Terahertz probe of nonequilibrium carrier dynamics and ultrafast photocurrents in the topological insulator Sb2Te3

Abstract

In this study, we report the ultrafast excitation and dynamics of the carrier and photocurrent in a 3D typical topological insulator Sb2Te3. We utilize time-resolved optical pump-THz probe spectroscopy to explore the nonequilibrium carrier dynamics of Sb2Te3. The electron system undergoes an ultrafast relaxation and releases through intra-band and inter-band scattering. Additionally, THz emission spectroscopy is employed to investigate the different ultrafast photocurrents in Sb2Te3 through tuning the polarization of excitation pulses and rotating the sample's azimuthal angle. We distinguish the different ultrafast photocurrents driven by the linear photogalvanic effect, circular photogalvanic effect, and thermoelectric effect. Our results potentially enable an all-optical modulation of THz emission without any external bias field, which could play an important role in the development of topological insulator-based high-speed THz optoelectronic and opto-spintronic devices.