Realizing tunable Fermi level in SnTe by defect control

Abstract

The tuning of the Fermi level in tin telluride, a topological crystalline insulator, is essential for accessing its unique surface states and optimizing its electronic properties for applications such as spintronics and quantum computing. In this study, we demonstrate that the Fermi level in tin telluride can be effectively modulated by controlling the tin concentration during chemical vapor deposition synthesis. By introducing tin-rich conditions, we observed a blue shift in the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy core-level peaks of both tin and tellurium, indicating an upward shift in the Fermi level. This shift is corroborated by a decrease in work function values measured via ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, confirming the suppression of Sn vacancies. Our findings provide a low-cost, scalable method to achieve tunable Fermi levels in tin telluride, offering a significant advancement in the development of materials with tailored electronic properties for next-generation technological applications.

References in corpus (14)

• Topological insulators and superconductors
• Topological Crystalline Insulators
• Topological Crystalline Insulators in the SnTe Material Class
• Experimental realization of a topological crystalline insulator in SnTe
• Topological crystalline insulator states in Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Se
• Topological Crystalline Insulators and Topological Superconductors: From Concepts to Materials
• Large bulk resistivity and surface quantum oscillations in the topological insulator Bi2Te2Se
• A topological crystalline insulator (TCI) phase via topological phase transition and crystalline mirror symmetry
• Majorana Fermions and Topology in Superconductors
• Surface States of Topological Crystalline Insulators in IV-VI Semiconductors
• Transport in two-dimensional topological materials: recent developments in experiment and theory
• Gate-tunable transport properties of in-situ capped Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ topological insulator thin films
• Electronic properties of SnTe-class topological crystalline insulator materials
• Electronic transport in one-dimensional Floquet topological insulators via topological and nontopological edge states