Visualizing Tailored Spin Phenomena in a Reduced-Dimensional Topological Superlattice

Sun R, Yang S, Yang X, Kumar A, Vetter E, Xue W, Li Y, Li N, Li Y, Zhang S, Ge B, Zhang X, He W, Kemper AF, Sun D, Cheng Z
Advanced Materials (2020): 2005315

Abstract

Abstract Emergent topological insulators (TIs) and their design are in high demand for manipulating and transmitting spin information toward ultralow-power-consumption spintronic applications. Here, distinct topological states with tailored spin properties can be achieved in a single reduced-dimensional TI-superlattice, (Bi2/Bi2Se3)-(Bi2/Bi2Se3)N or (□/Bi2Se3)-(Bi2/Bi2Se3)N (N is the repeating unit, □ represents an empty layer) by controlling the termination via molecular beam epitaxy. The Bi2-terminated superlattice exhibits a single Dirac cone with a spin momentum splitting ≈0.5 Å−1, producing a pronounced inverse Edelstein effect with a coherence length up to 1.26 nm. In contrast, the Bi2Se3-terminated superlattice is identified as a dual TI protected by coexisting time reversal and mirror symmetries, showing an unexpectedly long spin lifetime up to 1 ns. The work elucidates the key role of dimensionality and dual topological phases in selecting desired spin properties, suggesting a promise route for engineering topological superlattices for high-performance TI-spintronic devices.