Effect of surface defects and few-atomic steps on the local density of states of the atomically-clean surface of topological insulator Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$

Abstract

The results of ultra-high vacuum low-temperature scanning-tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) of atomically clean (111) surface of the topological insulator Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ are presented. We observed several types of new subsurface defects whose location and charge correspond to p-type conduction of grown crystals. The sign of the thermoelectric effect also indicates p-type conduction. STM and STS measurements demonstrate that the chemical potential is always located inside the bulk band gap. We also observed changes in the local density of states in the vicinity of the quintuple layer steps at the studied surface. This changes correspond either to the shift of the Dirac cone position or to the shift of the chemical potential near the step edge.

arXiv comment4 pages, 8 figures; missed page inserted

References in corpus (6)

• Topological Insulators
• Topological insulators and superconductors
• STM imaging of electronic waves on the surface of Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$: topologically protected surface states and hexagonal warping effects
• Spatial Fluctuations of Helical Dirac Fermions on the Surface of Topological Insulators
• Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Defect States in the Semiconductor Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$
• Nonstoichiometric doping and Bi antisite defect in single crystal Bi2Se3

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Toward the intrinsic limit of topological insulator Bi2Se3
• Resonant inverse Faraday effect in nanorings
• Disorder enabled band structure engineering of a topological insulator surface
• Experimental search for one-dimensional edge states at surface steps of the topological insulator Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$: Distinguishing between effects and artifacts
• Connection topology of step edge state bands at the surface of a three dimensional topological insulator
• Spin-charge separation in an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer
• Experimental Observation of Bound States of 2D Dirac Electrons at Surface Steps of the Topological Insulator Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$