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Main Authors: Zhang, Jiawen, Hua, Zhenqi, Wang, Chengwei, Smidman, Michael, Graf, David, Thomas, Sean, Rosa, Priscila F. S., Wirth, Steffen, Dai, Xi, Xiong, Peng, Yuan, Huiqiu, Wang, Xiaoyu, Jiao, Lin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.19360
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author Zhang, Jiawen
Hua, Zhenqi
Wang, Chengwei
Smidman, Michael
Graf, David
Thomas, Sean
Rosa, Priscila F. S.
Wirth, Steffen
Dai, Xi
Xiong, Peng
Yuan, Huiqiu
Wang, Xiaoyu
Jiao, Lin
author_facet Zhang, Jiawen
Hua, Zhenqi
Wang, Chengwei
Smidman, Michael
Graf, David
Thomas, Sean
Rosa, Priscila F. S.
Wirth, Steffen
Dai, Xi
Xiong, Peng
Yuan, Huiqiu
Wang, Xiaoyu
Jiao, Lin
contents Introducing the concept of topology into material science has sparked a revolution from classic electronic and optoelectronic devices to topological quantum devices. The latter has potential for transferring energy and information with unprecedented efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a topological diode effect on the surface of a three-dimensional material, SmB6, a candidate topological Kondo insulator. The diode effect is evidenced by pronounced rectification and photogalvanic effects under electromagnetic modulation and radiation at radio frequency. Our experimental results and modeling suggest that these prominent effects are intimately tied to the spatially inhomogeneous formation of topological surface states (TSS) at the intermediate temperature. This work provides a manner of breaking the mirror symmetry (in addition to the inversion symmetry), resulting in the formation of pn-junctions between puddles of metallic TSS. This effect paves the way for efficient current rectifiers or energy-harvesting devices working down to radio frequency range at low temperature, which could be extended to high temperatures using other topological insulators with large bulk gap.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_19360
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Realizing a topological diode effect on the surface of a topological Kondo insulator
Zhang, Jiawen
Hua, Zhenqi
Wang, Chengwei
Smidman, Michael
Graf, David
Thomas, Sean
Rosa, Priscila F. S.
Wirth, Steffen
Dai, Xi
Xiong, Peng
Yuan, Huiqiu
Wang, Xiaoyu
Jiao, Lin
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Introducing the concept of topology into material science has sparked a revolution from classic electronic and optoelectronic devices to topological quantum devices. The latter has potential for transferring energy and information with unprecedented efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a topological diode effect on the surface of a three-dimensional material, SmB6, a candidate topological Kondo insulator. The diode effect is evidenced by pronounced rectification and photogalvanic effects under electromagnetic modulation and radiation at radio frequency. Our experimental results and modeling suggest that these prominent effects are intimately tied to the spatially inhomogeneous formation of topological surface states (TSS) at the intermediate temperature. This work provides a manner of breaking the mirror symmetry (in addition to the inversion symmetry), resulting in the formation of pn-junctions between puddles of metallic TSS. This effect paves the way for efficient current rectifiers or energy-harvesting devices working down to radio frequency range at low temperature, which could be extended to high temperatures using other topological insulators with large bulk gap.
title Realizing a topological diode effect on the surface of a topological Kondo insulator
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.19360