Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperature
We study the effects of temperature on the topological nature of ZrTe_{5}, which sits near the phase boundary between strong and weak topological insulating orders. Using first-principles calculations, we show that the band gap and the topological indices of ZrTe_{5} are extremely sensitive to therm...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Physical Society
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.1.033181 |
| _version_ | 1797211643881455616 |
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| author | Bartomeu Monserrat Awadhesh Narayan |
| author_facet | Bartomeu Monserrat Awadhesh Narayan |
| author_sort | Bartomeu Monserrat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We study the effects of temperature on the topological nature of ZrTe_{5}, which sits near the phase boundary between strong and weak topological insulating orders. Using first-principles calculations, we show that the band gap and the topological indices of ZrTe_{5} are extremely sensitive to thermal expansion and that the electron-phonon interaction accounts for more than a third of the total temperature-dependent effects in ZrTe_{5}. We find that the temperature dependence of the band gap has an opposite sign in the strong and weak topological insulator phases. Based on this insight, we propose a robust and unambiguous method to determine the topological nature of any given sample of ZrTe_{5}: If the band gap decreases with temperature it is a strong topological insulator, and if it increases with temperature it is a weak topological insulator. An analogous strategy is expected to be generally applicable to other materials and to become particularly important in the vicinity of topological phase boundaries where other methods provide ambiguous results. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:29:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f574ecc9981d44648ac85dcf5b725646 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2643-1564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:29:45Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-f574ecc9981d44648ac85dcf5b7256462024-04-12T16:47:44ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642019-12-011303318110.1103/PhysRevResearch.1.033181Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperatureBartomeu MonserratAwadhesh NarayanWe study the effects of temperature on the topological nature of ZrTe_{5}, which sits near the phase boundary between strong and weak topological insulating orders. Using first-principles calculations, we show that the band gap and the topological indices of ZrTe_{5} are extremely sensitive to thermal expansion and that the electron-phonon interaction accounts for more than a third of the total temperature-dependent effects in ZrTe_{5}. We find that the temperature dependence of the band gap has an opposite sign in the strong and weak topological insulator phases. Based on this insight, we propose a robust and unambiguous method to determine the topological nature of any given sample of ZrTe_{5}: If the band gap decreases with temperature it is a strong topological insulator, and if it increases with temperature it is a weak topological insulator. An analogous strategy is expected to be generally applicable to other materials and to become particularly important in the vicinity of topological phase boundaries where other methods provide ambiguous results.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.1.033181 |
| spellingShingle | Bartomeu Monserrat Awadhesh Narayan Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperature Physical Review Research |
| title | Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperature |
| title_full | Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperature |
| title_fullStr | Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperature |
| title_short | Unraveling the topology of ZrTe_{5} by changing temperature |
| title_sort | unraveling the topology of zrte 5 by changing temperature |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.1.033181 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bartomeumonserrat unravelingthetopologyofzrte5bychangingtemperature AT awadheshnarayan unravelingthetopologyofzrte5bychangingtemperature |