1,733 research outputs found
Zero-point quantum swing of magnetic couples
Quantum fluctuations are ubiquitous in physics. Ranging from conventional
examples like the harmonic oscillator to intricate theories on the origin of
the universe, they alter virtually all aspects of matter -- including
superconductivity, phase transitions and nanoscale processes. As a rule of
thumb, the smaller the object, the larger their impact. This poses a serious
challenge to modern nanotechnology, which aims total control via atom-by-atom
engineered devices. In magnetic nanostructures, high stability of the magnetic
signal is crucial when targeting realistic applications in information
technology, e.g. miniaturized bits. Here, we demonstrate that zero-point
spin-fluctuations are paramount in determining the fundamental magnetic
exchange interactions that dictate the nature and stability of the magnetic
state. Hinging on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we establish that
quantum fluctuations correctly account for the large overestimation of the
interactions as obtained from conventional static first-principles frameworks,
filling in a crucial gap between theory and experiment [1,2]. Our analysis
further reveals that zero-point spin-fluctuations tend to promote the
non-collinearity and stability of chiral magnetic textures such as skyrmions --
a counter-intuitive quantum effect that inspires practical guidelines for
designing disruptive nanodevices
Uncovering many-body correlations in nanoscale nuclear spin baths by central spin decoherence
Many-body correlations can yield key insights into the nature of interacting
systems; however, detecting them is often very challenging in many-particle
physics, especially in nanoscale systems. Here, taking a phosphorus donor
electron spin in a natural-abundance 29Si nuclear spin bath as our model
system, we discover both theoretically and experimentally that many-body
correlations in nanoscale nuclear spin baths produce identifiable signatures in
the decoherence of the central spin under multiple-pulse dynamical decoupling
control. We find that when the number of decoupling -pulses is odd, central
spin decoherence is primarily driven by second-order nuclear spin correlations
(pairwise flip-flop processes). In contrast, when the number of -pulses is
even, fourth-order nuclear spin correlations (diagonal interaction renormalized
pairwise flip-flop processes) are principally responsible for the central spin
decoherence. Many-body correlations of different orders can thus be selectively
detected by central spin decoherence under different dynamical decoupling
controls, providing a useful approach to probing many-body processes in
nanoscale nuclear spin baths
Nonequilibrium transport in quantum impurity models: Exact path integral simulations
We simulate the nonequilibrium dynamics of two generic many-body quantum
impurity models by employing the recently developed iterative
influence-functional path integral method [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 82}, 205323
(2010)]. This general approach is presented here in the context of quantum
transport in molecular electronic junctions. Models of particular interest
include the single impurity Anderson model and the related spinless two-state
Anderson dot. In both cases we study the time evolution of the dot occupation
and the current characteristics at finite temperature. A comparison to
mean-field results is presented, when applicable
Semi-classical generalized Langevin equation for equilibrium and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation based on Langevin equation has been widely
used in the study of structural, thermal properties of matters in difference
phases. Normally, the atomic dynamics are described by classical equations of
motion and the effect of the environment is taken into account through the
fluctuating and frictional forces. Generally, the nuclear quantum effects and
their coupling to other degrees of freedom are difficult to include in an
efficient way. This could be a serious limitation on its application to the
study of dynamical properties of materials made from light elements, in the
presence of external driving electrical or thermal fields. One example of such
system is single molecular dynamics on metal surface, an important system that
has received intense study in surface science. In this review, we summarize
recent effort in extending the Langevin MD to include nuclear quantum effect
and their coupling to flowing electrical current. We discuss its applications
in the study of adsorbate dynamics on metal surface, current-induced dynamics
in molecular junctions, and quantum thermal transport between different
reservoirs.Comment: 23 pages, 16 figur
Rare region effects at classical, quantum, and non-equilibrium phase transitions
Rare regions, i.e., rare large spatial disorder fluctuations, can
dramatically change the properties of a phase transition in a quenched
disordered system. In generic classical equilibrium systems, they lead to an
essential singularity, the so-called Griffiths singularity, of the free energy
in the vicinity of the phase transition. Stronger effects can be observed at
zero-temperature quantum phase transitions, at nonequilibrium phase
transitions, and in systems with correlated disorder. In some cases, rare
regions can actually completely destroy the sharp phase transition by smearing.
This topical review presents a unifying framework for rare region effects at
weakly disordered classical, quantum, and nonequilibrium phase transitions
based on the effective dimensionality of the rare regions. Explicit examples
include disordered classical Ising and Heisenberg models, insulating and
metallic random quantum magnets, and the disordered contact process.Comment: Topical review, 68 pages, 14 figures, final version as publishe
Nanoskyrmion engineering with -electron materials: Sn monolayer on SiC(0001) surface
Materials with -magnetism demonstrate strongly nonlocal Coulomb
interactions, which opens a way to probe correlations in the regimes not
achievable in transition metal compounds. By the example of Sn monolayer on
SiC(0001) surface, we show that such systems exhibit unusual but intriguing
magnetic properties at the nanoscale. Physically, this is attributed to the
presence of a significant ferromagnetic coupling, the so-called direct
exchange, which fully compensates ubiquitous antiferromagnetic interactions of
the superexchange origin. Having a nonlocal nature, the direct exchange was
previously ignored because it cannot be captured within the conventional
density functional methods and significantly challenges ground state models
earlier proposed for Sn/SiC(0001). Furthermore, heavy adatoms induce strong
spin-orbit coupling, which leads to a highly anisotropic form of the spin
Hamiltonian, in which the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is dominant. The
latter is suggested to be responsible for the formation of a nanoskyrmion state
at realistic magnetic fields and temperatures.Comment: 4 pages, supplemental materia
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