Mele, Eugene J.

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  • Publication
    Topological Insulators in Three Dimensions
    (2007-03-07) Kane, Charles L; Fu, Liang; Mele, Eugene J
    We study three-dimensional generalizations of the quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect. Unlike two dimensions, where a single Z2 topological invariant governs the effect, in three dimensions there are 4 invariants distinguishing 16 phases with two general classes: weak (WTI) and strong (STI) topological insulators. The WTI are like layered 2D QSH states, but are destroyed by disorder. The STI are robust and lead to novel ‘‘topological metal’’ surface states. We introduce a tight binding model which realizes the WTI and STI phases, and we discuss its relevance to real materials, including bismuth.
  • Publication
    Surface State Magnetization and Chiral Edge States on Topological Insulators
    (2013-01-25) Kane, Charles L; Zhang, Fan; Mele, Eugene J.
    We study the interaction between a ferromagnetically ordered medium and the surface states of a topological insulator with a general surface termination that were identified recently [F. Zhang et al.Phys. Rev. B 86 081303(R) (2012)]. This interaction is strongly crystal face dependent and can generate chiral states along edges between crystal facets even for a uniform magnetization. While magnetization parallel to quintuple layers shifts the momentum of the Dirac point, perpendicular magnetization lifts the Kramers degeneracy at any Dirac points except on the side face, where the spectrum remains gapless and the Hall conductivity switches sign. Chiral states can be found at any edge that reverses the projection of the surface normal to the stacking direction of quintuple layers. Magnetization also weakly hybridizes noncleavage surfaces.
  • Publication
    Probing Spin-charge Relation by Magnetoconductance in One-dimensional Polymer Nanofibers
    (2012-10-12) Choi, A.; Kim, K. H; Hong, S. J; Goh, M.; Akagi, K.; Kaner, R. B; Johnson, A.T. Charlie; Kirova, N. N; Bonnell, Dawn A; Brazovskii, S. A; Mele, Eugene J.; Park, Y. W
    Polymer nanofibers are one-dimensional organic hydrocarbon systems containing conducting polymers where the nonlinear local excitations such as solitons, polarons, and bipolarons formed by the electron-phonon interaction were predicted. Magnetoconductance (MC) can simultaneously probe both the spin and charge of these mobile species and identify the effects of electron-electron interactions on these nonlinear excitations. Here, we report our observations of a qualitatively differentMC in polyacetylene (PA) and in polyaniline (PANI) and polythiophene (PT) nanofibers. In PA, the MC is essentially zero, but it is present in PANI and PT. The universal scaling behavior and the zero (finite)MC in PA (PANI and PT) nanofibers provide evidence of Coulomb interactions between spinless charged solitons (interacting polarons which carry both spin and charge).
  • Publication
    Theoretical Investigation of the Evolution of the Topological Phase of Bi2Se3 under Mechanical Strain
    (2011-08-19) Young, Steve M.; Chowdhury, Sugata; Mele, Eugene J.; Kane, Charles L; Rappe, Andrew M; Walter, Eric J.
    The topological insulating phase results from inversion of the band gap due to spin-orbit coupling at an odd number of time-reversal symmetric points. In Bi2Se3, this inversion occurs at the Γ point. For bulk Bi2Se3, we have analyzed the effect of arbitrary strain on the Γ point band gap using density functional theory. By computing the band structure both with and without spin-orbit interactions, we consider the effects of strain on the gap via Coulombic interaction and spin-orbit interaction separately. While compressive strain acts to decrease the Coulombic gap, it also increases the strength of the spin-orbit interaction, increasing the inverted gap. Comparison with Bi2Te3 supports the conclusion that effects on both Coulombic and spin-orbit interactions are critical to understanding the behavior of topological insulators under strain, and we propose that the topological insulating phase can be effectively manipulated by inducing strain through chemical substitution.
  • Publication
    Casimir Interactions Between Scatterers in Metallic Carbon Nanotubes
    (2009-10-02) Zhabinskaya, Dina; Mele, Eugene J.
    We study interactions between localized scatterers on metallic carbon nanotubes by a mapping onto a one-dimensional Casimir problem. Backscattering of electrons between localized scattering potentials mediates long-range forces between them. We model spatially localized scatterers by local and nonlocal potentials and treat simultaneously the effects of intravalley and intervalley backscattering. We find that the long-range forces between scatterers exhibit the universal power-law decay of the Casimir force in one dimension, with prefactors that control the sign and strength of the interaction. These prefactors are nonuniversal and depend on the symmetry and degree of localization of the scattering potentials. We find that local potentials inevitably lead to a coupled valley scattering problem, though by contrast nonlocal potentials lead to two decoupled single-valley problems in a physically realized regime. The Casimir effect due to two-valley scattering potentials is characterized by the appearance of spatially periodic modulations of the force.
  • Publication
    Chirality Dependence of the K-momentum Dark Excitons in Carbon Nanotubes
    (2010-04-27) Vora, Patrick M; Mele, Eugene J; Tu, X; Kikkawa, James M; Zheng, M
    Using a collection of 12 semiconducting carbon-nanotube samples, each highly enriched in a single chirality, we study the chirality dependence of the K-momentum dark singlet exciton using phonon sideband optical spectroscopy. Measurements of bright absorptive and emissive sidebands of this finite momentum exciton identify its energy as 20–38 meV above the bright singlet exciton, a separation that exhibits systematic dependencies on tube diameter, 2n+m family, and chiral index. We present calculations that explain how chiral angle dependence in this energy separation relates to the Coulomb exchange interaction and elaborate the dominance of the KAA; phonon sidebands over the zone-center phonon sidebands over a wide range of chiralities. The Kataura plot arising from these data is qualitatively well described by theory but the energy separation between the sidebands shows a larger chiral dependence than predicted. This latter observation may indicate a larger dispersion for the associated phonon near the K point than expected from finite distance force modeling.
  • Publication
    Low-Energy Coherent Transport in Metallic Carbon Nanotube Junctions
    (2011-01-03) Maarouf, Ahmed A.; Mele, Eugene J
    We study the low-energy electronic properties of a junction made of two crossed metallic carbon nanotubes of general chiralities. We derive a tight-binding tunneling matrix element that couples low-energy states on the two tubes, which allows us to calculate the contact conductance of the junction. We find that the intrinsic asymmetries of the junction cause the forward- and backward-hopping probabilities from one tube to another to be different. This defines a zero-field Hall conductance for the junction, which we find to scale inversely with the junction contact conductance. Through a systematic study of the dependence of the junction conductance on different junction parameters, we find that the crossing angle is the dominant factor that determines the magnitude of the conductance.
  • Publication
    Photoluminescence and Band Gap Modulation in Graphene Oxide
    (2009-03-19) Luo, Zhengtang; Vora, Patrick; Mele, Eugene J; Johnson, A.T. Charlie; Kikkawa, James M
    We report broadband visible photoluminescence from solid graphene oxide, and modifications of the emission spectrum by progressive chemical reduction. The data suggest a gapping of the two-dimensional electronic system by removal of π-electrons. We discuss possible gapping mechanisms, and propose that a Kekule pattern of bond distortions may account for the observed behavior.
  • Publication
    Flux Phases in Two-Dimensional Tight-Binding Models
    (1989-08-01) Harris, A. Brooks; Lubensky, Tom C; Mele, Eugene J
    Using a gauge-invariant tight-binding model on a rigid square lattice, we discuss the transition between a low-temperature flux phase in which orbital magnetic moments alternate antiferromagnetically in sign from plaquette to plaquette and a normal metallic phase. The order parameter, which may be chosen to be the magnetic flux penetrating a plaquette, goes continuously to zero at the transition. We also consider similar phases in a model with m spin colors antiferromagnetically exchange coupled.
  • Publication
    Continuum Theory for Piezoelectric Response of Chiral Nanotubes Under Uniaxial and Torsional Stresses
    (2007-11-14) Michalski, Paul Joseph; Mele, Eugene J
    We develop and solve a continuum theory for the piezoelectric response of nanotubes under applied uniaxial and torsional stresses. We find that the piezoelectric response is controlled by the chiral angle, the aspect ratio, and two dimensionless parameters specifying the ratio of the strengths of the electrostatic and elastic energies. The model is solved in two limiting cases and the solutions are discussed. These systems are found to have several unexpected physical effects not seen in conventional bulk systems, including a strong stretch-twist coupling and the development of a significant bound charge density in addition to a surface charge density. The model is applied to estimate the piezoelectric response of a boron nitride nanotube under uniform tensile stress.