Proximity Effects on the Charge Density Wave Order and Superconductivity in Single-Layer NbSe2

Ferromagnetic Order in 2D Layers of Transition Metal Dichlorides

Magnetism in two dimensions is traditionally considered an exotic phase mediated by spin fluctuations, but far from collinearly ordered in the ground state. Recently, 2D magnetic states have been discovered in layered van der Waals compounds. Their robust and tunable magnetic state by material composition, combined with reduced dimensionality, foresee a strong potential as a key element in magnetic devices. Here, a class of 2D magnets based on metallic chlorides is presented. The magnetic order survives on top of a metallic substrate, even down to the monolayer limit, and can be switched from perpendicular to in-plane by substituting the metal ion from iron to nickel. Using functionalized STM tips as magnetic sensors, local exchange fields are identified, even in the absence of an external magnetic field. Since the compounds are processable by molecular beam epitaxy techniques, they provide a platform with large potential for incorporation into current device technologies.

Controlling structure and interfacial interaction of monolayer TaSe2 on bilayer graphene

Tunability of interfacial effects between two-dimensional (2D) crystals is crucial not only for understanding the intrinsic properties of each system, but also for designing electronic devices based on ultra-thin heterostructures. A prerequisite of such heterostructure engineering is the availability of 2D crystals with different degrees of interfacial interactions. In this work, we report a controlled epitaxial growth of monolayer TaSe2 with different structural phases, 1H and 1 T, on a bilayer graphene (BLG) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy, and its impact on the electronic properties of the heterostructures using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. 1H-TaSe2 exhibits significant charge transfer and band hybridization at the interface, whereas 1 T-TaSe2 shows weak interactions with the substrate. The distinct interfacial interactions are attributed to the dual effects from the differences of the work functions as well as the relative interlayer distance between TaSe2 films and BLG substrate. The method demonstrated here provides a viable route towards interface engineering in a variety of transition-metal dichalcogenides that can be applied to future nano-devices with designed electronic properties.

Charge density waves in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides

Charge density wave (CDW is one of the most ubiquitous electronic orders in quantum materials. While the essential ingredients of CDW order have been extensively studied, a comprehensive microscopic understanding is yet to be reached. Recent research efforts on the CDW phenomena in two-dimensional (2D) materials provide a new pathway toward a deeper understanding of its complexity. This review provides an overview of the CDW orders in 2D with atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) as the materials platform. We mainly focus on the electronic structure investigations on the epitaxially grown TMDC samples with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy as complementary experimental tools. We discuss the possible origins of the 2D CDW, novel quantum states coexisting with them, and exotic types of charge orders that can only be realized in the 2D limit.

Evidence for ground state coherence in a two-dimensional Kondo lattice

Kondo lattices are ideal testbeds for the exploration of heavy-fermion quantum phases of matter. While our understanding of Kondo lattices has traditionally relied on complex bulk f-electron systems, transition metal dichalcogenide heterobilayers have recently emerged as simple, accessible and tunable 2D Kondo lattice platforms where, however, their ground state remains to be established. Here we present evidence of a coherent ground state in the 1T/1H-TaSe2 heterobilayer by means of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy at 340 mK. Our measurements reveal the existence of two symmetric electronic resonances around the Fermi energy, a hallmark of coherence in the spin lattice. Spectroscopic imaging locates both resonances at the central Ta atom of the charge density wave of the 1T phase, where the localized magnetic moment is held. Furthermore, the evolution of the electronic structure with the magnetic field reveals a non-linear increase of the energy separation between the electronic resonances. Aided by ab initio and auxiliary-fermion mean-field calculations, we demonstrate that this behavior is inconsistent with a fully screened Kondo lattice, and suggests a ground state with magnetic order mediated by conduction electrons. The manifestation of magnetic coherence in TMD-based 2D Kondo lattices enables the exploration of magnetic quantum criticality, Kondo breakdown transitions and unconventional superconductivity in the strict two-dimensional limit.

Large-Area Epitaxial Mott Insulating 1T-TaSe2 Monolayer on GaP(111)B

Two-dimensional Mott materials have recently been reported in the dichalcogenide family with high potential for Mottronic applications. Nevertheless, their widespread use as a single or few layers is hampered by their limited device integration resulting from their growth on graphene, a metallic substrate. Here, we report on the fabrication of 1T-TaSe2 monolayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on semiconducting gallium phosphide substrates. At the nanoscale, the charge density wave reconstruction and a moiré pattern resulting from the monolayer interaction with the substrate are observed by scanning tunneling microscopy. The fully open gap unveiled by tunneling spectroscopy, which can be further manipulated by the proximity of a metal tip, is confirmed by transport measurements from micrometric to millimetric scales, demonstrating a robust Mott insulating phase at up to 400 K.

Phase Engineering of 2D Materials

Polymorphic 2D materials allow structural and electronic phase engineering, which can be used to realize energy-efficient, cost-effective, and scalable device applications. The phase engineering covers not only conventional structural and metal-insulator transitions but also magnetic states, strongly correlated band structures, and topological phases in rich 2D materials. The methods used for the local phase engineering of 2D materials include various optical, geometrical, and chemical processes as well as traditional thermodynamic approaches. In this Review, we survey the precise manipulation of local phases and phase patterning of 2D materials, particularly with ideal and versatile phase interfaces for electronic and energy device applications. Polymorphic 2D materials and diverse quantum materials with their layered, vertical, and lateral geometries are discussed with an emphasis on the role and use of their phase interfaces. Various phase interfaces have demonstrated superior and unique performance in electronic and energy devices. The phase patterning leads to novel homo- and heterojunction structures of 2D materials with low-dimensional phase boundaries, which highlights their potential for technological breakthroughs in future electronic, quantum, and energy devices. Accordingly, we encourage researchers to investigate and exploit phase patterning in emerging 2D materials.

Quantum simulator to emulate lower-dimensional molecular structure

Bottom-up quantum simulators have been developed to quantify the role of various interactions, dimensionality, and structure in creating electronic states of matter. Here, we demonstrated a solid-state quantum simulator emulating molecular orbitals, based solely on positioning individual cesium atoms on an indium antimonide surface. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, combined with ab initio calculations, we showed that artificial atoms could be made from localized states created from patterned cesium rings. These artificial atoms served as building blocks to realize artificial molecular structures with different orbital symmetries. These corresponding molecular orbitals allowed us to simulate two-dimensional structures reminiscent of well-known organic molecules. This platform could further be used to monitor the interplay between atomic structures and the resulting molecular orbital landscape with submolecular precision.

Superstructures, Commensurations, and Rotation of Single-Layer TaS2 on Au(111) Induced by Cs Intercalation/Deintercalation

We use in situ synchrotron grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectivity to investigate with high resolution the structure of a two-dimensional single layer of tantalum sulfide grown on a Au(111) surface and its evolution during intercalation by Cs atoms and deintercalation, which decouples and recouples the two materials, respectively. The grown single layer consists of a mixture of TaS₂ and its S-depleted version, TaS, both aligned with gold, and forming moirés where 7 (respectively 13) lattice constants of the 2D layer almost perfectly match 8 (respectively 15) substrate lattice constants. Intercalation fully decouples the system by lifting the single layer by ∼370 pm and induces an increase of its lattice parameter by 1-2 picometers. The system gradually evolves, during cycles of intercalation/deintercalation assisted by an H₂S atmosphere, toward a final coupled state consisting of the fully stoichiometric TaS₂ dichalcogenide whose moiré is found very close to the 7/8 commensurability. The reactive H₂S atmosphere appears necessary to achieve full deintercalation, presumably by preventing S depletion and the concomitant strong bonding with the intercalant. The structural quality of the layer improves during the cyclic treatment. In parallel, because they are decoupled from the substrate by the intercalation of cesium, some of the TaS₂ flakes rotate by 30°. These produce two additional superlattices with characteristic diffraction patterns of different origins. The first is aligned with gold's high symmetry crystallographic directions and is a commensurate moiré ((6 × 6)-Au(111) coinciding with (3√3 × 3√3)R30°-TaS₂). The second is incommensurate and corresponds to a near coincidence of (6 × 6) unit cells of 30°-rotated TaS₂ with (4√3 × 4√3)Au(111) surface ones. This structure, which is less coupled to gold, might be related to the ∼(3× 3) charge density wave previously reported even at room temperature in TaS₂ grown on noninteracting substrates. A (3 × 3) superstructure of 30°-rotated TaS₂ islands is indeed revealed by complementary scanning tunneling microscopy.

Tunability of the Superconductivity of NbSe2 Films Grown by Two-Step Vapor Deposition

Layered metallic transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are ideal platforms for exploring their fascinating electronic properties at two-dimensional limits, such as their charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity. Therefore, developing ways to improve the crystallization quality of TMDCs is urgently needed. Here we report superconductively tunable NbSe₂ grown by a two-step vapor deposition method. By optimizing the sputtering conditions, superconducting NbSe₂ films were prepared from highly crystalline Nb films. The bilayer NbSe₂ films showed a superconducting transition temperature that was up to 3.1 K. Similar to the salt-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, superconducting monolayer NbSe₂ crystals were also grown from a selenide precursor, and the growth strategy is suitable for many other TMDCs. Our growth method not only provides a way to improve the crystalline quality of TMDC films, but also gives new insight into the growth of monolayer TMDCs. It holds promise for exploring two-dimensional TMDCs in fundamental research and device applications.

Structural, electronic phase transitions and thermal spin transport properties in 2D NbSe2 and NbS2: a first-principles study

How to effectively tune 2D electronic and magnetic properties is key to developing novel spintronic materials and devices. Although the strain induced metal-to-half-metal electronic phase transition (EPT) has been studied in 2H NbSe₂ and NbS₂ monolayers, the 1T phase, the Coulomb interaction and the transport properties have not been explored. Here, using first-principles calculations in junction with nonequilibrium Green's function, we present a comprehensive and comparative study on the strain tuned structural, electronic, magnetic and thermal spin transport properties for NbSe₂ and NbS₂ monolayers with and without Coulomb interaction. It is found that the Coulomb interaction makes the strain induced 2H-to-1T structural phase transition easier. Similar to the 2H phase, there is also a strain induced metal-to-half-metal EPT for the 1T phase without Coulomb interaction, and the Coulomb interaction makes the ETP easier. Remarkably, the 2H-NbSe₂ monolayer with Coulomb interaction is a bipolar spin gapless semiconductor (SGS), and novel Dirac half-metal and usually SGS can be obtained by the tensile strain. In addition, we predict the excellent spin Seebeck effect and thermal spin diode effect in the bipolar SGS of the 2H-NbSe₂ monolayer with Coulomb interaction, and expect the spin filtering effect and high magnetoresistance in the half-metals driven by the strain. We also discuss the strength of Coulomb interaction by comparing the theoretical and available experimental electronic states, indicating the indispensability of Coulomb interactions. These results suggest that 2D NbSe₂ and NbS₂ are promising candidates for phase-change spintronic materials and devices, and will stimulate extensive studies on this class of 2D systems.

Converting a Monolayered NbSe2 into an Ising Superconductor with Nontrivial Band Topology via Physical or Chemical Pressuring

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides possessing superconductivity and strong spin-orbit coupling exhibit high in-plane upper critical fields due to Ising pairing. Yet to date, whether such systems can become topological Ising superconductors remains to be materialized. Here we show that monolayered NbSe₂ can be converted into Ising superconductors with nontrivial band topology via physical or chemical pressuring. Using first-principles calculations, we first demonstrate that a hydrostatic pressure higher than 2.5 GPa can induce a p-d band inversion, rendering nontrivial band topology to NbSe₂. We then illustrate that Te-doping can function as chemical pressuring in inducing nontrivial topology in NbSe_2-xTe_x with x ≥ 0.8, due to a larger atomic radius and stronger spin-orbit coupling of Te. We also evaluate the upper critical fields within both approaches, confirming the enhanced Ising superconductivity nature, as experimentally observed. Our findings may prove to be instrumental in material realization of topological Ising superconductivity in two-dimensional systems.

Nontrivial Doping Evolution of Electronic Properties in Ising-Superconducting Alloys

Transition metal dichalcogenides offer unprecedented versatility to engineer 2D materials with tailored properties to explore novel structural and electronic phase transitions. In this work, the atomic-scale evolution of the electronic ground state of a monolayer of Nb_{1- δ} Mo_δ Se₂ across the entire alloy composition range (0 < δ < 1) is investigated using low-temperature (300 mK) scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS). In particular, the atomic and electronic structure of this 2D alloy throughout the metal to semiconductor transition (monolayer NbSe₂ to MoSe₂ ) is studied. The measurements enable extraction of the effective doping of Mo atoms, the bandgap evolution and the band shifts, which are monotonic with δ. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that collective electronic phases (charge density wave and superconductivity) are remarkably robust against disorder and further shown that the superconducting T_C changes non-monotonically with doping. This contrasting behavior in the normal and superconducting state is explained using first-principles calculations. Mo doping is shown to decrease the density of states at the Fermi level and the magnitude of pair-breaking spin fluctuations as a function of Mo content. These results paint a detailed picture of the electronic structure evolution in 2D TMD alloys, which is of utmost relevance for future 2D materials design.