Overlap of parafermionic zero modes at a finite distance

in Physical Review Research (2022)

Parafermion bound states (PBSs) are generalizations of Majorana bound states (MBSs) and have been predicted to exist as zero-energy eigenstates in proximitized fractional quantum Hall edge states ... [more ▼]

Parafermion bound states (PBSs) are generalizations of Majorana bound states (MBSs) and have been predicted to exist as zero-energy eigenstates in proximitized fractional quantum Hall edge states. Similarly to MBSs, a finite distance between the PBS can split the ground state degeneracy. However, parafermionic modes have a richer exchange statistics than MBSs, so several interaction terms are allowed by the underlying $\mathbb{Z}_{2n}$ symmetry, rendering the effective Hamiltonian governing a pair of PBSs at a finite distance nontrivial. Here, we use a combination of analytical techniques (semiclassical instanton approximation) and numerical techniques (quantum Monte Carlo simulations) to determine the effective coupling Hamiltonian. For this purpose, we go beyond the dilute one-instanton gas approximation and show how finite-size effects can give rise to higher-order parafermion interactions. We find excellent agreement between the analytical results and Monte Carlo simulations. We estimate that these finite-size corrections should be observable in some of the recently proposed experiments to observe PBSs in strongly correlated systems. [less ▲]

Current cross correlations in a quantum Hall collider at filling factor two

in Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter (2022)

Kerr and Faraday rotations in topological flat and dispersive band structures

in New Journal of Physics (2022), 24(6), 063003

Integer quantum Hall (IQH) states and quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) states show the same static dc response but distinct dynamical ac response. In particular, the ac anomalous Hall conductivity profile σ ... [more ▼]

Integer quantum Hall (IQH) states and quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) states show the same static dc response but distinct dynamical ac response. In particular, the ac anomalous Hall conductivity profile σ yx (ω) is sensitive to the band shape of QAH states. For example, dispersive QAH bands shows resonance profile without a sign change at the band gap while the IQH states shows the sign change resonance at the cyclotron energy. We argue by flattening the dispersive QAH bands, σ yx (ω) should recover to that of flat Landau bands in IQH, thus it is necessary to know the origin of the sign change. Taking a topological lattice model with tunable bandwidth, we found that the origin of the sign change is not the band gap but the van Hove singularity energy of the QAH bands. In the limit of small bandwidth, the flat QAH bands recovers σ yx (ω) of the IQH Landau bands. Because of the Hall response, these topological bands exhibit giant polarization rotation and ellipticity in the reflected waves (Kerr effect) and rotation in the order of fine structure constant in the transmitted waves (Faraday effect) with profile resembles σ yx (ω). Our results serve as a simple guide to optical characterization for topological flat bands. [less ▲]

Quantum Skyrmion Lattices in Heisenberg Ferromagnets

E-print/Working paper (2021)

Skyrmions are topological magnetic textures which can arise in non-centrosymmetric ferromagnetic materials. In most systems experimentally investigated to date, skyrmions emerge as classical objects ... [more ▼]

Skyrmions are topological magnetic textures which can arise in non-centrosymmetric ferromagnetic materials. In most systems experimentally investigated to date, skyrmions emerge as classical objects. However, the discovery of skyrmions with nanometer length scales has sparked interest in their quantum properties. Quantum corrections to the classical magnetic textures have already been considered in the semiclassical regime. Here, we go beyond this limit by investigating quantum skyrmions in the deep quantum regime. We use density matrix renormalization group techniques to study two-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg ferromagnets with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions and discover a broad region in the zero temperature phase diagram which hosts quantum skyrmion lattice ground states. We argue that this novel quantum skyrmion phase can be detected experimentally in the magnetization profile via local magnetic polarization measurements as well as in the spin structure factor measurable via neutron scattering experiments. Finally, we explore the resulting quantum skyrmion state, analyze its real space polarization profile and show that it is a non-classical state featuring entanglement between quasiparticle and environment mainly localized near the boundary spins of the skyrmion. [less ▲]

Artificial event horizons in Weyl semimetal heterostructures and their non-equilibrium signatures

in SciPost Physics (2021), 11

Generalized Chern numbers based on open system Green's functions

in New Journal of Physics (2021), 23

We present an alternative approach to studying topology in open quantum systems, relying directly on Green's functions and avoiding the need to construct an effective non-Hermitian (nH) Hamiltonian. We ... [more ▼]

We present an alternative approach to studying topology in open quantum systems, relying directly on Green's functions and avoiding the need to construct an effective non-Hermitian (nH) Hamiltonian. We define an energy-dependent Chern number based on the eigenstates of the inverse Green's function matrix of the system which contains, within the self-energy, all the information about the influence of the environment, interactions, gain or losses. We explicitly calculate this topological invariant for a system consisting of a single 2D Dirac cone and find that it is half-integer quantized when certain assumptions about the self-energy are made. Away from these conditions, which cannot or are not usually considered within the formalism of nH Hamiltonians, we find that such a quantization is usually lost and the Chern number vanishes, and that in special cases, it can change to integer quantization. [less ▲]

Electron hydrodynamics of anomalous Hall materials

in Physical Review. B (2021), 103(12), 125106

We study two-dimensional electron systems in the hydrodynamic regime. We show that a geometrical Berry curvature modifies the effective Navier-Stokes equation for viscous electron flow in topological ... [more ▼]

We study two-dimensional electron systems in the hydrodynamic regime. We show that a geometrical Berry curvature modifies the effective Navier-Stokes equation for viscous electron flow in topological materials. For small electric fields, the Hall current becomes negligible compared to the viscous longitudinal current. In this regime, we highlight an unconventional Poiseuille flow with an asymmetric profile and a deviation of the maximum of the current from the center of the system. In a two-dimensional infinite geometry, the Berry curvature leads to current whirlpools and an asymmetry of potential profile. This phenomenon can be probed by measuring the asymmetric non-local resistance profile. [less ▲]

Heat transport in overdamped quantum systems

in Physical Review. B (2020), 102

Current correlations of Cooper-pair tunneling into a quantum Hall system

in Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (2020), 102

Transport properties of coupled Majorana bound states in the Coulomb blockade regime

in Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (2020)

Topologically protected qubits based on nanostructures hosting Majorana bound states (MBSs) hold great promise for fault-tolerant quantum computing. We study the transport properties of nanowire networks ... [more ▼]

Topologically protected qubits based on nanostructures hosting Majorana bound states (MBSs) hold great promise for fault-tolerant quantum computing. We study the transport properties of nanowire networks hosting MBSs with a focus on the effects of the charging energy and the overlap between neighboring MBSs in short mesoscopic samples. In particular, we investigate structures hosting four MBSs such as T junctions and Majorana boxes. Using a master equation in the Markovian approximation, we discuss the leading transport processes mediated by the MBSs. Single-electron tunneling and processes involving creation and annihilation of Cooper pairs dominate in the sequential-tunneling limit. In the cotunneling regime the charge in the MBSs is fixed and transport is governed by transitions via virtual intermediate states. Our results show that four-terminal measurements in the T junction and Majorana box geometries can be useful tools for the characterization of the properties of MBSs with finite overlaps and charging energy. [less ▲]