Topological Protected Dirac Cones in Compressed Bulk Black Phosphorus

TL;DR

Applying moderate pressure to black phosphorus induces topologically protected Dirac cones, creating a new class of non-compound topological insulators with robust bulk states detectable via Landau levels.

Contribution

This work predicts pressure-induced topological Dirac cones in black phosphorus using k.p theory and first-principles simulations, revealing a novel mechanism for topological states without time-reversal symmetry.

Findings

Dirac cones emerge at pressures > 0.6 GPa

Dirac cones are bulk states unaffected by magnetic perturbations

Predicted Landau level signatures for experimental detection

Abstract

Using the k.p theory and first-principles simulations, we report that applying a moderate pressure (> 0.6 GPa) on black phosphorus can diminish its band gap and produce one-dimensional and even two-dimensional (2D) Dirac cones, distinguishing this material for use in novel non-compound topological insulators. Similar to topological insulators, these 2D Dirac cones result from two competing mechanisms: the unique linear band dispersion tends to open a gap via a "pseudo spin-orbit" coupling, while the band symmetry requirements preserve the material's gapless spectrum. Moreover, these unique Dirac cones are bulk states that do not require time-reversal symmetry, thus they are robust even in the presence of surface or magnetic perturbations. Ultimately, we show that our predictions can be detected by the material's unusual Landau levels.