Probing topological insulators surface states via plasma-wave Terahertz detection

Abstract

Topological insulators (TIs) represent a novel quantum state of matter, characterized by edge or surface-states, showing up on the topological character of the bulk wave functions. Allowing electrons to move along their surface, but not through their inside, they emerged as an intriguing material platform for the exploration of exotic physical phenomena, somehow resembling the graphene Dirac-cone physics, as well as for exciting applications in optoelectronics, spintronics, nanoscience, low-power electronics, and quantum computing. Investigation of topological surface states (TSS) is conventionally hindered by the fact that in most of experimental conditions the TSS properties are mixed up with those of bulk-states. Here, we devise a novel tool to unveil TSS and to probe related plasmonic effects. By engineering Bi2Te(3-x)Sex stoichiometry, and by gating the surface of nanoscale field-effect-transistors, exploiting thin flakes of Bi2Te2.2Se0.8 or Bi2Se3, we provide the first demonstration of room-temperature Terahertz (THz) detection mediated by over-damped plasma-wave oscillations on the "activated" TSS of a Bi2Te2.2Se0.8 flake. The reported detection performances allow a realistic exploitation of TSS for large-area, fast imaging, promising superb impacts on THz photonics.

References in corpus (12)

• Non-Abelian Anyons and Topological Quantum Computation
• Topological Insulators in Three Dimensions
• Spin Transfer Torque Generated by the Topological Insulator Bi_2Se_3
• Crossover of Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator of Bi2Se3 to the Two-Dimensional Limit
• Graphene field effect transistors as room-temperature Terahertz detectors
• Control over topological insulator photocurrents with light polarization
• Gate-Voltage Control of Chemical Potential and Weak Anti-localization in Bismuth Selenide
• Observation of Dirac plasmons in a topological insulator
• High performance bilayer-graphene Terahertz detectors
• Evidence of surface transport and weak anti-localization in single crystal of Bi2Te2Se topological insulator
• Ambipolar Surface State Thermoelectric Power of Topological Insulator Bi2Se3
• Field-effect mobility enhanced by tuning the Fermi level into the band gap of Bi2Se3

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• Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials
• Room-Temperature Plasmon-Assisted Resonant THz Detection in Single-layer Graphene Transistors
• Plasmonics in topological insulators: Spin-charge separation, the influence of the inversion layer, and phonon-plasmon coupling
• Terahertz detection with graphene FETs: photothermoelectric and resistive self-mixing contributions to the detector response
• The role of surface chemical reactivity in the stability of electronic nanodevices based on two-dimensional materials "beyond graphene" and topological insulators
• Optimal asymmetry of transistor-based terahertz detectors
• A place for two-dimensional plasmonics in electromagnetic wave detection
• Electronic correlation determining correlated plasmons in Sb-doped Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$
• Impact of Device Resistances in the Performance of Graphene-based Terahertz Photodetectors
• Observation of Dirac Charge Density Waves in Bi${}_2$Te${}_2$Se
• In-Plane Plasmon Coupling in Topological Insulator Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ Thin Films