arXiv subjects

Zhi-Ming Yu

Publications and source records attributed to Zhi-Ming Yu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Sliding Ferroelectrics Induced Hybrid-Order Topological Phase Transitions

We propose ferroelectric layer sliding as a new approach to realize and manipulate topological quantum states in two-dimensional (2D) bilayer magnetic van der Waals materials. We show that stacking monolayer ferromagnetic topological states into layer-spin-locked bilayer antiferromagnetic structures, and introducing sliding ferroelectricity leads to asynchronous topological evolution of different layers (spins) owing to existence of polarization potentials, thereby giving rise to rich layer-resolved topological phases. As a specific example, by means of a lattice model, we show that a bilayer magnetic 2D second order topological insulator (SOTI) reveals an unrecognized spin-hybrid-order topological insulator after undergoing ferroelectric sliding. Interestingly, in such phase, the spin-up (top layer) and spin-down (bottom layer) channels exhibit first-order and second-order topological properties, respectively. Moreover, other topological phases such as SOTI, quantum spin Hall insulator, quantum anomalous Hall insulator, and trivial insulator can also emerge through changes in the parameters of the system, and the relevant topological indices are also discussed. In terms of materials, based on first principles calculations, we predict material ScI2 can serve as an ideal platform to realize our proposal. Further, we predict that the anomalous Nernst effect of these several topological phases exhibits distinct differences, and therefore can be used as a signal for experimentally probing.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Floquet control of topological phases and Hall effects in Z2 nodal line semimetals

Dynamic control of topological properties in materials is central to modern condensed matter physics, and Floquet engineering, utilizing periodic light fields, provides a promising avenue. Here, we use Floquet theory to theoretically study the topological response of a Z2 nodal line semimetal (NLSM) when driven by circularly polarized light (CPL). We demonstrate that the direction of CPL irradiation critically dictates the resulting topological phase transitions. Specifically, when light is incident perpendicular to the nodal line plane, increasing the light amplitude induces two successive topological phase transitions: first, from the Z2 NLSM to a vortex NLSM, a rare and intriguing topological state; and second, a transition from the vortex NLSM to a semimetal with a pair of Weyl points (WPs). In stark contrast, irradiation along other directions directly transforms the Z2 nodal line into a pair of WPs. We further investigate the transport properties of the Floquet Z2 NLSM, focusing on the anomalous and planar Hall effects. The anomalous Hall effect exhibits a direction-dependent amplitude variation, deviating from conventional two-band NLSM behavior. Importantly, we reveal a significant and tunable planar Hall effect, a phenomenon largely unexplored in Floquet topological materials, which is highly sensitive to both light amplitude and direction. Our findings not only present a novel route to realize the vortex NLSM, but also establish an efficient way to control Hall transport phenomena in Z2 NLSMs.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Quantized Spin-Hall Conductivity in Altermagnet Fe$_2$Te$_2$O with Mirror-Spin Coupling

Due to spin-orbit coupling (SOC), crucial for the quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect, a quantized spin-Hall conductivity has not yet been reported in QSH insulators and other realistic materials. Here, we tackle this challenge by predicting robust quantized spin-Hall conductivity in monolayer Fe$_2$Te$_2$O. The underlying physics originates from the unrecognized mirror-spin coupling (MSC), which couples spin-up and spin-down states into two orthogonal mirror eigenstates. We show that the MSC can naturally emerge in the two-dimensional altermagnets with out-of-plane Néel vector and horizontal mirror. A remarkable consequence of the MSC is that it can dramatically weaken the spin hybridization of the altermagnetic materials when SOC is included. When SOC is neglected, Fe$_2$Te$_2$O is an altermagnetic Weyl semimetal with MSC. With SOC, it evolves into the first material candidate for magnetic mirror Chern insulator. Remarkably, under the protection of MSC, the spin hybridization of both bulk and topological edge states in Fe$_2$Te$_2$O with SOC at low energy is negligible. As a consequence, a quantized spin-Hall conductivity emerges within the bulk band gap of the system. By unveiling a novel effect, our findings represent a significant advancement in spin Hall transport, and broaden the material candidates hosting intriguing altermagnetic phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Unconventional topological Weyl-dipole phonon

A pair of Weyl points (WPs) with opposite Chern numbers ${\cal{C}}$ can exhibit an additional higher-order $Z_2$ topological charge, giving rise to the formation of a $Z_2$ Weyl dipole. Owing to the nontrivial topological charge, $Z_2$ Weyl dipoles should also appear in pairs, and the WPs within each $Z_2$ Weyl dipole can not be annihilated when meeting together. As a novel topological state, the topological Weyl-dipole phase (TWDP) has garnered significant attention, yet its realization in crystalline materials remains a challenge. Here, through first-principles calculations and theoretical analysis, we demonstrate the existence of the Weyl-dipole phase in the phonon spectra of the $P6_3$ type Y(OH)$_3$. Particularly, the Weyl dipole in this system is protected by a quantized quadrupole moment, and it distinguished from conventional Weyl dipole, as it comprises an unconventional charge-3 WP with ${\cal{C}}=-3$ and three conventional charge-1 WPs with ${\cal{C}}=1$. Consequently, the Weyl-dipole phase in Y(OH)$_3$ features unique two-dimensional (2D) sextuple-helicoid Fermi-arc states on the top and bottom surfaces, protected by the Chern number, as well as one-dimensional (1D) hinge states that connect the two Weyl dipoles along the side hinges, guaranteed by the quantized quadrupole moment. Our findings not only introduce a novel higher-order topological phase, but also promote Y(OH)$_3$ as a promising platform for exploring multi-dimensional boundaries and the interaction between first-order and second-order topologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Essentially degenerate hidden nodal lines in two-dimensional magnetic layer groups

According to the theory of group representations, the types of band degeneracy can be divided into accidental degeneracy and essential degeneracy. The essentially degenerate nodal lines (NLs) are typically resided on the high-symmetry lines of the Brillouin zone. Here, we propose a type of NL in two dimension that is essentially degenerate but is hidden within the high-symmetry planes, making it less observable, dubbed a hidden-essential nodal line (HENL). The existence of HENL is guaranteed as long as the system hosts a horizontal glide-mirror symmetry, hence such NLs can be widely found in both non-magnetic and magnetic systems. We perform an exhaustive search over all 528 magnetic layer groups (MLGs) for HENL that can be enforced by glide-mirror symmetry with both spinless and spinfull systems. We find that 122 candidate MLGs host spinless HENL, while 63 candidate MLGs demonstrate spinful HENL. In addition, we reveal that horizontal mirror and time-reversal symmetry in type-II and type-IV MLGs with spin-orbital coupling can enforce HENL formed. The 15 corresponding candidate MLGs have also been presented. Furthemore, we derive a few typical lattice models to characterize the existence for the HENL. For specific electronic fillings in real materials, namely 4$N$+2 in spinless systems (and 2$N$+1 in spinful systems), the presence of the HENLs in candidate MLGs is required regardless of the details of the systems. Using \emph{ab-initio} calculations, we further identify possible material candidates that realize spinless and spinful HENL. Moreover, spinful HENLs exhibit a novel persistent spin texture wih the characteristic of momentum-independent spin configuration. Our findings uncover a new type of topological semimetal state and offer an ideal platform to study the related physics of HENLs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Two-dimensional Topological Ferroelectric Metal with Giant Shift Current

The pursuit for "ferroelectric metal" which combines seemingly incompatible spontaneous electric polarization and metallicity, has been assiduously ongoing but remains elusive. Unlike traditional ferroelectrics with a wide band gap, ferroelectric (FE) metals can naturally incorporate nontrivial band topology near the Fermi level, endowing them with additional exotic properties. Here, we show first-principles evidence that the metallic PtBi2 monolayer is an intrinsic two-dimensional (2D) topological FE metal, characterized by out-of-plane polarization and a moderate switching barrier. Moreover, it exhibits a topologically nontrivial electronic structure with Z2 invariant equal to 1, leading to a significant FE bulk photovoltaic effect. A slight strain can further enhance this effect to a remarkable level, which far surpass that of previously reported 2D/3D FE materials. Our work provides an important step towards realizing intrinsic monolayer topological FE metals and paves a promising way for future nonlinear optical devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Quasi-one-dimensional spin transport in altermagnetic $Z^3$ nodal net metals

In three dimensions, quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) transport has traditionally been associated with systems featuring a Q1D chain structure. Here, based on first-principle calculations, we go beyond this understanding to show that the Q1D transport can also be realized in certain three-dimensional (3D) altermagnetic (AM) metals with a topological nodal net in momentum space but lacking Q1D chain structure in real space, including the existing compounds $β$-Fe$_2$(PO$_4$)O, Co$_2$(PO$_4$)O, and LiTi$_2$O$_4$. These materials exhibit an AM ground state and feature an ideal crossed $Z^3$ Weyl nodal line in each spin channel around Fermi level, formed by three straight and flat nodal lines traversing the entire Brillouin zone. These nodal lines eventually lead to an AM $Z^3$ nodal net. Surprisingly, the electronic conductivity $σ_{xx}$ in these topological nodal net metals is dozens of times larger than $σ_{yy}$ and $σ_{zz}$ in the up-spin channel, while $σ_{yy}$ dominates transport in the down-spin channel. This suggests a distinctive Q1D transport signature in each spin channel, and the principal moving directions for the two spin channels are orthogonal, resulting in Q1D direction-dependent spin transport. This novel phenomenon cannot be found in both conventional 3D bulk materials and Q1D chain materials. In particular, the Q1D spin transport gradually disappears as the Fermi energy moves away from the nodal net, further confirming its topological origin. Our work not only enhances the comprehension of topological physics in altermagnets but also opens a new direction for the exploration of topological spintronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Cornertronics in Two-Dimensional Second-Order Topological Insulators

Traditional electronic devices rely on the electron's intrinsic degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) to process information. However, additional d.o.f. like the valley, can emerge in the low-energy states of certain systems. Here, we show that the quantum dots (QDs) constructed from two-dimensional (2D) second-order topological insulators (SOTI) posses a new kind of d.o.f., namely corner freedom, related to the topological corner states that reside at different corners of the systems. Since the corner states are well separated in real space, they can be individually and intuitively manipulated, giving rise to the concept of cornertronics. Via symmetry analysis and material search, we identify the TiSiCO-family monolayers as the first prototype of cornertronics materials, where the corner states can be controlled by both electric and optical fields, due to novel corner-layer coupling (CLC) effect and corner-contrasted linear dichroism. Furthermore, we find that the band gap of the TiSiCO nanodisk lies in the terahertz region and is robust to size reduction. These results indicate that the TiSiCO nanodisks can be used to design terahertz devices with ultrasmall size and electric-field tunable band gap. Besides, the TiSiCO nanodisks are simultaneously sensitive to both the strength and polarization of the terahertz waves. Our findings not only pave the way for cornertronics, but also open a new direction for research in 2D SOTI, QD and terahertz electronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Crossed real nodal-line phonons in gold monobromide

Spacetime inversion symmetry can generate intriguing types of spinless excitations in crystalline materials. Here, we propose a topological phase protected by spacetime inversion symmetry - the crossed real nodal line (RNL) in the phonon spectrum of gold monobromide (AuBr). In AuBr, there exist four straight nodal lines, which are linked by a crossed nodal line formed by two lower bands. Remarkably, each adjacent two of the four straight nodal lines is a pair, forming a crossed RNL with nontrivial real Chern number. Such configuration and pairing mode of RNL have never been reported. The crossed RNL exhibits unique surface and hinge states distinguished from that of the conventional RNLs. The symmetry protection and the transformation under the symmetry-preserving strain of the crossed RNL are also investigated. Our results open the door to a new class of topological states, and predict its realization in experimentally synthesized material.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Planar Hall Plateau in Magnetic Weyl Semimetals

Despite the rapid progress in the study of planar Hall effect (PHE) in recent years, all the previous works only showed that the PHE is connected to local geometric quantities, such as Berry curvature. Here, for the first time, we point out that the PHE in magnetic Weyl semimetals is directly related to a global quantity, namely, the Chern number of the Weyl point. This leads to a remarkable consequence that the PHE observation predicted here is robust against many system details, including the Fermi energy. The main difference between non-magnetic and magnetic Weyl points is that the latter breaks time-reversal symmetry T, thus generally possessing an energy tilt. Via semiclassical Boltzmann theory, we investigate the PHE in generic magnetic Weyl models with energy tilt and arbitrary Chern number. We find that by aligning the magnetic and electric fields in the same direction, the trace of the PHE conductivity contributed from Berry curvature and orbital moment is proportional to the Chern number and the energy tilt of the Weyl points, resulting in previously undiscovered quantized PHE plateau by varying Fermi energy. We further confirm the existence of PHE plateaus in a more realistic lattice model without T symmetry. By proposing a new quantized physical quantity, our work not only provides a new tool for extracting the topological character of the Weyl points but also suggests that the interplay between topology and magnetism can give rise to intriguing physics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Electric Hall Effect and Quantum Electric Hall Effect

Exploring new Hall effect is always a fascinating research topic. The ordinary Hall effect and the quantum Hall effect, initially discovered in two-dimensional (2D) non-magnetic systems, are the phenomena that a transverse current is generated when a system carrying an electron current is placed in a magnetic field perpendicular to the currents. In this work, we propose the electric counterparts of these two Hall effects, termed as electric Hall effect (EHE) and quantum electric Hall effect (QEHE). The EHE and QEHE emerge in 2D magnetic systems, where the transverse current is generated by applying an electric gate-field instead of a magnetic field. We present a symmetry requirement for intrinsic EHE and QEHE. With a weak gate-field, we establish an analytical expression of the intrinsic EHE coefficient. We show that it is determined by intrinsic band geometric quantities: Berry curvature and its polarizability which consists of both intraband and interband layer polarization. Via first-principles calculations, we investigate the EHE in the monolayer Ca(FeN)$_2$, where significant EHE coefficient is observed around band crossings. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the QEHE can appear in the semiconductor monolayer $\rm BaMn_2S_3$, of which the Hall conductivity exhibits steps that take on the quantized values $0$ and $\pm1$ in the unit of $e^2/h$ by varying the gate-field within the experimentally achievable range. Due to the great tunability of the electric gate-field, the EHE and QEHE proposed here can be easily controlled and should have more potential applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Real topological phonons in 3D carbon allotropes

There has been a significant focus on real topological systems that enjoy space-time inversion symmetry (PT ) and lack spin-orbit coupling. While the theoretical classification of the real topology has been established, more progress has yet to be made in the materials realization of such real topological systems in three dimensions (3D). To address this crucial issue, by selecting the carbon-based material candidates as targets, we perform high-throughput computing to inspect the real topology in the phonon spectrums of the 3D carbon allotropes in the Samara Carbon Allotrope Database (SACADA). Among 1192 kinds of 3D carbon allotropes, we find 65 real topological systems with a phononic real Chern insulating (PRCI) state, 2 real topological systems with a phononic real nodal line (PRNL) state, 10 real topological systems with a phononic real Dirac point (PRDP) state, and 8 real topological systems with a phononic real triple-point pair (PRTPP) state. This extremely expands the material candidates with real topology, especially for the gapless topological phonons. We exhibit the PRCI, PRNL, PRTPP, and PRDP states of 27-SG. 166-pcu-h, 1081-SG. 194- 4 2T13-CA, 52-SG. 141-gis, and 132-SG. 191-3,4T157 as illustrative examples, and explore the second-order boundary mode, i.e., phononic hinge mode. Among the four examples, the materials 1081-SG. 194-42T13-CA and 52-SG. 141-gis are so ideal that the PRNL and PRTPP in them are well separated from other bands, and the phononic hinge mode can be clearly observed. This study aims to broaden the understanding of 3D topological phonons, and emphasizes the potential of 3D carbon allotropes as a valuable framework for exploring the fascinating physics related to phononic hinge modes and phononic real topology.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Anomalous shift in Andreev reflection from side incidence

Andreev reflection at a normal-superconductor interface may be accompanied with an anomalous spatial shift. The studies so far are limited to the top incidence configuration. Here, we investigate this effect in the side incidence configuration, with the interface parallel to the principal axis of superconductor. We find that the shift exhibits rich behaviors reflecting the character of pair potential. It has two contributions: one from the $k$-dependent phase of pair potential, and the other from the evanescent mode. For chiral $p$-wave pairing, the pairing phase contribution is proportional to the chirality of pairing and is independent of excitation energy, whereas the evanescent mode contribution is independent of chirality and is nonzero only for excitation energy below the gap. The two contributions also have opposite parity with respect to the incident angle. For $d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$-wave pairing, only the evanescent mode contribution exists, and the shift exhibits suppressed zones in incident angles, manifesting the superconducting nodes. The dependence of the shift on other factors, such as the angle of incident plane and Fermi surface anisotropy, are discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Mirror real Chern insulator in two and three dimensions

A real Chern insulator (RCI) featuring a real Chern number and a second-order boundary mode appears in a two-dimensional (2D) system with the space-time inversion symmetry (PT ). Here, we propose a kind of RCI: mirror real Chern insulator (MRCI) which emerges from the system having additional horizontal mirror symmetry Mz. The MRCI generally is characterized by two independent real Chern numbers, respectively defined in the two mirror subsystems of the system. Hence, the MRCI may host the second-order boundary modes different from the conventional RCI. We show that for spinless systems, the definition of the MRCI is straightforward, as PT keeps each mirror subsystem invariant. For the spinful systems with both PT and Mz, the real Chern number for the total system remain well defined, as MzPT = C2zT , and (C2zT )2= 1. However, since C2zT exchanges the two mirror subsystems, the definition of the MRCI in spinful systems requires the help of projective symmetry algebra. We also discuss the MRCIs in 3D systems, where the MRCI is defined on certain mirror-invariant 2D planes. Compared with its 2D counterpart, the 3D MRCI can exhibit more abundant physics when the systems have additional nonsymmorphic operators. Several concrete MRCI models including 2D and 3D, spinless and spinful models are constructed to further demonstrate our ideas.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Boundary-induced topological chiral extended states in Weyl metamaterial waveguides

In topological physics, it is commonly understood that the existence of the boundary states of a topological system is inherently dictated by its bulk. A classic example is that the surface Fermi arc states of a Weyl system are determined by the chiral charges of Weyl points within the bulk. Contrasting with this established perspective, here, we theoretically and experimentally discover a family of topological chiral bulk states extending over photonic Weyl metamaterial waveguides, solely induced by the waveguide boundaries, independently of the waveguide width. Notably, these bulk states showcase discrete momenta and function as wormhole tunnels that connect Fermi-arc surface states living in different two dimensional spaces via a third dimension. Our work offers a magneticfield-free mechanism for robust chiral bulk transport of waves and highlights the boundaries as a new degree of freedom to regulate bulk Weyl quasiparticles.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Photoinduced topological phase transition in monolayer Ti$_2$SiCO$_2$

The TiSiCO-family monolayer $X_2Y$CO$_2$($X$=Ti, Zr, Hf; $Y$=Si, Ge) is a two-dimensional second-order topological insulator with unique valley-layer coupling in equilibrium condition. In this work, based on the four-band tight-binding (TB) model of monolayer Ti$_2$SiCO$_2$ (ML-TiSiCO) and the Floquet theory, we study the non-equilibrium properties of the ML-TiSiCO under a periodic field of laser and a gate-electric field. We find the interaction between the time-periodic polarized light and the electric field can lead to a variety of intriguing topological phase transitions. By driving the system with only circularly polarized light (CPL), a photoinduced topological phase transition occurs from a second-order topological insulator to a Chern insulator with a Chern number of $C=\pm$2, and the sign of the Chern number $C$ is determined by the chirality of the incident light. Further adding a perpendicular electric field, we find that the ML-TiSiCO exhibits a rich phase diagram, consisting of Chern insulators with different Chern numbers and various topological semimetals. In contrast, since the linearly polarized light (LPL) does not break time-reversal symmetry, the Chern number of the system would not be changed under the irradiation of LPL. However, there still exist many topological phases, including second-order topological insulator, topological semi-Dirac, Dirac and valley-polarized Dirac semimetals under the interaction between the LPL and the electric field. Our results not only enhance the understanding of the fundamental properties of ML-TiSiCO but also broaden the potential applications of such materials in optoelectronic devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Hidden Real Topology and Unusual Magnetoelectric Responses in Monolayer Antiferromagnetic Cr$_2$Se$_2$O

Recently, the real topology has been attracting widespread interest in two dimensions (2D). Here, based on first-principles calculations and theoretical analysis, we reveal the monolayer Cr$_2$Se$_2$O (ML-CrSeO) as the first material example of a 2D antiferromagnetic (AFM) real Chern insulator (RCI) with topologically protected corner states. Unlike previous RCIs, we find that the real topology of the ML-CrSeO is rooted in one certain mirror subsystem of the two spin channels, and can not be directly obtained from all the valence bands in each spin channel as commonly believed. In particular, due to antiferromagnetism, the corner modes in ML-CrSeO exhibit strong corner-contrasted spin polarization, leading to spin-corner coupling (SCC). This SCC enables a direct connection between spin space and real space. Consequently, large and switchable net magnetization can be induced in the ML-CrSeO nanodisk by electrostatic means, such as potential step and in-plane electric field, and the corresponding magnetoelectric responses behave like a sign function, distinguished from that of the conventional multiferroic materials. Our work considerably broadens the candidate range of RCI materials, and opens up a new direction for topo-spintronics and 2D AFM materials research.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Design monolayer iodinenes based on halogen bond and tiling theory

Xenes, two-dimensional (2D) monolayers composed of a single element, with graphene as a typical representative, have attracted widespread attention. Most of the previous Xenes, X from group-IIIA to group-VIA elements have bonding characteristics of covalent bonds. In this work, we for the first time unveil the pivotal role of a halogen bond, which is a distinctive type of bonding with interaction strength between that of a covalent bond and a van der Waals interaction, in 2D group-VIIA monolayers. Combing the ingenious non-edge-to-edge tiling theory and state-of-art ab initio method with refined local density functional M06-L, we provide a precise and effective bottom-up construction of 2D iodine monolayer sheets, iodinenes, primarily governed by halogen bonds, and successfully design a category of stable iodinenes, encompassing herringbone, Pythagorean, gyrated truncated hexagonal, i.e. diatomic-kagome, and gyrated hexagonal tiling pattern. These iodinene structures exhibit a wealth of properties, such as flat bands, nontrivial topology, and fascinating optical characteristics, offering valuable insights and guidance for future experimental investigations. Our work not only unveils the unexplored halogen bonding mechanism in 2D materials but also opens a new avenue for designing other non-covalent bonding 2D materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗