BiTe is a Dual Topological Insulator

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2017 Apr 22

PMID 28429708

Citations 4

Authors

Markus Eschbach

Martin Lanius

Chengwang Niu

Ewa Mlynczak

Pika Gospodaric

Jens Kellner

Peter Schuffelgen

Mathias Gehlmann

Sven Doring

Elmar Neumann

Martina Luysberg

Gregor Mussler

Lukasz Plucinski

Markus Morgenstern

Detlev Grutzmacher

Gustav Bihlmayer

Stefan Blugel

Claus M Schneider

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

New three-dimensional (3D) topological phases can emerge in superlattices containing constituents of known two-dimensional topologies. Here we demonstrate that stoichiometric BiTe, which is a natural superlattice of alternating two BiTe quintuple layers and one Bi bilayer, is a dual 3D topological insulator where a weak topological insulator phase and topological crystalline insulator phase appear simultaneously. By density functional theory, we find indices (0;001) and a non-zero mirror Chern number. We have synthesized BiTe by molecular beam epitaxy and found evidence for its topological crystalline and weak topological character by spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The dual topology opens the possibility to gap the differently protected metallic surface states on different surfaces independently by breaking the respective symmetries, for example, by magnetic field on one surface and by strain on another surface.

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