Dissipative Edge Transport in Disordered Axion Insulator Films

Abstract: We investigate the role of disorder in the edge transport of axion insulator films. We predict by first-principles calculations that even-number-layer MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ have gapped helical edge states. The random potential will dramatically modify the edge spectral function to become gapless. However, such gapless helical state here is fundamentally different from that in quantum spin Hall insulator or topological Anderson insulator. We further study the edge transport in this system by Landauer-B\"{u}ttiker formalism, and find such gapless edge state is dissipative and not immune to backscattering, which would explain the dissipative nonlocal transport in the axion insulator state observed in six septuple layer MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ experimentally. Several transport experiments are proposed to verify our theory on the dissipative helical edge channels. In particular, the longitudinal resistance can be greatly reduced by adding an extra floating probe even if it is not used. These results will facilitate the observsation of long-sought topological magnetoelectric effect in axion insulators.