arXiv subjects

Awadhesh Narayan

Publications and source records attributed to Awadhesh Narayan.

95 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Multiprobe quantum spin Hall bars

We analyze electron transport in multiprobe quantum spin Hall (QSH) bars using the Büttiker formalism and draw parallels with their quantum Hall (QH) counterparts. We find that in a QSH bar the measured resistance changes upon introducing side voltage probes, in contrast to the QH case. We also study four- and six-terminal geometries and derive the expressions for the resistances. For these our analysis is generalized from the single-channel to the multi-channel case and to the inclusion of backscattering originating from a constriction placed within the bar.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Gate controlled spin pumping at a quantum spin Hall edge

We propose a four-terminal device designed to manipulate by all electrical means the spin of a magnetic adatom positioned at the edge of a quantum spin Hall insulator. We show that an electrical gate, able to tune the interface resistance between a quantum spin Hall insulator and the source and drain electrodes, can switch the device between two regimes: one where the system exhibits spin pumping and the other where the adatom remains in its ground state. This demonstrates an all-electrical route to control single spins by exploiting helical edge states of topological materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Spin-pumping and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy in topological insulators

We demonstrate that a quantum spin Hall current, spontaneously generated at the edge of a two-dimensional topological insulator, acts as a source of spin-pumping for a magnetic impurity with uniaxial anisotropy. One can then manipulate the impurity spin direction by means of an electrical current without using either magnetic electrodes or an external magnetic field. Furthermore we show that the unique properties of the quantum spin Hall topological state have profound effects on the inelastic electron tunneling spectrum of the impurity. For low current densities inelastic spin-flip events do not contribute to the conductance. As a consequence the conductance steps, normally appearing at voltages corresponding to the spin excitations, are completely suppressed. In contrast an intense current leads to spin pumping and generates a transverse component of the impurity spin. This breaks the topological phase yielding to the conductance steps.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Topological surface states scattering in Antimony

In this work we study the topologically protected states of the Sb(111) surface by using ab-initio transport theory. In the presence of a strong surface perturbation we obtain standing-wave states resulting from the superposition of spin-polarized surface states. By Fourier analysis, we identify the underlying two dimensional scattering processes and the spin texture. We find evidence of resonant transmission across surface barriers at quantum well states energies and evaluate their lifetimes. Our results are in excellent agreement with experimental findings. We also show that despite the presence of a step edge along a different high symmetry direction, not yet probed experimentally, the surface states exhibit unperturbed transmission around the Fermi energy for states with near to normal incidence.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Andreev reflection in two-dimensional topological insulators with either conserved or broken time-reversal symmetry

We investigate Andreev reflection in two-dimensional heterojunctions formed by a superconductor in contact with a topological insulator ribbon either possessing or breaking time-reversal symmetry. Both classes of topological insulators exhibit perfect Andreev reflection, which is robust against disorder. This is assigned to topologically protected edge states. In the time-reversal symmetric case we show that doping one of the ribbon edges with magnetic impurities suppresses one Andreev channel, while no such suppression is seen in the broken symmetry situation. Based on this observation we suggest a tabletop transport experiment able to distinguish between the two types of topological insulators, which does not involve the direct measurement of the material band structure.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗