Surface and electronic structure of SmB${}_6$ through Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Abstract

SmB${}_6$, a so called Kondo insulator, is recently discussed as a candidate material for a strong topological insulator. We present detailed atomically resolved topographic information on the (001) surface from more than a dozen SmB${}_6$ samples. Atomically flat, {\it in situ} cleaved surfaces often exhibit B- and Sm-terminated surfaces as well as reconstructed and non-reconstructed areas {\it coexisting} on different length scales. The terminations are unambiguously identified. In addition, electronic inhomogeneities are observed which likely result from the polar nature of the (001) surface and may indicate an inhomogeneous Sm valence at the surface of SmB${}_6$. In addition, atomically resolved topographies on a (110) surface are discussed.

8 pages, 6 figures

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• Topological Insulators with Inversion Symmetry
• Correlated Topological Insulators with Mixed Valence
• Unconventional Fermi surface in an insulating state
• Direct observation of the spin texture in strongly correlated SmB6 as evidence of the topological Kondo insulator
• Termination-dependent Surface In-gap States in a Mixed-valent Topological Insulator: SmB${}_6$
• Radio Frequency Tunable Oscillator Device Based on SmB6 Microcrystal

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• Consistency between ARPES and STM measurements on SmB${}_6$
• Chemical and valence reconstruction at the surface of SmB6 revealed with resonant soft x-ray reflectometry
• The Effects of Spin-Excitons on the Surface States of SmB6: A Photoemission Study
• A RIXS investigation of the crystal-field splitting of Sm${}^{3+}$ in SmB${}_6$
• Surface resonance of the (2$\times$1) reconstructed lanthanum hexaboride (001)-cleavage plane: a combined STM and DFT study
• Bulk transport paths through defects in floating zone and Al flux grown SmB${}_6$
• An STM perspective on hexaborides: Surface states of the Kondo insulator SmB${}_6$
• Comparative Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study on Hexaborides
• Phase stability in SmB${}_6$