Transport in semiconductor nanostructures: topological insulators and electron-hole systems in HgTe quantum wells

• Grant number: 14/18411-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Duration: February 15, 2015 - March 14, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Gennady Gusev
• Grantee: Gennady Gusev
• Visiting researcher: Olshanetsky Evgenii
• Visiting researcher institution: Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Russia
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The visit of Dr. E.B. Olshanetsky will be very helpful to continue the long-term collaboration between Novosibirsk and New Semiconductor Materials Laboratory of the Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo (LNMS-IFUSP). The overall objective of the project is to study semiconductor nanostructures for the design of new quantum devices.During his last visit (FAPESP Process No.: 2011/19441-1) Dr. E. B. Olshanetsky conducted measurements on various types of quantum wells of CdTe/HgTe/CdTe that are related to two-dimensional topological insulator systems-and electron-hole. Projects supported by FAPESP can play a key role in the development and strengthening of international cooperation in research; and several of them are already taking definitive steps to it, taking as an example the study of transport in semiconductor structures and collaborations between IFUSP and Institute of Physics of Semiconductors of Novosibirsk, which had its beginning in 2007 with funding from FAPESP (to aid researchers visitors: 2007/07953-2, 2008/09212-2, 2010/10097-3, 2011/19441-1).To maintain this collaboration is very important the interaction between the various researchers, making possible the exchange of experiences.The results of these projects are described in 45 articles published in the journal Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B and other articles in journals with high impact factor. The results were also presented at international conferences such as: "Electronic Properties of Two-Dimensional Systems' (EP2DS-14, EP2DS-15), International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors, (ICSP-30, ICSP-31, ICSP-32) and the International Conference on the Application of High Magnetic Fields in Semiconductor Physics and Nanotechnology (HMF-19-HMF 20, 21-HMF).The project proposes the study of topological insulators in the area, this area is very promising and current and extend applications in spintronics, quantum computing, among others. Currently, good quality samples for research are produced in only two centers in the world, one in Wutzberg (DU) and the other in Novosibirsk (Russia), work with materials produced in Novosibirsk and obtained excellent results (see recent papers published in PRL). This demonstrates the possibility of studying new physics concepts and having grown samples prepared elsewhere (Novosibirsk).Under my coordination multiple results, as mentioned above, which had great international impact in this area were produced.Some benefits of this project are: the evolution of knowledge of the physics of nanoscale systems, the development of techniques for characterization of HgTe quantum wells of high quality and the possible application of this knowledge (or its consequences) in future spintronic devices. (AU)