Symmetry, spin-texture, and tunable quantum geometry in a WTe2 monolayer

Li-kun Shi and Justin C. W. Song
Phys. Rev. B 99, 035403 – Published 2 January 2019

Abstract

The spin orientation of electronic wave functions in crystals is an internal degree of freedom, typically insensitive to electrical knobs. We argue from a general symmetry analysis and a k·p perspective, that monolayer 1TWTe2 possesses a gate-activated canted spin texture that produces an electrically tunable bulk band quantum geometry. In particular, we find that due to its out-of-plane asymmetry, an applied out-of-plane electric field breaks inversion symmetry to induce both in-plane and out-of-plane electric dipoles. These in-turn generate spin-orbit coupling to lift the spin degeneracy and enable a bulk band Berry curvature and magnetic moment distribution to develop. Further, due to its low symmetry, Berry curvature and magnetic moment in 1TWTe2 possess a dipolar distribution in momentum space, and can lead to unconventional effects such as a current induced magnetization and quantum nonlinear anomalous Hall effect. These render 1TWTe2 a rich two-dimensional platform for all-electrical control over quantum geometric effects.

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  • Received 24 September 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.99.035403

©2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Li-kun Shi1 and Justin C. W. Song1,2

  • 1Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology, & Research, Singapore 138632
  • 2Division of Physics and Applied Physics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371

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Issue

Vol. 99, Iss. 3 — 15 January 2019

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