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arXiv · 1502.02696

Surface-state-dominated transport in crystals of the topological crystalline insulator In-doped Pb$_{1-x}$Sn$_x$Te

Ruidan Zhong·Xugang He·John A. Schneeloch·Cheng Zhang·Tiansheng Liu·Ivo Pletikosic·Qiang Li·Wei Ku·Tonica Valla·J. M. Tranquada·Genda Gu
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Abstract

Three-dimensional topological insulators and topological crystalline insulators represent new quantum states of matter, which are predicted to have insulating bulk states and spin-momentum-locked gapless surface states. Experimentally, it has proven difficult to achieve the high bulk resistivity that would allow surface states to dominate the transport properties over a substantial temperature range. Here we report a series of indium-doped Pb$_{1-x}$Sn$_x$Te compounds that manifest huge bulk resistivities together with strong evidence of topological surface states, based on thickness-dependent transport studies and magnetoresistance measurements. For these bulk-insulating materials, the surface states determine the resistivity for temperatures approaching 30 K.

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Ruidan Zhong, Xugang He, John A. Schneeloch, Cheng Zhang, Tiansheng Liu, Ivo Pletikosic, Qiang Li, Wei Ku, Tonica Valla, J. M. Tranquada, Genda Gu. 2015-02-09. Surface-state-dominated transport in crystals of the topological crystalline insulator In-doped Pb$_{1-x}$Sn$_x$Te. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.91.195321

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