LOWT-MFM-OF-TIS

Low Temperature Magnetic Force Microscopy Study of Topological Insulators

Coordinatore	TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY    more  Organization address address: TECHNION CITY - SENATE BUILDING city: HAIFA postcode: 32000 contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Mark Cognome: Davison Email: send email Telefono: +972 4 829 4854 Fax: +972 4 823 2958
Nazionalità Coordinatore	Israel [IL]
Totale costo	100˙000 €
EC contributo	100˙000 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG
Funding Scheme	MC-IRG
Anno di inizio	2010
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2010-09-01   -   2014-08-31

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY  Organization address address: TECHNION CITY - SENATE BUILDING city: HAIFA postcode: 32000 contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Mark Cognome: Davison Email: send email Telefono: +972 4 829 4854 Fax: +972 4 823 2958	IL (HAIFA)	coordinator	100˙000.00

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The study of topological insulators (TIs) is a budding field that is enjoying a fervor of activity. Recent discoveries show that new physics can exist in semiconductors with strong spin-orbit coupling. The most exotic class of TIs - 'strong topological insulators' (STIs) - is a new state of matter, the hallmark of which is an odd number of topologically protected surface states. We will search for one of the most profound properties of these surfaces states. This predicted, but not yet observed property, is the topological magneto-electric effect (TME), which does not rely on interactions or many-body physics unlike most other emergent effects in solids. In the TME, an applied electric field induces a magnetic field that is proportional to an odd multiple of the fine structure constant. The TME arises when magnetism on the surface of the sample lifts the topological protection of the surface states by locally breaking time reversal symmetry. This gives rise to a special quantum Hall state. The TME is a fingerprint of that state. It is crucial to determine under what conditions the TME occurs, and whether other effects such as electron-electron interactions interfere with it. A low temperature magnetic force microscope (MFM) is an ideal tool for this project since it allows us to induce and measure both electric and magnetic fields at low temperatures. Guided by a suggestion by Qi et al. [Science 323, 1184 (2009)], we will subject the surface states to a magnetic field for breaking their time reversal invariance. This will give rise to the TME. Subsequently we will determine the magnetic field that is induced by electric charge near the surface of the sample by measuring the forces acting on the magnetic MFM tip. We will probe the TME by studying how it is affected by various parameters, such as temperature and applied magnetic field. Beyond establishing a profound property of the surface states, this will open the road to constructing exotic devices based on STIs.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Using an instrument to characterise the superconductivity of iron pnictides (BaFe2(As0.7P0.3)2), EU-funded scientists made important steps toward unravelling the mystery surrounding high-temperature superconductors.