Hexagonally patterned two-dimensional p-type semiconductor systems are quantum simulators of graphene with strong and highly tunable spin-orbit interactions. We show that application of purely in-plane magnetic fields, in combination with the crystallographic anisotropy present in low-symmetry semiconductor interfaces, allows Chern insulating phases to emerge from an originally topologically insulating state after a quantum phase transition. These phases are characterized by pairs of co-propagating edge modes and Hall conductivities σxy=+h2e2,−h2e2 in the absence of Landau levels or cyclotron motion. With current lithographic technology, the Chern insulating transitions are predicted to occur in GaAs heterostructures at magnetic fields of ∼5T.
@article{arxiv.1606.05098,
title = {Chern insulating state in laterally patterned semiconductor heterostructures},
author = {Tommy Li and Oleg P. Sushkov},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1606.05098},
year = {2016}
}