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Title: Ultrafast manipulation of topologically enhanced surface transport driven by mid-infrared and terahertz pulses in Bi2Se3

Abstract

Topology-protected surface transport of ultimate thinness in three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs) is breaking new ground in quantum science and technology. Yet a challenge remains on how to disentangle and selectively control surface helical spin transport from the bulk contribution. Here we use the mid-infrared and terahertz (THz) photoexcitation of exclusive intraband transitions to enable ultrafast manipulation of surface THz conductivity in Bi2Se3. The unique, transient electronic state is characterized by frequency-dependent carrier relaxations that directly distinguish the faster surface channel than the bulk with no complication from interband excitations or need for reduced bulk doping. We determine the topological enhancement ratio between bulk and surface scattering rates, i.e., γBS/γSS ~3.80 in equilibrium. As a result, the ultra-broadband, wavelength-selective pumping may be applied to emerging topological semimetals for separation and control of the protected transport connected with the Weyl nodes from other bulk bands.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Ames Lab. and Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
  2. Univ. of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (United States)
  3. Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1494932
Report Number(s):
IS-J-9887
Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-07CH11358
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS

Citation Formats

Luo, L., Yang, X., Liu, X., Liu, Z., Vaswani, C., Cheng, D., Mootz, M., Zhao, X., Yao, Y., Wang, C. -Z., Ho, K. -M., Perakis, I. E., Dobrowolska, M., Furdyna, J. K., and Wang, J. Ultrafast manipulation of topologically enhanced surface transport driven by mid-infrared and terahertz pulses in Bi2Se3. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-08559-6.
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Luo, L., Yang, X., Liu, X., Liu, Z., Vaswani, C., Cheng, D., Mootz, M., Zhao, X., Yao, Y., Wang, C. -Z., Ho, K. -M., Perakis, I. E., Dobrowolska, M., Furdyna, J. K., & Wang, J. Ultrafast manipulation of topologically enhanced surface transport driven by mid-infrared and terahertz pulses in Bi2Se3. United States. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-08559-6.
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Luo, L., Yang, X., Liu, X., Liu, Z., Vaswani, C., Cheng, D., Mootz, M., Zhao, X., Yao, Y., Wang, C. -Z., Ho, K. -M., Perakis, I. E., Dobrowolska, M., Furdyna, J. K., and Wang, J. Tue . "Ultrafast manipulation of topologically enhanced surface transport driven by mid-infrared and terahertz pulses in Bi2Se3". United States. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-08559-6. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1494932.
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@article{osti_1494932,
title = {Ultrafast manipulation of topologically enhanced surface transport driven by mid-infrared and terahertz pulses in Bi2Se3},
author = {Luo, L. and Yang, X. and Liu, X. and Liu, Z. and Vaswani, C. and Cheng, D. and Mootz, M. and Zhao, X. and Yao, Y. and Wang, C. -Z. and Ho, K. -M. and Perakis, I. E. and Dobrowolska, M. and Furdyna, J. K. and Wang, J.},
abstractNote = {Topology-protected surface transport of ultimate thinness in three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs) is breaking new ground in quantum science and technology. Yet a challenge remains on how to disentangle and selectively control surface helical spin transport from the bulk contribution. Here we use the mid-infrared and terahertz (THz) photoexcitation of exclusive intraband transitions to enable ultrafast manipulation of surface THz conductivity in Bi2Se3. The unique, transient electronic state is characterized by frequency-dependent carrier relaxations that directly distinguish the faster surface channel than the bulk with no complication from interband excitations or need for reduced bulk doping. We determine the topological enhancement ratio between bulk and surface scattering rates, i.e., γBS/γSS ~3.80 in equilibrium. As a result, the ultra-broadband, wavelength-selective pumping may be applied to emerging topological semimetals for separation and control of the protected transport connected with the Weyl nodes from other bulk bands.},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-08559-6},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = 1,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {2}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
DOI:  10.1038/s41467-019-08559-6
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1: Ultrafast mid-IR/THz pump and THz probe spectroscopy for Bi2Se3. a Schematic of the surface and bulk electronic band structures of the Bi2Se3 film with Fermi level (EF) indicated, illustrating mid-IR/THz intraband excitations and THz conductivity detection. b Static THz spectra of σ1(ω) and ε1(ω) (red dots) of themore » Bi2Se3 film at T= 5 K. Shown together are the theoretical fitting (gray lines) using the composite THz model from Eq. (1). c, d A 2D false-color plot of pump-induced THz field changes ΔEsample as a function of gate time tgate (horizontal axis) and pump-probe delay Δtpp (vertical axis) after 248meV (5 μm) photoexcitation of the sample at c T= 300 K and d T= 5 K, respectively. Plotted together are the corresponding static THz fields Esample(tgate) (green curves) and their pump-induced changes ΔEsample(tgate) at Δtpp= 1 ps (blue curves, ×5, from the cut positions as marked by the blue-dashed lines), in order to compare their relative amplitude changes and phase shifts at different temperatures« less
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Light control of surface–bulk coupling by terahertz vibrational coherence in a topological insulator
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    Lightwave-driven gapless superconductivity and forbidden quantum beats by terahertz symmetry breaking
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