Observation of ultrahigh mobility surface states in a topological crystalline insulator by infrared spectroscopy

Ying Wang, Guoyu Luo, Junwei Liu, R. Sankar, Nan-Lin Wang, Fangcheng Chou, Liang Fu and Zhiqiang Li ()
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Ying Wang: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Guoyu Luo: Sichuan University
Junwei Liu: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
R. Sankar: National Taiwan University
Nan-Lin Wang: Peking University
Fangcheng Chou: National Taiwan University
Liang Fu: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Zhiqiang Li: Sichuan University

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Topological crystalline insulators possess metallic surface states protected by crystalline symmetry, which are a versatile platform for exploring topological phenomena and potential applications. However, progress in this field has been hindered by the challenge to probe optical and transport properties of the surface states owing to the presence of bulk carriers. Here, we report infrared reflectance measurements of a topological crystalline insulator, (001)-oriented Pb1−x Sn x Se in zero and high magnetic fields. We demonstrate that the far-infrared conductivity is unexpectedly dominated by the surface states as a result of their unique band structure and the consequent small infrared penetration depth. Moreover, our experiments yield a surface mobility of 40,000 cm2 V−1 s−1, which is one of the highest reported values in topological materials, suggesting the viability of surface-dominated conduction in thin topological crystalline insulator crystals. These findings pave the way for exploring many exotic transport and optical phenomena and applications predicted for topological crystalline insulators.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00446-2

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