Oxidation Effects in Rare Earth Doped Topological Insulator Thin Films.

ABSTRACT: The breaking of time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in topological insulators is a prerequisite for unlocking their exotic properties and for observing the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). The incorporation of dopants which exhibit magnetic long-range order is the most promising approach for TRS-breaking. REBiTe3, wherein 50% of the Bi is substitutionally replaced by a RE atom (RE = Gd, Dy, and Ho), is a predicted QAHE system. Despite the low solubility of REs in bulk crystals of a few %, highly doped thin films have been demonstrated, which are free of secondary phases and of high crystalline quality. Here we study the effects of exposure to atmosphere of rare earth-doped Bi2(Se, Te)3 thin films using x-ray absorption spectroscopy. We demonstrate that these RE dopants are all trivalent and

SUBMITTER: Figueroa AI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4783712 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature