Information units are progressively approaching the fundamental physical limits of the integration density, including in terms of extremely small sizes, multistates and probabilistic traversal. However, simultaneously encompassing all of these characteristics in a unit remains elusive. Here, via real-time in situ electrical monitoring, we clearly observed stochastic alterations of multiple conductance states in Sc2C2@C88. The true random bit sequence generated exhibited an autocorrelation function whose confidence interval fell within ±0.02, demonstrating high-quality randomness. The alterations of multiple conductance states are controllable, that is, whose probability distributions could traverse from “0” to “1”, enabling us to factorize 551 into its prime factors. Furthermore, we proposed a matrix-chain multiplication scheme and experimentally verified the multiplication of two 4 × 4 state-transition matrices with a small maximum error < 0.05. Combined with theoretical calculations, the stochastic but controllable multistates are probably attributed to the rich energy landscape, which could be stepwise changed by the electric field. Our findings reveal extremely small multi-level probabilistic bit for matrix multiplication, which pave the way for ultracompact intelligent electronic devices.
As a fundamental phenomenon in nature, chirality has been extensively studied in molecular structures; however, it remains underexplored at the electronic level. Understanding how structural chirality transfers into electronic states is crucial for uncovering the essence of many chiral effects. In this study, we report the engineering and direct visualization of chiral electronic states within an otherwise planar, achiral hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) framework. By employing atomically precise asymmetric nitrogen doping of HBC through on-surface synthesis, we fabricate a C3-symmetric triaza-HBC on Au(111). Utilizing high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy, we resolve the chiral molecular structure of triaza-HBC confined to the surface, as well as the chiral texture of the resulting interfacial electronic states and its evolution at different energies. Density functional theory calculations reveal that these electronic chiral features arise from the molecule’s intrinsic chiral orbitals, which hybridize strongly with the metal substrate while still retaining their chiral character. This study not only demonstrates a clear transfer of chirality from molecular structure to the electronic landscape but also provides a versatile platform for the rational design of chiral electronic molecules and materials.
Kagome lattices facilitate various quantum phases, yet in bulk materials, their kagome flat-bands often interact with bulk bands, suppressing kagome electronic characteristics for hosting these phases. Here, we use density-functional-theory calculations to predict the geometric and electronic structures, as well as the topological and magnetic properties, of a series of MoTe2-x kagome monolayers formed by mirror-twin-boundary (MTB) loops. We analyze nine MTB-loop configurations of varying sizes and arrangements to assess their impact on various properties. Within the intrinsic bandgap of MoTe2, we identify two sets of kagome bands, originating from in-plane and out-of-plane Te p-orbitals at MTB-loop edges and -vertices, respectively. Three configurations exhibit superior stability, while three others show comparable stability. Among these, four display bandgaps and potentially non-zero Z2 topological invariants, suggesting possible topological phases, while the remaining two are metallic and feature Stoner magnetization. These findings guide the design of kagome-based two-dimensional materials with tunable electronic, topological, and magnetic properties.
Breathing kagome materials Nb3X8 (X = F, Cl, Br, I) have attracted broad interest owing to their Mott insulating behavior and stacking-dependent magnetic ground states. However, the role of interlayer coupling in modulating these properties remains underexplored. Here, using density functional theory with Hubbard U corrections, we systematically investigated how interlayer coupling affects the Mott insulating states and magnetic ground states across 24 bilayer stacking configurations for each compound. We found that all bilayers remain Mott insulators, demonstrating robust Mottness. Driven by the competition between interlayer Pauli repulsion and hopping, most stackings favor interlayer AFM order, including conventional and compensated AFM, while some exhibit AFM-FM degeneracy or stabilize interlayer FM. This robustness of Mott states coexisting with tunable interlayer magnetism provides novel analysis and insights for research on breathing kagome Mott insulators.
Deping Guo*, Weihan Zhang, Canbo Zong, Cong Wang, Wei Ji
Abstract:
Luttinger compensated antiferromagnets (LcAFMs), combining spin polarization with vanishing net magnetization, offer distinct advantages for next-generation spintronic applications. Using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that conventional antiferromagnetic CrCl2 double chains can be transformed into one-dimensional LcAFMs under an external electric field, exhibiting pronounced isotropic spin splitting. The magnitude of the splitting, as well as the bandgap, can be effectively tuned by both in-plane and out-of-plane fields, thereby providing greater controllability than in two-dimensional counterparts. To further enhance the tunability, we design a nearly lattice-matched CrCl2/MoTe2 heterostructure and uncover that interfacial charge transfer generates a built-in electric field, inducing spin splitting comparable to that driven by external fields. These results establish interfacial engineering as a highly efficient route to realize and manipulate LcAFM states in low-dimensional magnets, expanding the design principles for spintronic functionalities at the nanoscale.
