Enhanced dielectric response by disordered nanoscale/mesoscopic insulators

Enhancement of the dielectric response of insulators by disorder is theoretically proposed, where the quantum interference of electronic waves through the nanoscale/mesoscopic system and its change due to external perturbations control the polarization. In the disordered case with all the states being localized, the resonant tunneling, which is topologically protected, plays a crucial role, and enhances the dielectric response by a factor 30~40 compared with the pure case. Realization of this idea with accessible materials/structures is also discussed.Comment: 4 pages including 3 figures; minor revision; a high-resolution figure available at http://appi.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~sonoda/papers.htm