80 research outputs found
Determination of the Energy Band Gap of BiāSeā
Despite intensive investigations of Bi2Se3 in past few years, the size and nature of the bulk energy band gap of this well-known 3D topological insulator still remain unclear. Here we report on a combined magneto-transport, photoluminescence and infrared transmission study of Bi2Se3, which unambiguously shows that the energy band gap of this material is direct and reaches Eg = (220 Ā± 5) meV at low temperatures
Modelling and Evaluation of Electrical Resonance Eddy Current for Submillimeter Defect Detection
Eddy current (EC) inspection is used extensively in non-destructive testing (NDT) to detect surface-breaking defects of engineering components. However, the sensitivity of conventional eddy current inspection has plateaued in recent years. The ability to detect submillimetre defects before it becomes critical would allow engineering components to remain in-service safely for longer. Typically, it is required that higher frequency EC is employed to achieve a suitable sensitivity for detection of such submillimetre defects. However, that would lead to significant electromagnetic noise affecting the sensitivity of the inspection. To overcome this issue, the electrical-resonance based eddy current method has been proposed, where the electrical enhanced resonance signal increases the contrast between signal and noise, thus improving the sensitivity of the defect detection. This work aims to investigate the electrical-resonance system via simulation technology using combination of fast numerical-based simulation and circuit approach. Leveraging on this model, the detection system can be optimized by performing parameters tuning. Investigation of both experiment and simulation develops a precise calibration model for submillimeter defects detection
Detailed Mapping of the Local Irā“āŗ Dimers through the Metal-Insulator Transitions of CuIrāSā Thiospinel by X-ray Atomic Pair Distribution Function Measurements
The evolution of the short-range structural signature of the Ir 4+ dimer state in CuIr2S4 thiospinel has been studied across the metal-insulator phase transitions as the metallic state is induced by temperature, Cr doping, and x-ray fluence. An atomic pair distribution function (PDF) approach reveals that there are no local dimers that survive into the metallic phase when this is invoked by temperature and doping. The PDF shows Ir4+ dimers when they exist, regardless of whether or not they are long-range ordered. At 100 K, exposure to a 98 keV x-ray beam melts the long-range dimer order within a few seconds, though the local dimers remain intact. This shows that the metallic state accessed on warming and doping is qualitatively different from the state obtained under x-ray irradiation
Nematic topological superconducting phase in Nb-doped Bi2Se3
A nematic topological superconductor has an order parameter symmetry, which
spontaneously breaks the crystalline symmetry in its superconducting state.
This state can be observed, for example, by thermodynamic or upper critical
field experiments in which a magnetic field is rotated with respect to the
crystalline axes. The corresponding physical quantity then directly reflects
the symmetry of the order parameter. We present a study on the superconducting
upper critical field of the Nb-doped topological insulator NbxBi2Se3 for
various magnetic field orientations parallel and perpendicular to the basal
plane of the Bi2Se3 layers. The data were obtained by two complementary
experimental techniques, magnetoresistance and DC magnetization, on three
different single crystalline samples of the same batch. Both methods and all
samples show with perfect agreement that the in-plane upper critical fields
clearly demonstrate a two-fold symmetry that breaks the three-fold crystal
symmetry. The two-fold symmetry is also found in the absolute value of the
magnetization of the initial zero-field-cooled branch of the hysteresis loop
and in the value of the thermodynamic contribution above the irreversibility
field, but also in the irreversible properties such as the value of the
characteristic irreversibility field and in the width of the hysteresis loop.
This provides strong experimental evidence that Nb-doped Bi2Se3 is a nematic
topological superconductor similar to the Cu- and Sr-doped Bi2Se3
Magnetic Proximity Effect as a Pathway to Spintronic Applications of Topological Insulators
Spin-based electronics in topological insulators (TIs) is favored by the long
spin coherence1,2 and consequently fault-tolerant information storage.
Magnetically doped TIs are ferromagnetic up to 13 K,3 well below any practical
operating condition. Here we demonstrate that the long range ferromagnetism at
ambient temperature can be induced in Bi2-xMnxTe3 by the magnetic proximity
effect through deposited Fe overlayer. This result opens a new path to
interface-controlled ferromagnetism in TI-based spintronic devices.Comment: accepted in Nano Letter
Electron dynamics in topological insulator based semiconductor-metal interfaces (topological p-n interface based on Bi2Se3 class)
Single-Dirac-cone topological insulators (TI) are the first experimentally
discovered class of three dimensional topologically ordered electronic systems,
and feature robust, massless spin-helical conducting surface states that appear
at any interface between a topological insulator and normal matter that lacks
the topological insulator ordering. This topologically defined surface
environment has been theoretically identified as a promising platform for
observing a wide range of new physical phenomena, and possesses ideal
properties for advanced electronics such as spin-polarized conductivity and
suppressed scattering. A key missing step in enabling these applications is to
understand how topologically ordered electrons respond to the interfaces and
surface structures that constitute a device. Here we explore this question by
using the surface deposition of cathode (Cu/In/Fe) and anode materials (NO)
and control of bulk doping in BiSe from P-type to N-type charge
transport regimes to generate a range of topological insulator interface
scenarios that are fundamental to device development. The interplay of
conventional semiconductor junction physics and three dimensional topological
electronic order is observed to generate novel junction behaviors that go
beyond the doped-insulator paradigm of conventional semiconductor devices and
greatly alter the known spin-orbit interface phenomenon of Rashba splitting.
Our measurements for the first time reveal new classes of diode-like
configurations that can create a gap in the interface electron density near a
topological Dirac point and systematically modify the topological surface state
Dirac velocity, allowing far reaching control of spin-textured helical Dirac
electrons inside the interface and creating advantages for TI superconductors
as a Majorana fermion platform over spin-orbit semiconductors.Comment: 14 pages, 4 Figure
Electronic Fingerprints of Cr and V Dopants in the Topological Insulator SbāTeā
By combining scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we systematically study the local electronic states of magnetic dopants V and Cr in the topological insulator (TI) Sb2Te3. Spectroscopic imaging shows diverse local defect states between Cr and V, which agree with our first-principle calculations. The unique spectroscopic features of V and Cr dopants provide electronic fingerprints for the codoped magnetic TI samples with the enhanced quantum anomalous Hall effect. Our results also facilitate the exploration of the underlying mechanism of the enhanced quantum anomalous Hall temperature in Cr/V codoped TIs
Rotational Symmetry Breaking in a Trigonal Superconductor Nb-Doped BiāSeā
The search for unconventional superconductivity has been focused on materials with strong spin-orbit coupling and unique crystal lattices. Doped bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) is a strong candidate, given the topological insulator nature of the parent compound and its triangular lattice. The coupling between the physical properties in the superconducting state and its underlying crystal symmetry is a crucial test for unconventional superconductivity. In this paper, we report direct evidence that the superconducting magnetic response couples strongly to the underlying trigonal crystal symmetry in the recently discovered superconductor with trigonal crystal structure, niobium (Nb)-doped Bi2Se3. As a result, the in-plane magnetic torque signal vanishes every 60Ā°. More importantly, the superconducting hysteresis loop amplitude is enhanced along one preferred direction, spontaneously breaking the rotational symmetry. This observation indicates the presence of nematic order in the superconducting ground state of Nb-doped Bi2Se3
Multiple Fermi Surfaces in Superconducting Nb-Doped BiāSeā
Topological insulator Bi2Se3 has shown a number of interesting physical properties. Doping Bi2Se3 with copper or strontium has been demonstrated to make the material superconducting and potentially even a topological superconductor. The recent discovery of superconducting niobium-doped Bi2Se3 reveals an exciting new physical phenomenon, the coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic ordering, as well as signatures of an odd-parity p-wave superconducting order. To understand this new phenomenon, a detailed knowledge of the electronic structure is needed. We present an observation of quantum oscillations in the magnetization (the de Haas-van Alphen effect) of Nb-doped Bi2Se3. In the fully superconducting crystal, two distinct orbits are observed, in sharp contrast to Bi2Se3, Cu-doped Bi2Se3, and Sr-doped Bi2Se3. The multiple frequencies observed in our quantum oscillations, combined with our electrical transport studies, indicate the multi-orbit nature of the electronic state of Nb-doped Bi2Se3
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