Publication detail

Two-dimensional Klein tunneling for massive Dirac fermions with a defined helicity

NAVARRO GIRALDO, J. QUIMBAY, C.

Original Title

Two-dimensional Klein tunneling for massive Dirac fermions with a defined helicity

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The main goal of this work is to study the role played by the helicity in the two-dimensional Klein tunneling for massive Dirac fermions. To this end, we consider the cases in which massive Dirac fermions with a defined helicity are scattered by step and barrier electrostatic potentials. For each potential, we first calculate the contributions of fermion states with conserved and inverted helicity to the reflection and transmission coefficients, analyzing how the potential (V0), fermion’s mass, energy (E) and angle of incidence affect them. In the step potential case, we find that the transmission probability for fermion states with inverted helicity is small when V0E. In the barrier potential case, this probability is always null. This behavior is explained by the breaking of the helicity conservation by the mass term, allowing the reflection of states with inverted helicity in both potentials, and transmission of inverted helicity states only in the step potential. Finally, we give some insights on the consequences of our results in materials with Dirac-like quasiparticles, such as graphene, topological insulators and Weyl semimetals.

Keywords

Klein tunneling; Dirac equation; Tunnel junctions

Authors

NAVARRO GIRALDO, J.; QUIMBAY, C.

Released

8. 1. 2020

Publisher

Elsevier

Location

Annals of Physics

ISBN

0003-4916

Periodical

ANNALS OF PHYSICS

Year of study

412

Number

1

State

United States of America

Pages from

168022

Pages to

168040

Pages count

18

URL

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003491619302775?via%3Dihub

BibTex

@article{BUT161714,
  author="NAVARRO GIRALDO, J. and QUIMBAY, C.",
  title="Two-dimensional Klein tunneling for massive Dirac fermions with a defined helicity",
  journal="ANNALS OF PHYSICS",
  year="2020",
  volume="412",
  number="1",
  pages="168022--168040",
  doi="10.1016/j.aop.2019.168022",
  issn="0003-4916",
  url="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003491619302775?via%3Dihub"
}