Synthesis of two-dimensional Tl x Bi 1x compounds and Archimedean encoding of their atomic structure
Journal
Scientific Reports
Journal Volume
6
ISSN
20452322
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Gruznev, Dimitry V.
Bondarenko, Leonid V.
Matetskiy, Andrey V.
Mihalyuk, Alexey N.
Tupchaya, Alexandra Y.
Utas, Oleg A.
Eremeev, Sergey V.
Hsing, Cheng-Rong
Wei, Ching-Ming
Zotov, Andrey V.
Saranin, Alexander A.
Abstract
Crystalline atomic layers on solid surfaces are composed of a single building block, unit cell, that is copied and stacked together to form the entire two-dimensional crystal structure. However, it appears that this is not an unique possibility. We report here on synthesis and characterization of the one-atomic-layer-thick Tl x Bi 1x compounds which display quite a different arrangement. It represents a quasi-periodic tiling structures that are built by a set of tiling elements as building blocks. Though the layer is lacking strict periodicity, it shows up as an ideally-packed tiling of basic elements without any skips or halting. The two-dimensional Tl x Bi 1x compounds were formed by depositing Bi onto the Tl-covered Si(111) surface where Bi atoms substitute appropriate amount of Tl atoms. Atomic structure of each tiling element as well as arrangement of Tl x Bi 1x compounds were established in a detail. Electronic properties and spin texture of the selected compounds having periodic structures were characterized. The shown example demonstrates possibility for the formation of the exotic low-dimensional materials via unusual growth mechanisms.
SDGs
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Description
Article number 19446
Type
journal article