Screening and atomic-scale engineering of the potential at a topological insulator surface

Abstract: The electrostatic behavior of a prototypical three-dimensional topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$(111) is investigated by a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study of the distribution of Rb atoms adsorbed on the surface. The positively charged ions are screened by both free electrons residing in the topological surface state as well as band bending induced quantum well states of the conduction band, leading to a surprisingly short screening length. Combining a theoretical description of the potential energy with STM-based atomic manipulation, we demonstrate the ability to create tailored electronic potential landscapes on topological surfaces with atomic-scale control.