Title: Visualizing topological edge states of single and double bilayer Bi supported on multibilayer Bi(111) films

Journal Article · · Physical Review B
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1];  [1]
  1. Huazhong Univ. of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China). School of Physics. Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center
  2. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Physics; Max Planck Inst. for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg (Germany)
  3. Max Planck Inst. for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg (Germany)
  4. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Physics; SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Inst. for Materials and Energy Sciences
+ Show Author Affiliations

Freestanding single bilayer Bi(111) is a two-dimensional topological insulator with edge states propagating along its perimeter. Given the interlayer coupling experimentally, the topological nature of Bi(111) thin films and the impact of the supporting substrate on the topmost Bi bilayer are still under debate. Combined with scanning tunneling microscopy and first-principles calculations, we systematically study the electronic properties of Bi(111) thin films grown on a $$\mathrm{NbS}{\mathrm{e}}_{2}$$ substrate. Two types of nonmagnetic edge structures, i.e., a conventional zigzag edge and a 2 x 1 reconstructed edge, coexist alternately at the boundaries of single bilayer islands, the topological edge states of which exhibit remarkably different energy and spatial distributions. Prominent edge states are persistently visualized at the edges of both single and double bilayer Bi islands, regardless of the underlying thickness of Bi(111) thin films. We provide an explanation for the topological origin of the observed edge states that is verified with first-principles calculations. Our paper clarifies the long-standing controversy regarding the topology of Bi(111) thin films and reveals the tunability of topological edge states via edge modifications.

Research Organization:
Huazhong Univ. of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Max Planck Inst. for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg (Germany); SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
European Research Council (ERC); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (China); National Key Research and Development Program of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
1490396
Journal Information:
Physical Review B, Journal Name: Physical Review B Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 98; ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Multistate resistance switching in Bi/PMN–PT(111) heterostructures by electric and magnetic field journal January 2020
Topological phase transition induced by p x,y and p z band inversion in a honeycomb lattice journal January 2019
Heterostructures of tellurium on NbSe 2 from sub-monolayer to few-layer films journal January 2020
Resolving the topological classification of bismuth with topological defects journal November 2019
Transformation of the Topological Phase and the Edge Modes of Double-Bilayer Bismuthene with Inter-Bilayer Spacing journal May 2019
Resolving the Topological Classification of Bismuth with Topological Defects text January 2019

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Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
all-electron density functional calculations
bilayer films
edge states
molecular beam epitaxy
scanning tunneling spectroscopy
topological insulators