Temperature dependent electronic structure of Cr_1/4NbSe₂ thin films revealed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

Intercalation of 3d transition metal atoms in transition metal dichalcogenides is known to produce magnetic phases with varied spin structures. Particularly, 3d-intercalated Nb and Ta disulfides were widely studied in the past, in which itinerant electrons of the parent compounds are thought to mediate the exchange between magnetic atoms via the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) interaction. In accordance with the magnetic atom and host layer, RKKY interactions may lead to a variety of magnetic phases, such as ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, helimagnetic, etc. Cr_xNbSe₂ is an example of different magnetic phases appearing according to the composition ratio between intercalants and host layer [1]. Recently, we have employed molecular-beam epitaxy to fabricate high-quality Cr_xNbSe₂ epitaxial thin films and clarified the topological electronic structure realized in ferromagnetic x = 1/3 via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) [2]. In this work, we further investigate the nonmagnetic Cr_1/4NbSe₂ and discuss the peculiar temperature dependent electronic structure associated with the anomalous transport property.



1. N. M. Toporova et al. J. Alloys Compd. 848, 156534 (2020).

2. B. Saika et al., to be published in Phys. Rev. Research.