Topological Floquet Spectrum in Three Dimensions via a Two-Photon Resonance

TL;DR

This paper extends the concept of Floquet topological insulators to three-dimensional systems, demonstrating how two-photon resonance can induce topological phases with controllable surface states, supported by theoretical models and experimental proposals.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism using two-photon resonance to create three-dimensional Floquet topological insulators from trivial band structures.

Findings

Two-photon resonance induces topological Floquet spectrum in 3D systems.

Surface states can be controlled via electromagnetic field polarization and frequency.

Proposes experimental setups for realizing 3D Floquet topological insulators.

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.