Topological insulators (TIs) in III-V quantum wells have emerged as a frontier for spintronics and quantum computing. Recent studies have demonstrated that InAs/GaSb heterostructures exhibit a quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE) with edge conductance of up to 2e²/h at temperatures below 10 K. This is achieved by engineering band inversion through precise control of layer thicknesses, typically in the range of 8-12 nm. The topological gap in these systems can reach up to 15 meV, making them robust against thermal fluctuations.
The role of strain engineering in enhancing the topological properties of III-V quantum wells has been extensively investigated. By applying biaxial compressive strain of ~1%, researchers have increased the topological gap in InAs/GaSb systems to 20 meV. This is achieved using lattice-mismatched substrates such as GaAs, which induce controlled strain without introducing significant defects. Such advancements have pushed the operating temperature of QSHE devices closer to room temperature, a critical milestone for practical applications.
Interfacial quality plays a crucial role in the performance of III-V topological insulators. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques have been employed to achieve atomically sharp interfaces with roughness below 0.3 nm. This has led to a reduction in backscattering events, improving edge state coherence lengths to over 10 µm. Such improvements are essential for realizing Majorana zero modes, which require coherence lengths exceeding the device dimensions for robust quantum operations.
Recent breakthroughs in hybrid III-V/superconductor systems have opened new avenues for topological quantum computing. By coupling InAs quantum wells to NbTiN superconductors, researchers have observed induced superconductivity with critical temperatures up to 6 K. These hybrid systems exhibit signatures of Majorana bound states with zero-bias conductance peaks quantized at 2e²/h, providing strong evidence for non-Abelian statistics and their potential use in fault-tolerant quantum computing.
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