Two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic semiconductors display emergent chemical and physical properties and hold promise for novel optical, electronic and magnetic few-layers functionalities. Transition-metal iodides such as CrI3 and VI3 are relevant for future electronic and spintronic applications; however, detailed experimental information on their ground state electronic properties is lacking often due to their challenging chemical environment. By combining X-ray electron spectroscopies and first-principles calculations, we report a complete determination of CrI3 and VI3 electronic ground states. We show that the transition metal-induced orbital filling drives the stabilization of distinct electronic phases: a wide bandgap in CrI3 and a Mott insulating state in VI3. Comparison of surface-sensitive (angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy) and bulk-sensitive (X-ray absorption spectroscopy) measurements in VI3 reveals a surface-only V2+ oxidation state, suggesting that ground state electronic properties are strongly influenced by dimensionality effects. Our results have direct implications in band engineering and layer-dependent properties of two-dimensional systems.

Influence of Orbital Character on the Ground State Electronic Properties in the van Der Waals Transition Metal Iodides VI3 and CrI3

Federico Mazzola;
2022-01-01

Abstract

Two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic semiconductors display emergent chemical and physical properties and hold promise for novel optical, electronic and magnetic few-layers functionalities. Transition-metal iodides such as CrI3 and VI3 are relevant for future electronic and spintronic applications; however, detailed experimental information on their ground state electronic properties is lacking often due to their challenging chemical environment. By combining X-ray electron spectroscopies and first-principles calculations, we report a complete determination of CrI3 and VI3 electronic ground states. We show that the transition metal-induced orbital filling drives the stabilization of distinct electronic phases: a wide bandgap in CrI3 and a Mott insulating state in VI3. Comparison of surface-sensitive (angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy) and bulk-sensitive (X-ray absorption spectroscopy) measurements in VI3 reveals a surface-only V2+ oxidation state, suggesting that ground state electronic properties are strongly influenced by dimensionality effects. Our results have direct implications in band engineering and layer-dependent properties of two-dimensional systems.
2022
22
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10278/5011799
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