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Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
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Two-dimensional square lattice polonium stabilized by the spin-orbit coupling
1Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan. shota_o@gifu-u.ac.jp.
Scientific Reports
|July 18, 2020
Summary
Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) stabilizes two-dimensional polonium (poloniumene) in a square lattice. This effect is crucial for preventing instabilities and achieving a stable 2D material, unlike its 3D counterpart.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Chemistry
Background:
- Polonium's unique three-dimensional simple cubic (SC) lattice is debated to be stabilized by scalar relativistic effects or spin-orbit coupling (SOC).
- Investigating lower-dimensional phases of polonium is essential for understanding its fundamental properties and potential applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and electronic properties of two-dimensional polonium (poloniumene).
- To determine the role of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in stabilizing the predicted 2D polonium structure.
Main Methods:
- Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to model poloniumene.
- Phonon dispersion calculations were performed to assess lattice stability.
Main Results:
- Two-dimensional polonium (poloniumene) adopts a square lattice structure as its ground state.
- Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) was found to be essential in suppressing the Peierls instability.
- SOC is necessary to achieve a stable lattice with no imaginary phonon frequencies across the Brillouin zone.
Conclusions:
- The square lattice of poloniumene is stabilized by spin-orbit coupling (SOC), not just scalar relativistic effects.
- Poloniumene presents a novel 2D material with potential for unique electronic and structural properties.
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