npj Quantum Materials (Oct 2023)
Spin-orbit coupled spin-polarised hole gas at the CrSe2-terminated surface of AgCrSe2
- Gesa-R. Siemann,
- Seo-Jin Kim,
- Edgar Abarca Morales,
- Philip A. E. Murgatroyd,
- Andela Zivanovic,
- Brendan Edwards,
- Igor Marković,
- Federico Mazzola,
- Liam Trzaska,
- Oliver J. Clark,
- Chiara Bigi,
- Haijing Zhang,
- Barat Achinuq,
- Thorsten Hesjedal,
- Matthew D. Watson,
- Timur K. Kim,
- Peter Bencok,
- Gerrit van der Laan,
- Craig M. Polley,
- Mats Leandersson,
- Hanna Fedderwitz,
- Khadiza Ali,
- Thiagarajan Balasubramanian,
- Marcus Schmidt,
- Michael Baenitz,
- Helge Rosner,
- Phil D. C. King
Affiliations
- Gesa-R. Siemann
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Seo-Jin Kim
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
- Edgar Abarca Morales
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Philip A. E. Murgatroyd
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Andela Zivanovic
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Brendan Edwards
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Igor Marković
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Federico Mazzola
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Liam Trzaska
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Oliver J. Clark
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Chiara Bigi
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- Haijing Zhang
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
- Barat Achinuq
- Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford
- Thorsten Hesjedal
- Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford
- Matthew D. Watson
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
- Timur K. Kim
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
- Peter Bencok
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
- Gerrit van der Laan
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
- Craig M. Polley
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
- Mats Leandersson
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
- Hanna Fedderwitz
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
- Khadiza Ali
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
- Thiagarajan Balasubramanian
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
- Marcus Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
- Michael Baenitz
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
- Helge Rosner
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
- Phil D. C. King
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-023-00593-4
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 8,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 7
Abstract
Abstract In half-metallic systems, electronic conduction is mediated by a single spin species, offering enormous potential for spintronic devices. Here, using microscopic-area angle-resolved photoemission, we show that a spin-polarised two-dimensional hole gas is naturally realised in the polar magnetic semiconductor AgCrSe2 by an intrinsic self-doping at its CrSe2-terminated surface. Through comparison with first-principles calculations, we unveil a striking role of spin-orbit coupling for the surface hole gas, unlocked by both bulk and surface inversion symmetry breaking, suggesting routes for stabilising complex magnetic textures in the surface layer of AgCrSe2.
