Catalyst-free growth of millimeter-long topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ nanoribbons and the observation of the π-Berry phase

Nano Lett. 2012 Dec 12;12(12):6164-9. doi: 10.1021/nl302989v. Epub 2012 Nov 8.

Abstract

We report the growth of single-crystalline Bi(2)Se(3) nanoribbons with lengths up to several millimeters via a catalyst-free physical vapor deposition method. Scanning transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals that the nanoribbons grow along the (112̅0) direction. We obtain a detailed characterization of the electronic structure of the Bi(2)Se(3) nanoribbons from measurements of Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) quantum oscillations. Angular dependent magneto-transport measurements reveal a dominant two-dimensional contribution originating from surface states. The catalyst-free synthesis yields high-purity nanocrystals enabling the observation of a large number of SdH oscillation periods and allowing for an accurate determination of the π-Berry phase, one of the key features of Dirac fermions in topological insulators. The long-length nanoribbons open the possibility for fabricating multiple nanoelectronic devices on a single nanoribbon.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.