Bulk Signatures of Pressure-Induced Band Inversion and Topological Phase Transitions in Pb${}_{1-x}$Sn${}_x$Se

Abstract

The characteristics of topological insulators are manifested in both their surface and bulk properties, but the latter remain to be explored. Here we report bulk signatures of pressure-induced band inversion and topological phase transitions in Pb${}_{1-x}$Sn${}_x$Se ($x=$0.00, 0.15, and 0.23). The results of infrared measurements as a function of pressure indicate the closing and the reopening of the band gap as well as a maximum in the free carrier spectral weight. The enhanced density of states near the band gap in the topological phase give rise to a steep interband absorption edge. The change of density of states also yields a maximum in the pressure dependence of the Fermi level. Thus our conclusive results provide a consistent picture of pressure-induced topological phase transitions and highlight the bulk origin of the novel properties in topological insulators.

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• Topological Crystalline Insulators
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Cited by in corpus (4)

• 3D Dirac semimetals: current materials, design principles and predictions of new materials
• Van Hove Singularity Arising from Mexican-Hat-Shaped Inverted Bands in the Topological Insulator Sn-doped Bi${}_{1.1}$Sb${}_{0.9}$Te${}_2$S
• Optical investigation of thermoelectric topological crystalline insulator Pb${}_{0.77}$Sn${}_{0.23}$Se
• Temperature-driven band inversion in Pb${}_{0.77}$Sn${}_{0.23}$Se: Optical and Hall-effect studies