Epitaxial Growth of Large-Scale α-Phase Antimonene.

Two-dimensional materials composed of elements from the 15th group of the periodic table remain largely unexplored. The primary challenge in advancing this research is the lack of large-scale layers that would facilitate extensive studies using laterally averaging techniques and enable functionalization for the fabrication of novel electronic, optoelectronic, and spintronic devices. In this report, we present a method for synthesizing large-scale antimonene layers, on the order of cm.

Emergent Dirac Fermions in Epitaxial Planar Silicene Heterostructure.

Silicene, a single layer of Si atoms, shares many remarkable electronic properties with graphene. So far, silicene has been synthesized in its epitaxial form on a few surfaces of solids. Thus, the problem of silicene-substrate interaction appears, which usually depresses the original electronic behavior but may trigger properties superior to those of bare components.

Peculiar Structural Phase of a Single-Atom-Thick Layer of Antimony.

Using molecular beam epitaxy, a new structural phase of a single atom thick antimony layer has been synthesized on the W(110) surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements reveal an atomically resolved structure with a perfectly flat surface and unusually large unit cell. The structure forms a well-ordered continuous film with a lateral size in the range of several millimeters, as revealed by low energy electron microscopy and diffraction experiments.

Magnetism in Au-Supported Planar Silicene.

The adsorption and substitution of transition metal atoms (Fe and Co) on Au-supported planar silicene have been studied by means of first-principles density functional theory calculations. The structural, energetic and magnetic properties have been analyzed. Both dopants favor the same atomic configurations with rather strong binding energies and noticeable charge transfer.

Structural model of silicene-like nanoribbons on a Pb-reconstructed Si(111) surface.

A structural model of the recently observed silicene-like nanoribbons on a Pb-induced √3 × √3 reconstructed Si(111) surface is proposed. The model, which is based on first principles density functional theory calculations, features a deformed honeycomb structure directly bonded to the Si(111) surface underneath. Pb atoms stabilize the nanoribbons, as they passivate the uncovered substrate, thus lower the surface energy, and suppress the nanoribbon-substrate interaction.