THz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3

The surface of a topological insulator harbors exotic topological states, protected against backscattering from disorder by time reversal symmetry. The study of these exotic quantum states not only provides an opportunity to explore fundamental phenomena in condensed matter physics, such as the spin...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kamboj, V, Singh, A, Ferrus, T, Beere, H, Duffy, L, Hesjedal, T, Barnes, C, Ritchie, D
Format: Conference item
Published: Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 2018
_version_ 1797056207519744000
author Kamboj, V
Singh, A
Ferrus, T
Beere, H
Duffy, L
Hesjedal, T
Barnes, C
Ritchie, D
author_facet Kamboj, V
Singh, A
Ferrus, T
Beere, H
Duffy, L
Hesjedal, T
Barnes, C
Ritchie, D
author_sort Kamboj, V
collection OXFORD
description The surface of a topological insulator harbors exotic topological states, protected against backscattering from disorder by time reversal symmetry. The study of these exotic quantum states not only provides an opportunity to explore fundamental phenomena in condensed matter physics, such as the spin Hall effect, but also lays the foundation for applications from quantum computing to spintronics. Conventional electrical measurements suffer from substantial bulk interference, making it difficult to clearly distinguish topological surface states from bulk states. Employing terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, we study the temperature-dependent optical behavior of a 23-quintuple-thick film of bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) allowing for the deconvolution of the surface state response from the bulk. Our measurement of carrier dynamics give an optical mobility exceeding 2100 cm2/V•s at 4 K, indicative of a surface-dominated response, and a scattering lifetime of ~0.18 ps and a carrier density of 6×1012 cm-2 at 4 K for the Bi2Se3 film. The sample was further processed into a Hall bar device using two different etching techniques, a wet chemical etching and Ar+ ion milling, which resulting in a reduced Hall mobility. Even so, the magneto-conductance transport reveals weak antilocalization behavior in our Bi2Se3 sample, consistent with the presence of a single topological surface state mode.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T19:20:05Z
format Conference item
id oxford-uuid:19c5ff86-276c-4e09-8205-5d516d889fd4
institution University of Oxford
last_indexed 2024-03-06T19:20:05Z
publishDate 2018
publisher Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:19c5ff86-276c-4e09-8205-5d516d889fd42022-03-26T10:50:58ZTHz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3Conference itemhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_5794uuid:19c5ff86-276c-4e09-8205-5d516d889fd4Symplectic Elements at OxfordSociety of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers2018Kamboj, VSingh, AFerrus, TBeere, HDuffy, LHesjedal, TBarnes, CRitchie, DThe surface of a topological insulator harbors exotic topological states, protected against backscattering from disorder by time reversal symmetry. The study of these exotic quantum states not only provides an opportunity to explore fundamental phenomena in condensed matter physics, such as the spin Hall effect, but also lays the foundation for applications from quantum computing to spintronics. Conventional electrical measurements suffer from substantial bulk interference, making it difficult to clearly distinguish topological surface states from bulk states. Employing terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, we study the temperature-dependent optical behavior of a 23-quintuple-thick film of bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) allowing for the deconvolution of the surface state response from the bulk. Our measurement of carrier dynamics give an optical mobility exceeding 2100 cm2/V•s at 4 K, indicative of a surface-dominated response, and a scattering lifetime of ~0.18 ps and a carrier density of 6×1012 cm-2 at 4 K for the Bi2Se3 film. The sample was further processed into a Hall bar device using two different etching techniques, a wet chemical etching and Ar+ ion milling, which resulting in a reduced Hall mobility. Even so, the magneto-conductance transport reveals weak antilocalization behavior in our Bi2Se3 sample, consistent with the presence of a single topological surface state mode.
spellingShingle Kamboj, V
Singh, A
Ferrus, T
Beere, H
Duffy, L
Hesjedal, T
Barnes, C
Ritchie, D
THz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3
title THz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3
title_full THz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3
title_fullStr THz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3
title_full_unstemmed THz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3
title_short THz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film Bi2Se3
title_sort thz carrier dynamics and magnetotransport study of topological surface states in thin film bi2se3
work_keys_str_mv AT kambojv thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3
AT singha thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3
AT ferrust thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3
AT beereh thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3
AT duffyl thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3
AT hesjedalt thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3
AT barnesc thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3
AT ritchied thzcarrierdynamicsandmagnetotransportstudyoftopologicalsurfacestatesinthinfilmbi2se3