Polar and phase domain walls with conducting interfacial states in a Weyl semimetal MoTe2

Fei-Ting Huang, Seong Joon Lim, Sobhit Singh, Jinwoong Kim, Lunyong Zhang, Jae-Wook Kim, Ming-Wen Chu, Karin M. Rabe, David Vanderbilt and Sang-Wook Cheong ()
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Fei-Ting Huang: Rutgers University
Seong Joon Lim: Rutgers University
Sobhit Singh: Rutgers University
Jinwoong Kim: Rutgers University
Lunyong Zhang: Pohang University of Science and Technology
Jae-Wook Kim: Rutgers University
Ming-Wen Chu: National Taiwan University
Karin M. Rabe: Rutgers University
David Vanderbilt: Rutgers University
Sang-Wook Cheong: Rutgers University

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Much of the dramatic growth in research on topological materials has focused on topologically protected surface states. While the domain walls of topological materials such as Weyl semimetals with broken inversion or time-reversal symmetry can provide a hunting ground for exploring topological interfacial states, such investigations have received little attention to date. Here, utilizing in-situ cryogenic transmission electron microscopy combined with first-principles calculations, we discover intriguing domain-wall structures in MoTe2, both between polar variants of the low-temperature(T) Weyl phase, and between this and the high-T higher-order topological phase. We demonstrate how polar domain walls can be manipulated with electron beams and show that phase domain walls tend to form superlattice-like structures along the c axis. Scanning tunneling microscopy indicates a possible signature of a conducting hinge state at phase domain walls. Our results open avenues for investigating topological interfacial states and unveiling multifunctional aspects of domain walls in topological materials.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11949-5

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