Local Real-Space View of the Achiral 1T-TiSe_{2} 2×2×2 Charge Density Wave.

Abstract

The transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TiSe_{2}-two-dimensional layered material undergoing a commensurate 2×2×2 charge density wave (CDW) transition with a weak periodic lattice distortion (PLD) below ≈200 K. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) combined with intentionally introduced interstitial Ti atoms allows us to go beyond the usual spatial resolution of STM and to intimately probe the three-dimensional character of the PLD. Furthermore, the inversion-symmetric achiral nature of the CDW in the z direction is revealed, contradicting the claimed existence of helical CDW stacking and associated chiral order. This study paves the way to a simultaneous real-space probing of both charge and structural reconstructions in CDW compounds.