Non-reciprocal Coulomb drag between Chern insulators

Coulomb interaction between two closely spaced but electrically isolated conductors can induce a voltage in one of them upon feeding a current into the other. This effect has been widely studied in nonmagnetic strongly interacting systems and historically interpreted in terms of momentum and energy exchanges, which thus complies with Onsager's reciprocity. Here we report the non-reciprocal Coulomb drag observed between two ferromagnetic Chern insulators that host quantum anomalous Hall effects. By measurements with current and circuit reversals, we discovered strong drag signals in both the longitudinal and transverse directions which violate Onsager's reciprocity. These drag signals only emerge when the Chern insulator is in a multidomain state. Combined with the nonlinear <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>I</mml:mi> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:math> characteristics and power-law temperature dependence, this drag is attributed to the rectifications of mesoscopic fluctuations and quantum shot noise as well as the current cumulant. The drag signals are accompanied by strong magnetic fluctuations, highlighting the role played by magnetic dynamics. The present study expands the Coulomb drag to the realm of magnetic topological systems.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-03-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58401-5
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Topological Materials and Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
6.23
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Non-reciprocal Coulomb drag between Chern insulators

Yu Fu, Yu Huang, Qinglin He
5 citations
Nature Communications
Topological Materials and Phenomena
6.23
article

Non-reciprocal Coulomb drag between Chern insulators

Yu Fu, Yu Huang, Qinglin He
article en
5 citations

Abstract

Coulomb interaction between two closely spaced but electrically isolated conductors can induce a voltage in one of them upon feeding a current into the other. This effect has been widely studied in nonmagnetic strongly interacting systems and historically interpreted in terms of momentum and energy exchanges, which thus complies with Onsager's reciprocity. Here we report the non-reciprocal Coulomb drag observed between two ferromagnetic Chern insulators that host quantum anomalous Hall effects. By measurements with current and circuit reversals, we discovered strong drag signals in both the longitudinal and transverse directions which violate Onsager's reciprocity. These drag signals only emerge when the Chern insulator is in a multidomain state. Combined with the nonlinear <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>I</mml:mi> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:math> characteristics and power-law temperature dependence, this drag is attributed to the rectifications of mesoscopic fluctuations and quantum shot noise as well as the current cumulant. The drag signals are accompanied by strong magnetic fluctuations, highlighting the role played by magnetic dynamics. The present study expands the Coulomb drag to the realm of magnetic topological systems.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Peking University (CN), Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter (CN), Peking University International Hospital (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Topological Materials and Phenomena
6.23
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Non-reciprocal Coulomb drag between Chern insulators — Yu Fu, Yu Huang, et al. · Nature Communications (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS