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We show that bismuth nanostructures form three-dimensional patterns governed by two-dimensional electronic effects. Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that both the vertical and the lateral dimensions of the structures strongly favor certain values and that the preferred widths are substantially different for each preferred height. First-principles calculations demonstrate that this vertical-lateral correlation is governed by the Fermi surface topology and that this is itself sensitively dependent on the dimensions of the structure.

Protection of Cu(111) surface by chemical vapor deposition graphene coating is investigated. The X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results do not reveal any signs of corrosion on graphene-coated Cu(111), and suggest perfect protection of copper surface against interaction with atmospheric gases. However, the scanning tunneling spectroscopy results show that cracks in the graphene sheet open up windows for nanoscale corrosion. We have shown also that such local corrosions are not only limited to the discontinuities but may also progresses underneath the graphene cover.

Two-dimensional (2D) Dirac-like electron gases have attracted tremendous research interest ever since the discovery of free-standing graphene [1-3]. The linear energy dispersion and non-trivial Berry phase play the pivotal role in the remarkable electronic, optical, mechanical and chemical properties of 2D Dirac materials [4]. The known 2D Dirac materials are gapless only within certain approximations, for example, in the absence of SOC. Here we report a route to establishing robust Dirac cones in 2D materials with nonsymmorphic crystal lattice. The nonsymmorphic symmetry enforces Dirac-like band dispersions around certain high-symmetry momenta in the presence of SOC [5, 6]. Through µ-ARPES measurements we observe Dirac-like band dispersions in α-bismuthene. The nonsymmorphic lattice symmetry is confirmed by µ-LEED and STM. Our firstprinciples simulations and theoretical topological analysis demonstrate the correspondence between nonsymmorphic symmetry and Dirac states. This mechanism can be straightforwardly generalized to other nonsymmorphic materials. The results open the door for the search of symmetry enforced Dirac fermions in the vast uncharted world of nonsymmorphic 2D materials.

Van der Waals heterostructures have recently been identified as providing many opportunities to create new two-dimensional materials, and in particular to produce materials with topologicallyinteresting states. Here we show that it is possible to create such heterostructures with multiple topological phases in a single nanoscale island. We discuss their growth within the framework of diffusion-limited aggregation, the formation of moiré patterns due to the differing crystallographies of the materials comprising the heterostructure, and the potential to engineer both the electronic structure as well as local variations of topological order. In particular we show that it is possible to build islands which include both the hexagonal β-and rectangular α-forms of antimonene, on top of the topological insulator α-bismuthene. This is the first experimental realisation of α-antimonene, and we show that it is a topologically non-trivial material in the quantum spin Hall class.

The electronic structure of Bi(110) thin films as a function of film thickness is investigated by first-principles calculations, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Energy minimization in the calculation reveals significant atomic relaxation and rebonding at the surface. The calculated surface energy for the relaxed structures indicates that films consisting of odd numbers of atomic layers are inherently unstable and tend to bifurcate into film domains consisting of neighboring even numbers of atomic layers. This theoretical trend agrees with experimental observations. The results can be explained by the presence of unsaturated p z dangling bonds on the surfaces of films of odd-numbered atomic layers only. These p z dangling bonds form a Dirac-cone feature near the Fermi level at the M point as a consequence of the interplay of mirror symmetry and spin-orbit coupling. Films consisting of even numbers of atomic layers exhibit a band gap at M instead.

Graphene devices require electric contacts with metals, particularly with gold. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy studies of electron local density of states performed on mono-, bi-, and trigraphene layer deposited on metallic Au/Cr/SiO2/Si substrate shows that gold substrate causes the Fermi level shift downwards which means that holes are donated by metal substrate to graphene which becomes p-type doped. These experimental results are in good accordance with recently published density function theory calculations.

We present evidence that ultra-thin Bi(110) nanostructures oxidise from the edges, and that their top surfaces remain unoxidised. Even after prolonged oxidation, clean (unoxidised) bismuth is present in nanostructures that are less than 5 monolayers thick. Since the (110) surface of bulk bismuth is known to be readily oxidised, this is strong evidence for a thin film allotrope of bismuth. We present a comparison with calculated structures and the structures of polymeric nitrogen, which suggests that the allotrope is one of several complex or hybrid paired-layer structures.