Butsuri
Online ISSN : 2423-8872
Print ISSN : 0029-0181
ISSN-L : 0029-0181
Researches
Topological Insulating States in Graphene with Low-Amount Nanoparticle Decoration
Junji HaruyamaShingo KatsumotoTaketomo Nakamura
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2019 Volume 74 Issue 12 Pages 839-844

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Abstract

Graphene played a key historical role in the development of topological insulators (TIs)―materials that exhibit an electrically inert interior yet form exotic metals at their boundary. However, realization of the TI state and quantum-spin-Hall effect in graphene devices has remained an outstanding challenge dating back to the inception of the field of TIs. Graphene’s exceptionally weak spin-orbit coupling—stemming from carbon’s low mass―poses the primary obstacle. We experimentally and theoretically study artificially enhanced spin-orbit coupling in graphene via random decoration with dilute Bi2Te3 nanoparticles. Remarkably, multi-terminal resistance measurements suggest the presence of helical edge states characteristic of a quantum-spin-Hall phase; the magnetic-field and temperature dependence of the resistance peaks, X-ray photoelectron spectra, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations further support this scenario. These observations highlight a pathway to spintronics and quantum-information applications in graphene-based quantum-spin-Hall platforms.

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© 2019 The Physical Society of Japan
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