Josephson Effect and Charge Distribution in Thin Bi<sub>2</sub> Te<sub>3</sub> Topological Insulators.

Stehno, Martin P; Ngabonziza, Prosper; Myoren, Hiroaki; Brinkman, Alexander · Adv Mater · 2020

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

Thin layers of topological insulator materials are quasi-2D systems featuring a complex interplay between quantum confinement and topological band structure. To understand the role of the spatial distribution of carriers in electrical transport, the Josephson effect, magnetotransport, and weak anti-localization are studied in bottom-gated thin Bi<sub>2</sub> Te<sub>3</sub> topological insulator films. The experimental carrier densities are compared to a model based on the solutions of the self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson equations and they are in excellent agreement. The modeling allows for a quantitative interpretation of the weak antilocalization correction to the conduction and of the critical current of Josephson junctions with weak links made from such films without any ad hoc assumptions.