Three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators are a new state of quantum matter, which exhibits both a bulk band structure with an insulating energy gap as well as metallic spin-polarized Dirac fermion states when interfaced with a topologically trivial material. There have been various attempts to tune the Dirac point to a desired energetic position for exploring its unusual quantum properties. Here we show a direct experimental proof by angle-resolved photoemission of the realization of a vertical topological p-n junction made of a heterostructure of two different binary 3D TI materials Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 epitaxially grown on Si(111). We demonstrate that the chemical potential is tunable by about 200thinspmeV when decreasing the upper Sb2Te3 layer thickness from 25 to 6 quintuple layers without applying any external bias. These results make it realistic to observe the topological exciton condensate and pave the way for exploring other exotic quantum phenomena in the near future.
Description
Realization of a vertical topological p-n junction in epitaxial Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterostructures : Nature Communications : Nature Publishing Group
%0 Journal Article
%1 eschbach2015realization
%A Eschbach, Markus
%A Mlynczak, Ewa
%A Kellner, Jens
%A Kampmeier, Jorn
%A Lanius, Martin
%A Neumann, Elmar
%A Weyrich, Christian
%A Gehlmann, Mathias
%A Gospodaric, Pika
%A Doring, Sven
%A Mussler, Gregor
%A Demarina, Nataliya
%A Luysberg, Martina
%A Bihlmayer, Gustav
%A Schapers, Thomas
%A Plucinski, Lukasz
%A Blugel, Stefan
%A Morgenstern, Markus
%A Schneider, Claus M.
%A Grutzmacher, Detlev
%D 2015
%I Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.
%J Nat Commun
%K morgenstern
%T Realization of a vertical topological p-n junction in epitaxial Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterostructures
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9816
%V 6
%X Three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators are a new state of quantum matter, which exhibits both a bulk band structure with an insulating energy gap as well as metallic spin-polarized Dirac fermion states when interfaced with a topologically trivial material. There have been various attempts to tune the Dirac point to a desired energetic position for exploring its unusual quantum properties. Here we show a direct experimental proof by angle-resolved photoemission of the realization of a vertical topological p-n junction made of a heterostructure of two different binary 3D TI materials Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 epitaxially grown on Si(111). We demonstrate that the chemical potential is tunable by about 200thinspmeV when decreasing the upper Sb2Te3 layer thickness from 25 to 6 quintuple layers without applying any external bias. These results make it realistic to observe the topological exciton condensate and pave the way for exploring other exotic quantum phenomena in the near future.
@article{eschbach2015realization,
abstract = {Three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators are a new state of quantum matter, which exhibits both a bulk band structure with an insulating energy gap as well as metallic spin-polarized Dirac fermion states when interfaced with a topologically trivial material. There have been various attempts to tune the Dirac point to a desired energetic position for exploring its unusual quantum properties. Here we show a direct experimental proof by angle-resolved photoemission of the realization of a vertical topological p-n junction made of a heterostructure of two different binary 3D TI materials Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 epitaxially grown on Si(111). We demonstrate that the chemical potential is tunable by about 200[thinsp]meV when decreasing the upper Sb2Te3 layer thickness from 25 to 6 quintuple layers without applying any external bias. These results make it realistic to observe the topological exciton condensate and pave the way for exploring other exotic quantum phenomena in the near future.},
added-at = {2015-11-23T16:32:28.000+0100},
author = {Eschbach, Markus and Mlynczak, Ewa and Kellner, Jens and Kampmeier, Jorn and Lanius, Martin and Neumann, Elmar and Weyrich, Christian and Gehlmann, Mathias and Gospodaric, Pika and Doring, Sven and Mussler, Gregor and Demarina, Nataliya and Luysberg, Martina and Bihlmayer, Gustav and Schapers, Thomas and Plucinski, Lukasz and Blugel, Stefan and Morgenstern, Markus and Schneider, Claus M. and Grutzmacher, Detlev},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/23ad5a61194f00e387ba605b2707fda13/institut2b},
comment = {Supplementary information available for this article at http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/151117/ncomms9816/suppinfo/ncomms9816_S1.html},
description = {Realization of a vertical topological p-n junction in epitaxial Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterostructures : Nature Communications : Nature Publishing Group},
interhash = {3e03bd9867b61efafe54a9eb926c25ed},
intrahash = {3ad5a61194f00e387ba605b2707fda13},
journal = {Nat Commun},
keywords = {morgenstern},
month = nov,
publisher = {Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.},
timestamp = {2015-11-23T16:32:28.000+0100},
title = {Realization of a vertical topological p-n junction in epitaxial Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterostructures},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9816},
volume = 6,
year = 2015
}