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arXiv 1604.02423cond-mat.mes-hallcond-mat.mtrl-sci
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隧道耦合HgTe量子阱中的相变。双层石墨烯类比和超越

Phase transitions in two tunnel-coupled HgTe quantum wells. Bilayer graphene analogy and beyond

S. S. Krishtopenko, W. Knap, F. Teppe

摘要:

碲化汞量子阱具有显着的物理特性,例如量子自旋霍尔态和石墨烯的“单谷”类似物,这取决于它们的层厚度和势垒成分。然而,双碲化汞量子阱还包含更多迷人的和尚未揭示的功能。在这里,我们报告的量子相变的隧道耦合碲化汞层分离的碲化镉势垒的研究。我们证明,这个系统有一个3/2的伪自旋自由度,它具有一些特定的属性与自旋相关的碲化汞层之间的耦合。我们发现了一个特定的金属相在很宽的范围内的碲化汞和碲化镉层的厚度,其中一个无隙体和一对螺旋边缘状态共存。该相具有双层石墨烯的一些性质,例如非常规的量子霍尔效应和电可调带隙。在这个“双层石墨烯”阶段,电场打开带隙并驱动系统进入量子自旋霍尔态。此外,我们发现了一种新的量子相变所产生的第二类电子和空穴的子带之间的相互反转。这项工作为基于多层拓扑绝缘体的新型材料铺平了道路。

英文摘要:

HgTe quantum wells possess remarkable physical properties as for instance the quantum spin Hall state and the 'single-valley' analog of graphene, depending on their layer thicknesses and barrier composition. However, double HgTe quantum wells yet contain more fascinating and still unrevealed features. Here we report on the study of the quantum phase transitions in tunnel-coupled HgTe layers separated by CdTe barrier. We demonstrate that this system has a 3/2 pseudo spin degree of freedom, which features a number of particular properties associated with the spin-dependent coupling between HgTe layers. We discover a specific metal phase arising in a wide range of HgTe and CdTe layer thicknesses, in which a gapless bulk and a pair of helical edge states coexist. This phase holds some properties of bilayer graphene such as an unconventional quantum Hall effect and an electrically-tunable band gap. In this 'bilayer graphene' phase, electric field opens the band gap and drives the system into the quantum spin Hall state. Furthermore, we discover a new type of quantum phase transition arising from a mutual inversion between second electron- and hole-like subbands. This work paves the way towards novel materials based on multi-layered topological insulators.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

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