One-dimensional topological insulator: a model for studying finite-size effects in topological insulator thin films

Abstract

As a model for describing finite-size effects in topological insulator thin films, we study a one-dimensional (1D) effective model of a topological insulator (TI). Using this effective 1D model, we reveal the precise correspondence between the spatial profile of the surface wave function, and the dependence of the finite-size energy gap on the thickness (Lx) of the film. We solve the boundary problem both in the semi-infinite and slab geometries to show that the Lx-dependence of the size gap is a direct measure of the amplitude of the surface wave function at the depth of x=Lx+1 [here, the boundary condition is chosen such that the wave function vanishes at x=0]. Depending on the parameters, the edge state function shows either a damped oscillation (in the "TI-oscillatory" region of FIG. 2, or becomes overdamped (ibid., in the "TI-overdamped" phase). In the original 3D bulk TI, an asymmetry in the spectrum of valence and conduction bands is omnipresent. Here, we demonstrate by tuning this asymmetry one can drive a crossover from the TI-oscillatory to the TI-overdamped phase.