Mobile Kink Solitons in a Van der Waals Charge‐Density‐Wave Layer

Abstract

Kinks, point‐like geometrical defects along dislocations, domain walls, and DNA, are stable and mobile, as solutions of a sine‐Gordon wave equation. While they are widely investigated for crystal deformations and domain wall motions, electronic properties of individual kinks have received little attention. In this work, electronically and topologically distinct kinks are discovered along electronic domain walls in a correlated van der Waals insulator of 1T‐TaS2. Mobile kinks and antikinks are identified as trapped by pinning defects and imaged in scanning tunneling microscopy. Their atomic structures and in‐gap electronic states are unveiled, which are mapped approximately into Su–Schrieffer–Heeger solitons. The twelvefold degeneracy of the domain walls in the present system guarantees an extraordinarily large number of distinct kinks and antikinks to emerge. Such large degeneracy together with the robust geometrical nature may be useful for handling multilevel information in van der Waals materials architectures.

van der Waals Engineering of Charge Density Waves in One-Dimensional Nb6Te6 Nanowires

“…One-dimensional (1D) models serve as fundamental platforms for advancing the understanding of many important concepts in condensed matter physics. − In particular, as electron correlations increase with dimensionality reduction, 1D systems can host a wide variety of exotic quantum phenomena, such as charge density waves (CDW), , Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids (TLL, non-Fermi liquids), − charge/spin solitons, , and Mott insulators, , etc. The physical realization of 1D correlated ordering phases can be found in 3D compound crystals with anisotropic lattice structures, ,, molecular self-organization or trapped atoms on solid surfaces, and 1D channels embedded in 2D/3D crystals. , In these material systems, coupling with the surrounding environment may limit or at least profoundly influence the existence of 1D states. The prevailing van der Waals (vdW) materials stimulate the need to integrate the advantages of vdW interactions into studies of 1D correlation physics.…”

The Structure Determination of Organic Molecules by Co-crystallization of Anthracene-Based Crystallization Chaperone

“…More importantly, the introduction of anthracene moieties can lead to the extension of the four arms of TMAPA in favor of larger volumes of guest molecules to be accommodated. The additional methoxy groups in the opposite position of the anthracene moieties can show a possible Van Der Waals ( VDW ) interaction − between the lipophilic surface and the lipophilic guest molecule. Therefore, the presence of four anthracene moieties with methoxy groups can lead to a more intense stacking of molecules, and they can adaptively adopt different conformations leading to an efficient capture of the guest molecule during the co-crystallization process.…”