Van der Waals epitaxial growth of topological insulator Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_x$Te$_{3-y}$Se$_y$ ultrathin nanoplate on electrically insulating fluorophlogopite mica

We report the growth of high quality Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_x$Te$_{3-y}$Se$_y$ ultrathin nanoplates (BSTS-NPs) on an electrically insulating fluorophlogopite mica substrate using a catalyst-free vapor solid method. Under an optimized pressure and suitable Ar gas flow rate, we control the thickness, the size and the composition of BSTS-NPs. Raman spectra showing systematic change indicate that the thicknesses and compositions of BSTS-NPs are indeed accurately controlled. Electrical transport demonstrates that a robust Dirac cone carrier transport in BSTS-NPs. Since BSTS-NPs provide superior dominant surface transport of the tunable Dirac cone surface states with negligible contribution of the conduction of the bulk states, BSTS-NPs provide an ideal platform to explore intrinsic physical phenomena as well as technological applications of 3-dimensional topological insulators in the future.

Mobility spectrum analytical approach for intrinsic band picture of Ba(FeAs)$_2$

Unconventional high temperature superconductivity as well as three-dimensional bulk Dirac cone quantum states arising from the unique d-orbital topology has been a recent priority research area in physics. In iron pnictide compounds, although transport phenomena arisen from this multiple band Fermi surface are intriguing and scientifically important, they still do not give an adequate matching to neither experimental observations on the band picture nor theoretical calculations and a debate continues. Here we describe a new analytical approach of mobility spectrum, in which the carrier number is conveniently described as a function of mobility without any hypothesis about the number of carriers, on both longitudinal and transverse transport of high quality single crystal Ba(FeAs)$_2$ in a wide range of magnetic field. We show that the major numbers of carriers reside in large parabolic hole and electron pockets with very different topology as well as remarkably different mobility spectra, while the minor number of Dirac carriers resides in both hole- and electron- Dirac quantum states with the largest mobility as high as 70,000 cm$^2$(Vs)$^{-1}$.

Electron and Hole Injection via Charge Transfer at the Topological-Insulator $Bi_{2-x}Sb_xTe_{3-y}Se_y$/Organic-Molecule Interface

As a methodology for controlling the carrier transport of topological insulators (TIs), a flexible tuning in carrier number on the surface states (SSs) of three dimensional TIs by surface modifications using organic molecules is described. The principle of the carrier tuning and its type conversion of TIs presented in this research are based on the charge transfer of holes or electrons at the TI/organic molecule interface. By employing 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) as an electron acceptor or tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) as a donor for n- and p- Bi2-xSbxTe3-ySey (BSTS) single crystals, successful carrier conversion from n to p and its reverse mode is demonstrated depending on the electron affinities of the molecules. The present method provides a nondestructive and efficient method for local tuning in carrier density of TIs, and is useful for future applications.