학술논문

Self-stacked 1$\mathrm{T}$-1$\mathrm{H}$ layers in 6$\mathrm{R}$-NbSeTe and the emergence of charge and magnetic correlations due to ligand disorder
Document Type
Working Paper
Source
Subject
Condensed Matter - Materials Science
Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons
Language
Abstract
The emergence of correlated phenomena arising from the combination of 1$\mathrm{T}$ and 1$\mathrm{H}$ van der Waals layers is the focus of intense research. Here, we synthesize a novel self-stacked 6$\mathrm{R}$ phase in NbSeTe, showing a perfect alternating 1T and 1H layers that grow coherently along the c-direction, as revealed by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows a mixed contribution of the trigonal and octahedral Nb bands to the Fermi level. Diffuse scattering reveals temperature-independent short-range charge fluctuations with propagation vector $\mathrm{q_{CO}}$=(0.25,0), derived from the condensation of a longitudinal mode in the 1T layer. We observe that ligand disorder quenches the formation of a charge density wave. Magnetization measurements suggest the presence of an inhomogeneous, short-range magnetic order, further supported by the absence of a clear phase transition in the specific heat. These experimental analyses in combination with \textit{ab initio} calculations indicate that the ground state of 6$\mathrm{R}$-NbSeTe is described by a statistical distribution of short-range charge-modulated and spin-correlated regions driven by ligand disorder. Our results devise a route to synthesize 1$\mathrm{T}$-1$\mathrm{H}$ self-stacked bulk heterostructures to study emergent phases of matter.
Comment: 12 pages, including Supplementary Information. 4 figures + 6 supplementary figures