Structural-disorder-driven critical quantum fluctuation and localization in two-dimensional semiconductors

Bong Gyu Shin, Ji-Hoon Park, Jz-Yuan Juo, Jing Kong and Soon Jung Jung ()
Additional contact information
Bong Gyu Shin: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstrasse 1
Ji-Hoon Park: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jz-Yuan Juo: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstrasse 1
Jing Kong: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Soon Jung Jung: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstrasse 1

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Quantum fluctuations of wavefunctions in disorder-driven quantum phase transitions (QPT) exhibit criticality, as evidenced by their multifractality and power law behavior. However, understanding the metal-insulator transition (MIT) as a continuous QPT in a disordered system has been challenging due to fundamental issues such as the lack of an apparent order parameter and its dynamical nature. Here, we elucidate the universal mechanism underlying the structural-disorder-driven MIT in 2D semiconductors through autocorrelation and multifractality of quantum fluctuations. The structural disorder causes curvature-induced band gap fluctuations, leading to charge localization and formation of band tails near band edges. As doping level increases, the localization-delocalization transition occurs when states above a critical energy become uniform due to unusual band bending by localized charge. Furthermore, curvature induces local variations in spin-orbit interactions, resulting in non-uniform ferromagnetic domains. Our findings demonstrate that the structural disorder in 2D materials is essential to understanding the intricate phenomena associated with localization-delocalization transition, charge percolation, and spin glass with both topological and magnetic disorders.

Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38024-4 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-38024-4

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38024-4

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().