Breaking of Inversion Symmetry and Interlayer Electronic Coupling in Bilayer Graphene Heterostructure by Structural Implementation of High Electric Displacement Fields
Abstract
Controlling the interlayer coupling in two-dimensional (2D) materials generates novel electronic and topological phases. Its effective implementation is commonly done with a transverse electric field. However, phases generated by high displacement fields are elusive in this standard approach. Here, we introduce an exceptionally large displacement field by structural modification of a model system: AB-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) on a SiC(0001) surface. We show that upon intercalation of gadolinium, electronic states in the top graphene layers exhibit a significant difference in the on-site potential energy, which effectively breaks the interlayer coupling between them. As a result, for energies close to the corresponding Dirac points, the BLG system behaves like two electronically isolated single graphene layers. This is proven by local scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)/spectroscopy, corroborated by density functional theory, tight binding, and multiprobe STM transport. Further, the work presents metal intercalation as a promising approach for the synthesis of 2D graphene heterostructures with electronic phases generated by giant displacement fields.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[3];
[3];
[2];
[3]
- Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
- Ames Lab., and Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
- Hainan University, Haikou (China)
- Southeast Univ., Nanjing (China)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1905244
- Report Number(s):
- IS-J-10,955
Journal ID: ISSN 1948-7185
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-07CH11358
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 49; Journal ID: ISSN 1948-7185
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; graphene intercalation; epitaxial 2D materials; synthesis and processing; band structure manipulation; rare earths; scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy
Citation Formats
Kolmer, Marek, Ko, Wonhee, Hall, Joseph, Chen, Shen, Zhang, Jianhua, Zhao, Haijun, Ke, Liqin, Wang, Cai-Zhuang, Li, An-Ping, and Tringides, Michael C. Breaking of Inversion Symmetry and Interlayer Electronic Coupling in Bilayer Graphene Heterostructure by Structural Implementation of High Electric Displacement Fields. United States: N. p., 2022.
Web. doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02407.
Kolmer, Marek, Ko, Wonhee, Hall, Joseph, Chen, Shen, Zhang, Jianhua, Zhao, Haijun, Ke, Liqin, Wang, Cai-Zhuang, Li, An-Ping, & Tringides, Michael C. Breaking of Inversion Symmetry and Interlayer Electronic Coupling in Bilayer Graphene Heterostructure by Structural Implementation of High Electric Displacement Fields. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02407
Kolmer, Marek, Ko, Wonhee, Hall, Joseph, Chen, Shen, Zhang, Jianhua, Zhao, Haijun, Ke, Liqin, Wang, Cai-Zhuang, Li, An-Ping, and Tringides, Michael C. Thu .
"Breaking of Inversion Symmetry and Interlayer Electronic Coupling in Bilayer Graphene Heterostructure by Structural Implementation of High Electric Displacement Fields". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02407. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1905244.
@article{osti_1905244,
title = {Breaking of Inversion Symmetry and Interlayer Electronic Coupling in Bilayer Graphene Heterostructure by Structural Implementation of High Electric Displacement Fields},
author = {Kolmer, Marek and Ko, Wonhee and Hall, Joseph and Chen, Shen and Zhang, Jianhua and Zhao, Haijun and Ke, Liqin and Wang, Cai-Zhuang and Li, An-Ping and Tringides, Michael C.},
abstractNote = {Controlling the interlayer coupling in two-dimensional (2D) materials generates novel electronic and topological phases. Its effective implementation is commonly done with a transverse electric field. However, phases generated by high displacement fields are elusive in this standard approach. Here, we introduce an exceptionally large displacement field by structural modification of a model system: AB-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) on a SiC(0001) surface. We show that upon intercalation of gadolinium, electronic states in the top graphene layers exhibit a significant difference in the on-site potential energy, which effectively breaks the interlayer coupling between them. As a result, for energies close to the corresponding Dirac points, the BLG system behaves like two electronically isolated single graphene layers. This is proven by local scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)/spectroscopy, corroborated by density functional theory, tight binding, and multiprobe STM transport. Further, the work presents metal intercalation as a promising approach for the synthesis of 2D graphene heterostructures with electronic phases generated by giant displacement fields.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02407},
journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters},
number = 49,
volume = 13,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Dec 08 00:00:00 EST 2022},
month = {Thu Dec 08 00:00:00 EST 2022}
}
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