Engineering a spin-orbit bandgap in graphene-tellurium heterostructures
Intensive research has focused on harnessing the potential of graphene for electronic, optoelectronic, and spintronic devices by generating a bandgap at the Dirac point and enhancing spin-orbit interaction. While proximity to heavy p elements is promising, their interaction in graphene heterostructu...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universidad Autónoma de Madrid |
| Repositorio: | Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:biblosearchi::a9bbac7d9bcb108a508c153ff9bdd2e0 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/10486/758260 https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202425154 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy bandgap opening graphene heterostructures scanning tunneling microscopy spin-orbit coupling Física Química |
| Resumo: | Intensive research has focused on harnessing the potential of graphene for electronic, optoelectronic, and spintronic devices by generating a bandgap at the Dirac point and enhancing spin-orbit interaction. While proximity to heavy p elements is promising, their interaction in graphene heterostructures remains underexplored compared to ferromagnetic, noble, or heavy metals. This study demonstrates the effective intercalation of Te atoms in a graphene/Ir(111) heterostructure. Using low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy, two distinct structural phases are identified as a function of Te coverage. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals a 240 meV bandgap at the Dirac cone at room temperature, preserving linear dispersion, along with a pronounced n-doping effect confirmed by quasiparticle interference maps. Notably, reducing Te coverage tunes the Dirac point toward the Fermi level while maintaining the bandgap. Spin-resolved measurements uncover a non-planar chiral spin texture with significant splitting in both in-plane and out-of-plane components, as well as evidence of an emerging edge state from scanning tunneling spectroscopy. These findings highlight Te-enhanced intrinsic spin-orbit coupling in graphene, surpassing the extrinsic Rashba effect and promoting a spin-orbit-induced bandgap. This system offers a promising platform for spin-dependent transport phenomena, such as the quantum spin Hall effect |
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