Non-vanishing Berry phase in chiral insulators

Kuebler J, Yan B, Felser C (2013)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2013

Journal

EPL - Europhysics Letters Institute of Physics: EPL

Book Volume: 104

Article Number: 30001

Journal Issue: 3

DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/104/30001

Abstract

The binary compounds FeSi, RuSi, and OsSi are chiral insulators crystallizing in the space group P213 which is cubic. By means of ab initio calculations we find for these compounds a non-vanishing electronic Berry phase, the sign of which depends on the handedness of the crystal. There is thus the possibility that the Berry phase signals the existence of a macroscopic electric polarization due to the electrons. We show that this is indeed so if a small external magnetic field is applied in the [111] direction. The electric polarization is oscillatory in the magnetic field and possesses a signature that distinguishes the handedness of the crystal. Our findings add to the discussion of topological classifications of insulators and are significant for spintronics applications, and in particular, for a deeper understanding of skyrmions in insulators. © Copyright EPLA, 2013.

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Darmstadt DE Germany (DE) Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe (MPI CPfS) / Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Kuebler, J., Yan, B., & Felser, C. (2013). Non-vanishing Berry phase in chiral insulators. EPL - Europhysics Letters, 104(3). https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/104/30001

MLA:

Kuebler, J., Binghai Yan, and Claudia Felser. "Non-vanishing Berry phase in chiral insulators." EPL - Europhysics Letters 104.3 (2013).

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