Structural inversion asymmetry in epitaxial ultrathin films of Bi(111)/InSb(111)B
Bismuth (Bi) films hold potential for spintronic devices due to strong spin-orbit coupling. Understanding the growth, surface states, and interactions with the substrate is key to their functionalization. Large-area high-quality (111) Bi ultrathin films were grown on InSb (111)B substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Strong film-substrate interactions epitaxially stabilize the (111) orientation and lead to nonequivalent interface potentials. Analysis of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements, employed to characterize the evolution of the surface states with film thickness, indicate a crossing at the $\overline{M}$ point, suggesting a topologically trivial phase in the thin film. The results show the presence of interfacial bonds to the substrate breaks inversion symmetry, preventing the semimetal-to-semiconductor transition predicted for freestanding bismuth layers, highlighting the importance of controlled functionalization and surface passivation of two-dimensional materials.
Authors
- Anderson Janotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0358-2101)
- Aaron N. Engel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6687-4104)
- Shinichi Nishihaya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8320-1817)
- Hadass S. Inbar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8914-1162)
- Connor P. Dempsey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2615-9285)
- C. J. Palmstrøm (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4884-4512)
- Yu Hao Chang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4098-7287)
- Jason T. Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7832-0387)
- S. Khalid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3806-3827)
- А. В. Федоров (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3510-3117)
- Muhammad Zubair (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6664-5483)
Institutions
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (US)
- Advanced Light Source
- University of Delaware (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Materials
- Published
- 2025-05-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.9.054202
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Topological Materials and Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.99
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
- Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University
- Laboratory Directed Research and Development