Physics – Condensed Matter – Strongly Correlated Electrons
Scientific paper
2010-03-04
Physics
Condensed Matter
Strongly Correlated Electrons
4 pages + supplemental material
Scientific paper
We study the problem of a single Dirac fermion in a quantizing orbital magnetic field, when the chemical potential is at the Dirac point. This can be realized on the surface of a topological insulator, such as Bi2Se3, tuned to neutrality. We study the effect of both long range Coulomb interactions (strength alpha=e^2/(epsilon hbar v_F).) and local repulsion U which capture the effect of electron correlations. Interactions resolve the degeneracy of free fermions in the zeroth Landau level at half filling, but in a manner different from that in graphene. For weak interactions, U=0 and alpha<<1, a composite Fermi liquid is expected. However, in the limit of strong local correlations (large U but alpha<<1), a charge density wave phase is predicted, which we term "axion stripe". While reminiscent of quantum Hall stripe phases, its wavelength is parametrically larger than the magnetic length, and the induced fermion mass term (axion) also oscillates with the charge density. This phase is destroyed by sufficiently strong Zeeman coupling. A phase diagram is constructed and consequences for experiments are discussed.
Ran Ying
Vishwanath Ashvin
Yao Hong
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