Unique Gap Structure and Symmetry of the Charge Density Wave in Single-Layer VSe_{2}.

Single layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are excellent candidates for electronic applications beyond the graphene platform; many of them exhibit novel properties including charge density waves (CDWs) and magnetic ordering. CDWs in these single layers are generally a planar projection of the corresponding bulk CDWs because of the quasi-two-dimensional nature of TMDCs; a different CDW symmetry is unexpected. We report herein the successful creation of pristine single-layer VSe_{2}, which shows a (sqrt[7]×sqrt[3]) CDW in contrast to the (4×4) CDW for the layers in bulk VSe_{2}. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy from the single layer shows a sizable (sqrt[7]×sqrt[3]) CDW gap of ∼100 meV at the zone boundary, a 220 K CDW transition temperature twice the bulk value, and no ferromagnetic exchange splitting as predicted by theory. This robust CDW with an exotic broken symmetry as the ground state is explained via a first-principles analysis. The results illustrate a unique CDW phenomenon in the two-dimensional limit.

Dimensional Effects on the Charge Density Waves in Ultrathin Films of TiSe2.

Charge density wave (CDW) formation in solids is a critical phenomenon involving the collective reorganization of the electrons and atoms in the system into a wave structure, and it is expected to be sensitive to the geometric constraint of the system at the nanoscale. Here, we study the CDW transition in TiSe2, a quasi-two-dimensional layered material, to determine the effects of quantum confinement and changing dimensions in films ranging from a single layer to multilayers. Of key interest is the characteristic length scale for the transformation from a two-dimensional case to the three-dimensional limit. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements of films with thicknesses up to six layers reveal substantial variations in the energy structure of discrete quantum well states; however, the temperature-dependent band gap renormalization converges at just three layers. The results indicate a layer-dependent mixture of two transition temperatures and a very-short-range CDW interaction within a three-dimensional framework.

Large quantum-spin-Hall gap in single-layer 1T' WSe2.

Two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators (TIs) are promising platforms for low-dissipation spintronic devices based on the quantum-spin-Hall (QSH) effect, but experimental realization of such systems with a large band gap suitable for room-temperature applications has proven difficult. Here, we report the successful growth on bilayer graphene of a quasi-freestanding WSe2 single layer with the 1T' structure that does not exist in the bulk form of WSe2. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), we observe a gap of 129 meV in the 1T' layer and an in-gap edge state located near the layer boundary. The system's 2D TI characters are confirmed by first-principles calculations. The observed gap diminishes with doping by Rb adsorption, ultimately leading to an insulator-semimetal transition. The discovery of this large-gap 2D TI with a tunable band gap opens up opportunities for developing advanced nanoscale systems and quantum devices.

Emergence of charge density waves and a pseudogap in single-layer TiTe2.

Two-dimensional materials constitute a promising platform for developing nanoscale devices and systems. Their physical properties can be very different from those of the corresponding three-dimensional materials because of extreme quantum confinement and dimensional reduction. Here we report a study of TiTe2 from the single-layer to the bulk limit. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we observed the emergence of a (2 × 2) charge density wave order in single-layer TiTe2 with a transition temperature of 92 ± 3 K. Also observed was a pseudogap of about 28 meV at the Fermi level at 4.2 K. Surprisingly, no charge density wave transitions were observed in two-layer and multi-layer TiTe2, despite the quasi-two-dimensional nature of the material in the bulk. The unique charge density wave phenomenon in the single layer raises intriguing questions that challenge the prevailing thinking about the mechanisms of charge density wave formation.Due to reduced dimensionality, the properties of 2D materials are often different from their 3D counterparts. Here, the authors identify the emergence of a unique charge density wave (CDW) order in monolayer TiTe2 that challenges the current understanding of CDW formation.

Hidden Order and Dimensional Crossover of the Charge Density Waves in TiSe2.

Charge density wave (CDW) formation, a key physics issue for materials, arises from interactions among electrons and phonons that can also lead to superconductivity and other competing or entangled phases. The prototypical system TiSe2, with a particularly simple (2 × 2 × 2) transition and no Kohn anomalies caused by electron-phonon coupling, is a fascinating but unsolved case after decades of research. Our angle-resolved photoemission measurements of the band structure as a function of temperature, aided by first-principles calculations, reveal a hitherto undetected but crucial feature: a (2 × 2) electronic order in each layer sets in at ~232 K before the widely recognized three-dimensional structural order at ~205 K. The dimensional crossover, likely a generic feature of such layered materials, involves renormalization of different band gaps in two stages.

Charge density wave transition in single-layer titanium diselenide.

A single molecular layer of titanium diselenide (TiSe2) is a promising material for advanced electronics beyond graphene-a strong focus of current research. Such molecular layers are at the quantum limit of device miniaturization and can show enhanced electronic effects not realizable in thick films. We show that single-layer TiSe2 exhibits a charge density wave (CDW) transition at critical temperature TC=232±5 K, which is higher than the bulk TC=200±5 K. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements reveal a small absolute bandgap at room temperature, which grows wider with decreasing temperature T below TC in conjunction with the emergence of (2 × 2) ordering. The results are rationalized in terms of first-principles calculations, symmetry breaking and phonon entropy effects. The observed Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) behaviour of the gap implies a mean-field CDW order in the single layer and an anisotropic CDW order in the bulk.

Temperature dependent scattering rates at the fermi surface of optimally doped Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta)

For optimally doped Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta), scattering rates in the normal state are found to have a linear temperature dependence over most of the Fermi surface. In the immediate vicinity of the (pi, 0) point, the scattering rates are nearly constant in the normal state, consistent with models in which scattering at this point determines the c-axis transport. In the superconducting state, the scattering rates away from the nodal direction appear to level off and become temperature independent.

Charge-density-wave-induced modifications to the quasiparticle self-energy in 2H- TaSe2

The self-energy of the photohole in 2H-TaSe2 is measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy as a function of binding energy and temperature. In the charge-density wave (CDW) state, a structure in the self-energy is detected at approximately 65 meV that cannot be explained by electron-phonon scattering. A reduction in the scattering rates below this energy indicates the collapse of a major scattering channel with the formation of the CDW state accompanying the appearance of a bosonic "mode" in the excitation spectrum of the system.

Is El Nino changing?

Recent advances in observational and theoretical studies of El Nino have shed light on controversies concerning the possible effect of global warming on this phenomenon over the past few decades and in the future. El Nino is now understood to be one phase of a natural mode of oscillation-La Nina is the complementary phase-that results from unstable interactions between the tropical Pacific Ocean and the atmosphere. Random disturbances maintain this neutrally stable mode, whose properties depend on the background (time-averaged) climate state. Apparent changes in the properties of El Nino could reflect the importance of random disturbances, but they could also be a consequence of decadal variations of the background state. The possibility that global warming is affecting those variations cannot be excluded.

Evidence for quantum critical behavior in the optimally doped cuprate Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta)

The photoemission line shapes of the optimally doped cuprate Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta) were studied in the direction of a node in the superconducting order parameter by means of very high resolution photoemission spectroscopy. The peak width or inverse lifetime of the excitation displays a linear temperature dependence, independent of binding energy, for small energies, and a linear energy dependence, independent of temperature, for large binding energies. This behavior is unaffected by the superconducting transition, which is an indication that the nodal states play no role in the superconductivity. Temperature-dependent scaling suggests that the system displays quantum critical behavior.