Direct observation of the Mottness and p-d orbital hybridization in the epitaxial monolayer α-RuCl3

alpha-RuCl3, a promising material to accomplish the Kitaev honeycomb model, has attracted enormous interest recently. Mottness and p-d bonds play vital roles in generating Kitaev interactions and underpinning the potential exotic states of quantum magnets, and the van der Waals monolayer is considered to be a better platform to approach a two-dimensional Kitaev model than the bulk. Here, we worked out the growth art of an alpha-RuCl3 monolayer on a graphite substrate and studied its electronic structure, particularly the delicate orbital occupations, through scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. An in-plane lattice expansion of 2.67 +/- 0.83% is observed and the pronounced t(2g)-p(pi) and e(g)-p(sigma) hybridization are visualized. The Mott nature is unveiled by an similar to 0.6 eV full gap at the Fermi level located inside the t(2g)-p(pi) manifold which is further verified by the density functional theory calculations. The monolayer phase of alpha-RuCl3 fulfills the a priori criteria of recent theoretical predictions of tuning the relevant properties in this material and provides a novel platform to explore the Kitaev physics.

Automated summary

The growth and electronic structure of α-RuCl3 monolayer on a graphite substrate were studied, revealing important properties such as lattice expansion, orbital hybridization, and Mottness. The monolayer of α-RuCl3 satisfies the criteria for exploring Kitaev physics and provides a novel platform.