Ultrafast evolution of bulk, surface and surface resonance states in photoexcited $$\hbox {Bi}_{2}\hbox {Te}_{3}$$ Bi 2 Te 3

Abstract

Abstract We use circular dichroism (CD) in time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (trARPES) to measure the femtosecond charge dynamics in the topological insulator (TI) $$\hbox {Bi}_{2}\hbox {Te}_{3}$$ Bi 2 Te 3 . We detect clear CD signatures from topological surface states (TSS) and surface resonance (SR) states. In time-resolved measurements, independently from the pump polarization or intensity, the CD shows a dynamics which provides access to the unexplored electronic evolution in unoccupied states of $$\hbox {Bi}_{2}\hbox {Te}_{3}$$ Bi 2 Te 3 . In particular, we are able to disentangle the unpolarized electron dynamics in the bulk states from the spin-textured TSS and SR states on the femtosecond timescale. Our study demonstrates that photoexcitation mainly involves the bulk states and is followed by sub-picosecond transport to the surface. This provides essential details on intra- and interband scattering in the relaxation process of TSS and SR states. Our results reveal the significant role of SRs in the subtle ultrafast interaction between bulk and surface states of TIs.