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Author |
Volykhov, A.A.; Sanchez-Barriga, J.; Batuk, M.; Callaert, C.; Hadermann, J.; Sirotina, A.P.; Neudachina, V.S.; Belova, A.I.; Vladimirova, N.V.; Tamm, M.E.; Khmelevsky, N.O.; Escudero, C.; Perez-Dieste, V.; Knop-Gericke, A.; Yashina, L.V. |
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Title |
Can surface reactivity of mixed crystals be predicted from their counterparts? A case study of (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 topological insulators |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year  |
2018 |
Publication |
Journal of materials chemistry C : materials for optical and electronic devices |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Mater Chem C |
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Volume |
6 |
Issue |
33 |
Pages |
8941-8949 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
The behavior of ternary mixed crystals or solid solutions and its correlation with the properties of their binary constituents is of fundamental interest. Due to their unique potential for application in future information technology, mixed crystals of topological insulators with the spin-locked, gapless states on their surfaces attract huge attention of physicists, chemists and material scientists. (Bi1-xSbx)(2)Te-3 solid solutions are among the best candidates for spintronic applications since the bulk carrier concentration can be tuned by varying x to obtain truly bulk-insulating samples, where the topological surface states largely contribute to the transport and the realization of the surface quantum Hall effect. As this ternary compound will be evidently used in the form of thin-film devices its chemical stability is an important practical issue. Based on the atomic resolution HAADF-TEM and EDX data together with the XPS results obtained both ex situ and in situ, we propose an atomistic picture of the mixed crystal reactivity compared to that of its binary constituents. We find that the surface reactivity is determined by the probability of oxygen attack on the Te-Sb bonds, which is directly proportional to the number of Te atoms bonded to at least one Sb atom. The oxidation mechanism includes formation of an amorphous antimony oxide at the very surface due to Sb diffusion from the first two quintuple layers, electron tunneling from the Fermi level of the crystal to oxygen, oxygen ion diffusion to the crystal, and finally, slow Te oxidation to the +4 oxidation state. The oxide layer thickness is limited by the electron transport, and the overall process resembles the Cabrera-Mott mechanism in metals. These observations are critical not only for current understanding of the chemical reactivity of complex crystals, but also to improve the performance of future spintronic devices based on topological materials. |
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Wos |
000443279300007 |
Publication Date |
2018-07-20 |
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ISSN |
2050-7526; 2050-7534 |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
5.256 |
Times cited |
3 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
; The authors acknowledge financial support within the bilateral program "Russian-German Laboratory at BESSY II''. We thank Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for granting access to the beamlines RGBL, UE112-PGM2a and ISISS. Support of ALBA staff during measurements at the CIRCE beamline is gratefully acknowledged. We thank Dr Ivan Bobrikov for support in the XRD measurements and Daria Tsukanova for the participation in crystal preparation and XPS measurements. A. Volykhov thanks RSF (grant 18-73-00248) for financial support. A. I. Belova acknowledges support from the G-RISC Centre of Excellence. The work was supported by Helmholtz Gemeinschaft (Grant No. HRJRG-408) and RFBR (grant 14-03-31518). J. H. and C. C. acknowledge support from the University of Antwerp through the BOF grant 31445. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 5.256 |
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Call Number |
UA @ lucian @ c:irua:153647 |
Serial |
5080 |
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