Microscopic theory of band gap opening and spin-orbit splitting in graphene/TMDC heterobilayers

ORAL

Abstract

Bilayers of graphene and monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are fascinating van der Waals heterostructures with an interesting electronic band structure. Theoretical ab initio calculations have shown a gap opening and an induced spin-orbit splitting in the band structure of graphene from the TMDC layer [1, 2]. These results have been experimentally confirmed by recent magnetotransport experiments showing weak antilocalisation (WAL) [2, 3]. Using perturbation theory, we propose a microscopic model to explain the origin of the gap and of the spin-orbit splitting. We also consider the dependence of the spin-orbit splitting on the misalignment of graphene and TMDC layers.

[1] M. Gmitra, D. Kochan, P. Högl, and J. Fabian, Phys. Rev. B 93, 155104 (2016).
[2] Z. Wang, D.-K. Ki, H. Chen, H. Berger, A. H. MacDonald, and A. F. Morpurgo, Nat. Comm. 6, 8339 (2015).
[3] T. Wakamura, F. Reale, P. Palczynski, S. Guéron, C. Mattevi, and H. Bouchiat, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 106802 (2018).

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Presenters

  • Alessandro David

    Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany

Authors

  • Alessandro David

    Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany

  • Andor Kormanyos

    Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

  • Guido Burkard

    Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany, University of Konstanz, Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany