Dimensional crossover and topological nature of the thin films of a three-dimensional topological insulator by band gap engineering
Nano Letters, 2019•ACS Publications
Identification and control of topological phases in topological thin films offer great
opportunities for fundamental research and the fabrication of topology-based devices. Here,
combining molecular beam epitaxy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and ab
initio calculations, we investigate the electronic structure evolution in (Bi1–x In x) 2Se3 films
(0≤ x≤ 1) with thickness from 2 to 13 quintuple layers. By employing both thickness and In
substitution as two independent “knobs” to control the gap change, we identify the evolution …
opportunities for fundamental research and the fabrication of topology-based devices. Here,
combining molecular beam epitaxy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and ab
initio calculations, we investigate the electronic structure evolution in (Bi1–x In x) 2Se3 films
(0≤ x≤ 1) with thickness from 2 to 13 quintuple layers. By employing both thickness and In
substitution as two independent “knobs” to control the gap change, we identify the evolution …
Identification and control of topological phases in topological thin films offer great opportunities for fundamental research and the fabrication of topology-based devices. Here, combining molecular beam epitaxy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and ab initio calculations, we investigate the electronic structure evolution in (Bi1–xInx)2Se3 films (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) with thickness from 2 to 13 quintuple layers. By employing both thickness and In substitution as two independent “knobs” to control the gap change, we identify the evolution between several topological phases, i.e., dimensional crossover from a three-dimensional topological insulator to its two-dimensional counterpart with gapped surface state, and topological phase transition from a topological insulator to a normal semiconductor with increasing In concentration. Furthermore, by introducing In substitution, we experimentally demonstrated the trivial topological nature of Bi2Se3 thin films (below 6 quintuple layers) as two-dimensional gapped systems, consistent with our theoretical calculations. Our results provide not only a comprehensive phase diagram of (Bi1–xInx)2Se3 and a route to control its phase evolution but also a practical way to experimentally determine the topological properties of a gapped compound by a topological phase transition and band gap engineering.
ACS Publications