Anderson localization is studied for two flavors of massless Dirac fermions in 2D space perturbed by static disorder that is invariant under a chiral symmetry (chS) and a time-reversal symmetry (TRS) operation which, when squared, is equal either to plus or minus the identity. The former TRS (symmetry class BDI) can for example be realized when the Dirac fermions emerge from spinless fermions hopping on a 2D lattice with a linear energy dispersion such as the honeycomb lattice (graphene) or the square lattice with $π$-flux per plaquette. The latter TRS is realized by the surface states of 3D $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-topological band insulators in symmetry class CII. In the phase diagram parametrized by the disorder strengths, there is an infrared stable line of critical points for both symmetry classes BDI and CII. Here we discuss a "global phase diagram" in which disordered Dirac fermion systems in all three chiral symmetry classes, AIII, CII, and BDI, occur in 4 quadrants, sharing one corner which represents the clean Dirac fermion limit. This phase diagram also includes symmetry classes AII [e.g., appearing at the surface of a disordered 3D $\mathbb{Z}_2$-topological band insulator in the spin-orbit (symplectic) symmetry class] and D (e.g., the random bond Ising model in two dimensions) as boundaries separating regions of the phase diagram belonging to the three chS classes AIII, BDI, and CII. Moreover, we argue that physics of Anderson localization in the CII phase can be presented in terms of a non-linear-sigma model (NLsM) with a $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-topological term. We thereby complete the derivation of topological or Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten terms in the NLsM description of disordered fermionic models in all 10 symmetry classes relevant to Anderson localization in two spatial dimensions.
Revealing the ultrafast dynamics of three-dimensional (3D) Dirac fermions upon photoexcitation is critical for both fundamental science and device applications. So far, how the cooling of 3D Dirac fermions differs from that of two-dimensional (2D) Dirac fermions and whether there is population inversion are fundamental questions that remain to be answered. Here we reveal the ultrafast dynamics of Dirac fermions in a model 3D Dirac semimetal Cd$_3$As$_2$ by ultrafast time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TrARPES) with a tunable probe photon energy from 5.3 - 6.9 eV. The energy- a…
Heavy Dirac fermions in a graphene/topological insulator hetero-junction
石墨烯和三维拓扑绝缘体表面态的低能物理都是用具有线性色散的无隙狄拉克费米子来描述的。在这项工作中，我们预测了一个“重”狄拉克费米子出现在石墨烯/拓扑绝缘体异质结，其中的线性项几乎消失，相应的能量色散变得高度非线性。通过结合{ \it ab initio}计算和一个有效的低能模型，我们明确地显示了如何在石墨烯和拓扑绝缘体的表面态之间的狄拉克费米子的强杂化可以降低狄拉克费米子的费米速度。由于线性项可以忽略不计，相互作用效应将大大增强，并可以驱动“重”狄拉克费米子态到具有非零霍尔电导的半量子霍尔态。
The symmetries that protect massless Dirac fermions from a gap opening may become ineffective if the Dirac equation is discretized in space and time, either because of scattering between multiple Dirac cones in the Brillouin zone (fermion doubling) or because of singularities at zone boundaries. Here we introduce an implementation of Dirac fermions on a space-time lattice that removes both obstructions. The quasi-energy band structure has a tangent dispersion with a single Dirac cone that cannot be gapped without breaking both time-reversal and chiral symmetries. We show that this topological …
The magnetotransport properties of massless Dirac fermions in a gapless HgTe quantum well are investigated. In samples with narrow channels, a large negative magnetoresistance with a Lorentzian profile is observed, which is interpreted as a manifestation of electron viscosity due to electron-electron interaction. Comparison of experiment with theory yields the shear stress relaxation time of the Dirac fermions caused by electron-electron scattering.
The spatial discretization of the single-cone Dirac Hamiltonian on the surface of a topological insulator or superconductor needs a special "staggered" grid, to avoid the appearance of a spurious second cone in the Brillouin zone. We adapt the Stacey discretization from lattice gauge theory to produce a generalized eigenvalue problem, of the form ${\mathcal H}ψ=E {\mathcal P}ψ$, with Hermitian tight-binding operators ${\mathcal H}$, ${\mathcal P}$, a locally conserved particle current, and preserved chiral and symplectic symmetries. This permits the study of the spectral statistics of Dirac fe…
The Datta-Das-type spin field-effect transistor, using a two-dimensional electron gas in a semiconductor heterostructure as a channel, plays a key role in spintronics. Here, we theoretically present a type of spin field-effect transistor based on massless birefringent Dirac fermions in polar Dirac semimetals. The manipulation of spin arises from the existence of the strong spin-orbit coupling, polar space groups, and Dirac cones in a single phase. The oscillatory channel conductance can be controlled by the sign of gate voltage in addition to its magnitude due to the gapless band structures of…
Dirac fermions in graphene and analogues: magnetic field and topological properties
这是一个简短的回顾二维狄拉克费米子在石墨烯和类似的系统，如氮化硼，准二维有机盐$α$ -（BEDT-TTF）$_2$ I $_3$、光晶格中有冷原子的人造石墨烯等，重点是磁场性质（回旋轨道的半经典量子化、朗道能级、量子霍尔效应、磁等离子体、磁声子共振、磁输运等）以及拓扑性质（Berry相位、缠绕数、带间效应、Dirac点的合并跃迁等）。
We study theoretically a strongly type-II s-wave superconducting state of two-dimensional Dirac fermions in proximity to a ferromagnet having in-plane magnetization. It is shown that a magnetic domain wall can host a chain of equally spaced vortices in the superconducting order parameter, each of which binds a Majorana fermion state. The overlap integral of neighboring Majorana states is sensitive to the position of the chemical potential of the Dirac fermions. This leads to a characteristic V-shaped dependence of thermal conductivity of Majorana fermions on the chemical potential.
