Work function of bulk-insulating topological insulator Bi2–<i>x</i>Sb<i>x</i>Te3–<i>y</i>Se<i>y</i>

Abstract

Recent discovery of bulk insulating topological insulator (TI) Bi2–xSbxTe3–ySey paved a pathway toward practical device application of TIs. For realizing TI-based devices, it is necessary to contact TIs with a metal. Since the band-bending at the interface dominates the character of devices, knowledge of TIs' work function is of essential importance. We have determined the compositional dependence of the work function in Bi2–xSbxTe3–ySey by high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy. The obtained work-function values (4.95–5.20 eV) track the energy shift of the surface chemical potential seen by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The present result serves as a useful guide for developing TI-based electronic devices.