Seung Sae Hong, Yi Zhang, Judy J. Cha, Xiao-Liang Qi, Yi Cui
The discovery of three dimensional (3D) topological insulators opens a gateway to generate unusual phases and particles made of the helical surface electrons, proposing new applications using unusual spin nature. Demonstration of the helical electron transport is a crucial step to both physics and device applications of topological insulators. We report an observation of a topologically-protected 1D mode of surface electrons in topological insulator nanowires, which serves as a transport evidence of spin-momentum locking nature. Helical 1D mode exists at half magnetic quantum flux due to a spin Berry's phase ($\pi$), robust against disorder and a change of Fermi level, but fragile against a perpendicular magnetic field breaking time-reversal-symmetry. This result demonstrates a device with new 1D helical electronic states from 3D topological insulators, a unique electronic system to study topological phenomena.
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http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.1601
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