Topology Hierarchy of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Built from Quantum Spin Hall Layers.

Xu, Lixuan; Li, Yiwei; Fang, Yuqiang; Zheng, Huijun; Shi, Wujun; Chen, Cheng; Pei, Ding; Lu, Donghui et al. · Adv Mater · 2023

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The evolution of the physical properties of 2D material from monolayer limit to the bulk reveals unique consequences from dimension confinement and provides a distinct tuning knob for applications. Monolayer 1T'-phase transition metal dichalcogenides (1T'-TMDs) with ubiquitous quantum spin Hall (QSH) states are ideal 2D building blocks of various 3D topological phases. However, the stacking geometry has been previously limited to the bulk 1T'-WTe<sub>2</sub> type. Here, the novel 2M-TMDs consisting of translationally stacked 1T'-monolayers are introduced as promising material platforms with tunable inverted bandgaps and interlayer coupling. By performing advanced polarization-dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy as well as first-principles calculations on the electronic structure of 2M-TMDs, a topology hierarchy is revealed: 2M-WSe<sub>2</sub> , MoS<sub>2,</sub> and MoSe<sub>2</sub> are weak topological insulators (WTIs), whereas 2M-WS<sub>2</sub> is a strong topological insulator (STI). Further demonstration of topological phase transitions by tunning interlayer distance indicates that band inversion amplitude and interlayer coupling jointly determine different topological states in 2M-TMDs. It is proposed that 2M-TMDs are parent compounds of various exotic phases including topological superconductors and promise great application potentials in quantum electronics due to their flexibility in patterning with 2D materials.