Layer-dependent quantum cooperation of electron and hole states in the anomalous semimetal WTe2
- Italian National Research Council, Trieste (Italy). Inst. of Materials (IOM); International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste (Italy)
- Italian National Research Council, L'Aquila (Italy); Univ. of L'Aquila (Italy)
- Italian National Research Council, Trieste (Italy). Inst. of Materials (IOM)
- Hiroshima Univ. (Japan)
- Italian National Research Council, L'Aquila (Italy)
- Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Italian National Research Council, Trieste (Italy). Inst. of Materials (IOM); Univ. of Milan (Italy)
The behaviour of electrons and holes in a crystal lattice is a fundamental quantum phenomenon, accounting for a rich variety of material properties. Boosted by the remarkable electronic and physical properties of two-dimensional materials such as graphene and topological insulators, transition metal dichalcogenides have recently received renewed attention. In this context, the anomalous bulk properties of semimetallic WTe2 have attracted considerable interest. We report angle- and spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of WTe2 single crystals, through which we disentangle the role of W and Te atoms in the formation of the band structure and identify the interplay of charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom. Supported by first-principles calculations and high-resolution surface topography, we also reveal the existence of a layer-dependent behaviour. The balance of electron and hole states is found only when considering at least three Te–W–Te layers, showing that the behaviour of WTe2 is not strictly two dimensional.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC00112704
- OSTI ID:
- 1248810
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-112085-2016-JA; R&D Project: MA015MACA; KC0201010
- Journal Information:
- Nature Communications, Vol. 7; ISSN 2041-1723
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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