Plasmonics in Topological Insulators

• Main Authors: Yi-Ping Lai, I-Tan Lin, Kuang-Hsiung Wu, Jia-Ming Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2014-04-01
• Series: Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology
• Subjects: Topological Insulator; Plasmons; Spin-orbit Interaction
• Online Access: http://www.intechopen.com/journals/nanomaterials_and_nanotechnology/plasmonics-in-topological-insulators

With strong spin-orbit coupling, topological insulators have an insulating bulk state, characterized by a band gap, and a conducting surface state, characterized by a Dirac cone. Plasmons in topological insulators show high frequency-tunability in the mid-infrared and terahertz spectral regions with transverse spin oscillations, also called “spin-plasmons”. This paper presents a discussion and review of the developments in this field from the fundamental theory of plasmons in bulk, thin-film, and surface-magnetized topological insulators to the techniques of plasmon excitation and future applications.