Free-electron creation at the 60° twin boundary in Bi2Te3

Kwang-Chon Kim, Joohwi Lee, Byung Kyu Kim, Won Young Choi, Hye Jung Chang, Sung Ok Won, Beomjin Kwon, Seong Keun Kim, Dow-Bin Hyun, Hyun Jae Kim, Hyun Cheol Koo, Jung-Hae Choi, Dong-Ik Kim, Jin-Sang Kim () and Seung-Hyub Baek ()
Additional contact information
Kwang-Chon Kim: Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Joohwi Lee: Kyoto University
Byung Kyu Kim: High Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Won Young Choi: KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University
Hye Jung Chang: Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Sung Ok Won: Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Beomjin Kwon: Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Seong Keun Kim: Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Dow-Bin Hyun: Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Hyun Jae Kim: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University
Hyun Cheol Koo: KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University
Jung-Hae Choi: Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Dong-Ik Kim: High Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Jin-Sang Kim: Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Seung-Hyub Baek: Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Interfaces, such as grain boundaries in a solid material, are excellent regions to explore novel properties that emerge as the result of local symmetry-breaking. For instance, at the interface of a layered-chalcogenide material, the potential reconfiguration of the atoms at the boundaries can lead to a significant modification of the electronic properties because of their complex atomic bonding structure. Here, we report the experimental observation of an electron source at 60° twin boundaries in Bi2Te3, a representative layered-chalcogenide material. First-principles calculations reveal that the modification of the interatomic distance at the 60° twin boundary to accommodate structural misfits can alter the electronic structure of Bi2Te3. The change in the electronic structure generates occupied states within the original bandgap in a favourable condition to create carriers and enlarges the density-of-states near the conduction band minimum. The present work provides insight into the various transport behaviours of thermoelectrics and topological insulators.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12449

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