Physics – Condensed Matter – Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Scientific paper
2008-10-16
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 146805 (2009)
Physics
Condensed Matter
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
4 pages; minor changes resulting from a change in one reference
Scientific paper
10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.146805
The orbital motion of electrons in a three-dimensional solid can generate a pseudoscalar magnetoelectric coupling $\theta$, a fact we derive for the single-particle case using a recent theory of polarization in weakly inhomogeneous materials. This polarizability $\theta$ is the same parameter that appears in the "axion electrodynamics" Lagrangian $\Delta{\cal L}_{EM} = (\theta e^2 / 2 \pi h) {\bf E} \cdot {\bf B}$, which is known to describe the unusual magnetoelectric properties of the three-dimensional topological insulator ($\theta=\pi$). We compute $\theta$ for a simple model that accesses the topological insulator and discuss its connection to the surface Hall conductivity. The orbital magnetoelectric polarizability can be generalized to the many-particle wavefunction and defines the 3D topological insulator, like the IQHE, in terms of a topological ground-state response function.
Essin Andrew M.
Moore Joel E.
Vanderbilt David
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