2012/01/11 by M. M. Vazifeh, Marcel Franz, M. Franz · 27 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Condensed matter physics #Electron #Insulator (electricity) #Mathematics #Optoelectronics #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Surface (topology) #Surface states #Topological Materials and Phenomena #Topological insulator #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.86.045451
published in Physical Review B 86(4) (American Physical Society) · 7 pages, 5 figures
arxiv created 2012/01/11 · openalex publication_date 2012/07/30 · arxiv updated 2012/08/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The surface of a topological insulator hosts a very special form of a quasi-two-dimensional metallic system when it is embedded in a topologically trivial medium like the vacuum. The electronic properties of this unusual two-dimensional metal are distinct in many aspects from both the conventional two-dimensional electron-gas systems in quantum well heterostructures as well as those of a single layer graphene. In this paper, we study one of these distinct features i.e., the response of the electronic spins to an applied magnetic field perpendicular to the surface. We find an unusual behavior of the spin magnetization and susceptibility as a function of both the magnetic field and the chemical potential for a generic topological surface. We propose that this behavior could be studied by the recently developed experimental technique called \ensuremathβ-NMR, which is highly sensitive to the surface electron spins. We explain how this technique could be used to probe for spontaneous magnetic ordering caused by magnetic dopants or interactions discussed in the recent literature.