Preferential out-of-plane conduction and quasi-one-dimensional electronic states in layered 1T-TaS 2

Martino, E.; Pisoni, A.; Ćirić, L.; Arakcheeva, A.; Berger, H.; Akrap, Ana; Putzke, C.; Moll, P. J. W.; Batistić, I.; Tutiš, E.; Forró, László; Semeniuk, K.

doi:10.1038/s41699-020-0145-z

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Journal article

Preferential out-of-plane conduction and quasi-one-dimensional electronic states in layered 1T-TaS 2

Martino, E. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland - University of Fribourg, Department of Physics, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Pisoni, A. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Ćirić, L. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Arakcheeva, A. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Berger, H. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Akrap, Ana University of Fribourg, Department of Physics, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Putzke, C. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland - Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, 01187 Dresden, Germany
Moll, P. J. W. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland - Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, 01187 Dresden, Germany
Batistić, I. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Tutiš, E. Institute of Physics, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Forró, László École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Semeniuk, K. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

11.05.2020

Published in:

npj 2D Materials and Applications. - 2020, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 1–9

English Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are commonly classified as quasi-two-dimensional materials, meaning that their electronic structure closely resembles that of an individual layer, which results in resistivity anisotropies reaching thousands. Here, we show that this rule does not hold for 1T-TaS2—a compound with the richest phase diagram among TMDs. Although the onset of charge density wave order makes the in-plane conduction non-metallic, we reveal that the out-of-plane charge transport is metallic and the resistivity anisotropy is close to one. We support our findings with ab initio calculations predicting a pronounced quasi-one-dimensional character of the electronic structure. Consequently, we interpret the highly debated metal-insulator transition in 1T-TaS2 as a quasi-one-dimensional instability, contrary to the long- standing Mott localisation picture. In a broader context, these findings are relevant for the newly born field of van der Waals heterostructures, where tuning interlayer interactions (e.g., by twist, strain, intercalation, etc.) leads to new emergent phenomena.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Physique

Language