Pressure induced insulator to metal transition in quantum spin liquid candidate NaYbS_(2)

Pressure induced insulator to metal transition followed by the appearance of superconductivity has been observed recently in inorganic quantum spin liquid candidate NaYbSe_(2).In this paper,we study the properties of isostructural compound NaYbS_(2)under pressure.It is found that the resistance of Na YbS_(2)single crystal exhibits an insulating state below 82.9 GPa,but with a drop of more than six orders of magnitude at room temperature.Then a minimum of resistance is observed at about 100.1 GPa and it moves to lower temperature with further compression.Finally,a metallic state in the whole temperature range is observed at about 130.3 GPa accompanied by a non-Fermi liquid behavior below 100 K.The insulator to metal transition,non-monotonic resistance feature and non-Fermi liquid behavior of NaYbS_(2)under pressure are similar to those of NaYbSe_(2),suggesting that these phenomena might be the universal properties in NaLnCh_(2)(Ln=rare earth,Ch=O,S,Se)system.

Off-diagonal approach to the exact solution of quantum integrable systems

We investigate the t–W scheme for the anti-ferromagnetic X X X spin chain under both periodic and open boundary conditions. We propose a new parametrization of the eigenvalues of the transfer matrix. Based on it, we obtain the exact solution of the system. By analyzing the distribution of zero roots at the ground state, we obtain the explicit expressions of the eigenfunctions of the transfer matrix and the associated W operator(see Eqs.(10) and(70)) in the thermodynamic limit. We find that the ratio of the quantum determinant with the eigenvalue of W operator for the ground state exhibits exponential decay behavior. Thus this fact ensures that the so-called inversion relation(the t–W relation without the W-term) can be used to study the ground state properties of quantum integrable systems with/without U(1)-symmetry in the thermodynamic limit.

Coexistence of giant Rashba spin splitting and quantum spin Hall effect in H–Pb–F

Rashba spin splitting(RSS)and quantum spin Hall effect(QSHE)have attracted enormous interest due to their great significance in the application of spintronics.In this work,we theoretically proposed a new two-dimensional(2D)material H–Pb–F with coexistence of giant RSS and quantum spin Hall effec by using the ab initio calculations.Our results show that H–Pb–F possesses giant RSS(1.21 eV·A)and the RSS can be tuned up to 4.16 e V·A by in-plane biaxial strain,which is a huge value among 2D materials.Furthermore,we also noticed that H–Pb–F is a 2D topological insulator(TI)duo to the strong spin–orbit coupling(SOC)interaction,and the large topological gap is up to 1.35 e V,which is large enough for for the observation of topological edge states at room temperature.The coexistence of giant RSS and quantum spin Hall effect greatly broadens the potential application of H–Pb–F in the field of spintronic devices.

Quantum parameter estimation in a spin-boson dephasing quantum system by periodical projective measurements

In this paper,we explore how to estimate the phase damping parameter γ and the tunneling amplitude parameter ？from a spin-boson dephasing quantum model by periodical projective measurements.The preparation of initial states is accomplished by performing the period measurements in our scheme.The parameter γ can be always estimated when projective measurement bases are chosen as θ = π/2 and φ = 0.Based on the estimated value of γ and the interval information of ？,we can select another measurement bases（θ = π/4 and φ = π/2） to obtain the estimated value of ？.A coherent control is indispensable to estimate ？ if γ is in the interval of ？;whereas the control is not necessary if γ is out of the known interval of ？.We establish the relation between the optimal period time and the parameter γ or ？ in terms of Fisher information.Although the optimal measurement period cannot be selected beforehand,the aforementioned relation can be utilized to adjust the measurement period to approach the optimal one.

Stability of the Konjac Glucomannan Topological Chain Based on Quantum Spin Model

In this paper we investigated the stability of konjac glucomnnan（KGM） chain hydrogen networks based on the quantum spin model. Dissipative particle dynamics method was applied in the structure simulation of KGM. The results reveled that acetyl residues of KGM were bonded with water molecules in aqueous solutions. Increasing the hydrogen bond formation decreases the energy in acetyl system. The expect-valuation of the thermal state with respect to the Hamiltonian is negative. Hence, the total energy of konjac glucomnnan chain with the acetyl groups decreases, which indicates the increasing stability of konjac glucomnnan chain. Our approach could provide a new insight into the investigation on the stability of konjac glucomnnan chain.

Gapped Spin-1/2 Spinon Excitations in a New Kagome Quantum Spin Liquid Compound Cu_3Zn(OH)_6FBr

We report a new kagome quantum spin liquid candidate CuaZn（OH）6FBr, which does not experience any phase transition down to 50inK, more than three orders lower than the antiferromagnetic Curie-Weiss temperature （-200 K）. A clear gap opening at low temperature is observed in the uniform spin susceptibility obtained from 19F nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. We observe the characteristic magnetic field dependence of the gap as expected for fractionalized spin-1/2 spinon excitations. Our experimental results provide firm evidence for spin fractionalization in a topologically ordered spin system, resembling charge fraetionalization in the fractional quantum Hall state.

Some experimental schemes to identify quantum spin liquids

Despite the apparent ubiquity and variety of quantum spin liquids in theory,experimental confirmation of spin liquids remains to be a huge challenge.Motivated by the recent surge of evidences for spin liquids in a series of candidate materials,we highlight the experimental schemes,involving the thermal Hall transport and spectrum measurements,that can result in smoking-gun signatures of spin liquids beyond the usual ones.For clarity,we investigate the square lattice spin liquids and theoretically predict the possible phenomena that may emerge in the corresponding spin liquids candidates.The mechanisms for these signatures can be traced back to either the intrinsic characters of spin liquids or the external field-driven behaviors.Our conclusion does not depend on the geometry of lattices and can broadly apply to other relevant spin liquids.

Finite size effects on helical edge states in HgTe quantum wells with the spin orbit coupling due to bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries

There is a quantum spin Hall state in the inverted HgTe quantum well, characterized by the topologically protected gapless helical edge states lying within the bulk gap. It has been found that for a strip of finite width, the edge states on the two sides can couple together to produce a gap in the spectrum. The phenomenon is called the finite size effect in quantum spin Hall systems. In this paper, we investigate the effects of the spin-orbit coupling due to bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries on the finite size effect in the HgTe quantum well by means of the numerical diagonalization method. When the bulk-inversion asymmetry is taken into account, it is shown that the energy gap Eg of the edge states due to the finite size effect features an oscillating exponential decay as a function of the strip width of the HgTe quantum well. The origin of this oscillatory pattern on the exponential decay is explained. Furthermore, if the bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries are considered simultaneously, the structure-inversion asymmetry will induce a shift of the energy gap Eg closing point. Finally, based on the roles of the bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries on the finite size effects, a way to realize the quantum spin Hall field effect transistor is proposed.

Quantum correlations dynamics of three-qubit states coupled to an XY spin chain: Role of coupling strengths

We investigate the prominent impacts of coupling strengths on the evolution of entanglement and quantum discord for a three-qubit system coupled to an XY spin-chain environment. In the case of a pure W state, more robust, even larger nonzero quantum correlations can be obtained by tailoring the coupling strengths between the qubits and the environment. For a mixed state consisting of the GHZ and W states, the dynamics of entanglement and quantum discord can characterize the critical point of quantum phase transition. Remarkably, a large nonzero quantum discord is generally retained, while the nonzero entanglement can only be obtained as the system-environment coupling satisfies certain conditions. We also find that the impact of each qubit＇s coupling strength on the quantum correlation dynamics strongly depends on the variation schemes of the system-environment couplings.

Spin Chern numbers and time-reversal-symmetry-broken quantum spin Hall effect

The quantum spin Hall （QSH） effect is considered to be unstable to perturbations violating the time-reversal （TR） symmetry. We review some recent developments in the search of the QSH effect in the absence of the TR symmetry. The possibility to realize a robust QSH effect by artificial removal of the TR symmetry of the edge states is explored. As a useful tool to characterize topological phases without the TR symmetry, the spin-Chern number theory is introduced.

Spin transport in a chain of polygonal quantum rings with Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling

Using a transfer matrix method, we investigate spin transport through a chain of polygonal rings with Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling（DSOC）. The spin conductance is dependent on the number of sides in the polygons. When DSOC is considered in a chain which also has Rashba spin-orbit coupling（RSOC） of the same magnitude, the total conductance is the same as that for the same chain with no SOC. However, when the two types of SOC have different values, there results a unique anisotropic conductance.

Supplemental Materials: Realization of Quantum Maxwell's Demon with Solid-State Spins

We report experimental realization of a quantum version of Maxwell＇s demon using solid state spins where the information acquiring and feedback operations by the demon are achieved through conditional quantum gates.A unique feature of this implementation is that the demon can start in a quantum superposition state or in an entangled state with an ancilla observer. Through quantum state tomography, we measure the entropy in the system, demon, and the ancilla, showing the influence of coherence and entanglement on the result. A quantum implementation of Maxwell＇s demon adds more controllability to this paradoxical thermal machine and may find applications in quantum thermodynamics involving microscopic systems.

Quantum spin Hall insulators in chemically functionalized As(110)and Sb(110)films

We propose a new type of quantum spin Hall （QSH） insulator in chemically functionalized As （110） and Sb （110） film. According to first-principles calculations, we find that metallic As （110） and Sb （110） films become QSH insulators after being chemically functionalized by hydrogen （H） or halogen （C1 and Br） atoms. The energy gaps of the functionalized films range from 0.121 eV to 0.304 eV, which are sufficiently large for practical applications at room temperature. The energy gaps originate from the spin-orbit coupling （SOC）. The energy gap increases linearly with the increase of the SOC strength λ/λ0. The Z2 invariant and the penetration depth of the edge states are also calculated and studied for the functionalized films.

The robustness of the quantum spin Hall effect to the thickness fluctuation in HgTe quantum wells

The quantum spin Hall effect （QSHE） was first realized in HgTe quantum wells （QWs）, which remain the only known two-dimensional topological insulator so far. In this paper, we have systematically studied the effect of the thickness fluctuation of HgTe QWs on the QSHE. We start with the case of constant mass with random distributions, and reveal that the disordered system can be well described by a virtual uniform QW with an effective mass when the number of components is small. When the number is infinite and corresponds to the real fluctuation, we find that the QSHE is not only robust, but also can be generated by relatively strong fluctuation. Our results imply that the thickness fluctuation does not cause backscattering, and the QSHE is robust to it.

First-Principles Calculation on Geometric,Electronic and Optical Properties of Fully Fluorinated Stanene:a Large-Gap Quantum Spin Hall Insulator

The searches for large-gap quantum spin Hall insulators are important for both practical and fundamental inter- ests. In this work, we present a theoretical observation of the two-dimensional fully fluorinated stanene （SnF） by means of density functional theory. Remarkably, a significant spin-orbit coupling is observed for the SnF monolayer in the valence band at the F point, with a considerable indirect band gap of 278 meV. The direct gap of the SnF monolayer is at the F point, which is slightly larger by as much as 381 meV. In addition, the elastic modulus of the SnF monolayer is about 20J/m^2, which is comparable with the in-plane stiffness of black phos- phorus monolayer along the x-direction （~28.94 J/m^2）. Finally, the optical properties of stanene, SnF monolayer and stanene/SnF bilayer are calculated, in which the stanene/SnF bilayer is supposed to be an attractive sunlight absorber.

Quantum spin Hall and quantum valley Hall effects in trilayer graphene and their topological structures

The present study pertains to the trilayer graphene in the presence of spin orbit coupling to probe the quantum spin/valley Hall effect. The spin Chern-number Cs for energy-bands of trilayer graphene having the essence of intrinsic spin-orbit coupling is analytically calculated. We find that for each valley and spin, Cs is three times larger in trilayer graphene as compared to single layer graphene. Since the spin Chern-number corresponds to the number of edge states, consequently the trilayer graphene has edge states, three times more in comparison to single layer graphene. We also study the trilayer graphene in the presence of both electric-field and intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and investigate that the trilayer graphene goes through a phase transition from a quantum spin Hall state to a quantum valley Hall state when the strength of the electric field exceeds the intrinsic spin coupling strength. The robustness of the associated topological bulk-state of the trilayer graphene is evaluated by adding various perturbations such as Rashba spin-orbit （RSO） interaction αR, and exchange-magnetization M. In addition, we consider a theoretical model, where only one of the outer layers in trilayer graphene has the essence of intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, while the other two layers have zero intrinsic spin-orbit coupling. Although the first Chern number is non-zero for individual valleys of trilayer graphene in this model, however, we find that the system cannot be regarded as a topological insulator because the system as a whole is not gaped.

Quantum spin transport through Aharonov-Bohm ring with a tangent magnetic field

Quantum spin transport in a mesoscopic Aharonov-Bohm ring with two leads subject to a magnetic field with circular configuration is investigated by means of one-dimensional quantum waveguide theory. Within the framework of Landauer-Bfittiker formalism, the polarization direction of transmitted electrons can be controlled either by the AB magnetic flux or by the tangent magnetic field. In particular, the spin flips can be induced by hopping the AB magnetic flux or the tangent field.

Exact solution of an integrable quantum spin chain with competing interactions

We construct an integrable quantum spin chain that includes the nearest-neighbor,next-nearest-neighbor,chiral threespin couplings,Dzyloshinsky–Moriya interactions and unparallel boundary magnetic fields.Although the interactions in bulk materials are isotropic,the spins nearby the boundary fields are polarized,which induce the anisotropic exchanging interactions of the first and last bonds.The U(1)symmetry of the system is broken because of the off-diagonal boundary reflections.Using the off-diagonal Bethe ansatz,we obtain an exact solution to the system.The inhomogeneous T–Q relation and Bethe ansatz equations are given explicitly.We also calculate the ground state energy.The method given in this paper provides a general way to construct new integrable models with certain interesting interactions.

Quantum Spin Liquid Phase in the Shastry–Sutherland Model Detected by an Improved Level Spectroscopic Method

We study the spin-1/2 two-dimensional Shastry–Sutherland spin model by exact diagonalization of clusters with periodic boundary conditions, developing an improved level spectroscopic technique using energy gaps between states with different quantum numbers. The crossing points of some of the relative(composite) gaps have much weaker finite-size drifts than the normally used gaps defined only with respect to the ground state, thus allowing precise determination of quantum critical points even with small clusters. Our results support the picture of a spin liquid phase intervening between the well-known plaquette-singlet and antiferromagnetic ground states, with phase boundaries in almost perfect agreement with a recent density matrix renormalization group study, where much larger cylindrical lattices were used [J. Yang et al., Phys. Rev. B 105, L060409(2022)]. The method of using composite low-energy gaps to reduce scaling corrections has potentially broad applications in numerical studies of quantum critical phenomena.

Finite size effects on the quantum spin Hall state in HgTe quantum wells under two different types of boundary conditions

The finite size effect in a two-dimensional topological insulator can induce an energy gap Eg in the spectrum of helical edge states for a strip of finite width. In a recent work, it has been found that when the spin--orbit coupling due to bulk-inversion asymmetry is taken into account, the energy gap Eg of the edge states features an oscillating exponential decay as a function of the strip width of the inverted HgTe quantum well. In this paper, we investigate the effects of the interface between a topological insulator and a normal insulator on the finite size effect in the HgTe quantum well by means of the numerical diagonalization method. Two different types of boundary conditions, i.e., the symmetric and asymmetric geometries, are considered. It is found that due to the existence of the interface between topological insulator and normal insulator this oscillatory pattern on the exponential decay induced by bulk-inversion asymmetry is modulated by the width of normal insulator regions. With the variation of the width of normal insulator regions, the shift of the Dirac point of the edge states in the spectrum and the energy gap Eg closing point in the oscillatory pattern can occur. Additionally, the effect of the spin-orbit coupling due to structure-inversion asymmetry on the finite size effects is also investigated.