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Updated: May 27, 2026

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
Rashba spin-splitting control at the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Se3
1Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada.
Abstract:
The electronic structure of Bi(2)Se(3) is studied by angle-resolved photoemission and density functional theory. We show that the instability of the surface electronic properties, observed even in ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, can be overcome via in situ potassium deposition. In addition to accurately setting the carrier concentration, new Rashba-like spin-polarized states are induced, with a tunable, reversible, and highly stable spin splitting. Ab initio slab calculations reveal that these Rashba states are derived from 5-quintuple-layer quantum-well states. While the K-induced potential gradient enhances the spin splitting, this may be present on pristine surfaces due to the symmetry breaking of the vacuum-solid interface.
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