Bismuth bromide (α-Bi4Br4) can demonstrate various exotic topological states, including higher-order topological insulator with hinge states and quantum spin Hall insulator with helical edge states. To date, α-Bi4Br4 nanowires can be obtained by using the exfoliation method from the bulk. However, it is still a great challenge to efficiently prepare α-Bi4Br4 nanowires suitable for potential applications, e.g., saturable absorber in ultrafast pulsed fiber lasers. Here, we report the controllable growth of α-Bi4Br4 thin films consisting of nanowires via molecular beam epitaxy technique. We show that the morphology of the α-Bi4Br4 nanowires depends on the growth temperature and BiBr3 flux. In addition, we also achieve α-Bi4Br4 nanowires on NbSe2 and gold substrates. Furthermore, we performed the saturable absorption property of α-Bi4Br4 thin films with a modulation depth of 21.58% and mode-locking at 1556.4 nm with a pulse width of 375 fs in the pulsed fiber lasers. Those results demonstrate the synthesis of quasi-1D topological material α-Bi4Br4, which is expected to be used for the fundamental research of topological physics and potential applications in optical devices.
References
1.
J.-J.
Zhou
, W.
Feng
, G.-B.
Liu
, and Y.
Yao
, “Topological edge states in single- and multi-layer Bi4Br4
,” New. J. Phys.
17
(1
), 015004
(2015
).2.
G.
Autes
, A.
Isaeva
, L.
Moreschini
, J. C.
Johannsen
, A.
Pisoni
, R.
Mori
, W.
Zhang
, T. G.
Filatova
, A. N.
Kuznetsov
, L.
Forro
, W.
Van den Broek
, Y.
Kim
, K. S.
Kim
, A.
Lanzara
, J. D.
Denlinger
, E.
Rotenberg
, A.
Bostwick
, M.
Grioni
, and O. V.
Yazyev
, “A novel quasi-one-dimensional topological insulator in bismuth iodide beta-Bi4I4
,” Nat. Mater.
15
(2
), 154
(2016
).3.
A.
Pisoni
, R.
Gaál
, A.
Zeugner
, V.
Falkowski
, A.
Isaeva
, H.
Huppertz
, G.
Autès
, O. V.
Yazyev
, and L.
Forró
, “Pressure effect and superconductivity in the β-Bi4I4 topological insulator
,” Phys. Rev. B
95
(23
), 235149
(2017
).4.
D.-Y.
Chen
, D.-S.
Ma
, Y.
Li
, Z. Z.
Du
, X.
Xiong
, Y.
He
, J.
Duan
, J.
Han
, D.
Chen
, W.
Xiao
, and Y.
Yao
, “Quantum transport properties in single crystals of α-Bi4I4
,” Phys. Rev. Mater.
2
(11
), 114408
(2018
).5.
J.
Zhuang
, J.
Li
, Y.
Liu
, D.
Mu
, M.
Yang
, Y.
Liu
, W.
Zhou
, W.
Hao
, J.
Zhong
, and Y.
Du
, “Epitaxial growth of quasi-one-dimensional bismuth-halide chains with atomically sharp topological non-trivial edge states
,” ACS Nano
15
(9
), 14850
(2021
).6.
C.-H.
Hsu
, X.
Zhou
, Q.
Ma
, N.
Gedik
, A.
Bansil
, V. M.
Pereira
, H.
Lin
, L.
Fu
, S.-Y.
Xu
, and T.-R.
Chang
, “Purely rotational symmetry-protected topological crystalline insulator alpha-Bi4Br4
,” 2D Mater.
6
(3
), 031004
(2019
).7.
P.
Mao
, M.
Wang
, D.
Ma
, D.
Chen
, C.-c.
Liu
, X.
Li
, J.
Zheng
, Y.
Li
, H.
Yang
, and Q.
Wang
, “Observation of the topologically originated edge states in large-gap quasi-one-dimensional a-Bi4Br4
,” arXiv:2007.00223 (2020
).8.
C. C.
Liu
, J. J.
Zhou
, Y.
Yao
, and F.
Zhang
, “Weak topological insulators and composite Weyl semimetals: Beta-Bi4X4 (X = Br, I)
,” Phys. Rev. Lett.
116
(6
), 066801
(2016
).9.
R.
Noguchi
, T.
Takahashi
, K.
Kuroda
, M.
Ochi
, T.
Shirasawa
, M.
Sakano
, C.
Bareille
, M.
Nakayama
, M. D.
Watson
, K.
Yaji
, A.
Harasawa
, H.
Iwasawa
, P.
Dudin
, T. K.
Kim
, M.
Hoesch
, V.
Kandyba
, A.
Giampietri
, A.
Barinov
, S.
Shin
, R.
Arita
, T.
Sasagawa
, and T.
Kondo
, “A weak topological insulator state in quasi-one-dimensional bismuth iodide
,” Nature
566
(7745
), 518
(2019
).10.
J.
Huang
, S.
Li
, C.
Yoon
, J. S.
Oh
, H.
Wu
, X.
Liu
, N.
Dhale
, Y.-F.
Zhou
, Y.
Guo
, Y.
Zhang
, M.
Hashimoto
, D.
Lu
, J.
Denlinger
, X.
Wang
, C. N.
Lau
, R. J.
Birgeneau
, F.
Zhang
, B.
Lv
, and M.
Yi
, “Room-temperature topological phase transition in quasi-one-dimensional material Bi4I4
,” Phys. Rev. X
11
(3
), 031042
(2021
).11.
X.
Wang
, J.
Wu
, J.
Wang
, T.
Chen
, H.
Gao
, P.
Lu
, Q.
Chen
, C.
Ding
, J.
Wen
, and J.
Sun
, “Pressure-induced structural and electronic transitions in bismuth iodide
,” Phys. Rev. B
98
(17
), 174112
(2018
).12.
Y.
Qi
, W.
Shi
, P.
Werner
, P. G.
Naumov
, W.
Schnelle
, L.
Wang
, K. G.
Rana
, S.
Parkin
, S. A.
Medvedev
, B.
Yan
, and C.
Felser
, “Pressure-induced superconductivity and topological quantum phase transitions in a quasi-one-dimensional topological insulator: Bi4I4
,” npj Quantum Mater.
3
(1
), 4
(2018
).13.
R.
Noguchi
, M.
Kobayashi
, Z.
Jiang
, K.
Kuroda
, T.
Takahashi
, Z.
Xu
, D.
Lee
, M.
Hirayama
, M.
Ochi
, T.
Shirasawa
, P.
Zhang
, C.
Lin
, C.
Bareille
, S.
Sakuragi
, H.
Tanaka
, S.
Kunisada
, K.
Kurokawa
, K.
Yaji
, A.
Harasawa
, V.
Kandyba
, A.
Giampietri
, A.
Barinov
, T. K.
Kim
, C.
Cacho
, M.
Hashimoto
, D.
Lu
, S.
Shin
, R.
Arita
, K.
Lai
, T.
Sasagawa
, and T.
Kondo
, “Evidence for a higher-order topological insulator in a three-dimensional material built from van der Waals stacking of bismuth-halide chains
,” Nat. Mater.
20
(4
), 473
(2021
).14.
N.
Shumiya
, M. S.
Hossain
, J.-X.
Yin
, Z.
Wang
, M.
Litskevich
, C.
Yoon
, Y.
Li
, Y.
Yang
, Y.-X.
Jiang
, and G.
Cheng
, “Room-temperature quantum spin Hall edge state in a higher-order topological insulator Bi4Br4
,” arXiv:2110.05718 (2021
).15.
X.
Peng
, X.
Zhang
, X.
Dong
, D.
Ma
, D.
Chen
, Y.
Li
, J.
Li
, J.
Han
, Z.
Wang
, C. C.
Liu
, J.
Zhou
, W.
Xiao
, and Y.
Yao
, “Observation of topological edge states on alpha-Bi4Br4 nanowires grown on TiSe2 substrates
,” J. Phys. Chem. Lett.
12
, 10465
(2021
).16.
J. J.
Zhou
, W.
Feng
, C. C.
Liu
, S.
Guan
, and Y.
Yao
, “Large-gap quantum spin Hall insulator in single layer bismuth monobromide Bi4Br4
,” Nano Lett.
14
(8
), 4767
(2014
).17.
M.
Yang
, Y.
Liu
, W.
Zhou
, C.
Liu
, D.
Mu
, Y.
Liu
, J.
Wang
, W.
Hao
, J.
Li
, and J.
Zhong
, “Large-gap quantum spin hall state and temperature-induced lifshitz transition in Bi4Br4
,” arXiv:2110.06658 (2021
).18.
E.
Dikarev
, B.
Popovkin
, and A.
Shevelkov
, “New polymolecular bismuth monohalides. Synthesis and crystal structures of Bi4BrxI4−x (x = 1, 2, or 3)
,” Russ. Chem. Bull.
50
(12
), 2304
(2001
).19.
T. G.
Filatova
, P. V.
Gurin
, L.
Kloo
, V. A.
Kulbachinskii
, A. N.
Kuznetsov
, V. G.
Kytin
, M.
Lindsjo
, and B. A.
Popovkin
, “Electronic structure, galvanomagnetic and magnetic properties of the bismuth subhalides Bi4I4 and Bi4Br4
,” J. Solid State Chem.
180
(3
), 1103
(2007
).20.
X.
Li
, D.
Chen
, M.
Jin
, D.
Ma
, Y.
Ge
, J.
Sun
, W.
Guo
, H.
Sun
, J.
Han
, W.
Xiao
, J.
Duan
, Q.
Wang
, C. C.
Liu
, R.
Zou
, J.
Cheng
, C.
Jin
, J.
Zhou
, J. B.
Goodenough
, J.
Zhu
, and Y.
Yao
, “Pressure-induced phase transitions and superconductivity in a quasi-1-dimensional topological crystalline insulator alpha-Bi4Br4
,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.
116
(36
), 17696
(2019
).21.
L.
Qiao
, X.
Xiong
, H.
Yang
, D.
Chen
, Y.
Li
, J.
Li
, X.
Peng
, Z.
Xu
, J.
Han
, W.
Xiao
, and Y.
Yao
, “Ultralong single-crystal α-Bi4Br4 nanobelts with a high current-carrying capacity by mechanical exfoliation
,” J. Phys. Chem. C
125
(40
), 22312
(2021
).22.
C.
Zhao
, H.
Zhang
, X.
Qi
, Y.
Chen
, Z.
Wang
, S.
Wen
, and D.
Tang
, “Ultra-short pulse generation by a topological insulator based saturable absorber
,” Appl. Phys. Lett.
101
(21
), 211106
(2012
).23.
C.
Zhao
, Y.
Zou
, Y.
Chen
, Z.
Wang
, S.
Lu
, H.
Zhang
, S.
Wen
, and D.
Tang
, “Wavelength-tunable picosecond soliton fiber laser with topological insulator: Bi2Se3 as a mode locker
,” Opt. Express
20
(25
), 27888
(2012
).24.
H.
Zhang
, X.
He
, W.
Lin
, R.
Wei
, F.
Zhang
, X.
Du
, G.
Dong
, and J.
Qiu
, “Ultrafast saturable absorption in topological insulator Bi2SeTe2 nanosheets
,” Opt. Express
23
(10
), 13376
(2015
).25.
X.
He
, H.
Zhang
, W.
Lin
, R.
Wei
, J.
Qiu
, M.
Zhang
, and B.
Hu
, “PVP-assisted solvothermal synthesis of high-yielded Bi2Te3 hexagonal nanoplates: Application in passively Q-switched fiber laser
,” Sci. Rep.
5
(1
), 15868
(2015
).26.
H.
Yu
, H.
Zhang
, Y.
Wang
, C.
Zhao
, B.
Wang
, S.
Wen
, H.
Zhang
, and J.
Wang
, “Topological insulator as an optical modulator for pulsed solid-state lasers
,” Laser Photonics Rev.
7
(6
), L77
(2013
).27.
X.
Dong
, Y.
Li
, J.
Li
, X.
Peng
, L.
Qiao
, D.
Chen
, H.
Yang
, X.
Xiong
, Q.
Wang
, X.
Li
, J.
Duan
, J.
Han
, and W.
Xiao
, “Epitaxial growth and structural properties of Bi(110) thin films on TiSe2 substrates
,” J. Phys. Chem. C
123
(22
), 13637
(2019
).28.
Y.
Chen
, C.
Zhao
, S.
Chen
, J.
Du
, P.
Tang
, G.
Jiang
, H.
Zhang
, S.
Wen
, and D.
Tang
, “Large energy, wavelength widely tunable, topological insulator Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser
,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron
20
(5
), 315
(2013
).© 2022 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.
2022
Author(s)
You do not currently have access to this content.
