Impact of high-frequency pumping on anomalous finite-size effects in three-dimensional topological insulators

Lowering of the thickness of a thin-film three-dimensional topological insulator down to a few nanometers results in the gap opening in the spectrum of topologically protected two-dimensional surface states. This phenomenon, which is referred to as the anomalous finite-size effect, originates from hybridization between the states propagating along the opposite boundaries. In this work, we consider a bismuth-based topological insulator and show how the coupling to an intense high-frequency linearly polarized pumping can further be used to manipulate the value of a gap. We address this effect within recently proposed Brillouin-Wigner perturbation theory that allows us to map a time-dependent problem into a stationary one. Our analysis reveals that both the gap and the components of the group velocity of the surface states can be tuned in a controllable fashion by adjusting the intensity of the driving field within an experimentally accessible range and demonstrate the effect of light-induced band inversion in the spectrum of the surface states for high enough values of the pump.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Nonlinear Effects in Multi-Photon Polaritonics

We consider theoretically nonlinear effects in a semiconductor quantum well embedded inside a photonic microcavity. Two-photon absorption by a 2p exciton state is considered and investigated; the matrix element of two-photon absorption is calculated. We compute the emission spectrum of the sample and demonstrate that under coherent pumping the nonlinearity of the two photon absorption process gives rise to bistability.Comment: Accepted to Optics Express, 7 main pages + 3 figures + supplement

An ab initio approach to anisotropic alloying into the Si(001) surface

Employing density functional theory calculations we explore initial stage of competitive alloying of co-deposited silver and indium atoms into a silicon surface. Particularly, we identify respective adsorption positions and activation barriers governing their diffusion on the dimer-reconstructed silicon surface. Further, we develop a growth model that properly describes diffusion mechanisms and silicon morphology with the account of silicon dimerization and the presence of C-type defects. Based on the surface kinetic Monte Carlo simulations we examine dynamics of bimetallic adsorption and elaborate on the temperature effects on the submonolayer growth of Ag-In alloy. A close inspection of adatom migration clearly indicates effective nucleation of Ag and In atoms, followed by the formation of orthogonal atomic chains. We show that the epitaxial bimetal growth might potentially lead to exotic ordering of adatoms in the form of anisotropic two-dimensional lattices via orthogonal oriented single-metal rows. We argue that this scenario becomes favorable provided above room temperature, while our numerical results are shown to be in agreement with experimental findings.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Spin response to localized pumps:Exciton polaritons versus electrons and holes

Polariton polarization can be described in terms of a pseudospin which can be oriented along the x,y, or z axis, similarly to electron and hole spin. Unlike electrons and holes where time-reversal symmetry requires that the spin-orbit interaction be odd in the momentum, the analog of the spin-orbit interaction for polaritons, the so-called TE-TM splitting, is even in the momentum. We calculate and compare spin transport of polariton, electron, and hole systems, in the diffusive regime of many scatterings. After dimensional rescaling diffusive systems with spatially uniform particle densities have identical dynamics, regardless of the particle type. Differences between the three particles appear in spatially nonuniform systems, with pumps at a specific localized point. We consider both oscillating pumps and transient (delta function) pumps. In such systems each particle type produces distinctive spin patterns. The particles can be distinguished by their differing spatial multipole character, their response and resonances in a perpendicular magnetic field, and their relative magnitude which is largest for electrons and weakest for holes. These patterns are manifested both in response to unpolarized pumps which produce in-plane and perpendicular spin signals, and to polarized pumps where the spin precesses from in-plane to out-of-plane and vice versa. These results will be useful for designing systems with large spin polarization signals, for identifying the dominant spin-orbit interaction and measuring subdominant terms in experimental devices, and for measuring the scattering time and the spin-orbit coupling's magnitude.Published versio

Giant anisotropy of Gilbert damping in a Rashba honeycomb antiferromagnet

Giant Gilbert damping anisotropy is identified as a signature of strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling in a two-dimensional antiferromagnet on a honeycomb lattice. The phenomenon originates in spin-orbit induced splitting of conduction electron subbands that strongly suppresses certain spin-flip processes. As a result, the spin-orbit interaction is shown to support an undamped non-equilibrium dynamical mode that corresponds to an ultrafast in-plane N\'eel vector precession and a constant perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetization. The phenomenon is illustrated on the basis of a two dimensional $s$-$d$ like model. Spin-orbit torques and conductivity are also computed microscopically for this model. Unlike Gilbert damping these quantities are shown to reveal only a weak anisotropy that is limited to the semiconductor regime corresponding to the Fermi energy staying in a close vicinity of antiferromagnetic gap.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure