Showing papers by "Nikolay N. Mikhailov published in 2014"

Observation of three-dimensional massless Kane fermions in a zinc-blende crystal

Abstract: Solid-state physics and quantum electrodynamics, with its ultrarelativistic (massless) particles, meet in the electronic properties of one-dimensional carbon nanotubes, two-dimensional graphene or topological-insulator surfaces. However, clear experimental evidence for electronic states with a conical dispersion relation in all three dimensions, conceivable for certain bulk materials, is still missing. Here, we study a zinc-blende crystal, HgCdTe, at the point of the semiconductor-to-semimetal topological transition. For this compound, we observe three-dimensional massless electrons, as certified from the dynamical conductivity increasing linearly with the photon frequency, with a velocity of about 106 m s−1. Applying a magnetic field B results in a -dependence of dipole-active inter-Landau-level resonances and spin splitting of Landau levels also following a -dependence—well-established signatures of ultrarelativistic particles but until now not observed experimentally in any solid-state electronic system. Graphene and topological-insulator surfaces are well known for their two-dimensional conic electronic dispersion relation. Now three-dimensional hyperconic dispersion is shown for electrons in a HgCdTe crystal—once again bridging solid-state physics and quantum electrodynamics.

Time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy of narrow gap Hg1−xCdxTe/CdyHg1−yTe quantum well heterostructures

Abstract: Photoluminescence (PL) spectra and kinetics of narrow gap Hg1−xCdxTe/CdyHg1−yTe quantum well (QW) heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy technique are studied. Interband PL spectra are observed from 18 K up to the room temperature. Time resolved studies reveal an additional PL line with slow kinetics (7 μs at 18 K) related to deep defect states in barrier layers. These states act as traps counteracting carrier injection into QWs. The decay time of PL signal from QW layers is about 5 μs showing that gain can be achieved at wavelengths 10–20 μm by placing such QWs in HgCdTe structures with waveguides.

Cyclotron resonance of single-valley Dirac fermions in nearly gapless HgTe quantum wells

Abstract: We report on Landau level spectroscopy studies of two HgTe quantum wells (QWs) near or at the critical well thickness, where the band gap vanishes. In magnetic fields up to $B$=16T, oriented perpendicular to the QW plane, we observe a $\sqrt{B}$ dependence for the energy of the dominant cyclotron resonance (CR) transition characteristic of two-dimensional Dirac fermions. The dominant CR line exhibits either a single or double absorption lineshape for the gapless or gapped QW. Using an effective Dirac model, we deduce the band velocity of single valley Dirac fermions in gapless HgTe quantum wells, $v_F=6.4 \times10^5$ m/s, and interpret the double absorption of the gapped QW as resulting from the addition of a small relativistic mass.

Metal-insulator transition in a HgTe quantum well under hydrostatic pressure

Abstract: The 2D semimetal in a 20 nm (100) HgTe quantum well is characterized by a comparatively low overlap between the conduction and the valence bands induced by lattice mismatch. In the present paper we report the results of transport measurements in this quantum well under hydrostatic pressure of 14.4 kbar. By applying pressure we have further reduced the band overlap, thereby creating favorable conditions for the formation of the excitonic insulator state. As a result, we observed that the metallic-like temperature dependence of the conductivity at lowering temperature sharply changes to the activated behavior, signaling the onset of an excitonic insulator regime.

Defect study in molecular beam epitaxy-grown HgCdTe films with activated and unactivated arsenic

Abstract: A defect study was performed on molecular beam epitaxy-grown HgCdTe films in situ doped with arsenic. Doping was performed from either effusion cell or cracker cell, and studied were both as-grown samples and samples subjected to arsenic activation annealing. Electrical properties of the films were investigated with the use of ion milling as a means of “stirring” defects in the material. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the most efficient incorporation of electrically active arsenic occurs at the cracking zone temperature of 700 °C. Interaction between arsenic and tellurium during the growth was observed and is discussed in the paper.

Photoluminescence of CdHgTe solid solutions subjected to low-energy ion treatment

Abstract: The photoluminescence (PL) of CdHgTe solid solutions subjected to low-energy ion treatment is studied. A blue shift of the peaks in the PL spectra is observed immediately after ion treatment, which is attributed to the formation of a high concentration of donor defects and to the Burstein-Moss effect. The change in the shape of the PL spectra and, in particular, the disappearance of lines associated with transitions to acceptor states indicate that these defects are formed by the interaction of interstitial mercury atoms introduced into the sample during the course of treatment with impurity atoms. As the treatment is terminated, the electron concentration decreases due to the disintegration of defects and the blue shift disappears, but the shape of the spectra remains unchanged. This behavior of the PL spectra can be used for diagnostics of the defect-impurity structure of CdHgTe.

Conductance oscillations at the interface between a superconductor and the helical edge channel in a narrow HgTe quantum well

Abstract: We experimentally investigate electron transport through the interface between a superconductor and the edge of a two-dimensional electron system with band inversion. The interface is realized as a tunnel NbN side contact to a narrow 8~nm HgTe quantum well. It demonstrates a typical Andreev behavior with finite conductance within the superconducting gap. Surprisingly, the conductance is modulated by a number of equally-spaced oscillations. The oscillations are present only within the superconducting gap and at lowest, below 1~K, temperatures. The oscillations disappear completely in magnetic fields, normal to the two-dimensional electron system plane. In contrast, the oscillations' period is only weakly affected by the highest, up to 14~T, in-plane oriented magnetic fields. We interpret this behavior as the interference oscillations in a helical one-dimensional edge channel due to a proximity with a superconductor.

Ellipsometric technique for determining in situ the absorption coefficient of semiconducting nanolayers

Abstract: An algorithm that makes it possible to solve the inverse problem of ellipsometry aimed at determining the absorption coefficient on the basis of a single-zone ellipsometric experiment during the growth of thin semiconducting films is developed and implemented. The technique is based on analysis of the variation of ellipsometric parameters Ψ and Δ directly during the growth. The algorithm is tested in synthesis of Si/SiO2/Si(100) and Hg1 − x Cd x Te structures.

Sub-terahertz photoconductivity of Hg x Cd 1−x Te crystals with composition close to semiconductor-to-semimetal topological transition

Abstract: We report on sub-Terahertz photoconductivity of bulk HgxCd1-xTe crystals with composition close to semiconductor-to-semimetal topological transition. Low magnetic field Shubnikov-de Hass like oscillations were observed with a period which does not depend on the incident frequency. Moreover, anomalous B-periodic oscillations were also observed at higher magnetic fields.