This paper details an investigation of the influence of different disorders in two-dimensional topological insulator systems. Unlike the phase transitions to a topological Anderson insulator induced by normal Anderson disorder, a different physical picture arises when bond disorder is considered. Using Born approximation theory, an explanation is given as to why bond disorder plays a different role in the phase transition than Anderson disorder. By comparing phase diagrams, conductance, conductance fluctuations, and the localization length for systems with different types of disorder, a consistent conclusion is obtained. The results indicate that a topological Anderson insulator is dependent on the type of disorder. These results are important for the doping processes used in the preparation of topological insulators.

• Received 13 February 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.195125