Epitaxial growth of -bismuthene on
Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 094006 – Published 21 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/mm55-8939
Abstract
Over the past decades, two-dimensional crystals have attracted considerable interest as promising materials for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Among them, graphene analogs composed of heavy atoms occupy a particularly distinctive niche due to their enhanced spin-orbit interaction. Here, we present an epitaxial heterointerface formed by -bismuthene on , a well-known three-dimensional topological insulator. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we systematically investigated the effects of Bi coverage and substrate temperature on nucleation processes, island morphology, and atomic structure. In addition, substrate-induced defects were identified throughout the bismuthene lattice.
