu-derived states with increasing Pr substitution: a pronounced CuO$_2$ bilayer decoupling and an enhanced CuO chain hopping, implying indirect electron-release pathways beyond simple 4$f$ state ionization. Our results challenge the long-standing FR/LM mechanism and establish Pr substituted YBCO as a potential platform for exploring correlation-driven phenomena in coupled 1D-2D systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Layer controlled orbital selective Mott transition in monolayer nickelate

Dimensionality and electronic correlations are crucial elements of many quantum material properties. An example is the change of the electronic structure accompanied by the loss of quasiparticles when a metal is reduced from three dimensions to a lower dimension, where the Coulomb interaction between carriers becomes poorly screened. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we report an orbital-selective decoherence of spectral density in the perovskite nickelate LaNiO3 towards the monolayer limit. The spectral weight of the dz2 band vanishes much faster than that of the dx2-y2 band as the thickness of the LaNiO3 layer is decreased to a single unit cell, indicating a stronger correlation effect for the former upon dimensional confinement. Dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) calculations show an orbital-selective Mott transition largely due to the localization of dz2 electrons along the c axis in the monolayer limit. This orbital-selective correlation effect underpins many macroscopic properties of nickelates, such as metal-to-insulator transition and superconductivity, where most theories are built upon a dx2-y2-dz2 two-band model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Re-entrant unconventional superconductivity induced by rare-earth substitution in Nd1-xEuxNiO2 thin films

High temperature superconductivity is typically associated with strong coupling and a large superconducting gap, yet these characteristics have not been demonstrated in the nickelates. Here, we provide experimental evidence that Eu substitution in the spacer layer of Nd1-xEuxNiO2 (NENO) thin films enhances the superconducting gap, driving the system toward a strong-coupling regime. This is accompanied by a magnetic-exchange-driven magnetic-field-enhanced superconductivity. We investigate the upper critical magnetic field, Hc2, and superconducting gap of superconducting NENO thin films with x=0.2 to 0.35. Magnetoresistance measurements reveal magnetic-field-enhanced superconductivity in NENO films. We interpret this phenomenon as a result of interaction between magnetic Eu ions and superconducting states in the Ni dx2-y2 orbital. The upper critical magnetic field strongly violates the weak-coupling Pauli limit. Infrared spectroscopy confirms a large gap-to-Tc ratio $2 \Delta k_B T_c \approx 5 - 6$, indicating a stronger coupling pairing mechanism in NENO relative to the Sr-doped NdNiO2. The substitution of Eu in the rare-earth layer provides a method to modify the superconducting gap in Nd-based nickelates, an essential factor in engineering high-Tc superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Dopant-induced stabilization of three-dimensional charge order in cuprates

We investigate the microscopic mechanisms behind the stabilization of three-dimensional (3D) charge order by Pr doping in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_7$ (YBCO7). Density-functional-theory calculations locate the lowest-energy Pr superlattices for both Ba- and Y-site substitution. In the Ba-site case, the smaller Pr ion pulls the surrounding atoms inward. This breathing-mode distortion pins charge-stripe walls to the Pr columns and forces them to align along the $c$ axis. Y-site Pr is larger than the host ion, produces an outward distortion, and fails to pin the stripes. Coarse-grained Monte-Carlo simulations show that the stripe correlation length rises in step with the structural correlation length of the Pr dopant as observed in prior experiments. We thus identify Ba-site substitution and dopant-induced lattice pinning as the key mechanism behind 3D charge order in Pr-doped YBCO7. This approach provides quantitative guidelines for engineering electronic orders through targeted ionic substitution.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Interlayer couplings in cuprates: structural origins, analytical forms, and structural estimators

We quantitatively identify the multiple distinct microscopic mechanisms contributing to effective interlayer couplings (EICs) by performing first-principle calculations for two prototype superconducting cuprate families, pristine and doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCuO$_2$O$_{8+x}$ and Pr$_{x}$Y$_{1-x}$Ba$_2$Cu$_3$O$_7$. The major mechanisms are mediated by interlayer oxygen $p_σ$-$p_σ$ and $p_z$-$p_z$ hoppings as well as interlayer copper $d_{z^2}$-oxygen $p_σ$ hoppings. Furthermore, we show how EICs are closely related to structural distortions such as layer bucklings and bond length changes. This allows us to provide analytical formulae that permit direct estimation of the key interatomic hoppings and the EICs based only on the crystal structure. Finally, we benchmark our method on YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_7$ to estimate the strength and anisotropy of the EIC.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

First principle prediction of structural distortions in the cuprates and their impact on the electronic structure

Materials-realistic microscopic theoretical descriptions of copper-based superconductors are challenging due to their complex crystal structures combined with strong electron interactions. Here, we demonstrate how density functional theory can accurately describe key structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the normal state of the prototypical cuprate Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ (Bi-2212). We emphasize the importance of accounting for energy-lowering structural distortions, which then allows us to: (a) accurately describe the insulating antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state of the undoped parent compound (in contrast to the metallic state predicted by previous {\it ab initio} studies); (b) identify numerous low-energy competing spin and charge stripe orders in the hole-overdoped material nearly degenerate in energy with the AFM ordered state, indicating strong spin fluctuations; (c) predict the lowest-energy hole-doped crystal structure including its long-range structural distortions and oxygen dopant positions that match high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) measurements; and (d) describe electronic bands near the Fermi energy with flat antinodal dispersions and Fermi surfaces that in agreement with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements and provide a clear explanation for the structural origins of the so-called ``shadow bands''. We also show how one must go beyond band theory and include fully dynamic spin fluctuations via a many-body approach when aiming to make quantitative predictions to measure the ARPES spectra in the overdoped material. Finally, regarding spatial inhomogeneity, we show that the local structure at the CuO$_2$ layer, rather than dopant electrostatic effects, modulates the local charge-transfer gaps, local correlation strengths, and by extension the local superconducting gaps.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Low-energy electronic interactions in ferrimagnetic Sr2CrReO6 thin films

We reveal in this study the fundamental low-energy landscape in the ferrimagnetic Sr2CrReO6 double perovskite and describe the underlying mechanisms responsible for the three low-energy excitations below 1.4 eV. Based on resonant inelastic x-ray scattering and magnetic dynamics calculations, and experiments collected from both Sr2CrReO6 powders and epitaxially strained thin films, we reveal a strong competition between spin-orbit coupling, Hund's coupling, and the strain-induced tetragonal crystal field. We also demonstrate that a spin-flip process is at the origin of the lowest excitation at 200 meV, and we bring insights into the predicted presence of orbital ordering in this material. We study the nature of the magnons through a combination of ab initio and spin-wave theory calculations, and show that two nondegenerate magnon bands exist and are dominated either by rhenium or chromium spins. The rhenium band is found to be flat at about 200 meV ($\pm$25 meV) through X-L-W-U high-symmetry points and is dispersive toward $Γ$

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Bond-dependent slave-particle cluster theory based on density matrix expansion

Efficient and accurate computational methods for dealing with interacting electron problems on a lattice are of broad interest to the condensed matter community. For interacting Hubbard models, we introduce a cluster slave-particle approach that provides significant computational savings with high accuracy for total energies, site occupancies, and interaction energies. Compared to exact benchmarks using density matrix renormalization group for $d$-$p$ Hubbard models, our approach delivers accurate results using two to three orders of magnitude lower computational cost. Our method is based on a novel slave-particle decomposition with an improved description of particle hoppings, and a new density matrix expansion method where the interacting lattice slave-particle problem is then turned into a set of overlapping real-space clusters which are solved self-consistently with appropriate physical matching constraints at shared lattice sites between clusters.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Piezoelectric ferromagnetism in two dimensional FeCl$_2$

We predict that monolayer FeCl$_2$ is a two-dimensional piezoelectric ferromagnet (PFM) with easy-axis magnetism and a Curie temperature of 260 K. Our ab-initio calculations combined with data mining reveal 2H-FeCl$_2$ as the only easy-axis 2D monolayer PFM, and that its magnetic anisotropy increases many-fold with moderate hole doping. We develop an analysis based on magnetic anisotropy energy densities that explain the magnetic and doping-dependent behavior of FeCl$_2$, as well as VSe$_2$ and CrI$_3$, and can enable the design of future 2D magnetically ordered materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Silicate Formed on Ru (0001) by Hydrogenation

Bottom-up synthesis of two-dimensional transition-metal silicates has been challenging due to strong overlayer-substrate interactions, which prevents the exfoliation of the overlayer. Here, using density functional theory calculations, we systematically investigate the hydrogenation of the overlayer as a way to decrease the substrate and overlayer interactions. Using the Fe$_2$Si$_2$O$_8\cdot$O/Ru(0001) structure as our starting point Wlodarczyk et. al. [1], we study hydrogenation levels up to Fe$_2$Si$_2$O$_9$H$_4\cdot$/Ru(0001). Structural and thermodynamical properties are studied at different hydrogenation levels to show under which conditions, the exfoliation can be feasible. Simulated core-level shifts show that Fe is primarily in 3+ state through the hydrogenation of Fe$_2$Si$_2$O$_8\cdot$O/Ru(0001). Simulated reflection adsorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) yield distinctive shifts in vibrational properties with increasing hydrogenation which can guide experiments. [1] R. Wlodarczyk et al., "Atomic structure of an ultrathin Fe-silicate film grown on a metal: A monolayer of clay?", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 135, 19222, (2013).

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Epitaxial binding and strain effects of monolayer stanene on the Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$(0001) surface

Stanene, the two-dimensional monolayer form of tin, has been predicted to be a 2D topological insulator due to its large spin--orbit interaction. However, a clear experimental demonstration of stanene's topologically nontrivial properties has eluded observation, in part because of the difficulty of choosing a substrate on which stanene will remain topologically nontrivial. In this paper, we present first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations of epitaxial monolayer stanene grown on the (0001) surface of alumina, Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$, as well as free-standing decorated stanene under strain. By describing the energetics and nature of how monolayer stanene binds to alumina, we show a strong energetic drive for the monolayer to be coherently strained and epitaxial to the substrate. By analyzing the electronic structure of strained stanene, we find it to be a quantum spin Hall insulator on Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$. We also describe the effect of \emph{in situ} fluorine decoration on the bound stanene monolayer, including on its potential for mechanical exfoliation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Magnetism and Piezoelectricity in Stable Transition Metal Silicate Monolayers

Two-dimensional van der Waals (2D vdW) materials that display ferromagnetism and piezoelectricity have received increased attention. Despite numerous 2D materials have so far been reported as ferromagnetic, developing an air stable and transferable vdW material that is multiferroic has been challenging. To address this problem, we report our work on layered transition metal silicates that are derivatives of kaolinites and lizardites with transition metal substituting on Al$^{3+}$ and Mg$^{2+}$ sites using ab-initio calculations. Using Density Functional Theory (DFT), we show that these compounds are stable under varying O$_2$ partial pressure and can be synthesized using a surface assisted method. We show that these materials have finite out-of-plane piezoelectric response thanks to the lack of inversion symmetry and also they can be tailored to be ferrimagnetic with a non-zero net moment.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Origin of the orbital polarization of Co$^{2+}$ in La$_2$CoTiO$_6$ and (LaCoO$_3$)$_1$+(LaTiO$_3$)$_1$ : a DFT+$U$ and DMFT study

The unequal electronic occupation of localized orbitals (orbital polarization), and associated lowering of symmetry and degeneracy, play an important role in the properties of transition metal oxides. Here, we examine systematically the underlying origin of orbital polarization, taking as exemplar the 3$d$ manifold of Co$^{2+}$ in a variety of spin, orbital and structural phases in the double perovskite La$_2$CoTiO$_6$ and the (001) superlattice (LaCoO$_3$)$_1$+(LaTiO$_3$)$_1$ systems. Superlattices are of specific interest due to the large experimentally observed orbital polarization of their Co cations. Based on first principles calculations, we find that robust and observable orbital polarization requires symmetry reduction through the lattice structure; the role of local electronic interactions is to greatly enhance the orbital polarization.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Boson Slave Solver (BoSS) v1.1

Accurate and computationally efficient modeling of systems of interacting electrons is an outstanding problem in theoretical and computational materials science. For materials where strong electronic interactions are primarily of a localized character and act within a subspace of localized quantum states on separate atomic sites (e.g., in transition metal and rare-earth compounds), their electronic behaviors are typically described by the Hubbard model and its extensions. In this work, we describe BoSS (Boson Slave Solver), a software implementation of the slave-boson method appropriate for describing a variety of extended Hubbard models, namely $p-d$ models that include both the interacting atomic sites ("$d$" states) and non-interacting or ligand sites ("$p$" states). We provide a theoretical background, a description of the equations solved by BoSS, an overview of the algorithms used, the key input/output and control variables of the software program, and tutorial examples of its use featuring band renormalization in SrVO$_3$, Ni $3d$ multiplet structure in LaNiO$_3$, and the relation between the formation of magnetic moments and insulating behavior in SmNiO$_3$. BoSS interfaces directly with popular electronic structure codes: it can read the output of the Wannier90 software package which postprocesses results from workhorse electronic structure software such as Quantum Espresso or VASP.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Magnetism of (LaCoO$_3$)$_n$+(LaTiO$_3$)$_n$ superlattices with $n=1,2$

LaCoO$_3$ provides a poignant example of a transition metal oxide where the cobalt cations display multiple spin states and spin transitions and which continues to garner substantial attention. In this work, we describe first principles studies, based on DFT+$U$ theory, of superlattices containing LaCoO$_3$, specifically (LaCoO$_3$)$_n$+(LaTiO$_3$)$_n$ for $n=1,2$. The superlattices show strong electron transfer from Ti to Co resulting in Co$^{2+}$, significant structural distortions and a robust orbital polarization of Co$^{2+}$. We predict high-spin Co$^{2+}$ and a checkerboard or G-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state. We provide a detailed analysis of the magnetic interactions and phases in the superlattices. We predict that ferromagnetic order on the Co${2+}$ can be stabilized by hole doping (e.g., replacing La by Sr) which is rather unusual for Co$^{2+}$ cations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Surface Piezoelectricity of (0001) Sapphire

Interfaces of sapphire are of technological relevance as sapphire is used as a substrate in electronics, lasers, and Josephson junctions for quantum devices. In addition, its surface is potentially useful in catalysis. Using first principles calculations, we show that, unlike bulk sapphire which has inversion symmetry, the (0001) sapphire surface is piezoelectric. The inherent broken symmetry at the surface leads to a surface dipole and a significant response to imposed strain: the magnitude of the surface piezoelectricity is comparable to that of bulk piezoelectrics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Causes of ferroelectricity in HfO$_{2}$-based thin films: An $\textit{ab initio}$ perspective

We present a comprehensive first principles study of doped hafnia in order to understand the formation of the ferroelectric orthorhombic [001] grains. Assuming that tetragonal grains are present during the early stages of growth, matching plane analysis shows that tetragonal [100] grains can transform into orthorhombic [001] during thermal annealing, when they are laterally confined by other grains. We show that among 0%, 2% and %4 Si doping, 4% doping provides the best conditions for the tetragonal [100] to orthorhombic [001] transformation. This also holds for Al doping. We also show that for Hf$_{x}$Zr$_{1-x}$O$_{2}$, where we have studied ${x}=1.00,0.75,0.50,0.25,0.00$, the value ${x}=0.50$ provides the most favorable conditions for the desired transformation. In order for this transformation to be preferred over the tetragonal [100] to monoclinic [100] transformation, out-of-plane confinement also needs to be present, as supplied by a top electrode. Our findings illuminate the mechanism that causes ferroelectricity in hafnia-based films and provide an explanation for common experimental observations for the optimal ranges of doping in Si:HfO$_{2}$, Al:HfO$_{2}$ and Hf$_{x}$Zr$_{1-x}$O$_{2}$. We also present model thin film heterostructure computations of Ir/HfO$_{2}$/Ir stacks in order to isolate the interface effects, which we show to be significant.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗