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Recently a new state of matter was discovered in which the bulk insulating state in a material is accompanied by conducting surface or edge states. This new state of matter can be distinguished from a conventional insulator phase by the topological properties of its band structure which led to the name "topological insulators". Experimentally, topological insulator states are mostly found in systems characterized by a band inversion compared to conventional systems. In most topological insulator systems, this is caused by a combination of energetically close bands and spin orbit coupling. Such properties are found in systems with heavy elements like Hg and Bi. And indeed, the first experimental discovery of a topological insulator succeeded in HgTe quantum wells and later also in BiSb bulk systems.
Topological insulators are of large interest due to their unique properties: In 2-dimensional topological insulators one dimensional edge states form without the need of an external magnetic field (in contrast to the quantum Hall effect). These edge states feature a linear band dispersion, a so called Dirac dispersion. The quantum spin Hall states are helical edge states, which means they consist of counterpropagating oppositely spin polarized edge channels. They are therefore of great potential for spintronic applications as well as building blocks for new more exotic states like Majorana Fermions. 3-dimensional topological insulators feature 2-dimensional surface states with only one Dirac band (also called Dirac cone) on each surface and an interesting spin texture where spin and momentum are locked perpendicular to each other in the surface plane. This unique surface band structure is predicted to be able to host several exotic states like e.g. Majorana Fermions (in combination with superconductors) and magnetic monopole like excitations.
This PhD thesis will summarize the discovery of topological insulators and highlights the developments on their experimental observations. The work focuses on HgTe which is up to now the only topological insulator material where the expected properties are unambiguously demonstrated in transport experiments. In HgTe, the topological insulator properties arise from the inversion of the Gamma_6 and Gamma_8 bands. The band inversion in HgTe is due to a combination of a high spin orbit splitting in Te and large energy corrections (due to the mass-velocity term) to the energy levels in Hg. Bulk HgTe, however, is a semimetal, which means for the conversion into a topological insulator a band gap has to be opened. In two dimensions (HgTe quantum well structures) this is achieved via quantum confinement, which opens a band gap between the quantum well subbands. In three dimensions, strain is used to lift the degeneracy of the semimetallic Gamma_8 bands opening up a band gap.
The thesis is structured as follows:
- The first chapter of this thesis will give a brief overview on discoveries in the field of topological insulators. It focuses on works relevant to experimental results presented in the following chapters. This includes a short outline of the early predictions and a summary of important results concerning 2-dimensional topological insulators while the final section discusses observations concerning 3-dimensional topological insulators.
- The discovery of the quantum spin Hall effect in HgTe marked the first experimental observation of a topological insulator. Chapter 2 will focus on HgTe quantum wells and the quantum spin Hall effect.
Above a critical thickness, HgTe quantum wells are predicted to host the quantum spin Hall state, the signature of a 2-dimensional topological insulator. HgTe quantum wells exhibiting low carrier concentrations and at the same time high carrier mobilities are required to be able to measure the quantum spin Hall effect. The growth of such high quality HgTe quantum wells was one of the major goals for this work. Continuous optimization of the substrate preparation and growth conditions resulted in controlled carrier densities down to a few 10^10 cm^-2. At the same time, carrier mobilities exceeding 1 x 10^6 cm^2/Vs have been achieved, which provides mean free paths of several micrometers in the material. Thus the first experimental evidence for the existence of the quantum spin Hall edge states succeeded in transport experiments on microstructures: When the Fermi energy was located in the bulk band gap a residual quantized resistance of 2e^2/h was found. Further experiments focused on investigating the nature of transport in this regime. By non-local measurements the edge state character could be established. The measured non-local resistances corresponded well with predictions from the Landauer-Büttiker theory applied to transport in helical edge channels.
In a final set of experiments the spin polarization of the edge channels was investigated. Here, we could make use of the advantage that HgTe quantum well structures exhibit a large Rashba spin orbit splitting. In systems with a large Rashba spin orbit splitting a spin accumulation is expected to occur at the edge of the sample perpendicular to a current flow. This so-called spin Hall effect was then used as a spin injector and detector. Using split gate devices it was possible to bring spin Hall and quantum spin Hall state into direct contact, which enabled an all electrical detection of the spin polarization of the quantum spin Hall edge channels.
- HgTe as a 3-dimensional topological insulator will be presented in chapter 3. Straining the HgTe layer enables the observation of topological insulator behavior. It was found that strain can be easily implemented during growth by using CdTe substrates. CdTe has a slightly larger lattice constant than HgTe and therefore leads to tensile strain in the HgTe layer as long as the growth is pseudomorphic. Magnetotransport studies showed the emergence of quantum Hall transport with characteristic signatures of a Dirac type bandstructure. Thus, this result marks the first observation of the quantum Hall effect in the surface states of a 3-dimensional topological insulator.
Transport experiments on samples fitted with a top gate enabled the identification of contributions from individual surfaces. Furthermore, the surface state quantum Hall effect was found to be surprisingly stable, perturbations due to additional bulk transport could not be found, even at high carrier densities of the system.
- Chapters 4 - 6 serve as in depth overviews of selected works: Chapter 4 presents a detailed overview on the all electrical detection of the spin Hall effect in HgTe quantum wells. The detection of the spin polarization of the quantum spin Hall effect is shown in chapter 5 and chapter 6 gives a detailed overview on the quantum Hall effect originating from the topological surface state in strained bulk HgTe.
The investigations discussed in this thesis pioneered the experimental work on the transport properties of topological insulator systems. The understanding of the fundamental properties of topological insulators enables new experiments in which e.g. the inclusion of magnetic dopants or the interplay between topological insulator and superconductors can be investigated in detail.
In the present thesis the MBE growth and sample characterization of HgTe structures is investigated
and discussed. Due to the first experimental discovery of the quantum Spin Hall effect
(QSHE) in HgTe quantum wells, this material system attains a huge interest in the spintronics
society. Because of the long history of growing Hg-based heterostructures here at the Experimentelle
Physik III in Würzburg, there are very good requirements to analyze this material
system more precisely and in new directions. Since in former days only doped HgTe quantum
wells were grown, this thesis deals with the MBE growth in the (001) direction of undoped
HgTe quantum wells, surface located quantum wells and three dimensional bulk layers. All
Hg-based layers were grown on CdTe substrates which generate strain in the layer stack and
provide therefore new physical effects. In the same time, the (001) CdTe growth was investigated
on n-doped (001) GaAs:Si because the Japanese supplier of CdTe substrates had a
supply bottleneck due to the Tohoku earthquake and its aftermath in 2011.
After a short introduction of the material system, the experimental techniques were demonstrated
and explained explicitly. After that, the experimental part of this thesis is displayed.
So, the investigation of the (001) CdTe growth on (001) GaAs:Si is discussed in chapter 4.
Firstly, the surface preparation of GaAs:Si by oxide desorption is explored and analyzed.
Here, rapid thermal desorption of the GaAs oxide with following cool down in Zn atmosphere
provides the best results for the CdTe due to small holes at the surface, while e.g. an atomic
flat GaAs buffer deteriorates the CdTe growth quality. The following ZnTe layer supplies the
(001) growth direction of the CdTe and exhibits best end results of the CdTe for 30 seconds
growth time at a flux ratio of Zn/Te ~ 1/1.2. Without this ZnTe layer, CdTe will grow in the
(111) direction. However, the main investigation is here the optimization of the MBE growth
of CdTe. The substrate temperature, Cd/Te flux ratio and the growth time has to be adjusted
systematically. Therefore, a complex growth process is developed and established. This optimized
CdTe growth process results in a RMS roughness of around 2.5 nm and a FWHM value
of the HRXRD w-scan of 150 arcsec. Compared to the literature, there is no lower FWHM
value traceable for this growth direction. Furthermore, etch pit density measurements show
that the surface crystallinity is matchable with the commercial CdTe substrates (around 1x10^4
cm^(-2)). However, this whole process is not completely perfect and offers still room for improvements.
The growth of undoped HgTe quantum wells was also a new direction in research in contrast
to the previous n-doped grown HgTe quantum wells. Here in chapter 5, the goal of very low
carrier densities was achieved and therefore it is now possible to do transport experiments in
the n - and p - region by tuning the gate voltage. To achieve this high sample quality, very precise
growth of symmetric HgTe QWs and their HRXRD characterization is examined. Here,
the quantum well thickness can now determined accurate to under 0.3 nm. Furthermore, the transport analysis of different quantum well thicknesses shows that the carrier density and
mobility increase with rising HgTe layer thickness. However, it is found out that the band
gap of the HgTe QW closes indirectly at a thickness of 11.6 nm. This is caused by the tensile
strained growth on CdTe substrates. Moreover, surface quantum wells are studied. These
quantum wells exhibit no or a very thin HgCdTe cap. Though, oxidization and contamination
of the surface reduces here the carrier mobility immensely and a HgCdTe layer of around 5 nm
provides the pleasing results for transport experiments with superconductors connected to the
topological insulator [119]. A completely new achievement is the realization of MBE growth
of HgTe quantum wells on CdTe/GaAs:Si substrates. This is attended by the optimization of
the CdTe growth on GaAs:Si. It exposes that HgTe quantum wells grown in-situ on optimized
CdTe/GaAs:Si show very nice transport data with clear Hall plateaus, SdH oscillations, low
carrier densities and carrier mobilities up to 500 000 cm^2/Vs. Furthermore, a new oxide etching
process is developed and analyzed which should serve as an alternative to the standard
HCl process which generates volcano defects at some time. However, during the testing time
the result does not differ in Nomarski, HRXRD, AFM and transport measurements. Here,
long-time tests or etching and mounting in nitrogen atmosphere may provide new elaborate
results.
The main focus of this thesis is on the MBE growth and standard characterization of HgTe bulk
layers and is discussed in chapter 6. Due to the tensile strained growth on lattice mismatched
CdTe, HgTe bulk opens up a band gap of around 22 meV at the G-point and exhibits therefore
its topological surface states. The analysis of surface condition, roughness, crystalline quality,
carrier density and mobility via Nomarski, AFM, XPS, HRXRD and transport measurements
is therefore included in this work. Layer thickness dependence of carrier density and mobility
is identified for bulk layer grown directly on CdTe substrates. So, there is no clear correlation
visible between HgTe layer thickness and carrier density or mobility. So, the carrier density is
almost constant around 1x10^11 cm^(-2) at 0 V gate voltage. The carrier mobility of these bulk
samples however scatters between 5 000 and 60 000 cm^2/Vs almost randomly. Further experiments
should be made for a clearer understanding and therefore the avoidance of unusable
bad samples.But, other topological insulator materials show much higher carrier densities and
lower mobility values. For example, Bi2Se3 exhibits just density values around 1019 cm^(-2)
and mobility values clearly below 5000 cm2/Vs. The carrier density however depends much
on lithography and surface treatment after growth. Furthermore, the relaxation behavior and
critical thickness of HgTe grown on CdTe is determined and is in very good agreement with
theoretical prediction (d_c = 155 nm). The embedding of the HgTe bulk layer between HgCdTe
layers created a further huge improvement. Similar to the quantum well structures the carrier
mobility increases immensely while the carrier density levels at around 1x10^11 cm^(-2) at 0
V gate voltage as well. Additionally, the relaxation behavior and critical thickness of these
barrier layers has to be determined. HgCdTe grown on commercial CdTe shows a behavior as
predicted except the critical thickness which is slightly higher than expected (d_c = 850 nm).
Otherwise, the relaxation of HgCdTe grown on CdTe/GaAs:Si occurs in two parts. The layer
is fully strained up to 250 nm. Between 250 nm and 725 nm the HgCdTe film starts to relax
randomly up to 10 %. The relaxation behavior for thicknesses larger than 725 nm occurs than
linearly to the inverse layer thickness. A explanation is given due to rough interface conditions
and crystalline defects of the CdTe/GaAs:Si compared to the commercial CdTe substrate. HRXRD and AFM data support this statement. Another point is that the HgCdTe barriers protect the active HgTe layer and because of the high carrier mobilities the Hall measurements provide new transport data which have to be interpreted more in detail in the future. In addition, HgTe bulk samples show very interesting transport data by gating the sample from the top and the back. It is now possible to manipulate the carrier densities of the top and bottom surface states almost separately. The back gate consisting of the n-doped GaAs substrate and the thick insulating CdTe buffer can tune the carrier density for Delta(n) ~ 3x10^11 cm^(-2). This is sufficient to tune the Fermi energy from the p-type into the n-type region [138].
In this thesis it is shown that strained HgTe bulk layers exhibit superior transport data by embedding between HgCdTe barrier layers. The n-doped GaAs can here serve as a back gate.
Furthermore, MBE growth of high crystalline, undoped HgTe quantum wells shows also new
and extended transport output. Finally, it is notable that due to the investigated CdTe growth
on GaAs the Hg-based heterostructure MBE growth is partially independent from commercial
suppliers.
The combination of a topological insulator (TI) and a superconductor (S), which together
form a TI/S interface, is expected to influence the possible surface states in the
TI. It is of special interest, if the theoretical prediction of zero energy Majorana states
in this system is verifiable. This thesis presents the experimental realization of such
an interface between the TI strained bulk HgTe and the S Nb and studies if the afore
mentioned expectations are met.
As these types of interfaces were produced for the first time the initial step was
to develop a new lithographic process. Optimization of the S deposition technique as
well as the application of cleaning processes allowed for reproducible fabrication of
structures. In parallel the measurement setup was upgraded to be able to execute the
sensitive measurements at low energy. Furthermore several filters have been implemented
into the system to reduce high frequency noise and the magnetic field control
unit was additionally replaced to achieve the needed resolution in the μT range.
Two kinds of basic geometries have been studied: Josephson junctions (JJs) and
superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). A JJ consists of two Nb contacts
with a small separation on a HgTe layer. These S/TI/S junctions are one of the
most basic structures possible and are studied via transport measurements. The transport
through this geometry is strongly influenced by the behavior at the two S/TI
interfaces. In voltage dependent differential resistance measurements it was possible
to detect multiple Andreev reflections in the JJ, indicating that electrons and holes are
able to traverse the HgTe gap between both interfaces multiple times while keeping
phase coherence. Additionally using BTK theory it was possible to extract the interface
transparency of several junctions. This allowed iterative optimization for the highest
transparency via lithographic improvements at these interfaces. The increased transparency
and thus the increased coupling of the Nb’s superconductivity to the HgTe
results in a deeper penetration of the induced superconductivity into the HgTe. Due
to this strong coupling it was possible to enter the regime, where a supercurrent is
carried through the complete HgTe layer. For the first time the passing of an induced
supercurrent through strained bulk HgTe was achieved and thus opened the area for
detailed studies. The magnetic dependence of the supercurrent in the JJ was recorded,
which is also known as a Fraunhofer pattern. The periodicity of this pattern in magnetic
field compared to the JJ geometry allowed to conclude how the junction depends
on the phase difference between both superconducting contacts. Theoretical calculations
predicted a phase periodicity of 4p instead of 2p, if a TI is used as weak link
material between the contacts, due to the presence of Majorana modes. It could clearly
be shown that despite the usage of a TI the phase still was 2p periodic. By varying
further influencing factors, like number of modes and phase coherence length in the
junction, it might still be possible to reach the 4p regime with bound Majorana states
in the future. A good candidate for further experiments was found in capped HgTe
samples, but here the fabrication process still has to be developed to the same quality
as for the uncapped HgTe samples.
The second type of geometry studied in this thesis was a DC-SQUID, which consists
of two parallel JJs and can also be described as an interference device between two JJs.
The DC-SQUID devices were produced in two configurations: The symmetric SQUID,
where both JJs were identical, and the asymmetric SQUID, where one JJ was not linear,
but instead has a 90° bent. These configurations allow to test, if the predicted
uniformity of the superconducting band gap for induced superconductivity in a TI
is valid. While the phase of the symmetric SQUID is not influenced by the shape of
the band gap, the asymmetric SQUID would be in phase with the symmetric SQUID
in case of an uniform band gap and out of phase if p- or d-wave superconductivity
is dominating the transport, due to the 90° junction. As both devices are measured
one after another, the problem of drift in the coil used to create the magnetic field has
to be overcome in order to decide if the oscillations of both types of SQUIDs are in
phase. With an oscillation period of 0.5 mT and a drift rate in the range of 5.5 μT/h
the measurements on both configurations have to be conducted in a few hours. Only
then the total shift is small enough to compare them with each other. For this to be
possible a novel measurement system based on a real time micro controller was programmed,
which allows a much faster extraction of the critical current of a device. The
measurement times were reduced from days to hours, circumventing the drift problems
and enabling the wanted comparison. After the final system optimizations it has
been shown that the comparison should now be possible. Initial measurements with
the old system hinted that both types of SQUIDs are in phase and thus the expected
uniform band gap is more likely. With all needed optimizations in place it is now up
to the successors of this project to conclusively prove this last point.
This thesis has proven that it is possible to induce superconductivity in strained
bulk HgTe. It has thus realized the most basic sample geometry proposed by Fu and
Kane in 2008 for the appearance of Majorana bound states. Based on this work it is
now possible to further explore induced superconductivity in strained bulk HgTe to
finally reach a regime, where the Majorana states are both stable and detectable.
Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Characterization of Bi-Based V\(_2\)VI\(_3\) Topological Insulators
(2016)
The present thesis is addressed to the growth and characterization of Bi-based V2VI3 topological insulators (TIs). The TIs were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on differently passivated Si(111) substrates, as well as InP(111) substrates. This allows the study of the influence of the substrate on the structural and electrical properties of the TIs.
The Bi2Se3 layers show a change of mosaicity-tilt and -twist for growth on the differently prepared Si(111) substrates, as well as a significant increase of crystalline quality for growth on the lateral nearly lattice matched InP(111). The rocking curve FWHMs observed for thick layers grown on InP are comparable to these of common zincblende layers, which are close to the resolution limit of standard high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) setups. The unexpected high structural crystalline quality achieved in this material system is remarkable due to the presence of weak van der Waals bonds between every block of five atomic layers, i.e. a quintuple layer (QL), in growth direction.
In addition to the mosaicity also twin domains, present in films of the V2VI3 material system, are studied. The twin defects are observed in Bi2Se3 layers grown on Si(111) and lattice matched InP(111) suggesting that the two dimensional surface lattice of the substrates can not determine the stacking order ABCABC... or ACBACB... in locally separated growth seeds. Therefore the growth on misoriented and rough InP(111) is analyzed.
The rough InP(111) with its facets within a hollow exceeding the height of a QL is able to provide its stacking information to the five atomic layers within a QL. By varying the roughness of the InP substrate surface, due to thermal annealing, the influence on the twinning within the layer is confirmed resulting in a complete suppression of twin domains on rough InP(111).
Focusing on the electrical properties of the Bi2Se3 films, the increased structural quality for films grown on lattice matched flat InP(111)B results in a marginal reduction of carrier density by about 10% compared to the layers grown on H-passivated Si(111), whereas the suppression of twin domains for growth on rough InP(111)B resulted in a reduction of carrier density by an order of magnitude. This implies, that the twin domains are a main crystal defect responsible for the high carrier density in the presented Bi2Se3 thin films.
Besides the binary Bi2Se3 also alloys with Sb and Te are fabricated to examine the influence of the compound specific point defects on the carrier density. Therefore growth series of the ternary materials Bi2Te(3-y)Se(y), Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Se3, and Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Te3, as well as the quaternary Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Te(3-y)Se(y) are studied.
To further reduce the carrier density of twin free Bi2Se3 layers grown on InP(111)B:Fe a series of Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Se3 alloys were grown under comparable growth conditions. This results in a reduction of the carrier density with a minimum in the composition range of about x=0.9-1.0.
The Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Te3 alloys exhibit a pn-transition, due to the dominating n-type and p-type point defects in its binary compounds, which is determined to reduce the bulk carrier density enabling the study the TI surface states. This pn-transition plays a significant role in realizing predicted applications and exotic effects, such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect.
The magnetic doping of topological insulators with transition metals is studied by incorporating Cr and V in the alloy Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Te3 by codeposition. The preferential incorporation of Cr on group-V sites is confirmed by EDX and XRD, whereas the incorporation of Cr reduces the crystalline quality of the layer. Magnetotransport measurements of the Cr-doped TIs display an anomalous Hall effect confirming the realization of a magnetic TI thin film. The quantum anomalous Hall effect is observed in V-doped Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Te3, where the V-doping results in higher Curie temperatures, as well as higher coercive fields compared to the Cr-doping of the TIs.
Moreover the present thesis contributes to the understanding of the role of the substrate concerning the crystalline quality of van der Waals bonded layers, such as the V2VI3 TIs, MoS2 and WoTe2. Furthermore, the fabrication of the thin film TIs Bi(2-x)Sb(x)Te(3-y)Se(y) in high crystalline quality serves as basis to explore the physics of topological insulators.
In this dissertation the electronic and high-energy optical properties of thin nanoscale
films of the magnetic topological insulator (MTI) (V,Cr)y(BixSb1-x)2-yTe3 are studied
by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron energy-loss
spectroscopy (EELS). Magnetic topological insulators are presently of broad interest
as the combination of ferromagnetism and spin-orbit coupling in these materials
leads to a new topological phase, the quantum anomalous Hall state (QAHS), with
dissipation less conduction channels. Determining and controlling the physical
properties of these complex materials is therefore desirable for a fundamental understanding
of the QAHS and for their possible application in spintronics. EELS can
directly probe the electron energy-loss function of a material from which one can
obtain the complex dynamic dielectric function by means of the Kramers-Kronig
transformation and the Drude-Lindhard model of plasmon oscillations.
The XPS core-level spectra in (V,Cr)y(BixSb1-x)2-yTe3 are analyzed in detail with
regards to inelastic background contributions. It is shown that the spectra can be
accurately described based on the electron energy-loss function obtained from an
independent EELS measurement. This allows for a comprehensive and quantitative
analysis of the XPS data, which will facilitate future core-level spectroscopy studies
in this class of topological materials. From the EELS data, furthermore, the bulk and
surface optical properties were estimated, and compared to ab initio calculations
based on density functional theory (DFT) performed in the GW approximation
for Sb2Te3. The experimental results show a good agreement with the calculated
complex dielectric function and the calculated energy-loss function. The positions of
the main plasmon modes reported here are expected to be generally similar in other
materials in this class of nanoscale TI films. Hence, the present work introduces
EELS as a powerful method to access the high-energy optical properties of TI
thin films. Based on the presented results it will be interesting to explore more
systematically the effects of stoichiometry, magnetic doping, film thickness and
surface morphology on the electron-loss function, potentially leading to a better
understanding of the complex interplay of structural, electronic, magnetic and
optical properties in MTI nanostructures.
Topologische Isolatoren gehören zu einer Klasse von Materialien, an deren Realisation im Rahmen der zweiten quantenmechanischen Revolution gearbeitet wird. Einerseits sind zahlreiche Fragestellungen zu diesen Materialen und deren Nutzbarmachung noch nicht beantwortet, andererseits treiben vielversprechende Anwendungen im Feld der Quantencomputer und Spintronik die Lösung dieser Fragen voran. Topologische Rand- bzw. Oberflächenzustände wurden für unterschiedlichste Materialien und Strukturen theoretisch vorhergesagt, so auch für GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilme und Bi2Se3. Trotz intensiver Forschungsarbeiten und großer Fortschritte bedürfen viele Prozesse v. a. im Bereich der Probenherstellung und Verarbeitung noch der Optimierung. Die vorliegende Arbeit präsentiert Ergebnisse zur Molekularstahlepitaxie, zur Probenfertigung sowie zu elektro-optisch modulierter Transportuntersuchung von GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilmen und der epitaktischen Fertigung von Bi2Se3 Nanostrukturen.
Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit werden die Parameter zur Molekularstrahlepitaxie sowie die Anpassung der Probenfertigung von GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilmen an material- und untersuchungsbedingte Notwendigkeiten beschrieben. Dieser verbesserte Prozess ermöglicht die Fertigung quantitativ vergleichbarer Probenserien. Anschließend werden Ergebnisse für Strukturen mit variabler InAs Schichtdicke unter elektrostatischer Kontrolle mit einem Frontgate präsentiert. Auch mit verbessertem Prozess zeigten sich Leckströme zum Substrat. Diese erschweren eine elektrostatische Kontrolle über Backgates. Die erstmals durch optische Anregung präsentierte Manipulation der Ladungsträgerart sowie des Phasenzustandes in GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilmen bietet eine Alternative zu problembehafteten elektrostatisch betriebenen Gates.
Im zweiten Teil wird die epitaktische Herstellung von Bi2Se3 Nanostrukturen gezeigt. Mit dem Ziel, Vorteile aus dem erhöhten Oberfläche-zu-Volumen Verhältnis zu ziehen, wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit erstmals Bi2Se3 Nanodrähte und -flocken mittels Molekularstrahlepitaxie für die Verwendung als topologischer Isolator hergestellt.
Ein Quantensprung – Kapitel 1 führt über die umgangssprachliche Wortbedeutung des Quantensprungs und des damit verbundenen Modells der Quantenmechanik in das Thema. Die Anwendung dieses Modells auf Quanten-Ensembles und dessen technische Realisation wird heute als erste Quantenmechanische Revolution bezeichnet und ist aus unserem Alltag nicht mehr wegzudenken. Im Rahmen der zweiten Quantenmechanischen Revolution soll nun die Anwendung auf einzelne Zustände realisiert und technisch nutzbar gemacht werden. Hierbei sind topologische Isolatoren ein vielversprechender Baustein. Es werden das Konzept des topologischen Isolators sowie die Eigenschaften der beiden in dieser Arbeit betrachteten Systeme beschrieben: GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilme und Bi2Se3 Nanostrukturen.
GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilme
Kapitel 2 beschreibt die notwendigen physikalischen und technischen Grundlagen. Ausgehend von der Entdeckung des Hall-Effekts 1879 werden die Quanten-Hall-Effekte eingeführt. Quanten-Spin-Hall-Isolatoren oder allgemeiner topologische Isolatoren sind Materialien mit einem isolierenden Inneren, weisen an der Oberfläche aber topologisch geschützte Zustände auf. Doppelquantenfilme aus GaSb/InAs, die in AlSb gebettet werden, weisen – abhängig vom Aufbau der Heterostruktur – eine typische invertierte Bandstruktur auf und sind ein vielversprechender Kandidat für die Nutzbarmachung der topologischen Isolatoren. GaSb, InAs und AlSb gehören zur 6,1 Ångström-Familie, welche für ihre opto-elektronischen Eigenschaften bekannt ist und häufig verwendet wird. Die Eigenschaften sowie die technologischen Grundlagen der epitaktischen Fertigung von Heterostrukturen aus den Materialien der 6,1 Ångström-Familie mittels Molekularstrahlepitaxie werden besprochen. Abschließend folgen die Charakterisierungs- und Messmethoden. Ein Überblick über die Literatur zu GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilmen in Bezug auf topologische Isolatoren rundet dieses Kapitel ab.
Zu Beginn dieser Arbeit stellten Kurzschlusskanäle eine Herausforderung für die Detektion der topologischen Randkanäle dar. Kapitel 3 behandelt Lösungsansätze hierfür und beschreibt die Verbesserung der Herstellung von GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilm-Strukturen mit Blick auf die zukünftige Realisation topologischer Randkanäle. In Abschnitt 3.1 werden numerische Simulationen präsentiert, die sich mit der Inversion der elektronischen Niveaus in Abhängigkeit der GaSb und InAs Schichtdicken dGaSb und dInAs beschäftigen. Ein geeigneter Schichtaufbau für Strukturen mit invertierter Bandordnung liegt im Parameterraum von 8 nm ≾ dInAs ≾ 12 nm und 8 nm ≾ dGaSb ≾ 10 nm. Abschnitt 3.2 beschreibt die epitaktische Herstellung von GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilmen mittels Molekularstrahlepitaxie. Die Fertigung eines GaSb Quasisubstrats auf ein GaAs Substrat wird präsentiert und anschließend der Wechsel auf native GaSb Substrate mit einer reduzierten Defektdichte sowie reproduzierbar hoher Probenqualität begründet. Ein Wechseln von binärem AlSb auf gitterangepasstes AlAsSb erlaubt die Verwendung dickerer Barrieren. Versuche, eine hinlängliche Isolation des Backgates durch das Einbringen einer dickeren unteren Barriere zu erreichen, werden in diesem Abschnitt diskutiert. In Abschnitt 3.3 wird die Optimierung der Probenprozessierung gezeigt. Die Kombination zweier angepasster Ätzprozesse – eines trockenchemischen und eines sukzessive folgenden nasschemischen Schrittes – liefert zusammen mit der Entfernung von Oberflächenoxiden reproduzierbar gute Ergebnisse. Ein materialselektiver Ätzprozess mit darauffolgender direkter Kontaktierung des InAs Quantenfilmes liefert gute Kontaktwiderstände, ohne Kurzschlusskanäle zu erzeugen. Abschnitt 3.4 gibt einen kompakten Überblick, über den im weiteren Verlauf der Arbeit verwendeten „best practice“ Prozess.
Mit diesem verbesserten Prozess wurden Proben mit variabler InAs Schichtdicke gefertigt und bei 4,2 K auf ihre Transporteigenschaften hin untersucht. Dies ist in Kapitel 4 präsentiert und diskutiert. Abschnitt 4.1 beschreibt die Serie aus drei Proben mit GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilm in AlSb Matrix mit einer variablen InAs Schichtdicke. Die InAs Schichtdicke wurde über numerische Simulationen so gewählt, dass je eine Probe im trivialen Regime, eine im invertierten Regime und eine am Übergang liegt. Gezeigt werden in Kapitel 4.2 Magnetotransportmessungen für konstante Frontgatespannungen sowie Messungen mit konstantem Magnetfeld gegen die Frontgatespannung. Die Messungen bestätigen eine Fertigung quantitativ vergleichbarer Proben, zeigen aber auch, dass keine der Proben im topologischen Regime liegt. Hierfür kommen mehrere Ursachen in Betracht: Eine Überschätzung der Hybridisierung durch die numerische Simulation, zu geringe InAs Schichtdicken in der Fertigung oder ein asymmetrisches Verschieben mit nur einem Gate (Kapitel 4.3). Zur Reduktion der Volumenleitfähigkeit wurden Al-haltigen Schichten am GaSb/InAs Übergang eingebracht. Die erwartete Widerstandssteigerung konnte in ersten Versuchen nicht gezeigt werde.
Die in Kapitel 5 gezeigte optische Manipulation des dominanten Ladungsträgertyps der InAs/GaSb-Doppelquantentöpfe gibt eine zusätzliche Kontrollmöglichkeit im Phasendiagramm. Optische Anregung ermöglicht den Wechsel der Majoritätsladungsträger von Elektronen zu Löchern. Dabei wird ein Regime durchlaufen, in dem beide Ladungsträger koexistieren. Dies weist stark auf eine Elektron-Loch-Hybridisierung mit nichttrivialer topologischer Phase hin. Dabei spielen zwei unterschiedliche physikalische Prozesse eine Rolle, die analog eines Frontgates bzw. eines Backgates wirken. Der Frontgate Effekt beruht auf der negativ persistenten Photoleitfähigkeit, der Backgate Effekt fußt auf der Akkumulation von Elektronen auf der Substratseite. Das hier gezeigte optisch kontrollierte Verschieben der Zustände belegt die Realisation von opto-elektronischem Schalten zwischen unterschiedlichen topologischen Phasen. Dies zeigt die Möglichkeit einer optischen Kontrolle des Phasendiagramms der topologischen Zustände in GaSb/InAs Doppelquantenfilmen. In Abschnitt 5.1 wird die optische Verstimmung von GaSb/InAs Quantenfilmen gezeigt und erklärt. Sie wird in Abhängigkeit von der Temperatur, der Anregungswellenlänge sowie der Anregungsintensität untersucht. Kontrollversuche an Proben mit einem unterschiedlichen Strukturaufbau zeigen, dass das Vorhandensein eines Übergitters auf der Substratseite der Quantenfilmstruktur essentiell für die Entstehung der Backgate-Wirkung ist (Abschnitt 5.2). Abschließend werden in Abschnitt 5.3 die Erkenntnisse zur optischen Kontrolle zusammengefasst und deren Möglichkeiten, wie optisch definierte topologischen Phasen-Grenzflächen, diskutiert.
Bi2Se3 Nanostrukturen
Mit Blick auf die Vorteile eines erhöhten Oberfläche-zu-Volumen Verhältnisses ist die Verwendung von Nanostrukturen für das Anwendungsgebiet der dreidimensionalen topologischen Isolatoren effizient. Mit dem Ziel, diesen Effekt für die Realisation des topologischen Isolators in Bi2Se3 auszunutzen, wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit erstmalig das Wachstum von Bi2Se3 Nanodrähten und -flocken mit Molekularstrahlepitaxie realisiert. In Kapitel 6 werden technische und physikalische Grundlagen hierzu erläutert (Abschnitt 6.1). Ausgehend von einer Einführung in dreidimensionale topologische Isolatoren werden die Eigenschaften des topologischen Zustandes in Bi2Se3 gezeigt. Darauf folgen die Kristalleigenschaften von Bi2Se3 sowie die Erklärung des epitaktischen Wachstums von Nanostrukturen mit Molekularstrahlepitaxie. In Abschnitt 6.2 schließt sich die Beschreibung der epitaktischen Herstellung an. Die Kristallstruktur wurde mittels hochauflösender Röntgendiffraktometrie und Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie als Bi2Se3 identifiziert. Rasterelektronenmikroskopie-Aufnahmen zeigen Nanodrähte und Nanoflocken auf mit Gold vorbehandelten bzw. nicht mit Gold vorbehandelten Proben. Der Wachstumsmechanismus für Nanodrähte kann nicht zweifelsfrei definiert werden. Das Fehlen von Goldtröpfchen an der Drahtspitze legt einen wurzelbasierten Wachstumsmechanismus nahe (Abschnitt 6.3).
Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) technology aims to replace dynamic RAM (DRAM) due to its significantly lower power consumption and non-volatility [Dong08]. During the last couple of years the commercial focus was set on spin-transfer torque MRAM (STT-MRAM) systems, where a current is pushed through a ferromagnetic (FM) free layer and a reference layer which are separated by an insulator. The free layer can be set to parallel or anti-parallel depending on the current direction [Kim11]. Unfortunately these currents have to be quite high which could lead to damages of the tunnel barrier of the magnetic tunnel junction resulting in higher power consumption as well as reliability issues. At this point a new effect, where the current is passed below the ferromagnetic layer stack, can be exploited to change the direction of the free layer magnetization. The effect is known as spin-orbit torque (SOT) and describes the transfer of angular momentum onto an adjacent magnetization either by the spin Hall effect (SHE) or inverse spin galvanic effect (iSGE) [Manchon19]. The latter describes a spin accumulation due to a current. This is similar to the process of spin accumulation in TIs, where a current corresponds to an effective spin due to spin-momentum locking [Qi11]. Thus TIs exhibit a high current-to-spin conversion rate, which makes them a promising material system for SOT experiments. Among all TIs it is HgTe, which can be reliably grown as an insulator. This thesis covers the development of a working device for SOT measurements (SOT-device) in a CdTe/CdHgTe/HgTe/CdHgTe heterostructure. It involves the development of a tunnel barrier (ZrOx) as well as the investigation of the behavior of a ferromagnetic layer stack on top of etched HgTe. The main result of this work is the successful construction and evaluation of a working SOT-device, which exhibits the up to date most efficient switching of in-plane magnetized ferromagnetic layer stacks.
In order to avoid hybridization between HgTe and the adjacent ferromagnetic atoms, which would cause a breakdown of the topological surface state, it is necessary to implement a thin tunnel barrier in between the TI and free layer [Zhang16]. Aside from hybridization a tunnel barrier avoids shunting of the current, that is pushed on the surface of the HgTe/CdHgTe interface. Thus a bigger part of the current can be used for spin accumulation and, at the same time, the resistance measurement of the ferromagnetic layer stack is not perturbed. In chapter 3 the focus is set on investigating the tunneling characteristics of ZrOx on top of dry etched HgTe. Thin barriers are used as the interaction of the current generated spin and the adjacent magnetization decreases with distance. On the other hand too small insulator thicknesses lead to leakage currents which disturb heavily the measurement of the resistance of the ferromagnetic layer stack. Thus an optimum thickness of 10 ALD cycles (\(d\approx 1.6\rm\, nm\)) is determined which yields a resistance area product of \(R\cdot A \approx 3\rm\, k\Omega\mu m^{2}\). This corresponds to a tunneling resistance of \(R_{T}\approx 20\rm\, k\Omega\) over a structure surface of \(A_{T} = 0.12\rm\, \mu m^2\). Multiple samples with different thicknesses have been produced. All samples have been examined on their tunneling behavior. The resistance area product as a function of thickness shows a linear behavior on a logarithmic scale. Furthermore all working samples show non-linear I-V curves as well as parabolic dI/dV-curves. Additionally the tunneling resistance \(R_{T}\) increases with decreasing temperature. All above mentioned properties are typical for tunnel barriers which do not include pinholes [Jonsson00]. The last part of chapter 3 deals with thermal properties of HgTe. By measuring the second harmonic of a biasing AC current in the channel below the tunnel barrier it is attempted to extract the diffusion thermopower of the heated electrons. Unfortunately the measured signal showed a far superior contribution of the first harmonic. According to electric circuit simulations a small asymmetry in the barrier (penetration and leaving point of electrons) could be responsible for this behavior.
A ferromagnetic layer stack, consisting of PY/Cu/CoFe, serves as a sensor for magnetization changes due to external fields and current induced spin accumulations. The layer stack exhibits a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) which has been measured by a resistance bridge. The biggest peculiarity in depositing a GMR stack on top of HgTe is that its easy axis forms along only one of the crystal axes (\((110)\) or \((1\overline{1}0)\)). The reason for this anisotropy is still unclear. Sources such as an influence of the terminating material, miscut, furrows during IBE or sputter ripples have been ruled out. It can be speculated that the surface states due to HgTe might have an influence on the development of this easy axis but this would need further investigation. A consequence of this unexpected anisotropy is that every CdTe/CdHgTe/HgTe/CdHgTe wafer has first to be characterized in SQUID in order to find the easy axis. A ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement confirmed this observation. The shape of the ferromagnetic layer stack is chosen to be an ellipse in order to support the easy axis direction by shape anisotropy. Over 8 million ellipses are used to generate a SQUID signal of \(m > 10^{-5}\rm\, emu\). This is sufficient to extract the main characteristics of an average nano pillar under the influence of an external magnetic field. As in the case of bigger structures the ellipse shaped structure shows a step-like behavior. A measured minor loop confirms the existence of the irreversible anti-parallel stable magnetic state. Furthermore this state persists for both directions at \(m=0\) resulting in an anti-ferromagnetic coupling between Py and CoFe.
The geometry of the SOT-device is chosen in such a way that the current induced spin aligns either parallel or anti-parallel to the effective magnetic field \(\vec{B}_{eff}=\vec{B}_{ext}+\vec{B}_{aniso}+\vec{B}_{shape}\), which acts on the pillar. Due to interaction of the spin with the adjacent magnetization of Py the magnetization direction gets changed by a torque \(\vec{T}\). In general this torque can be decomposed into two components a field-like torque \(\vec{\tau}_{FL}\) and a damping-like torque \(\vec{\tau}_{DL}\) [Manchon19]. In the case of TIs \(\vec{T}\) is additionally depending on the z-component of \(\vec{m}\) [Ndiaye17]. In our case the magnetization is lying in the sample plane (\(m_{z}=0\)) which results in \(\vec{\tau}_{DL}=0\). Thus, in the case of \(\vec{S}\parallel\left(\vec{\hat{z}}\times\vec{j}\right)\) and \(\vec{j}\parallel\vec{\hat{y}}\), the only spin dependent effective magnetic field is \(\vec{B}_{FL}=\tau_{FL}\cdot\vec{\hat{x}}\) which is lying parallel or anti-parallel to \(\vec{B}_{eff}\). The evaluation of \(\vec{B}_{FL}\) can therefore be done in the following manner. First a high \(B_{ext}\) has to be set along the easy axis of the pillar. Then \(B_{ext}\) has to be reduced just a few \(\rm\, Oe\) before the switching occurs at the magnetic field \(B_{ext,0}\). At the magnetic field \(\Delta B = B_{ext}-B_{ext,0}\approx 0.5\rm\, Oe\) the lower resistive state should be stable over a longer time range (\(10-30\rm\, min\)) in order to exclude switching due to fluctuations. Now a positive or negative current can be pushed through the channel below the pillar. For one of the two current directions the magnetization of Py switches. It is therefore not a thermal effect that drives the change of \(\vec{m}\). Current densities that are able to switch \(\vec{m}\) at small \(\Delta B\neq 0\) lie in the range of \(j\approx 10^{4}\rm\, A/cm^{2}\). In all experiments the switching efficiency \(\Delta B/j\) decreases with rising \(j\). Furthermore the efficiency as a function of \(j\) depends on the temperature as \(\Delta B/j\) values tend to be up to 20 times higher at \(T=1.8\rm\, K\) and \(j\approx 0\) than at \(T=4.2\rm\, K\). This temperature dependence suggests that switching occurs not due to Oersted fields. Furthermore the Biot-Savart fields had been calculated for four different models: an infinite long rectangular wire, two infinite planes, a full volume and two thin volume planes. Every model shows an efficiency, which is at least three times lower than the observation.
The highest efficiencies in our samples show up to 10 times higher values than in heavy-metal/ferromagnets heterostructures. In contrast to measurement procedures of most other groups our method leads to direct determination of SOT parameters like the effective magnetic field \(\vec{B}_{FL}\). Other groups make use of spin-transfer FMR (ST-FMR) where they AC bias their structure and extract SOT parameters (like \(\tau_{FL}\) and \(\tau_{DL}\)) from second harmonics by fitting theoretical models. Material systems consisting of TIs and magnetic insulators (MIs) on the other hand show 10 times higher efficiencies [Khang18,Li19]. In those cases the magnetization points out of the sample plane which is conceptually different from in-plane magnetic anisotropy geometries like in our case. The greatest benefit in-plane magnetic anisotropy systems is its easy realisation [Bhatti17]. Here only an elliptical shape has to be lithographically implemented instead of conducting research on the appropriate combination of material systems that result in perpendicular magnetic anisotropies [Apalkov16]. Despite the fact that in our case only \(\vec{\tau}_{FL}\) acts as the driving force for changing \(m\) our device still exhibits the up to date highest efficiencies in the class of in-plane magnetized anisotropies of all material classes ever recorded.
The motivation for this work has been contributing a step to the advancement of technology. A next leap in technology would be the realization of a scalable quantum computer. One potential route is via topological quantum computing. A profound understanding of topological materials is thus essential. My work contributes by the investigation of the exemplary topological material HgTe. The focus lies on the understanding of the topological surface states (TSS) and new possibilities to manipulate them appropriately. Traditionally top gate electrodes are used to adjust the carrier density in such semi-conductor materials. We found that the electric field of the top gate can further alter the properties of the HgTe layer. The formation of additional massive Volkov-Pankratov states limits the accessibility of the TSS. The understanding of these states and their interplay with the TSS is necessary to appropriately design devices and to ensure their desired properties. Similarly, I observed the existence and stability of TSSs even without a bandgap in the bulk band structure in the inversion induced Dirac semi-metal phase of compressively strained HgTe. The finding of topological surface states in inversion-induced Dirac semi-metals provides a consistent and simple explanation for the observation reported for \(\text{Cd}_3\text{As}_2\).
These observations have only been possible due to the high quality of the MBE grown HgTe layers and the access of different phases of HgTe via strain engineering. As a starting point I performed Magneto-transport measurements on 67 nm thick tensilely strained HgTe layers grown on a CdTe substrate. We observed multiple transport channels in this three-dimensional topological insulator and successfully identified them. Not only do the expected topological surface states exist, but also additional massive surface states have been observed. These additional massive surface states are formed due to the electrical field applied at the top gate, which is routinely used to vary the carrier density in the HgTe layer. The additional massive surface states are called Volkov-Pankratov states after B. A. Volkov and O. A. Pankratov. They predicted the existence of similar massive surface states at the interface of materials with mutually inverted bands. We first found indications for such massive Volkov-Pankratov states in high-frequency compressibility measurements for very high electron densities in a fruitful collaboration with LPA in Paris. Magneto-transport measurements and \(k \cdot p\) calculations revealed that such Volkov-Pankratov states are also responsible for the observed whole transport. We also found indications for similar massive VPS in the electron regime, which coexist with the topological surface states. The topological surface states exist over the full investigated gate range including a regime of pure topological insulator transport. To increase the variability of the topological surface states we introduced a modulation doping layer in the buffer layer. This modulation doping layer also enabled us to separate and identify the top and bottom topological surface states.
We used the variability of the bulk band structure of HgTe with strain to engineer the band structure of choice using virtual substrates. The virtual substrates enable us to grow compressively strained HgTe layers that do not possess a bandgap, but instead linear crossing points. These layers are predicted to beDirac semi-metals. Indeed I observed also topological surface states and massive Volkov-Pankratov states in the compressively strained Dirac semi-metal phase. The observation of topological surfaces states also in the Dirac semi-metal phase has two consequences: First, it highlights that no bulk bandgap is necessary to observe topological surface states. Second, the observation of TSS also in the Dirac semi-metal phase emphasizes the importance of the underlying band inversion in this phase. I could not find any clear signatures of the predicted disjoint topological surface states, which are typically called Fermi-arcs. The presence of topological surface states and massive Volkov-Pankratov states offer a simple explanation for the observed quantum Hall effect and other two-dimensional transport phenomena in the class of inversion induced Dirac semi-metals, as \(\text{Cd}_3\text{As}_2\). This emphasizes the importance of the inherent bulk band inversion of different topological materials and provides a consistent and elegant explanation for the observed phenomena in these materials. Additionally, it offers a route to design further experiments, devices, and thus the foundation for the induction of superconductivity and thus topological quantum computing.
Another possible path towards quantum computing has been proposed based on the chiral anomaly. The chiral anomaly is an apparent transport anomaly that manifests itself as an additional magnetic field-driven current in three-dimensional topological semimetals with a linear crossing point in their bulk band structure. I observed the chiral anomaly in compressively strained HgTe samples and performed multiple control experiments to identify the observed reduction of the magnetoresistance with the chiral anomaly. First, the dependence of the so-called negative magnetoresistance on the angle and strength of the magnetic field has been shown to fit the expectation for the chiral anomaly. Second, extrinsic effects as scattering could be excluded as a source for the observed negative MR using samples with different mobilities and thus impurity concentrations. Third, the necessity of the linear crossing point has been shown by shifting the electrochemical potential away from the linear crossing points, which diminished the negative magnetoresistance. Fourth, I could not observe a negative magnetoresistance in the three-dimensional topological insulator phase of HgTe. These observations together prove the existence of the chiral anomaly and verify compressively strained HgTe as Dirac semi-metal. Surprisingly, the chiral anomaly is also present in unstrained HgTe samples, which constitute a semi-metal with a quadratic band touching point. This observation reveals the relevance of the Zeeman effect for the chiral anomaly due to the lifting of the spin-degeneracy in these samples. Additionally to the chiral anomaly, the Dirac semi-metal phase of compressively strained HgTe showed other interesting effects. For low magnetic fields, a strong weak-antilocalization has been observed. Such a strong weak-anti-localization correction in a three-dimensional layer is surprising and interesting. Additionally, non-trivial magnetic field strength and direction dependencies have been observed. These include a strong positive magnetoresistance for high magnetic fields, which could indicate a metal-insulator transition. On a more device-oriented note, the semi-metal phase of unstrained HgTe constitutes the lower limit of the by strain engineering adjustable minimal carrier density of the topological surface states and thus of very high mobility.
To sum up, topological surface states have been observed in the three-dimensional topological insulator phase and the Dirac semi-metal phase of HgTe. The existence and accessibility of topological surface states are thus independent of the existence of a bandgap in the bulk band structure. The topological surface states can be accompanied by massive Volkov-Pankratov states. These VPS are created by electric fields, which are routinely applied to adjust the carrier density in semiconductor devices. The theoretical predicted chiral anomaly has been observed in the Dirac semi-metal phase of HgTe. In contrast to theoretical predictions, no indications for the Fermi-arc called disjoint surface states have been observed, but instead the topological and massive Volkov-Pankratov surface states have been found. These states are thus expected for all inversion-induced topological materials.
Quantum point contacts (QPCs) are one-dimensional constrictions in an otherwise extended two-dimensional electron or hole system. Since their first realization in GaAs based two-dimensional electron gases, QPCs have become basic building blocks of mesoscopic physics and are used in manifold experimental contexts. A so far unrealized goal however is the implementation of QPCs in the new material class of two-dimensional topological insulators, which host the emergence of the so-called quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect. The latter is characterized by the formation of conducting one-dimensional spin-polarized states at the device edges, while the bulk is insulating. Consequently, an implemented QPC technology can be utilized to bring the QSH edge channels in close spatial proximity, thus for example enabling the study of interaction effects between the edge states. The thesis at hand describes the technological realization as well as the subsequent experimental characterization and analysis of QPCs in a QSH system for the first time.
After an introduction is given in Chapter 1, the subsequent Chapter 2 starts with discussing the peculiar band structure of HgTe. The emergence of the QSH phase for HgTe quantum wells with an inverted band structure is explained. For the band inversion to occur, the quantum wells have to exhibit a well thickness d_QW above a critical value (d_QW > d_c = 6.3 nm). Subsequently, the concept of QPCs is explicated and the corresponding transport behaviour is analytically described. Following the discussion of relevant constraints when realizing a QPC technology in a QSH system, a newly developed lithography process utilizing a multi-step wet etching technique for fabricating QPC devices based on HgTe quantum wells is presented. Transport measurements of exemplary devices show the expected conductance quantization in steps of ΔG ≈ 2e^2/h within the conduction band for a topological as well as for a trivial (d_QW < d_c) QPC. For the topological case, the residual conductance within the bulk band gap saturates at G_QSH ≈ 2e^2/h due to presence of the QSH state, while it drops to G ≈ 0 for the trivial device. Moreover, bias voltage dependent measurements of the differential conductance of an inverted sample provide explicit proof of the unperturbed coexistence of topological and trivial transport modes.
In a next step, Chapter 3 describes the emergence of a QSH interferometer state in narrow QPC devices with a quantum well thickness of d_QW = 7 nm. Presented band structure calculations reveal that the spatial extension of the QSH edge states depends on the position of the Fermi energy within the bulk band gap. As a consequence, reservoir electrons with randomized spin couple to both edge channels with the same probability under certain conditions, thus causing the formation of a QSH ring. A straightforward model capturing and specifying the occurrence of such a QSH interferometer is provided as well as substantiated by two experimental plausibility checks. After relevant quantum phases are theoretically introduced, the discussion of the obtained data reveals the accumulation of an Aharonov-Bohm phase, of a dynamical Aharonov-Casher phase as well as of a spin-orbit Berry phase of π in appropriate QPC devices. These results are consistent with analytic model considerations.
The last part of this thesis, Chapter 4, covers the observation of an unexpected conductance pattern for QPC samples fabricated from quantum wells with d_QW = 10.5 nm. In these devices, an anomalous plateau at G ≈ e^2/h = 0.5 x G_QSH emerges in addition to the QSH phase entailed residual conductance of G_QSH ≈ 2e^2/h. This so-called 0.5 anomaly occurs only for a specific interval of QPC width values, while it starts to get lost for too large sample widths. Furthermore, presented temperature and bias voltage dependent measurements insinuate that the emergence of the 0.5 anomaly is related to a gapped topological state. Additional characterization of this peculiar transport regime is provided by the realization of a novel device concept, which integrates a QPC within a standard Hall bar geometry. The results of the experimental analysis of such a sample link the occurrence of the 0.5 anomaly to a backscattered QSH channel. Thus, following a single particle perspective argumentation, it is reasoned that only one edge channel is transmitted in the context of the 0.5 anomaly. Two theoretic models possibly explaining the emergence of the 0.5 anomaly -- based on electron-electron interactions -- are discussed.
To conclude, the implementation of a working QPC technology in a QSH system represents a paramount development in the context of researching two-dimensional topological insulators and enables a multitude of future experiments. QPC devices realized in a QSH system are for example envisaged to allow for the detection of Majorana fermions and parafermions. Furthermore, the reported formation of a QSH interferometer state in appropriate QPC devices is of high interest. The observed dynamical Aharonov-Casher phase in the QSH regime enables a controllable modulation of the topological conductance, thus providing the conceptual basis for a topological transistor. Moreover, due to the resilience of geometric phases against dephasing, the presence of a spin-orbit Berry phase of π represents a promising perspective with regard to possible quantum computation concepts. Besides that, the transmission of only one QSH edge channel due to the emergence of the 0.5 anomaly is equivalent to 100 % spin polarization, which is an essential ingredient for realizing spintronic applications. Hence, the thesis at hand covers the experimental detection of three effects of fundamental importance in the context of developing new generations of logic devices -- based on QPCs fabricated from topological HgTe quantum wells.
The subject of this thesis is the investigation of the transport properties of topological and massive surface states in the three-dimensional topological insulator Hg(Mn)Te. These surface states give rise to a variety of extraordinary transport phenomena, making this material system of great interest for research and technological applications. In this connection, many physical properties of the topological insulator Hg(Mn)Te still require in-depth exploration. The overall aim of this thesis is to analyze the quantum transport of HgTe-based devices ranging from hundreds of micrometers (macroscopic) down to a few micrometers in size (microscopic) in order to extend the overall understanding of surface states and the possibilities of their manipulation.
In order to exploit the full potential of our high-quality heterostructures, it was necessary to revise and improve the existing lithographic fabrication process of macroscopic three-dimensional Hg(Mn)Te samples. A novel lithographic standard recipe for the fabrication of the HgTe-based macrostructures was developed. This recipe includes the use of an optimized Hall bar design and wet etching instead of etching with high-energy \(\mathrm{{Ar^{+}}}\)-ions, which can damage the samples. Further, a hafnium oxide insulator is applied replacing the SiO\(_{2}\)/Si\(_{3}\)N\(_{4}\) dielectric in order to reduce thermal load. Moreover, the devices are metallized under an alternating angle to avoid discontinuities of the metal layers over the mesa edges. It was revealed that the application of gate-dielectric and top-gate metals results in n-type doping of the devices. This phenomenon could be attributed to quasi-free electrons tunneling from the trap states, which form at the interface cap layer/insulator, through the cap into the active layer. This finding led to the development of a new procedure to characterize wafer materials. It was found that the optimized lithographic processing steps do not unintentionally react chemically with our heterostructures, thus avoiding a degradation of the quality of the Hg(Mn)Te layer. The implementation of new contact structures Ti/Au, In/Ti/Au, and Al/Ti/Au did not result in any improvement compared to the standard structure AuGe/Au. However, a novel sample recipe could be developed, resulting in an intermixing of the contact metals (AuGe and Au) and fingering of metal into the mesa. The extent of the quality of the ohmic contacts obtained through this process has yet to be fully established.
This thesis further deals with the lithographic realization of three-dimensional HgTe-based microstructures measuring only a few micrometer in size. Thus, these structures are in the order of the mean free path and the spin relaxation length of topological surface state electrons. A lithographic process was developed enabling the fabrication of nearly any desired microscopic device structure. In this context, two techniques suitable for etching microscopic samples were realized, namely wet etching and the newly established inductively coupled plasma etching. While wet etching was found to preserve the crystal quality of the active layer best, inductively coupled plasma etching is characterized by high reproducibility and excellent structural fidelity. Hence, the etching technique employed depends on the envisaged type of experiment.
Magneto-transport measurements were carried out on the macroscopic HgTe-based devices fabricated by means of improved lithographic processing with respect to the transport properties of topological and massive surface states. It was revealed that due to the low charge carrier density present in the leads to the ohmic contacts, these regions can exhibit an insulating behavior at high magnetic fields and extremely low temperatures. As soon as the filling factor of the lowest Landau levels dropped below a critical value (\(\nu_{\mathrm{{c}}}\approx0.8\)), the conductance of the leads decreased significantly. It was demonstrated that the carrier density in the leads can be increased by the growth of modulation doping layers, a back-gate-electrode, light-emitting diode illumination, and by the application of an overlapping top-gate layout. This overlapping top-gate and a back-gate made it possible to manipulate the carrier density of the surface states on both sides of the Hg(Mn)Te layer independently. With this setup, it was identified that topological and massive surface states contribute to transport simultaneously in 3D Hg(Mn)Te. A model could be developed allowing the charge carrier systems populated in the sample to be determined unambiguously. Based on this model, the process of the re-entrant quantum Hall effect observed for the first time in three-dimensional topological insulators could be explained by an interplay of n-type topological and p-type massive surface states. A well-pronounced \(\nu=-1\rightarrow\nu=-2\rightarrow\nu=-1\) sequence of quantum Hall plateaus was found in manganese-doped HgTe-based samples. It is postulated that this is the condensed-matter realization of the parity anomaly in three-dimensional topological insulators. The actual nature of this phenomenon can be the subject of further research. In addition, the measurements have shown that inter-scattering occurs between counter-propagating quantum Hall edge states. The good quantization of the Hall conductance despite this inter-scattering indicates that only the unpaired edge states determine the transport properties of the system as a whole. The underlying inter-scattering mechanism is the topic of a publication in preparation.
Furthermore, three-dimensional HgTe-based microstructures shaped like the capital letter "H" were investigated regarding spin transport phenomena. The non-local voltage signals occurring in the measurements could be attributed to a current-induced spin polarization of the topological surface states due to electrons obeying spin-momentum locking. It was shown that the strength of this non-local signal is directly connected to the magnitude of the spin polarization and can be manipulated by the applied top-gate voltage. It was found that in these microstructures, the massive surface and bulk states, unlike the topological surface states, cannot contribute to this spin-associated phenomenon. On the contrary, it was demonstrated that the population of massive states results in a reduction of the spin polarization, either due to the possible inter-scattering of massive and topological surface states or due to the addition of an unpolarized electron background. The evidence of spin transport controllable by a top-gate-electrode makes the three-dimensional material system mercury telluride a promising candidate for further research in the field of spintronics.
The thesis at hand is concerned with improving our understanding of and our control over transport properties of the three-dimensional topological insulator HgTe. Topological insulators are characterized by an insulating bulk and symmetry-protected metallic surface states. These topological surface states hold great promise for research and technology; at the same time, many properties of experimentally accessible topological insulator materials still need to be explored thoroughly. The overall aim of this thesis was to experimentally investigate micrometer-sized HgTe transport devices to observe the ballistic transport regime as well as intercarrier scattering and possibly identify special properties of the topological surface states.
Part I of the thesis presents lithographic developments concerned with etching small HgTe devices. The aim was to replace existing processes which relied on dry etching with high-energy \(\text{Ar}^+\) ions and an organic etch mask. This etching method is known to degrade the HgTe crystal quality. In addition, the etch mask turned out to be not durable for long etching processes and difficult to remove completely after etching. First, \(\text{BaF}_2\) was introduced as a new etch mask for dry etching to replace the organic etch mask. With common surface characterization techniques like SEM and XPS it was shown that \(\text{BaF}_2\) etch masks are easy to deposit, highly durable in common dry etching processes for \(\text{Hg}_{1-x}\text{Cd}_x\text{Te}\), and easy to remove in deionized water. Transport results of HgTe devices fabricated with the new etch mask are comparable to results obtained with the old process. At the same time, the new etch mask can withstand longer etching times and does not cause problems due to incomplete removal. Second, a new inductively coupled plasma dry etching process based on \(\text{CH}_4\) and Ar was introduced. This etching process is compatible with \(\text{BaF}_2\) etch masks and yields highly reproducible results. Transport results indicate that the new etching process does not degrade the crystal quality and is suitable to produce high-quality transport devices even in the micrometer range. A comparison with wet-etched samples shows that inductively coupled plasma etching introduces a pronounced edge roughness. This - usually undesirable - property is actually beneficial for some of the experiments in this study and mostly irrelevant for others. Therefore, most samples appearing in this thesis were fabricated with the new process.
Part II of the thesis details the advancements made in identifying topological and trivial states which contribute to transport in HgTe three-dimensional topological insulators. To this end, macroscopic Hall bar samples were fabricated from high-quality tensilely strained HgTe layers by means of the improved lithographic processes. All samples were equipped with a top gate electrode, and some also with a modulation doping layer or a back gate electrode to modify the carrier density of the surface states on both sides of the HgTe layer. Due to the high sample quality, Landau levels could be well-resolved in standard transport measurements down to magnetic fields of less than 0.5T. High-resolution measurements of the Landau level dispersion with gate voltage and magnetic field allowed disentangling different transport channels. The main result here is that the upper (electron) branches of the two topological surface states contribute to transport in all experimentally relevant density regimes, while the hole branch is not accessible. Far in n-regime bulk conduction band states give a minor contribution to transport. More importantly, trivial bulk valence band holes come into play close to the charge neutrality point. Further in p-regime, the strong applied gate voltage leads to the formation of two-dimensional, massive hole states at the HgTe surface. The interplay of different states gives rise to rich physics: Top gate-back gate maps revealed that an anticrossing of Landau levels from the two topological surface states occurs at equal filling. A possible explanation for this effect is a weak hybridization of the surface states; however, future studies need to further clarify this point. Furthermore, the superposition of n-type topological and p-type trivial surface states leads to an intriguing Landau level dispersion. The good quantization of the Hall conductance in this situation indicates that the counterpropagating edge states interact with each other. The nature of this interaction will be the topic of further research.
Part III of the thesis is focused on HgTe microstructures. These "channel samples" have a typical width of 0.5 to 4µm and a typical length of 5 to 80µm. The quality of these devices benefits particularly from the improved lithographic processes. As a result, the impurity mean free path of the topological surface state electrons is on the order of the device width and transport becomes semiballistic. This was verified by measuring the channel resistance in small magnetic fields in n-regime. The deflection of carriers towards the dissipative channel walls results in a pronounced peak in the magnetoresistance, which scales in a predictable manner with the channel width. To investigate transport effects due to mutual scattering of charge carriers, the differential resistance of channel samples was measured as a function of carrier temperature. Selective heating of the charge carriers - but not the lattice - was achieved by passing a heating current through the channel. Increasing the carrier temperature has two pronounced effects when the Fermi level is situated in proximity to the bulk valence band maximum where the density of states is large. First, when both topological surface state electrons and bulk holes are present, electron-hole scattering leads to a pronounced increase in resistance with increasing carrier temperature. Second, a thermally induced increase of the electron and hole carrier densities reduces the resistance again at higher temperatures. A model considering these two effects was developed, which can well reproduce the experimental results. Current heating experiments in zero-gap HgTe quantum wells and compressively strained HgTe layers are consistent with this model. These observations raise the question as to how electron-hole scattering may affect other transport properties of HgTe-based three-dimensional topological insulators, which is briefly discussed in the outlook.
Two-dimensional lattices are in the focus of research in modern solid state physics due to their novel and exotic electronic properties with tremendous potential for seminal future applications. Of particular interest within this research field are quantum spin Hall insulators which are characterized by an insulating bulk with symmetry-protected metallic edge states. For electrons within these one-dimensional conducting channels, spin-momentum locking enables dissipationless transport - a property which promises nothing short of a revolution for electronic devices. So far, however, quantum spin Hall materials require enormous efforts to be realized such as cryogenic temperatures or ultra-high vacuum. A potential candidate to overcome these shortcomings are two-dimensional lattices of the topological semi-metal antimony due to their potential to host the quantum spin Hall effect while offering improved resilience against oxidation.
In this work, two-dimensional lattices of antimony on different substrates, namely Ag(111), InSb(111) and SiC(0001), are investigated regarding their atomic structure and electronic properties with complimentary surface sensitive techniques. In addition, a systematic oxidation study compares the stability of Sb-SiC(0001) with that of the two-dimensional topological insulators bismuthene-SiC(0001) and indenene-SiC(0001).
A comprehensive experimental analysis of the \((\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3})R30^\circ\) Sb-Ag(111) surface, including X-ray standing wave measurements, disproves the proclaimed formation of a buckled antimonene lattice in literature. The surface lattice can instead be identified as a metallic Ag\(_2\)Sb surface alloy.
Antimony on InSb(111) shows an unstrained Volmer-Weber island growth due to its large lattice mismatch to the substrate. The concomitant moir\'{e} situation at the interface imprints mainly in a periodic height corrugation of the antimony islands which as observed with scanning tunneling microscopy. On islands with various thicknesses, quasiparticle interference patterns allow to trace the topological surface state of antimony down to the few-layer limit.
On SiC(0001), two different two-dimensional antimony surface reconstructions are identified. Firstly, a metallic triangular $1\times1$ lattice which constitutes the antimony analogue to the topological insulator indenene. Secondly, an insulating asymmetric kagome lattice which represents the very first realized atomic surface kagome lattice.
A comparative, systematic oxidation study of elemental (sub-)monolayer materials on SiC(0001) reveals a high sensitivity of indenene and bismuthene to small dosages of oxygen. An improved resilience is found for Sb-SiC(0001) which, however, oxidizes nevertheless if exposed to oxygen. These surface lattices are therefore not suitable for future applications without additional protective measures.