Topological Insulator Bi Research Articles

Electronic properties of one-dimensional nanostructures of the Bi2Se3 topological insulator

We theoretically study the electronic structure and spin properties of one-dimensional nanostructures of the prototypical bulk topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$. Realistic models of experimentally observed Bi$_2$Se$_3$ nanowires and nanoribbons are considered using the tight-binding method. At low energies, the band structures are composed of a series of evenly spaced degenerate sub-bands resulting from circumferential confinement of the topological surface states. The direct band gaps due to the non-trivial $\pi$ Berry phase show a clear dependence on the circumference. The spin-momentum locking of the topological surface states results in a pronounced 2$\pi$ spin rotation around the circumference with the degree of spin polarization dependent on the the momentum along the nanostructure. Overall, the band structures and spin textures are more complicated for nanoribbons, which expose two distinct facets. The effects of reduced dimensionality are rationalized with the help of a simple model that considers circumferential quantization of the topological surface states. Furthermore, the surface spin density induced by electric current along the nanostructure shows a pronounced oscillatory dependence on the charge-carrier energy, which can be exploited in spintronics applications.

Structural, vibrational, and electronic topological transitions of Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.8Se1.2 under pressure

Topological insulators have been the subject of intense research interest due to their unique surface states that are topologically protected against scattering or defects. However, the relationship between the crystal structure and topological insulator state remains to be clarified. Here, we show the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the structural, vibrational, and topological properties of the topological insulator Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.8Se1.2 up to 45 GPa using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell, together with first-principles theoretical calculations. Two pressure-induced structural phase transitions were observed: from ambient rhombohedral R3¯m phase to a monoclinic C2/m phase at ∼13 GPa, and to a disordered I4/mmm phase at ∼22 GPa. In addition, the alloy undergoes several electronic transitions within the R3¯m phase: indirect to direct bulk band gap transition at ∼5.8 GPa, bulk gap closing with an appearance of Dirac semimetal (DSM) state at ∼8.2 GPa, and to a trivial semimetal state at ∼12.1 GPa. Anomalies in c/a ratio and Raman full width at half maximum that coincide with the DSM phase suggest the contribution of electron-phonon coupling to the transition. Compared to binary end members Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, and Sb2Te3, the structural phase transition and anomaly were observed at higher pressures in Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.8Se1.2. These results suggest that the topological transitions are precursors to the structural phase transitions.

Inverse spin Hall effect induced by linearly polarized light in the topological insulator Bi2Se3.

The inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) induced by the normal incidence of linearly-polarized infrared radiation has been observed in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. A model has been proposed to explain the phenomenon, and the spin transverse force has been determined by the model fitting. The anomalous linear photogalvanic effect (ALPGE) is also observed, and the photoinduced momentum anisotropy is extracted. Furthermore, the ISHE and ALPGE are investigated at different temperatures between 77 and 300 K, and the temperature dependence of the spin transverse force and photoinduced momentum anisotropy are obtained. This study suggests a new way to investigate the inverse spin Hall effect via linearly polarized light even at room temperature.

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.

Spin and electronic structure of the topological insulator Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.8Se1.2

Electronic and spin structure of the Dirac-cone-like topological surface and valence band states were studied experimentally and theoretically for topological insulator with fractional stoichiometry Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.8Se1.2 which is considered as one of the best candidates for efficient spin-polarized current generation. By means of spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy we demonstrate the separation of the Dirac point from the bulk states and the helical spin structure of the Dirac cone. For the freshly cleaved surface the Fermi level is located in the bulk band gap and an exposure in residual gases shifts the Fermi level towards the bulk conduction band. Results of the theoretical calculations are in a good agreement with the experimental data. Surface morphology study shows a well-structured atomically sharp surface after cleavage. The transport measurements confirm that this topological insulator has relatively high resistance with semiconductor-like temperature dependence at low temperatures. The studied Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.8Se1.2 crystals demonstrated a quite large Seebeck coefficient values reaching −400 μV/K at room temperature.

Interband absorption edge in the topological insulators Bi2(Te1−xSex)3

We have investigated the optical properties of thin films of topological insulators Bi$_{2}$Te$_{3}$, Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ and their alloys Bi$_2$(Te$_{1-x}$Se$_x$)$_3$ on BaF$_{2}$ substrates by a combination of infrared ellipsometry and reflectivity in the energy range from 0.06 to 6.5 eV. For the onset of interband absorption in Bi$_2$Se$_3$, after the correction for the Burstein-Moss effect, we find the value of direct bandgap of $215\pm10$ meV at 10 K. Our data supports the picture that Bi$_2$Se$_3$ has a direct band gap located at the $\Gamma$ point in the Brillouin zone and that the valence band reaches up to the Dirac point and has the shape of a downward oriented paraboloid, i.e. without a camel-back structure. In Bi$_2$Te$_3$, the onset of strong direct interband absorption at 10 K is at a similar energy of about 200 meV, with a weaker additional feature at about 170 meV. Our data support the recent GW band structure calculations suggesting that the direct interband transition does not occur at the $\Gamma$ point but near the Z-F line of the Brillouin zone. In the Bi$_2$(Te$_{1-x}$Se$_x$)$_3$ alloy, the energy of the onset of direct interband transitions exhibits a maximum near $x=0.3$ (i.e. the composition of Bi$_2$Te$_2$Se), suggesting that the crossover of the direct interband transitions between the two points in the Brillouin zone occurs close to this composition.

Temperature and impurity effect on parallel field magnetoconductance of bulk insulating topological insulator (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3

We have performed a systematic parallel field magnetotransport studies of (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 to understand the temperature and impurity effect on the interference of bulk conductance on the surface states of highly insulating topologically insulating compound Bi2Te3. The compound exhibits a weak antilocalization effect (WAL) at low temperature and low magnetic field. WAL weakens and a weak localization effect is observed to be developed in the compound with the increase in temperature due to the creation of topologically trivial 2D electron gas states. Strong interlayer interference and coupling of bulk carriers with surface states are observed at low temperature. A similar temperature effect is observed for all concentrations of Sb. Topologically protected surface states enhance with the increase in Sb contents up to x = 0.3; however, a further increase in Sb concentration leads to a decrease in surface states. The data has been analysed via the generalised Altshuler and Aronov model for parallel field transport anticipating weak antilocalization and interlayer interference.

Understanding the Giant Enhancement of Exchange Interaction in Bi_{2}Se_{3}-EuS Heterostructures.

A recent experiment indicated that a ferromagnetic EuS film in contact with a topological insulator Bi_{2}Se_{3} might show a largely enhanced Curie temperature and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy [F. Katmis et al., Nature (London) 533, 513 (2016).NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature17635]. Through systematic density functional calculations, we demonstrate that in addition to the factor that Bi_{2}Se_{3} has a strong spin orbit coupling, the topological surface states are crucial to make these unusual behaviors robust as they hybridize with EuS states and extend rather far into the magnetic layers. The magnetic moments of Eu atoms are nevertheless not much enhanced, unlike what was reported in the experiment. Our results and model analyses provide useful insights for how these quantities are linked, and pave a way for the control of properties of magnetic films via contact with topological insulators.

Prominent metallic surface conduction and the singular magnetic response of topological Dirac fermion in three-dimensional topological insulator Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.7Se1.3

We report semiconductor to metal-like crossover in the temperature dependence of resistivity (ρ) due to the switching of charge transport from bulk to surface channel in three-dimensional topological insulator Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.7Se1.3. Unlike earlier studies, a much sharper drop in ρ(T) is observed below the crossover temperature due to the dominant surface conduction. Remarkably, the resistivity of the conducting surface channel follows a rarely observable T2 dependence at low temperature, as predicted theoretically for a two-dimensional Fermi liquid system. The field dependence of magnetization shows a cusp-like paramagnetic peak in the susceptibility (χ) at zero field over the diamagnetic background. The peak is found to be robust against temperature and χ decays linearly with the field from its zero-field value. This unique behavior of the χ is associated with the spin-momentum locked topological surface state in Bi1.5Sb0.5Te1.7Se1.3. The reconstruction of the surface state with time is clearly reflected through the reduction of the peak height with the age of the sample.

Thickness-dependent carrier and phonon dynamics of topological insulator Bi2Te3 thin films.

As a new quantum state of matter, topological insulators offer a new platform for exploring new physics, giving rise to fascinating new phenomena and new devices. Lots of novel physical properties of topological insulators have been studied extensively and are attributed to the unique electron-phonon interactions at the surface. Although electron behavior in topological insulators has been studied in detail, electron-phonon interactions at the surface of topological insulators are less understood. In this work, using optical pump-optical probe technology, we performed transient absorbance measurement on Bi2Te3 thin films to study the dynamics of its hot carrier relaxation process and coherent phonon behavior. The excitation and dynamics of phonon modes are observed with a response dependent on the thickness of the samples. The thickness-dependent characteristic time, amplitude and frequency of the damped oscillating signals are acquired by fitting the signal profiles. The results clearly indicate that the electron-hole recombination process gradually become dominant with the increasing thickness which is consistent with our theoretical calculation. In addition, a frequency modulation phenomenon on the high-frequency oscillation signals induced by coherent optical phonons is observed.

Surface vibrational modes of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 observed by Raman spectroscopy

We present polarization resolved Raman scattering study of surface vibration modes in the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ single crystal and thick films. Besides the four Raman active bulk phonons, we observed four additional modes with much weaker intensity and slightly lower energy than the bulk counterparts. Using symmetry analysis, we assigned these additional modes to out-of-plane surface phonons. Comparing with first principle calculations, we conclude that the appearance of these modes is due to $c$-axis lattice distortion and van der Waals gap expansion near the crystal surface. Two of the surface modes at 60 and 173 cm$^{-1}$ are associated with Raman active $A_{1g}$ bulk phonon modes, the other two at 136 and 158 cm$^{-1}$ are associated with infrared active bulk phonons with $A_{2u}$ symmetry. The latter become Raman allowed due to reduction of crystalline symmetry from $D_{3d}$ in the bulk to $C_{3v}$ on the crystal surface. In particular, the 158 cm$^{-1}$ surface phonon mode shows a Fano lineshape under resonant excitation, suggesting interference in the presence of electron-phonon coupling of the surface excitations.

Instability of the topological surface state in Bi2Se3 upon deposition of gold

Momentum resolved photoemission spectroscopy indicates the instability of the Dirac surface state upon deposition of gold on the (0001) surface of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$. Based on the structure model derived from extended x-ray absorption fine structure experiments showing that gold atoms substitute bismuth atoms, first principles calculations provide evidence that a gap appears due to hybridization of the surface state with gold d-states near the Fermi level. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms affecting the stability of the surface state.

Strain effects in topological insulators: Topological order and the emergence of switchable topological interface states in Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterojunctions

Strain can induce a topological phase transition in bismuth dichalcogenides. We present the phase diagram for 3D topological insulators Bi$_2$Te$_3$, Sb$_2$Te$_3$, Bi$_2$Se$_3$ and Sb$_2$Se$_3$ with uniaxial and biaxal strain, which show metallic and insulating phases, both topologically trivial and non-trivial. In particular, uniaxial tension can drive Sb$_2$Te$_3$ into a topologically trivial insulating phase. Thus, we propose a Sb$_2$Te$_3$/Bi$_2$Te$_3$ heterojunction in which a topological interface state arises in the common gap of this topological insulator-normal insulator heterojunction that can be switched on or off by means of uniaxial strain. This interface state is confined in the Sb$_2$Te$_3$ subsystem and is physically protected from ambient impurities. Therefore, Sb$_2$Te$_3$/Bi$_2$Te$_3$ heterojunctions can host robust helical interface states with promising spintronic applications.

Electron-phonon coupling and surface Debye temperature of Bi2Te3 (111) from helium atom scattering

We have studied the topological insulator Bi$_2$Te$_3$(111) by means of helium atom scattering. The average electron-phonon coupling $\lambda$ of Bi$_2$Te$_3$(111) is determined by adapting a recently developed quantum-theoretical derivation of the helium scattering probabilities to the case of degenerate semiconductors. Based on the Debye-Waller attenuation of the elastic diffraction peaks of Bi$_2$Te$_3$(111), measured at surface temperatures between $110~\mbox{K}$ and $355~\mbox{K}$, we find $\lambda$ to be in the range of $0.04-0.11$. This method allows to extract a correctly averaged $\lambda$ and to address the discrepancy between previous studies. The relatively modest value of $\lambda$ is not surprising even though some individual phonons may provide a larger electron-phonon interaction. Furthermore, the surface Debye temperature of Bi$_2$Te$_3$(111) is determined as ${\rm \Theta}_D = (81\pm6)~\mbox{K}$. The electronic surface corrugation was analysed based on close-coupling calculations. By using a corrugated Morse potential a peak-to-peak corrugation of 9% of the lattice constant is obtained.

Coexistence of superconductivity and weak ferromagnetism at the interface of twisting bicrystals of 3D topological insulator Bi1 − xSbx (0.07 < x < 0.2)

In the normal state the 3D topological insulator Bi1−xSbx is diamagnetic and does not show superconductivity because of the extremely low carrier density. Despite this, we have found that the small crystallite disorientation angle (SDA) interfaces of bismuth-antimony bicrystals, which consist of a solitary central part (thickness of about 60 nm) and two similar adjacent layers (∼20 nm) on both sides of it, exhibit two superconducting transitions with critical temperature Tc∼(3.7–4.6) K and Tc∼(8.3–21) K, while large crystallite disorientation angle (LDA) interfaces with a higher structural disorder show ferromagnetic hysteresis loops and specific characteristics of a single superconducting layer with a thickness comparable with the entire interface.

Experimental search for one-dimensional edge states at surface steps of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 : Distinguishing between effects and artifacts

The results of a detailed study of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ surface state energy structure in the vicinity of surface steps using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy methods are presented. An increase in the chemical potential level $\mu$ near the step edge is observed. The value of the increase $\delta \mu\sim 0.1$~eV is found to correlate with the step height. The effect is caused by redistribution of electron wave functions between the outer and inner edges of surface steps, as known for normal metals. The smaller value of the chemical potential shift and its larger characteristic length of $\sim 10$~nm reflect specifics of the helical surface states. This increase is accompanied by enlargement of the normalized differential tunneling conductance in the helical surface states energy region and thereby produces the illusion of the appearance of edge states. We show that the enlargement is reproduced in the framework of the tunneling model taking into account the tunneling gap transparency change when the chemical potential moves away from the Dirac point.

On the peculiarities of galvanomagnetic effects in high magnetic fields in twisting bicrystals of the 3D topological insulator Bi1–x Sb x (0.07 ≤ x ≤ 0.2)

Galvanomagnetic effects in twisting bicrystals of Bi1–x Sb x alloys (0.07 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) at low temperatures and in magnetic fields up to 40 T are studied. It is found that, at small crystallite misorientation angles, the semiconductor–semimetal transition is induced in the central layer (~60-nm-thick) and two adjacent layers (each ~20-nm-thick) of the interface at different values of ultraquantum magnetic field. Bicrystals with large misorientation angles, being located in strong magnetic fields, exhibit quantum oscillations of the magnetoresistance and the Hall effect, thus indicating that the density of states is higher and charge carriers are heavier in the adjacent layers of the interfaces than in the crystallites. Our results show also that twisting bicrystals contain regions with different densities of quantum electronic states, which are determined by the crystallite misorientation angle and magnetic-field strength.

Spatial variation of the two-fold anisotropic superconducting gap in a monolayer of FeSe0.5Te0.5 on a topological insulator

We present our investigations on the superconducting properties of monolayers of FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ grown on the 3D topological insulator Bi$_{2}$Se$_{1.2}$Te$_{1.8}$ using low temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). While the morphology and the overall transition temperature resemble those of similarly doped bulk crystals, the spatially resolved spectroscopic data at 1.1K shows a much larger spatial inhomogeneity in the superconducting energy gaps. Despite the gap inhomogeneity all the spectra can be fitted with a two-fold anisotropic s-wave gap function. The two-fold nature of the gap symmetry is evident from the Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference (QPI) pattern which shows distinct C$_{2}$ symmetric scattering intensities. We argue that the gap inhomogeneity emerges as a result of intrinsic disorder in our system similar to disordered conventional superconductors. Even though most of our findings clearly differ from the current understanding of the corresponding bulk system, it provides an ideal platform to study unconventional superconductivity in Fe chalcogenides thinned down to a single layer and in close proximity to a topological insulator.

Subpicosecond spin dynamics of excited states in the topological insulator Bi2Te3

Using time-, spin- and angle-resolved photoemission, we investigate the ultrafast spin dynamics of hot electrons on the surface of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Te$_3$ following optical excitation by fs-infrared pulses. We observe two surface-resonance states above the Fermi level coexisting with a transient population of Dirac fermions that relax in about $\sim$2 ps. One state is located below $\sim$0.4 eV just above the bulk continuum, the other one at $\sim$0.8 eV inside a projected bulk band gap. At the onset of the excitation, both states exhibit a reversed spin texture with respect to that of the transient Dirac bands, in agreement with our one-step photoemission calculations. Our data reveal that the high-energy state undergoes spin relaxation within $\sim$0.5 ps, a process that triggers the subsequent spin dynamics of both the Dirac cone and the low-energy state, which behave as two dynamically-locked electron populations. We discuss the origin of this behavior by comparing the relaxation times observed for electrons with opposite spins to the ones obtained from a microscopic Boltzmann model of ultrafast band cooling introduced into the photoemission calculations. Our results demonstrate that the nonequilibrium surface dynamics is governed by electron-electron rather than electron-phonon scattering, with a characteristic time scale unambiguously determined by the complex spin texture of excited states above the Fermi level. Our findings reveal the critical importance of detecting momentum and energy-resolved spin textures with fs resolution to fully understand the sub-ps dynamics of transient electrons on the surface of topological insulators.

Twin domain imaging in topological insulator Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 epitaxial thin films by scanning X-ray nanobeam microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction.

The twin distribution in topological insulators Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 was imaged by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy (SXRM). The crystal orientation at the surface, determined by EBSD, is correlated with the surface topography, which shows triangular pyramidal features with edges oriented in two different orientations rotated in the surface plane by 60°. The bulk crystal orientation is mapped out using SXRM by measuring the diffracted X-ray intensity of an asymmetric Bragg peak using a nano-focused X-ray beam scanned over the sample. By comparing bulk- and surface-sensitive measurements of the same area, buried twin domains not visible on the surface are identified. The lateral twin domain size is found to increase with the film thickness.