English

Antiferromagnetic topological insulators

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2010-06-22 v2 Materials Science

Abstract

We consider antiferromagnets breaking both time-reversal (Theta) and a primitive lattice translational symmetry (T) of a crystal but preserving the combination S = Theta T. The S symmetry leads to a Z_2 topological classification of insulators, separating the ordinary insulator phase from the "antiferromagnetic topological insulator" (AFTI) phase. This state is similar to the "strong" topological insulator with time-reversal symmetry, and shares with it such properties as a quantized magnetoelectric effect. However, for certain surfaces the surface states are intrinsically gapped with a half-quantum Hall effect (sigma_{xy} = e^2 / 2h), which may aid experimental confirmation of theta = pi quantized magnetoelectric coupling. Step edges on such a surface support gapless, chiral quantum wires. In closing we discuss GdBiPt as a possible example of this topological class.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1004.1403,
  title  = {Antiferromagnetic topological insulators},
  author = {Roger S. K. Mong and Andrew M. Essin and Joel E. Moore},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1004.1403},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

10 pages, 8 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-21T15:08:12.092Z