CMSP Seminar at ICTP Stasi Seminar Room Monday 1 August at 11.00 - K. SABEEH

[Condensed Matter Section]

Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics Seminar
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MONDAY 1 AUGUST at 11.00 a.m.
Luigi Stasi Seminar Room, first floor, Leonardo building

Kashif SABEEH
Quaid-i-Azam University, Dept. of Physics, Islamabad, Pakistan

Title: "Topological Phase Transitions in Silicene"

Abstract:

Physics has benefited greatly from ideas that were independently developed

in mathematics. Topology is a branch of mathematics that studies shapes.
Properties that do not change under continuous deformation including 
stretching
and bending are topological in nature. Now some of these topological ideas
have become important in several areas of physics. In this talk, I will 
begin with
an introduction of topological phases of matter in free Fermionic 
systems. I will
then focus on my work on topological phase transitions in a new and 
important
two-dimensional Dirac material silicene. A combination of intrinsic 
spin-orbit
interaction and an external electric field leads to quantum phase 
transitions
at the charge neutrality point in silicene. This phase transition from a 
topological
insulator to a trivial insulator phase in silicene is accompanied by a 
quenching
of quantum spin Hall effect and onset of valley Hall effect. Possible 
experimental
tunability of topological state of silicene will also be discussed.