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SKM-SYTI: SKM-Symposium Topological Insulators

SKM-SYTI 1: Topological Insulators

SKM-SYTI 1.4: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 12:00–12:30, TRE Ma

Disorder and Interactions in Topological Insulators — •Allan H. MacDonald — University of Texas, Austin TX, USA

Three-dimensional topological insulators have protected surface states that are described by massless Dirac equations. I will discuss some properties of these two-dimensional Dirac systems, emphasizing the importance of disorder and interactions. The magneto-optical properties of topological insulator thin films depend intricately on a competition between disorder and time-reversal symmetry breaking by either external magnetic fields or exchange coupling to external magnetic fields. Broken symmetry states, including notably nteraction-driven spontaneous phase coherence between top and bottom surfaces are likely to occur in the absence of a magnetic field. In addition a wide variety of unusual broken symmetry states are likely to be discovered in the presence of external magnetic fields as sample qualities improve.