Helical Metal Inside a Topological Band Insulator

Details Helical Metal Inside a Topological Band Insulator Helical Metal Inside a Topological Band Insulator

2008-10-28

arxiv.org/abs/0810.5121v1

Nature Physics 5, 298 - 303 (2009)

Physics

Condensed Matter

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Scientific paper

10.1038/nphys1220

Topological defects, such as domain walls and vortices, have long fascinated physicists. A novel twist is added in quantum systems like the B-phase of superfluid helium He$_3$, where vortices are associated with low energy excitations in the cores. Similarly, cosmic strings may be tied to propagating fermion modes. Can analogous phenomena occur in crystalline solids that host a plethora of topological defects? Here we show that indeed dislocation lines are associated with one dimensional fermionic excitations in a `topological insulator', a novel band insulator believed to be realized in the bulk material Bi$_{0.9}$Sb$_{0.1}$. In contrast to fermionic excitations in a regular quantum wire, these modes are topologically protected like the helical edge states of the quantum spin-Hall insulator, and not scattered by disorder. Since dislocations are ubiquitous in real materials, these excitations could dominate spin and charge transport in topological insulators. Our results provide a novel route to creating a potentially ideal quantum wire in a bulk solid.

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