Robust topological surface state in Kondo insulator SmB6 thin films

Fabrication of smooth thin films of topological insulators with true insulating bulk are extremely important for utilizing their novel properties in quantum and spintronic devices. Here, we report the growth of crystalline thin films of SmB6, a topological Kondo insulator with true insulating bulk, by co-sputtering both SmB6 and B targets. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy indicate films that are polycrystalline with a (001) preferred orientation. When cooling down, resistivity rho shows an increase around 50K and saturation below 10 K, consistent with the opening of the hybridization gap and surface dominated transport, respectively. The ratio rho(2K)/rho(300K) is only about two, much smaller than that of bulk, which indicates a much larger surface-to-bulk ratio. Point contact spectroscopy using a superconductor tip on SmB6 films shows both a Kondo Fano resonance and Andeev reflection, indicating an insulating Kondo lattice with metallic surface states. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.