Abstract

Van der Waals heterostructures of 2D layered materials have gained much attention due to their flexible electronic properties, which make them promising candidates for energy, sensing, catalytic, and biomedical applications. Lead iodide (PbI₂), a 2D layered metal halide semiconductor, was grown on graphene/SiC(0001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The structural and optical properties were probed in real time by grazing incidence fast atom diffraction and surface differential reflectance spectroscopy, with additional LEED and ARPES characterization. The growth proceeds layer-by-layer in a van der Waals-like epitaxy, with the zigzag direction of PbI₂ parallel to the armchair direction of graphene. The first PbI₂ monolayer exhibits significant changes, including about 1% tensile strain that relaxes over 3 to 5 monolayers, and ARPES reveals charge transfer from graphene to PbI₂ through an energy shift of about 50 meV in the graphene band structure.

Abstract

Van der Waals heterostructures of 2D layered materials have gained much attention due to their flexible electronic properties, which make them promising candidates for energy, sensing, catalytic, and biomedical applications. Lead iodide (PbI₂), a 2D layered metal halide semiconductor, was grown on graphene/SiC(0001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The structural and optical properties were probed in real time by grazing incidence fast atom diffraction and surface differential reflectance spectroscopy, with additional LEED and ARPES characterization. The growth proceeds layer-by-layer in a van der Waals-like epitaxy, with the zigzag direction of PbI₂ parallel to the armchair direction of graphene. The first PbI₂ monolayer exhibits significant changes, including about 1% tensile strain that relaxes over 3 to 5 monolayers, and ARPES reveals charge transfer from graphene to PbI₂ through an energy shift of about 50 meV in the graphene band structure.

Abstract

Van der Waals heterostructures of 2D layered materials have gained much attention due to their flexible electronic properties, which make them promising candidates for energy, sensing, catalytic, and biomedical applications. Lead iodide (PbI₂), a 2D layered metal halide semiconductor, was grown on graphene/SiC(0001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The structural and optical properties were probed in real time by grazing incidence fast atom diffraction and surface differential reflectance spectroscopy, with additional LEED and ARPES characterization. The growth proceeds layer-by-layer in a van der Waals-like epitaxy, with the zigzag direction of PbI₂ parallel to the armchair direction of graphene. The first PbI₂ monolayer exhibits significant changes, including about 1% tensile strain that relaxes over 3 to 5 monolayers, and ARPES reveals charge transfer from graphene to PbI₂ through an energy shift of about 50 meV in the graphene band structure.

Abstract

Van der Waals heterostructures of 2D layered materials have gained much attention due to their flexible electronic properties, which make them promising candidates for energy, sensing, catalytic, and biomedical applications. Lead iodide (PbI₂), a 2D layered metal halide semiconductor, was grown on graphene/SiC(0001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The structural and optical properties were probed in real time by grazing incidence fast atom diffraction and surface differential reflectance spectroscopy, with additional LEED and ARPES characterization. The growth proceeds layer-by-layer in a van der Waals-like epitaxy, with the zigzag direction of PbI₂ parallel to the armchair direction of graphene. The first PbI₂ monolayer exhibits significant changes, including about 1% tensile strain that relaxes over 3 to 5 monolayers, and ARPES reveals charge transfer from graphene to PbI₂ through an energy shift of about 50 meV in the graphene band structure.