Abstract-Infrared/terahertz spectra of the photogalvanic effect in (Bi,Sb)Te based three-dimensional topological insulators

H. Plank, J. Pernul, S. Gebert, S. N. Danilov, J. König-Otto, S. Winnerl, M. Lanius, J. Kampmeier, G. Mussler, I. Aguilera, D. Grützmacher, and S. D. Ganichev

https://journals.aps.org/prmaterials/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.2.024202

We report on the systematic study of infrared/terahertz spectra of photocurrents in (Bi,Sb)Te based three-dimensional topological insulators. We demonstrate that in a wide range of frequencies, ranging from fractions up to tens of terahertz, the photocurrent is caused by the linear photogalvanic effect (LPGE) excited in the surface states. The photocurrent spectra reveal that at low frequencies the LPGE emerges due to free carrier Drude-like absorption. The spectra allow us to determine the room temperature carrier mobilities in the surface states despite the presence of thermally activated residual impurities in the material bulk. In a number of samples we observed an enhancement of the linear photogalvanic effect at frequencies between 30 and 60 THz, which is attributed to the excitation of electrons from helical surface to bulk conduction band states. Under this condition and applying oblique incidence we also observed the circular photogalvanic effect driven by the radiation helicity.

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Abstract-Photogalvanic probing of helical edge channels in two-dimensional HgTe topological insulators

K.-M. Dantscher, D. A. Kozlov, M. T. Scherr, S. Gebert, J. Bärenfänger, M. V. Durnev, S. A. Tarasenko, V. V. Bel'kov, N. N. Mikhailov, S. A. Dvoretsky, Z. D. Kvon, J. Ziegler, D. Weiss, and S. D. Ganichev

https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.201103

We report on the observation of a circular photogalvanic current excited by terahertz laser radiation in helical edge channels of two-dimensional (2D) HgTe topological insulators (TIs). The direction of the photocurrent reverses by switching the radiation polarization from a right-handed to a left-handed one and, for fixed photon helicity, is opposite for the opposite edges. The photocurrent is detected in a wide range of gate voltages. With decreasing the Fermi level below the conduction band bottom, the current emerges, reaches a maximum, decreases, changes its sign close to the charge neutrality point (CNP), and again rises. Conductance measured over a $\approx 3\mu m$ distance at CNP approaches $2e^2/h$, the value characteristic for ballistic transport in 2D TIs. The data reveal that the photocurrent is caused by photoionization of helical edge electrons to the conduction band. We discuss the microscopic model of this phenomenon and compare calculations with experimental data.

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