Flat-lens focusing of electrons on the surface of a topological insulator

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.82.125423· OSTI ID:21421428

Hassler, F; Akhmerov, A R; Beenakker, C W. J. ^[1]

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1. Instituut-Lorentz, Universiteit Leiden, P.O. Box 9506, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)

We propose the implementation of an electronic Veselago lens on the conducting surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator (such as Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}). The negative refraction needed for such a flat lens results from the sign change in the curvature of the Fermi surface, changing from a circular to a snowflakelike shape across a sufficiently large electrostatic potential step. No interband transition (as in graphene) is needed. For this reason, and because the topological insulator provides protection against backscattering, the potential step is able to focus a broad range of incident angles. We calculate the quantum interference pattern produced by a point source, generalizing the analogous optical calculation to include the effect of a noncircular Fermi surface (having a nonzero conic constant).

• OSTI ID: 21421428
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 82, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.82.125423; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BACKSCATTERING
BISMUTH TELLURIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FERMI LEVEL
FOCUSING
INTERFERENCE
LENSES
POINT SOURCES
REFRACTION
SIMULATION
SURFACES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
BISMUTH COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY LEVELS
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
RADIATION SOURCES
SCATTERING
TELLURIDES
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS