Transport Properties of Topological Insulators: Band Bending, Bulk Metal-to-Insulator Transition, and Weak Anti-Localization

Abstract

We reanalyze some of the critical transport experiments and provide a coherent understanding of the current generation of topological insulators (TIs). Currently TI transport studies abound with widely varying claims of the surface and bulk states, often times contradicting each other, and a proper understanding of TI transport properties is lacking. According to the simple criteria given by Mott and Ioffe-Regel, even the best TIs are not true insulators in the Mott sense, and at best, are weakly-insulating bad metals. However, band-bending effects contribute significantly to the TI transport properties including Shubnikov de-Haas oscillations, and we show that utilization of this band-bending effect can lead to a Mott insulating bulk state in the thin regime. In addition, by reconsidering previous results on the weak anti-localization (WAL) effect with additional new data, we correct a misunderstanding in the literature and generate a coherent picture of the WAL effect in TIs.

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Cited by in corpus (27)

• Observation of spin-momentum locked surface states in amorphous Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$
• Bulk-Free Topological Insulator Bi2Se3 nanoribbons with Magnetotransport Signatures of Dirac Surface States
• Finite-size and composition-driven topological phase transition in (Bi${}_{1-x}$In${}_x$)${}_2$Se${}_3$ thin films
• Gate-Variable Mid-Infrared Optical Transitions in a $(B{i}_{1-x}S{b}_x{)}_{2}T{e}_3$ Topological Insulator
• Observation of Planar Hall Effect in Topological Insulator -- Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Magnetic quantum phase transition in Cr-doped Bi2(SexTe1-x)3 driven by the Stark effect
• Spin-orbit readout using thin films of topological insulator Sb2Te3 deposited by industrial magnetron sputtering
• Electrical transport properties driven by unique bonding configuration in gamma-GeSe
• Trigger of the ubiquitous surface band bending in 3D topological insulators
• Criteria for realizing room temperature electrical transport applications of topological materials
• Quantum Transport and Potential of Topological States for Thermoelectricity in Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ Thin Films
• Spin-orbit torques and spin Hall magnetoresistance generated by twin-free and amorphous Bi0.9Sb0.1 topological insulator films
• Charge puddles in a completely compensated topological insulator
• Embracing Disorder in Quantum Materials Design
• Josephson Effect and Charge Distribution in Thin Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ Topological Insulators
• Landau level spectroscopy of PbSnSe topological crystalline insulator
• Local electronic and magnetic properties of the doped topological insulators Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$:Ca and Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$:Mn investigated using ion-implanted ${}^8$Li $\beta$-NMR
• Magnetic field-dependent resistance crossover and logarithmic to non-saturating magnetoresistance in topological insulator Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$
• In-depth Analysis of Anisotropic Magnetoconductance in Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ thin films with electron-electron interaction corrections
• Electronic correlation determining correlated plasmons in Sb-doped Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$
• Parasitic conduction channels in topological insulator thin films
• Magnetism and electrical transport in Y-doped layered iridate Sr${}_2$IrO${}_4$
• Quantum spin Hall effect in III-V semiconductors at elevated temperatures: advancing topological electronics
• Strong spin-dephasing in a topological insulator - paramagnet heterostructure
• From classical to quantum regime of topological surface states via defect engineering
• Interplay between Topological States and Rashba States as Manifested on Surface Steps at Room Temperature
• Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ thin films heteroepitaxially grown on $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$