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Direct observation and temperature control of the surface Dirac gap in a topological crystalline insulator

Author

Listed:
  • B. M. Wojek

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, ICT MNF Materials Physics)

  • M. H. Berntsen

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, ICT MNF Materials Physics)

  • V. Jonsson

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, ICT MNF Materials Physics
    Center for Quantum Materials, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (NORDITA))

  • A. Szczerbakow

    (Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • P. Dziawa

    (Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • B. J. Kowalski

    (Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • T. Story

    (Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • O. Tjernberg

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, ICT MNF Materials Physics
    Center for Quantum Materials, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (NORDITA))

Abstract

Since the advent of topological insulators hosting Dirac surface states, efforts have been made to gap these states in a controllable way. A new route to accomplish this was opened up by the discovery of topological crystalline insulators where the topological states are protected by crystal symmetries and thus prone to gap formation by structural changes of the lattice. Here we show a temperature-driven gap opening in Dirac surface states within the topological crystalline insulator phase in (Pb,Sn)Se. By using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, the gap formation and mass acquisition is studied as a function of composition and temperature. The resulting observations lead to the addition of a temperature- and composition-dependent boundary between massless and massive Dirac states in the topological phase diagram for (Pb,Sn)Se (001). Overall, our results experimentally establish the possibility to tune between massless and massive topological states on the surface of a topological system.

Suggested Citation

  • B. M. Wojek & M. H. Berntsen & V. Jonsson & A. Szczerbakow & P. Dziawa & B. J. Kowalski & T. Story & O. Tjernberg, 2015. "Direct observation and temperature control of the surface Dirac gap in a topological crystalline insulator," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-5, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9463
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9463
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