Hosted by: Elio Vescovo

The characteristic band structure of graphene and toplogical insulators with quasirelativistic Dirac fermions is governed by the pseudospin and electron spin properties, respectively. Band gaps at the Dirac point are expected to open by breaking of sublattice symmetry and time reversal symmetry, respectively. We wil discuss experimental results from graphene interfaces with noble metals and transition metals as well as magnetic transitin metals on and in Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3. Like graphene depends on sublattice symmetry, toplogical insulators depend on high spin-orbit interaction. We will discuss how the two combine when high spin-orbit interaction is imposed onto graphene by a Rashba effect.