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Transition‐metal dichalcogenides for spintronic applications
Author(s) -
Zibouche Nourdine,
Kuc Agnieszka,
Musfeldt Janice,
Heine Thomas
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/andp.201400137
Subject(s) - point reflection , transition metal , spintronics , condensed matter physics , chalcogen , monolayer , materials science , spin–orbit interaction , physics , chemistry , nanotechnology , biochemistry , ferromagnetism , nuclear physics , catalysis
Spin‐orbit splitting in transition‐metal dichalcogenide monolayers is investigated on the basis of density‐functional theory within explicit two‐dimensional periodic boundary conditions. The spin‐orbit splitting reaches few hundred meV and increases with the size of the metal and chalcogen atoms, resulting in nearly 500 meV for WTe 2 . Furthermore, we find that similar to the band gap, spin‐orbit splitting changes drastically under tensile strain. In centrosymmetric transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers, spin‐orbit splitting is suppressed by the inversion symmetry. However, it could be induced if the inversion symmetry is explicitly broken, e.g. by a potential gradient normal to the plane, as it is present in heterobilayers (Rashba‐splitting). In such systems, the spin‐orbit splitting could be as large as for the heavier monolayer that forms heterobilayer. These properties of transition metal dichalcogenide materials suggest them for potential applications in opto‐, spin‐ and straintronics.