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Manipulating topological phase transition by strain
Author(s) -
Liu Junwei,
Xu Yong,
Wu Jian,
Gu BingLin,
Zhang S. B.,
Duan Wenhui
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta crystallographica section c
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 2053-2296
DOI - 10.1107/s2053229613032336
Subject(s) - topological insulator , condensed matter physics , phase transition , topological order , topology (electrical circuits) , semiconductor , strain (injury) , conduction band , band gap , valence (chemistry) , materials science , physics , quantum , quantum mechanics , mathematics , medicine , combinatorics , electron
First‐principles calculations show that strain‐induced topological phase transition is a universal phenomenon in those narrow‐gap semiconductors for which the valence band maximum (VBM) and conduction band minimum (CBM) have different parities. The transition originates from the opposite responses of the VBM and CBM, whose magnitudes depend critically on the direction of the applied strain. Our work suggests that strain can play a unique role in tuning the electronic properties of topological insulators for device applications, as well as in the achievement of new topological insulators.