Robustness of linear bands in epitaxial planar silicene heterostructure against surface doping

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the electronic structure of epitaxial planar silicene heterostructure grown on ultrathin gold films on the Si(111) substrates, covered by 0.1 monolayer of silver, antimony and lead. Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy measurements reveal that the electronic structure of planar silicene, that shows bands with linear dispersion, remains largely unaffected by the presence of these dopants, with only a slight energy shift observed in the case of antimony. Density functional theory calculations corroborate these experimental observations, confirming the robustness of the epitaxial planar silicene heterostructure against surface doping. The results suggest that the intrinsic electronic properties of planar silicene are well-protected against surface contamination.