Aharonov–Bohm oscillations caused by non-topological surface states in Dirac nanowires

Abstract

One intriguing fingerprint of surface states in topological insulators is the Aharonov–Bohm effect in magnetoconductivity of nanowires. We show that surface states in nanowires of Dirac materials (bismuth, bismuth antimony, and lead tin chalcogenides) being in non-topological phase, exhibit the same effect as amendment to magnetoconductivity of the bulk states. We consider a simple model of a cylindrical nanowire, which is described by the 3D Dirac equation with a general T-invariant boundary condition. The boundary condition is determined by a single phenomenological parameter whose sign defines topological-like and non-topological surface states. The non-topological surface states emerge outside the gap. In a longitudinal magnetic field B, they lead to Aharonov–Bohm amendment for the density of states and correspondingly for the conductivity of the nanowire. The phase of these magnetic oscillations increases with B from π to 2π.