A Short Course on Topological Insulators: Band Structure and Edge States in One and Two Dimensions (Lecture Notes in Physics, 919)

A Short Course on Topological Insulators: Band Structure and Edge States in One and Two Dimensions (Lecture Notes in Physics, 919)

This course-based primer provides newcomers to the field with a concise introduction to some of the core topics in the emerging field of topological insulators.<br> <br> The aim is to provide a basic understanding of edge states, bulk topological invariants, and of the bulk--boundary correspondence with as simple mathematical tools as possible. <br> <br> The present approach uses noninteracting lattice models of topological insulators, building gradually on these to arrive from the simplest one-dimensional case (the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model for polyacetylene) to two-dimensional time-reversal invariant topological insulators (the Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang model for HgTe). In each case the discussion of simple toy models is followed by the formulation of the general arguments regarding topological insulators.<br> <br> The only prerequisite for the reader is a working knowledge in quantum mechanics, the relevant solid state physics background is provided as part of this self-contained text, which is complemented by end-of-chapter problems.