{
  "id": "1312.6754",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2013-12-24T04:04:29.000Z",
  "updated": "2013-12-24T04:04:29.000Z",
  "title": "Non-analytic behavior of the Casimir force across a Lifshitz transition in a spin-orbit coupled material",
  "authors": [
    "Andrew A. Allocca",
    "Justin H. Wilson",
    "Victor Galitski"
  ],
  "comment": "5 pages + 6 page supplement; 5 figures",
  "categories": [
    "cond-mat.mes-hall",
    "quant-ph"
  ],
  "abstract": "We propose the Casimir effect as a general method to observe Lifshitz transitions in electron systems. The concept is demonstrated with a planar spin-orbit coupled semiconductor in a magnetic field. We calculate the Casimir force between two such semiconductors and between the semiconductor and a metal as a function of the Zeeman splitting in the semiconductor. The Zeeman field causes a Fermi pocket in the semiconductor to form or collapse by tuning the system through a topological Lifshitz transition. We find that the Casimir force experiences a kink at the transition point and noticeably different behaviors on either side of the transition. The simplest experimental realization of the proposed effect would involve a metal-coated sphere suspended from a micro-cantilever above a thin layer of InSb (or another semiconductor with large $g$-factor). Numerical estimates are provided and indicate that the effect is well within experimental reach.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2013-12-24T04:04:29.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "subjects": [
      "12.20.-m",
      "71.70.Ej",
      "73.61.Ey",
      "75.70.Tj"
    ],
    "keywords": [
      "lifshitz transition",
      "spin-orbit coupled material",
      "non-analytic behavior",
      "planar spin-orbit coupled semiconductor",
      "simplest experimental realization"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "journal article"
    ],
    "publication": {
      "doi": "10.1103/PhysRevB.90.075420",
      "journal": "Physical Review B",
      "year": 2014,
      "month": "Aug",
      "volume": 90,
      "number": 7,
      "pages": "075420"
    },
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 5,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "inspire": 1275881,
      "adsabs": "2014PhRvB..90g5420A"
    }
  }
}