Band Structure Engineering in Topological Insulator Based Heterostructures

The ability to engineer an electronic band structure of topological insulators would allow the production of topological materials with tailor-made properties. Using ab initio calculations, we show a promising way to control the conducting surface state in topological insulator based heterostructure...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano letters 2013-12, Vol.13 (12), p.6064-6069
Main Authors: Menshchikova, T. V, Otrokov, M. M, Tsirkin, S. S, Samorokov, D. A, Bebneva, V. V, Ernst, A, Kuznetsov, V. M, Chulkov, E. V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Band structure of solids
Electric Conductivity
Electronics
Energy gaps (solid state)
Heterostructures
Insulators
Mathematical analysis
Nanostructures - chemistry
Surface Properties
Thin films
Topology
Tuning
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Summary:The ability to engineer an electronic band structure of topological insulators would allow the production of topological materials with tailor-made properties. Using ab initio calculations, we show a promising way to control the conducting surface state in topological insulator based heterostructures representing an insulator ultrathin films on the topological insulator substrates. Because of a specific relation between work functions and band gaps of the topological insulator substrate and the insulator ultrathin film overlayer, a sizable shift of the Dirac point occurs resulting in a significant increase in the number of the topological surface state charge carriers as compared to that of the substrate itself. Such an effect can also be realized by applying the external electric field that allows a gradual tuning of the topological surface state. A simultaneous use of both approaches makes it possible to obtain a topological insulator based heterostructure with a highly tunable topological surface state.
ISSN:1530-6984
1530-6992
DOI:10.1021/nl403312y