Observations of a metal-insulator transition and strong surface states in Bi2-x Sbx Se3 thin films

High-quality thin films of the topological insulator Bi2-xSbxSe3 are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A metal-insulator transition along with strong surface states - revealed by Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations - is observed as the Sb concentration is increased. This system represents a widely tunable platform for achieving high surface conduction, suppressing the bulk influence, and manipulating the band structure of topological insulators