Nature Communications (Oct 2024)

Observation of kagome-like bands in two-dimensional semiconducting Cr8Se12

  • Sisheng Duan,
  • Jing-Yang You,
  • Zhihao Cai,
  • Jian Gou,
  • Dong Li,
  • Yu Li Huang,
  • Xiaojiang Yu,
  • Siew Lang Teo,
  • Shuo Sun,
  • Yihe Wang,
  • Ming Lin,
  • Chun Zhang,
  • Baojie Feng,
  • Andrew T. S. Wee,
  • Wei Chen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53314-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Abstract The kagome lattice is a versatile platform for investigating correlated electronic states. However, its realization in two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors for tunable device applications is still challenging. An alternative strategy to create kagome-like bands is to realize a coloring-triangle (CT) lattice in semiconductors through a distortion of a modified triangular lattice. Here, we report the observation of low-energy kagome-like bands in a semiconducting 2D transition metal chalcogenide—Cr8Se12 with a thickness of 7 atomic layers—which exhibits a CT lattice and a bandgap of 0.8 eV. The Cr-deficient layer beneath the topmost Se-full layer is partially occupied with 2/3 occupancy, yielding a √3 × √3 Cr honeycomb network. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and first-principles investigations reveal the surface kagome-like bands near the valence band maximum, which are attributed to topmost Se p z orbitals modulated by the honeycomb Cr.