title: Toward the Intrinsic Limit of the Topological Insulator Bi_{2}Se_{3}.
abstract: Combining high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and first principles calculations, we identified the major native defects, in particular the Se vacancies and Se interstitial defects, that are responsible for the bulk conduction and nanoscale potential fluctuations in single crystals of archetypal topological insulator Bi_{2}Se_{3}. Here it is established that the defect concentrations in Bi_{2}Se_{3} are far above the thermodynamic limit, and that the growth kinetics dominate the observed defect concentrations. Furthermore, through careful control of the synthesis, our tunneling spectroscopy suggests that our best samples are approaching the intrinsic limit with the Fermi level inside the band gap without introducing extrinsic dopants.
authors.affiliation: Rutger-Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway New Jersey 08854, USA.
authors.forename: Jixia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180-3590, USA.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Rutger-Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway New Jersey 08854, USA.
authors.forename: Xueyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Rutger-Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway New Jersey 08854, USA.
authors.forename: Yazhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Rutger-Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway New Jersey 08854, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: Rutger-Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway New Jersey 08854, USA.
authors.forename: S-W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180-3590, USA.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Rutger-Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway New Jersey 08854, USA.
authors.forename: Weida
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu