No Arabic abstract
Topological states of matter originate from distinct topological electronic structures of materials. As for strong topological insulators (STIs), the topological surface (interface) is a direct consequence of electronic structure transition between materials categorized to different topological genus. Therefore, it is fundamentally interesting if such topological character can be manipulated. Besides tuning the crystal field and the strength of spin-orbital coupling (e.g., by external strain, or chemical doping), there is currently rare report on topological state induced in ordinary insulators (OIs) by the heterostructure of OI/STI. Here we report the observation of a Dirac cone topological surface state (TSS) induced on the Sb2Se3 layer up to 15 nm thick in the OI/STI heterostructure, in sharp contrast with the OI/OI heterostructure where no sign of TSS can be observed. This is evident for an induced topological state in an OI by heterostructure.
A topological insulator (TI) interfaced with a magnetic insulator (MI) may host an anomalous Hall effect (AHE), a quantum AHE, and a topological Hall effect (THE). Recent studies, however, suggest that coexisting magnetic phases in TI/MI heterostructures may result in an AHE-associated response that resembles a THE but in fact is not. This article reports a genuine THE in a TI/MI structure that has only one magnetic phase. The structure shows a THE in the temperature range of T=2-3 K and an AHE at T=80-300 K. Over T=3-80 K, the two effects coexist but show opposite temperature dependencies. Control measurements, calculations, and simulations together suggest that the observed THE originates from skyrmions, rather than the coexistence of two AHE responses. The skyrmions are formed due to an interfacial DMI interaction. The DMI strength estimated is substantially higher than that in heavy metal-based systems.
BaSn$_2$ has been shown to form as layers of buckled stanene intercalated by barium ions~cite{Kim_2008}. However, despite an apparently straightforward synthesis and significant interest in stanene as a topological material, BaSn$_2$ has been left largely unexplored, and has only recently been recognized as a potential topological insulator. Belonging to neither the lead nor bismuth chalcogenide families, it would represent a unique manifestation of the topological insulating phase. Here we present a detailed investigation of BaSn$_2$, using both {it ab initio} and experimental methods. First-principles calculations demonstrate that this overlooked material is a indeed strong topological insulator with a bulk band gap of 360meV, among the largest observed for topological insulators. We characterize the surface state dependence on termination chemistry, providing guidance for experimental efforts to measure and manipulate its topological properties. Additionally, through {it ab initio} modeling and synthesis experiments we explore the stability and accessibility of this phase, revealing a complicated phase diagram that indicates a challenging path to obtaining single crystals.
The interface between magnetic materials and topological insulators can drive the formation of exotic phases of matter and enable functionality through manipulation of the strong spin polarized transport. Here, we report that the spin-momentum-locked transport in the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ is completely suppressed by scattering at a heterointerface with the kagome-lattice paramagnet, Co$_7$Se$_8$. Bi$_2$Se$_{3-}$Co$_7$Se$_{8-}$Bi$_2$Se$_3$ trilayer heterostructures were grown using molecular beam epitaxy. Magnetotransport measurements revealed a substantial suppression of the weak antilocalization effect for Co$_7$Se$_8$ at thicknesses as thin as a monolayer, indicating a strong dephasing mechanism. Bi$_{2-x}$Co$_x$Se$_3$ films, where Co is in a non-magnetic $3^+$ state, show weak antilocalization that survives to $x = 0.5$, which, in comparison with the heterostructures, suggests the unordered moments of the Co$^{2+}$ act as a far stronger dephasing element. This work highlights several important points regarding spin-polarized transport in topological insulator interfaces and how magnetic materials can be integrated with topological materials to realize both exotic phases as well as novel device functionality.
The complex electronic properties of $mathrm{ZrTe_5}$ have recently stimulated in-depth investigations that assigned this material to either a topological insulator or a 3D Dirac semimetal phase. Here we report a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of both electronic and structural properties of $mathrm{ZrTe_5}$, revealing that the bulk material is a strong topological insulator (STI). By means of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we identify at the top of the valence band both a surface and a bulk state. The dispersion of these bands is well captured by ab initio calculations for the STI case, for the specific interlayer distance measured in our x-ray diffraction study. Furthermore, these findings are supported by scanning tunneling spectroscopy revealing the metallic character of the sample surface, thus confirming the strong topological nature of $mathrm{ZrTe_5}$.
We propose a universal practical approach to realize magnetic second-order topological insulator (SOTI) materials, based on properly breaking the time reversal symmetry in conventional (first-order) topological insulators. The approach works for both three dimensions (3D) and two dimensions (2D), and is particularly suitable for 2D, where it can be achieved by coupling a quantum spin Hall insulator with a magnetic substrate. Using first-principles calculations, we predict bismuthene on EuO(111) surface as the first realistic system for a 2D magnetic SOTI. We explicitly demonstrate the existence of the protected corner states. Benefited from the large spin-orbit coupling and sizable magnetic proximity effect, these corner states are located in a boundary gap $sim 83$ meV, hence can be readily probed in experiment. By controlling the magnetic phase transition, a topological phase transition between a first-order TI and a SOTI can be simultaneously achieved in the system. The effect of symmetry breaking, the connection with filling anomaly, and the experimental detection are discussed.