Transfer matrix approach for the Kerr and Faraday rotation in layered nanostructures

To study the optical rotation of the polarization of light incident on multilayer systems consisting of atomically thin conductors and dielectric multilayers we present a general method based on transfer matrices. The transfer matrix of the atomically thin conducting layer is obtained using the Maxwell equations. We derive expressions for the Kerr (Faraday) rotation angle and for the ellipticity of the reflected (transmitted) light as a function of the incident angle and polarization of the light. The method is demonstrated by calculating the Kerr (Faraday) angle for bilayer graphene in the quantum anomalous Hall state placed on the top of dielectric multilayers. The optical conductivity of the bilayer graphene is calculated in the framework of a four-band model.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Multiband k⋅pk \cdot p theory for hexagonal germanium

The direct bandgap found in hexagonal germanium and some of its alloys with silicon allows for an optically active material within the group-IV semiconductor family with various potential technological applications. However, there remain some unanswered questions regarding several aspects of the band structiure, including the strength of the electric dipole transitions at the center of the Brillouin zone. Using the $\mathbf{k\cdot p}$ method near the $\Gamma$ point, including 10 bands, and taking spin-orbit coupling into account, we obtain a self-consistent model that produces the correct band curvatures, with previously unknown inverse effective mass parameters, to describe 2H-Ge via fitting to {\it ab initio} data and to calculate effective masses for electrons and holes. To understand the weak dipole coupling between the lowest conduction band and the top valance band, we start from a spinless 12-band model and show that when adding spin-orbit coupling, the lowest conduction band hybridizes with a higher-lying conduction band, which cannot be explained by the spinful 10-band model. With the help of L\"owdin's partitioning, we derive the effective low-energy Hamiltonian for the conduction bands for the possible spin dynamics and nanostructure studies and in a similar manner, we give the best fit parameters for the valance-band-only model that can be used in the transport studies. Finally, using the self-consistent 10-band model, we include the effects of a magnetic field and predict the electron and hole g-factor of the conduction and valance bands.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Non-local Andreev reflection through Andreev molecular states in graphene Josephson junctions

We propose that a device composed of two vertically stacked monolayer graphene Josephson junctions can be used for Cooper pair splitting. The hybridization of the Andreev bound states of the two Josephson junction can facilitate non-local transport in this normal-superconductor hybrid structure, which we study by calculating the non-local differential conductance. Assuming that one of the graphene layers is electron and the other is hole doped, we find that the non-local Andreev reflection can dominate the differential conductance of the system. Our setup does not require the precise control of junction length, doping, or superconducting phase difference, which could be an important advantage for experimental realization.Comment: Main text + supplementar

Tunable Berry curvature, valley and spin Hall effect in Bilayer MoS2_2

The chirality of electronic Bloch bands is responsible for many intriguing properties of layered two-dimensional materials. We show that in bilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), unlike in few-layer graphene and monolayer TMDCs, both intra-layer and inter-layer couplings give important contributions to the Berry-curvature in the $K$ and $-K$ valleys of the Brillouin zone. The inter-layer contribution leads to the stacking dependence of the Berry curvature and we point out the differences between the commonly available 3R type and 2H type bilayers. Due to the inter-layer contribution the Berry curvature becomes highly tunable in double gated devices. We study the dependence of the valley Hall and spin Hall effects on the stacking type and external electric field. Although the valley and spin Hall conductivities are not quantized, in MoS$_2$ 2H bilayers they may change sign as a function of the external electric field which is reminiscent of the behaviour of lattice Chern insulators.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure

Effective low energy Hamiltonians and unconventional Landau level spectrum of monolayer C3_3N

We derive a low-energy effective $\mathbf{k}\cdot\mathbf{p}$ Hamiltonians for monolayer C$_{3}$N at the $\Gamma$ and $M$ points of the Brillouin zone where the band edge in the conduction and valence band can be found. Our analysis of the electronic band symmetries helps to better understand several results of recent ab-initio calculations[1,2] for the optical properties of this material. We also calculate the Landau level spectrum. We find that the Landau level spectrum in the degenerate conduction bands at the $\Gamma$ point acquires properties that are reminiscent of the corresponding results in bilayer graphene, but there are important differences as well. Moreover, because of the heavy effective mass, $n$-doped samples may host interesting electron-electron interaction effects.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Magnetic field oscillations of the critical current in long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions

We study the Josephson current in long ballistic superconductor-monolayer graphene- superconductor junctions. As a first step, we have developed an efficient computational approach to calculate the Josephson current in tight-binding systems. This approach can be particularly useful in the long junction limit, which has hitherto attracted less theoretical interest but has recently become experimentally relevant. We use this computational approach to study the dependence of the critical current on the junction geometry, doping level, and an applied perpendicular magnetic field B. In zero magnetic field we find a good qualitative agreement with the recent experiment of Ben Shalom et al. (Reference 12) for the length dependence of the critical current. For highly doped samples our numerical calculations show a broad agreement with the results of the quasiclassical formalism. In this case the critical current exhibits Fraunhofer-like oscillations as a function of B. However, for lower doping levels, where the cyclotron orbit becomes comparable to the characteristic geometrical length scales of the system, deviations from the results of the quasiclassical formalism appear. We argue that due to the exceptional tunability and long mean free path of graphene sys- tems a new regime can be explored where geometrical and dynamical effects are equally important to understand the magnetic field dependence of the critical current

Breaking of valley degeneracy by magnetic field in monolayer MoSe2

Using polarization-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, we investigate valley degeneracy breaking by out-of-plane magnetic field in back-gated monolayer MoSe$_2$ devices. We observe a linear splitting of $-0.22 \frac{\text{meV}}{\text{T}}$ between luminescence peak energies in $\sigma_{+}$ and $\sigma_{-}$ emission for both neutral and charged excitons. The optical selection rules of monolayer MoSe$_2$ couple photon handedness to the exciton valley degree of freedom, so this splitting demonstrates valley degeneracy breaking. In addition, we find that the luminescence handedness can be controlled with magnetic field, to a degree that depends on the back-gate voltage. An applied magnetic field therefore provides effective strategies for control over the valley degree of freedom.Comment: expanded discussion section, corrected typo in eq.