Variation of the character of spin-orbit interaction by Pt intercalation underneath graphene on Ir(111)

Abstract

The modification of the graphene spin structure is of interest for novel possibilities of application of graphene in spintronics. The most exciting of them demand not only high value of spin-orbit splitting of the graphene states, but non-Rashba behavior of the splitting and spatial modulation of the spin-orbit interaction. In this work we study the spin and electronic structure of graphene on Ir(111) with intercalated Pt monolayer. Pt interlayer does not change the $9.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}9.3$ superlattice of graphene, while the spin structure of the Dirac cone becomes modified. It is shown that the Rashba splitting of the $\ensuremath{\pi}$ state is reduced, while hybridization of the graphene and substrate states leads to a spin-dependent avoided-crossing effect near the Fermi level. Such a variation of spin-orbit interaction combined with the superlattice effects can induce a topological phase in graphene.