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arXiv · 1505.00245

Local Spectroscopic Characterization of Spin and Layer Polarization in WSe$_2$

Abstract

We report scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) measurements of monolayer and bilayer WSe$_2$. We measure a band gap of 2.21 $\pm$ 0.08 eV in monolayer WSe$_2$, which is much larger than the energy of the photoluminescence peak indicating a large excitonic binding energy. We additionally observe significant electronic scattering arising from atomic-scale defects. Using Fourier transform STS (FT-STS), we map the energy versus momentum dispersion relations for monolayer and bilayer WSe$_2$. Further, by tracking allowed and forbidden scattering channels as a function of energy we infer the spin texture of both the conduction and valence bands. We observe a large spin-splitting of the valence band due to strong spin-orbit coupling, and additionally observe spin-valley-layer coupling in the conduction band of bilayer WSe$_2$.

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Matthew Yankowitz, Devin McKenzie, Brian J. LeRoy. 2015-07-29. Local Spectroscopic Characterization of Spin and Layer Polarization in WSe$_2$. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.115.136803

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