2020, Giraud, Romain, Dufouleur, Joseph

Quantum transport measurement is an efficient tool to unveil properties of topological surface states in 3D topological insulators. Herein, experimental and theoretical results are reviewed, presenting first some methods for the growth of nanostructures. The effect of the disorder and the band bending is discussed in details both experimentally and theoretically. Then, the focus is put on disorder and quantum confinement effect in topological surface states of 3D topological insulators narrow nanostructures. Such effect can be revealed by investigating quantum interferences at very low temperature such as Aharonov–Bohm oscillations or universal conductance fluctuations. © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

2020, Sykora, Steffen, Schoop, Johannes, Graf, Lukas, Shipunov, Grigory, Morozov, Igor V., Aswartham, Saicharan, Büchner, Bernd, Hess, Christian, Giraud, Romain, Dufouleur, Joseph

The finite coupling between Weyl nodes due to residual disorder is investigated by magnetotransport studies in WTe2. The anisotropic scattering of quasiparticles is evidenced from classical and quantum transport measurements. A theoretical approach using the real band structure is developed in order to calculate the dependence of the scattering anisotropy with the correlation length of the disorder. A comparison between theory and experiments reveals a short correlation length in WTe2 (ξ∼5 nm). This result implies a significant coupling between Weyl nodes and other bands. Our study thus shows that a finite intercone scattering rate always exists in weakly disordered type-II Weyl semimetals, such as WTe2, which strongly suppresses topologically nontrivial properties.