Dirac Theory and Topological Phases of Silicon Nanotube

Silicon nanotube is constructed by rolling up a silicene, i.e., a monolayer of silicon atoms forming a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. It is a semiconductor or an insulator owing to relatively large spin-orbit interactions induced by its buckled structure. The key observation is that this buckled structure allows us to control the band structure by applying electric field $E_z$. When $E_z$ is larger than a certain critical value $E_{\text{cr}}$, by analyzing the band structure and also on the basis of the effective Dirac theory, we demonstrate the emergence of four helical zero-energy modes propagating along nanotube. Accordingly, a silicon nanotube contains three regions, namely, a topological insulator, a band insulator and a metallic region separating these two types of insulators. The wave function of each zero mode is localized within the metallic region, which may be used as a quantum wire to transport spin currents in future spintronics. We present an analytic expression of the wave function for each helical zero mode. These results are applicable also to germanium nanotube.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Anomalous Stability of nu=1 Bilayer Quantum Hall State

We have studied the fractional and integer quantum Hall (QH) effects in a high-mobility double-layer two-dimensional electron system. We have compared the "stability" of the QH state in balanced and unbalanced double quantum wells. The behavior of the n=1 QH state is found to be strikingly different from all others. It is anomalously stable, though all other states decay, as the electron density is made unbalanced between the two quantum wells. We interpret the peculiar features of the nu=1 state as the consequences of the interlayer quantum coherence developed spontaneously on the basis of the composite-boson picture.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Quasi-Phase Transition and Many-Spin Kondo Effects in Graphene Nanodisk

The trigonal zigzag nanodisk with size $N$ has $N$ localized spins. We investigate its thermodynamical properties with and without external leads. Leads are made of zigzag graphene nanoribbons or ordinary metallic wires. There exists a quasi-phase transition between the quasi-ferromagnet and quasi-paramagnet states, as signaled by a sharp peak in the specific heat and in the susceptability. Lead effects are described by the many-spin Kondo Hamiltonian. A new peak emerges in the specific heat. Furthermore, the band width of free electrons in metallic leads becomes narrower. By investigating the spin-spin correlation it is argued that free electrons in the lead form spin-singlets with electrons in the nanodisk. They are indications of many-spin Kondo effects.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Interlayer Coherence in the ν=1\nu=1 and ν=2\nu=2 Bilayer Quantum Hall States

We have measured the Hall-plateau width and the activation energy of the bilayer quantum Hall (BLQH) states at the Landau-level filling factor $\nu=1$ and 2 by tilting the sample and simultaneously changing the electron density in each quantum well. The phase transition between the commensurate and incommensurate states are confirmed at $\nu =1$ and discovered at $\nu =2$. In particular, three different $\nu =2$ BLQH states are identified; the compound state, the coherent commensurate state, and the coherent incommensurate state.Comment: 4 pages including 5 figure

Quasi-Topological Insulator and Trigonal Warping in Gated Bilayer Silicene

Bilayer silicene has richer physical properties than bilayer graphene due to its buckled structure together with its trigonal symmetric structure. The buckled structure arises from a large ionic radius of silicon, and the trigonal symmetry from a particular way of hopping between two silicenes. It is a topologically trivial insulator since it carries a trivial $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ topological charge. Nevertheless, its physical properties are more akin to those of a topological insulator than those of a band insulator. Indeed, a bilayer silicene nanoribbon has edge modes which are almost gapless and helical. We may call it a quasi-topological insulator. An important observation is that the band structure is controllable by applying the electric field to a bilayer silicene sheet. We investigate the energy spectrum of bilayer silicene under electric field. Just as monolayer silicene undergoes a phase transition from a topological insulator to a band insulator at a certain electric field, bilayer silicene makes a transition from a quasi-topological insulator to a band insulator beyond a certain critical field. Bilayer silicene is a metal while monolayer silicene is a semimetal at the critical field. Furthermore we find that there are several critical electric fields where the gap closes due to the trigonal warping effect in bilayer silicene.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figures, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

PseudoSkyrmion Effects on Tunneling Conductivity in Coherent Bilayer Quantum Hall States at ν=1\nu =1

We present a mechamism why interlayer tunneling conductivity in coherent bilayer quantum Hall states at $\nu=1$ is anomalously large, but finite in the recent experiment. According to the mechanism, pseudoSkyrmions causes the finite conductivity, although there exists an expectation that dissipationless tunneling current arises in the state. PseudoSkyrmions have an intrinsic polarization field perpendicular to the layers, which causes the dissipation. Using the mechanism we show that the large peak in the conductivity remains for weak parallel magnetic field, but decay rapidly after its strength is beyond a critical one, $\sim 0.1$ Tesla.Comment: 6 pages, no figure

Topological Phase Transition and Electrically Tunable Diamagnetism in Silicene

Silicene is a monolayer of silicon atoms forming a honeycomb lattice. The lattice is actually made of two sublattices with a tiny separation. Silicene is a topological insulator, which is characterized by a full insulating gap in the bulk and helical gapless edges. It undergoes a phase transition from a topological insulator to a band insulator by applying external electric field. Analyzing the spin Chern number based on the effective Dirac theory, we find their origin to be a pseudospin meron in the momentum space. The peudospin degree of freedom arises from the two-sublattice structure. Our analysis makes clear the mechanism how a phase transition occurs from a topological insulator to a band insulator under increasing electric field. We propose a method to determine the critical electric field with the aid of diamagnetism of silicene. Diamagnetism is tunable by the external electric field, and exhibits a singular behaviour at the critical electric field. Our result is important also from the viewpoint of cross correlation between electric field and magnetism. Our finding will be important for future electro-magnetic correlated devices.Comment: 4 pages,5 figure

On the Canonical Formalism for a Higher-Curvature Gravity

Following the method of Buchbinder and Lyahovich, we carry out a canonical formalism for a higher-curvature gravity in which the Lagrangian density ${\cal L}$ is given in terms of a function of the salar curvature $R$ as ${\cal L}=\sqrt{-\det g_{\mu\nu}}f(R)$. The local Hamiltonian is obtained by a canonical transformation which interchanges a pair of the generalized coordinate and its canonical momentum coming from the higher derivative of the metric.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, Latex fil

Noncommutative Geometry, Extended W(infty) Algebra and Grassmannian Solitons in Multicomponent Quantum Hall Systems

Noncommutative geometry governs the physics of quantum Hall (QH) effects. We introduce the Weyl ordering of the second quantized density operator to explore the dynamics of electrons in the lowest Landau level. We analyze QH systems made of $N$-component electrons at the integer filling factor $\nu=k\leq N$. The basic algebra is the SU(N)-extended W$_{\infty}$. A specific feature is that noncommutative geometry leads to a spontaneous development of SU(N) quantum coherence by generating the exchange Coulomb interaction. The effective Hamiltonian is the Grassmannian $G_{N,k}$ sigma model, and the dynamical field is the Grassmannian $G_{N,k}$ field, describing $k(N-k)$ complex Goldstone modes and one kind of topological solitons (Grassmannian solitons).Comment: 15 pages (no figures