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arXiv · 2601.02922

Surface reconstruction-driven band folding and spin-orbit enhancement at the $α$-antimonene/Au(111) interface

Thomas Pierron·José de Jesùs Villalobos Castro·Etienne Barre·Dan Wang·Stephane Pons·Dimitri Roditchev·Azzedine Bendounan·Valerie Guisset·Philippe David·Johann Coraux·Lorenzo Sponza·Sergio Vlaic
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Abstract

The electronic properties of the two-dimensional (2D) $α$ phase of antimonene are unique, featuring unpinned Dirac cones that can be moved with strain. Here we investigate the structural and electronic properties of an epitaxial 2D $α$-antimonene, grown on Au(111). Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and density-functional theory, we reveal a strong hybridization at the Sb/Au interface, which imprints a rectangular reconstruction in the Au states, producing a band folding and hybrid bands exhibiting trigonal pockets. Additionally, hybridization displaces part of the Au wavefunction in regions of large electrostatic potential gradient, thereby enhancing spin-orbit splitting. Our work underscores that the pristine electronic properties of $α$-antimonene may be deeply modified by its substrate, and even overwhelmed by the bands of the latter, and also shows that spin-orbit interaction in a heavy metal (Au) can be substantially enhanced by a lighter element (Sb).

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Thomas Pierron, José de Jesùs Villalobos Castro, Etienne Barre, Dan Wang, Stephane Pons, Dimitri Roditchev, Azzedine Bendounan, Valerie Guisset, Philippe David, Johann Coraux, Lorenzo Sponza, Sergio Vlaic. 2026-01-06. Surface reconstruction-driven band folding and spin-orbit enhancement at the $α$-antimonene/Au(111) interface. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02922

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