How to probe the spin contribution to momentum relaxation in topological insulators

Topological insulators exhibit a metallic surface state in which the directions of the carriers’ momentum and spin are locked together. This characteristic property, which lies at the heart of proposed applications of topological insulators, protects carriers in the surface state from back-scattering unless the scattering centres are time-reversal symmetry breaking (i.e. magnetic). Here, we introduce a method of probing the effect of magnetic scattering by decorating the surface of topological insulators with molecules, whose magnetic degrees of freedom can be engineered independently of their electrostatic structure. We show that this approach allows us to separate the effects of magnetic and non-magnetic scattering in the perturbative limit. We thereby confirm that the low-temperature conductivity of SmB 6 is dominated by a surface state and that the momentum of quasiparticles in this state is particularly sensitive to magnetic scatterers, as expected in a topological insulator. Magnetic scattering may profoundly modify the electronic properties of a topological insulator. Here, Nam et al. report a method enabling separation of the effects of magnetic and non-magnetic scattering by decorating the surface of topological insulators with molecules.