Controlling structural phases of Sn through lattice engineering
Tin (Sn) stands out as a key quantum material due to its dual phases: $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Sn, with topological properties, and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-Sn, a superconductor. By precise tuning of the buffer layer lattice constant from 6.10 \AA{} to 6.48 \AA{} using molecular beam epitaxy, the authors achieve precise controlled growth of phase-pure Sn films. The experimental results, validated by theory, demonstrate unprecedented phase control over $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Sn and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-Sn. This work establishes a versatile platform for exploring topological phenomena and developing next-generation Sn-based quantum devices, unlocking possibilities in quantum materials and semiconductor technologies.
Authors
- Heesuk Rho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2905-9180)
- Pradip Adhikari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0064-8777)
- Anjali Rathore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7135-0206)
- Mina Yoon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1317-3301)
- Garrett Baucom (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8768-838X)
- D.U Lee
- Hong Seok Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1292-0731)
- Matthew Brahlek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2900-0648)
- Hyung Kook Choi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5895-6916)
- Taegeon Lee
- Anuradha Wijesinghe
- Honggyu Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1067-4434)
- Eitan Hershkovitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9210-3266)
- An‐Hsi Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0339-9657)
- Sinchul Yeom (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6449-0844)
- Joon Sue Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1001-1462)
- Hyunsoo Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9892-1080)
- Chandima Kasun Edirisinghe
Institutions
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US)
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (US)
- University of Florida (US)
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US)
- Jeonbuk National University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Materials
- Published
- 2025-02-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.9.024202
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Surface and Thin Film Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.49
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- University of Tennessee
- National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- National Science Foundation, United Arab Emirates
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory