Direct View of Gate-Tunable Miniband Dispersion in Graphene Superlattices Near the Magic Twist Angle.

Superlattices from twisted graphene mono- and bilayer systems give rise to on-demand many-body states such as Mott insulators and unconventional superconductors. These phenomena are ascribed to a combination of flat bands and strong Coulomb interactions. However, a comprehensive understanding is lacking because the low-energy band structure strongly changes when an electric field is applied to vary the electron filling.

Autonomous micro-focus angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a technique used to map the occupied electronic structure of solids. Recent progress in x-ray focusing optics has led to the development of ARPES into a microscopic tool, permitting the electronic structure to be spatially mapped across the surface of a sample. This comes at the expense of a time-consuming scanning process to cover not only a three-dimensional energy-momentum (E, kx, ky) space but also the two-dimensional surface area.

Observation of interlayer plasmon polaron in graphene/WS heterostructures.

Harnessing electronic excitations involving coherent coupling to bosonic modes is essential for the design and control of emergent phenomena in quantum materials. In situations where charge carriers induce a lattice distortion due to the electron-phonon interaction, the conducting states get "dressed", which leads to the formation of polaronic quasiparticles. The exploration of polaronic effects on low-energy excitations is in its infancy in two-dimensional materials.

Signatures of a surface spin-orbital chiral metal.

The relation between crystal symmetries, electron correlations and electronic structure steers the formation of a large array of unconventional phases of matter, including magneto-electric loop currents and chiral magnetism. The detection of such hidden orders is an important goal in condensed-matter physics. However, until now, non-standard forms of magnetism with chiral electronic ordering have been difficult to detect experimentally.

Surface Electronic Structure Engineering of Manganese Bismuth Tellurides Guided by Micro-Focused Angle-Resolved Photoemission.

Modification of the electronic structure of quantum matter by ad atom deposition allows for directed fundamental design of electronic and magnetic properties. This concept is utilized in the present study in order to tune the surface electronic structure of magnetic topological insulators based on MnBi Te . The topological bands of these systems are typically strongly electron-doped and hybridized with a manifold of surface states that place the salient topological states out of reach of electron transport and practical applications.

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

Collective electronic states such as the charge density wave (CDW) order and superconductivity (SC) respond sensitively to external perturbations. Such sensitivity is dramatically enhanced in two dimensions (2D), where 2D materials hosting such electronic states are largely exposed to the environment. In this regard, the ineludible presence of supporting substrates triggers various proximity effects on 2D materials that may ultimately compromise the stability and properties of the electronic ground state.

Ultrafast Triggering of Insulator-Metal Transition in Two-Dimensional VSe.

The transition-metal dichalcogenide VSe exhibits an increased charge density wave transition temperature and an emerging insulating phase when thinned to a single layer. Here, we investigate the interplay of electronic and lattice degrees of freedom that underpin these phases in single-layer VSe using ultrafast pump-probe photoemission spectroscopy. In the insulating state, we observe a light-induced closure of the energy gap, which we disentangle from the ensuing hot carrier dynamics by fitting a model spectral function to the time-dependent photoemission intensity.

Accessing the Spectral Function in a Current-Carrying Device.

The presence of an electrical transport current in a material is one of the simplest and most important realizations of nonequilibrium physics. The current density breaks the crystalline symmetry and can give rise to dramatic phenomena, such as sliding charge density waves, insulator-to-metal transitions, or gap openings in topologically protected states. Almost nothing is known about how a current influences the electron spectral function, which characterizes most of the solid's electronic, optical, and chemical properties.

Pnictogens Allotropy and Phase Transformation during van der Waals Growth.

With their ns2 np3 valence electronic configuration, pnictogens are the only system to crystallize in layered van der Waals (vdW) and quasi-vdW structures throughout the group. Light pnictogens crystallize in the A17 phase, and bulk heavier elements prefer the A7 phase. Herein, we demonstrate that the A17 of heavy pnictogens can be stabilized in antimonene grown on weakly interacting surfaces and that it undergoes a spontaneous thickness-driven transformation to the stable A7 phase.

Observation of Electrically Tunable van Hove Singularities in Twisted Bilayer Graphene from NanoARPES.

The possibility of triggering correlated phenomena by placing a singularity of the density of states near the Fermi energy remains an intriguing avenue toward engineering the properties of quantum materials. Twisted bilayer graphene is a key material in this regard because the superlattice produced by the rotated graphene layers introduces a van Hove singularity and flat bands near the Fermi energy that cause the emergence of numerous correlated phases, including superconductivity. Direct demonstration of electrostatic control of the superlattice bands over a wide energy range has, so far, been critically missing.

Direct observation of minibands in a twisted graphene/WS bilayer.

Stacking two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials with different interlayer atomic registry in a heterobilayer causes the formation of a long-range periodic superlattice that may bestow the heterostructure with properties such as new quantum fractal states or superconductivity. Recent optical measurements of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterobilayers have revealed the presence of hybridized interlayer electron-hole pair excitations at energies defined by the superlattice potential. The corresponding quasiparticle band structures, so-called minibands, have remained elusive, and no such features have been reported for heterobilayers composed of a TMD and another type of 2D material.

Nanoscale mapping of quasiparticle band alignment.

Control of atomic-scale interfaces between materials with distinct electronic structures is crucial for the design and fabrication of most electronic devices. In the case of two-dimensional materials, disparate electronic structures can be realized even within a single uniform sheet, merely by locally applying different vertical gate voltages. Here, we utilize the inherently nano-structured single layer and bilayer graphene on silicon carbide to investigate lateral electronic structure variations in an adjacent single layer of tungsten disulfide (WS).

Electronic structure of FeTe bulk crystals and epitaxial FeTe thin films on BiTe.

The electronic structure of thin films of FeTe grown on BiTe is investigated using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy and first principles calculations. As a comparison, data from cleaved bulk FeTe taken under the same experimental conditions is also presented. Due to the substrate and thin film symmetry, FeTe thin films grow on BiTe in three domains, rotated by 0°, 120°, and 240°.

Exciting H Molecules for Graphene Functionalization.

Hydrogen functionalization of graphene by exposure to vibrationally excited H molecules is investigated by combined scanning tunneling microscopy, high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, and density functional theory calculations. The measurements reveal that vibrationally excited H molecules dissociatively adsorb on graphene on Ir(111) resulting in nanopatterned hydrogen functionalization structures. Calculations demonstrate that the presence of the Ir surface below the graphene lowers the H dissociative adsorption barrier and allows for the adsorption reaction at energies well below the dissociation threshold of the H-H bond.

In Situ Patterning of Ultrasharp Dopant Profiles in Silicon.

We develop a method for patterning a buried two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in silicon using low kinetic energy electron stimulated desorption (LEESD) of a monohydride resist mask. A buried 2DEG forms as a result of placing a dense and narrow profile of phosphorus dopants beneath the silicon surface; a so-called δ-layer. Such 2D dopant profiles have previously been studied theoretically, and by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and have been shown to host a 2DEG with properties desirable for atomic-scale devices and quantum computation applications.

Ultrafast Band Structure Control of a Two-Dimensional Heterostructure.

The electronic structure of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors can be significantly altered by screening effects, either from free charge carriers in the material or by environmental screening from the surrounding medium. The physical properties of 2D semiconductors placed in a heterostructure with other 2D materials are therefore governed by a complex interplay of both intra- and interlayer interactions. Here, using time- and angle-resolved photoemission, we are able to isolate both the layer-resolved band structure and, more importantly, the transient band structure evolution of a model 2D heterostructure formed of a single layer of MoS2 on graphene.

Observation of Ultrafast Free Carrier Dynamics in Single Layer MoS2.

The dynamics of excited electrons and holes in single layer (SL) MoS2 have so far been difficult to disentangle from the excitons that dominate the optical response of this material. Here, we use time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy for a SL of MoS2 on a metallic substrate to directly measure the excited free carriers. This allows us to ascertain a direct quasiparticle band gap of 1.

Synthesis of Epitaxial Single-Layer MoS2 on Au(111).

We present a method for synthesizing large area epitaxial single-layer MoS2 on the Au(111) surface in ultrahigh vacuum. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and low energy electron diffraction, the evolution of the growth is followed from nanoscale single-layer MoS2 islands to a continuous MoS2 layer. An exceptionally good control over the MoS2 coverage is maintained using an approach based on cycles of Mo evaporation and sulfurization to first nucleate the MoS2 nanoislands and then gradually increase their size.

Van der Waals Epitaxy of Two-Dimensional MoS2-Graphene Heterostructures in Ultrahigh Vacuum.

In this work, we demonstrate direct van der Waals epitaxy of MoS2-graphene heterostructures on a semiconducting silicon carbide (SiC) substrate under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements show that the electronic structure of free-standing single-layer (SL) MoS2 is retained in these heterostructures due to the weak van der Waals interaction between adjacent materials. The MoS2 synthesis is based on a reactive physical vapor deposition technique involving Mo evaporation and sulfurization in a H2S atmosphere on a template consisting of epitaxially grown graphene on SiC.

Graphene as an anti-corrosion coating layer.

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in an aromatic hexagonal lattice, has recently drawn attention as a potential coating material due to its impermeability, thermodynamic stability, transparency and flexibility. Here, the effectiveness of a model system, a graphene covered Pt(100) surface, for studying the anti-corrosion properties of graphene, has been evaluated. Chemical vapour deposition techniques were used to cover the single crystal surface with a complete layer of high-quality graphene and the surface was characterised after exposure to corrosive environments with scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and Raman spectroscopy.

Electronic structure of epitaxial single-layer MoS2.

The electronic structure of epitaxial single-layer MoS2 on Au(111) is investigated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Pristine and potassium-doped layers are studied in order to gain access to the conduction band. The potassium-doped layer is found to have a (1.

Tunable carrier multiplication and cooling in graphene.

Time- and angle-resolved photoemission measurements on two doped graphene samples displaying different doping levels reveal remarkable differences in the ultrafast dynamics of the hot carriers in the Dirac cone. In the more strongly (n-)doped graphene, we observe larger carrier multiplication factors (>3) and a significantly faster phonon-mediated cooling of the carriers back to equilibrium compared to in the less (p-)doped graphene. These results suggest that a careful tuning of the doping level allows for an effective manipulation of graphene's dynamical response to a photoexcitation.

A tight-binding study of single-atom transistors.

A detailed theoretical study of the electronic and transport properties of a single atom transistor, where a single phosphorus atom is embedded within a single crystal transistor architecture, is presented. Using a recently reported deterministic single-atom transistor as a reference, the electronic structure of the device is represented atomistically with a tight-binding model, and the channel modulation is simulated self-consistently with a Thomas-Fermi method. The multi-scale modeling approach used allows confirmation of the charging energy of the one-electron donor charge state and explains how the electrostatic environments of the device electrodes affects the donor confinement potential and hence extent in gate voltage of the two-electron charge state.

Determining the electronic confinement of a subsurface metallic state.

Dopant profiles in semiconductors are important for understanding nanoscale electronics. Highly conductive and extremely confined phosphorus doping profiles in silicon, known as Si:P δ-layers, are of particular interest for quantum computer applications, yet a quantitative measure of their electronic profile has been lacking. Using resonantly enhanced photoemission spectroscopy, we reveal the real-space breadth of the Si:P δ-layer occupied states and gain a rare view into the nature of the confined orbitals.