Issue 19, 2017

Films based on group IV–V–VI elements for the design of a large-gap quantum spin Hall insulator with tunable Rashba splitting

Abstract

Rashba spin–orbit coupling (SOC) in topological insulators (TIs) has recently attracted significant interest due to its potential applications in spintronics. However, to date, the coexistence of a giant Rashba SOC and band topology has rarely been investigated in two-dimensional (2D) films. Herein, we applied first-principles calculations to design a family of large-gap 2D topological insulators composed of hexagonal Bi and PbX (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) dimers. The nontrivial topology, induced via a pxy–pz band inversion, was confirmed by the Z2 index and helical edge states. Note that the Rashba splitting energy in these films reaches 81 meV, which is further tunable over a wide range of strains (−2–14%). Considering the robustness of the band topology on a h-BN substrate, this study provides a route for designing topological spintronic devices based on 2D films consisting of group IV–V–VI elements.

Graphical abstract: Films based on group IV–V–VI elements for the design of a large-gap quantum spin Hall insulator with tunable Rashba splitting

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Dec 2016
Accepted
28 Jan 2017
First published
15 Feb 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2017,7, 11636-11643

Films based on group IV–V–VI elements for the design of a large-gap quantum spin Hall insulator with tunable Rashba splitting

Y. Jia, W. Ji, C. Zhang, S. Zhang, P. Li and P. Wang, RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 11636 DOI: 10.1039/C6RA28838C

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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