Realization of a vertical topological p-n junction in epitaxial $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_3/B{\mathrm{i}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_3$ heterostructures

Abstract

3D topological insulators are a new state of quantum matter which exhibits both a bulk band structure with an insulating energy gap as well as metallic spin-polarized Dirac fermion states when interfaced with a topologically trivial material. There have been various attempts to tune the Dirac point to a desired energetic position for exploring its unusual quantum properties. Here we show a direct experimental proof by angle-resolved photoemission of the realization of a vertical topological p-n junction made of a heterostructure of two different binary 3D TI materials $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_3$ and $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_3$ epitaxially grown on Si(111). We demonstrate that the chemical potential is tunable by about 200 meV when decreasing the upper $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_3$ layer thickness from 25 to 6 quintuple layers without applying any external bias. These results make it realistic to observe the topological exciton condensate and pave the way of exploring other exotic quantum phenomena in the near future.

5 Figures; including supplementary information

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Cited by in corpus (31)

• Topological Materials Discovery from Crystal Symmetry
• Photon Drag Effect in (Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_x$)${}_2$Te${}_3$ Three Dimensional Topological Insulators
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• In-plane Topological p-n Junction in the Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator Bi${}_{2-x}$Sb${}_x$Te${}_{3-y}$Se${}_y$
• Infrared/Terahertz Spectra of the Photogalvanic Effect in (Bi,Sb)Te based Three Dimensional Topological Insulators
• Large-Area and Transferred High-Quality Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator Bi2-xSbxTe3-ySey Ultrathin Film by Catalyst-Free Physical Vapor Deposition
• Terahertz Photogalvanic Spectroscopy of Three Dimensional Topological Insulators
• On Behind the Physics of the Thermoelectricity of Topological Insulators
• Impurity states in the magnetic topological insulator V:(Bi,Sb)${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Faraday rotation due to surface states in the topological insulator (Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_x$)${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Magnetotransport signatures of three-dimensional topological insulator nanostructures
• Quantum Transport and Potential of Topological States for Thermoelectricity in Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ Thin Films
• Disentangling surface and bulk transport in topological-insulator $p$-$n$ junctions
• Exploiting the close-to-Dirac point shift of Fermi level in Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 topological insulator heterostructure for spin-charge conversion
• Robust and fragile Majorana bound states in proximitized topological insulator nanoribbons
• Electronic band structure of Sb2Te3
• Bulk contribution to magnetotransport properties of low defect-density Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ topological insulator thin films
• Lifetime and surface-to-bulk scattering off vacancies of the topological surface state in the three-dimensional strong topological insulators Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3
• Transport properties of band engineered p-n heterostructures of epitaxial Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$/(Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_x$)${}_2$(Te${}_{1-y}$Se${}_y$)${}_3$ topological insulators
• Longitudinal DC Conductivity in Dirac Nodal Line Semimetals: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Contributions
• Long-lived non-equilibrium superconductivity in a non-centrosymmetric Rashba semiconductor
• Designer topological insulator with enhanced gap and suppressed bulk conduction in Bi2Se3/Sb2Te3 ultra-short period superlattices
• Orbital contributions in the element-resolved valence electronic structure of Bi2Se3
• Realizing a topological diode effect on the surface of a topological Kondo insulator
• Strong and Weak Three-Dimensional Topological Insulators Probed by Surface Science Methods
• Thickness dependence of electron-electron interactions in topological p-n junctions
• Chirality relaxation in low-temperature strongly Rashba-coupled systems
• Signatures of non-trivial band topology in LaAs/LaBi heterostructure
• A plausible method of preparing the ideal p-n junction interface of a thermoelectric material by surface doping
• Tracing Dirac points of topological surface states by ferromagnetic resonance
• Capacitance-voltage measurements of (Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_x$)${}_2$Te${}_3$ field effect device