Thin films of a three-dimensional topological insulator in a strong magnetic field: a microscopic study

• The response of thin films of Bi$_2$Se$_3$ to a strong perpendicular magnetic field is investigated  by performing magnetic bandstructure calculations for a realistic multi-band tight-binding model.   Several crucial features of Landau quantization in a realistic three-dimensional topological insulator are revealed.  The $n=0$ Landau level is absent in ultra-thin  films, in agreement with experiment.  In films with a crossover thickness of five quintuple layers, there is     a signature of the $n=0$ level, whose overall trend as a function of magnetic field matches the established  low-energy effective-model result.  Importantly, we find a field-dependent splitting and a strong spin-polarization of the $n=0$ level which can be measured experimentally at reasonable field strengths. Our calculations      show  mixing between the surface and bulk Landau levels      which causes the character of levels to evolve with magnetic field.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

topological insulator thin films

Landau levels

Condensed Matter Physics

Kondenserade materians fysik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)