Photoelectromagnetic Effect Induced by Terahertz Laser Radiation in Topological Crystalline Insulators Pb1-xSnxTe

Topological crystalline insulators form a class of semiconductors for which surface electron states with the Dirac dispersion relation are formed on surfaces with a certain crystallographic orientation. Pb1-xSnxTe alloys belong to the topological crystalline phase when the SnTe content x exceeds 0.35, while they are in the trivial phase at x < 0.35. For the surface crystallographic orientation (111), the appearance of topologically nontrivial surface states is expected. We studied the photoelectromagnetic (PEM) effect induced by laser terahertz radiation in Pb1-xSnxTe films in the composition range x = (0.11-0.44), with the (111) surface crystallographic orientation. It was found that in the trivial phase, the amplitude of the PEM effect is determined by the power of the incident radiation, while in the topological phase, the amplitude is proportional to the flux of laser radiation quanta. A possible mechanism responsible for the effect observed presumes damping of the thermalization rate of photoexcited electrons in the topological phase and, consequently, prevailing of electron diffusion, compared with energy relaxation.

Automated summary

The study reveals that in Pb1-xSnxTe films with the composition range of x = (0.11-0.44) and (111) surface crystallographic orientation, a photoelectromagnetic effect is induced by laser terahertz radiation. The amplitude of the effect is determined by different factors in the trivial phase and the topological phase, with potential mechanisms involving the thermalization rate of photoexcited electrons.