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Results for “Dirac points”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Tuning linear response dynamics near the Dirac points in the bosonic Mott insulator

Optical lattice systems offer the possibility of creating and tuning Dirac points which are present in the tight-binding lattice dispersions. For example, such a behavior can be achieved in the staggered flux lattice or honeycomb type of lattices. Here we focus on the strongly correlated bosonic dynamics in the vicinity of Dirac points. In particular, we investigate bosonic Mott insulator phase in which quasiparticle excitations have a simple particle–hole interpretation. We show that linear response dynamics around Dirac points, can be significantly engineered at least in two ways: by the type of external perturbation or by changing the lattice properties. The key role is played by the interband transitions. Moreover, we explain that the behavior of these transitions is directly connected to different energy scales of the effective hopping amplitudes for particles and holes. Presented in this work theoretical study about tunability of linear response dynamics near the Dirac points can be directly simulated in the optical lattice systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Nonsymmorphic cubic Dirac point and crossed nodal rings across the ferroelectric phase transition in LiOsO 3

Crystalline symmetries can generate exotic band-crossing features, which can lead to unconventional fermionic excitations with interesting physical properties. We show how a cubic Dirac point—a fourfold-degenerate band-crossing point with cubic dispersion in a plane and a linear dispersion in the third direction—can be stabilized through the presence of a nonsymmorphic glide mirror symmetry in the space group of the crystal. Notably, the cubic Dirac point in our case appears on a threefold axis, even though it has been believed previously that such a point can only appear on a sixfold axis. We show that a cubic Dirac point involving a threefold axis can be realized close to the Fermi level in the nonferroelectric phase of LiOsO 3 . Upon lowering temperature, LiOsO 3 has been shown experimentally to undergo a structural phase transition from the nonferroelectric phase to the ferroelectric phase with spontaneously broken inversion symmetry. Here we find that the broken symmetry transforms the cubic Dirac point into three mutually crossed nodal rings. There also exist several linear Dirac points in the low-energy band structure of LiOsO 3 , each of which is transformed into a single nodal ring across the phase transition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers enabled by an accidental Dirac point

A photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL) includes a gain medium electromagnetically coupled to a photonic crystal whose energy band structure exhibits a Dirac cone of linear dispersion at the center of the photonic crystal's Brillouin zone. This Dirac cone's vertex is called a Dirac point; because it is at the Brillouin zone center, it is called an accidental Dirac point. Tuning the photonic crystal's band structure (e.g., by changing the photonic crystal's dimensions or refractive index) to exhibit an accidental Dirac point increases the photonic crystal's mode spacing by orders of magnitudes and reduces or eliminates the photonic crystal's distributed in-plane feedback. Thus, the photonic crystal can act as a resonator that supports single-mode output from the PCSEL over a larger area than is possible with conventional PCSELs, which have quadratic band edge dispersion. Because output power generally scales with output area, this increase in output area results in higher possible output powers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Buried Dirac Points in Quantum Spin Hall Insulators: Implications for Majorana Kramers Pair-Based Quantum Computing

Quantum spin Hall insulators (QSHIs) host helical electronic edge states that are protected from backscattering due to time-reversal symmetry (TRS). Despite considerable work investigating QSHI edge states, there is still an open question about their unexpected resilience to large magnetic fields where TRS is undoubtedly broken. In this work, we investigate the transport properties of helical edge states in a QSHI-superconductor (QSHI-SC) junction formed by a In⁢As(15 nm)/Ga⁢Sb(5 nm) double quantum well and a superconducting tantalum (Ta) constriction. We observe a robust conductance plateau up to 2 T, signaling resilient edge-state transport. Using a modified Landauer-Büttiker analysis, we find that the zero-field conductance is consistent with 98% Andreev-reflection probability owing to the high transparency of the (In⁢As/Ga⁢Sb)-Ta interface. Such resilience is consistent with the Dirac point for the edge states being buried in the bulk valence band. We further theoretically show that a buried Dirac point does not affect the robustness of the quasi-one-dimensional topological superconducting phase. We find that a buried Dirac point favors the hybridization of Majorana Kramers pairs (MKPs)—predicted to exist in a QSHI-SC constriction—and fermionic modes in the QSHI vacuum edge resulting in extended MKP states, highlighting the subtle role of buried Dirac points in probing MKPs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Tuning the Dirac point to the Fermi level in the ternary topological insulator (Bi{sub 1−x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3}

In order to stabilize Majorana excitations within vortices of proximity induced topological superconductors, it is mandatory that the Dirac point matches the Fermi level rather exactly, such that the conventionally confined states within the vortex are well separated from the Majorana-type excitation. Here, we show by angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy that (Bi{sub 1−x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films with x = 0.94 prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and transferred in ultrahigh vacuum from the molecular beam epitaxy system to the photoemission setup match this condition. The Dirac point is within 10 meV around the Fermi level, and we do not observe any bulk bands intersecting the Fermi level.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Coexistence of type-II Dirac point and weak topological phase in Pt 3 Sn

Intriguing topological phases may appear in both insulating and semimetallic states. Topological insulators exhibit topologically nontrivial band inversion, while topological Dirac/Weyl semimetals show “relativistic” linear band crossings. Here, we report an unusual topological state of Pt 3 Sn, where the two topological features appear simultaneously. Based on first-principles calculations, we show that Pt 3 Sn is a three-dimensional weak topological semimetal with topologically nontrivial band inversion between the valence and conduction bands, where the band structure also possesses type-II Dirac points at the boundary of two electron pockets. The formation of the Dirac points can be understood in terms of the representations of relevant symmetry groups and the compatibility relations. The topological surface states appear in accordance with the nontrivial bulk band topology. As a result, the unique coexistence of the two distinct topological features in Pt 3 Sn enlarges the material scope in topological physics, and is potentially useful for spintronics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Observation of a smoothly tunable Dirac point in Ge ( Bi x Sb 1 - x ) 2 Te 4

State-of-the-art topological devices require the use of topologically protected surface states to drive electronic transport. Here, we examine a tunable topological system, Ge(Bi x Sb 1-x ) 2 Te 4 , for a range of $\mathcal{x}$ values from 0 to 1, using a combination of Fourier transform scanning tunneling spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results show that the Dirac point shifts linearly with $\mathcal{x}$, crossing the Fermi energy near $\mathcal{x}$=0.7. This observation of a smoothly tunable, isolated Dirac point crossing through the topological transport regime and having strong linear dependence with substitution can be critical for future topological spintronics applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Giant Dirac point shift of graphene phototransistors by doped silicon substrate current

Graphene is a promising new material for photodetectors due to its excellent optical properties and high-speed response. However, graphene-based phototransistors have low responsivity due to the weak light absorption of graphene. We have observed a giant Dirac point shift upon white light illumination in graphene-based phototransistors with n-doped Si substrates, but not those with p-doped substrates. The source-drain current and substrate current were investigated with and without illumination for both p-type and n-type Si substrates. The decay time of the drain-source current indicates that the Si substrate, SiO{sub 2} layer, and metal electrode comprise a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor due to the presence of defects at the interface between the Si substrate and SiO{sub 2} layer. The difference in the diffusion time of the intrinsic major carriers (electrons) and the photogenerated electron-hole pairs to the depletion layer delays the application of the gate voltage to the graphene channel. Therefore, the giant Dirac point shift is attributed to the n-type Si substrate current. This phenomenon can be exploited to realize high-performance graphene-based phototransistors.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Formation of a quasi-free-standing graphene with a band gap at the dirac point by Pb atoms intercalation under graphene on Re(0001)

The control of the graphene electronic structure is one of the most important problems in modern condensed matter physics. The graphene monolayer synthesized on the Re(0001) surface and then subjected to the intercalation of Pb atoms is studied by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The intercalation of Pb atoms under graphene takes place when the substrate is annealed above 500°C. As a result of the intercalation of Pb atoms, graphene becomes quasi-free-standing and a local band gap appears at the Dirac point. The band gap changes with the substrate temperature during the formation of the graphene/Pb/Re(0001) system. The band gap is 0.3 eV at an annealing temperature of 620°C and it increases up to 0.4 eV upon annealing at 830°C. Based on our data, we conclude that the band gap is mainly caused by the hybridization of the graphene π state with the rhenium 5d states located near the Dirac point of the graphene π state.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Tuning carrier density across Dirac point in epitaxial graphene on SiC by corona discharge

We demonstrate reversible carrier density control across the Dirac point (Δn ∼ 10{sup 13 }cm{sup −2}) in epitaxial graphene on SiC (SiC/G) via high electrostatic potential gating with ions produced by corona discharge. The method is attractive for applications where graphene with a fixed carrier density is needed, such as quantum metrology, and more generally as a simple method of gating 2DEGs formed at semiconductor interfaces and in topological insulators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

(Anti-)de Sitter, Poincaré, Super symmetries, and the two Dirac points of graphene

We propose two different high-energy-theory correspondences with graphene (and related materials) scenarios, associated to grain boundaries, that are topological defects for which both Dirac points are necessary. The first correspondence points to a (3+1)-dimensional theory, with nonzero torsion, with spatiotemporal gauge group SO(3,1), locally isomorphic to the Lorentz group in (3+1) dimensions, or to the de Sitter group in (2+1) dimensions. The other correspondence treats the two Dirac fields as an internal symmetry doublet, and it is linked here with unconventional supersymmetry with SU(2) internal symmetry. Our results are suggestive, rather than conclusive, and pave the way to the inclusion of grain boundaries in the emergent field theory picture associated with these materials, whereas disclinations and dislocations have been already well explored.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Shot noise in systems with semi-Dirac points

We calculate the ballistic conductance and shot noise of electrons through a two-dimensional stripe system (width W ≫ length L) with semi-Dirac band-touching points. We find that the ratio between zero-temperature noise power and mean current (the Fano factor) is highly anisotropic. When the transport is along the linear-dispersion direction and the Fermi energy is fixed at the semi-Dirac point, the Fano factor has a universal value F = 0.179 while a minimum conductivity exists and scales with L{sup 1∕2}. Along the parabolic dispersion direction, the Fano factor at the semi-Dirac point has a contact-independent limit exceeding 0.9, which varies weakly with L due to the common-path interference of evanescent waves. Our findings suggest a way to discern the type of band-touching points.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Larger-area single-mode photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers enabled by an accidental Dirac point

By altering the lattice geometry of the photonic crystal (PhC) surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs), we tune the regular lasing band edges of quadratic dispersions to form a single accidental Dirac point of linear dispersion at the Brillouin zone center. This not only increases the mode spacing by orders of magnitude but also eliminates the distributed in-plane feedback to enable single-mode PCSELs of substantially larger area and thus substantially higher output power. Furthermore, the advantages of using accidental Dirac cones are systematically evaluated through two-dimensional in-plane calculations and confirmed by three-dimensional simulations of PhC slab devices.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dirac points and van Hove singularities of silicene under uniaxial strain

First-principles calculations have been performed to investigate the low energy electronic properties and van Hove singularities (VHSs) of silicene under uniaxial strain. The Dirac points (DPs) persist when silicene is stretched uniaxially, while they are shifted away from the corners (K points) of the first Brillouin zone (FBZ). The relative positions of DPs with respect to the K points for silicene strained along the armchair (AC) or zigzag (ZZ) direction show opposite tendency compared with strained graphene, which is due to the larger deformation of the unit cell of strained silicene than that of strained graphene. Moreover, for silicene under AC or ZZ strain, the Fermi velocities around DPs along the positive and negative directions of the FBZ show rather significant difference. The nature of the VHS just above the Fermi energy undergoes a transition from the π* band to the σ* band for silicene under increasing AC or ZZ strain. These observations suggest uniaxial strain as an effective route to tune the electronic properties of silicene for potential applications in future electronic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Generating and moving Dirac points in a two-dimensional deformed honeycomb lattice arrayed by coupled semiconductor quantum dots

Analysis of the electronic properties of a two-dimensional (2D) deformed honeycomb structure arrayed by semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is conducted theoretically by using tight-binding method in the present paper. Through the compressive or tensile deformation of the honeycomb lattice, the variation of energy spectrum has been explored. We show that, the massless Dirac fermions are generated in this adjustable system and the positions of the Dirac cones as well as slope of the linear dispersions could be manipulated. Furthermore, a clear linear correspondence between the distance of movement d (the distance from the Dirac points to the Brillouin zone corners) and the tunable bond angle α of the lattice are found in this artificial planar QD structure. These results provide the theoretical basis for manipulating Dirac fermions and should be very helpful for the fabrication and application of high-mobility semiconductor QD devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Bulk Dirac Points in Distorted Spinels

Here, we report on a Dirac-like Fermi surface in three-dimensional bulk materials in a distorted spinel structure on the basis of density functional theory as well as tight-binding theory. The four examples we provide in this Letter are BiZnSiO 4 , BiCaSiO 4 , BiAlInO 4 , and BiMgSiO 4 . A necessary characteristic of these structures is that they contain a Bi lattice which forms a hierarchy of chainlike substructures, with consequences for both fundamental understanding and materials design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Phase diagrams and Hofstadter butterflies in the strongly correlated bosonic systems on the lattices with Dirac points

Gauge potentials with different configurations have been recently realized in the optical lattice experiments. It is remarkable that one of the simplest gauge potential can generate particle energy spectrum with the self-similar structure known as a Hofstadter butterfly. We investigate theoretically the impact of strong on-site interaction on such a spectrum in the bosonic Mott insulator within Bose–Hubbard model. In particular, it is shown that the fractal structure is encoded in the quasi-particle and hole bosonic branches for different lattice backgrounds. For example a square lattice and other structures (brick-wall and staggered magnetic flux lattice) which contain Dirac points in energy dispersions are considered. This shows that single-particle physics is still present even in the strong interaction limit for whole Hofstadter spectrum. Additionally we observe, that although in brick-wall and staggered flux lattices the quasi-particle densities of states look qualitatively similar, the corresponding Hofstadter butterfly assumes different forms. In particular, we use a superposition of two different synthetic gauge fields which appears to be a generator of non-trivial phenomena in the optical lattice systems. We also discuss the consequences of these phenomena on the phase diagrams between bosonic Mott insulator and superfluid phase. The analysis is carried out within the strong coupling expansion method on the finite size lattices and also at finite temperatures which are relevant for the currently made experiments.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Inter-Landau-level Andreev Reflection at the Dirac Point in a Graphene Quantum Hall State Coupled to a NbSe 2 Superconductor

Superconductivity and quantum Hall effect are distinct states of matter occurring in apparently incompatible physical conditions. Recent theoretical developments suggest that the coupling of quantum Hall effect with a superconductor can provide a fertile ground for realizing exotic topologi- cal excitations such as non-abelian Majorana fermions or Fibonacci particles. As a step toward that goal, we report observation of Andreev reflection at the junction of a quantum Hall edge state in a single layer graphene and a quasi-two dimensional niobium diselenide (NbSe 2 ) superconductor. Our principal finding is the observation of an anomalous finite-temperature conductance peak located precisely at the Dirac point, providing a definitive evidence for inter-Landau level Andreev reflection in a quantum Hall system. Our observations are well supported by detailed numerical simulations, which offer additional insight into the role of the edge states in Andreev physics. As a result, this study paves the way for investigating analogous Andreev reflection in a fractional quantum Hall system coupled to a superconductor to realize exotic quasiparticles.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗