Thickness-dependent frictional behavior of topological insulator Bi2Se3 nanoplates

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2020-04, Vol.126 (4), Article 285
• Main Authors: Zhu, Ruijian, Wang, Zengmei, Yao, Quanzhou, Li, Qunyang, Cheng, Zhenxiang, Guo, Xinli, Zhang, Tong, Li, Xiaoshuai, Kimura, Hideo, Matsumoto, Takao, Shibata, Naoya, Ikuhara, Yuichi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Crystal lattices; Energy dissipation; Friction; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Molecular structure; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Room temperature; Single crystals; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thickness; Thin Films; Topological insulators; Topology
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-020-3452-5

Two-dimensional Bi 2 Se 3 TIs were recently found to be the most promising room-temperature topological insulators for its relatively large bulk gap, but its surface frictional response is little investigated. Here, we prepared single-crystalline Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplates with a lateral dimension up to ~ 1 μm and a thickness of less than 200 nm via a simple polyol method, and the molecular structure and morphology were characterized in detail using different methods. The micro-frictional behavior of Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplates with different thickness is inventively investigated with AFM technique. The atomic stick–slip friction stemming from periodic crystal lattice, and the larger friction force of thinner nanoplates is attributed to the larger adhesion force and enhanced energy dissipation. This work has, for the first time, built the link of the behavior of topological protected surface and mechanical friction behavior of Bi 2 Se 3 .