Abstract
The interaction of spin-polarized one-dimensional (1D) topological edge modes localized along single-atomic steps of the topological crystalline insulator has been studied systematically by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Our results reveal that the coupling of adjacent edge modes sets in at a step-to-step distance , resulting in a characteristic splitting of a single peak at the Dirac point in tunneling spectra. Whereas the energy splitting exponentially increases with decreasing for single-atomic steps running almost parallel, we find no splitting for single-atomic step edges under an angle of 90°. The results are discussed in terms of overlapping wave functions with , orbital character.
- Received 15 February 2021
- Accepted 18 May 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.236402
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