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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Quantum spin Hall phase in GeSn heterostructures on silicon

B. M. Ferrari1, F. Marcantonio1, F. Murphy-Armando2, M. Virgilio3, and F. Pezzoli1,*

  • 1Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università di Milano-Bicocca, LNESS and BiQuTe, via Cozzi 55, 20125 Milano, Italy
  • 2Tyndall National Institute, Cork T12R5CP, Ireland
  • 3Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Largo Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa, Italy

  • *fabio.pezzoli@unimib.it
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Phys. Rev. Research 5, L022035 – Published 22 May, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.L022035

Abstract

Quantum phases of solid-state electron systems can sustain exotic phenomena and a very rich spin physics. We utilize model-solid theory to show that Ge1−xSnx alloys, an emerging group IV semiconductor, can be engineered into heterostructures that demonstrate a broken-gap alignment. Furthermore, the eight-band k·p method is used to disclose a quantum spin Hall phase in heterojunctions that accommodates the existence of gate-controlled chiral edge states. This proposal introduces a practical silicon-based architecture that spontaneously sustains topological properties, while being compatible with the high-volume manufacture of semiconductor technologies.

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Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. Research 5, L022035– Published 22 May, 2023
  • Received 3 August 2022
  • Accepted 19 April 2023
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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