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Topological crystalline insulators in the SnTe material class

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy H. Hsieh

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Hsin Lin

    (Northeastern University)

  • Junwei Liu

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Tsinghua University)

  • Wenhui Duan

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Arun Bansil

    (Northeastern University)

  • Liang Fu

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Topological crystalline insulators are new states of matter in which the topological nature of electronic structures arises from crystal symmetries. Here we predict the first material realization of topological crystalline insulator in the semiconductor SnTe by identifying its non-zero topological index. We predict that as a manifestation of this non-trivial topology, SnTe has metallic surface states with an even number of Dirac cones on high-symmetry crystal surfaces such as {001}, {110} and {111}. These surface states form a new type of high-mobility chiral electron gas, which is robust against disorder and topologically protected by reflection symmetry of the crystal with respect to {110} mirror plane. Breaking this mirror symmetry via elastic strain engineering or applying an in-plane magnetic field can open up a continuously tunable band gap on the surface, which may lead to wide-ranging applications in thermoelectrics, infra-red detection and tunable electronics. Closely related semiconductors PbTe and PbSe also become topological crystalline insulators after band inversion by pressure, strain and alloying.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy H. Hsieh & Hsin Lin & Junwei Liu & Wenhui Duan & Arun Bansil & Liang Fu, 2012. "Topological crystalline insulators in the SnTe material class," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-7, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1969
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1969
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    Cited by:

    1. Kuan-Sen Lin & Giandomenico Palumbo & Zhaopeng Guo & Yoonseok Hwang & Jeremy Blackburn & Daniel P. Shoemaker & Fahad Mahmood & Zhijun Wang & Gregory A. Fiete & Benjamin J. Wieder & Barry Bradlyn, 2024. "Spin-resolved topology and partial axion angles in three-dimensional insulators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Frank Schindler & Stepan S. Tsirkin & Titus Neupert & B. Andrei Bernevig & Benjamin J. Wieder, 2022. "Topological zero-dimensional defect and flux states in three-dimensional insulators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Minkyung Kim & Zihao Wang & Yihao Yang & Hau Tian Teo & Junsuk Rho & Baile Zhang, 2022. "Three-dimensional photonic topological insulator without spin–orbit coupling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.

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