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arXiv · 1606.06761

Interplay between spin-orbit coupling and crystal-field effect in topological insulators

Hyungjun Lee·Oleg V. Yazyev
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Abstract

Band inversion, one of the key signatures of time-reversal invariant topological insulators (TIs), arises mostly due to the spin-orbit (SO) coupling. Here, based on ab initio density-functional calculations, we report a theoretical investigation of the SO-driven band inversion in isostructural bismuth and antimony chalcogenide TIs from the viewpoint of its interplay with the crystal-field effect. We calculate the SO-induced energy shift of states in the top valence and bottom conduction manifolds and reproduce this behavior using a simple one-atom model adjusted to incorporate the crystal-field effect. The crystal-field splitting is shown to compete with the SO coupling, that is, stronger crystal-field splitting leads to weaker SO band shift. We further show how both these effects can be controlled by changing the chemical composition, whereas the crystal-field splitting can be tuned by means of uniaxial strain. These results provide a practical guidance to the rational design of novel TIs as well as to controlling the properties of existing materials.

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Hyungjun Lee, Oleg V. Yazyev. 2016-06-21. Interplay between spin-orbit coupling and crystal-field effect in topological insulators. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984%2F27%2F28%2F285801

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