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Ab initioinvestigation of topological phase transitions induced by pressure in trilayer van der Waals structures: the example ofh-BN/SnTe/h-BN

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Author(s):
Lima, Matheus P. ; Besse, Rafael ; Da Silva, Juarez L. F.
Total Authors: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER; v. 33, n. 2, p. 7-pg., 2021-01-13.
Abstract

The combination of two-dimensional crystals through the formation of van der Waals bilayers, trilayers, and heterostructures has been considered a promising route to design new materials due to the possibility of tuning their properties through the control of the number of layers, alloying pressure, strain, and other tuning mechanisms. Here, we report a density functional theory study on the interlayer phonon coupling and electronic structure of the trilayerh-BN/SnTe/h-BN, and the effects of pressure on the encapsulation of this trilayer system. Our findings demonstrated the establishment of a type I junction in the system, with a trivial bandgap of 0.55 eV, which is 10 % lower than the free-standing SnTe one. The almost inerth-BN capping layers allow a topological phase transition at a pressure of 13.5 GPa, in which the system evolves from a trivial insulator to a topological insulator. In addition, with further increase of the pressure up to 35 GPa, the non-trivial energy bandgap increases up to 0.30 eV. This behavior is especially relevant to allow experimental access to topological properties of materials, since large non-trivial energy bandgaps are required. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 17/09077-7 - Ab-initio study of the structural, electronic, and optical properties of van der Waals heterostructures
Grantee:Rafael Besse
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
FAPESP's process: 18/21401-7 - Multi-User Equipment approved in grant 2017/11631-2: cluster computational de alto desempenho - ENIAC
Grantee:Juarez Lopes Ferreira da Silva
Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
FAPESP's process: 17/11631-2 - CINE: computational materials design based on atomistic simulations, meso-scale, multi-physics, and artificial intelligence for energy applications
Grantee:Juarez Lopes Ferreira da Silva
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program
FAPESP's process: 13/07375-0 - CeMEAI - Center for Mathematical Sciences Applied to Industry
Grantee:Francisco Louzada Neto
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC