Berry-Phase Switch in Electrostatically Confined Topological Surface States

Here, we visualize the trapping of topological surface states in the circular n-p junctions on the top surface of the seven-quintuple-layer three dimensional (3D) topological insulator (TI) Sb2Te3 epitaxial films. As shown by spatially dependent and field-dependent tunneling spectra, these trapped resonances show field-induced splittings between the degenerate time-reversal-symmetric states at zero magnetic field. These behaviors are attributed unambiguously to Berry-phase switch by comparing the experimental data with both numerical and semiclassical simulations. The successful electrostatic trapping of topological surface states in epitaxial films and the observation of Berry-phase switch provide a rich platform of exploiting new ideas for TI-based quantum devices.

Automated summary

In this study, we visualize the trapping of topological surface states in circular n-p junctions on the top surface of the seven-quintuple-layer three dimensional topological insulator Sb2Te3 epitaxial films. The trapped resonances show field-induced splittings between degenerate time-reversal-symmetric states, which can be attributed to Berry-phase switch. The successful trapping and observation of Berry-phase switch provide a rich platform for developing TI-based quantum devices.