主要工作成果 Selected Publications (代表性年度论文) Ferroelectricity in untwisted heterobilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides Lukas ROGÉE#, Lvjin WANG#,…, Manish CHHOWALLA*, Wei JI*, and Shu Ping LAU* Science 376(6596) pp.973-978 (2022)
Van der Waals epitaxial growth of air-stable CrSe2 nanosheets with thickness-tunable magnetic order Bo Li#, Zhong Wang#, Cong Wang#, Peng Chen#, Xidong Duan*, Wei Ji*, Xiangfeng Duan*, et al. Nature Materials 20, 818-825 (2021)
Universal mechanical exfoliation of large-area 2D crystals Yuan Huang, Yu-Hao Pan, Rong Yang … Peter Sutter*, Wei Ji*, Xing-Jiang Zhou* and Hong-Jun Gao* Nature Communications 11, 2453 (2020)
Stacking tunable interlayer magnetism in bilayer CrI3 Peiheng Jiang, Cong Wang … Zhicheng Zhong* and Wei Ji* Phys. Rev. B 99, 144401 (2019) arXiv:1806.09274 PRB Editors’ Suggestion
Few-layer Tellurium: one-dimensional-like layered elementary semiconductor with striking physical properties Jingsi Qiao, Yuhao Pan, Feng Yang, Cong Wang, Yang Chai and Wei Ji* Sci. Bull. 63(3), 159-168 (2018)
Advanced exfoliation techniques are crucial for exploring the intrinsic properties and applications of 2D materials. Though the recently discovered Au-enhanced exfoliation technique provides an effective strategy for the preparation of large-scale 2D crystals, the high cost of gold hinders this method from being widely adopted in industrial applications. In addition, direct Au contact could significantly quench photoluminescence (PL) emission in 2D semiconductors. It is therefore crucial to find alternative metals that can replace gold to achieve efficient exfoliation of 2D materials. Here, the authors present a one-step Ag-assisted method that can efficiently exfoliate many large-area 2D monolayers, where the yield ratio is comparable to Au-enhanced exfoliation method. Differing from Au film, however, the surface roughness of as-prepared Ag films on SiO2/Si substrate is much higher, which facilitates the generation of surface plasmons resulting from the nanostructures formed on the rough Ag surface. More interestingly, the strong coupling between 2D semiconductor crystals (e.g., MoS2, MoSe2) and Ag film leads to a unique PL enhancement that has not been observed in other mechanical exfoliation techniques, which can be mainly attributed to enhanced light-matter interaction as a result of extended propagation of surface plasmonic polariton (SPP). This work provides a lower-cost and universal Ag-assisted exfoliation method, while at the same time offering enhanced SPP-matter interactions. DOI:10.1002/advs.202204247
Deping Guo#, Pengjie Guo#, Shijing Tan, Min Feng, Limin Cao, Zheng-Xin Liu*, Kai Liu*,
Zhong-Yi Lu, Wei Ji*
Abstract
Dirac nodal-line semimetals (DNLSMs) host novel quasiparticle excitations and intriguing transport properties, which are, however, easily perturbed under strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), especially in low-dimensions. Two-dimensional (2D) layers have numerous advantages and are under continuous development; however, 2D-DNLSMs resistant to SOC are yet to be discovered. Here, we report the C_2v×Z_2^T little co-group, a non-symmorphic symmetry we found in 2D, guarantees a robust 2D-DNLSM against SOC, which could be imposed in three-atomic-layer (3-AL) Bismuth (the brick phase, a novel Bi allotrope) and other layered materials. Intriguingly, (4n+2) valence electrons fill the electronic bands in 3-AL Bi, such that the nodal line passes the Fermi level where other low-energy states are gapped, allowing feasible observation of DNLSM-induced phenomena without interference from other bands in future transport measurements. Thus, our study demonstrates an unprecedented category of layered materials, allowing for the exploration of nearly isolated DNL states in 2D.
Abstract: Magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) have received considerable attention owing to the demonstration of various quantum phenomena, such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect and topological magnetoelectric effect. The intrinsic superlatticelike layered MTIs MnBi2Te4/(Bi2Te3)n have been extensively investigated mainly through transport measurements; however, a direct investigation of their superlattice-sensitive magnetic behaviors is relatively rare. In this paper, we report a microscopic real space investigation of the magnetic phase behaviors in MnBi4Te7 using cryogenic magnetic force microscopy. The intrinsic robust A type antiferromagnetic (AFM), surface spin-flip (SSF) + AFM, ferromagnetic (FM) + SSF + AFM, and forced FM phases are sequentially visualized via the increased external magnetic field, consistent with the magnetic behavior in the M-H curve. The temperature-dependent magnetic phase evolution behaviors are further investigated to obtain a complete H-T phase diagram of MnBi4Te7. Tentative local phase manipulation via the stray field of the magnetic tip is demonstrated by transforming the AFM into the FM phase in the surface layers of MnBi4Te7. Our study provides key real-space ingredients for understanding the complicated magnetic, electronic, and topological properties of such intrinsic MTIs and suggests new directions for manipulating spin textures and locally controlling their exotic properties.
Zheng, Fangyuan; Guo, Deping; Huang, Lingli; Wong, Lok Wing; Chen, Xin; Wang, Cong; Cai, Yuan; Wang, Ning; Lee, Chun-Sing; Lau, Shu Ping; Ly, Thuc Hue; Ji, Wei and Zhao, Jiong
Abstract
Phase patterning in polymorphic two-dimensional (2D) materials offers diverse properties that extend beyond what their pristine structures can achieve. If precisely controllable, phase transitions can bring exciting new applications for nanometer-scale devices and ultra-large-scale integrations. Here, the focused electron beam is capable of triggering the phase transition from the semiconducting T” phase to metallic T’ and T phases in 2D rhenium disulfide (ReS2) and rhenium diselenide (ReSe2) monolayers, rendering ultra-precise phase patterning technique even in sub-nanometer scale is found. Based on knock-on effects and strain analysis, the phase transition mechanism on the created atomic vacancies and the introduced substantial in-plane compressive strain in 2D layers are clarified. This in situ high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and in situ electrical characterizations agree well with the density functional theory (DFT) calculation results for the atomic structures, electronic properties, and phase transition mechanisms. Grain boundary engineering and electrical contact engineering in 2D are thus developed based on this patterning technique. The patterning method exhibits great potential in ultra-precise electron beam lithography as a scalable top-down manufacturing method for future atomic-scale devices. DOI:10.1002/advs.202200702