Giant Faraday effect due to Pauli exclusion principle in 3D topological insulators

Abstract

Experiments using ARPES, which is based on the photoelectric effect, show that the surface states in 3D topological insulators (TI) are helical. Here we consider Weyl interface fermions due to band inversion in narrow-bandgap semiconductors, such as Pb$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$Te. The positive and negative energy solutions can be identified by means of opposite helicity in terms of the spin helicity operator in 3D TI as $\hat{h}_{\textrm{TI}}=\left(1/\left|p_{\bot}\right|\right)β\left(\boldsymbolσ_{\perp}\times\boldsymbol{p}_{\perp}\right)\cdot\boldsymbol{\hat{z}}$, where $β$ is a Dirac matrix and $\boldsymbol{\hat{z}}$ points perpendicular to the interface. Using the 3D Dirac equation and bandstructure calculations we show that the transitions between positive and negative energy solutions, giving rise to electron-hole pairs, obey strict optical selection rules. In order to demonstrate the consequences of these selection rules, we consider the Faraday effect due to Pauli exclusion principle in a pump-probe setup using a 3D TI double interface of a PbTe/Pb$_{0.31}$Sn$_{0.69}$Te/PbTe heterostructure. For that we calculate the optical conductivity tensor of this heterostructure, which we use to solve Maxwell's equations. The Faraday rotation angle exhibits oscillations as a function of probe wavelength and thickness of the heterostructure. The maxima in the Faraday rotation angle are of the order of millirads.