arXiv subjects

Xian-Peng Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Xian-Peng Zhang.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Theory of quantum decoherence in macroscopic topological insulators

Quantum decoherence-the loss of quantum coherence due to interactions with an environment-plays a central role in quantum transport, and controlling this ubiquitous yet inevitable phenomenon is essential for practical quantum technologies. Despite its importance, the microscopic mechanisms of decoherence in infinite-size topological insulators remain poorly understood. Here, we develop a comprehensive theory that quantitatively investigates how quantum decoherence shapes the quantum spin Hall effect in macroscopic topological insulators, and reveal that decoherence-induced corrections scale quadratically with impurity density. Besides, we uncover a previously unidentified mechanism of the extrinsic spin Hall effect: a second-order skew-scattering process intrinsically tied to quantum decoherence-fundamentally distinct from, yet substantially stronger than, the conventional third-order skew-scattering mechanism. Furthermore, we predict a new scaling law in which the decoherence-induced spin Hall conductivity scales quadratically with the longitudinal conductivity, providing a clear experimental signature of decoherence effects. Our results establish the essential role of decoherence in quantum transport of topological insulators and reveal that macroscopic topological insulators offer a promising platform for next-generation spintronic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Metalization of topological insulators

In modern condensed matter theory, phases of electronic matter--such as metals and insulators-are fundamentally distinguished by the presence or absence of charge-carrying quasiparticles or excitations near the Fermi surface at low temperatures. Here, we show that this criterion breaks down in Berry-curvature-dominated systems, where transport is governed by interband coherence across the entire Fermi sea. We develop a microscopic theory of quantum transport in bulk topological insulators with a vanishing density of states at the Fermi energy, for which the conventional Drude contribution is absent. We demonstrate that impurity-scattering-induced coherence decay generates a distinct longitudinal transport channel even in the topologically trivial regime, with edge contributions rigorously excluded. This mechanism yields a finite longitudinal conductivity even in the absence of carriers at the Fermi level and exhibits an unconventional scaling linear in impurity density in the dilute limit, in stark contrast to Drude behaviour. Importantly, this decoherence-induced conductance is inversely proportional to temperature, reminiscent of strange-metal behaviour, most prominently observed in cuprate superconductors above their critical temperature. Our findings reveal quantum decoherence as a fundamental origin of longitudinal transport beyond the Drude paradigm, challenging the traditional distinction between metals and insulators.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Magnetoresistance from decoherence

Microscopic theories of magnetoresistance have traditionally focused on momentum relaxation and the plasma frequency of itinerant electrons. Here, we uncover a distinct mechanism in which magnetoresistance originates from quantum decoherence throughout the whole Fermi sea, specifically the decay of the off-diagonal components of the density matrix. The resulting conductivity, parameterized by two complex decoherence times, scales linearly with impurity density-markedly contrasting the conventional Drude picture, where conductivity is governed by momentum relaxation of Ferm-surface quasiparticles and is inversely proportional to impurity density. This unconventional scaling provides a direct electrical probe of quantum decoherence, a quantity central to both fundamental studies and emerging nanoscale technologies. Furthermore, the interplay between the external magnetic field and the exchange field gives rise to rich magnetotransport phenomena, including temperature-drive crossover from positive to negative magnetoresistance and a nonmonotonic temperature dependence with a conductivity maximum reminiscent of the Kondo effect. Our results establish quantum decoherence as a key ingredient in magnetoresistance and our findings should have an unprecedented impact on advancing research and applications involving magnetoresistance.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Theory of quantum decoherence and its application to anomalous Hall effect

Coherent quantum phenomena can only emerge when decoherence is minimized, and mastery over decoherence is technologically crucial for designing and operating functional quantum devices. However, its microscopic mechanisms in spin-orbit-coupled ferromagnets remain elusive, and quantitative treatments have long been challenging. To solve this fundamentally significant and technologically crucial problem, we develop a quantum master-equation framework with a general ansatz for the off-diagonal density matrix that simultaneously captures electric-field-driven coherence and impurity-scattering-induced decoherence. This unified approach enables quantitative analysis of how decoherence reshapes the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect, revealing a clear crossover between intrinsic and extrinsic regimes. Remarkably, we identify a previously unrecognized extrinsic contribution: a second-order scattering process tightly relative to quantum decoherence-that is fundamentally distinct from both skew scattering and side jump mechanisms, yet substantially more significant than the skew scattering mechanism. Our work establishes decoherence as a key element in quantum transport and provides a systematic extension of the Boltzmann transport equation to incorporate decoherence, with broad implications for robust spintronic functionality.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Open quantum theory of magnetoresistance in mesoscopic magnetic materials

Magnetoresistance (MR) in magnetic materials arises from spin-exchange coupling between local moments and itinerant electrons, representing a challenging many-body open-quantum problem. Here we develop a comprehensive microscopic theory of MR within an open-quantum-system framework by solving the Liouville-von Neumann equation for a hybrid system of free electrons and local moments using the time-convolutionless projection operator method. Our approach reveals both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic MR as consequences of temperature- and field-dependent spin decoherence, encompassing spin relaxation and dephasing. In particular, the resistance associated with spin decoherence is governed by the order parameters of magnetic materials, such as the magnetization in ferromagnets and the Néel vector in antiferromagnets. This theory deepens the fundamental understanding of MR and offers guidance for interpreting and designing experiments on magnetic materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Andreev qubit readout from dynamic interference supercurrent

Nondemolition protocols use ancilla qubits to identify the fragile quantum state of a qubit without destroying its encoded information, thus playing a crucial role in nondestructive quantum measurements particularly relevant for quantum error correction. However, the multitude of ancilla preparations, information transfers, and ancilla measurements in these protocols create an intrinsic overhead for information processing. Here we consider an Andreev qubit defined in a quantum-dot Josephson junction and show that the macroscopic time-dependent oscillatory supercurrent arising from the quantum interference of the many-body eigenstates, can be used to probe the qubit itself-arbitrarily close to the nondestructive limit-under currently available experimental capabilities. This readout of arbitrary superposition states of Andreev qubits avoids ancillae altogether and significantly reduces experimental overhead as no repetitive qubit reinitialization is needed. Our prediction of an AC-like Josephson effect without an applied external voltage, which enables the nondestructive qubit readout, is a unique macroscopic manifestation of the microscopic dynamics of the Andreev quantum state. Our findings should have an unprecedented impact on advancing research and applications involving Andreev dots, thus positioning them as promising qubit contenders for quantum processing and technologies.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

A Theory of Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in Altermagnets and Its Applications

Altermagnets, a newly discovered class of magnets, integrate the advantages of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, such as enabling anomalous transport without stray fields and supporting ultrafast spin dynamics, offering exciting opportunities for spintronics. A key challenge in altermagnetic spintronics is the efficient reading and writing of information by switching the Neel vector orientations to represent binary 0 and 1. Here, we develop a microscopic theory of the magnetoresistance effect in altermagnets and propose that magnetoresistance anisotropy can serve as an effective mechanism for the electrical readout of the Neel vector. Our theory describes a two-step charge-spin-charge conversion process governed by the interplay between spin splitting and spin Hall effects: a longitudinal electric field induces transverse drift spin currents, which induce significant spin accumulation at the boundaries, generating a diffusive spin current that is converted back into a longitudinal charge current. By switching the Neel vector, a substantial change in magnetoresistance, akin to giant magnetoresistance in ferromagnets, is realized, enabling an electrically readable altermagnetic memory. Our microscopic theory provides deeper insights into the fundamental physics of the magnetoresistance effect in altermagnets and offers valuable guidance for designing next-generation ultradense and ultrafast spintronic devices based on altermagnetism.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Renormalized and iterative formalism of the Andreev levels within large multi-parametric space

We attain a renormalized and iterative expression of the Andreev level in a quantum-dot Josephson junction, which is bound to have significant implications due to several significant advantages. The renormalized form of the Andreev level not only allows us to extend beyond the limitations of small tunnel coupling, quantum dot energy, magnetic field, and mean-field Coulomb interaction but also enables the capturing of subgap levels that leak out of the superconducting gap into the continuous spectrum. Furthermore, the iterative form of the Andreev level provides an intuitive understanding of the spin-split and superconducting proximity effects of the superconducting leads. We find a singlet-doublet quantum phase transition (QPT) in the ground state due to the intricate competition between the superconducting and spin-split proximity effects, that differs from the typical QPT arising from the competition between the superconducting proximity effect (favoring singlet phase) and the quantum dot Coulomb interaction (favoring doublet phase). This QPT has a diverse phase diagram owing to the spin-split proximity effects which favors the doublet phase akin to the quantum-dot Coulomb interaction but can be also enhanced by the tunneling coupling like the superconducting proximity effect. Unlike the typical QPT, where tunnel coupling prefers singlet ground state, this novel QPT enables strong tunnel coupling to suppress the singlet ground state via the spin-split proximity effect, allowing a singlet-doublet-singlet transition with increasing tunnel coupling. Our renormalized and iterative formalism of the Andreev level is crucial for the electrostatic gate, external flux, and magnetic field modulations of the Andreev qubits.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Fabry-Perot superconducting diode

Superconducting diode effects (SDEs) occur in systems with asymmetric critical supercurrents $|I^c_+|\neq |I^c_-|$ yielding dissipationless flow in one direction $(e.g., +)$, while dissipative transport in the opposite direction $(-)$. Here we investigate the SDE in a phase-biased $ϕ$ Josephson junction with a double-barrier resonant-tunneling InAs nanowire nested between proximitized InAs/Al leads with finite momentum $\hbar q$ Cooper pairing. Within the Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) approach, we obtain the exact BCS ground state energy $\mathcal{E}_G(q,ϕ)$ and $I^{c}_{+} \neq |I^{c}_{-}|$ from the current-phase relation $I_G(q,ϕ) \sim \partial_ϕ\mathcal{E}_G(q,ϕ)$. The SDE arises from the accrued Andreev phase shifts $δϕ_{L,R}(q,ϕ)$ leading to asymmetric BdG spectra for $q\neq 0$. Remarkably, the diode efficiency $γ=(I^{c}_{+} - |I^{c}_{-}|)/(I^{c}_{+} + |I^{c}_{-}|)$ shows multiple Fabry-Perot resonances $γ\simeq 26\%$ at the double-barrier Andreev bound states as the well depth $V_g$ is varied. Our $γ$ also features sign reversals for increasing $q$ and high sensitiveness to fermion-parity transitions. The latter enables $I^{c}_{+} (ϕ_+)\rightleftarrows I^{c}_{-}(ϕ_-)$ switchings over narrow phase windows, i.e., $ϕ_+, ϕ_- \in Δϕ\llπ$, possibly relevant for future superconducting electronics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Fermi sea and sky in the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation

We develop a comprehensive logical framework for effectively handling the overcomplete basis set in the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation that contains two orthonormal basis sets conjugate with each other, such as particle and hole orthonormal basis sets. We highlight the significant implications of our logical framework from theoretical concepts and experimental predictions. Firstly, we rigorously derive all many-body eigenfunctions of arbitrary nonuniform superconductors and uncover that the many-body eigenstates are full of superconducting spin clouds-the electron configuration within the Cooper-like pair of an arbitrary nonuniform superconductor. Secondly, we demonstrate a conjugate loop formed by the effective vacuum states of two orthonormal basis sets conjugate with each other, such as the Fermi sea and sky-the effective vacuum states of positive and negative orthonormal basis sets, respectively. Thirdly, we present a gate-, field-, and phase-tunable tunnel spectroscopy asymmetry arising from the imbalanced particle-hole distribution of the subgap quasiparticles in a quantum-dot Josephson junction. These findings underscore the power of our logical framework and its implications for advancing our understanding and utilization of solid-state devices based on superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Coupled superconducting spin qubits with spin-orbit interaction

Superconducting spin qubits, also known as Andreev spin qubits, promise to combine the benefits of superconducting qubits and spin qubits defined in quantum dots. While most approaches to control these qubits rely on controlling the spin degree of freedom via the supercurrent, superconducting spin qubits can also be coupled to each other via the superconductor to implement two-qubit quantum gates. We theoretically investigate the interaction between superconducting spin qubits in the weak tunneling regime and concentrate on the effect of spin-orbit interaction (SOI), which can be large in semiconductor-based quantum dots and thereby offers an additional tuning parameter for quantum gates. We find analytically that the effective interaction between two superconducting spin qubits consists of Ising, Heisenberg, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions and can be tuned by the superconducting phase difference, the tunnel barrier strength, or the SOI parameters. The Josephson current becomes dependent on SOI and spin orientations. We demonstrate that this interaction can be used for fast controlled phase-flip gates with a fidelity >99.99%. We propose a scalable network of superconducting spin qubits which is suitable for implementing the surface code.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Paramagnetic spin Hall magnetoresistance

Spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) refers to a resistance change in a metallic film reflecting the magnetization direction of a magnet attached to the film. The mechanism of this phenomenon is spin exchange between conduction-electron spins and magnetization at the interface. SMR has been used to read out information written in a small magnet and to detect magnetization dynamics, but it has been limited to magnets; magnetic ordered phases or instability of magnetic phase transition has been believed to be indispensable. Here, we report the observation of SMR in a paramagnetic insulator Gd$_{3}$Ga$_{5}$O$_{12}$ (GGG) without spontaneous magnetization combined with a Pt film. The paramagnetic SMR can be attributed to spin-transfer torque acting on localized spins in GGG. We determine the efficiencies of spin torque and spin-flip scattering at the Pt/GGG interface, and demonstrate these quantities can be tuned with external magnetic fields. The results clarify the mechanism of spin-transport at a metal/paramagnetic insulator interface, which gives new insight into the spintronic manipulation of spin states in paramagnetic systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

External control of qubit-photon interaction and multi-qubit reset in a dissipative quantum network

A quantum network is a promising quantum many-body system because of its tailored geometry and controllable interaction. Here, we propose an external control scheme for the qubit-photon interaction and multiqubit reset in a dissipative quantum network, which comprises superconducting circuit chains with microwave drives and filter-filter couplings. The traditional multiqubit reset of the quantum network requires physically disconnected qubits to prevent their entanglement. However, we use an original effect of dissipation, i.e., consuming the entanglement generated by qubits' interaction, to achieve an external control of the multiqubit reset in an always-connected superconducting circuit. The reset time is independent of the number of qubits in the quantum network. Our proposal can tolerate considerable fluctuations in the system parameters and can be applicable to higher-dimensional quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Back-n White Neutron Source at CSNS and its Applications

Back-streaming neutrons from the spallation target of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) that emit through the incoming proton channel were exploited to build a white neutron beam facility (the so-called Back-n white neutron source), which was completed in March 2018. The Back-n neutron beam is very intense, at approximately 2*10^7 n/cm^2/s at 55 m from the target, and has a nominal proton beam with a power of 100 kW in the CSNS-I phase and a kinetic energy of 1.6 GeV and a thick tungsten target in multiple slices with modest moderation from the cooling water through the slices. In addition, the excellent energy spectrum spanning from 0.5 eV to 200 MeV, and a good time resolution related to the time-of-flight measurements make it a typical white neutron source for nuclear data measurements; its overall performance is among that of the best white neutron sources in the world. Equipped with advanced spectrometers, detectors, and application utilities, the Back-n facility can serve wide applications, with a focus on neutron-induced cross-section measurements. This article presents an overview of the neutron beam characteristics, the experimental setups, and the ongoing applications at Back-n.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2020

Strong interfacial exchange field in a heavy metal/ferromagnetic insulator system determined by spin Hall magnetoresistance

Spin-dependent transport at heavy metal/magnetic insulator interfaces is at the origin of many phenomena at the forefront of spintronics research. A proper quantification of the different interfacial spin conductances is crucial for many applications. Here, we report the first measurement of the spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) of Pt on a purely ferromagnetic insulator (EuS). We perform SMR measurements in a wide range of temperatures and fit the results by using a microscopic model. From this fitting procedure we obtain the temperature dependence of the spin conductances ($G_s$, $G_r$ and $G_i$), disentangling the contribution of field-like torque ($G_i$), damping-like torque ($G_r$), and spin-flip scattering ($G_s$). An interfacial exchange field of the order of 1 meV acting upon the conduction electrons of Pt can be estimated from $G_i$, which is at least three times larger than $G_r$ below the Curie temperature. Our work provides an easy method to quantify this interfacial spin-splitting field, which play a key role in emerging fields such as superconducting spintronics and caloritronics, and topological quantum computation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Control of Spin Diffusion and Suppression of the Hanle Effect by the Coexistence of Spin and Valley Hall Effects

In addition to spin, electrons in many materials possess an additional pseudo-spin degree of freedom known as 'valley'. In materials where the spin and valley degrees of freedom are weakly coupled, they can be both excited and controlled independently. In this work, we study a model describing the interplay of the spin and valley Hall effects in such two-dimensional materials. We demonstrate the emergence of an additional longitudinal neutral current that is both spin and valley polarized. The additional neutral current allows to control the spin density by tuning the magnitude of the valley Hall effect. In addition, the interplay of the two effects can suppress the Hanle effect, that is, the oscillation of the nonlocal resistance of a Hall bar device with in-plane magnetic field. The latter observation provides a possible explanation for the absence of the Hanle effect in a number of recent experiments. Our work opens also the possibility to engineer the conversion between the valley and spin degrees of freedom in two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Valley Hall Effect and Nonlocal Transport in Strained Graphene

Graphene subject to high levels of shear strain leads to strong pseudo-magnetic fields resulting in the emergence of Landau levels. Here we show that, with modest levels of strain, graphene can also sustain a classical valley hall effect (VHE) that can be detected in nonlocal transport measurements. We provide a theory of the strain-induced VHE starting from the quantum Boltzmann equation. This allows us to show that, averaging over short-range impurity configurations destroys quantum coherence between valleys, leaving the elastic scattering time and inter-valley scattering rate as the only parameters characterizing the transport theory. Using the theory, we compute the nonlocal resistance of a Hall bar device in the diffusive regime. Our theory is also relevant for the study of moderate strain effects in the (nonlocal) transport properties of other two-dimensional materials and van der Walls heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Resonator-Assisted Quantum Bath Engineering of a Flux Qubit

We demonstrate quantum bath engineering for preparation of any orbital state with controllable phase factor of a superconducting flux qubit assisted by a microwave coplanar waveguide resonator. We investigate the polarization efficiency of the arbitrary direction rotating on the Bloch sphere, and obtain an effective Rabi frequency by using the convergence condition of Markovian master equation. The processes of polarization can be implemented effectively in a dissipative environment created by resonator photon loss when the spectrum of the microwave resonator matches with the specially tailored Rabi and resonant frequencies of the drive. Our calculations indicate that state-preparation fidelities in excess of 99\% and the required time on the order of magnitude of microsecond are in principle possible for experimentally reasonable sample parameters. Furthermore, our proposal could be applied to other systems with spin-based qubits.

quant-ph↗