We present an infrared spectroscopy study of the magnetic topological insulator MnBi_(4)Te_7 with antiferromagnetic(AFM) order below the Neel temperature TN= 13 K. Our investigation reveals that the low-frequency opti...We present an infrared spectroscopy study of the magnetic topological insulator MnBi_(4)Te_7 with antiferromagnetic(AFM) order below the Neel temperature TN= 13 K. Our investigation reveals that the low-frequency optical conductivity consists of two Drude peaks, indicating a response of free carriers involving multiple bands. Interestingly, the narrow Drude peak grows strongly as the temperature decreases, while the broad Drude peak remains relatively unchanged. The onset of interband transitions starts around 2000 cm^(-1), followed by two prominent absorption peaks around 10000 cm^(-1) and 20000 cm^(-1). Upon cooling, there is a notable transfer of spectral weight from the interband transitions to the Drude response. Below TN, the AFM transition gives rise to small anomalies of the charge response due to a band reconstruction.These findings provide valuable insights into the interplay between magnetism and the electronic properties in MnBi_(4)Te_7.展开更多
The last several years have witnessed the rapid developments in the study and understanding of topological insulators. In this review, after a brief summary of the history of topological insulators, we focus on the re...The last several years have witnessed the rapid developments in the study and understanding of topological insulators. In this review, after a brief summary of the history of topological insulators, we focus on the recent progress made in transport experiments on topological insulator films and nanowires. Some quantum phenomena, including the weak antilocalization, the Aharonov-Bobm effect, and the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, observed in these nanostructures are described. In addition, the electronic transport evidence of the superconducting proximity effect as well as an anomalous resistance enhancement in topological insulator/superconductor hybrid structures is included.展开更多
This paper presents an overview of the growth of Bi2Se3, a prototypical three-dimensional topological insulator, by molecular-beam epitaxy on various substrates. Comparison is made between the growth of Bi2 Se3 (111...This paper presents an overview of the growth of Bi2Se3, a prototypical three-dimensional topological insulator, by molecular-beam epitaxy on various substrates. Comparison is made between the growth of Bi2 Se3 (111) on van der Waals (vdW) and non-vdW substrates, with attention paid to twin suppression and strain. Growth along the [221] direction of Bi2Se3 on InP (001) and GaAs (001) substrates is also discussed.展开更多
2H-MoS_(2) is a well-studied and promising non-noble metal electrocatalyst for heterogeneous reactions,such as the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).The performance is largely limited by the chemically inert basal plan...2H-MoS_(2) is a well-studied and promising non-noble metal electrocatalyst for heterogeneous reactions,such as the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).The performance is largely limited by the chemically inert basal plane,which is unfavorable for surface adsorption and reactions.Herein,we report a facile method to boost the HER activities of 2H-MoS_(2) by coupling with epitaxial Bi2Te3 topological insulator films.The as-obtained MoS_(2)/Bi2Te3/SrTiO3 catalyst exhibits prominent HER catalytic activities compared to that of pure MoS_(2) structures,with a 189 mV decrease in the overpotential required to reach a current density of 10 mA cm^(−2) and a low Tafel slope of 58 mV dec−1.Theoretical investigations suggest that the enhanced catalytic activity originates from the charge redistribution at the interface between the Bi2Te3topological insulator films and the MoS_(2) layer.The delocalized sp-derived topological surface states could denote electrons to the MoS_(2) layer and activate the basal plane for hydrogen adsorption.This study demonstrates the potential of manipulating topological surface states to design high-performance electrocatalysts.展开更多
Providing the strong spin-orbital interaction, Bismuth is the key element in the family of three-dimensional topological insulators. At the same time, Bismuth itself also has very unusual behavior, existing from the t...Providing the strong spin-orbital interaction, Bismuth is the key element in the family of three-dimensional topological insulators. At the same time, Bismuth itself also has very unusual behavior, existing from the thinnest unit to bulk crystals. Ultrathin Bi (111) bilayers have been theoretically proposed as a two-dimensional topological insulator. The related experimental realization achieved only recently, by growing Bi (111) ultrathin bilayers on topological insulator Bi2Te3 or Bi2Se3 substrates. In this review, we started from the growth mode of Bi (111) bilayers and reviewed our recent progress in the studies of the electronic structures and the one-dimensional topological edge states using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and first principles calculations.展开更多
Recently,a contact-resistance-measurement method was developed to detect the minigap,hence the Andreev bound states(ABSs),in Josephson junctions constructed on the surface of three-dimensional topological insulators(3...Recently,a contact-resistance-measurement method was developed to detect the minigap,hence the Andreev bound states(ABSs),in Josephson junctions constructed on the surface of three-dimensional topological insulators(3D TIs).In this work,we further generalize that method to the circumstance with radio frequency(rf)irradiation.We find that with the increase of the rf power,the measured minigap becomes broadened and extends to higher energies in a way similar to the rf power dependence of the outer border of the Shapiro step region.We show that the corresponding data of contact resistance under rf irradiation can be well interpreted by using the resistively shunted Josephson junction(RSJ)model and the Blonder–Tinkham–Klapwijk(BTK)theory.Our findings could be useful when using the contact-resistancemeasurement method to study the Majorana-related physics in topological insulator-based Josephson junctions under rf irradiation.展开更多
Topological insulators are insulating in the bulkbut have metallic surface states. Its unique physicochemicalproperties can find numerous applications in electronics,spintronics, photonics, the energy sciences, and th...Topological insulators are insulating in the bulkbut have metallic surface states. Its unique physicochemicalproperties can find numerous applications in electronics,spintronics, photonics, the energy sciences, and thesignal control of transportation. We report an experimentalapproach to synthesize the high-quality single crystal oftopological insulator Bi2Te3 by using self-flux method. Weobtained the optimal preparation conditions by adjustingthe parameters of heat treatment, and successfully preparedthe single-crystal Bi2Te3 sample. The as-grown sampleshave a surface with bright metallic luster and are soft andfragile. Furthermore, Bi2Te3 has the obvious layer structurefrom SEM results. The data of X-ray diffraction andscanning electron microscope show that Bi2Te3 singlecrystal grows along the c-axis with the order of Te(1)–Bi–Te(2)–Bi–Te(1) and crystallizes in the hexagonal systemwith space group of R/3 m. The q–T curve shows that qdecreases with temperature, showing metallic behaviorover the whole temperature range.展开更多
Low-frequency flicker noise is usually associated with material defects or imperfection of fabrication procedure. Up to now, there is only very limited knowledge about flicker noise of the topological insulator, whose...Low-frequency flicker noise is usually associated with material defects or imperfection of fabrication procedure. Up to now, there is only very limited knowledge about flicker noise of the topological insulator, whose topologically protected conducting surface is theoretically immune to back scattering. To suppress the bulk conductivity we synthesize antimony doped Bi2Se3 nanowires and conduct transport measurements at cryogenic temperatures. The low-frequency current noise measurement shows that the noise amplitude at the high-drain current regime can be described by Hooge's empirical relationship, while the noise level is significantly lower than that predicted by Hooge's model near the Dirac point. Furthermore, different frequency responses of noise power spectrum density for specific drain currents at the low drain current regime indicate the complex origin of noise sources of topological insulator.展开更多
The interaction between an electron and an elastic wave is investigated for HgTe and InAs-GaSb quantum wells. The well-known Bernevig Hughes-Zhang model, i.e., the 4 × 4 model for a two-dimensional (2D) topolog...The interaction between an electron and an elastic wave is investigated for HgTe and InAs-GaSb quantum wells. The well-known Bernevig Hughes-Zhang model, i.e., the 4 × 4 model for a two-dimensional (2D) topological insulator (TI), is extended to include the terms that describe the coupling between the electron and the elastic wave. The influence of this interaction on the transport properties of the 2DTI and of the edge states is discussed. As the electron-like and hole-like carriers interact with the elastic wave differently due to the crystal symmetry of the 2DTI, one may utilize the elastic wave to tune^control the transport property of charge carriers in the 2DTI. The extended 2DTI model also provides the possibility to investigate the backscattering of edge states of a 2DTI more realistically.展开更多
Topological phase transition in a single material usually refers to transitions between a trivial band insulator and a topological Dirac phase, and the transition may also occur between different classes of topologica...Topological phase transition in a single material usually refers to transitions between a trivial band insulator and a topological Dirac phase, and the transition may also occur between different classes of topological Dirac phases.It is a fundamental challenge to realize quantum transition between Z_2 nontrivial topological insulator(TI) and topological crystalline insulator(TCI) in one material because Z_2 TI and TCI have different requirements on the number of band inversions. The Z_2 TIs must have an odd number of band inversions over all the time-reversal invariant momenta, whereas the newly discovered TCIs, as a distinct class of the topological Dirac materials protected by the underlying crystalline symmetry, owns an even number of band inversions. Taking PbSnTe_2 alloy as an example, here we demonstrate that the atomic-ordering is an effective way to tune the symmetry of the alloy so that we can electrically switch between TCI phase and Z_2 TI phase in a single material. Our results suggest that the atomic-ordering provides a new platform towards the realization of reversibly switching between different topological phases to explore novel applications.展开更多
Quantum Hall effect (QHE), as a class of quantum phenomena that occur in macroscopic scale, is one of the most important topics in condensed matter physics. It has long been expected that QHE may occur without Landa...Quantum Hall effect (QHE), as a class of quantum phenomena that occur in macroscopic scale, is one of the most important topics in condensed matter physics. It has long been expected that QHE may occur without Landau levels so that neither external magnetic field nor high sample mobility is required for its study and application, Such a QHE free of Landau levels, can appear in topological insulators (TIs) with ferromagnetism as the quantized version of the anomalous Hall effect, i.e., quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect. Here we review our recent work on experimental realization of the QAH effect in magnetically doped TIs. With molecular beam epitaxy, we prepare thin films of Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 TIs with well- controlled chemical potential and long-range ferromagnetic order that can survive the insulating phase. In such thin films, we eventually observed the quantization of the Hall resistance at h/e2 at zero field, accompanied by a considerable drop in the longitudinal resistance. Under a strong magnetic field, the longitudinal resistance vanishes, whereas the Hall resistance remains at the quantized value. The realization of the QAH effect provides a foundation for many other novel quantum phenomena predicted in TIs, and opens a route to practical applications of quantum Hall physics in low-power-consumption electronics.展开更多
Topological insulators (Tls) are bulk insulators that possess robust helical conducting states along their interfaces with conventional insulators. A tremendous research effort has recently been devoted to TI-based ...Topological insulators (Tls) are bulk insulators that possess robust helical conducting states along their interfaces with conventional insulators. A tremendous research effort has recently been devoted to TI-based heterostructures, in which con- ventional proximity effects give rise to a series of exotic physical phenomena. This paper reviews our recent studies on the potential existence of topological proximity effects at the interface between a topological insulator and a normal insu- lator or other topologically trivial systems. Using first-principles approaches, we have realized the tunability of the vertical location of the topological helical state via intriguing dual-proximity effects. To further elucidate the control parameters of this effect, we have used the graphene-based heterostructures as prototypical systems to reveal a more complete phase diagram. On the application side of the topological helical states, we have presented a catalysis example, where the topo- logical helical state plays an essential role in facilitating surface reactions by serving as an effective electron bath, These discoveries lay the foundation for accurate manipulation of the real space properties of the topological helical state in TI- based heterostructures and pave the way for realization of the salient functionality of topological insulators in future device applications.展开更多
Topological insulators' properties and their potential device applications are reviewed. We also explain why topologi- cal insulator (TI) nanostructnres are an important avenue for research and discuss some methods...Topological insulators' properties and their potential device applications are reviewed. We also explain why topologi- cal insulator (TI) nanostructnres are an important avenue for research and discuss some methods by which TI nanostructures are produced and characterized. The rapid development of high-quality TI nanostructures provides an ideal platform to ex- ploit salient physical phenomena that have been theoretically predicted but not yet experimentally realized.展开更多
We develop a tractable theoretical model to investigate the thermoelectric (TE) transport properties of surface states in topological insulator thin films (TITFs) of Bi2Sea at room temperature. The hybridization b...We develop a tractable theoretical model to investigate the thermoelectric (TE) transport properties of surface states in topological insulator thin films (TITFs) of Bi2Sea at room temperature. The hybridization between top and bottom surface states in the TITF plays a significant role. With the increasing hybridization-induced surface gap, the electrical conductivity and electron thermal conductivity decrease while the Seebeck coefficient increases. This is due to the metal-semiconductor transition induced by the surface-state hybridization. Based on these TE transport coefficients, the TE figure-of-merit ZT is evaluated. It is shown that ZT can be greatly improved by the surface-state hybridization. Our theoretical results are pertinent to the exploration of the TE transport properties of surface states in TITFs and to the potential application of Bi2Sea-based TITFs as high-performance TE materials and devices.展开更多
Three-dimensional topological insulators are a new class of quantum matter which has interesting connections to nearly all main branches of condensed matter physics. In this article, we briefly review the advances in ...Three-dimensional topological insulators are a new class of quantum matter which has interesting connections to nearly all main branches of condensed matter physics. In this article, we briefly review the advances in the field effect control of chemical potential in three-dimensional topological insulators. It is essential to the observation of many exotic quantum phenomena predicted to emerge from the topological insulators and their hybrid structures with other materials. We also describe various methods for probing the surface state transport. Some challenges in experimental study of electron transport in topological insulators will also be briefly discussed.展开更多
Topological insulators as a new type of quantum matter materials are characterized by a full insulating gap in the bulk and gapless edge/surface states protected by the time-reversal symmetry. We propose that the inte...Topological insulators as a new type of quantum matter materials are characterized by a full insulating gap in the bulk and gapless edge/surface states protected by the time-reversal symmetry. We propose that the interference patterns caused by the elastic scattering of defects or impurities are dominated by the surface states at the extremal points on the constant energy contour. Within such a formalism, we summarize our recent theoretical investigations on the elastic scattering of topological surface states by various imperfections, including non-magnetic impurities, magnetic impurities, step edges, and various other defects, in comparison with the recent related experiments in typical topological materials such as BiSb alloys, Bi2Te3, and Bi2Se3 crystals.展开更多
We study the electronic structure and spin polarization of the surface states of a three-dimensional topological insulator thin film modulated by an electrical potential well. By routinely solving the low-energy surfa...We study the electronic structure and spin polarization of the surface states of a three-dimensional topological insulator thin film modulated by an electrical potential well. By routinely solving the low-energy surface Dirac equation for the system, we demonstrate that confined surface states exist, in which the electron density is almost localized inside the well and exponentially decayed outside in real space, and that their subband dispersions are quasilinear with respect to the propagating wavevector. Interestingly, the top and bottom surface confined states with the same density distribution have opposite spin polarizations due to the hybridization between the two surfaces. Along with the mathematical analysis, we provide an intuitive, topological understanding of the effect.展开更多
Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The sin...Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The single ferromagnetic barrier modulated transmission probability is expected to be a periodic function of the polarization angle and the planar rotation angle, that decreases with the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange increasing. However, the transmission probability for the double ferromagnetic insulators modulated n-n junction and n-p junction is not a periodic function of polarization angle nor planar rotation angle, owing to the combined effects of the double ferromagnetic insulators and the barrier potential. Since the energy gap between the conduction band and the valence band is narrowed and widened respectively in ranges of 0 ≤ 0 〈π/2 and r/2 〈 0 ≤ π, the transmission probability of the n-n junction first increases rapidly and then decreases slowly with the increase of the magnetic proximity exchange strength. While the transmission probability for the n-p junction demonstrates an opposite trend on the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange because the band gaps contrarily vary. The obtained results may lead to the possible realization of a magnetic/electric switch based on TIs and be useful in further understanding the surface states of TIs.展开更多
We study the electronic band structure, density distribution, and transport of a Bi2Se3 nanoribbon, We find that the density distribution of the surface states is dependent on not only the shape and size of the transv...We study the electronic band structure, density distribution, and transport of a Bi2Se3 nanoribbon, We find that the density distribution of the surface states is dependent on not only the shape and size of the transverse cross section of the nanoribbon, but also the energy of the electron. We demonstrate that a transverse electric field can eliminate the coupling between surface states on the walls of the nanoribbon, remove the gap of the surface states, and restore the quantum spin Hall effects. In addition, we study the spin-dependent transport property of the surface states transmitting from top and bottom surfaces (x-y plane) to the side surfaces (z-x plane) of a Bi2Se3 nanoribbon. We find that transverse electric fields can open two surface channels for spin-up and -down Dirac electrons, and then switch off one channel for the spin-up Dirac electron. Our results may provide a simple way for the design of a spin filter based on topological insulator nanostructures.展开更多
We experimentally demonstrate a femtosecond mode-locked thulium-holmium(Tm-Ho) co-doped fiber laser incorporating a saturable absorber(SA) based on a bulk-structured bismuth selenide(Bi2Se3) topological insulato...We experimentally demonstrate a femtosecond mode-locked thulium-holmium(Tm-Ho) co-doped fiber laser incorporating a saturable absorber(SA) based on a bulk-structured bismuth selenide(Bi2Se3) topological insulator(TI). The SA was prepared by depositing a mechanically exfoliated Bi2Se3 TI layer onto a side-polished optical fiber platform. Unlike high-quality nano-structured Bi2Se3 TI-based SA, bulk-structured Bi2Se3 with non-negligible oxidation was used as a saturable absorption material for this experimental demonstration due to its easy fabrication process. The saturation power and modulation depth of the prepared SA were measured to be -28.6 W and -13.4%, respectively. By incorporating the prepared SA into a Tm-Ho co-doped fiber ring cavity, stable soliton pulses with a temporal width of - 853 fs could be generated at 1912.12 nm. The 3-dB bandwidth of the mode-locked pulse was measured to be -4.87 nm. This experimental demonstration reaffirms that Bi2Se3 is a superb base material for mid-infrared passive mode-locking even under oxidation.展开更多
基金Project supported by the the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.12274442)the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No.2022YFA1403901)。
文摘We present an infrared spectroscopy study of the magnetic topological insulator MnBi_(4)Te_7 with antiferromagnetic(AFM) order below the Neel temperature TN= 13 K. Our investigation reveals that the low-frequency optical conductivity consists of two Drude peaks, indicating a response of free carriers involving multiple bands. Interestingly, the narrow Drude peak grows strongly as the temperature decreases, while the broad Drude peak remains relatively unchanged. The onset of interband transitions starts around 2000 cm^(-1), followed by two prominent absorption peaks around 10000 cm^(-1) and 20000 cm^(-1). Upon cooling, there is a notable transfer of spectral weight from the interband transitions to the Drude response. Below TN, the AFM transition gives rise to small anomalies of the charge response due to a band reconstruction.These findings provide valuable insights into the interplay between magnetism and the electronic properties in MnBi_(4)Te_7.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2013CB934600 and 2012CB921300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11222434 and 11174007)the Pennsylvania State University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center under National Science Foundation (Grant No. DMR-0820404)
文摘The last several years have witnessed the rapid developments in the study and understanding of topological insulators. In this review, after a brief summary of the history of topological insulators, we focus on the recent progress made in transport experiments on topological insulator films and nanowires. Some quantum phenomena, including the weak antilocalization, the Aharonov-Bobm effect, and the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, observed in these nanostructures are described. In addition, the electronic transport evidence of the superconducting proximity effect as well as an anomalous resistance enhancement in topological insulator/superconductor hybrid structures is included.
基金supported by the Research Grant Council (RGC) of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for its financial support under the General Research Funds (Grant Nos. 706110 and 706111)the SRFDP and RGCERG Joint Research Scheme sponsored by the RGC of Hong Kong and the Ministry of Education of China (M-HKU709/l2)
文摘This paper presents an overview of the growth of Bi2Se3, a prototypical three-dimensional topological insulator, by molecular-beam epitaxy on various substrates. Comparison is made between the growth of Bi2 Se3 (111) on van der Waals (vdW) and non-vdW substrates, with attention paid to twin suppression and strain. Growth along the [221] direction of Bi2Se3 on InP (001) and GaAs (001) substrates is also discussed.
基金This work was financially supported by the European Research Council(ERC Advanced Grant No.291472'Idea Heusler1)and the ERC Advanced Grant(No.742068)TOPMAT.K.C.was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12074038)J.H.and S.P.were supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(DFG,German Research Foundation)No.314790414.
文摘2H-MoS_(2) is a well-studied and promising non-noble metal electrocatalyst for heterogeneous reactions,such as the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).The performance is largely limited by the chemically inert basal plane,which is unfavorable for surface adsorption and reactions.Herein,we report a facile method to boost the HER activities of 2H-MoS_(2) by coupling with epitaxial Bi2Te3 topological insulator films.The as-obtained MoS_(2)/Bi2Te3/SrTiO3 catalyst exhibits prominent HER catalytic activities compared to that of pure MoS_(2) structures,with a 189 mV decrease in the overpotential required to reach a current density of 10 mA cm^(−2) and a low Tafel slope of 58 mV dec−1.Theoretical investigations suggest that the enhanced catalytic activity originates from the charge redistribution at the interface between the Bi2Te3topological insulator films and the MoS_(2) layer.The delocalized sp-derived topological surface states could denote electrons to the MoS_(2) layer and activate the basal plane for hydrogen adsorption.This study demonstrates the potential of manipulating topological surface states to design high-performance electrocatalysts.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grants Nos. 2012CB927401,2011CB921902,2013CB921902,and 2011CB922200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 91021002,11174199,11134008,and 11274228)SCSTC (Grant Nos. 11JC1405000,11PJ1405200,and 12JC1405300)
文摘Providing the strong spin-orbital interaction, Bismuth is the key element in the family of three-dimensional topological insulators. At the same time, Bismuth itself also has very unusual behavior, existing from the thinnest unit to bulk crystals. Ultrathin Bi (111) bilayers have been theoretically proposed as a two-dimensional topological insulator. The related experimental realization achieved only recently, by growing Bi (111) ultrathin bilayers on topological insulator Bi2Te3 or Bi2Se3 substrates. In this review, we started from the growth mode of Bi (111) bilayers and reviewed our recent progress in the studies of the electronic structures and the one-dimensional topological edge states using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and first principles calculations.
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant Nos.2016YFA0300601,2017YFA0304700,and 2015CB921402)the National Natural Science Foundation China(Grant Nos.11527806,91221203,11174357,91421303,and 11774405)+1 种基金the Strategic Priority Research Program B of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant Nos.XDB07010100 and XDB28000000)the Beijing Municipal Science&Technology Commission,China(Grant No.Z191100007219008)
文摘Recently,a contact-resistance-measurement method was developed to detect the minigap,hence the Andreev bound states(ABSs),in Josephson junctions constructed on the surface of three-dimensional topological insulators(3D TIs).In this work,we further generalize that method to the circumstance with radio frequency(rf)irradiation.We find that with the increase of the rf power,the measured minigap becomes broadened and extends to higher energies in a way similar to the rf power dependence of the outer border of the Shapiro step region.We show that the corresponding data of contact resistance under rf irradiation can be well interpreted by using the resistively shunted Josephson junction(RSJ)model and the Blonder–Tinkham–Klapwijk(BTK)theory.Our findings could be useful when using the contact-resistancemeasurement method to study the Majorana-related physics in topological insulator-based Josephson junctions under rf irradiation.
基金supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program (Grant No. 2011GB112001)the Program of International S&T Cooperation (Grant No. 2013DFA 51050)+3 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11104224, 11004162, 51271155)the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20110184120029)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2682013ZT16, SWJTU11ZT31, 2682013CX004, SWJTU11BR063)the Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (Grant No. 2011JY0031, 2011JY0130)
文摘Topological insulators are insulating in the bulkbut have metallic surface states. Its unique physicochemicalproperties can find numerous applications in electronics,spintronics, photonics, the energy sciences, and thesignal control of transportation. We report an experimentalapproach to synthesize the high-quality single crystal oftopological insulator Bi2Te3 by using self-flux method. Weobtained the optimal preparation conditions by adjustingthe parameters of heat treatment, and successfully preparedthe single-crystal Bi2Te3 sample. The as-grown sampleshave a surface with bright metallic luster and are soft andfragile. Furthermore, Bi2Te3 has the obvious layer structurefrom SEM results. The data of X-ray diffraction andscanning electron microscope show that Bi2Te3 singlecrystal grows along the c-axis with the order of Te(1)–Bi–Te(2)–Bi–Te(1) and crystallizes in the hexagonal systemwith space group of R/3 m. The q–T curve shows that qdecreases with temperature, showing metallic behaviorover the whole temperature range.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2012CB921703the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11174357 and 11574379the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No XDB07010300
文摘Low-frequency flicker noise is usually associated with material defects or imperfection of fabrication procedure. Up to now, there is only very limited knowledge about flicker noise of the topological insulator, whose topologically protected conducting surface is theoretically immune to back scattering. To suppress the bulk conductivity we synthesize antimony doped Bi2Se3 nanowires and conduct transport measurements at cryogenic temperatures. The low-frequency current noise measurement shows that the noise amplitude at the high-drain current regime can be described by Hooge's empirical relationship, while the noise level is significantly lower than that predicted by Hooge's model near the Dirac point. Furthermore, different frequency responses of noise power spectrum density for specific drain currents at the low drain current regime indicate the complex origin of noise sources of topological insulator.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 61076092 and 61290303
文摘The interaction between an electron and an elastic wave is investigated for HgTe and InAs-GaSb quantum wells. The well-known Bernevig Hughes-Zhang model, i.e., the 4 × 4 model for a two-dimensional (2D) topological insulator (TI), is extended to include the terms that describe the coupling between the electron and the elastic wave. The influence of this interaction on the transport properties of the 2DTI and of the edge states is discussed. As the electron-like and hole-like carriers interact with the elastic wave differently due to the crystal symmetry of the 2DTI, one may utilize the elastic wave to tune^control the transport property of charge carriers in the 2DTI. The extended 2DTI model also provides the possibility to investigate the backscattering of edge states of a 2DTI more realistically.
基金Supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China under Grant No 2016YFB0700700the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)under Grants Nos 11634003,11474273,61121491 and U1530401+1 种基金supported by the National Young 1000 Talents Plansupported by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS(2017154)
文摘Topological phase transition in a single material usually refers to transitions between a trivial band insulator and a topological Dirac phase, and the transition may also occur between different classes of topological Dirac phases.It is a fundamental challenge to realize quantum transition between Z_2 nontrivial topological insulator(TI) and topological crystalline insulator(TCI) in one material because Z_2 TI and TCI have different requirements on the number of band inversions. The Z_2 TIs must have an odd number of band inversions over all the time-reversal invariant momenta, whereas the newly discovered TCIs, as a distinct class of the topological Dirac materials protected by the underlying crystalline symmetry, owns an even number of band inversions. Taking PbSnTe_2 alloy as an example, here we demonstrate that the atomic-ordering is an effective way to tune the symmetry of the alloy so that we can electrically switch between TCI phase and Z_2 TI phase in a single material. Our results suggest that the atomic-ordering provides a new platform towards the realization of reversibly switching between different topological phases to explore novel applications.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11174343 and 11134008)the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant Nos. 2013CB921702 and 2009CB929400)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘Quantum Hall effect (QHE), as a class of quantum phenomena that occur in macroscopic scale, is one of the most important topics in condensed matter physics. It has long been expected that QHE may occur without Landau levels so that neither external magnetic field nor high sample mobility is required for its study and application, Such a QHE free of Landau levels, can appear in topological insulators (TIs) with ferromagnetism as the quantized version of the anomalous Hall effect, i.e., quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect. Here we review our recent work on experimental realization of the QAH effect in magnetically doped TIs. With molecular beam epitaxy, we prepare thin films of Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 TIs with well- controlled chemical potential and long-range ferromagnetic order that can survive the insulating phase. In such thin films, we eventually observed the quantization of the Hall resistance at h/e2 at zero field, accompanied by a considerable drop in the longitudinal resistance. Under a strong magnetic field, the longitudinal resistance vanishes, whereas the Hall resistance remains at the quantized value. The realization of the QAH effect provides a foundation for many other novel quantum phenomena predicted in TIs, and opens a route to practical applications of quantum Hall physics in low-power-consumption electronics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91021019, 51074151, and 11034006)the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2010CB923401 and 2011CB921801)+2 种基金USDOE (Grant No. DE-FG03-02ER45958)US National Science Foundation (Grant No. 0906025)the BES Program of US Department of Energy (Grant No. ER45958)
文摘Topological insulators (Tls) are bulk insulators that possess robust helical conducting states along their interfaces with conventional insulators. A tremendous research effort has recently been devoted to TI-based heterostructures, in which con- ventional proximity effects give rise to a series of exotic physical phenomena. This paper reviews our recent studies on the potential existence of topological proximity effects at the interface between a topological insulator and a normal insu- lator or other topologically trivial systems. Using first-principles approaches, we have realized the tunability of the vertical location of the topological helical state via intriguing dual-proximity effects. To further elucidate the control parameters of this effect, we have used the graphene-based heterostructures as prototypical systems to reveal a more complete phase diagram. On the application side of the topological helical states, we have presented a catalysis example, where the topo- logical helical state plays an essential role in facilitating surface reactions by serving as an effective electron bath, These discoveries lay the foundation for accurate manipulation of the real space properties of the topological helical state in TI- based heterostructures and pave the way for realization of the salient functionality of topological insulators in future device applications.
基金supported by the National Young 1000 Talents Plan of Chinathe Pu Jiang Talent Plan in Shanghai City, China
文摘Topological insulators' properties and their potential device applications are reviewed. We also explain why topologi- cal insulator (TI) nanostructnres are an important avenue for research and discuss some methods by which TI nanostructures are produced and characterized. The rapid development of high-quality TI nanostructures provides an ideal platform to ex- ploit salient physical phenomena that have been theoretically predicted but not yet experimentally realized.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 11304316the Ministry of Science and Technology of China under Grant No 2011YQ130018the Department of Science and Technology of Yunnan Province,and the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘We develop a tractable theoretical model to investigate the thermoelectric (TE) transport properties of surface states in topological insulator thin films (TITFs) of Bi2Sea at room temperature. The hybridization between top and bottom surface states in the TITF plays a significant role. With the increasing hybridization-induced surface gap, the electrical conductivity and electron thermal conductivity decrease while the Seebeck coefficient increases. This is due to the metal-semiconductor transition induced by the surface-state hybridization. Based on these TE transport coefficients, the TE figure-of-merit ZT is evaluated. It is shown that ZT can be greatly improved by the surface-state hybridization. Our theoretical results are pertinent to the exploration of the TE transport properties of surface states in TITFs and to the potential application of Bi2Sea-based TITFs as high-performance TE materials and devices.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2012CB921703 and 2009CB929101)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 91121003)the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘Three-dimensional topological insulators are a new class of quantum matter which has interesting connections to nearly all main branches of condensed matter physics. In this article, we briefly review the advances in the field effect control of chemical potential in three-dimensional topological insulators. It is essential to the observation of many exotic quantum phenomena predicted to emerge from the topological insulators and their hybrid structures with other materials. We also describe various methods for probing the surface state transport. Some challenges in experimental study of electron transport in topological insulators will also be briefly discussed.
基金supported by the Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2011CB921901)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11074143)
文摘Topological insulators as a new type of quantum matter materials are characterized by a full insulating gap in the bulk and gapless edge/surface states protected by the time-reversal symmetry. We propose that the interference patterns caused by the elastic scattering of defects or impurities are dominated by the surface states at the extremal points on the constant energy contour. Within such a formalism, we summarize our recent theoretical investigations on the elastic scattering of topological surface states by various imperfections, including non-magnetic impurities, magnetic impurities, step edges, and various other defects, in comparison with the recent related experiments in typical topological materials such as BiSb alloys, Bi2Te3, and Bi2Se3 crystals.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11274108)the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China(Grant No.20114306110008)
文摘We study the electronic structure and spin polarization of the surface states of a three-dimensional topological insulator thin film modulated by an electrical potential well. By routinely solving the low-energy surface Dirac equation for the system, we demonstrate that confined surface states exist, in which the electron density is almost localized inside the well and exponentially decayed outside in real space, and that their subband dispersions are quasilinear with respect to the propagating wavevector. Interestingly, the top and bottom surface confined states with the same density distribution have opposite spin polarizations due to the hybridization between the two surfaces. Along with the mathematical analysis, we provide an intuitive, topological understanding of the effect.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11264013 and 11147021)the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12JJ4003)the Research Program for Employee of Jishou University,China(Grant No.jsdxkyzz201005)
文摘Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The single ferromagnetic barrier modulated transmission probability is expected to be a periodic function of the polarization angle and the planar rotation angle, that decreases with the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange increasing. However, the transmission probability for the double ferromagnetic insulators modulated n-n junction and n-p junction is not a periodic function of polarization angle nor planar rotation angle, owing to the combined effects of the double ferromagnetic insulators and the barrier potential. Since the energy gap between the conduction band and the valence band is narrowed and widened respectively in ranges of 0 ≤ 0 〈π/2 and r/2 〈 0 ≤ π, the transmission probability of the n-n junction first increases rapidly and then decreases slowly with the increase of the magnetic proximity exchange strength. While the transmission probability for the n-p junction demonstrates an opposite trend on the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange because the band gaps contrarily vary. The obtained results may lead to the possible realization of a magnetic/electric switch based on TIs and be useful in further understanding the surface states of TIs.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11547051 and 11274018)
文摘We study the electronic band structure, density distribution, and transport of a Bi2Se3 nanoribbon, We find that the density distribution of the surface states is dependent on not only the shape and size of the transverse cross section of the nanoribbon, but also the energy of the electron. We demonstrate that a transverse electric field can eliminate the coupling between surface states on the walls of the nanoribbon, remove the gap of the surface states, and restore the quantum spin Hall effects. In addition, we study the spin-dependent transport property of the surface states transmitting from top and bottom surfaces (x-y plane) to the side surfaces (z-x plane) of a Bi2Se3 nanoribbon. We find that transverse electric fields can open two surface channels for spin-up and -down Dirac electrons, and then switch off one channel for the spin-up Dirac electron. Our results may provide a simple way for the design of a spin filter based on topological insulator nanostructures.
基金Project supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)Grant Funded by the Korea Government(MSIT),Republic of Korea(Grant No.NRF-2018R1A2B6001641)Ministry of Science and ICT(MSIT)under the Information Technology Research Center(ITRC)Support Program(Grant No.IITP-2018-2015-0-00385)supervised by the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Promotion(IITP)
文摘We experimentally demonstrate a femtosecond mode-locked thulium-holmium(Tm-Ho) co-doped fiber laser incorporating a saturable absorber(SA) based on a bulk-structured bismuth selenide(Bi2Se3) topological insulator(TI). The SA was prepared by depositing a mechanically exfoliated Bi2Se3 TI layer onto a side-polished optical fiber platform. Unlike high-quality nano-structured Bi2Se3 TI-based SA, bulk-structured Bi2Se3 with non-negligible oxidation was used as a saturable absorption material for this experimental demonstration due to its easy fabrication process. The saturation power and modulation depth of the prepared SA were measured to be -28.6 W and -13.4%, respectively. By incorporating the prepared SA into a Tm-Ho co-doped fiber ring cavity, stable soliton pulses with a temporal width of - 853 fs could be generated at 1912.12 nm. The 3-dB bandwidth of the mode-locked pulse was measured to be -4.87 nm. This experimental demonstration reaffirms that Bi2Se3 is a superb base material for mid-infrared passive mode-locking even under oxidation.