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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 613 records · Page 34
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

A light-induced phononic symmetry switch and giant dissipationless topological photocurrent in ZrTe 5

Dissipationless currents from topologically protected states are promising for disorder-tolerant electronics and quantum computation. In this work, we photogenerate giant anisotropic terahertz nonlinear currents with vanishing scattering, driven by laser-induced coherent phonons of broken inversion symmetry in a centrosymmetric Dirac material ZrTe 5 . Our work suggests that this phononic terahertz symmetry switching leads to formation of Weyl points, whose chirality manifests in a transverse, helicity-dependent current, orthogonal to the dynamical inversion symmetry breaking axis, via circular photogalvanic effect. The temperature-dependent topological photocurrent exhibits several distinct features: Berry curvature dominance, particle–hole reversal near conical points and chirality protection that is responsible for an exceptional ballistic transport length of ~10 μm. These results, together with first-principles modelling, indicate two pairs of Weyl points dynamically created by B 1u phonons of broken inversion symmetry. Such phononic terahertz control breaks ground for coherent manipulation of Weyl nodes and robust quantum transport without application of static electric or magnetic fields.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Atomically thin half-van der Waals metals enabled by confinement heteroepitaxy

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) metals may be key ingredients in next-generation quantum and optoelectronic devices. However, 2D metals must be stabilized against environmental degradation and integrated into heterostructure devices at the wafer scale. The high-energy interface between silicon carbide and epitaxial graphene provides an intriguing framework for stabilizing a diverse range of 2D metals. In this paper we demonstrate large-area, environmentally stable, single-crystal 2D gallium, indium and tin that are stabilized at the interface of epitaxial graphene and silicon carbide. The 2D metals are covalently bonded to SiC below but present a non-bonded interface to the graphene overlayer; that is, they are ‘half van der Waals’ metals with strong internal gradients in bonding character. These non-centrosymmetric 2D metals offer compelling opportunities for superconducting devices, topological phenomena and advanced optoelectronic properties. For example, the reported 2D Ga is a superconductor that combines six strongly coupled Ga-derived electron pockets with a large nearly free-electron Fermi surface that closely approaches the Dirac points of the graphene overlayer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Direct neutrino-mass measurement with sub-electronvolt sensitivity

Since the discovery of neutrino oscillations, we know that neutrinos have non-zero mass. However, the absolute neutrino-mass scale remains unknown. Here we report the upper limits on effective electron anti-neutrino mass, m ν , from the second physics run of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment. In this experiment, m ν is probed via a high-precision measurement of the tritium β-decay spectrum close to its endpoint. This method is independent of any cosmological model and does not rely on assumptions whether the neutrino is a Dirac or Majorana particle. By increasing the source activity and reducing the background with respect to the first physics campaign, we reached a sensitivity on m ν –2 at a 90% confidence level (CL). The best fit to the spectral data yields m$^2_ν$ = (0.26 ± 0.34) eV 2 c –4 , resulting in an upper limit of m ν < 0.9 eV c –2 at 90% CL. By combining this result with the first neutrino-mass campaign, we find an upper limit of m ν < 0.8 eV c –2 at 90% CL.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Magnetism and charge density wave order in kagome FeGe

Electron correlations often lead to emergent orders in quantum materials, and one example is the kagome lattice materials where topological states exist in the presence of strong correlations between electrons. This arises from the features of the electronic band structure that are associated with the kagome lattice geometry: flat bands induced by destructive interference of the electronic wavefunctions, topological Dirac crossings, and a pair of van Hove singularities. Various correlated electronic phases have been discovered in kagome lattice materials, including magnetism, charge density waves, nematicity, and superconductivity. Recently, a charge-density wave was discovered in the magnetic kagome FeGe, providing a platform for understanding the interplay between charge order and magnetism in kagome materials. Here, we observe all three electronic signatures of the kagome lattice in FeGe using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The presence of van Hove singularities near the Fermi level is driven by the underlying magnetic exchange splitting. Furthermore, we show spectral evidence for the charge-density wave as gaps near the Fermi level. Furthermore, our observations point to the magnetic interaction-driven band modification resulting in the formation of the charge-density wave, and indicate an intertwined connection between the emergent magnetism and charge order in this moderately-correlated kagome metal.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Flat band separation and robust spin Berry curvature in bilayer kagome metals

Kagome materials have emerged as a setting for emergent electronic phenomena that encompass different aspects of symmetry and topology. It is debated whether the XV 6 Sn 6 kagome family (where X is a rare-earth element), a recently discovered family of bilayer kagome metals, hosts a topologically non-trivial ground state resulting from the opening of spin–orbit coupling gaps. These states would carry a finite spin Berry curvature, and topological surface states. Here we investigate the spin and electronic structure of the XV 6 Sn 6 kagome family. We obtain evidence for a finite spin Berry curvature contribution at the centre of the Brillouin zone, where the nearly flat band detaches from the dispersing Dirac band because of spin–orbit coupling. In addition, the spin Berry curvature is further investigated in the charge density wave regime of ScV 6 Sn 6 and it is found to be robust against the onset of the temperature-driven ordered phase. Utilizing the sensitivity of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to the spin and orbital angular momentum, our work unveils the spin Berry curvature of topological kagome metals and helps to define its spectroscopic fingerprint.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Emergence of Fermi arcs due to magnetic splitting in an antiferromagnet

The Fermi surface plays an important role in controlling the electronic, transport and thermodynamic properties of materials. As the Fermi surface consists of closed contours in the momentum space for well-defined energy bands, disconnected sections known as Fermi arcs can be signatures of unusual electronic states, such as a pseudogap. Another way to obtain Fermi arcs is to break either the time-reversal symmetry or the inversion symmetry of a three-dimensional Dirac semimetal, which results in formation of pairs of Weyl nodes that have opposite chirality, and their projections are connected by Fermi arcs at the bulk boundary. Here, we present experimental evidence that pairs of hole- and electron-like Fermi arcs emerge below the Neel temperature (TN) in the antiferromagnetic state of cubic NdBi due to a new magnetic splitting effect. The observed magnetic splitting is unusual, as it creates bands of opposing curvature, which change with temperature and follow the antiferromagnetic order parameter. This is different from previous theoretically considered and experimentally reported cases of magnetic splitting, such as traditional Zeeman and Rashba, in which the curvature of the bands is preserved. Therefore, our findings demonstrate a type of magnetic band splitting in the presence of a long-range antiferromagnetic order that is not readily explained by existing theoretical ideas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observation of the effect of gravity on the motion of antimatter

Einstein’s general theory of relativity from 1915 remains the most successful description of gravitation. From the 1919 solar eclipse to the observation of gravitational waves, the theory has passed many crucial experimental tests. However, the evolving concepts of dark matter and dark energy illustrate that there is much to be learned about the gravitating content of the universe. Singularities in the general theory of relativity and the lack of a quantum theory of gravity suggest that our picture is incomplete. It is thus prudent to explore gravity in exotic physical systems. Antimatter was unknown to Einstein in 1915. Dirac’s theory appeared in 1928; the positron was observed in 1932. There has since been much speculation about gravity and antimatter. The theoretical consensus is that any laboratory mass must be attracted by the Earth, although some authors have considered the cosmological consequences if antimatter should be repelled by matter. In the general theory of relativity, the weak equivalence principle (WEP) requires that all masses react identically to gravity, independent of their internal structure. Here we show that antihydrogen atoms, released from magnetic confinement in the ALPHA-g apparatus, behave in a way consistent with gravitational attraction to the Earth. Repulsive ‘antigravity’ is ruled out in this case. This experiment paves the way for precision studies of the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration between anti-atoms and the Earth to test the WEP.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Observation of gapped state in rare-earth monopnictide HoSb

The rare-earth monopnictide family is attracting an intense current interest driven by its unusual extreme magnetoresistance (XMR) property and the potential presence of topologically non-trivial surface states. The experimental observation of non-trivial surface states in this family of materials are not ubiquitous. Here, using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, magnetotransport, and parallel first-principles modeling, we examine the nature of electronic states in HoSb. Although we find the presence of bulk band gaps at the G and X-symmetry points of the Brillouin zone, we do not find these gaps to exhibit band inversion so that HoSb does not host a Dirac semimetal state. Our magnetotransport measurements indicate that HoSb can be characterized as a correlated nearly-complete electron-hole-compensated semimetal. Our analysis reveals that the nearly perfect electron-hole compensation could drive the appearance of non-saturating XMR effect in HoSb.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Valence band electronic structure of the van der Waals ferromagnetic insulators: VI 3 and CrI 3

Ferromagnetic van der Waals (vdW) insulators are of great scientific interest for their promising applications in spintronics. It has been indicated that in the two materials within this class, CrI 3 and VI 3 , the magnetic ground state, the band gap, and the Fermi level could be manipulated by varying the layer thickness, strain or doping. To understand how these factors impact the properties, a detailed understanding of the electronic structure would be required. However, the experimental studies of the electronic structure of these materials are still very sparse. Here, we present the detailed electronic structure of CrI 3 and VI 3 measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Our results show a band-gap of the order of 1 eV, sharply contrasting some theoretical predictions such as Dirac half-metallicity and metallic phases, indicating that the intra-atomic interaction parameter (U) and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) were not properly accounted for in the calculations. We also find significant differences in the electronic properties of these two materials, in spite of similarities in their crystal structure. In CrI 3 , the valence band maximum is dominated by the I 5p, whereas in VI 3 it is dominated by the V 3d derived states. Our results represent valuable input for further improvements in the theoretical modeling of these systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Microwave response in a topological superconducting quantum interference device

Abstract Photon detection at microwave frequency is of great interest due to its application in quantum computation information science and technology. Herein are results from studying microwave response in a topological superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) realized in Dirac semimetal Cd 3 As 2 . The temperature dependence and microwave power dependence of the SQUID junction resistance are studied, from which we obtain an effective temperature at each microwave power level. It is observed the effective temperature increases with the microwave power. This observation of large microwave response may pave the way for single photon detection at the microwave frequency in topological quantum materials.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ultrafast optical control of surface and bulk magnetism in magnetic topological insulator/antiferromagnet heterostructure

Abstract Optical control of the magnetic properties in topological insulator systems is an important step in applying these materials in ultrafast optoelectronic and spintronic schemes. In this work, we report the experimental observation of photo-induced magnetization dynamics in the magnetically doped topological insulator (MTI)/antiferromagnet (AFM) heterostructure composed of Cr-(Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 /CrSb. Through proximity coupling to the AFM layer, the MTI displays a dramatically enhanced magnetism, with robust perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. When subjected to intense laser irradiation, both surface and bulk magnetism of the MTI are weakened by laser-induced heating of the lattice, however, at the surface, the deleterious heat effect is compensated by the strengthening of Dirac-hole-mediated exchange coupling as demonstrated by an unconventional pump-fluence-dependent exchange-bias effect. Through theoretical analyses, the sizes of exchange coupling energies are estimated in the MTI/AFM bilayer structure. The fundamentally different mechanisms supporting the surface and bulk magnetic order in MTIs allow a novel and distinctive photo-induced transient magnetic state with antiparallel spin configuration, which broadens the understanding of the magnetization dynamics of MTIs under ultrashort and intense optical excitation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Study of graphene p-n junctions formed by the electrostatic modification of the SiO2 substrate

Abstract We study the transport properties of mm-scale CVD graphene p-n junctions, which are formed in a single gated graphene field effect transistor configuration. Here, an electrical-stressing-voltage technique served to modify the electrostatic potential in the SiO 2 /Si substrate and create the p-n junction. We examine the transport characteristics about the Dirac points that are localized in the perturbed and unperturbed regions in the graphene channel and note the quantitative differences in the Hall effect between the perturbed and unperturbed regions. The results also show that the longitudinal resistance is highly sensitive to the external magnetic field when the Hall bar device operates as a p-n junction.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Ultrabroadband THz conductivity of gated graphene in- and out-of-equilibrium

We employ ultrabroadband terahertz (THz) spectroscopy to expose the high-frequency transport properties of Dirac fermions in monolayer graphene. By controlling the carrier concentration via tunable electrical gating, both equilibrium and transient optical conductivities are obtained for a range of Fermi levels. The frequency-dependent equilibrium response is determined through a combination of time-domain THz and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for energies up to the near-infrared, which also provides a measure of the gate-voltage dependent Fermi level. Transient changes in the real and imaginary parts of the graphene conductivity are electro-optically resolved for frequencies up to 15 THz after near-infrared femtosecond excitation, both at the charge-neutral point and for higher electrostatic-doping levels. Modeling of the THz response provides insight into changes of the carrier spectral weights and scattering rates, and reveals an additional broad-frequency ($$\approx$$ 8 THz) component to the photo-induced response, which we attribute to the zero-momentum mode of quantum-critical transport observed here in large-area CVD graphene.

Coslovich, G↗
DOE OSTI2023

A p -orbital honeycomb-Kagome lattice realized in a two-dimensional metal-organic framework

The experimental realization of p-orbital systems is desirable because p-orbital lattices have been proposed theoretically to host strongly correlated electrons that exhibit exotic quantum phases. Here, we synthesize a two-dimensional Fe-coordinated bimolecular metal-organic framework which constitutes a honeycomb lattice of 1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene molecules and a Kagome lattice of 5,15-di(4-pyridyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin molecules on a Au(111) substrate. Density-functional theory calculations show that the framework features multiple well-separated spin-polarized Kagome bands, namely Dirac cone bands and Chern flat bands, near the Fermi level. Using tight-binding modelling, we reveal that these bands are originated from two effects: the low-lying molecular orbitals that exhibit p-orbital characteristics and the honeycomb-Kagome lattice. This study demonstrates that p-orbital Kagome bands can be realized in metal-organic frameworks by using molecules with molecular orbitals of p-orbital like symmetry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unconventional surface state pairs in a high-symmetry lattice with anti-ferromagnetic band-folding

Many complex magnetic structures in a high-symmetry lattice can arise from a superposition of well-defined magnetic wave vectors. These “multi-q” structures have garnered much attention because of interesting real-space spin textures such as skyrmions. However, the role multi-q structures play in the topology of electronic bands in momentum space has remained rather elusive. Here we show that the type-I anti-ferromagnetic 1q, 2q and 3q structures in an face-centered cubic sublattice with band inversion, such as NdBi, can induce unconventional surface state pairs inside the band-folding hybridization bulk gap. Our density functional theory calculations match well with the recent experimental observation of unconventional surface states with hole Fermi arc-like features and electron pockets below the Neel temperature. We further show that these multi-q structures have Dirac and Weyl nodes. Our work reveals the special role that band-folding from anti-ferromagnetism and multi-q structures can play in developing new types of surface states.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Origin of charge density wave in topological semimetals SrAl 4 and EuAl 4

Topological semimetals in BaAl 4 -type structure show many interesting behaviors, such as charge density wave (CDW) in SrAl 4 and EuAl 4 , but not the isostructural and isovalent BaAl 4 , SrGa 4 , and BaGa 4 . Here using Wannier functions based on density functional theory, we calculate the susceptibility functions with millions of k-points to reach the small q-vector and study the origin and driving force behind the CDW. Our comparative study reveals that the origin of the CDW in SrAl 4 and EuAl 4 is the strong electron-phonon coupling interaction for the transverse acoustic mode at small q-vector along the Γ-Z direction besides the maximum of the real part of the susceptibility function from the nested Fermi surfaces of the Dirac-like bands, which explains well the absence of CDW in the other closely related compounds in a good agreement with experiment. We also connect the different CDW behaviors in the Al compounds to the macroscopic elastic properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Anti-site defect-induced disorder in compensated topological magnet MnBi2-xSbxTe4

Abstract The gapped Dirac-like surface states of compensated magnetic topological insulator MnBi 2-x Sb x Te 4 (MBST) are a promising host for exotic quantum phenomena such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect and axion insulating state. However, it has become clear that atomic defects undermine the stabilization of such quantum phases as they lead to spatial variations in the surface state gap and doping levels. The large number of possible defect configurations in MBST make studying the influence of individual defects virtually impossible. Here, we present a statistical analysis of the nanoscale effect of defects in MBST with x =0.64, by scanning tunnelling microscopy/spectroscopy. We identify (Bi,Sb) Mn anti-site defects to be the main source of the observed doping fluctuations, leading towards the formation of nanoscale charge puddles and effectively closing the transport gap. Our findings will guide further optimization of this material system via defect engineering, to enable exploitation of its promising properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Diverse electronic landscape of the kagome metal YbTi 3 Bi 4

Kagome lattices have emerged as an ideal platform for exploring exotic quantum phenomena in materials. Here, we report the discovery of Ti-based kagome metal YbTi 3 Bi 4 which we characterize using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and magneto-transport, in combination with density functional theory calculations. Our ARPES results reveal the complex fermiology of YbTi 3 Bi 4 and provide spectroscopic evidence of four flat bands. Our measurements also show the presence of multiple van Hove singularities originating from Ti 3d orbitals and a linearly-dispersing gapped Dirac-like bulk state at the $\overline{\text {K}}$ point in accord with our theoretical calculations. Our study establishes YbTi 3 Bi 4 as a platform for exploring exotic phases in the wider LnTi 3 Bi 4 (Ln = lanthanide) family of materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗