Temperature: A new knob for topological properties of materials

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC), an interaction between an electron’s spin and its motion, plays a key role in creating topological insulators—unusual materials that are insulating in their interior but can conduct electricity along their surfaces.

Now, a new study published in Newton finds that increasing temperature weakens SOC in the topological insulator Bi₂Se₃, driving a transition to a normal insulating state. The findings suggest that temperature could serve as a new “knob” for controlling the topological properties of materials.

The research was led by Prof. SUN Yiyang from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics (SIC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The first author of the paper is LU Lingyan, a PhD candidate at SIC.

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