Atomic-scale visualization of chiral charge density wave superlattices and their reversible switching

Xuan Song; Liwei Liu; Yaoyao Chen; Han Yang; Zeping Huang; Baofei Hou; Yanhui Hou; Xu Han; Huixia Yang; Quanzhen Zhang; Teng Zhang; Jiadong Zhou; Yuan Huang; Yu Zhang; Hong Jun Gao; Yeliang Wang

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-29548-2

Atomic-scale visualization of chiral charge density wave superlattices and their reversible switching

Xuan Song, Liwei Liu^*, Yaoyao Chen, Han Yang, Zeping Huang, Baofei Hou, Yanhui Hou, Xu Han, Huixia Yang, Quanzhen Zhang, Teng Zhang, Jiadong Zhou, Yuan Huang, Yu Zhang, Hong Jun Gao, Yeliang Wang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Chirality is essential for various phenomena in life and matter. However, chirality and its switching in electronic superlattices, such as charge density wave (CDW) superlattices, remain elusive. In this study, we characterize the chirality switching with atom-resolution imaging in a single-layer NbSe₂ CDW superlattice by the technique of scanning tunneling microscopy. The atomic arrangement of the CDW superlattice is found continuous and intact although its chirality is switched. Several intermediate states are tracked by time-resolved imaging, revealing the fast and dynamic chirality transition. Importantly, the switching is reversibly realized with an external electric field. Our findings unveil the delicate switching process of chiral CDW superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) crystal down to the atomic scale.

Original language	English
Article number	1843
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29548-2
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

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title = "Atomic-scale visualization of chiral charge density wave superlattices and their reversible switching",

abstract = "Chirality is essential for various phenomena in life and matter. However, chirality and its switching in electronic superlattices, such as charge density wave (CDW) superlattices, remain elusive. In this study, we characterize the chirality switching with atom-resolution imaging in a single-layer NbSe2 CDW superlattice by the technique of scanning tunneling microscopy. The atomic arrangement of the CDW superlattice is found continuous and intact although its chirality is switched. Several intermediate states are tracked by time-resolved imaging, revealing the fast and dynamic chirality transition. Importantly, the switching is reversibly realized with an external electric field. Our findings unveil the delicate switching process of chiral CDW superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) crystal down to the atomic scale.",

author = "Xuan Song and Liwei Liu and Yaoyao Chen and Han Yang and Zeping Huang and Baofei Hou and Yanhui Hou and Xu Han and Huixia Yang and Quanzhen Zhang and Teng Zhang and Jiadong Zhou and Yuan Huang and Yu Zhang and Gao, {Hong Jun} and Yeliang Wang",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-022-29548-2",

language = "English",

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T1 - Atomic-scale visualization of chiral charge density wave superlattices and their reversible switching

AU - Song, Xuan

AU - Liu, Liwei

AU - Chen, Yaoyao

AU - Yang, Han

AU - Huang, Zeping

AU - Hou, Baofei

AU - Hou, Yanhui

AU - Han, Xu

AU - Yang, Huixia

AU - Zhang, Quanzhen

AU - Zhang, Teng

AU - Zhou, Jiadong

AU - Huang, Yuan

AU - Zhang, Yu

AU - Gao, Hong Jun

AU - Wang, Yeliang

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Chirality is essential for various phenomena in life and matter. However, chirality and its switching in electronic superlattices, such as charge density wave (CDW) superlattices, remain elusive. In this study, we characterize the chirality switching with atom-resolution imaging in a single-layer NbSe2 CDW superlattice by the technique of scanning tunneling microscopy. The atomic arrangement of the CDW superlattice is found continuous and intact although its chirality is switched. Several intermediate states are tracked by time-resolved imaging, revealing the fast and dynamic chirality transition. Importantly, the switching is reversibly realized with an external electric field. Our findings unveil the delicate switching process of chiral CDW superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) crystal down to the atomic scale.

AB - Chirality is essential for various phenomena in life and matter. However, chirality and its switching in electronic superlattices, such as charge density wave (CDW) superlattices, remain elusive. In this study, we characterize the chirality switching with atom-resolution imaging in a single-layer NbSe2 CDW superlattice by the technique of scanning tunneling microscopy. The atomic arrangement of the CDW superlattice is found continuous and intact although its chirality is switched. Several intermediate states are tracked by time-resolved imaging, revealing the fast and dynamic chirality transition. Importantly, the switching is reversibly realized with an external electric field. Our findings unveil the delicate switching process of chiral CDW superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) crystal down to the atomic scale.

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-022-29548-2

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SN - 2041-1723

VL - 13

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 1843

ER -

Atomic-scale visualization of chiral charge density wave superlattices and their reversible switching

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