h-BN encapsulation of atomically thin layers of PtTe₂ for electronic transport measurements at low temperatures

PtTe₂ is an air-stable exfoliatable Dirac semimetal that features two different types of Dirac excitations. When reduced to a single triatomic layer, PtTe₂ becomes a semiconductor, leading to applications that may exploit the Schottky barrier formed at the interface with a metallic van der Waals material, such as, fast switching, power rectification and solar cells. Here, we present details on the h-BN encapsulation of PtTe₂ and the obtention of an electronic device through standard nanofabrication methods. Additionally, we present our current efforts on device fabrication of Cr alloys of PtTe₂, known to present a magnetic ordering transition at relatively high temperatures.