arXiv subjects

Kenji Watanabe

Publications and source records attributed to Kenji Watanabe.

At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Hetero-Orbital Two-Component Fractional Quantum Hall States in Bilayer Graphene

A two-dimensional electron system exposed to a strong magnetic field produces a plethora of strongly interacting fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states, the complex topological orders of which are revealed through exotic emergent particles, such as composite fermions, fractionally charged Abelian and non-Abelian anyons. Much insight has been gained by the study of multi-component FQH states, where spin and pseudospin indices of the electron contribute additional correlation. Traditional multi-component FQH states develop in situations where the components share the same orbital states and the resulting interactions are pseudospin independent; this homo-orbital nature was also crucial to their theoretical understanding. Here, we study "hetero-orbital" two-component FQH states, in which the orbital index is part of the pseudospin, rendering the multi-component interactions strongly SU(2) anisotropic in the pseudospin space. Such states, obtained in bilayer graphene at the isospin transition between N = 0 and N = 1 electron Landau levels, are markedly different from previous homo-orbital two-component FQH states. In particular, we observe strikingly different behaviors for the parallel-flux and reverse-flux composite fermion states, and an anomalously strong two-component 2/5 state over a wide range of magnetic field before it abruptly disappears at a high field. Our findings, combined with detailed theoretical calculations, reveal the surprising robustness of the hetero-orbital FQH effects, significantly enriching our understanding of FQH physics in this novel regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Van der Waals injection-molded crystals

Shaping low-dimensional crystals into precise geometries with low disorder is an outstanding challenge. Here, we present a method to grow single crystals of arbitrary geometry within van der Waals (vdW) materials. By injecting molten material between atomically-flat vdW layers within an SiO2 mold, we produce ultraflat and thin crystals of bismuth, tin, and indium that are shaped as hallbars, rings, and nanowires. The crystals are grown fully encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride, a vdW material, providing protection from oxidation. Varying the depth of the mold allows us to control the crystal thickness from ten to a hundred nanometers. Structural measurements demonstrate large single-crystals encompassing the entire mold geometry, while transport measurements show reduced disorder scattering. This approach offers a means to produce complex single-crystal nanostructures without the disorder introduced by post-growth nanofabrication.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Quasi-$Φ_0$-periodic supercurrent at quantum Hall transitions

The combination of superconductivity and quantum Hall (QH) effect is regarded as a key milestone in advancing topological quantum computation in solid-state systems. Recent quantum interference studies suggest that QH edge states can effectively mediate a supercurrent across high-quality graphene weak links. In this work we report the observation of a supercurrent associated with transitions between adjacent QH plateaus, where transport paths develop within the compressible two-dimensional bulk. We employ a back-gated graphene Josephson junction, comprising high-mobility CVD-grown graphene encapsulated in hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) and contacted by Nb leads. Superconducting pockets are detected persisting beyond the QH onset, up to 2.4 T, hence approaching the upper critical field of the Nb contacts. We observe an approximate $Φ_0=h/2e$ periodicity of the QH-supercurrent as a function of the magnetic field, indicating superconducting interference in a proximitized percolative phase. These results provide a promising experimental platform to investigate the transport regime of percolative supercurrents, leveraging the flexibility of van der Waals devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Superconductivity from dual-surface carriers in rhombohedral graphene

Intrinsic rhombohedral graphene hosts an unusual low-energy electronic wavefunction, predominantly localized at its outer crystal faces with negligible presence in the bulk. Increasing the number of graphene layers amplifies the density of states near charge neutrality, greatly enhancing the susceptibility to symmetry-breaking phases. Here, we report superconductivity in rhombohedral graphene arising from an unusual charge-delocalized semimetallic normal state, characterized by coexisting valence- and conduction-band Fermi pockets split to opposite crystal surfaces. In octalayer graphene, the superconductivity appears in five apparently distinct pockets for each sign of an external electric displacement field ($D$). In a moiré superlattice sample where heptalayer graphene is aligned on one side to hexagonal boron nitride, two pockets of superconductivity emerge from a single sharp resistive feature. At higher $D$ the same resistive feature additionally induces an $h/e^{2}$-quantized anomalous Hall state at dopings near one electron per moiré unit cell. Our findings reveal a novel superconducting regime in multilayer graphene and create opportunities for coupling to nearby topological states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Pressure-tunable phase transitions in atomically thin Chern insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$

Topological insulators lacking time-reversal symmetry can exhibit the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Odd-layer thick MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ is a promising platform due to its intrinsic magnetic nature, however, quantization is rarely observed in it. Our magnetoresistance measurements in the anti-ferromagnetic phase indicate, instead of a quantum anomalous Hall insulator, the presence of a trivial insulator state likely due to disorder, while at high magnetic field a Chern insulator state appears. By applying hydrostatic pressure we are able to tune the magnetic interactions and the characteristic energy scales in the phase diagram. The trivial band gap is reduced, suggesting the role of disorder decreases with the compression of the layers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Unveiling the Miniband Structure of Graphene Moiré Superlattices via Gate-dependent Terahertz Photocurrent Spectroscopy

Moiré superlattices formed at the interface between stacked two-dimensional atomic crystals offer limitless opportunities to design materials with widely tunable properties and engineer intriguing quantum phases of matter. However, despite progress, precise probing of the electronic states and tantalizingly complex band textures of these systems remain challenging. Here, we present gate-dependent terahertz photocurrent spectroscopy as a robust technique to detect, explore and quantify intricate electronic properties in graphene moiré superlattices. Specifically, using terahertz light at different frequencies, we demonstrate distinct photocurrent regimes evidencing the presence of avoided band crossings and tiny (~1-20 meV) inversion-breaking global and local energy gaps in the miniband structure of minimally twisted graphene and hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures, key information that is inaccessible by conventional electrical or optical techniques. In the off-resonance regime, when the radiation energy is smaller than the gap values, enhanced zero-bias responsivities arise in the system due to the lower Fermi velocities and specific valley degeneracies of the charge carriers subjected to moiré superlattice potentials. In stark contrast, above-gap excitations give rise to bulk photocurrents -- intriguing optoelectronic responses related to the geometric Berry phase of the constituting electronic minibands. Besides their fundamental importance, these results place moiré superlattices as promising material platforms for advanced, sensitive and low-noise terahertz detection applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Enhanced Phonon-Assisted Tunneling in Metal -- Twisted Bilayer Graphene Junctions

We report planar tunneling spectroscopy measurements on metal-WSe$_2$-twisted bilayer graphene heterostructures across a broad range of gate and bias voltages. The observed experimental features are attributed to phonon-assisted tunneling and the significantly high density of states within the moiré bands. A notable finding is the enhanced phonon-assisted tunneling in twisted bilayer graphene compared to Bernal bilayer graphene, which arises from a more relaxed in-plane momentum matching criterion. Theoretical calculations of phonon dispersions enable us to identify low-energy phonon modes in both Bernal and twisted bilayers of graphene, thereby elucidating the underlying mechanism of tunneling. Our results establish planar tunneling as a versatile tool to further understand electron-phonon coupling in twisted van der Waals materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Diverse high-Chern-number quantum anomalous Hall insulators in twisted rhombohedral graphene

Quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators with high Chern number (C) enables multiple dissipationless edge channels for low-power-consumption electronics. We report the realization of multiple high-C QAH insulators including C=3,5,6, and 7 in twisted monolayer-rhombohedral pentalayer graphene. In twist angles of approximately 1.40°, we observe QAH effect with C=5 at a filling of one electron per moiré unit cell, persisting up to 2 Kelvin. Furthermore, incommensurate QAH insulators with C=5,6, and 7 emerge at partial fillings. In twist angles of 0.89°, Chern insulators with C=3 and C=6 appear at fillings of two and three electrons, respectively. Our findings establish twisted rhombohedral multilayer graphene as a highly tunable platform for multichannel, dissipationless electronics and for the exploration of exotic quantum Hall states beyond traditional Landau level paradigm.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

$WSe_2$ Monolayers Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on hBN

A three-step process was developed for growing high-quality, optically uniform WSe2 monolayers by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with advantage of using hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The process was optimized to maximize the efficiency of photoluminescence and promote formation of hexagonal WSe2 domains. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to estimate the dispersion of WSe2 hexagonal domains orientation. Monolayer character of the film was identified using optical methods and verified with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cross-section. Temperature-and-magnetic-field-dependent studies revealed the behaviour of exciton complexes to be analogical to that of exfoliated counterparts. Direct growth on hBN combined with uniform optical response proves this WSe2 superior to mechanically exfoliated WSe2 in terms of convenience of use and reproducibility. Provided results establish a significant progress in optical quality of epitaxially grown transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) monolayers and fabrication of large-scale functional devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Extended Fractional Chern Insulators Near Half Flux in Twisted Bilayer Graphene Above the Magic Angle

Fractional Chern insulators (FCIs) -- the lattice analog of fractional quantum Hall states -- form as fractionalized quasiparticles emerge in a partially-filled Chern band. This fractionalization is driven by the interplay of electronic interaction and quantum geometry of the underlying wavefunctions. Bilayer graphene with an interlayer twist near the magic angle of 1.1\textdegree\ hosts diverse correlated electronic states at zero magnetic field. When the twist angle exceeds 1.3\textdegree, the electronic bandwidth is sufficient to suppress the zero-field correlated states. Yet applying a magnetic field can restore the importance of electron-electron interactions. Here, we report strongly-correlated phases when a 1.37\textdegree\ twisted bilayer graphene sample is tuned to near half a magnetic flux quantum per moiré cell, deep into the Hofstadter regime. Most notably, well-quantized odd-denominator FCI states appear in multiple Hofstadter subbands over unusually large ranges of density. We also observe a bending and resetting of the Landau minifan reminiscent of behavior commonly seen in magic-angle samples near integer filling at low magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Giant enhancement of exciton diffusion near an electronic Mott insulator

Bose-Fermi mixtures naturally appear in various physical systems. In semiconductor heterostructures, such mixtures can be realized, with bosons as excitons and fermions as dopant charges. However, the complexity of these hybrid systems challenges the comprehension of the mechanisms that determine physical properties such as mobility. In this study, we investigate interlayer exciton diffusion in an H-stacked WSe$_2$/WS$_2$ heterobilayer. Our measurements are performed in the ultra-low exciton density regime at low temperatures to examine how the presence of charges affects exciton mobility. Remarkably, for charge doping near the Mott insulator phase, we observe a giant enhancement of exciton diffusion of three orders of magnitude compared to charge neutrality. We attribute this observation to mobile valence holes, which experience a suppressed moiré potential due to the electronic charge order in the conduction band, and recombine with any conduction electron in a non-monogamous manner. This new mechanism emerges for sufficiently large fillings in the vicinity of correlated generalized Wigner crystal and Mott insulating states. Our results demonstrate the potential to characterize correlated electron states through exciton diffusion and provide insights into the rich interplay of bosons and fermions in semiconductor heterostructures.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Graphene Heterostructure-Based Non-Volatile Memory Devices with Top Floating Gate Programming

We present a graphene-based memory platform built on dual-gated field-effect transistors (GFETs). By integrating a lithographically defined metal patch directly atop the hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)-graphene channel, the device functions simultaneously as a top gate, floating gate (FG) reservoir, and active reset contact. This architecture forms an ultrathin van der Waals heterostructure with strong capacitive coupling to the back-gate, confirmed by a dynamic model, enabling a tunable and wide memory window that scales with back-gate voltage and is further enhanced by reducing hBN thickness or increasing FG area. Our devices demonstrate reversible, high-efficiency charge programming, robust non-volatile behavior across 10 to 300 K and a wide range of operation speeds, and endurance beyond 9800 cycles. Importantly, a grounded top electrode provides on-demand charge erasure, offering functionality that is absent in standard FG designs. These results position hBN/graphene-based GFETs as a compact, energy-efficient platform for next-generation 2D flash memory, with implications for multilevel memory schemes and cryogenic electronics.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Purcell enhancement of photogalvanic currents in a van der Waals plasmonic self-cavity

Cavities provide a means to manipulate the optical and electronic responses of quantum materials by selectively enhancing light-matter interaction at specific frequencies and momenta. While cavities typically involve external structures, exfoliated flakes of van der Waals (vdW) materials can form intrinsic self-cavities due to their small finite dimensions, confining electromagnetic fields into plasmonic cavity modes, characterized by standing-wave current distributions. While cavity-enhanced phenomena are well-studied at optical frequencies, the impact of self-cavities on nonlinear electronic responses--such as photogalvanic currents--remains largely unexplored, particularly in the terahertz regime, critical for emerging ultrafast optoelectronic technologies. Here, we report a self-cavity-induced Purcell enhancement of photogalvanic currents in the vdW semimetal WTe$_2$. Using ultrafast optoelectronic circuitry, we measured coherent near-field THz emission resulting from nonlinear photocurrents excited at the sample edges. We observed enhanced emission at finite frequencies, tunable via excitation fluence and sample geometry, which we attribute to plasmonic interference effects controlled by the cavity boundaries. We developed an analytical theory that captures the cavity resonance conditions and spectral response across multiple devices. Our findings establish WTe$_2$ as a bias-free, geometry-tunable THz emitter and demonstrate the potential of self-cavity engineering for controlling nonlinear, nonequilibrium dynamics in quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Detecting Lifshitz Transitions Using Nonlinear Conductivity in Bilayer Graphene

The second-order nonlinear electrical response (NLER) is an intrinsic property of inversion symmetry-broken systems which can provide deep insights into the electronic band structures of atomically thin quantum materials. However, the impact of Fermi surface reconstructions, also known as Lifshitz transitions, on the NLER has remained elusive. We investigated NLER in bilayer graphene (BLG), where the low-energy bands undergo Lifshitz transitions. Here, NLER undergoes a sign change near the Lifshitz transitions even at elevated temperatures $T\gtrsim10~$K. At the band edge, NLER in BLG is modulated by both extrinsic scattering and interfacial-strain-induced intrinsic Berry curvature dipole, both of which can be finely tuned externally by varying doping and interlayer potential. Away from the band edge, BLG exhibits second-order conductivity exceeding $30~μ$mV$^{-1}Ω^{-1}$ at 3K higher than any previous report. Our work establishes NLER as a reliable tool to probe Lifshitz transitions in quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Second-Order Conductivity Probes a Cascade of Singularities in a Moiré Superlattice

Systems lacking inversion symmetry inherently demonstrate a nonlinear electrical response (NLER) to an applied electric bias, emerging through extrinsic mechanisms. This response is highly sensitive to the electronic band structure, which can be engineered with remarkable precision in moiré superlattices formed from atomically thin quantum materials. Moiré superlattices host complex Fermi surface reconstructions near van Hove singularities (vHSs) in the electronic density of states. However, the role of these reconstructions in shaping NLER remains insufficiently understood. In this work, we systematically explore NLER in moiré superlattices of twisted double bilayer graphene (tDBLG) by tuning the Fermi level across multiple moiré bands on both sides of the charge neutrality point. We observe sharp variations and sign reversals in the NLER appearing via extrinsic pathways near mid-band vHSs. The second-order conductivity close to the vHSs demonstrates a much higher value than previous reports of extrinsic NLER in any other material. Our results demonstrate that NLER can serve as a sensitive probe of Fermi surface reconstructions and establish tDBLG as a versatile and highly efficient platform for generating and controlling the nonlinear electrical response.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Signature of gate tunable superconducting network in twisted bilayer graphene

Twisted van der Waals materials provide a tunable platform for investigating two-dimensional superconductivity and quantum phases. Using spectra-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, we study the superconducting states in twisted bilayer graphene and track their evolution from insulating phases. Gate-dependent spectroscopic measurements reveal two distinct regimes: under-doped (ν = -2.3) and optimally doped (ν = -2.6). In the under-doped regime, partial superconductivity arises, forming a network interspersed with non-gapped regions. At optimal doping, the entire unit cell demonstrates superconductivity, with gap size modulation showing an anti-correlation with the local density of states. This gate-dependent transition from an insulating phase to a modulated superconductor uncovers an unexpected spatial hierarchy in pairing behavior and offers direct microscopic insights to constrain theories of superconductivity in moiré systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Evidence of topological Kondo insulating state in MoTe2/WSe2 moiré bilayers

Topological Kondo insulators (TKIs) are topologically protected insulating states induced not by single-particle band inversions, but by the Kondo interaction between itinerant electrons and a lattice of local magnetic moments. Although experiments have suggested the emergence of three-dimensional (3D) TKIs in the rare earth compound SmB6, its two-dimensional (2D) counterpart has not been demonstrated to date. Here we report experimental evidence of a TKI in angle-aligned MoTe2/WSe2 moiré bilayers, which support a Kondo lattice with topologically nontrivial Kondo interactions. We prepare in a dual-gated device a triangular lattice Mott insulator in the MoTe2 layer Kondo-coupled to a half-filled itinerant band in the WSe2 layer. Combined transport and compressibility measurements show that the prepared state supports metallic transport at high temperatures and, at low temperatures, an insulating bulk with conducting helical edge states protected by spin-Sz conservation. The presence of Kondo singlets is further evidenced by their breakdown at high magnetic fields. Such behaviors are in stark contrast to the simple metallic state when the Mott insulator in the MoTe2 layer is depleted by gating. Our results open the door for exploring tunable topological Kondo physics in moiré materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Single Photon Emitters in Ultra-Thin Hexagonal Boron Nitride Layers

Single-photon emitters (SPE) in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) are promising for applications ranging from single-photon sources to quantum sensors. Previous studies exclusively focused on the generation and characterization of SPEs in relatively thick h-BN layers ($\geq$ 30 nm). However, for electrical and magnetic sensing applications, the thickness of the h-BN limits the attainable spatial resolution. Here, we report the observation of blue-wavelength emitters (B-centers) activated by electron beam irradiation in ultra-thin ($\simeq$ 3 nm) h-BN. These SPEs in ultra-thin flakes exhibit reduced brightness, broader zero-phonon line, and enhanced photobleaching. Remarkably, upon encapsulation in thicker h-BN, we restore their brightness, narrow linewidth 230$μ$eV at 5K, resolution limited), suppress photobleaching, and confirm single-photon emission with $ g^{(2)}(0) < 0.4$ at room temperature. The possibility of generating SPEs in a few-layer h-BN and their subsequent incorporation into a van der Waals heterostructure paves the way for achieving quantum sensing with unprecedented nanometer-scale spatial resolution.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗