Two-dimensional topological Anderson insulator in a HgTe-based semimetal

TL;DR

This paper experimentally demonstrates a two-dimensional topological Anderson insulator in HgTe quantum wells, showing robust edge states under strong disorder and their sensitivity to magnetic fields, advancing understanding of topological phases.

Contribution

The study provides the first experimental observation of a 2D topological Anderson insulator in a HgTe-based semimetal, highlighting disorder-induced topological states and their magnetic field dependence.

Findings

Observation of Anderson localization in bulk 2D electrons and holes.

Robustness of 1D edge channels against disorder due to topological protection.

Magnetic field sensitivity of the TAI state, leading to phase transitions.

Abstract

We report the experimental observation of Anderson localization in two-dimensional (2D) electrons and holes in the bulk of HgTe quantum wells with a semimetallic spectrum and under strong disorder. In contrast, the one-dimensional (1D) edge channels, arising from the spectrum's inversion, demonstrate remarkable robustness against disorder due to topological protection. Strong disorder induces a mobility gap in the bulk, enabling access to the 1D edge states and thereby realizing the two-dimensional topological Anderson insulator (TAI) state. Nonlocal transport measurements confirm the emergence of topologically protected edge channels. The TAI state appears to be very sensitive to an external magnetic field applied perpendicular to the sample. Firstly, a small magnetic field of 30mT breaks the topological protection of 1D edge channels, thus turning the system into an ordinary Anderson insulator. Secondly, the magnetic field of 0.5T delocalizes 2D bulk electrons, transforming the system into a quantum Hall liquid.