Magnetic field effects on edge and bulk states in topological insulators based on HgTe/CdHgTe quantum wells with strong natural interface inversion asymmetry

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical model for the electron structure and Zeeman effect in topological insulator edge states in HgTe/CdHgTe quantum wells, highlighting the impact of natural interface inversion asymmetry on their properties.

Contribution

It introduces a theory accounting for interface inversion asymmetry effects on edge and bulk states, revealing anisotropic g-factors and gap opening mechanisms in magnetic fields.

Findings

Strong anisotropy of edge-state g-factor due to asymmetry

Coupling of counter-propagating edge states in out-of-plane magnetic field

Opening of a gap in edge spectrum at small magnetic fields

Abstract

We present a theory of the electron structure and the Zeeman effect for the helical edge states emerging in two-dimensional topological insulators based on HgTe/HgCdTe quantum wells with strong natural interface inversion asymmetry. The interface inversion asymmetry, reflecting the real atomistic structure of the quantum well, drastically modifies both bulk and edge states. For the in-plane magnetic field, this asymmetry leads to a strong anisotropy of the edge-state effective $g$-factor which becomes dependent on the edge orientation. The interface inversion asymmetry also couples the counter propagating edge states in the out-of-plane magnetic field leading to the opening of the gap in the edge-state spectrum by arbitrary small fields.