Electrodynamics of Topologically Ordered Quantum Phases in Dirac Materials

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 11; no. 11; p. 2914
• Main Authors: Hussien, Musa A M, Ukpong, Aniekan Magnus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 30-10-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Approximation; Arsenides; Atomic clusters; Carrier density; charge density wave; Chern number; collective excitation; Density functional theory; Electrodynamics; Electromagnetic fields; Electromagnetism; Equilibrium; First principles; Graphene; Ground state; Heterostructures; Magnetic fields; Mathematical analysis; Multilayers; Nanoclusters; nanoline; Nonlinear response; Optoelectronics; Phase diagrams; Phase transitions; Photonics; Principles; Symmetry; Tantalum; topological quantum phase transitions; Topology; Transition points; nanoline; topological quantum phase transitions; charge density wave; Chern number; collective excitation
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano11112914

First-principles calculations of the electronic ground state in tantalum arsenide are combined with tight-binding calculations of the field dependence of its transport model equivalent on the graphene monolayer to study the emergence of topologically ordered quantum states, and to obtain topological phase diagrams. Our calculations include the degrees of freedom for nuclear, electronic, and photonic interactions explicitly within the quasistatic approximation to the time-propagation-dependent density functional theory. This field-theoretic approach allows us to determine the non-linear response of the ground state density matrix to the applied electromagnetic field at distinct quantum phase transition points. Our results suggest the existence of a facile electronic switch between trivial and topologically ordered quantum states that may be realizable through the application of a perpendicular electric or magnetic field alongside a staggered-sublattice potential in the underlying lattice. Signatures of the near field electrodynamics in nanoclusters show the formation of a quantum fluid phase at the topological quantum phase transition points. The emergent carrier density wave transport phase is discussed to show that transmission through the collective excitation mode in multilayer heterostructures is a unique possibility in plasmonic, optoelectronic, and photonic applications when atomic clusters of Dirac materials are integrated within nanostructures, as patterned or continuous surfaces.