APS Logo

Controlling Strain Gradients in Weyl Semimetals

ORAL

Abstract

Exposing Weyl semimetals to an external magnetic field leads to the quasiparticle chirality, which has attracted much attention over the past years. The magnetic field causes a shift in the node position and opens a new transport channel. The application of strong magnetic fields for future technological use of this phenomenon is technically impractical. An alternative path has been proposed theoretically1. By using strain gradients in Weyl semi-metals it is possible to tune the position of the nodes in a spatially inhomogeneous manner, causing a similar effect as the application of a magnetic field, hence termed pseudo-magnetic field. In the Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 the application of the magnetic field leads to splitting into Weyl nodes with Fermi arcs only pointing along kz, making this a good test candidate. We will show how the new concept of pseudo-magnetic fields is applied to Cd3As2. Using focused ion beam micro structuring we have been able to fabricate samples of Cd3As2 that can be deformed elastically by bending. Studying the coherent electron path composed of two Fermi arcs on opposing surfaces has allowed us to test the proposed pseudo-magnetic fields and to give an upper limit for its strength.
1: D. Pikulin and R. Ilan arXiv:1802.00512

–

Presenters

  • Carsten Putzke

    Institute of Material Science and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, École Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne, University of Bristol

Authors

  • Carsten Putzke

    Institute of Material Science and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, École Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne, University of Bristol

  • Jonas Diaz-Gomez

    Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

  • Roni Ilan

    Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv University

  • Dmitry I. Pikulin

    Microsoft Station Q, University of California, Microsoft Quantum, Microsoft Station Q, University of California, Santa Barbara, Microsoft, Microsoft Research

  • Adolfo G Grushin

    University Grenoble Alpes, Neel Institute (CNRS), Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP,Institut Néel, Néel Institute

  • Nityan Nair

    University of California, Berkeley, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, physics, University of California, Berkeley

  • Chandra Shekhar

    Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, MPI-CPfS Dresden, Max Planck Institute For Chemical and Physical Solids

  • Horst Borrmann

    Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, MPI-CPfS Dresden, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, MPI, Dresden

  • Claudia Felser

    Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, MPI-CPfS Dresden, Max Planck Institute For Chemical and Physical Solids, MPI for chemical physics of solids, Dresden, Solid State Chemistry, Max Planck Institute Chemical Physics of Solids, Max Planck Institute, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids , Nöthnitzer Straße-40, 01187 Dresden, Germany, Max Planck Inst, Max Planck Dresden, Chemical Physics of Solids, Max Planck Institute

  • James Analytis

    University of California, Berkeley, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Physics, University of California Berkeley, Physics, University of California Berkerley, Physics, University of California, Berkeley, physics, University of California, Berkeley

  • Philip Moll

    Institute of Material Science and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, École Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne, Institute of Materials (IMX), EPFL, Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne