Spectroscopic nature of the topological Kondo insulator SmB6

ORAL

Abstract

Samarium hexaboride (SmB6), a well-known Kondo insulator, has recently received great deal of attention due to the possibility of being a correlated topological insulator. Despite numerous experimental findings supportive of this possibility, its detailed spectroscopic properties remain to be elucidated. Our recent tunneling spectroscopy based on planar junctions on SmB6 [1, 2] has not only found evidence for the existence of multiple surface Dirac fermions, in agreement with a quantum oscillation study as well as theoretical predictions, but also revealed their intriguing topological nature affected by the interaction with bulk excitations, called spin excitons [3]. We will present tunneling conductance spectra for two different surface orientations as a function of temperature and magnetic field and discuss the implications of our results. In particular, we will focus on some of the outstanding open questions in relation to our findings. [1] W. K. Park et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 113, 6599 (2016); [2] L. Sun et al., Phys. Rev. B 95, 195129 (2017); [3] G. A. Kapilevich et al., Phys. Rev. B 92, 085133 (2015).

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Presenters

  • Wan Kyu Park

    National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Authors

  • Wan Kyu Park

    National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

  • Shu Liu

    National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University

  • Laura Greene

    Florida State Univ, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

  • D.J. Kim

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine

  • Zachary Fisk

    Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Univ of California - Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, University of California Irvine, University of California, Irvine, Physics, University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of California, Physics, University of California, Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine