Anomalous Aharonov-Bohm conductance oscillations from topological insulator surface states

Understand

We study transport properties of a topological insulator nanowire when a magnetic field is applied along its length.

• We predict that with strong surface disorder, a characteristic signature of the band topology is revealed in Aharonov Bohm (AB) oscillations of the conductance.
• These oscillations have a component with anomalous period $\Phi_0=hc/e$, and with conductance maxima at odd multiples of $\frac12\Phi_0$, i.e.
• when the AB phase for surface electrons is $\pi$.