Tailoring electronic and optical properties of hBN/InTe and hBN/GaTe heterostructures through biaxial strain engineering.

In this research study, we systematically investigate the electronic and optical properties of van der Waals heterostructures (HSs) consisting of InTe (GaTe) and hBN monolayers, subjected to controlled biaxial strain. Our analysis demonstrates that the application of strain induces noteworthy alterations in the electronic band structure, enabling precise manipulation of the band gap and augmentation of the absorption properties of these structures. Employing density functional theory, we conduct a comprehensive examination of the influence of strain on the electronic and optical characteristics of these HSs.

Novel wide spectrum light absorber heterostructures based on hBN/In(Ga)Te.

Two-dimensional group III monochalcogenides have recently attracted quite attention for their wide spectrum of optical and electric properties, being promising candidates for optoelectronic and novel electrical applications. However, in their pristine form they are extremely sensitive and vulnerable to oxygen in air and need good mechanical protection and passivization. In this work we modeled and studied two newly designed van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures based on layer of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and GaTe or InTe monolayer.

Short-Range Order in VI.

We present a detailed investigation of the crystal structure of VI, a two-dimensional van der Waals material of interest for studies of low-dimensional magnetism. As opposed to the average crystal structure that features 3̅ symmetry of the unit cell, our Raman scattering and X-ray atomic pair distribution function analysis supported by density functional theory calculations point to the coexistence of short-range ordered 3̅1 and long-range ordered 3̅ phases. The highest-intensity peak, , exhibits a moderate asymmetry that might be traced back to the spin-phonon interactions, as in the case of CrI.

Peculiar symmetry-protected electronic dispersions in two-dimensional materials.

Symmetry indicates that low energy spectra of materials could be richer than well-known Dirac, semi-Dirac, or quadratic, hosting some unusual quasiparticles. Performing the systematic study of exact forms of low energy effective Hamiltonians and dispersions in high-symmetry points with fourfold degeneracy of bands, we found new, previously unreported dispersion, which we named poppy flower (PF) after its shape. This massless fermion exists in non-magnetic two-dimensional (2D) crystals with spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which are invariant under one of the proposed ten noncentrosymmetric layer groups.