Scanning Probe Microscopy Studies of Gate Tunable Bi₂Se₃/hBN Heterostructures

Topological insulators such as Bi2Se3 host spin–orbit-coupled surface states, yet precise control of their local electronic response remains largely unexplored. We investigate molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)–grown Bi2Se3 thin films on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) using conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) in a glovebox environment and low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM). By applying a back-gate voltage, the carrier density in Bi2Se3 is modulated, enabling direct probing of gate-dependent surface conductivity and electronic structure. Room temperature c-AFM characterization enables fast screening of samples for efficient and thorough study via STM. The most recent progress of Bi2Se3/hBN heterostructures will be discussed including the possibility of locally doping samples within the scanning tunneling microscope.