arXiv · 1312.0073
Unexpectedly robust protection from backscattering in the topological insulator Bi$_{1.5}$Sb$_{0.5}$Te$_{1.7}$Se$_{1.3}$
Abstract
Electron scattering in the topological surface state (TSS) of the bulk-insulating topological insulator Bi$_{1.5}$Sb$_{0.5}$Te$_{1.7}$Se$_{1.3}$ was studied using quasiparticle interference observed by scanning tunneling microscopy. It was found that not only the 180$^{\circ}$ backscattering but also a wide range of backscattering angles of 100$^{\circ}$--180$^{\circ}$ is effectively prohibited in the TSS. This conclusion was obtained by comparing the observed scattering vectors with the diameters of the constant-energy contours of the TSS, which were measured for both occupied and unoccupied states using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The unexpectedly robust protection from backscattering in the TSS is a good news for applications, but it poses a challenge to the theoretical understanding of the transport in the TSS.
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Sunghun Kim, Shunsuke Yoshizawa, Yukiaki Ishida, Kazuma Eto, Kouji Segawa, Yoichi Ando, Shik Shin, Fumio Komori. 2013-11-30. Unexpectedly robust protection from backscattering in the topological insulator Bi$_{1.5}$Sb$_{0.5}$Te$_{1.7}$Se$_{1.3}$. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.112.136802
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