M. Michael Denner

Bio: M. Michael Denner is an academic researcher from University of Zurich. The author has contributed to research in topics: Physics & Charge (physics). The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 16 publications receiving 215 citations. Previous affiliations of M. Michael Denner include ETH Zurich.

Unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV3Sb5.

Abstract: Intertwining quantum order and non-trivial topology is at the frontier of condensed matter physics1–4. A charge-density-wave-like order with orbital currents has been proposed for achieving the quantum anomalous Hall effect5,6 in topological materials and for the hidden phase in cuprate high-temperature superconductors7,8. However, the experimental realization of such an order is challenging. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy to discover an unconventional chiral charge order in a kagome material, KV3Sb5, with both a topological band structure and a superconducting ground state. Through both topography and spectroscopic imaging, we observe a robust 2 × 2 superlattice. Spectroscopically, an energy gap opens at the Fermi level, across which the 2 × 2 charge modulation exhibits an intensity reversal in real space, signalling charge ordering. At the impurity-pinning-free region, the strength of intrinsic charge modulations further exhibits chiral anisotropy with unusual magnetic field response. Theoretical analysis of our experiments suggests a tantalizing unconventional chiral charge density wave in the frustrated kagome lattice, which can not only lead to a large anomalous Hall effect with orbital magnetism, but also be a precursor of unconventional superconductivity. An unconventional chiral charge order is observed in a kagome superconductor by scanning tunnelling microscopy. This charge order has unusual magnetic tunability and intertwines with electronic topology.

Nature of Unconventional Pairing in the Kagome Superconductors A V 3 Sb 5 ( A = K , Rb , Cs )

Abstract: The recent discovery of $A{\mathrm{V}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ ($A=\mathrm{K},\mathrm{Rb},\mathrm{Cs}$) has uncovered an intriguing arena for exotic Fermi surface instabilities in a kagome metal. Among them, superconductivity is found in the vicinity of multiple van Hove singularities, exhibiting indications of unconventional pairing. We show that the sublattice interference mechanism is central to understanding the formation of superconductivity in a kagome metal. Starting from an appropriately chosen minimal tight-binding model with multiple van Hove singularities close to the Fermi level for $A{\mathrm{V}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$, we provide a random phase approximation analysis of superconducting instabilities. Nonlocal Coulomb repulsion, the sublattice profile of the van Hove bands, and the interaction strength turn out to be the crucial parameters to determine the preferred pairing symmetry. Implications for potentially topological surface states are discussed, along with a proposal for additional measurements to pin down the nature of superconductivity in $A{\mathrm{V}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$.

Charge order and superconductivity in kagome materials

Abstract: Lattice geometry, topological electron behaviour and the competition between different possible ground states all play a role in determining the properties of materials with a kagome lattice structure. In particular, the compounds KV3Sb5, CsV3Sb5 and RbV3Sb5 all feature a kagome net of vanadium atoms. These materials have recently been shown to exhibit superconductivity at low temperature and an unusual charge order at high temperature, revealing a connection to the underlying topological nature of the band structure. We highlight these discoveries, place them in the context of wider research efforts in topological physics and superconductivity, and discuss the open problems for this field. Superconductivity and ordered states formed by interactions—both of which could be unconventional—have recently been observed in a family of kagome materials.

Discovery of unconventional chiral charge order in kagome superconductor KV3Sb5.

Abstract: Intertwining quantum order and nontrivial topology is at the frontier of condensed matter physics. A charge density wave (CDW) like order with orbital currents has been proposed as a powerful resource for achieving the quantum anomalous Hall effect in topological materials and for the hidden phase in cuprate high-temperature superconductors. However, the experimental realization of such an order is challenging. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) to discover an unconventional charge order in a kagome material KV3Sb5, with both a topological band structure and a superconducting ground state. Through both topography and spectroscopic imaging, we observe a robust 2x2 superlattice. Spectroscopically, an energy gap opens at the Fermi level, across which the 2x2 charge modulation exhibits an intensity reversal in real-space, signaling charge ordering. At impurity-pinning free region, the strength of intrinsic charge modulations further exhibits chiral anisotropy with unusual magnetic field response. Theoretical analysis of our experiments suggests a tantalizing unconventional chiral CDW in the frustrated kagome lattice, which can not only lead to large anomalous Hall effect with orbital magnetism, but also be a precursor of unconventional superconductivity.

Exceptional Topological Insulators

Abstract: We introduce the exceptional topological insulator (ETI), a non-Hermitian topological state of matter that features exotic non-Hermitian surface states which can only exist within the three-dimensional topological bulk embedding. We show how this phase can evolve from a Weyl semimetal or Hermitian three-dimensional topological insulator close to criticality when quasiparticles acquire a finite lifetime. The ETI does not require any symmetry to be stabilized. It is characterized by a bulk energy point gap, and exhibits robust surface states that cover the bulk gap as a single sheet of complex eigenvalues or with a single exceptional point. The ETI can be induced universally in gapless solid-state systems, thereby setting a paradigm for non-Hermitian topological matter.

Quantum-Chemical Insights from Deep Tensor Neural Networks

Abstract: Learning from data has led to paradigm shifts in a multitude of disciplines, including web, text and image search, speech recognition, as well as bioinformatics. Can machine learning enable similar breakthroughs in understanding quantum many-body systems? Here we develop an efficient deep learning approach that enables spatially and chemically resolved insights into quantum-mechanical observables of molecular systems. We unify concepts from many-body Hamiltonians with purpose-designed deep tensor neural networks, which leads to size-extensive and uniformly accurate (1 kcal mol−1) predictions in compositional and configurational chemical space for molecules of intermediate size. As an example of chemical relevance, the model reveals a classification of aromatic rings with respect to their stability. Further applications of our model for predicting atomic energies and local chemical potentials in molecules, reliable isomer energies, and molecules with peculiar electronic structure demonstrate the potential of machine learning for revealing insights into complex quantum-chemical systems.

Topological Band Theory for Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians

Abstract: We develop the topological band theory for systems described by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, whose energy spectra are generally complex. After generalizing the notion of gapped band structures to the non-Hermitian case, we classify ``gapped'' bands in one and two dimensions by explicitly finding their topological invariants. We find nontrivial generalizations of the Chern number in two dimensions, and a new classification in one dimension, whose topology is determined by the energy dispersion rather than the energy eigenstates. We then study the bulk-edge correspondence and the topological phase transition in two dimensions. Different from the Hermitian case, the transition generically involves an extended intermediate phase with complex-energy band degeneracies at isolated ``exceptional points'' in momentum space. We also systematically classify all types of band degeneracies.

Finding density functionals with machine learning

Abstract: Machine learning is used to approximate density functionals. For the model problem of the kinetic energy of noninteracting fermions in 1D, mean absolute errors below 1 kcal/mol on test densities similar to the training set are reached with fewer than 100 training densities. A predictor identifies if a test density is within the interpolation region. Via principal component analysis, a projected functional derivative finds highly accurate self-consistent densities. The challenges for application of our method to real electronic structure problems are discussed.

Roton pair density wave and unconventional strong-coupling superconductivity in a topological kagome metal

Abstract: The recently discovered family of vanadium-based kagome metals with topological band structures offer a new opportunity to study frustrated, correlated and topological quantum states. These layered compounds are nonmagnetic and undergo charge density wave (CDW) transitions before developing superconductivity at low temperatures. Here we report the observation of unconventional superconductivity and pair density wave (PDW) in the vanadium-based kagome lattice CsV3Sb5 using scanning tunneling microscope/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and Josephson STS. The differential conductance exhibits a V-shaped pairing gap about 0.5 meV below a transition temperature Tc about 2.3 K. Superconducting phase coherence is observed by Josephson effect and Cooper-pair tunneling to a superconducting tip. We find that CsV3Sb5 is a strong-coupling superconductor (2delta/kBTc about 5) and coexists with 4a0 unidirectional and 2x2 charge order. Remarkably, we discover a 4a0/3 bidirectional PDW accompanied by spatial modulations of the coherence peak and gap-depth in the tunneling conductance. We term the latter as a roton-PDW that can produce a commensurate vortex-antivortex lattice to account for the observed conductance modulations. Above Tc, we observe long-range ordered 4a0 unidirectional and 2a0 bidirectional CDW and a large V-shaped pseudogap in the density of state. Electron-phonon calculations attribute the 2x2 CDW to phonon softening induced structural reconstruction, but the phonon mediated pairing cannot describe the observed strong-coupling superconductor. Our findings show that electron correlations in the charge sector can drive the 4a0 unidirectional CDW, unconventional superconductivity, and roton-PDW with striking analogies to the phenomenology of cuprate high-Tc superconductors, and provide the groundwork for understanding their microscopic origins in the vanadium-based kagome superconductors.