Electronic signatures of dimerization in IrTe$_{2}$

ORAL

Abstract

Recently, the mysterious phase transition around T$_{c} \quad \approx $ 260 K in IrTe$_{2}$ has been intensively studied. A structural supermodulation with q$=$1/5 was identified below T$_{c}$. A variety of microscopic mechanisms have been proposed to account for this transition, including charge-density wave due to Fermi surface nesting, Te p-orbital driven structure instability, anionic depolymerization, ionic dimerization, and so on. However, there has not been an unified picture on the nature of this transition. To address this issue, we have performed low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) experiments on IrTe$_{2}$ and IrTe$_{2-x}$Se$_{x}$. Our STM data clearly shows a strong bias dependence in both topography and local density of states (STS) maps. High resolution spectroscopic data further confirms the stripe-like electronic states modulation, which provides insight to the ionic dimerization revealed by X-ray diffraction.

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Authors

  • Jixia Dai

    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
    • Rutgers University

  • Weida Wu

    • Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Yoon Seok Oh

    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA

  • S.-W. Cheong

    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA

  • J.J. Yang

    • Laboratory for Pohang Emergent Materials and Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea