Strong correlations at topological insulator surfaces and the breakdown of the bulk-boundary correspondence

Abstract

The criteria for strong correlations on surfaces of three-dimensional topological insulators are discussed. Usually, the Coulomb repulsion at such surfaces is too weak for driving a phase transition to a strongly correlated regime. I discuss a mechanism and possibilities of its experimental implementation by which the strength of the Coulomb interaction can be tuned over a wide range. In the strongly interacting regime, the surface states are gapped, even though the topological classification of the bulk band structure predicts gapless surface states.

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• A moiré superlattice on the surface of a topological insulator
• Designer Meron Lattice on the Surface of a Topological Insulator
• Magic angle conditions for twisted 3D topological insulators
• Resonant soft x-ray emission as a bulk probe of correlated electron behavior in metallic Sr${}_x$Ca${}_{1-x}$VO${}_3$
• Semi-metal-insulator transition on the surface of a topological insulator with in-plane magnetization
• Interaction effects on almost flat surface bands in topological insulators
• Thermal screening at finite chemical potential on a topological surface and its interplay with proximity-induced ferromagnetism
• The Future of the Correlated Electron Problem