The entropy stabilized oxide ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{0.2}{\mathrm{Co}}_{0.2}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{0.2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{0.2}{\mathrm{Zn}}_{0.2}\mathrm{O}$ exhibits antiferromagnetic order and magnetic excitations, as revealed by recent neutron scattering experiments. This observation raises the question of the nature of spin-wave excitations in such disordered systems. Here, we investigate theoretically the magnetic ground state and the spin-wave excitations using linear spin-wave theory in combination with the supercell approximation to take into account the extreme disorder in this magnetic system. We find that the experimentally observed antiferromagnetic structure can be stabilized by a rhombohedral distortion together with large second-nearest-neighbor interactions. Our calculations show that the spin-wave spectrum consists of a well-defined low energy coherent spectrum in the background of an incoherent continuum that extends to higher energies.

Models whose ground states can be written as an exact matrix-product state (MPS) provide valuable insights into phases of matter. While MPS-solvable models are typically studied as isolated points in a phase diagram, they can belong to a connected network of MPS-solvable models, which we call the MPS skeleton. As a case study where we can completely unearth this skeleton, we focus on the one-dimensional BDI class—noninteracting spinless fermions with time-reversal symmetry. This class, labeled by a topological winding number, contains the Kitaev chain and is Jordan-Wigner-dual to various symmetry-breaking and symmetry-protected topological (SPT) spin chains. We show that one can read off from the Hamiltonian whether its ground state is an MPS: defining a polynomial whose coefficients are the Hamiltonian parameters, MPS-solvability corresponds to this polynomial being a perfect square. We provide an explicit construction of the ground state MPS, its bond dimension growing exponentially with the range of the Hamiltonian. This complete characterization of the MPS skeleton in parameter space has three significant consequences: (i) any two topologically distinct phases in this class admit a path of MPS-solvable models between them, including the phase transition which obeys an area law for its entanglement entropy; (ii) we illustrate that the subset of MPS-solvable models is dense in this class by constructing a sequence of MPS-solvable models which converge to the Kitaev chain (equivalently, the quantum Ising chain in a transverse field); (iii) a subset of these MPS states can be particularly efficiently processed on a noisy intermediate-scale quantum computer.

Magnetic proximity has been observed in a variety of solid-state magnetic devices, but has been less discussed at the molecular scale. In this study, the magnetotransport calculation is carried out using the generalized Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation combined with density functional theory (DFT) and our self-developed junpy calculated spin-torque effect. Except for the current driven spin torque, which is a promising approach for magnetization switch in magnetic random access memory, the equilibrium fieldlike spin torque also plays a crucial role in the strain-controlled exchange bias with current-controlled magnetic coercivity in single-molecule magnetic junctions. The tight-binding model is further employed to clarify the critical role of the interfacial spin filter effect arising from the hybridization between the linker and Co apex. These multidisciplinary DFT+junpy+LLG results may provide important and practical implications in the dual control of magnetic proximity and magnetization switching in molecular spintronics at low temperature, either by tensile strain or via smaller applied current density of the order of $\mathrm{MA}/{\mathrm{cm}}^2$.

We determine the correlation energy of BN, ${\mathrm{SiO}}_2$, and ice polymorphs employing a recently developed random phase approximation with exchange (RPAx) approach. The RPAx provides larger and more accurate polarizabilities as compared to the random phase approximation (RPA), and captures the effects of anisotropy. In turn, the correlation energy, defined as an integral over the density-density response function, gives improved binding energies without the need for error cancellation. Here, we demonstrate that these features are crucial for predicting the relative energies between low- and high-pressure polymorphs of different coordination number as, e.g., between $\alpha$-quartz and stishovite in ${\mathrm{SiO}}_2$, and layered and cubic BN. Furthermore, a reliable ${\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)}_2$ potential energy surface is obtained, necessary for describing the various phases of ice. The RPAx gives results comparable to other high-level methods such as coupled cluster and quantum Monte Carlo, also in cases where the RPA breaks down. Although a higher computational cost than RPA, we observe a faster convergence with respect to the number of eigenvalues in the response function.

It has long been speculated that quasi-two-dimensional superconductivity can reappear above its semiclassical upper critical field due to Landau quantization; yet this reentrant property has never been observed. Here, we argue that twisted bilayer graphene at a magic angle (MATBG) is an ideal system in which to search for this phenomenon because its Landau levels are doubly degenerate and its superconductivity appears already at carrier densities small enough to allow the quantum limit to be reached at relatively modest magnetic fields. We study this problem theoretically by combining a simplified continuum model for the electronic structure of MATBG with a phenomenological attractive pairing interaction and discuss obstacles to the observation of quantum Hall superconductivity presented by disorder, thermal fluctuations, and competing phases.

For a generic quantum many-body system, the quantum ergodic regime is defined as the limit in which the spectrum of the system resembles that of a random matrix theory (RMT) in the corresponding symmetry class. In this paper, we analyze the time dependence of correlation functions of operators. We study them in the ergodic limit as well as their approach to the ergodic limit, which is controlled by nonuniversal massive modes. An effective field theory (EFT) corresponding to the causal symmetry and its breaking describes the ergodic phase. We demonstrate that the resulting Goldstone-mode theory has a topological expansion, analogous to the one described by Altland and Sonner [SciPost Phys. 11, 034 (2021)] with added operator sources, whose leading nontrivial topologies give rise to the universal ramp seen in correlation functions. The ergodic behavior of operators in our EFT is seen to result from a combination of RMT-like spectral statistics and Haar averaging over wave functions. Furthermore, we capture analytically the plateau behavior by taking into account the contribution of a second saddle point. Our main interest is quantum many-body systems with holographic duals, and we explicitly establish the validity of the EFT description in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev class of models, starting from their microscopic description. By studying the tower of massive modes above the Goldstone sector, we get a detailed understanding of how the ergodic EFT phase is approached, and we derive the relevant Thouless timescales. We point out that the topological expansion can be reinterpreted in terms of contributions of bulk wormholes and baby universes.

We investigate the localization properties of a spin chain with an antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor coupling, subject to an external quasiperiodic on-site magnetic field. The quasiperiodic modulation interpolates between two paradigmatic models, namely the Aubry-André and the Fibonacci models. We find that stronger many-body interactions extend the ergodic phase in the former, whereas they shrink it in the latter. Furthermore, the many-body localization transition points at the two limits of the interpolation appear to be continuously connected along the deformation of the quasiperiodic modulation. As a result, the position of the many-body localization transition depends on the interaction strength for an intermediate degree of deformation. Moreover, in the region of parameter space where the single-particle spectrum contains both localized and extended states, many-body interactions induce an anomalous effect: weak interactions localize the system, whereas stronger interactions enhance ergodicity. We map the model's localization phase diagram using the decay of the quenched spin imbalance in relatively long chains. This is accomplished employing a time-dependent variational approach applied to a matrix product state decomposition of the many-body state. Our model serves as a rich playground for testing many-body localization under tunable potentials.

The possible symmetries of the superconducting pair amplitude is a consequence of the fermionic nature of the Cooper pairs. For spin-$1/2$ systems this leads to the $\mathcal{SPOT}=-1$ classification of superconductivity, where $\mathcal{S}, \mathcal{P}, \mathcal{O}$, and $\mathcal{T}$ refer to the exchange operators for spin, parity, orbital, and time between the paired electrons. However, this classification no longer holds for higher spin fermions, where each electron also possesses a finite orbital angular momentum strongly coupled with the spin degree of freedom, giving instead a conserved total angular moment. For such systems, we here instead introduce the $\mathcal{JPT}=-1$ classification, where $\mathcal{J}$ is the exchange operator for the $z$ component of the total angular momentum quantum numbers. We then specifically focus on spin-$3/2$ fermion systems and several superconducting cubic half-Heusler compounds that have recently been proposed to be spin-$3/2$ superconductors. By using a generic Hamiltonian suitable for these compounds we calculate the superconducting pair amplitudes and find finite pair amplitudes for all possible symmetries obeying the $\mathcal{JPT}=-1$ classification, including all possible odd-frequency (odd-$\omega$) combinations. Moreover, one of the very interesting properties of spin-$3/2$ superconductors is the possibility of them hosting a Bogoliubov Fermi surface (BFS), where the superconducting energy gap is closed across a finite area. We show that a spin-$3/2$ superconductor with a pair potential satisfying an odd-gap time-reversal product and being noncommuting with the normal-state Hamiltonian hosts both a BFS and has finite odd-$\omega$ pair amplitudes. We then reduce the full spin-$3/2$ Hamiltonian to an effective two-band model and show that odd-$\omega$ pairing is inevitably present in superconductors with a BFS and vice versa.

Nonreciprocal transport, where the left-to-right-flowing current differs from the right-to-left-flowing one, is an unexpected phenomenon in bulk crystals. BiTeBr is a noncentrosymmetric material, with a giant Rashba spin-orbit coupling which presents this unusual effect when placed in an in-plane magnetic field. It has been shown that this effect depends strongly on the carrier density; however, in situ tuning has not yet been demonstrated. We developed a method where thin BiTeBr flakes are gate tuned via ionic-liquid gating through a thin protective hexagonal boron nitride layer. Tuning the carrier density allows a more than $400\%$ variation of the nonreciprocal response in our sample. Our study demonstrates how a few-atomic-layer-thick van der Waals protection layer allows ionic gating of chemically sensitive, exotic nanocrystals.

Magnetic skyrmions are topological spin textures that exhibit classical or quantum quasiparticle behavior. A substantial amount of research has occurred in this field, both because of their unique electromagnetic properties and potential application for future nonvolatile memory storage applications, as well as fundamental questions on their topology and unique magnetic phases. Here, we investigate the fluctuation properties of a magnetic Fe/Gd skyrmion lattice, using short-pulsed x rays. We first measure spontaneous fluctuations of the skyrmion lattice phase and find an inherent, collective mode showing an underdamped oscillation with a relaxation of a couple of nanoseconds. Further observations track the response towards the continuous phase transition and a “critical-like” slowing down of fluctuations is observed well before the critical point. These results suggest that the skyrmion lattice phase never fully freezes into a static crystal. This constant state of fluctuation indicates that the physics of topological magnetic phases may have more in common with high-temperature superconductors with disorder.

We present a method to identify distinct tunneling modes in a tunable superconducting tunnel junction composed of a superconducting tip and a sample in a scanning tunneling microscope. Combining the relative decay constant of tunneling current extracted from $I-V-z$ spectroscopy with its statistical analysis over the atomic disorders in the sample surface, we identified the crossover of dominant tunneling modes between single charge tunneling, Andreev reflection (AR), and Josephson tunneling with respect to the bias voltage at a measurement temperature nearly half of the critical temperature. The method enables one to determine the specific tunneling regime independently of the spectral shapes and to reveal intrinsic modulation of AR and Josephson current by disorder that will be crucial for superconducting quantum information processing.

We characterize parallel double quantum dot Josephson junctions based on closely spaced double nanowires bridged by in-situ deposited superconductors. The parallel double dot behavior occurs despite the proximity of the two nanowires and the potential risk of nanowire clamping during growth. By tuning the charge filling and lead couplings, we map out the parallel double quantum dot Yu-Shiba-Rusinov phase diagram. Our quasi-independent two-wire hybrids show promise for the realization of exotic topological phases.