Size Effect in the Electrical Conductivity of Thin Films of Topological Insulator Bi2Se3

Resumo

The electrical resistivity of thin films of topological insulator (TI) Bi₂Se₃ 10 to 75 nm thick is measured in the temperature range of 4.2 to 300 K. A size effect is observed in the electrical conductivity of the Bi₂Se₃ films; i.e., there is a linear dependence of a film’s conductivity on its inverse thickness. It is assumed that a similar effect can be observed in other TIs and in systems with nonuniform distributions of current over the cross section of a sample.