Topological field-effect transistor with quantized on/off conductance of helical/chiral dislocation states

Abstract

Topology is a key ingredient driving the emergence of quantum devices. The topological field-effect transistor (TFET) has been proposed to outperform the conventional field-effect transistor by replacing the on state with topology-protected quantized conductance, while the off state has the same normal insulating characteristics and hence bears similar drawbacks. Here, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept TFET, having both on and off quantized conductance, by switching between helical and chiral topological screw dislocation (SD) states in three-dimensional topological insulators. A pair of SDs are configured, with one acting as a channel and the other as a gate controlled by a local magnetic field. Reversible field switching is achieved with the on and off conductance of $2{e}^{2}/h$ and ${e}^{2}/h$, respectively, as shown by tight-binding quantum transport calculations. Furthermore, $\mathrm{BaBi}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is shown as one candidate material that has the desired topological SD states, based on first-principles calculations. Our findings open a new route to high-fidelity topological quantum devices.