Topological insulators and superconductors
Xiao-Liang Qi andShou-Cheng Zhang
- Microsoft Research, Station Q, Elings Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA and Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Rev. Mod. Phys.83, 1057 –Published 14 October, 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.83.1057
Abstract
Topological insulators are new states of quantum matter which cannot be adiabatically connected to conventional insulators and semiconductors. They are characterized by a full insulating gap in the bulk and gapless edge or surface states which are protected by time-reversal symmetry. These topological materials have been theoretically predicted and experimentally observed in a variety of systems, including HgTe quantum wells, BiSb alloys, and and crystals. Theoretical models, materials properties, and experimental results on two-dimensional and three-dimensional topological insulators are reviewed, and both the topological band theory and the topological field theory are discussed. Topological superconductors have a full pairing gap in the bulk and gapless surface states consisting of Majorana fermions. The theory of topological superconductors is reviewed, in close analogy to the theory of topological insulators.
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- Received 2 August 2010
© 2011 American Physical Society