Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Band Theory

Band Theory

When two or more atoms come together to form a molecule, their atomic orbitals combine and molecular orbitals of distinct energies result. In a solid, there are a large number of atoms, and therefore a large number of atomic orbitals that may be combined into molecular orbitals. These groups of molecular orbitals are so closely placed together to form continuous regions of energies, known as the bands.
The energy difference between these bands is known as the band gap.
Conductor, Semiconductor,...

Semiconductors

Semiconductors

There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...

Types of Semiconductors

Types of Semiconductors

Intrinsic semiconductors are highly pure materials with no impurities. At absolute zero, these semiconductors behave as perfect insulators because all the valence electrons are bound, and the conduction band is empty, disallowing electrical conduction. The Fermi level is a concept used to describe the probability of occupancy of energy levels by electrons at thermal equilibrium. In intrinsic semiconductors, the Fermi level is positioned at the midpoint of the energy gap at absolute zero. When...

Network Covalent Solids

Network Covalent Solids

Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...

Conductors and Insulators

Conductors and Insulators

Some materials may easily let electrical charges pass through them, while others obstruct their flow. The former are called conductors and the latter insulators. The atomic structures of materials determine whether they are conductors or insulators of electricity.
Most metals are conductors. Their atomic configuration is such that one or more electron(s) are loosely bound to the nucleus in each atom. Thus, a sea of mobile electrons are available in them, known as free electrons. Their easy...

Types Of Superconductors

Types Of Superconductors

A superconductor is a substance that offers zero resistance to the electric current when it drops below a critical temperature. Zero resistance is not the only interesting phenomenon as materials reach their transition temperatures. A second effect is the exclusion of magnetic fields. This is known as the Meissner effect. A light, permanent magnet placed over a superconducting sample will levitate in a stable position above the superconductor. High-speed trains that levitate on strong...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Revisiting the Charge-Density-Wave Superlattice of 1T-TiSe_{2}.

Physical review letters·2026

Same author

Boundary-Bulk Interplay in Nonlinear Topological Transport.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Exceptional Rare-Earth Half-Heusler Thermoelectrics With Sublattice Softening.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same author

Detecting the full photoemission cone from laser-based ARPES experiments by leveraging deflector technology.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026

Same author

On-demand linkage cleavage in two-dimensional conjugated metal-organic frameworks for closed-loop recyclable electronics.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Emergent Chirality and Enantiomeric Selectivity in Layered NbOX_{2} Crystals.

Physical review letters·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser

Published on: June 28, 2018

Topological insulators from a chemist's perspective.

Lukas Müchler¹, Haijun Zhang, Stanislav Chadov

¹Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

|June 12, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Topological insulators utilize heavy atoms to create unique surface states with a Dirac cone structure. This research offers a chemical viewpoint on their bonding, electronic bands, symmetry, and nuclear charge properties.

More Related Videos

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS₂ Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Published on: April 12, 2018

Writing and Low-Temperature Characterization of Oxide Nanostructures

Writing and Low-Temperature Characterization of Oxide Nanostructures

Published on: July 18, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2026

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser

Published on: June 28, 2018

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS₂ Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Published on: April 12, 2018

Writing and Low-Temperature Characterization of Oxide Nanostructures

Writing and Low-Temperature Characterization of Oxide Nanostructures

Published on: July 18, 2014

Area of Science:

Solid-state physics
Materials science
Quantum chemistry

Background:

Topological insulators are materials with insulating bulk but conducting surface or edge states.
These unique electronic properties arise from strong spin-orbit coupling, often involving heavy atoms.
The electronic structure features a Dirac cone within the bulk band gap.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a chemist's perspective on topological insulators.
To explain the formation of surface states in terms of chemical concepts.
To correlate electronic properties with fundamental chemical parameters.

Main Methods:

Analysis of electronic band structures.
Examination of chemical bonding principles.
Consideration of symmetry properties.
Evaluation of nuclear charge effects.

Main Results:

Topological insulators are characterized by heavy atoms and distinct surface/edge electronic states.
A Dirac cone in the electronic structure exists within a bulk band gap due to strong spin-orbit coupling.
Chemical concepts like bonds, bands, symmetry, and nuclear charge are key to understanding these materials.

Conclusions:

A chemical framework is essential for a comprehensive understanding of topological insulators.
The interplay of nuclear charge and spin-orbit coupling dictates topological properties.
This perspective facilitates the design and discovery of new topological materials.