Large-Gap Two-Dimensional Topological Insulator in Oxygen Functionalized MXene

TL;DR

This paper predicts that oxygen-functionalized MXenes, specifically M$_2$CO$_2$ (M=W, Mo, Cr), are large-gap 2D topological insulators with potential for practical applications in spintronics and quantum computing, based on first-principles calculations.

Contribution

It introduces a new class of 2D topological insulators in oxygen-functionalized MXenes with large gaps, stable structures, and feasible synthesis methods.

Findings

W$_2$CO$_2$ has a topological gap of 0.194 eV.

The proposed MXenes are dynamically stable and natively antioxidant.

They are likely synthesizable via chemical etching of MAX phases.

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) topological insulator (TI) have been recognized as a new class of quantum state of matter. They are distinguished from normal 2D insulators with their nontrivial band-structure topology identified by the $Z_2$ number as protected by time-reversal symmetry (TRS). 2D TIs have intriguing spin-velocity locked conducting edge states and insulating properties in the bulk. In the edge states, the electrons with opposite spins propagate in opposite directions and the backscattering is fully prohibited when the TRS is conserved. This leads to quantized dissipationless "two-lane highway" for charge and spin transportation and promises potential applications. Up to now, only very few 2D systems have been discovered to possess this property. The lack of suitable material obstructs the further study and application. Here, by using first-principles calculations, we propose that the functionalized MXene with oxygen, M$_2$CO$_2$ (M=W, Mo and Cr), are 2D TIs with the largest gap of 0.194 eV in W case. They are dynamically stable and natively antioxidant. Most importantly, they are very likely to be easily synthesized by recent developed selective chemical etching of transition-metal carbides (MAX phase). This will pave the way to tremendous applications of 2D TIs, such as "ideal" conducting wire, multifunctional spintronic device, and the realization of topological superconductivity and Majorana modes for quantum computing.