Discovery and construction of surface kagome electronic states induced by p-d electronic hybridization in Co₃Sn₂S₂

Kagome-lattice materials possess attractive properties for quantum computing applications, but their synthesis remains challenging. Herein, based on the compelling identification of the two cleavable surfaces of Co₃Sn₂S₂, we show surface kagome electronic states (SKESs) on a Sn-terminated triangular Co₃Sn₂S₂ surface. Such SKESs are imprinted by vertical p-d electronic hybridization between the surface Sn (subsurface S) atoms and the buried Co kagome-lattice network in the Co₃Sn layer under the surface. Owing to the subsequent lateral hybridization of the Sn and S atoms in a corner-sharing manner, the kagome symmetry and topological electronic properties of the Co₃Sn layer is proximate to the Sn surface. The SKESs and both hybridizations were verified via qPlus non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and density functional theory calculations. The construction of SKESs with tunable properties can be achieved by the atomic substitution of surface Sn (subsurface S) with other group III-V elements (Se or Te), which was demonstrated theoretically. This work exhibits the powerful capacity of nc-AFM in characterizing localized topological states and reveals the strategy for synthesis of large-area transition-metal-based kagome-lattice materials using conventional surface deposition techniques.