Crystal Structure and Chemistry of Topological Insulators

Abstract

Topological surface states, a new kind of electronic state of matter, have recently been observed on the cleaved surfaces of crystals of a handful of small band gap semiconductors. The underlying chemical factors that enable these states are crystal symmetry, the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling, and an inversion of the energies of the bulk electronic states that normally contribute to the valence and conduction bands. The goals of this review are to briefly introduce the physics of topological insulators to a chemical audience and to describe the chemistry, defect chemistry, and crystal structures of the compounds in this emergent field.

Department(s)

Physics

Keywords and Phrases

Band-gap Semiconductors; Bulk Electronic State; Chemical Factors; Cleaved Surfaces; Crystal Structure And Chemistry; Defect Chemistry; Spin-orbit Couplings; Topological Insulators; Electric Insulators; Electronic States; Chemical Compounds

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2050-7534

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2013 Royal Society of Chemistry, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 May 2013

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