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Journal article
The Dirac equation as a model of topological insulators
PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE, v 100(10), pp 1324-1354
18 May 2020
Abstract
The Dirac equation with a spatially dependent mass can be used as a simple, exactly soluble, continuum model of a three-dimensional Topological Insulator. For a bulk system, the sign of the mass determines the parity at the only time-reversal point () and, hence, leads to the designation of the bulk as being topologically trivial or non-trivial. Since the mass changes sign at the interface between a topologically trivial and non-trivial materials, topological surface states appear on that boundary. We propose that electron scattering experiments may provide an alternate probe of the topological character of the surface states. For infinitely thick slabs, the states on the opposite sides of the slab decouple. The spatial decoupling results in the surface states become gapless, non-degenerate and, due to the Rashba spin-orbit coupling generated by the loss of inversion symmetry, exhibit spin-momentum locking. We review several characteristic properties of the topological surface states which are dependent on the topological quantum numbers and show that, using this model, they can be calculated exactly using simple methods.
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Details
- Title
- The Dirac equation as a model of topological insulators
- Publication Details
- PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE, v 100(10), pp 1324-1354
- Publisher
- TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD; ABINGDON
- Number of pages
- 0
- Grant note
- The work at Temple was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science, Materials Science, through the award DE-FG02-01ER45872.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000515049800001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85084333298
- Other Identifier
- 991021860678004721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
- Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
- Physics, Applied
- Physics, Condensed Matter