Abstract
Topological crystalline insulators in IV–VI compounds host novel topological surface states consisting of multi-valley massless Dirac fermions at low energy. Here we show that strain generically acts as an effective gauge field on these Dirac fermions and creates pseudo-Landau orbitals without breaking time-reversal symmetry. We predict the realization of this phenomenon in IV–VI semiconductor heterostructures, due to a naturally occurring misfit dislocation array at the interface that produces a periodically varying strain field. Remarkably, the zero-energy Landau orbitals form a flat band in the vicinity of the Dirac point, and coexist with a network of snake states at higher energy. We propose that the high density of states of this flat band gives rise to interface superconductivity observed in IV–VI semiconductor multilayers at unusually high temperatures, with non-Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer behaviour. Our work demonstrates a new route to altering macroscopic electronic properties to achieve a partially flat band, and provides a starting point for realizing novel correlated states of matter.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Change history
12 November 2014
In the version of this Article originally published, the title of reference 36 was incorrect and should have read 'Superfluidity in system with fermion condensate'. This error has now been corrected in all versions of the Article.
References
Hsieh, T. H. et al. Topological crystalline insulators in the SnTe material class. Nature Commun. 3, 982 (2012).
Tanaka, Y. et al. Experimental realization of a topological crystalline insulator in SnTe. Nature Phys. 8, 800–803 (2012).
Dziawa, P. et al. Topological crystalline insulator states in Pb1−xSnxSe. Nature Mater. 11, 1023–1027 (2012).
Xu, S. Y. et al. Observation of a topological crystalline insulator phase and topological phase transition in Pb1−xSnxTe. Nature Commun. 3, 1192 (2012).
Okada, Y. et al. Observation of Dirac node formation and mass acquisition in a topological crystalline insulator. Science 341, 1496–1499 (2013).
Liu, J. et al. Spin-filtered edge states with an electrically tunable gap in a two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator. Nature Mater. 13, 178–183 (2014).
Fang, C., Gilbert, M. & Bernevig, B. A. Large Chern number quantum anomalous Hall effect in thin-film topological crystalline insulators. Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 046801 (2014).
Zhang, F., Li, X., Feng, J., Kane, C. L. & Mele, E. J. Zeeman field-tuned transitions for surface Chern insulators. Preprint at http://arXiv.org/abs/1309.7682 (2013).
Hasan, M. Z. & Kane, C. L. Topological insulators. Rev. Mod. Phys. 82, 3045–3067 (2010).
Qi, X. L. & Zhang, S. C. Topological insulators and superconductors. Rev. Mod. Phys. 83, 1057–1110 (2011).
Moore, J. E. The birth of topological insulators. Nature 464, 194–198 (2010).
Liu, J., Duan, W. & Fu, L. Surface states of topological crystalline insulators in IV–VI semiconductors. Phys. Rev. B 88, 241303(R) (2013).
Fu, L. Topological crystalline insulators. Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 106802 (2011).
Mong, R. S. K., Essin, A. M. & Moore, J. E. Antiferromagnetic topological insulators. Phys. Rev. B 81, 245209 (2010).
Tanaka, Y. et al. Tunability of the k-space location of the Dirac cones in the topological crystalline insulator Pb1−xSnxTe. Phys. Rev. B 7, 155105 (2013).
Levy, N. et al. Strain-induced Pseudo-magnetic fields greater than 300 Tesla in graphene nanobubbles. Science 329, 544–547 (2010).
Mañes, J. L. Symmetry-based approach to electron–phonon interactions in graphene. Phys. Rev. B 76, 045430 (2007).
Guinea, F., Katsnelson, M. I. & Geim, A. K. Energy gaps and a zero-field quantum Hall effect in graphene by strain engineering. Nature Phys. 6, 30–33 (2009).
Pereira, V. M. & Castro Neto, A. H. Strain engineering of graphenes electronic structure. Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 046801 (2009).
Sipatov, A. Y. Superlattice nanostructures based on chalcogenide materials. Funct. Mater. 16, 374–382 (2009).
Palatnik, L. S. & Fedorenko, A. I. Formation of dislocation superlattices in epitaxial systems. J. Cryst. Growth 52, 917–924 (1981).
Springholz, G. & Wiesauer, K. Nanoscale dislocation patterning in PbTe/PbSe(001) lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxy. Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 015507 (2001).
Chaikin, P. & Lubensky, C. L. Principles of Condensed Matter Physics (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000).
Weber, M. J. Handbook of Optical Materials (CRC Press, 2002).
Barone, P., Sante, D. D. & Picozzi, S. Strain engineering of topological properties in lead-salt semiconductors. Phys. Status Solidi 7, 1102–1106 (2013).
Chklovskii, D. B. & Lee, P. A. Transport properties between quantum Hall plateaus. Phys. Rev. B 48, 18060 (1993).
Fu, L. & Kane, C. L. Topology, delocalization via average symmetry and the symplectic Anderson transition. Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 246605 (2012).
Murase, K., Ishida, S., Takaoka, S. & Okumura, T. Superconducting behavior in PbTe–SnTe superlattices. Surf. Sci. 170, 486–490 (1986).
Mironov, O. A. et al. Superconductivity of semiconductor superlattices based on lead chalcogenides. JETP Lett. 48, 106–109 (1988).
Agassi, D. & Chu, T. K. Strain induced superconductivity in lead salt superlattices. Phys. Status Solidi B 160, 601–611 (1990).
Fogel, N. Y. et al. Direct evidence for interfacial superconductivity in two-layer semiconducting heterostructures. Phys. Rev. B 73, 161306(R) (2006).
Yuzephovich, O. I. et al. Interfacial superconductivity in bilayer and multilayer IV–VI semiconductor heterostructures. Low Temp. Phys. 34, 985–991 (2008).
Fogel, N. Y. et al. Interfacial superconductivity in semiconducting monochalcogenide superlattices. Phys. Rev. B 66, 174513 (2002).
Fogel, N. Y. et al. Novel superconducting semiconducting superlattices: Dislocation-induced superconductivity? Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 512–515 (2001).
Kopnin, N. B., Heikkila, T. T. & Volovik, G. E. High-temperature surface superconductivity in topological flat-band systems. Phys. Rev. B 83, 220503(R) (2011).
Khodel, V. A. & Shaginyan, V. R. Superfluidity in system with fermion condensate. JETP Lett. 51, 553–556 (1990).
Yoshimi, R. et al. Dirac electron states formed at the heterointerface between a topological insulator and a conventional semiconductor. Nature Mater. 13, 253–257 (2014).
Pereiro, J., Petrovic, A., Panagopoulos, C. & Bozovic, I. Interface superconductivity: History, development and prospects. Phys. Express 1, 208–241 (2011).
Zhang, W. et al. Direct observation of high temperature superconductivity in one-unit-cell FeSe films. Chin. Phys. Lett. 31, 017401 (2014).
Ghaemi, P., Cayssol, J., Sheng, D. N. & Vishwanath, A. Fractional topological phases and broken time reversal symmetry in strained graphene. Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 266801 (2012).
Levin, M. & Stern, A. Fractional topological insulators. Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 196803 (2009).
Roy, B., Assaad, F. F. & Herbut, I. F. Zero modes and global antiferromagnetism in strained graphene. Phys. Rev. X 4, 021042 (2014).
Weng, H., Zhao, J., Wang, Z., Fang, Z. & Dai, X. Topological crystalline Kondo insulator in mixed valence ytterbium borides. Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 016403 (2014).
Ye, M., Allen, J. W. & Sun, K. Topological crystalline Kondo insulators and universal topological surface states of SmB6. Preprint at http://arXiv.org/abs/1307.7191 (2013).
Kargarian, M. & Fiete, G. A. Topological crystalline insulators in transition metal oxides. Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 156403 (2013).
Kindermann, M. Topological crystalline insulator phase in graphene multilayers. Preprint at http://arXiv.org/abs/1309.1667 (2013).
Hsieh, T. H., Liu, J. & Fu, L. Topological crystalline insulators and Dirac octets in anti-perovskites. Preprint at http://arXiv.org/abs/1407.4809 (2014).
Serbyn, M. & Fu, L. Symmetry breaking and Landau levels in a topological crystalline insulator. Phys. Rev. B 90, 035402 (2014).
Qian, X., Fu, L. & Li, J. Topological crystalline insulator nanomembrane with strain-tunable band gap. Preprint at http://arXiv.org/abs/1403.3952 (2014).
Acknowledgements
We thank M. Serbyn and A. Allais for helpful discussions, as well as Y. Ando and R. Cava for valuable comments on the manuscript. This work is supported by DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering under award DE-SC0010526 (L.F.). E.T. acknowledges support from NSF Grants DMR-1005541, NSFC 11074140 and NSFC 11274192.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Both authors contributed to theoretical and numerical parts of the research, and the writing of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tang, E., Fu, L. Strain-induced partially flat band, helical snake states and interface superconductivity in topological crystalline insulators. Nature Phys 10, 964–969 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3109
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3109
This article is cited by
-
Nanoscale visualization and spectral fingerprints of the charge order in ScV6Sn6 distinct from other kagome metals
npj Quantum Materials (2024)
-
Quasiparticles, flat bands and the melting of hydrodynamic matter
Nature Physics (2023)
-
Emergent flat band electronic structure in a VSe2/Bi2Se3 heterostructure
Communications Materials (2021)
-
Hall effects in artificially corrugated bilayer graphene without breaking time-reversal symmetry
Nature Electronics (2021)
-
Tuning of fermi level in antimony telluride thin films by low-energy Fe−-ion implantation
Applied Physics A (2021)