Eli J. Fox, Arthur W. Barnard, Joe Finney, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Marc A. Kastner, and David Goldhaber-Gordon
Abstract
We have previously reported ferromagnetism evinced by a large hysteretic anomalous Hall effect in twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG). Subsequent measurements of a quantized Hall resistance and small longitudinal resistance confirmed that this magnetic state is a Chern insulator. Here, we report that when tilting the sample in an external magnetic field, the ferromagnetism is highly anisotropic. Because spin−orbit coupling is weak in graphene, such anisotropy is unlikely to come from spin but rather favors theories in which the ferromagnetism is orbital. We know of no other case in which ferromagnetism has a purely orbital origin. For an applied in-plane field larger than 5 T, the out-of-plane magnetization is destroyed, suggesting a transition to a new phase.
Soonwook Hong, John Xu, Vikram Pande, Joonsuk Park, Robert Sinclair, Venkatasubramanian Visvanathan, David Goldhaber-Gordon and Fritz B Prinz
Abstract
The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is rate-limiting in polymer electrolyte fuel cells over a wide range of overpotentials. To improve our understanding of the underlying physics and chemistry of ORR, we created a model system with atomically-ordered interfaces that allows us to distinguish between bulk and electronic effects on catalytic behavior. Specifically, we developed a facile way of growing thin, epitaxial Pt nanostructures on graphene, which serves as both growth substrate and electrode. Rotating disc electrode measurements showed a high specific activity relative to platinum on glassy carbon. The enhanced ORR activity was observed despite consistent measurements that show a small electrochemically-active surface area arising from the fact that virtually all carbon atoms in monolayer graphene are surface atoms. This talk will address the reasons for the increase of ORR activity in view of the new ground state of atomically thin platinum on graphene.
Recently, quantum anomalous Hall effect with spontaneous ferromagnetism was observed in twisted bilayer graphenes (TBG) near 3/4 filling. Importantly, it was observed that an extremely small current can switch the direction of the magnetization. This offers the prospect of realizing low energy dissipation magnetic memories. However, the mechanism of the current-driven magnetization switching is poorly understood as the charge currents in graphenes are generally believed to be non-magnetic. In this work, we demonstrate that in TBG, the twisting and substrate induced symmetry breaking allow an out of plane orbital magnetization to be generated by a charge current. Moreover, the large Berry curvatures of the flat bands give the Bloch electrons large orbital magnetic moments so that a small current can generate a large orbital magnetization. We further demonstrate how the charge current can switch the magnetization of the ferromagnetic TBG near 3/4 filling as observed in the experiments.
Aaron L. Sharpe, Eli J. Fox, Ya-Hui Zhang, Shaoxin Wang, Lili Jiang, Bosai Lyu, Hongyuan Li, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Zhiwen Shi, T. Senthil, David Goldhaber-Gordon , Yuanbo Zhang & Feng Wang
Abstract
Studies of two-dimensional electron systems in a strong magnetic field revealed the quantum Hall effect1, a topological state of matter featuring a finite Chern number C and chiral edge states2,3. Haldane4 later theorized that Chern insulators with integer quantum Hall effects could appear in lattice models with complex hopping parameters even at zero magnetic field. The ABC-trilayer graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (ABC-TLG/hBN) moiré superlattice provides an attractive platform with which to explore Chern insulators because it features nearly flat moiré minibands with a valley-dependent, electrically tunable Chern number5,6. Here we report the experimental observation of a correlated Chern insulator in an ABC-TLG/hBN moiré superlattice. We show that reversing the direction of the applied vertical electric field switches the moiré minibands of ABC-TLG/hBN between zero and finite Chern numbers, as revealed by large changes in magneto-transport behaviour. For topological hole minibands tuned to have a finite Chern number, we focus on quarter filling, corresponding to one hole per moiré unit cell. The Hall resistance is well quantized at h/2e2 (where h is Planck’s constant and e is the charge on the electron), which implies C = 2, for a magnetic field exceeding 0.4 tesla. The correlated Chern insulator is ferromagnetic, exhibiting substantial magnetic hysteresis and a large anomalous Hall signal at zero magnetic field. Our discovery of a C = 2 Chern insulator at zero magnetic field should open up opportunities for discovering correlated topological states, possibly with topological excitations7, in nearly flat and topologically nontrivial moiré minibands.
Eli J. Fox, Arthur W. Barnard, Joe Finney, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, M. A. Kastner, David Goldhaber-Gordon
Abstract
When two sheets of graphene are stacked at a small twist angle, the resulting flat superlattice minibands are expected to strongly enhance electron-electron interactions. Here we present evidence that near three-quarters (3/4) filling of the conduction miniband these enhanced interactions drive the twisted bilayer graphene into a ferromagnetic state. In a narrow density range around an apparent insulating state at 3/4, we observe emergent ferromagnetic hysteresis, with a giant anomalous Hall (AH) effect as large as 10.4 kΩ and indications of chiral edge states. Surprisingly, the magnetization of the sample can be reversed by applying a small DC current. Although the AH resistance is not quantized and dissipation is significant, our measurements suggest that the system may be an incipient Chern insulator.
Aaron L. Sharpe, Patrick Gallagher, Ilan T. Rosen, Eli J. Fox, Lili Jiang, Bosai Lyu, Hongyuan Li, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Jeil Jung, Zhiwen Shi, David Goldhaber-Gordon, Yuanbo Zhang & Feng Wan
Abstract
Understanding the mechanism of high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductivity is a central problem in condensed matter physics. It is often speculated that high-Tc superconductivity arises in a doped Mott insulator1 as described by the Hubbard model2,3,4. An exact solution of the Hubbard model, however, is extremely challenging owing to the strong electron–electron correlation in Mott insulators. Therefore, it is highly desirable to study a tunable Hubbard system, in which systematic investigations of the unconventional superconductivity and its evolution with the Hubbard parameters can deepen our understanding of the Hubbard model. Here we report signatures of tunable superconductivity in an ABC-trilayer graphene (TLG) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) moiré superlattice. Unlike in ‘magic angle’ twisted bilayer graphene, theoretical calculations show that under a vertical displacement field, the ABC-TLG/hBN heterostructure features an isolated flat valence miniband associated with a Hubbard model on a triangular superlattice5,6 where the bandwidth can be tuned continuously with the vertical displacement field. Upon applying such a displacement field we find experimentally that the ABC-TLG/hBN superlattice displays Mott insulating states below 20 kelvin at one-quarter and one-half fillings of the states, corresponding to one and two holes per unit cell, respectively. Upon further cooling, signatures of superconductivity (‘domes’) emerge below 1 kelvin for the electron- and hole-doped sides of the one-quarter-filling Mott state. The electronic behaviour in the ABC-TLG/hBN superlattice is expected to depend sensitively on the interplay between the electron–electron interaction and the miniband bandwidth. By varying the vertical displacement field, we demonstrate transitions from the candidate superconductor to Mott insulator and metallic phases. Our study shows that ABC-TLG/hBN heterostructures offer attractive model systems in which to explore rich correlated behaviour emerging in the tunable triangular Hubbard model.
Yongtao Cui, Eric Yue Ma, Masataka Mogi, Minoru Kawamura, Ion Cosma Fulga, David Goldhaber-Gordon, Yoshinori Tokura, and Zhi-Xun Shen
Abstract
Quantum-relativistic materials often host electronic phenomena with exotic spatial distributions. In particular, quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators feature topological boundary currents whose chirality is determined by the magnetization orientation. However, understanding the microscopic nature of edge vs. bulk currents has remained a challenge due to the emergence of multidomain states at the phase transitions. Here we use microwave impedance microscopy (MIM) to directly image chiral edge currents and phase transitions in a magnetic topological insulator. Our images reveal a dramatic change in the edge state structure and an unexpected microwave response at the topological phase transition between the Chern number N=1 and N=−1 states, consistent with the emergence of an insulating N=0 state. The magnetic transition width is independent of film thickness, but the transition pattern is distinct in differently initiated field sweeps. This behavior suggests that the N=0 state has 2 surface states with Hall conductivities of ½e2/h but with opposite signs.
Miguel Muñoz Rojo, Alexandra Bruefach, Derrick Boone, Karen M. Dowling, Peter F. Satterthwaite, David Goldhaber-Gordon, Eric Pop and Debbie G. Senesk
Abstract
In typical thermoelectric energy harvesters and sensors, the Seebeck effect is caused by diffusion of electrons or holes in a temperature gradient. However, the Seebeck effect can also have a phonon drag component, due to momentum exchange between charge carriers and lattice phonons, which is more difficult to quantify. Here, we present the first study of phonon drag in the AlGaN/GaN two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). We find that phonon drag does not contribute significantly to the thermoelectric behavior of devices with ∼100 nm GaN thickness, which suppresses the phonon mean free path. However, when the thickness is increased to ∼1.2 μm, up to 32% (88%) of the Seebeck coefficient at 300 K (50 K) can be attributed to the drag component. In turn, the phonon drag enables state-of-the-art thermoelectric power factor in the thicker GaN film, up to ∼40 mW m−1 K−2 at 50 K. By measuring the thermal conductivity of these AlGaN/GaN films, we show that the magnitude of the phonon drag can increase even when the thermal conductivity decreases. Decoupling of thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient could enable important advancements in thermoelectric power conversion with devices based on 2DEGs.
Indra Yudhistira, Girish Sharma, Maryam Salehi, M. A. Kastner, Seongshik Oh, Shaffique Adam, and David Goldhaber-Gordon
Abstract
We present low-temperature transport measurements of a gate-tunable thin-film topological insulator system that features high mobility and low carrier density. Upon gate tuning to a regime around the charge neutrality point, we infer an absence of strong localization even at conductivities well below e2/h, where two-dimensional electron systems should conventionally scale to an insulating state. Oddly, in this regime the localization coherence peak lacks conventional temperature broadening, though its tails do change dramatically with temperature. Using a model with electron-impurity scattering, we extract values for the disorder potential and the hybridization of the top and bottom surface states.
T. Rosen, Yanfei Yang, George R. Jones, Randolph E. Elmquist, Xufeng Kou, Lei Pan, Kang L. Wang, and D. Goldhaber-Gordon
Abstract
In the quantum anomalous Hall effect, quantized Hall resistance and vanishing longitudinal resistivity are predicted to result from the presence of dissipationless, chiral edge states and an insulating two-dimensional bulk, without requiring an external magnetic field. Here, we explore the potential of this effect in magnetic topological insulator thin films for metrological applications. Using a cryogenic current comparator system, we measure quantization of the Hall resistance to within one part per million and, at lower current bias, longitudinal resistivity under 10 mΩ at zero magnetic field. Increasing the current density past a critical value leads to a breakdown of the quantized, low-dissipation state, which we attribute to electron heating in bulk current flow. We further investigate the prebreakdown regime by measuring transport dependence on temperature, current, and geometry, and find evidence for bulk dissipation, including thermal activation and possible variable-range hopping.