Fascinating Electrical Transport Behavior of Topological Insulator Bi₂Te₃ Nanorods: Toward Electrically Responsive Smart Materials

Abstract Electrical conductivity and dielectric parameters are general inherent features of materials. Controlling these characteristics through applied bias will add a new dimension to regulate the dynamic response of smart materials. Here, a fascinating electrical transport behavior is observed in topological insulator (TI) Bi₂Te₃ nanorods, which will play a vital role in intelligent materials or devices as a unit for information reception, processing or feedback. The Bi₂Te₃ nanorod aggregates exhibit a monotonic resistance response to voltage, with observed four‐fold change of electrical conductivity in a small range electric field of 1 V mm⁻¹. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of Bi₂Te₃ nanorod composites also show strong dependences on bias voltage due to the unique electrical transport characteristics. The unique voltage‐controlled electrical responses are attributed to the change of Fermi levels within the band structure of disordered TI nanorods, which are non‐parallel to the applied electric field. The excellent controllable inherent characteristics through electric field endows Bi₂Te₃ nanomaterials bright prospects for applications in smart devices and resistive random access memories.