Back to Search
Start Over
Hydrogenated group-IV binary monolayers: a new family of inversion-asymmetric topological insulators
- Source :
- RSC Advances. 6:79452-79458
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), 2016.
-
Abstract
- Band topology and Rashba spin splitting (RSS) are two extensively explored exotic properties in condensed matter physics. However, the coexistence has rarely been reported in simplest stoichiometric films so far. Here, by using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that a series of inversion-asymmetric group-IV XYH2 monolayers (X, Y = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) allow for the simultaneous presence of topological order and large RSS that derives from their peculiarly atomic structure. The topological bulk gaps and RSS energies of PbSnH2, PbGeH2, and PbSiH2 are tunable over a wide range of strains (−8 to 8%), even the maximum value can be enhanced to 0.68 eV and 0.24 eV under achievable strain, but another three configurations transform from trivial to nontrivial phases under tensile strain. Furthermore, we find that the Te(111)-terminated BaTe surface is an ideal substrate for the growth of these monolayers, without destroying their intrinsic band topology. Our findings provide a possible route to future applications of inversion-asymmetric topological insulators in spintronic devices.
- Subjects :
- Materials science
Condensed matter physics
Spintronics
General Chemical Engineering
Binary number
02 engineering and technology
General Chemistry
Tensile strain
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
01 natural sciences
Spin splitting
Topological insulator
0103 physical sciences
Monolayer
Topological order
010306 general physics
0210 nano-technology
Stoichiometry
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20462069
- Volume :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- RSC Advances
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........31c133f5fb97563de3f2480317511634