No Arabic abstract
Energy dissipation is a fundamental process governing the dynamics of physical, chemical, and biological systems. It is also one of the main characteristics distinguishing quantum and classical phenomena. In condensed matter physics, in particular, scattering mechanisms, loss of quantum information, or breakdown of topological protection are deeply rooted in the intricate details of how and where the dissipation occurs. Despite its vital importance the microscopic behavior of a system is usually not formulated in terms of dissipation because the latter is not a readily measureable quantity on the microscale. Although nanoscale thermometry is gaining much recent interest, the existing thermal imaging methods lack the necessary sensitivity and are unsuitable for low temperature operation required for study of quantum systems. Here we report a superconducting quantum interference nano-thermometer device with sub 50 nm diameter that resides at the apex of a sharp pipette and provides scanning cryogenic thermal sensing with four orders of magnitude improved thermal sensitivity of below 1 {mu}K/Hz1/2. The non-contact non-invasive thermometry allows thermal imaging of very low nanoscale energy dissipation down to the fundamental Landauer limit of 40 fW for continuous readout of a single qubit at 1 GHz at 4.2 K. These advances enable observation of dissipation due to single electron charging of individual quantum dots in carbon nanotubes and reveal a novel dissipation mechanism due to resonant localized states in hBN encapsulated graphene, opening the door to direct imaging of nanoscale dissipation processes in quantum matter.
Magnetic microscopy that combines nanoscale spatial resolution with picosecond scale temporal resolution uniquely enables direct observation of the spatiotemporal magnetic phenomena that are relevant to future high-speed, high-density magnetic storage and logic technologies. Magnetic microscopes that combine these metrics has been limited to facility-level instruments. To address this gap in lab-accessible spatiotemporal imaging, we develop a time-resolved near-field magnetic microscope based on magneto-thermal interactions. We demonstrate both magnetization and current density imaging modalities, each with spatial resolution that far surpasses the optical diffraction limit. In addition, we study the near-field and time-resolved characteristics of our signal and find that our instrument possesses a spatial resolution on the scale of 100 nm and a temporal resolution below 100 ps. Our results demonstrate an accessible and comparatively low-cost approach to nanoscale spatiotemporal magnetic microscopy in a table-top form to aid the science and technology of dynamic magnetic devices with complex spin textures.
The zero-bias tunneling resonance in quantum Hall bilayer systems is investigated via numerical simulations of the classical two dimensional XY model with a symmetry-breaking field. Disorder is included in the model, and is shown to nucleate strings of overturned spins proliferated through the system, with unpaired vortices and antivortices at their endpoints. This string glass state supports low energy excitations which lead to anomalously large dissipation in tunneling, as observed in experiment. The effect of an in-plane magnetic field is discussed.
We report the nanoscale conductivity imaging of correlated electronic states in angle-aligned WSe2/WS2 heterostructures using microwave impedance microscopy. The noncontact microwave probe allows us to observe the Mott insulating state with one hole per moire unit cell that persists for temperatures up to 150 K, consistent with other characterization techniques. In addition, we identify for the first time a Mott insulating state at one electron per moire unit cell. Appreciable inhomogeneity of the correlated states is directly visualized in the hetero-bilayer region, indicative of local disorders in the moire superlattice potential or electrostatic doping. Our work provides important insights on 2D moire systems down to the microscopic level.
Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) uses micromachined thermal sensors integrated in a force sensing cantilever with a nanoscale tip can be highly useful for exploration of thermal management of nanoscale semiconductor devices. As well as mapping of surface properties of related materials. Whereas SThM is capable to image externally generated heat with nanoscale resolution, its ability to map and measure thermal conductivity of materials has been mainly limited to polymers or similar materials possessing low thermal conductivity in the range from 0.1 to 1 W/mK, with lateral resolution on the order of 1 mum. In this paper we use linked experimental and theoretical approaches to analyse thermal performance and sensitivity of the micromachined SThM probes in order to expand their applicability to a broader range of nanostructures from polymers to semiconductors and metals. We develop physical models of interlinked thermal and electrical phenomena in these probes and then validate these models using experimental measurements of the real probes, which provided the basis for analysing SThM performance in exploration of nanostructures. Our study then highlights critical features of these probes, namely, the geometrical location of the thermal sensor with respect to the probe apex, thermal conductance of the probe to the support base, heat conduction to the surrounding gas, and the thermal conductivity of tip material adjacent to the apex. It is furthermore allows us to propose a novel design of the SThM probe that incorporates a carbon nanotube (CNT) or similar high thermal conductivity graphene sheet material positioned near the probe apex. The new sensor is predicted to provide spatial resolution to the thermal properties of nanostructures on the order of few tens of nm, as well as to expand the sensitivity of the SThM probe to materials with heat conductivity values up to 100-1000 W/mK.
Complete expressions of the thermal-expansion coefficient $alpha$ and the Gr{u}neisen parameter $Gamma$ are derived on the basis of the self-consistent renormalization (SCR) theory. By considering zero-point as well as thermal spin fluctuation under the stationary condition, the specific heat for each class of the magnetic quantum critical point (QCP) specified by the dynamical exponent $z=3$ (FM) and $z=2$ (AFM) and the spatial dimension ($d=3$ and $2$) is shown to be expressed as $C_{V}=C_a-C_b$, where $C_a$ is dominant at low temperatures, reproducing the past SCR criticality endorsed by the renormalization group theory. Starting from the explicit form of the entropy and using the Maxwell relation, $alpha=alpha_a+alpha_b$ (with $alpha_a$ and $alpha_b$ being related to $C_a$ and $C_b$, respectively) is derived, which is proven to be equivalent to $alpha$ derived from the free energy. The temperature-dependent coefficient found to exist in $alpha_b$, which is dominant at low temperatures, contributes to the crossover from the quantum-critical regime to the Curie-Weiss regime and even affects the quantum criticality at 2d AFM QCP. Based on these correctly calculated $C_{V}$ and $alpha$, Gr{u}neisen parameter $Gamma=Gamma_a+Gamma_b$ is derived, where $Gamma_a$ and $Gamma_b$ contain $alpha_a$ and $alpha_b$, respectively. The inverse susceptibility coupled to the volume $V$ in $Gamma_b$ gives rise to divergence of $Gamma$ at the QCP for each class even though characteristic energy scale of spin fluctuation $T_0$ is finite at the QCP, which gives a finite contribution in $Gamma_a=-frac{V}{T_0}left(frac{partial T_0}{partial V}right)_{T=0}$. General properties of $alpha$ and $Gamma$ including their signs as well as the relation to $T_0$ and the Kondo temperature in temperature-pressure phase diagrams of Ce- and Yb-based heavy electron systems are discussed.