arXiv subjects

U. Chandni

Publications and source records attributed to U. Chandni.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Interplay of spin-lattice and electronic coupling far above Neel ordering in 2D antiferromagnetic CrPS4 and its interface manifestation

A short-range spin correlation driven, strongly intercoupled spin-phonon-electronic state far above TN (~38K) is identified in the low dimensional van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS4. Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy reveals spin-phonon coupling persisting up to T*~120K, concomitant with local lattice distortion. The setting of vibronic progression in photoluminescence spectra suggests the strengthening of electron-phonon coupling around T*. Furthermore, both the electrical transport and optoelectronic response also change significantly at T*. The results indicate that spin-phonon coupling above TN in CrPS4 originates from local lattice distortion induced by short range magnetic correlations which in turn enhances the electron-phonon interaction. Furthermore, using a CrPS4/In2Se3 heterostructure, we demonstrate that the anomaly associated with the coupled degrees of freedom in CrPS4 also influences the adjacent In2Se3 layer. The lattice dynamics of In2Se3 is significantly modified across the magnetic anomaly of CrPS4, and the coupled dynamics is observed at T*. These interfacial manifestation opens up new possibilities for achieving correlated multifunctionalities in artificially designed heterostructure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Time Reversal Symmetry Broken Electronic Phases in Thin Films of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$

High-temperature superconductors (high-Tc SCs) host a rich landscape of electronic phases encompassing the pseudogap, strange metal, superconducting, antiferromagnetic insulating, and Fermi-liquid regimes. The superconducting phase is notable for non-dissipative electronic functionality at relatively high temperatures. These phases are commonly probed in thermodynamic phase space by varying temperature or current through the sample. They can also be probed by breaking time-reversal symmetry (TRS) with an external magnetic field, which yields transition signatures distinct from those arising solely from temperature or current tuning. Here we show that electron transport in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ is primarily governed by two-dimensional superconductivity consistent with a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) topological phase transition, as supported by current-voltage characteristics measured under temperature variation; these measurements preserve TRS. In contrast, when an external magnetic field is applied, the superconducting state is consistently preceded by weak antilocalization (WAL), where bound vortex-antivortex pairs dissociate into a normal metallic state through an intermediate localized phase. We further establish that highly disordered films exhibit transport dominated by three-dimensional weak localization, with superconductivity entirely suppressed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Enhanced Phonon-Assisted Tunneling in Metal -- Twisted Bilayer Graphene Junctions

We report planar tunneling spectroscopy measurements on metal-WSe$_2$-twisted bilayer graphene heterostructures across a broad range of gate and bias voltages. The observed experimental features are attributed to phonon-assisted tunneling and the significantly high density of states within the moiré bands. A notable finding is the enhanced phonon-assisted tunneling in twisted bilayer graphene compared to Bernal bilayer graphene, which arises from a more relaxed in-plane momentum matching criterion. Theoretical calculations of phonon dispersions enable us to identify low-energy phonon modes in both Bernal and twisted bilayers of graphene, thereby elucidating the underlying mechanism of tunneling. Our results establish planar tunneling as a versatile tool to further understand electron-phonon coupling in twisted van der Waals materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Nonlinear electrical transport unveils Fermi surface malleability in a moiré heterostructure

Van Hove singularities enhance many-body interactions and induce collective states of matter ranging from superconductivity to magnetism. In magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, van Hove singularities appear at low energies and are malleable with density, leading to a sequence of Lifshitz transitions and resets observable in Hall measurements. However, without a magnetic field, linear transport measurements have limited sensitivity to the band's topology. Here, we utilize nonlinear longitudinal and transverse transport measurements to probe these unique features in twisted bilayer graphene at zero magnetic field. We demonstrate that the nonlinear responses, induced by the Berry curvature dipole and extrinsic scattering processes, intricately map the Fermi surface reconstructions at various fillings. Importantly, our experiments highlight the intrinsic connection of these features with the moiré bands. Beyond corroborating the insights from linear Hall measurements, our findings establish nonlinear transport as a pivotal tool for probing band topology and correlated phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Emergent phases in graphene flat bands

Electronic correlations in two-dimensional materials play a crucial role in stabilising emergent phases of matter. The realisation of correlation-driven phenomena in graphene has remained a longstanding goal, primarily due to the absence of strong electron-electron interactions within its low-energy bands. In this context, magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene has recently emerged as a novel platform featuring correlated phases favoured by the low-energy flat bands of the underlying moiré superlattice. Notably, the observation of correlated insulators and superconductivity has garnered significant attention, leading to substantial progress in theoretical and experimental studies aiming to elucidate the origin and interplay between these two phases. A wealth of correlated phases with unprecedented tunability was discovered subsequently, including orbital ferromagnetism, Chern insulators, strange metallicity, density waves, and nematicity. However, a comprehensive understanding of these closely competing phases remains elusive. The ability to controllably twist and stack multiple graphene layers has enabled the creation of a whole new family of moiré superlattices with myriad properties being discovered at a fast pace. Here, we review the progress and development achieved so far, encompassing the rich phase diagrams offered by these graphene-based moiré systems. Additionally, we discuss multiple phases recently observed in non-moiré multilayer graphene systems. Finally, we outline future opportunities and challenges for the exploration of hidden phases in this new generation of moiré materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Spin-orbit coupling-enhanced valley ordering of malleable bands in twisted bilayer graphene on WSe2

New phases of matter can be stabilized by a combination of diverging electronic density of states, strong interactions, and spin-orbit coupling. Recent experiments in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) have uncovered a wealth of novel phases as a result of interaction-driven spin-valley flavour polarization. In this work, we explore correlated phases appearing due to the combined effect of spin-orbit coupling-enhanced valley polarization and large density of states below half filling ($ν\lesssim 2$) of the moiré band in a TBG coupled to tungsten diselenide. We observe anomalous Hall effect, accompanied by a series of Lifshitz transitions, that are highly tunable with carrier density and magnetic field. Strikingly, the magnetization shows an abrupt sign change in the vicinity of half-filling, confirming its orbital nature. The coercive fields reported are about an order of magnitude higher than previous studies in graphene-based moiré systems, presumably aided by a Stoner instability favoured by the van Hove singularities in the malleable bands. While the Hall resistance is not quantized at zero magnetic fields, indicative of a ground state with partial valley polarization, perfect quantization and complete valley polarization are observed at finite fields. Our findings illustrate that singularities in the flat bands in the presence of spin-orbit coupling can stabilize ordered phases even at non-integer moiré band fillings.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Hall field-induced magneto-oscillations near charge neutrality point in graphene

We explore the non-equilibrium transport regime in graphene using a large dc current in combination with a perpendicular magnetic field. The strong in-plane Hall field that is generated in the bulk of the graphene channel results in Landau levels that are tilted spatially. The energy of cyclotron orbits in the bulk varies as a function of the spatial position of the guiding center, enabling us to observe a series of compelling features. While Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations are predictably suppressed in the presence of the Hall field, a set of fresh magnetoresistance oscillations emerge near the charge neutrality point as a function of dc current. Two branches of oscillations with linear dispersions are evident as we vary carrier density and dc current, the velocity of which closely resembles the TA and LA phonon modes, suggestive of phonon-assisted intra-Landau level transitions between adjacent cyclotron orbits. Our results offer unique possibilities to explore non-equilibrium phenomena in two-dimensional materials and van der Waals heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Emergence of broken-symmetry states at half-integer band fillings in twisted bilayer graphene

The dominance of Coulomb interactions over kinetic energy of electrons in narrow, non-trivial moiré bands of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) gives rise to a variety of correlated phases such as correlated insulators, superconductivity, orbital ferromagnetism, Chern insulators and nematicity. Most of these phases occur at or near an integer number of carriers per moiré unit cell. Experimental demonstration of ordered states at fractional moiré band-fillings at zero applied magnetic field $B$, is a challenging pursuit. In this letter, we report the observation of states near half-integer band-fillings of $ν\approx 0.5$ and $\pm3.5$ at $B\approx 0$ in TBG proximitized by tungsten diselenide (WSe$_2$) through magnetotransport and thermoelectricity measurements. A series of Lifshitz transitions due to the changes in the topology of the Fermi surface implies the evolution of van Hove singularities (VHSs) of the diverging density of states (DOS) at a discrete set of partial fillings of flat bands. Furthermore, at a band filling of $ν\approx-0.5$, a symmetry-broken Chern insulator emerges at high $B$, compatible with the band structure calculations within a translational symmetry-broken supercell with twice the area of the original TBG moiré cell. Our results are consistent with a spin/charge density wave ground state in TBG in the zero $B$-field limit.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Quantum Hall interferometry in triangular domains of marginally twisted bilayer graphene

Quantum Hall (QH) interferometry provides an archetypal platform for the experimental realization of braiding statistics of fractional QH states. However, the complexity of observing fractional statistics requires phase coherence over the length of the interferometer, as well as suppression of Coulomb charging energy. Here, we demonstrate a new type of QH interferometer based on marginally twisted bilayer graphene (mtBLG), with a twist angle $θ$ $\approx$ $0.16$ $^{\circ}$. With the device operating in the QH regime, we observe distinct signatures of electronic Fabry-Pérot (FP) and Aharonov-Bohm (AhB)-oscillations of the magneto-thermopower in the density-magnetic field phase-space, at Landau level filling factors $ν=4$,$8$. We find that QH interference effects are intrinsic to the triangular AB/BA domains in mtBLG that show diminished Coulomb charging effects. Our results demonstrate phase-coherent interference of QH edge modes without any additional gate-defined complex architecture, which may be beneficial in experimental realizations of non-Abelian braiding statistics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Excess entropy and breakdown of semiclassical description of thermoelectricity in twisted bilayer graphene close to half filling

In moiré systems with twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG), the amplification of Coulomb correlation effects at low twist angles ($θ$) is a result of nearly flat low-energy electronic bands and divergent density of states (DOS) at van Hove singularities (vHS). This not only causes superconductivity, Mott insulating states, and quantum anomalous Hall effect close to the critical (or magic) angle $θ= θ_{c} \approx 1.1^\circ$, but also unconventional metallic states that are claimed to exhibit non-Fermi liquid (NFL) excitations. However, unlike superconductivity and the correlation-induced gap in the DOS, unambiguous signatures of NFL effects in the metallic state remain experimentally elusive. Here we report simultaneous measurement of electrical resistivity ($ρ$) and thermoelectric power ($S$) in tBLG at $θ\approx 1.6^\circ$. We observe an emergent violation of the semiclassical Mott relation in the form of excess $S$ close to half-filling. The excess $S$ ($\approx 2$ $μ$V/K at low temperature $T \sim 10$ K) persists up to $\approx 40$ K, and is accompanied by metallic $T$-linear $ρ$ with transport scattering rate ($τ^{-1}$) of near-Planckian magnitude $τ^{-1} \sim k_{B}T/\hbar$. The combination of non-trivial electrical transport and violation of Mott relation provides compelling evidence of NFL physics intrinsic to tBLG, at small twist angle and half-filling.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Observation of excess resistance anomaly at resistive transitions in Ag/Au nanostructures

The resistive transition in nanocomposite films of silver (Ag) nanoclusters of ~ 1 nm diameter embedded in gold (Au) matrix exhibits an anomalous resistance peak at the onset of the transition, even for transition temperatures as high as 260 K. The maximum value of the resistance ranges between ~ 30% - 300% above that of the normal state depending on devices as well as lead configuration within a single device. The excess resistance regime was observed in about 10% of the devices, and extends from ~ 10 - 100 K. Application of magnetic field of 9 T was found to partially suppress the excess resistance. From the critical current behavior, as well as negative differential resistance in the current-voltage characteristics, we discuss the possibility of interacting phase slip centers and alternate physical scenarios that may cause the excess resistance in our system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

A non-invasive sub-surface electrical probe to encapsulated layers in van der Waals heterostructures

Van der Waals heterostructures formed by stacking different atomically thin layered materials have emerged as the sought-after device platform for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Determining the spatial extent of all the encapsulated components in such vertical stacks is key to optimal fabrication methods and improved device performance. Here we employ electrostatic force microscopy as a fast and non-invasive microscopic probe that provides compelling images of two dimensional layers buried over 30 nm below the sample surface. We demonstrate the versatility of the technique by studying heterojunctions comprising graphene, hexagonal boron nitride and transition metal dichalcogenides. Work function of each constituent layer acts as a unique fingerprint during imaging, thereby providing important insights into the charge environment, disorder, structural imperfections and doping profile. The technique holds great potential for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the quality, flatness as well as local electrical properties of buried layers in a large class of nanoscale materials and vertical heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Signatures of phonon and defect-assisted tunneling in planar metal-hexagonal boron nitride-graphene junctions

Electron tunneling spectroscopy measurements on van der Waals heterostructures consisting of metal and graphene (or graphite) electrodes separated by atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride tunnel barriers are reported. The tunneling conductance dI/dV at low voltages is relatively weak, with a strong enhancement reproducibly observed to occur at around |V| ~ 50 mV. While the weak tunneling at low energies is attributed to the absence of substantial overlap, in momentum space, of the metal and graphene Fermi surfaces, the enhancement at higher energies signals the onset of inelastic processes in which phonons in the heterostructure provide the momentum necessary to link the Fermi surfaces. Pronounced peaks in the second derivative of the tunnel current, are observed at voltages where known phonon modes in the tunnel junction have a high density of states. In addition, features in the tunneling conductance attributed to single electron charging of nanometer-scale defects in the boron nitride are also observed in these devices. The small electronic density of states of graphene allows the charging spectra of these defect states to be electrostatically tuned, leading to Coulomb diamonds in the tunneling conductance.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Evidence for defect-mediated tunneling in hexagonal boron nitride-based junctions

We investigate tunneling in metal-insulator-metal junctions employing few atomic layers of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) as the insulating barrier. While the low-bias tunnel resistance increases nearly exponentially with barrier thickness, subtle features are seen in the current-voltage curves, indicating marked influence of the intrinsic defects present in the hBN insulator on the tunneling transport. In particular, single electron charging events are observed, which are more evident in thicker-barrier devices where direct tunneling is substantially low. Furthermore, we find that annealing the devices modifies the defect states and hence the tunneling signatures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Transport in indium-decorated graphene

The electronic transport properties of single layer graphene having a dilute coating of indium adatoms has been investigated. Our studies establish that isolated indium atoms donate electrons to graphene and become a source of charged impurity scattering, affecting the conductivity as well as magnetotransport properties of the pristine graphene. Notably, a positive magnetoresistance is observed over a wide density range after In doping. The low field magnetoresistance carries signatures of quantum interference effects which are significantly altered by the adatoms.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Criticality of tuning in athermal phase transitions

We experimentally address the importance of tuning in athermal phase transitions, which are triggered only by a slowly varying external field acting as tuning parameter. Using higher order statistics of fluctuations, a singular critical instability is detected for the first time in spite of an apparent universal self-similar kinetics over a broad range of driving force. The results as well as the experimental technique are likely to be of significance to many slowly driven non-equilibrium systems from geophysics to material science which display avalanche dynamics.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗