Phase transition-induced superstructures ofβ-Sn films with atomic-scale thickness

The ultrathinβ-Sn(001)films have attracted tremendous attention owing to its topological superconductivity(TSC),which hosts Majorana bound state(MBSs)for quantum computation.Recently,β-Sn(001)thin films have been successfully fabricated via phase transition engineering.However,the understanding of structural phase transition ofβ-Sn(001)thin films is still elusive.Here,we report the direct growth of ultrathinβ-Sn(001)films epitaxially on the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG)substrate and the characterization of intricate structural-transition-induced superstructures.The morphology was obtained by using atomic force microscopy(AFM)and low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy(STM),indicating a structure-related bilayer-by-bilayer growth mode.The ultrathinβ-Sn film was made of multiple domains with various superstructures.Both high-symmetric and distorted superstructures were observed in the atomic-resolution STM images of these domains.The formation mechanism of these superstructures was further discussed based on the structural phase transition ofβtoα-Sn at the atomic-scale thickness.Our work not only brings a deep understanding of the structural phase transition of Sn film at the two-dimensional limit,but also paves a way to investigate their structure-sensitive topological properties.

Epitaxial growth of antimony nanofilms on HOPG and thermal desorption to control the film thickness

Group-V elemental nanofilms were predicted to exhibit interesting physical properties such as nontrivial topological properties due to their strong spin-orbit coupling,the quantum confinement,and surface effect.It was reported that the ultrathin Sb nanofilms can undergo a series of topological transitions as a function of the film thickness h:from a topological semimetal(h>7.8 nm)to a topological insulator(7.8 nm>h>2.7 nm),then a quantum spin Hall(QSH)phase(2.7 nm>h>1.0 nm)and a topological trivial semiconductor(h<1.0 nm).Here,we report a comprehensive investigation on the epitaxial growth of Sb nanofilms on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG)substrate and the controllable thermal desorption to achieve their specific thickness.The morphology,thickness,atomic structure,and thermal-strain effect of the Sb nanofilms were characterized by a combination study of scanning electron microscopy(SEM),atomic force microscopy(AFM),and scanning tunneling microscopy(STM).The realization of Sb nanofilms with specific thickness paves the way for the further exploring their thickness-dependent topological phase transitions and exotic physical properties.

Epitaxial fabrication of AgTe monolayer on Ag(111)and the sequential growth of Te film

Transition-metal chalcogenides(TMCs)materials have attracted increasing interest both for fundamental research and industrial applications.Among all these materials,two-dimensional(2D)compounds with honeycomb-like structure possess exotic electronic structures.Here,we report a systematic study of TMC monolayer AgTe fabricated by direct depositing Te on the surface of Ag(111)and annealing.Few intrinsic defects are observed and studied by scanning tunneling microscopy,indicating that there are two kinds of AgTe domains and they can form gliding twin-boundary.Then,the monolayer AgTe can serve as the template for the following growth of Te film.Meanwhile,some Te atoms are observed in the form of chains on the top of the bottom Te film.Our findings in this work might provide insightful guide for the epitaxial growth of 2D materials for study of novel physical properties and for future quantum devices.

Toplayer-dependent crystallographic orientation imaging in the bilayer two-dimensional materials with transverse shear microscopy

Nanocontact properties of two-dimensional(2D)materials are closely dependent on their unique nanomechanical systems,such as the number of atomic layers and the supporting substrate.Here,we report a direct observation of toplayer-dependent crystallographic orientation imaging of 2D materials with the transverse shear microscopy(TSM).Three typical nanomechanical systems,MoS_(2) on the amorphous SiO_(2)/Si,graphene on the amorphous SiO_(2)/Si,and MoS_(2) on the crystallized Al_(2)O_(3),have been investigated in detail.This experimental observation reveals that puckering behaviour mainly occurs on the top layer of 2D materials,which is attributed to its direct contact adhesion with the AFM tip.Furthermore,the result of crystallographic orientation imaging of MoS_(2)/SiO_(2)/Si and MoS_(2)/Al_(2)O_(3) indicated that the underlying crystalline substrates almost do not contribute to the puckering effect of 2D materials.Our work directly revealed the top layer dependent puckering properties of 2D material,and demonstrate the general applications of TSM in the bilayer 2D systems.