Nanofabrication, Characterization, and Analysis of Topological Insulator Nanostructures

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The objective of this program is to create nanoelectronic devices made from topological insulator nanostructures and explore new areas for creating and characterizinglow-dissipation electronics. In particular, the PIs intend to address the following aims: (i) fabricating transistors based on topological insulator nanoribbons and nanojunctions by using template-mediated growth; (ii) characterizing the magnetotransport and thermoelectric properties of topological insulator devices by using torque magnetometry and capacitance spectroscopy; and (iii) achieving an in-depth understanding of experimental results through theoretical modeling.The intellectual merit is that the successful completion of the proposed research can transform the basis of future transistors with low power consumption and enable reconfigurable topological quantum computation. Particularly, the fundamental science associated with the modulation of topological surface states via external fields will be studied allowing for the realization of electronic operations involving reversible switching of topological states. The performance of the proposed new topological transistor devices would surpass that of conventional silicon based devices, in terms of the higher speed (~1 THz) and the lower power consumption (microwatt).The broader impacts are extending nanoelectronics education opportunities for students from high schools and universities. All the PIs are involved in education and outreach programs; including a collaboration with The University of Michigan's academic programs to provide research opportunities for undergraduate students, as well as a collaboration with Lurie Nanofabrication Facility in outreach workshops for K-12 educators, workshops for the Michigan Science Teacher Association conference, and the "NanoCamps" program sponsored by National Science Foundation.