arXiv subjects

Yong Baek Kim

Publications and source records attributed to Yong Baek Kim.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

A Simple Mechanism for Unconventional Superconductivity in a Repulsive Fermion Model

Motivated by a scarcity of simple and analytically tractable models of superconductivity from strong repulsive interactions, we introduce a simple tight-binding lattice model of fermions with repulsive interactions that exhibits unconventional superconductivity (beyond BCS theory). The model resembles an idealized conductor-dielectric-conductor trilayer. The Cooper pair consists of electrons on opposite sides of the dielectric, which mediates the attraction. In the strong coupling limit, we use degenerate perturbation theory to show that the model reduces to a superconducting hard-core Bose-Hubbard model. Above the superconducting critical temperature, an analog of pseudo-gap physics results where the fermions remain Cooper paired with a large single-particle energy gap.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Unveiling Hidden Orders: Magnetostriction as a Probe of Multipolar-Ordered States

Broken symmetries in solids involving higher order multipolar degrees of freedom are historically referred to as "hidden orders" due to the formidable task of detecting them with conventional probes. Examples of such hidden orders include spin-nematic order in quantum magnets, and quadrupolar or higher multipolar orders in various correlated quantum materials. In this work, we theoretically propose that the study of magnetostriction provides a powerful and novel tool to directly detect higher-order multipolar symmetry breaking $-$ such as the elusive octupolar order $-$ by examining its scaling behaviour with respect to an applied magnetic field $h$. As an illustrative example, we examine such key scaling signatures in the context of Pr-based cage compounds with strongly correlated $f$-electrons, Pr(Ti,V,Ir)$_2$(Al,Zn)$_{20}$, whose low energy degrees of freedom are composed of purely higher-order multipoles: quadrupoles $\mathcal{O}_{20,22}$ and octupole $\mathcal{T}_{xyz}$. Employing a symmetry-based Landau theory of multipolar moments coupled to lattice strain fields, we demonstrate that a magnetic field applied along the [111] direction results in a length change with a distinct linear-in-$h$ scaling behaviour, accompanied by hysteresis, below the octupolar ordering temperature. We show that the resulting "magnetostriction coefficient" is directly proportional to the octupolar order parameter, providing the first clear access to this subtle order parameter. Along other field directions, we show that the field dependence of the magnetostriction provides a window into quadrupolar orders. Our work provides a springboard for future experimental and theoretical investigations of multipolar orders and their quantum phase transitions in a wide variety of systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Topological d+s wave superconductors in a multi-orbital quadratic band touching system

Realization of topological superconductors is one of the most important goals in studies of topological phases in quantum materials. In this work, we theoretically propose a novel way to attain topological superconductors with non-trivial Fermi surfaces of Bogoliubov quasiparticles. Considering the interacting Luttinger model with $j\!=\!3/2$ electrons, we investigate the dominant superconducting channels for a multi-orbital quadratic band-touching system with finite chemical potential, which breaks the particle-hole symmetry in the normal state. Notably, while the system generally favors d-wave pairing, the absence of the particle-hole symmetry necessarily induces parasitic s-wave pairing. Based on the Landau theory with $SO(3)$ symmetry, we demonstrate that two kinds of topological superconductors are energetically favored; uniaxial nematic phase with parasitic $s$ wave pairing ($d_{(3z^2-r^2)}\!+\!s$) and time-reversal-symmetry broken phase with parasitic $s$ wave pairing ($d_{(3z^2-r^2,xy)}\!+\!id_{x^2-y^2}\!+\!s$). These superconductors contain either nodal lines or Fermi pockets of gapless Bogoliubov quasiparticles and moreover exhibit topological winding numbers $\pm2$, leading to non-trivial surface states such as drumhead-like surface states or Fermi arcs. We discuss applications of our theory to relevant families of materials, especially half-heusler compound YPtBi, and suggest possible future experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Anisotropic spin-orbit torque generation in epitaxial SrIrO3 by symmetry design

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC), the interaction between the electron spin and the orbital angular momentum, can unlock rich phenomena at interfaces, in particular interconverting spin and charge currents. Conventional heavy metals have been extensively explored due to their strong SOC of conduction electrons. However, spin-orbit effects in classes of materials such as epitaxial 5d-electron transition metal complex oxides, which also host strong SOC, remain largely unreported. In addition to strong SOC, these complex oxides can also provide the additional tuning knob of epitaxy to control the electronic structure and the engineering of spin-to-charge conversion by crystalline symmetry. Here, we demonstrate room-temperature generation of spin-orbit torque on a ferromagnet with extremely high efficiency via the spin-Hall effect in epitaxial metastable perovskite SrIrO3. We first predict a large intrinsic spin-Hall conductivity in orthorhombic bulk SrIrO3 arising from the Berry curvature in the electronic band structure. By manipulating the intricate interplay between SOC and crystalline symmetry, we control the spin-Hall torque ratio by engineering the tilt of the corner-sharing oxygen octahedra in perovskite SrIrO3 through epitaxial strain. This allows the presence of an anisotropic spin-Hall effect due to a characteristic structural anisotropy in SrIrO3 with orthorhombic symmetry. Our experimental findings demonstrate the heteroepitaxial symmetry design approach to engineer spin-orbit effects. We therefore anticipate that these epitaxial 5d transition-metal oxide thin films can be an ideal building block for low-power spintronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Quantum Field Theory of X-Cube Fracton Topological Order and Robust Degeneracy from Geometry

We propose a quantum field theory description of the X-cube model of fracton topological order. The field theory is not (and cannot be) a topological quantum field theory (TQFT), since unlike the X-cube model, TQFTs are invariant (i.e. symmetric) under continuous spacetime transformations. However, the theory is instead invariant under a certain subgroup of the conformal group. We describe how braiding statistics and ground state degeneracy are reproduced by the field theory, and how the the X-cube Hamiltonian and field theory can be minimally coupled to matter fields. We also show that even on a manifold with trivial topology, spatial curvature can induce a ground state degeneracy that is stable to arbitrary local perturbations! Our formalism may allow for the description of other fracton field theories, where the only necessary input is an equation of motion for a charge density.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Classical and quantum spin dynamics of the honeycomb $Γ$ model

Quantum to classical crossover is a fundamental question in dynamics of quantum many-body systems. In frustrated magnets, for example, it is highly non-trivial to describe the crossover from the classical spin liquid with a macroscopically-degenerate ground-state manifold, to the quantum spin liquid phase with fractionalized excitations. This is an important issue as we often encounter the demand for a sharp distinction between the classical and quantum spin liquid behaviors in real materials. Here we take the example of the classical spin liquid in a frustrated magnet with novel bond-dependent interactions to investigate the classical dynamics, and critically compare it with quantum dynamics in the same system. In particular, we focus on signatures in the dynamical spin structure factor. Combining Landau-Lifshitz dynamics simulations and the analytical Martin-Siggia-Rose (MSR) approach, we show that the low energy spectra are described by relaxational dynamics and highly constrained by the zero mode structure of the underlying degenerate classical manifold. Further, the higher energy spectra can be explained by precessional dynamics. Surprisingly, many of these features can also be seen in the dynamical structure factor in the quantum model studied by finite-temperature exact diagonalization. We discuss the implications of these results, and their connection to recent experiments on frustrated magnets with strong spin-orbit coupling.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2018

Landau theory of multipolar orders in Pr(TM)$_2$X$_{20}$ Kondo materials

A series of Pr(TM)$_2$X$_{20}$ (with TM=Ti,V,Rh,Ir and X=Al,Zn) Kondo materials, containing non-Kramers Pr$^{3+}$ $4f^2$ moments on a diamond lattice, have been shown to exhibit intertwined orders such as quadrupolar order and superconductivity. Motivated by these experiments, we propose and study a Landau theory of multipolar order to capture the phase diagram and its field dependence. In zero magnetic field, we show that different quadrupolar states, or the coexistence of quadrupolar and octupolar orderings, may lead to ground states with multiple broken symmetries. Upon heating, such states may undergo two-step thermal transitions into the symmetric paramagnetic phase, with partial restoration of broken symmetries in the intervening phase. For nonzero magnetic field, we show the evolution of these thermal phase transitions strongly depends on the field direction, due to clock anisotropy terms in the free energy. Our findings shed substantial light on experimental results in the Pr(TM)$_2$Al$_{20}$ materials. We propose further experimental tests to distinguish purely quadrupolar orders from coexisting quadrupolar-octupolar orders.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Magnetic Order with Fractionalized Excitations: Applications to $\mathrm{Yb}_2 \mathrm{Ti}_2 \mathrm{O}_7$

A recent inelastic neutron scattering experiment on $\mathrm{Yb}_2 \mathrm{Ti}_2 \mathrm{O}_7$ uncovers an unusual scattering continuum in the spin excitation spectrum despite the splayed ferromagnetic order in the ground state. While there exist well defined spin wave excitations at high magnetic fields, the one magnon modes and the two magnon continuum start to strongly overlap upon decreasing the field, and eventually they become the scattering continuum at zero field. Motivated by these observations, we investigate the possible emergence of a magnetically ordered ground state with fractionalized excitations in the spin model with the exchange parameters determined from two previous experiments. Using the fermionic parton mean field theory, we show that the magnetically ordered state with fractionalized excitations can arise as a stable mean field ground state in the presence of sufficiently strong quantum fluctuations. The spin excitation spectrum in such a ground state is computed and shown to have the scattering continuum. Upon increasing the magnetic field, the fractionalized magnetically ordered state is suppressed, and is eventually replaced by the conventional magnetically ordered phase at high fields, which is consistent with the experimental data. We discuss further implications of these results to the experiments and possible improvements on the theoretical analysis.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Topological superconductivity in Kondo-Kitaev model

We investigate possible topological superconductivity in the Kondo-Kitaev model on the honeycomb lattice, where the Kitaev spin liquid is coupled to conduction electrons via the Kondo coupling. We use the self-consistent Abrikosov-fermion mean-field theory to map out the phase diagram. Upon increasing the Kondo coupling, a first order transition occurs from the decoupled phase of spin liquid and conduction electrons to a ferromagnetic topological superconductor of Class D with a single chiral Majorana edge mode. This is followed by a second order transition into a paramagnetic topological superconductor of Class DIII with a single helical Majorana edge mode. These findings offer a novel route to topological superconductivity in the Kondo lattice system. We discuss the connection between topological nature of the Kitaev spin liquid and topological superconductors obtained in this model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

X-Cube Fracton Model on Generic Lattices: Phases and Geometric Order

Fracton order is a new kind of quantum order characterized by topological excitations that exhibit remarkable mobility restrictions and a robust ground state degeneracy (GSD) which can increase exponentially with system size. In this paper, we present a generic lattice construction (in three dimensions) for a generalized X-cube model of fracton order, where the mobility restrictions of the subdimensional particles inherit the geometry of the lattice. This helps explain a previous result that lattice curvature can produce a robust GSD, even on a manifold with trivial topology. We provide explicit examples to show that the (zero temperature) phase of matter is sensitive to the lattice geometry. In one example, the lattice geometry confines the dimension-1 particles to small loops, which allows the fractons to be fully mobile charges, and the resulting phase is equivalent to (3+1)-dimensional toric code. However, the phase is sensitive to more than just lattice curvature; different lattices without curvature (e.g. cubic or stacked kagome lattices) also result in different phases of matter, which are separated by phase transitions. Unintuitively however, according to a previous definition of phase [Chen, Gu, Wen 2010], even just a rotated or rescaled cubic lattice results in different phases of matter, which motivates us to propose a new and coarser definition of phase for gapped ground states and fracton order. The new equivalence relation between ground states is given by the composition of a local unitary transformation and a quasi-isometry (which can rotate and rescale the lattice); equivalently, ground states are in the same phase if they can be adiabatically connected by varying both the Hamiltonian and the positions of the degrees of freedom (via a quasi-isometry). In light of the importance of geometry, we further propose that fracton orders should be regarded as a geometric order.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Theory of a quantum spin liquid in hydrogen-intercalated honeycomb iridate, H3LiIr2O6

We propose a theoretical model for a gapless spin liquid phase that may have been observed in a recent experiment on $\mathrm{H_3Li Ir_2 O_6}$. Despite the insulating and non-magnetic nature of the material, the specific heat coefficient $C/T \sim 1/\sqrt{T}$ in zero magnetic field and $C/T \sim T/ B^{3/2}$ with finite magnetic field $B$ have been observed. In addition, the NMR relaxation rate shows $1/(T_1T) \sim (C/T)^2$. Motivated by the fact that the interlayer/in-plane lattice parameters are reduced/elongated by the hydrogen-intercalation of the parent compound $\mathrm{Li_2 Ir O_3}$, we consider four layers of the Kitaev honeycomb lattice model with additional interlayer exchange interactions. It is shown that the resulting spin liquid excitations reside mostly in the top and bottom layers of such a layered structure and possess a quartic dispersion. In an applied magnetic field, each quartic mode is split into four Majorana cones with the velocity $v \sim B^{3/4}$. We suggest that the spin liquid phase in these "defect" layers, placed between different stacking patterns of the honeycomb layers, can explain the major phenomenology of the experiment, which can be taken as evidence that the Kitaev interaction plays the primary role in the formation of a quantum spin liquid in this material.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Path to stable quantum spin liquids in spin-orbit coupled correlated materials

The spin liquid phase is one of the prominent strongly interacting topological phases of matter whose unambiguous confirmation is yet to be reached despite intensive experimental efforts on numerous candidate materials. Recently, a new family of correlated honeycomb materials, in which strong spin-orbit coupling allows for various bond-dependent spin interactions, have been promising candidates to realize the Kitaev spin liquid. Here we study a model with bond-dependent spin interactions and show numerical evidence for the existence of an extended quantum spin liquid region, which is possibly connected to the Kitaev spin liquid state. These results are used to provide an explanation of the scattering continuum seen in neutron scattering on $α$-RuCl$_3$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Quantum spin liquid signatures in Kitaev-like frustrated magnets

Motivated by recent experiments on $α$-RuCl$_3$, we investigate a possible quantum spin liquid ground state of the honeycomb-lattice spin model with bond-dependent interactions. We consider the $K-Γ$ model, where $K$ and $Γ$ represent the Kitaev and symmetric-anisotropic interactions between spin-1/2 moments on the honeycomb lattice. Using the infinite density matrix renormalization group (iDMRG), we provide compelling evidence for the existence of quantum spin liquid phases in an extended region of the phase diagram. In particular, we use transfer matrix spectra to show the evolution of two-particle excitations with well-defined two-dimensional dispersion, which is a strong signature of quantum spin liquid. These results are compared with predictions from Majorana mean-field theory and used to infer the quasiparticle excitation spectra. Further, we compute the dynamical structure factor using finite size cluster computations and show that the results resemble the scattering continuum seen in neutron scattering experiments on $α$-RuCl$_3$. We discuss these results in light of recent and future experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Classification and properties of quantum spin liquids on the hyperhoneycomb lattice

The family of "Kitaev materials" provides an ideal platform to study quantum spin liquids and their neighboring magnetic orders. Motivated by the possibility of a quantum spin liquid ground state in pressurized hyperhoneycomb iridate $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$, we systematically classify and study symmetric quantum spin liquids on the hyperhoneycomb lattice, using the Abrikosov-fermion representation. Among the 176 symmetric $U(1)$ spin liquids (and 160 $Z_2$ spin liquids), we identify 8 "root" $U(1)$ spin liquids in proximity to the ground state of the solvable Kitave model on hyperhonecyomb lattices. These 8 states are promising candidates for possible $U(1)$ spin liquid ground states in pressurized $β$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$. We further discuss physical properties of these 8 $U(1)$ spin liquid candidates, and show that they all support nodal-line-shaped spinon Fermi surfaces.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Theory of Large Intrinsic Spin Hall Effect in Iridate Semimetals

We theoretically investigate the mechanism to generate large intrinsic spin Hall effect in iridates or more broadly in 5d transition metal oxides with strong spin-orbit coupling. We demonstrate such a possibility by taking the example of orthorhombic perovskite iridate with nonsymmorphic lattice symmetry, SrIrO$_3$, which is a three-dimensional semimetal with nodal line spectrum. It is shown that large intrinsic spin Hall effect arises in this system via the spin-Berry curvature originating from the nearly degenerate electronic spectra surrounding the nodal line. This effect exists even when the nodal line is gently gapped out, due to the persistent nearly degenerate electronic structure, suggesting a distinct robustness. The magnitude of the spin Hall conductivity is shown to be comparable to the best known example such as doped topological insulators and the biggest in any transition metal oxides. To gain further insight, we compute the intrinsic spin Hall conductivity in both of the bulk and thin film systems. We find that the geometric confinement in thin films leads to significant modifications of the electronic states, leading to even bigger spin Hall conductivity in certain cases. We compare our findings with the recent experimental report on the discovery of large spin Hall effect in SrIrO$_3$ thin films.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Two-stage multipolar ordering in Pr(TM)$_2$Al$_{20}$ Kondo materials

Among heavy fermion materials, there is a set of rare-earth intermetallics with non-Kramers Pr$^{3+}$ $4f^2$ moments which exhibit a rich phase diagram with intertwined quadrupolar orders, superconductivity, and non-Fermi liquid behavior. However, more subtle broken symmetries such as multipolar orders in these Kondo materials remain poorly studied. Here, we argue that multi-spin interactions between local moments beyond the conventional two-spin exchange must play an important role in Kondo materials near the ordered to heavy Fermi liquid transition. We show that this drives a plethora of phases with coexisting multipolar orders and multiple thermal phase transitions, providing a natural framework for interpreting experiments on the Pr(TM)$_2$Al$_{20}$ class of compounds.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Fracton Topological Order from Nearest-Neighbor Two-Spin Interactions and Dualities

Fracton topological order describes a remarkable phase of matter which can be characterized by fracton excitations with constrained dynamics and a ground state degeneracy that increases exponentially with the length of the system on a three-dimensional torus. However, previous models exhibiting this order require many-spin interactions which may be very difficult to realize in a real material or cold atom system. In this work, we present a more physically realistic model which has the so-called X-cube fracton topological order but only requires nearest-neighbor two-spin interactions. The model lives on a three-dimensional honeycomb-based lattice with one to two spin-1/2 degrees of freedom on each site and a unit cell of 6 sites. The model is constructed from two orthogonal stacks of $Z_2$ topologically ordered Kitaev honeycomb layers, which are coupled together by a two-spin interaction. It is also shown that a four-spin interaction can be included to instead stabilize 3+1D $Z_2$ topological order. We also find dual descriptions of four quantum phase transitions in our model, all of which appear to be discontinuous first order transitions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Fermionic spin liquid analysis of the paramagnetic state in Volborthite

Recently, thermal Hall effect has been observed in the paramagnetic state of Volborthite, which consists of distorted Kagome layers with $S=1/2$ local moments. Despite the appearance of a magnetic order below $1 \, \mathrm{K}$, the response to external magnetic field and unusual properties of the paramagnetic state above $1 \, \mathrm{K}$ suggest possible realization of exotic quantum phases. Motivated by these discoveries, we investigate possible spin liquid phases with fermionic spinon excitations in a non-symmorphic version of the Kagome lattice, which belongs to the two-dimensional crystallographic group $p2gg$. This non-symmorphic structure is consistent with the spin model obtained in the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Using projective symmetry group (PSG) analysis and fermionic parton mean field theory, we identify twelve distinct $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquid states, four of which are found to have correspondence in the eight Schwinger boson spin liquid states we classified earlier. We focus on the four fermionic states with bosonic counterpart and find that the spectrum of their corresponding root $U(1)$ states feature spinon Fermi surface. The existence of spinon Fermi surface in candidate spin liquid states may offer a possible explanation of the finite thermal Hall conductivity observed in Volborthite.

cond-mat.str-el↗