Understanding Topological Insulators in Real Space

Topological insulators

Plasmonics in Topological Insulators

With strong spin-orbit coupling, topological insulators have an insulating bulk state, characterized by a band gap, and a conducting surface state, characterized by a Dirac cone. Plasmons in topological insulators show high frequency-tunability in the mid-infrared and terahertz spectral regions with transverse spin oscillations, also called “spin-plasmons”. This paper presents a discussion and ...

Topological crystalline insulators.

The recent discovery of topological insulators has revived interest in the band topology of insulators. In this Letter, we extend the topological classification of band structures to include certain crystal point group symmetry. We find a class of three-dimensional "topological crystalline insulators" which have metallic surface states with quadratic band degeneracy on high symmetry crystal sur...

Topological Insulators and Superconductors

We study theoretical properties of robust low energy electronic excitations associated with topological insulators and superconductors. The bulk materials are described by non-interacting single particle band Hamiltonians with a finite excitation gap. Their topological phases are classifed according to symmetries and dimensions, characterized by discrete bulk invariants, and correspond to topol...

Topological insulators in three dimensions.

We study three-dimensional generalizations of the quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect. Unlike two dimensions, where a single Z2 topological invariant governs the effect, in three dimensions there are 4 invariants distinguishing 16 phases with two general classes: weak (WTI) and strong (STI) topological insulators. The WTI are like layered 2D QSH states, but are destroyed by disorder. The STI are rob...