Magnetic-Order Induced Spectral-Weight Redistribution in a Triangular Surface System

TL;DR

This study combines theoretical calculations and ARPES experiments to reveal how magnetic order causes spectral-weight redistribution in a triangular surface system with localized orbitals and magnetic frustration.

Contribution

It demonstrates the role of magnetic order in spectral-weight redistribution in a triangular surface system, highlighting complex magnetic states beyond simple antiferromagnetic order.

Findings

Good agreement between theory and experiment on spectral function and temperature dependence.

Spectral weight redistribution explains ARPES band topology changes without geometric alterations.

Magnetic order is more complex than simple 120° antiferromagnetic order.

Abstract

The Sn-induced $\sqrt3 \times \sqrt3$ surface reconstruction on Si(111) has been investigated by material-specific many-body calculations and by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). This triangular surface system in the low adatom coverage regime is governed by rather localized dangling bond orbitals with enhanced electronic correlations and it is prone to exhibit magnetic frustration. We find a rather good overall agreement of the spectral function and its temperature-dependence between theory and experiment. Changes in the ARPES band topology in comparison to the density functional calculations can be explained as a spectral weight redistribution with respect to an additional symmetry which is not due to any geometrical change. This new symmetry corresponds to a magnetic order, which is found to be more complex than the canonical $120^{\circ}$ anti-ferromagnetic order on a triangular lattice with nearest-neighbor coupling only.