Abstract
Rahul Roy (University of Oxford, United Kingdom)
Topological Insulators, parts I and II
Topological insulators are a new class of insulators which were
originally discovered in the context of a spin version of the quantum
Hall effect. The quantization of spin currents is not however a
characteristic feature of these materials, rather, it is the existence
of robust edge states. What is surprising is that these materials do
not break time reversal symmetry, yet display properties akin to
quantum Hall phases.
In these talks, I will provide some general background on these
materials and describe both experimental and theoretical work on them.