Persistence of structural distortion and bulk band Rashba splitting in SnTe above its ferroelectric critical temperature

The ferroelectric semiconductor $\alpha$-SnTe has been regarded as a topological crystalline insulator and the dispersion of its surface states has been intensively measured with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) over the last decade. However, much less attention has been given to the impact of the ferroelectric transition on its electronic structure, and in particular on its bulk states. Here, we investigate the low-energy electronic structure of $\alpha$-SnTe with ARPES and follow the evolution of the bulk-state Rashba splitting as a function of temperature, across its ferroelectric critical temperature of about $T_c\sim 110$ K. Unexpectedly, we observe a persistent band splitting up to room temperature, which is consistent with an order-disorder contribution to the phase transition that requires the presence of fluctuating local dipoles above $T_c$. We conclude that no topological surface state can occur at the (111) surface of SnTe, at odds with recent literature.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figure

Intrinsic defects and mid-gap states in quasi-one-dimensional Indium Telluride

Recently, intriguing physical properties have been unraveled in anisotropic semiconductors, in which the in-plane electronic band structure anisotropy often originates from the low crystallographic symmetry. The atomic chain is the ultimate limit in material downscaling for electronics, a frontier for establishing an entirely new field of one-dimensional quantum materials. Electronic and structural properties of chain-like InTe are essential for better understanding of device applications such as thermoelectrics. Here, we use scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to directly image the in-plane structural anisotropy in tetragonal Indium Telluride (InTe). As results, we report the direct observation of one-dimensional In1+ chains in InTe. We demonstrate that InTe exhibits a band gap of about 0.40 +-0.02 eV located at the M point of the Brillouin zone. Additionally, line defects are observed in our sample, were attributed to In1+ chain vacancy along the c-axis, a general feature in many other TlSe-like compounds. Our STS and DFT results prove that the presence of In1+ induces localized gap state, located near the valence band maximum (VBM). This acceptor state is responsible for the high intrinsic p-type doping of InTe that we also confirm using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.Comment: n

Field-induced ultrafast modulation of Rashba coupling at room temperature in ferroelectric α\alpha-GeTe(111)

Rashba materials have appeared as an ideal playground for spin-to-charge conversion in prototype spintronics devices. Among them, $\alpha$-GeTe(111) is a non-centrosymmetric ferroelectric (FE) semiconductor for which a strong spin-orbit interaction gives rise to giant Rashba coupling. Its room temperature ferroelectricity was recently demonstrated as a route towards a new type of highly energy-efficient non-volatile memory device based on switchable polarization. Currently based on the application of an electric field, the writing and reading processes could be outperformed by the use of femtosecond (fs) light pulses requiring exploration of the possible control of ferroelectricity on this timescale. Here, we probe the room temperature transient dynamics of the electronic band structure of $\alpha$-GeTe(111) using time and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (tr-ARPES). Our experiments reveal an ultrafast modulation of the Rashba coupling mediated on the fs timescale by a surface photovoltage (SPV), namely an increase corresponding to a 13 % enhancement of the lattice distortion. This opens the route for the control of the FE polarization in $\alpha$-GeTe(111) and FE semiconducting materials in quantum heterostructures.Comment: 31 pages, 12 figure

Quantum Confinement and Electronic Structure at the Surface of van der Waals Ferroelectric {\alpha}-In2_{2}Se3_{3}

Two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric (FE) materials are promising compounds for next-generation nonvolatile memories, due to their low energy consumption and high endurance. Among them, {\alpha}-In$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ has drawn particular attention due to its in- and out-of-plane ferroelectricity, whose robustness has been demonstrated down to the monolayer limit. This is a relatively uncommon behavior since most bulk FE materials lose their ferroelectric character at the 2D limit due to depolarization field. Using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we unveil another unusual 2D phenomena appearing in 2H \alpha-In$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ single crystals, the occurrence of a highly metallic two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the surface of vacuum-cleaved crystals. This 2DEG exhibits two confined states which correspond to an electron density of approximatively 10$^{13}$ electrons/cm$^{3}$, also confirmed by thermoelectric measurements. Combination of ARPES and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveals a direct band gap of energy equal to 1.3 +/- 0.1 eV, with the bottom of the conduction band localized at the center of the Brillouin zone, just below the Fermi level. Such strong n-type doping further supports the quantum confinement of electrons and the formation of the 2DEG.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figure

Electron-momentum dependence of electron-phonon coupling underlies dramatic phonon renormalization in YNi2_{2}B2_{2}C

Electron-phonon coupling, i.e., the scattering of lattice vibrations by electrons and vice versa, is ubiquitous in solids and can lead to emergent ground states such as superconductivity and charge-density wave order. A broad spectral phonon line shape is often interpreted as a marker of strong electron-phonon coupling associated with Fermi surface nesting, i.e., parallel sections of the Fermi surface connected by the phonon momentum. Alternatively broad phonons are known to arise from strong atomic lattice anharmonicity. Here, we show that strong phonon broadening can occur in the absence of both Fermi surface nesting and lattice anharmonicity, if electron-phonon coupling is strongly enhanced for specific values of electron- momentum, k. We use inelastic neutron scattering, soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and ab-initio lattice dynamical and electronic band structure calculations to demonstrate this scenario in the highly anisotropic tetragonal electron-phonon superconductor YNi2B2C. This new scenario likely applies to a wide range of compounds

Uniaxial strain-induced phase transition in the 2D topological semimetal IrTe2

Strain is ubiquitous in solid-state materials, but despite its fundamental importance and technological relevance, leveraging externally applied strain to gain control over material properties is still in its infancy. In particular, strain control over the diverse phase transitions and topological states in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides remains an open challenge. Here, we exploit uniaxial strain to stabilize the long-debated structural ground state of the 2D topological semimetal IrTe$_{2}$, which is hidden in unstrained samples. Combined angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy data reveal the strain-stabilized phase has a 6 × 1 periodicity and undergoes a Lifshitz transition, granting unprecedented spectroscopic access to previously inaccessible type-II topological Dirac states that dominate the modified inter-layer hopping. Supported by density functional theory calculations, we show that strain induces an Ir to Te charge transfer resulting in strongly weakened inter-layer Te bonds and a reshaped energetic landscape favoring the 6×1 phase. Our results highlight the potential to exploit strain-engineered properties in layered materials, particularly in the context of tuning inter-layer behavior

Field-induced ultrafast modulation of Rashba coupling at room temperature in ferroelectric alpha-GeTe(111)

Rashba materials have appeared as an ideal playground for spin-to-charge conversion in prototype spintronics devices. Among them, α-GeTe(111) is a non-centrosymmetric ferroelectric semiconductor for which a strong spin-orbit interaction gives rise to giant Rashba coupling. Its room temperature ferroelectricity was recently demonstrated as a route towards a new type of highly energy-efficient non-volatile memory device based on switchable polarization. Currently based on the application of an electric field, the writing and reading processes could be outperformed by the use of femtosecond light pulses requiring exploration of the possible control of ferroelectricity on this timescale. Here, we probe the room temperature transient dynamics of the electronic band structure of α-GeTe(111) using time and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our experiments reveal an ultrafast modulation of the Rashba coupling mediated on the fs timescale by a surface photovoltage, namely an increase corresponding to a 13% enhancement of the lattice distortion. This opens the route for the control of the ferroelectric polarization in α-GeTe(111) and ferroelectric semiconducting materials in quantum heterostructures.Rashba materials have appeared as an ideal playground for spin-to-charge conversion in prototype spintronics devices. Among them, α-GeTe(111) is a non-centrosymmetric ferroelectric semiconductor for which a strong spin-orbit interaction gives rise to giant Rashba coupling. Its room temperature ferroelectricity was recently demonstrated as a route towards a new type of highly energy-efficient non-volatile memory device based on switchable polarization. Currently based on the application of an electric field, the writing and reading processes could be outperformed by the use of femtosecond light pulses requiring exploration of the possible control of ferroelectricity on this timescale. Here, we probe the room temperature transient dynamics of the electronic band structure of α-GeTe(111) using time and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our experiments reveal an ultrafast modulation of the Rashba coupling mediated on the fs timescale by a surface photovoltage, namely an increase corresponding to a 13% enhancement of the lattice distortion. This opens the route for the control of the ferroelectric polarization in α-GeTe(111) and ferroelectric semiconducting materials in quantum heterostructures

Installation of a new spin and angle resolved photoemission experiment and study of the electronic properties of artificial materials with remarkable properties

Dans ce travail de thèse, nous illustrons la pertinence de la technique de photoémission pour l'étude des propriétés électroniques des matériaux. Dans la première partie, nous détaillons le développement et la phase de tests d'un nouveau bâti expérimental composé d'une chambre d'épitaxie par jets moléculaires (MBE) ainsi que d'une chambre de photoémission résolue en angle et en spin (SR-ARPES), connecté au tube Daum à l'Institut Jean Lamour. Les hautes performances de ce nouveau dispositif sont d'une part évaluées par une série de mesures expérimentales sur un système connu de la littérature (état de Shockley à la surface de l'Au(111)), et d'autre part illustrées par l'analyse de matériaux originaux (isolants topologiques, effet Kondo moléculaire …). Les valeurs de résolution en énergie sont inférieures à 2 meV et 300 meV pour la photoémission utilisant les rayonnements UV (UPS) et X (XPS) respectivement. La résolution angulaire est quant à elle meilleure que 0,2° et la température minimale atteignable est de 8,7 K. Finalement, des premières mesures de SR-ARPES ont démontré la capacité de ce nouveau bâti à mesurer les détails les plus fins de la structure de bandes polarisée en spin, se rapprochant ainsi de l'état de l'art dans le domaine. Ce nouveau dispositif est donc pleinement opérationnel. La seconde partie est consacrée à l'étude d'un oxyde de silicium ultra-mince bidimensionnel (2D) à la surface d'un substrat monocristallin de Ru(0001). Nous étudions tous les stades de croissance en partant du substrat nu de Ru(0001) jusqu'à une bicouche cristalline de cet oxyde, par XPS haute résolution (rayonnement synchrotron) et photoémission résolue en angle (ARPES). Nous confirmons la structure atomique établie dans la littérature pour ce système à la monocouche, avec en particulier l'existence de deux types de liaisons inéquivalentes Si-O-Ru révélées par des mesures inédites d’XPS haute résolution au niveau de la raie de cœur de l'O1s. En outre, nos mesures ARPES mettent en évidence l'existence d'états dispersifs bidimensionnels propres à ce matériau 2D. Alors que la monocouche est fortement connectée au substrat de ruthénium (liaisons covalentes), la bicouche en est déconnectée (liaisons de van der Waals). Notre étude confirme l'existence d’une telle transition avec des signatures claires à la fois en XPS et en ARPES, démontrant notamment la disparition des liaisons Si-O-Ru. Nous démontrons également la robustesse de ce système, qui une fois cristallisé peut être remis à l'air sans modifications majeures de ses propriétés électroniques, lui donnant ainsi un fort potentiel de fonctionnalisation (par exemple au sein d'hétérostructures 2D complexes comme couche isolante). Finalement, dans une troisième partie nous nous intéressons aux aspects théoriques de la photoémission résolue en angle. Alors que la structure de bandes est périodique dans l'espace réciproque, ce n'est pas le cas de l'intensité de photoémission, qui peut présenter des variations complexes dépendant de nombreux paramètres. Ces aspects sont généralement mal compris par les expérimentateurs. Nous présentons ici un modèle simple récemment proposé qui s'inscrit dans une description en trois étapes du processus de photoémission, et qui permet d'évaluer les éléments de matrice à un électron. Ces éléments de matrice représentent l'ingrédient essentiel permettant de comprendre la répartition du poids spectral en photoémission. Nous démontrons que dans ce modèle ils sont proportionnels à la transformée de Fourier de l'état de Wannier du système considéré, ainsi qu'à un terme de polarisation contenant les effets géométriques inhérents à toute expérience de photoémission. Nous appliquons alors cette approche à des systèmes physiques comme le graphène, ou encore au cas de mesures de dichroïsme circulaire réalisées au niveau des états d et de l'état de Shockley d'un monocristal de Cu(111), mettant ainsi en évidence ses succès et ses limitationsIn this work, we highlight the relevance of photoemission spectroscopy for investigating the electronic properties of materials. In the first part, we tackle the development and the test phase of a new experimental setup which is composed of a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and a spin and angle resolved photoemission (SR-ARPES) chambers, connected to the tube at the Institut Jean Lamour. The high performances of this new setup are evaluated. On one hand by measuring well known system from the litterature (Shockley state at the Au(111) surface) and on the other hand by studying materials with novel properties (topological insulators, molecular Kondo effect …). Energy resolution is better than 2 meV for UV photoemission (UPS) and 300 meV for X-ray photoemission (XPS). We also have an angular resolution better than 0.2° and a lowest sample temperature of 8.7 K. Finally, first SR-ARPES measurements demonstrate the ability of this new installation to measure finest details of the spin polarized band structure. In short, this new setup is fully operationnal. The second part is dedicated to the study of a two dimensionnal (2D) ultra thin silicon oxide at the surface of a cristalline Ru(0001) substrate. Both growth and electronic properties are studied by high resolution XPS and ARPES. We confirm the structural model accepted for the system in the litterature for the monolayer case. In particular we confirm the existence of two inequivalent Si-O-Ru bonds with unprecedented high resolution XPS measurements on the O1s core level. In addition, our ARPES measurements highlight new dispersives states with 2D character which are unambiguously attributed to this oxide. While the monolayer is strongly connected to the ruthenium substrate (covalent bonds), the bilayer is disconnected from this latter one (van der Waals). Our work confirms the existence of such a transition with unambiguous signatures both in XPS and ARPES, in particular with the breaking of Si-O-Ru bonds. We also demonstrate the robustness of this system which, after being cristallised, can go to atmosphere without fundamental modification of his electronic properties. That gives a lot of potential applications to this 2D cristalline oxide, which could play in the futur the role of a wide band gap insulator in 2D heterostructures. In the last part, we focus on the theoretical aspects of photoemission. While band structure is periodic in the reciprocal space, it is not the case of photoemission intensity which can depend on a lot of parameters. We are motivated by the fact that these considerations are generally not well understood by experimentalists. Here, we present a simple model recently proposed in the three step approach of the photoemission process. With this model we can evaluate the one-electron matrix elements which play a key role to understand the variations of spectral weight in photoemission. In this approach, one-electron matrix elements are proportionnal to both Fourier transform of the Wannier state of the system and to a polarization term. We apply this model to « real » systems, in particular to graphene and to circular dichroism measurements on Cu(111) sample, highlighting sucess and limitations of this mode

Installation d’un nouveau dispositif de photoémission résolue en angle et en spin, et étude des propriétés électroniques de matériaux artificiels aux propriétés remarquables

In this work, we highlight the relevance of photoemission spectroscopy for investigating the electronic properties of materials. In the first part, we tackle the development and the test phase of a new experimental setup which is composed of a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and a spin and angle resolved photoemission (SR-ARPES) chambers, connected to the tube at the Institut Jean Lamour. The high performances of this new setup are evaluated. On one hand by measuring well known system from the litterature (Shockley state at the Au(111) surface) and on the other hand by studying materials with novel properties (topological insulators, molecular Kondo effect …). Energy resolution is better than 2 meV for UV photoemission (UPS) and 300 meV for X-ray photoemission (XPS). We also have an angular resolution better than 0.2° and a lowest sample temperature of 8.7 K. Finally, first SR-ARPES measurements demonstrate the ability of this new installation to measure finest details of the spin polarized band structure. In short, this new setup is fully operationnal. The second part is dedicated to the study of a two dimensionnal (2D) ultra thin silicon oxide at the surface of a cristalline Ru(0001) substrate. Both growth and electronic properties are studied by high resolution XPS and ARPES. We confirm the structural model accepted for the system in the litterature for the monolayer case. In particular we confirm the existence of two inequivalent Si-O-Ru bonds with unprecedented high resolution XPS measurements on the O1s core level. In addition, our ARPES measurements highlight new dispersives states with 2D character which are unambiguously attributed to this oxide. While the monolayer is strongly connected to the ruthenium substrate (covalent bonds), the bilayer is disconnected from this latter one (van der Waals). Our work confirms the existence of such a transition with unambiguous signatures both in XPS and ARPES, in particular with the breaking of Si-O-Ru bonds. We also demonstrate the robustness of this system which, after being cristallised, can go to atmosphere without fundamental modification of his electronic properties. That gives a lot of potential applications to this 2D cristalline oxide, which could play in the futur the role of a wide band gap insulator in 2D heterostructures. In the last part, we focus on the theoretical aspects of photoemission. While band structure is periodic in the reciprocal space, it is not the case of photoemission intensity which can depend on a lot of parameters. We are motivated by the fact that these considerations are generally not well understood by experimentalists. Here, we present a simple model recently proposed in the three step approach of the photoemission process. With this model we can evaluate the one-electron matrix elements which play a key role to understand the variations of spectral weight in photoemission. In this approach, one-electron matrix elements are proportionnal to both Fourier transform of the Wannier state of the system and to a polarization term. We apply this model to « real » systems, in particular to graphene and to circular dichroism measurements on Cu(111) sample, highlighting sucess and limitations of this model.Dans ce travail de thèse, nous illustrons la pertinence de la technique de photoémission pour l'étude des propriétés électroniques des matériaux. Dans la première partie, nous détaillons le développement et la phase de tests d'un nouveau bâti expérimental composé d'une chambre d'épitaxie par jets moléculaires (MBE) ainsi que d'une chambre de photoémission résolue en angle et en spin (SR-ARPES), connecté au tube Daum à l'Institut Jean Lamour. Les hautes performances de ce nouveau dispositif sont d'une part évaluées par une série de mesures expérimentales sur un système connu de la littérature (état de Shockley à la surface de l'Au(111)), et d'autre part illustrées par l'analyse de matériaux originaux (isolants topologiques, effet Kondo moléculaire …). Les valeurs de résolution en énergie sont inférieures à 2 meV et 300 meV pour la photoémission utilisant les rayonnements UV (UPS) et X (XPS) respectivement. La résolution angulaire est quant à elle meilleure que 0,2° et la température minimale atteignable est de 8,7 K. Finalement, des premières mesures de SR-ARPES ont démontré la capacité de ce nouveau bâti à mesurer les détails les plus fins de la structure de bandes polarisée en spin, se rapprochant ainsi de l'état de l'art dans le domaine. Ce nouveau dispositif est donc pleinement opérationnel. La seconde partie est consacrée à l'étude d'un oxyde de silicium ultra-mince bidimensionnel (2D) à la surface d'un substrat monocristallin de Ru(0001). Nous étudions tous les stades de croissance en partant du substrat nu de Ru(0001) jusqu'à une bicouche cristalline de cet oxyde, par XPS haute résolution (rayonnement synchrotron) et photoémission résolue en angle (ARPES). Nous confirmons la structure atomique établie dans la littérature pour ce système à la monocouche, avec en particulier l'existence de deux types de liaisons inéquivalentes Si-O-Ru révélées par des mesures inédites d’XPS haute résolution au niveau de la raie de cœur de l'O1s. En outre, nos mesures ARPES mettent en évidence l'existence d'états dispersifs bidimensionnels propres à ce matériau 2D. Alors que la monocouche est fortement connectée au substrat de ruthénium (liaisons covalentes), la bicouche en est déconnectée (liaisons de van der Waals). Notre étude confirme l'existence d’une telle transition avec des signatures claires à la fois en XPS et en ARPES, démontrant notamment la disparition des liaisons Si-O-Ru. Nous démontrons également la robustesse de ce système, qui une fois cristallisé peut être remis à l'air sans modifications majeures de ses propriétés électroniques, lui donnant ainsi un fort potentiel de fonctionnalisation (par exemple au sein d'hétérostructures 2D complexes comme couche isolante). Finalement, dans une troisième partie nous nous intéressons aux aspects théoriques de la photoémission résolue en angle. Alors que la structure de bandes est périodique dans l'espace réciproque, ce n'est pas le cas de l'intensité de photoémission, qui peut présenter des variations complexes dépendant de nombreux paramètres. Ces aspects sont généralement mal compris par les expérimentateurs. Nous présentons ici un modèle simple récemment proposé qui s'inscrit dans une description en trois étapes du processus de photoémission, et qui permet d'évaluer les éléments de matrice à un électron. Ces éléments de matrice représentent l'ingrédient essentiel permettant de comprendre la répartition du poids spectral en photoémission. Nous démontrons que dans ce modèle ils sont proportionnels à la transformée de Fourier de l'état de Wannier du système considéré, ainsi qu'à un terme de polarisation contenant les effets géométriques inhérents à toute expérience de photoémission. Nous appliquons alors cette approche à des systèmes physiques comme le graphène, ou encore au cas de mesures de dichroïsme circulaire réalisées au niveau des états d et de l'état de Shockley d'un monocristal de Cu(111), mettant ainsi en évidence ses succès et ses limitations