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Three- and two-dimensional topological insulators in Pb$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$, Pb$_2$Bi$_2$Te$_5$, and Pb$_2$Bi$_2$Se$_5$ layered compounds

I. V. Silkin^a, Yu. M. Koroteev^ab, S. V. Eremeev^b, G. Bihlmayer^cd, E. V. Chulkov<sup>e

a</sup> Tomsk State University
^b Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
^c Institut f"{u}r Festk"{o}rperforschung and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum J"{u}lich
^d Institute of Solid State Research, Jülich
^e Donostia International Physics Center

Abstract: The electronic structure of ternary compounds Pb$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$,, Pb$_2$Bi$_2$Te$_5$ and Pb$_2$Bi$_2$Se$_5$, which have a layered structure that consists of nine-layer atomic blocks separated by van der Waals gaps, has been theoretically studied. It has been shown that all studied compounds are three-dimensional topological insulators. The possibility of the existence of a two-dimensional topological insulator has been found in ultrathin (0001) Pb$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$ and Pb$_2$Bi$_2$Te$_5$ films. Oscillations of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological invariant with an increase in the film thickness have been observed in the latter compound.

Received: 20.06.2011

 English version: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters, 2011, 94:3, 217–221

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