We present the results of an infrared spectroscopy study of topological insulators Bi(2)Se(3), Bi(2)Te(3) and Sb(2)Te(3). Reflectance spectra of all three materials look similar, with a well defined plasma edge. However, there are some important differences. Most notably, as temperature decreases the plasma edge shifts to lower frequencies in Bi(2)Se(3), whereas in Bi(2)Te(3) and Sb(2)Te(3) it shifts to higher frequencies. In the loss function spectra we identify asymmetric broadening of the plasmon, and assign it to the presence of charge inhomogeneities. It remains to be seen if charge inhomogeneities are characteristic of all topological insulators, and whether they are of intrinsic or extrinsic nature.

Literature describing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) generally assumes that the reader will understand why the method cannot detect hydrogen atoms. On the other hand, students struggle finding the answer even after extensive literature search and reading.

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We present results from light scattering experiments on tetragonal FeS with the focus placed on lattice dynamics. We identify the Raman active A1g and B1g phonon modes, a second order scattering process involving two acoustic phonons, and contributions from potentially defect-induced scattering. The temperature dependence between 300 and 20 K of all observed phonon energies is governed by the lattice contraction. Below 20 K the phonon energies increase by 0.5-1 cm −1 thus indicating putative short range magnetic order. Along with the experiments we performed latticedynamical simulations and a symmetry analysis for the phonons and potential overtones and find good agreement with the experiments. In particular, we argue that the two-phonon excitation observed in a gap between the optical branches becomes observable due to significant electronphonon interaction.