PROJECT
Topological insulators
Topological insulators are a recently discovered state of matter which are insulating in the bulk, but conduct current only at the surface. These surface currents are spin-polarized, thus making them exciting candidates for spintronic applications and quantum computing. The unique properties of topological insulators are due to band inversion which occurs as a consequence of their large spin-orbit coupling and small band gap. The most commonly studied topological insulator material is Bi2Se3. Our research mainly focuses on characterizing the transport and optical properties of these materials. We are interested in utilizing these materials for practical device applications and to understand their peculiar characteristics, especially at low temperatures and large magnetic fields.
The figure below shows the angle resolved photoemission spectra (ARPES) of the topological insulator Bi2Se3.1 The surface states appear as linear dispersions inside the band gap in the electronic band structure.
