Counting Pseudo Landau Levels in Spatially Modulated Dirac Systems

Abstract: In a system with Dirac cones, spatial modulation in material parameters induces a pseudo magnetic field, which acts like an external magnetic field. Here, we derive a concise formula to count the pseudo Landau levels in the simplest setup for having a pseudo magnetic field. The formula is so concise that it is helpful in seeing the essence of the phenomenon, and in considering the experimental design for the pseudo magnetic field. Furthermore, it is revealed that anisotropic Dirac cones are advantageous in pseudo Landau level formation in general. The proposed setup is relatively easy to be realized by spatial modulation in the chemical composition, and we perform an estimation of the pseudo magnetic field in an existing material (an antiperovskite material), by following the composition dependence with the help of the ab-initio method.