Orientation-selective spin-polarized edge states in monolayer NiI₂.

Abstract

Spin-polarized edge states in two-dimensional materials hold promise for spintronics and quantum computing applications. Constructing stable edge states by tailoring two-dimensional semiconductor materials with bulk-boundary correspondence is a feasible approach. Recently layered NiI₂ is suggested as a two-dimensional type-II multiferroic semiconductor with intrinsic spiral spin ordering and chirality-induced electric polarization. However, the one-dimensional spin-polarized edge states of multiferroic materials down to monolayer limit has not yet been studied. We report here that monolayer NiI₂ was successfully synthesized on Au(111) by molecular beam epitaxy. Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy experiments visualize orientation-selective spin-polarized edge states in monolayer NiI₂ islands. By performing first-principles calculations, we further confirm that spin-polarized edge states are selectively aligning along the Ni-terminated edges rather than the I-terminated edges. Our result will provide the opportunity to tune edge states by selected orientation and to develop spintronic devices in two-dimensional magnetic semiconductors.