Topological states on the gold surface

Yan B, Stadtmueller B, Haag N, Jakobs S, Seidel J, Jungkenn D, Mathias S, Cinchetti M, Aeschlimann M, Felser C (2015)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2015

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 6

Article Number: 10167

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10167

Abstract

Gold surfaces host special electronic states that have been understood as a prototype of Shockley surface states. These surface states are commonly employed to benchmark the capability of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. Here we show that these Shockley surface states can be reinterpreted as topologically derived surface states (TDSSs) of a topological insulator (TI), a recently discovered quantum state. Based on band structure calculations, the Z2-type invariants of gold can be well-defined to characterize a TI. Further, our ARPES measurement validates TDSSs by detecting the dispersion of unoccupied surface states. The same TDSSs are also recognized on surfaces of other well-known noble metals (for example, silver, copper, platinum and palladium), which shines a new light on these long-known surface states.

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe (MPI CPfS) / Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids DE Germany (DE) Technische Universität Kaiserslautern DE Germany (DE) Georg-August-Universität Göttingen DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Yan, B., Stadtmueller, B., Haag, N., Jakobs, S., Seidel, J., Jungkenn, D.,... Felser, C. (2015). Topological states on the gold surface. Nature Communications, 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10167

MLA:

Yan, Binghai, et al. "Topological states on the gold surface." Nature Communications 6 (2015).

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