Fermiology and Superconductivity of Topological Surface States in PdTe2

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, O. J.; Neat, M. J.; Okawa, K.; Bawden, L.; Marković, I.; Mazzola, F.; Feng, J.; Sunko, V.; Riley, J. M.; Meevasana, W.; Fujii, J.; Vobornik, I.; Kim, T. K.; Hoesch, M.; Sasagawa, T.; Wahl, P.; Bahramy, M. S.; King, P. D. C.

2018-04-01

We study the low-energy surface electronic structure of the transition-metal dichalcogenide superconductor PdTe2 by spin- and angle-resolved photoemission, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density-functional theory-based supercell calculations. Comparing PdTe2 with its sister compound PtSe2 , we demonstrate how enhanced interlayer hopping in the Te-based material drives a band inversion within the antibonding p -orbital manifold well above the Fermi level. We show how this mediates spin-polarized topological surface states which form rich multivalley Fermi surfaces with complex spin textures. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals type-II superconductivity at the surface, and moreover shows no evidence for an unconventional component of its superconducting order parameter, despite the presence of topological surface states.

Dirac-Screening Stabilized Surface-State Transport in a Topological Insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Brüne

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We report magnetotransport studies on a gated strained HgTe device. This material is a three-dimensional topological insulator and exclusively shows surface-state transport. Remarkably, the Landau-level dispersion and the accuracy of the Hall quantization remain unchanged over a wide density range (3×10^{11}  cm^{−2}surface-state dominated, where bulk transport would have been expected to coexist already. Moreover, the density dependence of the Dirac-type quantum Hall effect allows us to identify the contributions from the individual surfaces. A k·p model can describe the experiments but only when assuming a steep band bending across the regions where the topological surface states are contained. This steep potential originates from the specific screening properties of Dirac systems and causes the gate voltage to influence the position of the Dirac points rather than that of the Fermi level.

A time-reversal invariant topological phase at the surface of a 3D topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonderson, Parsa; Nayak, Chetan; Qi, Xiao-Liang

2013-01-01

A 3D fermionic topological insulator has a gapless Dirac surface state protected by time-reversal symmetry and charge conservation symmetry. The surface state can be gapped by introducing ferromagnetism to break time-reversal symmetry, introducing superconductivity to break charge conservation, or entering a topological phase. In this paper, we construct a minimal gapped topological phase that preserves both time-reversal and charge conservation symmetries and supports Ising-type non-Abelian anyons. This phase can be understood heuristically as emerging from a surface s-wave superconducting state via the condensation of eight-vortex composites. The topological phase inherits vortices supporting Majorana zero modes from the surface superconducting state. However, since it is time-reversal invariant, the surface topological phase is a distinct phase from the Ising topological phase, which can be viewed as a quantum-disordered spin-polarized p x + ip y superconductor. We discuss the anyon model of this topological phase and the manner in which time-reversal symmetry is realized in it. We also study the interfaces between the topological state and other surface gapped phases. (paper)

Protective capping of topological surface states of intrinsically insulating Bi2Te3

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Katharina Hoefer

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We have identified epitaxially grown elemental Te as a capping material that is suited to protect the topological surface states of intrinsically insulating Bi2Te3. By using angle-resolved photoemission, we were able to show that the Te overlayer leaves the dispersive bands of the surface states intact and that it does not alter the chemical potential of the Bi2Te3 thin film. From in-situ four-point contact measurements, we observed that the conductivity of the capped film is still mainly determined by the metallic surface states and that the contribution of the capping layer is minor. Moreover, the Te overlayer can be annealed away in vacuum to produce a clean Bi2Te3 surface in its pristine state even after the exposure of the capped film to air. Our findings will facilitate well-defined and reliable ex-situ experiments on the properties of Bi2Te3 surface states with nontrivial topology.

Tolerance of topological surface state towards adsorbed magnetic moments: Fe on Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholz, Markus; Marchenko, Dmitry; Sanchez-Barriga, Jaime; Varykhalov, Andrei; Rader, Oliver [Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Materialien und Energie, Berlin (Germany); Volykhov, Andrei; Yashina, Lada [Moscow State University, Moskau, Russland (Russian Federation)

2011-07-01

Topological surface states on Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} and Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} are protected by time reversal symmetry. Magnetic fields break time-reversal symmetry, and they have been used in two-dimensional spin quantum-Hall systems to destroy the topological edge states. Another possibility is to introduce magnetic moments. This has been done by substitution of Mn and Fe into the bulk. For Fe a small gap of 44meV was created, however, at very large amounts (12%). In this work, we deposit Fe directly onto the surface where the topological surface state is localized. We show for coverages of 0.25 and 1 ML Fe that the Dirac point remains intact and no gap appears. Core level spectroscopy of Bi and Te states gives insight into the interaction between substrate and adatoms. In addition, extra surface states appear at the Fermi energy which show a large Rashba-type spin-orbit splitting. The orientation of the spin of both, the topological as well as the Rashba-type split surface states is analysed.

Saddle-like topological surface states on the T T'X family of compounds (T , T' = Transition metal, X =Si , Ge)

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Singh, Bahadur; Zhou, Xiaoting; Lin, Hsin; Bansil, Arun

2018-02-01

Topological nodal-line semimetals are exotic conductors that host symmetry-protected conducting nodal lines in their bulk electronic spectrum and nontrivial drumhead states on the surface. Based on first-principles calculations and an effective model analysis, we identify the presence of topological nodal-line semimetal states in the low crystalline symmetric T T'X family of compounds (T ,T' = transition metal, X = Si or Ge) in the absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Taking ZrPtGe as an exemplar system, we show that owing to small lattice symmetry this material harbors a single nodal line on the ky=0 plane with large energy dispersion and unique drumhead surface state with a saddlelike energy dispersion. When the SOC is included, the nodal line gaps out and the system transitions to a strong topological insulator state with Z2=(1 ;000 ) . The topological surface state evolves from the drumhead surface state via the sharing of its saddlelike energy dispersion within the bulk energy gap. These features differ remarkably from those of the currently known topological surface states in topological insulators such as Bi2Se3 with Dirac-cone-like energy dispersions.

Extremely large nonsaturating magnetoresistance and ultrahigh mobility due to topological surface states in the metallic Bi2Te3 topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, K.; Chou, M.; Graf, D.; Yang, H. D.; Lorenz, B.; Chu, C. W.

2017-05-01

Weak antilocalization (WAL) effects in Bi2Te3 single crystals have been investigated at high and low bulk charge-carrier concentrations. At low charge-carrier density the WAL curves scale with the normal component of the magnetic field, demonstrating the dominance of topological surface states in magnetoconductivity. At high charge-carrier density the WAL curves scale with neither the applied field nor its normal component, implying a mixture of bulk and surface conduction. WAL due to topological surface states shows no dependence on the nature (electrons or holes) of the bulk charge carriers. The observations of an extremely large nonsaturating magnetoresistance and ultrahigh mobility in the samples with lower carrier density further support the presence of surface states. The physical parameters characterizing the WAL effects are calculated using the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka formula. At high charge-carrier concentrations, there is a greater number of conduction channels and a decrease in the phase coherence length compared to low charge-carrier concentrations. The extremely large magnetoresistance and high mobility of topological insulators have great technological value and can be exploited in magnetoelectric sensors and memory devices.

Surface Andreev Bound States and Odd-Frequency Pairing in Topological Superconductor Junctions

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Tanaka, Yukio; Tamura, Shun

2018-04-01

In this review, we summarize the achievement of the physics of surface Andreev bound states (SABS) up to now. The route of this activity has started from the physics of SABS of unconventional superconductors where the pair potential has a sign change on the Fermi surface. It has been established that SABS can be regarded as a topological edge state with topological invariant defined in the bulk Hamiltonian. On the other hand, SABS accompanies odd-frequency pairing like spin-triplet s-wave or spin-singlet p-wave. In a spin-triplet superconductor junction, induced odd-frequency pairing can penetrate into a diffusive normal metal (DN) attached to the superconductor. It causes so called anomalous proximity effect where the local density of states of quasiparticle in DN has a zero energy peak. When bulk pairing symmetry is spin-triplet px-wave, the anomalous proximity effect becomes prominent and the zero bias voltage conductance is always quantized independent of the resistance in DN and interface. Finally, we show that the present anomalous proximity effect is realized in an artificial topological superconducting system, where a nanowire with spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman field is put on the conventional spin-singlet s-wave superconductor.

Exotic topological insulator states and topological phase transitions in Sb2Se3-Bi2Se3 heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qianfan

2012-03-27

Topological insulator is a new state of matter attracting tremendous interest due to its gapless linear dispersion and spin momentum locking topological states located near the surface. Heterostructures, which have traditionally been powerful in controlling the electronic properties of semiconductor devices, are interesting for topological insulators. Here, we studied the spatial distribution of the topological state in Sb 2Se 3-Bi 2Se 3 heterostructures by first-principle simulation and discovered that an exotic topological state exists. Surprisingly, the state migrates from the nontrivial Bi 2Se 3 into the trivial Sb 2Se 3 region and spreads across the entire Sb 2Se 3 slab, extending beyond the concept of "surface" state while preserving all of the topological surface state characteristics. This unusual topological state arises from the coupling between different materials and the modification of electronic structure near Fermi energy. Our study demonstrates that heterostructures can open up opportunities for controlling the real-space distribution of the topological state and inducing quantum phase transitions between topologically trivial and nontrivial states. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Quantum magnetotransport for the surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators in the presence of a Zeeman field

KAUST Repository

Tahir, Muhammad; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2013-01-01

We show that the surface states of magnetic topological insulators realize an activated behavior and Shubnikov de Haas oscillations. Applying an external magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of the topological insulator in the presence

Surfaces and slabs of fractional topological insulator heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Sharmistha; Sirota, Alexander; Cho, Gil Young; Teo, Jeffrey C. Y.

2017-10-01

Fractional topological insulators (FTIs) are electronic topological phases in (3 +1 ) dimensions enriched by time reversal (TR) and charge U (1 ) conservation symmetries. We focus on the simplest series of fermionic FTIs, whose bulk quasiparticles consist of deconfined partons that carry fractional electric charges in integral units of e*=e /(2 n +1 ) and couple to a discrete Z2 n +1 gauge theory. We propose massive symmetry preserving or breaking FTI surface states. Combining the long-ranged entangled bulk with these topological surface states, we deduce the novel topological order of quasi-(2 +1 ) -dimensional FTI slabs as well as their corresponding edge conformal field theories.

Quantum Hall effect on top and bottom surface states of topological insulator (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 films.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshimi, R; Tsukazaki, A; Kozuka, Y; Falson, J; Takahashi, K S; Checkelsky, J G; Nagaosa, N; Kawasaki, M; Tokura, Y

2015-04-14

The three-dimensional topological insulator is a novel state of matter characterized by two-dimensional metallic Dirac states on its surface. To verify the topological nature of the surface states, Bi-based chalcogenides such as Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3 and their combined/mixed compounds have been intensively studied. Here, we report the realization of the quantum Hall effect on the surface Dirac states in (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 films. With electrostatic gate-tuning of the Fermi level in the bulk band gap under magnetic fields, the quantum Hall states with filling factor ±1 are resolved. Furthermore, the appearance of a quantum Hall plateau at filling factor zero reflects a pseudo-spin Hall insulator state when the Fermi level is tuned in between the energy levels of the non-degenerate top and bottom surface Dirac points. The observation of the quantum Hall effect in three-dimensional topological insulator films may pave a way toward topological insulator-based electronics.

Spin injection and inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of topological Kondo insulator SmB6

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qi; Mi, Jian; Zhao, Dan; Su, Tang; Yuan, Wei; Xing, Wenyu; Chen, Yangyang; Wang, Tianyu; Wu, Tao; Chen, Xian Hui; Xie, X. C.; Zhang, Chi; Shi, Jing; Han, Wei

2016-01-01

There has been considerable interest in exploiting the spin degrees of freedom of electrons for potential information storage and computing technologies. Topological insulators (TIs), a class of quantum materials, have special gapless edge/surface states, where the spin polarization of the Dirac fermions is locked to the momentum direction. This spin–momentum locking property gives rise to very interesting spin-dependent physical phenomena such as the Edelstein and inverse Edelstein effects. However, the spin injection in pure surface states of TI is very challenging because of the coexistence of the highly conducting bulk states. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the spin injection and observe the inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of a topological Kondo insulator, SmB6. At low temperatures when only surface carriers are present, a clear spin signal is observed. Furthermore, the magnetic field angle dependence of the spin signal is consistent with spin–momentum locking property of surface states of SmB6. PMID:27834378

Topological surface states interacting with bulk excitations in the Kondo insulator SmB6 revealed via planar tunneling spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Wan Kyu; Sun, Lunan; Noddings, Alexander; Kim, Dae-Jeong; Fisk, Zachary; Greene, Laura H

2016-06-14

Samarium hexaboride (SmB6), a well-known Kondo insulator in which the insulating bulk arises from strong electron correlations, has recently attracted great attention owing to increasing evidence for its topological nature, thereby harboring protected surface states. However, corroborative spectroscopic evidence is still lacking, unlike in the weakly correlated counterparts, including Bi2Se3 Here, we report results from planar tunneling that unveil the detailed spectroscopic properties of SmB6 The tunneling conductance obtained on the (001) and (011) single crystal surfaces reveals linear density of states as expected for two and one Dirac cone(s), respectively. Quite remarkably, it is found that these topological states are not protected completely within the bulk hybridization gap. A phenomenological model of the tunneling process invoking interaction of the surface states with bulk excitations (spin excitons), as predicted by a recent theory, provides a consistent explanation for all of the observed features. Our spectroscopic study supports and explains the proposed picture of the incompletely protected surface states in this topological Kondo insulator SmB6.

Topological Sound and Flocking on Curved Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Shankar, Suraj; Bowick, Mark J.; Marchetti, M. Cristina

2017-07-01

Active systems on curved geometries are ubiquitous in the living world. In the presence of curvature, orientationally ordered polar flocks are forced to be inhomogeneous, often requiring the presence of topological defects even in the steady state because of the constraints imposed by the topology of the underlying surface. In the presence of spontaneous flow, the system additionally supports long-wavelength propagating sound modes that get gapped by the curvature of the underlying substrate. We analytically compute the steady-state profile of an active polar flock on a two-sphere and a catenoid, and show that curvature and active flow together result in symmetry-protected topological modes that get localized to special geodesics on the surface (the equator or the neck, respectively). These modes are the analogue of edge states in electronic quantum Hall systems and provide unidirectional channels for information transport in the flock, robust against disorder and backscattering.

Bilinear magnetoelectric resistance as a probe of three-dimensional spin texture in topological surface states

Science.gov (United States)

He, Pan; Zhang, Steven S.-L.; Zhu, Dapeng; Liu, Yang; Wang, Yi; Yu, Jiawei; Vignale, Giovanni; Yang, Hyunsoo

2018-05-01

Surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators exhibit the phenomenon of spin-momentum locking, whereby the orientation of an electron spin is determined by its momentum. Probing the spin texture of these states is of critical importance for the realization of topological insulator devices, but the main technique currently available is spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Here we reveal a close link between the spin texture and a new kind of magnetoresistance, which depends on the relative orientation of the current with respect to the magnetic field as well as the crystallographic axes, and scales linearly with both the applied electric and magnetic fields. This bilinear magnetoelectric resistance can be used to map the spin texture of topological surface states by simple transport measurements. For a prototypical Bi2Se3 single layer, we can map both the in-plane and out-of-plane components of the spin texture (the latter arising from hexagonal warping). Theoretical calculations suggest that the bilinear magnetoelectric resistance originates from conversion of a non-equilibrium spin current into a charge current under application of the external magnetic field.

Topological Sound and Flocking on Curved Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suraj Shankar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Active systems on curved geometries are ubiquitous in the living world. In the presence of curvature, orientationally ordered polar flocks are forced to be inhomogeneous, often requiring the presence of topological defects even in the steady state because of the constraints imposed by the topology of the underlying surface. In the presence of spontaneous flow, the system additionally supports long-wavelength propagating sound modes that get gapped by the curvature of the underlying substrate. We analytically compute the steady-state profile of an active polar flock on a two-sphere and a catenoid, and show that curvature and active flow together result in symmetry-protected topological modes that get localized to special geodesics on the surface (the equator or the neck, respectively. These modes are the analogue of edge states in electronic quantum Hall systems and provide unidirectional channels for information transport in the flock, robust against disorder and backscattering.

Geometric effects on surface states in topological insulator Bi2Te3 nanowire

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Parijat; Kubis, Tillman; Povolotskyi, Michael; Klimeck, Gerhard

2012-02-01

Bismuth Telluride (BT) is a 3D topological insulator (TI) with surface states that have energy dispersion linear in momentum and forms a Dirac cone at low energy. In this work we investigate the surface properties of a BT nanowire and demonstrate the existence of TI states. We also show how such states vanish under certain geometric conditions. An atomistic model (sp3d5s* TB) is used to compute the energy dispersion in a BT nanowire. Penetration depth of the surface states is estimated by ratio of Fermi velocity and band-gap. BT possesses a tiny band-gap, which creates small localization of surface states and greater penetration in to the bulk. To offset this large spatial penetration, which is undesirable to avoid a direct coupling between surfaces, we expect that bigger cross-sections of BT nanowires would be needed to obtain stable TI states. Our numerical work validates this prediction. Furthermore, geometry of the nanowire is shown to influence the TI states. Using a combined analytical and numerical approach our results reveal that surface roughness impact electronic structure leading to Rashba type splits along z-direction. Cylindrical and square cross-sections are given as illustrative examples.

Topological Nematic States and Non-Abelian Lattice Dislocations

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Maissam Barkeshli

2012-08-01

Full Text Available An exciting new prospect in condensed matter physics is the possibility of realizing fractional quantum Hall states in simple lattice models without a large external magnetic field. A fundamental question is whether qualitatively new states can be realized on the lattice as compared with ordinary fractional quantum Hall states. Here we propose new symmetry-enriched topological states, topological nematic states, which are a dramatic consequence of the interplay between the lattice translational symmetry and topological properties of these fractional Chern insulators. The topological nematic states are realized in a partially filled flat band with a Chern number N, which can be mapped to an N-layer quantum Hall system on a regular lattice. However, in the topological nematic states the lattice dislocations can act as wormholes connecting the different layers and effectively change the topology of the space. Consequently, lattice dislocations become defects with a nontrivial quantum dimension, even when the fractional quantum Hall state being realized is, by itself, Abelian. Our proposal leads to the possibility of realizing the physics of topologically ordered states on high-genus surfaces in the lab even though the sample has only the disk geometry.

Topological Nematic States and Non-Abelian Lattice Dislocations

Science.gov (United States)

Barkeshli, Maissam; Qi, Xiao-Liang

2012-07-01

An exciting new prospect in condensed matter physics is the possibility of realizing fractional quantum Hall states in simple lattice models without a large external magnetic field. A fundamental question is whether qualitatively new states can be realized on the lattice as compared with ordinary fractional quantum Hall states. Here we propose new symmetry-enriched topological states, topological nematic states, which are a dramatic consequence of the interplay between the lattice translational symmetry and topological properties of these fractional Chern insulators. The topological nematic states are realized in a partially filled flat band with a Chern number N, which can be mapped to an N-layer quantum Hall system on a regular lattice. However, in the topological nematic states the lattice dislocations can act as wormholes connecting the different layers and effectively change the topology of the space. Consequently, lattice dislocations become defects with a nontrivial quantum dimension, even when the fractional quantum Hall state being realized is, by itself, Abelian. Our proposal leads to the possibility of realizing the physics of topologically ordered states on high-genus surfaces in the lab even though the sample has only the disk geometry.

Proximity induced ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and finite-size effects on the surface states of topological insulator nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Parijat; Kubis, Tillmann; Tan, Yaohua; Klimeck, Gerhard

2015-01-01

Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 are well known 3D-topological insulators (TI). Films made of these materials exhibit metal-like surface states with a Dirac dispersion and possess high mobility. The high mobility metal-like surface states can serve as building blocks for a variety of applications that involve tuning their dispersion relationship and opening a band gap. A band gap can be opened either by breaking time reversal symmetry, the proximity effect of a superconductor or ferromagnet or adjusting the dimensionality of the TI material. In this work, methods that can be employed to easily open a band gap for the TI surface states are assessed. Two approaches are described: (1) Coating the surface states with a ferromagnet which has a controllable magnetization axis. The magnetization strength of the ferromagnet is incorporated as an exchange interaction term in the Hamiltonian. (2) An s-wave superconductor, because of the proximity effect, when coupled to a 3D-TI opens a band gap on the surface. Finally, the hybridization of the surface Dirac cones can be controlled by reducing the thickness of the topological insulator film. It is shown that this alters the band gap significantly.

Quantum magnetotransport for the surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators in the presence of a Zeeman field

KAUST Repository

Tahir, Muhammad

2013-05-01

We show that the surface states of magnetic topological insulators realize an activated behavior and Shubnikov de Haas oscillations. Applying an external magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of the topological insulator in the presence of Zeeman interaction, we investigate the opening of a gap at the Dirac point, making the surface Dirac fermions massive, and the effects on the transport properties. Analytical expressions are derived for the collisional conductivity for elastic impurity scattering in the first Born approximation. We also calculate the Hall conductivity using the Kubo formalism. Evidence for a transition from gapless to gapped surface states at n = 0 and activated transport is found from the temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the collisional and Hall conductivities. © Copyright EPLA, 2013.

Thermoelectric Transport by Surface States in Bi2Se3-Based Topological Insulator Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Long-Long; Xu Wen

2015-01-01

We develop a tractable theoretical model to investigate the thermoelectric (TE) transport properties of surface states in topological insulator thin films (TITFs) of Bi 2 Se 3 at room temperature. The hybridization between top and bottom surface states in the TITF plays a significant role. With the increasing hybridization-induced surface gap, the electrical conductivity and electron thermal conductivity decrease while the Seebeck coefficient increases. This is due to the metal-semiconductor transition induced by the surface-state hybridization. Based on these TE transport coefficients, the TE figure-of-merit ZT is evaluated. It is shown that ZT can be greatly improved by the surface-state hybridization. Our theoretical results are pertinent to the exploration of the TE transport properties of surface states in TITFs and to the potential application of Bi 2 Se 3 -based TITFs as high-performance TE materials and devices. (paper)

Interplay between surface and bulk states in the Topological Kondo Insulator SmB6

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Sangram; Hatnean, Monica Ciomaga; Balakrishnan, Geetha; Bid, Aveek

Kondo insulator SmB6 is predicted to have topologically protected conducting surface states(TSS). We have studied electrical transport through surface states(SS) at ultra-low temperatures in single crystals of SmB6 using local-nonlocal transport scheme and found a large nonlocal signal at temperatures lower than bulk Kondo gap scale. Using resistance fluctuation spectroscopy, we probed the local and nonlocal transport channels and showed that at low temperatures, transport in this system takes place only through SS. The measured noise in this temperature range arises due to Universal Conductance Fluctuations whose statistics was found to be consistent with theoretical predictions for that of 2D systems in the Symplectic symmetry class. We studied the temperature dependence of noise and found that, unlike the topological insulators of the dichalcogenide family, the noise in surface and bulk conduction channels in SmB6 are uncorrelated - at sufficiently low temperatures, the bulk has no discernible contribution to electrical transport in SmB6 making it an ideal platform for probing the physics of TSS. Nanomission, Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Indian Institute of Scienc and EPSRC, UK, Grant EP/L014963/1.

Surface conduction of topological Dirac electrons in bulk insulating Bi2Se3

Science.gov (United States)

Fuhrer, Michael

2013-03-01

The three dimensional strong topological insulator (STI) is a new phase of electronic matter which is distinct from ordinary insulators in that it supports on its surface a conducting two-dimensional surface state whose existence is guaranteed by topology. I will discuss experiments on the STI material Bi2Se3, which has a bulk bandgap of 300 meV, much greater than room temperature, and a single topological surface state with a massless Dirac dispersion. Field effect transistors consisting of thin (3-20 nm) Bi2Se3 are fabricated from mechanically exfoliated from single crystals, and electrochemical and/or chemical gating methods are used to move the Fermi energy into the bulk bandgap, revealing the ambipolar gapless nature of transport in the Bi2Se3 surface states. The minimum conductivity of the topological surface state is understood within the self-consistent theory of Dirac electrons in the presence of charged impurities. The intrinsic finite-temperature resistivity of the topological surface state due to electron-acoustic phonon scattering is measured to be ~60 times larger than that of graphene largely due to the smaller Fermi and sound velocities in Bi2Se3, which will have implications for topological electronic devices operating at room temperature. As samples are made thinner, coherent coupling of the top and bottom topological surfaces is observed through the magnitude of the weak anti-localization correction to the conductivity, and, in the thinnest Bi2Se3 samples (~ 3 nm), in thermally-activated conductivity reflecting the opening of a bandgap.

Lattice topological field theory on nonorientable surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karimipour, V.; Mostafazadeh, A.

1997-01-01

The lattice definition of the two-dimensional topological quantum field theory [Fukuma et al., Commun. Math. Phys. 161, 157 (1994)] is generalized to arbitrary (not necessarily orientable) compact surfaces. It is shown that there is a one-to-one correspondence between real associative *-algebras and the topological state sum invariants defined on such surfaces. The partition and n-point functions on all two-dimensional surfaces (connected sums of the Klein bottle or projective plane and g-tori) are defined and computed for arbitrary *-algebras in general, and for the group ring A=R[G] of discrete groups G, in particular. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Current-induced switching of magnetic molecules on topological insulator surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Locane, Elina; Brouwer, Piet W.

2017-03-01

Electrical currents at the surface or edge of a topological insulator are intrinsically spin polarized. We show that such surface or edge currents can be used to switch the orientation of a molecular magnet weakly coupled to the surface or edge of a topological insulator. For the edge of a two-dimensional topological insulator as well as for the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator the application of a well-chosen surface or edge current can lead to a complete polarization of the molecule if the molecule's magnetic anisotropy axis is appropriately aligned with the current direction. For a generic orientation of the molecule a nonzero but incomplete polarization is obtained. We calculate the probability distribution of the magnetic states and the switching rates as a function of the applied current.

Layer Construction of 3D Topological States and String Braiding Statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Ming Jian

2014-12-01

Full Text Available While the topological order in two dimensions has been studied extensively since the discovery of the integer and fractional quantum Hall systems, topological states in three spatial dimensions are much less understood. In this paper, we propose a general formalism for constructing a large class of three-dimensional topological states by stacking layers of 2D topological states and introducing coupling between them. Using this construction, different types of topological states can be obtained, including those with only surface topological order and no bulk topological quasiparticles, and those with topological order both in the bulk and at the surface. For both classes of states, we study its generic properties and present several explicit examples. As an interesting consequence of this construction, we obtain example systems with nontrivial braiding statistics between string excitations. In addition to studying the string-string braiding in the example system, we propose a topological field-theory description for the layer-constructed systems, which captures not only the string-particle braiding statistics but also the string-string braiding statistics when the coupling is twisted. Last, we provide a proof of a general identity for Abelian string statistics and discuss an example system with non-Abelian strings.

Topology and symmetry of surface Majorana arcs in cyclic superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Mizushima, Takeshi; Nitta, Muneto

2018-01-01

We study the topology and symmetry of surface Majorana arcs in superconductors with nonunitary "cyclic" pairing. Cyclic p -wave pairing may be realized in a cubic or tetrahedral crystal, while it is a candidate for the interior P32 superfluids of neutron stars. The cyclic state is an admixture of full gap and nodal gap with eight Weyl points and the low-energy physics is governed by itinerant Majorana fermions. We here show the evolution of surface states from Majorana cone to Majorana arcs under rotation of surface orientation. The Majorana cone is protected solely by an accidental spin rotation symmetry and fragile against spin-orbit coupling, while the arcs are attributed to two topological invariants: the first Chern number and one-dimensional winding number. Lastly, we discuss how topologically protected surface states inherent to the nonunitary cyclic pairing can be captured from surface probes in candidate compounds, such as U1 -xThxBe13 . We examine tunneling conductance spectra for two competitive scenarios in U1 -xThxBe13 —the degenerate Eu scenario and the accidental scenario.

Topological interface states and effects for next generation of innovative devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantser, Valeriu; Carlig, Sergiu

2013-01-01

Topological insulators (TI) have opened a gateway to search new quantum electronic phase of the condensed matter as well as to pave new platform of modern technology. This stems mainly on their unique surface states that are protected by time-reversal symmetry, show the Dirac cones connecting the inverted conduction and valence bands and exhibit unique spin-momentum locking property. Increasing the surface state contribution in proportion to the bulk of material is critical to investigate the surface states and for future innovative device applications. The way to achieve this is to configure topological insulators into nanostructures, which at the same time in combination with others materials significantly enlarge the variety of new states and phenomena. This article reviews the recent progress made in topological insulator nano heterostructures electronic states investigation. The state of art of different new scenario of engineering topologically interface states in the TI heterostructures are revealed, in particular by using polarization fields and antiferromagnetic ordering. Some of new proposals for innovative electronic devices are discussed. (authors)

Machine learning topological states

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Dong-Ling; Li, Xiaopeng; Das Sarma, S.

2017-11-01

Artificial neural networks and machine learning have now reached a new era after several decades of improvement where applications are to explode in many fields of science, industry, and technology. Here, we use artificial neural networks to study an intriguing phenomenon in quantum physics—the topological phases of matter. We find that certain topological states, either symmetry-protected or with intrinsic topological order, can be represented with classical artificial neural networks. This is demonstrated by using three concrete spin systems, the one-dimensional (1D) symmetry-protected topological cluster state and the 2D and 3D toric code states with intrinsic topological orders. For all three cases, we show rigorously that the topological ground states can be represented by short-range neural networks in an exact and efficient fashion—the required number of hidden neurons is as small as the number of physical spins and the number of parameters scales only linearly with the system size. For the 2D toric-code model, we find that the proposed short-range neural networks can describe the excited states with Abelian anyons and their nontrivial mutual statistics as well. In addition, by using reinforcement learning we show that neural networks are capable of finding the topological ground states of nonintegrable Hamiltonians with strong interactions and studying their topological phase transitions. Our results demonstrate explicitly the exceptional power of neural networks in describing topological quantum states, and at the same time provide valuable guidance to machine learning of topological phases in generic lattice models.

Ultrafast Optical Excitation of a Persistent Surface-State Population in the Topological Insulator Bi2Se3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sobota, Jonathan

2012-03-14

Using femtosecond time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we investigated the nonequilibrium dynamics of the topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}. We studied p-type Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}, in which the metallic Dirac surface state and bulk conduction bands are unoccupied. Optical excitation leads to a meta-stable population at the bulk conduction band edge, which feeds a nonequilibrium population of the surface state persisting for >10 ps. This unusually long-lived population of a metallic Dirac surface state with spin texture may present a channel in which to drive transient spin-polarized currents.

Surface State Dynamics of Topological Insulators Investigated by Femtosecond Time- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamoon Hedayat

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Topological insulators (TI are known for striking quantum phenomena associated with their spin-polarized topological surface state (TSS. The latter in particular forms a Dirac cone that bridges the energy gap between valence and conduction bands, providing a unique opportunity for prospective device applications. In TI of the BixSb2−xTeySe3−y (BSTS family, stoichiometry determines the morphology and position of the Dirac cone with respect to the Fermi level. In order to engineer specific transport properties, a careful tuning of the TSS is highly desired. Therefore, we have systematically explored BSTS samples with different stoichiometries by time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TARPES. This technique provides snapshots of the electronic structure and discloses the carrier dynamics in surface and bulk states, providing crucial information for the design of electro-spin current devices. Our results reveal the central role of doping level on the Dirac cone structure and its femtosecond dynamics. In particular, an extraordinarily long TSS lifetime is observed when the the vertex of the Dirac cone lies at the Fermi level.

Photo-responsive surface topology in chiral nematic media

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Danqing; Bastiaansen, Cees W. M.; Toonder, Jaap. M. J.; Broer, Dirk J.

2012-03-01

We report on the design and fabrication of 'smart surfaces' that exhibit dynamic changes in their surface topology in response to exposure to light. The principle is based on anisotropic geometric changes of a liquid crystal network upon a change of the molecular order parameter. The photomechanical property of the coating is induced by incorporating an azobenzene moiety into the liquid crystal network. The responsive surface topology consists of regions with two different types of molecular order: planar chiral-nematic areas and homeotropic. Under flood exposure with 365 nm light the surfaces deform from flat to one with a surface relief. The height of the relief structures is of the order of 1 um corresponding to strain difference of around 20%. Furthermore, we demonstrate surface reliefs can form either convex or concave structures upon exposure to UV light corresponding to the decrease or increase molecular order parameter, respectively, related to the isomeric state of the azobenzene crosslinker. The reversible deformation to the initial flat state occurs rapidly after removing the light source.

The substrate strain mediated magnetotransport properties of surface states in topological insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Ning, E-mail: maning@stu.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Transducers and Intelligent Control System, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Department of Applied Physics, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Zhang, Shengli, E-mail: zhangsl@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Applied Physics, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Liu, Daqing, E-mail: liudq@cczu.edu.cn [School of Mathematics and Physics, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China)

2016-10-14

Recent experiments reveal that the strained bulk HgTe can be regarded as a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI). We further explore the strain effects on magnetotransport in HgTe at magnetic field. We find that the substrate strain associated with the surface index of carriers, can remove the surfaces degeneracy in Landau levels. This accordingly induces the well separated surface quantum Hall plateaus and Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations. These results can be used to generate and detect surface polarization, not only in HgTe but also in a broad class of TIs, which would be very great news for electronic applications of TIs. - Highlights: • We explore the strain mediated magnetotransport in topological insulators. • We analytically derive the zero frequency magnetoconductivity. • The strain removes the surface degeneracy in Landau levels. • The strain gives rise to the splitting and mixture of Landau levels. • The strain leads to the surface asymmetric spectrum of conductivity.

Topological orders in rigid states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, X.G.

1990-01-01

The authors study a new kind of ordering topological order in rigid states (the states with no local gapless excitations). This paper concentrates on characterization of the different topological orders. As an example the authors discuss in detail chiral spin states of 2+1 dimensional spin systems. Chiral spin states are described by the topological Chern-Simons theories in the continuum limit. The authors show that the topological orders can be characterized by a non-Abelian gauge structure over the moduli space which parametrizes a family of the model Hamiltonians supporting topologically ordered ground states. In 2 + 1 dimensions, the non-Abelian gauge structure determines possible fractional statistics of the quasi-particle excitations over the topologically ordered ground states. The dynamics of the low lying global excitations is shown to be independent of random spatial dependent perturbations. The ground state degeneracy and the non-Abelian gauge structures discussed in this paper are very robust, even against those perturbations that break translation symmetry. The authors also discuss the symmetry properties of the degenerate ground states of chiral spin states. The authors find that some degenerate ground states of chiral spin states on torus carry non-trivial quantum numbers of the 90 degrees rotation

Topology of the Adiabatic Potential Energy Surfaces for theResonance States of the Water Anion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haxton, Daniel J.; Rescigno, Thomas N.; McCurdy, C. William

2005-04-15

The potential energy surfaces corresponding to the long-lived fixed-nuclei electron scattering resonances of H{sub 2}O relevant to the dissociative electron attachment process are examined using a combination of ab initio scattering and bound-state calculations. These surfaces have a rich topology, characterized by three main features: a conical intersection between the {sup 2}A{sub 1} and {sup 2}B{sub 2} Feshbach resonance states; charge-transfer behavior in the OH ({sup 2}{Pi}) + H{sup -} asymptote of the {sup 2}B{sub 1} and {sup 2}A{sub 1} resonances; and an inherent double-valuedness of the surface for the {sup 2}B{sub 2} state the C{sub 2v} geometry, arising from a branch-point degeneracy with a {sup 2}B{sub 2} shape resonance. In total, eight individual seams of degeneracy among these resonances are located.

Topological hierarchy matters — topological matters with superlattices of defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jing; Kou Su-Peng

2016-01-01

Topological insulators/superconductors are new states of quantum matter with metallic edge/surface states. In this paper, we review the defects effect in these topological states and study new types of topological matters — topological hierarchy matters. We find that both topological defects (quantized vortices) and non topological defects (vacancies) can induce topological mid-gap states in the topological hierarchy matters after considering the superlattice of defects. These topological mid-gap states have nontrivial topological properties, including the nonzero Chern number and the gapless edge states. Effective tight-binding models are obtained to describe the topological mid-gap states in the topological hierarchy matters. (topical review)

Measurement of the quantum capacitance from two-dimensional surface state of a topological insulator at room temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Hyunwoo, E-mail: chw0089@gmail.com [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Geun, E-mail: tgkim1@korea.ac.kr [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Changhwan, E-mail: cshin@uos.ac.kr [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • The quantum capacitance in topological insulator (TI) at room temperature is directly revealed. • The physical origin of quantum capacitance, the two dimensional surface state of TI, is experimentally validated. • Theoretically calculated results of ideal quantum capacitance can well predict the experimental data. - Abstract: A topological insulator (TI) is a new kind of material that exhibits unique electronic properties owing to its topological surface state (TSS). Previous studies focused on the transport properties of the TSS, since it can be used as the active channel layer in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). However, a TI with a negative quantum capacitance (QC) effect can be used in the gate stack of MOSFETs, thereby facilitating the creation of ultra-low power electronics. Therefore, it is important to study the physics behind the QC in TIs in the absence of any external magnetic field, at room temperature. We fabricated a simple capacitor structure using a TI (TI-capacitor: Au-TI-SiO{sub 2}-Si), which shows clear evidence of QC at room temperature. In the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement, the total capacitance of the TI-capacitor increases in the accumulation regime, since QC is the dominant capacitive component in the series capacitor model (i.e., C{sub T}{sup −1} = C{sub Q}{sup −1} + C{sub SiO2}{sup −1}). Based on the QC model of the two-dimensional electron systems, we quantitatively calculated the QC, and observed that the simulated C-V curve theoretically supports the conclusion that the QC of the TI-capacitor is originated from electron–electron interaction in the two-dimensional surface state of the TI.

Faraday Rotation Due to Surface States in the Topological Insulator (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Yinming; Post, Kirk W; Wu, Jhih-Sheng; Dai, Siyuan; Frenzel, Alex J; Richardella, Anthony R; Lee, Joon Sue; Samarth, Nitin; Fogler, Michael M; Balatsky, Alexander V; Kharzeev, Dmitri E; Basov, D N

2017-02-08

Using magneto-infrared spectroscopy, we have explored the charge dynamics of (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 thin films on InP substrates. From the magneto-transmission data we extracted three distinct cyclotron resonance (CR) energies that are all apparent in the broad band Faraday rotation (FR) spectra. This comprehensive FR-CR data set has allowed us to isolate the response of the bulk states from the intrinsic surface states associated with both the top and bottom surfaces of the film. The FR data uncovered that electron- and hole-type Dirac Fermions reside on opposite surfaces of our films, which paves the way for observing many exotic quantum phenomena in topological insulators.

Quantum picturalism for topological cluster-state computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horsman, Clare

2011-01-01

Topological quantum computing (QC) is a way of allowing precise quantum computations to run on noisy and imperfect hardware. One implementation uses surface codes created by forming defects in a highly-entangled cluster state. Such a method of computing is a leading candidate for large-scale QC. However, there has been a lack of sufficiently powerful high-level languages to describe computing in this form without resorting to single-qubit operations, which quickly become prohibitively complex as the system size increases. In this paper, we apply the category-theoretic work of Abramsky and Coecke to the topological cluster-state model of QC to give a high-level graphical language that enables direct translation between quantum processes and physical patterns of measurement in a computer-a 'compiler language'. We give the equivalence between the graphical and topological information flows, and show the applicable rewrite algebra for this computing model. We show that this gives us a native graphical language for the design and analysis of topological quantum algorithms, and finish by discussing the possibilities for automating this process on a large scale.

On the topology of untrapped surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Racz, Istvan, E-mail: iracz@rmki.kfki.h [RMKI, H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly Thege Miklos ut 29-33 (Hungary)

2009-03-07

Recently a simple proof of the generalizations of Hawking's black hole topology theorem and its application to topological black holes for higher dimensional (n >= 4) spacetimes was given by Racz I (2008 Class. Quantum Grav. 25 162001). By applying the associated new line of argument it is proven here that strictly stable untrapped surfaces possess exactly the same topological properties as strictly stable marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTSs) are known to. In addition, a quasi-local notion of outwards and inwards pointing spacelike directions-applicable to untrapped and marginally trapped surfaces-is also introduced.

Theory of bulk-surface coupling in topological insulator films

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Kush; Garate, Ion

2014-12-01

We present a quantitative microscopic theory of the disorder- and phonon-induced coupling between surface and bulk states in doped topological insulator films. We find a simple mathematical structure for the surface-to-bulk scattering matrix elements and confirm the importance of bulk-surface coupling in transport and photoemission experiments, assessing its dependence on temperature, carrier density, film thickness, and particle-hole asymmetry.

Impact of the Topological Surface State on the Thermoelectric Transport in Sb2Te3 Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinsche, Nicki F; Zastrow, Sebastian; Gooth, Johannes; Pudewill, Laurens; Zierold, Robert; Rittweger, Florian; Rauch, Tomáš; Henk, Jürgen; Nielsch, Kornelius; Mertig, Ingrid

2015-04-28

Ab initio electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory and tight-binding methods for the thermoelectric properties of p-type Sb2Te3 films are presented. The thickness-dependent electrical conductivity and the thermopower are computed in the diffusive limit of transport based on the Boltzmann equation. Contributions of the bulk and the surface to the transport coefficients are separated, which enables to identify a clear impact of the topological surface state on the thermoelectric properties. When the charge carrier concentration is tuned, a crossover between a surface-state-dominant and a Fuchs-Sondheimer transport regime is achieved. The calculations are corroborated by thermoelectric transport measurements on Sb2Te3 films grown by atomic layer deposition.

Engineering Topological Surface State of Cr-doped Bi2Se3 under external electric field

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jian-Min; Lian, Ruqian; Yang, Yanmin; Xu, Guigui; Zhong, Kehua; Huang, Zhigao

2017-03-01

External electric field control of topological surface states (SSs) is significant for the next generation of condensed matter research and topological quantum devices. Here, we present a first-principles study of the SSs in the magnetic topological insulator (MTI) Cr-doped Bi2Se3 under external electric field. The charge transfer, electric potential, band structure and magnetism of the pure and Cr doped Bi2Se3 film have been investigated. It is found that the competition between charge transfer and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) will lead to an electrically tunable band gap in Bi2Se3 film under external electric field. As Cr atom doped, the charge transfer of Bi2Se3 film under external electric field obviously decreases. Remarkably, the band gap of Cr doped Bi2Se3 film can be greatly engineered by the external electric field due to its special band structure. Furthermore, magnetic coupling of Cr-doped Bi2Se3 could be even mediated via the control of electric field. It is demonstrated that external electric field plays an important role on the electronic and magnetic properties of Cr-doped Bi2Se3 film. Our results may promote the development of electronic and spintronic applications of magnetic topological insulator.

Anomalous Symmetry Fractionalization and Surface Topological Order

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xie Chen

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In addition to possessing fractional statistics, anyon excitations of a 2D topologically ordered state can realize symmetry in distinct ways, leading to a variety of symmetry-enriched topological (SET phases. While the symmetry fractionalization must be consistent with the fusion and braiding rules of the anyons, not all ostensibly consistent symmetry fractionalizations can be realized in 2D systems. Instead, certain “anomalous” SETs can only occur on the surface of a 3D symmetry-protected topological (SPT phase. In this paper, we describe a procedure for determining whether a SET of a discrete, on-site, unitary symmetry group G is anomalous or not. The basic idea is to gauge the symmetry and expose the anomaly as an obstruction to a consistent topological theory combining both the original anyons and the gauge fluxes. Utilizing a result of Etingof, Nikshych, and Ostrik, we point out that a class of obstructions is captured by the fourth cohomology group H^{4}(G,U(1, which also precisely labels the set of 3D SPT phases, with symmetry group G. An explicit procedure for calculating the cohomology data from a SET is given, with the corresponding physical intuition explained. We thus establish a general bulk-boundary correspondence between the anomalous SET and the 3D bulk SPT whose surface termination realizes it. We illustrate this idea using the chiral spin liquid [U(1_{2}] topological order with a reduced symmetry Z_{2}×Z_{2}⊂SO(3, which can act on the semion quasiparticle in an anomalous way. We construct exactly solved 3D SPT models realizing the anomalous surface terminations and demonstrate that they are nontrivial by computing three-loop braiding statistics. Possible extensions to antiunitary symmetries are also discussed.

Single atom anisotropic magnetoresistance on a topological insulator surface

KAUST Repository

Narayan, Awadhesh

2015-03-12

© 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. We demonstrate single atom anisotropic magnetoresistance on the surface of a topological insulator, arising from the interplay between the helical spin-momentum-locked surface electronic structure and the hybridization of the magnetic adatom states. Our first-principles quantum transport calculations based on density functional theory for Mn on Bi2Se3 elucidate the underlying mechanism. We complement our findings with a two dimensional model valid for both single adatoms and magnetic clusters, which leads to a proposed device setup for experimental realization. Our results provide an explanation for the conflicting scattering experiments on magnetic adatoms on topological insulator surfaces, and reveal the real space spin texture around the magnetic impurity.

STM imaging of electronic waves on the surface of Bi2Te3: topologically protected surface states and hexagonal warping effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alpichshev, Zhanybek; /SIMES, Stanford /SLAC /Stanford U., Phys. Dept.; Analytis, J.G.; /SIMES, Stanford /SLAC /Stanford U., Phys. Dept.; Chu, J.-H.; Fisher, I.R.; /SIMES, Stanford /SLAC /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /Stanford U., Appl. Phys. Dept.; Chen, Y.L.; /SIMES, Stanford /SLAC /Stanford U., Phys. Dept.; Shen, Z.X.; /SIMES, Stanford /SLAC /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /Stanford U., Appl. Phys. Dept.; Fang, A.; /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /Stanford U., Appl. Phys. Dept.; Kapitulnik, A.; /SIMES, Stanford /SLAC /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /Stanford U., Appl. Phys. Dept.

2010-06-02

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy studies on high-quality Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} crystals exhibit perfect correspondence to ARPES data, hence enabling identification of different regimes measured in the local density of states (LDOS). Oscillations of LDOS near a step are analyzed. Within the main part of the surface band oscillations are strongly damped, supporting the hypothesis of topological protec- tion. At higher energies, as the surface band becomes concave, oscillations appear which disperse with a particular wave-vector that may result from an unconventional hexagonal warping term.

On geometry-dependent vortex stability and topological spin excitations on curved surfaces with cylindrical symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho-Santos, V.L.; Apolonio, F.A.; Oliveira-Neto, N.M.

2013-01-01

We study the Heisenberg model on cylindrically symmetric curved surfaces. Two kinds of excitations are considered. The first is given by the isotropic regime, yielding the sine-Gordon equation and π solitons are predicted. The second one is given by the XY model, leading to a vortex turning around the surface. Helical states are also considered, however, topological arguments cannot be used to ensure its stability. The energy and the anisotropy parameter which stabilizes the vortex state are explicitly calculated for two surfaces: catenoid and hyperboloid. The results show that the anisotropy and the vortex energy depends on the underlying geometry. -- Highlights: •Applying the anisotropic Heisenberg model on curved surfaces. •Appearance of topological solitons on curved surfaces with cylindrical symmetry. •Calculus of the vortex energy, which depends on curvature. •Discussion on features of non-topological helical-like states. •Vortex stability ensured by the anisotropy parameter value

Evidence of topological insulator state in the semimetal LaBi

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, R.; Fu, B.-B.; Xu, Q. N.; Guo, P.-J.; Kong, L.-Y.; Zeng, L.-K.; Ma, J.-Z.; Richard, P.; Fang, C.; Huang, Y.-B.; Sun, S.-S.; Wang, Q.; Wang, L.; Shi, Y.-G.; Lei, H. C.; Liu, K.; Weng, H. M.; Qian, T.; Ding, H.; Wang, S.-C.

2017-03-01

By employing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy combined with first-principles calculations, we performed a systematic investigation on the electronic structure of LaBi, which exhibits extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR), and is theoretically predicted to possess band anticrossing with nontrivial topological properties. Here, the observations of the Fermi-surface topology and band dispersions are similar to previous studies on LaSb [L.-K. Zeng, R. Lou, D.-S. Wu, Q. N. Xu, P.-J. Guo, L.-Y. Kong, Y.-G. Zhong, J.-Z. Ma, B.-B. Fu, P. Richard, P. Wang, G. T. Liu, L. Lu, Y.-B. Huang, C. Fang, S.-S. Sun, Q. Wang, L. Wang, Y.-G. Shi, H. M. Weng, H.-C. Lei, K. Liu, S.-C. Wang, T. Qian, J.-L. Luo, and H. Ding, Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 127204 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.127204], a topologically trivial XMR semimetal, except the existence of a band inversion along the Γ -X direction, with one massless and one gapped Dirac-like surface state at the X and Γ points, respectively. The odd number of massless Dirac cones suggests that LaBi is analogous to the time-reversal Z2 nontrivial topological insulator. These findings open up a new series for exploring novel topological states and investigating their evolution from the perspective of topological phase transition within the family of rare-earth monopnictides.

A quantized microwave quadrupole insulator with topologically protected corner states

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Christopher W.; Benalcazar, Wladimir A.; Hughes, Taylor L.; Bahl, Gaurav

2018-03-01

The theory of electric polarization in crystals defines the dipole moment of an insulator in terms of a Berry phase (geometric phase) associated with its electronic ground state. This concept not only solves the long-standing puzzle of how to calculate dipole moments in crystals, but also explains topological band structures in insulators and superconductors, including the quantum anomalous Hall insulator and the quantum spin Hall insulator, as well as quantized adiabatic pumping processes. A recent theoretical study has extended the Berry phase framework to also account for higher electric multipole moments, revealing the existence of higher-order topological phases that have not previously been observed. Here we demonstrate experimentally a member of this predicted class of materials—a quantized quadrupole topological insulator—produced using a gigahertz-frequency reconfigurable microwave circuit. We confirm the non-trivial topological phase using spectroscopic measurements and by identifying corner states that result from the bulk topology. In addition, we test the critical prediction that these corner states are protected by the topology of the bulk, and are not due to surface artefacts, by deforming the edges of the crystal lattice from the topological to the trivial regime. Our results provide conclusive evidence of a unique form of robustness against disorder and deformation, which is characteristic of higher-order topological insulators.

Evidence for Topological Edge States in a Large Energy Gap near the Step Edges on the Surface of ZrTe_{5}

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Wu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Two-dimensional topological insulators with a large bulk band gap are promising for experimental studies of quantum spin Hall effect and for spintronic device applications. Despite considerable theoretical efforts in predicting large-gap two-dimensional topological insulator candidates, none of them have been experimentally demonstrated to have a full gap, which is crucial for quantum spin Hall effect. Here, by combining scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we reveal that ZrTe_{5} crystal hosts a large full gap of ∼100  meV on the surface and a nearly constant density of states within the entire gap at the monolayer step edge. These features are well reproduced by our first-principles calculations, which point to the topologically nontrivial nature of the edge states.

Topological BF field theory description of topological insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Gil Young; Moore, Joel E.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We show that a BF theory is the effective theory of 2D and 3D topological insulators. → The non-gauge-invariance of the bulk theory yields surface terms for a bosonized Dirac fermion. → The 'axion' term in electromagnetism is correctly obtained from gapped surfaces. → Generalizations to possible fractional phases are discussed in closing. - Abstract: Topological phases of matter are described universally by topological field theories in the same way that symmetry-breaking phases of matter are described by Landau-Ginzburg field theories. We propose that topological insulators in two and three dimensions are described by a version of abelian BF theory. For the two-dimensional topological insulator or quantum spin Hall state, this description is essentially equivalent to a pair of Chern-Simons theories, consistent with the realization of this phase as paired integer quantum Hall effect states. The BF description can be motivated from the local excitations produced when a π flux is threaded through this state. For the three-dimensional topological insulator, the BF description is less obvious but quite versatile: it contains a gapless surface Dirac fermion when time-reversal-symmetry is preserved and yields 'axion electrodynamics', i.e., an electromagnetic E . B term, when time-reversal symmetry is broken and the surfaces are gapped. Just as changing the coefficients and charges of 2D Chern-Simons theory allows one to obtain fractional quantum Hall states starting from integer states, BF theory could also describe (at a macroscopic level) fractional 3D topological insulators with fractional statistics of point-like and line-like objects.

Pseudogap and Fermi-Surface Topology in the Two-Dimensional Hubbard Model

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wei; Scheurer, Mathias S.; Chatterjee, Shubhayu; Sachdev, Subir; Georges, Antoine; Ferrero, Michel

2018-04-01

One of the distinctive features of hole-doped cuprate superconductors is the onset of a "pseudogap" below a temperature T* . Recent experiments suggest that there may be a connection between the existence of the pseudogap and the topology of the Fermi surface. Here, we address this issue by studying the two-dimensional Hubbard model with two distinct numerical methods. We find that the pseudogap only exists when the Fermi surface is holelike and that, for a broad range of parameters, its opening is concomitant with a Fermi-surface topology change from electronlike to holelike. We identify a common link between these observations: The polelike feature of the electronic self-energy associated with the formation of the pseudogap is found to also control the degree of particle-hole asymmetry, and hence the Fermi-surface topology transition. We interpret our results in the framework of an SU(2) gauge theory of fluctuating antiferromagnetism. We show that a mean-field treatment of this theory in a metallic state with U(1) topological order provides an explanation of this polelike feature and a good description of our numerical results. We discuss the relevance of our results to experiments on cuprates.

Emergent Momentum-Space Skyrmion Texture on the Surface of Topological Insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanta, Narayan; Kampf, Arno P.; Kopp, Thilo

The quantum anomalous Hall effect has been theoretically predicted and experimentally verified in magnetic topological insulators. In addition, the surface states of these materials exhibit a hedgehog-like ``spin'' texture in momentum space. Here, we apply the previously formulated low-energy model for Bi2Se3, a parent compound for magnetic topological insulators, to a slab geometry in which an exchange field acts only within one of the surface layers. In this sample set up, the hedgehog transforms into a skyrmion texture beyond a critical exchange field. This critical field marks a transition between two topologically distinct phases. The topological phase transition takes place without energy gap closing at the Fermi level and leaves the transverse Hall conductance unchanged and quantized to e2 / 2 h . The momentum-space skyrmion texture persists in a finite field range. It may find its realization in hybrid heterostructures with an interface between a three-dimensional topological insulator and a ferromagnetic insulator. The work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through TRR 80.

Edge states and integer quantum Hall effect in topological insulator thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Song-Bo; Lu, Hai-Zhou; Shen, Shun-Qing

2015-08-25

The integer quantum Hall effect is a topological state of quantum matter in two dimensions, and has recently been observed in three-dimensional topological insulator thin films. Here we study the Landau levels and edge states of surface Dirac fermions in topological insulators under strong magnetic field. We examine the formation of the quantum plateaux of the Hall conductance and find two different patterns, in one pattern the filling number covers all integers while only odd integers in the other. We focus on the quantum plateau closest to zero energy and demonstrate the breakdown of the quantum spin Hall effect resulting from structure inversion asymmetry. The phase diagrams of the quantum Hall states are presented as functions of magnetic field, gate voltage and chemical potential. This work establishes an intuitive picture of the edge states to understand the integer quantum Hall effect for Dirac electrons in topological insulator thin films.

Surface quantum oscillations and weak antilocalization effect in topological insulator (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3

Science.gov (United States)

Urkude, Rajashri; Rawat, Rajeev; Palikundwar, Umesh

2018-04-01

In 3D topological insulators, achieving a genuine bulk-insulating state is an important topic of research. The material system (Bi,Sb)2(Te,Se)3 has been proposed as a topological insulator with high resistivity and low carrier concentration. Topological insulators are predicted to present interesting surface transport phenomena but their experimental studies have been hindered by metallic bulk conduction that overwhelms the surface transport. Here we present a study of the bulk-insulating properties of (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3. We show that a high resistivity exceeding 1 Ωm as a result of variable-range hopping behavior of state and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations as coming from the topological surface state. We have been able to clarify both the bulk and surface transport channels, establishing a comprehensive understanding of the transport properties in this material. Our results demonstrate that (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3 is a good material for studying the surface quantum transport in a topological insulator.

A dynamical topology for the space of states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dittrich, J.

1979-01-01

A new topology is introduced for the space of states of a physical system. This topology is given by dynamics, every state has a neighbourhood consisting of states connected by the time evolution only. With respect to the new topology, all conservation laws can be treated as topological laws. (author)

Geometric entanglement in topologically ordered states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orús, Román; Wei, Tzu-Chieh; Buerschaper, Oliver; Nest, Maarten Van den

2014-01-01

Here we investigate the connection between topological order and the geometric entanglement, as measured by the logarithm of the overlap between a given state and its closest product state of blocks. We do this for a variety of topologically ordered systems such as the toric code, double semion, colour code and quantum double models. As happens for the entanglement entropy, we find that for sufficiently large block sizes the geometric entanglement is, up to possible sub-leading corrections, the sum of two contributions: a bulk contribution obeying a boundary law times the number of blocks and a contribution quantifying the underlying pattern of long-range entanglement of the topologically ordered state. This topological contribution is also present in the case of single-spin blocks in most cases, and constitutes an alternative characterization of topological order for these quantum states based on a multipartite entanglement measure. In particular, we see that the topological term for the two-dimensional colour code is twice as much as the one for the toric code, in accordance with recent renormalization group arguments (Bombin et al 2012 New J. Phys. 14 073048). Motivated by these results, we also derive a general formalism to obtain upper- and lower-bounds to the geometric entanglement of states with a non-Abelian group symmetry, and which we explicitly use to analyse quantum double models. Furthermore, we also provide an analysis of the robustness of the topological contribution in terms of renormalization and perturbation theory arguments, as well as a numerical estimation for small systems. Some of the results in this paper rely on the ability to disentangle single sites from the quantum state, which is always possible for the systems that we consider. Additionally we relate our results to the behaviour of the relative entropy of entanglement in topologically ordered systems, and discuss a number of numerical approaches based on tensor networks that could be

Topological nanophononic states by band inversion

Science.gov (United States)

Esmann, Martin; Lamberti, Fabrice Roland; Senellart, Pascale; Favero, Ivan; Krebs, Olivier; Lanco, Loïc; Gomez Carbonell, Carmen; Lemaître, Aristide; Lanzillotti-Kimura, Norberto Daniel

2018-04-01

Nanophononics is essential for the engineering of thermal transport in nanostructured electronic devices, it greatly facilitates the manipulation of mechanical resonators in the quantum regime, and it could unveil a new route in quantum communications using phonons as carriers of information. Acoustic phonons also constitute a versatile platform for the study of fundamental wave dynamics, including Bloch oscillations, Wannier-Stark ladders, and other localization phenomena. Many of the phenomena studied in nanophononics were inspired by their counterparts in optics and electronics. In these fields, the consideration of topological invariants to control wave dynamics has already had a great impact for the generation of robust confined states. Interestingly, the use of topological phases to engineer nanophononic devices remains an unexplored and promising field. Conversely, the use of acoustic phonons could constitute a rich platform to study topological states. Here, we introduce the concept of topological invariants to nanophononics and experimentally implement a nanophononic system supporting a robust topological interface state at 350 GHz. The state is constructed through band inversion, i.e., by concatenating two semiconductor superlattices with inverted spatial mode symmetries. The existence of this state is purely determined by the Zak phases of the constituent superlattices, i.e., the one-dimensional Berry phase. We experimentally evidenced the mode through Raman spectroscopy. The reported robust topological interface states could become part of nanophononic devices requiring resonant structures such as sensors or phonon lasers.

Topology of Fermi surfaces and anomaly inflows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adem, Alejandro; Camarena, Omar Antolín [Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia,1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2 (Canada); Semenoff, Gordon W. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia,6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, V6T 1Z1 (Canada); Sheinbaum, Daniel [Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia,1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2 (Canada)

2016-11-14

We derive a rigorous classification of topologically stable Fermi surfaces of non-interacting, discrete translation-invariant systems from electronic band theory, adiabatic evolution and their topological interpretations. For systems on an infinite crystal it is shown that there can only be topologically unstable Fermi surfaces. For systems on a half-space and with a gapped bulk, our derivation naturally yields a K-theory classification. Given the d−1-dimensional surface Brillouin zone X{sub s} of a d-dimensional half-space, our result implies that different classes of globally stable Fermi surfaces belong in K{sup −1}(X{sub s}) for systems with only discrete translation-invariance. This result has a chiral anomaly inflow interpretation, as it reduces to the spectral flow for d=2. Through equivariant homotopy methods we extend these results for symmetry classes AI, AII, C and D and discuss their corresponding anomaly inflow interpretation.

Edge states of a three-dimensional topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deb, Oindrila; Sen, Diptiman; Soori, Abhiram

2014-01-01

We use the bulk Hamiltonian for a three-dimensional topological insulator such as Bi 2 Se 3 to study the states which appear on its various surfaces and along the edge between two surfaces. We use both analytical methods based on the surface Hamiltonians (which are derived from the bulk Hamiltonian) and numerical methods based on a lattice discretization of the bulk Hamiltonian. We find that the application of a potential barrier along an edge can give rise to states localized at that edge. These states have an unusual energy-momentum dispersion which can be controlled by applying a potential along the edge; in particular, the velocity of these states can be tuned to zero. The scattering and conductance across the edge is studied as a function of the edge potential. We show that a magnetic field in a particular direction can also give rise to zero energy states on certain edges. We point out possible experimental ways of looking for the various edge states. (paper)

Observation of elastic topological states in soft materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuaifeng; Zhao, Degang; Niu, Hao; Zhu, Xuefeng; Zang, Jianfeng

2018-04-10

Topological elastic metamaterials offer insight into classic motion law and open up opportunities in quantum and classic information processing. Theoretical modeling and numerical simulation of elastic topological states have been reported, whereas the experimental observation remains relatively unexplored. Here we present an experimental observation and numerical simulation of tunable topological states in soft elastic metamaterials. The on-demand reversible switch in topological phase has been achieved by changing filling ratio, tension, and/or compression of the elastic metamaterials. By combining two elastic metamaterials with distinct topological invariants, we further demonstrate the formation and dynamic tunability of topological interface states by mechanical deformation, and the manipulation of elastic wave propagation. Moreover, we provide a topological phase diagram of elastic metamaterials under deformation. Our approach to dynamically control interface states in soft materials paves the way to various phononic systems involving thermal management and soft robotics requiring better use of energy.

Intrinsic conduction through topological surface states of insulating Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} epitaxial thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoefer, Katharina; Becker, Christoph; Rata, Diana; Thalmeier, Peter; Tjeng, Liu Hao [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); Swanson, Jesse [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)

2015-07-01

Topological insulators represent a new state of matter that open up new opportunities to create unique quantum particles. Many exciting experiments have been proposed by theory, yet, the main obstacle for their execution is material quality and cleanliness of the experimental conditions. The presence of tiny amounts of defects in the bulk or contaminants at the surface already mask these phenomena. We present the preparation, structural and spectroscopic characterisation of MBE-grown Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films that are insulating in the bulk. Moreover, temperature dependent four-point-probe resistivity measurements of the Dirac states on surfaces that are intrinsically clean were conducted. The total amount of surface charge carries is in the order of 10{sup 12} cm{sup -2} and mobilities up to 4600 cm{sup 2}/Vs are observed. Importantly, these results are achieved by carrying out the preparation and characterisation all in-situ under ultra-high-vacuum conditions.

Ultra-low carrier concentration and surface-dominant transport in antimony-doped Bi2Se3 topological insulator nanoribbons

KAUST Repository

Hong, Seung Sae; Cha, Judy J.; Kong, Desheng; Cui, Yi

2012-01-01

A topological insulator is the state of quantum matter possessing gapless spin-locking surface states across the bulk band gap, which has created new opportunities from novel electronics to energy conversion. However, the large concentration of bulk residual carriers has been a major challenge for revealing the property of the topological surface state by electron transport measurements. Here we report the surface-state-dominant transport in antimony-doped, zinc oxide-encapsulated Bi2Se3 nanoribbons with suppressed bulk electron concentration. In the nanoribbon with sub-10-nm thickness protected by a zinc oxide layer, we position the Fermi levels of the top and bottom surfaces near the Dirac point by electrostatic gating, achieving extremely low two-dimensional carrier concentration of 2×10 11cm-2. The zinc oxide-capped, antimony-doped Bi 2Se3 nanostructures provide an attractive materials platform to study fundamental physics in topological insulators, as well as future applications. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Ultra-low carrier concentration and surface-dominant transport in antimony-doped Bi2Se3 topological insulator nanoribbons

KAUST Repository

Hong, Seung Sae

2012-03-27

A topological insulator is the state of quantum matter possessing gapless spin-locking surface states across the bulk band gap, which has created new opportunities from novel electronics to energy conversion. However, the large concentration of bulk residual carriers has been a major challenge for revealing the property of the topological surface state by electron transport measurements. Here we report the surface-state-dominant transport in antimony-doped, zinc oxide-encapsulated Bi2Se3 nanoribbons with suppressed bulk electron concentration. In the nanoribbon with sub-10-nm thickness protected by a zinc oxide layer, we position the Fermi levels of the top and bottom surfaces near the Dirac point by electrostatic gating, achieving extremely low two-dimensional carrier concentration of 2×10 11cm-2. The zinc oxide-capped, antimony-doped Bi 2Se3 nanostructures provide an attractive materials platform to study fundamental physics in topological insulators, as well as future applications. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Unconventional transformation of spin Dirac phase across a topological quantum phase transition

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Su-Yang; Neupane, Madhab; Belopolski, Ilya; Liu, Chang; Alidoust, Nasser; Bian, Guang; Jia, Shuang; Landolt, Gabriel; Slomski, Batosz; Dil, J. Hugo; Shibayev, Pavel P.; Basak, Susmita; Chang, Tay-Rong; Jeng, Horng-Tay; Cava, Robert J.; Lin, Hsin; Bansil, Arun; Hasan, M. Zahid

2015-01-01

The topology of a topological material can be encoded in its surface states. These surface states can only be removed by a bulk topological quantum phase transition into a trivial phase. Here we use photoemission spectroscopy to image the formation of protected surface states in a topological insulator as we chemically tune the system through a topological transition. Surprisingly, we discover an exotic spin-momentum locked, gapped surface state in the trivial phase that shares many important properties with the actual topological surface state in anticipation of the change of topology. Using a spin-resolved measurement, we show that apart from a surface bandgap these states develop spin textures similar to the topological surface states well before the transition. Our results offer a general paradigm for understanding how surface states in topological phases arise from a quantum phase transition and are suggestive for the future realization of Weyl arcs, condensed matter supersymmetry and other fascinating phenomena in the vicinity of a quantum criticality. PMID:25882717

Dirac cone and pseudogapped density of states in the topological half-Heusler compound YPtBi

Science.gov (United States)

Kronenberg, A.; Braun, J.; Minár, J.; Elmers, H.-J.; Kutnyakhov, D.; Zaporozhchenko, A. V.; Wallauer, R.; Chernov, S.; Medjanik, K.; Schönhense, G.; Kläui, M.; Chadov, S.; Ebert, H.; Jourdan, M.

2016-10-01

Topological insulators (TIs) are exciting materials, which exhibit unprecedented properties, such as helical spin-momentum locking, which leads to large torques for magnetic switching and highly efficient spin current detection. Here we explore the compound YPtBi, an example from the class of half-Heusler materials, for which the typical band inversion of topological insulators was predicted. We prepared this material as thin films by conventional cosputtering from elementary targets. By in situ time-of-flight momentum microscopy, a Dirac conelike surface state with a Dirac point ≃300 meV below the Fermi energy was observed, in agreement with electronic structure-photoemission calculations. Only little additional spectral weight due to other states was observed at EF, which corroborates the identification of the topologically protected surface state and is highly relevant for spintronics applications.

Geometry and topology of wild translation surfaces

OpenAIRE

Randecker, Anja

2016-01-01

A translation surface is a two-dimensional manifold, equipped with a translation structure. It can be obtained by considering Euclidean polygons and identifying their edges via translations. The vertices of the polygons form singularities if the translation structure can not be extended to them. We study translation surfaces with wild singularities, regarding the topology (genus and space of ends), the geometry (behavior of the singularities), and how the topology and the geometry are related.

Weak antilocalization effect due to topological surface states in Bi2Se2.1Te0.9

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, K.; Graf, D.; Marinova, V.; Lorenz, B.; Chu, C. W.

2017-10-01

We have investigated the weak antilocalization (WAL) effect in the p-type Bi2Se2.1Te0.9 topological system. The magnetoconductance shows a cusp-like feature at low magnetic fields, indicating the presence of the WAL effect. The WAL curves measured at different tilt angles merge together when they are plotted as a function of the normal field components, showing that surface states dominate the magnetoconductance in the Bi2Se2.1Te0.9 crystal. We have calculated magnetoconductance per conduction channel and applied the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka formula to determine the physical parameters that characterize the WAL effect. The number of conduction channels and the phase coherence length do not change with temperature up to T = 5 K. In addition, the sample shows a large positive magnetoresistance that reaches 1900% under a magnetic field of 35 T at T = 0.33 K with no sign of saturation. The magnetoresistance value decreases with both increasing temperature and tilt angle of the sample surface with respect to the magnetic field. The large magnetoresistance of topological insulators can be utilized in future technology such as sensors and memory devices.

Deformation and stability of surface states in Dirac semimetals

Science.gov (United States)

Kargarian, Mehdi; Lu, Yuan-Ming; Randeria, Mohit

2018-04-01

The unusual surface states of topological semimetals have attracted a lot of attention. Recently, we showed [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 113, 8648 (2016), 10.1073/pnas.1524787113] that for a Dirac semimetal (DSM) arising from band inversion, such as Na3Bi and Cd3As2 , the expected double Fermi arcs on the surface are not topologically protected. Quite generally, the arcs deform into states similar to those on the surface of a strong topological insulator. Here we address two questions related to deformation and stability of surface states in DSMs. First, we discuss why certain perturbations, no matter how large, are unable to destroy the double Fermi arcs. We show that this is related to a certain extra (particle-hole) symmetry, which is nongeneric in materials. Second, we discuss situations in which the surface states are completely destroyed without breaking any symmetry or impacting the bulk Dirac nodes. We are not aware of any experimental or density functional theory (DFT) candidates for a material which is a bulk DSM without any surface states, but our results clearly show that this is possible.

Aharonov–Bohm interference in topological insulator nanoribbons

KAUST Repository

Peng, Hailin

2009-12-13

Topological insulators represent unusual phases of quantum matter with an insulating bulk gap and gapless edges or surface states. The two-dimensional topological insulator phase was predicted in HgTe quantum wells and confirmed by transport measurements. Recently, Bi2 Se3 and related materials have been proposed as three-dimensional topological insulators with a single Dirac cone on the surface, protected by time-reversal symmetry. The topological surface states have been observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. However, few transport measurements in this context have been reported, presumably owing to the predominance of bulk carriers from crystal defects or thermal excitations. Here we show unambiguous transport evidence of topological surface states through periodic quantum interference effects in layered single-crystalline Bi2 Se3 nanoribbons, which have larger surface-to-volume ratios than bulk materials and can therefore manifest surface effects. Pronounced Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the magnetoresistance clearly demonstrate the coherent propagation of two-dimensional electrons around the perimeter of the nanoribbon surface, as expected from the topological nature of the surface states. The dominance of the primary h/e oscillation, where h is Plancks constant and e is the electron charge, and its temperature dependence demonstrate the robustness of these states. Our results suggest that topological insulator nanoribbons afford promising materials for future spintronic devices at room temperature.

Topological phases of topological-insulator thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Asmar, Mahmoud M.; Sheehy, Daniel E.; Vekhter, Ilya

2018-02-01

We study the properties of a thin film of topological insulator material. We treat the coupling between helical states at opposite surfaces of the film in the properly-adapted tunneling approximation, and show that the tunneling matrix element oscillates as a function of both the film thickness and the momentum in the plane of the film for Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 . As a result, while the magnitude of the matrix element at the center of the surface Brillouin zone gives the gap in the energy spectrum, the sign of the matrix element uniquely determines the topological properties of the film, as demonstrated by explicitly computing the pseudospin textures and the Chern number. We find a sequence of transitions between topological and nontopological phases, separated by semimetallic states, as the film thickness varies. In the topological phase, the edge states of the film always exist but only carry a spin current if the edge potentials break particle-hole symmetry. The edge states decay very slowly away from the boundary in Bi2Se3 , making Bi2Te3 , where this scale is shorter, a more promising candidate for the observation of these states. Our results hold for free-standing films as well as heterostructures with large-gap insulators.

Signatures of Majorana bound states in one-dimensional topological superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pientka, Falko

2014-01-01

experimental manifestation of Majoranas is a zero-bias peak in the differential conductance. Here we show that in multi-subband wires the Majorana conductance peak can be suppressed compared to a strictly one-dimensional system, thereby providing a plausible explanation for recent experimental results. Based on this analysis, we furthermore predict an enhancement of the signature by deliberately introducing disorder, which could establish strong evidence for a Majorana bound state. A very recent proposal to realize a topological superconductor is based on a chain of magnetic impurities on the surface of a conventional superconductor. Here we derive a microscopic model in terms of the Shiba states bound to the individual impurities in the superconductor. Under realistic experimental conditions, the model involves long-range couplings leading to a new kind of topological phase transition and remarkable localization properties of the Majoranas. Finally, we investigate the tunneling spectroscopy of subgap states in superconductors. We develop a theory to describe the differential tunneling conductance from a superconducting tip into a localized quasiparticle state including relaxation processes present at nonzero temperature. Our result are in good agreement with experimental data on Shiba states and give access to properties of the bound state such as the local density of states and the nature of the relevant relaxation processes.

Spin-torque generation in topological insulator based heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Fischer, Mark H.

2016-03-11

Heterostructures utilizing topological insulators exhibit a remarkable spin-torque efficiency. However, the exact origin of the strong torque, in particular whether it stems from the spin-momentum locking of the topological surface states or rather from spin-Hall physics of the topological-insulator bulk, remains unclear. Here, we explore a mechanism of spin-torque generation purely based on the topological surface states. We consider topological-insulator-based bilayers involving ferromagnetic metal (TI/FM) and magnetically doped topological insulators (TI/mdTI), respectively. By ascribing the key theoretical differences between the two setups to location and number of active surface states, we describe both setups within the same framework of spin diffusion of the nonequilibrium spin density of the topological surface states. For the TI/FM bilayer, we find large spin-torque efficiencies of roughly equal magnitude for both in-plane and out-of-plane spin torques. For the TI/mdTI bilayer, we elucidate the dominance of the spin-transfer-like torque. However, we cannot explain the orders of magnitude enhancement reported. Nevertheless, our model gives an intuitive picture of spin-torque generation in topological-insulator-based bilayers and provides theoretical constraints on spin-torque generation due to topological surface states.

Topological Invariants and Ground-State Wave functions of Topological Insulators on a Torus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhong Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We define topological invariants in terms of the ground-state wave functions on a torus. This approach leads to precisely defined formulas for the Hall conductance in four dimensions and the topological magnetoelectric θ term in three dimensions, and their generalizations in higher dimensions. They are valid in the presence of arbitrary many-body interactions and disorder. These topological invariants systematically generalize the two-dimensional Niu-Thouless-Wu formula and will be useful in numerical calculations of disordered topological insulators and strongly correlated topological insulators, especially fractional topological insulators.

Transport of Dirac fermions on the surface of strong topological insulator and graphene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kundu, Arijit

2012-06-14

In this dissertation I study electronic transport through Dirac Fermions on the surface of strong topological insulator and graphene. I start by reviewing the physics of topological insulator and graphene and the low energy effective theory for the electronic states of the surface of a 3D strong topological insulator and graphene. Using this theory the electronic structure of the surface states of strong topological insulators of geometries with large surface to bulk ratio like nanowire and thin film are obtained. Then the energy spectrum and the spin-parity structure of the eigenstates for a finite size topological insulator quantum dot of the shape of a nanotube are considered. Numerical calculations show that even at the lowest energy scales, the ''spin-surface locking'' is broken, that is, the spin direction in a topologically protected surface mode is not locked to the surface. The calculations also show the existence of ''zero-momentum'' modes, and sub-gap states localized near the ''caps'' of the dot. Both the energy spectrum and the spin texture of the eigenstates are basically reproduced from an analytical surface Dirac fermion description. The results are compared to microscopic calculations using a tight-binding model for a strong topological insulator in a finite-length nanowire geometry, which shows qualitative similarity. Then, a theoretical study of electron-phonon scattering effects in thin films made of a strong topological insulator is presented. Phonons are modeled by isotropic elastic continuum theory with stress-free boundary conditions, and the interaction with the helical surface Dirac fermions is mediated by the deformation potential. The temperature-dependent electrical resistivity ρ(T) and the quasi-particle decay rate Γ(T) observable in photo-emission are computed numerically. The low and high-temperature power laws for both quantities are obtained analytically. Detailed

Flow Structure and Surface Topology on a UCAV Planform

Science.gov (United States)

Elkhoury, Michel; Yavuz, Metin; Rockwell, Donald

2003-11-01

Flow past a X-45 UCAV planform involves the complex generation and interaction of vortices, their breakdown and occurrence of surface separation and stall. A cinema technique of high-image-density particle image velocimetry, in conjunction with dye visualization, allows characterization of the time-averaged and instantaneous states of the flow, in terms of critical points of the near-surface streamlines. These features are related to patterns of surface normal vorticity and velocity fluctuation. Spectral analysis of the naturally occurring unsteadiness of the flow allows definition of the most effective frequencies for small-amplitude perturbation of the wing, which leads to substantial alterations of the aforementioned patterns of flow structure and topology adjacent to the surface.

Explorations in topology map coloring, surfaces and knots

CERN Document Server

Gay, David

2013-01-01

Explorations in Topology, Second Edition, provides students a rich experience with low-dimensional topology (map coloring, surfaces, and knots), enhances their geometrical and topological intuition, empowers them with new approaches to solving problems, and provides them with experiences that will help them make sense of future, more formal topology courses. The book's innovative story-line style models the problem-solving process, presents the development of concepts in a natural way, and engages students in meaningful encounters with the material. The updated end-of-chapter investigation

Topological Material-Based Spin Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Minhao; Wang, Xuefeng

Three-dimensional topological insulators have insulating bulk and gapless helical surface states. One of the most fascinating properties of the metallic surface states is the spin-momentum helical locking. The giant current-driven torques on the magnetic layer have been discovered in TI/ferromagnet bilayers originating from the spin-momentum helical locking, enabling the efficient magnetization switching with a low current density. We demonstrated the current-direction dependent on-off state in TIs-based spin valve devices for memory and logic applications. Further, we demonstrated the Bi2Se3 system will go from a topologically nontrivial state to a topologically trivial state when Bi atoms are replaced by lighter In atoms. Here, topologically trivial metal (BixIny)2 Se3 with high mobility also facilitates the realization of its application in multifunctional spintronic devices.

Chimera states: Effects of different coupling topologies

Science.gov (United States)

Bera, Bidesh K.; Majhi, Soumen; Ghosh, Dibakar; Perc, Matjaž

2017-04-01

Collective behavior among coupled dynamical units can emerge in various forms as a result of different coupling topologies as well as different types of coupling functions. Chimera states have recently received ample attention as a fascinating manifestation of collective behavior, in particular describing a symmetry breaking spatiotemporal pattern where synchronized and desynchronized states coexist in a network of coupled oscillators. In this perspective, we review the emergence of different chimera states, focusing on the effects of different coupling topologies that describe the interaction network connecting the oscillators. We cover chimera states that emerge in local, nonlocal and global coupling topologies, as well as in modular, temporal and multilayer networks. We also provide an outline of challenges and directions for future research.

The effect of van der Waal's gap expansions on the surface electronic structure of layered topological insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eremeev, S V; Vergniory, M G; Chulkov, E V; Menshchikova, T V; Shaposhnikov, A A

2012-01-01

On the basis of relativistic ab initio calculations, we show that an expansion of van der Waal's (vdW) spacings in layered topological insulators caused by intercalation of deposited atoms, leads to the simultaneous emergence of parabolic and M-shaped two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) bands as well as Rashba-splitting of the former states. The expansion of vdW spacings and the emergence of the 2DEG states localized in the (sub)surface region are also accompanied by a relocation of the topological surface state to the lower quintuple layers, that can explain the absence of inter-band scattering found experimentally. (paper)

Systematic study of transport via surface and bulk states in Bi2Te3 topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

de Castro, S.; Peres, M. L.; Chitta, V. A.; Gratens, X.; Soares, D. A. W.; Fornari, C. I.; Rappl, P. H. O.; Abramof, E.; Oliveira, N. F., Jr.

2016-07-01

We performed magnetoresistance measurements on Bi2Te3 thin film in the temperature range of T = 1.2-4.0 K and for magnetic fields up to 2 T. The curves exhibited anomalous behavior for temperatures below 4.0 K. Different temperature intervals revealed electrical transport through different conductive channels with clear signatures of weak antilocalization. The magnetoresistance curves were explained using the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model and the 2D Dirac modified model. The comparison between the parameters obtained from the two models revealed the transport via topological surface states and bulk states. In addition, a superconductive like transition is observed for the lowest temperatures and we suggest that this effect can be originated from the misfit dislocations caused by strain, giving rise to a superconductive channel between the interface of the film and the substrate.

Converting topological insulators into topological metals within the tetradymite family

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, K.-W.; Aryal, N.; Dai, J.; Graf, D.; Zhang, S.; Das, S.; Le Fèvre, P.; Bertran, F.; Yukawa, R.; Horiba, K.; Kumigashira, H.; Frantzeskakis, E.; Fortuna, F.; Balicas, L.; Santander-Syro, A. F.; Manousakis, E.; Baumbach, R. E.

2018-04-01

We report the electronic band structures and concomitant Fermi surfaces for a family of exfoliable tetradymite compounds with the formula T2C h2P n , obtained as a modification to the well-known topological insulator binaries Bi2(Se,Te ) 3 by replacing one chalcogen (C h ) with a pnictogen (P n ) and Bi with the tetravalent transition metals T = Ti, Zr, or Hf. This imbalances the electron count and results in layered metals characterized by relatively high carrier mobilities and bulk two-dimensional Fermi surfaces whose topography is well-described by first-principles calculations. Intriguingly, slab electronic structure calculations predict Dirac-like surface states. In contrast to Bi2Se3 , where the surface Dirac bands are at the Γ point, for (Zr,Hf ) 2Te2 (P,As) there are Dirac cones of strong topological character around both the Γ ¯ and M ¯ points, which are above and below the Fermi energy, respectively. For Ti2Te2P , the surface state is predicted to exist only around the M ¯ point. In agreement with these predictions, the surface states that are located below the Fermi energy are observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, revealing that they coexist with the bulk metallic state. Thus this family of materials provides a foundation upon which to develop novel phenomena that exploit both the bulk and surface states (e.g., topological superconductivity).

Topological insulators in Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 with a single Dirac cone on the surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haijun; Liu, Chao-Xing; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Dai, Xi; Fang, Zhong; Zhang, Shou-Cheng

2009-06-01

Topological insulators are new states of quantum matter in which surface states residing in the bulk insulating gap of such systems are protected by time-reversal symmetry. The study of such states was originally inspired by the robustness to scattering of conducting edge states in quantum Hall systems. Recently, such analogies have resulted in the discovery of topologically protected states in two-dimensional and three-dimensional band insulators with large spin-orbit coupling. So far, the only known three-dimensional topological insulator is BixSb1-x, which is an alloy with complex surface states. Here, we present the results of first-principles electronic structure calculations of the layered, stoichiometric crystals Sb2Te3, Sb2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3. Our calculations predict that Sb2Te3, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 are topological insulators, whereas Sb2Se3 is not. These topological insulators have robust and simple surface states consisting of a single Dirac cone at the Γ point. In addition, we predict that Bi2Se3 has a topologically non-trivial energy gap of 0.3eV, which is larger than the energy scale of room temperature. We further present a simple and unified continuum model that captures the salient topological features of this class of materials.

Observation of topological surface states and strong electron/hole imbalance in extreme magnetoresistance compound LaBi

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, J.; Schröter, N. B. M.; Wu, S.-C.; Kumar, N.; Shekhar, C.; Peng, H.; Xu, X.; Chen, C.; Yang, H. F.; Hwang, C.-C.; Mo, S.-K.; Felser, C.; Yan, B. H.; Liu, Z. K.; Yang, L. X.; Chen, Y. L.

2018-02-01

The recent discovery of the extreme magnetoresistance (XMR) in the nonmagnetic rare-earth monopnictides La X (X = P, As, Sb, Bi,), a recently proposed new topological semimetal family, has inspired intensive research effort in the exploration of the correlation between the XMR and their electronic structures. In this work, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to investigate the three-dimensional band structure of LaBi, we unraveled its topologically nontrivial nature with the observation of multiple topological surface Dirac fermions, as supported by our ab initio calculations. Furthermore, we observed substantial imbalance between the volume of electron and hole pockets, which rules out the electron-hole compensation as the primary cause of the XMR in LaBi.

Pairing States of Spin-3/2 Fermions: Symmetry-Enforced Topological Gap Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Venderbos, Jörn W. F.; Savary, Lucile; Ruhman, Jonathan; Lee, Patrick A.; Fu, Liang

2018-01-01

We study the topological properties of superconductors with paired j =3/2 quasiparticles. Higher spin Fermi surfaces can arise, for instance, in strongly spin-orbit coupled band-inverted semimetals. Examples include the Bi-based half-Heusler materials, which have recently been established as low-temperature and low-carrier density superconductors. Motivated by this experimental observation, we obtain a comprehensive symmetry-based classification of topological pairing states in systems with higher angular momentum Cooper pairing. Our study consists of two main parts. First, we develop the phenomenological theory of multicomponent (i.e., higher angular momentum) pairing by classifying the stationary points of the free energy within a Ginzburg-Landau framework. Based on the symmetry classification of stationary pairing states, we then derive the symmetry-imposed constraints on their gap structures. We find that, depending on the symmetry quantum numbers of the Cooper pairs, different types of topological pairing states can occur: fully gapped topological superconductors in class DIII, Dirac superconductors, and superconductors hosting Majorana fermions. Notably, we find a series of nematic fully gapped topological superconductors, as well as double- and triple-Dirac superconductors, with quadratic and cubic dispersion, respectively. Our approach, applied here to the case of j =3/2 Cooper pairing, is rooted in the symmetry properties of pairing states, and can therefore also be applied to other systems with higher angular momentum and high-spin pairing. We conclude by relating our results to experimentally accessible signatures in thermodynamic and dynamic probes.

Ultrafast surface carrier dynamics in the topological insulator Bi₂Te₃.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajlaoui, M; Papalazarou, E; Mauchain, J; Lantz, G; Moisan, N; Boschetto, D; Jiang, Z; Miotkowski, I; Chen, Y P; Taleb-Ibrahimi, A; Perfetti, L; Marsi, M

2012-07-11

We discuss the ultrafast evolution of the surface electronic structure of the topological insulator Bi(2)Te(3) following a femtosecond laser excitation. Using time and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we provide a direct real-time visualization of the transient carrier population of both the surface states and the bulk conduction band. We find that the thermalization of the surface states is initially determined by interband scattering from the bulk conduction band, lasting for about 0.5 ps; subsequently, few picoseconds are necessary for the Dirac cone nonequilibrium electrons to recover a Fermi-Dirac distribution, while their relaxation extends over more than 10 ps. The surface sensitivity of our measurements makes it possible to estimate the range of the bulk-surface interband scattering channel, indicating that the process is effective over a distance of 5 nm or less. This establishes a correlation between the nanoscale thickness of the bulk charge reservoir and the evolution of the ultrafast carrier dynamics in the surface Dirac cone.

Topological Phases in the Real World

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Yi-Ting

The experimental discovery and subsequent theoretical understanding of the integer quantum Hall effect, the first known topological phase, has started a revolutionary breakthrough in understanding states of matter since its discovery four decades ago. Topological phases are predicted to have many generic signatures resulting from their underlying topological nature, such as quantized Hall transport, robust boundary states, and possible fractional excitations. The intriguing nature of these signatures and their potential applications in quantum computation has intensely fueled the efforts of the physics community to materialize topological phases. Among various topological phases initially predicted on theoretical grounds, chiral topological superconductors and time-reversal symmetric topological insulators (TI) in three dimension (3D) are two promising candidates for experimental realization and application. The family of materials, Bi2X3 (X = Se, Te), has been predicted and shown experimentally to be time-reversal symmetric 3D TIs through the observation of robust Dirac surface states with Rashba-type spin-winding. Due to their robust surface states with spin-windings, these 3D TIs are expected to be promising materials for producing large spin-transfer torques which are advantageous for spintronics application. As for topological superconductors, despite the exotic excitations that have been extensively proposed as qubits for topological quantum computing, materials hosting topological superconductivity are rare to date and the leading candidate in two dimensions (2D), Sr 2RuO4, has a low transition temperature (Tc ). The goal of my phd study is to push forward the current status of realization of topological phases by materializing higher Tc topological superconductors and investigating the stability of Dirac surface states in 3D TIs. In the first part of this thesis, I will discuss our double-pronged objective for topological superconductors: to propose how to

Nanoscale electron transport at the surface of a topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Sebastian; Bobisch, Christian A.

2016-04-01

The use of three-dimensional topological insulators for disruptive technologies critically depends on the dissipationless transport of electrons at the surface, because of the suppression of backscattering at defects. However, in real devices, defects are unavoidable and scattering at angles other than 180° is allowed for such materials. Until now, this has been studied indirectly by bulk measurements and by the analysis of the local density of states in close vicinity to defect sites. Here, we directly measure the nanoscale voltage drop caused by the scattering at step edges, which occurs if a lateral current flows along a three-dimensional topological insulator. The experiments were performed using scanning tunnelling potentiometry for thin Bi2Se3 films. So far, the observed voltage drops are small because of large contributions of the bulk to the electronic transport. However, for the use of ideal topological insulating thin films in devices, these contributions would play a significant role.

Formation of Dirac point and the topological surface states inside the strained gap for mixed 3D Hg1-xCdx Te

Science.gov (United States)

Marchewka, Michał

2016-10-01

In this paper the results of the numerical calculation obtained for the three-dimensional (3D) strained Hg1-xCdx Te layers for the x-Cd composition from 0.1 to 0.155 and a different mismatch of the lattice constant are presented. For the investigated region of the Cd composition (x value) the negative energy gap (Eg =Γ8 -Γ6) in the Hg1-xCdx Te is smaller than in the case of pure HgTe which, as it turns out, has a significant influence on the topological surface states (TSS) and the position of the Dirac point. The numerical calculation based on the finite difference method applied for the 8×8 kp model with the in-plane tensile strain for (001) growth oriented structure shows that the Dirac cone inside the induced insulating band gap for non zero of the Cd composition and a bigger strain caused by the bigger lattice mismatch (than for the 3D HgTe TI) can be obtained. It was also shown how different x-Cd compounds move the Dirac cone from the valence band into the band gap. The presented results show that 75 nm wide 3D Hg1-xCdx Te structures with x ≈ 0.155 and 1.6% lattice mismatch make the system a true topological insulator with the dispersion of the topological surface states similar to those ones obtained for the strained CdTe/HgTe QW.

Topological Superconductivity on the Surface of Fe-Based Superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Gang; Lian, Biao; Tang, Peizhe; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Zhang, Shou-Cheng

2016-07-22

As one of the simplest systems for realizing Majorana fermions, the topological superconductor plays an important role in both condensed matter physics and quantum computations. Based on ab initio calculations and the analysis of an effective 8-band model with superconducting pairing, we demonstrate that the three-dimensional extended s-wave Fe-based superconductors such as Fe_{1+y}Se_{0.5}Te_{0.5} have a metallic topologically nontrivial band structure, and exhibit a normal-topological-normal superconductivity phase transition on the (001) surface by tuning the bulk carrier doping level. In the topological superconductivity (TSC) phase, a Majorana zero mode is trapped at the end of a magnetic vortex line. We further show that the surface TSC phase only exists up to a certain bulk pairing gap, and there is a normal-topological phase transition driven by the temperature, which has not been discussed before. These results pave an effective way to realize the TSC and Majorana fermions in a large class of superconductors.

Topology in quantum states. PEPS formalism and beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguado, M [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik. Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1. D-85748 Garching (Germany); Cirac, J I [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik. Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1. D-85748 Garching (Germany); Vidal, G [School of Physical Sciences. University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072 (Australia)

2007-11-15

Topology has been proposed as a tool to protect quantum information encoding and processes. Work concerning the meaning of topology in quantum states as well as its characterisation in the projected entangled pair state (PEPS) formalism and related schemes is reviewed.

Two-dimensionally confined topological edge states in photonic crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barik, Sabyasachi; Miyake, Hirokazu; DeGottardi, Wade; Waks, Edo; Hafezi, Mohammad

2016-01-01

We present an all-dielectric photonic crystal structure that supports two-dimensionally confined helical topological edge states. The topological properties of the system are controlled by the crystal parameters. An interface between two regions of differing band topologies gives rise to topological edge states confined in a dielectric slab that propagate around sharp corners without backscattering. Three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain calculations show these edges to be confined in the out-of-plane direction by total internal reflection. Such nanoscale photonic crystal architectures could enable strong interactions between photonic edge states and quantum emitters. (paper)

Reconfigurable topological photonic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Shalaev, Mikhail I.; Desnavi, Sameerah; Walasik, Wiktor; Litchinitser, Natalia M.

2018-02-01

Topological insulators are materials that conduct on the surface and insulate in their interior due to non-trivial topology of the band structure. The edge states on the interface between topological (non-trivial) and conventional (trivial) insulators are topologically protected from scattering due to structural defects and disorders. Recently, it was shown that photonic crystals (PCs) can serve as a platform for realizing a scatter-free propagation of light waves. In conventional PCs, imperfections, structural disorders, and surface roughness lead to significant losses. The breakthrough in overcoming these problems is likely to come from the synergy of the topological PCs and silicon-based photonics technology that enables high integration density, lossless propagation, and immunity to fabrication imperfections. For many applications, reconfigurability and capability to control the propagation of these non-trivial photonic edge states is essential. One way to facilitate such dynamic control is to use liquid crystals (LCs), which allow to modify the refractive index with external electric field. Here, we demonstrate dynamic control of topological edge states by modifying the refractive index of a LC background medium. Background index is changed depending on the orientation of a LC, while preserving the topology of the system. This results in a change of the spectral position of the photonic bandgap and the topological edge states. The proposed concept might be implemented using conventional semiconductor technology, and can be used for robust energy transport in integrated photonic devices, all-optical circuity, and optical communication systems.

Disorder effects in topological states: Brief review of the recent developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Binglan; Zhou Jiaojiao; Jiang Hua; Song Juntao

2016-01-01

Disorder inevitably exists in realistic samples, manifesting itself in various exotic properties for the topological states. In this paper, we summarize and briefly review the work completed over the last few years, including our own, regarding recent developments in several topics about disorder effects in topological states. For weak disorder, the robustness of topological states is demonstrated, especially for both quantum spin Hall states with Z 2 = 1 and size induced nontrivial topological insulators with Z 2 = 0. For moderate disorder, by increasing the randomness of both the impurity distribution and the impurity induced potential, the topological insulator states can be created from normal metallic or insulating states. These phenomena and their mechanisms are summarized. For strong disorder, the disorder causes a metal–insulator transition. Due to their topological nature, the phase diagrams are much richer in topological state systems. Finally, the trends in these areas of disorder research are discussed. (topical review)

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism in topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Duming

Topological insulators, a new state of matter discovered recently, have attracted great interest due to their novel properties. They are insulating inside the bulk, but conducting at the surface or edges. This peculiar behavior is characterized by an insulating bulk energy gap and gapless surface or edge states, which originate from strong spin-orbit coupling and time-reversal symmetry. The spin and momentum locked surface states not only provide a model system to study fundamental physics, but can also lead to applications in spintronics and dissipationless electronics. While topological insulators are interesting by themselves, more exotic behaviors are predicted when an energy gap is induced at the surface. This dissertation explores two types of surface state gap in topological insulators, a superconducting gap induced by proximity effect and a magnetic gap induced by chemical doping. The first three chapters provide introductory theory and experimental details of my research. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the theoretical background of topological insulators. Chapter 2 is dedicated to material synthesis principles and techniques. I will focus on two major synthesis methods: molecular beam epitaxy for the growth of Bi2Se3 thin films and chemical vapor deposition for the growth of Bi2Se3 nanoribbons and nanowires. Material characterization is discussed in Chapter 3. I will describe structural, morphological, magnetic, electrical, and electronic characterization techniques used to study topological insulators. Chapter 4 discusses the experiments on proximity-induced superconductivity in topological insulator (Bi2Se3) nanoribbons. This work is motivated by the search for the elusive Majorana fermions, which act as their own antiparticles. They were proposed by Ettore Majorara in 1937, but have remained undiscovered. Recently, Majorana's concept has been revived in condensed matter physics: a condensed matter analog of Majorana fermions is predicted to

Topological Acoustics

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhaoju; Gao, Fei; Shi, Xihang; Lin, Xiao; Gao, Zhen; Chong, Yidong; Zhang, Baile

2015-03-01

The manipulation of acoustic wave propagation in fluids has numerous applications, including some in everyday life. Acoustic technologies frequently develop in tandem with optics, using shared concepts such as waveguiding and metamedia. It is thus noteworthy that an entirely novel class of electromagnetic waves, known as "topological edge states," has recently been demonstrated. These are inspired by the electronic edge states occurring in topological insulators, and possess a striking and technologically promising property: the ability to travel in a single direction along a surface without backscattering, regardless of the existence of defects or disorder. Here, we develop an analogous theory of topological fluid acoustics, and propose a scheme for realizing topological edge states in an acoustic structure containing circulating fluids. The phenomenon of disorder-free one-way sound propagation, which does not occur in ordinary acoustic devices, may have novel applications for acoustic isolators, modulators, and transducers.

Disorder effects in topological states: Brief review of the recent developments

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Binglan; Song, Juntao; Zhou, Jiaojiao; Jiang, Hua

2016-11-01

Disorder inevitably exists in realistic samples, manifesting itself in various exotic properties for the topological states. In this paper, we summarize and briefly review the work completed over the last few years, including our own, regarding recent developments in several topics about disorder effects in topological states. For weak disorder, the robustness of topological states is demonstrated, especially for both quantum spin Hall states with Z 2 = 1 and size induced nontrivial topological insulators with Z 2 = 0. For moderate disorder, by increasing the randomness of both the impurity distribution and the impurity induced potential, the topological insulator states can be created from normal metallic or insulating states. These phenomena and their mechanisms are summarized. For strong disorder, the disorder causes a metal-insulator transition. Due to their topological nature, the phase diagrams are much richer in topological state systems. Finally, the trends in these areas of disorder research are discussed. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11374219, 11474085, and 11534001) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No BK20160007).

Majorana surface modes of nodal topological pairings in spin-3/2 semimetals

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wang; Xiang, Tao; Wu, Congjun

2017-10-01

When solid state systems possess active orbital-band structures subject to spin-orbit coupling, their multicomponent electronic structures are often described in terms of effective large-spin fermion models. Their topological structures of superconductivity are beyond the framework of spin singlet and triplet Cooper pairings for spin-1/2 systems. Examples include the half-Heusler compound series of RPtBi, where R stands for a rare-earth element. Their spin-orbit coupled electronic structures are described by the Luttinger-Kohn model with effective spin-3/2 fermions and are characterized by band inversion. Recent experiments provide evidence to unconventional superconductivity in the YPtBi material with nodal spin-septet pairing. We systematically study topological pairing structures in spin-3/2 systems with the cubic group symmetries and calculate the surface Majorana spectra, which exhibit zero energy flat bands, or, cubic dispersion depending on the specific symmetry of the superconducting gap functions. The signatures of these surface states in the quasiparticle interference patterns of tunneling spectroscopy are studied, which can be tested in future experiments.

Biaxially mechanical tuning of 2-D reversible and irreversible surface topologies through simultaneous and sequential wrinkling.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jie; Yagüe, Jose Luis; Boyce, Mary C; Gleason, Karen K

2014-02-26

Controlled buckling is a facile means of structuring surfaces. The resulting ordered wrinkling topologies provide surface properties and features desired for multifunctional applications. Here, we study the biaxially dynamic tuning of two-dimensional wrinkled micropatterns under cyclic mechanical stretching/releasing/restretching simultaneously or sequentially. A biaxially prestretched PDMS substrate is coated with a stiff polymer deposited by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Applying a mechanical release/restretch cycle in two directions loaded simultaneously or sequentially to the wrinkled system results in a variety of dynamic and tunable wrinkled geometries, the evolution of which is investigated using in situ optical profilometry, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling. Results show that restretching ordered herringbone micropatterns, created through sequential release of biaxial prestrain, leads to reversible and repeatable surface topography. The initial flat surface and the same wrinkled herringbone pattern are obtained alternatively after cyclic release/restretch processes, owing to the highly ordered structure leaving no avenue for trapping irregular topological regions during cycling as further evidenced by the uniformity of strains distributions and negligible residual strain. Conversely, restretching disordered labyrinth micropatterns created through simultaneous release shows an irreversible surface topology whether after sequential or simultaneous restretching due to creation of irregular surface topologies with regions of highly concentrated strain upon formation of the labyrinth which then lead to residual strains and trapped topologies upon cycling; furthermore, these trapped topologies depend upon the subsequent strain histories as well as the cycle. The disordered labyrinth pattern varies after each cyclic release/restretch process, presenting residual shallow patterns instead of achieving a flat state. The ability to

Topological Insulator Nanowires and Nanoribbons

KAUST Repository

Kong, Desheng

2010-01-13

Recent theoretical calculations and photoemission spectroscopy measurements on the bulk Bi2Se3 material show that it is a three-dimensional topological insulator possessing conductive surface states with nondegenerate spins, attractive for dissipationless electronics and spintronics applications. Nanoscale topological insulator materials have a large surface-to-volume ratio that can manifest the conductive surface states and are promising candidates for devices. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of high quality single crystalline Bi2Se5 nanomaterials with a variety of morphologies. The synthesis of Bi 2Se5 nanowires and nanoribbons employs Au-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. Nanowires, which exhibit rough surfaces, are formed by stacking nanoplatelets along the axial direction of the wires. Nanoribbons are grown along [1120] direction with a rectangular cross-section and have diverse morphologies, including quasi-one-dimensional, sheetlike, zigzag and sawtooth shapes. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies on nanoribbons show atomically smooth surfaces with ∼ 1 nm step edges, indicating single Se-Bi-Se-Bi-Se quintuple layers. STM measurements reveal a honeycomb atomic lattice, suggesting that the STM tip couples not only to the top Se atomic layer, but also to the Bi atomic layer underneath, which opens up the possibility to investigate the contribution of different atomic orbitais to the topological surface states. Transport measurements of a single nanoribbon device (four terminal resistance and Hall resistance) show great promise for nanoribbons as candidates to study topological surface states. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Strain effects in topological insulators: Topological order and the emergence of switchable topological interface states in Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterojunctions

Science.gov (United States)

Aramberri, H.; Muñoz, M. C.

2017-05-01

We investigate the effects of strain on the topological order of the Bi2Se3 family of topological insulators by ab initio first-principles methods. Strain can induce a topological phase transition and we present the phase diagram for the 3D topological insulators, Bi2Te3 , Sb2Te3 , Bi2Se3 , and Sb2Se3 , under combined uniaxial and biaxial strain. Their phase diagram is universal and shows metallic and insulating phases, both topologically trivial and nontrivial. In particular, uniaxial tension can drive the four compounds into a topologically trivial insulating phase. We propose a Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterojunction in which a strain-induced topological interface state arises in the common gap of this normal insulator-topological insulator heterojunction. Unexpectedly, the interface state is confined in the topologically trivial subsystem and is physically protected from ambient impurities. It can be switched on or off by means of uniaxial strain and therefore Sb2Te3 /Bi2Te3 heterojunctions provide a topological system which hosts tunable robust helical interface states with promising spintronic applications.

Topologically protected bound states in one-dimensional Floquet acoustic waveguide systems

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yu-Gui; Geng, Zhi-Guo; Zhu, Xue-Feng

2018-03-01

Topological manipulation of sound has recently been a hot spot in acoustics due to the fascinating property of defect immune transport. To the best of our knowledge, the studies on one-dimensional (1D) topological acoustic systems hitherto mainly focus on the case of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. Here, we show that topologically protected bound states may also exist in 1D periodically modulated acoustic waveguide systems, viz., 1D Floquet topological insulators. The results show that tuning the coupling strength in a waveguide lattice could trigger topological phase transition, which gives rise to topologically protected interface states as we put together two waveguide lattices featured with different topological phases or winding numbers. However, for the combined lattice, input at the waveguides other than the interfacial ones will excite bulk states. We have further verified the robustness of interface bound states against the variation of coupling strengths between the two distinct waveguide lattices. This work extends the scope of topological acoustics and may promote potential applications for acoustic devices with topological functionalities.

Electrically tunable robust edge states in graphene-based topological photonic crystal slabs

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zidong; Liu, HongJun; Huang, Nan; Wang, ZhaoLu

2018-03-01

Topological photonic crystals are optical structures supporting topologically protected unidirectional edge states that exhibit robustness against defects. Here, we propose a graphene-based all-dielectric photonic crystal slab structure that supports two-dimensionally confined topological edge states. These topological edge states can be confined in the out-of-plane direction by two parallel graphene sheets. In the structure, the excitation frequency range of topological edge states can be dynamically and continuously tuned by varying bias voltage across the two parallel graphene sheets. Utilizing this kind of architecture, we construct Z-shaped channels to realize topological edge transmission with diffrerent frequencies. The proposal provides a new degree of freedom to dynamically control topological edge states and potential applications for robust integrated photonic devices and optical communication systems.

A Relation Between Topological Quantum Field Theory and the Kodama State

OpenAIRE

Oda, Ichiro

2003-01-01

We study a relation between topological quantum field theory and the Kodama (Chern-Simons) state. It is shown that the Kodama (Chern-Simons) state describes a topological state with unbroken diffeomorphism invariance in Yang-Mills theory and Einstein's general relativity in four dimensions. We give a clear explanation of "why" such a topological state exists.

Orbital selective spin-texture in a topological insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Bahadur, E-mail: bahadursingh24@gmail.com; Prasad, R. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India)

2015-05-15

Three-dimensional topological insulators support a metallic non-trivial surface state with unique spin texture, where spin and momentum are locked perpendicular to each other. In this work, we investigate the orbital selective spin-texture associated with the topological surface states in Sb2Te{sub 3}, using the first principles calculations. Sb2Te{sub 3} is a strong topological insulator with a p-p type bulk band inversion at the Γ-point and supports a single topological metallic surface state with upper (lower) Dirac-cone has left (right) handed spin-texture. Here, we show that the topological surface state has an additional locking between the spin and orbitals, leading to an orbital selective spin-texture. The out-of-plane orbitals (p{sub z} orbitals) have an isotropic orbital texture for both the Dirac cones with an associated left and right handed spin-texture for the upper and lower Dirac cones, respectively. In contrast, the in-planar orbital texture (p{sub x} and p{sub y} projections) is tangential for the upper Dirac-cone and is radial for the lower Dirac-cone surface state. The dominant in-planar orbital texture in both the Dirac cones lead to a right handed orbital-selective spin-texture.

Topological degeneracy of non-Abelian states for dummies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshikawa, Masaki; Kim, Yong Baek; Shtengel, Kirill; Nayak, Chetan; Tewari, Sumanta

2007-01-01

We present a physical construction of degenerate groundstates of the Moore-Read Pfaffian states, which exhibits non-Abelian statistics, on general Riemann surface with genus g. The construction is given by a generalization of the recent argument [M.O., T. Senthil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 060601] which relates fractionalization and topological order. The nontrivial groundstate degeneracy obtained by Read and Green [Phys. Rev. B 61 (2000) 10267] based on differential geometry is reproduced exactly. Some restrictions on the statistics, due to the fractional charge of the quasiparticle are also discussed. Furthermore, the groundstate degeneracy of the p + ip superconductor in two dimensions, which is closely related to the Pfaffian states, is discussed with a similar construction

Topological degeneracy of non-Abelian states for dummies

Science.gov (United States)

Oshikawa, Masaki; Kim, Yong Baek; Shtengel, Kirill; Nayak, Chetan; Tewari, Sumanta

2007-06-01

We present a physical construction of degenerate groundstates of the Moore-Read Pfaffian states, which exhibits non-Abelian statistics, on general Riemann surface with genus g. The construction is given by a generalization of the recent argument [M.O., T. Senthil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 060601] which relates fractionalization and topological order. The nontrivial groundstate degeneracy obtained by Read and Green [Phys. Rev. B 61 (2000) 10267] based on differential geometry is reproduced exactly. Some restrictions on the statistics, due to the fractional charge of the quasiparticle are also discussed. Furthermore, the groundstate degeneracy of the p + i p superconductor in two dimensions, which is closely related to the Pfaffian states, is discussed with a similar construction.

Exploring photonic topological insulator states in a circuit-QED lattice

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing-Ling; Shan, Chuan-Jia; Zhao, Feng

2018-04-01

We propose a simple protocol to explore the topological properties of photonic integer quantum Hall states in a one-dimensional circiut-QED lattice. By periodically modulating the on-site photonic energies in such a lattice, we demonstrate that this one-dimensional lattice model can be mapped into a two-dimensional integer quantum Hall insulator model. Based on the lattice-based cavity input-output theory, we show that both the photonic topological protected edge states and topological invariants can be clearly measured from the final steady state of the resonator lattice after taking into account cavity dissipation. Interestingly, we also find that the measurement signals associated with the above topological features are quite unambitious even in five coupled dissipative resonators. Our work opens up a new prospect of exploring topological states with a small-size dissipative quantum artificial lattice, which is quite attractive to the current quantum optics community.

Fermionic topological quantum states as tensor networks

Science.gov (United States)

Wille, C.; Buerschaper, O.; Eisert, J.

2017-06-01

Tensor network states, and in particular projected entangled pair states, play an important role in the description of strongly correlated quantum lattice systems. They do not only serve as variational states in numerical simulation methods, but also provide a framework for classifying phases of quantum matter and capture notions of topological order in a stringent and rigorous language. The rapid development in this field for spin models and bosonic systems has not yet been mirrored by an analogous development for fermionic models. In this work, we introduce a tensor network formalism capable of capturing notions of topological order for quantum systems with fermionic components. At the heart of the formalism are axioms of fermionic matrix-product operator injectivity, stable under concatenation. Building upon that, we formulate a Grassmann number tensor network ansatz for the ground state of fermionic twisted quantum double models. A specific focus is put on the paradigmatic example of the fermionic toric code. This work shows that the program of describing topologically ordered systems using tensor networks carries over to fermionic models.

Observation of topological edge states of acoustic metamaterials at subwavelength scale

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Hongqing; Jiao, Junrui; Xia, Baizhan; Liu, Tingting; Zheng, Shengjie; Yu, Dejie

2018-05-01

Topological states are of key importance for acoustic wave systems owing to their unique transport properties. In this study, we develop a hexagonal array of hexagonal columns with Helmholtz resonators to obtain subwavelength Dirac cones. Rotation operations are performed to open the Dirac cones and obtain acoustic valley vortex states. In addition, we calculate the angular-dependent frequencies for the band edges at the K-point. Through a topological phase transition, the topological phase of pattern A can change into that of pattern B. The calculations for the bulk dispersion curves show that the acoustic metamaterials exhibit BA-type and AB-type topological edge states. Experimental results demonstrate that a sound wave can transmit well along the topological path. This study could reveal a simple approach to create acoustic topological edge states at the subwavelength scale.

Surfaces of Minimal Paths from Topological Structures and Applications to 3D Object Segmentation

KAUST Repository

Algarni, Marei

2017-10-24

compared with related state-of-the-art methods. Lastly, the thesis shows the methodology developed for the particular case of surfaces with boundary extends to surfaces without boundary and also surfaces with different topologies, such as cylindrical surfaces, both important cases for many applications in medical image analysis.

Engineering topological edge states in two dimensional magnetic photonic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bing; Wu, Tong; Zhang, Xiangdong

2017-01-01

Based on a perturbative approach, we propose a simple and efficient method to engineer the topological edge states in two dimensional magnetic photonic crystals. The topological edge states in the microstructures can be constructed and varied by altering the parameters of the microstructure according to the field-energy distributions of the Bloch states at the related Bloch wave vectors. The validity of the proposed method has been demonstrated by exact numerical calculations through three concrete examples. Our method makes the topological edge states "designable."

(d -2 ) -Dimensional Edge States of Rotation Symmetry Protected Topological States

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zhida; Fang, Zhong; Fang, Chen

2017-12-01

We study fourfold rotation-invariant gapped topological systems with time-reversal symmetry in two and three dimensions (d =2 , 3). We show that in both cases nontrivial topology is manifested by the presence of the (d -2 )-dimensional edge states, existing at a point in 2D or along a line in 3D. For fermion systems without interaction, the bulk topological invariants are given in terms of the Wannier centers of filled bands and can be readily calculated using a Fu-Kane-like formula when inversion symmetry is also present. The theory is extended to strongly interacting systems through the explicit construction of microscopic models having robust (d -2 )-dimensional edge states.

Topology optimization of robust superhydrophobic surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavalli, Andrea; Bøggild, Peter; Okkels, Fridolin

2013-01-01

In this paper we apply topology optimization to micro-structured superhydrophobic surfaces for the first time. It has been experimentally observed that a droplet suspended on a brush of micrometric posts shows a high static contact angle and low roll-off angle. To keep the fluid from penetrating...

Topologically protected bound states in photonic parity-time-symmetric crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Weimann, S; Kremer, M; Plotnik, Y; Lumer, Y; Nolte, S; Makris, K G; Segev, M; Rechtsman, M C; Szameit, A

2017-04-01

Parity-time (PT)-symmetric crystals are a class of non-Hermitian systems that allow, for example, the existence of modes with real propagation constants, for self-orthogonality of propagating modes, and for uni-directional invisibility at defects. Photonic PT-symmetric systems that also support topological states could be useful for shaping and routing light waves. However, it is currently debated whether topological interface states can exist at all in PT-symmetric systems. Here, we show theoretically and demonstrate experimentally the existence of such states: states that are localized at the interface between two topologically distinct PT-symmetric photonic lattices. We find analytical closed form solutions of topological PT-symmetric interface states, and observe them through fluorescence microscopy in a passive PT-symmetric dimerized photonic lattice. Our results are relevant towards approaches to localize light on the interface between non-Hermitian crystals.

Topological Fluid Mechanics with Applications to Free Surfaces and Axisymmetric Flows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøns, Morten

1996-01-01

Topological fluid mechanics is the study of qualitative features of fluid patterns. We discuss applications to the flow beneath a stagnant surface film, and to patterns in axisymmetric flow.......Topological fluid mechanics is the study of qualitative features of fluid patterns. We discuss applications to the flow beneath a stagnant surface film, and to patterns in axisymmetric flow....

Topologically protected states in one-dimensional systems

CERN Document Server

Fefferman, C L; Weinstein, M I

2017-01-01

The authors study a class of periodic Schrödinger operators, which in distinguished cases can be proved to have linear band-crossings or "Dirac points". They then show that the introduction of an "edge", via adiabatic modulation of these periodic potentials by a domain wall, results in the bifurcation of spatially localized "edge states". These bound states are associated with the topologically protected zero-energy mode of an asymptotic one-dimensional Dirac operator. The authors' model captures many aspects of the phenomenon of topologically protected edge states for two-dimensional bulk structures such as the honeycomb structure of graphene. The states the authors construct can be realized as highly robust TM-electromagnetic modes for a class of photonic waveguides with a phase-defect.

Cells behaviors and genotoxicity on topological surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, N.; Yang, M.K.; Bi, S.X.; Chen, L.; Zhu, Z.Y.; Gao, Y.T.; Du, Z.

2013-01-01

To investigate different cells behaviors and genotoxicity, which were driven by specific microenvironments, three patterned surfaces (pillars, wide grooves and narrow grooves) and one smooth surface were prepared by template-based technique. Vinculin is a membrane-cytoskeletal protein in focal adhesion plaques and associates with cell–cell and cell–matrix junctions, which can promote cell adhesion and spreading. The immunofluorescence staining of vinculin revealed that the narrow grooves patterned substrate was favorable for L929 cell adhesion. For cell multiplication, the narrow grooves surface was fitted for the proliferation of L929, L02 and MSC cells, the pillars surface was only in favor of L929 cells to proliferate during 7 days of cell cultivation. Cell genetic toxicity was evaluated by cellular micronuclei test (MNT). The results indicated that topological surfaces were more suitable for L929 cells to proliferate and maintain the stability of genome. On the contrary, the narrow grooves surface induced higher micronuclei ratio of L02 and MSC cells than other surfaces. With the comprehensive results of cell multiplication and MNT, it was concluded that the wide grooves surface was best fitted for L02 cells to proliferate and have less DNA damages, and the smooth surface was optimum for the research of MSC cells in vitro. - Highlights: • Different cells behaviors on microstructure surfaces were discussed in this paper. • The expression of cell protein of Vinculin was studied in this research. • Cellular micronuclei test was applied to evaluate cells' genotoxicity. • Cell genotoxicity was first studied in the research field of topological surfaces

Topological Oxide Insulator in Cubic Perovskite Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hosub; Rhim, Sonny H.; Im, Jino; Freeman, Arthur J.

2013-01-01

The emergence of topologically protected conducting states with the chiral spin texture is the most prominent feature at the surface of topological insulators. On the application side, large band gap and high resistivity to distinguish surface from bulk degrees of freedom should be guaranteed for the full usage of the surface states. Here, we suggest that the oxide cubic perovskite YBiO3, more than just an oxide, defines itself as a new three-dimensional topological insulator exhibiting both a large bulk band gap and a high resistivity. Based on first-principles calculations varying the spin-orbit coupling strength, the non-trivial band topology of YBiO3 is investigated, where the spin-orbit coupling of the Bi 6p orbital plays a crucial role. Taking the exquisite synthesis techniques in oxide electronics into account, YBiO3 can also be used to provide various interface configurations hosting exotic topological phenomena combined with other quantum phases. PMID:23575973

Tissue breathing and topology of rats thymocytes surface under acute total γ-irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikitina, I A; Gritsuk, A I

2017-12-01

Assessment of the effect of single total γ irradiation to the parameters of mitochondrial oxidation and the topology of the thymocyte surface. The study was performed in sexually mature white outbreeding male rats divided into three groups: two experimental and one control. The states of energy metabolism were determined by the rate of oxygen consumption by the thymus tissues on endogenous substrates at the presence of 2,4 dinitrophenol, uncoupler of a tissue breathing (TB) and oxidative phosphorylation (OP) after a single total γ irradiation at a dose of 1.0 Gy at 3, 10, 40 and 60 days. The topology of thymus cells was assessed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the 3rd and 10th days after total gamma irradiation at a dose of 1.0 Gy, a significant decrease in respira tory activity was determined in thymus tissues on endogenous substrates. Simultaneously, on the 3rd day, pro nounced changes in the morphological parameters of thymocytes (height, volume, area of contact with the sub strate) and the topology of their surface were also observed. On the 10th day after irradiation, most of the morpho logical parameters of thymocytes, except for their volume, were characterized by restoration to normal. In the long term (on the 30th and 60th days after exposure), a gradual but not complete recovery of the respiratory activity of thymocytes was observed, accompanied by an increase in the degree of dissociation of TD and OP. The obtained data reflect and refine mechanisms of post radiation repair of lymphopoiesis, showing the presence of conjugated changes in the parameters of aerobic energy metabolism of thymocytes, morphology and topology of their surface. The synchronism of changes in the parameters under study is a reflection of the state of the cytoskeleton, the functional activity of which largely depends on the level and efficiency of mitochondrial oxidation. І. A. Nikitina, A. I. Gritsuk.

Robustness of edge states in topological quantum dots against global electric field

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Jin-Xian; Zhang, Shu-Hui; Liu, Ding-Yang; Wang, Ping; Yang, Wen

2017-07-01

The topological insulator has attracted increasing attention as a new state of quantum matter featured by the symmetry-protected edge states. Although the qualitative robustness of the edge states against local perturbations has been well established, it is not clear how these topological edge states respond quantitatively to a global perturbation. Here, we study the response of topological edge states in a HgTe quantum dot to an external in-plane electric field—a paradigmatic global perturbation in solid-state environments. We find that the stability of the topological edge state could be larger than that of the ground bulk state by several orders of magnitudes. This robustness may be verified by standard transport measurements in the Coulomb blockage regime. Our work may pave the way towards utilizing these topological edge states as stable memory devices for charge and/or spin information and stable emitter of single terahertz photons or entangled terahertz photon pairs for quantum communication.

Topological valley transport of plate-mode waves in a homogenous thin plate with periodic stubbed surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiu-Jiu Chen

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The study for exotic topological effects of sound has attracted uprising interests in fundamental physics and practical applications. Based on the concept of valley pseudospin, we demonstrate the topological valley transport of plate-mode waves in a homogenous thin plate with periodic stubbed surface, where a deterministic two-fold Dirac degeneracy is form by two plate modes. We show that the topological property can be controlled by the height of stubs deposited on the plate. By adjusting the relative heights of adjacent stubs, the valley vortex chirality and band inversion are induced, giving rise to a phononic analog of valley Hall phase transition. We further numerically demonstrate the valley states of plate-mode waves with robust topological protection. Our results provide a new route to design unconventional elastic topological insulators and will significantly broaden its practical application in the engineering field.

Topology-optimized broadband surface relief transmission grating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andkjær, Jacob; Ryder, Christian P.; Nielsen, Peter C.

2014-01-01

We propose a design methodology for systematic design of surface relief transmission gratings with optimized diffraction efficiency. The methodology is based on a gradient-based topology optimization formulation along with 2D frequency domain finite element simulations for TE and TM polarized plane...

Parafermionic wires at the interface of chiral topological states

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Luiz; Hughes, Taylor

We discuss a scenario where local interactions form one-dimensional gapped interfaces between a pair of distinct chiral two-dimensional topological states such that each gapped region terminates at a domain wall separating the chiral gapless edge states of these phases. We show that this type of T-junction supports point-like fractionalized excitations obeying parafermion statistics, thus implying that the one-dimensional gapped interface forms an effective topological parafermionic wire possessing a non-trivial ground state degeneracy. The physical properties of the anyon condensate that gives rise to the gapped interface are investigated. Remarkably, this condensate causes the gapped interface to behave as a type of anyon ``Andreev reflector'' in the bulk, whereby anyons from one phase, upon hitting the interface, can be transformed into a combination of reflected anyons and outgoing anyons from the other phase. Thus, we conclude that while different topological orders can be connected via gapped interfaces, the interfaces are themselves topological.

Effects of topology on the adsorption of singly tethered ring polymers to attractive surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bing; Sun, Zhao-Yan; An, Li-Jia

2015-07-14

We investigate the effect of topology on the equilibrium behavior of singly tethered ring polymers adsorbed on an attractive surface. We focus on the change of square radius of gyration Rg(2), the perpendicular component Rg⊥(2) and the parallel component Rg‖(2) to the adsorbing surface, the mean contacting number of monomers with the surface , and the monomer distribution along z-direction during transition from desorption to adsorption. We find that both of the critical point of adsorption εc and the crossover exponent ϕ depend on the knot type when the chain length of ring ranges from 48 to 400. The behaviors of Rg(2), Rg⊥(2), and Rg‖(2) are found to be dependent on the topology and the monomer-surface attractive strength. At weak adsorption, the polymer chains with more complex topology are more adsorbable than those with simple topology. However, at strong adsorption, the polymer chains with complex topology are less adsorbable. By analyzing the distribution of monomer along z-direction, we give a possible mechanism for the effect of topology on the adsorption behavior.

Nontrivial topological states on a Möbius band

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beugeling, W.; Quelle, A.; Morais Smith, C.

2014-01-01

In the field of topological insulators, the topological properties of quantum states in samples with simple geometries, such as a cylinder or a ribbon, have been classified and understood during the past decade. Here we extend these studies to a Möbius band and argue that its lack of orientability

Proximity effects in topological insulator heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiao-Guang; Wu Guang-Fen; Zhang Gu-Feng; Culcer Dimitrie; Zhang Zhen-Yu; Chen Hua

2013-01-01

Topological insulators (TIs) are bulk insulators that possess robust helical conducting states along their interfaces with conventional insulators. A tremendous research effort has recently been devoted to Tl-based heterostructures, in which conventional proximity effects give rise to a series of exotic physical phenomena. This paper reviews our recent studies on the potential existence of topological proximity effects at the interface between a topological insulator and a normal insulator or other topologically trivial systems. Using first-principles approaches, we have realized the tunability of the vertical location of the topological helical state via intriguing dual-proximity effects. To further elucidate the control parameters of this effect, we have used the graphene-based heterostructures as prototypical systems to reveal a more complete phase diagram. On the application side of the topological helical states, we have presented a catalysis example, where the topological helical state plays an essential role in facilitating surface reactions by serving as an effective electron bath. These discoveries lay the foundation for accurate manipulation of the real space properties of the topological helical state in TI-based heterostructures and pave the way for realization of the salient functionality of topological insulators in future device applications. (topical review - low-dimensional nanostructures and devices)

Engineering topological phases with a three-dimensional nodal-loop semimetal

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Linhu; Yap, Han Hoe; Araújo, Miguel A. N.; Gong, Jiangbin

2017-12-01

A three-dimensional (3D) nodal-loop semimetal phase is exploited to engineer a number of intriguing phases featuring different peculiar topological surface states. In particular, by introducing various two-dimensional gap terms to a 3D tight-binding model of a nodal-loop semimetal, we obtain a rich variety of topological phases of great interest to ongoing theoretical and experimental studies, including a chiral insulator, degenerate-surface-loop insulator, and second-order topological insulator, as well as a Weyl semimetal with tunable Fermi arc profiles. The unique concept underlying our approach is to engineer topological surface states that inherit their dispersion relations from a gap term. The results provide one rather unified principle for the creation of novel topological phases and can guide the search for new topological materials. Two-terminal transport studies are also carried out to distinguish the engineered topological phases.

High-Harmonic Generation in Solids with and without Topological Edge States

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Dieter; Hansen, Kenneth K.

2018-04-01

High-harmonic generation in the two topological phases of a finite, one-dimensional, periodic structure is investigated using a self-consistent time-dependent density functional theory approach. For harmonic photon energies smaller than the band gap, the harmonic yield is found to differ by up to 14 orders of magnitude for the two topological phases. This giant topological effect is explained by the degree of destructive interference in the harmonic emission of all valence-band (and edge-state) electrons, which strongly depends on whether or not topological edge states are present. The combination of strong-field laser physics with topological condensed matter opens up new possibilities to electronically control strong-field-based light or particle sources or—conversely—to steer by all optical means topological electronics.

Evidence of a 2D Fermi surface due to surface states in a p-type metallic Bi2Te3

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, K.; Marinova, V.; Lorenz, B.; Chu, C. W.

2018-05-01

We present a systematic quantum oscillations study on a metallic, p-type Bi2Te3 topological single crystal in magnetic fields up to B  =  7 T. The maxima/minima positions of oscillations measured at different tilt angles align to one another when plotted as a function of the normal component of magnetic field, confirming the presence of the 2D Fermi surface. Additionally, the Berry phase, β  =  0.4  ±  0.05 obtained from the Landau level fan plot, is very close to the theoretical value of 0.5 for the Dirac particles, confirming the presence of topological surface states in the Bi2Te3 single crystal. Using the Lifshitz–Kosevich analyses, the Fermi energy is estimated to be meV, which is lower than that of other bismuth-based topological systems. The detection of surface states in the Bi2Te3 crystal can be explained by our previous hypothesis of the lower position of the Fermi surface that cuts the ‘M’-shaped valence band maxima. As a result, the bulk state frequency is shifted to higher magnetic fields, which allows measurement of the surface states signal at low magnetic fields.

Large optical conductivity of Dirac semimetal Fermi arc surface states

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Li-kun; Song, Justin C. W.

2017-08-01

Fermi arc surface states, a hallmark of topological Dirac semimetals, can host carriers that exhibit unusual dynamics distinct from that of their parent bulk. Here we find that Fermi arc carriers in intrinsic Dirac semimetals possess a strong and anisotropic light-matter interaction. This is characterized by a large Fermi arc optical conductivity when light is polarized transverse to the Fermi arc; when light is polarized along the Fermi arc, Fermi arc optical conductivity is significantly muted. The large surface spectral weight is locked to the wide separation between Dirac nodes and persists as a large Drude weight of Fermi arc carriers when the system is doped. As a result, large and anisotropic Fermi arc conductivity provides a novel means of optically interrogating the topological surfaces states of Dirac semimetals.

High-Harmonic Generation in Solids with and without Topological Edge States

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauer, Dieter; Hansen, Kenneth Christian Klochmann

2018-01-01

High-harmonic generation in the two topological phases of a finite, one-dimensional, periodic structure is investigated using a self-consistent time-dependent density functional theory approach. For harmonic photon energies smaller than the band gap, the harmonic yield is found to differ by up...... to 14 orders of magnitude for the two topological phases. This giant topological effect is explained by the degree of destructive interference in the harmonic emission of all valence-band (and edge-state) electrons, which strongly depends on whether or not topological edge states are present...

Topological quantum phase transitions and edge states in spin-orbital coupled Fermi gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Tao; Gao, Yi; Wang, Z D

2014-06-11

We study superconducting states in the presence of spin-orbital coupling and Zeeman field. It is found that a phase transition from a Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state to the topological superconducting state occurs upon increasing the spin-orbital coupling. The nature of this topological phase transition and its critical property are investigated numerically. Physical properties of the topological superconducting phase are also explored. Moreover, the local density of states is calculated, through which the topological feature may be tested experimentally.

Topological interpretation of multiquark states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolescu, B.

1980-12-01

In this talk we discuss the topological selection rules which govern the physics of multiquark states in the framework in the DTU theory. These new selection rules lead us to expect that narrow multiquark hadrons are rare, are strongly coupled only to some particular channels, and appear only in some restricted mass regions

Phase coherent transport in hybrid superconductor-topological insulator devices

Science.gov (United States)

Finck, Aaron

2015-03-01

Heterostructures of superconductors and topological insulators are predicted to host unusual zero energy bound states known as Majorana fermions, which can robustly store and process quantum information. Here, I will discuss our studies of such heterostructures through phase-coherent transport, which can act as a unique probe of Majorana fermions. We have extensively explored topological insulator Josephson junctions through SQUID and single-junction diffraction patterns, whose unusual behavior give evidence for low-energy Andreev bound states. In topological insulator devices with closely spaced normal and superconducting leads, we observe prominent Fabry-Perot oscillations, signifying gate-tunable, quasi-ballistic transport that can elegantly interact with Andreev reflection. Superconducting disks deposited on the surface of a topological insulator generate Aharonov-Bohm-like oscillations, giving evidence for unusual states lying near the interface between the superconductor and topological insulator surface. Our results point the way towards sophisticated interferometers that can detect and read out the state of Majorana fermions in topological systems. This work was done in collaboration with Cihan Kurter, Yew San Hor, and Dale Van Harlingen. We acknowledge funding from Microsoft Project Q.

Strong correlation effects on surfaces of topological insulators via holography

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Yunseok; Song, Geunho; Sin, Sang-Jin

2017-07-01

We investigate the effects of strong correlation on the surface state of a topological insulator (TI). We argue that electrons in the regime of crossover from weak antilocalization to weak localization are strongly correlated, and calculate the magnetotransport coefficients of TIs using the gauge-gravity principle. Then, we examine the magnetoconductivity (MC) formula and find excellent agreement with the data of chrome-doped Bi2Te3 in the crossover regime. We also find that the cusplike peak in MC at low doping is absent, which is natural since quasiparticles disappear due to the strong correlation.

Spin-orbit torque in 3D topological insulator-ferromagnet heterostructure: crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit; Manchon, Aurelien

2017-01-01

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore, our model accounts for spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large damping torque reported recently is more likely attributed to interfacial magnetoelectric effect, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

Spin-orbit torque in 3D topological insulator-ferromagnet heterostructure: crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit

2017-11-29

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore, our model accounts for spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large damping torque reported recently is more likely attributed to interfacial magnetoelectric effect, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

Topological Insulators Dirac Equation in Condensed Matters

CERN Document Server

Shen, Shun-Qing

2012-01-01

Topological insulators are insulating in the bulk, but process metallic states around its boundary owing to the topological origin of the band structure. The metallic edge or surface states are immune to weak disorder or impurities, and robust against the deformation of the system geometry. This book, Topological insulators, presents a unified description of topological insulators from one to three dimensions based on the modified Dirac equation. A series of solutions of the bound states near the boundary are derived, and the existing conditions of these solutions are described. Topological invariants and their applications to a variety of systems from one-dimensional polyacetalene, to two-dimensional quantum spin Hall effect and p-wave superconductors, and three-dimensional topological insulators and superconductors or superfluids are introduced, helping readers to better understand this fascinating new field. This book is intended for researchers and graduate students working in the field of topological in...

Higher-order topological insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Khalaf, Eslam

2018-05-01

We study surface states of topological crystalline insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry. These fall into the category of "higher-order" topological insulators and superconductors which possess surface states that propagate along one-dimensional curves (hinges) or are localized at some points (corners) on the surface. We provide a complete classification of inversion-protected higher-order topological insulators and superconductors in any spatial dimension for the 10 symmetry classes by means of a layer construction. We discuss possible physical realizations of such states starting with a time-reversal-invariant topological insulator (class AII) in three dimensions or a time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor (class DIII) in two or three dimensions. The former exhibits one-dimensional chiral or helical modes propagating along opposite edges, whereas the latter hosts Majorana zero modes localized to two opposite corners. Being protected by inversion, such states are not pinned to a specific pair of edges or corners, thus offering the possibility of controlling their location by applying inversion-symmetric perturbations such as magnetic field.

Nonvolatile Solid-State Charged-Polymer Gating of Topological Insulators into the Topological Insulating Regime

Science.gov (United States)

Ireland, R. M.; Wu, Liang; Salehi, M.; Oh, S.; Armitage, N. P.; Katz, H. E.

2018-04-01

We demonstrate the ability to reduce the carrier concentration of thin films of the topological insulator (TI) Bi2 Se3 by utilizing a nonvolatile electrostatic gating via corona charging of electret polymers. Sufficient electric field can be imparted to a polymer-TI bilayer to result in significant electron density depletion, even without the continuous connection of a gate electrode or the chemical modification of the TI. We show that the Fermi level of Bi2 Se3 is shifted toward the Dirac point with this method. Using terahertz spectroscopy, we find that the surface chemical potential is lowered into the bulk band gap (approximately 50 meV above the Dirac point and 170 meV below the conduction-band minimum), and it is stabilized in the intrinsic regime while enhancing electron mobility. The mobility of surface state electrons is enhanced to a value as high as approximately 1600 cm2/V s at 5 K.

Aharonov–Bohm interference in topological insulator nanoribbons

KAUST Repository

Peng, Hailin; Lai, Keji; Kong, Desheng; Meister, Stefan; Chen, Yulin; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Zhang, Shou-Cheng; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Cui, Yi

2009-01-01

Topological insulators represent unusual phases of quantum matter with an insulating bulk gap and gapless edges or surface states. The two-dimensional topological insulator phase was predicted in HgTe quantum wells and confirmed by transport

Robustness of Topological Superconductivity in Solid State Hybrid Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Sitthison, Piyapong

The non-Abelian statistics of Majorana fermions (MFs) makes them an ideal platform for implementing topological quantum computation. In addition to the fascinating fundamental physics underlying the emergence of MFs, this potential for applications makes the study of these quasiparticles an extremely popular subject in condensed matter physics. The commonly called `Majorana fermions' are zero-energy bound states that emerge near boundaries and defects in topological superconducting phases, which can be engineered, for example, by proximity coupling strong spin-orbit coupling semiconductor nanowires and ordinary s-wave superconductors. The stability of these bound states is determined by the stability of the underlying topological superconducting phase. Hence, understanding their stability (which is critical for quantum computation), involves studying the robustness of the engineered topological superconductors. This work addresses this important problem in the context of two types of hybrid structures that have been proposed for realizing topological superconductivity: topological insulator - superconductor (TI-SC) and semiconductor - superconductor (SM-SC) nanostructures. In both structures, electrostatic effects due to applied external potentials and interface-induced potentials are significant. This work focuses on developing a theoretical framework for understanding these effects, to facilitate the optimization of the nanostructures studied in the laboratory. The approach presented in this thesis is based on describing the low-energy physics of the hybrid structure using effective tight-binding models that explicitly incorporate the proximity effects emerging at interfaces. Generically, as a result of the proximity coupling to the superconductor, an induced gap emerges in the semiconductor (topological insulator) sub-system. The strength of the proximity-induced gap is determined by the transparency of the interface and by the amplitude of the low- energy SM

Estimation of Branch Topology Errors in Power Networks by WLAN State Estimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hong Rae [Soonchunhyang University(Korea); Song, Kyung Bin [Kei Myoung University(Korea)

2000-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to detect and identify topological errors in order to maintain a reliable database for the state estimator. In this paper, a two stage estimation procedure is used to identify the topology errors. At the first stage, the WLAV state estimator which has characteristics to remove bad data during the estimation procedure is run for finding out the suspected branches at which topology errors take place. The resulting residuals are normalized and the measurements with significant normalized residuals are selected. A set of suspected branches is formed based on these selected measurements; if the selected measurement if a line flow, the corresponding branch is suspected; if it is an injection, then all the branches connecting the injection bus to its immediate neighbors are suspected. A new WLAV state estimator adding the branch flow errors in the state vector is developed to identify the branch topology errors. Sample cases of single topology error and topology error with a measurement error are applied to IEEE 14 bus test system. (author). 24 refs., 1 fig., 9 tabs.

Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-20

Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 20120321 - 20150320 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Topological insulators and superconductors for innovative...locking, which hold promise for various innovative devices. Similarly, topological superconductors are associated with exotic surface states, which...298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Final Report Title: Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

Anomalous Z2 antiferromagnetic topological phase in pressurized SmB6

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Kai-Wei; Chen, Peng-Jen

2018-05-01

Antiferromagnetic materials, whose time-reversal symmetry is broken, can be classified into the Z2 topology if they respect some specific symmetry. Since the theoretical proposal, however, no materials have been found to host such Z2 antiferromagnetic topological (Z2-AFT ) phase to date. Here we demonstrate that the topological Kondo insulator SmB6 can be a Z2-AFT system when pressurized to undergo an antiferromagnetic phase transition. In addition to proposing the possible candidate for a Z2-AFT material, in this work we also illustrate the anomalous topological surface states of the Z2-AFT phase which have not been discussed before. Originating from the interplay between the topological properties and the antiferromagnetic surface magnetization, the topological surface states of the Z2-AFT phase behave differently as compared with those of a topological insulator. Besides, the Z2-AFT insulators are also found promising in the generation of tunable spin currents, which is an important application in spintronics.

Emergence of topological and topological crystalline phases in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qingyun

2015-02-11

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the band structure evolution and topological phase transitions in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 under hydrostatic pressure as well as uniaxial and biaxial strain. The phase transitions are identified by parity analysis and by calculating the surface states. Zero, one, and four Dirac cones are found for the (111) surfaces of both TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 when the pressure grows, which confirms trivial-nontrivial-trivial phase transitions. The Dirac cones at the (M) over bar points are anisotropic with large out-of-plane component. TlBiS2 shows normal, topological, and topological crystalline insulator phases under hydrostatic pressure, thus being the first compound to exhibit a phase transition from a topological to a topological crystalline insulator.

Emergence of topological and topological crystalline phases in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qingyun; Cheng, Yingchun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2015-01-01

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the band structure evolution and topological phase transitions in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 under hydrostatic pressure as well as uniaxial and biaxial strain. The phase transitions are identified by parity analysis and by calculating the surface states. Zero, one, and four Dirac cones are found for the (111) surfaces of both TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 when the pressure grows, which confirms trivial-nontrivial-trivial phase transitions. The Dirac cones at the (M) over bar points are anisotropic with large out-of-plane component. TlBiS2 shows normal, topological, and topological crystalline insulator phases under hydrostatic pressure, thus being the first compound to exhibit a phase transition from a topological to a topological crystalline insulator.

Spin-orbit torque in a three-dimensional topological insulator–ferromagnet heterostructure: Crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit; Manchon, Aurelien

2018-01-01

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three-dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore our model accounts for the spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large dampinglike torque reported recently is more likely attributed to the Berry curvature of interfacial states, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

Spin-orbit torque in a three-dimensional topological insulator–ferromagnet heterostructure: Crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit

2018-04-02

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three-dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore our model accounts for the spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large dampinglike torque reported recently is more likely attributed to the Berry curvature of interfacial states, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

On physical states in 2d (topological) gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouwknegt, P.; McCarthy, J.; Pilch, K.

1993-01-01

We review the BRST computation of physical states in various 2d gravity theories. First we discuss the cohomology relevant for 2d gravity coupled to c ≤ 1 conformal matter. We then use these results to compute the cohomology of a c=26 βγ-system, i.e. restricted 2d topological gravity. We also comment on the cohomology for the complete 2d topological gravity. (author). 39 refs

Electronic transport in bismuth selenide in the topological insulator regime

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dohun

The 3D topological insulators (TIs) have an insulating bulk but spin-momentum coupled metallic surface states stemming from band inversion due to strong spin-orbit interaction, whose existence is guaranteed by the topology of the band structure of the insulator. While the STI surface state has been studied spectroscopically by e.g. photoemission and scanned probes, transport experiments have failed to demonstrate clear signature of the STI due to high level of bulk conduction. In this thesis, I present experimental results on the transport properties of TI material Bi2Se3 in the absence of bulk conduction (TI regime), achieved by applying novel p-type doping methods. Field effect transistors consisting of thin (thickness: 5-17 nm) Bi2Se3 are fabricated by mechanical exfoliation of single crystals, and a combination of conventional dielectric (300 nm thick SiO2) and electrochemical or chemical gating methods are used to move the Fermi energy through the surface Dirac point inside bulk band gap, revealing the ambipolar gapless nature of transport in the Bi2Se3 surface states. The minimum conductivity of the topological surface state is understood within the self-consistent theory of Dirac electrons in the presence of charged impurities. The intrinsic finite-temperature resistivity of the topological surface state due to electron-acoustic phonon scattering is measured to be 60 times larger than that of graphene largely due to the smaller Fermi and sound velocities in Bi2Se 3, which will have implications for topological electronic devices operating at room temperature. Along with semi-classical Boltzmann transport, I also discuss 2D weak anti-localization (WAL) behavior of the topological surface states. By investigating gate-tuned WAL behavior in thin (5-17 nm) TI films, I show that WAL in the TI regime is extraordinarily sensitive to the hybridization induced quantum mechanical tunneling between top and bottom topological surfaces, and interplay of phase coherence

Surface states of a system of Dirac fermions: A minimal model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkov, V. A.; Enaldiev, V. V.

2016-01-01

A brief survey is given of theoretical works on surface states (SSs) in Dirac materials. Within the formalism of envelope wave functions and boundary conditions for these functions, a minimal model is formulated that analytically describes surface and edge states of various (topological and nontopological) types in several systems with Dirac fermions (DFs). The applicability conditions of this model are discussed.

Surface states of a system of Dirac fermions: A minimal model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volkov, V. A., E-mail: volkov.v.a@gmail.com; Enaldiev, V. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics (Russian Federation)

2016-03-15

A brief survey is given of theoretical works on surface states (SSs) in Dirac materials. Within the formalism of envelope wave functions and boundary conditions for these functions, a minimal model is formulated that analytically describes surface and edge states of various (topological and nontopological) types in several systems with Dirac fermions (DFs). The applicability conditions of this model are discussed.

Spin-torque generation in topological insulator based heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Fischer, Mark H.; Vaezi, Abolhassan; Manchon, Aurelien; Kim, Eun-Ah

2016-01-01

Heterostructures utilizing topological insulators exhibit a remarkable spin-torque efficiency. However, the exact origin of the strong torque, in particular whether it stems from the spin-momentum locking of the topological surface states or rather

Exotic topological insulator states and topological phase transitions in Sb2Se3-Bi2Se3 heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qianfan; Zhang, Zhiyong; Zhu, Zhiyong; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Cui, Yi

2012-01-01

in controlling the electronic properties of semiconductor devices, are interesting for topological insulators. Here, we studied the spatial distribution of the topological state in Sb 2Se 3-Bi 2Se 3 heterostructures by first-principle simulation and discovered

Gigantic 2D laser-induced photovoltaic effect in magnetically doped topological insulators for surface zero-bias spin-polarized current generation

Science.gov (United States)

Shikin, A. M.; Voroshin, V. Yu; Rybkin, A. G.; Kokh, K. A.; Tereshchenko, O. E.; Ishida, Y.; Kimura, A.

2018-01-01

A new kind of 2D photovoltaic effect (PVE) with the generation of anomalously large surface photovoltage up to 210 meV in magnetically doped topological insulators (TIs) has been studied by the laser time-resolved pump-probe angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The PVE has maximal efficiency for TIs with high occupation of the upper Dirac cone (DC) states and the Dirac point located inside the fundamental energy gap. For TIs with low occupation of the upper DC states and the Dirac point located inside the valence band the generated surface photovoltage is significantly reduced. We have shown that the observed giant PVE is related to the laser-generated electron-hole asymmetry followed by accumulation of the photoexcited electrons at the surface. It is accompanied by the 2D relaxation process with the generation of zero-bias spin-polarized currents flowing along the topological surface states (TSSs) outside the laser beam spot. As a result, the spin-polarized current generates an effective in-plane magnetic field that is experimentally confirmed by the k II-shift of the DC relative to the bottom non-spin-polarized conduction band states. The realized 2D PVE can be considered as a source for the generation of zero-bias surface spin-polarized currents and the laser-induced local surface magnetization developed in such kind 2D TSS materials.

Localized topological states in Bragg multihelicoidal fibers with twist defects

Science.gov (United States)

Alexeyev, C. N.; Lapin, B. P.; Milione, G.; Yavorsky, M. A.

2016-06-01

We have studied the influence of a twist defect in multihelicoidal Bragg fibers on the emerging of localized defect modes. We have shown that if such a fiber is excited with a Gaussian beam this leads to the appearance of a defect-localized topological state, whose topological charge coincides with the order of rotational symmetry of the fiber's refractive index. We have shown that this effect has a pronounced crossover behavior. We have also formulated a principle of creating the systems that can nestle defect-localized topologically charged modes. According to this principle, such systems have to possess topological activity, that is, the ability to change the topological charge of the incoming field, and operate in the Bragg regime.

Boundary Hamiltonian Theory for Gapped Topological Orders

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yuting; Wan, Yidun; Wu, Yong-Shi

2017-06-01

We report our systematic construction of the lattice Hamiltonian model of topological orders on open surfaces, with explicit boundary terms. We do this mainly for the Levin-Wen string-net model. The full Hamiltonian in our approach yields a topologically protected, gapped energy spectrum, with the corresponding wave functions robust under topology-preserving transformations of the lattice of the system. We explicitly present the wavefunctions of the ground states and boundary elementary excitations. The creation and hopping operators of boundary quasi-particles are constructed. It is found that given a bulk topological order, the gapped boundary conditions are classified by Frobenius algebras in its input data. Emergent topological properties of the ground states and boundary excitations are characterized by (bi-) modules over Frobenius algebras.

Manipulating topological-insulator properties using quantum confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotulla, M; Zülicke, U

2017-01-01

Recent discoveries have spurred the theoretical prediction and experimental realization of novel materials that have topological properties arising from band inversion. Such topological insulators are insulating in the bulk but have conductive surface or edge states. Topological materials show various unusual physical properties and are surmised to enable the creation of exotic Majorana-fermion quasiparticles. How the signatures of topological behavior evolve when the system size is reduced is interesting from both a fundamental and an application-oriented point of view, as such understanding may form the basis for tailoring systems to be in specific topological phases. This work considers the specific case of quantum-well confinement defining two-dimensional layers. Based on the effective-Hamiltonian description of bulk topological insulators, and using a harmonic-oscillator potential as an example for a softer-than-hard-wall confinement, we have studied the interplay of band inversion and size quantization. Our model system provides a useful platform for systematic study of the transition between the normal and topological phases, including the development of band inversion and the formation of massless-Dirac-fermion surface states. The effects of bare size quantization, two-dimensional-subband mixing, and electron–hole asymmetry are disentangled and their respective physical consequences elucidated. (paper)

Linear magnetoresistance and surface to bulk coupling in topological insulator thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sourabh; Gopal, R K; Sarkar, Jit; Pandey, Atul; Patel, Bhavesh G; Mitra, Chiranjib

2017-12-20

We explore the temperature dependent magnetoresistance of bulk insulating topological insulator thin films. Thin films of Bi 2 Se 2 Te and BiSbTeSe 1.6 were grown using the pulsed laser deposition technique and subjected to transport measurements. Magnetotransport measurements indicate a non-saturating linear magnetoresistance (LMR) behavior at high magnetic field values. We present a careful analysis to explain the origin of LMR taking into consideration all the existing models of LMR. Here we consider that the bulk insulating states and the metallic surface states constitute two parallel conduction channels. Invoking this, we were able to explain linear magnetoresistance behavior as a competition between these parallel channels. We observe that the cross-over field, where LMR sets in, decreases with increasing temperature. We propose that this cross-over field can be used phenomenologically to estimate the strength of surface to bulk coupling.

Local density of states in two-dimensional topological superconductors under a magnetic field: Signature of an exterior Majorana bound state

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Shu-Ichiro; Kawaguchi, Yuki; Tanaka, Yukio

2018-04-01

We study quasiparticle states on a surface of a topological insulator (TI) with proximity-induced superconductivity under an external magnetic field. An applied magnetic field creates two Majorana bound states: a vortex Majorana state localized inside a vortex core and an exterior Majorana state localized along a circle centered at the vortex core. We calculate the spin-resolved local density of states (LDOS) and demonstrate that the shrinking of the radius of the exterior Majorana state, predicted in R. S. Akzyanov et al., Phys. Rev. B 94, 125428 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevB.94.125428, under a strong magnetic field can be seen in LDOS without smeared out by nonzero-energy states. The spin-resolved LDOS further reveals that the spin of the exterior Majorana state is strongly spin-polarized. Accordingly, the induced odd-frequency spin-triplet pairs are found to be spin-polarized as well. In order to detect the exterior Majorana states, however, the Fermi energy should be closed to the Dirac point to avoid contributions from continuum levels. We also study a different two-dimensional topological-superconducting system where a two-dimensional electron gas with the spin-orbit coupling is sandwiched between an s -wave superconductor and a ferromagnetic insulator. We show that the radius of an exterior Majorana state can be tuned by an applied magnetic field. However, on the contrary to the results at a TI surface, neither the exterior Majorana state nor the induced odd-frequency spin-triplet pairs are spin-polarized. We conclude that the spin polarization of the Majorana state is attributed to the spin-polarized Landau level, which is characteristic for systems with the Dirac-like dispersion.

Surface plasmon on topological insulator/dielectric interface enhanced ZnO ultraviolet photoluminescence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-Min Liao

2012-06-01

Full Text Available It has recently been predicted that the surface plasmons are allowed to exist on the interface between a topological insulator and vacuum. Surface plasmons can be employed to enhance the optical emission from various illuminants. Here, we study the photoluminescence properties of the ZnO/Bi2Te3 hybrid structures. Thin flakes of Bi2Te3, a typical three-dimensional topological insulator, were prepared on ZnO crystal surface by mechanical exfoliation method. The ultraviolet emission from ZnO was found to be enhanced by the Bi2Te3 thin flakes, which was attributed to the surface plasmon – photon coupling at the Bi2Te3/ZnO interface.

3D Quantum Hall Effect of Fermi Arc in Topological Semimetals

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C. M.; Sun, Hai-Peng; Lu, Hai-Zhou; Xie, X. C.

2017-09-01

The quantum Hall effect is usually observed in 2D systems. We show that the Fermi arcs can give rise to a distinctive 3D quantum Hall effect in topological semimetals. Because of the topological constraint, the Fermi arc at a single surface has an open Fermi surface, which cannot host the quantum Hall effect. Via a "wormhole" tunneling assisted by the Weyl nodes, the Fermi arcs at opposite surfaces can form a complete Fermi loop and support the quantum Hall effect. The edge states of the Fermi arcs show a unique 3D distribution, giving an example of (d -2 )-dimensional boundary states. This is distinctly different from the surface-state quantum Hall effect from a single surface of topological insulator. As the Fermi energy sweeps through the Weyl nodes, the sheet Hall conductivity evolves from the 1 /B dependence to quantized plateaus at the Weyl nodes. This behavior can be realized by tuning gate voltages in a slab of topological semimetal, such as the TaAs family, Cd3 As2 , or Na3Bi . This work will be instructive not only for searching transport signatures of the Fermi arcs but also for exploring novel electron gases in other topological phases of matter.

Topological surface Fermi arcs in the magnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qiunan; Liu, Enke; Shi, Wujun; Muechler, Lukas; Gayles, Jacob; Felser, Claudia; Sun, Yan

2018-06-01

Very recently, the half-metallic compound Co3Sn2S2 was proposed to be a magnetic Weyl semimetal (WSM) with Weyl points only 60 meV above the Fermi level EF. Owing to the low charge carrier density and large Berry curvature induced, Co3Sn2S2 possesses both a large anomalous Hall conductivity and a large anomalous Hall angle, which provide strong evidence for the existence of Weyl points in Co3Sn2S2 . In this work, we theoretically study the surface topological feature of Co3Sn2S2 and its counterpart Co3Sn2Se2 . By cleaving the sample at the weak Sn-S/Se bonds, one can achieve two different surfaces terminated with Sn and S/Se atoms, respectively. The resulting Fermi-arc-related states can range from the energy of the Weyl points to EF-0.1 eV in the Sn-terminated surface. Therefore, it should be possible to observe the Fermi arcs in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements. Furthermore, in order to simulate quasiparticle interference in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements, we also calculate the joint density of states for both terminals. This work should be helpful for a comprehensive understanding of the topological properties of these two magnetic WSMs and further ARPES and STM measurements.

Unconventional quantum Hall effect in Floquet topological insulators

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.

2016-07-27

We study an unconventional quantum Hall effect for the surface states of ultrathin Floquet topological insulators in a perpendicular magnetic field. The resulting band structure is modified by photon dressing and the topological property is governed by the low-energy dynamics of a single surface. An exchange of symmetric and antisymmetric surface states occurs by reversing the lights polarization. We find a novel quantum Hall state in which the zeroth Landau level undergoes a phase transition from a trivial insulator state, with Hall conductivity αyx = 0 at zero Fermi energy, to a Hall insulator state with αyx = e2/2h. These findings open new possibilities for experimentally realizing nontrivial quantum states and unusual quantum Hall plateaus at (±1/2,±3/2,±5/2, ...)e2/h. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK.

Unconventional quantum Hall effect in Floquet topological insulators

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.; Vasilopoulos, P.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2016-01-01

We study an unconventional quantum Hall effect for the surface states of ultrathin Floquet topological insulators in a perpendicular magnetic field. The resulting band structure is modified by photon dressing and the topological property is governed by the low-energy dynamics of a single surface. An exchange of symmetric and antisymmetric surface states occurs by reversing the lights polarization. We find a novel quantum Hall state in which the zeroth Landau level undergoes a phase transition from a trivial insulator state, with Hall conductivity αyx = 0 at zero Fermi energy, to a Hall insulator state with αyx = e2/2h. These findings open new possibilities for experimentally realizing nontrivial quantum states and unusual quantum Hall plateaus at (±1/2,±3/2,±5/2, ...)e2/h. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK.

Anomalous Quasiparticle Symmetries and Non-Abelian Defects on Symmetrically Gapped Surfaces of Weak Topological Insulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Mross, David F; Essin, Andrew; Alicea, Jason; Stern, Ady

2016-01-22

We show that boundaries of 3D weak topological insulators can become gapped by strong interactions while preserving all symmetries, leading to Abelian surface topological order. The anomalous nature of weak topological insulator surfaces manifests itself in a nontrivial action of symmetries on the quasiparticles; most strikingly, translations change the anyon types in a manner impossible in strictly 2D systems with the same symmetry. As a further consequence, screw dislocations form non-Abelian defects that trap Z_{4} parafermion zero modes.

Selective buckling via states of self-stress in topological metamaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulose, Jayson; Meeussen, Anne S; Vitelli, Vincenzo

2015-06-23

States of self-stress--tensions and compressions of structural elements that result in zero net forces--play an important role in determining the load-bearing ability of structures ranging from bridges to metamaterials with tunable mechanical properties. We exploit a class of recently introduced states of self-stress analogous to topological quantum states to sculpt localized buckling regions in the interior of periodic cellular metamaterials. Although the topological states of self-stress arise in the linear response of an idealized mechanical frame of harmonic springs connected by freely hinged joints, they leave a distinct signature in the nonlinear buckling behavior of a cellular material built out of elastic beams with rigid joints. The salient feature of these localized buckling regions is that they are indistinguishable from their surroundings as far as material parameters or connectivity of their constituent elements are concerned. Furthermore, they are robust against a wide range of structural perturbations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this topological design through analytical and numerical calculations as well as buckling experiments performed on two- and three-dimensional metamaterials built out of stacked kagome lattices.

Strain-enhanced optical absorbance of topological insulator films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brems, Mathias Rosdahl; Paaske, Jens; Lunde, Anders Mathias

2018-01-01

Topological insulator films are promising materials for optoelectronics due to a strong optical absorption and a thickness-dependent band gap of the topological surface states. They are superior candidates for photodetector applications in the THz-infrared spectrum, with a potential performance...... thickness, the surface-state band gap, and thereby the optical absorption, can be effectively tuned by the application of uniaxial strain epsilon(zz), leading to a divergent band-edge absorbance for epsilon(zz) greater than or similar to 6%. Shear strain breaks the crystal symmetry and leads...

Complete theory of symmetry-based indicators of band topology.

Science.gov (United States)

Po, Hoi Chun; Vishwanath, Ashvin; Watanabe, Haruki

2017-06-30

The interplay between symmetry and topology leads to a rich variety of electronic topological phases, protecting states such as the topological insulators and Dirac semimetals. Previous results, like the Fu-Kane parity criterion for inversion-symmetric topological insulators, demonstrate that symmetry labels can sometimes unambiguously indicate underlying band topology. Here we develop a systematic approach to expose all such symmetry-based indicators of band topology in all the 230 space groups. This is achieved by first developing an efficient way to represent band structures in terms of elementary basis states, and then isolating the topological ones by removing the subset of atomic insulators, defined by the existence of localized symmetric Wannier functions. Aside from encompassing all earlier results on such indicators, including in particular the notion of filling-enforced quantum band insulators, our theory identifies symmetry settings with previously hidden forms of band topology, and can be applied to the search for topological materials.Understanding the role of topology in determining electronic structure can lead to the discovery, or appreciation, of materials with exotic properties such as protected surface states. Here, the authors present a framework for identifying topologically distinct band-structures for all 3D space groups.

Topological Insulator Nanowires and Nanoribbons

KAUST Repository

Kong, Desheng; Randel, Jason C.; Peng, Hailin; Cha, Judy J.; Meister, Stefan; Lai, Keji; Chen, Yulin; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Manoharan, Hari C.; Cui, Yi

2010-01-01

Recent theoretical calculations and photoemission spectroscopy measurements on the bulk Bi2Se3 material show that it is a three-dimensional topological insulator possessing conductive surface states with nondegenerate spins, attractive

Coupling effect of topological states and Chern insulators in two-dimensional triangular lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiayong; Zhao, Bao; Xue, Yang; Zhou, Tong; Yang, Zhongqin

2018-03-01

We investigate topological states of two-dimensional (2D) triangular lattices with multiorbitals. Tight-binding model calculations of a 2D triangular lattice based on px and py orbitals exhibit very interesting doubly degenerate energy points at different positions (Γ and K /K' ) in momentum space, with quadratic non-Dirac and linear Dirac band dispersions, respectively. Counterintuitively, the system shows a global topologically trivial rather than nontrivial state with consideration of spin-orbit coupling due to the "destructive interference effect" between the topological states at the Γ and K /K' points. The topologically nontrivial state can emerge by introducing another set of triangular lattices to the system (bitriangular lattices) due to the breakdown of the interference effect. With first-principles calculations, we predict an intrinsic Chern insulating behavior (quantum anomalous Hall effect) in a family of the 2D triangular lattice metal-organic framework of Co(C21N3H15) (TPyB-Co) from this scheme. Our results provide a different path and theoretical guidance for the search for and design of new 2D topological quantum materials.

Absorption of surface acoustic waves by topological insulator thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, L. L.; Xu, W.

2014-01-01

We present a theoretical study on the absorption of the surface acoustic waves (SAWs) by Dirac electrons in topological insulator (TI) thin films (TITFs). We find that due to momentum and energy conservation laws, the absorption of the SAWs in TITFs can only be achieved via intra-band electronic transitions. The strong absorption can be observed up to sub-terahertz frequencies. With increasing temperature, the absorption intensity increases significantly and the cut-off frequency is blue-shifted. More interestingly, we find that the absorption of the SAWs by the TITFs can be markedly enhanced by the tunable subgap in the Dirac energy spectrum of the TI surface states. Such a subgap is absent in conventional two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) and in the gapless Dirac 2DEG such as graphene. This study is pertinent to the exploration of the acoustic properties of TIs and to potential application of TIs as tunable SAW devices working at hypersonic frequencies

Vortices and gate-tunable bound states in a topological insulator coupled to superconducting leads

Science.gov (United States)

Finck, Aaron; Kurter, C.; Hor, Y. S.; van Harlingen, D. J.

2014-03-01

It has been predicted that zero energy Majorana bound states can be found in the core of vortices within topological superconductors. Here, we report on Andreev spectroscopy measurements of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 with a normal metal lead and one or more niobium leads. The niobium induces superconductivity in the Bi2Se3 through the proximity effect, leading to both signatures of Andreev reflection and a prominent re-entrant resistance effect. When a large magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the surface of the Bi2Se3, we observe multiple abrupt changes in the subgap conductance that are accompanied by sharp peaks in the dynamical resistance. These peaks are very sensitive to changes in magnetic field and disappear at temperatures associated with the critical temperature of the induced superconductivity. The appearance of the transitions and peaks can be tuned by a top gate. At high magnetic fields, we also find evidence of gate-tunable states, which can lead to stable zero-bias conductance peaks. We interpret our results in terms of a transition occurring within the proximity effect region of the topological insulator, likely due to the formation of vortices. We acknowledge support from Microsoft Project Q.

Universal quantum computing using (Zd) 3 symmetry-protected topologically ordered states

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanzhu; Prakash, Abhishodh; Wei, Tzu-Chieh

2018-02-01

Measurement-based quantum computation describes a scheme where entanglement of resource states is utilized to simulate arbitrary quantum gates via local measurements. Recent works suggest that symmetry-protected topologically nontrivial, short-ranged entangled states are promising candidates for such a resource. Miller and Miyake [npj Quantum Inf. 2, 16036 (2016), 10.1038/npjqi.2016.36] recently constructed a particular Z2×Z2×Z2 symmetry-protected topological state on the Union Jack lattice and established its quantum-computational universality. However, they suggested that the same construction on the triangular lattice might not lead to a universal resource. Instead of qubits, we generalize the construction to qudits and show that the resulting (d -1 ) qudit nontrivial Zd×Zd×Zd symmetry-protected topological states are universal on the triangular lattice, for d being a prime number greater than 2. The same construction also holds for other 3-colorable lattices, including the Union Jack lattice.

Status of surface conduction in topological insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barua, Sourabh; Rajeev, K. P.

2014-01-01

In this report, we scrutinize the thickness dependent resistivity data from the recent literature on electrical transport measurements in topological insulators. A linear increase in resistivity with increase in thickness is expected in the case of these materials since they have an insulating bulk and a conducting surface. However, such a trend is not seen in the resistivity versus thickness data for all the cases examined, except for some samples, where it holds for a range of thickness

Spatial distribution of spin polarization in a channel on the surface of a topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Xiaoying; Shao Huaihua; Liu Yiman; Tang Dongsheng; Zhou Guanghui

2012-01-01

We study the spatial distribution of electron spin polarization for a gate-controlled T-shaped channel on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator (3D TI). We demonstrate that an energy gap depending on channel geometry parameters is definitely opened due to the spatial confinement. Spin surface locking in momentum space for a uniform wide channel with Hamiltonian linearity in the wavevector is still kept, but it is broken with Hamiltonian nonlinearity in the wavevector, like that for two-dimensional surface states widely studied in the literature. However, the spin surface locking for a T-shaped channel is broken even with Hamiltonian linearity in the wavevector. Interestingly, the magnitude and direction of the in-plane spin polarization are spatially dependent in all regions due to the breaking of translational symmetry of the T-shaped channel system. These interesting findings for an electrically controlled nanostructure based on the 3D TI surface may be testable with the present experimental technique, and may provide further understanding the nature of 3D TI surface states. (paper)

Infrared circular photogalvanic effect in topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Siyuan

2018-04-01

Topological insulators have attracted a lot of attention in recent years due to its unique phenomena. Circular photogalvanic effect (CPGE) is one of the important phenomena in topological insulators. Bi2Se3, as one of the 3D topological insulators, consist of a single Dirac cone at the Γ point in k-space [1], corresponding to the surface states. Controlled by the Berry curvature of the surface band, the dominant photo response due to the interband transition is helicity dependent [2]. In addition, due to the spin-momentum locking in topological insulators' surface, the sign of spin-angular-momentum of obliquely incident light and photo currents are locked together. On the other hand, Bi2Se3 consists of quintuple layers which make it possible to be exfoliated and transferred based on graphene fabrication. In this paper, Bi2Se3 devices were fabricated and Ohm contact was achieved. We experimentally demonstrated the CPGE in Bi2Se3 using 1550nm incident laser.

High spin state driven magnetism and thermoelectricity in Mn doped topological insulator Bi2Se3

Science.gov (United States)

Maurya, V. K.; Dong, C. L.; Chen, C. L.; Asokan, K.; Patnaik, S.

2018-06-01

We report on the synthesis, and structural - magnetic characterizations of Mn doped Bi2Se3 towards achieving a magnetically doped topological insulator. High quality single crystals of MnxBi2-xSe3 (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.1) are grown and analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES). Magnetic properties of these samples under ZFC-FC protocol and isothermal magnetization confirm ferromagnetic correlation above x = 0.03 value. XANES measurements confirm that the dopant Mn is in Mn2+ state. This is further reconfirmed to be in high spin state by fitting magnetic data with Brillouin function for J = 5/2. Both Hall and Seebeck measurements indicate a sign change of charge carriers above x = 0.03 value of Mn doping. We propose Mn doped Bi2Se3 to be a potential candidate for electromagnetic and thermoelectric device applications involving topological surface states.

Charge-spin Transport in Surface-disordered Three-dimensional Topological Insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Xingyue

As one of the most promising candidates for the building block of the novel spintronic circuit, the topological insulator (TI) has attracted world-wide interest of study. Robust topological order protected by time-reversal symmetry (TRS) makes charge transport and spin generation in TIs significantly different from traditional three-dimensional (3D) or two-dimensional (2D) electronic systems. However, to date, charge transport and spin generation in 3D TIs are still primarily modeled as single-surface phenomena, happening independently on top and bottom surfaces. In this dissertation, I will demonstrate via both experimental findings and theoretical modeling that this "single surface'' theory neither correctly describes a realistic 3D TI-based device nor reveals the amazingly distinct physical picture of spin transport dynamics in 3D TIs. Instead, I present a new viewpoint of the spin transport dynamics where the role of the insulating yet topologically non-trivial bulk of a 3D TI becomes explicit. Within this new theory, many mysterious transport and magneto-transport anomalies can be naturally explained. The 3D TI system turns out to be more similar to its low dimensional sibling--2D TI rather than some other systems sharing the Dirac dispersion, such as graphene. This work not only provides valuable fundamental physical insights on charge-spin transport in 3D TIs, but also offers important guidance to the design of 3D TI-based spintronic devices.

Topological Phases in Graphene Nanoribbons: Junction States, Spin Centers, and Quantum Spin Chains

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Ting; Zhao, Fangzhou; Louie, Steven G.

2017-08-01

We show that semiconducting graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) of different width, edge, and end termination (synthesizable from molecular precursors with atomic precision) belong to different electronic topological classes. The topological phase of GNRs is protected by spatial symmetries and dictated by the terminating unit cell. We have derived explicit formulas for their topological invariants and shown that localized junction states developed between two GNRs of distinct topology may be tuned by lateral junction geometry. The topology of a GNR can be further modified by dopants, such as a periodic array of boron atoms. In a superlattice consisting of segments of doped and pristine GNRs, the junction states are stable spin centers, forming a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin 1 /2 chain with tunable exchange interaction. The discoveries here not only are of scientific interest for studies of quasi-one-dimensional systems, but also open a new path for design principles of future GNR-based devices through their topological characters.

Experimental demonstration of anomalous Floquet topological insulator for sound

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yu-Gui; Qin, Cheng-Zhi; Zhao, De-Gang; Shen, Ya-Xi; Xu, Xiang-Yuan; Bao, Ming; Jia, Han; Zhu, Xue-Feng

2016-11-01

Time-reversal invariant topological insulator is widely recognized as one of the fundamental discoveries in condensed matter physics, for which the most fascinating hallmark is perhaps a spin-based topological protection, the absence of scattering of conduction electrons with certain spins on matter surface. Recently, it has created a paradigm shift for topological insulators, from electronics to photonics, phononics and mechanics as well, bringing about not only involved new physics but also potential applications in robust wave transport. Despite the growing interests in topologically protected acoustic wave transport, T-invariant acoustic topological insulator has not yet been achieved. Here we report experimental demonstration of anomalous Floquet topological insulator for sound: a strongly coupled metamaterial ring lattice that supports one-way propagation of pseudo-spin-dependent edge states under T-symmetry. We also demonstrate the formation of pseudo-spin-dependent interface states due to lattice dislocations and investigate the properties of pass band and band gap states.

Electronic structure and transport on the surface of topological insulator attached to an electromagnetic superlattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Haiyan; Chen Xiongwen; Zhou Xiaoying; Zhang Lebo; Zhou Guanghui

2012-01-01

We study the electronic structure and transport for Dirac electron on the surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator attached to an electromagnetic superlattice. It is found that, by means of the transfer-matrix method, the number of electronic tunneling channels for magnetic barriers in antiparallel alignment is larger than that in parallel alignment, which stems to the energy band structures. Interestingly, a remarkable semiconducting transport behavior appears in this system with a strong magnetic barrier due to low energy band nearly paralleling to the Fermi level. Consequently, there is only small incident angle transport in the higher energy region when the system is modulated mainly by the higher electric barriers. We further find that the spatial distribution of the spin polarization oscillates periodically in the incoming region, but it is almost in-plane with a fixed direction in the transmitting region. The results may provide a further understanding of the nature of 3D TI surface states, and may be useful in the design of topological insulator-based electronic devices such as collimating electron beam.

Optical transitions in two-dimensional topological insulators with point defects

Science.gov (United States)

Sablikov, Vladimir A.; Sukhanov, Aleksei A.

2016-12-01

Nontrivial properties of electronic states in topological insulators are inherent not only to the surface and boundary states, but to bound states localized at structure defects as well. We clarify how the unusual properties of the defect-induced bound states are manifested in optical absorption spectra in two-dimensional topological insulators. The calculations are carried out for defects with short-range potential. We find that the defects give rise to the appearance of specific features in the absorption spectrum, which are an inherent property of topological insulators. They have the form of two or three absorption peaks that are due to intracenter transitions between electron-like and hole-like bound states.

Trivial topological phase of CaAgP and the topological nodal-line transition in CaAg (P1 -xA sx)

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, N.; Qian, Y. T.; Wu, Q. S.; Autès, G.; Matt, C. E.; Lv, B. Q.; Yao, M. Y.; Strocov, V. N.; Pomjakushina, E.; Conder, K.; Plumb, N. C.; Radovic, M.; Yazyev, O. V.; Qian, T.; Ding, H.; Mesot, J.; Shi, M.

2018-04-01

By performing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we address the topological phase of CaAgP and investigate the topological phase transition in CaAg (P1 -xA sx) . We reveal that in CaAgP, the bulk band gap and surface states with a large bandwidth are topologically trivial, in agreement with hybrid density functional theory calculations. The calculations also indicate that application of "negative" hydrostatic pressure can transform trivial semiconducting CaAgP into an ideal topological nodal-line semimetal phase. The topological transition can be realized by partial isovalent P/As substitution at x =0.38 .

Magnetotransport and induced superconductivity in Bi based three-dimensional topological insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veldhorst, M.; Snelder, M.; Hoek, M.; Molenaar, C.G.; Leusink, D.P.; Golubov, A.A.; Hilgenkamp, H.; Brinkman, A.

2013-01-01

The surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator is conducting and the topologically nontrivial nature of the surface states is observed in experiments. It is the aim of this paper to review and analyze experimental observations with respect to the magnetotransport in Bi-based 3D topological insulators, as well as the superconducting transport properties of hybrid structures consisting of superconductors and these topological insulators. The helical spin-momentum coupling of the surface state electrons becomes visible in quantum corrections to the conductivity and magnetoresistance oscillations. An analysis will be provided of the reported magnetoresistance, also in the presence of bulk conductivity shunts. Special attention is given to the large and linear magnetoresistance. Superconductivity can be induced in topological superconductors by means of the proximity effect. The induced supercurrents, Josephson effects and current-phase relations will be reviewed. These materials hold great potential in the field of spintronics and the route towards Majorana devices. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Magnetotransport and induced superconductivity in Bi based three-dimensional topological insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veldhorst, M.; Snelder, M.; Hoek, M.; Molenaar, C.G.; Leusink, D.P.; Golubov, A.A.; Hilgenkamp, H.; Brinkman, A. [MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

2013-02-15

The surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator is conducting and the topologically nontrivial nature of the surface states is observed in experiments. It is the aim of this paper to review and analyze experimental observations with respect to the magnetotransport in Bi-based 3D topological insulators, as well as the superconducting transport properties of hybrid structures consisting of superconductors and these topological insulators. The helical spin-momentum coupling of the surface state electrons becomes visible in quantum corrections to the conductivity and magnetoresistance oscillations. An analysis will be provided of the reported magnetoresistance, also in the presence of bulk conductivity shunts. Special attention is given to the large and linear magnetoresistance. Superconductivity can be induced in topological superconductors by means of the proximity effect. The induced supercurrents, Josephson effects and current-phase relations will be reviewed. These materials hold great potential in the field of spintronics and the route towards Majorana devices. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Electrical and proximity-magnetic effects induced quantum Goos–Hänchen shift on the surface of topological insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuai, Jian [School of Physics and Electronics, Yancheng Teachers College, Yancheng, 224002 Jiangsu (China); Da, H.X., E-mail: haixia8779@163.com [Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117576 (Singapore)

2014-03-15

We use scattering matrix method to theoretically demonstrate that the quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulator coated by ferromagnetic strips is sensitive to the magnitude of ferromagnetic magnetization. The dependence of quantum Goos–Hänchen shift on magnetization and gate bias is investigated by performing station phase approach. It is found that quantum Goos–Hänchen shift is positive and large under the magnetic barrier but may be positive as well as negative values under the gate bias. Furthermore, the position of quantum Goos–Hänchen peak can also be modulated by the combination of gate bias and proximity magnetic effects. Our results indicate that topological insulators are another candidates to support quantum Goos–Hänchen shift. - Highlights: • Quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulators is first investigated. • The magnetization affects quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulators. • Quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulators can be manipulated by the gate voltages.

Magneto-photoconductivity of three dimensional topological insulator bismuth telluride

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Bingchen; Eginligil, Mustafa; Yu, Ting

2018-03-01

Magnetic field dependence of the photocurrent in a 3D topological insulator is studied. Among the 3D topological insulators bismuth telluride has unique hexagonal warping and spin texture which has been studied by photoemission, scanning tunnelling microscopy and transport. Here, we report on low temperature magneto-photoconductivity, up to 7 T, of two metallic bismuth telluride topological insulator samples with 68 and 110 nm thicknesses excited by 2.33 eV photon energy along the magnetic field perpendicular to the sample plane. At 4 K, both samples exhibit negative magneto-photoconductance below 4 T, which is as a result of weak-antilocalization of Dirac fermions similar to the previous observations in electrical transport. However the thinner sample shows positive magneto-photoconductance above 4 T. This can be attributed to the coupling of surface states. On the other hand, the thicker sample shows no positive magneto-photoconductance up to 7 T since there is only one surface state at play. By fitting the magneto-photoconductivity data of the thicker sample to the localization formula, we obtain weak antilocalization behaviour at 4, 10, and 20 K, as expected; however, weak localization behaviour at 30 K, which is a sign of surface states masked by bulk states. Also, from the temperature dependence of phase coherence length bulk carrier-carrier interaction is identified separately from the surface states. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish surface states by magneto-photoconductivity at low temperature, even in metallic samples.

Topological Photonics for Continuous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Silveirinha, Mario

Photonic crystals have revolutionized light-based technologies during the last three decades. Notably, it was recently discovered that the light propagation in photonic crystals may depend on some topological characteristics determined by the manner how the light states are mutually entangled. The usual topological classification of photonic crystals explores the fact that these structures are periodic. The periodicity is essential to ensure that the underlying wave vector space is a closed surface with no boundary. In this talk, we prove that it is possible calculate Chern invariants for a wide class of continuous bianisotropic electromagnetic media with no intrinsic periodicity. The nontrivial topology of the relevant continuous materials is linked with the emergence of edge states. Moreover, we will demonstrate that continuous photonic media with the time-reversal symmetry can be topologically characterized by a Z2 integer. This novel classification extends for the first time the theory of electronic topological insulators to a wide range of photonic platforms, and is expected to have an impact in the design of novel photonic systems that enable a topologically protected transport of optical energy. This work is supported in part by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia Grant Number PTDC/EEI-TEL/4543/2014.

Topological open string amplitudes on local toric del Pezzo surfaces via remodeling the B-model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manabe, Masahide

2009-01-01

We study topological strings on local toric del Pezzo surfaces by a method called remodeling the B-model which was recently proposed by Bouchard, Klemm, Marino and Pasquetti. For a large class of local toric del Pezzo surfaces we prove a functional formula of the Bergman kernel which is the basic constituent of the topological string amplitudes by the topological recursion relation of Eynard and Orantin. Because this formula is written as a functional of the period, we can obtain the topological string amplitudes at any point of the moduli space by a simple change of variables of the Picard-Fuchs equations for the period. By this formula and mirror symmetry we compute the A-model amplitudes on K F 2 , and predict the open orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants of C 3 /Z 4 .

Nematic order on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Lundgren, Rex; Yerzhakov, Hennadii; Maciejko, Joseph

2017-12-01

We study the spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry in the helical surface state of three-dimensional topological insulators due to strong electron-electron interactions, focusing on time-reversal invariant nematic order. Owing to the strongly spin-orbit coupled nature of the surface state, the nematic order parameter is linear in the electron momentum and necessarily involves the electron spin, in contrast with spin-degenerate nematic Fermi liquids. For a chemical potential at the Dirac point (zero doping), we find a first-order phase transition at zero temperature between isotropic and nematic Dirac semimetals. This extends to a thermal phase transition that changes from first to second order at a finite-temperature tricritical point. At finite doping, we find a transition between isotropic and nematic helical Fermi liquids that is second order even at zero temperature. Focusing on finite doping, we discuss various observable consequences of nematic order, such as anisotropies in transport and the spin susceptibility, the partial breakdown of spin-momentum locking, collective modes and induced spin fluctuations, and non-Fermi-liquid behavior at the quantum critical point and in the nematic phase.

Topological Gyroscopic Metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Nash, Lisa Michelle

Topological materials are generally insulating in their bulk, with protected conducting states on their boundaries that are robust against disorder and perturbation of material property. The existence of these conducting edge states is characterized by an integer topological invariant. Though the phenomenon was first discovered in electronic systems, recent years have shown that topological states exist in classical systems as well. In this thesis we are primarily concerned with the topological properties of gyroscopic materials, which are created by coupling networks of fast-spinning objects. Through a series of simulations, numerical calculations, and experiments, we show that these materials can support topological edge states. We find that edge states in these gyroscopic metamaterials bear the hallmarks of topology related to broken time reversal symmetry: they transmit excitations unidirectionally and are extremely robust against experimental disorder. We also explore requirements for topology by studying several lattice configurations and find that topology emerges naturally in gyroscopic systems.A simple prescription can be used to create many gyroscopic lattices. Though many of our gyroscopic networks are periodic, we explore amorphous point-sets and find that topology also emerges in these networks.

Surface representations of two- and three-dimensional fluid flow topology

Science.gov (United States)

Helman, James L.; Hesselink, Lambertus

1990-01-01

We discuss our work using critical point analysis to generate representations of the vector field topology of numerical flow data sets. Critical points are located and characterized in a two-dimensional domain, which may be either a two-dimensional flow field or the tangential velocity field near a three-dimensional body. Tangent curves are then integrated out along the principal directions of certain classes of critical points. The points and curves are linked to form a skeleton representing the two-dimensional vector field topology. When generated from the tangential velocity field near a body in a three-dimensional flow, the skeleton includes the critical points and curves which provide a basis for analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the flow separation. The points along the separation curves in the skeleton are used to start tangent curve integrations to generate surfaces representing the topology of the associated flow separations.

Bulk and interface quantum states of electrons in multi-layer heterostructures with topological materials

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolic, Aleksandar; Zhang, Kexin; Barnes, C. H. W.

2018-06-01

In this article we describe the bulk and interface quantum states of electrons in multi-layer heterostructures in one dimension, consisting of topological insulators (TIs) and topologically trivial materials. We use and extend an effective four-band continuum Hamiltonian by introducing position dependence to the eight material parameters of the Hamiltonian. We are able to demonstrate complete conduction-valence band mixing in the interface states. We find evidence for topological features of bulk states of multi-layer TI heterostructures, as well as demonstrating both complete and incomplete conduction-valence band inversion at different bulk state energies. We show that the linear k z terms in the low-energy Hamiltonian, arising from overlap of p z orbitals between different atomic layers in the case of chalcogenides, control the amount of tunneling from TIs to trivial insulators. Finally, we show that the same linear k z terms in the low-energy Hamiltonian affect the material’s ability to form the localised interface state, and we demonstrate that due to this effect the spin and probability density localisation in a thin film of Sb2Te3 is incomplete. We show that changing the parameter that controls the magnitude of the overlap of p z orbitals affects the transport characteristics of the topologically conducting states, with incomplete topological state localisation resulting in increased backscattering.

Disorder Effects in Charge Transport and Spin Response of Topological Insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lukas Zhonghua

Topological insulators are a class of solids in which the non-trivial inverted bulk band structure gives rise to metallic surface states that are robust against impurity backscattering. First principle calculations predicted Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3 and Bi2Se3 to be three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators with a single Dirac cone on the surface. The topological surface states were subsequently observed by angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The investigations of charge transport through topological surfaces of 3D topological insulators, however, have faced a major challenge due to large charge carrier densities in the bulk donated by randomly distributed defects such as vacancies and antisites. This bulk disorder intermixes surface and bulk conduction channels, thereby complicating access to the low-energy (Dirac point) charge transport or magnetic response and resulting in the relatively low measured carrier mobilities. Moreover, charge inhomogeneity arising from bulk disorder can result in pronounced nanoscale spatial fluctuations of energy on the surface, leading to the formation of surface `puddles' of different carrier types. Great efforts have been made to combat the undesirable effects of disorder in 3D topological insulators and to reduce bulk carriers through chemical doping, nanostructure fabrication, and electric gating. In this work we have developed a new way to reduce bulk carrier densities using high-energy electron irradiation, thereby allowing us access to the topological surface quantum channels. We also found that disorder in 3D topological insulators can be beneficial. It can play an important part in enabling detection of unusual magnetic response from Dirac fermions and in uncovering new excitations, namely surface superconductivity in Dirac `puddles'. In Chapter 3 we show how by using differential magnetometry we could probe spin rotation in the 3D topological material family (Bi2Se 3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3

Weak antilocalization effect and noncentrosymmetric superconductivity in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi

KAUST Repository

Xu, Guizhou; Wang, Wenhong; Zhang, Xiaoming; Du, Yin; Liu, Enke; Wang, Shouguo; Wu, Guangheng; Liu, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Xixiang

2014-01-01

A large number of half-Heusler compounds have been recently proposed as three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) with tunable physical properties. However, no transport measurements associated with the topological surface states have been observed in these half-Heusler candidates due to the dominating contribution from bulk electrical conductance. Here we show that, by reducing the mobility of bulk carriers, a two-dimensional (2D) weak antilocalization (WAL) effect, one of the hallmarks of topological surface states, was experimentally revealed from the tilted magnetic field dependence of magnetoconductance in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi. Besides the observation of a 2D WAL effect, a superconducting transition was revealed at T c ∼ 1.7â.K in the same bulk LuPdBi. Quantitative analysis within the framework of a generalized BCS theory leads to the conclusion that the noncentrosymmetric superconductivity of LuPdBi is fully gapped with a possibly unconventional pairing character. The co-existence of superconductivity and the transport signature of topological surface states in the same bulk alloy suggests that LuPdBi represents a very promising candidate as a topological superconductor.

Weak antilocalization effect and noncentrosymmetric superconductivity in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi

KAUST Repository

Xu, Guizhou

2014-07-21

A large number of half-Heusler compounds have been recently proposed as three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) with tunable physical properties. However, no transport measurements associated with the topological surface states have been observed in these half-Heusler candidates due to the dominating contribution from bulk electrical conductance. Here we show that, by reducing the mobility of bulk carriers, a two-dimensional (2D) weak antilocalization (WAL) effect, one of the hallmarks of topological surface states, was experimentally revealed from the tilted magnetic field dependence of magnetoconductance in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi. Besides the observation of a 2D WAL effect, a superconducting transition was revealed at T c ∼ 1.7â.K in the same bulk LuPdBi. Quantitative analysis within the framework of a generalized BCS theory leads to the conclusion that the noncentrosymmetric superconductivity of LuPdBi is fully gapped with a possibly unconventional pairing character. The co-existence of superconductivity and the transport signature of topological surface states in the same bulk alloy suggests that LuPdBi represents a very promising candidate as a topological superconductor.

Classification of crystalline topological semimetals with an application to Na3Bi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Ching-Kai; Schnyder, Andreas P

2015-01-01

Topological phases can not only be protected by internal symmetries (e.g., time-reversal symmetry), but also by crystalline symmetries, such as reflection or rotation symmetry. Recently a complete topological classification of reflection symmetric insulators, superconductors, nodal semimetals, and nodal superconductors has been established. In this article, after a brief review of the classification of reflection-symmetry-protected semimetals and nodal superconductors, we discuss an example of a three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetal, which exhibits time-reversal symmetry as well as reflection and rotation symmetries. We compute the surface state spectrum of this Dirac semimetal and identify the crystal lattice symmetries that lead to the protection of the surface states. We discuss the implications of our findings for the stability of the Fermi arc surface states of the Dirac material Na 3 Bi. Our analysis suggests that the Fermi arc of Na 3 Bi is gapped except at time-reversal invariant surface momenta, which is in agreement with recent photoemission measurements. (paper)

Spatial potential ripples of azimuthal surface modes in topological insulator Bi2Te3 nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz Rojo, Miguel; Zhang, Yingjie; Manzano, Cristina V; Alvaro, Raquel; Gooth, Johannes; Salmeron, Miquel; Martin-Gonzalez, Marisol

2016-01-11

Topological insulators (TI) nanowires (NW) are an emerging class of structures, promising both novel quantum effects and potential applications in low-power electronics, thermoelectrics and spintronics. However, investigating the electronic states of TI NWs is complicated, due to their small lateral size, especially at room temperature. Here, we perform scanning probe based nanoscale imaging to resolve the local surface potential landscapes of Bi2Te3 nanowires (NWs) at 300 K. We found equipotential rings around the NWs perimeter that we attribute to azimuthal 1D modes. Along the NW axis, these modes are altered, forming potential ripples in the local density of states, due to intrinsic disturbances. Potential mapping of electrically biased NWs enabled us to accurately determine their conductivity which was found to increase with the decrease of NW diameter, consistent with surface dominated transport. Our results demonstrate that TI NWs can pave the way to both exotic quantum states and novel electronic devices.

Generation of helical gears with new surfaces topology by application of CNC machines

Science.gov (United States)

Litvin, F. L.; Chen, N. X.; Hsiao, C. L.; Handschuh, Robert F.

1993-01-01

Analysis of helical involute gears by tooth contact analysis shows that such gears are very sensitive to angular misalignment that leads to edge contact and the potential for high vibration. A new topology of tooth surfaces of helical gears that enables a favorable bearing contact and a reduced level of vibration is described. Methods for grinding of the helical gears with the new topology are proposed. A TCA (tooth contact analysis) program for simulation of meshing and contact of helical gears with the new topology has been developed. Numerical examples that illustrate the proposed ideas are discussed.

Electric-field induced spin accumulation in the Landau level states of topological insulator thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Siu, Zhuo Bin; Chowdhury, Debashree; Basu, Banasri; Jalil, Mansoor B. A.

2017-08-01

A topological insulator (TI) thin film differs from the more typically studied thick TI system in that the former has both a top and a bottom surface where the states localized at both surfaces can couple to one other across the finite thickness. An out-of-plane magnetic field leads to the formation of discrete Landau level states in the system, whereas an in-plane magnetization breaks the angular momentum symmetry of the system. In this work, we study the spin accumulation induced by the application of an in-plane electric field to the TI thin film system where the Landau level states and inter-surface coupling are simultaneously present. We show, via Kubo formula calculations, that the in-plane spin accumulation perpendicular to the magnetization due to the electric field vanishes for a TI thin film with symmetric top and bottom surfaces. A finite in-plane spin accumulation perpendicular to both the electric field and magnetization emerges upon applying either a differential magnetization coupling or a potential difference between the two film surfaces. This spin accumulation results from the breaking of the antisymmetry of the spin accumulation around the k-space equal-energy contours.

A three-colour graph as a complete topological invariant for gradient-like diffeomorphisms of surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grines, V Z; Pochinka, O V; Kapkaeva, S Kh

2014-01-01

In a paper of Oshemkov and Sharko, three-colour graphs were used to make the topological equivalence of Morse-Smale flows on surfaces obtained by Peixoto more precise. In the present paper, in the language of three-colour graphs equipped with automorphisms, we obtain a complete (including realization) topological classification of gradient-like cascades on surfaces. Bibliography: 25 titles

A three-colour graph as a complete topological invariant for gradient-like diffeomorphisms of surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grines, V Z; Pochinka, O V [N.I. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Kapkaeva, S Kh [N.P. Ogarev Mordovian State University, Saransk (Russian Federation)

2014-10-31

In a paper of Oshemkov and Sharko, three-colour graphs were used to make the topological equivalence of Morse-Smale flows on surfaces obtained by Peixoto more precise. In the present paper, in the language of three-colour graphs equipped with automorphisms, we obtain a complete (including realization) topological classification of gradient-like cascades on surfaces. Bibliography: 25 titles.

Symmetric Topological Phases and Tensor Network States

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shenghan

Classification and simulation of quantum phases are one of main themes in condensed matter physics. Quantum phases can be distinguished by their symmetrical and topological properties. The interplay between symmetry and topology in condensed matter physics often leads to exotic quantum phases and rich phase diagrams. Famous examples include quantum Hall phases, spin liquids and topological insulators. In this thesis, I present our works toward a more systematically understanding of symmetric topological quantum phases in bosonic systems. In the absence of global symmetries, gapped quantum phases are characterized by topological orders. Topological orders in 2+1D are well studied, while a systematically understanding of topological orders in 3+1D is still lacking. By studying a family of exact solvable models, we find at least some topological orders in 3+1D can be distinguished by braiding phases of loop excitations. In the presence of both global symmetries and topological orders, the interplay between them leads to new phases termed as symmetry enriched topological (SET) phases. We develop a framework to classify a large class of SET phases using tensor networks. For each tensor class, we can write down generic variational wavefunctions. We apply our method to study gapped spin liquids on the kagome lattice, which can be viewed as SET phases of on-site symmetries as well as lattice symmetries. In the absence of topological order, symmetry could protect different topological phases, which are often referred to as symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases. We present systematic constructions of tensor network wavefunctions for bosonic symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases respecting both onsite and spatial symmetries.

Quantum coherent transport in SnTe topological crystalline insulator thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assaf, B. A.; Heiman, D. [Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Katmis, F.; Moodera, J. S. [Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Wei, P. [Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Satpati, B. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India); Zhang, Z. [Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Bennett, S. P.; Harris, V. G. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States)

2014-09-08

Topological crystalline insulators (TCI) are unique systems where a band inversion that is protected by crystalline mirror symmetry leads to a multiplicity of topological surface states. Binary SnTe is an attractive lead-free TCI compound; the present work on high-quality thin films provides a route for increasing the mobility and reducing the carrier density of SnTe without chemical doping. Results of quantum coherent magnetotransport measurements reveal a multiplicity of Dirac surface states that are unique to TCI. Modeling of the weak antilocalization shows variations in the extracted number of carrier valleys that reflect the role of coherent intervalley scattering in coupling different Dirac states on the degenerate TCI surface.

Spintronics Based on Topological Insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yabin; Wang, Kang L.

2016-10-01

Spintronics using topological insulators (TIs) as strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) materials have emerged and shown rapid progress in the past few years. Different from traditional heavy metals, TIs exhibit very strong SOC and nontrivial topological surface states that originate in the bulk band topology order, which can provide very efficient means to manipulate adjacent magnetic materials when passing a charge current through them. In this paper, we review the recent progress in the TI-based magnetic spintronics research field. In particular, we focus on the spin-orbit torque (SOT)-induced magnetization switching in the magnetic TI structures, spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) measurements in the TI/ferromagnet structures, spin pumping and spin injection effects in the TI/magnet structures, as well as the electrical detection of the surface spin-polarized current in TIs. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in the TI-based spintronics field and its potential applications in ultralow power dissipation spintronic memory and logic devices.

Topological crystalline superconductivity and second-order topological superconductivity in nodal-loop materials

Science.gov (United States)

Shapourian, Hassan; Wang, Yuxuan; Ryu, Shinsei

2018-03-01

We study the intrinsic fully gapped odd-parity superconducting order in doped nodal-loop materials with a torus-shaped Fermi surface. We show that the mirror symmetry, which protects the nodal loop in the normal state, also protects the superconducting state as a topological crystalline superconductor. As a result, the surfaces preserving the mirror symmetry host gapless Majorana cones. Moreover, for a Weyl-loop system (twofold degenerate at the nodal loop), the surfaces that break the mirror symmetry (those parallel to the bulk nodal loop) contribute a Chern (winding) number to the quasi-two-dimensional system in a slab geometry, which leads to a quantized thermal Hall effect and a single Majorana zero mode bound at a vortex line penetrating the system. This Chern number can be viewed as a higher-order topological invariant, which supports hinge modes in a cubic sample when mirror symmetry is broken. For a Dirac-loop system (fourfold degenerate at the nodal loop), the fully gapped odd-parity state can be either time-reversal symmetry-breaking or symmetric, similar to the A and B phases of 3He. In a slab geometry, the A phase has a Chern number two, while the B phase carries a nontrivial Z2 invariant. We discuss the experimental relevance of our results to nodal-loop materials such as CaAgAs.

Topological Nodal Cooper Pairing in Doped Weyl Metals

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi; Haldane, F. D. M.

2018-02-01

We generalize the concept of Berry connection of the single-electron band structure to that of a two-particle Cooper pairing state between two Fermi surfaces with opposite Chern numbers. Because of underlying Fermi surface topology, the pairing Berry phase acquires nontrivial monopole structure. Consequently, pairing gap functions have topologically protected nodal structure as vortices in the momentum space with the total vorticity solely determined by the pair monopole charge qp. The nodes of gap function behave as the Weyl-Majorana points of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes pairing Hamiltonian. Their relation with the connection patterns of the surface modes from the Weyl band structure and the Majorana surface modes inside the pairing gap is also discussed. Under the approximation of spherical Fermi surfaces, the pairing symmetry are represented by monopole harmonic functions. The lowest possible pairing channel carries angular momentum number j =|qp|, and the corresponding gap functions are holomorphic or antiholomorphic functions on Fermi surfaces. After projected on the Fermi surfaces with nontrivial topology, all the partial-wave channels of pairing interactions acquire the monopole charge qp independent of concrete pairing mechanism.

Photonic crystals possessing multiple Weyl points and the experimental observation of robust surface states

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wen-Jie; Xiao, Meng; Chan, C. T.

2016-01-01

Weyl points, as monopoles of Berry curvature in momentum space, have captured much attention recently in various branches of physics. Realizing topological materials that exhibit such nodal points is challenging and indeed, Weyl points have been found experimentally in transition metal arsenide and phosphide and gyroid photonic crystal whose structure is complex. If realizing even the simplest type of single Weyl nodes with a topological charge of 1 is difficult, then making a real crystal carrying higher topological charges may seem more challenging. Here we design, and fabricate using planar fabrication technology, a photonic crystal possessing single Weyl points (including type-II nodes) and multiple Weyl points with topological charges of 2 and 3. We characterize this photonic crystal and find nontrivial 2D bulk band gaps for a fixed kz and the associated surface modes. The robustness of these surface states against kz-preserving scattering is experimentally observed for the first time. PMID:27703140

Exotic Non-Abelian Topological Defects in Lattice Fractional Quantum Hall States

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhao; Möller, Gunnar; Bergholtz, Emil J.

2017-09-01

We investigate extrinsic wormholelike twist defects that effectively increase the genus of space in lattice versions of multicomponent fractional quantum Hall systems. Although the original band structure is distorted by these defects, leading to localized midgap states, we find that a new lowest flat band representing a higher genus system can be engineered by tuning local single-particle potentials. Remarkably, once local many-body interactions in this new band are switched on, we identify various Abelian and non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states, whose ground-state degeneracy increases with the number of defects, i.e, with the genus of space. This sensitivity of topological degeneracy to defects provides a "proof of concept" demonstration that genons, predicted by topological field theory as exotic non-Abelian defects tied to a varying topology of space, do exist in realistic microscopic models. Specifically, our results indicate that genons could be created in the laboratory by combining the physics of artificial gauge fields in cold atom systems with already existing holographic beam shaping methods for creating twist defects.

Topological helical edge states in water waves over a topographical bottom

KAUST Repository

Wu, Shi qiao

2017-11-27

We present the discovery of topologically protected helical edge states in water wave systems, which are realized in water wave propagating over a topographical bottom whose height is modulated periodically in a two-dimensional triangular pattern. We develop an effective Hamiltonian to characterize the dispersion relation and use spin Chern numbers to classify the topology. Through full wave simulations we unambiguously demonstrate the robustness of the helical edge states which are immune to defects and disorders so that the backscattering loss is significantly reduced. A spin splitter is designed for water wave systems, where helical edge states with different spin orientations are spatially separated with each other, and potential applications are discussed.

Topological helical edge states in water waves over a topographical bottom

KAUST Repository

Wu, Shi qiao; Wu, Ying; Mei, Jun

2017-01-01

We present the discovery of topologically protected helical edge states in water wave systems, which are realized in water wave propagating over a topographical bottom whose height is modulated periodically in a two-dimensional triangular pattern. We develop an effective Hamiltonian to characterize the dispersion relation and use spin Chern numbers to classify the topology. Through full wave simulations we unambiguously demonstrate the robustness of the helical edge states which are immune to defects and disorders so that the backscattering loss is significantly reduced. A spin splitter is designed for water wave systems, where helical edge states with different spin orientations are spatially separated with each other, and potential applications are discussed.

Dirac spin-orbit torques and charge pumping at the surface of topological insulators

KAUST Repository

Ndiaye, Papa Birame

2017-07-07

We address the nature of spin-orbit torques at the magnetic surfaces of topological insulators using the linear-response theory. We find that the so-called Dirac torques in such systems possess a different symmetry compared to their Rashba counterpart, as well as a high anisotropy as a function of the magnetization direction. In particular, the damping torque vanishes when the magnetization lies in the plane of the topological-insulator surface. We also show that the Onsager reciprocal of the spin-orbit torque, the charge pumping, induces an enhanced anisotropic damping. Via a macrospin model, we numerically demonstrate that these features have important consequences in terms of magnetization switching.

Dirac spin-orbit torques and charge pumping at the surface of topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Ndiaye, Papa B.; Akosa, C. A.; Fischer, M. H.; Vaezi, A.; Kim, E.-A.; Manchon, A.

2017-07-01

We address the nature of spin-orbit torques at the magnetic surfaces of topological insulators using the linear-response theory. We find that the so-called Dirac torques in such systems possess a different symmetry compared to their Rashba counterpart, as well as a high anisotropy as a function of the magnetization direction. In particular, the damping torque vanishes when the magnetization lies in the plane of the topological-insulator surface. We also show that the Onsager reciprocal of the spin-orbit torque, the charge pumping, induces an enhanced anisotropic damping. Via a macrospin model, we numerically demonstrate that these features have important consequences in terms of magnetization switching.

Dirac spin-orbit torques and charge pumping at the surface of topological insulators

KAUST Repository

Ndiaye, Papa Birame; Akosa, Collins Ashu; Fischer, M. H.; Vaezi, A.; Kim, E.-A.; Manchon, Aurelien

2017-01-01

We address the nature of spin-orbit torques at the magnetic surfaces of topological insulators using the linear-response theory. We find that the so-called Dirac torques in such systems possess a different symmetry compared to their Rashba counterpart, as well as a high anisotropy as a function of the magnetization direction. In particular, the damping torque vanishes when the magnetization lies in the plane of the topological-insulator surface. We also show that the Onsager reciprocal of the spin-orbit torque, the charge pumping, induces an enhanced anisotropic damping. Via a macrospin model, we numerically demonstrate that these features have important consequences in terms of magnetization switching.

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of the surface states of Dirac fermions in thermoelectrics based on bismuth telluride

Science.gov (United States)

Lukyanova, L. N.; Makarenko, I. V.; Usov, O. A.; Dementev, P. A.

2018-05-01

The morphology of the interlayer van der Waals surface and differential tunneling conductance in p-Bi2‑xSbxTe3‑ySey solid solutions were studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy in dependence on compositions. The topological characteristics of the Dirac fermion surface states were determined. It was shown that the thermoelectric power factor and the material parameter enhance with the shift of the Dirac point to the top of the valence band with the increasing of atomic substitution in these thermoelectrics. A correlation between topological characteristics, power factor and material parameters was found. A growth contribution of the surface states is determined by an increase of the Fermi velocity for large atomic substitutions of Bi at x > 1.5 and small substitutions in the Te sublattice (y = 0.06). In compositions with smaller substitutions at x = (1–1.3) and y = (0.06–0.09), similar effect of the surface states is determined by raising the surface concentration of charge carriers.

Bulk chirality effect for symmetric bistable switching of liquid crystals on topologically self-patterned degenerate anchoring surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Min-Kyu; Joo, Kyung-Il; Kim, Hak-Rin

2017-06-26

We demonstrate a bistable switching liquid crystal (LC) mode utilizing a topologically self-structured dual-groove surface for degenerated easy axes of LC anchoring. In our study, the effect of the bulk elastic distortion of the LC directors on the bistable anchoring surface is theoretically analyzed for balanced bistable states based on a free energy diagram. By adjusting bulk LC chirality, we developed ideally symmetric and stable bistable anchoring and switching properties, which can be driven by a low in-plane pulsed field of about 0.7 V/µm. The fabricated device has a contrast ratio of 196:1.

Topological Insulator State in Thin Bismuth Films Subjected to Plane Tensile Strain

Science.gov (United States)

Demidov, E. V.; Grabov, V. M.; Komarov, V. A.; Kablukova, N. S.; Krushel'nitskii, A. N.

2018-03-01

The results of experimental examination of galvanomagnetic properties of thin bismuth films subjected to plane tensile strain resulting from the difference in thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate material and bismuth are presented. The resistivity, the magnetoresistance, and the Hall coefficient were studied at temperatures ranging from 5 to 300 K in magnetic fields as strong as 0.65 T. Carrier densities were calculated. A considerable increase in carrier density in films thinner than 30 nm was observed. This suggests that surface states are more prominent in thin bismuth films on mica substrates, while the films themselves may exhibit the properties of a topological insulator.

Topological origin of edge states in two-dimensional inversion-symmetric insulators and semimetals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miert, Guido van|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/413490378; Ortix, Carmine|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/413315304; de Morais Smith, C.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304836346

2017-01-01

Symmetries play an essential role in identifying and characterizing topological states of matter. Here, we classify topologically two-dimensional (2D) insulators and semimetals with vanishing spin-orbit coupling using time-reversal ($\\mathcal{T}$) and inversion ($\\mathcal{I}$) symmetry. This allows

Low energy electronic scattering processes in the topological Weyl semimetal TaAs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muellner, Silvia; Lemmens, Peter [IPKM, TU-BS, Braunschweig (Germany); Gnezdilov, Vladimir [IPKM, TU-BS, Braunschweig (Germany); ILTPE NAS (Ukraine); Sankar, Raman; Chou, Fangcheng [CCMS, National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (China)

2016-07-01

The topological Weyl semimetal TaAs shows Weyl points as well as topological surface states (Fermi arcs) intimately related to symmetry and strong spin orbit interaction. We find evidence for a low energy maximum in the scattering intensity that is compatible with electronic correlations in a collision dominated regime. We compare our observations with topological insulators.

Electronic states of zigzag graphene nanoribbons with edges reconstructed with topological defects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pincak, R., E-mail: pincak@saske.sk [Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 043 53 Kosice (Slovakia); Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Smotlacha, J., E-mail: smota@centrum.cz [Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Brehova 7, 110 00 Prague (Czech Republic); Osipov, V.A., E-mail: osipov@theor.jinr.ru [Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation)

2015-10-15

The energy spectrum and electronic density of states (DOS) of zigzag graphene nanoribbons with edges reconstructed with topological defects are investigated within the tight-binding method. In case of the Stone–Wales zz(57) edge the low-energy spectrum is markedly changed in comparison to the pristine zz edge. We found that the electronic DOS at the Fermi level is different from zero at any width of graphene nanoribbons. In contrast, for ribbons with heptagons only at one side and pentagons at another one the energy gap at the Fermi level is open and the DOS is equal to zero. The reason is the influence of uncompensated topological charges on the localized edge states, which are topological in nature. This behavior is similar to that found for the structured external electric potentials along the edges.

Spin-transfer torque generated by a topological insulator

KAUST Repository

Mellnik, A. R.

2014-07-23

Magnetic devices are a leading contender for the implementation of memory and logic technologies that are non-volatile, that can scale to high density and high speed, and that do not wear out. However, widespread application of magnetic memory and logic devices will require the development of efficient mechanisms for reorienting their magnetization using the least possible current and power. There has been considerable recent progress in this effort; in particular, it has been discovered that spin-orbit interactions in heavy-metal/ferromagnet bilayers can produce strong current-driven torques on the magnetic layer, via the spin Hall effect in the heavy metal or the Rashba-Edelstein effect in the ferromagnet. In the search for materials to provide even more efficient spin-orbit-induced torques, some proposals have suggested topological insulators, which possess a surface state in which the effects of spin-orbit coupling are maximal in the sense that an electron\\' s spin orientation is fixed relative to its propagation direction. Here we report experiments showing that charge current flowing in-plane in a thin film of the topological insulator bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) at room temperature can indeed exert a strong spin-transfer torque on an adjacent ferromagnetic permalloy (Ni81Fe19) thin film, with a direction consistent with that expected from the topological surface state. We find that the strength of the torque per unit charge current density in Bi 2Se3 is greater than for any source of spin-transfer torque measured so far, even for non-ideal topological insulator films in which the surface states coexist with bulk conduction. Our data suggest that topological insulators could enable very efficient electrical manipulation of magnetic materials at room temperature, for memory and logic applications. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Quench dynamics of topological maximally entangled states.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Ming-Chiang; Jhu, Yi-Hao; Chen, Pochung; Mou, Chung-Yu

2013-07-17

We investigate the quench dynamics of the one-particle entanglement spectra (OPES) for systems with topologically nontrivial phases. By using dimerized chains as an example, it is demonstrated that the evolution of OPES for the quenched bipartite systems is governed by an effective Hamiltonian which is characterized by a pseudospin in a time-dependent pseudomagnetic field S(k,t). The existence and evolution of the topological maximally entangled states (tMESs) are determined by the winding number of S(k,t) in the k-space. In particular, the tMESs survive only if nontrivial Berry phases are induced by the winding of S(k,t). In the infinite-time limit the equilibrium OPES can be determined by an effective time-independent pseudomagnetic field Seff(k). Furthermore, when tMESs are unstable, they are destroyed by quasiparticles within a characteristic timescale in proportion to the system size.

Symmetry conditions of a nodal superconductor for generating robust flat-band Andreev bound states at its dirty surface

Science.gov (United States)

Ikegaya, Satoshi; Kobayashi, Shingo; Asano, Yasuhiro

2018-05-01

We discuss the symmetry property of a nodal superconductor that hosts robust flat-band zero-energy states at its surface under potential disorder. Such robust zero-energy states are known to induce the anomalous proximity effect in a dirty normal metal attached to a superconductor. A recent study has shown that a topological index NZES describes the number of zero-energy states at the dirty surface of a p -wave superconductor. We generalize the theory to clarify the conditions required for a superconductor that enables NZES≠0 . Our results show that NZES≠0 is realized in a topological material that belongs to either the BDI or CII class. We also present two realistic Hamiltonians that result in NZES≠0 .

Time-Dependent Liquid Transport on a Biomimetic Topological Surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Cunlong; Li, Chuxin; Gao, Can; Dong, Zhichao; Wu, Lei; Jiang, Lei

2018-05-02

Liquid drops impacting on a solid surface is a familiar phenomenon. On rainy days, it is quite important for leaves to drain off impacting raindrops. Water can bounce off or flow down a water-repellent leaf easily, but with difficulty on a hydrophilic leaf. Here, we show an interesting phenomenon in which impacting drops on the hydrophilic pitcher rim of Nepenthes alata can spread outward to prohibit water filling the pitcher tank. We mimic the peristome surface through a designed 3D printing and replicating way and report a time-dependently switchable liquid transport based on biomimetic topological structures, where surface curvature can work synergistically with the surface microtextures to manipulate the switchable spreading performance. Motived by this strange behavior, we construct a large-scaled peristome-mimetic surface in a 3D profile, demonstrating the ability to reduce the need to mop or to squeegee drops that form during the drop impacting process on pipes or other curved surfaces in food processing, moisture transfer, heat management, etc.

Reliability-Based Topology Optimization Using Stochastic Response Surface Method with Sparse Grid Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qinghai Zhao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A mathematical framework is developed which integrates the reliability concept into topology optimization to solve reliability-based topology optimization (RBTO problems under uncertainty. Two typical methodologies have been presented and implemented, including the performance measure approach (PMA and the sequential optimization and reliability assessment (SORA. To enhance the computational efficiency of reliability analysis, stochastic response surface method (SRSM is applied to approximate the true limit state function with respect to the normalized random variables, combined with the reasonable design of experiments generated by sparse grid design, which was proven to be an effective and special discretization technique. The uncertainties such as material property and external loads are considered on three numerical examples: a cantilever beam, a loaded knee structure, and a heat conduction problem. Monte-Carlo simulations are also performed to verify the accuracy of the failure probabilities computed by the proposed approach. Based on the results, it is demonstrated that application of SRSM with SGD can produce an efficient reliability analysis in RBTO which enables a more reliable design than that obtained by DTO. It is also found that, under identical accuracy, SORA is superior to PMA in view of computational efficiency.

Quasiparticle dynamics in reshaped helical Dirac cone of topological insulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Lin; Wang, Z F; Ming, Wenmei; Yao, Meng-Yu; Wang, Meixiao; Yang, Fang; Song, Y R; Zhu, Fengfeng; Fedorov, Alexei V; Sun, Z; Gao, C L; Liu, Canhua; Xue, Qi-Kun; Liu, Chao-Xing; Liu, Feng; Qian, Dong; Jia, Jin-Feng

2013-02-19

Topological insulators and graphene present two unique classes of materials, which are characterized by spin-polarized (helical) and nonpolarized Dirac cone band structures, respectively. The importance of many-body interactions that renormalize the linear bands near Dirac point in graphene has been well recognized and attracted much recent attention. However, renormalization of the helical Dirac point has not been observed in topological insulators. Here, we report the experimental observation of the renormalized quasiparticle spectrum with a skewed Dirac cone in a single Bi bilayer grown on Bi(2)Te(3) substrate from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. First-principles band calculations indicate that the quasiparticle spectra are likely associated with the hybridization between the extrinsic substrate-induced Dirac states of Bi bilayer and the intrinsic surface Dirac states of Bi(2)Te(3) film at close energy proximity. Without such hybridization, only single-particle Dirac spectra are observed in a single Bi bilayer grown on Bi(2)Se(3), where the extrinsic Dirac states Bi bilayer and the intrinsic Dirac states of Bi(2)Se(3) are well separated in energy. The possible origins of many-body interactions are discussed. Our findings provide a means to manipulate topological surface states.

High-Resolution Faraday Rotation and Electron-Phonon Coupling in Surface States of the Bulk-Insulating Topological Insulator Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3}.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Liang; Tse, Wang-Kong; Brahlek, M; Morris, C M; Aguilar, R Valdés; Koirala, N; Oh, S; Armitage, N P

2015-11-20

We have utilized time-domain magnetoterahertz spectroscopy to investigate the low-frequency optical response of the topological insulator Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3} and Bi_{2}Se_{3} films. With both field and frequency dependence, such experiments give sufficient information to measure the mobility and carrier density of multiple conduction channels simultaneously. We observe sharp cyclotron resonances (CRs) in both materials. The small amount of Cu incorporated into the Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3} induces a true bulk insulator with only a single type of conduction with a total sheet carrier density of ~4.9×10^{12}/cm^{2} and mobility as high as 4000 cm^{2}/V·s. This is consistent with conduction from two virtually identical topological surface states (TSSs) on the top and bottom of the film with a chemical potential ~145 meV above the Dirac point and in the bulk gap. The CR broadens at high fields, an effect that we attribute to an electron-phonon interaction. This assignment is supported by an extended Drude model analysis of the zero-field Drude conductance. In contrast, in normal Bi_{2}Se_{3} films, two conduction channels were observed, and we developed a self-consistent analysis method to distinguish the dominant TSSs and coexisting trivial bulk or two-dimensional electron gas states. Our high-resolution Faraday rotation spectroscopy on Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3} paves the way for the observation of quantized Faraday rotation under experimentally achievable conditions to push the chemical potential in the lowest Landau level.

Chiral topological insulator of magnons

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Kovalev, Alexey A.

2018-05-01

We propose a magnon realization of 3D topological insulator in the AIII (chiral symmetry) topological class. The topological magnon gap opens due to the presence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions. The existence of the topological invariant is established by calculating the bulk winding number of the system. Within our model, the surface magnon Dirac cone is protected by the sublattice chiral symmetry. By analyzing the magnon surface modes, we confirm that the backscattering is prohibited. By weakly breaking the chiral symmetry, we observe the magnon Hall response on the surface due to opening of the gap. Finally, we show that by changing certain parameters, the system can be tuned between the chiral topological insulator, three-dimensional magnon anomalous Hall, and Weyl magnon phases.

Fingerprints of a Bosonic Symmetry-Protected Topological State in a Quantum Point Contact

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui-Xing; Liu, Chao-Xing

2017-05-01

In this work, we study the transport through a quantum point contact for bosonic helical liquid that exists at the edge of a bilayer graphene under a strong magnetic field. We identify "smoking gun" transport signatures to distinguish a bosonic symmetry-protected topological (BSPT) state from a fermionic two-channel quantum spin Hall (QSH) state in this system. In particular, a novel charge-insulator-spin-conductor phase is found for the BSPT state, while either the charge-insulator-spin-insulator or the charge-conductor-spin-conductor phase is expected for the two-channel QSH state. Consequently, a simple transport measurement will reveal the fingerprint of bosonic topological physics in bilayer graphene systems.

Tunneling Planar Hall Effect in Topological Insulators: Spin Valves and Amplifiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Scharf, Benedikt; Matos-Abiague, Alex; Han, Jong E; Hankiewicz, Ewelina M; Žutić, Igor

2016-10-14

We investigate tunneling across a single ferromagnetic barrier on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator. In the presence of a magnetization component along the bias direction, a tunneling planar Hall conductance (TPHC), transverse to the applied bias, develops. Electrostatic control of the barrier enables a giant Hall angle, with the TPHC exceeding the longitudinal tunneling conductance. By changing the in-plane magnetization direction, it is possible to change the sign of both the longitudinal and transverse differential conductance without opening a gap in the topological surface state. The transport in a topological-insulator-ferromagnet junction can, thus, be drastically altered from a simple spin valve to an amplifier.

From the topological development of matrix models to the topological string theory: arrangement of surfaces through algebraic geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orantin, N.

2007-09-01

The 2-matrix model has been introduced to study Ising model on random surfaces. Since then, the link between matrix models and arrangement of discrete surfaces has strongly tightened. This manuscript aims to investigate these deep links and extend them beyond the matrix models, following my work's evolution. First, I take care to define properly the hermitian 2 matrix model which gives rise to generating functions of discrete surfaces equipped with a spin structure. Then, I show how to compute all the terms in the topological expansion of any observable by using algebraic geometry tools. They are obtained as differential forms on an algebraic curve associated to the model: the spectral curve. In a second part, I show how to define such differentials on any algebraic curve even if it does not come from a matrix model. I then study their numerous symmetry properties under deformations of the algebraic curve. In particular, I show that these objects coincide with the topological expansion of the observable of a matrix model if the algebraic curve is the spectral curve of this model. Finally, I show that the fine tuning of the parameters ensures that these objects can be promoted to modular invariants and satisfy the holomorphic anomaly equation of the Kodaira-Spencer theory. This gives a new hint that the Dijkgraaf-Vafa conjecture is correct. (author)

Matrix product states and equivariant topological field theories for bosonic symmetry-protected topological phases in (1+1) dimensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiozaki, Ken [Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign,1110 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Ryu, Shinsei [James Franck Institute and Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Chicago,5640 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States)

2017-04-18

Matrix Product States (MPSs) provide a powerful framework to study and classify gapped quantum phases — symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases in particular — defined in one dimensional lattices. On the other hand, it is natural to expect that gapped quantum phases in the limit of zero correlation length are described by topological quantum field theories (TFTs or TQFTs). In this paper, for (1+1)-dimensional bosonic SPT phases protected by symmetry G, we bridge their descriptions in terms of MPSs, and those in terms of G-equivariant TFTs. In particular, for various topological invariants (SPT invariants) constructed previously using MPSs, we provide derivations from the point of view of (1+1) TFTs. We also discuss the connection between boundary degrees of freedom, which appear when one introduces a physical boundary in SPT phases, and “open” TFTs, which are TFTs defined on spacetimes with boundaries.

Ripple-modulated electronic structure of a 3D topological insulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Yoshinori; Zhou, Wenwen; Walkup, D; Dhital, Chetan; Wilson, Stephen D; Madhavan, V

2012-01-01

Three-dimensional topological insulators host linearly dispersing states with unique properties and a strong potential for applications. An important ingredient in realizing some of the more exotic states in topological insulators is the ability to manipulate local electronic properties. Direct analogy to the Dirac material graphene suggests that a possible avenue for controlling local properties is via a controlled structural deformation such as the formation of ripples. However, the influence of such ripples on topological insulators is yet to be explored. Here we use scanning tunnelling microscopy to determine the effects of one-dimensional buckling on the electronic properties of Bi(2)Te(3.) By tracking spatial variations of the interference patterns generated by the Dirac electrons we show that buckling imposes a periodic potential, which locally modulates the surface-state dispersion. This suggests that forming one- and two-dimensional ripples is a viable method for creating nanoscale potential landscapes that can be used to control the properties of Dirac electrons in topological insulators.

Low-energy excitations and Fermi surface topology of parent cobaltate superconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasan, M.Z. [Department of Physics, Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)], E-mail: mzhasan@princeton.edu; Qian, D. [Department of Physics, Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Foo, M.; Cava, R.J. [Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2007-09-01

The essential framework for cuprate superconductivity is that of a spin-1/2 electron system in the vicinity of a half filled (Mott limit) lattice. Of all oxide superconductors, this framework is most closely matched in the sodium doped cobalt oxides except that it is realized on a triangular lattice. We employ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to study the quasiparticle dynamics of the parent cobaltate superconductor. Results reveal a single hole-like Fermi surface generated by the crossing of heavy ({approx}15 m{sub e} {approx} 3m{sub LDA}) quasiparticles with a negative effective hopping (t{sub eff} < 0). The observed ground state as given by the topology of the Fermi surface is found be very close to a collective charge instability with {radical}(3)x{radical}(3) symmetry. The measured electron dynamic parameters reveal the unusual character of the parent cobaltate class likely due to small and almost isotropic Fermi velocity (v{sub F}(k{sup {yields}}){approx}v{sub F}{approx}0.4{+-}0.1 eV A) observed. ARPES data is consistent with bulk thermodynamic specific heat and quantum oscillation measurements.

Topology optimization of grating couplers for the efficient excitation of surface plasmons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andkjær, Jacob Anders; Sigmund, Ole; Nishiwaki, Shinji

2010-01-01

We propose a methodology for a systematic design of grating couplers for efficient excitation of surface plasmons at metal-dielectric interfaces. The methodology is based on a two-dimensional topology optimization formulation based on the H-polarized scalar Helmholtz equation and finite-element m...

Topological transport in Dirac nodal-line semimetals

Science.gov (United States)

Rui, W. B.; Zhao, Y. X.; Schnyder, Andreas P.

2018-04-01

Topological nodal-line semimetals are characterized by one-dimensional Dirac nodal rings that are protected by the combined symmetry of inversion P and time-reversal T . The stability of these Dirac rings is guaranteed by a quantized ±π Berry phase and their low-energy physics is described by a one-parameter family of (2+1)-dimensional quantum field theories exhibiting the parity anomaly. Here we study the Berry-phase supported topological transport of P T -invariant nodal-line semimetals. We find that small inversion breaking allows for an electric-field-induced anomalous transverse current, whose universal component originates from the parity anomaly. Due to this Hall-like current, carriers at opposite sides of the Dirac nodal ring flow to opposite surfaces when an electric field is applied. To detect the topological currents, we propose a dumbbell device, which uses surface states to filter charges based on their momenta. Suggestions for experiments and device applications are discussed.

Stable Weyl points, trivial surface states, and particle-hole compensation in WP2

Science.gov (United States)

Razzoli, E.; Zwartsenberg, B.; Michiardi, M.; Boschini, F.; Day, R. P.; Elfimov, I. S.; Denlinger, J. D.; Süss, V.; Felser, C.; Damascelli, A.

2018-05-01

A possible connection between extremely large magnetoresistance and the presence of Weyl points has garnered much attention in the study of topological semimetals. Exploration of these concepts in transition-metal diphosphides WP2 has been complicated by conflicting experimental reports. Here we combine angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to disentangle surface and bulk contributions to the ARPES intensity, the superposition of which has plagued the determination of the band structure in WP2. Our results show that while the hole- and electronlike Fermi surface sheets originating from surface states have different areas, the bulk-band structure of WP2 is electron-hole compensated in agreement with DFT. Furthermore, the ARPES band structure is compatible with the presence of at least four temperature-independent Weyl points, confirming the topological nature of WP2 and its stability against lattice distortions.

Quantum phase transitions of a disordered antiferromagnetic topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Baireuther, P.; Edge, J. M.; Fulga, I. C.; Beenakker, C. W. J.; Tworzydło, J.

2014-01-01

We study the effect of electrostatic disorder on the conductivity of a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic insulator (a stack of quantum anomalous Hall layers with staggered magnetization). The phase diagram contains regions where the increase of disorder first causes the appearance of surface conduction (via a topological phase transition), followed by the appearance of bulk conduction (via a metal-insulator transition). The conducting surface states are stabilized by an effective time-reversal symmetry that is broken locally by the disorder but restored on long length scales. A simple self-consistent Born approximation reliably locates the boundaries of this so-called "statistical" topological phase.

Tunable Majorana corner states in a two-dimensional second-order topological superconductor induced by magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaoyu

2018-05-01

A two-dimensional second-order topological superconductor exhibits a finite gap in both bulk and edges, with the nontrivial topology manifesting itself through Majorana zero modes localized at the corners, i.e., Majorana corner states. We investigate a time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor in two dimensions and demonstrate that an in-plane magnetic field could transform it into a second-order topological superconductor. A detailed analysis reveals that the magnetic field gives rise to mass terms which take distinct values among the edges, and Majorana corner states naturally emerge at the intersection of two adjacent edges with opposite masses. With the rotation of the magnetic field, Majorana corner states localized around the boundary may hop from one corner to a neighboring one and eventually make a full circle around the system when the field rotates by 2 π . In the end, we briefly discuss physical realizations of this system.

Topological superfluids confined in a nanoscale slab geometry

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, John

2013-03-01

Nanofluidic samples of superfluid 3He provide a route to explore odd-parity topological superfluids and their surface, edge and defect-bound excitations under well controlled conditions. We have cooled superfluid 3He confined in a precisely defined nano-fabricated cavity to well below 1 mK for the first time. We fingerprint the order parameter by nuclear magnetic resonance, exploiting a SQUID NMR spectrometer of exquisite sensitivity. We demonstrate that dimensional confinement, at length scales comparable to the superfluid Cooper-pair diameter, has a profound influence on the superfluid order of 3He. The chiral A-phase is stabilized at low pressures, in a cavity of height 650 nm. At higher pressures we observe 3He-B with a surface induced planar distortion. 3He-B is a time-reversal invariant topological superfluid, supporting gapless Majorana surface states. In the presence of the small symmetry breaking NMR static magnetic field we observe two possible B-phase states of the order parameter manifold, which can coexist as domains. Non-linear NMR on these states enables a measurement of the surface induced planar distortion, which determines the spectral weight of the surface excitations. The expected structure of the domain walls is such that, at the cavity surface, the line separating the two domains is predicted to host fermion zero modes, protected by symmetry and topology. Increasing confinement should stabilize new p-wave superfluid states of matter, such as the quasi-2D gapped A phase, which breaks time reversal symmetry, has a protected chiral edge mode, and may host half-quantum vortices with a Majorana zero-mode at the core. We discuss experimental progress toward this phase, through measurements on a 100 nm cavity. On the other hand, a cavity height of 1000 nm may stabilize a novel ``striped'' superfluid with spatially modulated order parameter. Supported by EPSRC (UK) GR/J022004/1 and European Microkelvin Consortium, FP7 grant 228464

Topology of polymer chains under nanoscale confinement.

Science.gov (United States)

Satarifard, Vahid; Heidari, Maziar; Mashaghi, Samaneh; Tans, Sander J; Ejtehadi, Mohammad Reza; Mashaghi, Alireza

2017-08-24

Spatial confinement limits the conformational space accessible to biomolecules but the implications for bimolecular topology are not yet known. Folded linear biopolymers can be seen as molecular circuits formed by intramolecular contacts. The pairwise arrangement of intra-chain contacts can be categorized as parallel, series or cross, and has been identified as a topological property. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we determine the contact order distributions and topological circuits of short semi-flexible linear and ring polymer chains with a persistence length of l p under a spherical confinement of radius R c . At low values of l p /R c , the entropy of the linear chain leads to the formation of independent contacts along the chain and accordingly, increases the fraction of series topology with respect to other topologies. However, at high l p /R c , the fraction of cross and parallel topologies are enhanced in the chain topological circuits with cross becoming predominant. At an intermediate confining regime, we identify a critical value of l p /R c , at which all topological states have equal probability. Confinement thus equalizes the probability of more complex cross and parallel topologies to the level of the more simple, non-cooperative series topology. Moreover, our topology analysis reveals distinct behaviours for ring- and linear polymers under weak confinement; however, we find no difference between ring- and linear polymers under strong confinement. Under weak confinement, ring polymers adopt parallel and series topologies with equal likelihood, while linear polymers show a higher tendency for series arrangement. The radial distribution analysis of the topology reveals a non-uniform effect of confinement on the topology of polymer chains, thereby imposing more pronounced effects on the core region than on the confinement surface. Additionally, our results reveal that over a wide range of confining radii, loops arranged in parallel and cross

Topologically protected edge states for out-of-plane and in-plane bulk elastic waves

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Shao-Yong; Chen, Jiu-Jiu; Huang, Hong-Bo

2018-04-01

Topological phononic insulators (TPnIs) show promise for application in the manipulation of acoustic waves for the design of low-loss transmission and perfectly integrated communication devices. Since solid phononic crystals exist as a transverse polarization mode and a mixed longitudinal-transverse polarization mode, the realization of topological edge states for both out-of-plane and in-plane bulk elastic waves is desirable to enhance the controllability of the edge waves in solid systems. In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) solid/solid hexagonal-latticed phononic system that simultaneously supports the topologically protected edge states for out-of-plane and in-plane bulk elastic waves is investigated. Firstly, two pairs of two-fold Dirac cones, respectively corresponding to the out-of-plane and in-plane waves, are obtained at the same frequency by tuning the crystal parameters. Then, a strategy of zone folding is invoked to form double Dirac cones. By shrinking and expanding the steel scatterer, the lattice symmetry is broken, and band inversions induced, giving rise to an intriguing topological phase transition. Finally, the topologically protected edge states for both out-of-plane and in-plane bulk elastic waves, which can be simultaneously located at the frequency range from 1.223 to 1.251 MHz, are numerically observed. Robust pseudospin-dependent elastic edge wave propagation along arbitrary paths is further demonstrated. Our results will significantly broaden its practical application in the engineering field.

On topological approach to local theory of surfaces in Calabi-Yau threefolds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gukov, Sergei; Liu, Chiu-Chu Melissa; Sheshmani, Artan

2017-01-01

We study the web of dualities relating various enumerative invariants, notably Gromov-Witten invariants and invariants that arise in topological gauge theory. In particular, we study Donaldson-Thomas gauge theory and its reductions to D=4 and D=2 which are relevant to the local theory of surfaces...

Localizing softness and stress along loops in 3D topological metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Baardink, Guido; Souslov, Anton; Paulose, Jayson; Vitelli, Vincenzo

2018-01-01

Topological states can be used to control the mechanical properties of a material along an edge or around a localized defect. The rigidity of elastic networks is characterized by a topological invariant called the polarization; materials with a well-defined uniform polarization display a dramatic range of edge softness depending on the orientation of the polarization relative to the terminating surface. However, in all 3D mechanical metamaterials proposed to date, the topological modes are mixed with bulk soft modes, which organize themselves in Weyl loops. Here, we report the design of a 3D topological metamaterial without Weyl lines and with a uniform polarization that leads to an asymmetry between the number of soft modes on opposing surfaces. We then use this construction to localize topological soft modes in interior regions of the material by including defect lines—dislocation loops—that are unique to three dimensions. We derive a general formula that relates the difference in the number of soft modes and states of self-stress localized along the dislocation loop to the handedness of the vector triad formed by the lattice polarization, Burgers vector, and dislocation-line direction. Our findings suggest a strategy for preprogramming failure and softness localized along lines in 3D, while avoiding extended soft Weyl modes.

Topology of plasma equilibria and the current closure condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocic, S.; Mahajan, S.M.; Hazeltine, R.D.

2005-01-01

A virtually complete description of the topology of stationary incompressible Euler flows and the magnetic field satisfying the magnetostatic equation is given by a theorem due to Arnol'd. We apply this theorem to describe the topology of stationary states of plasmas with significant fluid flow, obeying the Hall magnetohydrodynamics model equations. In the context of the integrability (nonchaotic topology) of the magnetic and velocity fields, we discuss the validity of conditions analogous to that of Greene and Johnson, which, in the case of magnetostatic equations, states that the line integral ∫dl/B is the same for each closed magnetic field line on a given magnetic surface. We also show how this property follows from the existence of a continuous volume-preserving symmetry of the magnetic field

Surface Topology Reconstruction From The White Light Interferogram By Means Of Prony Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khoma Anna

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a new method of surface topology reconstruction from a white light interferogram. The method is based on interferogram modelling by complex exponents (Prony method. The compatibility of white light interferogram and Prony models has already been proven. Effectiveness of the method was tested by modelling and examining reconstruction of tilted and spherical surfaces, and by estimating the reconstruction accuracy.

Impact of high-frequency pumping on anomalous finite-size effects in three-dimensional topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Pervishko, Anastasiia A.; Yudin, Dmitry; Shelykh, Ivan A.

2018-02-01

Lowering of the thickness of a thin-film three-dimensional topological insulator down to a few nanometers results in the gap opening in the spectrum of topologically protected two-dimensional surface states. This phenomenon, which is referred to as the anomalous finite-size effect, originates from hybridization between the states propagating along the opposite boundaries. In this work, we consider a bismuth-based topological insulator and show how the coupling to an intense high-frequency linearly polarized pumping can further be used to manipulate the value of a gap. We address this effect within recently proposed Brillouin-Wigner perturbation theory that allows us to map a time-dependent problem into a stationary one. Our analysis reveals that both the gap and the components of the group velocity of the surface states can be tuned in a controllable fashion by adjusting the intensity of the driving field within an experimentally accessible range and demonstrate the effect of light-induced band inversion in the spectrum of the surface states for high enough values of the pump.

A short course on topological insulators band structure and edge states in one and two dimensions

CERN Document Server

Asbóth, János K; Pályi, András

2016-01-01

This course-based primer provides newcomers to the field with a concise introduction to some of the core topics in the emerging field of topological insulators. The aim is to provide a basic understanding of edge states, bulk topological invariants, and of the bulk--boundary correspondence with as simple mathematical tools as possible. The present approach uses noninteracting lattice models of topological insulators, building gradually on these to arrive from the simplest one-dimensional case (the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model for polyacetylene) to two-dimensional time-reversal invariant topological insulators (the Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang model for HgTe). In each case the discussion of simple toy models is followed by the formulation of the general arguments regarding topological insulators. The only prerequisite for the reader is a working knowledge in quantum mechanics, the relevant solid state physics background is provided as part of this self-contained text, which is complemented by end-of-chapter problems.

In situ Raman spectroscopy of topological insulator BiTe films with varying thickness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, C.; Zhu, X.; Nilsson, Louis

2013-01-01

Topological insulators (TIs) are a new state of quantum matter with a band gap in bulk and conducting surface states. In this work, the Raman spectra of topological insulator Bi2Te3 films prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) have been measured by an in situ ultrahigh vacuum (UHV...... effects and symmetry breaking. In addition, an obvious change was observed at 3 QL when a Dirac cone formed. These results offer some new information about the novel quantum states of TIs....

Optical Manipulation and Detection of Emergent Phenomena in Topological Insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gedik, Nuh [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics

2017-02-17

The three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) is a new quantum phase of matter that exhibits quantum-Hall-like properties, even in the absence of an external magnetic field. These materials are insulators in the bulk but have a topologically protected conducting state at the surface. Charge carriers on these surface states behave like a two-dimensional gas of massless helical Dirac fermions for which the spin is ideally locked perpendicular to the momentum. The purpose of this project is to probe the unique collective electronic behaviors of topological insulators by developing and using advanced time resolved spectroscopic techniques with state-of-the-art temporal and spatial resolutions. The nature of these materials requires development of specialized ultrafast techniques (such as time resolved ARPES that also has spin detection capability, ultrafast electron diffraction that has sub-100 fs time resolution and THz magneto-spectroscopy). The focus of this report is to detail our achievements in terms of establishing state of the art experimental facilities. Below, we will describe achievements under this award for the entire duration of five years. We will focus on detailing the development of ultrafast technqiues here. The details of the science that was done with these technqiues can be found in the publications referencing this grant.

Topological superconductivity, topological confinement, and the vortex quantum Hall effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamantini, M. Cristina; Trugenberger, Carlo A.

2011-01-01

Topological matter is characterized by the presence of a topological BF term in its long-distance effective action. Topological defects due to the compactness of the U(1) gauge fields induce quantum phase transitions between topological insulators, topological superconductors, and topological confinement. In conventional superconductivity, because of spontaneous symmetry breaking, the photon acquires a mass due to the Anderson-Higgs mechanism. In this paper we derive the corresponding effective actions for the electromagnetic field in topological superconductors and topological confinement phases. In topological superconductors magnetic flux is confined and the photon acquires a topological mass through the BF mechanism: no symmetry breaking is involved, the ground state has topological order, and the transition is induced by quantum fluctuations. In topological confinement, instead, electric charge is linearly confined and the photon becomes a massive antisymmetric tensor via the Stueckelberg mechanism. Oblique confinement phases arise when the string condensate carries both magnetic and electric flux (dyonic strings). Such phases are characterized by a vortex quantum Hall effect potentially relevant for the dissipationless transport of information stored on vortices.

Quantum transport in topological semimetals under magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hai-Zhou; Shen, Shun-Qing

2017-06-01

Topological semimetals are three-dimensional topological states of matter, in which the conduction and valence bands touch at a finite number of points, i.e., the Weyl nodes. Topological semimetals host paired monopoles and antimonopoles of Berry curvature at the Weyl nodes and topologically protected Fermi arcs at certain surfaces. We review our recent works on quantum transport in topological semimetals, according to the strength of the magnetic field. At weak magnetic fields, there are competitions between the positive magnetoresistivity induced by the weak anti-localization effect and negative magnetoresistivity related to the nontrivial Berry curvature. We propose a fitting formula for the magnetoconductivity of the weak anti-localization. We expect that the weak localization may be induced by inter-valley effects and interaction effect, and occur in double-Weyl semimetals. For the negative magnetoresistance induced by the nontrivial Berry curvature in topological semimetals, we show the dependence of the negative magnetoresistance on the carrier density. At strong magnetic fields, specifically, in the quantum limit, the magnetoconductivity depends on the type and range of the scattering potential of disorder. The high-field positive magnetoconductivity may not be a compelling signature of the chiral anomaly. For long-range Gaussian scattering potential and half filling, the magnetoconductivity can be linear in the quantum limit. A minimal conductivity is found at the Weyl nodes although the density of states vanishes there.

Interfacial Dirac cones from alternating topological invariant superlattice structures of Bi2Se3.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jung-Hwan; Jin, Hosub; Freeman, Arthur J

2010-08-27

When the three-dimensional topological insulators Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 have an interface with vacuum, i.e., a surface, they show remarkable features such as topologically protected and spin-momentum locked surface states. However, for practical applications, one often requires multiple interfaces or channels rather than a single surface. Here, for the first time, we show that an interfacial and ideal Dirac cone is realized by alternating band and topological insulators. The multichannel Dirac fermions from the superlattice structures open a new way for applications such as thermoelectric and spintronics devices. Indeed, utilizing the interfacial Dirac fermions, we also demonstrate the possible power factor improvement for thermoelectric applications.

Quantum computation with topological codes from qubit to topological fault-tolerance

CERN Document Server

Fujii, Keisuke

2015-01-01

This book presents a self-consistent review of quantum computation with topological quantum codes. The book covers everything required to understand topological fault-tolerant quantum computation, ranging from the definition of the surface code to topological quantum error correction and topological fault-tolerant operations. The underlying basic concepts and powerful tools, such as universal quantum computation, quantum algorithms, stabilizer formalism, and measurement-based quantum computation, are also introduced in a self-consistent way. The interdisciplinary fields between quantum information and other fields of physics such as condensed matter physics and statistical physics are also explored in terms of the topological quantum codes. This book thus provides the first comprehensive description of the whole picture of topological quantum codes and quantum computation with them.

Non-reciprocity and topology in optics: one-way road for light via surface magnon polariton.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochiai, Tetsuyuki

2015-02-01

We show how non-reciprocity and topology are used to construct an optical one-way waveguide in the Voigt geometry. First, we present a traditional approach of the one-way waveguide of light using surface polaritons under a static magnetic field. Second, we explain a recent discovery of a topological approach using photonic crystals with the magneto-optical coupling. Third, we present a combination of the two approaches, toward a broadband one-way waveguide in the microwave range.

Setting Boundaries with Memory: Generation of Topological Boundary States in Floquet-Induced Synthetic Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Yuval; Refael, Gil

2018-03-01

When a d -dimensional quantum system is subjected to a periodic drive, it may be treated as a (d +1 )-dimensional system, where the extra dimension is a synthetic one. This approach, however, affords only a limited level of control of the effective potential along the synthetic direction. In this work, we introduce a new mean for controlling the Floquet synthetic dimension. We show that arbitrary potentials, as well as edges in the synthetic dimension, could be introduced using a memory component in the system's dynamics. We demonstrate this principle by exploring topological edge states propagating normal to synthetic dimensions. Such systems may act as an optical isolator which allows the transmission of light in a directional way. Also, we suggest an experimental realization of the memory effect in spins coupled to nanofabricated Weyl semimetal surface states.

The Topological Vertex

CERN Document Server

Aganagic, M; Marino, M; Vafa, C; Aganagic, Mina; Klemm, Albrecht; Marino, Marcos; Vafa, Cumrun

2005-01-01

We construct a cubic field theory which provides all genus amplitudes of the topological A-model for all non-compact Calabi-Yau toric threefolds. The topology of a given Feynman diagram encodes the topology of a fixed Calabi-Yau, with Schwinger parameters playing the role of Kahler classes of Calabi-Yau. We interpret this result as an operator computation of the amplitudes in the B-model mirror which is the Kodaira-Spencer quantum theory. The only degree of freedom of this theory is an unconventional chiral scalar on a Riemann surface. In this setup we identify the B-branes on the mirror Riemann surface as fermions related to the chiral boson by bosonization.

Neural-Network Quantum States, String-Bond States, and Chiral Topological States

Science.gov (United States)

Glasser, Ivan; Pancotti, Nicola; August, Moritz; Rodriguez, Ivan D.; Cirac, J. Ignacio

2018-01-01

Neural-network quantum states have recently been introduced as an Ansatz for describing the wave function of quantum many-body systems. We show that there are strong connections between neural-network quantum states in the form of restricted Boltzmann machines and some classes of tensor-network states in arbitrary dimensions. In particular, we demonstrate that short-range restricted Boltzmann machines are entangled plaquette states, while fully connected restricted Boltzmann machines are string-bond states with a nonlocal geometry and low bond dimension. These results shed light on the underlying architecture of restricted Boltzmann machines and their efficiency at representing many-body quantum states. String-bond states also provide a generic way of enhancing the power of neural-network quantum states and a natural generalization to systems with larger local Hilbert space. We compare the advantages and drawbacks of these different classes of states and present a method to combine them together. This allows us to benefit from both the entanglement structure of tensor networks and the efficiency of neural-network quantum states into a single Ansatz capable of targeting the wave function of strongly correlated systems. While it remains a challenge to describe states with chiral topological order using traditional tensor networks, we show that, because of their nonlocal geometry, neural-network quantum states and their string-bond-state extension can describe a lattice fractional quantum Hall state exactly. In addition, we provide numerical evidence that neural-network quantum states can approximate a chiral spin liquid with better accuracy than entangled plaquette states and local string-bond states. Our results demonstrate the efficiency of neural networks to describe complex quantum wave functions and pave the way towards the use of string-bond states as a tool in more traditional machine-learning applications.

Topological Edge-State Manifestation of Interacting 2D Condensed Boson-Lattice Systems in a Harmonic Trap

Science.gov (United States)

Galilo, Bogdan; Lee, Derek K. K.; Barnett, Ryan

2017-11-01

In this Letter, it is shown that interactions can facilitate the emergence of topological edge states of quantum-degenerate bosonic systems in the presence of a harmonic potential. This effect is demonstrated with the concrete model of a hexagonal lattice populated by spin-one bosons under a synthetic gauge field. In fermionic or noninteracting systems, the presence of a harmonic trap can obscure the observation of edge states. For our system with weakly interacting bosons in the Thomas-Fermi regime, we can clearly see a topological band structure with a band gap traversed by edge states. We also find that the number of edge states crossing the gap is increased in the presence of a harmonic trap, and the edge modes experience an energy shift while traversing the first Brillouin zone which is related to the topological properties of the system. We find an analytical expression for the edge-state energies and our comparison with numerical computation shows excellent agreement.

Topological Edge-State Manifestation of Interacting 2D Condensed Boson-Lattice Systems in a Harmonic Trap.

Science.gov (United States)

Galilo, Bogdan; Lee, Derek K K; Barnett, Ryan

2017-11-17

In this Letter, it is shown that interactions can facilitate the emergence of topological edge states of quantum-degenerate bosonic systems in the presence of a harmonic potential. This effect is demonstrated with the concrete model of a hexagonal lattice populated by spin-one bosons under a synthetic gauge field. In fermionic or noninteracting systems, the presence of a harmonic trap can obscure the observation of edge states. For our system with weakly interacting bosons in the Thomas-Fermi regime, we can clearly see a topological band structure with a band gap traversed by edge states. We also find that the number of edge states crossing the gap is increased in the presence of a harmonic trap, and the edge modes experience an energy shift while traversing the first Brillouin zone which is related to the topological properties of the system. We find an analytical expression for the edge-state energies and our comparison with numerical computation shows excellent agreement.

Asymmetric d-wave superconducting topological insulator in proximity with a magnetic order

Science.gov (United States)

Khezerlou, M.; Goudarzi, H.; Asgarifar, S.

2018-02-01

In the framework of the Dirac-Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism, we investigate the transport properties in the surface of a 3-dimensional topological insulator-based hybrid structure, where the ferromagnetic and superconducting orders are simultaneously induced to the surface states via the proximity effect. The superconductor gap is taken to be spin-singlet d-wave symmetry. The asymmetric role of this gap respect to the electron-hole exchange, in one hand, affects the topological insulator superconducting binding excitations and, on the other hand, gives rise to forming distinct Majorana bound states at the ferromagnet/superconductor interface. We propose a topological insulator N/F/FS junction and proceed to clarify the role of d-wave asymmetry pairing in the resulting subgap and overgap tunneling conductance. The perpendicular component of magnetizations in F and FS regions can be at the parallel and antiparallel configurations leading to capture the experimentally important magnetoresistance (MR) of junction. It is found that the zero-bias conductance is strongly sensitive to the magnitude of magnetization in FS region mzfs and orbital rotated angle α of superconductor gap. The negative MR only occurs in zero orbital rotated angle. This result can pave the way to distinguish the unconventional superconducting state in the relating topological insulator hybrid structures.

Topological supersymmetric structure of hadron cross sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauron, P.; Nicolescu, B.; Ouvry, S.

1980-12-01

Recently a way of fully implementing unitarity in the framework of a Dual Topological Unitarization theory, including not only mesons but also baryons, was found. This theory consists in the topological description of hadron interactions involving confined quarks in terms of two 2-dimensional surfaces (a closed 'quantum' surface and a bounded 'classical' surface). We show that this description directly leads, at the zeroth order of the topological expansion, to certain relations between hadron cross-sections, in nice agreement with experimental data. A new topological suppression mechanism is shown to play an important dynamical role. We also point out a new topological supersymmetry property, which leads to realistic experimental consequences. A possible topological origin of the rho and ω universality relations emerges as a by-product of our study

Variational analysis of topological stationary barotropic MHD in the case of single-valued magnetic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yahalom, A

2014-01-01

Variational principles for magnetohydrodynamics have been introduced by previous authors both in Lagrangian and Eulerian form. Yahalom and Lynden-Bell (2008) have previously introduced simpler Eulerian variational principles from which all the relevant equations of barotropic magnetohydrodynamics can be derived. These variational principles were given in terms of six independent functions for non-stationary barotropic flows with given topologies and three independent functions for stationary barotropic flows. This is less then the seven variables which appear in the standard equations of barotropic magnetohydrodynamics which are the magnetic field B-vector the velocity field v-vector and the density ρ. Later, Yahalom (2010) introduced a simpler variational principle in terms of four functions for non-stationary barotropic magnetohydrodynamics. It was shown that the above variational principles are also relevant for flows of non-trivial topologies and in fact using those variational variables one arrives at additional topological conservation laws in terms of cuts of variables which have close resemblance to the Aharonov- Bohm phase (Yahalom (2013)). In previous examples (Yahalom and Lynden-Bell (2008); Yahalom (2013)) the magnetic field lines with non-trivial topology were at the intersection of two surface one of which was always multivalued; in this paper an example is introduced in which the magnetic helicity is not zero yet both surfaces are single-valued

Unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in topological insulator/ferromagnetic layer heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Kally, James; Lv, Yang; Zhang, Delin; Lee, Joon Sue; Samarth, Nitin; Wang, Jian-Ping; Department of Electrical; Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Collaboration; Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University Collaboration

The surface states of topological insulators offer a potentially very efficient way to generate spins and spin-orbit torques to magnetic moments in proximity. The switching by spin-orbit torque itself only requires two terminals so that a charge current can be applied. However, a third terminal with additional magnetic tunneling junction structure is needed to sense the magnetization state if such devices are used for memory and logic applications. The recent discovery of unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in heavy metal/ferromagnetic and topological insulator/magnetically doped topological insulator systems offers an alternative way to sense magnetization while still keeping the number of terminals to minimal two. The unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in topological insulator/strong ferromagnetic layer heterostructure system has yet not been reported. In this work, we report our experimental observations of such magnetoresistance. It is found to be present and comparable to the best result of the previous reported Ta/Co systems in terms of magnetoresistance per current density per total resistance.

Surface expression, single-channel analysis and membrane topology of recombinant Chlamydia trachomatis Major Outer Membrane Protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McClafferty Heather

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chlamydial bacteria are obligate intracellular pathogens containing a cysteine-rich porin (Major Outer Membrane Protein, MOMP with important structural and, in many species, immunity-related roles. MOMP forms extensive disulphide bonds with other chlamydial proteins, and is difficult to purify. Leaderless, recombinant MOMPs expressed in E. coli have yet to be refolded from inclusion bodies, and although leadered MOMP can be expressed in E. coli cells, it often misfolds and aggregates. We aimed to improve the surface expression of correctly folded MOMP to investigate the membrane topology of the protein, and provide a system to display native and modified MOMP epitopes. Results C. trachomatis MOMP was expressed on the surface of E. coli cells (including "porin knockout" cells after optimizing leader sequence, temperature and medium composition, and the protein was functionally reconstituted at the single-channel level to confirm it was folded correctly. Recombinant MOMP formed oligomers even in the absence of its 9 cysteine residues, and the unmodified protein also formed inter- and intra-subunit disulphide bonds. Its topology was modeled as a (16-stranded β-barrel, and specific structural predictions were tested by removing each of the four putative surface-exposed loops corresponding to highly immunogenic variable sequence (VS domains, and one or two of the putative transmembrane strands. The deletion of predicted external loops did not prevent folding and incorporation of MOMP into the E. coli outer membrane, in contrast to the removal of predicted transmembrane strands. Conclusions C. trachomatis MOMP was functionally expressed on the surface of E. coli cells under newly optimized conditions. Tests of its predicted membrane topology were consistent with β-barrel oligomers in which major immunogenic regions are displayed on surface-exposed loops. Functional surface expression, coupled with improved understanding of MOMP

Topological semimetal in honeycomb lattice LnSI

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Simin; Xu, Gang; Prinz, Fritz B.; Zhang, Shou-cheng

2017-10-01

Recognized as elementary particles in the standard model, Weyl fermions in condensed matter have received growing attention. However, most of the previously reported Weyl semimetals exhibit rather complicated electronic structures that, in turn, may have raised questions regarding the underlying physics. Here, we report promising topological phases that can be realized in specific honeycomb lattices, including ideal Weyl semimetal structures, 3D strong topological insulators, and nodal-line semimetal configurations. In particular, we highlight a semimetal featuring both Weyl nodes and nodal lines. Guided by this model, we showed that GdSI, the long-perceived ideal Weyl semimetal, has two pairs of Weyl nodes residing at the Fermi level and that LuSI (YSI) is a 3D strong topological insulator with the right-handed helical surface states. Our work provides a mechanism to study topological semimetals and proposes a platform for exploring the physics of Weyl semimetals as well as related device designs.

Tetradymites as thermoelectrics and topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Heremans, Joseph P.; Cava, Robert J.; Samarth, Nitin

2017-10-01

Tetradymites are M2X3 compounds — in which M is a group V metal, usually Bi or Sb, and X is a group VI anion, Te, Se or S — that crystallize in a rhombohedral structure. Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 are archetypical tetradymites. Other mixtures of M and X elements produce common variants, such as Bi2Te2Se. Because tetradymites are based on heavy p-block elements, strong spin-orbit coupling greatly influences their electronic properties, both on the surface and in the bulk. Their surface electronic states are a cornerstone of frontier work on topological insulators. The bulk energy bands are characterized by small energy gaps, high group velocities, small effective masses and band inversion near the centre of the Brillouin zone. These properties are favourable for high-efficiency thermoelectric materials but make it difficult to obtain an electrically insulating bulk, which is a requirement of topological insulators. This Review outlines recent progress made in bulk and thin-film tetradymite materials for the optimization of their properties both as thermoelectrics and as topological insulators.

Non-reciprocity and topology in optics: one-way road for light via surface magnon polariton

Science.gov (United States)

Ochiai, Tetsuyuki

2015-01-01

We show how non-reciprocity and topology are used to construct an optical one-way waveguide in the Voigt geometry. First, we present a traditional approach of the one-way waveguide of light using surface polaritons under a static magnetic field. Second, we explain a recent discovery of a topological approach using photonic crystals with the magneto-optical coupling. Third, we present a combination of the two approaches, toward a broadband one-way waveguide in the microwave range. PMID:27877739

Excitonic condensation for the surface states of topological insulator bilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhigang; Fu Zhenguo; Zhang Ping; Hao Ningning

2012-01-01

We propose a generic topological insulator bilayer (TIB) system to study the excitonic condensation with self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) theory. We show that the TIB system presents the crossover behavior from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) limit to the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) limit. Moreover, in comparison with traditional semiconductor systems, we find that for the present system the superfluid property in the BEC phase is more sensitive to electron-hole density imbalance and the BCS phase is more robust. Applying this TIB model to the Bi 2 Se 3 -family material, we find that the BEC phase is most likely to be observed in experiment. We also calculate the critical temperature for the Bi 2 Se 3 -family TIB system, which is ∼100 K. More interestingly, one can expect this relative high-temperature excitonic condensation, since our calculated SCMF critical temperature is approximately equal to the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature. (paper)

Spin-transfer torque generated by a topological insulator

KAUST Repository

Mellnik, A. R.; Lee, Joonsue; Richardella, Anthony R.; Grab, J. L.; Mintun, P. J.; Fischer, Mark H.; Vaezi, Abolhassan; Manchon, Aurelien; Kim, Eunah; Samarth, Nitin S.; Ralph, Daniel C.

2014-01-01

permalloy (Ni81Fe19) thin film, with a direction consistent with that expected from the topological surface state. We find that the strength of the torque per unit charge current density in Bi 2Se3 is greater than for any source of spin-transfer torque

Quantum and Classical Magnetoresistance in Ambipolar Topological Insulator Transistors with Gate-tunable Bulk and Surface Conduction

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Jifa; Chang, Cuizu; Cao, Helin; He, Ke; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qikun; Chen, Yong P.

2014-01-01

Weak antilocalization (WAL) and linear magnetoresistance (LMR) are two most commonly observed magnetoresistance (MR) phenomena in topological insulators (TIs) and often attributed to the Dirac topological surface states (TSS). However, ambiguities exist because these phenomena could also come from bulk states (often carrying significant conduction in many TIs) and are observable even in non-TI materials. Here, we demonstrate back-gated ambipolar TI field-effect transistors in (Bi0.04Sb0.96)2Te3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO3(111), exhibiting a large carrier density tunability (by nearly 2 orders of magnitude) and a metal-insulator transition in the bulk (allowing switching off the bulk conduction). Tuning the Fermi level from bulk band to TSS strongly enhances both the WAL (increasing the number of quantum coherent channels from one to peak around two) and LMR (increasing its slope by up to 10 times). The SS-enhanced LMR is accompanied by a strongly nonlinear Hall effect, suggesting important roles of charge inhomogeneity (and a related classical LMR), although existing models of LMR cannot capture all aspects of our data. Our systematic gate and temperature dependent magnetotransport studies provide deeper insights into the nature of both MR phenomena and reveal differences between bulk and TSS transport in TI related materials. PMID:24810663

Unconventional superconductivity and surface pairing symmetry in half-Heusler compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qing-Ze; Yu, Jiabin; Liu, Chao-Xing

2018-06-01

Signatures of nodal line/point superconductivity [Kim et al., Sci. Adv. 4, eaao4513 (2018), 10.1126/sciadv.aao4513; Brydon et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 177001 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.177001] have been observed in half-Heusler compounds, such as LnPtBi (Ln = Y, Lu). Topologically nontrivial band structures, as well as topological surface states, have also been confirmed by angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in these compounds [Liu et al., Nat. Commun. 7, 12924 (2016), 10.1038/ncomms12924]. In this paper, we present a systematical classification of possible gap functions of bulk states and surface states in half-Heusler compounds and the corresponding topological properties based on the representations of crystalline symmetry group. Different from all the previous studies based on the four band Luttinger model, our study starts with the six-band Kane model, which involves both four p-orbital type of Γ8 bands and two s-orbital type of Γ6 bands. Although the Γ6 bands are away from the Fermi energy, our results reveal the importance of topological surface states, which originate from the band inversion between Γ6 and Γ8 bands, in determining surface properties of these compounds in the superconducting regime by combining topological bulk state picture and nontrivial surface state picture.

Electrical conductivity of conductive carbon blacks: influence of surface chemistry and topology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantea, Dana; Darmstadt, Hans; Kaliaguine, Serge; Roy, Christian

2003-01-01

Conductive carbon blacks from different manufacturers were studied in order to obtain some insight into the relation between their electrical conductivity and their surface properties. The surface chemistry was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and static secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), whereas the topology of the carbon black surface was investigated using low-pressure nitrogen adsorption. All these techniques yield information on the graphitic character of the surface. In general, the electrical conductivity of the conductive blacks increases with the graphitic character of the surface. For low surface area conductive blacks, the electrical conductivity correlates well with the surface chemistry. In the case of the XPS and SIMS data, this correlation is also valid when other types of carbon blacks such as thermal and furnace blacks are included, confirming the determining influence of the carbon black surface chemistry on the electrical conductivity

Interaction between counter-propagating quantum Hall edge channels in the 3D topological insulator BiSbTeSe2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, C.; De Ronde, B.; Nikitin, A.; Huang, Y.; Golden, M.S.; De Visser, A.; Brinkman, A.

2017-01-01

The quantum Hall effect is studied in the topological insulator BiSbTeSe2. By employing top- and back-gate electric fields at high magnetic field, the Landau levels of the Dirac cones in the top and bottom topological surface states can be tuned independently. When one surface is tuned to the

Fermi surface and quantum well states of V(110) films on W(110)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupin, Oleg; Rotenberg, Eli; Kevan, S D

2007-01-01

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we have measured the Fermi surface of V(110) films epitaxially grown on a W(110) substrate. We compare our results for thicker films to existing calculations and measurements for bulk vanadium and find generally very good agreement. For thinner films, we observe and analyse a diverse array of quantum well states that split and distort the Fermi surface segments. We have searched unsuccessfully for a thickness-induced topological transition associated with contact between the zone-centre jungle gym and zone-boundary hole ellipsoid Fermi surface segments. We also find no evidence for ferromagnetic splitting of any bands on this surface

Fermi surface and quantum well states of V(110) films on W(110)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krupin, Oleg [MS 6-2100, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Rotenberg, Eli [MS 6-2100, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Kevan, S D [Department of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (United States)

2007-09-05

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we have measured the Fermi surface of V(110) films epitaxially grown on a W(110) substrate. We compare our results for thicker films to existing calculations and measurements for bulk vanadium and find generally very good agreement. For thinner films, we observe and analyse a diverse array of quantum well states that split and distort the Fermi surface segments. We have searched unsuccessfully for a thickness-induced topological transition associated with contact between the zone-centre jungle gym and zone-boundary hole ellipsoid Fermi surface segments. We also find no evidence for ferromagnetic splitting of any bands on this surface.

Combined Shape and Topology Optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Asger Nyman

Shape and topology optimization seeks to compute the optimal shape and topology of a structure such that one or more properties, for example stiffness, balance or volume, are improved. The goal of the thesis is to develop a method for shape and topology optimization which uses the Deformable...... Simplicial Complex (DSC) method. Consequently, we present a novel method which combines current shape and topology optimization methods. This method represents the surface of the structure explicitly and discretizes the structure into non-overlapping elements, i.e. a simplicial complex. An explicit surface...... representation usually limits the optimization to minor shape changes. However, the DSC method uses a single explicit representation and still allows for large shape and topology changes. It does so by constantly applying a set of mesh operations during deformations of the structure. Using an explicit instead...

Jakob Nielsen and His Contributions to Topology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Vagn Lundsgaard

1999-01-01

The Danish mathematician Jakob Nielsen won international recognition as one of the developers of combinatorial group theory and the topology of surfaces. This article describes the life and work of Jakob Nielsen with emphasis on his contributions to topology.......The Danish mathematician Jakob Nielsen won international recognition as one of the developers of combinatorial group theory and the topology of surfaces. This article describes the life and work of Jakob Nielsen with emphasis on his contributions to topology....

HgTe based topological insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruene, Christoph

2014-01-01

This PhD thesis summarizes the discovery of topological insulators and highlights the developments on their experimental observations. The work focuses on HgTe. The thesis is structured as follows: - The first chapter of this thesis will give a brief overview on discoveries in the field of topological insulators. It focuses on works relevant to experimental results presented in the following chapters. This includes a short outline of the early predictions and a summary of important results concerning 2-dimensional topological insulators while the final section discusses observations concerning 3-dimensional topological insulators. - The discovery of the quantum spin Hall effect in HgTe marked the first experimental observation of a topological insulator. Chapter 2 focuses on HgTe quantum wells and the quantum spin Hall effect. The growth of high quality HgTe quantum wells was one of the major goals for this work. In a final set of experiments the spin polarization of the edge channels was investigated. Here, we could make use of the advantage that HgTe quantum well structures exhibit a large Rashba spin orbit splitting. - HgTe as a 3-dimensional topological insulator is presented in chapter 3. - Chapters 4-6 serve as in depth overviews of selected works: Chapter 4 presents a detailed overview on the all electrical detection of the spin Hall effect in HgTe quantum wells. The detection of the spin polarization of the quantum spin Hall effect is shown in chapter 5 and chapter 6 gives a detailed overview on the quantum Hall effect originating from the topological surface state in strained bulk HgTe.

Two Topologically Distinct Dirac-Line Semimetal Phases and Topological Phase Transitions in Rhombohedrally Stacked Honeycomb Lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Hyart, T.; Ojajärvi, R.; Heikkilä, T. T.

2018-04-01

Three-dimensional topological semimetals can support band crossings along one-dimensional curves in the momentum space (nodal lines or Dirac lines) protected by structural symmetries and topology. We consider rhombohedrally (ABC) stacked honeycomb lattices supporting Dirac lines protected by time-reversal, inversion and spin rotation symmetries. For typical band structure parameters there exists a pair of nodal lines in the momentum space extending through the whole Brillouin zone in the stacking direction. We show that these Dirac lines are topologically distinct from the usual Dirac lines which form closed loops inside the Brillouin zone. In particular, an energy gap can be opened only by first merging the Dirac lines going through the Brillouin zone in a pairwise manner so that they turn into closed loops inside the Brillouin zone, and then by shrinking these loops into points. We show that this kind of topological phase transition can occur in rhombohedrally stacked honeycomb lattices by tuning the ratio of the tunneling amplitudes in the directions perpendicular and parallel to the layers. We also discuss the properties of the surface states in the different phases of the model.

Pb5Bi24Se41: A new member of the homologous series forming topological insulator heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segawa, Kouji; Taskin, A.A.; Ando, Yoichi

2015-01-01

We have synthesized Pb 5 Bi 24 Se 41 , which is a new member of the (PbSe) 5 (Bi 2 Se 3 ) 3m homologous series with m=4. This series of compounds consist of alternating layers of the topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3 and the ordinary insulator PbSe. Such a naturally-formed heterostructure has recently been elucidated to give rise to peculiar quasi-two-dimensional topological states throughout the bulk, and the discovery of Pb 5 Bi 24 Se 41 expands the tunability of the topological states in this interesting homologous series. The trend in the resistivity anisotropy in this homologous series suggests an important role of hybridization of the topological states in the out-of-plane transport. - Graphical abstract: X-ray diffraction profiles taken on cleaved surfaces of single-crystal samples of the (PbSe) 5 (Bi 2 Se 3 ) 3m homologous series with various m values up to 4, which realizes topological insulator heterostructures. Schematic crystal structure of the new phase, m=4, is also shown. - Highlights: • We have synthesized a new member of the homologous series related to topological insulators. • In this compound, a heterostructure of topological and ordinary insulators naturally forms. • Resistivity anisotropy suggests an important role of hybridization of the topological states. • This compound expands the tunability of the topological states via chemical means

Unidirectional spin-Hall and Rashba-Edelstein magnetoresistance in topological insulator-ferromagnet layer heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Yang; Kally, James; Zhang, Delin; Lee, Joon Sue; Jamali, Mahdi; Samarth, Nitin; Wang, Jian-Ping

2018-01-09

The large spin-orbit coupling in topological insulators results in helical spin-textured Dirac surface states that are attractive for topological spintronics. These states generate an efficient spin-orbit torque on proximal magnetic moments. However, memory or logic spin devices based upon such switching require a non-optimal three-terminal geometry, with two terminals for the writing current and one for reading the state of the device. An alternative two-terminal device geometry is now possible by exploiting the recent discovery of the unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in heavy metal/ferromagnet bilayers and unidirectional magnetoresistance in magnetic topological insulators. Here, we report the observation of such unidirectional magnetoresistance in a technologically relevant device geometry that combines a topological insulator with a conventional ferromagnetic metal. Our devices show a figure of merit (magnetoresistance per current density per total resistance) that is more than twice as large as the highest reported values in all-metal Ta/Co bilayers.

Architectural design for a topological cluster state quantum computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devitt, Simon J; Munro, William J; Nemoto, Kae; Fowler, Austin G; Stephens, Ashley M; Greentree, Andrew D; Hollenberg, Lloyd C L

2009-01-01

The development of a large scale quantum computer is a highly sought after goal of fundamental research and consequently a highly non-trivial problem. Scalability in quantum information processing is not just a problem of qubit manufacturing and control but it crucially depends on the ability to adapt advanced techniques in quantum information theory, such as error correction, to the experimental restrictions of assembling qubit arrays into the millions. In this paper, we introduce a feasible architectural design for large scale quantum computation in optical systems. We combine the recent developments in topological cluster state computation with the photonic module, a simple chip-based device that can be used as a fundamental building block for a large-scale computer. The integration of the topological cluster model with this comparatively simple operational element addresses many significant issues in scalable computing and leads to a promising modular architecture with complete integration of active error correction, exhibiting high fault-tolerant thresholds.

Influence of nanoscale topology on bactericidal efficiency of black silicon surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Linklater, Denver P.; Khuong Duy Nguyen, Huu; Bhadra, Chris M.; Juodkazis, Saulius; Ivanova, Elena P.

2017-06-01

The nanostructuring of materials to create bactericidal and antibiofouling surfaces presents an exciting alternative to common methods of preventing bacterial adhesion. The fabrication of synthetic bactericidal surfaces has been inspired by the anti-wetting and anti-biofouling properties of insect wings, and other topologies found in nature. Black silicon is one such synthetic surfaces which has established bactericidal properties. In this study we show that time-dependent plasma etching of silicon wafers using 15, 30, and 45 min etching intervals, is able to produce different surface geometries with linearly increasing heights of approximately 280, 430, and 610 nm, respectively. After incubation on these surfaces with Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cells it was established that smaller, more densely packed pillars exhibited the greatest bactericidal activity with 85% and 89% inactivation of bacterial cells, respectively. The decrease in the pillar heights, pillar cap diameter and inter-pillar spacing corresponded to a subsequent decrease in the number of attached cells for both bacterial species.

High surface conductivity of Fermi-arc electrons in Weyl semimetals

Science.gov (United States)

Resta, Giacomo; Pi, Shu-Ting; Wan, Xiangang; Savrasov, Sergey Y.

2018-02-01

Weyl semimetals (WSMs), a new type of topological condensed matter, are currently attracting great interest due to their unusual electronic states and intriguing transport properties such as chiral anomaly induced negative magnetoresistance, a semiquantized anomalous Hall effect, and the debated chiral magnetic effect. These systems are close cousins of topological insulators (TIs) which are known for their disorder-tolerant surface states. Similarly, WSMs exhibit unique topologically protected Fermi-arc surface states. Here, we analyze electron-phonon scattering, a primary source of resistivity in metals at finite temperatures, as a function of the shape of the Fermi arc where we find that the impact on surface transport is significantly dependent on the arc curvature and disappears in the limit of a straight arc. Next, we discuss the effect of strong surface disorder on the resistivity by numerically simulating a tight-binding model with the presence of quenched surface vacancies using the coherent potential approximation and Kubo-Greenwood formalism. We find that the limit of a straight arc geometry is remarkably disorder tolerant, producing surface conductivity that is one to two orders of magnitude larger than a comparable setup with surface states of TI. This is primarily attributed to a significantly different hybridization strength of the surface states with the remaining electrons in two systems. Finally, a simulation of the effects of surface vacancies on TaAs is presented, illustrating the disorder tolerance of the topological surface states in a recently discovered WSM material.

Effects of Structural and Electronic Disorder in Topological Insulator Sb2Te3 Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Korzhovska, Inna

Topological quantum matter is a unique and potentially transformative protectorate against disorder-induced backscattering. The ultimate disorder limits to the topological state, however, are still not known - understanding these limits is critical to potential applications in the fields of spintronics and information processing. In topological insulators spin-orbit interaction and time-reversal-symmetry invariance guarantees - at least up to a certain disorder strength - that charge transport through 2D gapless Dirac surface states is robust against backscattering by non-magnetic disorder. Strong disorder may destroy topological protection and gap out Dirac surface states, although recent theories predict that under severe electronic disorder a quantized topological conductance might yet reemerge. Very strong electronic disorder, however, is not trivial to install and quantify, and topological matter under such conditions thus far has not been experimentally tested. This thesis addresses the behavior of three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator (TI) films in a wide range of structural and electronic disorder. We establish strong positional disorder in thin (20-50 nm) Sb2Te 3 films, free of extrinsic magnetic dopants. Sb 2Te3 is a known 2nd generation topological insulator in the low-disorder crystalline state. It is also a known phase-change material that undergoes insulator-to-metal transition with the concurrent orders of magnitude resistive drop, where a huge range of disorder could be controllably explored. In this work we show that even in the absence of magnetic dopants, disorder may induce spin correlations detrimental to the topological state. Chapter 1 contains a brief introduction to the topological matter and describes the role played by disorder. This is followed by theory considerations and a survey of prior experimental work. Next we describe the motivation for our experiments and explain the choice of the material. Chapter 2 describes deposition

Intrinsic optical conductivity of a {{\\rm{C}}}_{2v} symmetric topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Parijat; Matsubara, Masahiko; Bellotti, Enrico; Shi, Junxia

2017-07-01

In this work we analytically investigate the longitudinal optical conductivity of the {{{C}}}2v symmetric topological insulator. The conductivity expressions at T = 0 are derived using the Kubo formula and expressed as a function of the ratio of the Dresselhaus and Rashba parameters that characterize the low-energy Hamiltonian. We find that the longitudinal inter-band conductivity vanishes when Dresselhaus and Rashba parameters are equal in strength, also called the persistent spin helix state. The calculations are extended to obtain the frequency-dependent real and imaginary components of the optical conductivity for the topological Kondo insulator SmB6 which exhibits {{{C}}}2v symmetric and anisotropic Dirac cones hosting topological states at \\overline{X} point on the surface Brillouin zone.

Topological insulators/superconductors: Potential future electronic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hor, Y. S.

2014-01-01

A new material called topological insulator has been discovered and becomes one of the fastest growing field in condensed matter physics. Topological insulator is a new quantum phase of matter which has Dirac-like conductivity on its surface, but bulk insulator through its interior. It is considered a challenging problem for the surface transport measurements because of dominant internal conductance due to imperfections of the existing crystals of topological insulators. By a proper method, the internal bulk conduction can be suppressed in a topological insulator, and permit the detection of the surface currents which is necessary for future fault-tolerant quantum computing applications. Doped topological insulators have depicted a large variety of bulk physical properties ranging from magnetic to superconducting behaviors. By chemical doping, a TI can change into a bulk superconductor. Nb x Bi 2 Se 3 is shown to be a superconductor with T c ∼ 3.2 K, which could be a potential candidate for a topological superconductor

Exotic Lifshitz transitions in topological materials

Science.gov (United States)

Volovik, G. E.

2018-01-01

Topological Lifshitz transitions involve many types of topological structures in momentum and frequency-momentum spaces, such as Fermi surfaces, Dirac lines, Dirac and Weyl points, etc., each of which has its own stability-supporting topological invariant ( N_1, N_2, N_3, {\\tilde N}_3, etc.). The topology of the shape of Fermi surfaces and Dirac lines and the interconnection of objects of different dimensionalities produce a variety of Lifshitz transition classes. Lifshitz transitions have important implications for many areas of physics. To give examples, transition-related singularities can increase the superconducting transition temperature; Lifshitz transitions are the possible origin of the small masses of elementary particles in our Universe, and a black hole horizon serves as the surface of the Lifshitz transition between vacua with type-I and type-II Weyl points.

Topologically protected gates for quantum computation with non-Abelian anyons in the Pfaffian quantum Hall state

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiev, Lachezar S.

2006-12-01

We extend the topological quantum computation scheme using the Pfaffian quantum Hall state, which has been recently proposed by Das Sarma , in a way that might potentially allow for the topologically protected construction of a universal set of quantum gates. We construct, for the first time, a topologically protected controlled-NOT gate, which is entirely based on quasihole braidings of Pfaffian qubits. All single-qubit gates, except for the π/8 gate, are also explicitly implemented by quasihole braidings. Instead of the π/8 gate we try to construct a topologically protected Toffoli gate, in terms of the controlled-phase gate and CNOT or by a braid-group-based controlled-controlled- Z precursor. We also give a topologically protected realization of the Bravyi-Kitaev two-qubit gate g3 .

Combining Topological Hardware and Topological Software: Color-Code Quantum Computing with Topological Superconductor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Litinski, Daniel; Kesselring, Markus S.; Eisert, Jens; von Oppen, Felix

2017-07-01

We present a scalable architecture for fault-tolerant topological quantum computation using networks of voltage-controlled Majorana Cooper pair boxes and topological color codes for error correction. Color codes have a set of transversal gates which coincides with the set of topologically protected gates in Majorana-based systems, namely, the Clifford gates. In this way, we establish color codes as providing a natural setting in which advantages offered by topological hardware can be combined with those arising from topological error-correcting software for full-fledged fault-tolerant quantum computing. We provide a complete description of our architecture, including the underlying physical ingredients. We start by showing that in topological superconductor networks, hexagonal cells can be employed to serve as physical qubits for universal quantum computation, and we present protocols for realizing topologically protected Clifford gates. These hexagonal-cell qubits allow for a direct implementation of open-boundary color codes with ancilla-free syndrome read-out and logical T gates via magic-state distillation. For concreteness, we describe how the necessary operations can be implemented using networks of Majorana Cooper pair boxes, and we give a feasibility estimate for error correction in this architecture. Our approach is motivated by nanowire-based networks of topological superconductors, but it could also be realized in alternative settings such as quantum-Hall-superconductor hybrids.

Combining Topological Hardware and Topological Software: Color-Code Quantum Computing with Topological Superconductor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Litinski

2017-09-01

Full Text Available We present a scalable architecture for fault-tolerant topological quantum computation using networks of voltage-controlled Majorana Cooper pair boxes and topological color codes for error correction. Color codes have a set of transversal gates which coincides with the set of topologically protected gates in Majorana-based systems, namely, the Clifford gates. In this way, we establish color codes as providing a natural setting in which advantages offered by topological hardware can be combined with those arising from topological error-correcting software for full-fledged fault-tolerant quantum computing. We provide a complete description of our architecture, including the underlying physical ingredients. We start by showing that in topological superconductor networks, hexagonal cells can be employed to serve as physical qubits for universal quantum computation, and we present protocols for realizing topologically protected Clifford gates. These hexagonal-cell qubits allow for a direct implementation of open-boundary color codes with ancilla-free syndrome read-out and logical T gates via magic-state distillation. For concreteness, we describe how the necessary operations can be implemented using networks of Majorana Cooper pair boxes, and we give a feasibility estimate for error correction in this architecture. Our approach is motivated by nanowire-based networks of topological superconductors, but it could also be realized in alternative settings such as quantum-Hall–superconductor hybrids.

Emergence, evolution, and control of multistability in a hybrid topological quantum/classical system

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guanglei; Xu, Hongya; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2018-03-01

We present a novel class of nonlinear dynamical systems—a hybrid of relativistic quantum and classical systems and demonstrate that multistability is ubiquitous. A representative setting is coupled systems of a topological insulator and an insulating ferromagnet, where the former possesses an insulating bulk with topologically protected, dissipationless, and conducting surface electronic states governed by the relativistic quantum Dirac Hamiltonian and the latter is described by the nonlinear classical evolution of its magnetization vector. The interactions between the two are essentially the spin transfer torque from the topological insulator to the ferromagnet and the local proximity induced exchange coupling in the opposite direction. The hybrid system exhibits a rich variety of nonlinear dynamical phenomena besides multistability such as bifurcations, chaos, and phase synchronization. The degree of multistability can be controlled by an external voltage. In the case of two coexisting states, the system is effectively binary, opening a door to exploitation for developing spintronic memory devices. Because of the dissipationless and spin-momentum locking nature of the surface currents of the topological insulator, little power is needed for generating a significant current, making the system appealing for potential applications in next generation of low power memory devices.

Emergence, evolution, and control of multistability in a hybrid topological quantum/classical system.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guanglei; Xu, Hongya; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2018-03-01

We present a novel class of nonlinear dynamical systems-a hybrid of relativistic quantum and classical systems and demonstrate that multistability is ubiquitous. A representative setting is coupled systems of a topological insulator and an insulating ferromagnet, where the former possesses an insulating bulk with topologically protected, dissipationless, and conducting surface electronic states governed by the relativistic quantum Dirac Hamiltonian and the latter is described by the nonlinear classical evolution of its magnetization vector. The interactions between the two are essentially the spin transfer torque from the topological insulator to the ferromagnet and the local proximity induced exchange coupling in the opposite direction. The hybrid system exhibits a rich variety of nonlinear dynamical phenomena besides multistability such as bifurcations, chaos, and phase synchronization. The degree of multistability can be controlled by an external voltage. In the case of two coexisting states, the system is effectively binary, opening a door to exploitation for developing spintronic memory devices. Because of the dissipationless and spin-momentum locking nature of the surface currents of the topological insulator, little power is needed for generating a significant current, making the system appealing for potential applications in next generation of low power memory devices.

D-branes and coherent topological charge structure in QCD

Science.gov (United States)

Thacker, Hank

2006-12-01

Monte Carlo studies of pure glue SU(3) gauge theory using the overlap-based topological charge operator have revealed a laminar structure in the QCD vacuum consisting of extended, thin, co- herent, locally 3-dimensional sheets of topological charge embedded in 4D space, with opposite sign sheets interleaved. Studies of localization properties of Dirac eigenmodes have also shown evidence for the delocalization of low-lying modes on effectively 3-dimensional surfaces. In this talk, I review some theoretical ideas which suggest the possibility of 3-dimensionally coherent topological charge structure in 4-dimensional gauge theory and provide a possible interpretation of the observed structure. I begin with Luscher's "Wilson bag" integral over the 3-index Chern- Simons tensor. The analogy with a Wilson loop as a charged world line in 2-dimensional CP N-1 sigma models suggests that the Wilson bag surface represents the world volume of a physical membrane. The large-N chiral Lagrangian arguments of Witten also indicate the existence of multiple "k-vacuum" states with discontinuous transitions between k-vacua at θ = odd multi- ples of π. The domain walls between these vacua have the properties of a Wilson bag surface. Finally, I review the AdS/CFT duality view of θ dependence in QCD. The dual realtionship be- tween topological charge in gauge theory and Ramond-Ramond charge in type IIA string theory suggests that the coherent topological charge sheets observed on the lattice are the holographic image of wrapped D6 branes.

Topological Properties and the Dynamical Crossover from Mixed-Valence to Kondo-Lattice Behavior in the Golden Phase of SmS.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Chang-Jong; Choi, Hong Chul; Kim, Kyoo; Min, B I

2015-04-24

We have investigated temperature-dependent behaviors of electronic structure and resistivity in a mixed-valent golden phase of SmS, based on the dynamical mean-field-theory band-structure calculations. Upon cooling, the coherent Sm 4f bands are formed to produce the hybridization-induced pseudogap near the Fermi level, and accordingly the topology of the Fermi surface is changed to exhibit a Lifshitz-like transition. The surface states emerging in the bulk gap region are found to be not topologically protected states but just typical Rashba spin-polarized states, indicating that SmS is not a topological Kondo semimetal. From the analysis of anomalous resistivity behavior in SmS, we have identified universal energy scales, which characterize the Kondo-mixed-valent semimetallic systems.

Topology of vortex Breakdown bubbles in a cylinder with rotating bottom and Free surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøns, Morten; Voigt, Lars Peter Kølgaard; Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2001-01-01

The flow patterns in the steady, viscous flow in a cylinder with a rotating bottom and a free surface are investigated by a combination of topological and numerical methods. Assuming the flow is axisymmetric, we derive a list of possible bifurcations of streamline structures on varying two...

Non-local electron transport through normal and topological ladder-like atomic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kurzyna, Marcin; Kwapiński, Tomasz

2018-05-01

We propose a locally protected ladder-like atomic system (nanoconductor) on a substrate that is insensitive to external perturbations. The system corresponds to coupled atomic chains fabricated on different surfaces. Electron transport properties of such conductors are studied theoretically using the model tight-binding Su-Schriffer-Hegger (SSH) Hamiltonian and Green's function formalism. We have found that the conductance of the system is almost insensitive to single adatoms and oscillates as a function of the side chain length with very large periods. Non-local character of the electron transport was observed also for topological SSH chains where nontrivial end states survive in the presence of disturbances as well as for different substrates. We have found that the careful inspection of the density of states or charge waves can provide the information about the atom energy levels and hopping amplitudes. Moreover, the ladder-like geometry allows one to distinguish between normal and topological zero-energy states. It is important that topological chains do not reveal Friedel oscillations which are observed in non-topological chains.

Translational Symmetry and Microscopic Constraints on Symmetry-Enriched Topological Phases: A View from the Surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng Cheng

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem and its higher-dimensional generalizations by Oshikawa and Hastings require that translationally invariant 2D spin systems with a half-integer spin per unit cell must either have a continuum of low energy excitations, spontaneously break some symmetries, or exhibit topological order with anyonic excitations. We establish a connection between these constraints and a remarkably similar set of constraints at the surface of a 3D interacting topological insulator. This, combined with recent work on symmetry-enriched topological phases with on-site unitary symmetries, enables us to develop a framework for understanding the structure of symmetry-enriched topological phases with both translational and on-site unitary symmetries, including the effective theory of symmetry defects. This framework places stringent constraints on the possible types of symmetry fractionalization that can occur in 2D systems whose unit cell contains fractional spin, fractional charge, or a projective representation of the symmetry group. As a concrete application, we determine when a topological phase must possess a “spinon” excitation, even in cases when spin rotational invariance is broken down to a discrete subgroup by the crystal structure. We also describe the phenomena of “anyonic spin-orbit coupling,” which may arise from the interplay of translational and on-site symmetries. These include the possibility of on-site symmetry defect branch lines carrying topological charge per unit length and lattice dislocations inducing degeneracies protected by on-site symmetry.

Quantum oscillation evidence for a topological semimetal phase in ZrSnTe

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jin; Zhu, Yanglin; Gui, Xin; Graf, David; Tang, Zhijie; Xie, Weiwei; Mao, Zhiqiang

2018-04-01

The layered WHM-type (W =Zr /Hf /La , H =Si /Ge /Sn /Sb , M =S /Se /Te ) materials represent a large family of topological semimetals, which provides an excellent platform to study the evolution of topological semimetal state with the fine tuning of spin-orbit coupling and structural dimensionality for various combinations of W , H , and M elements. In this work, through high field de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) quantum oscillation studies, we have found evidence for the predicted topological nontrivial bands in ZrSnTe. Furthermore, from the angular dependence of quantum oscillation frequency, we have revealed the three-dimensional Fermi surface topologies of this layered material owing to strong interlayer coupling.

Visualizing vector field topology in fluid flows

Science.gov (United States)

Helman, James L.; Hesselink, Lambertus

1991-01-01

Methods of automating the analysis and display of vector field topology in general and flow topology in particular are discussed. Two-dimensional vector field topology is reviewed as the basis for the examination of topology in three-dimensional separated flows. The use of tangent surfaces and clipping in visualizing vector field topology in fluid flows is addressed.

Topology of surfaces for molecular Stark energy, alignment, and orientation generated by combined permanent and induced electric dipole interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Burkhard; Friedrich, Bretislav

2014-02-14

We show that combined permanent and induced electric dipole interactions of linear polar and polarizable molecules with collinear electric fields lead to a sui generis topology of the corresponding Stark energy surfaces and of other observables - such as alignment and orientation cosines - in the plane spanned by the permanent and induced dipole interaction parameters. We find that the loci of the intersections of the surfaces can be traced analytically and that the eigenstates as well as the number of their intersections can be characterized by a single integer index. The value of the index, distinctive for a particular ratio of the interaction parameters, brings out a close kinship with the eigenproperties obtained previously for a class of Stark states via the apparatus of supersymmetric quantum mechanics.

Charge and spin transport in edge channels of a ν=0 quantum Hall system on the surface of topological insulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Morimoto, Takahiro; Furusaki, Akira; Nagaosa, Naoto

2015-04-10

Three-dimensional topological insulators of finite thickness can show the quantum Hall effect (QHE) at the filling factor ν=0 under an external magnetic field if there is a finite potential difference between the top and bottom surfaces. We calculate energy spectra of surface Weyl fermions in the ν=0 QHE and find that gapped edge states with helical spin structure are formed from Weyl fermions on the side surfaces under certain conditions. These edge channels account for the nonlocal charge transport in the ν=0 QHE which is observed in a recent experiment on (Bi_{1-x}Sb_{x})_{2}Te_{3} films. The edge channels also support spin transport due to the spin-momentum locking. We propose an experimental setup to observe various spintronics functions such as spin transport and spin conversion.

Parametric disordering-driven topological transitions in a liquid metacrystal

Science.gov (United States)

Zharov, A. A.; Zharov, A. A.; Zharova, N. A.

2018-03-01

We show that an amplitude-modulated electromagnetic wave incident onto a liquid metacrystal (LMC) may cause parametric instability of meta-atoms' mechanical oscillations. It results in either phase-coherent motion of the meta-atoms (leading to time-dependent components of LMC dielectric tensor) or chaotic isotropization of the medium that can be treated in terms of effective temperature. Both scenarios enable switching of the sign of certain components of permittivity tensor that, in turn, modifies the topology of isofrequency surface. Thus, the topological transition in LMC is expected to have an oscillatory or quasi-thermal character depending on the parameters, but in any case the change of topology leads to dramatic changes of the medium properties, switching the LMC between the transparent and opaque states.

Topological edge states and impurities: Manifestation in the local static and dynamical characteristics of dimerized quantum chains

Science.gov (United States)

Zvyagin, A. A.

2018-04-01

Based on the results of exact analytic calculations, we show that topological edge states and impurities in quantum dimerized chains manifest themselves in various local static and dynamical characteristics, which can be measured in experiments. In particular, topological edge states can be observed in the magnetic field behavior of the local magnetization or magnetic susceptibility of dimerized spin chains as jumps (for the magnetization) and features (for the static susceptibility) at zero field. In contrast, impurities reveal themselves in similar jumps and features, however, at nonzero values of the critical field. We also show that dynamical characteristics of dimerized quantum chains also manifest the features, related to the topological edge states and impurities. Those features, as a rule, can be seen more sharply than the manifestation of bulk extended states in, e.g., the dynamical local susceptibility. Such peculiarities can be observed in one-dimensional dimerized spin chains, e.g., in NMR experiments, or in various realizations of quantum dimerized chains in optical experiments.

Fingerprints of bosonic symmetry protected topological state in a quantum point contact

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Rui-Xing; Liu, Chao-Xing

2016-01-01

In this work, we study the transport through a quantum point contact for bosonic helical liquid that exists at the edge of a bilayer graphene under a strong magnetic field. We identify "smoking gun" transport signatures to distinguish bosonic symmetry protected topological (BSPT) state from fermionic two-channel quantum spin Hall (QSH) state in this system. In particular, a novel charge insulator/spin conductor phase is found for BSPT state, while either charge insulator/spin insulator or cha...

Topologically nontrivial quantum layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carron, G.; Exner, P.; Krejcirik, D.

2004-01-01

Given a complete noncompact surface Σ embedded in R 3 , we consider the Dirichlet Laplacian in the layer Ω that is defined as a tubular neighborhood of constant width about Σ. Using an intrinsic approach to the geometry of Ω, we generalize the spectral results of the original paper by Duclos et al. [Commun. Math. Phys. 223, 13 (2001)] to the situation when Σ does not possess poles. This enables us to consider topologically more complicated layers and state new spectral results. In particular, we are interested in layers built over surfaces with handles or several cylindrically symmetric ends. We also discuss more general regions obtained by compact deformations of certain Ω

A Fully Developed Flow Thermofluid Model for Topology Optimization of 3D-Printed Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haertel, Jan Hendrik Klaas; Nellis, Gregory F.

2017-01-01

In this work, density-based topology optimization is applied to the design of the air-side surface of dry-cooled power plant condensers. A topology optimization model assuming a steady-state, thermally and fluid dynamically fully developed internal flow is developed and used for this application....

Topological acoustic polaritons: robust sound manipulation at the subwavelength scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yves, Simon; Fleury, Romain; Lemoult, Fabrice; Fink, Mathias; Lerosey, Geoffroy

2017-01-01

Topological insulators, a hallmark of condensed matter physics, have recently reached the classical realm of acoustic waves. A remarkable property of time-reversal invariant topological insulators is the presence of unidirectional spin-polarized propagation along their edges, a property that could lead to a wealth of new opportunities in the ability to guide and manipulate sound. Here, we demonstrate and study the possibility to induce topologically non-trivial acoustic states at the deep subwavelength scale, in a structured two-dimensional metamaterial composed of Helmholtz resonators. Radically different from previous designs based on non-resonant sonic crystals, our proposal enables robust sound manipulation on a surface along predefined, subwavelength pathways of arbitrary shapes. (paper)

Topological acoustic polaritons: robust sound manipulation at the subwavelength scale

Science.gov (United States)

Yves, Simon; Fleury, Romain; Lemoult, Fabrice; Fink, Mathias; Lerosey, Geoffroy

2017-07-01

Topological insulators, a hallmark of condensed matter physics, have recently reached the classical realm of acoustic waves. A remarkable property of time-reversal invariant topological insulators is the presence of unidirectional spin-polarized propagation along their edges, a property that could lead to a wealth of new opportunities in the ability to guide and manipulate sound. Here, we demonstrate and study the possibility to induce topologically non-trivial acoustic states at the deep subwavelength scale, in a structured two-dimensional metamaterial composed of Helmholtz resonators. Radically different from previous designs based on non-resonant sonic crystals, our proposal enables robust sound manipulation on a surface along predefined, subwavelength pathways of arbitrary shapes.

(3+1)-dimensional topological phases and self-dual quantum geometries encoded on Heegaard surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dittrich, Bianca [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5 (Canada)

2017-05-22

We apply the recently suggested strategy to lift state spaces and operators for (2+1)-dimensional topological quantum field theories to state spaces and operators for a (3+1)-dimensional TQFT with defects. We start from the (2+1)-dimensional Turaev-Viro theory and obtain a state space, consistent with the state space expected from the Crane-Yetter model with line defects. This work has important applications for quantum gravity as well as the theory of topological phases in (3+1) dimensions. It provides a self-dual quantum geometry realization based on a vacuum state peaked on a homogeneously curved geometry. The state spaces and operators we construct here provide also an improved version of the Walker-Wang model, and simplify its analysis considerably. We in particular show that the fusion bases of the (2+1)-dimensional theory lead to a rich set of bases for the (3+1)-dimensional theory. This includes a quantum deformed spin network basis, which in a loop quantum gravity context diagonalizes spatial geometry operators. We also obtain a dual curvature basis, that diagonalizes the Walker-Wang Hamiltonian. Furthermore, the construction presented here can be generalized to provide state spaces for the recently introduced dichromatic four-dimensional manifold invariants.

Voltage-driven magnetization control in topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Flatté

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A major barrier to the development of spin-based electronics is the transition from current-driven spin torque, or magnetic-field-driven magnetization reversal, to a more scalable voltage-driven magnetization reversal. To achieve this, multiferroic materials appear attractive, however the effects in current materials occur at very large voltages or at low temperatures. Here the potential of a new class of hybrid multiferroic materials is described, consisting of a topological insulator adjacent to a magnetic insulator, for which an applied electric field reorients the magnetization. As these materials lack conducting states at the chemical potential in their bulk, no dissipative charge currents flow in the bulk. Surface states at the interface, if present, produce effects similar to surface recombination currents in bipolar devices, but can be passivated using magnetic doping. Even without conducting states at the chemical potential, for a topological insulator there is a finite spin Hall conductivity provided by filled bands below the chemical potential. Spin accumulation at the interface with the magnetic insulator provides a torque on the magnetization. Properly timed voltage pulses can thus reorient the magnetic moment with only the flow of charge current required in the leads to establish the voltage. If the topological insulator is sufficiently thick the resulting low capacitance requires little charge current.

p-topological Cauchy completions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Wig

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The duality between “regular” and “topological” as convergence space properties extends in a natural way to the more general properties “p-regular” and “p-topological.” Since earlier papers have investigated regular, p-regular, and topological Cauchy completions, we hereby initiate a study of p-topological Cauchy completions. A p-topological Cauchy space has a p-topological completion if and only if it is “cushioned,” meaning that each equivalence class of nonconvergent Cauchy filters contains a smallest filter. For a Cauchy space allowing a p-topological completion, it is shown that a certain class of Reed completions preserve the p-topological property, including the Wyler and Kowalsky completions, which are, respectively, the finest and the coarsest p-topological completions. However, not all p-topological completions are Reed completions. Several extension theorems for p-topological completions are obtained. The most interesting of these states that any Cauchy-continuous map between Cauchy spaces allowing p-topological and p′-topological completions, respectively, can always be extended to a θ-continuous map between any p-topological completion of the first space and any p′-topological completion of the second.

Stability of whole brain and regional network topology within and between resting and cognitive states.

Science.gov (United States)

Rzucidlo, Justyna K; Roseman, Paige L; Laurienti, Paul J; Dagenbach, Dale

2013-01-01

Graph-theory based analyses of resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data have been used to map the network organization of the brain. While numerous analyses of resting state brain organization exist, many questions remain unexplored. The present study examines the stability of findings based on this approach over repeated resting state and working memory state sessions within the same individuals. This allows assessment of stability of network topology within the same state for both rest and working memory, and between rest and working memory as well. fMRI scans were performed on five participants while at rest and while performing the 2-back working memory task five times each, with task state alternating while they were in the scanner. Voxel-based whole brain network analyses were performed on the resulting data along with analyses of functional connectivity in regions associated with resting state and working memory. Network topology was fairly stable across repeated sessions of the same task, but varied significantly between rest and working memory. In the whole brain analysis, local efficiency, Eloc, differed significantly between rest and working memory. Analyses of network statistics for the precuneus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex revealed significant differences in degree as a function of task state for both regions and in local efficiency for the precuneus. Conversely, no significant differences were observed across repeated sessions of the same state. These findings suggest that network topology is fairly stable within individuals across time for the same state, but also fluid between states. Whole brain voxel-based network analyses may prove to be a valuable tool for exploring how functional connectivity changes in response to task demands.

Classical topology and quantum states

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

structures) can be reconstructed using Gel'fand–Naimark theory and its ..... pair production and annihilation [23], quantum gravity too can be expected to become ..... showed their utility for research of current interest such as topology change ...

A Method for Determining Pseudo-measurement State Values for Topology Observability of State Estimation in Power Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Urano, Shoichi; Mori, Hiroyuki

This paper proposes a new technique for determining of state values in power systems. Recently, it is useful for carrying out state estimation with data of PMU (Phasor Measurement Unit). The authors have developed a method for determining state values with artificial neural network (ANN) considering topology observability in power systems. ANN has advantage to approximate nonlinear functions with high precision. The method evaluates pseudo-measurement state values of the data which are lost in power systems. The method is successfully applied to the IEEE 14-bus system.

Quantum capacitance in topological insulators under strain in a tilted magnetic field

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.

2012-12-06

Topological insulators exhibit unique properties due to surface states of massless Dirac fermions with conserved time reversal symmetry. We consider the quantum capacitance under strain in an external tilted magnetic field and demonstrate a minimum at the charge neutrality point due to splitting of the zeroth Landau level. We also find beating in the Shubnikov de Haas oscillations due to strain, which originate from the topological helical states. Varying the tilting angle from perpendicular to parallel washes out these oscillations with a strain induced gap at the charge neutrality point. Our results explain recent quantum capacitance and transport experiments.

Quantum capacitance in topological insulators under strain in a tilted magnetic field

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2012-01-01

Topological insulators exhibit unique properties due to surface states of massless Dirac fermions with conserved time reversal symmetry. We consider the quantum capacitance under strain in an external tilted magnetic field and demonstrate a minimum at the charge neutrality point due to splitting of the zeroth Landau level. We also find beating in the Shubnikov de Haas oscillations due to strain, which originate from the topological helical states. Varying the tilting angle from perpendicular to parallel washes out these oscillations with a strain induced gap at the charge neutrality point. Our results explain recent quantum capacitance and transport experiments.

Synthetic Topological Qubits in Conventional Bilayer Quantum Hall Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maissam Barkeshli

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The idea of topological quantum computation is to build powerful and robust quantum computers with certain macroscopic quantum states of matter called topologically ordered states. These systems have degenerate ground states that can be used as robust “topological qubits” to store and process quantum information. In this paper, we propose a new experimental setup that can realize topological qubits in a simple bilayer fractional quantum Hall system with proper electric gate configurations. Our proposal is accessible with current experimental techniques, involves well-established topological states, and, moreover, can realize a large class of topological qubits, generalizing the Majorana zero modes studied in recent literature to more computationally powerful possibilities. We propose three tunneling and interferometry experiments to detect the existence and nonlocal topological properties of the topological qubits.

Tensor Network Wavefunctions for Topological Phases

Science.gov (United States)

Ware, Brayden Alexander

The combination of quantum effects and interactions in quantum many-body systems can result in exotic phases with fundamentally entangled ground state wavefunctions--topological phases. Topological phases come in two types, both of which will be studied in this thesis. In topologically ordered phases, the pattern of entanglement in the ground state wavefunction encodes the statistics of exotic emergent excitations, a universal indicator of a phase that is robust to all types of perturbations. In symmetry protected topological phases, the entanglement instead encodes a universal response of the system to symmetry defects, an indicator that is robust only to perturbations respecting the protecting symmetry. Finding and creating these phases in physical systems is a motivating challenge that tests all aspects--analytical, numerical, and experimental--of our understanding of the quantum many-body problem. Nearly three decades ago, the creation of simple ansatz wavefunctions--such as the Laughlin fractional quantum hall state, the AKLT state, and the resonating valence bond state--spurred analytical understanding of both the role of entanglement in topological physics and physical mechanisms by which it can arise. However, quantitative understanding of the relevant phase diagrams is still challenging. For this purpose, tensor networks provide a toolbox for systematically improving wavefunction ansatz while still capturing the relevant entanglement properties. In this thesis, we use the tools of entanglement and tensor networks to analyze ansatz states for several proposed new phases. In the first part, we study a featureless phase of bosons on the honeycomb lattice and argue that this phase can be topologically protected under any one of several distinct subsets of the crystalline lattice symmetries. We discuss methods of detecting such phases with entanglement and without. In the second part, we consider the problem of constructing fixed-point wavefunctions for

Butterfly magnetoresistance, quasi-2D Dirac Fermi surface and topological phase transition in ZrSiS.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Mazhar N; Schoop, Leslie M; Garg, Chirag; Lippmann, Judith M; Lara, Erik; Lotsch, Bettina; Parkin, Stuart S P

2016-12-01

Magnetoresistance (MR), the change of a material's electrical resistance in response to an applied magnetic field, is a technologically important property that has been the topic of intense study for more than a quarter century. We report the observation of an unusual "butterfly"-shaped titanic angular magnetoresistance (AMR) in the nonmagnetic Dirac material, ZrSiS, which we find to be the most conducting sulfide known, with a 2-K resistivity as low as 48(4) nΩ⋅cm. The MR in ZrSiS is large and positive, reaching nearly 1.8 × 10 5 percent at 9 T and 2 K at a 45° angle between the applied current ( I || a ) and the applied field (90° is H || c ). Approaching 90°, a "dip" is seen in the AMR, which, by analyzing Shubnikov de Haas oscillations at different angles, we find to coincide with a very sharp topological phase transition unlike any seen in other known Dirac/Weyl materials. We find that ZrSiS has a combination of two-dimensional (2D) and 3D Dirac pockets comprising its Fermi surface and that the combination of high-mobility carriers and multiple pockets in ZrSiS allows for large property changes to occur as a function of angle between applied fields. This makes it a promising platform to study the physics stemming from the coexistence of 2D and 3D Dirac electrons as well as opens the door to creating devices focused on switching between different parts of the Fermi surface and different topological states.

Antiferromagnetic and topological states in silicene: A mean field study

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng; Liu, Cheng-Cheng; Yao, Yu-Gui

2015-08-01

It has been widely accepted that silicene is a topological insulator, and its gap closes first and then opens again with increasing electric field, which indicates a topological phase transition from the quantum spin Hall state to the band insulator state. However, due to the relatively large atomic spacing of silicene, which reduces the bandwidth, the electron-electron interaction in this system is considerably strong and cannot be ignored. The Hubbard interaction, intrinsic spin orbital coupling (SOC), and electric field are taken into consideration in our tight-binding model, with which the phase diagram of silicene is carefully investigated on the mean field level. We have found that when the magnitudes of the two mass terms produced by the Hubbard interaction and electric potential are close to each other, the intrinsic SOC flips the sign of the mass term at either K or K‧ for one spin and leads to the emergence of the spin-polarized quantum anomalous Hall state. Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2014CB920903, 2013CB921903, 2011CBA00108, and 2012CB937500), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11021262, 11172303, 11404022, 11225418, and 11174337), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20121101110046), the Excellent Young Scholars Research Fund of Beijing Institute of Technology (Grant No. 2014CX04028), and the Basic Research Funds of Beijing Institute of Technology (Grant No. 20141842001).

On the temperature dependence of spin pumping in ferromagnet–topological insulator–ferromagnet spin valves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.A. Baker

Full Text Available Topological insulators (TIs have a large potential for spintronic devices owing to their spin-polarized, counter-propagating surface states. Recently, we have investigated spin pumping in a ferromagnet–TI–ferromagnet structure at room temperature. Here, we present the temperature-dependent measurement of spin pumping down to 10 K, which shows no variation with temperature. Keywords: Topological insulator, Spin pumping, Spintronics, Ferromagnetic resonance

Experimental vortex breakdown topology in a cylinder with a free surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lo Jacono, D.; Nazarinia, M.; Brøns, Morten

2009-01-01

The free SLII-face, flow in it circular cylinder driven by a rotating bottom disk IS Studied experimentally using particle image velocimetry. Results are compared With computational,11 results assuming I stress-free surface A dye visualization Study by Spohn et al ["Observations of vortex breakdown...... in in open cylindrical container with I rotating bottom," Exp. Fluids 14. 70 (1993)]v as well as several numerical computations. has found a range of different vortex breakdown Structures in this flow. We confirm the existence of a transition where the top of the breakdown bubble crosses from the axis...... to the surface, which has previously only been found numerically. We employ a technique by Brons et al ["Topology of vortex breakdown bubbles in I cylinder with rotating bottom and free surface J. Fluid Mech 428. 133 (2001)] to find the corresponding bifurcation curve in the parameter plane, which has hitherto...

Widespread spin polarization effects in photoemission from topological insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jozwiak, C.; Chen, Y. L.; Fedorov, A. V.; Analytis, J. G.; Rotundu, C. R.; Schmid, A. K.; Denlinger, J. D.; Chuang, Y.-D.; Lee, D.-H.; Fisher, I. R.; Birgeneau, R. J.; Shen, Z.-X.; Hussain, Z.; Lanzara, A.

2011-06-22

High-resolution spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (spin-ARPES) was performed on the three-dimensional topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} using a recently developed high-efficiency spectrometer. The topological surface state's helical spin structure is observed, in agreement with theoretical prediction. Spin textures of both chiralities, at energies above and below the Dirac point, are observed, and the spin structure is found to persist at room temperature. The measurements reveal additional unexpected spin polarization effects, which also originate from the spin-orbit interaction, but are well differentiated from topological physics by contrasting momentum and photon energy and polarization dependencies. These observations demonstrate significant deviations of photoelectron and quasiparticle spin polarizations. Our findings illustrate the inherent complexity of spin-resolved ARPES and demonstrate key considerations for interpreting experimental results.

Generalized Modular Transformations in (3+1D Topologically Ordered Phases and Triple Linking Invariant of Loop Braiding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shenghan Jiang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In topologically ordered quantum states of matter in (2+1D (spacetime dimensions, the braiding statistics of anyonic quasiparticle excitations is a fundamental characterizing property that is directly related to global transformations of the ground-state wave functions on a torus (the modular transformations. On the other hand, there are theoretical descriptions of various topologically ordered states in (3+1D, which exhibit both pointlike and looplike excitations, but systematic understanding of the fundamental physical distinctions between phases, and how these distinctions are connected to quantum statistics of excitations, is still lacking. One main result of this work is that the three-dimensional generalization of modular transformations, when applied to topologically ordered ground states, is directly related to a certain braiding process of looplike excitations. This specific braiding surprisingly involves three loops simultaneously, and can distinguish different topologically ordered states. Our second main result is the identification of the three-loop braiding as a process in which the worldsheets of the three loops have a nontrivial triple linking number, which is a topological invariant characterizing closed two-dimensional surfaces in four dimensions. In this work, we consider realizations of topological order in (3+1D using cohomological gauge theory in which the loops have Abelian statistics and explicitly demonstrate our results on examples with Z_{2}×Z_{2} topological order.

Topology change and quantum physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balachandran, A.P.; Marmo, G.; Simoni, A.

1995-01-01

The role of topology in elementary quantum physics is discussed in detail. It is argued that attributes of classical spatial topology emerge from properties of state vectors with suitably smooth time evolution. Equivalently, they emerge from considerations on the domain of the quantum Hamiltonian, this domain being often specified by boundary conditions in elementary quantum physics. Examples are presented where classical topology is changed by smoothly altering the boundary conditions. When the parameters labelling the latter are treated as quantum variables, quantum states need not give a well-defined classical topology, instead they can give a quantum superposition of such topologies. An existing argument of Sorkin based on the spin-statistics connection and indicating the necessity of topology change in quantum gravity is recalled. It is suggested therefrom and our results here that Einstein gravity and its minor variants are effective theories of a deeper description with additional novel degrees of freedom. Other reasons for suspecting such a microstructure are also summarized. (orig.)

Topology of surfaces for molecular Stark energy, alignment, and orientation generated by combined permanent and induced electric dipole interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, Burkhard, E-mail: burkhard.schmidt@fu-berlin.de [Institute for Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, D-14195 Berlin (Germany); Friedrich, Bretislav, E-mail: brich@fhi-berlin.mpg.de [Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, D-14195 Berlin (Germany)

2014-02-14

We show that combined permanent and induced electric dipole interactions of linear polar and polarizable molecules with collinear electric fields lead to a sui generis topology of the corresponding Stark energy surfaces and of other observables – such as alignment and orientation cosines – in the plane spanned by the permanent and induced dipole interaction parameters. We find that the loci of the intersections of the surfaces can be traced analytically and that the eigenstates as well as the number of their intersections can be characterized by a single integer index. The value of the index, distinctive for a particular ratio of the interaction parameters, brings out a close kinship with the eigenproperties obtained previously for a class of Stark states via the apparatus of supersymmetric quantum mechanics.

Stability of whole brain and regional network topology within and between resting and cognitive states.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justyna K Rzucidlo

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Graph-theory based analyses of resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI data have been used to map the network organization of the brain. While numerous analyses of resting state brain organization exist, many questions remain unexplored. The present study examines the stability of findings based on this approach over repeated resting state and working memory state sessions within the same individuals. This allows assessment of stability of network topology within the same state for both rest and working memory, and between rest and working memory as well. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: fMRI scans were performed on five participants while at rest and while performing the 2-back working memory task five times each, with task state alternating while they were in the scanner. Voxel-based whole brain network analyses were performed on the resulting data along with analyses of functional connectivity in regions associated with resting state and working memory. Network topology was fairly stable across repeated sessions of the same task, but varied significantly between rest and working memory. In the whole brain analysis, local efficiency, Eloc, differed significantly between rest and working memory. Analyses of network statistics for the precuneus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex revealed significant differences in degree as a function of task state for both regions and in local efficiency for the precuneus. Conversely, no significant differences were observed across repeated sessions of the same state. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that network topology is fairly stable within individuals across time for the same state, but also fluid between states. Whole brain voxel-based network analyses may prove to be a valuable tool for exploring how functional connectivity changes in response to task demands.

Chiral tunneling of topological states: towards the efficient generation of spin current using spin-momentum locking.

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, K M Masum; Sajjad, Redwan N; Ghosh, Avik W

2015-05-01

We show that the interplay between chiral tunneling and spin-momentum locking of helical surface states leads to spin amplification and filtering in a 3D topological insulator (TI). Our calculations show that the chiral tunneling across a TI pn junction allows normally incident electrons to transmit, while the rest are reflected with their spins flipped due to spin-momentum locking. The net result is that the spin current is enhanced while the dissipative charge current is simultaneously suppressed, leading to an extremely large, gate-tunable spin-to-charge current ratio (∼20) at the reflected end. At the transmitted end, the ratio stays close to 1 and the electrons are completely spin polarized.

Ferromagnetic-insulators-modulated transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Jun-Ji; Liao Wen-Hu

2014-01-01

Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The single ferromagnetic barrier modulated transmission probability is expected to be a periodic function of the polarization angle and the planar rotation angle, that decreases with the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange increasing. However, the transmission probability for the double ferromagnetic insulators modulated n—n junction and n—p junction is not a periodic function of polarization angle nor planar rotation angle, owing to the combined effects of the double ferromagnetic insulators and the barrier potential. Since the energy gap between the conduction band and the valence band is narrowed and widened respectively in ranges of 0 ≤ θ < π/2 and π/2 < θ ≤ π, the transmission probability of the n—n junction first increases rapidly and then decreases slowly with the increase of the magnetic proximity exchange strength. While the transmission probability for the n—p junction demonstrates an opposite trend on the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange because the band gaps contrarily vary. The obtained results may lead to the possible realization of a magnetic/electric switch based on TIs and be useful in further understanding the surface states of TIs

Superconducting proximity effect in topological materials

Science.gov (United States)

Reeg, Christopher R.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the proximity effect due to its role in the realization of topological superconductivity. In this dissertation, we discuss several results that have been obtained in the field of proximity-induced superconductivity and relate the results to the search for Majorana fermions. First, we show that repulsive electron-electron interactions can induce a non-Majorana zero-energy bound state at the interface between a conventional superconductor and a normal metal. We show that this state is very sensitive to disorder, owing to its lack of topological protection. Second, we show that Rashba spin-orbit coupling, which is one of the key ingredients in engineering a topological superconductor, induces triplet pairing in the proximity effect. When the spin-orbit coupling is strong (i.e., when the characteristic energy scale for spin-orbit coupling is comparable to the Fermi energy), the induced singlet and triplet pairing amplitudes can be comparable in magnitude. Finally, we discuss how the size of the proximity-induced gap, which appears in a low-dimensional material coupled to a superconductor, evolves as the thickness of the (quasi-)low-dimensional material is increased. We show that the induced gap can be comparable to the bulk energy gap of the underlying superconductor in materials that are much thicker than the Fermi wavelength, even in the presence of an interfacial barrier and strong Fermi surface mismatch. This result has important experimental consequences for topological superconductivity, as a sizable gap is required to isolate and detect the Majorana modes.

Pavement cells and the topology puzzle.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Ross; Sánchez-Corrales, Yara E; Hartley, Matthew; Grieneisen, Verônica A; Marée, Athanasius F M

2017-12-01

D'Arcy Thompson emphasised the importance of surface tension as a potential driving force in establishing cell shape and topology within tissues. Leaf epidermal pavement cells grow into jigsaw-piece shapes, highly deviating from such classical forms. We investigate the topology of developing Arabidopsis leaves composed solely of pavement cells. Image analysis of around 50,000 cells reveals a clear and unique topological signature, deviating from previously studied epidermal tissues. This topological distribution is established early during leaf development, already before the typical pavement cell shapes emerge, with topological homeostasis maintained throughout growth and unaltered between division and maturation zones. Simulating graph models, we identify a heuristic cellular division rule that reproduces the observed topology. Our parsimonious model predicts how and when cells effectively place their division plane with respect to their neighbours. We verify the predicted dynamics through in vivo tracking of 800 mitotic events, and conclude that the distinct topology is not a direct consequence of the jigsaw piece-like shape of the cells, but rather owes itself to a strongly life history-driven process, with limited impact from cell-surface mechanics. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Quantum and classical contributions to linear magnetoresistance in topological insulator thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Sourabh; Gopal, R. K.; Sarkar, Jit; Mitra, Chiranjib

2016-01-01

Three dimensional topological insulators possess backscattering immune relativistic Dirac fermions on their surface due to nontrivial topology of the bulk band structure. Both metallic and bulk insulating topological insulators exhibit weak-antilocalization in the low magnetic field and linear like magnetoresistance in higher fields. We explore the linear magnetoresistance in bulk insulating topological insulator Bi 2-x Sb x Te 3-y Se y thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition technique. Thin films of Bi 2-x Sb x Te 3-y Se y were found to be insulating in nature, which conclusively establishes the origin of linear magnetoresistance from surface Dirac states. The films were thoroughly characterized for their crystallinity and composition and then subjected to transport measurements. We present a careful analysis taking into considerations all the existing models of linear magnetoresistance. We comprehend that the competition between classical and quantum contributions to magnetoresistance results in linear magnetoresistance in high fields. We observe that the cross-over field decreases with increasing temperature and the physical argument for this behavior is explained.

Signatures of topological superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Yang

2017-07-19

The prediction and experimental discovery of topological insulators brought the importance of topology in condensed matter physics into the limelight. Topology hence acts as a new dimension along which more and more new states of matter start to emerge. One of these topological states of matter, namely topological superconductors, comes into the focus because of their gapless excitations. These gapless excitations, especially in one dimensional topological superconductors, are Majorana zero modes localized at the ends of the superconductor and exhibit exotic nonabelian statistics, which can be potentially applied to fault-tolerant quantum computation. Given their highly interesting physical properties and potential applications to quantum computation, both theorists and experimentalists spend great efforts to realize topological supercondoctors and to detect Majoranas. In two projects within this thesis, we investigate the properties of Majorana zero modes in realistic materials which are absent in simple theoretical models. We find that the superconducting proximity effect, an essential ingredient in all existing platforms for topological superconductors, plays a significant role in determining the localization property of the Majoranas. Strong proximity coupling between the normal system and the superconducting substrate can lead to strongly localized Majoranas, which can explain the observation in a recent experiment. Motivated by experiments in Molenkamp's group, we also look at realistic quantum spin Hall Josephson junctions, in which charge puddles acting as magnetic impurities are coupled to the helical edge states. We find that with this setup, the junction generically realizes an exotic 8π periodic Josephson effect, which is absent in a pristine Josephson junction. In another two projects, we propose more pronounced signatures of Majoranas that are accessible with current experimental techniques. The first one is a transport measurement, which uses

Atomic-Scale Visualization of Quasiparticle Interference on a Type-II Weyl Semimetal Surface.

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Zheng, Hao; Bian, Guang; Chang, Guoqing; Lu, Hong; Xu, Su-Yang; Wang, Guangqiang; Chang, Tay-Rong; Zhang, Songtian; Belopolski, Ilya; Alidoust, Nasser; Sanchez, Daniel S; Song, Fengqi; Jeng, Horng-Tay; Yao, Nan; Bansil, Arun; Jia, Shuang; Lin, Hsin; Hasan, M Zahid

2016-12-23

We combine quasiparticle interference simulation (theory) and atomic resolution scanning tunneling spectromicroscopy (experiment) to visualize the interference patterns on a type-II Weyl semimetal Mo_{x}W_{1-x}Te_{2} for the first time. Our simulation based on first-principles band topology theoretically reveals the surface electron scattering behavior. We identify the topological Fermi arc states and reveal the scattering properties of the surface states in Mo_{0.66}W_{0.34}Te_{2}. In addition, our result reveals an experimental signature of the topology via the interconnectivity of bulk and surface states, which is essential for understanding the unusual nature of this material.

Topological Crystalline Superconductivity in Locally Noncentrosymmetric Multilayer Superconductors.

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Yoshida, Tomohiro; Sigrist, Manfred; Yanase, Youichi

2015-07-10

Topological crystalline superconductivity in locally noncentrosymmetric multilayer superconductors (SCs) is proposed. We study the odd-parity pair-density wave (PDW) state induced by the spin-singlet pairing interaction through the spin-orbit coupling. It is shown that the PDW state is a topological crystalline SC protected by a mirror symmetry, although it is topologically trivial according to the classification based on the standard topological periodic table. The topological property of the mirror subsectors is intuitively explained by adiabatically changing the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian. A subsector of the bilayer PDW state reduces to the two-dimensional noncentrosymmetric SC, while a subsector of the trilayer PDW state is topologically equivalent to the spinless p-wave SC. Chiral Majorana edge modes in trilayers can be realized without Cooper pairs in the spin-triplet channel and chemical potential tuning.

Room temperature giant and linear magnetoresistance in topological insulator Bi2Te3 nanosheets.

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Wang, Xiaolin; Du, Yi; Dou, Shixue; Zhang, Chao

2012-06-29

Topological insulators, a new class of condensed matter having bulk insulating states and gapless metallic surface states, have demonstrated fascinating quantum effects. However, the potential practical applications of the topological insulators are still under exploration worldwide. We demonstrate that nanosheets of a Bi(2)Te(3) topological insulator several quintuple layers thick display giant and linear magnetoresistance. The giant and linear magnetoresistance achieved is as high as over 600% at room temperature, with a trend towards further increase at higher temperatures, as well as being weakly temperature-dependent and linear with the field, without any sign of saturation at measured fields up to 13 T. Furthermore, we observed a magnetic field induced gap below 10 K. The observation of giant and linear magnetoresistance paves the way for 3D topological insulators to be useful for practical applications in magnetoelectronic sensors such as disk reading heads, mechatronics, and other multifunctional electromagnetic applications.

Topological phase transitions of (BixSb1-x)2Se3 alloys by density functional theory.

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Abdalla, L B; Padilha José, E; Schmidt, T M; Miwa, R H; Fazzio, A

2015-07-01

We have performed an ab initio total energy investigation of the topological phase transition, and the electronic properties of topologically protected surface states of (BixSb1-x)2Se3 alloys. In order to provide an accurate alloy concentration for the phase transition, we have considered the special quasirandom structures to describe the alloy system. The trivial → topological transition concentration was obtained by (i) the calculation of the band gap closing as a function of Bi concentration (x), and (ii) the calculation of the Z2 topological invariant number. We show that there is a topological phase transition, for x around 0.4, verified for both procedures (i) and (ii). We also show that in the concentration range 0.4 x < 0.7, the alloy does not present any other band at the Fermi level besides the Dirac cone, where the Dirac point is far from the bulk states. This indicates that a possible suppression of the scattering process due to bulk states will occur.

Predesigned surface patterns and topological defects control the active matter.

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Turiv, Taras; Peng, Chenhui; Guo, Yubing; Wei, Qi-Huo; Lavrentovich, Oleg

Active matter exhibits remarkable patterns of never-ending dynamics with giant fluctuations of concentration, varying order, nucleating and annihilating topological defects. These patterns can be seen in active systems of both biological and artificial origin. A fundamental question is whether and how one can control this chaotic out-of-equilibrium behavior. We demonstrate a robust control of local concentration, trajectories of active self-propelled units and the net flows of active bacteria Bacillus Substilis by imposing pre-designed surface patterns of orientational order in a water-based lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal. The patterns force the bacteria to gather into dynamic swarms with spatially modulated concentration and well-defined polarity of motion. Topological defects produce net motion of bacteria with a unidirectional circulation, while pairs of defects induce a pumping action. The qualitative features of the dynamics can be explained by interplay of curvature and activity, in particular, by ability of mixed splay-bend curvatures to generate threshold-less active flows. The demonstrated level of control opens opportunities in engineering materials and devices that mimic rich functionality of living systems. This work was supported by NSF Grants DMR-1507637, DMS-1434185, CMMI-1436565, by the Petroleum Research Grant PRF# 56046-ND7 administered by the American Chemical Society.

Quantum magnetotransport properties of topological insulators under strain

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.

2012-08-15

We present a detailed theoretical investigation of the quantum magnetotransport properties of topological insulators under strain. We consider an external magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of the topological insulator in the presence of strain induced by the substrate. The strain effects mix the lower and upper surface states of neighboring Landau levels into two unequally spaced energy branches. Analytical expressions are derived for the collisional conductivity for elastic impurity scattering in the first Born approximation. We also calculate the Hall conductivity using the Kubo formalism. Evidence for the beating of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations is found from the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the collisional and Hall conductivities. In the regime of a strong magnetic field, the beating pattern is replaced by a splitting of the magnetoresistance peaks due to finite strain energy. These results are in excellent agreement with recent HgTe transport experiments.

Fermi-level tuning of the Dirac surface state in (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3 thin films

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Satake, Yosuke; Shiogai, Junichi; Takane, Daichi; Yamada, Keiko; Fujiwara, Kohei; Souma, Seigo; Sato, Takafumi; Takahashi, Takashi; Tsukazaki, Atsushi

2018-02-01

We report on the electronic states and the transport properties of three-dimensional topological insulator (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3 ternary alloy thin films grown on an isostructural Bi2Se3 buffer layer on InP substrates. By angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we clearly detected Dirac surface states with a large bulk band gap of 0.2-0.3 eV in the (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3 film with x  =  0.70. In addition, we observed by Hall effect measurements that the dominant charge carrier converts from electron (n-type) to hole (p-type) at around x  =  0.7, indicating that the Fermi level can be controlled across the Dirac point. Indeed, the carrier transport was shown to be governed by Dirac surface state in 0.63  ⩽  x  ⩽  0.75. These features suggest that Fermi-level tunable (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3-based heterostructures provide a platform for extracting exotic topological phenomena.

Samarium Hexaboride: The First True 3D Topological Insulator?

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Wolgast, Steven G.

The recent theoretical prediction of a topologically protected surface state in the mixed-valent insulator SmB6 has motivated a series of charge transport studies, which are presented here. It is first studied using a specialized configuration designed to distinguish bulk-dominated conduction from surface-dominated conduction. As the material is cooled below 4 K, it exhibits a crossover from thermally activated bulk transport to metallic surface conduction with a fully insulating bulk. The robustness and magnitude of the surface conductivity, as is manifest in the literature of SmB6, is strong evidence for the topological insulator (TI) metallic surface states predicted for this material. This resolves a decades-old puzzle surrounding the low-temperature behavior of SmB6. Next, the magnetotransport properties of the surface are investigated using a Corbino disk geometry, which can directly measure the conductivity of individual surfaces. Both (011) and (001) crystal surfaces show a strong negative magnetoresistance at all magnetic field angles, due primarily to changes in the carrier density. The low mobility value accounts for the failure so far to observe Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations below 95 T. Small variations in the mobility and temperature dependence suggest a suppression of Kondo scattering from native oxide-layer magnetic moments. At low fields, a dynamical field-sweep-rate-dependent hysteretic behavior is observed. It persists at the slowest sweep rates, and cannot be explained by quantum interference corrections; it is likely due to extrinsic effects such as the magnetocaloric effect or glassy ordering of the native oxide moments. Pulsed magnetic field measurements up to 60 T at temperatures throughout the crossover regime clearly distinguish the surface magnetoresistance from the bulk magnetoresistance. The bulk magnetoresistance is due to a reduction in the bulk gap with increasing magnetic field. Finally, small subsurface cracks formed in SmB6 via

On the topological ground state of E-infinity spacetime and the super string connection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Naschie, M.S.

2007-01-01

There are at present a huge number of valid super string ground states, making the one corresponding to our own universe extremely hard to determine. Therefore it may come as quite a surprise that it is a rather simple undertaking to determine the exact topological ground state of E-infinity Cantorian spacetime theory. Similar to the ground state of the Higgs for E-infinity, the expectation value of the topological ground state is non-zero and negative. Its value is given exactly by -bar o -∼ n(1/φ) n =-(4+φ 3 ) where φ=(5-1)/2 and n represents an integer Menger-Uhryson dimension running from n=0 to n=-∼. Recalling that the average dimension of ε (∼) is given by ∼ =4+φ 3 , one could interpret this result as saying that our E-infinity spacetime may be viewed as an in itself closed manifold given by the remarkable equation: + =zeroThus in a manner of speaking, the universe could have spontaneously tunnelled into existence from virtual nothingness

Surface Irregularity Factor as a Parameter to Evaluate the Fatigue Damage State of CFRP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Zuluaga-Ramírez

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This work presents an optical non-contact technique to evaluate the fatigue damage state of CFRP structures measuring the irregularity factor of the surface. This factor includes information about surface topology and can be measured easily on field, by techniques such as optical perfilometers. The surface irregularity factor has been correlated with stiffness degradation, which is a well-accepted parameter for the evaluation of the fatigue damage state of composite materials. Constant amplitude fatigue loads (CAL and realistic variable amplitude loads (VAL, representative of real in- flight conditions, have been applied to “dog bone” shaped tensile specimens. It has been shown that the measurement of the surface irregularity parameters can be applied to evaluate the damage state of a structure, and that it is independent of the type of fatigue load that has caused the damage. As a result, this measurement technique is applicable for a wide range of inspections of composite material structures, from pressurized tanks with constant amplitude loads, to variable amplitude loaded aeronautical structures such as wings and empennages, up to automotive and other industrial applications.

Surface Irregularity Factor as a Parameter to Evaluate the Fatigue Damage State of CFRP

Science.gov (United States)

Zuluaga-Ramírez, Pablo; Frövel, Malte; Belenguer, Tomás; Salazar, Félix

2015-01-01

This work presents an optical non-contact technique to evaluate the fatigue damage state of CFRP structures measuring the irregularity factor of the surface. This factor includes information about surface topology and can be measured easily on field, by techniques such as optical perfilometers. The surface irregularity factor has been correlated with stiffness degradation, which is a well-accepted parameter for the evaluation of the fatigue damage state of composite materials. Constant amplitude fatigue loads (CAL) and realistic variable amplitude loads (VAL), representative of real in- flight conditions, have been applied to “dog bone” shaped tensile specimens. It has been shown that the measurement of the surface irregularity parameters can be applied to evaluate the damage state of a structure, and that it is independent of the type of fatigue load that has caused the damage. As a result, this measurement technique is applicable for a wide range of inspections of composite material structures, from pressurized tanks with constant amplitude loads, to variable amplitude loaded aeronautical structures such as wings and empennages, up to automotive and other industrial applications. PMID:28793655

Topology change and quantum physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balachandran, A.P.; Marmo, G.; Simoni, A.

1995-03-01

The role of topology in elementary quantum physics is discussed in detail. It is argued that attributes of classical spatial topology emerge from properties of state vectors with suitably smooth time evolution. Equivalently, they emerge from considerations on the domain of the quantum Hamiltonian, this domain being often specified by boundary conditions in elementary quantum physics. Several examples are presented where classical topology is changed by smoothly altering the boundary conditions. When the parameters labelling the latter are treated as quantum variables, quantum states need not give a well-defined classical topology, instead they can give a quantum superposition of such topologies. An existing argument of Sorkin based on the spin-statistics connection and indicating the necessity of topology change in quantum gravity is recalled. It is suggested therefrom and our results here that Einstein gravity and its minor variants are effective theories of a deeper description with additional novel degrees of freedom. Other reasons for suspecting such a microstructure are also summarized. (author). 22 refs, 3 figs

Butterfly magnetoresistance, quasi-2D Dirac Fermi surface and topological phase transition in ZrSiS

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Mazhar N.; Schoop, Leslie M.; Garg, Chirag; Lippmann, Judith M.; Lara, Erik; Lotsch, Bettina; Parkin, Stuart S. P.

2016-01-01

Magnetoresistance (MR), the change of a material’s electrical resistance in response to an applied magnetic field, is a technologically important property that has been the topic of intense study for more than a quarter century. We report the observation of an unusual “butterfly”-shaped titanic angular magnetoresistance (AMR) in the nonmagnetic Dirac material, ZrSiS, which we find to be the most conducting sulfide known, with a 2-K resistivity as low as 48(4) nΩ⋅cm. The MR in ZrSiS is large and positive, reaching nearly 1.8 × 105 percent at 9 T and 2 K at a 45° angle between the applied current (I || a) and the applied field (90° is H || c). Approaching 90°, a “dip” is seen in the AMR, which, by analyzing Shubnikov de Haas oscillations at different angles, we find to coincide with a very sharp topological phase transition unlike any seen in other known Dirac/Weyl materials. We find that ZrSiS has a combination of two-dimensional (2D) and 3D Dirac pockets comprising its Fermi surface and that the combination of high-mobility carriers and multiple pockets in ZrSiS allows for large property changes to occur as a function of angle between applied fields. This makes it a promising platform to study the physics stemming from the coexistence of 2D and 3D Dirac electrons as well as opens the door to creating devices focused on switching between different parts of the Fermi surface and different topological states. PMID:28028541

Formation Dirac point and the topological surface states for HgCdTe-QW and mixed 3D HgCdTe TI

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Marchewka, Michał

2017-01-01

In this paper the results of numerical calculations based on the finite difference method (FDM) for the 2D and 3D TI with and without uniaxial tensile strain for mixed Hg1-xCdxTe structures are presented. The numerical calculations were made using the 8×8 model for x from 0 up to 0.155 and for the wide range for the thickness from a few nm for 2D up to 150 nm for 3D TI as well as for different mismatch of the lattice constant and different barrier potential in the case of the QW. For the investigated region of the Cd composition (x value) the negative energy gap (Eg=Γ8-Γ6) in the Hg1-xCdxTe is smaller than in the case of pure HgTe which, as it turns out, has a significant influence on the topological surface states (TSS) and the position of the Dirac point for QW as well as for 3D TI. The results show that the strained gap and the position of the Dirac point against the Γ8 is a function of the x-Cd compounds in the case of the 3D TI as well as the critical width of the mixed Hg1-xCdxTe QW.