On a Solution to the Dirac Equation with a Triangular Potential Well

Abstract

Chiral anomalies resulting from the breaking of classical symmetries at the quantum level are fundamental to quantum field theory and gaining ever-growing importance in the description of topological materials in condensed matter physics. Here we present analytical solutions of the Dirac equation for massless 3+1 fermions confined to an infinite stripe and placed into a background gauge field forming a triangular potential well across the width of the stripe. Such an effective 1+1 system hosts zero-energy modes resulting in the gauge field-dependent chiral anomaly structure. This problem has a direct relation to a half-bearded graphene nanoribbon placed into an in-plane external electric field and offers it an exact solution in terms of new special functions that are similar but not reducible to Airy functions.