An edge index for the quantum spin-Hall effect

DOI10.1088/1751-8113/42/8/082001zbMATH Open1158.81028arXiv0809.4511OpenAlexW2051623614MaRDI QIDQ3608940FDOQ3608940

Emil Prodan

Publication date: 6 March 2009

Published in: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Quantum Spin-Hall systems are topological insulators displaying dissipationless spin currents flowing at the edges of the samples. In contradistinction to the Quantum Hall systems where the charge conductance of the edge modes is quantized, the spin conductance is not and it remained an open problem to find the observable whose edge current is quantized. In this paper, we define a particular observable and the edge current corresponding to this observable. We show that this current is quantized and that the quantization is given by the index of a certain Fredholm operator. This provides a new topological invariant that is shown to take same values as the Spin-Chern number previously introduced in the literature. The result gives an effective tool for the investigation of the edge channels' structure in Quantum Spin-Hall systems. Based on a reasonable assumption, we also show that the edge conducting channels are not destroyed by a random edge.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.4511

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Many-body theory; quantum Hall effect (81V70) Statistical mechanics of solids (82D20) Transport processes in time-dependent statistical mechanics (82C70)

Cited In (6)

• Non-commutative tools for topological insulators
• Topological quantization of ensemble averages
• Quantum Spin Hall Phases
• The edge spectrum of Chern insulators with rough boundaries
• Controlled topological phases and bulk-edge correspondence
• A new approach to transport coefficients in the quantum spin Hall effect

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