Exotic particles in topological insulators
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Recently a new class of quantum state of matter, the time-reversal invariant topological insulators, have been theoretically proposed and experimentally discovered. These topological quantum states of matter are insulating in the bulk, but have gapless edge or surface states protected by the time-reversal symmetry. In particular, topological insulators in three dimensions are characterized by topological field theory which gives rise to the topological magnetoelectric effect, and is analogous to that describing the electromagnetism of the hypothetical particle called axion. In this thesis we will show that in these topologically nontrivial insulators, magnetic monopoles and axions, which are originally postulated in elementary particle physics, may emerge. Firstly we will show that when time-reversal symmetry is broken on the surface of a topological insulator, an electric charge near the surface will induce an image magnetic monopole. The composite particle consisting of an electron and its image monopole forms a dyon and obeys fractional statistics. Secondly, when there is an antiferromagnetic order in the bulk of a topological insulator, the magnetic fluctuations couple to the electromagnetic fields exactly like axions. The physical effect of the dynamical axion and its detection will also be discussed. Then finally we propose transition metal oxide of corundum structure as a candidate for topological magnetic insulators which can give rise to the dynamical axion.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Li, Rundong |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Physics |
| Primary advisor | Zhang, Shoucheng |
| Thesis advisor | Zhang, Shoucheng |
| Thesis advisor | Fisher, Ian R. (Ian Randal) |
| Thesis advisor | Kivelson, Steven |
| Advisor | Fisher, Ian R. (Ian Randal) |
| Advisor | Kivelson, Steven |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Rundong Li. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Physics. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2010. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2010 by Rundong Li
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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