Symmetry-Controlled Topological Phase Coherence Length as a Quantum Descriptor for Interfacial Charge Transfer
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) provide a unique platform where crystalline symmetry protects spin-polarized surface states, enabling phase-coherent quantum transport. Here, we establish the topological phase coherence length () as a quantitative quantum descriptor that links symmetry protection, spin transport, and interfacial charge-transfer reactivity in SnTe-based TCIs. Structural confinement (SnTe@S) and vanadium (V) substitution (SnTe@V) are employed to tune the coherence of topological surface states (TSS). Low-temperature (7 K) electron spin resonance measurements reveal pronounced weak antilocalization (WAL) behavior in SnTe@V, exhibiting the highest WAL prefactor ( α) = 1.8 ± 0.2, and the longest phase coherence length ( = 12.5 ± 2.5 nm , signifying multiple coherent TSS channels stabilized by mirror-symmetry restoration. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that spin–orbit coupling (SOC) induced TSS enhance the local density of states and optimize hydrogen adsorption energetics through orbital hybridization between Sn and V, yielding the most favorable Gibbs free energy for hydrogen evolution. The direct correlation between the enlarged and accelerated charge-transfer kinetics identifies the symmetry-controlled topological phase coherence length as a fundamental quantum descriptor dictating charge-transport efficiency. This work establishes phase coherence length as a predictive quantum descriptor for catalytic charge transfer in topological materials.
Source: ChemRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204792968