Detecting the Néel vector of altermagnet by attaching a topological insulator and crystalline valley-edge insulator

Abstract: In order to detect the N\'{e}el vector of an altermagnet, we investigate topological phases in a bilayer system composed of an altermagnet and a two-dimensional topological insulator described by the Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang model. A topological phase transition occurs from a first-order topological insulator to a trivial insulator at a certain critical altermagnetization if the N\'{e}el vector of altermagnet is along the $x$ axis or the $y$ axis. It is intriguing that valley-protected edge states emerge along the N\'{e}el vector in this trivial insulator, which are as stable as the topological edge states. We name it a crystalline valley-edge insulator. On the other hand, the system turns out to be a second-order topological insulator when the N\'{e}el vector is along the $z$ axis. The tunneling conductance has a strong dependence on the N\'{e}el vector. In addition, the band gap depends on the N\'{e}el vector, which is measurable by optical absorption. Hence, it is possible experimentally to detect the N\'{e}el vector by measuring tunneling conductance and optical absorption.