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Hidden Dissipation in Topological Insulators: Near-field Radiation from Local Shot Noise
Miaomiao Wei1, Bin Wang1, Fuming Xu1,2
1Shenzhen University, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen 518060, China.
Physical Review Letters
|August 10, 2026
Summary
Dissipation in topological insulators arises from local shot noise interacting with the electromagnetic environment, creating nonlocal loss. Enforcing spin-sector orthogonality can suppress this energy loss channel.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum electronics
Background:
- Dissipation in topological insulators is crucial for spintronics and quantum computing.
- Conventional dissipation mechanisms like backscattering are not always applicable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a novel dissipation mechanism in topological insulators.
- To identify methods for reducing energy loss in topological electronic devices.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a nonequilibrium Green's-function framework.
- Linking local noise to the spectral Poynting vector.
- Analyzing two- and three-probe quantum Hall/quantum anomalous Hall interfaces.
Main Results:
- Finite-frequency local shot noise generates near-field radiation, creating a nonlocal loss channel.
- This occurs even at quantized conductance with vanishing global shot noise.
- Identified "hot spots" of near-field radiation measurable by scanning microscopy.
Conclusions:
- A microscopic mechanism for hidden dissipation in topological insulators was revealed.
- A design criterion involving spin-sector orthogonality was proposed to suppress this loss.
- The findings offer a practical approach to diagnose and reduce energy loss in topological electronics.
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