Quantum magnetotransport properties of topological insulators under strain

TL;DR

This paper investigates how strain influences the magnetotransport properties of topological insulator surface states in HgTe, revealing strain-induced effects on quantum Hall plateaus and oscillations useful for surface polarization detection.

Contribution

It provides an analytical study of strain effects on magnetotransport in topological insulator surface states, highlighting the emergence of distinct quantum Hall features.

Findings

Strain causes well-separated quantum Hall plateaus.

Strain affects Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations.

Surface polarization can be generated and detected.

Abstract

Recent experiments reveal that the strained bulk HgTe can be regard as a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI). Motivated by this, we explore the strain effects on the magnetotransport properties of the HgTe surface states at magnetic field. We analytically derive the zero frequency Hall and collisional conductivities, and find that the substrate induced strain associated with the surface index of carriers, can result in the well seperated surface quantum Hall plateaus and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. These effects can be used to generate and detect surface polarization.