Person:

Kaxiras, Efthimios

The single-particle and many-body properties of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) can be dramatically 1 different from those of a single graphene layer, in particular when the two layers are rotated relative 2 to each other by a small angle ��≈��∘1–6. Here, we probe for the first time collective excitations of TBG 3 graphene with 20 nanometer spatial resolution, by applying mid-infrared (MIR) near-field optical 4 microscopy. We unveil a propagating plasmon mode in charge-neutral TBG with ��=��.��−��.��∘, which 5 is dramatically different from the ordinary single-layer graphene intraband plasmon7,8. We interpret it 6 as an interband plasmon associated with the optical transitions between minibands originating from 7 the moiré superlattice9,10. The details of the plasmon dispersion are directly related to the motion of 8 electrons in the moiré superlattice and offer invaluable insight into a plethora of physical properties, 9 such as the band nesting between flat band and remote band10, local interlayer coupling, losses etc. We 10 find a strongly reduced interlayer coupling in the regions with AA-stacking, pointing at screening due 11 to electron-electron (e-e) interactions. Optical nano-imaging studies of TBG pave the way to spatially 12 probe interactions effects at the nanoscale11, it could potentially elucidate the contribution of collective excitations to many-body ground states12, and it unveils itself as a new platform for strong light-matter 14 interactions and quantum plasmonic studies and devices13.

Abstract Quantum nanomagnets exhibit collective quantum behaviors beyond the usual long range ordered states due to the interplay of low dimension, competing interactions and strong quantum fluctuations. Despite numerous theoretical works treating quantum magnetism, the experimental study of individual quantum nanomagnets remains very challenge, greatly hindering the development of this cutting-edge field. Here, we demonstrate an effective strategy to realize individual quantum nanomagnets in metal-free porphyrins by using combined on-surface synthesis and atom manipulation approaches, with the ultimate ability to arrange coupled spins one by one as envisioned by Richard Feynman 60 years ago. A series of metal-free porphyrin nanomagnets have been constructed on Au(111) and their collective magnetic properties have been thoroughly characterized on the atomic scale by scanning probe microscopy together with theoretical calculations. Our results reveal that the constructed S=1/2 antiferromagnets host a gapped excitation in consistent with isotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnets S=1/2 model, while the S=1 antiferromagnets with odd-number units exhibit two zero-mode end states due to quantum fluctuations. Our achieved strategy not only provides a unique testing bed to study the strongly correlated effects of quantum magnetism in purely organic materials, but expands the functionalities of porphyrins with implications for quantum technological applications.

Correlated electronic systems are naturally susceptible to develop collective, symmetry-breaking electronic phases as observed in Cu- and Fe-based high-temperature superconductors, and twisted Moiré superlattices. The family of kagome metals AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) is a recently discovered, rich platform to study many of these phenomena and their interplay. In these systems, three-dimensional charge order (3D-CO) is the primary instability that sets the stage in which other ordered phases emerge, including unidirectional stripe order, orbital flux order, and superconductivity. Therefore, determining the exact nature of the 3D-CO is key to capture the broader phenomenology in AV3Sb5. Here, we use high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to resolve the microscopic structure and symmetry of 3D-CO in AV3Sb5. Our approach is based on identifying an unusual splitting of kagome bands induced by 3D-CO, which provides a sensitive way to refine the spatial charge patterns in neighboring kagome planes. Notably, we found a marked dependence of the 3D-CO structure on alkali metal and doping: the 3D-CO in CsV3Sb5 is composed of kagome layers with alternating Star-of-David and Tri-Hexagonal distortions, while KV3Sb5, RbV3Sb5, and Sn-doped CsV3Sb5 realize a staggered charge pattern breaking C6 rotational symmetry. These results establish the microscopic structure of 3D-CO and its evolution with chemical composition for the first time, providing fresh insights on the origin of the cascade of exotic electronic phases in AV3Sb5.