PGI Kolloquium:Prof. Dr. Alexander Brinkmann,Twente University, Enschede, the Netherlands

PGI Lecture Hall, Building 04.8, 2nd Floor, Room 365

Topological insulators: from materials science to topotronics devices

In this talk I will introduce the most important transport properties of 3D topological insulators. The locking between spin and momentum direction can provide a large and linear magnetoresistance and can create a spin polarization due to charge current. Half-integer quantum Hall effects arise at the top and bottom topological surfaces, which we can tune independently.

I will then outline why new electronic phases emerge at the interface with superconductors. Our experimental efforts have concentrated on inducing superconductivity into Bi-based 3D topological insulators (both exfoliated crystals as well as thin films) by the proximity effect from superconducting Nb. Gate-tunable Josephson junctions and superconducting quantum interference devices have been realized that provide insight into the prospects of using topological insulator-superconductor hybrids towards Majorana detection and topological quantum computation.

Kontakt

Thomas Schäpers

Telefon: +49 2461 61-2668

Fax:  +49 2461 61-2940

E-Mail: th.schaepers@fz-juelich.de