1. Nonlocal topological magnetoelectric effect by Coulomb interaction at a topological insulator-ferromagnet interface
- Author
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Asle Sudbø, Stefan Rex, and Flavio S. Nogueira
- Subjects
Physics ,Magnetization dynamics ,Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics ,Condensed matter physics ,Magnetoelectric effect ,FOS: Physical sciences ,02 engineering and technology ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Topology ,01 natural sciences ,Symmetry protected topological order ,Magnetization ,Topological insulator ,Electric field ,Quantum mechanics ,Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) ,0103 physical sciences ,Coulomb ,010306 general physics ,0210 nano-technology ,Topological quantum number - Abstract
The interface between a topological insulator and a ferromagnetic insulator exhibits an interesting interplay of topological Dirac electrons and magnetism. As has been shown recently, the breaking of time-reversal invariance by magnetic order generates a Chern-Simons term in the action, that in turn leads to a Berry phase and a magnetoelectric effect of topological origin. Here, we consider the system in the presence of long-range Coulomb interaction between the Dirac electrons, and find that the magnetoelectric effect of the fluctuating electric field becomes non-local. We derive a Landau-Lifshitz equation for the fluctuation-induced magnetization dynamics and the Euler-Lagrange equation of the Coulomb field by explicit one-loop calculations. Via the Coulomb interaction, divergences in the in-plane magnetization affect the magnetization dynamics over large distances in a topologically protected way., Comment: 6 pages, 25 References, 1 figure. To appear in Phys. Rev. B
- Published
- 2016
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