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Skyrmion Fractional Chern Insulator: An Intrinsically Multiband Route to Fractionalization in Rhombohedral Graphene
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Tixuan Tan,
Patrick J. Ledwith,
Zhengyan Darius Shi,
Trithep Devakul
Abstract:
We propose an unconventional microscopic origin for the fractional quantum anomalous Hall (FQAH) effect in rhombohedral graphene moiré superlattices: skyrmion fractionalization. We view the state at filling $ν<1$ as a metal of skyrmion vacancies, charge $+e$ objects formed by removing layer-pseudospin skyrmions from the interaction-generated skyrmion lattice Chern insulator at $ν=1$. These vacanci…
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We propose an unconventional microscopic origin for the fractional quantum anomalous Hall (FQAH) effect in rhombohedral graphene moiré superlattices: skyrmion fractionalization. We view the state at filling $ν<1$ as a metal of skyrmion vacancies, charge $+e$ objects formed by removing layer-pseudospin skyrmions from the interaction-generated skyrmion lattice Chern insulator at $ν=1$. These vacancies are intrinsically multiband degrees of freedom, absent in single Chern band-projected studies. Building on a recently proposed ideal limit, we first develop an effective field theory showing that skyrmion vacancies can themselves fractionalize, thereby inducing charge fractionalization. Focusing on $ν=\frac{2}{3}$, we then construct explicit variational trial wavefunctions for the resulting skyrmion fractional Chern insulator and provide numerical evidence, together with general arguments, showing that this process is energetically favored. Our results establish a realistic route to the FQAH that does not rely on a partially filled Chern band, but instead arises from fractionalization of collective pseudospin textures.
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Submitted 14 August, 2026;
originally announced August 2026.
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Anyon Crystals and Hall Crystals in a Periodic Potential
Authors:
Sayak Bhattacharjee,
Julian May-Mann,
Srinivas Raghu
Abstract:
We obtain integer and fractional quantum Hall crystals as ground states of a two-dimensional electron system subject to a strong perpendicular magnetic field and a periodic potential. For certain fractional states, we show that the Hall crystal can constitute an anyon crystal, with a periodic ordering of well-defined anyons. We find that the latter states can be stabilized at odd denominator Landa…
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We obtain integer and fractional quantum Hall crystals as ground states of a two-dimensional electron system subject to a strong perpendicular magnetic field and a periodic potential. For certain fractional states, we show that the Hall crystal can constitute an anyon crystal, with a periodic ordering of well-defined anyons. We find that the latter states can be stabilized at odd denominator Landau level filling fractions when Landau level mixing is sufficiently weak, and near half-filling of the underlying lattice. These phases are obtained from a mean-field analysis of an effective lattice model of bosons attached to an odd number of flux quanta, which transmutes their statistics to that of electrons. In boson coordinates, the Hall crystal is a supersolid: a superfluid with charge order. Under strong interactions, vortex-anti-vortex pairs spontaneously nucleate in the supersolid, realizing a crystalline state of anyons.
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Submitted 21 July, 2026;
originally announced July 2026.
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Fermiology and the Candidate Chiral Superconductor in Rhombohedral Tetralayer Graphene
Authors:
Sandesh S. Kalantre,
Ben H. Alexander,
Julian May-Mann,
Jonah Herzog-Arbeitman,
Marisa Hocking,
Qingrui Cao,
Kenji Watanabe,
Takashi Taniguchi,
David Goldhaber-Gordon,
Andrew J. Mannix,
Trithep Devakul,
Yves H. Kwan,
Daniel E. Parker,
Aaron Sharpe
Abstract:
Chiral superconductivity, in which the phase of the superconducting order parameter winds in momentum space, has long been sought for its close link to topological superconductivity. Recent work reported a superconductor in rhombohedral multilayer graphene emerging from a time-reversal symmetry broken normal state, suggesting that it could be a chiral superconductor. However, the possibility of ch…
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Chiral superconductivity, in which the phase of the superconducting order parameter winds in momentum space, has long been sought for its close link to topological superconductivity. Recent work reported a superconductor in rhombohedral multilayer graphene emerging from a time-reversal symmetry broken normal state, suggesting that it could be a chiral superconductor. However, the possibility of chirality depends on the symmetry and structure of the normal-state Fermi surface, which have not been directly measured. Here we measure quantum oscillations in rhombohedral tetralayer graphene over a broad range of the phase diagram, including the superconducting region. At densities well above the onset of superconductivity, we reproduce previously-reported oscillations consistent with a spin- and valley-polarized quarter metal with a single simply-connected Fermi pocket. As the carrier density is reduced, we find a transition to a complex "multitone" state that persists through the superconducting region. This state's spectrum of quantum oscillations is incompatible with a simply-connected quarter metal. The next-simplest candidate normal states suggested by our microscopic modeling (fully-polarized annular, nematic, and three-pocket states) are inconsistent with our measurements, albeit difficult to rule out entirely. The normal state is thus seen to be richer than previously envisaged, reshaping the search for the superconducting mechanism and the possible chirality of the pairing channel.
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Submitted 3 June, 2026;
originally announced June 2026.
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Mesoscopic transport in a Chern mosaic
Authors:
Sayak Bhattacharjee,
Julian May-Mann,
Yves H. Kwan,
Trithep Devakul,
Aaron Sharpe
Abstract:
We analyze mesoscopic electronic transport in a Chern mosaic: a regular pattern of domains whose electronic bands carry differing local Chern numbers. An example platform where a Chern mosaic can arise is a moiré heterostructure, where variations in the local moiré parameters can produce such domains. We compute resistances at linear response for a variety of domain wall network geometries at zero…
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We analyze mesoscopic electronic transport in a Chern mosaic: a regular pattern of domains whose electronic bands carry differing local Chern numbers. An example platform where a Chern mosaic can arise is a moiré heterostructure, where variations in the local moiré parameters can produce such domains. We compute resistances at linear response for a variety of domain wall network geometries at zero temperature and magnetic field. Simple domain configurations can exhibit zero, integer, or fractional multiples of the quantum of resistance in both the longitudinal and transverse (Hall) responses. Our simple semi-classical analysis provides a useful computational method and comparative catalog for ongoing experiments in two-dimensional topological materials.
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Submitted 22 April, 2026; v1 submitted 9 April, 2026;
originally announced April 2026.
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Composite boson theory of Hall crystals and their transitions to Wigner crystals
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Sayak Bhattacharjee,
Srinivas Raghu
Abstract:
We consider the crystallization of a two-dimensional electron system in a perpendicular magnetic field using composite boson theory. There are three possible states to consider: the Hall liquid, the Wigner crystal, and the Hall crystal (a state with both broken translation symmetry and a quantized Hall response). Within composite boson theory, these states map onto a superconductor, a Mott insulat…
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We consider the crystallization of a two-dimensional electron system in a perpendicular magnetic field using composite boson theory. There are three possible states to consider: the Hall liquid, the Wigner crystal, and the Hall crystal (a state with both broken translation symmetry and a quantized Hall response). Within composite boson theory, these states map onto a superconductor, a Mott insulator, and a supersolid of composite bosons respectively. We show that when a $ν= 1$ Hall liquid has a sufficiently soft roton, there is a first order transition to a triangular lattice Hall crystal. If we continue to decrease the roton mass, there is a continuous transition from the Hall crystal to a Wigner crystal. {When the Hall crystal exhibits the integer quantum Hall effect,} this transition {is} described by a free Dirac fermion and, at the critical point, the coupling to the phonons of the crystal is irrelevant, {in the {renormalization group} sense}. We extend this analysis to fractional $ν= 1/m$ Hall liquids. There, due to kinetic frustration arising from flux attachment, honeycomb lattice Hall crystals are preferred over triangular ones at intermediate interaction strength.
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Submitted 15 March, 2026;
originally announced March 2026.
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Evidence of intertwined pair density and charge density wave orders in UTe2
Authors:
Zhen Zhu,
Yudi Huang,
Julian May-Mann,
Kaiming Liu,
Zheyu Wu,
Shanta R. Saha,
Johnpierre Paglione,
Alexander G. Eaton,
Andrej Cabala,
Michal Vališka,
Eduardo Fradkin,
Vidya Madhavan
Abstract:
The strongly correlated spin-triplet superconductor UTe2 hosts an unusual landscape of magnetic-field-sensitive charge density wave (CDW) phases, positioning it as a compelling system for studying intertwined electronic orders. A central challenge is determining whether the observed charge modulations arise from a triplet pair density wave (PDW) order and, if so, how the anisotropic magnetic field…
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The strongly correlated spin-triplet superconductor UTe2 hosts an unusual landscape of magnetic-field-sensitive charge density wave (CDW) phases, positioning it as a compelling system for studying intertwined electronic orders. A central challenge is determining whether the observed charge modulations arise from a triplet pair density wave (PDW) order and, if so, how the anisotropic magnetic field response of triplet superconductivity is manifested in the CDW response. Here, using a scanning tunneling microscope equipped with a vector magnetic field, we systematically investigate the evolution and interrelation of distinct CDW orders. Complementing the previously identified incommensurate CDW peaks (qi=1,2,3), we resolve an additional set of nondispersive modulations (pi=1,2,3 and h1,2) with distinct temperature and magnetic field dependencies. The pi CDW peaks vanish near Tc, while the qi peaks survive well above Tc but are progressively suppressed by magnetic field in an anisotropic manner. The critical fields of the qi peaks mirror the directional hierarchy of Hc2, which suggests a PDW is present above the bulk Tc. This is consistent with a Landau free-energy picture where PDWs with wavevectors pi form above the bulk Tc, leading to composite CDW orders with wavevector qi. Below Tc, the coupling of PDWs and uniform superconductivity leads to the pi CDWs. Together, these findings establish UTe2 as a rare platform where both the parent PDW and descendant orders are directly resolved, enabling access to both the fundamental and emergent manifestations of PDW physics.
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Submitted 25 June, 2026; v1 submitted 9 March, 2026;
originally announced March 2026.
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Incommensurate pair-density-wave correlations in two-leg ladder $t$--$J$--$J_\perp$ model
Authors:
Hanbit Oh,
Julian May-Mann,
Ya-Hui Zhang
Abstract:
We report the discovery of a generalized Luther-Emery liquid phase characterized by incommensurate pair-density-wave (iC-PDW) correlations in the two-leg $t$-$J$-$J_\perp$ ladder model. By tuning the potential difference between the legs, we explore the regime of intermediate layer polarization $P$. Combining density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations with bosonization analysis, we id…
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We report the discovery of a generalized Luther-Emery liquid phase characterized by incommensurate pair-density-wave (iC-PDW) correlations in the two-leg $t$-$J$-$J_\perp$ ladder model. By tuning the potential difference between the legs, we explore the regime of intermediate layer polarization $P$. Combining density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations with bosonization analysis, we identify a spin-gapped phase at finite $P$, where the interlayer and intralayer pair correlations both oscillate, but with distinct periodicities. The interlayer correlations exhibit FFLO-like oscillations, driven by pairing between layers with mismatched Fermi momenta, with a period determined by their momentum difference. In contrast, the intralayer pair correlations arise from the coupling between charges on one layer and spin fluctuations on the opposite layer, with a momentum equal to twice the Fermi momentum of the opposite layer. The iC-PDW state is robust across a wide range of doping and polarization, although finite interlayer hopping eventually destabilizes it toward a state with charge-$4e$ correlations. We conclude by discussing the experimental realization of this model in optical lattice platforms and its relevance to the bilayer nickelate La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$.
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Submitted 4 February, 2026;
originally announced February 2026.
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Disorder-induced fractionalization of pair density waves
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Akshat Pandey,
Steven A. Kivelson
Abstract:
We investigate the effects of disorder on a system that in the clean limit is a pair density wave (PDW) superconductor. The charge order of the clean PDW is inevitably lost (via Imry-Ma), but the fate of the superconducting order is less clear. Here, we consider a strongly inhomogeneous limit in which the system consists of a random collection of PDW puddles embedded in a metallic background. When…
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We investigate the effects of disorder on a system that in the clean limit is a pair density wave (PDW) superconductor. The charge order of the clean PDW is inevitably lost (via Imry-Ma), but the fate of the superconducting order is less clear. Here, we consider a strongly inhomogeneous limit in which the system consists of a random collection of PDW puddles embedded in a metallic background. When the puddles are dilute, they become phase coherent at low temperatures, resulting in a state that is macroscopically equivalent to a charge-$2e$ $s$-wave superconductor. This can be viewed as an example of ``order parameter fractionalization'' -- the PDW order splits into a charge-2e s-wave superconductor and a charge density wave, the latter of which is destroyed by disorder -- and stands in contrast to the ``vestigial'' charge-4e superconductivity which has been proposed to arise in weakly disordered PDWs.
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Submitted 24 September, 2025;
originally announced September 2025.
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Link between thermodynamic correlation signatures and superconductivity in twisted trilayer graphene
Authors:
Jesse C. Hoke,
Yifan Li,
Yuwen Hu,
Julian May-Mann,
Kenji Watanabe,
Takashi Taniguchi,
Trithep Devakul,
Aaron Sharpe,
Benjamin E. Feldman
Abstract:
Twisted graphene multilayers exhibit strong electronic correlations, which manifest in a range of experimental signatures. Yet how these signatures relate to each other and the microscopic ground states-and how twist angle and band structure reshape them-remains poorly understood. Here we study this interplay by correlating local thermodynamic and transport measurements in a twisted trilayer graph…
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Twisted graphene multilayers exhibit strong electronic correlations, which manifest in a range of experimental signatures. Yet how these signatures relate to each other and the microscopic ground states-and how twist angle and band structure reshape them-remains poorly understood. Here we study this interplay by correlating local thermodynamic and transport measurements in a twisted trilayer graphene (TTG) sample with unequal angles and flat electronic bands. We use a scanning single-electron transistor to map the impact of electron-electron interactions in a region of the sample where the local twist angle evolves smoothly. We observe gapped correlated insulators and a sawtooth in electronic compressibility, both exhibiting pronounced electron-hole (e-h) asymmetry with distinct magic angles for conduction and valence bands. Subsequent transport measurements in the same region reveal robust superconductivity with a similar e-h asymmetry. Our measurements indicate that superconductivity is not directly tied to the correlated insulators. Instead, its critical temperature correlates closely with the strength of the sawtooth in compressibility, suggesting a common origin or link between the two. By combining a local probe with transport measurements, we uncover connections between superconductivity and thermodynamic correlation signatures that are not apparent from either technique in isolation, highlighting the power of our dual approach and establishing their dependence on interlayer twist angles in TTG.
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Submitted 18 July, 2026; v1 submitted 9 September, 2025;
originally announced September 2025.
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Magic continuum in multi-moiré twisted trilayer graphene
Authors:
Li-Qiao Xia,
Aviram Uri,
Jiaojie Yan,
Aaron Sharpe,
Filippo Gaggioli,
Nicole S. Ticea,
Julian May-Mann,
Kenji Watanabe,
Takashi Taniguchi,
Liang Fu,
Trithep Devakul,
Jurgen H. Smet,
Pablo Jarillo-Herrero
Abstract:
Moiré lattices provide a highly tunable platform for exploring the interplay between electronic correlations and band topology. Introducing a second moiré pattern extends this paradigm: interference between the two moiré patterns produces a supermoiré modulation, opening a route to further tailor electronic properties. Twisted trilayer graphene generally exemplifies such a system: two distinct moi…
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Moiré lattices provide a highly tunable platform for exploring the interplay between electronic correlations and band topology. Introducing a second moiré pattern extends this paradigm: interference between the two moiré patterns produces a supermoiré modulation, opening a route to further tailor electronic properties. Twisted trilayer graphene generally exemplifies such a system: two distinct moiré patterns arise from the relative twists between adjacent graphene layers. Here, we report the observation of correlated phenomena across a wide range of twisted trilayer graphene devices whose twist angles lie along two continuous lines in the twist-angle parameter space. Depending on the degree of lattice relaxation, twisted trilayer graphene falls into two classes: moiré polycrystals, composed of periodic domains with locally commensurate moiré order, and moiré quasicrystals, characterized by smoothly varying local moiré configurations. In helically twisted moiré polycrystals, we observe an anomalous Hall effect, consistent with topological bands arising from domains with broken $xy$-inversion symmetry. In contrast, superconductivity appears generically in our moiré quasicrystals. A subset of these systems exhibits signatures of spatially modulated superconductivity, which we attribute to the supermoiré structure. Our findings uncover the organizing principles of the observed correlated phases in twisted trilayer graphene, highlight the critical roles of the supermoiré modulation and lattice relaxation, and suggest a broader framework in which magic conditions arise not as isolated points but as extended manifolds within the multi-dimensional twist-angle space of complex moiré materials.
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Submitted 3 September, 2025;
originally announced September 2025.
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High spin, low spin or gapped spins: magnetism in the bilayer nickelates
Authors:
Hanbit Oh,
Yi-Ming Wu,
Julian May-Mann,
Yijun Yu,
Harold Y. Hwang,
Ya-Hui Zhang,
S. Raghu
Abstract:
Inspired by the recent discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in bilayer nickelates, we investigate the role of magnetism emerging from a hypothetical insulating $d^8$ parent state. We demonstrate that due to the interplay of superexchange and Hund's coupling, the system can be in a high-spin, low-spin or spin-gapped state. The low-spin state has singlets across the bilayer in the…
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Inspired by the recent discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in bilayer nickelates, we investigate the role of magnetism emerging from a hypothetical insulating $d^8$ parent state. We demonstrate that due to the interplay of superexchange and Hund's coupling, the system can be in a high-spin, low-spin or spin-gapped state. The low-spin state has singlets across the bilayer in the $d_{z^2}$ orbital, with charge carriers in the $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbital. Thus, at low energy scales, it behaves as an effective one band system when hole doped. By contrast, the high-spin state is a more robust, spin-1 antiferromagnet. Using Hartree-Fock methods, we find that for fixed interaction strength and doping, high-spin magnetism remains more robust than the low-spin counterpart. Whether this implies that the high spin state provides a stronger pairing glue, or more strongly competes with superconductivity remains an open question. Our analysis therefore underscores the importance of identifying the spin state for understanding superconductivity in nickelates.
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Submitted 3 February, 2026; v1 submitted 23 June, 2025;
originally announced June 2025.
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Shot noise in strongly correlated double quantum spin Hall edges
Authors:
Andreas Tsantilas,
Trithep Devakul,
Julian May-Mann
Abstract:
We consider the effects of interactions on the edges of ``double" quantum spin Hall insulators (DQSHIs), motivated by recent experiments on moiré twisted metal dichalcogenides. Without interactions, a DQSHI can be understood as two copies of a conventional quantum spin Hall insulator. If interactions are present and $s^z$-spin is conserved, we show that there are two possible phases for the DQSHI…
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We consider the effects of interactions on the edges of ``double" quantum spin Hall insulators (DQSHIs), motivated by recent experiments on moiré twisted metal dichalcogenides. Without interactions, a DQSHI can be understood as two copies of a conventional quantum spin Hall insulator. If interactions are present and $s^z$-spin is conserved, we show that there are two possible phases for the DQSHI edge. First is a weakly correlated edge which has two pairs of helical modes and is adiabatically equivalent to two conventional quantum spin Hall edges. Second is a strongly correlated edge with only one pair of helical modes. The strongly correlated edge also has a gap to single electrons, but is gapless to pairs of electrons. In a quantum point contact geometry, this single-electron gap leads to a Fano factor of $2$ in shot noise measurements, compared to a Fano factor of $1$ for a weakly correlated edge.
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Submitted 14 January, 2026; v1 submitted 28 April, 2025;
originally announced April 2025.
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How pairing mechanism dictates topology in valley-polarized superconductors with Berry curvature
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Tobias Helbig,
Trithep Devakul
Abstract:
We investigate how the pairing mechanism influences topological superconductivity in valley-polarized systems with Berry curvature. We demonstrate that short-range attractive interactions, such as those mediated by phonons, favor superconducting states where the Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) Chern number has the same sign as the Berry curvature. In contrast, overscreened repulsive interactions, as in…
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We investigate how the pairing mechanism influences topological superconductivity in valley-polarized systems with Berry curvature. We demonstrate that short-range attractive interactions, such as those mediated by phonons, favor superconducting states where the Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) Chern number has the same sign as the Berry curvature. In contrast, overscreened repulsive interactions, as in the Kohn-Luttinger mechanism, favor superconducting states where the BdG Chern number has the opposite sign as the Berry curvature. We establish these trends in a fully controlled limit and apply them to a recently reported chiral superconductor in rhombohedral multilayer graphene. Our theory provides a concrete experimental criterion for distinguishing between different pairing mechanisms in valley-polarized topological superconductors.
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Submitted 7 March, 2025;
originally announced March 2025.
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Imaging supermoiré relaxation in helical trilayer graphene
Authors:
Jesse C. Hoke,
Yifan Li,
Yuwen Hu,
Julian May-Mann,
Kenji Watanabe,
Takashi Taniguchi,
Trithep Devakul,
Benjamin E. Feldman
Abstract:
In twisted van der Waals materials, local atomic relaxation can alter the underlying electronic structure. Characterizing lattice reconstruction and its susceptibility to strain is essential for understanding emergent electronic states, especially in multilayers in which interference between moiré lattices yields larger supermoiré patterns whose energy is highly sensitive to local stacking. Here w…
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In twisted van der Waals materials, local atomic relaxation can alter the underlying electronic structure. Characterizing lattice reconstruction and its susceptibility to strain is essential for understanding emergent electronic states, especially in multilayers in which interference between moiré lattices yields larger supermoiré patterns whose energy is highly sensitive to local stacking. Here we image spatial modulations in the electronic character of helical trilayer graphene, which indicate relaxation into a superstructure of large domains with uniform moiré periodicity. We show that the supermoiré domain size is increased by strain and can be altered in the same device while preserving the local properties within each domain. Finally, we observe a higher conductance at the domain boundaries, consistent with predictions that they host counter-propagating edge modes. Our work provides a real-space visualization of moiré-periodic domains, reveals two independently tunable length scales and demonstrates strain engineering as a route towards designing correlated topological networks at the supermoiré scale.
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Submitted 24 January, 2026; v1 submitted 21 October, 2024;
originally announced October 2024.
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Wavefunction approach to the fractional anomalous Hall crystal
Authors:
Tixuan Tan,
Julian May-Mann,
Trithep Devakul
Abstract:
We propose fractional anomalous Hall crystals (FAHCs) as possible ground states of strongly interacting electrons in parent bands with Berry curvature. FAHCs are exotic states of matter that spontaneously break continuous translation symmetry to form a fractional Chern insulator. We construct a unified family of variational wavefunctions that describe FAHCs and their competing states in the presen…
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We propose fractional anomalous Hall crystals (FAHCs) as possible ground states of strongly interacting electrons in parent bands with Berry curvature. FAHCs are exotic states of matter that spontaneously break continuous translation symmetry to form a fractional Chern insulator. We construct a unified family of variational wavefunctions that describe FAHCs and their competing states in the presence of uniform parent Berry curvature. We calculate their variational energy with Coulomb interactions semi-analytically in the thermodynamic limit. Our analysis reveals that FAHCs can be energetically favorable over both Wigner crystals and integer anomalous Hall crystals for sufficiently strong interactions or flat dispersion.
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Submitted 10 September, 2024;
originally announced September 2024.
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Revealing the hidden Dirac gap in a topological antiferromagnet using Floquet-Bloch manipulation
Authors:
Nina Bielinski,
Rajas Chari,
Julian May-Mann,
Soyeun Kim,
Jack Zwettler,
Yujun Deng,
Anuva Aishwarya,
Subhajit Roychowdhury,
Chandra Shekhar,
Makoto Hashimoto,
Donghui Lu,
Jiaqiang Yan,
Claudia Felser,
Vidya Madhavan,
Zhi-Xun Shen,
Taylor L. Hughes,
Fahad Mahmood
Abstract:
Manipulating solids using the time-periodic drive of a laser pulse is a promising route to generate new phases of matter. Whether such `Floquet-Bloch' manipulation can be achieved in topological magnetic systems with disorder has so far been unclear. In this work, we realize Floquet-Bloch manipulation of the Dirac surface-state mass of the topological antiferromagnet (AFM) MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. Using ti…
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Manipulating solids using the time-periodic drive of a laser pulse is a promising route to generate new phases of matter. Whether such `Floquet-Bloch' manipulation can be achieved in topological magnetic systems with disorder has so far been unclear. In this work, we realize Floquet-Bloch manipulation of the Dirac surface-state mass of the topological antiferromagnet (AFM) MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. Using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (tr-ARPES), we show that opposite helicities of mid-infrared circularly polarized light result in substantially different Dirac mass gaps in the AFM phase, despite the equilibrium Dirac cone being massless. We explain our findings in terms of a Dirac fermion with a random mass. Our results underscore Floquet-Bloch manipulation as a powerful tool for controlling topology even in the presence of disorder, and for uncovering properties of materials that may elude conventional probes.
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Submitted 26 May, 2024;
originally announced May 2024.
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Theory of Half-Integer Fractional Quantum Spin Hall Insulator Edges
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Ady Stern,
Trithep Devakul
Abstract:
We study the edges of fractional quantum spin Hall insulators (FQSH) with half-integer spin Hall conductance. These states can be viewed as symmetric combinations of a spin-up and spin-down half-integer fractional quantum Hall state (FQH) that are time-reversal invariant, and conserve the z-component of spin. We consider the non-Abelian states based on the Pfaffian, anti-Pfaffian, PH-Pfaffian, and…
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We study the edges of fractional quantum spin Hall insulators (FQSH) with half-integer spin Hall conductance. These states can be viewed as symmetric combinations of a spin-up and spin-down half-integer fractional quantum Hall state (FQH) that are time-reversal invariant, and conserve the z-component of spin. We consider the non-Abelian states based on the Pfaffian, anti-Pfaffian, PH-Pfaffian, and 221 FQH, and generic Abelian FQH. For strong enough spin-conserving interactions, we find that all the non-Abelian and Abelian edges flow to the same fixed point that consists of a single pair of charged counter-propagating bosonic modes. If spin-conservation is broken, the Abelian edge can be fully gapped in a time-reversal symmetric fashion. The non-Abelian edge with broken spin-conservation remains gapless due to time-reversal symmetry, and can flow to a new fixed point with a helical gapless pair of Majorana fermions. We discuss the possible relevance of our results to the recent observation of a half-integer edge conductance in twisted MoTe2.
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Submitted 4 March, 2024;
originally announced March 2024.
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Crystalline axion electrodynamics in charge-ordered Dirac semimetals
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Mark R. Hirsbrunner,
Lei Gioia,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Three-dimensional Dirac semimetals can be driven into an insulating state by coupling to a charge density wave (CDW) order. Here, we consider the quantized crystalline responses of such charge-ordered Dirac semimetals, which we dub Dirac-CDW insulators, in which charge is bound to disclination defects of the lattice. Using analytic and numeric methods we show the following. First, when the CDW is…
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Three-dimensional Dirac semimetals can be driven into an insulating state by coupling to a charge density wave (CDW) order. Here, we consider the quantized crystalline responses of such charge-ordered Dirac semimetals, which we dub Dirac-CDW insulators, in which charge is bound to disclination defects of the lattice. Using analytic and numeric methods we show the following. First, when the CDW is lattice-commensurate, disclination-line defects of the lattice have a quantized charge per length. Second, when the CDW is inversion-symmetric, disclinations of the lattice have a quantized electric polarization. Third, when the CDW is lattice-commensurate and inversion-symmetric, disclinations are characterized by a "disclination filling anomaly" -- a quantized difference in the total charge bound to disclination-lines of Dirac-CDW with open and periodic boundaries. We construct an effective response theory that captures the topological responses of the Dirac-CDW insulators in terms of a total derivative term, denoted the $R\wedge F$ term. The $R\wedge F$ term describes the crystalline analog of the axion electrodynamics that are found in Weyl semimetal-CDW insulators. We also use the crystalline responses and corresponding response theories to classify the strongly correlated topological phases of three-dimensions Dirac-semimetals.
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Submitted 4 March, 2024; v1 submitted 29 February, 2024;
originally announced March 2024.
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Stability of quasiperiodic superconductors
Authors:
Nicole Sabina Ticea,
Julian May-Mann,
Jiewen Xiao,
Erez Berg,
Trithep Devakul
Abstract:
We study the effects of quasiperiodicity on the stability of conventional and unconventional superconductors. Quasiperiodicity is modelled using the three-dimensional Aubry-Andre model, a system in which electrons are coupled to a translation-symmetry-breaking potential that is incommensurate with the underlying lattice. Upon increasing the strength of the quasiperiodic potential, the single-parti…
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We study the effects of quasiperiodicity on the stability of conventional and unconventional superconductors. Quasiperiodicity is modelled using the three-dimensional Aubry-Andre model, a system in which electrons are coupled to a translation-symmetry-breaking potential that is incommensurate with the underlying lattice. Upon increasing the strength of the quasiperiodic potential, the single-particle eigenstates undergo a transition from a ballistic to a diffusive character. Here, we study the instability of the model towards superconductivity. We find that in the ballistic regime, the system is unstable towards both $s$-wave and $p$-wave superconductivity. In contrast, only the conventional $s$-wave instability survives in the intermediate diffusive regime. Our results suggest a version of Anderson's theorem for quasiperiodic systems, relating the normal state dynamics to the stability of conventional and unconventional superconductivity. These findings are relevant vis-a-vis recent studies of superconductivity in quasiperiodic moire structures.
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Submitted 16 February, 2024;
originally announced February 2024.
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Multi-moiré trilayer graphene: lattice relaxation, electronic structure, and magic angles
Authors:
Charles Yang,
Julian May-Mann,
Ziyan Zhu,
Trithep Devakul
Abstract:
We systematically explore the structural and electronic properties of twisted trilayer graphene systems. In general, these systems are characterized by two twist angles, which lead to two incommensurate moiré periods. We show that lattice relaxation results in the formation of domains of periodic single-moiré structures only for twist angles close to the simplest fractions. For the majority of oth…
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We systematically explore the structural and electronic properties of twisted trilayer graphene systems. In general, these systems are characterized by two twist angles, which lead to two incommensurate moiré periods. We show that lattice relaxation results in the formation of domains of periodic single-moiré structures only for twist angles close to the simplest fractions. For the majority of other twist angles, the incommensurate moiré periods lead to a quasicrystalline structure. We identify experimentally relevant magic angles at which the electronic density of states is sharply peaked and strongly correlated physics is most likely to be realized.
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Submitted 29 October, 2023; v1 submitted 19 October, 2023;
originally announced October 2023.
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Uncovering the spin ordering in magic-angle graphene via edge state equilibration
Authors:
Jesse C. Hoke,
Yifan Li,
Julian May-Mann,
Kenji Watanabe,
Takashi Taniguchi,
Barry Bradlyn,
Taylor L. Hughes,
Benjamin E. Feldman
Abstract:
Determining the symmetry breaking order of correlated quantum phases is essential for understanding the microscopic interactions in their host systems. The flat bands in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) provide an especially rich arena to investigate such interaction-driven ground states, and while progress has been made in identifying the correlated insulators and their excitations at…
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Determining the symmetry breaking order of correlated quantum phases is essential for understanding the microscopic interactions in their host systems. The flat bands in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) provide an especially rich arena to investigate such interaction-driven ground states, and while progress has been made in identifying the correlated insulators and their excitations at commensurate moire filling factors, the spin-valley polarizations of the topological states that emerge at high magnetic field remain unknown. Here we introduce a new technique based on twist-decoupled van der Waals layers that enables measurements of their electronic band structure and, by studying the backscattering between counter-propagating edge states, determination of relative spin polarization of the their edge modes. Applying this method to twist-decoupled MATBG and monolayer graphene, we find that the broken-symmetry quantum Hall states that extend from the charge neutrality point in MATBG are spin-unpolarized at even integer filling factors. The measurements also indicate that the correlated Chern insulator emerging from half filling of the flat valence band is spin-unpolarized, but suggest that its conduction band counterpart may be spin-polarized. Our results constrain models of spin-valley ordering in MATBG and establish a versatile approach to study the electronic properties of van der Waals systems.
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Submitted 23 April, 2024; v1 submitted 12 September, 2023;
originally announced September 2023.
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Atomic-Scale Visualization of a Cascade of Magnetic Orders in the Layered Antiferromagnet $GdTe_{3}$
Authors:
Arjun Raghavan,
Marisa Romanelli,
Julian May-Mann,
Anuva Aishwarya,
Leena Aggarwal,
Anisha G. Singh,
Maja D. Bachmann,
Leslie M. Schoop,
Eduardo Fradkin,
Ian R. Fisher,
Vidya Madhavan
Abstract:
$GdTe_{3}…
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$GdTe_{3}$ is a layered antiferromagnet which has attracted attention due to its exceptionally high mobility, distinctive unidirectional incommensurate charge density wave (CDW), superconductivity under pressure, and a cascade of magnetic transitions between 7 and 12 K, with as yet unknown order parameters. Here, we use spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy to directly image the charge and magnetic orders in $GdTe_{3}$. Below 7 K, we find a striped antiferromagnetic phase with twice the periodicity of the Gd lattice and perpendicular to the CDW. As we heat the sample, we discover a spin density wave with the same periodicity as the CDW between 7 and 12 K; the viability of this phase is supported by our Landau free energy model. Our work reveals the order parameters of the magnetic phases in $GdTe_{3}$ and shows how the interplay between charge and spin can generate a cascade of magnetic orders.
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Submitted 4 May, 2024; v1 submitted 29 August, 2023;
originally announced August 2023.
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Visualizing the melting of the charge density wave in UTe2 by generation of pairs of topological defects with opposite winding
Authors:
Anuva Aishwarya,
Julian May-Mann,
Avior Almoalem,
Sheng Ran,
Shanta R. Saha,
Johnpierre Paglione,
Nicholas P. Butch,
Eduardo Fradkin,
Vidya Madhavan
Abstract:
Topological defects are singularities in an ordered phase that can have a profound effect on phase transitions and serve as a window into the order parameter. In this work we use scanning tunneling microscopy to visualize the role of topological defects in the novel magnetic field induced disappearance of an intertwined charge density wave (CDW) in the heavy fermion superconductor, UTe2. By simult…
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Topological defects are singularities in an ordered phase that can have a profound effect on phase transitions and serve as a window into the order parameter. In this work we use scanning tunneling microscopy to visualize the role of topological defects in the novel magnetic field induced disappearance of an intertwined charge density wave (CDW) in the heavy fermion superconductor, UTe2. By simultaneously imaging the amplitude and phase of the CDW order, we reveal pairs of topological defects with positive and negative phase winding. The pairs are directly correlated with a zero CDW amplitude and increase in number with increasing magnetic field. These observations can be captured by a Ginzburg Landau model of a uniform superconductor coexisting with a pair density wave. A magnetic field generates vortices of the superconducting and pair density wave order which can create topological defects in the CDW and induce the experimentally observed melting of the CDW at the upper critical field. Our work reveals the important role of magnetic field generated topological defects in the melting the CDW order parameter in UTe2 and provides support for the existence of a parent pair density wave order on the surface of UTe2.
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Submitted 23 October, 2023; v1 submitted 15 June, 2023;
originally announced June 2023.
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Hierarchical hydrodynamics in long-range multipole-conserving systems
Authors:
Jacopo Gliozzi,
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes,
Giuseppe De Tomasi
Abstract:
This work investigates the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of dipole and higher-moment conserving systems with long-range interactions, drawing inspiration from trapped ion experiments in strongly tilted potentials. We introduce a hierarchical sequence of multipole-conserving models characterized by power-law decaying couplings. Although the moments are always globally conserved, adjusting the power-l…
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This work investigates the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of dipole and higher-moment conserving systems with long-range interactions, drawing inspiration from trapped ion experiments in strongly tilted potentials. We introduce a hierarchical sequence of multipole-conserving models characterized by power-law decaying couplings. Although the moments are always globally conserved, adjusting the power-law exponents of the couplings induces various regimes in which only a subset of multipole moments are effectively locally conserved. We examine the late-time hydrodynamics analytically and numerically using an effective classical framework, uncovering a rich dynamical phase diagram that includes subdiffusion, conventional diffusion, and Lévy flights. Our results are unified in an analytic reciprocal relationship that captures the nested hierarchy of hydrodynamics in multipole conserving systems where only a subset of the moments are locally conserved. Moreover, we extend our findings to higher dimensions and explore the emergence of long-time scales, reminiscent of pre-thermal regimes, in systems with low charge density. Lastly, we corroborate our results through state-of-the-art numerical simulations of a fully quantum long-range dipole-conserving system and discuss their relevance to trapped-ion experimental setups.
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Submitted 10 November, 2023; v1 submitted 24 April, 2023;
originally announced April 2023.
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Topological Field Theories of Three-Dimensional Rotation Symmetric Insulators: Coupling Curvature and Electromagnetism
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Mark R. Hirsbrunner,
Xuchen Cao,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Quantized responses are important tools for understanding and characterizing the universal features of topological phases of matter. In this work, we consider a class of topological crystalline insulators in $3$D with $C_n$ lattice rotation symmetry along a fixed axis, in addition to either mirror symmetry or particle-hole symmetry. These insulators can realize quantized mixed geometry-charge resp…
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Quantized responses are important tools for understanding and characterizing the universal features of topological phases of matter. In this work, we consider a class of topological crystalline insulators in $3$D with $C_n$ lattice rotation symmetry along a fixed axis, in addition to either mirror symmetry or particle-hole symmetry. These insulators can realize quantized mixed geometry-charge responses. When the surface of these insulators is gapped, disclinations on the surface carry a fractional charge that is half the minimal amount that can occur in purely $2$D systems. Similarly, disclination lines in the bulk carry a fractionally quantized electric polarization. These effects, and other related phenomena, are captured by a $3$D topological response term that couples the lattice curvature to the electromagnetic field strength. Additionally, mirror symmetric insulators with this response can be smoothly deformed into a higher-order octopole insulator with quantized corner charges. We also construct a symmetry indicator form for the topological invariant that describes the quantized response of the mirror symmetric topological crystalline insulators, and discuss an unusual response quantization in time-reversal breaking systems.
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Submitted 31 August, 2022;
originally announced September 2022.
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Magnetic-field sensitive charge density wave orders in the superconducting phase of UTe2
Authors:
Anuva Aishwarya,
Julian May-Mann,
Arjun Raghavan,
Laimei Nie,
Marisa Romanelli,
Sheng Ran,
Shanta R. Saha,
Johnpierre Paglione,
Nicholas P. Butch,
Eduardo Fradkin,
Vidya Madhavan
Abstract:
The intense interest in triplet superconductivity partly stems from theoretical predictions of exotic excitations such as non-abelian Majorana modes, chiral supercurrents, and half-quantum vortices. However, fundamentally new, and unexpected states may emerge when triplet superconductivity appears in a strongly correlated system. In this work we use scanning tunneling microscopy to reveal an unusu…
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The intense interest in triplet superconductivity partly stems from theoretical predictions of exotic excitations such as non-abelian Majorana modes, chiral supercurrents, and half-quantum vortices. However, fundamentally new, and unexpected states may emerge when triplet superconductivity appears in a strongly correlated system. In this work we use scanning tunneling microscopy to reveal an unusual charge density wave (CDW) order in the heavy fermion triplet superconductor, UTe2. Our high-resolution maps reveal a multi-component incommensurate CDW whose intensity get weaker with increasing field, eventually disappearing at the superconducting critical field, Hc2. To explain the origin and phenomenology of this unusual CDW, we construct a Ginzburg-Landau theory for a uniform triplet superconductor coexisting with three triplet pair density wave (PDW) states. This theory gives rise to daughter CDWs which would be sensitive to magnetic field due to their origin in a triplet PDW state, and naturally explains our data. Our discovery of a CDW sensitive to magnetic fields and strongly intertwined with superconductivity, provides important new information for understanding the order parameter of UTe2 and uncovers the possible existence of a new kind of triplet PDW order which has not been previously explored.
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Submitted 3 November, 2022; v1 submitted 19 July, 2022;
originally announced July 2022.
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Interaction Enabled Fractonic Higher-Order Topological Phases
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Yizhi You,
Taylor L. Hughes,
Zhen Bi
Abstract:
In this work, we present a collection of three-dimensional higher-order symmetry protected topological phases (HOSPTs) with gapless hinge modes that exist only in strongly interacting systems subject to subsystem symmetry constraints. We use a coupled wire construction to generate three families of microscopic lattice models: insulators with helical hinge modes, superconductors with chiral Majoran…
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In this work, we present a collection of three-dimensional higher-order symmetry protected topological phases (HOSPTs) with gapless hinge modes that exist only in strongly interacting systems subject to subsystem symmetry constraints. We use a coupled wire construction to generate three families of microscopic lattice models: insulators with helical hinge modes, superconductors with chiral Majorana hinge modes, and fractionalized insulators with helical hinge modes that carry fractional charge. In particular, these HOSPTs do not require spatial symmetry protection, but are instead protected by subsystem symmetries, and support "fractonic" quasiparticle excitations that move within only a low-dimensional sub-manifold of the system. We analyze the anomaly structure for the boundary theory and the entanglement Hamiltonian, and show that the side surfaces of these HOSPTs, despite being partially gapped, exhibit symmetry anomalies, and can only be realized as the boundary of three-dimensional HOSPT phases.
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Submitted 2 February, 2022;
originally announced February 2022.
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Crystalline Responses for Rotation-Invariant Higher-Order Topological Insulators
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Two-dimensional higher-order topological insulators can display a number of exotic phenomena such as half-integer charges localized at corners or disclination defects. In this paper, we analyze these phenomena, focusing on the paradigmatic example of the quadrupole insulator with $C_4$ rotation symmetry, and present a topological field theory description of the mixed geometry-charge responses. Our…
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Two-dimensional higher-order topological insulators can display a number of exotic phenomena such as half-integer charges localized at corners or disclination defects. In this paper, we analyze these phenomena, focusing on the paradigmatic example of the quadrupole insulator with $C_4$ rotation symmetry, and present a topological field theory description of the mixed geometry-charge responses. Our theory provides a unified description of the corner and disclination charges in terms of a physical geometry (which encodes disclinations), and an effective geometry (which encodes corners). We extend this analysis to interacting systems, and predict the response of fractional quadrupole insulators, which exhibit charge $e/2(2k+1)$ bound to corners and disclinations.
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Submitted 30 July, 2021;
originally announced August 2021.
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Topological Dipole Conserving Insulators and Multipolar Responses
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Higher order topological insulators (HOTIs) are a novel form of insulating quantum matter, which are characterized by having gapped boundaries that are separated by gapless corner or hinge states. Recently, it has been proposed that the essential features of a large class of HOTIs are captured by topological multipolar response theories. In this work, we show that these multipolar responses can be…
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Higher order topological insulators (HOTIs) are a novel form of insulating quantum matter, which are characterized by having gapped boundaries that are separated by gapless corner or hinge states. Recently, it has been proposed that the essential features of a large class of HOTIs are captured by topological multipolar response theories. In this work, we show that these multipolar responses can be realized in interacting lattice models, which conserve both charge and dipole. In this work we study several models in both the strongly interacting and mean-field limits. In $2$D we consider a ring-exchange model which exhibits a quadrupole response, and can be tuned to a $C_4$ symmetric higher order topological phase with half-integer quadrupole moment, as well as half-integer corner charges. We then extend this model to develop an analytic description of adiabatic dipole pumping in an interacting lattice model. The quadrupole moment changes during this pumping process, and if the process is periodic, we show the total change in the quadrupole moment is quantized as an integer. We also consider two interacting $3$D lattice models with chiral hinge modes. We show that the chiral hinge modes are heralds of a recently proposed "dipolar Chern-Simons" response, which is related to the quadrupole response by dimensional reduction. Interestingly, we find that in the mean field limit, both the $2$D and $3$D interacting models we consider here are equivalent to known models of non-interacting HOTIs (or boundary obstructed versions). The self-consistent mean-field theory treatment provides insight into the connection between free-fermion (mean-field) theories having vanishing polarization and interacting models where dipole moments are microscopically conserved.
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Submitted 26 February, 2021;
originally announced March 2021.
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Topology and the one-dimensional Kondo-Heisenberg model
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Ryan Levy,
Rodrigo Soto-Garrido,
Gil Young Cho,
Bryan K. Clark,
Eduardo Fradkin
Abstract:
The Kondo-Heinsberg chain is an interesting model of a strongly correlated system which has a broad superconducting state with pair-density wave (PDW) order. Some of us have recently proposed that this PDW state is a symmetry-protected topological (SPT) state, and the gapped spin sector of the model supports Majorana zero modes. In this work, we reexamine this problem using a combination of numeri…
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The Kondo-Heinsberg chain is an interesting model of a strongly correlated system which has a broad superconducting state with pair-density wave (PDW) order. Some of us have recently proposed that this PDW state is a symmetry-protected topological (SPT) state, and the gapped spin sector of the model supports Majorana zero modes. In this work, we reexamine this problem using a combination of numeric and analytic methods. In extensive density matrix renormalization group calculations, we find no evidence of a topological ground state degeneracy or the previously proposed Majorana zero modes in the PDW phase of this model. This result motivated us to reexamine the original arguments for the existence of the Majorana zero modes. A careful analysis of the effective continuum field theory of the model shows that the Hilbert space of the spin sector of the theory does not contain any single Majorana fermion excitations. This analysis shows that the PDW state of the doped 1D Kondo-Heisenberg model is not an SPT with Majorana zero modes.
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Submitted 4 February, 2020;
originally announced February 2020.
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Lieb Schultz Mattis-Type Theorems and Other Non-perturbative Results for Strongly Correlated Systems with Conserved Dipole Moments
Authors:
Oleg Dubinkin,
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Non-perturbative constraints on many body physics--such as the famous Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem--are valuable tools for studying strongly correlated systems. To this end, we present a number of non-perturbative results that constrain the low-energy physics of systems having conserved dipole moments. We find that for these systems, a unique translationally invariant gapped ground state is only po…
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Non-perturbative constraints on many body physics--such as the famous Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem--are valuable tools for studying strongly correlated systems. To this end, we present a number of non-perturbative results that constrain the low-energy physics of systems having conserved dipole moments. We find that for these systems, a unique translationally invariant gapped ground state is only possible if the polarization of the system is integer. Furthermore, if a lattice system also has $U(1)$ subsystem charge conservation symmetry, a unique gapped ground state is only possible if the particle filling along these subsystems is integer. We also apply these methods to spin systems, and determine criteria for the existence of a new type of magnetic response plateau in the presence of a non-uniform magnetic field. Finally, we formulate a version of Luttinger's theorem for 1D systems consisting of dipoles.
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Submitted 13 January, 2020;
originally announced January 2020.
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Twisted Kitaev Bilayers and the Moiré Ising Model
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
In recent years, there have been numerous examples of twisted bilayer systems that host remarkable physical properties that are not found in their untwisted counterparts. Motivated by this, we study the properties of twisted bilayers of the Kitaev honeycomb model in the Abelian spin liquid phase. We show that for strong, short-ranged, interlayer interactions, a super-lattice of non-Abelian defects…
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In recent years, there have been numerous examples of twisted bilayer systems that host remarkable physical properties that are not found in their untwisted counterparts. Motivated by this, we study the properties of twisted bilayers of the Kitaev honeycomb model in the Abelian spin liquid phase. We show that for strong, short-ranged, interlayer interactions, a super-lattice of non-Abelian defects forms in the twisted bilayer system. These non-Abelian defects are wormhole-like genons that allow anyons from one layer to tunnel to the other layer. We find that when a magnetic field is applied to the system, the low energy dynamics of the twisted bilayer system can be mapped onto four quantum Ising models arising from the degrees of freedom localized on the genon defects. At small twist angles, the Ising models are in a trivial paramagnetic phase, and at large twist angles, they are in a ferromagnetic phase.
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Submitted 23 October, 2019;
originally announced October 2019.
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Theory of Dipole Insulators
Authors:
Oleg Dubinkin,
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Insulating systems are characterized by their insensitivity to twisted boundary conditions as quantified by the charge stiffness and charge localization length. The latter quantity was shown to be related to the expectation value of the many-body position operator and serves as a universal criterion to distinguish between metals and insulators. In this work we extend these concepts to a new class…
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Insulating systems are characterized by their insensitivity to twisted boundary conditions as quantified by the charge stiffness and charge localization length. The latter quantity was shown to be related to the expectation value of the many-body position operator and serves as a universal criterion to distinguish between metals and insulators. In this work we extend these concepts to a new class of quantum systems having conserved charge and dipole moments. We refine the concept of a charge insulator by introducing notions of multipolar insulators, e.g., a charge insulator could be a dipole insulator or dipole metal. We develop a universal criterion to distinguish between these phases by extending the concept of charge stiffness and localization to analogous versions for multipole moments, but with our focus on dipoles. We are able relate the dipole localization scale to the expectation value of a recently introduced many-body quadrupole operator. This refined structure allows for the identification of phase transitions where charge remains localized but, e.g., dipoles delocalize. We illustrate the proposed criterion using several exactly solvable models that exemplify these concepts, and discuss a possible realization in cold-atom systems.
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Submitted 16 September, 2019;
originally announced September 2019.
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Corner Modes and Ground-State Degeneracy in Models with Gauge-Like Subsystem Symmetries
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Subsystem symmetries are intermediate between global and gauge symmetries. One can treat these symmetries either like global symmetries that act on subregions of a system, or gauge symmetries that act on the regions transverse to the regions acted upon by the symmetry. We show that this latter interpretation can lead to an understanding of global, topology-dependent features in systems with subsys…
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Subsystem symmetries are intermediate between global and gauge symmetries. One can treat these symmetries either like global symmetries that act on subregions of a system, or gauge symmetries that act on the regions transverse to the regions acted upon by the symmetry. We show that this latter interpretation can lead to an understanding of global, topology-dependent features in systems with subsystem symmetries. We demonstrate this with an exactly-solvable lattice model constructed from a 2D system of bosons coupled to a vector field with a 1D subsystem symmetry. The model is shown to host a robust ground state degeneracy that depends on the spatial topology of the underlying manifold, and localized zero energy modes on corners of the system. A continuum field theory description of these phenomena is derived in terms of an anisotropic, modified version of the Abelian K-matrix Chern-Simons field theory. We show that this continuum description can lead to geometric-type effects such as corner states and edge states whose character depends on the orientation of the edge.
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Submitted 26 December, 2018;
originally announced December 2018.
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Families of Gapped Interfaces Between Fractional Quantum Hall States
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Taylor L. Hughes
Abstract:
Some interfaces between two different topologically ordered systems can be gapped. In earlier work it has been shown that such gapped interfaces can themselves be effective one dimensional topological systems that possess localized topological modes in open boundary geometries. Here we focus on how this occurs in the context of an interface between two, single-component Laughlin states of opposite…
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Some interfaces between two different topologically ordered systems can be gapped. In earlier work it has been shown that such gapped interfaces can themselves be effective one dimensional topological systems that possess localized topological modes in open boundary geometries. Here we focus on how this occurs in the context of an interface between two, single-component Laughlin states of opposite chirality, and with filling fractions $ν_1=1/p$ and $ν_2=1/pn^2$. While one type of interface in such systems has been previously studied, we show that allowing for edge reconstruction effects opens up a wide variety of possible gapped interfaces depending on the number of divisors of $n.$ We apply a complementary description of the $ν_2=1/pn^2$ system in terms of Laughlin states coupled to a discrete gauge $\mathbb{Z}_n$ field. This enables us to identify possible interfaces to the $ν_1$ system based on complete or partial confinement of this gauge field. We determine the tunneling properties, ground state degeneracy, and the nature of the non-Abelian zero modes of each interface in order to physically distinguish them.
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Submitted 22 October, 2018; v1 submitted 8 October, 2018;
originally announced October 2018.
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Vanishing Hall Conductance in the Phase Glass Bose Metal at Zero Temperature
Authors:
Julian May-Mann,
Philip W. Phillips
Abstract:
Motivated in part by the numerical simulations [ky,kosterlitz1,kosterlitz2] which reveal that the energy to create a defect in a gauge or phase glass scales as $L^θ$ with $θ<0$ for 2D, thereby implying a vanishing stiffness, we re-examine the relevance of these kinds of models to the Bose metal in light of the new experiments [kapsym,armitage] which reveal that the Hall conductance is zero in the…
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Motivated in part by the numerical simulations [ky,kosterlitz1,kosterlitz2] which reveal that the energy to create a defect in a gauge or phase glass scales as $L^θ$ with $θ<0$ for 2D, thereby implying a vanishing stiffness, we re-examine the relevance of these kinds of models to the Bose metal in light of the new experiments [kapsym,armitage] which reveal that the Hall conductance is zero in the metallic state that disrupts the transition from the superconductor to the insulator in 2D samples. Because of the particle-hole symmetry in the phase glass model, we find that bosonic excitations in a phase glass background generate no Hall conductance at the Gaussian level. Furthermore, this result persists to any order in perturbation theory in the interactions. We show that when particle-hole symmetry is broken, the Hall conductance turns on with the same power law as does the longitudinal conductance. This prediction can be verified experimentally by applying a ground plane to the 2D samples.
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Submitted 29 August, 2017;
originally announced August 2017.
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Thermocurrents and their Role in high Q Cavity Performance
Authors:
R. Eichhorn,
C. Daly,
F. Furuta,
A. Ganshyn,
D. Gonnella,
D. Hall,
V. Ho,
G. H. Hoffstaetter,
M. Liepe,
J. May-Mann,
T. O'Connell,
S. Posen,
P. Quigley,
J. Sears,
V. Veshcherevich
Abstract:
Over the past years it became evident that the quality factor of a superconducting cavity is not only determined by its surface preparation procedure, but is also influenced by the way the cavity is cooled down. Moreover, different data sets exists, some of them indicate that a slow cool-down through the critical temperature is favourable while other data states the exact opposite. Even so there w…
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Over the past years it became evident that the quality factor of a superconducting cavity is not only determined by its surface preparation procedure, but is also influenced by the way the cavity is cooled down. Moreover, different data sets exists, some of them indicate that a slow cool-down through the critical temperature is favourable while other data states the exact opposite. Even so there where speculations and some models about the role of thermo-currents and flux-pinning, the difference in behaviour remained a mystery. In this paper we will for the first time present a consistent theoretical model which we confirmed by data that describes the role of thermo-currents, driven by temperature gradients and material transitions. We will clearly show how they impact the quality factor of a cavity, discuss our findings, relate it to findings at other labs and develop mitigation strategies which especially addresses the issue of achieving high quality factors of so-called nitrogen doped cavities in horizontal test.
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Submitted 12 January, 2015; v1 submitted 19 November, 2014;
originally announced November 2014.