126 research outputs found
Atomistic spin dynamics of the CuMn spin glass alloy
We demonstrate the use of Langevin spin dynamics for studying dynamical
properties of an archetypical spin glass system. Simulations are performed on
CuMn (20% Mn) where we study the relaxation that follows a sudden quench of the
system to the low temperature phase. The system is modeled by a Heisenberg
Hamiltonian where the Heisenberg interaction parameters are calculated by means
of first-principles density functional theory. Simulations are performed by
numerically solving the Langevin equations of motion for the atomic spins. It
is shown that dynamics is governed, to a large degree, by the damping parameter
in the equations of motion and the system size. For large damping and large
system sizes we observe the typical aging regime.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figure
Low-energy description of the metal-insulator transition in the rare-earth nickelates
We propose a simple theoretical description of the metal-insulator transition of rare-earth nickelates. The theory involves only two orbitals per nickel site, corresponding to the low-energy antibonding eg states. In the monoclinic insulating state, bond-length disproportionation splits the manifold of eg bands, corresponding to a modulation of the effective on-site energy. We show that, when subject to a local Coulomb repulsion U and Hund's coupling J, the resulting bond-disproportionated state is a paramagnetic insulator for a wide range of interaction parameters. Furthermore, we find that when Uâ3J is small or negative, a spontaneous instability to bond disproportionation takes place for large enough J. This minimal theory emphasizes that a small or negative charge-transfer energy, a large Hund's coupling, and a strong coupling to bond disproportionation are the key factors underlying the transition. Experimental consequences of this theoretical picture are discussed
Optical spectroscopy and the nature of the insulating state of rare-earth nickelates
Using a combination of spectroscopic ellipsometry and DC transport
measurements, we determine the temperature dependence of the optical
conductivity of NdNiO and SmNiO films. The optical spectra show the
appearance of a characteristic two-peak structure in the near-infrared when the
material passes from the metal to the insulator phase. Dynamical mean-field
theory calculations confirm this two-peak structure, and allow to identify
these spectral changes and the associated changes in the electronic structure.
We demonstrate that the insulating phase in these compounds and the associated
characteristic two-peak structure are due to the combined effect of
bond-disproportionation and Mott physics associated with half of the
disproportionated sites. We also provide insights into the structure of excited
states above the gap.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure
Single atom quantum walk with 1D optical superlattices
A proposal for the implementation of quantum walks using cold atom technology
is presented. It consists of one atom trapped in time varying optical
superlattices. The required elements are presented in detail including the
preparation procedure, the manipulation required for the quantum walk evolution
and the final measurement. These procedures can be, in principle, implemented
with present technology.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure
Synthesis and characterization of entangled mesoscopic superpositions for a trapped electron
We propose a scheme for the generation and reconstruction of entangled states
between the internal and external (motional) degrees of freedom of a trapped
electron. Such states also exhibit quantum coherence at a mesoscopic level.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, RevTeX (twocolumn
Scalable Neutral Atom Quantum Computer with Interaction on Demand: Proposal for Selective Application of Two-Qubit Gate
We propose a scalable neutral atom quantum computer with an on-demand
interaction through a selective two-qubit gate operation. Atoms are trapped by
a lattice of near field Fresnel diffraction lights so that each trap captures a
single atom. One-qubit gate operation is implemented by a gate control laser
beam which is applied to an individual atom. Two-qubit gate operation between
an arbitrary pair of atoms is implemented by sending these atoms to a
state-dependent optical lattice and making them collide so that a particular
two-qubit state acquires a dynamical phase. We give numerical evaluations
corresponding to these processes, from which we estimate the upper bound of a
two-qubit gate operation time and corresponding gate fidelity. Our proposal is
feasible within currently available technology developed in cold atom gas,
MEMS, nanolithography, and various areas in optics.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figur
Optical properties of LaNiO3 films tuned from compressive to tensile strain
Materials with strong electronic correlations host remarkable -- and
technologically relevant -- phenomena such as magnetism, superconductivity and
metal-insulator transitions. Harnessing and controlling these effects is a
major challenge, on which key advances are being made through lattice and
strain engineering in thin films and heterostructures, leveraging the complex
interplay between electronic and structural degrees of freedom. Here we show
that the electronic structure of LaNiO3 can be tuned by means of lattice
engineering. We use different substrates to induce compressive and tensile
biaxial epitaxial strain in LaNiO3 thin films. Our measurements reveal
systematic changes of the optical spectrum as a function of strain and,
notably, an increase of the low-frequency free carrier weight as tensile strain
is applied. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we show that
this apparently counter-intuitive effect is due to a change of orientation of
the oxygen octahedra.The calculations also reveal drastic changes of the
electronic structure under strain, associated with a Fermi surface Lifshitz
transition. We provide an online applet to explore these effects. The
experimental value of integrated spectral weight below 2 eV is significantly
(up to a factor of 3) smaller than the DFT results, indicating a transfer of
spectral weight from the infrared to energies above 2 eV. The suppression of
the free carrier weight and the transfer of spectral weight to high energies
together indicate a correlation-induced band narrowing and free carrier mass
enhancement due to electronic correlations. Our findings provide a promising
avenue for the tuning and control of quantum materials employing lattice
engineering.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure
Charge self-consistent many-body corrections using optimized projected localized orbitals
In order for methods combining ab initio density-functional theory and
many-body techniques to become routinely used, a flexible, fast, and
easy-to-use implementation is crucial. We present an implementation of a
general charge self-consistent scheme based on projected localized orbitals in
the projector augmented wave framework in the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation
Package (VASP). We give a detailed description on how the projectors are
optimally chosen and how the total energy is calculated. We benchmark our
implementation in combination with dynamical mean-field theory: first we study
the charge-transfer insulator NiO using a Hartree-Fock approach to solve the
many-body Hamiltonian. We address the advantages of the optimized against
non-optimized projectors and furthermore find that charge self-consistency
decreases the dependence of the spectral function - especially the gap - on the
double counting. Second, using continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo we study a
monolayer of SrVO, where strong orbital polarization occurs due to the
reduced dimensionality. Using total-energy calculation for structure
determination, we find that electronic correlations have a non-negligible
influence on the position of the apical oxygens, and therefore on the thickness
of the single SrVO layer.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Resolvent methods for steady premixed flame shapes governed by the Zhdanov-Trubnikov equation
Using pole decompositions as starting points, the one parameter (-1 =< c < 1)
nonlocal and nonlinear Zhdanov-Trubnikov (ZT) equation for the steady shapes of
premixed gaseous flames is studied in the large-wrinkle limit. The singular
integral equations for pole densities are closely related to those satisfied by
the spectral density in the O(n) matrix model, with n = -2(1 + c)/(1 - c). They
can be solved via the introduction of complex resolvents and the use of complex
analysis. We retrieve results obtained recently for -1 =< c =< 0, and we
explain and cure their pathologies when they are continued naively to 0 < c <
1. Moreover, for any -1 =< c < 1, we derive closed-form expressions for the
shapes of steady isolated flame crests, and then bicoalesced periodic fronts.
These theoretical results fully agree with numerical resolutions. Open problems
are evoked.Comment: v2: 29 pages, 6 figures, some typos correcte
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