Emergence of Dirac-like bands in the monolayer limit of epitaxial Ge films on Au(111)

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of Dirac-like electronic bands in monolayer germanium films grown on Au(111), revealing potential for topological phenomena and applications in 2D materials.

Contribution

It demonstrates the emergence of Dirac-like bands in ultrathin Ge films, suggesting the synthesis of germanene and expanding the understanding of 2D topological materials.

Findings

Multiple Dirac-like bands observed in ultrathin Ge films

Electronic structure evolves with film thickness

Potential realization of germanene on Au(111)

Abstract

After the discovery of Dirac fermions in graphene, it has become a natural question to ask whether it is possible to realize Dirac fermions in other two-dimensional (2D) materials as well. In this work, we report the discovery of multiple Dirac-like electronic bands in ultrathin Ge films grown on Au(111) by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. By tuning the thickness of the films, we are able to observe the evolution of their electronic structure when passing through the monolayer limit. Our discovery may signify the synthesis of germanene, a 2D honeycomb structure made of Ge, which is a promising platform for exploring exotic topological phenomena and enabling potential applications.