Differentiation of Surface and Bulk Conductivities in Topological Insulators via Four-Probe Spectroscopy

Corentin Durand; X. G. Zhang; Saban M. Hus; Chuanxu Ma; Michael A. McGuire; Yang Xu; Helin Cao; Ireneusz Miotkowski; Yong P. Chen; An Ping Li

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04425

Differentiation of Surface and Bulk Conductivities in Topological Insulators via Four-Probe Spectroscopy

Corentin Durand, X. G. Zhang, Saban M. Hus, Chuanxu Ma, Michael A. McGuire, Yang Xu, Helin Cao, Ireneusz Miotkowski, Yong P. Chen, An Ping Li

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41 Scopus citations

Abstract

We show a new method to differentiate conductivities from the surface states and the coexisting bulk states in topological insulators using a four-probe transport spectroscopy in a multiprobe scanning tunneling microscopy system. We derive a scaling relation of measured resistance with respect to varying interprobe spacing for two interconnected conduction channels to allow quantitative determination of conductivities from both channels. Using this method, we demonstrate the separation of 2D and 3D conduction in topological insulators by comparing the conductance scaling of Bi₂Se₃, Bi₂Te₂Se, and Sb-doped Bi₂Se₃ against a pure 2D conductance of graphene on SiC substrate. We also quantitatively show the effect of surface doping carriers on the 2D conductance enhancement in topological insulators. The method offers a means to understanding not just the topological insulators but also the 2D to 3D crossover of conductance in other complex systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2213-2220
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nano Letters
Volume	16
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04425
State	Published - Apr 13 2016

Funding

This research was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. MAM acknowledges support for Bi2Se3 crystal growth and bulk characterization from the DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. The Bi2Te2Se crystal growth and characterization at Purdue was supported by DARPA MESO program (Grant N66001-11-1-4107). Authors acknowledge Randall Feenstra for providing the epitaxial graphene for the study.

Funders	Funder number
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency	N66001-11-1-4107
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences
Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering

Keywords

Four-probe transport spectroscopy
dimensionality crossover
electrical transport
scanning tunneling microscopy
topological insulator
topological surface states

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10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04425

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title = "Differentiation of Surface and Bulk Conductivities in Topological Insulators via Four-Probe Spectroscopy",

abstract = "We show a new method to differentiate conductivities from the surface states and the coexisting bulk states in topological insulators using a four-probe transport spectroscopy in a multiprobe scanning tunneling microscopy system. We derive a scaling relation of measured resistance with respect to varying interprobe spacing for two interconnected conduction channels to allow quantitative determination of conductivities from both channels. Using this method, we demonstrate the separation of 2D and 3D conduction in topological insulators by comparing the conductance scaling of Bi2Se3, Bi2Te2Se, and Sb-doped Bi2Se3 against a pure 2D conductance of graphene on SiC substrate. We also quantitatively show the effect of surface doping carriers on the 2D conductance enhancement in topological insulators. The method offers a means to understanding not just the topological insulators but also the 2D to 3D crossover of conductance in other complex systems.",

keywords = "Four-probe transport spectroscopy, dimensionality crossover, electrical transport, scanning tunneling microscopy, topological insulator, topological surface states",

author = "Corentin Durand and Zhang, {X. G.} and Hus, {Saban M.} and Chuanxu Ma and McGuire, {Michael A.} and Yang Xu and Helin Cao and Ireneusz Miotkowski and Chen, {Yong P.} and Li, {An Ping}",

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AU - Durand, Corentin

AU - Zhang, X. G.

AU - Hus, Saban M.

AU - Ma, Chuanxu

AU - McGuire, Michael A.

AU - Xu, Yang

AU - Cao, Helin

AU - Miotkowski, Ireneusz

AU - Chen, Yong P.

AU - Li, An Ping

PY - 2016/4/13

Y1 - 2016/4/13

N2 - We show a new method to differentiate conductivities from the surface states and the coexisting bulk states in topological insulators using a four-probe transport spectroscopy in a multiprobe scanning tunneling microscopy system. We derive a scaling relation of measured resistance with respect to varying interprobe spacing for two interconnected conduction channels to allow quantitative determination of conductivities from both channels. Using this method, we demonstrate the separation of 2D and 3D conduction in topological insulators by comparing the conductance scaling of Bi2Se3, Bi2Te2Se, and Sb-doped Bi2Se3 against a pure 2D conductance of graphene on SiC substrate. We also quantitatively show the effect of surface doping carriers on the 2D conductance enhancement in topological insulators. The method offers a means to understanding not just the topological insulators but also the 2D to 3D crossover of conductance in other complex systems.

AB - We show a new method to differentiate conductivities from the surface states and the coexisting bulk states in topological insulators using a four-probe transport spectroscopy in a multiprobe scanning tunneling microscopy system. We derive a scaling relation of measured resistance with respect to varying interprobe spacing for two interconnected conduction channels to allow quantitative determination of conductivities from both channels. Using this method, we demonstrate the separation of 2D and 3D conduction in topological insulators by comparing the conductance scaling of Bi2Se3, Bi2Te2Se, and Sb-doped Bi2Se3 against a pure 2D conductance of graphene on SiC substrate. We also quantitatively show the effect of surface doping carriers on the 2D conductance enhancement in topological insulators. The method offers a means to understanding not just the topological insulators but also the 2D to 3D crossover of conductance in other complex systems.

KW - Four-probe transport spectroscopy

KW - dimensionality crossover

KW - electrical transport

KW - scanning tunneling microscopy

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KW - topological surface states

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Differentiation of Surface and Bulk Conductivities in Topological Insulators via Four-Probe Spectroscopy

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