Two-dimensional transport and screening in topological insulator surface states

S. Adam, E. H. Hwang, and S. Das Sarma
Phys. Rev. B 85, 235413 – Published 6 June 2012

Abstract

We study disorder effects on the surface states of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 close to the topologically protected crossing point. Close to charge neutrality, local fluctuations in carrier density arising from the random charged disorder in the environment result in electron and hole puddles that dominate the electronic properties of these materials. By calculating the polarizability of the surface state using the random-phase approximation, and determining the characteristics of puddles using the self-consistent approximation, we find that band asymmetry plays a crucial role in determining experimentally measured quantities, including the conductivity and the puddle autocorrelation length.

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  • Received 30 January 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.235413

Published by the American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

S. Adam1, E. H. Hwang2, and S. Das Sarma2

  • 1Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
  • 2Condensed Matter Theory Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-4111, USA

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Issue

Vol. 85, Iss. 23 — 15 June 2012

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