Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3
Abstract Ferroelectrics based on van der Waals semiconductors represent an emergent class of materials for disruptive technologies ranging from neuromorphic computing to low-power electronics. However, many theoretical predictions of their electronic properties have yet to be confirmed experimentall...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56139-8 |
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| author | James Felton Jordan Harknett Joe Page Zhuo Yang Nada Alghofaili James N. O’Shea Laurence Eaves Yoshimitsu Kohama Mark T. Greenaway Amalia Patanè |
| author_facet | James Felton Jordan Harknett Joe Page Zhuo Yang Nada Alghofaili James N. O’Shea Laurence Eaves Yoshimitsu Kohama Mark T. Greenaway Amalia Patanè |
| author_sort | James Felton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Ferroelectrics based on van der Waals semiconductors represent an emergent class of materials for disruptive technologies ranging from neuromorphic computing to low-power electronics. However, many theoretical predictions of their electronic properties have yet to be confirmed experimentally and exploited. Here, we use nanoscale angle-resolved photoemission electron spectroscopy and optical transmission in high magnetic fields to reveal the electronic band structure of the van der Waals ferroelectric indium selenide (α-In2Se3). This indirect bandgap semiconductor features a weakly dispersed valence band, which is shaped like an inverted Mexican hat. Its form changes following an irreversible structural phase transition of α-In2Se3 into β-In2Se3 via a thermal annealing in ultra-high vacuum. Density functional theory supports the experiments and reveals the critical contribution of spin orbit coupling to the form of the valence band. The measured band structure and its in situ manipulation offer opportunities for precise engineering of ferroelectrics and their functional properties beyond traditional semiconducting systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c35610819a34443f99bcb2262c7ad39e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-c35610819a34443f99bcb2262c7ad39e2025-01-26T12:40:27ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-011611910.1038/s41467-025-56139-8Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3James Felton0Jordan Harknett1Joe Page2Zhuo Yang3Nada Alghofaili4James N. O’Shea5Laurence Eaves6Yoshimitsu Kohama7Mark T. Greenaway8Amalia Patanè9School of Physics and Astronomy, University of NottinghamDepartment of Physics, Loughborough UniversityDepartment of Physics, Loughborough UniversityInstitute for Solid State Physics, The University of TokyoSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of NottinghamSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of NottinghamSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of NottinghamInstitute for Solid State Physics, The University of TokyoDepartment of Physics, Loughborough UniversitySchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of NottinghamAbstract Ferroelectrics based on van der Waals semiconductors represent an emergent class of materials for disruptive technologies ranging from neuromorphic computing to low-power electronics. However, many theoretical predictions of their electronic properties have yet to be confirmed experimentally and exploited. Here, we use nanoscale angle-resolved photoemission electron spectroscopy and optical transmission in high magnetic fields to reveal the electronic band structure of the van der Waals ferroelectric indium selenide (α-In2Se3). This indirect bandgap semiconductor features a weakly dispersed valence band, which is shaped like an inverted Mexican hat. Its form changes following an irreversible structural phase transition of α-In2Se3 into β-In2Se3 via a thermal annealing in ultra-high vacuum. Density functional theory supports the experiments and reveals the critical contribution of spin orbit coupling to the form of the valence band. The measured band structure and its in situ manipulation offer opportunities for precise engineering of ferroelectrics and their functional properties beyond traditional semiconducting systems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56139-8 |
| spellingShingle | James Felton Jordan Harknett Joe Page Zhuo Yang Nada Alghofaili James N. O’Shea Laurence Eaves Yoshimitsu Kohama Mark T. Greenaway Amalia Patanè Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3 Nature Communications |
| title | Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3 |
| title_full | Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3 |
| title_fullStr | Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3 |
| title_short | Probing and manipulating the Mexican hat-shaped valence band of In2Se3 |
| title_sort | probing and manipulating the mexican hat shaped valence band of in2se3 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56139-8 |
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