Abstract: We fabricated an asymmetric nanoscale SQUID consisting of one nanobridge weak link and one Dayem bridge weak link. The current phase relation of these particular weak links is characterized by multivaluedness and linearity. While the latter is responsible for a particular magnetic field dependence of the critical current (so-called vorticity diamonds), the former enables the possibility of different vorticity states (phase winding numbers) existing at one magnetic field value. In experiments the observed critical current value is stochastic in nature, does not necessarily coincide with the current associated with the lowest energy state and critically depends on the measurement conditions. In this paper, we unravel the origin of the observed metastability as a result of the phase dynamics happening during the freezing process and while sweeping the current. Moreover, we employ special measurement protocols to prepare the desired vorticity state and identify the (hidden) phase slip dynamics ruling the detected state of these nanodevices. In order to gain insights into the dynamics of the condensate and, more specifically the hidden phase slips, we performed time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations.

Abstract: Recent experimental measurements of light absorption in few-layer black phosphorus (BP) revealed a series of high and sharp peaks, interspersed by pairs of lower and broader features. Here, we propose a theoretical model for these excitonic states in few-layer BP within a continuum approach for the in-plane degrees of freedom and a tight-binding approximation that accounts for interlayer couplings. This yields excitonic transitions between different combinations of the subbands created by the coupled BP layers, which leads to a series of high and low oscillator strength excitonic states, consistent with the experimentally observed bright and dark exciton peaks, respectively. The main characteristics of such subband exciton states, as well as the possibility to control their energies and oscillator strengths via applied electric and magnetic fields, are discussed, towards a full understanding of the excitonic spectrum of few-layer BP and its tunability.

Abstract: Flat bands in the energy spectrum have attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of their unique properties and promising applications. Special arrangement of impurities on monolayer graphene are proposed to generate multiflat bands in the electronic band structure. In addition to the single midgap states in the spectrum of graphene with low hydrogen density, we found closely spaced bands around the Fermi level with increasing impurity density, which are similar to discrete lines in the spectrum of quantum dots, as well as the unusual Landau-level energy spectrum of graphene in the presence of a strong magnetic field. The presence of flat bands crucially depends on whether or not there are odd or even electrons of H(F) atoms bound to graphene. Interestingly, we found that a fully hydrogenated (fluoridated) of a hexagon of graphene sheet with six hydrogen (fluorine) atoms sitting on top and bottom in consecutive order exhibits Dirac cones in the electronic band structure with a 20% smaller Fermi velocity as compared to the pristine graphene. Functionalizing graphene introduces various C-C bond lengths resulting in nonuniform strains. Such a nonuniform strain may induce a giant pseudomagnetic field in the system, resulting in quantum Hall effect.