SrxBi2Se3 is a candidate topological superconductor but its superconductivity requires the intercalation of Sr by into the van-der-Waals gaps of Bi2Se3. We report the synthesis of SrxBi2Se3 thin films by molecular beam epitaxy, and we characterize their structural, vibrational and electrical properties. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy show evidence of substitutional Sr alloying into the structure, while transport measurements allow us to correlate the increasing Sr content with an increased n-type doping, but do not reveal superconductivity down to 1.5K. Our results suggest that Sr predominantly occupies sites within a quintuple layer, simultaneously substituting for Bi and as an interstitial. Our results motivate future density functional studies to further investigate the energetics of Sr substitution into Bi2Se3.
@article{arxiv.2011.12755,
title = {Introduction of Sr into Bi2Se3 thin films by molecular beam epitaxy},
author = {L. Riney and C. Bunker and S. -K. Bac and J. Wang and D. Battaglia and Yun Chang Park and M. Dobrowolska and J. K. Furdyna and X. Liu and B. A. Assaf},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.12755},
year = {2021}
}