Stable bismuth sub-monolayer termination of Bi_2Se_3

摘要

Surface electronic properties of Bi2Se3 and Bi2Se3 topological insulators are known to evolve with varying surface termination. In this work, the (111) surface of Bi2Se3 has been studied with a comprehensive combination of experimental and computational (density functional theory) methods. It has been demonstrated that with proper preparation conditions the system can be forced into a new stable surface termination - a sub-monolayer of bismuth acquired through selective Se desorption - which has not been explored yet.