{
  "id": "1202.2315",
  "version": "v3",
  "published": "2012-02-10T17:39:05.000Z",
  "updated": "2012-05-30T21:05:36.000Z",
  "title": "PbTe/PbSnTe heterostructures as analogs of topological insulators",
  "authors": [
    "Ryszard Buczko",
    "Łukasz Cywiński"
  ],
  "comment": "6 pages, 4 figures, final version published in Phys. Rev. B",
  "journal": "Phys. Rev. B 85, 205319 (2012)",
  "doi": "10.1103/PhysRevB.85.205319",
  "categories": [
    "cond-mat.mes-hall"
  ],
  "abstract": "We investigate theoretically the PbTe/PbSnTe heterostructure grown in [111] direction, specifically a quantum wall (potential step of width d) of PbTe embedded in Pb_{1-x}Sn_{x}Te. For x large enough to lead to band inversion, and for large d, there are well-known gapless interface states associated with four L valleys. We show that for d \\approx\\ 10 nm the three pairs of states from oblique valleys strongly couple, and become gapped with a gap ~10 meV. On the other hand, the interface states from the [111] valley are essentially uncoupled, and they retain their helical character, remaining analogous to states at surfaces of thin layers of three-dimensional topological insulators. This opens up a possibility of studying the physics of two-dimensional helical Dirac fermions in heterostuctures of already widely studied IV-VI semicondcutors.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v3",
      "updated": "2012-05-30T21:05:36.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "topological insulators",
      "two-dimensional helical dirac fermions",
      "oblique valleys strongly couple",
      "pbte/pbsnte heterostructure grown",
      "well-known gapless interface states"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "journal article"
    ],
    "publication": {
      "publisher": "APS",
      "journal": "Phys. Rev. B"
    },
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 6,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "adsabs": "2012arXiv1202.2315B"
    }
  }
}