Probing topological phase transition in silicene via Klein tunneling in a normal/ferromagnetic/normal silicene junction

TL;DR

This paper investigates how Klein tunneling can serve as a probe for the electric field-driven topological phase transition in silicene by analyzing transmission probabilities in a normal/ferromagnetic/normal silicene junction.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the topological phase transition in silicene can be detected through features in the total transmission probability during Klein tunneling.

Findings

TPT shows a cusp in TTP versus electric field plot.

Klein tunneling can indicate the onset of topological phase transition.

Transmission probability is sensitive to the topological state.

Abstract

The two apparently disparate phenomena, viz. the Klein tunneling and the electric field driven topological phase transition(TPT), exhibited by the silicene converge on the issue of the no change in the pseudo-spin. An ensuing possibility is that the former, in the case of a normal/magnetic/normal silicene junction, may be considered theoretically as a probe to ascertain the onset of the latter. In this communication, we explore this option and calculate the total transmission probability(TTP). We find that TPT is characterized by a cusp in a plot of TTP as a function of the electric field.