Topological states in multi-orbital ​HgTe honeycomb lattices

Research on graphene has revealed remarkable phenomena arising in the honeycomb lattice. However, the quantum spin Hall effect predicted at the K point could not be observed in graphene and other honeycomb structures of light elements due to an insufficiently strong spin–orbit coupling. Here we show theoretically that 2D honeycomb lattices of ​HgTe can combine the effects of the honeycomb geometry and strong spin–orbit coupling. The conduction bands, experimentally accessible via doping, can be described by a tight-binding lattice model as in graphene, but including multi-orbital degrees of freedom and spin–orbit coupling. This results in very large topological gaps (up to 35 meV) and a flattened band detached from the others. Owing to this flat band and the sizable Coulomb interaction, honeycomb structures of ​HgTe constitute a promising platform for the observation of a fractional Chern insulator or a fractional quantum spin Hall phase.