Symmetry Breaking Research Articles

Brightening dark excitons in inorganic halide perovskites by local symmetry breaking

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) phenomenon, defined as thermal activation of triplet dark-state excitons into singlet state excitons through reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), has become a prevalent principle for designing organic-based electro-/photo-luminescent molecules. However, activating dark excitons in inorganic metal halide perovskites (MHPs) still remains challenging. Herein, we report an efficient strategy of doping-induced local symmetry breaking to brighten dark excitons in inorganic halide perovskite Cs2ZrCl6, which result in a 500 % enhancement of low-temperature luminescence emission. Lattice symmetry breaking confirmed by the X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements could disturb the local coordination environment at the Zr site. The singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST) fitted from temperature-dependent photoluminescence decay curves decreases from 0.087 to 0.071 eV, thus reducing up-conversion barrier of dark excitons. Theoretical calculation indicates large spatial separation of charge density favorable for enhanced TADF emission. Furthermore, a flexible X-ray scintillator screen with poly (dimethylsiloxane) as the matrix could obtain high-quality X-ray imaging with a 14 lp mm−1 resolution. This work gives insights into improving photoemission of inorganic MHPs via brightening dark excitons.

Noise-Induced Phase Separation and Time Reversal Symmetry Breaking in Active Field Theories Driven by Persistent Noise.

Within the Landau-Ginzburg picture of phase transitions, scalar field theories develop phase separation because of a spontaneous symmetry-breaking mechanism. This picture works in thermodynamics but also in the dynamics of phase separation. Here we show that scalar nonequilibrium field theories undergo phase separation just because of nonequilibrium fluctuations driven by a persistent noise. The mechanism is similar to what happens in motility-induced phase separation where persistent motion introduces an effective attractive force. We observe that noise-induced phase separation occurs in a region of the phase diagram where disordered field configurations would otherwise be stable at equilibrium. Measuring the local entropy production rate to quantify the time-reversal symmetry breaking, we find that such breaking is concentrated on the boundary between the two phases.

Three-dimensional valley-contrasting sound.

Spin and valley are two fundamental properties of electrons in crystals. The similarity between them is well understood in valley-contrasting physics established decades ago in two-dimensional (2D) materials like graphene-with broken inversion symmetry, the two valleys in graphene exhibit opposite orbital magnetic moments, similar to the spin-1/2 behaviors of electrons, and opposite Berry curvature that leads to a half topological charge. However, valley-contrasting physics has never been explored in 3D crystals. Here, we develop a 3D acoustic crystal exhibiting 3D valley-contrasting physics. Unlike spin that is fundamentally binary, valley in 3D can take six different values, each carrying a vortex in a distinct direction. The topological valley transport is generalized from the edge states of 2D materials to the surface states of 3D materials, with interesting features including robust propagation, topological refraction, and valley-cavity localization. Our results open a new route for wave manipulation in 3D space.

Geometric Symmetry Breaking and Nonlinearity Can Increase Thermoelectric Power.

Direct thermal-to-electric energy converters typically operate in the linear regime, where the ratio of actual maximum power relative to the ideal maximum power, the so-called fill factor (FF), is 0.25. Here, we show, based on fundamental symmetry considerations, that the leading order nonlinear terms that can increase the FF require devices with broken spatial symmetry. Studying nonlinear, thermoelectric transport across an asymmetric energy barrier defined in a single semiconductor nanowire, we find in both experiment and theory that we can increase the FF as well as maximum power. Geometric symmetry breaking combined with the design of nonlinear behavior thus represents a strategy for increasing the performance of thermoelectric or hot-carrier devices.

Hidden magnetism and split off flat bands in the insulator metal transition in VO2

Transition metal d-electron oxides with an odd number of electrons per unit cell are expected to form metals with partially occupied energy bands, but exhibit in fact a range of behaviors, being either insulators, or metals, or having insulator-metal transitions. Traditional explanations involved predominantly electron-electron interactions in fixed structural symmetry. The present work focuses instead on the role of symmetry breaking local structural motifs. Viewing the previously observed V-V dimerization in VO2 as a continuous knob, reveals in density functional calculations the splitting of an isolated flat band from the broad conduction band. This leads past a critical percent dimerization to the formation of the insulating phase while lowering the total energy. In VO2 this transition is found to have a rather low energy barrier approaching the thermal energy at room temperature, suggesting energy-efficient switching in neuromorphic computing. Interestingly, sufficient V-V dimerization suppresses magnetism, leading to the nonmagnetic insulating state, whereas magnetism appears when dimerization is reduced, forming a metallic state. This study opens the way to design novel functional quantum materials with symmetry breaking-induced flat bands.

Cu-Ni Bimetallic Nanowires with Various Structures Originating from Ni Reduction Kinetics.

Bimetallic nanowires play important roles in the fields of electronics and mechanics. However, their structure types and morphological control methods are limited, especially for systems with low lattice mismatch. Herein, for a Cu-Ni bimetallic system with lattice mismatch ratio less than 2.5%, a novel preparation approach of various Cu-Ni nanowires dominated by Ni(II) reduction kinetics is presented. With the increase of Ni(II) reduction rate, the core-shell Cu@Ni straight nanowires, the asymmetric Cu-Ni nanocurves, and asymmetric Cu-Ni nanocoils can be prepared, respectively. The formation of Cu-Ni nanowires with different structures can be divided into the growth of Cu nanowires and the deposition of Ni. The regulatory effects were revealed by establishing a kinetic model for Ni(II) reduction. For the novel Cu-Ni asymmetrically distributed nanocurves and nanocoils, the formation mechanism was proposed by considering the Cu nanowire bending due to the rearrangement of surface ligand and bending-induced symmetry breaking of Ni(II) reduction.

Myosin-I synergizes with Arp2/3 complex to enhance the pushing forces of branched actin networks.

Class I myosins (myosin-Is) colocalize with Arp2/3 complex-nucleated actin networks at sites of membrane protrusion and invagination, but the mechanisms by which myosin-I motor activity coordinates with branched actin assembly to generate force are unknown. We mimicked the interplay of these proteins using the "comet tail" bead motility assay, where branched actin networks are nucleated by the Arp2/3 complex on the surface of beads coated with myosin-I and nucleation-promoting factor. We observed that myosin-I increased bead movement efficiency by thinning actin networks without affecting growth rates. Myosin-I triggered symmetry breaking and comet tail formation in dense networks resistant to spontaneous fracturing. Even with arrested actin assembly, myosin-I alone could break the network. Computational modeling recapitulated these observations, suggesting myosin-I acts as a repulsive force shaping the network's architecture and boosting its force-generating capacity. We propose that myosin-I leverages its power stroke to amplify the forces generated by Arp2/3 complex-nucleated actin networks.

Field-Free Spin-Orbit Torque Switching in Janus Chromium Dichalcogenides.

We predict a very large spin-orbit torque (SOT) capability of magnetic chromium-based transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers in their Janus forms CrXTe, with X = S, Se. The structural inversion symmetry breaking, inherent to Janus structures is responsible for a large SOT response generated by giant Rashba splitting, equivalent to that obtained by applying a transverse electric field of ∼100 V nm-1 in non-Janus CrTe2, completely out of experimental reach. By performing transport simulations on carefully derived Wannier tight-binding models, Janus systems are found to exhibit an SOT performance comparable to the most efficient two-dimensional materials, while additionally allowing for field-free perpendicular magnetization switching, due to their reduced in-plane symmetry. Altogether, our findings evidence that magnetic Janus TMDs stand as suitable candidates for ultimate SOT-MRAM devices in an ultracompact self-induced SOT scheme.

Composite dark matter with forbidden annihilation

A dark matter model based on QCD-like SU(Nc) gauge theory with electroweakly interacting dark quarks is discussed. Assuming the dark quark mass m is smaller than the dynamical scale Λd ~ 4πfd, the main component of the dark matter is the lightest G-parity odd dark pion associated with chiral symmetry breaking in the dark sector. We show that nonzero dark quark mass induces the universal mass contribution to both G-parity odd and even pions, and their masses tend to be degenerate. As a result, dark pion annihilation into heavier G-parity even dark pion also affects the dark matter relic abundance. Thus, our setup naturally accommodates forbidden dark matter scenario and realizes heavy dark matter whose mass is O\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{O} $$\\end{document}(1–100) TeV, which is different from conventional electroweakly interacting dark matter such as minimal dark matter. We also discuss CP-violation from the θ-term in the dark gauge sector and find that the predicted size of the electron electric dipole moment can be as large as ∼ 10−32e cm.

Split Majoron model confronts the NANOGrav signal and cosmological tensions

In the light of the evidence of a gravitational wave background from the NANOGrav 15 yr dataset, we reconsider the split Majoron model as a new physics extension of the standard model able to generate a needed contribution to solve the current tension between the data and the standard interpretation in terms of inspiraling supermassive black hole massive binaries. In the split Majoron model the seesaw right-handed neutrinos acquire Majorana masses from spontaneous symmetry breaking of global U(1)B−L in a strong first order phase transition of a complex scalar field occurring above the electroweak scale. The final vacuum expectation value couples to a second complex scalar field undergoing a low scale phase transition occurring after neutrino decoupling. Such a coupling enhances the strength of this second low scale first order phase transition and can generate a sizeable primordial gravitational wave background contributing to the NANOGrav 15 yr signal. Some amount of extraradiation is generated after neutron-to-proton ration freeze-out but prior to nucleosynthesis. This can be either made compatible with the current upper bound from primordial deuterium measurements or even be used to solve a potential deuterium problem. Moreover, the free streaming length of light neutrinos can be suppressed by their interactions with the resulting Majoron background, and this mildly ameliorates existing cosmological tensions. Thus cosmological observations nicely provide independent motivations for the model. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Higher-order interaction induced chimeralike state in a bipartite network.

We report higher-order coupling induced stable chimeralike state in a bipartite network of coupled phase oscillators without any time-delay in the coupling. We show that the higher-order interaction breaks the symmetry of the homogeneous synchronized state to facilitate the manifestation of symmetry breaking chimeralike state. In particular, such symmetry breaking manifests only when the pairwise interaction is attractive and higher-order interaction is repulsive, and vice versa. Further, we also demonstrate the increased degree of heterogeneity promotes homogeneous symmetric states in the phase diagram by suppressing the asymmetric chimeralike state. We deduce the low-dimensional evolution equationsfor the macroscopic order parameters using Ott-Antonsen ansatz and obtain the bifurcation curves from them using the software xppaut, which agrees very well with the simulation results. We also deduce the analytical stability conditions for the incoherent state, in-phase and out-of-phase synchronized states, which match with the bifurcation curves.

Cryogenic nano-imaging of second-order moiré superlattices.

Second-order superlattices form when moiré superlattices with similar periodicities interfere with each other, leading to larger superlattice periodicities. These crystalline structures are engineered using two-dimensional materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride, and the specific alignment plays a crucial role in facilitating correlation-driven topological phases. Signatures of second-order superlattices have been identified in magnetotransport experiments; however, real-space visualization is still lacking. Here we reveal the second-order superlattice in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene closely aligned with hexagonal boron nitride through electronic transport measurements and cryogenic nanoscale photovoltage measurements and evidenced by long-range periodic photovoltage modulations. Our results show that even minuscule strain and twist-angle variations as small as 0.01° can lead to drastic changes in the second-order superlattice structure. Our real-space observations, therefore, serve as a 'magnifying glass' for strain and twist angle and can elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the breaking of spatial symmetries in twisted bilayer graphene.

Transmission anomalies in 2D photonic crystals from the checkerboard family: from broken to hidden symmetries and plasmon “spoofing”

In a field representation, the main symmetry of the electromagnetic response of complementary metal film structures is described by the Babinet principle, which is expected to be strictly obeyed by structures in vanishingly thin films of a perfect electric conductor. On the other hand, a softer version of this based on transmittance, the transmittance Babinet principle (TBP), is not so restrictive. The goal of this work is to study how severely this broken symmetry affects the optical response of such structures. We consider two geometrically distinct series of planar complementary structures from the checkerboard family: regular and bowtie. The self-complementary structure of these series is known to be very singular and breaks even the rigorous Babinet principle. Here, we study complete simulated transmittance spectral maps (T-Maps), which accumulate the whole spectral response of an entire series of structures in a single plot. The ab initio simulated T-Maps of these 2D photonic crystals were simulated for linearly polarized waves propagating perpendicular to these planar structures, made in a vanishingly thin film of a perfect electric conductor. While we confirm the expected long wavelength validity of the TBP, we show that in the frequency range where diffraction effects dominate, the standard derivation of the TBP no longer applies, and with the help of our T-Maps, we demonstrate a total collapse of the TBP in the structures considered. We show that this broken symmetry practically eliminates all but one transmission band on the hole side of the T-Maps and that the remaining strong band is a “spoof” plasmon, free of multiple frequency replicas, an important feature for optical filter applications. In addition, by symmetry arguments and simulations, we discovered that the T-Maps for bowtie and doubled-period regular structures are identical. We discuss how this hidden symmetry can benefit various applications by providing a convenient scaling, whereby simplified structures can deliver a tailored response.

Signatures of exciton-exciton annihilation in 2DES spectra including up to six-wave mixing processes.

Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) is a powerful spectroscopic tool that allows us to study the dynamics of excited states. Exciton-exciton annihilation is at least a fifth order process, which corresponds to intrachromophoric internal conversion from the double-excited high-energy chromophoric state into the single-excited state of the same chromophore. At high excitation intensities, this effect becomes apparent in standard 2DES and can be inspected via high order nK1⃗-nK2⃗+K3⃗ nonlinear processes. We calculate 2DES based on K1⃗-K2⃗+K3⃗ and 2K1⃗-2K2⃗+K3⃗ wave mixing processes to reveal exciton-exciton annihilation (EEA) induced exciton symmetry breaking, which occurs at high excitation intensities. We present the general theory that captures all these processes for bosonic and paulionic quasiparticles in a unified way and demonstrate that the NEEs can be easily utilized for highly nonlinear two-dimensional spectra calculations by employing phase cycling for separating various phase matching conditions. The approach predicts various excitonic third- to fifth-order features; however, due to high excitation intensities, contributions of different order processes become comparable and overlap, i.e., the signals no longer can be associated with well-defined order-to-the-field contributions. In addition, EEA leads to breaking of the exciton symmetries, thus enabling population of dark excitons. Such effects are due to the local nature of the EEA process.

Nonsymmetrical thermal conductivity along the director field in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals.

The synthesis of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals (FNLCs) concludes the long wait for their existence and potential usage in multiple liquid crystal based applications. In FNLCs, electric polarization in the nematic phase significantly decreases the switching time of in-on display pixels. In this article, we report the occurrence of translation symmetry breaking for heat propagation along the director field n[over ̂] in the ferroelectric nematic phase. Due to the C_{∞V} symmetry of such a phase and close similarity to the bent-core polar liquid crystal phase, a rank-3 tensor describes its scalar order parameter and algebraic deductions. The finite element simulations show the occurrence of the nonsymmetrical thermal conductivity along n[over ̂]. The preferential heat transport in FNLCs can allow them to work as an all-thermal monophase non-nanostructured single-material thermal rectifier. We expect that this study will contribute towards the FNLCs application as functional layers and inks.

Multiplicity and symmetry breaking for supercritical elliptic problems in exterior domains

Abstract We deal with the following semilinear equation in exterior domains − Δ u + u = a ( x ) | u | p − 2 u , u ∈ H 0 1 ( A R ) , where A R := { x ∈ R N : | x | > R } , N ⩾ 3 , R > 0. Assuming that the weight a is positive and satisfies some symmetry and monotonicity properties, we exhibit a positive solution having the same features as a, for values of p > 2 in a suitable range that includes exponents greater than the standard Sobolev critical one. In the special case of radial weight a, our existence result ensures multiplicity of nonradial solutions. We also provide an existence result for supercritical p in nonradial exterior domains.

Half‐Metallic Ferromagnetism in 2D Janus Monolayers: Mn2GeX (X = As, Sb)

Two‐dimensional (2D) Janus materials are a fascinating class of materials resulting from their unique electronic and magnetic properties induced by mirror symmetry breaking. However, 2D Janus materials with intrinsic magnetism remain rather rare, casting a mysterious veil over magnetism. In this work, the electronic and magnetic properties of Janus Mn2GeX (X = As, Sb) monolayers using the first‐principles calculations are investigated. The results demonstrate that these Janus materials exhibit excellent mechanical and dynamic stability, indicating their potential for future applications in nanoscale spintronic devices. Interestingly, the Janus and monolayers possess exciting half‐metallic character with wide half‐metallic gaps of 0.29 and 0.18 eV, and spin gaps of 1.68 and 1.62 eV, respectively. Their calculated ground state exhibits a strong preference for ferromagnetic ordering, with a Curie temperature () of 630 and 590 K, respectively. Additionally, the ferromagnetism of Janus Mn2GeX (X = As, Sb) monolayers is robust against biaxial strain ranging from −6% to 6%. Under 6% tensile strain, the calculated of the monolayer is 639 K, which represents a 9% increase compared to the observed in the unstrained condition. All these intriguing electronic and magnetic properties make the Janus Mn2GeX (X = As, Sb) monolayers an appealing candidate for applications in nanoscale spintronic devices.

Prediction of Intriguing Valley Properties in Two-Dimensional Hf2TeIX (X = I, Br) Monolayers

The valley degree of freedom, as a new information carrier, is important for basic physical research and the development of advanced devices. Herein, using first-principle calculations, we predict that two-dimensional Hf2TeIX (X = I, Br) monolayers harbor intriguing valley properties. Without considering spin–orbit coupling (SOC), the Hf2TeI2 monolayer has a semi-metallic nature, with Dirac cones located at the high-symmetry point K, and feature, with considerable Fermi velocity. When the SOC is taken into account, a band gap opening of 271 meV can be observed at the Dirac cones. More interestingly, the Hf2TeIBr monolayer exhibits intrinsic spatial inversion symmetry breaking, which leads to the emergence of valley-contrasting physics under SOC. This is demonstrated by the presence of spin–valley splitting and opposite Berry curvature at adjacent K points. Besides, the spin–valley splitting, the band gap and magnitude of the Berry curvature of the Hf2TeIBr monolayer can be effectively tuned by strain engineering. These findings contribute significantly to the design of valleytronic devices and extend opportunities for exploring two-dimensional valley materials.

Fermi Rubik’s Cube in High-pressure Induced Chlorine-riched Compounds

Abstract In the quasi-free electron model, which is widely used in modern solid-state physics, the Fermi surface spreads into a sphere in the Brillouin zone, i.e., the Fermi Sphere. The Fermi Sphere exists widely in metal systems, no matter whether the crystal is in a body-center cubic, face-center cubic, or hexagonal close-packed lattice. Here, we report a class of compounds stabilized at high pressure with a Rubik's cubic Fermi surface, in which the representative example is P m-3n-CaCl3. Our quantum-mechanical variable- composition evolutionary simulations predicted the thermal stabilities of CaCl3, and the tight-binding model revealed its unique Fermi surface originates from the quasi-one- dimensional interaction, structural symmetric protection, and particle-hole symmetry breaking. Furthermore, by its flat and steep band structure, CaCl3 has a huge span of effective mass from 9.08×103 me (super-heavy) to 5.13×10-4 me on the Fermi level, which supplies an interesting platform for quasiparticle research.

Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions

Efficient detection of the magnetic state is a critical step towards useful antiferromagnet-based spintronic devices. Recently, finite tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) has been demonstrated in tunnel junctions with antiferromagnetic electrodes, however, these studies have been mostly limited to junctions with two identical antiferromagnet (AFM) electrodes, where the matching of the spin-split Fermi surfaces played critical role. It remains unclear if AFMs can provide a finite net spin polarization, and hence be used as a spin polarizer or detector. In this work, we experimentally fabricate single-sided antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions consisting of one AFM electrode (Mn3Sn) and one ferromagnet (FM) electrode (CoFeB), where the spin polarized tunneling transport from AFM is detected by the FM layer. We observe a high TMR at cryogenic temperature (>100% at 10 K) in these asymmetric AFM tunnel junctions, suggesting a large effective spin polarization from Mn3Sn despite its nearly vanishing magnetization. The large TMR is consistent with recent theoretical studies where the broken symmetry in non-collinear AFMs is predicted to lift the spin degeneracy in the band structure. Our work provides strong evidence that spin polarized electrical transport can be achieved from AFMs.