Atomic construction and spectroscopic characterization of FeSe-derived thin films on SrTiO3 substrates

Abstract

Controllably fabricating low-dimensional systems and unraveling their exotic states at the atomic scale is a pivotal step for the construction of quantum functional materials with emergent states. Here, by utilizing the elaborated molecular beam epitaxy growth, we obtain various Fe_xSe_y phases beyond the single-layer FeSe/SrTiO₃ films. A synthetic strategy of lowering substrate temperature with superfluous Se annealing is implemented to achieve various stoichiometric FeSe-derived phases, ranging from 1:1 to 5:8. The phase transitions and electronic structure of these Fe_xSe_y phases are systematically characterized by atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. We observe the long-ranged antiferromagnetic order of the Fe₄Se₅ phase by spin-polarized signals with striped patterns, which is also verified by their magnetic response of phase shift between adjacent domains. The electronic doping effect in insulating Fe₄Se₅ and the kagome effect in metallic Fe₅Se₈ are also discussed, where the kagome lattice is a promising structure to manifest both spin frustration of d electrons in a quantum-spin-liquid phase and correlated topological states with flat-band physics. Our study provides promising opportunities for constructing artificial superstructures with tunable building blocks, which is helpful for understanding the emergent quantum states and their correlation with competing orders in the FeSe-based family.