Moiré Superlattice Effects and Band Structure Evolution in Near-30-Degree Twisted Bilayer Graphene.

In stacks of two-dimensional crystals, mismatch of their lattice constants and misalignment of crystallographic axes lead to formation of moiré patterns. We show that moiré superlattice effects persist in twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) with large twists and short moiré periods. Using angle-resolved photoemission, we observe dramatic changes in valence band topology across large regions of the Brillouin zone, including the vicinity of the saddle point at M and across 3 eV from the Dirac points. In this energy range, we resolve several moiré minibands and detect signatures of secondary Dirac points in the reconstructed dispersions. For twists θ > 21.8°, the low-energy minigaps are not due to cone anticrossing as is the case at smaller twist angles but rather due to moiré scattering of electrons in one graphene layer on the potential of the other which generates intervalley coupling. Our work demonstrates the robustness of the mechanisms which enable engineering of electronic dispersions of stacks of two-dimensional crystals by tuning the interface twist angles. It also shows that large-angle tBLG hosts electronic minigaps and van Hove singularities of different origin which, given recent progress in extreme doping of graphene, could be explored experimentally.

Pnictogens Allotropy and Phase Transformation during van der Waals Growth.

With their ns2 np3 valence electronic configuration, pnictogens are the only system to crystallize in layered van der Waals (vdW) and quasi-vdW structures throughout the group. Light pnictogens crystallize in the A17 phase, and bulk heavier elements prefer the A7 phase. Herein, we demonstrate that the A17 of heavy pnictogens can be stabilized in antimonene grown on weakly interacting surfaces and that it undergoes a spontaneous thickness-driven transformation to the stable A7 phase. At a critical thickness of ∼4 nm, A17 antimony transforms from AB- to AA-stacked α-antimonene by a diffusionless shuffle transition followed by a gradual relaxation to the A7 phase. Furthermore, the competition between A7- and A17-like bonding affects the electronic structure of the intermediate phase. These results highlight the critical role of the atomic structure and substrate-layer interactions in shaping the stability and properties of layered materials, thus enabling a new degree of freedom to engineer their performance.

Switchable graphene-substrate coupling through formation/dissolution of an intercalated Ni-carbide layer.

Control over the film-substrate interaction is key to the exploitation of graphene's unique electronic properties. Typically, a buffer layer is irreversibly intercalated "from above" to ensure decoupling. For graphene/Ni(111) we instead tune the film interaction "from below". By temperature controlling the formation/dissolution of a carbide layer under rotated graphene domains, we reversibly switch graphene's electronic structure from semi-metallic to metallic. Our results are relevant for the design of controllable graphene/metal interfaces in functional devices.

Island Ripening via a Polymerization-Depolymerization Mechanism.

In catalytic methanol oxidation on ultrathin vanadium oxide layers on Rh(111) (Θ_{V}≈0.2 monolayer equivalent) we observe a 2D ripening of the VO_{x} islands that is controlled by the catalytic reaction. Neighboring VO_{x} islands move under reaction conditions towards each other and coalesce. The motion and the coalescence of the islands are explained by a polymerization-depolymerization equilibrium that is sensitive to gradients in the adsorbate coverages.

Growth, reaction and nanowire formation of Fe on the ZnS(1 0 0) surface.

The growth and reaction of Fe on a ZnS(1 0 0) substrate are studied in situ and with high lateral resolution using low energy electron microscopy (LEEM), micro low energy electron diffraction ( µLEED), x-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM), microprobe x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( µXPS) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism PEEM (XMCDPEEM) for complementary structural, chemical, and magnetic characterization. Initially, a two-dimensional (Fe, Zn)S reaction layer forms with thickness that depends on growth temperature. Further growth results in the formation of a variety of three-dimensional crystals, most of them strongly elongated in the form of 'nanowires' of two distinct types, labeled as A and B. Type A nanowires are oriented near the ZnS[1 1 0] direction and are composed of Fe. Type B nanowires are oriented predominantly along directions a few degrees off the ZnS[0 0 1] direction and are identified as Greigite (Fe3S4). Both types of nanowires are magnetic with Curie temperatures above 450 °C. The understanding of the reactive growth mechanism in this system that is provided by these investigations may help to develop growth methods for other elemental and transition metal chalcogenide nanostructures on ZnS and possibly on other II-VI semiconductor surfaces.

Multipurpose modular experimental station for the DiProI beamline of Fermi@Elettra free electron laser.

We present a compact modular apparatus with a flexible design that will be operated at the DiProI beamline of the Fermi@Elettra free electron laser (FEL) for performing static and time-resolved coherent diffraction imaging experiments, taking advantage of the full coherence and variable polarization of the short seeded FEL pulses. The apparatus has been assembled and the potential of the experimental setup is demonstrated by commissioning tests with coherent synchrotron radiation. This multipurpose experimental station will be open to general users after installation at the Fermi@Elettra free electron laser in 2011.

Spectromicroscopy for addressing the surface and electron transport properties of individual 1-d nanostructures and their networks.

Understanding size/dimensionality-dependent phenomena and processes relevant to chemical sensing and catalysis requires analytical methods with high surface sensitivity, which can exploit the structure and composition of nanomaterials at their natural length scales and working conditions. In the present study, we explored the potentials and complementary capabilities of several surface-sensitive microscopy approaches to shed light on the properties of individual SnO(2) nanowires and their networks. Our results demonstrate the unique opportunities provided by synchrotron-based photoelectron microscopies for surface-sensitive structural and chemical analysis, including in situ characterization of electron transport properties of a nanostructure wired as an active element in chemiresistor devices.