Engineering topics

Huang, Chuankun

Publications and source records attributed to Huang, Chuankun.

7 records

DOE OSTI2024

Two-dimensional coherent spectrum of high-spin models via a quantum computing approach

Here in this work we present and benchmark a quantum computing approach to calculate the two-dimensional coherent spectrum (2DCS) of high-spin models. Our approach is based on simulating their real-time dynamics in the presence of several magnetic field pulses, which are spaced in time. We utilize the adaptive variational quantum dynamics simulation algorithm for the study due to its compact circuits, which enables simulations over sufficiently long times to achieve the required resolution in frequency space. Specifically, we consider an antiferromagnetic quantum spin model that incorporates Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions and single-ion anisotropy. The obtained 2DCS spectra exhibit distinct peaks at multiples of the magnon frequency, arising from transitions between different eigenstates of the unperturbed Hamiltonian. By comparing the one-dimensional coherent spectrum with 2DCS, we demonstrate that 2DCS provides a higher resolution of the energy spectrum. We further investigate how the quantum resources scale with the magnitude of the spin using two different binary encodings of the high-spin operators: the standard binary encoding and the Gray code. At low magnetic fields both encodings require comparable quantum resources, but at larger field strengths the Gray code is advantageous. Numerical simulations for spin models with increasing number of sites indicate a polynomial system-size scaling for quantum resources. Lastly, we compare the numerical 2DCS with experimental results on a rare-earth orthoferrite system. The observed strength of the magnonic high-harmonic generation signals in the 2DCS of the quantum high-spin model aligns well with the experimental data, showing significant improvement over the corresponding mean-field results.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2024

Extreme terahertz magnon multiplication induced by resonant magnetic pulse pairs

Nonlinear interactions of spin-waves and their quanta, magnons, have emerged as prominent candidates for interference-based technology, ranging from quantum transduction to antiferromagnetic spintronics. Yet magnon multiplication in the terahertz (THz) spectral region represents a major challenge. Intense, resonant magnetic fields from THz pulse-pairs with controllable phases and amplitudes enable high order THz magnon multiplication, distinct from non-resonant nonlinearities such as the high harmonic generation by below-band gap electric fields. Here, we demonstrate exceptionally high-order THz nonlinear magnonics. It manifests as 7th-order spin-wave-mixing and 6th harmonic magnon generation in an antiferromagnetic orthoferrite. We use THz two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy to achieve high-sensitivity detection of nonlinear magnon interactions up to six-magnon quanta in strongly-driven many-magnon correlated states. The high-order magnon multiplication, supported by classical and quantum spin simulations, elucidates the significance of four-fold magnetic anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya symmetry breaking. Moreover, our results shed light on the potential quantum fluctuation properties inherent in nonlinear magnons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Multidimensional coherent spectroscopy of light-driven states and their collective modes in multiband superconductors

We present a comprehensive theory of light-controlled multiband superconductivity, and apply it to predict distinctive signatures of light-driven superconducting (SC) states in terahertz multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (THz-MDCS) experiments. We first derive gauge-invariant Maxwell-Bloch equations for multiband BCS superconductors with spatial fluctuations. We consider driving electromagnetic fields determined self-consistently by Maxwell's equations. By calculating the THz-MDCS spectra measured experimentally in the clean SC limit, we identify unique signatures of finite-momentum Cooper-pairing states that live longer than the laser pulse. They are controlled by a pair of THz laser pulses with well-defined relative phase (pulse pair). The pseudospin oscillators that describe the properties of these SC states are parametrically driven by both finite-momentum Cooper pairing and by time oscillations of the order-parameter relative phase. We show that such strong parametric driving leads to drastic changes in the THz-MDCS spectral shape from the predictions of third-order nonlinear susceptibility calculations. These spectral changes strongly depend on the interband-to-intraband interaction ratio and on the collective modes of the light-driven state. For negligible interband interaction, the spectra show a transition with increasing field, from traditional pump-probe, four-wave-mixing, and third-harmonic generation peaks determined by the laser frequency to sidebands determined by the excitations of the driven system. These sidebands emerge from difference-frequency Raman processes in the nonequilibrium SC state. For interband couplings weaker than the intraband pairing, we show that the Leggett phase collective mode leads to harmonic sidebands around the traditional pump-probe peaks. Additional Higgs collective mode peaks result from light-induced inversion-symmetry breaking in a thin-film geometry. For strong interband coupling, we find a transition from a nonequilibrium finite Cooper-pair momentum state characterized by hybrid-Higgs amplitude mode peaks in THz-MDCS spectra to a driven state identified experimentally by the emergence of Floquet-type sidebands at bi-Higgs frequencies. Those dominant bi-Higgs-frequency satellites are manifestations of a new order parameter relative phase collective mode that characterizes the nonequilibrium SC state. The predicted interaction- and field-dependent transitions in the spectral profile allow us to propose THz-MDCS experiments for quantum tomography of light-driven superconductivity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Room temperature persisting surface charge carriers driven by intense terahertz electric fields in a topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3

Topologically protected surface current is highly promising for next-generation low-dissipation and disorder-tolerant quantum electronics and computing. Yet, electric transport from the co-existing bulk state dominates the responses of the Dirac surface state, especially at elevated temperatures relevant to technological applications. Here, we present an approach that convincingly showcases the generation, disentanglement, and precise control of enduring surface charge carriers on a topological insulator, Bi 2 Se 3 , with high bulk conductivity, all achieved at room temperature. By using pump–probe modulation spectroscopy under ultrabroadband driving tunable from 4 meV to 1.55 eV, we show the terahertz (THz) field-induced surface carriers by discovering their initial temporal responses dominant over high density trivial bulk carriers. Strikingly, the response of the induced surface carrier responses persists for more than ~5 ps and is enhanced by reducing pump photon energy. The dynamics and lifetime of the distinct surface response manifest themselves as the enhanced THz pump-induced THz transmission, which directly correlates with the transient negative THz conductivity. Increasing the THz driving field reduces the induced surface carrier lifetime and identifies, particularly, an optimal pump field of E s ~ 224 kV cm -1 for generating the dominant surface response relative to the bulk. This surface carrier dominant regime is suppressed by a joint effect of enhanced surface-bulk scattering and a more rapid saturation of surface excitation compared to the bulk that sets in above E s . The controllability of room temperature topologically surface carriers through pump photon energy offer compelling possibilities for extending this approach to other topological complex materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Visualizing heterogeneous dipole fields by terahertz light coupling in individual nano-junctions

The challenge underlying superconducting quantum computing is to remove materials bottleneck for highly coherent quantum devices. The nonuniformity and complex structural components in the underlying quantum circuits often lead to local electric field concentration, charge scattering, dissipation and ultimately decoherence. Here we visualize interface dipole heterogeneous distribution of individual Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al junctions employed in transmon qubits by broadband terahertz scanning near-field microscopy that enables the non-destructive and contactless identification of defective boundaries in nano-junctions at an extremely precise nanoscale level. Our THz nano-imaging tool reveals an asymmetry across the junction in electromagnetic wave-junction coupling response that manifests as hot (high intensity) vs cold (low intensity) spots in the spatial electrical field structures and correlates with defected boundaries from the multi-angle deposition processes in Josephson junction fabrication inside qubit devices. The demonstrated local electromagnetic scattering method offers high sensitivity, allowing for reliable device defect detection in the pursuit of improved quantum circuit fabrication for ultimately optimizing coherence times.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2022

Quantum coherence tomography of light-controlled superconductivity

The coupling between superconductors and oscillation cycles of light pulses, i.e., lightwave engineering, is an emerging control concept for superconducting quantum electronics. Although progress has been made towards terahertz-driven superconductivity and supercurrents, the interactions able to drive non-equilibrium pairing are still poorly understood, partially due to the lack of measurements of high-order correlation functions. In particular, the sensing of exotic collective modes that would uniquely characterize light-driven superconducting coherence, in a way analogous to the Meissner effect, is very challenging but much needed. Here we report the discovery of parametrically driven superconductivity by light-induced order-parameter collective oscillations in iron-based superconductors. The time-periodic relative phase dynamics between the coupled electron and hole bands drives the transition to a distinct parametric superconducting state out-of-equalibrium. This light-induced emergent coherence is characterized by a unique phase–amplitude collective mode with Floquet-like sidebands at twice the Higgs frequency. We measure non-perturbative, high-order correlations of this parametrically driven superconductivity by separating the terahertz-frequency multidimensional coherent spectra into pump–probe, Higgs mode and bi-Higgs frequency sideband peaks. We find that the higher-order bi-Higgs sidebands dominate above the critical field, which indicates the breakdown of susceptibility perturbative expansion in this parametric quantum matter.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2022

Terahertz Nanoimaging of Perovskite Solar Cell Materials

Direct visualization and quantitative evaluation of charge filling in grain boundary (GB) traps of hybrid metal halide perovskites require dynamic conductivity imaging simultaneously at the terahertz (THz) frequency and nanometer (nm) spatial scales not accessible by conventional transport and imaging methods used thus far. Here, in this study, we apply a THz near-field nanoconductivity mapping to the archetypal metal halide perovskite photovoltaic films and demonstrate that it is a powerful tool to reveal distinct dielectric heterogeneity due to charge trapping and degradation at the single GB level. Our approach visualizes the filled defect ion traps by local THz charge conductivity and allows for extracting a quantitative profile of trapping density in the vicinity of GBs with sub-20 nm resolution. Furthermore, imaging material degradation by tracking local nanodefect distributions overtime identifies a distinct degradation pathway that starts from the GBs and propagates inside the grains over time. The single GB, nano-THz conductivity imaging demonstrated here can be extended to benchmark various perovskite materials and devices for their global photoenergy conversion performance and local charge transfer proprieties of absorbers and interfaces.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗