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Yung-Yeh Chang

Publications and source records attributed to Yung-Yeh Chang.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Carrier-mediated spin helices in low-dimensional systems: Josephson-interference features and correlation renormalization

Carrier-induced helical magnetism can arise in interacting one-dimensional systems coupled to localized moments. Here, we investigate the coupled-wire sliding-Luttinger-liquid counterparts with and without valley degrees of freedom, using isolated Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids as reference limits. The carrier spin susceptibility mediates a Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction that selects the helical ordering wave vector, while interchannel correlations lock the relative helix phases and stabilize a collective quasi-two-dimensional texture. Using a variational treatment, we estimate the helix-induced partial gap and analyze the reconstruction of the remaining gapless carrier modes. To probe the spatial texture through transport, we incorporate the helix into an anisotropic superconductor-normal-metal-superconductor Josephson junction motivated by the coupled-channel structure of twisted bilayer WTe$_2$. We exploit flux focusing near the junction interfaces to make an applied in-plane field a controlled probe of the spin helix. Relative to junctions without the helix, the helical exchange field modifies the central-lobe width and relative lobe weights. In the transverse-channel geometry, it also produces field-dependent side-lobe asymmetry and central-peak displacement, which remain negligible in the matched references for the parameters considered. The reconstructed carrier sector also exhibits modified local-density-of-states exponents, spin-relaxation behavior, and competing correlations, with distinct signatures in isolated and coupled-wire systems. Our results connect collective helical order in coupled-wire systems to carrier-sector reconstruction and identify field-tunable Josephson interferometry as a complementary transport probe of the spatial spin texture.

cond-mat.str-el

Field-controlled breaking and restoration of parity-time symmetry in Josephson interference

Symmetry plays a fundamental role in determining the phases and physical properties of quantum matter. Controlling symmetry in mesoscopic superconducting devices provides a route to reconfigure their phase-coherent transport. Here we demonstrate symmetry-selective Josephson interferometry in lateral NbTi/PtTe2/NbTi junctions by controlling the relative orientations of the current and magnetic field. From the supercurrent interference patterns, we construct a field-current symmetry map that identifies configurations exhibiting or violating the device-level parity (\mathcal{P}), time-reversal (\mathcal{T}) and their combined \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} symmetry. In the absence of an in-plane field, the junction exhibits a symmetric Fraunhofer pattern. An in-plane field parallel to the current produces a pronounced side-lobe asymmetry, whereas reversing both the current and the complete magnetic-field configuration restores a generalized \mathcal{T} relation. Remarkably, orienting the in-plane field perpendicular to the current restores the \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}-symmetric Fraunhofer response even at substantial field strengths. A microscopic model attributes this behavior to the interplay between disorder-induced potential variations and flux dipoles generated by in-plane-field Meissner focusing near the superconducting electrodes. Our results establish a reconfigurable Josephson interferometer in which the field-current geometry selects the symmetry operation being probed and switches the device between symmetry-broken and symmetry-restored interference states.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Higher-winding phases in one-dimensional non-Hermitian topological superconductors

Non-Hermitian topological superconductors provide a setting in which point-gap topology, non-Hermitian skin effects, and Majorana zero modes are strongly intertwined. In this work, we adopt a coefficient-based approach for computing winding numbers and deriving analytical expressions for phase boundaries in one-dimensional non-Hermitian topological superconductors characterized by point-gap topology with $\mathbb{Z}$ invariants. We apply this approach to two non-Hermitian topological superconducting lattice models, with and without sublattice degrees of freedom, including longer-range hoppings, thereby accessing a much broader parameter space. These extensions generate higher-order polynomials and support phases with higher winding numbers, reflecting the underlying $\mathbb{Z}$ topology. We further clarify how a weak perturbation suppresses the non-Hermitian skin effect while preserving the sublattice-symmetry-protected invariant associated with Majorana zero modes. The predicted winding numbers are verified by open-boundary spectra, where one or multiple pairs of zero-energy boundary modes appear consistently with the bulk invariant. We also examine the stability of these modes against onsite disorder by examining the zero-mode energy, the bulk gap, and the inverse participation ratio. Our results provide a systematic and efficient route to constructing topological phase diagrams for higher-winding non-Hermitian topological superconductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Quasi-two-dimensional spin helix and magnon-induced singularity in twisted bilayer graphene

Twisted bilayer graphene exhibits prominent correlated phenomena in two distinct regimes: a Kondo lattice near the magic angle, resembling heavy fermion systems, and a triangular correlated domain wall network under interlayer bias, akin to sliding Luttinger liquids previously introduced for cuprates. Combining these characteristics, here we investigate a system where interacting electrons in the domain wall network couple to localized spins. Owing to inter-domain-wall correlations, a quasi-two-dimensional spin helix phase within the localized spins emerges as a result of spatial phase coherence across parallel domain walls. Within the spin helix phase, magnons can induce a singularity, reflected in the scaling exponents of various correlation functions, accessible through electrical means and by adjusting the twist angle. We predict observable features in magnetic resonance and anisotropic paramagnetic spin susceptibility for the spin helix and the magnon-induced singularity, serving as experimental indicators of the interplay between the Kondo lattice and sliding Luttinger liquids. Integrating critical aspects of Luttinger liquid physics, magnetism, and Kondo physics in twisted bilayer graphene, our findings offer insights into similar correlated phenomena across a broad range of twisted van der Waals structures.

cond-mat.str-el

Theory of universal Planckian metal in t-J model: application for high-Tc cuprate superconductors

The mysterious quantum-critical Planckian bad metal phase with perfect T-linear resistivity persisting beyond the quasi-particle limit and universal T-linear scattering rate has been observed in various high-Tc cuprate superconductors. Here, we develop a realistic theoretical approach to this phase in an analytically solvable large-N multi-channel Kondo lattice model, derived from a heavy-fermion formulated conventionaL t-J model, known for qualitatively describing cuprates. This phase is originated from critical charge Kondo fluctuations where disordered local bosonic charge fluctuations couple to spinon and heavy conduction-electron Fermi surfaces near a charge-Kondo-breakdown local quantum critical point associated with pseudogap-to-Fermi liquid transition. Our results show excellent agreement with experiments and offer broad implications for other unconventional superconductors.

cond-mat.str-el

A mechanism for quantum-critical Planckian metal phase in high-temperature cuprate superconductors

The mysterious metallic phase showing perfect $T$-linear resistivity and a universal scattering rate $1/τ= α_P k_B T /\hbar$ with a universal prefactor $α_P \sim 1$ and logarithmic-in-temperature singular specific heat coefficient, so-called Planckian metal phase was observed in various overdoped high-$T_c$ cuprate superconductors over a finite range in doping. Here, we propose a microscopic mechanism for this exotic state based on quantum-critical bosonic charge Kondo fluctuations coupled to both spinon and a heavy conduction-electron Fermi surfaces within the heavy-fermion formulation of the slave-boson $t$-$J$ model. Using a controlled perturbative renormalization group (RG) analysis, we examine the competition between the pseudogap phase, characterized by Anderson's Resonating-Valence-Bond spin-liquid, and the Fermi-liquid state, characterized by the electron hoping (effective charge Kondo effect). We find a quantum-critical metallic phase with a universal Planckian $\hbar ω/k_B T$ scaling in scattering rate near a localized-delocalized (pseudogap-to-Fermi liquid) charge Kondo breakdown transition. Our results are in excellent agreement with the recent experimental observations on optical conductivity (without fine-tuning) in Nat. Commun. 14, 3033 (2023), universal doping-independent field-to-temperature scaling in magnetoresistance in Nature 595, 661 (2021), and the marginal Fermi-liquid spectral function observed in ARPES (Science 366, 1099 (2019)) as well as Hall coefficient in various overdoped cuprates in Nature 595, 661 (2021) and Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 10, 409 (2019). Our mechanism offers a microscopic understanding of the quantum-critical Planckian metal phase observed in cuprates d-wave superconducting, and Fermi liquid phases.

cond-mat.str-el

Topological Kondo Superconductors

Spin-triplet $p$-wave superconductors are promising candidates for topological superconductors. They have been proposed in various heterostructures where a material with strong spin-orbit interaction is coupled to a conventional $s$-wave superconductor by proximity effect. However, topological superconductors existing in nature and driven purely by strong electron correlations are yet to be studied. Here we propose a realization of such a system in a class of Kondo lattice materials in the absence of spin-orbit coupling and proximity effect. Therein, the odd-parity Kondo hybridization mediates ferromagnetic spin-spin coupling and leads to spin-triplet resonant-valence-bond ($t$-RVB) pairing between local moments. Spin-triplet $p\pm i p^\prime$-wave topological superconductivity is reached when Kondo effect co-exists with $t$-RVB. We identify the topological nature by the non-trivial topological invariant and the Majorana fermions at edges. Our results offer a comprehensive understanding of experimental observations on UTe$_2$, a U-based ferromagnetic heavy-electron superconductor.

cond-mat.str-el

The scaled-invariant Planckian metal and quantum criticality in Ce$_{1-x}$Nd$_x$CoIn$_5$

Perfect $T$-linear resistivity associated with universal scattering rate: $1/τ=αk_B T/\hbar$ with $α\sim 1$, so-called Planckian metal state, has been observed in the normal state of a variety of strongly correlated superconductors close to a quantum critical point. However, the microscopic origin of this intriguing phenomena and its link to quantum criticality still remains an outstanding open problem. In this work, we observe the quantum-critical $T/B$-scaling of the Planckian metal state in the resistivity and heat capacity of heavy-electron superconductor Ce$_{1-x}$Nd$_x$CoIn$_5$ in magnetic fields near the edge of antiferromagnetism, driven by critical Kondo hybridization at the critical doping $x_c \sim 0.03$. We further provide the first microscopic mechanism to account for the Planckian state in a quantum critical system based on the critical charge fluctuations near Kondo breakdown transition at $x_c$ within the quasi-two-dimensional Kondo-Heisenberg lattice model. This mechanism simultaneously captures the observed universal Planckian scattering rate as well as the quantum-critical scaling and power-law divergence in thermodynamic observables near criticality. Our mechanism is generic to Planckian metal states in a variety of quantum critical superconductors near Kondo destruction.

cond-mat.str-el

Strange metal in paramagnetic heavy-fermion Kondo lattice: Dynamical large-N fermionic multi-channel approach

The mechanism of strange metal (SM) with unconventional charge transport near magnetic phase transitions has become an outstanding open problem in correlated electron systems. Recently, an exotic quantum critical SM phase was observed in paramagnetic frustrated heavy-fermion materials near Kondo breakdown. We establish a controlled theoretical framework to this issue via a dynamical large-N fermionic multichannel approach to the two-dimensional Kondo-Heisenberg lattice model, where KB transition separates a heavy-Fermi liquid from fermionic spin-liquid state. With Kondo fluctuations being fully considered, we find a distinct SM behavior with quasi-linear-in-temperature scattering rate associated with KB. When particle-hole symmetry is present, signatures of a critical spin-liquid SM phase as $T \rightarrow 0$ are revealed with $ω/T$ scaling extended to a wide range. We attribute these features to the interplay of critical bosonic charge (Kondo) fluctuations and gapless fermionic spinons. The implications of our results for the experiments are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el

Quantum phase transition in a two-dimensional Kondo-Heisenberg model: a Schwinger-boson large-N approach

Strange metal behavior arises in heavy fermion metals close to antiferromagnetic transitions. An increasing amount of experiments indicates a link of such behavior to a Kondo breakdown quantum critical point. To shed light on this intriguing problem, we study the 2D Kondo-Heisenberg model using a dynamical large-N multichannel Schwinger boson approach. We identify and characterize the quantum phase transition from an antiferromagnetically ordered ground state to a Kondo-dominated paramagnetic state, and attribute a jump in certain phase shift to Kondo breakdown. In addition, we calculate transport and thermodynamic quantities and discuss them in the context of the experimental observations in quantum critical heavy fermion systems.

cond-mat.str-el

Strange metal state near a heavy-fermion quantum critical point

Recent experiments on quantum criticality in the Ge-substituted heavy-electron material YbRh2Si2 under magnetic field have revealed a possible non-Fermi liquid (NFL) strange metal (SM) state over a finite range of fields at low temperatures, which still remains a puzzle. In the SM region, the zero-field antiferromagnetism is suppressed. Above a critical field, it gives way to a heavy Fermi liquid with Kondo correlation. The T (temperature)-linear resistivity and the T-logarithmic followed by a power-law singularity in the specific heat coefficient at low T, salient NFL behaviours in the SM region, are un-explained. We offer a mechanism to address these open issues theoretically based on the competition between a quasi-2d fluctuating short-ranged resonant- valence-bonds (RVB) spin-liquid and the Kondo correlation near criticality. Via a field-theoretical renormalization group analysis on an effective field theory beyond a large-N approach to an anti- ferromagnetic Kondo-Heisenberg model, we identify the critical point, and explain remarkably well both the crossovers and the SM behaviour.

cond-mat.str-el

Andreev reflection in 2D relativistic materials with realistic tunneling transparency in normal-metal-superconductor junctions

The Andreev conductance across 2d normal metal (N)/superconductor (SC) junctions with relativistic Dirac spectrum is investigated theoretically in the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk formalism. It is shown that for relativistic materials, due to the Klein tunneling instead of impurity potentials, the local strain in the junction is the key factor that determines the transparency of the junction. The local strain is shown to generate an effective Dirac $δ$-gauge field. A remarkable suppression of the conductance are observed as the strength of the gauge field increases. The behaviors of the conductance are in well agreement with the results obtained in the case of 1d N/SC junction. We also study the Andreev reflection in a topological material near the chiral-to-helical phase transition in the presence of a local strain. The N side of the N/SC junction is modeled by the doped Kane-Mele (KM) model. The SC region is a doped correlated KM t-J (KMtJ) model, which has been shown to feature d+id'-wave spin-singlet pairing. With increasing intrinsic spin-orbit (SO) coupling, the doped KMtJ system undergoes a topological phase transition from the chiral d-wave superconductivity to the spin-Chern superconducting phase with helical Majorana fermions at edges. We explore the Andreev conductance at the two inequivalent Dirac points, respectively and predict the distinctive behaviors for the Andreev conductance across the topological phase transition. Relevance of our results for the adatom-doped graphene is discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con

Helical Majorana fermions in d_{x^2-y^2} + i d_{xy}-wave topological superconductivity of doped correlated quantum spin Hall insulators

Large Hubbard U limit of the Kane-Mele model on a zigzag ribbon of honeycomb lattice near half-filling is studied via a renormalized mean-field theory. The ground state exhibits time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking d + i d'-wave superconductivity. At large spin-orbit coupling, the Z2 phase with non-trivial spin Chern number in the pure Kane-Mele model is persistent into the TRS broken state (called spin-Chern phase), and has two pairs of counter-propagating helical Majorana modes at the edges. As the spin-orbit coupling is reduced, the system undergoes a topological quantum phase transition from the spin-Chern to chiral superconducting states. Possible relevance of our results to adatom-doped graphene and irridate compounds is discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con

A note on on-shell recursion relation of string amplitudes

In the application of on-shell recursion relation to string amplitudes, one challenge is the sum over infinite intermediate on-shell string states. In this note, we show how to sum these infinite states explicitly by including unphysical states to make complete Fock space.

hep-th