Equilibrium and non-equilibrium realizations of topological states of matter
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Topological states of matter are a class of quantum states that exhibit topologically-protected properties which are insensitive to weak perturbations or disorder. Spurred by recent progress in melting, enhancement and induction of electronic order out of equilibrium, a tantalizing prospect concerns instead inducing topological phases as transient non-equilibrium steady states via broad optical pulses, to affect electronic or magnetic properties. This thesis will discuss a two-pronged approach of optically manipulating the band topology of a semiconductor, as well as inducing topological order in strongly-interacting topological band structures and frustrated Mott insulators. We will first discuss a non-equilibrium generalization of electronic band structure theory to show that irradiating transition-metal dichalcogenide monolayers with circularly-polarized light can induce tunable topological band transitions and chiral edge modes out of equilibrium. We then draw on an intrinsic position-momentum duality of the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) effect to discuss a formalism to capture FQH states in interacting topological band structures in the absence of an external magnetic field. Finally, we will extend these ideas to frustrated Mott insulators and show that pumping a Kagome antiferromagnet with a broad circularly-polarized light pulse can dynamically break time-reversal symmetry and transiently stabilize a chiral spin liquid -- the ν=1/2 FQH effect of spins. The results presented suggest new avenues to marry dynamical symmetry breaking, strong interactions, and ab initio materials modelling, to access elusive phase transitions that are not readily accessible in equilibrium.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2017 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Claassen, Martin |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Applied Physics. |
| Primary advisor | Devereaux, Thomas Peter, 1964- |
| Primary advisor | Doniach, S |
| Thesis advisor | Devereaux, Thomas Peter, 1964- |
| Thesis advisor | Doniach, S |
| Thesis advisor | Qi, Xiaoliang |
| Advisor | Qi, Xiaoliang |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Martin Claassen. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Applied Physics. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2017. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2017 by Martin Claassen
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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