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Although d+id’ superconductors are topological, the Majorana zero modes therein occur in pairs. This talk will present the Fu-Kane setup between a three-dimensional topological insulator and a d+id’ superconductor to show that an unpaired Majorana Zero mode can be realized in the core of the Abrikosov vortex. The d+id superconducting order can be realized in High-Tc superconductors, thus these Majorana modes can persist up to unprecedented high temperatures.

In recent years, it has been discovered that inversion symmetry broken systems can exhibit non-linear Hall effects even under time-reversal symmetric conditions [1]. The underlying quantum objects leading to this phenomena are the moments of the Berry curvature, termed the Berry curvature multipoles. This opens up avenues for exploring fundamental physics and possible applications [2,3]. However, despite such promise, the Berry curvature multipole induced non-linear Hall effect has been experimentally realized only in a handful of materials. It is, therefore, of vital importance to find materials with large and controllable Berry curvature multipoles.

In this talk, I will give examples from our work where such a controllable Berry curvature dipole has been predicted. First, we propose Janus monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides as a promising materials platform to explore the non-linear Hall effect and Berry curvature dipole physics [4]. Here the topology and the Berry curv...

Fluctuations and disorder effects are substantially enhanced in reduced dimensionalities. While they are mostly considered as the foe for long-range orders, fluctuations and disorders can also stimulate the emergence of novel phases of matter, for example, vestigial orders. Taking 2D magnetism as a platform, existing efforts have been focused on maintaining 2D long-range magnetic orders by suppressing fluctuations, whereas the other side, exploiting fluctuations for realizing new 2D magnetic phases, remains as an uncharted territory. We will use a suite of optical spectroscopy techniques to demonstrate the magnetic phase evolution of NiPS3 as functions of temperature and dimensionality and demonstrate the crossover from the 3D zigzag AFM to the 2D Potts nematic phase.

We propose twisted van der Waals heterostructures as an efficient, reliable and scalable quantum platform that enables the seamless realization and control of a plethora of interacting quantum models in a solid state framework. These new materials hold great promise to realize novel and elusive states of matter in experiment. We survey these systems as platform to study strongly correlated physics and topology that is notoriously difficult to study computationally [1]. Among the features that make these materials a versatile toolbox are (i) tunability of properties via readily accessible external parameters (such as gating, straining, packing and twist angle), (ii) ability to realize and control a large number of fundamental many-body quantum models relevant in the field of condensed matter physics and beyond and (iii) state-of-the-art experimental readouts exist to directly map out their rich phase diagrams in and out of equilibrium. This general framework, besides unraveling new phas...

With a rapidly growing family of vdW materials, the role of dielectric and metals have become more important than ever. In this talk, I will present challenges associated with the synthesis of atomically-precise three-dimensional (3D) perovskite nanomembranes followed by our group’s effort to address them. Using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy that employs a metal-organic precursor, titanium isopropoxide (TTIP), to supply both Ti and oxygen (without the need for additional oxygen), epitaxial SrTiO3 (STO) films were grown directly on a graphene layer transferred on to bulk STO substrate. Films were then successfully exfoliated and transferred onto other substrates. Using Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction, we show that the transferred STO membrane is single-crystalline and can be integrated with other vdW materials. I will also present sacrificial layer route to create oxide membranes resulting in room temperature dielectric constant of ~ 300. Finally, I will present...

In recent years, the experimental realization of magnetic long-range order in atomically thin 2D materials has shown a big potential in spintronic applications in ultrathin magnets due to the possibility of manipulation of magnetism by external fields, strain or proximity effects in van der Waals heterostructures. Specifically, the family of metallic magnets FenGeTe2 (n=3, 4, 5) has attracted a huge attention due to their high Curie temperatures and intriguing properties. In this talk, I will review the status of this research field, highlighting our own research by ab initio density functional theory, calculations of interatomic exchange interaction parameters and Monte Carlo simulations. A particular emphasis will be given on the systematic study of the electronic structure and magnetism of FenGeTe2 magnets along with some critical discussions on the importance of electron correlation with the aid of dynamical mean field theory, spin-orbit coupling and effects of transition metal dop...

Double perovskite oxides (DPOs) with two transition metal ions (A2BB′O6) offer a fascinating platform for exploring exotic physics and practical applications. Studying these DPOs as ultrathin epitaxial thin films on single crystalline substrates can add another dimension to engineering electronic, magnetic, and topological phenomena. Understanding the consequence of polarity mismatch between the substrate and the DPO would be the first step towards this broad goal. We investigate this by studying the interface between a prototypical insulating DPO Nd2NiMnO6 and a wide-band gap insulator SrTiO3. The interface is found to be insulating in nature. By combining several experimental techniques and density functional theory, we establish a site- selective charge compensation process that occurs explicitly at the Mn site of the film, leaving the Ni sites inert. We further demonstrate that such surprising selectivity, which cannot be explained by existing mechanisms of polarity compensation, i...