Dimensional Crossover and Topological Phase Transition in Dirac Semimetal Na3Bi Films

TL;DR

This study investigates the transition of Na3Bi from a 3D Dirac semimetal to a 2D topological insulator through thickness-dependent experiments and calculations, revealing sizable Dirac gaps and topological edge states.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic experimental and theoretical analysis of the 3D-to-2D topological phase transition in Na3Bi thin films, including gap measurements and edge state characterization.

Findings

Dirac gaps of 72 and 65 meV in 3- and 4-monolayer films

Observation of topologically nontrivial edge states

Tunable Fermi energy enabling charge neutrality

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) topological Dirac semimetal, when thinned down to 2D few layers, is expected to possess gapped Dirac nodes via quantum confinement effect and concomitantly display the intriguing quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator phase. However, the 3D-to-2D crossover and the associated topological phase transition, which is valuable for understanding the topological quantum phases, remain unexplored. Here, we synthesize high-quality Na3Bi thin films with R3*R3 reconstruction on graphene, and systematically characterize their thickness-dependent electronic and topological properties by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy in combination with first-principles calculations. We demonstrate that Dirac gaps emerge in Na3Bi films, providing spectroscopic evidences of dimensional crossover from a 3D semimetal to a 2D topological insulator. Importantly, the Dirac gaps are revealed to be of sizable magnitudes on 3 and 4 monolayers (72 and 65 meV, respectively) with topologically nontrivial edge states. Moreover, the Fermi energy of a Na3Bi film can be tuned via certain growth process, thus offering a viable way for achieving charge neutrality in transport. The feasibility of controlling Dirac gap opening and charge neutrality enables realizing intrinsic high-temperature QSH effect in Na3Bi films and achieving potential applications in topological devices.