Large Bulk Band Gap Research Articles

Experimental observation of conductive edge states in weak topological insulator candidate HfTe5

The quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect is widely studied as a novel quantum state in condensed matter physics over the past decade. Recently, it is predicted that the transition metal pentatelluride XTe5 (X = Zr, Hf) has a large bandgap in its bulk form and a single layer of XTe5 is a QSH insulator candidate. However, the topological nature of the bulk material is still under debate because it is located close to the phase boundary of a strong topological insulator and a weak topological insulator (WTI). Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)/scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we systematically studied the electronic structures of bulk HfTe5. Both the large bulk bandgaps and conductive edge states in the vicinity of the step edges in HfTe5 were observed, strongly suggesting a WTI phase in bulk HfTe5. Moreover, our STM experiment for the first time reveals the bulk band bending due to the broken symmetry near the step edge, making it an ideal platform for studying the development of edge states in the WTI and QSH insulator.

Bandgap Engineering of Indium Phosphide-Based Core/Shell Heterostructures Through Shell Composition and Thickness.

The large bulk bandgap (1.35 eV) and Bohr radius (~10 nm) of InP semiconductor nanocrystals provides bandgap tunability over a wide spectral range, providing superior color tuning compared to that of CdSe quantum dots. In this paper, the dependence of the bandgap, photoluminescence emission, and exciton radiative lifetime of core/shell quantum dot heterostructures has been investigated using colloidal InP core nanocrystals with multiple diameters (1.5, 2.5, and 3.7 nm). The shell thickness and composition dependence of the bandgap for type-I and type-II heterostructures was observed by coating the InP core with ZnS, ZnSe, CdS, or CdSe through one to ten iterations of a successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR)-based shell deposition. The empirical results are compared to bandgap energy predictions made with effective mass modeling. Photoluminescence emission colors have been successfully tuned throughout the visible and into the near infrared (NIR) wavelength ranges for type-I and type-II heterostructures, respectively. Based on sizing data from transmission electron microscopy (TEM), it is observed that at the same particle diameter, average radiative lifetimes can differ as much as 20-fold across different shell compositions due to the relative positions of valence and conduction bands. In this direct comparison of InP/ZnS, InP/ZnSe, InP/CdS, and InP/CdSe core/shell heterostructures, we clearly delineate the impact of core size, shell composition, and shell thickness on the resulting optical properties. Specifically, Zn-based shells yield type-I structures that are color tuned through core size, while the Cd-based shells yield type-II particles that emit in the NIR regardless of the starting core size if several layers of CdS(e) have been successfully deposited. Particles with thicker CdS(e) shells exhibit longer photoluminescence lifetimes, while little shell-thickness dependence is observed for the Zn-based shells. Taken together, these InP-based heterostructures demonstrate the extent to which we are able to precisely tailor the material properties of core/shell particles using core/shell dimensions and composition as variables.

Fermi-level tuning of the Dirac surface state in (Bi1−xSbx)2Se3 thin films

We report on the electronic states and the transport properties of three-dimensional topological insulator (Bi1−xSbx)2Se3 ternary alloy thin films grown on an isostructural Bi2Se3 buffer layer on InP substrates. By angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we clearly detected Dirac surface states with a large bulk band gap of 0.2–0.3 eV in the (Bi1−xSbx)2Se3 film with x = 0.70. In addition, we observed by Hall effect measurements that the dominant charge carrier converts from electron (n-type) to hole (p-type) at around x = 0.7, indicating that the Fermi level can be controlled across the Dirac point. Indeed, the carrier transport was shown to be governed by Dirac surface state in 0.63 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.75. These features suggest that Fermi-level tunable (Bi1−xSbx)2Se3-based heterostructures provide a platform for extracting exotic topological phenomena.

Robust large-gap quantum spin Hall insulators in methyl-functionalized III-Bi buckled honeycombs

A large bulk band gap is critical for the applications of quantum spin hall (QSH) insulators in spintronics at room temperature. Based on first-principles calculations, we predict that the methyl-functionalized III-Bi monolayers, namely III-Bi-(CH3)2 (III=Ga, In, Tl) thin films, own QSH states with band gap as large as 0.260, 0.304 and 0.843 eV, respectively, making them suitable for room-temperature applications. The topological characteristics are confirmed by s-px,y band inversion, topological invariant Z2, and the topologically protected edge states. Noticeably, for GaBi/InBi-(CH3)2 films, the s-px,y band inversion occurred in the progress of spin-orbital coupling (SOC), while for TlBi(CH3)2 film, the s-px,y band inversion happened in the progress of chemical bonding. Significantly, the QSH states in III-Bi-(CH3)2 films are robust against the mechanical strains and various methyl coverages, making these films particularly flexible to substrate choice for device applications. Besides, the h-BN substrate is an ideal substrate for III-Bi-(CH3)2 films to realize large gap nontrivial topological states.. These findings demonstrate that the methyl-functionalized III-Bi films may be good QSH effect platforms for topological electronic devices design and fabrication in spintronics.

Quantum spin Hall insulator BiXH (XH = OH, SH) monolayers with a large bulk band gap.

A large bulk band gap is critical for the application of two-dimensional topological insulators (TIs) in spintronic devices operating at room temperature. On the basis of first-principles calculations, we predict BiXH (X = OH, SH) monolayers as TIs with an extraordinarily large bulk gap of 820 meV for BiOH and 850 meV for BiSH, and propose a tight-binding model considering spin-orbit coupling to describe the electronic properties of BiXH. These large gaps are entirely due to the strong spin-orbit interaction related to the pxy orbitals of the Bi atoms of the honeycomb lattice. The orbital filtering mechanism can be used to understand the topological properties of BiXH. The XH groups simply remove one branch of orbitals (pz of Bi) and reduce the trivial 6-band lattice into a 4-band, which is topologically non-trivial. The topological characteristics of BiXH monolayers are confirmed by nonzero topological invariant Z2 and a single pair of gapless helical edge states in the bulk gap. Owing to these features, the BiXH monolayers of the large-gap TIs are an ideal platform to realize many exotic phenomena and fabricate new quantum devices working at room temperature.

(Invited) Dirac Fermions in Layered Topological Material ZrTe5

Finding a large band gap topological insulator (TI) is crucial to future room-temperature (corresponding to ~25 meV) device applications. Recently, monolayer ZrTe5 has been predicted to be new functional two-dimensional (2D) TI [1], with a large (bulk) band gap far surpassing their predecessors, e.g., HgTe/CdTe and InAs/GaSb quantum wells. However, its electronic structure in the bulk is currently under heated debate, with interpretations ranging from weak/strong TI to Dirac semimetal. Here, we report on a “bulk-sensitive” magneto-infrared transmission study of ZrTe5 thin flakes in magnetic fields up to 17T. At zero magnetic field, our samples exhibit graphene-like optical absorption, which signifies their 2D nature. In a magnetic field, we observed a series of inter-band Landau level (LL) transitions that can be described by a massive Dirac fermion model with a small mass. More interestingly, we observed a four-fold splitting of low-lying LL transitions. Thanks to the newly developed circular polarized magneto-infrared capability, we were able to separate the σ+ and σ- active transitions. These observations enable further exploration of the origin in the splitting: (i) the band asymmetry breaks the degeneracy of the dipole allowed inter-band LL transitions, and (ii) the remaining two-fold degeneracy is due to a combined effect of large g-factor and a small energy gap in this system. Our results support a 2D Dirac semimetal interpretation, consistent with recent electronic transport studies [2,3]. Finally, we compare the LL structure of Dirac fermions in ZrTe5 and in other topological materials that we systematically investigated over last few years, such as HgCdTe and InAs/GaSb [4, 5, 6]. 1. H. Weng, X. Dai, and Z. Fang, Physical Review X 4, 011002 (2014). 2. W. Yu et al. Scientific Reports 6, 35357 (2016). 3. X. Yuan et al. NPG Asia Mater 8, e325 (2016). 4. J. Ludwig et al. Physical Review B 89, 241406(R) (2014). 5. F. Teppe et al. Nature Communications 7, 12576 (2016). 6. Y. Jiang et al. Physical Review B 95, 045116 (2017).

Pressure induced topological phase transition in layered Bi2S3.

A large bulk band gap and tunable Dirac carriers are desired for practical device applications of topological insulators. However, most known topological insulators are narrow gap materials and the manipulation of their Dirac surface states is limited by residual bulk charge carriers originating from intrinsic defects. In this study, via density functional theory based first-principles calculations, we predict that a layered hexagonal structure of Bi2S3 is stable, and it becomes a topological insulator under a moderate compressive pressure of about 5.3 GPa. Interestingly, we find that the strength of the spin-orbit interaction in Bi2S3 can be effectively enhanced by the applied pressure. This leads to an increased inverted band gap with pressure, which can reach 0.4 eV with a pressure of 13.7 GPa. Compared to Bi2Se3, intrinsic defects are suppressed in Bi2S3 under both cation- and anion-poor growth conditions. Our calculations predict a new Bi-based topological insulator, and also shed light on control over spin-orbit interactions in Bi2S3 and tuning of its topological properties.

Spin Orbit Coupling Gap and Indirect Gap in Strain-Tuned Topological Insulator-Antimonene.

Recently, searching large-bulk band gap topological insulator (TI) is under intensive study. Through k·P theory and first-principles calculations analysis on antimonene, we find that α-phase antimonene can be tuned to a 2D TI under an in-plane anisotropic strain and the magnitude of direct bulk band gap (SOC gap) depends on the strength of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) which is strain-dependent. As the band inversion of this TI accompanies with an indirect band gap, the TI bulk band gap is the indirect band gap, not the SOC gap. SOC gap can be enhanced by increasing strain, whereas the indirect band gap can be closed by increasing strain, such that large bulk band gap are forbidden. With the k·P theory analysis on antimonene, we know how to avoid such an indirect band gap. In case of indirect band gap avoided, the SOC gap could become the bulk band gap of a TI which can be enhanced by strain. Thus our theoretical analysis can help searching large bulk band gap TI.

Evidence for Topological Edge States in a Large Energy Gap near the Step Edges on the Surface ofZrTe5

Two-dimensional topological insulators with a large bulk band gap are promising for experimental studies of quantum spin Hall effect and for spintronic device applications. Despite considerable theoretical efforts in predicting large-gap two-dimensional topological insulator candidates, none of them have been experimentally demonstrated to have a full gap, which is crucial for quantum spin Hall effect. Here, by combining scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we reveal that ZrTe5 crystal hosts a large full gap of ∼100 meV on the surface and a nearly constant density of states within the entire gap at the monolayer step edge. These features are well reproduced by our first-principles calculations, which point to the topologically nontrivial nature of the edge states.Received 31 December 2015DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.6.021017This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical Society

Dirac fermions at high-index surfaces of bismuth chalcogenide topological insulator nanostructures.

Binary bismuth chalcogenides Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, and related materials are currently being extensively investigated as the reference topological insulators (TIs) due to their simple surface-state band dispersion (single Dirac cone) and relatively large bulk band gaps. Nanostructures of TIs are of particular interest as an increased surface-to-volume ratio enhances the contribution of surfaces states, meaning they are promising candidates for potential device applications. So far, the vast majority of research efforts have focused on the low-energy (0001) surfaces, which correspond to natural cleavage planes in these layered materials. However, the surfaces of low-dimensional nanostructures (nanoplatelets, nanowires, nanoribbons) inevitably involve higher-index facets. We perform a systematic ab initio investigation of the surfaces of bismuth chalcogenide TI nanostructures characterized by different crystallographic orientations, atomic structures and stoichiometric compositions. We find several stable terminations of high-index surfaces, which can be realized at different values of the chemical potential of one of the constituent elements. For the uniquely defined stoichiometric termination, the topological Dirac fermion states are shown to be strongly anisotropic with a clear dependence of Fermi velocities and spin polarization on the surface orientation. Self-doping effects and the presence of topologically trivial mid-gap states are found to characterize the non-stoichiometric surfaces. The results of our study pave the way towards experimental control of topologically protected surface states in bismuth chalcogenide nanostructures.

Tuning band inversion symmetry of buckled III-Bi sheets by halogenation

First-principles calculations are employed to investigate structural, electronic and topological insulating properties of XBi (X = B, Al, Ga, and In) monolayers upon halogenation. It is known that Y-XBi (X = Ga, In, Tl; Y = F, Cl, Br, I) can originate inversion-asymmetric topological insulators with large bulk band gaps. Our results suggest that Y-XBi (X = B, Al; Y = F, Cl, Br, I) may also result in nontrivial topological insulating phases. Despite the lower atomic number of B and Al, the spin–orbit coupling opens a band gap of about 400 meV in Y-XBi (X = B, Al), exhibiting an unusual electronic behavior for practical applications in spintronics. The nature of the bulk band gap and Dirac-cone edge states in their nanoribbons depends on the group-III elements and Y chemical species. They lead to a chemical tunability, giving rise to distinct band inversion symmetries and exhibiting Rashba-type spin splitting in the valence band of these systems. These findings indicate that a large family of Y-XBi sheets can exhibit nontrivial topological characteristics, by a proper tuning, and open a new possibility for viable applications at room temperature.

Quantum spin Hall insulators in functionalized arsenene (AsX, X = F, OH and CH3) monolayers with pronounced light absorption.

The search for new two-dimensional topological insulators (2D-TIs) with large band gaps is of great interest and importance. Our first-principles calculations predicted three candidates for 2D-TIs, arsenene functionalized with F, OH and CH3 groups (AsX, X = F, OH and CH3), which preserved large bulk band gaps from 100 to 160 meV (up to 260 meV) derived from the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) within the px,y orbitals. This picture is similar to what was reported for an AsH monolayer with a band gap of 193 meV. Ab initio molecular dynamic (AIMD) simulations demonstrated the thermal stabilities of the AsX monolayers even at 500 K. The nontrivial topological phase was confirmed by the topological invariant Z2 and topological edge state. The topological electronic bandgap of the AsF monolayer can be effectively modulated by biaxial tensile strain and vertical external electric field. In addition, pronounced light absorption in the near-infrared and visible range of the solar spectrum was expected for the AsX (X = H, F) monolayers from the adsorption peaks at 0.45-1.6 eV, which is attractive for light harvesting. The nontrivial quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators AsX could be promising candidates for practical room-temperature applications in dissipationless transport devices and photovoltaics.

Strain-driven band inversion and topological aspects in Antimonene.

Searching for the two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators (TIs) with large bulk band gaps is the key to achieve room-temperature quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE). Using first-principles calculations, we demonstrated that the recently-proposed antimonene [Zhang et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 3112–3115 (2015)] can be tuned to a 2D TI by reducing the buckling height of the lattice which can be realized under tensile strain. The strain-driven band inversion in the vicinity of the Fermi level is responsible for the quantum phase transition. The buckled configuration of antimonene enables it to endure large tensile strain up to 18% and the resulted bulk band gap can be as large as 270 meV. The tunable bulk band gap makes antimonene a promising candidate material for achieving quantum spin Hall effect (QSH) at high temperatures which meets the requirement of future electronic devices with low power consumption.

Prediction of large-gap quantum spin hall insulator and Rashba-Dresselhaus effect in two-dimensional g-TlA (A = N, P, As, and Sb) monolayer films

A new family of two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators (TIs) comprising g-TlA (A = N, P, As, and Sb) monolayers constructed by Tl and group-V elements is predicted by first-principles calculations and molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations. The geometric stability, band inversion, nontrivial edge states, and electric polarity are investigated to predict the large-gap quantum spin Hall insulator and Rashba-Dresselhaus effects. The MD results reveal that the g-TlA monolayers remain stable even at room temperature. The g-TlA (A = As, Sb) monolayers become TIs under the influence of strong spin-orbit couplings with large bulk bandgaps of 131 and 268 meV, respectively. A single band inversion is observed in each g-TlA (A = As, Sb) monolayer, indicating a nontrivial topological nature. Furthermore, the topological edge states are described by introducing a sufficiently wide zigzag-nanoribbon. A Dirac point in the middle of the bulk gap connects the valence- and conduction-band edges. The Fermi velocity near the Dirac point with a linear band dispersion is ~0.51 × 106 m/s, which is comparable to that of many other 2D nanomaterials. More importantly, owing to the broken inversion symmetry normal to the plane of the g-TlA films, a promising Rashba-Dresselhaus effect with the parameter up to 0.85 eV·A is observed in the g-TlA (A = As, Sb) monolayers. Our findings regarding 2D topological g-TlA monolayers with room-temperature bandgaps, intriguing topological edge states, and a promising Rashba-Dresselhaus effect are of fundamental value and suggest potential applications in nanoelectronic devices.

Two-dimensional inversion-asymmetric topological insulators in functionalized III-Bi bilayers

The search for inversion asymmetric topological insulators (IATIs) persists as an effect for realizing new topological phenomena. However, so for only a few IATIs have been discovered and there is no IATI exhibiting a large band gap exceeding 0.6 eV. Using first-principles calculations, we predict a series of new IATIs in saturated Group III-Bi bilayers. We show that all these IATIs preserve extraordinary large bulk band gaps which are well above room-temperature, allowing for viable applications in room-temperature spintronic devices. More importantly, most of these systems display large bulk band gaps that far exceed 0.6 eV and, part of them even are up to ~1 eV, which are larger than any IATIs ever reported. The nontrivial topological situation in these systems is confirmed by the identified band inversion of the band structures and an explicit demonstration of the topological edge states. Interestingly, the nontrivial band order characteristics are intrinsic to most of these materials and are not subject to spin-orbit coupling. Owning to their asymmetric structures, remarkable Rashba spin splitting is produced in both the valence and conduction bands of these systems. These predictions strongly revive these new systems as excellent candidates for IATI-based novel applications.

Wide spectral and wavelength-tunable dissipative soliton fiber laser with topological insulator nano-sheets self-assembly films sandwiched by PMMA polymer.

Topological insulators have been theoretically predicted as promising candidates for broadband photonics devices due to its large bulk band gap states in association with the spin-momentum-locked mass-less Dirac edge/surface states. Unlike the bulk counterpart, few-layer topological insulators possess some intrinsic optical advantages, such as low optical loss, low saturation intensity and high concentration of surface state. Herein, we use a solvothermal method to prepare few-layer Bi₂Te₃ flakes. By sandwiching few-layer Bi₂Te₃ flakes with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer, a novel light modulation device had been successfully fabricated with high chemical and thermal stabilities as well as excellent mechanical durability, originating from the contribution of PMMA acting as buffer layers that counteract excessive mechanical bending within the fragile Bi₂Te₃ flakes. The incorporation of the as-fabricated PMMA-TI-PMMA as saturable absorber, which could bear long-term mechanical loadings, into the fiber laser cavity generated the stable dissipative soliton mode-locking with a 3-dB spectral bandwidth up to 51.62 nm and tunable wavelength range of 22 nm. Our work provides a new way of fabricating PMMA-TI-PMMA sandwiched composite structure as saturable absorber with promising applications for laser operation.

Quantum spin Hall insulators and quantum valley Hall insulators of BiX/SbX (X=H, F, Cl and Br) monolayers with a record bulk band gap

A large bulk band gap is critical for the application of quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators or two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators (TIs) in spintronic devices operating at room temperature (RT). On the basis of first-principles calculations, we predicted a group of 2D TI BiX/SbX (X=H, F, Cl and Br) monolayers with extraordinarily large bulk gaps from 0.32 eV to a record value of 1.08 eV. These giant-gaps are entirely due to the result of the strong spin-orbit interaction related to the px and py orbitals of the Bi/Sb atoms around the two valleys K and K′ of the honeycomb lattice, which is significantly different from that consisting of the pz orbital as in graphene/silicene. The topological characteristic of BiX/SbX monolayers is confirmed by the calculated nontrivial Z2 index and an explicit construction of the low-energy effective Hamiltonian in these systems. We demonstrate that the honeycomb structures of BiX monolayers remain stable even at 600 K. Owing to these features, the giant-gap TIs BiX/SbX monolayers are an ideal platform to realize many exotic phenomena and fabricate new quantum devices operating at RT. Furthermore, biased BiX/SbX monolayers become a quantum valley Hall insulator, exhibiting valley-selective circular dichroism.

Effect of Bi bilayers on the topological states ofBi2Se3: A first-principles study

${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ is a three-dimensional topological insulator which has been extensively studied because it has a single Dirac cone on the surface, inside a relatively large bulk band gap. However, the effect of two-dimensional topological insulator Bi bilayers on the properties of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ and vice versa, has not been explored much. Bi bilayers are often present between the quintuple layers of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$, since ${({\mathrm{Bi}}_{2})}_{n}{({\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3})}_{m}$ form stable ground-state structures. Moreover, ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ is a good substrate for growing ultrathin Bi bilayers. By first-principles techniques, we first show that there is no preferable surface termination by either Bi or Se. Next, we investigate the electronic structure of Bi bilayers on top of, or inside a ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ slab. If the Bi bilayers are on top, we observe a charge transfer to the quintuple layers that increases the binding energy of the surface Dirac cones. The extra states, originating from the Bi bilayers, were declared to form a topological Dirac cone, but here we show that these are ordinary Rashba-split states. This result, together with the appearance of a new Dirac cone that is localized slightly deeper, might necessitate the reinterpretation of several experimental results. When the Bi bilayers are located inside the ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ slab, they tend to split the slab into two topological insulators with clear surface states. Interface states can also be observed, but an energy gap persists because of strong coupling between the neighboring quintuple layers and the Bi bilayers.

Preparation of few-layer bismuth selenide by liquid-phase-exfoliation and its optical absorption properties.

Bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3), a new topological insulator, has attracted much attention in recent years owing to its relatively simple band structure and large bulk band gap. Compared to bulk, few-layer Bi2Se3 is recently considered as a highly promising material. Here, we use a liquid-phase exfoliation method to prepare few-layer Bi2Se3 in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone or chitosan acetic solution. The resulted few-layer Bi2Se3 dispersion demonstrates an interesting absorption in the visible light region, which is different from bulk Bi2Se3 without any absorption in this region. The absorption spectrum of few-layer Bi2Se3 depends on its size and layer number. At the same time, the nonlinear and saturable absorption of few-layer Bi2Se3 thin film in near infrared is also characterized well and further exploited to generate laser pulses by a passive Q-switching technique. Stable Q-switched operation is achieved with a lower pump threshold of 9.3 mW at 974 nm, pulse energy of 39.8 nJ and a wide range of pulse-repetition-rate from 6.2 to 40.1 kHz. Therefore, the few-layer Bi2Se3 may excite a potential applications in laser photonics and optoelectronic devices.

Graphene-Based Topological Insulator with an Intrinsic Bulk Band Gap above Room Temperature

Topological insulators (TIs) represent a new quantum state of matter characterized by robust gapless states inside the insulating bulk gap. The metallic edge states of a two-dimensional (2D) TI, known as the quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect, are immune to backscattering and carry fully spin-polarized dissipationless currents. However, existing 2D TIs realized in HgTe and InAs/GaSb suffer from small bulk gaps (<10 meV) well below room temperature, thus limiting their application in electronic and spintronic devices. Here, we report a new 2D TI comprising a graphene layer sandwiched between two Bi2Se3 slabs that exhibits a large intrinsic bulk band gap of 30-50 meV, making it viable for room-temperature applications. Distinct from previous strategies for enhancing the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling effect of the graphene lattice, the present graphene-based TI operates on a new mechanism of strong inversion between graphene Dirac bands and Bi2Se3 conduction bands. Strain engineering leads to effective control and substantial enhancement of the bulk gap. Recently reported synthesis of smooth graphene/Bi2Se3 interfaces demonstrates the feasibility of experimental realization of this new 2D TI structure, which holds great promise for nanoscale device applications.