Atomically thin half-van der Waals metals enabled by confinement heteroepitaxy.

Nature Materials
Natalie BriggsJoshua A Robinson

Abstract

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) metals may be key ingredients in next-generation quantum and optoelectronic devices. However, 2D metals must be stabilized against environmental degradation and integrated into heterostructure devices at the wafer scale. The high-energy interface between silicon carbide and epitaxial graphene provides an intriguing framework for stabilizing a diverse range of 2D metals. Here we demonstrate large-area, environmentally stable, single-crystal 2D gallium, indium and tin that are stabilized at the interface of epitaxial graphene and silicon carbide. The 2D metals are covalently bonded to SiC below but present a non-bonded interface to the graphene overlayer; that is, they are 'half van der Waals' metals with strong internal gradients in bonding character. These non-centrosymmetric 2D metals offer compelling opportunities for superconducting devices, topological phenomena and advanced optoelectronic properties. For example, the reported 2D Ga is a superconductor that combines six strongly coupled Ga-derived electron pockets with a large nearly free-electron Fermi surface that closely approaches the Dirac points of the graphene overlayer.

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Citations

Mar 30, 2020·Nature Materials·Claire Berger, Walt A de Heer
Feb 12, 2021·The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters·Fabio Caruso
Dec 2, 2020·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Scott StonemeyerAlex Zettl
May 7, 2021·Advanced Materials·Chen SternDoron Naveh
Nov 3, 2020·The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters·Wei LiYong Han
Oct 21, 2020·Nano Letters·Megan A StevesKenneth L Knappenberger
Aug 28, 2021·Nature Materials·Yi-Chao ZouSarah J Haigh
Sep 5, 2021·Advanced Materials·Siavash RajabpourJoshua A Robinson
Nov 16, 2021·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Hesham El-SherifNabil D Bassim

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
Auger electron spectroscopy
transmission electron microscopy
electron diffraction
scanning tunnelling microscopy
atomic force microscopy
X-ray

Software Mentioned

CHet
Vienna Ab Initio Package ( VASP
OVITO
Quantum ESPRESSO
VESTA
EPW
GPAW

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