Evidence for topological surface states in metallic single crystals of Bi2Te3

TL;DR

This study provides experimental evidence for topological surface states in metallic Bi2Te3 single crystals through magnetotransport measurements, observing characteristic quantum oscillations and Berry phase indicative of Dirac fermions.

Contribution

First direct experimental verification of topological surface states in metallic Bi2Te3 single crystals using magnetotransport techniques.

Findings

Observation of large, linear magnetoresistance up to 290 K

Detection of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations with a Berry phase near π

Physical quantities consistent with topological surface states

Abstract

Bi2Te3 is a member of a new class of materials known as topological insulators which are supposed to be insulating in the bulk and conducting on the surface. However experimental verification of the surface states has been difficult in electrical transport measurements due to a conducting bulk. We report low temperature magnetotransport measurements on single crystal samples of Bi2Te3. We observe metallic character in our samples and large and linear magnetoresistance from 1.5 K to 290 K with prominent Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations whose traces persist upto 20 K. Even though our samples are metallic we are able to obtain a Berry phase close to the value of {\pi} expected for Dirac fermions of the topological surface states. This indicates that we might have obtained evidence for the topological surface states in metallic single crystals of Bi2Te3. Other physical quantities obtained from the analysis of the SdH oscillations are also in close agreement with those reported for the topological surface states. The linear magnetoresistance observed in our sample, which is considered as a signature of the Dirac fermions of the surface states, lends further credence to the existence of topological surface states.