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Visualizing and manipulating chiral edge states in a graphene-based quantum anomalous Hall insulator

ORAL

Abstract

Quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators are topological phases of matter that host one-dimensional chiral edge-states that conduct electrical current unidirectionally, thus leading to quantized Hall conductance and dissipationless carrier transport. We have used scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to directly visualize and manipulate chiral edge states in a moiré QAH insulator made from twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene. We are able to control the local Chern number by manipulating the device carrier concentration, thus stabilizing adjacent domains having opposite Chern number and enabling the visualization of chiral edge states residing at domain interfaces that are independent of structural boundaries within our samples. The use of conventional back-gating to vary the carrier density enables chiral edge-states to be reversibly moved across the unbroken moiré landscape. Formation of tip-induced quantum dots provides more local control over carrier density and Chern number, thus allowing intentional creation of chiral edge states having reversible chirality. This approach to visualizing chiral edge states eliminates the complications of edge defects, dangling bonds, and trivial interface states that have plagued previous measurements.

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Publication: Canxun Zhang, Tiancong Zhu, Salman Kahn, Tomohiro Soejima, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Alex Zettl, Feng Wang, Michael P. Zaletel, Michael F. Crommie, "Visualizing and manipulating chiral edge states in a moiré quantum anomalous Hall insulator", in preparation.

Presenters

  • Canxun Zhang

    University of California, Berkeley

Authors

  • Canxun Zhang

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Tiancong Zhu

    University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley

  • Salman A Kahn

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Tomohiro Soejima

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Kenji Watanabe

    National Institute for Materials Science, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute of Materials Science, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-044, Japan, NIMS, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, NIMS Japan

  • Takashi Taniguchi

    National Institute for Materials Science, Kyoto Univ, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute of Materials Science, Kyoto University, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-044, Japan, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, National Institute For Materials Science, NIMS, National Institute for Material Science, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan, NIMS Japan

  • Alex K Zettl

    University of California, Berkeley

  • feng wang

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Michael P Zaletel

    University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley

  • Michael F Crommie

    University of California, Berkeley