Topological Insulators by Band-Gap Engineering

带隙工程拓扑绝缘体

基本信息

批准号：
1508644
负责人：
Rui-Rui Du
金额：
$ 39.58万
依托单位：
William Marsh Rice University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2015
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2015-06-01 至 2018-05-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1508644&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Topological Insulators Band Gap Engineering

项目摘要

Nontechnical description:Electrical insulators are commonly recognized as materials that prevent the flow of electricity. However, recent research demonstrates a type of topological insulators which has novel properties. Although electricity cannot flow through them, it can flow around their narrow outer edges. The material, called a "quantum spin Hall topological insulator", acts as an electron superhighway. It is one of the building blocks needed to create future electronics and computers. In this project the principle investigator will perform experiments on the newly discovered topological insulators made of compound semiconductors indium arsenide and gallium antimonide, addressing important issues relate to materials science and quantum physics. Understanding of materials science of this class of material and their topological properties is directly relevant to spintronics and quantum information technology.Technical descripton:The two-dimensional topological insulator, which supports quantized helical edge modes, is created by band-gap engineering using molecular beam epitaxy and electrostatic gates. The project is exploring interesting physics at the messoscopic length scale, with the focus on the helical edge modes and their interface with superconductors, where proximity effect and Andreev reflection are being systematically studied. Major focus of the study is searching for Majorana bound states in hybrid topological insulator-superconductor Josephson junctions. The experimental research work addresses fundamental phenomenon and its physics in a very clean model system. The project supports the education of two Ph.D. students, where they receive a combination of advanced training in semiconductor materials, nanotechnology, and ultra-low temperature measurements.

非技术描述：电绝缘体通常被认为是防止电流流动的材料。但是，最近的研究表明了具有新颖性能的拓扑绝缘子。尽管电力无法流过它们，但它可以围绕其狭窄的外边缘流动。该材料称为“量子自旋霍尔拓扑绝缘子”，充当电子高速公路。它是创建未来电子和计算机所需的基础之一。在该项目中，原理研究者将对新发现的拓扑绝缘子进行实验，该拓扑绝缘子由复合半导体二氧化胺和抗磁粘剂制成，解决了与材料科学和量子物理学有关的重要问题。了解这类材料及其拓扑特性的材料科学与Spintronics和量子信息技术直接相关。技术描述：支持量化的螺旋边缘模式的二维拓扑绝缘子，是由Band-Gap Engineering创建的，它是使用分子束外观和静电门创建的。该项目正在所有人的墨西哥长度尺度探索有趣的物理，重点是螺旋边缘模式及其与超导体的接口，在该模式下，正在系统地研究接近效应和Andreev反射。这项研究的主要重点是在混合拓扑绝缘子 - 驱动器约瑟夫森连接中寻找Majorana Bound状态。实验研究工作涉及非常干净的模型系统中的基本现象及其物理。该项目支持两位博士学位的教育。学生，在半导体材料，纳米技术和超低温度测量中进行高级培训的组合。