Observation of quantum Hall effect in a microstrained Bi 2 Se 3 single crystal

We report the observation of quantum Hall effect (QHE) in a Bi 2 Se 3 single crystal having carrier concentration ( n ) ∼ 1.13 × 10 19 cm −3 , three dimensional Fermi surface and bulk transport characteristics. The plateaus in Hall resistivity coincide with minima of Shubnikov de Haas oscillations in resistivity. Our results demonstrate that the presence of perfect two dimensional transport is not an essential condition for QHE in Bi 2 Se 3 . The results of high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and residual resistivity measurements show the presence of enhanced crystalline defects and microstrain. We discuss the possible origin of the observed QHE and correlate its existence to the crystalline defects.