32 research outputs found

    Setting Boundaries with Memory: Generation of Topological Boundary States in Floquet-Induced Synthetic Crystals

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    When a d-dimensional quantum system is subjected to a periodic drive, it may be treated as a (d+1)-dimensional system, where the extra dimension is a synthetic one. In this work, we take these ideas to the next level by showing that non-uniform potentials, and particularly edges, in the synthetic dimension are created whenever the dynamics of system has a memory component. We demonstrate that topological states appear on the edges of these synthetic dimensions and can be used as a basis for a wave packet construction. Such systems may act as an optical isolator which allows transmission of light in a directional way. We supplement our ideas by an example of a physical system that shows this type of physics.Comment: 7 Pages, 5 Figure

    Magnetic Instability on the Surface of Topological Insulators

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    Gapless surface states that are protected by time reversal symmetry and charge conservation are among the manifestations of 3D topological insulators. In this work we study how electron-electron interaction may lead to spontaneous breaking of time reversal symmetry on surfaces of such insulators. We find that a critical interaction strength exists, above which the surface is unstable to spontaneous formation of magnetization, and study the dependence of this critical interaction strength on temperature and chemical potential.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

    Current at a distance and resonant transparency in Weyl semimetals

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    Surface Fermi arcs are the most prominent manifestation of the topological nature of Weyl semimetals. In the presence of a static magnetic field oriented perpendicular to the sample surface, their existence leads to unique inter-surface cyclotron orbits. We propose two experiments which directly probe the Fermi arcs: a magnetic field dependent non-local DC voltage and sharp resonances in the transmission of electromagnetic waves at frequencies controlled by the field. We show that these experiments do not rely on quantum mechanical phase coherence, which renders them far more robust and experimentally accessible than quantum effects. We also comment on the applicability of these ideas to Dirac semimetals.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

    Nonlocal Coulomb drag in Weyl semimetals

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    Nonlocality is one of the most striking signatures of the topological nature of Weyl semimetals. We propose to probe the nonlocality in these materials via a measurement of a magnetic-field-dependent Coulomb drag between two sheets of graphene which are separated by a three-dimensional slab of Weyl semimetal. We predict a mechanism of Coulomb drag, based on cyclotron orbits that are split between opposite surfaces of the semimetal. In the absence of impurity scattering between different Weyl nodes, this mechanism does not decay with the thickness of the semimetal

    Nonlocal Coulomb drag in Weyl semimetals

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    Nonlocality is one of the most striking signatures of the topological nature of Weyl semimetals. We propose to probe the nonlocality in these materials via a measurement of a magnetic-field-dependent Coulomb drag between two sheets of graphene which are separated by a three-dimensional slab of Weyl semimetal. We predict a mechanism of Coulomb drag, based on cyclotron orbits that are split between opposite surfaces of the semimetal. In the absence of impurity scattering between different Weyl nodes, this mechanism does not decay with the thickness of the semimetal

    From Dynamical Localization to Bunching in interacting Floquet Systems

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    We show that a quantum many-body system may be controlled by means of Floquet engineering, i.e., their properties may be controlled and manipulated by employing periodic driving. We present a concrete driving scheme that allows control over the nature of mobile units and the amount of diffusion in generic many-body systems. We demonstrate these ideas for the Fermi-Hubbard model, where the drive renders doubly occupied sites (doublons) the mobile excitations in the system. In particular, we show that the amount of diffusion in the system and the level of fermion-pairing may be controlled and understood solely in terms of the doublon dynamics. We find that under certain circumstances the diffusion in the system may be eliminated completely. We conclude our work by generalizing these ideas to generic many-body systems.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

    Nonlocal Coulomb drag in Weyl semimetals

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    Density Waves Instability and a Skyrmion Lattice on the Surface of Strong Topological Insulators

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    In this work we analyze the instability conditions for spin-density-waves (SDW) formation on the surface of strong topological insulators. We find that for a certain range of Fermi-energies and strength of interactions the SDW state is favored compared to the unmagnetized and the uniform-magnetization states. We also find that the SDW are of spiral nature and for a certain range of parameters a Skyrmion-lattice may form on the surface. We show that this phase may have a non trivial Chern-number even in the absence of an external magnetic field.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure
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