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Wang Y, Li Z, Luo X, Gao J, Han Y, Jiang J, Tang J, Ju H, Li T, Lv R, Cui S, Yang Y, Sun Y, Zhu J, Gao X, Lu W, Sun Z, Xu H, Xiong Y, Cao L. Dualistic insulator states in 1T-TaS 2 crystals. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3425. [PMID: 38653984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47728-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
While the monolayer sheet is well-established as a Mott-insulator with a finite energy gap, the insulating nature of bulk 1T-TaS2 crystals remains ambiguous due to their varying dimensionalities and alterable interlayer coupling. In this study, we present a unique approach to unlock the intertwined two-dimensional Mott-insulator and three-dimensional band-insulator states in bulk 1T-TaS2 crystals by structuring a laddering stack along the out-of-plane direction. Through modulating the interlayer coupling, the insulating nature can be switched between band-insulator and Mott-insulator mechanisms. Our findings demonstrate the duality of insulating nature in 1T-TaS2 crystals. By manipulating the translational degree of freedom in layered crystals, our discovery presents a promising strategy for exploring fascinating physics, independent of their dimensionality, thereby offering a "three-dimensional" control for the era of slidetronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihao Wang
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
| | - Zhihao Li
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
- Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, P. R. China
| | - Xuan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
| | - Jingjing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
| | - Yuyan Han
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
| | - Jialiang Jiang
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
| | - Jin Tang
- Department of Physics, School of Physics and Optoelectronics Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, P. R. China
| | - Huanxin Ju
- PHI Analytical Laboratory, ULVAC-PHI Instruments Co., Ltd., Nanjing, 211110, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Tongrui Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Run Lv
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
- Science Island Branch of Graduate School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Shengtao Cui
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Yingguo Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yuping Sun
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, P. R. China
| | - Junfa Zhu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Xingyu Gao
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai, 201204, P. R. China
| | - Wenjian Lu
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China.
| | - Zhe Sun
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, P. R. China.
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei, 230028, P. R. China.
| | - Hai Xu
- Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, P. R. China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China.
| | - Yimin Xiong
- Department of Physics, School of Physics and Optoelectronics Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, P. R. China.
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei, 230028, P. R. China.
| | - Liang Cao
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, P. R. China.
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Liu B, Zhang Y, Han X, Sun J, Zhou H, Li C, Cheng J, Yan S, Lei H, Shi Y, Yang H, Li S. Possible quantum-spin-liquid state in van der Waals cluster magnet Nb 3Cl 8. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2024; 36:155602. [PMID: 38171019 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ad1a5c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The cluster magnet Nb3Cl8consists of Nb3trimmers that form an emergentS= 1/2 two-dimensional triangular layers, which are bonded by weak van der Waals interactions. Recent studies show that its room-temperature electronic state can be well described as a single-band Mott insulator. However, the magnetic ground state is non-magnetic due to a structural transition below about 100 K. Here we show that there exists a thickness threshold below which the structural transition will not happen. For a bulk crystal, a small fraction of the sample maintains the high-temperature structure at low temperatures and such remnant gives rise to linear-temperature dependence of the specific heat at very low temperatures. This is further confirmed by the measurements on ground powder sample orc-axis pressed single crystals, which prohibits the formation of the non-magnetic state. Moreover, the intrinsic magnetic susceptibility also tends to be constant with decreasing temperature. Our results suggest that Nb3Cl8with the high-temperature structure may host a quantum-spin-liquid ground state with spinon Fermi surfaces, which can be achieved by making the thickness of a sample smaller than a certain threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongchao Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Han
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianping Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Honglin Zhou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunhong Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinguang Cheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaohua Yan
- Department of Physics and Beijing Key Laboratory of Opto-electronic Functional Materials & Micro-nano Devices, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Quantum State Construction and Manipulation (Ministry of Education), Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, People's Republic of China
| | - Hechang Lei
- Department of Physics and Beijing Key Laboratory of Opto-electronic Functional Materials & Micro-nano Devices, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Quantum State Construction and Manipulation (Ministry of Education), Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, People's Republic of China
| | - Youguo Shi
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, People's Republic of China
| | - Huaixin Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiliang Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, People's Republic of China
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