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Ying-Ming Xie

Publications and source records attributed to Ying-Ming Xie.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Phase-Space Quantum Geometry Beyond Adiabatic Electron Dynamics

The geometry of electronic quantum states plays an important role in the equilibrium and transport properties of solids. While the Berry curvature is known to influence electron motion, recent work has shown that the quantum metric also affects the motion of electron wave packets beyond the adiabatic approximation. To connect this nonadiabatic dynamics to many-electron observables, we derive an equivalent semiclassical formulation, valid up to second order in $\hbar$. The resulting phase-space measure and kinetic equation incorporate the quantum metric over the full phase space, including its mixed real-momentum components. We show that, in spatially inhomogeneous systems, the full phase-space quantum metric contributes to electric polarization in insulators and generates an intrinsic linear Hall response in metals. As a concrete example, we study Dirac electrons subject to a magnetic texture and a background potential that vary periodically in space. In this model, the mixed components of the phase-space metric produce a Hall contribution controlled by the relative phase between the two modulations. This phase-sensitive response can remain finite even when the conventional anomalous Hall conductivity vanishes. More broadly, our formulation enables the systematic study of equilibrium and transport responses in systems whose quantum geometry involves both position and momentum.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Theory of Little-Parks oscillations by vortices in two-dimensional superconductors

The Little-Parks (LP) effect is a quantum phenomenon in which the superconducting transition temperature of a superconducting cylinder (or ring) oscillates periodically as a function of the magnetic flux threading the loop. Recently, multiple experiments have observed half-quantum flux shifts in measurements of LP oscillations, where the oscillations are globally shifted by half a flux quantum compared to conventional cases, a behavior referred to as a $π$-ring. Such observations are commonly linked to unconventional pairing symmetries. In this work, we demonstrate that half-quantum flux shifts can arise in two-dimensional (2D) superconducting rings without invoking unconventional pairing symmetry, provided that vortices near the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition are taken into account. Specifically, based on the vortex-charge duality theory near the BKT transition, we map the problem onto a Coulomb gas model, in which the magnetic flux is represented as a pair of opposite boundary charges (or vortices) at the two edges. The screening of these boundary charges by thermally excited vortex-antivortex pairs is investigated through explicit Monte Carlo simulations. Importantly, we demonstrate that the oscillation of the free-vortex density as a function of magnetic flux can exhibit an anomalous half-quantum flux shift. Our work thus predicts the LP oscillations induced by vortices in 2D superconducting rings near the BKT transition, which provides a new mechanism for generating $π$-rings.

cond-mat.supr-con

Surface-switchable nonreciprocity protected by Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetal TaAs

Weyl semimetals host topologically protected surface states, known as Fermi arcs, which connect bulk Weyl nodes in momentum space. Both bulk Weyl nodes and Fermi arcs are anticipated to be chiral. The chirality of bulk bands has been confirmed through observations of the chiral anomaly and Weyl orbits. In contrast, despite their discovery more than a decade ago, the chiral nature of Fermi arcs has remained unresolved. Here we report Fermi-arc-induced nonlinear transport in the archetypal Weyl semimetal TaAs. Using focused ion beam techniques, we fabricated micro-scale devices that enable simultaneous transport measurements on opposing topological surfaces. While linear transport remains dominated by bulk conduction, nonlinear transport uncovers surface-specific contributions, including an exceptionally large third-order nonreciprocal response that exceeds conventional expectations and highlights the crucial role of the singular arc endpoints. Our findings unambiguously demonstrate the chiral nature of Fermi arcs and establish nonlinear transport as a direct probe of these topological surface states. By revealing a surface-switchable, room-temperature nonlinear response that is topologically protected, this work introduces a new functionality in Weyl semimetals. Given the abundance of natural materials predicted to host topological semimetal states, these results open opportunities for exploring nonlinear transport phenomena and device concepts across a broad class of systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Quantum Information Geometry of Multicomponent Superconducting Fluctuation Transport

Quantum geometry underlies many electronic responses, but its transport signatures have so far been established mainly for pure single-particle Bloch states. Whether collective many-body fluctuations possess a measurable quantum geometry remains largely unexplored. Here we show that superconducting fluctuation transport provides a direct probe of quantum information geometry in collective many-body matter. Starting from a multicomponent time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory in the Gaussian fluctuation regime, we identify the equilibrium density matrix of fluctuating Cooper pairs as the static pair propagator, which defines a positive mixed-state manifold in momentum space. The geometry of this manifold is directly measurable through paraconductivity: the longitudinal paraconductivity is governed by the quantum Fisher information of superconducting fluctuation modes, while the fluctuational anomalous Hall effect is governed by the mean Uhlmann curvature, the mixed-state counterpart of Berry curvature. This correspondence further yields geometric bounds between these two transport components, with no direct analogue in normal electronic transport. Applied to chiral superconducting fluctuations in quarter-metal systems motivated by rhombohedral multilayer graphene, a symmetry-allowed Lifshitz invariant generates finite mean Uhlmann curvature and logarithmically enhances the anomalous Hall conductivity above the critical temperature. Our results establish collective superconducting fluctuations as an experimentally accessible transport probe of mixed-state quantum information geometry.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Unconventional Josephson effects in {\it PT}-symmetric antiferromagnetic bilayers

We propose that unconventional Josephson effects can typically emerge in {\it PT}-symmetric antiferromagnetic (AFM) bilayer systems. When proximitized by a conventional superconductor, these heterostructures host dominant interlayer Cooper pairing that features a distinctive spin texture enabled by the strong exchange field. Specifically, we demonstrate a novel mechanism for electrically tunable 0-$π$ oscillations in lateral Josephson junctions, controlled by an out-of-plane electric displacement field. This behavior originates from field-induced finite-momentum Cooper pairing, a hallmark of the unique layer-pseudospin structure in {\it PT}-symmetric AFM bilayers. Furthermore, we introduce a Josephson giant magnetoresistor based on these exotic spin-layer-locked Cooper pairs, in which the supercurrent exhibits a strong dependence on the internal Néel order. Our findings establish {\it PT}-symmetric AFM bilayers as a versatile platform for phase-controllable Josephson junctions and superconducting magnetic random-access memory, with promising applications in superconducting circuits and ultralow-power computing.

cond-mat.supr-con

Layer Pseudospin Superconductivity in Twisted MoTe$_2$

Recent experiments have observed signatures of spin-valley-polarized unconventional superconductivity in twisted bilayer MoTe$_2$ (tMoTe$_2$). Here, we explore the rich physics of superconducting tMoTe$_2$, enabled by its unique layer-pseudospin structure. Within a minimal two-orbital layer-pseudospin model framework, both interlayer and intralayer Cooper pairings can be effectively visualized using a layer-space Bloch sphere representation. Remarkably, we find that interlayer pairing prevails in the spin-valley-polarized state, whereas intralayer pairing dominates in the spin-valley-unpolarized state. Strikingly, we further predict that for spin-valley-polarized intravalley superconducting state, experimentally feasible weak displacement fields can stabilize finite-momentum pairings at low temperatures. Additionally, in-plane magnetic fields, which break three-fold rotational symmetry, induce field-direction-dependent finite-momentum pairing states, leading to a versatile momentum-selection phase diagram. Our work highlights the crucial role of layer pseudospin in tMoTe$_2$'s unconventional superconductivity and demonstrates its unique tunability via external fields.

cond-mat.supr-con

Topological altermagnetic Josephson junctions

Planar Josephson junctions are pivotal for engineering topological superconductivity, yet are severely hindered by orbital effects induced by in-plane magnetic fields. In this work, we introduce the generic topological altermagnetic Josephson junctions (TAJJs) by leveraging the intrinsic spin-polarized band splitting and zero net magnetization attributes of altermagnets. Our proposed TAJJs effectively mitigate the detrimental orbital effects while robustly hosting Majorana end modes (MEMs) at both ends of the junction. Specifically, we demonstrate that MEMs emerge in $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave TAJJs but vanish in the $d_{xy}$-wave configuration, thereby establishing the crystallographic orientation angle $θ$ of the altermagnet as a novel control parameter of topology. The distinct spin-polarization of the MEMs provides an unambiguous experimental signature for the spin-resolved measurement. Furthermore, by harnessing the synergy between the $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave altermagnet and its superconducting counterpart, our proposal extends to high-$T_c$ platforms naturally. Overall, this work establishes altermagnets as a versatile paradigm for realizing topological superconductivity, bridging conceptual innovations with scalable quantum architectures devoid of orbital effects and stray fields.

cond-mat.supr-con

Pseudo-Ising superconductivity induced by $p$-wave magnetism

Unconventional magnetic orders usually interplay with superconductivity in intriguing ways. Here we propose that a conventional superconductor in proximity to a compensated $p$-wave magnet exhibits behaviors analogous to those of Ising superconductivity found in transition-metal dichalcogenides, which we refer to as pseudo-Ising superconductivity. The pseudo-Ising superconductivity is characterized by several distinctive features: (i) it stays much more robust under strong $p$-wave magnetism than usual ferromagnetism or $d$-wave altermagnetism, thanks to the apparent time-reversal symmetry in $p$-wave spin splitting; (ii) in the low-temperature regime, a second-order superconducting phase transition occurs at a significantly enhanced in-plane upper critical magnetic field $B_{c2}$; (iii) the supercurrent-carrying state establishes non-vanishing out-of-plane spin magnetization, which is forbidden by symmetry in Rahsba and Ising superconductors. We further propose a spin-orbit-free scheme to realize Majorana zero modes by placing superconducting quantum wires on a $p$-wave magnet. Our work establishes a new form of unconventional superconductivity generated by $p$-wave magnetism.

cond-mat.supr-con

Probing Loop Currents and Collective Modes of Charge Density Waves in Kagome Materials with NV Centers

Recently, the unconventional charge density wave (CDW) order with loop currents has attracted considerable attention in the Kagome material family AV$_3$Sb$_5$ (A = K, Rb, Cs). However, experimental signatures of loop current order remain elusive. In this work, based on the mean-field free energy, we analyze the collective modes of unconventional CDW order in a Kagome lattice model. Furthermore, we point out that phase modes in the imaginary CDW (iCDW) order with loop current orders result in time-dependent stray fields. We thus propose using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers to detect these time-dependent stray fields, providing a potential experimental approach to identifying loop current order.

cond-mat.str-el

Photon-drag photovoltaic effects and quantum geometric nature

The bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) generates a direct current photocurrent under uniform irradiation and is a nonlinear optical effect traditionally studied in non-centrosymmetric materials. The two main origins of BPVE are the shift and injection currents, arising from transitions in electron position and electron velocity during optical excitation, respectively. Recently, it was proposed that photon-drag effects could unlock BPVE in centrosymmetric materials. However, experimental progress remains limited. In this work, we provide a comprehensive theoretical analysis of photon-drag effects inducing BPVE (photon-drag BPVE). Notably, we find that photon-drag BPVE can be directly linked to quantum geometric tensors. Additionally, we propose that photon-drag shift currents can be fully isolated from other current contributions in non-magnetic centrosymmetric materials. We apply our theory explicitly to the 2D topological insulator $1T'$-WTe$_2$. Furthermore, we investigate photon-drag BPVE in a centrosymmetric magnetic Weyl semimetal, where we demonstrate that linearly polarized light generates photon-drag shift currents.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Quasi-one-dimensional Supersolids in Luther-Emery Liquids

The supersolid is a long-sought phase in condensed matter physics, characterized by the coexistence of density wave and superfluid orders. This phase is counterintuitive, as different symmetry-breaking orders typically compete with one another. A deeper understanding of how such a state forms in condensed matter systems remains an open question, especially in quasi-one-dimensional correlated systems. In this work, we investigate the emergence of supersolids in Luttinger-Emery liquids using a variational method. As the system consists of coupled Luttinger-Emery liquid chains, we refer to this phase as a quasi-one-dimensional supersolid. Notably, we demonstrate that the quasi-one-dimensional supersolid phase is energetically favorable in chains with finite size or short-range order. Furthermore, we investigate the collective dynamics of these coexisting charge density waves and superconducting states, identifying a quasi-Goldstone mode. Our theory provides valuable insights into both the ground state and the dynamic properties of supersolids in strongly correlated systems.

cond-mat.str-el

Nonreciprocal Nonlinear Responses in Moving Charge Density Waves

The incommensurate charge density wave states (CDWs) can exhibit steady motion in the flow limit after depinning, behaving as a nonequilibrium system with time-dependent states. Since the moving CDW, like an electric current, breaks both time-reversal and inversion symmetries, one may speculate the emergence of nonreciprocal nonlinear responses from such motion. However, the moving CDW order parameter is intrinsically time-dependent in the lab frame, and it is known to be challenging to evaluate the responses of such a time-varying system. In this work, following the principle of Galilean relativity, we resolve this time-dependent hard problem in the lab frame by mapping the system to the comoving frame with static CDW states through the Galilean transformation. We explicitly show that the nonreciprocal nonlinear responses would be generated by the movement of CDW states through violating Galilean relativity.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Phase shifts, band geometry and responses in triple-Q charge and spin density waves

Triple-Q density waves are commonly found in various materials, such as charge density waves in transition metal dichalcogenides and spin density waves (skyrmion crystals) in B20 compounds. Compared to single-Q density waves, triple-Q density waves possess an additional internal degree of freedom-a phase shift arising from the phase of the order parameters, in addition to the translations of the density waves. In this study, we systematically investigate the significant effects stemming from both triple-Q CDW and SDW order parameters, with particular emphasis on potential phase shifts. We demonstrate that these phase shifts play a crucial role in influencing the interference effects of triple-Q density waves on electronic states. Due to such interference, the band geometry in the momentum space becomes nontrivial at the hot spots, where multiband Dirac-like fermions are induced near the Fermi energy. Furthermore, we explicitly establish that the nontrivial band geometry, combined with symmetry-breaking induced by phase shifts, leads to a variety of intriguing linear and nonlinear responses.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Sliding Dynamics of Current-Driven Skyrmion Crystal and Helix in Chiral Magnets

The skyrmion crystal (SkX) and helix (HL) phases, present in typical chiral magnets, can each be considered as forms of density waves but with distinct topologies. The SkX exhibits gyrodynamics analogous to electrons under a magnetic field, while the HL state resembles topological trivial spin density waves. However, unlike the charge density waves, the theoretical analysis of the sliding motion of SkX and HL remains unclear, especially regarding the similarities and differences in sliding dynamics between these two spin density waves. In this work, we systematically explore the sliding dynamics of SkX and HL in chiral magnets in the limit of large current density. We demonstrate that the sliding dynamics of both SkX and HL can be unified within the same theoretical framework as density waves, despite their distinct microscopic orders. Furthermore, we highlight the significant role of gyrotropic sliding induced by impurity effects in the SkX state, underscoring the impact of nontrivial topology on the sliding motion of density waves. Our theoretical analysis shows that the effect of impurity pinning is much stronger in HL compared with SkX, i.e., $χ^{SkX}/χ^{HL}\sim α^2$ ($χ^{SkX}$, $χ^{HL}$: susceptibility to the impurity potential, $α$ ($\ll 1$) is the Gilbert damping). Moreover, the velocity correction is mostly in the transverse direction to the current in SkX. These results are further substantiated by realistic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Nonlinear optical diode effect in a magnetic Weyl semimetal

Diode effects are of great interest for both fundamental physics and modern technologies. Electrical diode effects (nonreciprocal transport) have been observed in Weyl systems. Optical diode effects arising from the Weyl fermions have been theoretically considered but not probed experimentally. Here, we report the observation of a nonlinear optical diode effect (NODE) in the magnetic Weyl semimetal CeAlSi, where the magnetization introduces a pronounced directionality in the nonlinear optical second-harmonic generation (SHG). We show demonstrate a six-fold change of the measured SHG intensity between opposite propagation directions over a bandwidth exceeding 250 meV. Supported by density-functional theory, we establish the linearly dispersive bands emerging from Weyl nodes as the origin of this broadband effect. We further demonstrate current-induced magnetization switching and thus electrical control of the NODE. Our results advance ongoing research to identify novel nonlinear optical/transport phenomena in magnetic topological materials and further opens new pathways for the unidirectional manipulation of light.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Topological $p_x+ip_y$ inter-valley coherent state in Moiré MoTe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterobilayers

Recently, a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state was observed in AB stacked moiré MoTe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterobilayers at half-filling. More recent layer-resolved magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) measurements revealed that spin-polarized moiré bands from both the MoTe$_2$ and the WSe$_2$ layers are involved at the formation of the QAH state. This scenario is not expected by existing theories. In this work, we suggest that the observed QAH state is a new state of matter, namely, a topological $p_x+ip_y$ inter-valley coherent state (TIVC). We point out that the massive Dirac spectrum of the MoTe$_2$ moiré bands, together with the Hund's interaction and the Coulomb interactions give rise to this novel QAH state. Through a self-consistent Hartree-Fock analysis, we find a wide range of interaction strengths and displacement fields that the $p_x+ip_y$-pairing phase is energetically favourable. Besides explaining several key features of the experiments, our theory predicts that the order parameter would involve the pairing of electrons and holes with a definite momentum mismatch such that the pairing would generate a new unit cell which is three times the size of the original moiré unit cell, due to the order parameter modulations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Anomalous $h/2e$ periodicity and Majorana zero modes in chiral Josephson junctions

Recent experiments reported that quantum Hall chiral edge state-mediated Josephson junctions (chiral Josephson junctions) could exhibit Fraunhofer oscillations with a periodicity of either $h/e$ [Vignaud \textit{et al}.,~Nature~(2023)] or $h/2e$ [Amet \textit{et al}.,~Science~\textbf{352}~966~(2016)]. While the $h/e$-periodic component of the supercurrent had been anticipated theoretically before, the emergence of the $h/2e$-periodicity is still not fully understood. In this work, we show that the chiral edge states coupled to the superconductors become chiral Andreev edge states. In short junctions, the coupling of the chiral Andreev edge states can cause the $h/2e$-magnetic flux periodicity. Our theory resolves the long-standing puzzle concerning the appearance of the $h/2e$-periodicity in chiral Josephson junctions. Furthermore, we explain that when the chiral Andreev edge state couple, a pair of localized Majorana modes appear at the ends of the Josephson junction, which are robust and independent of the phase difference between the two superconductors. As the $h/2e$-periodicity and the Majorana zero modes have the same physical origin, the Fraunhofer oscillation period can be used to identify the regime with Majorana zero modes.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Josephson Diode Effect Induced by Valley Polarization in Twisted Bilayer Graphene

Recently, the Josephson diode effect (JDE), in which the superconducting critical current magnitudes differ when the currents flow in opposite directions, has attracted great interest. In particular, it was demonstrated that gate-defined Josephson junctions based on magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene showed a strong nonreciprocal effect when the weak-link region is gated to a correlated insulating state at half-filling (two holes per moiré cell). However, the mechanism behind such a phenomenon is not yet understood. In this work, we show that the interaction-driven valley polarization, together with the trigonal warping of the Fermi surface, induce the JDE. The valley polarization, which lifts the degeneracy of the states in the two valleys, induces a relative phase difference between the first and the second harmonics of supercurrent and results in the JDE. We further show that the nontrivial current phase relation, which is responsible for the JDE, also generates the asymmetric Shapiro steps.

cond-mat.supr-con