Self-organized topological insulator heterostructures via eutectic solidification of Bi2Te3-Te

Topological insulators (TI) are generating increasing interest as a new state of matter and due to the potential use of topologically- protected gapless surface states in spintronic devices and quantum computing. However, challenges such as high sensitivity to the atmosphere, the low surface-to-volu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Next materials 2024-10, Vol.5, p.100252, Article 100252
Main Authors: Bandopadhyay, Kingshuk, Buza, Marta, Chen, Cheng, Materna, Andrzej, Szlachetko, Kamil, Piotrowski, Piotr, Surma, Hańcza B., Borysiuk, Jolanta, Diduszko, Ryszard, Barinov, Alexei, Chen, Yulin L., Kaminska, Maria, Pawlak, Dorota A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bi2Te3
Eutectics
Heterostructures
Micro-pulling down method
Self-organization
Topological insulators
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Summary:Topological insulators (TI) are generating increasing interest as a new state of matter and due to the potential use of topologically- protected gapless surface states in spintronic devices and quantum computing. However, challenges such as high sensitivity to the atmosphere, the low surface-to-volume ratio, and the need for various material junctions currently limit their application. Here, a novel, natural and simple approach to the fabrication of volumetric TI heterostructures that can overcome these core challenges is presented, using the example of a Bi2Te3-Te eutectic composite. The proposed method based on directional solidification of eutectic composites, enables the formation of ensembles of parallel TI-other material heterojunctions through a self-organization process. It also offers control over the heterostructures’ dimensions/refinement. Electron microscopy techniques show that the heterostructure exhibits a lamellar/layered microstructure with atomically smooth Bi2Te3ǀǀTe interfaces. Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy experiments confirm the existence of metallic surface states, while Kelvin probe force microscopy depicts the formed p-n junctions. The new degrees of freedom offered here, such as control of heterojunction chemical composition, packing density, and available fabrication techniques, may facilitate large-scale customized printing of topological devices. [Display omitted]
ISSN:2949-8228
2949-8228
DOI:10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100252