Abstract
A distinguishing characteristic of topological insulators (TIs) is that they have conducting states on their boundary—a surface for a three-dimensional (3D) TI or a line edge for a 2D TI. Sessi et al. used scanning tunneling spectroscopy to discover unusual 1D states in a 3D crystalline TI. The states appeared on the edge of a particular kind of step in the crystal and survived large magnetic fields and increased temperatures. This robustness bodes well for the potential use of these states in practical applications.
Science , this issue p. 1269