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Engineering SYK Interactions in Disordered Graphene Flakes under Realistic Experimental Conditions
Marta Brzezińska1, Yifei Guan1, Oleg V Yazyev1
1Institute of Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Physical Review Letters
|August 4, 2023
Summary
Researchers explored the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) framework in disordered graphene flakes. They identified conditions for forming the SYK phase under experimental settings above liquid helium temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Materials
Background:
- The Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model describes complex quantum interactions.
- Disordered graphene flakes offer a potential platform for realizing exotic quantum phases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model SYK interactions in large disordered graphene flakes.
- To investigate the influence of magnetic fields and disorder on SYK phase formation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the tight-binding formalism for modeling.
- Simulated graphene flakes up to 300,000 atoms.
- Applied out-of-plane magnetic fields (5-20 Tesla).
- Investigated boundary irregularities and bulk vacancies as disorder sources.
Main Results:
- Identified specific conditions favoring SYK phase formation.
- Demonstrated feasibility in large graphene flakes (up to 100 nm diameter).
- Found that a combination of boundary and bulk disorder is crucial.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a pathway for experimentally realizing the SYK phase in graphene.
- Conditions are favorable for observations above liquid helium temperatures.
- Disordered graphene flakes are promising for exploring SYK physics.
