title: Surface hall effect and nonlocal transport in SmB₆: evidence for surface conduction.
abstract: A topological insulator (TI) is an unusual quantum state in which the insulating bulk is topologically distinct from vacuum, resulting in a unique metallic surface that is robust against time-reversal invariant perturbations. The surface transport, however, remains difficult to isolate from the bulk conduction in most existing TI crystals (particularly Bi₂Se₃, Bi₂Te₃ and Sb₂Te₃) due to impurity caused bulk conduction. We report in large crystals of topological Kondo insulator (TKI) candidate material SmB₆ the thickness-independent surface Hall effects and non-local transport, which persist after various surface perturbations. These results serve as proof that at low temperatures SmB₆ has a metallic surface that surrounds an insulating bulk, paving the way for transport studies of the surface state in this proposed TKI material.
authors.affiliation: 1] Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA [2].
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Botimer
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fisk
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia