Research brings new control over topological insulator

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An international team of scientists investigating the electronic properties of ultra-thin films of new materials – topological insulators (TIs) – has demonstrated a new method to tune their unique properties using strain. Topological insulators are new materials with surfaces that host a new quantum state of matter and are insensitive to contaminants, defects and impurities. Surface electrons in TIs behave like massless Dirac particles in a similar way to electrons in graphene. Moreover, surface currents in topological insulators also preserve their spin orientation and coherence on a macro scale. The research, carried out by physicists from the University of York, UK, the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA, and the University of Cadiz, Spain is reported in the journal Nature Physics. The ability to control the surface electronic states of TIs is a crucial step in the realisation of their potential in highly energy efficient spintronic devices. Dr Vlado Lazarov, from York’s Department of Physics, said: “These inherent properties of TIs, and the interplay between magnetism and proximity to superconductors, make topological insulators a prime platform for the realisation of solid state quantum computing devices. “The ability to control the surface electronic state of the TIs is a crucial step in realising

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