arXiv subjects

Ya-Hui Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Ya-Hui Zhang.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Spectroscopy Signatures of Electron Correlations in a Trilayer Graphene/hBN Moiré Superlattice

ABC-stacked trilayer graphene/hBN moiré superlattice (TLG/hBN) has emerged as a playground for correlated electron physics. We report spectroscopy measurements of dual-gated TLG/hBN using Fourier transformed infrared photocurrent spectroscopy. We observed a strong optical transition between moiré mini-bands that narrows continuously as a bandgap is opened by gating, indicating a reduction of the single particle bandwidth. At half-filling of the valence flat band, a broad absorption peak emerges at ~18 meV, indicating direct optical excitation across an emerging Mott gap. Similar photocurrent spectra are observed in two other correlated insulating states at quarter- and half-filling of the first conduction band. Our findings provide key parameters of the Hubbard model for the understanding of electron correlation in TLG/hBN.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Pair-density-wave superconductor from doping Haldane chain and rung-singlet ladder

We report the numerical discovery of a pair-density-wave (PDW) superconductor from doping either (i) a spin-one Haldane chain or (ii) a two-leg ladder in the rung singlet phase in which the doped charges occupy a single leg. We model these systems using a generalized Kondo model. The itinerant electrons are correlated and described by the $t-J$ model, and are further coupled to a spin $1/2$ Heisenberg model through the Kondo coupling $J_K$. When the density of electrons $x$ is one, the Mott insulator is in a Haldane phase or in a rung singlet phase depending on whether $J_K$ is negative or positive. Upon doping, a pair-density-wave with $\mathbf Q=π$ can emerge for both signs of $J_K$. In the $J_K \rightarrow -\infty$ limit, the model reduces to the recently proposed type II t-J model and we observes a continuous transition between the PDW superconductor and an unconventional Luttinger liquid phase with doping. We also identify a composite order parameter for the superconductor, which can be understood as a Cooper pair formed by two nearby fermionic spin-polarons. Our model and the predicted PDW phase can be experimentally realized by doping S=1 chains formed by Ni$^{2+}$ in a solid state system or a two-leg ladder of fermionic cold atoms with a potential bias between legs, which preferentially dopes carriers into a single leg.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

SU(4) chiral spin liquid, exciton supersolid and electric detection in moiré bilayers

We propose moiré bilayer as a platform where exotic quantum phases can be stabilized and electrically detected. Moiré bilayer consists of two separate moiré superlattice layers coupled through the inter-layer Coulomb repulsion. In the small distance limit, an SU(4) spin can be formed by combining layer pseudospin and the real spin. As a concrete example, we study an SU(4) spin model on triangular lattice in the fundamental representation. By tuning a three-site ring exchange term $K\sim \frac{t^3}{U^2}$, we find SU(4) symmetric crystallized phase and an SU(4)$_1$ chiral spin liquid (CSL) at the balanced filling. We also predict two different exciton supersolid phases with inter-layer coherence at imbalanced filling under displacement field. Especially, the system can simulate an SU(2) Bose-Einstein-condensation (BEC) by injecting inter-layer excitons into the magnetically ordered Mott insulator at the layer polarized limit. Smoking gun evidences of these phases can be obtained by measuring the pseudo-spin transport in the counter-flow channel.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Doping a moiré Mott Insulator: A t-J model study of twisted cuprates

We theoretically investigate twisted structures where each layer is composed of a strongly correlated material. In particular, we study a twisted t-J model of cuprate multilayers within the slave-boson mean field theory. This treatment encompasses the Mott physics at small doping and self consistently generates d-wave pairing. Furthermore, including the correct inter-layer tunneling form factor consistent with the symmetry of the Cu $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbital proves to be crucial for the phase diagram. We find spontaneous time reversal (T) breaking around twist angle of $45^\circ$, although only in a narrow window of twist angles. Moreover, the gap obtained is small and the Chern number vanishes, implying a non-topological superconductor. At smaller twist angles, driving an interlayer current however can lead to a gapped topological phase. The energy-phase relation of the interlayer Josephson junction displays notable double-Cooper-pair tunneling which dominates around $45^o$. The twist angle dependence of the Josephson critical current and the Shapiro steps are consistent with recent experiments. Utilizing the moiré structure as a probe of correlation physics, in particular of the pair density wave state, is discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Spin-orbit driven ferromagnetism at half moiré filling in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene

Strong electron correlation and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) provide two non-trivial threads to condensed matter physics. When these two strands of physics come together, a plethora of quantum phenomena with novel topological order have been predicted to emerge in the correlated SOC regime. In this work, we examine the combined influence of electron correlation and SOC on a 2-dimensional (2D) electronic system at the atomic interface between magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) and a tungsten diselenide (\WSe) crystal. In such a structure, strong electron correlation within the moiré flatband stabilizes correlated insulating states at both quarter and half-filling, whereas SOC transforms these Mott-like insulators into ferromagnets, evidenced by robust anomalous Hall effect with hysteretic switching behavior. The coupling between spin and valley degrees of freedom is unambiguously demonstrated as the magnetic order is shown to be tunable with an in-plane magnetic field, or a perpendicular electric field. In addition, we examine the influence of SOC on the isospin order and stability of superconductivity. Our findings establish an efficient experimental knob to engineer topological properties of moiré bands in twisted bilayer graphene and related systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Small to large Fermi surface transition in a single band model, using randomly coupled ancillas

We describe a solvable model of a quantum transition in a single band model involving a change in the size of the electron Fermi surface without any symmetry breaking. In a model with electron density $1-p$, we find a 'large' Fermi surface state with the conventional Luttinger volume $1-p$ of electrons for $p>p_c$, and a first order transition to a 'small' Fermi surface state with a non-Luttinger volume $p$ of holes for $p<p_c$. As required by extended Luttinger theorems, the small Fermi surface state also has fractionalized spinon excitations. The model has electrons with strong local interactions in a single band; after a canonical transformation, the interactions are transferred to a coupling to two layers of ancilla qubits, as proposed by Zhang and Sachdev (Phys. Rev. Research ${\bf 2}$, 023172 (2020)). Solvability is achieved by employing random exchange interactions within the ancilla layers, and taking the large $M$ limit with SU($M$) spin symmetry, as in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models. The local electron spectral function of the small Fermi surface phase displays a particle-hole asymmetric pseudogap, and maps onto the spectral function of a lightly doped Kondo insulator of a Kondo-Heisenberg lattice model. We discuss connections to the physics of the hole-doped cuprates: the asymmetric pseudogap observed in STM, and the sudden change from incoherent to coherent anti-nodal spectra observed recently in photoemission. A holographic analogy to wormhole transitions between multiple black holes is briefly noted.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Fractional Fermi liquid in a generalized $t-J$ model

Inspired by the recent discovery of superconductivity in the nickelate Nd$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$NiO$_2$, we study a generalized $t-J$ model to investigate the correlated phases induced by doping spin-one Ni$^{2+}$ into a spin $1/2$ Mott insulator formed by Ni$^{1+}$. Based on a three-fermion parton mean field analysis, we identify a robust fractional Fermi liquid (FL*) phase for almost every doping level. The FL* state is characterized by a small Fermi pocket on top of a spin liquid, which violates the Luttinger theorem of a conventional Fermi liquid and is an example of a symmetric pseudogap metal. Furthermore, we verify our theory in one dimension through density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations on both the generalized $t-J$ model and a two-orbital Hubbard model. The fractional Fermi liquid reduces to fractional Luttinger liquid (LL*) in one dimension, which is connected to the conventional Luttinger liquid through a continuous quantum phase transition by tuning interaction strength. Our findings offer new insights into correlated electron phenomena in nickelate superconductors and other multi-orbital transition metal oxide with spin-triplet $d^8$ state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Doping the chiral spin liquid -- topological superconductor or chiral metal?

We point out that there are two different chiral spin liquid states on the triangular lattice and discuss the conducting states that are expected on doping them. These states labeled CS1 and CS2 are associated with two distinct topological orders with different edge states, although they both spontaneously break time reversal symmetry and exhibit the same quantized spin Hall conductance. While CSL1 is related to the Kalmeyer-Laughlin state, CSL2 is the $ν=4$ member of Kitaev's 16 fold way classification. Both states are described within the Abrikosov fermion representation of spins, and the effect of doping can be accessed by introducing charged holons. On doping CSL2, condensation of charged holons leads to a topological d+id superconductor. However on doping CSL1 , in sharp contrast , two different scenarios can arise: first, if holons condense, a chiral metal with doubled unit cell and finite Hall conductivity is obtained. However, in a second novel scenario, the internal magnetic flux adjusts with doping and holons form a bosonic integer quantum Hall (BIQH) state. Remarkably, the latter phase is identical to a $d+id$ superconductor. In this case the Mott insulator to superconductor transition is associated with a bosonic variant of the integer quantum Hall plateau transition for the holon. We connect the above two scenarios to two recent numerical studies of doped chiral spin liquids on triangular lattice. Our work clarifies the complex relation between topological superconductors, chiral spin liquids and quantum criticality .

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Competing correlated states and abundant orbital magnetism in twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene

Flat band moiré superlattices have recently emerged as unique platforms for investigating the interplay between strong electronic correlations, nontrivial band topology, and multiple isospin 'flavor' symmetries. Twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene (tMBG) is an especially rich system owing to its low crystal symmetry and the tunability of its bandwidth and topology with an external electric field. Here, we find that orbital magnetism is abundant within the correlated phase diagram of tMBG, giving rise to the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in correlated metallic states nearby most odd integer fillings of the flat conduction band, as well as correlated Chern insulator states stabilized in an external magnetic field. The behavior of the states at zero field appears to be inconsistent with simple spin and valley polarization for the specific range of twist angles we investigate, and instead may plausibly result from an intervalley coherent (IVC) state with an order parameter that breaks time reversal symmetry. The application of a magnetic field further tunes the competition between correlated states, in some cases driving first-order topological phase transitions. Our results underscore the rich interplay between closely competing correlated ground states in tMBG, with possible implications for probing exotic IVC ordering.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Direct observation of distinct minibands in moiré superlattices

Moiré superlattices comprised of stacked two-dimensional materials present a versatile platform for engineering and investigating new emergent quantum states of matter. At present, the vast majority of investigated systems have long moiré wavelengths, but investigating these effects at shorter, incommensurate wavelengths, and at higher energy scales, remains a challenge. Here, we employ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with sub-micron spatial resolution to investigate a series of different moiré superlattices which span a wide range of wavelengths, from a short moiré wavelength of 0.5 nm for a graphene/WSe2 (g/WSe2) heterostructure, to a much longer wavelength of 8 nm for a WS2/WSe2 heterostructure. We observe the formation of minibands with distinct dispersions formed by the moiré potential in both systems. Finally, we discover that the WS2/WSe2 heterostructure can imprint a surprisingly large moiré potential on a third, separate layer of graphene (g/WS2/WSe2), suggesting a new avenue for engineering moiré superlattices in two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Quantum Hall spin liquids and their possible realization in moiré systems

Recently Chern insulators with Chern number $C=1$ and $C=2$ in zero (or very small) magnetic field have been observed in two moire graphene systems: twisted bilayer graphene and ABC trilayer graphene, both aligned with a hexagonal Boron-Nitride (h-BN) substrate. These Chern insulator states arise due to many body effects in the Chern bands of these systems when they are partially filled to a total integer filling $ν_T = 1,3$ (including spin and valley degrees of freedom). A simple possible explanation is from Hartree-Fock mean field theory which predicts valley and spin polarization in the zero bandwidth limit, similar to the "quantum Hall ferromagnetism" in Landau levels. Though valley polarization is implied by the existing experiments, the fate of the spin degree of freedom is not presently clear. In this paper we propose alternative valley polarized - but not spin polarized - candidates for the observed QAH effect. For a valley polarized spinful Chern band at filling $ν_T=1$, we describe a class of exotic Chern insulator phases through spin-charge separation: charge is in a conventional Chern insulator phase with quantized Hall conductivity, while the spin forms disordered spin liquid phase with fractionalization, which we dub quantum Hall spin liquids. We construct a simple class of $Z_2$ quantum Hall spin liquid as analogs of the familiar $Z_2$ spin liquid through slave fermion-schwinger boson parton theory. Condensation of the spinon from the $Z_2$ quantum Hall spin liquid can lead to a quantum Hall antiferromagnet which is yet another, less exotic, candidate for the experimentally observed Chern insulator. We offer several experimental proposals to probe the quantum Hall spin liquid and the quantum Hall anti-ferromagnetic phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Deconfined criticality and ghost Fermi surfaces at the onset of antiferromagnetism in a metal

We propose a general theoretical framework, using two layers of ancilla qubits, for deconfined criticality between a Fermi liquid with a large Fermi surface, and a pseudogap metal with a small Fermi surface of electron-like quasiparticles. The pseudogap metal can be a magnetically ordered metal, or a fractionalized Fermi liquid (FL*) without magnetic order. A critical 'ghost' Fermi surface emerges (alongside the large electron Fermi surface) at the transition, with the ghost fermions carrying neither spin nor charge, but minimally coupled to $(U(1) \times U(1))/Z_2$ or $(SU(2) \times U(1))/Z_2$ gauge fields. The $(U(1) \times U(1))/Z_2$ case describes simultaneous Kondo breakdown and onset of magnetic order: the two gauge fields induce nearly equal attractive and repulsive interactions between ghost Fermi surface excitations, and this competition controls the quantum criticality. Away from the transition on the pseudogap side, the ghost Fermi surface absorbs part of the large electron Fermi surface, and leads to a jump in the Hall co-efficient. We also find an example of an "unnecessary quantum critical point" between a metal with spin density wave order, and a metal with local moment magnetic order. The ghost fermions contribute an enhanced specific heat near the transition, and could also be detected in other thermal probes. We relate our results to the phases of correlated electron compounds.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Electrical detection of spin liquids in double moiré layers

Although spin is a fundamental quantum number, measuring spin transport in traditional solid state systems is extremely challenging. This poses a major obstacle to detecting interesting quantum states including certain spin liquids. In this paper we propose a platform that not only allows for the electrical measurement of spin transport, but in which a variety of exotic quantum phases may be stabilized. Our proposal involves two moiré superlattices, built from transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) or graphene, separated from one another by a thin insulating layer. The two Coulomb coupled moiré layers, when suitably aligned, give rise to a layer pseudospin degree of freedom. The transport of pseudospin can be accessed from purely electrical measurements of counter-flow or Coulomb drag conductivity. Furthermore, these platforms naturally realize Hubbard models on the triangular lattice with $N = 4\, {\rm or}\, 8$ flavors. The flavor degeneracy motivates a large-N approximation from which we obtain the phase diagram of Mott insulators at different electron fillings and correlation strengths. In addition to conventional phases such as psuedospin superfluids and crystallized insulators, exotic phases including chiral spin liquids and a $U(1)$ spinon Fermi surface spin liquid are also found, all of which will show smoking gun electrical signatures in this setup.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Electrically tunable correlated and topological states in twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene

Twisted van der Waals heterostructures with flat electronic bands have recently emerged as a platform for realizing correlated and topological states with an extraordinary degree of control and tunability. In graphene-based moiré heterostructures, the correlated phase diagram and band topology depend strongly on the number of graphene layers, their relative stacking arrangement, and details of the external environment from the encapsulating crystals. Here, we report that the system of twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene (tMBG) hosts a variety of correlated metallic and insulating states, as well as topological magnetic states. Because of its low symmetry, the phase diagram of tMBG approximates that of twisted bilayer graphene when an applied perpendicular electric field points from the bilayer towards the monolayer graphene, or twisted double bilayer graphene when the field is reversed. In the former case, we observe correlated states which undergo an orbitally driven insulating transition above a critical perpendicular magnetic field. In the latter case, we observe the emergence of electrically tunable ferromagnetism at one-quarter filling of the conduction band, with a large associated anomalous Hall effect. Uniquely, the magnetization direction can be switched purely with electrostatic doping at zero magnetic field. Our results establish tMBG as a highly tunable platform for investigating a wide array of tunable correlated and topological states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

From the pseudogap metal to the Fermi liquid using ancilla qubits

We propose a new parton theory of the hole-doped cuprates, describing the evolution from the pseudogap metal with small Fermi surfaces to the conventional Fermi liquid with a large Fermi surface. We introduce 2 ancilla qubits per square lattice site, and employ them to obtain a variational wavefunction of a fractionalized Fermi liquid for the pseudogap metal state. We propose a multi-layer Hamiltonion for the cuprates, with the electrons residing in the 'physical' layer, and the ancilla qubits in two 'hidden' layers: the hidden layers can be decoupled from the physical layer by a canonical transformation which leaves the hidden layers in a trivial gapped state. This Hamiltonian yields an emergent gauge theory which describes not only the fractionalized Fermi liquid, but also the conventional Fermi liquid, and possible exotic intermediate phases and critical points. The fractionalized Fermi liquid has hole pockets with quasiparticle weight which is large only on "Fermi arcs", and fermionic spinon excitations which carry charges of the emergent gauge fields.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Type II $t-J$ model in superconducting nickelate Nd$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$NiO$_2$

The recent observation of superconductivity at relatively high temperatures in hole doped NdNiO$_2$ has generated considerable interest, particularly due to its similarity with the infinite layer cuprates. Building on the observation that the Ni$^{2+}$ ions resulting from hole doping are commonly found in the spin-triplet state, we introduce and study a variant of the $t-J$ model in which the holes carry S=1. We name this new model the Type II $t-J$ model. We find two distinct mechanisms for $d$ wave superconductivity. In both scenarios the pairing is driven by the spin coupling $J$. However, coherence is gained in distinct ways in these two scenarios. In the first case, the spin-one holes condense leading to a $d$ wave superconductor along with spin-symmetry breaking. Different orders including spin-nematic orders are possible. This scenario is captured by a spin one slave boson theory. In the second scenario, a coherent and symmetric $d$ wave superconductor is achieved from "Kondo resonance": spin one holes contribute two electrons to form large Fermi surface together with the spin 1/2 singly occupied sites. The large Fermi surface then undergoes $d$ wave pairing because of spin coupling $J$, similar to heavy fermion superconductor. We propose a three-fermion parton theory to treat these two different scenarios in one unified framework and calculate its doping phase diagram within a self consistent mean field approximation. Our study shows that a combination of "cuprate physics" and "heavy fermion physics" may emerge in the type II $t-J$ model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Spin Liquids and Pseudogap Metals in $SU(4)$ Hubbard Model in Moiré Superlattice

Motivated by the realization of spin-valley Hubbard on triangular moiré superlattice in ABC trilayer graphene aligned with hexagon boron nitride (hBN) and possibly also in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide homobilayers, we study possible Mott insulating phases and pseudogap metals based on symmetry constraint and parton mean field theories. First we show that Luttinger constraint allows two distinct symmetric and featureless Fermi liquids when there is an inter-valley Hund's term breaking $SU(4)$ spin rotation. Especially, there exists a symmetric and featureless "pseudogap metal" with small Fermi surfaces. Then we suggest to search for such an unconventional metallic state by doping the Mott insulator at $ν_T=2$. For this purpose, we study the $ν_T=2$ Mott insulator using $SO(6)$ Schwinger boson or Schwinger fermion parton. At the $SU(4)$ symmetric point, we find two symmetric $Z_2$ spin liquids. With a large anti inter-valley Hund's term, a featureless Mott insulator is natural. Next we show that doping the featureless Mott insulator or a $Z_2$ spin liquid can lead to featureless or orthogonal "pseudogap metal" with small Fermi surfaces proportional to the doping. Besides, we also provide one scenario for the evolution from "pseudogap metal" to the conventional Fermi liquid through an intermediate exotic "deconfined metal" phase. Last, we give brief comments on the possibility of $U(1)$ spinon fermi surface state or $Z_4$ spin liquid at $ν_T=1$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Ferromagnetism in narrow bands of moiré superlattices

Many graphene moiré superlattices host narrow bands with non-zero valley Chern numbers. We provide analytical and numerical evidence for a robust spin and/or valley polarized insulator at total integer band filling in nearly flat bands of several different moiré materials. In the limit of a perfectly flat band, we present analytical arguments in favor of the ferromagnetic state substantiated by numerical calculations. Further, we numerically evaluate its stability for a finite bandwidth. We provide exact diagonalization results for models appropriate for ABC trilayer graphene aligned with hBN, twisted double bilayer graphene, and twisted bilayer graphene aligned with hBN. We also provide DMRG results for a honeycomb lattice with a quasi-flat band and non-zero Chern number, which extend our results to larger system sizes. We find a maximally spin and valley polarized insulator at all integer fillings when the band is sufficiently flat. We also show that interactions may induce effective dispersive terms strong enough to destabilize this state. These results still hold in the case of zero valley Chern number (for example, trivial side of TLG/hBN). We give an intuitive picture based on extended Wannier orbitals, and emphasize the role of the quantum geometry of the band, whose microscopic details may enhance or weaken ferromagnetism in moiré materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗