The search for new quantum spin Hall (QSH) phase and effective manipulations of their edge states are very important for both fundamental sciences and practical applications. Here, we use first-principles calculations to study the strain-driven topological phase transition of two-dimensional (2D) arsenene monolayer. We find that the band gap of arsenene decreases with increasing strain and changes from indirect to direct, and then the s-p band inversion takes place at {\Gamma} point as the tensile strain is larger than 11.14%, which lead to a nontrivially topological state. A single pair of topologically protected helical edge states is established for the edge of arsenene, and their QSH states are confirmed with nontrivial topological invariant Z2 = 1. We also propose high-dielectric BN as an ideal substrate for the experimental synthesis of arsenene, maintaining its nontrivial topology. These findings provide a promising candidate platform for topological phenomena and new quantum devices operating at nanoelectronics.
@article{arxiv.1510.04786,
title = {Tunable Quantum Spin Hall Effect via Strain in two-Dimensional Arsenene Monolayer},
author = {Ya-ping Wang and Chang-wen Zhang and Wei-xiao Ji and Run-wu Zhang and Ping Li and Pei-ji Wang and Miao-juan Ren and Xin-lian Chen and Min Yuan},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1510.04786},
year = {2016}
}