The Property, Preparation and Application of Topological Insulators: A Review

Abstract

Topological insulator (TI), a promising quantum and semiconductor material, has gapless surface state and narrow bulk band gap. Firstly, the properties, classifications and compounds of TI are introduced. Secondly, the preparation and doping of TI are assessed. Some results are listed. (1) Although various preparation methods are used to improve the crystal quality of the TI, it cannot reach the industrialization. Fermi level regulation still faces challenges; (2) The carrier type and lattice of TI are affected by non-magnetic impurities. The most promising property is the superconductivity at low temperature; (3) Magnetic impurities can destroy the time-reversal symmetry of the TI surface, which opens the band gap on the TI surface resulting in some novel physical effects such as quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). Thirdly, this paper summarizes various applications of TI including photodetector, magnetic device, field-effect transistor (FET), laser, and so on. Furthermore, many of their parameters are compared based on TI and some common materials. It is found that TI-based devices exhibit excellent performance, but some parameters such as signal to noise ratio (S/N) are still lower than other materials. Finally, its advantages, challenges and future prospects are discussed. Overall, this paper provides an opportunity to improve crystal quality, doping regulation and application of TI.

Crossover from weak-antilocalization transport to quantum magnetoresistance of Dirac states in quenched Fe0.01Bi2Te3 single crystals with large magnetoresistance and high Hall mobility

“…Magnetically doped topological insulators (MTIs), emerging as a new light on the subject of dilute magnetic semiconductors, have attracted much attention in recent years due to their potential applications in spintronic devices [1,2]. To date, intense efforts have been made regarding intentional magnetic doping of topological semiconductors.…”

“…In particular, the stability, electronic, and magnetic properties of the MTIs Bi 2 Se 3 , Bi 2 Te 3 , and Sb 2 Te 3 have been predicted and provided important guidance for magnetism incorporation in MTIs experimentally [11]. The ferromagnetism in the topological insulator (TI) is expected to break the time-reversal symmetry, in which this complicated interplay between the topological order and ferromagnetism inspired many proposals to realize exotic quantum phenomena [2,12]. The quantum spin/anomalous Hall effect and Dirac fermion-mediated magnetic coupling physics have achieved a spotlight in topological transports of MTIs.…”

“…high carrier mobility, μ. In practical applications, high carrier mobility allows a TI-based device to have a fast running speed and high cut-off frequency [2]. Such properties will make MTIs particularly interesting for spintronic applications because high-mobility devices are expected to achieve longer spin diffusion lengths due to the low scattering rate, as seen in organic semiconductors and grapheme-based devices [16,17].…”

Local structural analysis of In‐doped Bi2Se3 topological insulator using X‐ray fluorescence holography

“…Topological insulators behave as an insulator in bulk and as a conductor in surface, and the surface states are understood based on the formation of Dirac fermions . Owing to such extraordinary features, the scientific significance of TIs is growing, and many possibilities for novel applications using TIs have been proposed …”

“…2 Owing to such extraordinary features, the scientific significance of TIs is growing, and many possibilities for novel applications using TIs have been proposed. 3 Bi 2 Se 3 is one of the typical three-dimensional (3D) TIs. The intrinsic nature of 3D TI in Bi 2 Se 3 has been theoretically predicted 4 and then confirmed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES).…”