Experimental search for one-dimensional edge states at surface steps of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$: Distinguishing between effects and artifacts

TL;DR

This study investigates the electronic structure near surface steps of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$, revealing that observed edge state signatures are artifacts caused by wave function redistribution and tunneling effects, not true edge states.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis distinguishing between genuine edge states and artifacts caused by surface step effects in topological insulators.

Findings

Chemical potential increases near surface steps correlate with step height.

Observed edge state signatures are artifacts, not real topological edge states.

Wave function redistribution explains the apparent edge states.

Abstract

The results of a detailed study of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ surface state energy structure in the vicinity of surface steps using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy methods are presented. An increase in the chemical potential level $\mu$ near the step edge is observed. The value of the increase $\delta \mu\sim 0.1$~eV is found to correlate with the step height. The effect is caused by redistribution of electron wave functions between the outer and inner edges of surface steps, as known for normal metals. The smaller value of the chemical potential shift and its larger characteristic length of $\sim 10$~nm reflect specifics of the helical surface states. This increase is accompanied by enlargement of the normalized differential tunneling conductance in the helical surface states energy region and thereby produces the illusion of the appearance of edge states. We show that the enlargement is reproduced in the framework of the tunneling model taking into account the tunneling gap transparency change when the chemical potential moves away from the Dirac point.