Controlling the Spin Texture of Topological Insulators by Rational Design of Organic Molecules.
We present a rational design approach to customize the spin texture of surface states of a topological insulator. This approach relies on the extreme multifunctionality of organic molecules that are used to functionalize the surface of the prototypical topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3. For the rational design we use theoretical calculations to guide the choice and chemical synthesis of appropriate molecules that customize the spin texture of Bi2Se3. The theoretical predictions are then verified in angular-resolved photoemission experiments. We show that, by tuning the strength of molecule-TI interaction, the surface of the TI can be passivated, the Dirac point can energetically be shifted at will, and Rashba-split quantum-well interface states can be created. These tailored interface properties-passivation, spin-texture tuning, and creation of hybrid interface states-lay a solid foundation for interface-assisted molecular spintronics in spin-textured materials.
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.|Graduate School of Excellence Materials Science in Mainz , Erwin Schroedinger Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Sebastian
S
Jakobs
School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College , Dublin 2, Ireland.
Awadhesh
A
Narayan
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Benjamin
B
Stadtmüller
School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College , Dublin 2, Ireland.
Andrea
A
Droghetti
School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College , Dublin 2, Ireland.
Ivan
I
Rungger
Department of Chemistry, Princeton University , Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.
Yew S
YS
Hor
Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
Svetlana
S
Klyatskaya
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Dominik
D
Jungkenn
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Johannes
J
Stöckl
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Martin
M
Laux
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of Arizona , 1306 E. University Blvd., Tucson, Arizona United States.
Oliver L A
OL
Monti
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Martin
M
Aeschlimann
Department of Chemistry, Princeton University , Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.
Robert J
RJ
Cava
Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.|Universite de Strasbourg , Institut de Physique et de Chimie des Materiaux de Strasbourg, Campus de Cronenbourg, 23 Rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Mario
M
Ruben
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.|I. Physikalisches Institut, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen , Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Stefan
S
Mathias
School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College , Dublin 2, Ireland.
Stefano
S
Sanvito
Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern , Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 46, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Mirko
M
Cinchetti
Topological insulators; hybrid organic/inorganic interfaces; organic molecules; spin texture