Molecular beam epitaxy growth of topological insulator Bi4Br4 on silicon for the infrared applications

Abstract Bi4Br4 is a material rich in intriguing topological properties. Monolayer Bi4Br4 film exhibits helical edge states characteristic of a quantum spin Hall insulator, while bulk Bi4Br4 represents a higher-order topological insulator with hinge states. However, direct exfoliation from single crystal can only obtain thin nanowires due to the weak van der Waals forces between Bi4Br4 chains, which limits its optical analysis and application, while the growth of Bi4Br4 thin films is also full of challenges due to the extremely narrow growth temperature range and the accurate control of the BiBr3 flux. Here, we reported the controlled growth of α-Bi4Br4 thin films on intrinsic silicon substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. The growth temperature, BiBr3 flux, and the flux ratio of Bi and BiBr3 were accurately controlled. Then, the morphology, composition, and bonding of the prepared films were investigated using atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The growth of large, uniform thin films provides an ideal material platform for studying the physical properties of Bi4Br4. Additionally, we utilized Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to explore the film’s infrared characteristics, revealing strong absorption in the low frequency range due to the high proportion of one-dimensional topological edge states and laying the groundwork for further exploration of its potential applications in the optoelectronic field.