Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Majorana phase”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

103 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Magnetoelastic effects in the hyperhoneycomb Kitaev spin liquid

In recent years, several magnetic Mott insulators with strong spin-orbit coupling were suggested to be proximate to the Kitaev quantum spin liquid, whose one of the most exciting features is the fractionalization of spin excitations into itinerant Majorana fermions and static Z 2 fluxes. Unfortunately, the ground states of these systems cannot be easily captured by experiment, remaining featureless to conventional local probes. Here, we propose to study the signatures of fractionalized excitations by exploiting their coupling to the lattice vibrations, dubbed magnetoelastic coupling, which arises from the fact that the interaction between spins depends on the relative distance between them. We argue that the magnetoelastic coupling can lead to the distinct modification of the phonon dynamics, which can be observed by measuring renormalized phonon spectrum, the sound attenuation, and the phonon Hall viscosity. This makes the phonon dynamics a promising tool for the characterization and identification of quantum spin liquid phases. In this work, we focus on the magnetoelastic effects in the three-dimensional Kitaev model realized on the hyperhoneycomb lattice. Here, the hyperhoneycomb Kitaev spin liquid is particularly interesting since the strong Kitaev interaction was observed in the Kitaev magnet β-Li 2 IrO 3 , for which the spin-orbit entangled J eff = 1/2 moments of iridium ions form precisely the hyperhoneycomb lattice.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigating two-dimensional adjoint QCD on the lattice

We present our investigations of SU(N) adjoint QCD in two dimensions with one Majorana fermion on the lattice. We determine the relevant parameter range for the simulations with Wilson fermions and present results for Polyakov loop, chiral condensate, and string tension. In the theory with massive fermions, all observables we checked show qualitative agreement between numerical lattice data and theory, while the massless limit is more subtle since chiral and non-invertible symmetry of the continuum theory are explicitly broken by lattice regularization. In thermal compactification, we observe N perturbative vacua for the holonomy potential at high-T with instanton events connecting them, and a unique vacuum at low-T. At finite-N, this is a cross-over and it turns to a phase transition at large-N thermodynamic limit. In circle compactification with periodic boundary conditions, we observe a unique center-symmetric minimum at any radius. In continuum, the instantons in the thermal case carry zero modes (for even N) and indeed, in the lattice simulations, we observe that chiral condensate is dominated by instanton centers, where zero modes are localized. We present lattice results on the issue of confinement vs. screening in the theory and comment on the roles of chiral symmetry and non-invertible symmetry.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Moment method and continued fraction expansion in Floquet operator Krylov space

Recursion methods such as Krylov techniques map complex dynamics to an effective noninteracting problem in one dimension. For example, the operator Krylov space for Floquet dynamics can be mapped to the dynamics of an edge operator of the one-dimensional Floquet inhomogeneous transverse field Ising model (ITFIM), where the latter, after a Jordan-Wigner transformation, is a Floquet model of noninteracting Majorana fermions and the couplings correspond to Krylov angles. We present an application of this showing that a moment method exists where given an autocorrelation function, one can construct the corresponding Krylov angles and from that the corresponding Floquet ITFIM. Consequently, when no solutions for the Krylov angles are obtained, it indicates that the autocorrelation is not generated by unitary dynamics. We highlight this by studying certain special cases: stable m-period dynamics derived using the method of continued fractions, exponentially decaying, and power-law decaying stroboscopic dynamics. Remarkably, our examples of stable m-period dynamics correspond to m-period edge modes for the Floquet ITFIM where, deep in the chain, the couplings correspond to a critical phase. Furthermore our results pave the way to engineer Floquet systems with desired properties of edge modes and also provide examples of persistent edge modes in gapless Floquet systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Topological band and superconductivity in UTe 2

UTe 2 is a likely spin-triplet superconductor that also exhibits evidence for chiral Majorana edge states. A characteristic structural feature of UTe 2 is inversion-symmetry related pairs of U atoms, forming rungs of ladders. Here we show how each rung's two sublattice degrees of freedom play a key role in understanding the electronic structure and the origin of superconductivity. In particular, DFT + U calculations generically reveal a topological band near the chemical potential originating from a band inversion associated with 5f electrons residing on these rungs, necessitating a microscopic description that includes these rung degrees of freedom. Furthermore, we show that a previously identified strong ferromagnetic interaction within a U-U rung leads to a pseudospin-triplet superconducting state that accounts for a nonzero polar Kerr angle, the observed magnetic field-temperature phase diagrams, and nodal Weyl fermions. Finally, our analysis may also be relevant for other U-based superconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

The coupled SYK model at finite temperature

Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, which describes N randomly interacting Majorana fermions in 0+1 dimension, is found to be an solvable UV-complete toy model for holographic duality in nearly AdS 2 dilaton gravity. Ref. [1] proposed a modified model by coupling two identical SYK models, which at low-energy limit is dual to a global AdS 2 geometry. This geometry is an “eternal wormhole" because the two boundaries are causally connected. Increasing the temperature drives a Hawking-Page like transition from the eternal wormhole geometry to two disconnected black holes with coupled matter field. To gain more understanding of the coupled SYK model, in this work, we study the finite temperature spectral function of this system by numerical solving the Schwinger-Dyson equation in real-time. We find in the low-temperature phase the system is well described by weakly interacting fermions with renormalized single-particle gap, while in the high temperature phase the system is strongly interacting and the single-particle peaks merge. We also study the q dependence of the spectral function.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Classification of (2 + 1) D invertible fermionic topological phases with symmetry

Here we provide a classification of invertible topological phases of interacting fermions with symmetry in two spatial dimensions for general fermionic symmetry groups G f and general values of the chiral central charge c - . Here G f is a central extension of a bosonic symmetry group G b by fermion parity, (-1) F , specified by a second cohomology class [ω 2 ]∈ $\mathscr{H}^2$(Gb,$\mathbb{Z}_2$). Our approach proceeds by gauging fermion parity and classifying the resulting G b symmetry-enriched topological orders while keeping track of certain additional data and constraints. We perform this analysis through two perspectives, using G-crossed braided tensor categories and Spin(2c - ) 1 Chern-Simons theory coupled to a background G gauge field. These results give a way to characterize and classify invertible fermionic topological phases in terms of a concrete set of data and consistency equations, which is more physically transparent and computationally simpler than the more abstract methods using cobordism theory and spectral sequences. Our results also generalize and provide a different approach to the recent classification of fermionic symmetry-protected topological phases by Wang and Gu, which have chiral central charge c - = 0. We show how the tenfold way classification of topological insulators and superconductors fits into our scheme, along with general nonperturbative constraints due to certain choices of c - and G f . Mathematically, our results also suggest an explicit general parametrization of deformation classes of (2 + 1)D invertible topological quantum field theories with G f symmetry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Symmetry-Protected Moiré Band Engineering and Enhanced Electron–Phonon Coupling in Xe/Bi 2 Se 3 Superlattices: Path to Topological Superconductivity

Observation of superconductivity, magnetism, and correlated insulating phases driven by the moiré potential in twisted graphene bilayer has opened the exciting new field of “twistronics”. Even richer physics is expected if moiré superlattice could be generated on topological insulators; however, until now, experimental studies have been scarce. Here, we demonstrate topological moirés generated by adsorbing a monolayer of noble gas on a topological insulator. By angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we show that the moiré potential replicates the topological surface state and affects it in a way fundamentally different from the trivial states. Replicated Dirac cones generally avoid crossings, except at the time-reversal invariant momenta that remain gapless. This creates van Hove singularities at the moiré Brillouin zone corners, providing the mechanism of enhancing correlations. Indeed, we observe a strong enhancement of the electron–phonon coupling strength that, if properly tuned, might lead to topological superconductivity and Majorana Fermions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ab Initio Uncertainty Quantification of Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay in 76 Ge

The observation of neutrinoless double-beta (0⁢𝜈⁢𝛽⁢𝛽) decay would offer proof of lepton number violation, demonstrating that neutrinos are Majorana particles, while also helping us understand why there is more matter than antimatter in the Universe. If the decay is driven by the exchange of the three known light neutrinos, a discovery would, in addition, link the observed decay rate to the neutrino mass scale through a theoretical quantity known as the nuclear matrix element (NME). Accurate values of the NMEs for all nuclei considered for use in 0⁢𝜈⁢𝛽⁢𝛽 experiments are therefore crucial for designing and interpreting those experiments. Here, we report the first comprehensive ab initio uncertainty quantification of the 0⁢𝜈⁢𝛽⁢𝛽-decay NME, in the key nucleus 76 Ge. Here, our method employs nuclear strong and weak interactions derived within chiral effective field theory and recently developed many-body emulators. Our result, with a conservative treatment of uncertainty, is an NME of 2.60$^{+1.28}_{−1.36}$, which, together with the best-existing half-life sensitivity and phase-space factor, sets an upper limit for effective neutrino mass of 187$^{+205}_{−62}$ meV. The result is important for designing next generation germanium detectors aiming to cover the entire inverted hierarchy region of neutrino masses.

Ab initio calculations↗
DOE OSTI2023

Possible topological superconductivity in the topological crystalline insulator $\mathrm{(Pb_{1-x} Sn_x)_{1-y}In_yTe}$

Superconductivity in topological insulators is expected to show very unconventional features such as a $p+ip$ order parameter, Majorana fermions, etc. However, intrinsic superconductivity has been observed in a very limited number of materials in which the pairing symmetry is still a matter of debate. Here, we study the topological crystalline insulator (TCI) $\mathrm{(Pb_{1-x} Sn_x)_{1-y}In_yTe}$, for which a peculiar insulator to superconductor transition was previously reported near the gap inversion transition, where the system is nearly a three-dimensional Dirac semimetal. Both the existence of superconductivity near the three-dimensional Dirac semimetal and the occurrence of an insulator to superconductor transition in an isotropic material are highly unusual. We suggest that the observed phenomena are related to the intrinsic instability of a three-dimensional Dirac semimetal state in $\mathrm{(Pb_{1-x} Sn_x)_{1-y}In_yTe}$ and “flattening” of the bulk valence and conduction bands as they acquire a Mexican-hat-like dispersion on the inverted side of the phase diagram. Importantly, this favors the pairing instability if the chemical potential is pinned to these flat regions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dirac nodal arc in 1T-VSe 2

Transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit many fascinating properties including superconductivity, magnetic orders, and charge density wave. The combination of these features with a non-trivial band topology opens the possibility of additional exotic states such as Majorana fermions and quantum anomalous Hall effect. Here, we report on photon-energy and polarization dependent spin-resolved angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments on single crystal 1T-VSe 2 , revealing an unexpected band inversion and emergent Dirac nodal arc with spin-momentum locking. Density functional theory calculations suggest a surface lattice strain could be the driving mechanism for the topologically nontrivial electronic structure of 1T-VSe 2 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Emergence of Moiré Dirac Fermions at the Interface of Topological and 2D Magnetic Insulators

Dirac Fermions on the surface of the topological insulator are spin-momentum locked and topologically protected, making them interesting for spintronics and quantum computing applications. When in proximity to magnetism and superconductivity, these electronic states could result in quantum anomalous Hall effect and Majorana Fermions, respectively. An even more dramatic enrichment of the topological insulators’ physics is expected for moiré superlattices, where, analogously to the twisted graphene layers, electronic correlations could be strongly enhanced, a task previously notoriously difficult to achieve in topological matter. Until now, the experimental confirmation of such moiré properties has remained elusive. Here, we grow the two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic insulators FeX 2 (where X = Cl or Br) on top of the topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3 and establish a moiré superlattice formation at the interface. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we investigate the electronic properties of the formed moiré superlattice and demonstrate its tunability via the film choice. We reveal replicated Dirac cones and focus on their intersections, which, in the case of FeBr 2 /Bi 2 Se 3 , occur below the Fermi level. We identify the signatures of small gaps at the intersections around the M̅ i points that we attribute to the moiré interaction. These findings point to the specific type of magnetic moiré potential that breaks the time-reversal symmetry at these points but not at the $\barΓ$ point. Our observations provide an intriguing scenario of correlated topological phases induced by moiré superlattice that may result in topological superconductivity, high Chern number phases, and exotic noncollinear magnetic textures.

2D magnets↗
DOE OSTI2022

Majorana bound states with chiral magnetic textures

The aim of this Tutorial is to give a pedagogical introduction into realizations of Majorana fermions, usually termed as Majorana bound states (MBSs), in condensed matter systems with magnetic textures. We begin by considering the Kitaev chain model of “spinless” fermions and show how two “half” fermions can appear at chain ends due to interactions. By considering this model and its two-dimensional generalization, we emphasize intricate relation between topological superconductivity and possible realizations of MBS. We further discuss how “spinless” fermions can be realized in more physical systems, e.g., by employing the spin-momentum locking. Next, we demonstrate how magnetic textures can be used to induce synthetic or fictitious spin–orbit interactions, and, thus, stabilize MBS. We describe a general approach that works for arbitrary textures and apply it to skyrmions. We show how MBS can be stabilized by elongated skyrmions, certain higher order skyrmions, and chains of skyrmions. We also discuss how braiding operations can be performed with MBS stabilized on magnetic skyrmions. Furthermore, this Tutorial is aimed at students at the graduate level.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamics of almost strong edge modes in spin chains away from integrability

Results are presented for the dynamics of an almost strong edge mode which is the quasistable Majorana edge mode occurring in nonintegrable spin chains. The dynamics of the edge mode is studied using exact diagonalization, and compared with time evolution with respect to an effective semi-infinite model in Krylov space obtained from the recursion method. The effective Krylov Hamiltonian is found to resemble a spatially inhomogeneous Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model where the hopping amplitude increases linearly with distance into the bulk, typical of thermalizing systems, but also has a staggered or dimerized structure superimposed on it. Here, the nonperturbatively long lifetime of the edge mode is shown to be due to this staggered structure which diminishes the effectiveness of the linearly growing hopping amplitude. On taking the continuum limit of the Krylov Hamiltonian, the edge mode is found to be equivalent to the quasistable mode of a Dirac Hamiltonian on a half line, with a mass which is nonzero over a finite distance, before terminating into a gapless metallic bulk. The analytic estimates are found to be in good agreement with the numerically obtained lifetimes of the edge mode.

1-dimensional systems↗