Topological insulator

This is a very intersting topic, in many ways.

First, topological insulator is a new quantum phase of matter, recently proposed theoretically. It is required to be a bulk insulator and a topologically protected surface metal. Second, no bulk isulator has been really confirmed to be a topological insulator, so far, perhaps with the exception of SmB$_6$. Most so-called toplogical insulator materials are bulk metals, not bulk insulators, as strictly required for topological insulators. Third, ARPES data have been crucial in ascertaining the topological insulator nature of these materials.

Here at UCSC, we are studying these materials from two different perspectives. First, we are studying interaction effects in topological insulators. Second, the surface metallic state in topological insulator materials seems a very good reference to use to compare with anomalous line shapes in quasi-two-dimensional and quasi-one-dimenasional cuprates, that the Gweon group study.

Students

• Ahram Kim (grad student) and Eric Reichwein (undergrad student) are woking on this project.
• A summer intern from high school, Richelle Smith, helped with this project during the summer of 2012.
• Gregory Kaminsky has been helpful in discussions of topological insulator.