Proximity induced charge density wave in a graphene/1T-TaS<sub>2</sub> heterostructure.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39277602.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-51608-y and PMC identifier 11401908.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
The proximity-effect, whereby materials in contact appropriate each other's electronic-properties, is widely used to induce correlated states, such as superconductivity or magnetism, at heterostructure interfaces. Thus far however, demonstrating the existence of proximity-induced charge-density-waves (PI-CDW) proved challenging. This is due to competing effects, such as screening or co-tunneling into the parent material, that obscured its presence. Here we report the observation of a PI-CDW in a graphene layer contacted by a 1T-TaS<sub>2</sub> substrate. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) together with theoretical-modeling, we show that the coexistence of a CDW with a Mott-gap in 1T-TaS<sub>2</sub> coupled with the Dirac-dispersion of electrons in graphene, makes it possible to unambiguously demonstrate the PI-CDW by ruling out alternative interpretations. Furthermore, we find that the PI-CDW is accompanied by a reduction of the Mott gap in 1T-TaS<sub>2</sub> and show that the mechanism underlying the PI-CDW is well-described by short-range exchange-interactions that are distinctly different from previously observed proximity effects.