Helicity-dependent terahertz emission spectroscopy of topological insulator Sb2Te3 thin films

Abstract

We report on helicity-dependent terahertz emissions that originate from the helicity-dependent photocurrents in topological insulator Sb2Te3 thin films due to ultrafast optical excitation. The polarity of the emitted terahertz radiation is controlled by both the incident angle and the helicity of optical pulses. Using an unprecedented decomposition-recombination procedure in the time domain, the signals of the Dirac fermions are fully separated from bulk contributions. These results provide insights into the optical coupling of topological surface states and open up opportunities for applying helicity-dependent terahertz emission spectroscopy in spintronics.