Realization Of Topological Insulator Research Articles

Discovery of higher-order topological insulators using the spin Hall conductivity as a topology signature

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

Topological phases of nonsymmorphic crystals: Shastry-Sutherland lattice at integer filling

Motivated by intertwined crystal symmetries and topological phases, we study the possible realization of topological insulators in nonsymmorphic crystals at integer fillings. In particular, we consider spin-orbit-coupled electronic systems of two-dimensional crystal Shastry-Sutherland lattices at integer filling where the gapless line degeneracy is protected by glide reflection symmetry. Based on a simple tight-binding model, we investigate how the topological insulating phase is stabilized by breaking nonsymmorphic symmetries but in the presence of time reversal symmetry and inversion symmetry. In addition, we also discuss the regime where Dirac semimetal is stabilized, having nontrivial ${Z}_{2}$ invariants even without spin-orbit coupling. Our study can be extended to more general cases where all lattice symmetries are broken and we also discuss possible application to topological Kondo insulators in nonsymmorphic crystals where crystal symmetries can be spontaneously broken as a function of the Kondo coupling.

Search for Majorana zero mode in the magnetic vortex of artificial topological superconductor

The search for new states that exhibit topological order is currently a very active and exciting area of research. Like a topological insulator, superconducting order can also exhibit topological order, which is different from that of a conventional superconductor. This superconductor is so-called " topological superconductor”, which has a full pairing gap in the bulk and gapless surface state. Majorana Fermions obey non-Abelian fractional statistics, and have been proposed to construct topological qubits, so there is a great prospect of scientific research and application in topological quantum computing. It is very interesting that Majorana Fermions are predicted to exist in topological superconductors. However, natural topological superconductor is very rare. Inspired by the realization of topological insulators, theoretical physicists have proposed that via the fabrication of the s-wave superconductor/topological insulator heterostructure, Majorana Fermions may exist in the superconducting topological insulator induced by proximate effect. Due to various kinds of topological insulators and conventional s-wave superconductors, heterostructures constructed by this method can greatly increase the variety of artificial topological superconductors. In this paper we review the experimental progress in the heterostructure composed of the Bi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>3</sub>-type topological insulator and the conventional s-wave superconductor NbSe<sub>2</sub>. Using molecular beam epitaxy, atomically flat topological insulator film can be fabricated at the top of superconductor substrate. The spatial distribution of Majorana Fermions on the surface of topological insulator can be directly observed by <i>in situ</i> scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. In the center of a magnetic vortex, Majorana Fermions will appear as the Majorana zero mode, a zero-energy peak inside the superconducting gap. Although the energy gap between low energy quasiparticle excitation and the Majorana zero mode is very small, the evidences such as zero bias conductance anomaly, Y-shape splitting of zero-bias conductance, spin-selective Andreev reflection are self-consistent and reveal that the Majorana zero mode exists in the center of a magnetic vortex. These experiments have led to a new insight into superconductivity. It may open a door to probing the novel physics of Majorana fermions.

Atoms playing dress-up

The idea of using ultracold atoms to simulate the behaviour of electrons in new kinds of quantum systems — from topological insulators to exotic superfluids and superconductors — is a step closer to becoming a reality. See Letter p.83 Spin-orbit coupling describes the interaction between a quantum particle's spin and its momentum, and is important for many areas of physics from spintronics to the quantum spin Hall effect and topological insulators. However, in systems of ultracold neutral atoms, there is no coupling between the spin and the centre-of-mass motion of the atom. Lin et al. use lasers to engineer such spin-orbit coupling in a neutral atomic Bose–Einstein condensate, the first time this has been achieved for any bosonic system. This should lead to the realization of topological insulators in fermionic neutral atom systems.

Topological insulators and superconductors from D-brane

Realization of topological insulators (TIs) and superconductors (TSCs), such as the quantum spin Hall effect and the Z2 topological insulator, in terms of D-branes in string theory is proposed. We establish a one-to-one correspondence between the K-theory classification of TIs/TSCs and D-brane charges. The string theory realization of TIs and TSCs comes naturally with gauge interactions, and the Wess–Zumino term of the D-branes gives rise to a gauge field theory of topological nature. This sheds light on TIs and TSCs beyond non-interacting systems, and the underlying topological field theory description thereof.