Quantum-Hall to Insulator Transition in Ultra-low-carrier-density Topological Insulator Films and a Hidden Phase of the Zeroth Landau Level

Abstract

A key feature of the topological surface state under a magnetic field is the presence of the zeroth Landau level at the zero energy. Nonetheless, it has been challenging to probe the zeroth Landau level due to large electron-hole puddles smearing its energy landscape. Here, by developing ultra-low-carrier density topological insulator Sb${}_2$Te${}_3$ films, we were able to reach an extreme quantum limit of the topological surface state and uncover a hidden phase at the zeroth Landau level. First, we discovered an unexpected quantum-Hall-to-insulator-transition near the zeroth Landau level. Then, through a detailed scaling analysis, we found that this quantum-Hall-to-insulator-transition belongs to a new universality class, implying that the insulating phase discovered here has a fundamentally different origin from those in non-topological systems.

arXiv comment22 pages, 5 figures, Appendix (28 pages)

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Cited by in corpus (12)

• Theory for magnetic-field-driven 3D metal-insulator transitions in the quantum limit
• Magnetic-field-induced topological phase transition in Fe-doped (Bi,Sb)${}_2$Se${}_3$ heterostructures
• Structurally and Chemically Compatible BiInSe3 Substrate for Topological Insulator Thin Films
• Electron-Hole Asymmetry of Surface States in Topological Insulator Sb2Te3 Thin Films Revealed by Magneto-Infrared Spectroscopy
• Fractional AC Josephson effect in a topological insulator proximitized by a self-formed superconductor
• Suppressing carrier density in (BixSb1-x)2Te3 films using Cr2O3 interfacial layers
• Buffer-layer-controlled Nickeline vs Zinc-Blende/Wurtzite-type MnTe growths on c-plane Al2O3 substrates
• Ambipolar magneto-optical response of ultra-low carrier density topological insulators
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• From classical to quantum regime of topological surface states via defect engineering
• Scaling and Diffusion of Dirac Composite Fermions
• Nucleation and Antiphase Twin Control in Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ via Step-Terminated Al${}_2$O${}_3$ Substrates