Direct Visualization of the Charge Transfer in a Graphene/α-RuCl3 Heterostructure via Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

Rossi, Antonio

;Johnson, Cameron;Balgley, Jesse;Thomas, John C;Francaviglia, Luca;Dettori, Riccardo;Schmid, Andreas K;Watanabe, Kenji;Taniguchi, Takashi;Cothrine, Matthew;Mandrus, David G;Jozwiak, Chris;Bostwick, Aaron;Henriksen, Erik A;Weber-Bargioni, Alexander;Rotenberg, Eli

2023-01-01

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Abstract

We investigate the electronic properties of a graphene and a-ruthenium trichloride (a-RuCl3) heterostructure using a combination of experimental techniques. a-RuCl3 is a Mott insulator and a Kitaev material. Its combination with graphene has gained increasing attention due to its potential applicability in novel optoelectronic devices. By using a combination of spatially resolved photoemission spectroscopy and low-energy electron microscopy, we are able to provide a direct visualization of the massive charge transfer from graphene to a-RuCl3, which can modify the electronic properties of both materials, leading to novel electronic phenomena at their interface. A measurement of the spatially resolved work function allows for a direct estimate of the interface dipole between graphene and a-RuCl3. Their strong coupling could lead to new ways of manipulating electronic properties of a two-dimensional heterojunction. Understanding the electronic properties of this structure is pivotal for designing next generation low-power optoelectronics devices.