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Mapping Nanoscale Buckling in Atomically Thin Cr2Ge2Te6

delete2026-02-05
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OA
AI
A
Amy Carl
N
Nicholas Clark *
D
David G. Hopkinson
M
Matthew J. Hamer
M
Matthew D. Watson
L
Laxman Nagireddy
J
James E. Nunn
A
A.V. Barinov
Y
Yichao Zou
W
William Thornley
C
Casey K. Cheung
W
Wendong Wang
S
Sam Sullivan Allsop
李肖 cover
李肖 (Li Xiao)
A
Astrid Weston
E
Eli G. Castanon
A
Andrey V. Kretinin
C
Céphise Cacho
N
Neil R. Wilson
S
Sarah J. Haigh *
R
Roman Gorbachev *
DOI:10.1002/adfm.202526564delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Magnetic two-dimensional materials are a promising platform for novel nano-electronic device architectures. One such layered crystal is the ferromagnetic semiconductor chromium germanium telluride (Cr2Ge2Te6) which recently attracted interest due to its potential for spintronics and memory applications. Here we investigate its properties from the structural standpoint using atomic resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) and present the first atomic resolution images down to its monolayer limit. We develop a novel technique that allows one to map the local tilt with unprecedented spatial resolution using only high-resolution images, enabling mapping of the topography and morphological variation of atomically thin crystals. Using it, we show that the Cr2Ge2Te6 monolayer has an unusually large out-of-plane rippling, with local tilt variation reaching 20° over few nm length scales. We hypothesize that such a strongly buckled structure originates from both point and extended lattice defects which are more prevalent in monolayer crystals. In addition, we correlate the structural observations with the band structure measurements using Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES). We believe that both the atomic scale insights we have gained on Cr2Ge2Te6 and our novel approach to nanoscale topography mapping will benefit the development of van der Waals heterostructures in both fundamental and applied research.
Keywords:
3D reconstruction
buckled 2D materials
chromium germanium telluride
magnetic 2D materials
tilt-mapping
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Journal

Advanced Functional Materials cover
Advanced Functional Materials
IF:
19
Papers:
3.4W
Citations:
32.1W

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D
diamond light source
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231
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Citations: 1
U
university of warwick
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U
university of manchester
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elettra sincrotrone trieste
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