Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Science. 2012 Mar 23;335(6075):1464-6. doi: 10.1126/science.1216184.
Topological band insulators have recently been discovered in spin-orbit coupled two-and three-dimensional systems. We theoretically predict a class of topological insulators where interaction effects play a dominant role. In actinide elements, simple rocksalt compounds formed by Pu and Am lie on the boundary between metals and insulators. We show that interaction drives a quantum phase transition to a topological insulator phase with a single Dirac cone on the surface. These putative topological insulators may provide a setting for both applied and fundamental investigation.
拓扑带绝缘体最近在自旋轨道耦合的二维和三维系统中被发现。我们从理论上预测了一类拓扑绝缘体,其中相互作用效应起着主导作用。在锕系元素中,由 Pu 和 Am 形成的简单岩盐化合物位于金属和绝缘体的边界上。我们表明,相互作用导致量子相变到拓扑绝缘体相,表面上有单个狄拉克锥。这些假定的拓扑绝缘体可能为应用和基础研究提供了一个环境。