Eur. Phys. J. B (2015) 88: 292
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2015-60691-2

Regular Article

On-site electron correlations in Bi₂Se₃ topological insulator

Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, 78060-900, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

^a e-mail: lcraco@fisica.ufmt.br

Received: 25 August 2015
Published online: 9 November 2015

Abstract

We explore the role of local, multi-orbital electron correlations in Bi₂Se₃ topological insulator. Based on local-density-approximation plus dynamical-mean-field-theory (LDA + DMFT) we derive a Kondo-Mott electronic transition, predicting maximally non-metallicity in three-dimensional Bi-chalcogenide topological insulators. Our results within the spin-orbit Kondo state show good agreement with scanning tunneling spectroscopy taken on pure and Cu-doped Bi₂Se₃ samples and effective mass enhancement of Dirac electrons for Cu_xBi₂Se₃, confirming the hypothesis of electron correlations in three-dimensional p-band topological insulators.