Large magnetic gap at the Dirac point in a Mn-induced Bi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> heterostructure

ORAL

Abstract

A magnetic gap at the Dirac point of topological insulators has so far never been observed directly. Here, we use low temperature ARPES to reveal the magnetic gap of Mn-doped Bi2Te3 films which is present only below TC of 10-12 K. Surprisingly, the gap is 5 times larger than predicted by density functional theory. We show that this enhancement is due to a remarkable structure modification induced by Mn doping. Instead of a disordered impurity system, it forms an alternating sequence of septuple and quintuple layer blocks, with Mn in the center of the septuple layers. Mn-doped Bi2Se3 forms a similar heterostructure, however, only a large, albeit nonmagnetic gap is formed. We explain both differences based on the higher spin-orbit interaction in Bi2Te3. The present findings provide crucial insights for pushing the lossless transport properties of topological insulators towards room temperature.

*Work was partially supported by CEDAMNF (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15 003/0000358) of Czech ministry MSMT and by CEITEC Nano RI (MEYS CR, 20162019), by SPP1666 of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and by Impuls- und Vernetzungsfonds der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft
(Helmholtz-Russia Joint Research Group HRJRG-408 and Helmholtz Virtual Institute "New states of matter and their excitations").

Presenters

  • Oliver Rader

    • Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

Authors

  • Oliver Rader

    • Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
  • Emile Rienks

    • Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
  • Partha M. Mandal

    • Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
  • Ondrej Caha

    • Masaryk University Brno
  • Jan Ruzicka

    • Masaryk University Brno
  • Andreas Ney

    • Johannes Kepler Univ. Linz
  • Hubert Steiner

    • Johannes Kepler Univ. Linz
  • Valentyn V. Volobuev

    • Johannes Kepler Univ. Linz
  • Heiko H. Groiss

    • Johannes Kepler Univ. Linz
  • Saleem Khan

    • University of West Bohemia Pilsen
  • Jan Minár

    • University of West Bohemia
    • University of West Bohemia Pilsen
  • Mihaela Albu

    • Graz Center for Electron Microscopy
  • Hubert Ebert

    • Department Chemie/Physikalische Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen
    • Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen
  • Günther Bauer

    • Department of Physics, Johannes Kepler Universität
    • Institut für Halbleiter- und Festkörperphysik, Johannes Kepler University
    • Johannes Kepler Univ. Linz
  • Andrei Varykhalov

    • Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
  • Jaime Sánchez-Barriga

    • Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
  • Stefan Wimmer

    • Johannes Kepler Univ. Linz
  • Gunther Springholz

    • Department of Physics, Johannes Kepler Universität
    • Institut für Halbleiter- und Festkörperphysik, Johannes Kepler University
    • Johannes Kepler Univ. Linz