Issue 9, 2017

Searching for large-gap quantum spin hall insulators: boron-nitride/(Pb, Sn)/α-Al2O3 sandwich structures

Abstract

Topological insulators hold great potential for efficient information processing and storage. Using density functional theory calculations, we predict that a honeycomb lead monolayer can be stabilized on an Al2O3 (0001) substrate to become topologically non-trivial with a sizeable band gap (∼0.27 eV). Furthermore, we propose to use a hexagonal boron-nitride (h-BN) monolayer as a protection for the topological states of Pb/Al2O3 and Sn/Al2O3. Our findings suggest new possibilities for designing and protecting two-dimensional TIs for practical applications.

Graphical abstract: Searching for large-gap quantum spin hall insulators: boron-nitride/(Pb, Sn)/α-Al2O3 sandwich structures

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
25 Jan 2017
Accepted
09 Feb 2017
First published
10 Feb 2017

Nanoscale, 2017,9, 2974-2980

Searching for large-gap quantum spin hall insulators: boron-nitride/(Pb, Sn)/α-Al2O3 sandwich structures

H. Wang, D. Lu, J. Kim, Z. Wang, S. T. Pi and R. Q. Wu, Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 2974 DOI: 10.1039/C7NR00631D

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