Strong and Weak Topology Probed by Surface Science

Topological Insulator Properties of Phase Change Alloys and Heavy Metal Graphene
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-3-658-11810-5
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 166 Seiten, Format (B × H): 148 mm x 210 mm, Gewicht: 2354 g

Reihe: MatWerk

Christian Pauly demonstrates the strong topological properties of the technologically relevant phase change materials SbTe and GeSbTe by using two powerful techniques for mapping the surface electronic structure: scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). In the case of a phase change material, this opens up the possibility of switching between an insulating amorphous and a conducting topological phase on nanosecond-time scales. Moreover, the author presents first experimental results of a weak topological insulator, namely on the bismuth-based graphene-like sheet system BiRhI, revealing a topologically protected one-dimensional edge channel as its fingerprint. The edge state is as narrow as 0.8 nm, making it extremely attractive to device physics. Those strong and weak topological insulators are a new phase of quantum matter giving rise to robust boundary states which are protected from backscattering and localization.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pauly, Christian

Fachgebiete

• Technische Wissenschaften Technik Allgemein Nanotechnologie
• Naturwissenschaften Chemie Analytische Chemie Magnetresonanz
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Thermodynamik Festkörperphysik, Kondensierte Materie
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Elektromagnetismus Mikroskopie, Spektroskopie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction.- Fundamentals of Topological Insulators.- Experimental Methods.- Identi?cation of Tellurium based Phase-Change Materials as Strong Topological Insulators.- Weak Topological Insulator.- Summary.

Über Autor(innen)

Christian Pauly is working as a postdoc in the II. Institute of physics B of the RWTH Aachen University. His work focuses on the study of the topological properties of graphene-like sheet systems which belong to the class of weak topological insulators.