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At least 1,423 records · Page 79

Pairing tendencies in the doped Kitaev-Heisenberg model

Here, we study the impact of hole doping on the Kitaev-Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice. We investigate the pairing tendencies and correlation functions in the framework of a t - J - K model using density matrix renormalization group calculations on three-leg cylinders. In the case of the pure Kitaev model, which realizes a quantum spin-liquid phase at half-filling, we find that binding of two holes only occurs at low values of the hopping, where the holes are slow. We have theoretically verified that pair formation occurs in the limit of immobile holes, where the pure Kitaev model remains exactly solvable. When we instead fix the hopping at an intermediate, more realistic, value, and vary the Heisenberg and Kitaev interaction strengths, we find pairing tendencies only in the Néel phase. This is in contrast to prior mean-field calculations, highlighting the importance of accounting for the kinetic energy of dopants in generalized Kitaev models. Interestingly, we also find signatures of pair-density wave formation over the studied range of model parameters, namely, a periodic modulation of the charge density as well as the spin-spin and pair-pair correlations in real space. Moreover, we present a comparative study of the different correlations as a function of doping. We finally discuss the potential for experimentally observing the studied physics in quantum materials and heterostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Metal-to-Ligand Charge-Transfer Spectrum of a Ru-Bipyridine-Sensitized TiO 2 Cluster from Embedded Multiconfigurational Excited-State Theory

Understanding optical properties of the dye molecule in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) from first-principles quantum mechanics can contribute to improving the efficiency of such devices. While density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT have been pivotal in simulating optoelectronic properties of photoanodes used in DSSCs at the atomic scale, questions remain regarding DFT’s adequacy and accuracy to furnish critical information needed to understand the various excited-state processes involved. In this work, we simulate the absorption spectra of a dye-sensitized solar cell analogue, comprised of a Ru-bipyridine (Ru-bpy) dye molecule and a small TiO2 cluster via DFT and via an accurate embedded correlated wavefunction (CW) theory. We generated CW spectra for the adsorbed Ru-bpy dye via a recently introduced capped density functional embedding theory or capped-DFET (to generate the embedding potential that accounts for the interaction of the molecule and the TiO 2 cluster). We then combined capped-DFET with the accurate but expensive multiconfigurational complete active space second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2)—embedded CASPT2. Because the CW theory is conducted on only a portion of the total system in the presence of an embedding potential that describes that portion’s interaction with its environment, we efficiently obtain CW-quality predictions that reflect local properties of the entire system. Specifically, for example, with capped-DFET and embedded CW theory, we can simulate accurately a plethora of metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited properties at a manageable computational cost. Here, we predict detailed electronic spectra within the visible region, featuring the lowest three singlet and triplet excited states, along with predictions of the singlets’ lifetimes. We illustrated these results using a Jablonski diagram that show the relative energy position of the singlet and longer-lived triplet excited states and analyzed and proposed relaxation paths for the excited state corresponding to the most intense but short-lived absorption (interconversion, intersystem crossing, fluorescence, and phosphorescence) that may lead to longer-lived excited states necessary for efficient charge separation required to generate current in solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer pairing of composite fermions

Topological pairing of composite fermions has led to remarkable ideas, such as excitations obeying non-Abelian braid statistics and topological quantum computation. Here, we construct a p-wave paired Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) wave function for composite fermions in the torus geometry, which is a convenient geometry for formulating momentum space pairing as well as for revealing the underlying composite-fermion Fermi sea. Following the standard BCS approach, we minimize the Coulomb interaction energy at half filling in the lowest and the second Landau levels, which correspond to filling factors ν = 1/2 and ν = 5/2 in GaAs quantum wells, by optimizing two variational parameters that are analogous to the gap and the Debye cut-off energy of the BCS theory. Our results show no evidence for pairing at ν = 1/2 but a clear evidence for pairing at ν = 5/2. To a good approximation, the highest overlap between the exact Coulomb ground state at ν = 5/2 and the BCS state is obtained for parameters that minimize the energy of the latter, thereby providing support for the physics of composite-fermion pairing as the mechanism for the 5/2 fractional quantum Hall effect. We discuss the issue of modular covariance of the composite-fermion BCS wave function, and calculate its Hall viscosity and pair correlation function. By similar methods, we look for but do not find an instability to s-wave pairing for a spin-singlet composite-fermion Fermi sea at half-filled lowest Landau level in a system where the Zeeman splitting has been set to zero.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Renormalization and matching for the Collins-Soper kernel from lattice QCD

The Collins-Soper kernel, which governs the energy evolution of transverse- momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs), is required to accurately predict Drell-Yan like processes at small transverse momentum, and is a key ingredient for extracting TMDPDFs from experiment. Earlier we proposed a method to calculate this kernel from ratios of the so-called quasi-TMDPDFs determined with lattice QCD, which are defined as hadronic matrix elements of staple-shaped Euclidean Wilson line operators. Here we provide the one-loop renormalization of these operators in a regularization-independent momentum subtraction (RI'/MOM) scheme, as well as the conversion factor from the RI'/MOM-renormalized quasi-TMDPDF to the \( \overline{\mathrm{MS}} \) scheme. We also propose a procedure for calculating the Collins-Soper kernel directly from position space correlators, which simplifies the lattice determination.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Capturing Correlation Effects in Positron Binding to Atoms and Molecules

A major challenge in contemporary electronic structure theory involves the development of methods to describe in a balanced manner the contribution of correlation effects to energy differences. This challenge can be even greater for multicomponent systems containing more than one type of quantum particle. In the present work, we describe a flexible code for carrying out self-consistent field and configuration interaction (CI) calculations on multicomponent systems and use it to generate trial wave functions for use in diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) calculations of the positron affinity of Be, Be 2 , Be 4 , Mg, CS 2 , and benzene. The resulting positron affinities (PAs) are in good agreement with the best values from the literature.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Mechanistic Studies of an Iron-Catalyzed Intermolecular C–H Amination Reaction under Catalytic Conditions and Having a Large KIE

The conversion of C–H bonds into amines by nitrene insertion is an attractive transformation since it is both atom- and step-economical, and provides a direct route to functionalizing hydrocarbons. Using an iron catalyst [{( tBu pyrr) 2 pyr}Fe(OEt 2 )] (1-OEt 2 ) (( tBu pyrr) 2 pyr 2– = 3,5- t Bu 2 -bis(pyrrolyl)pyridine), we recently demonstrated the catalytic conversion of weak C–H bonds into secondary amines using aryl azides as the nitrene source [Zars, E.; Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202311749]. Here, we describe detailed mechanistic studies of this intermolecular C–H amination reaction under catalytic conditions. We find by Variable Time Normalization Analysis (VTNA) that the conversion of xanthene (2-H 2 ) and 2,4,6-trimethyl-phenyl azide ( Me 3) catalyzed by 1-OEt 2 is an overall 3/2 order process, being 1 st order in 2-H 2 and half order in Me 3. A kinetic isotope effect study (KIE) using 2-d 2 results in a significant decrease in the rate (KIE = 61(15)), which clearly implicates the C–H insertion step as rate-determining. Furthermore, treatment of 1-OEt 2 with one equivalent of N 3 -2,6- i Pr 2 –C 6 H 3 yields the mixed-valence C–N coupled product [( tBu pyrr) 2 pyrFe-N═C(2,6 i Pr 2 –Ph)═N-(2,6 i Pr 2 –Ph))Fe tBu pyrrpyr(2-H-pyrr)] (5 iPr ). Quantum chemical calculations confirm the electronic structure of the mixed-valence dimer in 5 iPr and rationalize the Hammett correlation by a delicate balance in the dinuclearization of the catalytically active monomers. Calculations further indicate significant tunneling for the pivotal H atom abstraction by the iron-imidyl complex. Combining all these results allows us to propose a mechanism consisting of imido formation in equilibrium with a radical-coupled diiron system, followed by stepwise C–H insertion via a linear H atom abstraction transition state and subsequent radical rebound.

azides↗

A hybrid optoelectronic Mott insulator

The coupling of electronic degrees of freedom in materials to create “hybridized functionalities” is a holy grail of modern condensed matter physics that may produce versatile mechanisms of control. Correlated electron systems often exhibit coupled degrees of freedom with a high degree of tunability which sometimes lead to hybridized functionalities based on external stimuli. However, the mechanisms of tunability and the sensitivity to external stimuli are determined by intrinsic material properties which are not always controllable. A Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) is technologically attractive due to the large changes in resistance, tunable by doping, strain, electric fields, and orbital occupancy but not, in and of itself, controllable with light. Here, an alternate approach is presented to produce optical functionalities using a properly engineered photoconductor/strongly correlated hybrid heterostructure. This approach combines a photoconductor, which does not exhibit an MIT, with a strongly correlated oxide, which is not photoconducting. Due to the intimate proximity between the two materials, the heterostructure exhibits giant volatile and nonvolatile, photoinduced resistivity changes with substantial shifts in the MIT transition temperatures. This approach can be extended to other judicious combinations of strongly correlated materials.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Hilbert space multireference coupled cluster tailored by matrix product states

In the past decade, the quantum chemical version of the density matrix renormalization group method has established itself as the method of choice for strongly correlated molecular systems. However, despite its favorable scaling, in practice, it is not suitable for computations of dynamic correlation. Several approaches to include that in post-DMRG methods exist; in our group, we focused on the tailored coupled cluster (TCC) approach. This method works well in many situations; however, in exactly degenerate cases (with two or more determinants of equal weight), it exhibits a bias toward the reference determinant representing the Fermi vacuum. Although sometimes it is possible to use a compensation scheme to avoid this bias for energy differences, it is certainly a drawback. In order to overcome this bias of the TCC method, we have developed a Hilbert-space multireference version of tailored CC, which can treat several determinants on an equal footing. We have implemented and compared the performance of three Hilbert-space multireference coupled cluster (MRCC) variants—the state universal one and the Brillouin–Wigner and Mukherjee’s state specific ones. We have assessed these approaches on the cyclobutadiene and tetramethyleneethane molecules, which are both diradicals with exactly degenerate determinants at a certain geometry. We have also investigated the sensitivity of the results on the orbital rotation of the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) pair, as it is well known that Hilbert-space MRCC methods are not invariant to such transformations.

Chemistry↗

Correlation-driven topological band inversion in VSe 2

Recent spectroscopic studies have uncovered topological surface states and band inversion in 1⁢T−VSe 2 , positioning this material at the intersection of correlated electron physics and nontrivial band topology. While previous interpretations attribute these features to surface strain, the microscopic origin of the topological band structure remains unresolved. Here, we present an alternative explanation based on electronic correlations, showing that a negative effective Hubbard interaction (𝑈 eff < 0) applied to the Se 4p orbitals can reproduce the experimentally observed band inversion at both the Γ and 𝑀 points. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations with orbital-selective interactions, we demonstrate that this approach naturally gives rise to topological surface states without invoking structural distortions. In conclusion, our results highlight the crucial role of ligand orbital correlations in shaping band topology and provide a novel framework for understanding and engineering topological phases in chalcogenide-based quantum materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Field Induced Density Wave in a Kagome Superconductor

On the kagome lattice, electrons benefit from the simultaneous presence of band topology, flat electronic bands, and Van Hove singularities, forming competing or cooperating orders. Understanding the interrelation between these distinct order parameters remains a significant challenge, leaving much of the associated physics unexplored. In the kagome superconductor KV 3 Sb 5 , which exhibits a charge density wave (CDW) state below T ≃ 78 K, we uncover an unpredicted field-induced phase transition below 6 K. The observed transition is marked by a hysteretic anomaly in the resistivity, nonlinear electrical transport, and a change in the symmetry of the electronic response as probed via the angular dependence of the magnetoresistivity. These observations surprisingly suggest the emergence of an unanticipated broken symmetry state coexisting with the original CDW. To understand this experimental observation, we developed a theoretical minimal model for the normal state inside the high-temperature parent CDW phase, where an incommensurate CDW order emerges as an instability subleading to superconductivity. Here, the incommensurate CDW emerges when superconducting fluctuations become fully suppressed by large magnetic fields. Our results suggest that, in kagome superconductors, quantum states can either coexist or are nearly degenerate in energy, indicating that these are rich platforms to expose new correlated phenomena.

Charge density waves↗

Generalized Wigner theorem for noninvertible symmetries

In this article, we establish the conditions under which a conservation law associated with a non-invertible operator may be realized as a symmetry in quantum physics. As established by Wigner, all quantum symmetries must be represented by either unitary or antiunitary transformations. Relinquishing an implicit assumption of invertibility, we demonstrate that the fundamental invariance of quantum transition probabilities under the application of symmetries mandates that all non-invertible symmetries may only correspond to projective unitary or antiunitary transformations, i.e., partial isometries. This extends the notion of physical states beyond conventional rays in Hilbert space to equivalence classes in an extended, gauged Hilbert space, thereby broadening the traditional understanding of symmetry transformations in quantum theory. Our generalized theorem applies irrespective of the origin of the (non)invertible symmetry, holds in arbitrary spatial dimensions, and is independent of the Hamiltonian or action. We explore its physical consequences and, using simple model systems, illustrate how the distinction between invertible and non-invertible symmetries can sometimes be tied to the choice of boundary conditions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magnon heat transport in a two-dimensional Mott insulator

Whether or not anomalies in the thermal conductivity in insulating cuprates can be attributed to antiferromagnetic order and magnons in a 2D Mott insulator remains an intriguing open question. To shed light on this issue, we investigate the thermal conductivity $\kappa$ and its relationship with the specific heat $c_v$ in the half-filled 2D single-band Hubbard model, using the numerically exact determinant quantum Monte Carlo algorithm and maximum entropy analytic continuation. At low temperatures where the charge degrees of freedom are gapped-out and $c_v$ exhibits a clear magnon peak, we observe that thermal conductivity $\kappa$ also tends to form a peak at similar temperatures. Reducing temperature further produces a sharp upturn in $\kappa$, associated with an increasing mean-free path. Here we identify this as the high-temperature side of the anomalous peak in insulating cuprates, where the mean-free path eventually is cut-off by other scattering effects, including phonons, disorder, and physical size. Different scattering effects in our model are identified and analyzed in the thermal diffusivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Universal relation between doping content and normal-state resistance in gate voltage tuned ultrathin Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 + x flakes

We report gate voltage tunable ultra-thin high-T c cuprates supply a unique platform to investigate the electronic phase diagram and superconductor-insulator transition. One of the challenges in this field is the precise determination of the doping content in the underdoped non-superconducting region. Here we report the discovery of a universal relation between the doping content p and the normal-state resistance at a fixed temperature R(T f ), p = α + β ln[1/R(T f )], in the ultra-thin Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x flakes. The in-depth analysis shows that the evolution of carrier scattering probability with doping content and the change of effective mass caused by superconductor-insulator transition are two key factors leading to this logarithmic relation. Based on our finding, the more precise electronic phase diagram can be established. In addition, the superconductor-insulator transition is verified to be a quantum phase transition using a finite size scaling analysis. The scaling exponent z v is found to have a close correlation with the disorder levels. The present result provides an important foundation to investigate the fascinating electronic states in the ultra-thin cuprates.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Nanoscale Conductivity Imaging of Correlated Electronic States in WSe 2 /WS 2 Moiré Superlattices

We report the nanoscale conductivity imaging of correlated electronic states in angle-aligned WSe 2 /WS 2 heterostructures using microwave impedance microscopy. Here, the noncontact microwave probe allows us to observe the Mott insulating state with one hole per moiré unit cell that persists for temperatures up to 150 K, consistent with other characterization techniques. In addition, we identify for the first time a Mott insulating state at one electron per moiré unit cell. Appreciable inhomogeneity of the correlated states is directly visualized in the hetero-bilayer region, indicative of local disorders in the moiré superlattice potential or electrostatic doping. Our work provides important insights on 2D moiré systems down to the microscopic level.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Hybrid Basis and Multi-Center Grid Method for Strong-Field Processes

We present a time-dependent framework that combines a hybrid basis, consisting of Gaussian-type orbitals (GTOs) and finite-element discrete-variable representation (FEDVR) functions, with a multicenter grid to simulate strong-field and attosecond dynamics in atoms and molecules. The method incorporates the construction of the orthonormal hybrid basis, the evaluation of electronic integrals, a unitary time-propagation scheme, and the extraction of optical and photoelectron observables. Its accuracy and robustness are benchmarked on one-electron systems such as atomic hydrogen and the dihydrogen cation (H$^+_2$) through comparisons with essentially-exact reference results for bound-state energies, high-harmonic generation spectra, photoionization cross sections, and photoelectron momentum distributions. This work establishes the groundwork for its integration with quantum-chemistry methods, which is already operational but will be detailed in future work, thereby enabling ab initio simulations of correlated polyatomic systems in intense ultrafast laser fields.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Properties of the Top Quark

Recent measurements of the properties of the top quark at the CERN Large Hadron Collider are discussed. The results were measured for single and top quark pair production in their final states, including jets with either one or two leptons or only in hadronic final states. Top quark properties include angular correlations, top quark spin correlations, mass, and width. When looking towards the future, top quark properties open new and even interdisciplinary avenues for probing quantum information science.

top precision frontier↗