Topological edge state engineering with high-frequency electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

We outline here how strong light-matter interaction can be used to induce quantum phase transition between normal and topological phases in two-dimensional topological insulators. We consider the case of a HgTe quantum well, in which band inversion occurs above a critical value of the well thickness, and demonstrate that coupling between electron states and the $E$ field from an off-resonant linearly polarized laser provides a powerful tool to control topological transitions, even for a thickness of the quantum well that is below the critical value. We also show that topological phase properties of the edge states, including their group velocity, can be tuned in a controllable way by changing the intensity of the laser field. These findings open up the possibility for new experimental means with which to investigate topological insulators and shed new light on topological-insulator-based technologies that are under active discussion.

arXiv comment9 pages, 4 figures

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Cited by in corpus (9)

• Parity-Time Symmetry in Non-Hermitian Complex Optical Media
• Orbital Floquet Engineering of Exchange Interactions in Magnetic Materials
• Engineering of topological phases in driven thin topological insulator: Structure inversion asymmetry effect
• Optically induced topological states on the surface of mercury telluride
• Impact of high-frequency pumping on anomalous finite-size effects in three-dimensional topological insulators
• Structure of surface electronic states in strained mercury telluride
• Laser induced surface magnetization in Floquet-Weyl semimetals
• Light-induced switch based on edge modes in irradiated thin topological insulators
• Floquet-Weyl semimetals generated by an optically resonant interband-transition