Showing 1–50 of 55 results for author: Bid, A

Screening-controlled dynamical criticality in the quantum Hall regime

Authors: Tanima Chanda, Simrandeep Kaur, Anantbir Virk, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, G. J. Sreejith, Yuval Gefen, Aveek Bid

Abstract: At continuous electronic phase transitions, Coulomb interactions can modify the relation between length, energy, and temperature, but experimentally disentangling their effects on spatial versus dynamical criticality has remained difficult, since finite-temperature scaling alone measures only the combined exponent $κ= 1/(zγ)$. Here, we introduce two advances that resolve this limitation. First, by… ▽ More At continuous electronic phase transitions, Coulomb interactions can modify the relation between length, energy, and temperature, but experimentally disentangling their effects on spatial versus dynamical criticality has remained difficult, since finite-temperature scaling alone measures only the combined exponent $κ= 1/(zγ)$. Here, we introduce two advances that resolve this limitation. First, by combining temperature scaling with independent current scaling, we separately extract the dynamical exponent $z$ and the localization-length exponent $γ$ at the quantum Hall plateau transition -- rather than inferring one from an assumed value of the other. Second, using dual-graphite-gated graphene devices in which the effective Coulomb interaction range is tuned geometrically by the ratio of the magnetic length $l_B$ to the graphite-gate distance $d$, we track this separation across both screened and unscreened interaction regimes within the same device platform. Temperature scaling gives $κ\simeq 0.21$ in the screened regime and $κ\simeq 0.41$ in the unscreened regime; combining this with current scaling reveals that screening changes $z$ from $\simeq 1$ in the unscreened regime to $\simeq 2$ in the screened regime. In contrast, $γ$ remains close to $2.4$ throughout. Our results establish that gate-controlled screening selectively modifies the interaction-dependent dynamical sector of the quantum Hall transition, leaving the localization-length exponent $γ$ unchanged within experimental uncertainty. More broadly, this work establishes geometric screening as a versatile tool for controlling interactions and disentangling interaction and disorder effects in correlated two-dimensional systems, including fractional quantum Hall states, moiré materials, and other strongly localized electronic phases. △ Less

Submitted 10 July, 2026; originally announced July 2026.

Comments: 22 pages

Diagnosing the origin of quantum oscillation beating in graphene

Authors: Akash Adhikary, Sunit Das, Divya Sahani, Aveek Bid, Amit Agarwal

Abstract: Magnetic quantum oscillations are usually periodic in inverse magnetic field, and their amplitude can show beating when two nearby frequencies interfere. In graphene-based hexagonal systems, such beating can arise from strain-induced pseudomagnetic fields, unequal valley populations, valley-dependent energy shifts, spin-orbit coupling-induced band splitting, or Kekulé distortions. Here, we show th… ▽ More Magnetic quantum oscillations are usually periodic in inverse magnetic field, and their amplitude can show beating when two nearby frequencies interfere. In graphene-based hexagonal systems, such beating can arise from strain-induced pseudomagnetic fields, unequal valley populations, valley-dependent energy shifts, spin-orbit coupling-induced band splitting, or Kekulé distortions. Here, we show that the carrier density and magnetic field dependence of the beating nodes can distinguish these mechanisms. Starting from Onsager's quantization relation, we derive scaling relations for the critical carrier density $N_c$ for the beating nodes as a function of critical magnetic field $B_c$. A pseudomagnetic field gives $N_c\propto B_c^2$, whereas a density-independent valley imbalance gives $N_c\propto B_c$. A constant Dirac-band energy splitting by Zeeman-like spin-orbit coupling also gives quadratic field scaling, but with a different node sequence: $N_{c,j}\propto(2j+1)B_{c,j}^2$ for a pseudomagnetic field and $N_{c,j}\propto(2j+1)^2B_{c,j}^2$ for energy splitting, where $j$ labels the beating node indices. These results provide quantitative constraints on different microscopic origins of valley- and spin-dependent band splittings in graphene-based systems. △ Less

Submitted 18 June, 2026; originally announced June 2026.

Comments: 15 pages, 4 figures. Suggestions and feedback are highly appreciated

Layer-Polarization-Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in multi-band Graphene Moire' Superlattices

Authors: Harsimran Kaur Mann, Simrandeep Kaur, Harsimran Singh, Yashashwani Garg, Amogh Waghmare, Mohit Kumar Jat, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Manish Jain, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Graphene/hBN moiré superlattices provide a highly tunable platform for exploring emergent quantum phases in low-dimensional systems. Here, we investigate the moiré superlattice formed between hBN and ABA-stacked trilayer graphene (TLG), an inherently multi-band system. We demonstrate that the moiré potential is not merely a perturbation but a tool to hybridize the distinct massless and massive ele… ▽ More Graphene/hBN moiré superlattices provide a highly tunable platform for exploring emergent quantum phases in low-dimensional systems. Here, we investigate the moiré superlattice formed between hBN and ABA-stacked trilayer graphene (TLG), an inherently multi-band system. We demonstrate that the moiré potential is not merely a perturbation but a tool to hybridize the distinct massless and massive electronic sectors of TLG. By applying a perpendicular displacement field to tune layer polarization, we drive a fundamental reconstruction of the electronic band structure. Specifically, increasing the displacement field evolves the system from a multi-band regime to an effectively single-band regime at low energies, accompanied by a metal--insulator transition at the hole-doped secondary Dirac point. This transition originates from a redistribution of carriers across graphene layers that selectively enhances their coupling to the extrinsic moiré potential. Quantum capacitance measurements provide direct evidence for the suppression of the density of states at the hole-side secondary Dirac point, consistent with gap opening and the emergence of a displacement-field-tuned band gap. Theoretical calculations reproduce these observations and identify layer-selective coupling to the moiré potential as the underlying mechanism. These results demonstrate electrical control of an emergent insulating phase in a low-dimensional moiré system, and highlight that layer polarization and layer-selective coupling in multi-band moiré heterostructures provide a powerful route for engineering topological and correlated phases through band structure reconstruction and electron interactions. △ Less

Submitted 5 June, 2026; originally announced June 2026.

Quantum Transport Spectroscopy of Pseudomagnetic Field in Graphene

Authors: Divya Sahani, Sunit Das, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Amit Agarwal, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Nonuniform strain in graphene acts as a valley-dependent gauge field, generating pseudomagnetic fields (PMFs) that mimic real magnetic fields but preserve global time-reversal symmetry. While local probes have visualized such fields, their quantitative detection via macroscopic transport has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that high-mobility graphene exhibits distinct beating patterns in Sh… ▽ More Nonuniform strain in graphene acts as a valley-dependent gauge field, generating pseudomagnetic fields (PMFs) that mimic real magnetic fields but preserve global time-reversal symmetry. While local probes have visualized such fields, their quantitative detection via macroscopic transport has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that high-mobility graphene exhibits distinct beating patterns in Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, arising from valley-resolved Landau quantization under different effective magnetic fields. Systematic analysis of these beats reveals universal quadratic and linear scaling of the node carrier density and Landau level filling factor with the applied magnetic field, enabling the extraction of PMFs as small as a few millitesla. Our results establish quantum oscillation spectroscopy as a robust and broadly applicable probe of strain-induced gauge fields in Dirac materials, opening avenues for mechanically tunable valleytronic and straintronic devices. △ Less

Submitted 18 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Coexisting Massive and Massless Dirac Fermions in Moire'-Reconstructed Bilayer Graphene

Authors: Mohit Kumar Jat, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We report the emergence of massless Dirac fermions in moiré-reconstructed bands of bilayer graphene (BLG) aligned with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Magnetotransport measurements reveal that while the primary BLG band retains a parabolic dispersion with a Berry phase of $2π$, the moiré-induced secondary bands at $n/n_0 = \pm 4$ host chiral massless quasiparticles with a Berry phase $π$ and a Ferm… ▽ More We report the emergence of massless Dirac fermions in moiré-reconstructed bands of bilayer graphene (BLG) aligned with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Magnetotransport measurements reveal that while the primary BLG band retains a parabolic dispersion with a Berry phase of $2π$, the moiré-induced secondary bands at $n/n_0 = \pm 4$ host chiral massless quasiparticles with a Berry phase $π$ and a Fermi velocity $v_m \approx 3.6 \times 10^5 \mathrm{m s^{-1}}$. This transition from massive to massless carriers arises from topological band reconstruction driven by the hBN moiré potential. Our results demonstrate that moiré engineering in BLG/hBN offers a powerful route to tune band topology and realize coexisting Dirac and massive fermions within a single crystalline platform. △ Less

Submitted 18 March, 2026; v1 submitted 23 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 113, L081102 (2026)

Odd-parity longitudinal magnetoconductivity in time-reversal symmetry broken materials

Authors: Sunit Das, Akash Adhikary, Divya Sahani, Aveek Bid, Amit Agarwal

Abstract: Magnetotransport measurements are a sensitive probe of symmetry and electronic structure in quantum materials. While conventional metals exhibit longitudinal magnetoconductivity that is even in a magnetic field ($B$) for small $B$, we show that magnetic materials which intrinsically break time-reversal symmetry (TRS) show an {\it odd-parity magnetoconductivity} (OMC), with a leading linear-$B$ res… ▽ More Magnetotransport measurements are a sensitive probe of symmetry and electronic structure in quantum materials. While conventional metals exhibit longitudinal magnetoconductivity that is even in a magnetic field ($B$) for small $B$, we show that magnetic materials which intrinsically break time-reversal symmetry (TRS) show an {\it odd-parity magnetoconductivity} (OMC), with a leading linear-$B$ response. Using semiclassical transport theory, we derive explicit expressions for the longitudinal and transverse conductivities and identify their origin in Berry curvature and orbital magnetic moment. Crystalline symmetry analysis shows that longitudinal OMC follows the same point-group constraints as the anomalous Hall effect, while transverse OMC obeys distinct rules, providing an independent probe of TRS breaking. In the large $B$ quantum oscillation regime, we uncover both odd- and even-$B$ contributions, demonstrating OMC beyond the semiclassical picture. Explicit calculations in valley-polarized gapped graphene show that OMC peaks near the band edges, vanish in the band gap and follow the temperature dependence of the magnetic order parameter. Our results explain the odd-parity magnetoresistance recently observed in magnetized graphene and establish OMC as a robust transport signature of intrinsic TRS breaking in metals. △ Less

Submitted 2 December, 2025; v1 submitted 16 September, 2025; originally announced September 2025.

Comments: 15 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Comments are welcome

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 113, 035408 (2026)

Symmetry broken states at high displacement fields in ABA trilayer graphene

Authors: Simrandeep Kaur, Unmesh Ghorai, Abhisek Samanta, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Rajdeep Sensarma, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In this Letter, we present a comprehensive study of magnetotransport in high-mobility trilayer graphene (TLG) devices under a transverse displacement field, focusing on symmetry-broken Landau levels (LLs) from monolayer-like and bilayer-like bands. A striking displacement-field-induced enhancement of the Landé g-factor is observed in the zeroth Landau level of the monolayer-like band, highlighting… ▽ More In this Letter, we present a comprehensive study of magnetotransport in high-mobility trilayer graphene (TLG) devices under a transverse displacement field, focusing on symmetry-broken Landau levels (LLs) from monolayer-like and bilayer-like bands. A striking displacement-field-induced enhancement of the Landé g-factor is observed in the zeroth Landau level of the monolayer-like band, highlighting the role of strong electron-electron interactions. Additionally, we find a rich landscape of LL crossings in the Dirac gully region, accompanied by phase transitions between spin-, gully-, and valley-polarized LLs. These experimental observations are successfully modeled using calculations based on optimized tight-binding parameters. Furthermore, our results reveal significant particle-hole asymmetry in the sequence of LLs in the Dirac gullies, attributed to differing g-factor values for electrons and holes. This asymmetry underscores the limitations of non-interacting models in capturing the complexities of strongly correlated multiband systems. This work provides new insights into the interplay of symmetry-breaking mechanisms and strong correlations in Bernal-stacked trilayer graphene, advancing our understanding of quantum transport phenomena in multiband systems. △ Less

Submitted 27 March, 2025; originally announced March 2025.

Comments: 27 pages, comments/suggestions are welcome

Tunable Band Inversion in Trilayer Graphene

Authors: Harsimran Kaur Mann, Simrandeep Kaur, Safil Mullick, Priya Tiwari, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Displacement field control of elecronic bands in low-dimensional systems is a promising route toward engineering emergent quantum phases. Here, we report displacement-field-induced band inversion and modulation of the Berry phase of low-energy quasi particles in high-mobility Bernal-stacked trilayer graphene (TLG). Using quantum oscillations, we track the evolution of the Fermi surface and topolog… ▽ More Displacement field control of elecronic bands in low-dimensional systems is a promising route toward engineering emergent quantum phases. Here, we report displacement-field-induced band inversion and modulation of the Berry phase of low-energy quasi particles in high-mobility Bernal-stacked trilayer graphene (TLG). Using quantum oscillations, we track the evolution of the Fermi surface and topological properties of Dirac-like gully bands that emerge under a finite interlayer potential. We observe a striking sequence of transitions: at low displacement field $D$, the gullies are characterized by a Berry phase of $2π$ and large effective mass, indicating massive fermions. As $D$ increases, the Berry phase abruptly shifts to $π$ and the effective mass reaches a minimum, signaling the onset of massless Dirac behavior. At higher $D$, the Berry phase returns to $2π$, and the effective mass increases again, consistent with a band inversion. These findings demonstrate a rare, reversible topological phase transition - massive to massless to massive - driven entirely by an external displacement field. Despite robust theoretical predictions [\textit{Phys. Rev. B} \textbf{87}, 085424 (2013), \textit{Phys. Rev. B} \textbf{87}, 115422 (2013), and \textit{Phys. Rev. B} \textbf{101}, 245411 (2020)], this evolution of the band topology had escaped experimental detection. Our results establish TLG as a tunable platform for nanoscale control of band topology. They establish a means to tune between massive and Dirac-like dispersions dynamically providing a foundation for exploring field-switchable topological phenomena in layered 2D systems. △ Less

Submitted 10 June, 2025; v1 submitted 21 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: 16 pages, comments and suggestions most welcome

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 111, 235118 (2025)

Even-denominator fractional quantum Hall states in the zeroth Landau level of ABA trilayer graphene

Authors: Tanima Chanda, Simrandeep Kaur, Harsimran Singh, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Manish Jain, Udit Khanna, Ajit C. Balram, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Even-denominator fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) at half filling are of particular interest because they can host non-Abelian quasiparticles. Here we report the emergence of such states in the zeroth Landau level ($N=0$) of ABA trilayer graphene (TLG), challenging the conventional expectation that they are confined to the first excited Landau level. We observe robust incompressible states a… ▽ More Even-denominator fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) at half filling are of particular interest because they can host non-Abelian quasiparticles. Here we report the emergence of such states in the zeroth Landau level ($N=0$) of ABA trilayer graphene (TLG), challenging the conventional expectation that they are confined to the first excited Landau level. We observe robust incompressible states at $ν=7/2$, $9/2$, and $5/2$ with their associated Levin--Halperin daughter states: $ν=59/17$ and $46/13$ near $7/2$; $ν=58/13$ and $77/17$ near $9/2$; and $ν=43/17$ near $5/2$. These states appear exclusively within a finite displacement-field window coincident with crossings between symmetry-broken $N=0$ Landau levels carrying distinct isospin indices. The quantitative correspondence between the calculated crossing loci and the experimentally determined stability regions identifies Landau-level mixing as the microscopic origin. We attribute the stabilization of these even-denominator states to inversion-symmetry breaking in TLG, which enhances valley-resolved Landau-level hybridization and renormalizes short-range Coulomb interactions. Our results expand the landscape of even-denominator FQHSs to multilayer graphene and establish TLG as a tunable platform for realizing non-Abelian anyons. △ Less

Submitted 16 July, 2026; v1 submitted 10 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: 34 pages

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 036601 (2026)

Electric field tunable bands in doubly aligned bilayer graphene hBN moire superlattice

Authors: Priya Tiwari, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In this letter, we demonstrate electric field-induced band modification of an asymmetrically twisted hBN/BLG/hBN supermoire lattice. Distinct from unaligned BLG/hBN systems, we observe regions in the density-displacement field (n-D) plane where the device conductance is independent of n and decreases as |D| increases. This distinction arises due to the angle asymmetry between the layers, which ind… ▽ More In this letter, we demonstrate electric field-induced band modification of an asymmetrically twisted hBN/BLG/hBN supermoire lattice. Distinct from unaligned BLG/hBN systems, we observe regions in the density-displacement field (n-D) plane where the device conductance is independent of n and decreases as |D| increases. This distinction arises due to the angle asymmetry between the layers, which induces field-controlled layer polarization. We identify D-dependent additional band gaps near the charge neutrality point that appear in the conduction (valence) band for negative (positive) D values. In the quantum Hall regime, new 6-fold degenerate Landau levels are observed. Our findings establish that in an asymmetric supermoire heterostructure, an external vertical displacement field affects the valence and conduction bands very differently and sheds light on the asymmetric conductance patterns noted in previous studies. △ Less

Submitted 6 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 110, 235414 (2024)

Controlling particle-hole symmetry of fractional quantum hall states in trilayer graphene

Authors: Simrandeep Kaur, Harsimran Singh, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Unmesh Ghorai, Manish Jain, Rajdeep Sensarma, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We present a detailed experimental study of the particle-hole symmetry (PHS) of the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states about half filling in a multiband system. Specifically, we focus on the lowest Landau level of the monolayer-like band of Bernal stacked trilayer graphene (TLG). In pristine TLG, the excitation energy gaps, Landé g-factor, effective mass, and disorder broadening of the odd-denom… ▽ More We present a detailed experimental study of the particle-hole symmetry (PHS) of the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states about half filling in a multiband system. Specifically, we focus on the lowest Landau level of the monolayer-like band of Bernal stacked trilayer graphene (TLG). In pristine TLG, the excitation energy gaps, Landé g-factor, effective mass, and disorder broadening of the odd-denominator FQH states are identical to their hole-conjugate counterpart. This precise PH symmetry stems from the lattice mirror symmetry that precludes Landau-level mixing. Introducing a non-zero displacement field \(D\) disrupts this mirror symmetry, facilitating the hybridization between the monolayer-like and bilayer-like Landau levels. This inter-band coupling enhances the Landau level mixing factor $η$ and activates three-body interactions -- both of which explicitly break the PHS of FQHs. As a result, conventional FQHs are completely destabilized, offering a route to engineer symmetry breaking of FQHs in a controlled way. We establish that the PHS breaking in TLG is of extrinsic origin and is fundamentally distinct from the intrinsic, interaction-driven symmetry breaking observed in the lowest Landau levels of single-layer and bilayer graphene. △ Less

Submitted 13 May, 2025; v1 submitted 27 November, 2024; originally announced November 2024.

Comments: 32 pages

Giant gate-controlled room temperature odd-parity magnetoresistance in magnetized bilayer graphene

Authors: Divya Sahani, Sunit Das, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Amit Agarwal, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Magnetotransport measurements are crucial for understanding the Fermi surface properties, magnetism, and topology in quantum materials. Here, we report the discovery of giant room temperature odd-parity magnetoresistance (OMR) in a bilayer graphene (BLG) heterostructure interfaced with Cr$_2$Te$_2$Ge$_6$ (CGT). Using magnetotransport measurements, we demonstrate that the BLG/CGT heterostructure ex… ▽ More Magnetotransport measurements are crucial for understanding the Fermi surface properties, magnetism, and topology in quantum materials. Here, we report the discovery of giant room temperature odd-parity magnetoresistance (OMR) in a bilayer graphene (BLG) heterostructure interfaced with Cr$_2$Te$_2$Ge$_6$ (CGT). Using magnetotransport measurements, we demonstrate that the BLG/CGT heterostructure exhibits a significant antisymmetric longitudinal magnetoresistance, indicative of intrinsic time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking in the system. We show that the OMR is tunable via electrostatic gating. Additionally, the OMR is pronounced near the band edges and diminishes with increasing charge carrier density in graphene. Our theoretical analysis reveals that this phenomenon arises from the coupling of the out-of-plane components of Berry curvature and orbital magnetic moment to the applied magnetic field in a TRS-broken system. Our findings establish OMR as a significant probe for TRS breaking in quantum materials in which the crystal symmetries preclude the appearance of anomalous Hall effect. △ Less

Submitted 19 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

Comments: 34 pages

Optical control of multiple resistance levels in graphene for memristic applications

Authors: Harsimran Kaur Mann, Mainak Mondal, Vivek Sah, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Akshay Singh, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Neuromorphic computing has emphasized the need for memristors with non-volatile, multiple conductance levels. This paper demonstrates the potential of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)/graphene heterostructures to act as memristors with multiple resistance states that can be optically tuned using visible light. The number of resistance levels in graphene can be controlled by modulating doping levels,… ▽ More Neuromorphic computing has emphasized the need for memristors with non-volatile, multiple conductance levels. This paper demonstrates the potential of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)/graphene heterostructures to act as memristors with multiple resistance states that can be optically tuned using visible light. The number of resistance levels in graphene can be controlled by modulating doping levels, achieved by varying the electric field strength or adjusting the duration of optical illumination. Our measurements show that this photodoping of graphene results from the optical excitation of charge carriers from the nitrogen-vacancy levels of hBN to its conduction band, with these carriers then being transferred to graphene by the gate-induced electric field. We develop a quantitative model to describe our observations. Additionally, utilizing our device architecture, we propose a memristive crossbar array for vector-matrix multiplications. △ Less

Submitted 18 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

Comments: 22 pages, Comments welcome

Universality of Quantum Phase Transitions in the Integer and Fractional Quantum Hall Regimes

Authors: Simrandeep Kaur, Tanima Chanda, Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, Divya Sahani, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Unmesh Ghorai, Yuval Gefen, G. J. Sreejith, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Fractional quantum Hall (FQH) phases emerge due to strong electronic interactions and are characterized by anyonic quasiparticles, each distinguished by unique topological parameters, fractional charge, and statistics. In contrast, the integer quantum Hall (IQH) effects can be understood from the band topology of non-interacting electrons. We report a surprising super-universality of the critical… ▽ More Fractional quantum Hall (FQH) phases emerge due to strong electronic interactions and are characterized by anyonic quasiparticles, each distinguished by unique topological parameters, fractional charge, and statistics. In contrast, the integer quantum Hall (IQH) effects can be understood from the band topology of non-interacting electrons. We report a surprising super-universality of the critical behavior across all FQH and IQH transitions. Contrary to the anticipated state-dependent critical exponents, our findings reveal the same critical scaling exponent $κ= 0.41 \pm 0.02$ and localization length exponent $γ= 2.4 \pm 0.2$ for fractional and integer quantum Hall transitions. From these, we extract the value of the dynamical exponent $z\approx 1$. We have achieved this in ultra-high mobility trilayer graphene devices with a metallic screening layer close to the conduction channels. The observation of these global critical exponents across various quantum Hall phase transitions was masked in previous studies by significant sample-to-sample variation in the measured values of $κ$ in conventional semiconductor heterostructures, where long-range correlated disorder dominates. We show that the robust scaling exponents are valid in the limit of short-range disorder correlations. △ Less

Submitted 8 October, 2024; v1 submitted 11 December, 2023; originally announced December 2023.

Comments: 42 pages

Journal ref: Nat Commun 15, 8535 (2024)

Controlling Umklapp scattering in bilayer graphene moir'e superlattice

Authors: Mohit Kumar Jat, Shubhankar Mishra, Harsimran Kaur Mann, Robin Bajaj, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, H. R. Krishnamurthy, Manish Jain, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In this Letter, we present experimental findings on electron-electron scattering in a two-dimensional moir'e heterostructure with tunable Fermi wave vector, reciprocal lattice vector, and band gap. We achieve this in high-mobility aligned heterostructures of bilayer graphene (BLG) and hBN. Around half-filling, the primary contribution to the resistance of BLG/hBN aligned superlattices arises from… ▽ More In this Letter, we present experimental findings on electron-electron scattering in a two-dimensional moir'e heterostructure with tunable Fermi wave vector, reciprocal lattice vector, and band gap. We achieve this in high-mobility aligned heterostructures of bilayer graphene (BLG) and hBN. Around half-filling, the primary contribution to the resistance of BLG/hBN aligned superlattices arises from electron-electron Umklapp (Uee) scattering, making the resistance of graphene/hBN moir'e devices significantly larger than that of non-aligned devices (where Uee is forbidden). We quantify the strength of the Uee scattering and find that it follows a universal scaling with Fermi energy and has a non-monotonic dependence on the charge carrier density. The Uee scattering is strongly electric field tunable and affected by layer-polarization of BLG. It has a strong particle-hole asymmetry - the resistance when the chemical potential is in the conduction band is significantly lesser than when it is in the valence band, making the electron-doped regime more practical for potential applications. △ Less

Submitted 15 February, 2024; v1 submitted 13 October, 2023; originally announced October 2023.

Comments: Comments and suggestion are welcome

Journal ref: Nano Letters (2024)

Higher-order Bragg gaps in the electronic band structure of bilayer graphene renormalized by recursive supermoiré potential

Authors: Mohit Kumar Jat, Priya Tiwari, Robin Bajaj, Ishita Shitut, Shinjan Mandal, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, H. R. Krishnamurthy, Manish Jain, Aveek Bid

Abstract: This letter presents our findings on the recursive band gap engineering of chiral fermions in bilayer graphene doubly aligned with hBN. By utilizing two interfering moiré potentials, we generate a supermoiré pattern which renormalizes the electronic bands of the pristine bilayer graphene, resulting in higher-order fractal gaps even at very low energies. These Bragg gaps can be mapped using a uniqu… ▽ More This letter presents our findings on the recursive band gap engineering of chiral fermions in bilayer graphene doubly aligned with hBN. By utilizing two interfering moiré potentials, we generate a supermoiré pattern which renormalizes the electronic bands of the pristine bilayer graphene, resulting in higher-order fractal gaps even at very low energies. These Bragg gaps can be mapped using a unique linear combination of periodic areas within the system. To validate our findings, we used electronic transport measurements to identify the position of these gaps as functions of the carrier density and establish their agreement with the predicted carrier densities and corresponding quantum numbers obtained using the continuum model. Our work provides direct experimental evidence of the quantization of the area of quasi-Brillouin zones in supermoiré systems. It fills essential gaps in understanding the band structure engineering of Dirac fermions by a recursive doubly periodic superlattice potential. △ Less

Submitted 4 April, 2023; originally announced April 2023.

Comments: 29 pages (including Supplementary Materials)

Correlated carrier dynamics in a superconducting van der Waals heterostructure

Authors: Prakiran Baidya, Vivas Bagwe, Pratap Raychaudhuri, Aveek Bid

Abstract: The study of Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions in clean, layered two-dimensional superconductors promises to provide insight into a host of novel phenomena like re-entrant vortex-dynamics, underlying unconventional metallic phases, and topological superconductivity. In this letter, we report the study of charge carrier dynamics in a novel 2-dimensional superconducting van der Waals heter… ▽ More The study of Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions in clean, layered two-dimensional superconductors promises to provide insight into a host of novel phenomena like re-entrant vortex-dynamics, underlying unconventional metallic phases, and topological superconductivity. In this letter, we report the study of charge carrier dynamics in a novel 2-dimensional superconducting van der Waals heterostructure comprising monolayer MoS2 and few-layer NbSe2 (15 nm). Using low-frequency conductance fluctuation spectroscopy, we show that the superconducting transition in the system is percolative. We present a phenomenological picture of different phases across the transition correlating with the evaluated noise. The analysis of the higher-order statistics of fluctuation reveals non-Gaussian components around the transition indicative of long-range correlation in the system. △ Less

Submitted 9 January, 2023; originally announced January 2023.

Comments: 24 pages

Journal ref: Appl. Phys. Lett. 120, 183101 (2022)

Observation of time-reversal symmetric Hall effect in graphene-WSe2 heterostructures at room temperature

Authors: Priya Tiwari, Divya Sahani, Atasi Chakraborty, Kamal Das, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Amit Agarwal, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In this letter, we provide experimental evidence of the time-reversal symmetric Hall effect in a mesoscopic system, namely high-mobility graphene/WSe$_2$ heterostructures. This linear, dissipative Hall effect, whose sign depends on the sign of the charge carriers, persists up to room temperature. The magnitude and the sign of the Hall signal can be tuned using an external perpendicular electric fi… ▽ More In this letter, we provide experimental evidence of the time-reversal symmetric Hall effect in a mesoscopic system, namely high-mobility graphene/WSe$_2$ heterostructures. This linear, dissipative Hall effect, whose sign depends on the sign of the charge carriers, persists up to room temperature. The magnitude and the sign of the Hall signal can be tuned using an external perpendicular electric field. Our joint experimental and theoretical study establishes that the strain induced by lattice mismatch, or angle inhomogeneity, produces anisotropic bands in graphene while simultaneously breaking the inversion symmetry. The band anisotropy and reduced spatial symmetry lead to the appearance of a time-reversal symmetric Hall effect. Our study establishes graphene-transition metal dichalcogenide-based heterostructures as an excellent platform for studying the effects of broken symmetry on the physical properties of band-engineered two-dimensional systems. △ Less

Submitted 18 July, 2023; v1 submitted 5 January, 2023; originally announced January 2023.

Experimental observation of spin-split energy dispersion in high-mobility single-layer graphene/WSe2 heterostructures

Authors: Priya Tiwari, Mohit Kumar Jat, Adithi Udupa, Deepa S. Narang, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Diptiman Sen, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling in graphene has led to the observation of intriguing phenomena like time-reversal invariant $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological phase and spin-orbital filtering effects. An understanding of the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the band structure of graphene is essential if these exciting observations are to be transformed into real-world applications. In this research… ▽ More Proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling in graphene has led to the observation of intriguing phenomena like time-reversal invariant $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological phase and spin-orbital filtering effects. An understanding of the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the band structure of graphene is essential if these exciting observations are to be transformed into real-world applications. In this research article, we report the experimental determination of the band structure of single-layer graphene (SLG) in the presence of strong proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling. We achieve this in high-mobility hBN-encapsulated SLG/WSe2 heterostructures through measurements of quantum oscillations. We observe clear spin-splitting of the graphene bands along with a substantial increase in the Fermi velocity. Using a theoretical model with realistic parameters to fit our experimental data, we uncover evidence of a band gap opening and band inversion in the SLG. Further, we establish that the deviation of the low-energy band structure from pristine SLG is determined primarily by the valley-Zeeman SOC and Rashba SOC, with the Kane-Mele SOC being inconsequential. Despite robust theoretical predictions and observations of band-splitting, a quantitative measure of the spin-splitting of the valence and the conduction bands and the consequent low-energy dispersion relation in SLG was missing -- our combined experimental and theoretical study fills this lacuna. △ Less

Submitted 17 October, 2022; originally announced October 2022.

Comments: 27 pages

Journal ref: npj 2D Materials and Applications 6 (1), 1-6 (2022)

Novel Emergent Phases in a Two-Dimensional Superconductor

Authors: Simrandeep Kaur, Hemanta Kumar Kundu, Sumit Kumar, Anjana Dogra, Rajesh Narayanan, Thomas Vojta, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In this letter, we report our observation of an extraordinarily rich phase diagram of a LaScO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructure. Close to the superconducting transition temperature, the system hosts a superconducting critical point of the Infinite-randomness type characterized by an effective dynamical exponent $νz$ that diverges logarithmically. At lower temperatures, we find the emergence of a magne… ▽ More In this letter, we report our observation of an extraordinarily rich phase diagram of a LaScO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructure. Close to the superconducting transition temperature, the system hosts a superconducting critical point of the Infinite-randomness type characterized by an effective dynamical exponent $νz$ that diverges logarithmically. At lower temperatures, we find the emergence of a magnetic field-tuned metallic phase that co-exists with a quantum Griffiths phase (QGP). Our study reveals a previously unobserved phenomenon in 2D superconductors -- an unanticipated suppression of the QGP below a crossover temperature in this system. This concealment is accompanied by the destruction of the superconducting quantum critical point signaled by a power-law divergence (in temperature) of the effective dynamical exponent. These observations are entirely at odds with the predictions of the infinite-randomness scenario and challenge the very concept of a vanishing energy scale associated with a quantum critical point. We develop and discuss possible scenarios like smearing of the phase transition that could plausibly explain our observations. Our findings challenge the notion that QGP is the ultimate ground state in two-dimensional superconductors. △ Less

Submitted 8 October, 2024; v1 submitted 21 June, 2022; originally announced June 2022.

Comments: 15 pages, 5 figures, Supplementary Material follows main manuscript

Journal ref: New J. Phys. 26 083001 (2024)

Multifractal conductance fluctuations in high-mobility graphene in the Integer Quantum Hall regime

Authors: Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, Ramya Nagarajan, Rahul Pandit, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We present the first experimental evidence for the multifractality of a transport property at a topological phase transition. In particular, we show that conductance fluctuations display multifractality at the integer-quantum-Hall $ν=1 \longleftrightarrow ν=2$ plateau-to-plateau transition in a high-mobility mesoscopic graphene device. We establish that to observe this multifractality, it is cruci… ▽ More We present the first experimental evidence for the multifractality of a transport property at a topological phase transition. In particular, we show that conductance fluctuations display multifractality at the integer-quantum-Hall $ν=1 \longleftrightarrow ν=2$ plateau-to-plateau transition in a high-mobility mesoscopic graphene device. We establish that to observe this multifractality, it is crucial to work with very high-mobility devices with a well-defined critical point. This multifractality gets rapidly suppressed as the chemical potential moves away from these critical points. Our combination of multifractal analysis with state-of-the-art transport measurements at a topological phase transition provides a novel method for probing such phase transitions in mesoscopic devices. △ Less

Submitted 28 December, 2021; originally announced December 2021.

Comments: 10 pages, 4 figures

Hidden electronic phase in strained few-layer 1T-TaS2

Authors: Sruthi S, Hemanta Kumar Kundu, Prasad Vishnubhotla, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Layered van der Waals materials are exciting as they often host multiple, competing electronic phases. This article reports experimental observation of the co-existence of insulating and metallic phases deep within the commensurate charge density wave phase in high-quality devices of few-layer 1T-TaS2. Through detailed conductance fluctuation spectroscopy of the electronic ground state, we establi… ▽ More Layered van der Waals materials are exciting as they often host multiple, competing electronic phases. This article reports experimental observation of the co-existence of insulating and metallic phases deep within the commensurate charge density wave phase in high-quality devices of few-layer 1T-TaS2. Through detailed conductance fluctuation spectroscopy of the electronic ground state, we establish that the mixed-phase consists of insulating regions surrounded by one-dimensional metallic domain walls. We show that the electronic ground state of 1T-TaS2 can be affected drastically by strain, eventually leading to the collapse of the Mott gap in the commensurate charge density wave phase. Our study resolves an outstanding question, namely the effect of the inter-layer coupling strength on the electronic phases in layered van der Waals materials. △ Less

Submitted 22 December, 2021; originally announced December 2021.

Comments: 7 pages, 6 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Materials 5, 124003 (2021)

Transition from three- to two-dimensional Ising superconductivity in few-layer NbSe2 by proximity effect from van der Waals heterostacking

Authors: Prakiran Baidya, Divya Sahani, Hemanta Kumar Kundu, Simrandeep Kaur, Priya Tiwari, Vivas Bagwe, John Jesudasan, Awadhesh Narayan, Pratap Raychaudhuri, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We report the experimental observation of Ising superconductivity in 3-dimensional NbSe2 stacked with single-layer MoS2. The angular dependence of the upper critical magnetic field and the temperature dependence of the upper parallel critical field confirm the appearance of two-dimensional Ising superconductivity in the 3-dimensional NbSe2 with single-layer MoS2 overlay. We show that the supercond… ▽ More We report the experimental observation of Ising superconductivity in 3-dimensional NbSe2 stacked with single-layer MoS2. The angular dependence of the upper critical magnetic field and the temperature dependence of the upper parallel critical field confirm the appearance of two-dimensional Ising superconductivity in the 3-dimensional NbSe2 with single-layer MoS2 overlay. We show that the superconducting phase has strong Ising spin-orbit correlations which make the holes spin non-degenerate. Our observation of Ising superconductivity in heterostructures of few-layer NbSe2 of thickness ~ 15 nm with single-layer MoS2 raises the interesting prospect of observing topological chiral superconductors with nontrivial Chern numbers in a momentum-space spin-split fermionic system. △ Less

Submitted 12 November, 2021; originally announced November 2021.

Journal ref: Physical Review B, 104, 174510 (2021)

Electric-field-tunable valley Zeeman effect in bilayer graphene heterostructures: Realization of the spin-orbit valve effect

Authors: Priya Tiwari, Saurabh Kumar Srivastav, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We report the discovery of electric-field-induced transition from a topologically trivial to a topologically nontrivial band structure in an atomically sharp heterostructure of bilayer graphene (BLG) and single-layer WSe2 per the theoretical predictions of Gmitra and Fabian [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 146401 (2017)]. Through detailed studies of the quantum correction to the conductance in the BLG, we e… ▽ More We report the discovery of electric-field-induced transition from a topologically trivial to a topologically nontrivial band structure in an atomically sharp heterostructure of bilayer graphene (BLG) and single-layer WSe2 per the theoretical predictions of Gmitra and Fabian [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 146401 (2017)]. Through detailed studies of the quantum correction to the conductance in the BLG, we establish that the band-structure evolution arises from an interplay between proximity-induced strong spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and the layer polarizability in BLG. The low-energy carriers in the BLG experience an effective valley Zeeman SOI that is completely gate tunable to the extent that it can be switched on or off by applying a transverse displacement field or can be controllably transferred between the valence and the conduction band. We demonstrate that this results in the evolution from weak localization to weak antilocalization at a constant electronic density as the net displacement field is tuned from a positive to a negative value with a concomitant SOI-induced splitting of the low-energy bands of the BLG near the K (K') valley, which is a unique signature of the theoretically predicted spin-orbit valve effect. Our analysis shows that quantum correction to the Drude conductance in Dirac materials with strong induced SOI can only be explained satisfactorily by a theory that accounts for the SOI-induced spin splitting of the BLG low-energy bands. Our results demonstrate the potential for achieving highly tunable devices based on the valley Zeeman effect in dual-gated two-dimensional materials. △ Less

Submitted 11 March, 2021; originally announced March 2021.

Comments: 5 pages, 5 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Letts. 126, 096801 (2021)

Universal scaling behaviour near vortex-solid/glass to vortex-fluid transition in type-II superconductors in two- and three-dimensions

Authors: Hemanta Kumar Kundu, John Jesudasan, Pratap Raychaudhuri, Subroto Mukerjee, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In this article, we present evidence for the existence of vortex-solid/glass (VG) to vortex-fluid (VF) transition in a type-II superconductor (SC), NbN. We probed the VG to VF transition in both 2D and 3D films of NbN through studies of magnetoresistance and current-voltage characteristics. The dynamical exponents corresponding to this phase transition were extracted independently from the two set… ▽ More In this article, we present evidence for the existence of vortex-solid/glass (VG) to vortex-fluid (VF) transition in a type-II superconductor (SC), NbN. We probed the VG to VF transition in both 2D and 3D films of NbN through studies of magnetoresistance and current-voltage characteristics. The dynamical exponents corresponding to this phase transition were extracted independently from the two sets of measurements. The $H$-$T$ phase diagram for the 2D and 3D SC are found to be significantly different near the critical point. In the case of 3D SC, the exponent values obtained from the two independent measurements show excellent match. On the other hand, for the 2D SC, the exponents obtained from the two experiments were significantly different. We attribute this to the fact that the characteristic length scale diverges near the critical point in a 2D SC in a distinctly different way from its 3D counterpart form scaling behaviour. △ Less

Submitted 22 September, 2020; originally announced September 2020.

Effect of dimensionality on the vortex-dynamics in type-II superconductor

Authors: Hemanta Kumar Kundu, Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, John Jesudasan, Pratap Raychaudhuri, Subroto Mukerjee, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We explore the effects of sample dimensionality on vortex pinning in a type-II, low-$T_C$, s-wave superconductor, NbN, in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field, $H$. We find significant differences in the phase diagrams in the magnetic field--temperature plane between 3-dimensional (3D) and 2-dimensional (2D) NbN films. The differences are most striking close to the normal-superconductor… ▽ More We explore the effects of sample dimensionality on vortex pinning in a type-II, low-$T_C$, s-wave superconductor, NbN, in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field, $H$. We find significant differences in the phase diagrams in the magnetic field--temperature plane between 3-dimensional (3D) and 2-dimensional (2D) NbN films. The differences are most striking close to the normal-superconductor phase transition. We establish that these variances have their origin in the differing pinning properties in two different dimensions. We obtain the pinning strength quantitatively in both the dimensions from two independent transport measurements performed in two different regimes of vortex-motion -- (i) thermally assisted flux-flow (TAFF) regime and (ii) flux flow (FF) regime. Both the measurements consistently show that both the pinning potential and the zero-field free-energy barrier to depinning in the 3D superconductor are at least an order of magnitude stronger than that in the 2D superconductor. Further, we probed the dynamics of pinning in both 2D and 3D superconductor through voltage fluctuation spectroscopy. We find that the mechanism of vortex pinning-depinning is qualitatively similar for the 3D and 2D superconductors. The voltage-fluctuations arising from vortex-motion are found to be correlated only in the 2D superconductor. We establish this to be due to the presence of long-range phase fluctuations near the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) type superconducting transition in 2-dimensional superconductors. △ Less

Submitted 19 September, 2020; originally announced September 2020.

Effect of microstructure on the electronic transport properties of epitaxial CaRuO$_3$ thin films

Authors: Gopi Nath Daptary, Chanchal Sow, Suman Sarkar, Santosh Chiniwar, P. S. Anil Kumar, Anomitra Sil, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We have carried out extensive comparative studies of the structural and transport properties of CaRuO$_3$ thin films grown under various oxygen pressure. We find that the preferred orientation and surface roughness of the films are strongly affected by the oxygen partial pressure during growth. This in turn affects the electrical and magnetic properties of the films. Films grown under high oxygen… ▽ More We have carried out extensive comparative studies of the structural and transport properties of CaRuO$_3$ thin films grown under various oxygen pressure. We find that the preferred orientation and surface roughness of the films are strongly affected by the oxygen partial pressure during growth. This in turn affects the electrical and magnetic properties of the films. Films grown under high oxygen pressure have the least surface roughness and show transport characteristics of a good metal down to the lowest temperature measured. On the other hand, films grown under low oxygen pressures have high degree of surface roughness and show signatures of ferromagnetism. We could verify that the low frequency resistance fluctuations (noise) in these films arise due to thermally activated fluctuations of local defects and that the defect density matches with the level of disorder seen in the films through structural characterizations. △ Less

Submitted 9 September, 2020; originally announced September 2020.

Journal ref: Physica B: Condensed Matter 511 (2017): 74-79

Anharmonicity in Raman-active phonon modes in atomically thin MoS$_2$

Authors: Suman Sarkar, Indrajit Maity, H. L. Pradeepa, Goutham Nayak, Laetitia Marty, Julien Renard, Johann Coraux, Nedjma Bendiab, Vincent Bouchiat, Sarthak Das, Kausik Majumdar, Manish Jain, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Phonon-phonon anharmonic effects have a strong influence on the phonon spectrum; most prominent manifestation of these effects are the softening (shift in frequency) and broadening (change in FWHM) of the phonon modes at finite temperature. Using Raman spectroscopy, we studied the temperature dependence of the FWHM and Raman shift of $\mathrm{E_{2g}^1}$ and $\mathrm{A_{1g}}$ modes for single-layer… ▽ More Phonon-phonon anharmonic effects have a strong influence on the phonon spectrum; most prominent manifestation of these effects are the softening (shift in frequency) and broadening (change in FWHM) of the phonon modes at finite temperature. Using Raman spectroscopy, we studied the temperature dependence of the FWHM and Raman shift of $\mathrm{E_{2g}^1}$ and $\mathrm{A_{1g}}$ modes for single-layer and natural bilayer MoS$_2$ over a broad range of temperatures ($8 < $T$ < 300$ K). Both the Raman shift and FWHM of these modes show linear temperature dependence for $T>100$ K, whereas they become independent of temperature for $T<100$ K. Using first-principles calculations, we show that three-phonon anharmonic effects intrinsic to the material can account for the observed temperature-dependence of the line-width of both the modes. It also plays an important role in determining the temperature-dependence of the frequency of the Raman modes. The observed evolution of the line-width of the A$_{1g}$ mode suggests that electron-phonon processes are additionally involved. From the analysis of the temperature-dependent Raman spectra of MoS$_2$ on two different substrates -- SiO$_2$ and hexagonal boron nitride, we disentangle the contributions of external stress and internal impurities to these phonon-related processes. We find that the renormalization of the phonon mode frequencies on different substrates is governed by strain and intrinsic doping. Our work establishes the role of intrinsic phonon anharmonic effects in deciding the Raman shift in MoS$_2$ irrespective of substrate and layer number. △ Less

Submitted 9 September, 2020; originally announced September 2020.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 101, 205302 (2020)

Continuous transition from weakly localized regime to strong localization regime in Nd_{0.7}La_{0.3}NiO_{3} films

Authors: Ravindra Singh Bisht, Gopi Nath Daptary, Aveek Bid, A. K. Raychaudhuri

Abstract: We report an investigation of Metal Insulator Transition (MIT) using conductivity and magnetoconductance (MC) measurements down to 0.3 K in Nd_{0.7}La_{0.3}NiO_{3} films grown on crystalline substrates of LaAlO_{3} (LAO), SrTiO_{3} (STO), and NdGaO_{3}(NGO) by pulsed laser deposition. The film grown on LAO experiences a compressive strain and shows metallic behavior with the onset of a weak resist… ▽ More We report an investigation of Metal Insulator Transition (MIT) using conductivity and magnetoconductance (MC) measurements down to 0.3 K in Nd_{0.7}La_{0.3}NiO_{3} films grown on crystalline substrates of LaAlO_{3} (LAO), SrTiO_{3} (STO), and NdGaO_{3}(NGO) by pulsed laser deposition. The film grown on LAO experiences a compressive strain and shows metallic behavior with the onset of a weak resistivity upturn below 2 K which is linked to the onset of weak localization contribution. Films grown on STO and NGO show a crossover from a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) resistance regime to Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) resistance regime at definite temperatures. We establish that a cross-over from PTC to NTC on cooling does not necessarily constitute a MIT because the extrapolated conductivity at zero temperature σ_{0} though small (<10 S/cm) is finite, signalling the existence of a bad metallic state and absence of an activated transport. The value of σ_{0} for films grown on NGO is reduced by a factor of 40 compared to that for films grown on STO. We show that a combination of certain physical factors makes substituted nickelate (that are known to exhibit first order Mott type transition), undergo a continuous transition as seen in systems undergoing disorder/composition driven Anderson transition. The MC measurement also support the above observation and show that at low temperature there exists a positive MC that arises from the quantum interference which co-exists with a spin-related negative MC that becomes progressively stronger as the electrons approach a strongly localized state in the film grown on NGO. △ Less

Submitted 24 July, 2020; originally announced July 2020.

Comments: 24 pages

Journal ref: J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 31 (2019) 145603

Observation of Time-Reversal Invariant Helical Edge-Modes in Bilayer Graphene/WSe$_2$ Heterostructure

Authors: Priya Tiwari, Saurabh Kumar Srivastav, Sujay Ray, Tanmoy Das, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Topological insulators, along with Chern insulators and Quantum Hall insulator phases, are considered as paradigms for symmetry protected topological phases of matter. This article reports the experimental realization of the time-reversal invariant helical edge-modes in bilayer graphene/monolayer WSe$_2$-based heterostructures -- a phase generally considered as a precursor to the field of generic… ▽ More Topological insulators, along with Chern insulators and Quantum Hall insulator phases, are considered as paradigms for symmetry protected topological phases of matter. This article reports the experimental realization of the time-reversal invariant helical edge-modes in bilayer graphene/monolayer WSe$_2$-based heterostructures -- a phase generally considered as a precursor to the field of generic topological insulators. Our observation of this elusive phase depended crucially on our ability to create mesoscopic devices comprising both a moiré superlattice potential and strong spin-orbit coupling; this resulted in materials whose electronic band structure could be tuned from trivial to topological by an external displacement field. We find that the topological phase is characterized by a bulk bandgap and by helical edge-modes with electrical conductance quantized exactly to $2e^2/h$ in zero external magnetic field. We put the helical edge-modes on firm grounds through supporting experiments, including the verification of predictions of the Landauer-B$\mathrm{\ddot{u}}$ttiker model for quantum transport in multi-terminal mesoscopic devices. Our non-local transport properties measurements show that the helical edge-modes are dissipationless and equilibrate at the contact probes. We achieved the tunability of the different topological phases with electric and magnetic fields, which allowed us to achieve topological phase transitions between trivial and multiple, distinct topological phases. We also present results of a theoretical study of a realistic model which, in addition to replicating our experimental results, explains the origin of the topological insulating bulk and helical edge-modes. Our experimental and theoretical results establish a viable route to realizing the time-reversal invariant $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological phase of matter. △ Less

Submitted 31 December, 2020; v1 submitted 23 March, 2020; originally announced March 2020.

Comments: 21 pages, 4 figures

Journal ref: ACS Nano 2020

Effect of spin-orbit interaction on the vortex dynamics in LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interfaces near the superconducting transition

Authors: Gopi Nath Daptary, Hemanta Kumar Kundu, Pramod Kumar, Anjana Dogra, Narayan Mohanta, A. Taraphder, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Controlling spin-orbit interaction and its effect on superconductivity has been a long-standing problem in two-dimensional inversion symmetry broken superconductors. An open challenge is to understand the role of various energy scales in shaping the complex phase diagram in these systems. From a combined experimental and theoretical study of resistance fluctuations and its higher order statistics,… ▽ More Controlling spin-orbit interaction and its effect on superconductivity has been a long-standing problem in two-dimensional inversion symmetry broken superconductors. An open challenge is to understand the role of various energy scales in shaping the complex phase diagram in these systems. From a combined experimental and theoretical study of resistance fluctuations and its higher order statistics, we propose a phase diagram for the superconducting phase in the magnetic-field--spin orbit interaction energy plane for the quasi-two dimensional electron gas at the interface of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures. The relative variance of resistance fluctuations increases by few orders of magnitude below the spin-orbit field B$_{SO}$ and a non-Gaussian component to the fluctuations arises for fields below the upper critical field B$_{C2}$. Theoretical calculations show that the non-Gaussian noise predominantly arises due to percolative nature of the superconducting transition. We quantify the strength and the relative importance of the spin-orbit interaction energy, Zeeman energy and the pairing potential. Our work highlights the important role played by the interplay between these energy scales in framing the fascinating phases seen in two-dimensional inversion-symmetry-broken superconductors. △ Less

Submitted 10 September, 2019; originally announced September 2019.

Comments: 9 pages, 11 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 100, 125117 (2019)

Conductivity noise across temperature driven transitions of rare-earth nickelate heterostructures

Authors: Gopi Nath Daptary, Siddharth Kumar, M. Kareev, J. Chakhalian, Aveek Bid, S. Middey

Abstract: The metal-insulator transition (MIT) of bulk rare-earth nickelates is accompanied by a simultaneous charge ordering (CO) transition. We have investigated low-frequency resistance fluctuations (noise) across the MIT and magnetic transition of [EuNiO$_3$/LaNiO$_3$] superlattices, where selective suppression of charge ordering has been achieved by mismatching the superlattice periodicity with the per… ▽ More The metal-insulator transition (MIT) of bulk rare-earth nickelates is accompanied by a simultaneous charge ordering (CO) transition. We have investigated low-frequency resistance fluctuations (noise) across the MIT and magnetic transition of [EuNiO$_3$/LaNiO$_3$] superlattices, where selective suppression of charge ordering has been achieved by mismatching the superlattice periodicity with the periodicity of charge ordering. We have observed that irrespective of the presence/absence of long-range CO, the noise magnitude is enhanced by several orders with strong non-1/$f$ ($f$ = frequency) component when the system undergoes MIT and magnetic transition. The higher order statistics of resistance fluctuations reveal the presence of strong non-Gaussian components in both cases, further indicating inhomogeneous electrical transport arising from the electronic phase separation. Specifically, we find almost three orders of magnitude smaller noise in the insulating phase of the sample without long-range CO compared to the sample with CO. These findings suggest that digital synthesis can be a potential route to implement electronic transitions of complex oxides for device application. △ Less

Submitted 18 August, 2019; originally announced August 2019.

Comments: Accepted in Phys. Rev. B

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 100, 125105 (2019)

Probing defect states in few-layer MoS$_{2}$ by conductance fluctuation spectroscopy

Authors: Suman Sarkar, K. Lakshmi Ganapathi, Sangeneni Mohan, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Despite the concerted effort of several research groups, a detailed experimental account of defect dynamics in high-quality single- and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides remain elusive. In this paper we report an experimental study of the temperature dependence of conductance and conductance-fluctuations on several few-layer MoS$_{2}$ exfoliated on hexagonal boron nitride and covered by a… ▽ More Despite the concerted effort of several research groups, a detailed experimental account of defect dynamics in high-quality single- and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides remain elusive. In this paper we report an experimental study of the temperature dependence of conductance and conductance-fluctuations on several few-layer MoS$_{2}$ exfoliated on hexagonal boron nitride and covered by a capping layer of high-$κ$ dielectric HfO$_{2}$. The presence of the high-$κ$ dielectric made the device extremely stable against environmental degradation as well as resistant to changes in device characteristics upon repeated thermal cycling enabling us to obtain reproducible data on the same device over a time-scale of more than one year. Our device architecture helped bring down the conductance fluctuations of the MoS$_2$ channel by orders of magnitude compared to previous reports. The extremely low noise levels in our devices made in possible to detect the generation-recombination noise arising from charge fluctuation between the sulphur-vacancy levels in the band gap and energy-levels at the conductance band-edge. Our work establishes conduction fluctuation spectroscopy as a viable route to quantitatively probe in-gap defect levels in low-dimensional semiconductors. △ Less

Submitted 3 July, 2019; originally announced July 2019.

Comments: 9 pages, 11 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 99, 245419 (2019) [Editors' Suggestion]

Interlayer Charge Transfer and Defect Creation in Type I van der Waals Heterostructures

Authors: G. Nayak, S. Lisi, W-L. Liu, T. Jakubczyk, P. Stepanov, F. Donatini, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, A. Bid, J. Kasprzak, M. Richard, V. Bouchiat, J. Coraux, L. Marty, N. Bendiab, J. Renard

Abstract: Van der Waals heterostructures give access to a wide variety of new phenomena that emerge thanks to the combination of properties brought in by the constituent layered materials. We show here that owing to an enhanced interaction cross section with electrons in a type I van der Waals heterostructure, made of single layer molybdenum disulphide and thin boron nitride films, electrons and holes creat… ▽ More Van der Waals heterostructures give access to a wide variety of new phenomena that emerge thanks to the combination of properties brought in by the constituent layered materials. We show here that owing to an enhanced interaction cross section with electrons in a type I van der Waals heterostructure, made of single layer molybdenum disulphide and thin boron nitride films, electrons and holes created in boron nitride can be transferred to the dichalcogenide where they form electron-hole pairs yielding luminescence. This cathodoluminescence can be mapped with a spatial resolution far exceeding what can be achieved in a typical photoluminescence experiment, and is highly valuable to understand the optoelectronic properties at the nanometer scale. We find that in heterostructures prepared following the mainstream dry transfer technique, cathodoluminescence is locally extinguished, and we show that this extinction is associated with the formation of defects, that are detected in Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence. We establish that to avoid defect formation induced by low-energy electron beams and to ensure efficient transfer of electrons and holes at the interface between the layers, flat and uniform interlayer interfaces are needed, that are free of trapped species, airborne ones or contaminants associated with sample preparation. We show that heterostructure fabrication using a pick-up technique leads to superior, intimate interlayer contacts associated with significantly more homogeneous cathodoluminescence. △ Less

Submitted 3 June, 2019; originally announced June 2019.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Materials 3, 114001 (2019)

Effect of multiband transport on charge carrier density fluctuations at the LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface

Authors: Gopi Nath Daptary, Pramod Kumar, Anjana Dogra, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Multiband transport in superconductors is interesting both from an academic as well as an application point of view. It has been postulated that interband scattering can significantly affect the carrier dynamics in these materials. In this article we present a detailed study of the electrical transport properties of the high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas residing at the interface of LaAlO… ▽ More Multiband transport in superconductors is interesting both from an academic as well as an application point of view. It has been postulated that interband scattering can significantly affect the carrier dynamics in these materials. In this article we present a detailed study of the electrical transport properties of the high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas residing at the interface of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$, a prototypical multi-band superconductor. We show, through careful measurements of the gate dependence of the magnetoresistance and resistance fluctuations at ultra-low temperatures, that transport in the superconducting regime of this system has contributions from two bands which host carriers of very different characters. We identify a gate-voltage tunable Lifshitz transition in the system and show that the resistance fluctuations have strikingly different features on either side of it. At low carrier densities, resistance noise is dominated by number-density fluctuations arising from trapping-detrapping of charge carriers from defects in the underlying SrTiO$_3$ substrate, characteristic of a single-band semiconductor. Above the Lifshitz transition, the noise presumably originates from inter-band scattering. Our work highlights the importance of inter-band scattering processes in determining the transport properties of low-dimensional systems and projects resistance fluctuation spectroscopy as a viable technique for probing the charge carrier dynamics across a Lifshitz transition. △ Less

Submitted 1 August, 2018; originally announced August 2018.

Comments: 6 pages, 5 figures

Journal ref: Physical Review B 98, 035433 (2018)

Exotic Multifractal Conductance Fluctuations in Graphene

Authors: Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, Samriddhi Sankar Ray, Nairita Pal, Rahul Pandit, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In quantum systems, signatures of multifractality are rare. They have been found only in the multiscaling of eigenfunctions at critical points. Here we demonstrate multifractality in the magnetic-field-induced universal conductance fluctuations of the conductance in a quantum condensed-matter system, namely, high-mobility single-layer graphene field-effect transistors. This multifractality decreas… ▽ More In quantum systems, signatures of multifractality are rare. They have been found only in the multiscaling of eigenfunctions at critical points. Here we demonstrate multifractality in the magnetic-field-induced universal conductance fluctuations of the conductance in a quantum condensed-matter system, namely, high-mobility single-layer graphene field-effect transistors. This multifractality decreases as the temperature increases or as doping moves the system away from the Dirac point. Our measurements and analysis present evidence for an incipient Anderson-localization near the Dirac point as the most plausible cause for this multifractality. Our experiments suggest that multifractality in the scaling behaviour of local eigenfunctions are reflected in macroscopic transport coefficients. We conjecture that an incipient Anderson-localization transition may be the origin of this multifractality. It is possible that multifractality is ubiquitous in transport properties of low-dimensional systems. Indeed, our work suggests that we should look for multifractality in transport in other low-dimensional quantum condensed-matter systems. △ Less

Submitted 12 April, 2018; originally announced April 2018.

Journal ref: Communications Physics, volume 1, Article number: 1 (2018)

Quantum phase transition in few-layer NbSe$_2$ probed through quantized conductance fluctuations

Authors: Hemanta Kumar Kundu, Sujay Ray, Kapildeb Dolui, Vivas Bagwe, Palash Roy Choudhury, S. B. Krupanidhi, Tanmoy Das, Pratap Raychaudhuri, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We present the first observation of dynamically modulated quantum phase transition (QPT) between two distinct charge density wave (CDW) phases in 2-dimensional 2H-NbSe$_2$. There is recent spectroscopic evidence for the presence of these two quantum phases, but its evidence in bulk measurements remained elusive. We studied suspended, ultra-thin \nbse devices fabricated on piezoelectric substrates… ▽ More We present the first observation of dynamically modulated quantum phase transition (QPT) between two distinct charge density wave (CDW) phases in 2-dimensional 2H-NbSe$_2$. There is recent spectroscopic evidence for the presence of these two quantum phases, but its evidence in bulk measurements remained elusive. We studied suspended, ultra-thin \nbse devices fabricated on piezoelectric substrates - with tunable flakes thickness, disorder level and strain. We find a surprising evolution of the conductance fluctuation spectra across the CDW temperature: the conductance fluctuates between two precise values, separated by a quantum of conductance. These quantized fluctuations disappear for disordered and on-substrate devices. With the help of mean-field calculations, these observations can be explained as to arise from dynamical phase transition between the two CDW states. To affirm this idea, we vary the lateral strain across the device via piezoelectric medium and map out the phase diagram near the quantum critical point (QCP). The results resolve a long-standing mystery of the anomalously large spectroscopic gap in NbSe$_2$. △ Less

Submitted 12 January, 2018; originally announced January 2018.

Journal ref: Physical Review Letters 2017

Probing the interplay between surface and bulk states in the topological Kondo insulator SmB$_6$ through conductance fluctuation spectroscopy

Authors: Sangram Biswas, M. Ciomaga Hatnean, G. Balakrishnan, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We present results of resistance fluctuation spectroscopy on single crystals of the predicted Kondo topological insulator material SmB$_6$. Our measurements show that at low temperatures, transport in this system takes place only through surface states. The measured noise in this temperature range arises due to Universal Conductance Fluctuations whose statistics was found to be consistent with the… ▽ More We present results of resistance fluctuation spectroscopy on single crystals of the predicted Kondo topological insulator material SmB$_6$. Our measurements show that at low temperatures, transport in this system takes place only through surface states. The measured noise in this temperature range arises due to Universal Conductance Fluctuations whose statistics was found to be consistent with theoretical predictions for that of two-dimensional systems in the Symplectic symmetry class. At higher temperatures, we find signatures of glassy dynamics and establish that the measured noise is caused by mobility fluctuations in the bulk. We find that, unlike the topological insulators of the dichalcogenide family, the noise in surface and bulk conduction channels in SmB$_6$ are completely uncorrelated. Our measurements establish that at sufficiently low temperatures, the bulk has no discernible contribution to electrical transport in SmB$_6$ making it an ideal platform for probing the physics of topological surface states. △ Less

Submitted 29 May, 2017; originally announced May 2017.

Comments: 9 pages, 11 figures

Journal ref: Physical Review B 95.20 (2017): 205403

Correlated Non-Gaussian phase fluctuations in LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterointerface

Authors: Gopi Nath Daptary, Shelender Kumar, Pramod Kumar, Anjana Dogra, N. Mohanta, A. Taraphder, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We probe the existence of large correlated non-Gaussian phase fluctuations in the vicinity of the superconducting phase transition in the conducting layer residing at the interface of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures. The non-Gaussian fluctuations appear between the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature $T_{BKT}$ and the mean field transition temperature $T_C$. Subsequent theo… ▽ More We probe the existence of large correlated non-Gaussian phase fluctuations in the vicinity of the superconducting phase transition in the conducting layer residing at the interface of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures. The non-Gaussian fluctuations appear between the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature $T_{BKT}$ and the mean field transition temperature $T_C$. Subsequent theoretical analysis reveals that non-Gaussianity arises predominantly due to the percolative transition of a Josephson coupled network of superconductors. Our results confirm that the superconductivity in this system is confined to two-dimensions. Our study of the non-Gaussian resistance fluctuation spectrum provides a novel means to explore the BKT-transition in two-dimensional inhomogeneous superconductors. △ Less

Submitted 5 August, 2016; originally announced August 2016.

Comments: 10 pages, 12 figures

Journal ref: Physical Review B 94, 085104 (2016)

High performance sensors based on resistance fluctuations of single layer graphene transistors

Authors: Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, Aveek Bid

Abstract: One of the most interesting predicted applications of graphene monolayer based devices is as high quality sensors. In this letter we show, through systematic experiments, a chemical vapor sensor based on the measurement of low frequency resistance fluctuations of single layer graphene field-effect-transistor (SLG-FET) devices. The sensor has extremely high sensitivity, very high specificity, high… ▽ More One of the most interesting predicted applications of graphene monolayer based devices is as high quality sensors. In this letter we show, through systematic experiments, a chemical vapor sensor based on the measurement of low frequency resistance fluctuations of single layer graphene field-effect-transistor (SLG-FET) devices. The sensor has extremely high sensitivity, very high specificity, high fidelity and fast response times. The performance of the device using this scheme of measurement (which uses resistance fluctuations as the detection parameter) is more than two orders of magnitude better than a detection scheme where changes in the average value of the resistance is monitored. We propose a number-density fluctuation based model to explain the superior characteristics of noise measurement based detection scheme presented in this article. △ Less

Submitted 19 November, 2015; originally announced November 2015.

Journal ref: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2015, 7(35)

Role of different scattering mechanisms on the temperature dependence of transport in graphene

Authors: Suman Sarkar, Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, Ranjan Modak, Amandeep Singh, Subroto Mukerjee, Aveek Bid

Abstract: Detailed experimental and theoretical studies of the temperature dependence of the effect of different scattering mechanisms on electrical transport properties of graphene devices are presented. We find that for high mobility devices the transport properties are mainly governed by completely screened short range impurity scattering. On the other hand, for the low mobility devices transport propert… ▽ More Detailed experimental and theoretical studies of the temperature dependence of the effect of different scattering mechanisms on electrical transport properties of graphene devices are presented. We find that for high mobility devices the transport properties are mainly governed by completely screened short range impurity scattering. On the other hand, for the low mobility devices transport properties are determined by both types of scattering potentials - long range due to ionized impurities and short range due to completely screened charged impurities. The results could be explained in the framework of Boltzmann transport equations involving the two independent scattering mechanisms. △ Less

Submitted 28 October, 2015; originally announced October 2015.

Comments: Accepted for Publication in Scientific Reports, 2015

Journal ref: Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 16772 (2015)

Effect of ambient on the resistance fluctuations of graphene

Authors: Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, Aveek Bid

Abstract: In this letter we present the results of systematic experimental investigations of the effect of different chemical environments on the low frequency resistance fluctuations of single layer graphene field effect transistors (SLG-FET). The shape of the power spectral density of noise was found to be determined by the energetics of the adsorption-desorption of molecules from the graphene surface mak… ▽ More In this letter we present the results of systematic experimental investigations of the effect of different chemical environments on the low frequency resistance fluctuations of single layer graphene field effect transistors (SLG-FET). The shape of the power spectral density of noise was found to be determined by the energetics of the adsorption-desorption of molecules from the graphene surface making it the dominant source of noise in these devices. We also demonstrate a method of quantitatively determining the adsorption energies of chemicals on graphene surface based on noise measurements. We find that the magnitude of noise is extremely sensitive to the nature and amount of the chemical species present. We propose that a chemical sensor based on the measurement of low frequency resistance fluctuations of single layer graphene field effect transistor devices will have extremely high sensitivity, very high specificity, high fidelity and fast response times. △ Less

Submitted 28 October, 2015; originally announced October 2015.

Journal ref: Applied Physics Letters. 106, 183105 (2015)

Robust local and non-local transport in the Topological Kondo Insulator SmB$_{6}$ in the presence of high magnetic field

Authors: Sangram Biswas, Ramya Nagarajan, Suman Sarkar, Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, M. Ciomaga Hatnean, S. Tewari, G. Balakrishnan, Aveek Bid

Abstract: SmB$_6$ has been predicted to be a Kondo Topological Insulator with topologically protected conducting surface states. We have studied quantitatively the electrical transport through surface states in high quality single crystals of SmB$_6$. We observe a large non-local surface signal at temperatures lower than the bulk Kondo gap scale. Measurements and finite element simulations allow us to disti… ▽ More SmB$_6$ has been predicted to be a Kondo Topological Insulator with topologically protected conducting surface states. We have studied quantitatively the electrical transport through surface states in high quality single crystals of SmB$_6$. We observe a large non-local surface signal at temperatures lower than the bulk Kondo gap scale. Measurements and finite element simulations allow us to distinguish unambiguously between the contributions from different transport channels. In contrast to general expectations, the electrical transport properties of the surface channels was found to be insensitive to high magnetic fields. Local and non-local magnetoresistance measurements allowed us to identify definite signatures of helical spin states and strong inter-band scattering at the surface. △ Less

Submitted 11 February, 2015; originally announced February 2015.

Comments: 7 pages, 8 figures, 1 table

Observation of transient superconductivity at the LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface

Authors: Gopi Nath Daptary, Shelender Kumar, Pramod Kumar, Anjana Dogra, R. C. Budhani, Dushyant Kumar, N. Mohanta, A. Taraphder, Aveek Bid

Abstract: We report the observation of a magnetic field assisted transient superconducting state in the two dimensional electron gas existing at the interface of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures. This metastable state depends critically on the density of charge carriers in the system. It appears concomitantly with a Lifshitz transition as a consequence of the interplay between ferromagnetism and superco… ▽ More We report the observation of a magnetic field assisted transient superconducting state in the two dimensional electron gas existing at the interface of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures. This metastable state depends critically on the density of charge carriers in the system. It appears concomitantly with a Lifshitz transition as a consequence of the interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity and the finite relaxation time of the in-plane magnetization. Our results clearly demonstrate the inherently metastable nature of the superconducting state competing with a magnetic order in these systems. The co-existence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in the conducting electronic layer formed at the interface of insulating oxides has thrown up several intriguing and as yet unanswered questions. An open question in this field is the energetics of the interplay between these two competing orders and the present observation goes a long way in understanding the underlying mechanism. △ Less

Submitted 10 May, 2017; v1 submitted 12 November, 2014; originally announced November 2014.

Comments: 11 pages, 14 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 95, 174502 (2017)

Probing a spin-glass state in SrRuO3 thin films through higher-order statistics of resistance fluctuations

Authors: Gopi Nath Daptary, Chanchal Sow, P. S. Anil Kumar, Aveek Bid

Abstract: The complex perovskite oxide SrRuO3 shows intriguing transport properties at low temperatures due to the interplay of spin, charge, and orbital degrees of freedom. One of the open questions in this system is regarding the origin and nature of the low-temperature glassy state. In this paper we report on measurements of higher-order statistics of resistance fluctuations performed in epitaxial thin f… ▽ More The complex perovskite oxide SrRuO3 shows intriguing transport properties at low temperatures due to the interplay of spin, charge, and orbital degrees of freedom. One of the open questions in this system is regarding the origin and nature of the low-temperature glassy state. In this paper we report on measurements of higher-order statistics of resistance fluctuations performed in epitaxial thin films of SrRuO3 to probe this issue. We observe large low-frequency non-Gaussian resistance fluctuations over a certain temperature range. Our observations are compatible with that of a spin-glass system with properties described by hierarchical dynamics rather than with that of a simple ferromagnet with a large coercivity. △ Less

Submitted 12 November, 2014; originally announced November 2014.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 90, 115153 (2014)

Probing long-range correlations in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless fluctuation regime of ultra-thin NbN superconducting films using transport noise measurements

Authors: R. Koushik, Siddhartha Kumar, Kazi Rafsanjani Amin, Mintu Mondal, John Jesudasan, Aveek Bid, Pratap Raychaudhuri, Arindam Ghosh

Abstract: We probe the presence of long-range correlations in phase fluctuations by analyzing the higher-order spectrum of resistance fluctuations in ultra-thin NbN superconducting films. The non-Gaussian component of resistance fluctuations is found to be sensitive to film thickness close to the transition, which allows us to distinguish between mean field and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) type sup… ▽ More We probe the presence of long-range correlations in phase fluctuations by analyzing the higher-order spectrum of resistance fluctuations in ultra-thin NbN superconducting films. The non-Gaussian component of resistance fluctuations is found to be sensitive to film thickness close to the transition, which allows us to distinguish between mean field and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) type superconducting transitions. The extent of non-Gaussianity was found to be bounded by the BKT and mean field transition temperatures and depend strongly on the roughness and structural inhomogeneity of the superconducting films. Our experiment outlines a novel fluctuation-based kinetic probe in detecting the nature of superconductivity in disordered low-dimensional materials. △ Less

Submitted 24 August, 2013; v1 submitted 20 August, 2013; originally announced August 2013.

Comments: submitted to PRL

Observation of neutral modes in the fractional quantum Hall regime

Authors: Aveek Bid, Nissim Ofek, Hiroyuki Inoue, Moty Heiblum, Charles Kane, Vladimir Umansky, Diana Mahalu

Abstract: In the quantum Hall effect regime, taking place in a two-dimensional-electron gas under strong magnetic field, currents flow along the edges of the sample. For some particle-hole conjugate states of the fractional regime, e.g., with filling between 1/2 and 1 of the lowest Landau level; early predictions suggested the presence of counter-propagating edge currents in addition to the expected ones. W… ▽ More In the quantum Hall effect regime, taking place in a two-dimensional-electron gas under strong magnetic field, currents flow along the edges of the sample. For some particle-hole conjugate states of the fractional regime, e.g., with filling between 1/2 and 1 of the lowest Landau level; early predictions suggested the presence of counter-propagating edge currents in addition to the expected ones. When this did not agree with the measured conductance, it was suggested that disorder and interactions will lead to counterpropagating modes that carry only energy - the so called neutral modes. In addition, a neutral upstream mode (Majorana mode) was also expected for selected wavefunctions proposed for the even denominator filling 5/2. Here we report on the direct observation of counter-propagating neutral modes in fillings 2/3, 3/5 and 5/2. This was done by injecting such modes and allowing them to impinge on a narrow constriction, which partly reflected them, with two main observed effects: (a) A resultant shot noise proportional to the applied voltage on the injecting contact; (b) With simultaneously injecting also a charge mode, the presence of the neutral mode was found to significantly affect the Fano factor and the temperature of the backscattered charge mode. In particular, such observation for filling 5/2, may single out the non-abelian wavefunctions for the state. △ Less

Submitted 31 May, 2010; originally announced May 2010.

Comments: 8 pages, 7 figures

Journal ref: Nature 466:585-590,2010

Shot Noise and Fractional Charge at the 2/3 Composite Fractional Edge Channel

Authors: Aveek Bid, Nissim Ofek, Moty Heiblum, Vladimir Umansky, Diana Mahalu

Abstract: The exact structure of edge modes in `hole conjugate' fractional quantum Hall states remains an unsolved issue despite significant experimental and theoretical efforts devoted to their understanding. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in such studies led by the search for neutral modes, which in some cases may lead to exotic statistical properties of the excitations. In this letter we… ▽ More The exact structure of edge modes in `hole conjugate' fractional quantum Hall states remains an unsolved issue despite significant experimental and theoretical efforts devoted to their understanding. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in such studies led by the search for neutral modes, which in some cases may lead to exotic statistical properties of the excitations. In this letter we report on detailed measurements of shot noise, produced by partitioning of the more familiar 2/3 state. We find a fractional charge of (2/3)e at the lowest temperature, decreasing to e/3 at an elevated temperature. Surprisingly, strong shot noise had been measured on a clear 1/3 plateau upon partitioning the 2/3 state. This behavior suggests an uncommon picture of the composite edge channels quite different from the accepted one. △ Less

Submitted 22 November, 2009; originally announced November 2009.

Comments: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted to PRL

The Role of Interactions in an Electronic Fabry-Perot Interferometer Operating in the Quantum Hall Effect Regime

Authors: Nissim Ofek, Aveek Bid, Moty Heiblum, Ady Stern, Vladimir Umansky, Diana Mahalu

Abstract: Interference of edge channels is expected to be a prominent tool for studying statistics of charged quasiparticles in the quantum Hall effect (QHE) [A. Stern (2008), Ann. Phys. 1:204; C. Chamon et al. (1997), Phys. Rev. B, 55:2331]. We present here a detailed study of an electronic Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) operating in the QHE regime [C. Chamon et al. (1997), Phys. Rev. B, 55:2331], with… ▽ More Interference of edge channels is expected to be a prominent tool for studying statistics of charged quasiparticles in the quantum Hall effect (QHE) [A. Stern (2008), Ann. Phys. 1:204; C. Chamon et al. (1997), Phys. Rev. B, 55:2331]. We present here a detailed study of an electronic Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) operating in the QHE regime [C. Chamon et al. (1997), Phys. Rev. B, 55:2331], with the phase of the interfering quasiparticles controlled by the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect. Our main finding is that Coulomb interactions among the electrons dominate the interference, even in a relatively large area FPI, leading to a strong dependence of the area enclosed by the interference loop on the magnetic field. In particular, for a composite edge structure, with a few independent edge channels propagating along the edge, interference of the outmost edge channel (belonging to the lowest Landau level) was insensitive to magnetic field; suggesting a constant enclosed flux. However, when any of the inner edge channels interfered, the enclosed flux decreased when the magnetic field increased. By intentionally varying the enclosed area with a biased metallic gate and observing the periodicity of the interference pattern, charges e (for integer filling factors) and e/3 (for a fractional filling factor) were found to be expelled from the FPI. Moreover, these observations provided also a novel way of detecting the charge of the interfering quasiparticles. △ Less

Submitted 9 November, 2009; v1 submitted 4 November, 2009; originally announced November 2009.

Comments: 8 pages, 8 figures

Journal ref: PNAS 107, 5276-5281 (2010)

Transmission phase of a singly occupied quantum dot in the Kondo regime

Authors: M. Zaffalon, Aveek Bid, M. Heiblum, D. Mahalu, V. Umansky

Abstract: We report on the phase measurements on a quantum dot containing a single electron in the Kondo regime. Transport takes place through a single orbital state. Although the conductance is far from the unitary limit, we measure for the first time, a transmission phase as theoretically predicted of π/2. As the dot's coupling to the leads is decreased, with the dot entering the Coulomb blockade regime… ▽ More We report on the phase measurements on a quantum dot containing a single electron in the Kondo regime. Transport takes place through a single orbital state. Although the conductance is far from the unitary limit, we measure for the first time, a transmission phase as theoretically predicted of π/2. As the dot's coupling to the leads is decreased, with the dot entering the Coulomb blockade regime, the phase reaches a value of π. Temperature shows little effect on the phase behaviour in the range 30--600 mK, even though both the two-terminal conductance and amplitude of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations are strongly affected. These results confirm that previous phase measurements involved transport through more than a single level. △ Less

Submitted 7 November, 2007; originally announced November 2007.

Comments: 4 pages, 5 figures