title: Simultaneous electrical-field-effect modulation of both top and bottom Dirac surface states of epitaxial thin films of three-dimensional topological insulators.
abstract: It is crucial for the studies of the transport properties and quantum effects related to Dirac surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators (3D TIs) to be able to simultaneously tune the chemical potentials of both top and bottom surfaces of a 3D TI thin film. We have realized this in molecular beam epitaxy-grown thin films of 3D TIs, as well as magnetic 3D TIs, by fabricating dual-gate structures on them. The films could be tuned between n-type and p-type by each gate alone. Combined application of two gates can reduce the carrier density of a TI film to a much lower level than with only one of them and enhance the film resistance by 10,000%, implying that Fermi level is tuned very close to the Dirac points of both top and bottom surface states without crossing any bulk band. The result promises applications of 3D TIs in field effect devices.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Cui-Zu
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Zuocheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Minghua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xu-Cun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yayu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Qi-Kun
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Xue
keywords: Topological insulator; ambipolar effect; anomalous Hall effect; electrical field effect; molecular beam epitaxy; ultrathin films