Topological Floquet Spectrum in Three Dimensions via a Two-Photon Resonance
Abstract
A recent theoretical work [Nature Phys., 7, 490 (2011)] has demonstrated that external non-equilibrium perturbations may be used to convert a two-dimensional semiconductor, initially in a topologically trivial state, into a Floquet topological insulator. Here, we develop a non-trivial extension of these ideas to three-dimensional systems. In this case, we show that a two-photon resonance may provide the necessary twist needed to transform an initially unremarkable band structure into a topological Floquet spectrum. We provide both an intuitive, geometrical, picture of this phenomenon and also support it by an exact solution of a realistic lattice model that upon irradiation features single topological Dirac modes at the two-dimensional boundary of the system. It is shown that the surface spectrum can be controlled by choosing the polarization and frequency of the driving electromagnetic field. Specific experimental realizations of a three-dimensional Floquet topological insulator are proposed.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1111.4518,
title = {Topological Floquet Spectrum in Three Dimensions via a Two-Photon Resonance},
author = {Netanel H. Lindner and Doron L. Bergman and Gil Refael and Victor Galitski},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1111.4518},
year = {2013}
}