Magnetotransport Signatures Research Articles

Magnetotransport and Spin-Relaxation Signatures of the Radial Rashba and Dresselhaus Spin-Orbit Coupling in Proximitized Graphene.

Graphene-based van der Waals heterostructures take advantage of tailoring spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the graphene layer by the proximity effect. At long wavelength-saddled by the electronic states near the Dirac points-the proximitized features can be effectively modeled by the Hamiltonian involving novel SOC terms and allow for an admixture of the tangential and radial spin-textures-by the so-called Rashba angle θ_{R}. Taking such effective models we perform realistic large-scale magnetotransport calculations-transverse magnetic focusing and Dyakonov-Perel spin relaxation-and show that there are unique qualitative and quantitative features allowing for an unbiased experimental disentanglement of the conventional Rashba SOC from its novel radial counterpart, called here the radial Rashba SOC. Along with that, we propose a scheme for a direct estimation of the Rashba angle by exploring the magneto response symmetries when swapping an in-plane magnetic field. To complete the story, we analyze the magnetotransport and spin-relaxation signatures in the presence of an emergent Dresselhaus SOC and also provide some generic ramifications about possible scenarios of the radial superconducting diode effect.

Impact of strain on the SOT-driven dynamics of thin film Mn3Sn

Mn 3 Sn, a metallic antiferromagnet with an anti-chiral 120° spin structure, generates intriguing magneto-transport signatures such as a large anomalous Hall effect, spin-polarized current with novel symmetries, anomalous Nernst effect, and magneto-optic Kerr effect. When grown epitaxially as MgO(110)[001]∥Mn3Sn(01¯1¯0)[0001], Mn3Sn experiences a uniaxial tensile strain, which changes the bulk sixfold anisotropy to a twofold perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Here, we investigate the field-assisted spin–orbit-torque (SOT)-driven dynamics in single-domain Mn3Sn with PMA. We find that for non-zero external magnetic fields, the magnetic octupole moment of Mn3Sn can be switched between the two stable states if the input current is between two field-dependent critical currents. Below the lower critical current, the magnetic octupole moment exhibits a stationary state in the vicinity of the initial stable state. On the other hand, above the higher critical current, the magnetic octupole moment shows oscillatory dynamics which could, in principle, be tuned from the 100s of megahertz to the terahertz range. We obtain approximate analytic expressions of the two critical currents that agree very well with the numerical simulations for experimentally relevant magnetic fields. We also obtain a unified functional form of the switching time vs the input current for different magnetic fields. Finally, we show that for lower values of Gilbert damping (α≲2×10−3), the critical currents and the final steady states depend significantly on α. The numerical and analytic results presented in our work can be used by both theorists and experimentalists to understand the SOT-driven order dynamics in PMA Mn3Sn and design future experiments and devices.

Competition between chiral anomaly and weak antilocalization in Cd3As2 nanoplates

Negative longitudinal magnetoresistivity (nLMR) induced by the chiral anomaly together with the weak antilocalization (WAL) due to the quantum interference can be regarded as remarkable magnetotransport signatures for three-dimension (3D) topological semimetals. Here, we report the observation of high-temperature competition between the chiral anomaly and WAL by magnetotransport measurements on high-quality Cd3As2 nanoplates under parallel electromagnetic fields. We find that, the WAL dominates the magnetotransport in the weak magnetic fields, which decreases gradually and ultimately vanishes at a critical temperature Tc. In contrast, the chiral anomaly is robust against temperature and can survive up to room temperature. This competition between the chiral anomaly and WAL can be understood in terms of Berry phase, accompanying with the low carrier density in Cd3As2 nanoplates. Our work would offer a better understanding of magnetotransport properties governed by Berry phase and the nature of electronic states in topological semimetals.

Magnetotransport Signatures of Superconducting Cooper Pairs Carried by Topological Surface States in Bismuth Selenide.

As topological insulators (TIs) are becoming increasingly intriguing, the community is exploring transformative applications that require interfacing TIs with other materials such as ferromagnets or superconductors. Herein, we report on the manifestations of superconducting electrons carried by topological surface states (TSS) in Bi2Se3 films. As key signatures of TSS-carried Cooper pairs, we uncover the hysteresis of magnetoresistance (MR) and the switching behavior of anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR). For in-plane fields perpendicular to the injected current, AMR shows negative switching (resistance drop) when the contacts become superconducting, which is consistent with a cooperative Zeeman effect enabled by the spin-momentum locking of TSS. The MR and AMR behaviors are robust, occurring reliably in multiple samples, from different sources, and with different defect concentrations. Our findings can guide novel developments in superconductor/TI quantum devices relying on supercurrent detection as well as lead to more refined transport signatures of Majorana zero-modes in the future.

Unusual Magnetotransport from two-dimensional Dirac Fermions in Pd3Bi2Se2

Pd$_{3}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ has been proposed to be topologically non-trivial in nature. However, evidence of its non-trivial behavior is still unexplored. We report the growth and magneto-transport study of Pd$_{3}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ thin films, revealing for the first time the contribution of two-dimensional (2D) topological surface states. We observe exceptional non-saturated linear magnetoresistance which results from Dirac fermions inhabiting the lowest Landau level in the quantum limit. The transverse magnetoresistance changes from a semi-classical weak-field $B^{2}$ dependence to a high-field $B$ dependence at a critical field $B^{\star}$. It is found that $B^{\star} \propto T^2$, which is expected from the Landau level splitting of a linear energy dispersion. In addition, the magnetoconductivity shows signatures of 2D weak anti-localization (WAL). These novel magnetotransport signatures evince the presence of 2D Dirac fermions in Pd$_{3}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ thin films.

Effect of magnetic impurity scattering on transport in topological insulators

Charge transport in topological insulators is primarily characterised by so-called topologically projected helical edge states, where charge carriers are correlated in spin and momentum. In principle, dissipation-less current can be carried by these edge states as backscattering from impurities and defects is suppressed as long as time-reversal symmetry is not broken. However, applied magnetic fields or underlying nuclear spin-defects in the substrate can break this time reversal symmetry. In particular, magnetic impurities lead to back-scattering by spin-flip processes. We have investigated the effects of point-wise magnetic impurities on the transport properties of helical edge states in the BHZ model using the Non-Equilibrium Green's Function formalism and compared the results to a semi-analytic approach. Using these techniques we study the influence of impurity strength and spin impurity polarization. We observe a secondary effect of defect-defect interaction that depends on the underlying material parameters which introduces a non-monotonic response of the conductance to defect density. This in turn suggests a qualitative difference in magneto-transport signatures in the dilute and high density spin impurity limits.

Higher-Order Fabry-Pérot Interferometer from Topological Hinge States.

We propose an intrinsic three-dimensional Fabry-Pérot type interferometer, coined "higher-order interferometer," that is based on the chiral hinge states of second-order topological insulators and cannot be mapped to an equivalent two-dimensional setting because of higher-order topological obstructions. Quantum interference patterns in the two-terminal conductance of this interferometer are controllable not only by tuning the strength but also, particularly, by rotating the direction of the magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the transport direction. Remarkably, the conductance exhibits a characteristic beating pattern with multiple frequencies depending on the field strength and direction in a unique fashion. Our novel interferometer thus provides feasible and robust magnetotransport signatures for hinge states of higher-order topological insulators.

Magnetotransport signatures of three-dimensional topological insulator nanostructures

We study the magnetotransport properties of patterned 3D topological insulator nanostructures with several leads, such as kinks or Y-junctions, near the Dirac point with analytical as well as numerical techniques. The interplay of the nanostructure geometry, the external magnetic field and the spin-momentum locking of the topological surface states lead to a richer magnetoconductance phenomenology as compared to straight nanowires. Similar to straight wires, a quantized conductance with perfect transmission across the nanostructure can be realized across a kink when the input and output channels are pierced by a half-integer magnetic flux quantum. Unlike for straight wires, there is an additional requirement depending on the orientation of the external magnetic field. A right-angle kink shows a unique $\pi$-periodic magnetoconductance signature as a function of the in-plane angle of the magnetic field. For a Y-junction, the transmission can be perfectly steered to either of the two possible output legs by a proper alignment of the external magnetic field. These magnetotransport signatures offer new ways to explore topological surface states and could be relevant for quantum transport experiments on nanostructures which can be realized with existing fabrication methods.

Twisted Fermi surface of a thin-film Weyl semimetal

The Fermi surface of a conventional two-dimensional electron gas is equivalent to a circle, up to smooth deformations that preserve the orientation of the equi-energy contour. Here we show that a Weyl semimetal confined to a thin film with an in-plane magnetization and broken spatial inversion symmetry can have a topologically distinct Fermi surface that is twisted into a figure-8—opposite orientations are coupled at a crossing which is protected up to an exponentially small gap. The twisted spectral response to a perpendicular magnetic field B is distinct from that of a deformed Fermi circle, because the two lobes of a figure-8 cyclotron orbit give opposite contributions to the Aharonov–Bohm phase. The magnetic edge channels come in two counterpropagating types, a wide channel of width and a narrow channel of width (with the magnetic length and β the momentum separation of the Weyl points). Only one of the two is transmitted into a metallic contact, providing unique magnetotransport signatures.

Reply to “Comment on ‘Magnetotransport signatures of a single nodal electron pocket constructed from Fermi arcs' ”

In a recent manuscript, we showed how an electron pocket in the shape of a diamond with concave sides could potentially explain changes in sign of the Hall coefficient R_H in the underdoped high-Tc cuprates as a function of magnetic field and temperature. For simplicity, this Fermi surface is assumed to be constructed from arcs of a circle connected at vertices which is an idea borrowed from Banik and Overhauser. Such a diamond-shaped pocket is proposed to be the product of biaxial charge-density wave order, which was subsequently confirmed in x-ray scattering experiments. Since those x-ray scattering experiments were performed, the biaxial Fermi surface reconstruction scheme has garnered widespread support in the scientific literature. It has been shown to accurately account for the cross-section of the Fermi surface pocket observed in quantum oscillation measurements, the sign and behavior of the Hall coefficient, the size of the high magnetic field electronic contribution to the heat capacity and more recently the form of the angle-dependent magnetoresistance.In their comment, Chakravarty and Wang raise several important questions relating to the validity of the Hall coefficient we calculated for such a diamond-shaped Fermi surface pocket. These questions concern specifically (1) whether a change in sign of the Hall coefficient R_H with magnetic field and temperature is dependent on a `special' form for the rounding of the vertices, (2) whether a pocket of such a geometry can produce quantum oscillations in R_H in the absence of other Fermi surface sections and (3) whether a reconstructed Fermi surface consisting of a single pocket is less `natural' than one consisting of multiple pockets. Below we consider each of these in turn.

Comment on “Magnetotransport signatures of a single nodal electron pocket constructed from Fermi arcs”

We comment on the recent work [N. Harrison, \textit{et al.} Phys. Rev. B {\bf 92}, 224505 (2015)] which attempts to explain the sign reversal and quantum oscillations of the Hall coefficient observed in cuprates from a single nodal diamond-shaped electron pocket with concave arc segments. Given the importance of this work, it calls for a closer scrutiny. Their conclusion of sign reversal of the Hall coefficient depends on a non-generic rounding of the sharp vertices. Moreover, their demonstration of quantum oscillation in the Hall coefficient from a single pocket is unconvincing. We maintain that at least two pockets with different scattering rates is necessary to explain the observed quantum oscillations of the Hall coefficient.

Twisted Bilayer Graphene: Interlayer Configuration and Magnetotransport Signatures

AbstractTwisted Bilayer Graphene may be viewed as very first representative of the now booming class of artificially layered 2D materials. Consisting of two sheets from the same structure and atomic composition, its decisive degree of freedom lies in the rotation between crystallographic axes in the individual graphene monolayers. Geometrical consideration finds angle‐dependent Moiré patterns as well as commensurate superlattices of opposite sublattice exchange symmetry. Beyond the approach of rigidly interposed lattices, this review takes focus on the evolving topic of lattice corrugation and distortion in response to spatially varying lattice registry. The experimental approach to twisted bilayers requires a basic control over preparation techniques; important methods are summarized and extended on in the case of bilayers folded from monolayer graphene via AFM nanomachining. Central morphological parameters to the twisted bilayer, rotational mismatch and interlayer separation are studied in a broader base of samples. Finally, experimental evidence for a number of theoretically predicted, controversial electronic scenarios are reviewed; magnetotransport signatures are discussed in terms of Fermi velocity, van Hove singularities and Berry phase and assessed with respect to the underlying experimental conditions, thereby referring back to the initially considered variations in relaxed lattice structure.

Understanding magnetotransport signatures in networks of connected permalloy nanowires

The change in electrical resistance associated with the application of an external magnetic field is known as the magnetoresistance (MR). The measured MR is quite complex in the class of connected networks of single-domain ferromagnetic nanowires, known as "artificial spin ice", due to the geometrically-induced collective behavior of the nanowire moments. We have conducted a thorough experimental study of the MR of a connected honeycomb artificial spin ice, and we present a simulation methodology for understanding the detailed behavior of this complex correlated magnetic system. Our results demonstrate that the behavior, even at low magnetic fields, can be well-described only by including significant contributions from the vertices at which the legs meet, opening the door to new geometrically-induced MR phenomena.

Improvement of the transport properties of a high-mobility electron system by intentional parallel conduction

We present a gating scheme to separate even strong parallel conduction from the magneto-transport signatures and properties of a two-dimensional electron system. By varying the electron density in the parallel conducting layer, we can study the impact of mobile charge carriers in the vicinity of the dopant layer on the properties of the two-dimensional electron system. It is found that the parallel conducting layer is indeed capable to screen the remote ionized impurity potential fluctuations responsible for the fragility of fractional quantum Hall states.

Magnetotransport signatures of the proximity exchange and spin-orbit couplings in graphene

Graphene on an insulating ferromagnetic substrate---ferromagnetic insulator or ferromagnetic metal with a tunnel barrier---is expected to exhibit giant proximity exchange and spin-orbit couplings. We use a realistic transport model of charge-disorder scattering and solve the linearized Boltzmann equation numerically exactly for the anisotropic Fermi contours of modified Dirac electrons to find magnetotransport signatures of these proximity effects: proximity anisotropic magnetoresistance, inverse spin-galvanic effect, and the planar Hall resistivity. We establish the corresponding anisotropies due to the exchange and spin-orbit couplings, with respect to the magnetization orientation. We also present parameter maps guiding towards optimal regimes for observing transport magnetoanisotropies in proximity graphene.

Modeling the angle-dependent magnetoresistance oscillations of Fermi surfaces with hexagonal symmetry

By solving the Boltzmann transport equation we investigate theoretically the general form of oscillations in the resistivity caused by varying the direction of an applied magnetic field for the case of quasi-two dimensional systems on hexagonal lattices. The presence of the angular magnetoresistance oscillations can be used to map out the topology of the Fermi surface and we study how this effect varies as a function of the degree of interplane warping as well as a function of the degree of isotropic scattering. We find that the angular dependent effect due to in-plane rotation follows the symmetry imposed by the lattice whereas for inter-plane rotation the degree of warping dictates the dominant features observed in simulations. Our calculations make predictions for specific angle-dependent magnetotransport signatures in magnetic fields expected for quasi-two dimensional hexagonal compounds similar to PdCoO2 and PtCoO2.

Magnetotransport signatures of a single nodal electron pocket constructed from Fermi arcs

Reconstruction of the Fermi surface into small electron pockets in the normal ground state of the underdoped high-temperature superconducting cuprates has been related to charge ordering. It remains an open question, however, as to whether Fermi-surface reconstruction occurs from a more conventional starting large holelike Fermi surface yielding multiple pockets, or whether it occurs by connecting truncated ``Fermi arcs'' in an unconventional pseudogap state to yield a single pocket per ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ plane. Thus far, the observation of an in-plane magnetoresistance, and sign reversals and quantum oscillations in the Hall coefficient have been considered to provide support for the former conventional scenario. Here we show that in fact a single nodal diamond-shaped electron pocket with concave sides produced by the latter unconventional scenario yields the observed experimental signatures in magnetotransport, negative Hall coefficient, and quantum oscillations in the negative Hall effect. Taken in conjunction with complementary signatures such as the experimentally observed low value of heat capacity at high magnetic fields and the experimental observation of a charge ordering wave vector that connects the tips of the truncated Fermi arcs, an origin of Fermi-surface reconstruction from unconventional Fermi arcs is suggested.

GdN (1 1 1) heteroepitaxy on GaN (0 0 0 1) by N 2 plasma and NH 3 molecular beam epitaxy

We report on the heteroepitaxial growth of thin films of rocksalt GdN on c-plane (0 0 0 1) wurtzite GaN by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using either an N 2 plasma or NH 3 as the nitrogen source. In both cases, epitaxial films with fully oriented GdN (1 1 1)∥GaN (0 0 0 1) were deposited as demonstrated by θ–2 θ X-ray diffraction. φ scans of GdN peaks demonstrate 6-fold symmetry along the growth axis implying the presence of two 3-fold-symmetric GdN (1 1 1) crystal variants in-plane. Electrical transport and magnetometry measurements on films grown using N 2 plasma show that these GdN films are ferromagnetic below T C=70 K and degenerately doped or metallic from 10 to 300 K with magnetotransport signatures associated with T C.