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The high-pressure behavior of silicon telluride (Si2Te3), a two-dimensional (2D) layered material, was investigated using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction in a diamond anvil cell to 11.5 GPa coupled with first-principles theory. Si2Te3 undergoes a phase transition at < 1 GPa from a trigonal to a hexagonal crystal structure. At higher pressures (> 8.5 GPa), X-ray diffraction showed the appearance of new peaks possibly coincident with a new phase transition, though we suspect Si2Te3 retains a hexagonal structure. Density functional theory calculations of the band structure reveal metallization above 9.1 GPa consistent with previous measurements of the Raman spectra and disappearance of color and transparency at pressure. The theoretical Raman spectra reproduce the prominent features of the experiment, though a deeper analysis suggests that the orientation of Si dimers dramatically influences the vibrational response. Given the complex structure of Si2Te3, simulation of the resulting high-pressure phase is complicated by disordered vacancies and the initial orientations of Si-Si dimers in the crushed layered phase., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures

Efficient generation and manipulation of spin signals in a given material without invoking external magnetism remain one of the challenges in spintronics. The spin Hall effect (SHE) and Rashba-Edelstein effect (REE) are well-known mechanisms to electrically generate spin accumulation in materials with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), but the exact role of the strength and type of SOC, especially in crystals with low symmetry, has yet to be explained. In this study, we investigate REE in two different families of non-magnetic chiral materials, elemental semiconductors (Te and Se) and semimetallic disilicides (TaSi$_2$ and NbSi$_2$), using an approach based on density functional theory (DFT). By analyzing spin textures across the full Brillouin zones and comparing them with REE magnitudes calculated as a function of chemical potential, we link specific features in the electronic structure with the efficiency of the induced spin accumulation. Our findings show that magnitudes of REE can be increased by: (i) the presence of purely radial (Weyl-type) spin texture manifesting as the parallel spin-momentum locking, (ii) high spin polarization of bands along one specific crystallographic direction, (iii) low band velocities. By comparing materials possessing the same crystal structures, but different strengths of SOC, we conclude that larger SOC may indirectly contribute to the enhancement of REE. It yields greater spin-splitting of bands along specific crystallographic directions, which prevents canceling the contributions from the oppositely spin-polarized bands over wider energy regions and helps maintain larger REE magnitudes. We believe that these results will be useful for designing spintronics devices and may aid further computational studies searching for efficient REE in materials with different symmetries and SOC strengths.

Studies of structure-property relationships in spintronics are essential for the design of materials that can fill specific roles in devices. For example, materials with low symmetry allow unconventional configurations of charge-to-spin conversion which can be used to generate efficient spin-orbit torques. Here, we explore the relationship between crystal symmetry and geometry of the Rashba-Edelstein effect (REE) that causes spin accumulation in response to an applied electric current. Based on a symmetry analysis performed for 230 crystallographic space groups, we identify classes of materials that can host conventional or collinear REE. Although transverse spin accumulation is commonly associated with the so-called 'Rashba materials', we show that the presence of specific spin texture does not easily translate to the configuration of REE. More specifically, bulk crystals may simultaneously host different types of spin-orbit fields, depending on the crystallographic point group and the symmetry of the specific $k$-vector, which, averaged over the Brillouin zone, determine the direction and magnitude of the induced spin accumulation. To explore the connection between crystal symmetry, spin texture, and the magnitude of REE, we perform first-principles calculations for representative materials with different symmetries. We believe that our results will be helpful for further computational and experimental studies, as well as the design of spintronics devices., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures

Chiral materials, similarly to human hands, have distinguishable right-handed and left-handed enantiomers which may behave differently in response to external stimuli. Here, we use for the first time an approach based on the density functional theory (DFT)+PAOFLOW calculations to quantitatively estimate the so-called collinear Rashba-Edelstein effect (REE) that generates spin accumulation parallel to charge current and can manifest as chirality-dependent charge-to-spin conversion in chiral crystals. Importantly, we reveal that the spin accumulation induced in the bulk by an electric current is intrinsically protected by the quasi-persistent spin helix arising from the crystal symmetries present in chiral systems with the Weyl spin-orbit coupling. In contrast to conventional REE, spin transport can be preserved over large distances, in agreement with the recent observations for some chiral materials. This allows, for example, the generation of spin currents from spin accumulation, opening novel routes for the design of solid-state spintronics devices.

Recent research in materials science opens exciting perspectives to design novel quantum materials and devices, but it calls for quantitative predictions of properties which are not accessible in standard first principles packages. PAOFLOW is a software tool that constructs tight-binding Hamiltonians from self-consistent electronic wavefunctions by projecting onto a set of atomic orbitals. The electronic structure provides numerous materials properties that otherwise would have to be calculated via phenomenological models. In this paper, we describe recent re-design of the code as well as the new features and improvements in performance. In particular, we have implemented symmetry operations for unfolding equivalent k-points, which drastically reduces the runtime requirements of first principles calculations, and we have provided internal routines of projections onto atomic orbitals enabling generation of real space atomic orbitals. Moreover, we have included models for non-constant relaxation time in electronic transport calculations, doubling the real space dimensions of the Hamiltonian as well as the construction of Hamiltonians directly from analytical models. Importantly, PAOFLOW has been now converted into a Python package, and is streamlined for use directly within other Python codes. The new object oriented design treats PAOFLOWs computational routines as class methods, providing an API for explicit control of each calculation.

Quantum computers promise to revolutionize our ability to simulate molecules, and cloud-based hardware is becoming increasingly accessible to a wide body of researchers. Algorithms such as Quantum Phase Estimation and the Variational Quantum Eigensolver are being actively developed and demonstrated in small systems. However, extremely limited qubit count and low fidelity seriously limit useful applications, especially in the crystalline phase, where compact orbital bases are difficult to develop. To address this difficulty, we present a hybrid quantum-classical algorithm to solve the band structure of any periodic system described by an adequate tight-binding model. We showcase our algorithm by computing the band structure of a simple-cubic crystal with one $s$ and three $p$ orbitals per site (a simple model for Polonium) using simulators with increasingly realistic levels of noise and culminating with calculations on IBM quantum computers. Our results show that the algorithm is reliable in a low-noise device, functional with low precision on present-day noisy quantum computers, and displays a complexity that scales as $\Omega(M^3)$ with the number $M$ of tight-binding orbitals per unit-cell, similarly to its classical counterparts. Our simulations offer a new insight into the ``quantum'' mindset and demonstrate how the algorithms under active development today can be optimized in special cases, such as band structure calculations., Comment: 14 pages, six figures. Updated version includes peer-reviewed revisions published in RSC Advances

The discovery and realization of topological insulators, a phase of matter which hosts metallic boundary states when the $d$-dimension insulating bulk is confined to ($d-1$)-dimensions, led to several potential applications. Recently, it was shown that protected topological states can manifest in ($d-2$)-dimensions, such as hinge and corner states for three- and two-dimensional systems, respectively. These nontrivial materials are named higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs). Here we show a connection between spin Hall effect and HOTIs using a combination of {\it ab initio} calculations and tight-binding modeling. The model demonstrates how a non-zero bulk midgap spin Hall conductivity (SHC) emerges within the HOTI phase. Following this, we performed high-throughput density functional theory calculations to find unknown HOTIs, using the SHC as a criterion. We calculated the SHC of 693 insulators resulting in seven stable two-dimensional HOTIs. Our work guides novel experimental and theoretical advances towards higher-order topological insulators realization and applications.

Development of quantum architectures during the last decade has inspired hybrid classical-quantum algorithms in physics and quantum chemistry that promise simulations of fermionic systems beyond the capability of modern classical computers, even before the era of quantum computing fully arrives. Strong research efforts have been recently made to obtain minimal depth quantum circuits which could accurately represent chemical systems. Here, we show that unprecedented methods used in quantum chemistry, designed to simulate molecules on quantum processors, can be extended to calculate properties of periodic solids. In particular, we present minimal depth circuits implementing the variational quantum eigensolver algorithm and successfully use it to compute the band structure of silicon on a quantum machine for the first time. We are convinced that the presented quantum experiments performed on cloud-based platforms will stimulate more intense studies towards scalable electronic structure computation of advanced quantum materials.

Spin transistors based on a semiconducting channel attached to ferromagnetic electrodes suffer from fast spin decay and extremely low spin injection/detection efficiencies. Here, we propose an alternative all-in-one spin device whose operation principle relies on electric manipulation of the spin lifetime in two-dimensional (2D) SnTe, in which the sizable spin Hall effect eliminates the need for using ferromagnets. In particular, we explore the persistent spin texture (PST) intrinsically present in the ferroelectric phase which protects the spin from decoherence and supports extraordinarily long spin lifetime. Our first-principles calculations followed by symmetry arguments revealed that such a spin wave mode can be externally detuned by perpendicular electric field, leading to spin randomization and decrease in spin lifetime. We further extend our analysis to ultrathin SnTe films and confirm the emergence of PST as well as a moderate enhancement of intrinsic spin Hall conductivity. The recent room-temperature observation of the ferroelectric phase in 2D-SnTe suggests that novel all-electric spintronics devices are within reach.

One of the most exciting properties of two dimensional materials is their sensitivity to external tuning of the electronic properties, for example via electric field or strain. Recently discovered analogues of phosphorene, group-IV monochalcogenides (MX with M = Ge, Sn and X = S, Se, Te), display several interesting phenomena intimately related to the in-plane strain, such as giant piezoelectricity and multiferroicity, which combine ferroelastic and ferroelectric properties. Here, using calculations from first principles, we reveal for the first time giant intrinsic spin Hall conductivities (SHC) in these materials. In particular, we show that the SHC resonances can be easily tuned by combination of strain and doping and, in some cases, strain can be used to induce semiconductor to metal transitions that make a giant spin Hall effect possible even in absence of doping. Our results indicate a new route for the design of highly tunable spintronics devices based on two-dimensional materials.

The traditional paradigm for materials discovery has been recently expanded to incorporate substantial data driven research. With the intent to accelerate the development and the deployment of new technologies, the AFLOW Fleet for computational materials design automates high-throughput first principles calculations, and provides tools for data verification and dissemination for a broad community of users. AFLOW incorporates different computational modules to robustly determine thermodynamic stability, electronic band structures, vibrational dispersions, thermo-mechanical properties and more. The AFLOW data repository is publicly accessible online at aflow.org, with more than 1.7 million materials entries and a panoply of queryable computed properties. Tools to programmatically search and process the data, as well as to perform online machine learning predictions, are also available., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures