Quantum spin Hall insulator with a large bandgap, Dirac fermions, and bilayer graphene analog

The search for room temperature quantum spin Hall insulators (QSHIs) based on widely available materials and a controlled manufacturing process is one of the major challenges of today’s topological physics. We propose a new class of semiconductor systems based on multilayer broken-gap quantum wells, in which the QSHI gap reaches 60 meV and remains insensitive to temperature. Depending on their layer thicknesses and geometry, these novel structures also host a graphene-like phase and a bilayer graphene analog. Our theoretical results significantly extend the application potential of topological materials based on III–V semiconductors.