Symposium MM: Topological Insulators

2012 MRS Spring Meeting logo

Topological Insulators

Topological insulators (TI) are a new class of materials that exhibit extraordinary electronic properties.  A topological insulator is characterized by an insulating, gapped bulk behavior and metallic surface states.  The existence of surface states is a topological feature, guaranteed by the bulk electronic structure.  The surface states form an odd number of Dirac fermions and are responsible for many exciting new phenomena and possible applications.

Since the first experimental realization of a TI, the quantum-spin Hall effect in 2007, the search for new TI materials and physical effects proceeds with a frantic pace.  The developments cover an extremely broad range, from fundamental theoretical concepts over the exploration of new TI materials, to first realization of devices exploiting their properties.  TI are likely to have an impact on areas as diverse as low-power spintronics, quantum computing, and even thermoelectrics.  This symposium aims to review the research on TI systems and to bring together experts from all different areas of this field to present their most recent achievements.

Session topics will include:

TI materials and fabrication techniques

  • 3D TI
    • Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, Sb2Se3
    • Strained HgTe and half-Heusler compounds
    • New materials
     
  • 2D TI
    • Quantum-well structures
    • New materials
     
  • Molecular beam epitaxy, layer deposition, crystal growth,
    and exfoliation techniques

Characterizations

  • ARPES
  • Transport studies
  • Optical studies
  • Local probe techniques

Fundamental properties

  • Theoretical predictions
  • Experimental verifications

Devices and device applications

  • Spin injectors and detectors
  • TI superconductor hybrid structures
  • Quantum Information

A tutorial complementing this symposium is tentatively planned. Further information will be included in the MRS Program that will be available online in January.

Invited speakers include:

Gustav Bihlmayer (Inst. of Solid State Research - IFF, Germany), Yulin Chen  (Stanford Univ.), Richard Hatch (Aarhus Univ., Denmark), Jinfeng Jia (Tsinghua Univ., P. R. China), Shuichi Murakami (Tokyo Inst. of Technology, Japan), N. Phuan Ong (Princeton Univ.), Felix von Oppen (Freie Univ., Germany), Jürg Osterwalder (Univ. of Zürich, Switzerland), Shoucheng Zhang (Stanford Univ.).

Symposium Organizers

Hartmut Buhmann
University of Würzburg
Institute of Physics, EP3
Am Hubland
97074 Würzburg, Germany
Tel 49-931-31-85778, Fax 49-931-31-85142
hartmut.buhmann@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de 

Xiaoliang Qi
Stanford University
Dept. of Physics
311 McCullough Bldg.
476 Lomita Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
Tel 650-723-9638, Fax 650-723-9389
xlqi@stanford.edu 

Philip Hofmann
Aarhus University
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Ny Munkegade 120
DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
Tel 45-8942-3640, Fax 45-8612-0740
philip@phys.au.dk 

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